Class 6 English Honeysuckle Chapter 4 Extract Based Question Answers - An Indian-American Women in Space: Kalpana Chawla

Q1: Kalpana’s first space mission in the space shuttle, Columbia, was 15 days, 16 hours and 34 minutes long. During this time she went around the earth 252 times, travelling 10.45 million kilometres! The crew included a Japanese and a Ukranian astronaut. The crew performed experiments such as pollinating plants to observe food growth in space, and tests for making stronger metals and faster computer chips — all for a price tag of about 56 million dollars.

(i) How much was the cost of experiments:
(a) 56 billion dollars
(b) 66 billion dollars
(c) 16 million dollars
(d) 56 million dollars
Ans: (d)

(ii) Columbia space shuttle had:
(a) Ukranian astronaut
(b) Indian astronaut
(c) Japanese astronaut
(d) All of the above
Ans: (d)

(iii) How much distance Kalpana Chawla covered when she went around the earth 252 times?
Ans: Kalpana travelled 10.45 million kilometres when she went around the earth 252 times.

(iv) How many days it took to complete Kalpana’s first space mission?
Ans: Kalpana’s first space mission was completed in 15 days, 16 hours and 34 minutes.

(v) Which experiments were performed by the crew?
Ans: The crew performed experiments such as pollinating plants to observe food growth in space, and tests for making stronger metals and faster computer chips.

Q2: On the Saturday night when the news about the Columbia disaster broke, there was shock and disbelief The town of Karnal spent a sleepless night as thousands of households stayed glued to their television sets in the hope that Kalpana and the crew had somehow survived. A journalist wrote: She was a heroine. It takes enormous ability to become an astronaut. You need to know a lot about everything, from biology to astrophysics to aeronautical engineering. In this age of super-specialisation, you must have encyclopaedic knowledge to be an astronaut. Her achievement is awe-inspiring.

(i) Journalist mentioned Kalpana as a:
(a) Chemist
(b) Scientist
(c) Biologist
(d) Heroine
Ans: (d)

(ii) What are the subjects one needs to know to become an astronaut?
Ans: To become an astronaut one needs to know biology, astrophysics, and aeronautical engineering.

(iii) It takes __________ ability to become an astronaut.
Ans: Enormous

(iv)  In this age of super-specialisation, you must have __________ knowledge to be an astronaut
Ans: Encyclopaedic

(v) What happened when the disaster news brake?
Ans: When the news of Columbia disaster broke, thousands of people in Karnal spent sleepless night in front of their television sets in the hope that Kalpana and the crew had somehow survived.

Q3: KALPANA Chawla said that she never dreamed, as a child in Karnal, that she would cross the frontiers of space. It was enough that her parents allowed her to attend engineering college after she graduated from Tagore School.  After a Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical engineering, against great opposition from her father, she went for a master’s degree to the United States of America. She later earned her Ph.D. in aerospace engineering.

(i) Kalpana got bachelor's degree in:
(a) Aerospace engineering
(b) Aeronautical engineering
(c) Physics
(d) Computer Science
Ans: (b)

(ii) Kalpana got her Master’s degree from:
(a) USA
(b) India
(c) Japan
(d) Germany
Ans: (a)

(iii) From which school Kalpana Chawla had graduated?
Ans: Kalpana Chawla graduated from Tagore School.

(iv) What was Kalpana’s highest degree?
Ans: Kalpana’s highest degree was a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering.

(v) What Kalpana had never dreamt?
Ans: Kalpana Chawla, being born and brought up in a small city like Karnal, never dreamed about crossing the earth’s frontier due to a space research mission.

Q4: For millions of young Indians, the story of Kalpana Chawla, a girl from a small town who touched the skies, had become an inspiration. In a message that she sent from aboard the space shuttle, Columbia, to students of her college in Chandigarh, Kalpana said, “The path from dreams to success does exist. May you have the vision to find it, the courage to get onto it… . Wishing you a great journey.” There will surely be many who start off on this journey to fulfil their dreams.

(i) Kalpana studied in the college of:
(a) Karnal
(b) Chandigarh
(c) Columbia
(d) Delhi
Ans: (b)

(ii) Kalpana sent her message from:
(a) Her college
(b) Home
(c) Office
(d) Space shuttle
Ans: (d)

(iii) ‘Wishing you a great journey’- Who wished it to whom?
Ans: Kalpana wished it to the students of her college.

(iv) What was the impact of Kalpana’s story?
Ans: The story of Kalpana Chawla, a girl from a small town who touched the skies, had become an inspiration for millions of young Indians.

(v) What was Kalpana’s message to college students?
Ans: Kalpana’s message to the students was-“The path from dreams to success does exist. May you have the vision to find it, the courage to get onto it. Wishing you a great journey.”

Q5: Kalpana was born in Karnal, Haryana, but was a naturalised U.S. citizen, married to flight instructor Jean-Pierre Harrison. Besides being an astronaut, she was licensed to fly single and multiengine land airplanes, single-engine seaplanes and gliders. She was also a certified flight instructor. After qualifying as a pilot, Kalpana began to consider another challenge: applying to NASA’s space shuttle program. She was first hired as a research scientist at NASA. In 1994 she was selected by NASA for training as an astronaut.

(i) Kalpana was born in
(a) Karnal
(b) Karnataka
(c) Chandigarh
(d) None of the above
Ans: (a)

(ii) Kalpana got selected at NASA in the year of:
(a) 1997
(b) 1990
(c) 1994
(d) 1992
Ans: (c)

(iii) Why she was naturalised to have US citizenship?
Ans: As Kalpana married to flight instructor Jean-Pierre Harrison, she was naturalised to have US citizenship.

(iv) During the training period in NASA, what was her designation?
Ans: In 1994 she was selected by NASA for training as an astronaut.

(v) Other than being an astronaut what other licences Kalpana had?
Ans: Besides being an astronaut, she was licensed to fly single and multiengine land airplanes, single-engine seaplanes and gliders. She was also a certified flight instructor.