The Making of a Scientist Extra Questions and Answers Class 10 English

The Making of a Scientist Extra Questions and Answers Class 10 English are available here. These questions have been prepared by our expert teachers and are divided into two or three sections: short-type question answers, and long-type question answers. Studying these questions will aid you in scoring excellent marks in the board exams.

The Making of a Scientist Extra Questions and Answers

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1. Which project did Albright submit in his eighth grade? Why did he win?
Answer: For his eighth-grade project, he tried to find the cause of a viral disease that killed all monarch caterpillars every few years. He thought it all happened because of a hectic and tried raising caterpillars in the presence of beetles but he did not get any results, but he went ahead and showed his experiments and trials and won a prize.

Question 2. “Richard was the focus of his mother’s attention.” Compose a thesis on this.
Answer: Richard was three years old when he lost his father. Then he became the whole life of his mother. His mother was his only companion until he started school. At night they just did the things together. His mother encouraged his interest in learning. She took him on trips, bought him telescopes, cameras, and their equipment. She brought him the book ‘The Rare Kit-larch X’. Thus, he became the focus of her attention.

Question 3. What made in light straight. A grade pit dint in it-hoot?
Answer: Ebright was that lampoon itinerant and pubic types her and good comfits and all-around outdoor person. He was an expert photographer of nature and stain tibia exhibit & had won many prizes in science fairs at the county level. He proved a lot of things about met/webs and other butterflies. He had already read the blueprint of DNA. All these made him straights. A grade student in school.

Question 4. Comment on the role of Mr. Weathered in Albright’s life.
Answer: Ebright’s mother who encouraged him as a child and Dr. Frederick A. Urquhart had inspired him to study butterflies were quite important in Albright’s life. Also, Ridded A Weathered, Albright’s Social Studies teacher opened Albright’s mind to new ideas and praised him for his handwork and indomitable spirit.

Question 5. Why did Ebright lose interest in tagging butterflies?
Answer: Albright lost interest in tagging butterflies because it was tedious work that did not provide much feedback.

Question 6. Identify four values which Richard Ebright projected as a man of substance.
Answer: Ebright was not only a good scientist but also a keen observer. He was a good sea champion debater and public speaker. He was an expert photographer, particularly of woo and scientific exhibits.

Question 7. Which project of Ebright won first prize in the county science fair?
Answer: Ebright didn’t win anything at his first science fair, thereby realizing that actual experiments alone worked. Later, he started winning prizes. Ebright with his scientist friend first built a device that showed that the tiny gold spots on a monarch pupa were producing a hormone necessary for the butterfly’s full development. This project won the first prize in the county science fair and third prize in zoology in the International science fair.

Question 8. What all hobbies did Albright develop in kindergarten?
Answer: As a child, Ebright had a driving curiosity. He was interested in learning new things. He was good in studies and earned top grades in the class. He also collected rocks, fossils, and coins. He became an eager astronomer too.

Question 9. How did Richard’s mother help him to become a scientist?
Answer: Ebright had a driving curiosity and a bright brain — essential ingredients for becoming a scientist. His mother encouraged him to learn more. She exposed him to the world around him by taking him on trips, bought him books, telescopes, microscopes, cameras, mounting materials, and other equipment, which helped him in his learning.

Question 10. “Science shows a connection between structure and function.” Show this to be so, for the spots Albright saw on Monarch pupas.
Answer: Ebright grew cells from a monarch’s wing to show that cells could divide and develop into a normal butterfly wing scales only if they were fed with the hormones from the gold spots, Later, he identified the chemical structure of the hormone and found how cells can read the blueprints of its DNA.

Question 11. How can Albright’s theory of cell life be a revolution in the medical field if it is proved correct?
Answer: Ebright identified the chemical structure of the gold spot hormone and found so cells can read the blueprint of its DNA. To further test his theory, he began doing experiments. If it proves correct it will be a big step towards understanding the process of life. It might lead to new ideas for preventing some types of cancer and diseases.

Question 12. What were the factors which contributed to making Ebright a scientist?
Answer: Sharp brain, dy observant, analytical mind, driving curiosity, keen interest in the subject, and strong will for the right cause are some of the essentials for the making of a scientist. He should not run after prizes, have a competitive spirit but not in a bad sense.

Question 13. What results are expected if Richard Ebright’s theory is proved correct?
Answer: If Richard Ebright’s theory proves to be correct, it will be a big step towards understanding the processes of life. It might lead to new ideas for preventing some types of cancer and other diseases.

Question 14. Why did Richard Ebright tag a flock of butterflies?
Answer: Once Ebright’s mother bought him a book, ‘The Travels of Monarch X’. At the end of the book, the writer Dr. A. Urquhart had invited readers to help him in the study of butterfly migration by tagging them. So he started tagging the butterflies.

Question 15. Describe Richard Ebright’s childhood.
Answer: Ebright grew up north of Reading, Pennsylvania. He was the only child of his parents. His father died when he was in the third grade. As a child, he was good in studies and also collected rocks, fossils, and coins.

Question 16. How did the book become a turning point in Richard Ebright’s life?
Answer: Once his mother bought the book, ‘The Travels of Monarch X’. At the end of the book, Dr. A. Urquhart had invited readers to help him study the migration of monarch butterflies by tagging them. This became a turning point in his life.

Question 17. Mention any two of Ebright’s contributions to the world of science.
Answer: He carried experiments to prove successfully that hormone produced by the gold spots of a pupa is responsible for the growth and formation of butterfly-wings. He also discovered how a cell could read the blueprint of its DNA that controls heredity.

Question 18. To which field of science has Richard H. Ebright contributed?
Answer: Richard H. Ebright is one of the leading scientists. He had been interested in science since his boyhood. He has contributed significantly to Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Question 19. What were the hobbies of Ebright in his childhood?
Answer: Ebright’s hobby was collecting things. Ebright was fascinated by butterflies. He started collecting butterflies in kindergarten. He also collected rocks, fossils, and coins. He also became a star-gazer and an eager astronomer.

Question 20. How did Ebright’s mother help him in his hunger for learning?
Answer: Ebright’s mother would find work for Richard if he had nothing to do. She found learning tasks for him. He had a great hunger for learning. He earned top grades in school. By the time he was in the second grade, he had collected 25 species of butterflies.

Question 21. Which book did Ebright’s mother give him? How did this book change his life?
Answer: One day Ebright’s mother gave him a children’s book. That book was ‘The Travels of Monarch X’. It described how monarch butterflies migrate to Central America. This book fascinated him. This book stimulated his interest in butterflies. He devoted his time to the study of butterflies and won many prizes. In this way, this book changed his life.

Question 22. What did Ebright realize when he started tagging butterflies?
Answer: Ebright started tagging monarch butterflies. He realized that chasing the butterflies one by one won’t enable him to catch many. So he decided to raise a flock of butterflies.

Question 23. How did Ebright raise a flock of butterflies?
Answer: Ebright would catch a female monarch and take her eggs. He would raise them in his basement, from egg to caterpillar to pupa to adult butterfly. Then he would tag the butterflies and let them go.

Question 24. Why did Ebright begin to lose interest in tagging butterflies?
Answer: Ebright began to lose interest in tagging butterflies. The reason was that there was no feedback. He was a little disappointed as only two butterflies had been recaptured. And they had been found not more than seventy-five miles from where he lived.

Question 25. What happened with Ebright when he entered a county science fair for the first time?
Answer: He entered a county science fair Ebright for the first time. His entries were slides of frog tissues. But he did not win any prize.

Question 26. What did Ebright realize when he did not win any prize in the county science fair?
Answer: He realized that the winners had tried to do real experiments. So he decided to do further research in his favorite field, that is, insects on which he had already been doing work.

Question 27. What happened when Ebright wrote to Dr. Urquhart for ideas?
Answer: Ebright wrote to Dr. Urquhart for ideas. In reply, the famous scientist gave him many suggestions for experiments. These experiments kept Ebright busy all through high school. He also won many prizes in the county and international science fairs.

Question 28. Why do the viceroy butterflies imitate the monarch butterflies?
Answer: In one of his science fair projects, he tested the theory that viceroy butterflies imitate monarchs. He reached the conclusion that viceroys look like monarchs because birds do not find monarchs tasty. They like to eat viceroy butterflies. By copying monarchs, the viceroys escape being eaten by birds.

Question 29. Which simple question led to the discovery of an unknown insect hormone?
Answer: In his second year in high school, Ebright’s research led to his discovery of an unknown insect hormone. Indirectly, it led to his new theory on the life of cells. He tried to answer a very simple question: “What is the purpose of the twelve tiny gold spots on a monarch pupa?’

Question 30. What did Ebright discover about the spots on a monarch butterfly’s pupa?
Answer: Ebright tried to find out what was the purpose of the twelve tiny gold spots on a monarch butterfly’s pupa. To find the answer Ebright and another student built a device that showed that the spots were producing a hormone. It was necessary for the butterfly’s full development.

Question 31. What idea did Ebright get when he was looking at the X-ray photos of cells?
Answer: One day, Ebright was seeing the X-ray photos of the chemical structure of cells. He got the idea for his new theory about cell life. Those photos provided him with the answer to one of biology’s puzzles: how the cell can ‘read’ the blueprint of its DNA.

Question 32. How did Richard Ebright excite the scientific world at the age of twenty-two?
Answer: Richard Ebright was just twenty-two when he ‘excited’ the scientific world with a new theory. It was on how cells worked. Ebright and his college room-mate explained the theory in an article in the ‘Proceedings of the National Academy of Science’. It was the first time that this famous scientific journal had ever published the work of college students.

Question 33. “… There was one thing I could do —collect things.” What did Richard Ebright do in his childhood?
Answer: Richard Ebright was the only child. “There wasn’t much could do there. But there was one thing I could do — collect things,” said he. So he did. While still in kindergarten, he started collecting butterflies. By the time he was in the second grade, he had collected all 25 species of butterflies found around his hometown. He also collected rocks, fossils and coins. He sometimes did star-gazing all night.

Question 34. “Richie was my whole life after his father died …,” said Richard’s mother. Describe Richard Ebright’s relationship with his mother.
Answer: Richard was in third grade when his father died. He was her mother’s whole life and her only companion until he started school. She and Richard spent almost every evening at the dining table. She found work for him and Richard wanted to learn. His mother encouraged his interest in learning.

Question 35. How did Richard Ebright’s mother be a source of inspiration and encouragement in his quest for learning?
Answer: Richard Ebright was fortunate enough to have a highly helping and encouraging mother. She compensated the early loss of his father. She encouraged his interest in learning. She took him on trips, bought him telescopes, microscopes, cameras, mounting materials and other equipment. She found work for him and helped him in learning things and in many other ways.

Question 36. What book opened the world of science to the eager young collector, Richard Ebright?
Answer: Richard Ebright was fond of collecting things. By the time he was in the second grade, he had collected all twenty-five species of butterflies found around his hometown. But the book that opened the world of science to the eager young collector was The Travels of Monarch X. It was a children’s book gifted to him by his mother. The book described how monarch butterflies migrated to Central America.

Question 37. Why and where did Richard Ebright send the tagged butterflies?
Answer: At the end of the book, The Travels of Monarch X, readers were invited to help study monarch butterflies’ migration. They were asked to tag butterflies for research by Dr. Urquhart. Soon, Richard Ebright was attaching light adhesive tags to the wings of monarch butterflies. He used to send them to Dr. Urquhart for his research work.

Question 38. How did Ebright’s basement become home to thousands of monarch butterflies?
Answer: Richard Ebright used to send tagged monarch butterflies to Dr. Urquhart for his research work. Chasing butterflies one by one was difficult and he couldn’t catch many. So, he decided to raise some of the butterflies in his basement. He would catch a monarch butterfly, take her eggs and raise them. Then, he would tag the butterflies’ wings and let them go. So, his basement became home to thousands of monarch butterflies.

Question 39. When and how did Richard Ebright get a hint of what real science is?
Answer: Richard Ebright was in seventh grade when he got a hint of what real science was. Actually, he entered a county science fair — and lost. He didn’t get anything while everybody else had won. It was a very sad feeling for young Ebright. His entry was slides of frog tissues. He showed them under a microscope. He realised that the winners had tried to do real experiments. On the other hand, he failed because he simply made a neat display.

Question 40. Who was Dr. Frederick A Urquhart? Why did Richard Ebright look to him for fresh ideas?
Answer: Dr. Frederick A Urquhart was a scientist and teacher at the University of Toronto, Canada. He was doing research on butterfly migrations. Ebright sent him many tagged butterflies for his research work. Richard Ebright looked to him for fresh ideas and suggestions. Dr. Urquhart sent many suggestions for experiments which helped Richard Ebright in winning many prizes in County and International Science Fairs.

Question 41. Why do viceroy butterflies copy monarch butterflies? What reasons did Richard Ebright give in this regard?
Answer: One of Richard Ebright’s projects was to test the theory that viceroy butterflies copied monarch butterflies. Viceroys looked like monarchs because monarchs didn’t taste good to birds. Viceroy butterflies, on the other hand, tasted good to birds. So, they try to copy and look like them to protect themselves from birds.

Question 42. Were twelve tiny gold spots on a monarch pupa just ornamental? What did Richard Ebright prove in this regard? What honors did this project bring to Richard Ebright?
Answer: Many thought that the twelve gold spots on a monarch pupa were just ornamental. But Dr. Urquhart didn’t believe it. Richard built a device that showed that the spots were producing a very important hormone. That hormone was necessary for the butterfly’s full development.
This project won Ebright first place in the county fair and an entry into the International Science and Engineering Fair.

Question 43. What lessons did Richard Ebright learn when he didn’t win anything at the County Science Fair?
Answer: Richard Ebright was in seventh grade when he sent his first project to the County Science Fair. Everybody else had won something. But he returned empty-handed. It was really a sad experience for him. But his loss taught him an important lesson in life. He realised that to be a winner, he would have to do real experiments. His project of merely showing slides of frog tissues under a microscope didn’t click. He should have done real experiments and that is what real science is all about.

Question 44. How did Richard Ebright grow cells from a monarch butterfly’s wing? What did that project win for Ebright?
Answer: Richard Ebright continued his journey farther. He grew cells from a monarch’s wing in a culture. He showed that cells could divide and develop into normal butterfly wing scales. They must be fed from the hormone received from the gold spots. This project won first place of zoology at the International Fair.

Question 45. How and where did Richard Ebright identify the hormone’s chemical structure?
Answer: After his freshman year at Harvard University, Ebright went back to the laboratory of the Department of Agriculture. He did more work on the hormones of the gold spots. Using sophisticated instruments there, he was able to identify the hormone’s chemical structure.

Question 46. How did Richard Ebright give an answer to one of biology’s puzzles—how the cell can read the blueprint of its DNA?
Answer: When Richard Ebright saw X-ray photos of the chemical structure of a hormone, he didn’t cry, “Eureka!” He didn’t even say, “I’ve got it!” He was sure that the photos gave him the answer to one of biology’s puzzles. He had found out how the cell could read the blueprint of its DNA. DNA is the substance in the nucleus of a cell that controls heredity. It is the blueprint for life.

Question 47. Richard Ebright was a famous scientist but he had time for other interests too. What were the other interests and hobbies of Ebright?
Answer: Richard Ebright’s journey as a scientist started since he first began collecting butterflies. However, he found time for other interests and hobbies too. He became a champion debater and public speaker. He was a good canoeist. He was also an expert photographer. He excelled in photographing nature and scientific exhibits.

Question 48. Why did Richard Ebright admire his teacher Richard A Weiherer?
Answer: Richard Ebright had great respect and admiration for his Social Studies teacher. He was Richard’s adviser to the Debating and Model United Nations Clubs. Richard A Weiherer was the perfect person for Ebright who opened his mind to new ideas.

Question 49. What was Richard A Weiher’s opinion of his student Richard, Ebright?
Answer: Mr. Richard A Weiherer was Ebright’s Social Studies teacher and adviser. Richard A. Weiherer described Ebright a man of varied interests. Ebright put in 3 to 4 hours at night doing debate research. Besides, he was doing all his research with butterflies and his other interests. Ebright was competitive and wanted to be the best.

Question 50. Did Richard Ebright have all the ingredients that are necessary for the making of a scientist? Give a reasoned answer.
Answer: Fortunately, Richard Ebright had all the essential ingredients that are necessary for the making of a great scientist. He had a first-rate mind and always got first grades in schools. At Harvard, he was second in his class of 1510. He had the curiosity of knowing ‘why’ and ‘how’ of things. Last but not least, he was competitive and wanted to be the best. He had the will to win for the right reasons.

Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1. ‘Success is failure turned inside out’. Prove the above statement with instances from the journey taken by Richard Ebright from losing at the science fair to winning at the international fair.
Answer: Success is often the result of facing and learning from failure, as exemplified in Richard Ebright’s journey. In seventh grade, his project in the County Science Fair didn’t win any prize, teaching him the importance of real experiments. Undeterred, in eighth grade, he pursued a project on a viral disease in monarch caterpillars, winning a prize. The subsequent year, his project on whether viceroy butterflies imitate monarchs earned him third place. His study of the gold spots on a monarch pupa secured third place in the International Science and Engineering Fair. His advanced research the next year won him first place, proving that success is the transformation of failure.

Question 2. How does Richard Ebright become a scientist?
Answer: Richard Ebright’s journey to becoming a scientist began with his innate curiosity and supportive environment. His childhood pursuits of collecting rocks, fossils, and butterflies, coupled with his mother’s encouragement, laid the foundation. His response to Dr. Fredrick A. Urquhart’s research request furthered his scientific interests. Despite initial setbacks, such as losing in the seventh-grade science fair, he persisted, improving his approach each year. His eventual groundbreaking research on the Monarch pupa led to his theory on cell life, solidifying his position as a renowned scientist.

Question 3. “Richard Ebright was a successful scientist who gave a new theory of cells to the scientific world.” Elucidate.
Answer: Richard Ebright’s scientific success stemmed from his meticulous experimentation and groundbreaking discoveries. His study of the Monarch pupa’s gold spots revealed their role in hormone production, a crucial finding in butterfly development. Delving deeper, he identified the hormone’s chemical structure, unlocking insights into cellular mechanisms. Ebright’s theory on cell life addressed fundamental questions in biology, particularly regarding DNA interpretation. His contributions reshaped scientific understanding, cementing his legacy as a pioneering scientist.

Question 4. Ebright’s backbone was his mother. How did she contribute to his learning? What kind of work did she find for him even at the dining table? What values did Ebright imbibe from his mother?
Answer: Ebright’s mother played a pivotal role in nurturing his intellectual curiosity and fostering a love for learning. She actively supported his scientific pursuits by providing resources like telescopes and microscopes, encouraging hands-on exploration. Even during leisure time at the dining table, she engaged him in educational tasks, instilling discipline and a strong work ethic. Her unwavering support and emphasis on continuous learning imbued Ebright with values of perseverance, diligence, and intellectual curiosity.

Question 5. How did Ebright’s mother encourage him to become a scientist?
Answer: Ebright’s mother played a central role in cultivating his passion for science and exploration. She facilitated his scientific interests by organizing trips, providing scientific equipment, and fostering an environment conducive to learning. By exposing him to educational experiences and encouraging his natural curiosity, she nurtured his intellectual development and laid the foundation for his future as a scientist.

Question 6. Which book proved to be a turning point in Ebright’s life?
Answer: One day, Ebright’s mother gave him a book. That book was ‘The Travels of Monarch X’. It described readers were monarch butterflies migrate to Central America. This book fascinated him. At the end of the book, deere invited to help study butterfly migrations. They were asked to tag butterflies for research by Dr. Frederick of Toronto University, Canada. Anyone who found a tagged butterfly was asked to send the tag to Dr. Frederick. Ebright started tagging monarch butterflies. The butterfly collecting season around Reading lasts only six weeks in late summer. He realized that chasing the butterflies one by one won’t enable him to catch many. So he decided to raise a flock of butterflies.

Question 7. What experiments did Ebright do about monarch butterflies?
Answer: Ebright wrote to Dr. Frederick for ideas. In reply, the famous scientist gave him many suggestions for experiments. These experiments kept Ebright busy all through high school. He also won many prizes in the county and international science fairs. Ebright tried to find the cause of a viral disease that killed all monarch caterpillars. He thought the disease might be carried by a beetle. He tried raising caterpillars in the presence of beetles. But he didn’t get any real results. But he showed his experiment in the science fair and won. The next year’s science fair project was testing the theory that viceroy butterflies imitate monarchs. By copying monarchs, the viceroys escape being eaten by birds. This project was placed first in the zoology division and third overall in the county science fair.

Question 8. How did Ebright discover an unknown insect hormone?
Answer: In his second year in high school, Ebright’s research led to his discovery of an unknown insect hormone. Indirectly, it led to his new theory on the life of cells. He tried to answer a very simple question. What is the purpose of the twelve tiny gold spots on a monarch pupa? To prove Ebright and one other student-built a device that showed that the spots were producing a hormone. It was necessary for the butterfly’s full development. This project won Ebright first place in the county fair and entry into the International Science and Engineering Fair. There he won third place for zoology.

Question 9. How did Ebright get the idea for his new theory about cell life? How can this theory be beneficial?
Answer: One day, Ebright was seeing the X-ray photos of the chemical structure of cells. He got the idea for his new theory about cell life. Those photos provided him with the answer to one of biology’s puzzles: how the cell can ‘read’ the blueprint of its DNA. DNA is the substance in the nucleus of a cell that controls heredity. It is the blueprint for life. Ebright and his college room-mate James R. Wong drew pictures and constructed plastic models of molecules to show how it could happen. At the Harvard Medical School, Ebright began experimenting to test his theory. If the theory proves correct, it will be a big step towards understanding life processes. It might also lead to new ideas for preventing some types of cancer and other diseases.

Question 10. Give a character sketch of Richard Ebright highlighting his achievements and his added interests.
Answer: Richard H Ebright was a many-faceted genius. He was a competent scientist, a lovable son, a respecting pupil and above all, a man with varied interests and hobbies. But first and foremost, he was a scientist. His fame rests on his wonderful works and achievement on butterflies. By the time he was in the second grade, Ebright collected all twenty-five species of butterflies found around in his hometown. Ebright was a great learner. He learned an important lesson at his first county science fair. He learned that winners do real experiments than making a neat display. The book, Travels of Monarch X opened the world of science to the eager young collector. One of his famous projects was based on the theory that viceroy butterflies copied monarch butterflies to escape being eaten by birds. This project was placed first in the zoology division. Later, Ebright showed that the spots on a monarch pupa produced a hormone necessary for the butterfly’s development. He also proved that DNA controls heredity and is the blueprint for life. Richard Ebright got all his encouragement, help and inspiration from his mother. He was her only companion and they spent almost every evening at the dining table. She encouraged his interest in learning. She bought him telescopes, microscopes, cameras and other instruments for him. Dr. Urquhart helped him with new suggestions and ideas. His Social Studies teacher, Richard A Weiherer, opened his mind to new ideas and made him competitive. Richard Ebright was more than a scientist. He found time for other interests and hobbies. He was a champion debater and public speaker. He was a good canoeist and an expert photographer. He had a first-rate mind, competitive spirit and scientific curiosity.

Question 11. Describe Richard Ebright’s various achievements in science, particularly his great work on the monarch butterflies. Who did Ebright look to for getting fresh ideas and suggestions?
Answer: Richard Ebright had all the necessary ingredients that are required in the making of a scientist. He had a first-rate mind, was competitive and had the will to win. Above all, he was a great collector and never lost his scientific curiosity. His scientific journey started very early. While he was still in the second grade, he had collected all the species of butterflies found around his hometown. The Travels of Monarch X was the book that changed his life. It opened the world of science to the eager collector. His failure at his first county science fair taught him an important lesson. He learned that winners do real experiments. One of the most important projects of Richard Ebright was to prove that viceroy butterflies try to look like monarch butterflies. They do so to avoid being eaten by birds. Ebright also proved that twelve tiny gold spots on a monarch pupa produced a hormone that was necessary for the butterfly’s full development. His other project won first place for zoology at the International Fair. It showed that if cells are fed the hormone from the gold spots, they can develop into normal butterfly wing scales. The crowning achievement of Ebright’s brilliant scientific career was his work on the chemical structure of a hormone. He proved that a cell can read the blueprint of its DNA and thus DNA controls heredity and is the blueprint for life. Richard Ebright looked to Dr. Urquhat for fresh ideas and suggestions. The book, The Travels of Monarch X, opened the world of science to him. He sent tagged butterflies to Dr. Urquhart for his research works. Dr. Urquhart’s new ideas and suggestions helped Ebright to achieve prizes and honors in the county and International Science Fairs.

Question 12. How did The Travels of Monarch X open the world of science to Richard Ebright? Elaborate.
Answer: It is absolutely true that the book called The Travels of Monarch X changed the very course of Ebright’s life. That book told how monarch butterflies migrated to Central America. Richard Ebright was a passionate and eager collector. By the time he was in the second grade, he had collected all twenty-five species of butterflies found around his hometown. Had he not got The Travels of MonarchX, Richard Ebright’s butterfly collecting would have ended. The book was a children’s book and was gifted to him by his mother. At the end of the book, readers were invited to help study butterfly migrations. They were asked to tag butterflies for research to Dr. Urquhart. Soon, Ebright started sending tagged butterflies to Dr. Urquhart of the University of Toronto, Canada. Then, Ebright started raising a flock of butterflies in his basement. For several years his basement was home to thousands of monarch butterflies in different stages of development. Dr. Urquhart had a dominating influence on Richard Ebright’s life. He made him do elaborate experiments on monarch butterflies. Ebright succeeded in proving that viceroy butterflies copy monarch butterflies to avoid being eaten by birds. He also showed how DNA controls heredity and is the blueprint for life.

Question 13. Describe the contribution of his mother in Richard Ebright’s life. What role did she play in making Ebright a scientist?
Answer: They say that behind the success of a man stands a woman. And in Richard Ebright’s success as a scientist and also as a man, solidly stood his mother. Richard Ebright’s father had died when he was just in the third grade. “Richie was my life after his father died …,” said his mother. He was her only companion and they spent almost every evening at the dining table. Ebright’s mother encouraged his interest in learning. She knew that her son had a driving curiosity along with a bright mind. She took him on trips, bought him telescopes, microscopes, cameras, mounting materials and other equipment. She helped Ebright in many ways. She was an important link between Dr. Urquhart and her son. She wrote to Dr. Urquhart and after her advice, Ebright sent tagged butterflies to him in Canada. She knew that her son had a passion for collecting things. By the time he was in the second grade, Ebright had collected all twenty-five species of butterflies found around his hometown. His interest in his butterfly collecting would have ended had she not got him a children’s book called The Travels of Monarch X. That book told how monarch butterflies migrated to Central America. It opened the world of science to the eager collector.

Question 14. How did Richard Ebright not winning anything at his first County Science Fair motivate him to become a great scientist? What lessons did he learn from his failure there?
Answer: Richard Ebright had started the work of butterflies and insects from a very early age. His main work was based on butterflies, particularly monarch butterflies. By the time he was in the second grade, he had collected all twenty-five species of butterflies found around his hometown. But he learned the lesson of his life when he was in the seventh grade. He got a hint of what real science was. He entered the County Science Fair with a project. His project was slides of frog tissues, which he showed under a microscope. In the fair, he failed miserably. He didn’t get anything while everybody else had won something. It was really a very sad feeling for him. From his first county science fair, Ebright came to know what real science was. He also learned a lesson of knowing what made a winner. He realised his mistakes. He had only made a neat display of frog tissues under a microscope. He realised that winners had tried real experiments. From then onwards, he looked to Dr. Urquhart for new ideas and suggestions. Dr. Urquhart gave him a number of suggestions for experiments. Continuous research and experimentations won him great honors and prizes locally as well as internationally.

Question 15. What other interests, besides science did Richard Ebright pursue? Why did Ebright respect and praise his Social Studies teacher so much?
Answer: No doubt, first and foremost, Richard Ebright was a scientist. He was interested in science, he first began to collect butterflies. But this scientist found time for other interests too. He was a man of many parts — a multifaceted genius. Not only did he collect butterflies but also took a deep interest in other activities. He collected rocks, fossils, and coins. He became an eager astronomer. He would indulge in star-gazing sometimes all night. Ebright also became a champion debater and public speaker. In this field, his Social Studies teacher turned Ebright’s tremendous energy towards the Debating and Model United Nations Clubs. He was a good canoeist and all-around outdoors-person. He was also an expert photographer. He excelled in nature and scientific exhibits. In brief, besides being a remarkable scientist, Richard Ebright enjoyed all pleasures, adventures, hobbies and entertainment that a happy and civilised living provided to him.