The Making of a Scientist Extract Based MCQ questions | Subjective | Objective| True / False  Class 10 Footprints Without Feet

This page offers Extract Based Questions from the Chapter The Making of a Scientist for Class 10 from the book Footprints Without Feet. We’ve put together a bunch extracts which ask assumption based, creativity based and critical thinking-based questions. These types of questions are introduced after 2024 in CBSE Board. The types of questions are quick MCQs, true/false and Subjective questions. So, practice to understand The Making of a Scientist Extracts to score great. 

The Making of a Scientist Extract Based MCQ questions

By- Robert W. Peterson

The Making of a Scientist Extract- 1

AT the age of twenty two, a former ‘scout of the year’ excited the scientific world with a new theory on how cells work. Richard H. Ebright and his college roommate explained the theory in an article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.

Question: 1 Why was Richard H. Ebright’s new theory significant to the scientific world? Answer in about 40 words.

Answer: Richard H. Ebright’s new theory was important because it gave a new way to understand how cells function. He made this discovery when he was just twenty two years old, showing his great talent and adding useful information to science.

Question: 2 State True or False.

None of the terms (a)(d) can be applied to the statement — “At the age of twenty two, a former ‘scout of the year’ excited the scientific world with a new theory on how cells work.”

(a) Achievement  a notable success through skill or effort
(b) Discovery  finding out something new
(c) Theory  an idea system to explain phenomena
(d) Prediction  a forecast based on knowledge

Answer: False. 

Reason- The term (c) A theory, a system of ideas intended to explain something can be applied to the statement.

Question: 3  The information in the extract suggests that Richard H. Ebright was a _____.

Answer:  genius / prodigy/ innovator/ researcher/ visionary/ scholar or any other similar response. 

Question:4 How could Richard’s youth influence his scientific ideas?

Answer:  His youth allowed him to be open to trying new things.

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Extract from The Making of a Scientist- 2

An only child, Ebright grew up north of Reading, Pennsylvania. “There wasn’t much I could do there,” he said. “I certainly couldn’t play football or baseball with a team of one. But there was one thing I could do — collect things.”

Question: 1 Why did Richard H. Ebright start collecting things as a child? Answer in about 40 words.

Answer: Richard H. Ebright started collecting things because he was an only child and there wasn’t much to do in his hometown. Collecting was an activity he could do alone, which kept him engaged and interested.

Question: 2 State True or False.  

None of the terms (a)(d) can be applied to the statement — “There wasn’t much I could do there.”

(a) Expression of boredom – showing few activities
(b) Challenge – difficult situation
(c) Exaggeration – overstating facts
(d) Complaint- expressing dissatisfaction

Answer: False. 

Reason- The term (a) Expression of boredom can be applied to the statement.

Question: 3  Richard’s enjoyment in collecting things, despite limited options, shows his strong sense of _______.

Answer:  curiosity/ imagination/ initiative/ adaptability or any other similar 

Question: 4  How might Richard’s environment have shaped his hobbies and interests?

Answer:  Limited activities led him to explore and collect different items.

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Class 10 The Making of a Scientist Extract Based Questions- 3

“I was his only companion until he started school,” his mother said. “After that I would bring home friends for him. But at night we just did things together. Richie was my whole life after his father died when Richie was in third grade.”

Question: 1 Why was Richie so important to his mother after his father died? Answer in about 40 words.

Answer: Richie was important to his mother because he was her only companion after his father’s death. She dedicated her time and life to him, ensuring he had friends and spending evenings together to fill the void left by his father.

Question: 2 State True or False.

None of the terms (a)(d) can be applied to the statement — “Richie was my whole life after his father died when Richie was in third grade.”

(a) A declaration – a formal or explicit statement
(b) A reflection – a thought or consideration
(c) An explanation – a reason or justification
(d) A complaint – an expression of dissatisfaction

Answer: False. 

Reason- The term (a) A declaration  a formal or explicit statement can be applied to the statement.

Question: 3 After his father’s death, Richie’s mother focused entirely on him, showing her profound sense of _______.

Answer: devotion/ dedication/ commitment/ support/ care/ loyalty

Question: What did Richard’s mother mean by “Richie was my whole life”?

Answer: Richard became her main focus after his father’s death.

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The Making of a Scientist Extract Based MCQ Questions- 4

“That probably would have been the end of my butterfly collecting,” he said. “But then my mother got me a children’s book called The Travels of Monarch X.” That book, which told how monarch butterflies migrate to Central America, opened the world of science to the eager young collector.

Question: 1 Why was “The Travels of Monarch X” important for Richard Ebright? Answer in about 40 words.

Answer: “The Travels of Monarch X” was important for Richard Ebright because it taught him about butterfly migration. This book made him more interested in butterflies and science, inspiring him to continue his butterfly collecting and research.

Question: 2 State True or False.

None of the terms (a)(d) can be applied to the statement — “That probably would have been the end of my butterfly collecting.”

(a) An assumption – accepted as true without proof.
(b) A conclusion – a final decision or judgement.
(c) A prediction – a forecast about future events.
(d) An observation – a note based on seen or noticed details.

Answer: False. 

Reason- (c) A prediction about what will happen in the future can be applied.

Question: 3 The book “The Travels of Monarch X” changed Richard’s hobby into a more serious pursuit, showing the power of _______.

Answer: inspiration/ motivation/ influence/ encouragement/ enlightenment/ insight

Question: 4 How can a single book profoundly impact a person’s interests?

Answer: It introduces new ideas that deeply resonate and inspire change.

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The Making of a Scientist Extract Based Questions MCQ with Answers- 5

“Eventually I began to lose interest in tagging butterflies. It’s tedious and there’s not much feedback,” Ebright said. “In all the time I did it,” he laughed, “only two butterflies I had tagged were recaptured — and they were not more than seventy five miles from where I lived.”

Question: 1 Why did Richard Ebright start to lose interest in tagging butterflies? Answer in about 40 words.

Answer: Richard Ebright started to lose interest in tagging butterflies because it was tedious and there was little feedback. He found it discouraging that only two of his tagged butterflies were recaptured, and they were not far from where he lived.

Question: 2 State True or False.

None of the terms (a)(d) can be applied to the statement — “Eventually I began to lose interest in tagging butterflies.”

(a) A conclusion- a final decision or judgement
(b) An observation- a statement based on what one has noticed or seen
(c) An assumption- something that is taken for granted or assumed to be true
(d) A reflection- serious thought or consideration

Answer: False. 

Reason- (d) A reflection – serious thought or consideration can be applied.

Question: Richard’s experience with tagging butterflies shows the importance of _______ in scientific research.

Answer: feedback/ response/ input/ evaluation or any other similar response. 

Question: Why did Richard find tagging butterflies tedious?

Answer: There was little feedback and few recaptured butterflies.

The Making of a Scientist Extracts- 6

Already the competitive spirit that drives Richard Ebright was appearing. “I knew that for the next year’s fair I would have to do a real experiment,” he said. “The subject I knew most about was the insect work I’d been doing in the past several years.”

Question: 1 Why did Richard Ebright decide to focus on a real experiment for the next year’s fair? Answer in about 40 words.

Answer: Richard Ebright decided to focus on a real experiment because he realised that to compete successfully, he needed to conduct meaningful research.

Question: 2 State True or False.

None of the terms (a)(d) can be applied to the statement — “I knew that for the next year’s fair I would have to do a real experiment.”

(a) A prediction- a statement about what will happen in the future
(b) An observation- a statement based on what one has noticed
(c) A hypothesis- a proposed explanation for a phenomenon
(d) A reflection– serious thought or consideration

Answer: False. (a) A prediction, a statement about what will happen in the future can be applied.

Question: 3 The information in the extract suggests that Richard Ebright was motivated by a _____spirit.

Answer: competitive/ driven/ ambitious/ determined/ tenacious or any other similar response. 

Question: 4 Why did Richard feel the need to conduct a real experiment?

Answer:  To compete seriously and improve his chances at the science fair.

The Making of a Scientist Extract- 7

As a high school junior, Richard Ebright continued his advanced experiments on the monarch pupa. That year his project won first place at the International Science Fair and gave him another chance to work in the army laboratory during the summer.

Question: 1 How did Richard Ebright’s success at the International Science Fair impact his opportunities? Answer in about 40 words.

Answer: Richard Ebright’s success at the International Science Fair won him first place. It also gave him another chance to work in the army lab during the summer. This helped him get more research experience and learn more about science.

Question: 2 State True or False.

None of the terms (a)(d) can be applied to the statement — “Richard Ebright’s project won first place at the International Science Fair.”

(a) An achievement – a thing done successfully with effort, skill, or courage
(b) An observation – a statement based on what one has noticed
(c) A conclusion – a final decision or judgement
(d) An opportunity – a set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something

Answer: False. 

Reason- Option (a) An achievement done successfully with effort, skill, or courage can be applied.

Question: 3 The information in the extract suggests that Richard Ebright’s win gave him a _____ opportunity.

Answer: valuable/ rare/ important/ desired/ progressive or any other similar response

Question: How did winning the science fair impact Richard’s future opportunities?

Answer:  It earned him valuable lab experience during the summer.

Extract from The Making of a Scientist- 8

Ebright and his college roommate, James R. Wong, worked all that night drawing pictures and constructing plastic models of molecules to show how it could happen. Together they later wrote the paper that explained the theory.

Question: 1 Why did Richard Ebright and James R. Wong work all night on their project? Answer in about 40 words.

Answer: Richard Ebright and James R. Wong worked all night to draw pictures and build models of molecules. They wanted to clearly show and explain their new theory, which they later wrote about in a scientific paper.

Question: 2 State True or False.

None of the terms (a)(d) can be applied to the statement — “Ebright and his college roommate worked all night drawing pictures.”

(a) A collaboration – working together on a project
(b) An observation – a statement based on what one has noticed
(c) An experiment –  a scientific procedure to test a hypothesis
(d) A hypothesis – a proposed explanation for a phenomenon

Answer: False. 

(a) A collaboration  working together on a project can be applied.

Question: 3 The information in the extract suggests that Richard Ebright and James R. Wong were _____.

Answer: collaborators/ partners/ teammates/ associates/ colleagues/ coauthors

Question: 4 What did Ebright and Wong create to explain their theory?

Answer: They created pictures and plastic models of molecules.

Class 10 The Making of a Scientist Extract Based Questions- 9

“Richard would always give that extra effort,” Mr Weiherer said. “What pleased me was, here was this person who put in three or four hours at night doing debate research besides doing all his research with butterflies and his other interests.

Question: 1 Why was Mr. Weiherer pleased with Richard Ebright’s efforts? Answer in about 40 words.

Answer: Mr. Weiherer was pleased with Richard because he put in extra effort. Richard spent three to four hours at night doing debate research while also working on butterfly research and other interests, showing his dedication and hard work.

Question: 2 State True or False.  

None of the terms (a) to (d) can be applied to the statement — “Richard would always give that extra effort.”  

(a) An observation – a statement based on what one has noticed 
(b) A prediction – a statement about what will happen in the future  
(c) A hypothesis – a proposed explanation for a phenomenon  
(d) A reflection – serious thought or consideration  

Answer: False.  

Reason: The term (a) An observation can be applied because it describes what Mr. Weiherer has noticed about Richard’s consistent effort.

Question: 3 The information in the extract suggests that Richard Ebright was very _____.

Answer: dedicated/ diligent/ committed/ passionate/ persistent/ industrious

Question: What extra effort did Richard Ebright put in at night?

Answer: He did three to four hours of debate research.

The Making of a Scientist Extract Based MCQ Questions- 10

“Richard was competitive,” Mr Weiherer continued, “but not in a bad sense.” He explained, “Richard wasn’t interested in winning for winning’s sake or winning to get a prize. Rather, he was winning because he wanted to do the best job he could. For the right reasons, he wants to be the best.”

Question: 1  Why did Mr. Weiherer believe Richard Ebright’s competitiveness was positive? Answer in about 40 words.

Answer: Mr. Weiherer believed Richard’s competitiveness was positive because Richard aimed to do his best, not just to win prizes. He wanted to achieve excellence for the right reasons, showing a genuine desire to improve and succeed.

Question: 2 State True or False.

None of the terms (a)(d) can be applied to the statement — “Richard wasn’t interested in winning for winning’s sake or winning to get a prize.”

(a) An observation – a statement based on what one has noticed
(b) An assumption – something that is taken for granted or assumed to be true
(c) A conclusion  a final decision or judgement
(d) A reflection  serious thought or consideration

Answer: False. (a) An observation  a statement based on what one has noticed can be applied.

Question: The information in the extract suggests that Richard was competitive for the _____.

Answer: right reasons.

Question: Why did Richard want to win?

Answer: He wanted to do the best job possible.