Plants also Breathe and Feel
Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose was a great Indian scientist. He was born in a village in Bengal in 1858. He studied Physics at the University of Calcutta. Then he went to England for further studies. He graduated from Cambridge. Then he returned to India and was appointed Professor of Physics in Presidency College at Calcutta.
In those days of British rule, an Indian usually received two-thirds of the salary paid to a European Professor. Bose's appointment was temporary, so he was given only half the rate for a European. Bose believed that the people who did the same amount and same kind of work, should be paid the same salary, so he did not accepthis salary for three years . At last he got success.
From his boyhood he was interested in animal and plant life, believed that there was a unity among all the different branches of science. He realized that there was a similarity in the behaviour of lifeless and living beings. He said that the plants and metals felt ' tired', depressed' and 'happy'. People laughed at him.
Bose knew he was right. He set to work. He proved his theory. He designed and built an instrument. He named it 'Crescograph'. It records the growth of plants. It magnifies the movements of plant tissues ten thousand times. It records the reaction of manures, noise and other stimuli to plants. The Crescograph was a wonderful machine. It showed plants have hearts. Plants breathe and feel.
He had great love for India and her people. He had deep faith in the intelligence of his countrymen. He believed that they were capable of doing things. He had pride in the glory of ancient India. He wanted his countrymen to have hope and faith in future. He wanted them to work and win glory for their country.
Exercise
Read the following passages and answerthe questions that follow:
[A] It was an........................................................ in the scientific world.
Q1: Who was the man who built the unique instrument?
Ans: Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose was the man who built the unique instrument.
Q2: What was unique about the instrument?
Ans: It was unique about the instrument that it could measure the growth of plants.
Q3: Why were the great men amazed to see the instrument?
Ans: The great men were amazed to see the instrument because it was a wonderful thing.
Q4: What was the instrument called?
Ans: The instrument was called ‘Crescograph’.
Q5: Why were the scientists surprised to hear, ‘In India’?
Ans: In the nineteenth century, in the field of science India had not progressed so the scientists were surprised
to hear, "In India".
[B] Bose was born........................................................end victory was his.
Q1: When and where was Bose Born?
Ans: Bose was born in 1858 in a village in Bengal.
Q2: Where did Bose get his graduation from ?Where did he get his job?
Ans: Bose got his graduation from Cambridge. He got his job in Presidency college at Calcutta.
Q3: What were the British rules regarding the salary paid to Indians?
Ans: The British rule regarding the salary paid to Indians was that Indians received two-thirds of the salary paid to a European Professor.
Q4: How long did the struggle between Bose and government go on?
Ans: Athree years struggle went on between Bose and the government.
Q5: What were bose's views on salary pattern of the government?
Ans: Bose's views were that people who did the same amount and same kind of work should be paid the same salary whatever race they belonged to.
Q6: How can you say that Bose was a man of principles and self respect?
Ans: He refused to touch any part of his salary for three years. It shows that Bose was a man of principles and self-respect.
[C] Bose now began....................................................branches of science.
Q1: What made Bose famous all overthe world?
Ans: His discovery of the fact that plants breathe and feel, and crescograph made Bose famous all over the world.
Q2: What was Bose interested in since boyhood?
Ans: Since his boyhood Bose was interested in animals and plant life.
Q3: What did he notice about his wireless receiver?
Ans: Bose noticed that his wireless receiver shows the signs of tiredness. But it regained its power after rest for some time.
Q4: What were the results of the discoveries made by Galileo and Newton?
Ans: The result of the discoveries made by Galileo and Newton was that man began to study each branch of science. Several kinds of science were also developed.
Q5: What did man believe till the end of Middle Ages?
Ans: Till the end of Middle Ages, man believed that God has created everything, man or stone or rock. Everything has its place and purpose.
[D] He realized ...................................................... approach of a stranger.
Q1: What was it that Bose realized was difficult to convince others?
Ans: Bose found out that there is a similarity in the behaviourof lifeless and living things. But it was difficult to convince others.
Q2: Why didn't people take Bose seriously?
Ans: People love to hold on their old beliefs and do not like to change them so they didn't take Bose seriously.
Q3: Was Bose confident of himself ?
Ans: Yes, Bose was confident of himself.
Q4: What was Crescograph meant for?
Ans: Crescograph was meant to show that plants have sight and a sense which tells them that a stranger is approaching.
Q5: What all facts could be proved by a Crescograph?
Ans: A Crescograph proved that Bose had not been wrong. It showed that plants have hearts and they are capable of feeling.
[F] The story of this ....................................... faith in the future.
Q1: How can you say that Bose was a patriot?
Ans: Bose was a great patriot because he had in his mind concern for india and her people.
Q2: What was the firm belief of Bose about his countrymen?
Ans: Bose firmly believed that his countrymen could do great things like their ancestors.
Q3: Where and what did Bose say about India's glory?
Ans: In the convocation of the Univeresity of Mysore in November 1927, J.C. Bose said that only the hard work and not idleness of his countrymen brought glory to India.
Q4: What did Bose expect from his countrymen?
Ans: Bose expected from his countrymen to do great things in their lives and have undying hope and faith in the future.
LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
Q1: What do you understand by ‘Crescograph’? What was it meant for?
Ans: ‘Crescograph’was a unique and wonderful instrument which was built by Jagadish changra Bose, an Indian Scientist. He displayed this machine in the Paris Congress of Science 1900. There he showed the scientists how to use it. The scientists were amazed when Bose displayed the working of the machine. They were more surprised when they came to know that it was made in India.
It was meant to show that plants have sight and a sense which tells them that a stranger is approaching.
The instrument could also measure the growth of plants. It also proved that plants have heart and can feel.
Q2: Why was people surprised to know that Crescograph was invented in India?
Ans: At the Paris Congress of Science, in 1900 J.C. Bose showed his wonderful machine to the great men of science. The machine showed that plants have sight and a sense which tells them that a stranger is approaching.
The great scientists told Jagadish that his machine was wonderful. They asked what he called that instrument. Jagadish said "Crescograph." They asked where it was made. He said ,"In India." The reply caused greater surprise. India in those days was well known for its greatness in the field of fine arts,
literature and philosophy. But in the field of science it had not made much progress.
Q3: What evidence do you get from the lesson in support of Bose as a patriot?
Ans: J. C. Bose was a great scientist as well as a great patriot. He had his concern for India and her people. He had a deep faith in the intelligence of his countrymen. He was certain that his countrymen were as capable of doing great things today as their forefathers had done in the past. He was proud of India's glory in the past. He urged his countrymen to own action and give up idleness. He believed that happiness should be won for all his countrymen and not for a single person. He wanted his countrymen to have undying hope and faith in the future.
Q4: How can you say that Bose was a man of self respect and principles?
Ans: After his graduation from Cambridge, he returned to India and was appointed professor of Physics in Presidency College at Calcutta.
In those days of British rule an Indian usually received two-thirds of the salary paid to a European Professor. Bose's appointment was temporary. So the was given only half the rate for a European. Bose believed that the people who did the same amount and same kind of work, should be paid the same salary, so he did not accept his salary for three years. It was a question of his self-respect and Principles. At last he got success.
It shows that Bose was a man of self-respectand principles.
Q5: What did Bose think about his country and his countrymen?
Ans: Bose loved his country very much. He loved his countrymen equally. He was proud to be called an Indian. He was sure that the people of India were capable of doing great things. They could be as great as their ancestors had been in the past. Bose knew that action and not idleness was responsible for our past glory. He had deep faith in the intelligence of his countrymen. He believed that India could get her past greatness through sincere and hard-work. His message for his countrymen was : Have undying hope and faith in the future.
Q6: What did Bose discoverabout plants? How did he prove himself true.
Ans: J. C. Bose had been interested in animals and plant life from boyhood. He discovered that plants had heart and could feel. They had sight and sense which tells them that a stranger was approaching.
Bose made an instrument to prove that his belief was true. This instrument was known as ‘Crescograph’. It was an amazing instrument. It recorded the growth of plants. It magnified the movement of plant tissues ten thousand times. It could record the reaction of plants to manures, noise and other stimuli. The Crescograph proved that his belief about the plants was not wrong.
Thus with the help of Crescograph J.C. Bose could prove that his belief about plants was true.
Q7: "Discoveries do not come from the faithful followers and the yes-men of science." What does the statement mean? Do you agree with the statement? Was Bose a real yes-men of science? Give reason in support of youranswer.
Ans: It is fact that discoveries do not come from the faithful followers and the yes-men of science. It is the doubters and rebels that discover new things.
Bose was never a yes-men of science. He was a rebel like Galileo and Newton. He gave new ideas about plant life to the people. He said that there is a great similarity in the behaviour of lifeless and living things. He said that plants and metals had a life of their own. They could become ‘tired, depressed’or ‘happy’. People laughed at him. He wanted to prove that he was right. He made a machine ‘Crescograph’to prove his theory.
SHORTANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
Q1: Which instrument was made by J. C. Bose?
Ans: ‘Crescograph’was made by J. C. Bose.
Q2: What was so special about the instrument
Ans: The special quality about the instrument was that it could measure the growth of plants.
Q3: Why did people laugh at Bose?
Ans: When Bose said that plants and metals have life and they feel tiredness, sorrow or joy, people did not believe him and laughed at him.
Q4: What did Bose notice about the wireless receiver?
Ans: Bose noticed that his wireless receiver shows the signs of tiredness. But it regained its power after rest for some time.
Q5: What did Bose realized about the plants?
Ans: Bose realized that plants have hearts and are capable of feeling.
Q6: Why did Bose refuse to accept the salary?
Ans: Bose was given half of the salary given to a European. He refused to take it because he wanted equal salary for the same kind of work and secondly, he was a man of self respect and principles.
Q7: What were Bose's views about the salary pattern prevailing in India underBritish rule?
Ans: An Indian, under British rule, usually received two-thirds of the salary paid to a European Professor. Bose's views were that people who did the same amount and same kind of work should be paid same salary.
Q8: What did bose discover?
Ans: Bose discovered that plants have hearts and they can feel. They also have sight and a sense which tells them that a stranger is approaching.
Q9: Was Bose right in his theory? Give reasons.
Ans: Bose was right because he had proved through his wonderful machine ‘the Crescograph’, that plants have hearts and can feel, and have sight and a sense.
Q10: What were Bose's expectations from his countrymen?
Ans: Bose's expectations from his countrymen were to built up a glorious future through hard work.
Q11: What type of discoveries were made by Galelio and Newton? Were they rebels?
Ans: Galileo discovered that the earth moves round the sun Newton discovered the theory of gravity. They were rebels. They revolted against the old conventions.
Q12: What did people believe till the end of middle Ages?
Ans: Till the end of middle ages, the world was looked on as one beautiful unity, created by God and man believed that everything in the world, from man to rocks and stones, had its place and purpose
VOCABULARY
[A] Use the given group of words in yourown sentences:
1. To take it quietly :
Discriminatory practices cannot be taken quietlyin a democracy.
2. To give up :
Don't give upon life's little pleasures.
3. Hold on :
Could you hold onfor a minute, I shall be free in a moment.
4. Undying hope :
The old parents have undying hopefor their children future.
5. Agreat deal :
He has faced a great dealof adversity in his life.
6. Get back :
The train was held up so we didn't get backuntil midnight.