Let’s begin
Question 1.
“Some are born great; some achieve greatness; some have greatness thrust upon them. ”-William Shakespeare (Twelfth Night).
Is greatness an innate trait? Is it acquired by the successful or thrust upon them? Discuss.
Answer:
I don’t think greatness is an innate trait. It is acquired by successful people. Look at the examples of Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Mother Theresa and Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. They all acquired their success by hard work, perseverance, courage and determination. Success is not thrust upon them. They worked for it and they got it.
Question 2.
What qualities make people great? Discuss with your friends and write them in the boxes below:
Question 3.
We strive to reach heights, achieve greatness and be successful ¡n life. But at times, it seems difficult. Now, look at the picture below:
What thoughts and feelings does it evoke in you?
Answer:
The boy has stage-fright and he is not confident to perform before the judges and the audience. He is trying to get away but he is being forced by his teacher to say something or sing.
Question 4.
Give a suitable caption to the picture.
Answer:
“The Reluctant Performer”.
Question 5.
Have you had any similar experience? If so, share it with your friends.
Answer:
Yes, J had. I was in the 10th Standard and I was asked to make a Welcome Speech on the School Day. I was not keen on doing it. But my Principal insisted that I should do it. I prepared a speech and studied it by heart. When I got on the stage on the School Day, I started shivering and shaking and my mind went blank. I could not say a word. The Principal had to prompt me to speak some words. I somehow stammered something and fled from the stage. It was the worst day of my life as my classmates teased me about my ‘Speech’.
Think And Respond
Question 1.
What made little Abe stand on the dry goods box and deliver the speech?
Answer:
Little Abe stood on the dry goods box and delivered the speech because he was replying to a stump speaker, who made the speech standing on the stump of a tree.
Question 2.
Do you think good dress, appearance, position in society, etc., are needed to present yourself before the public for a speech?
Answer:
I think in normal circumstances good dress, appearance, position in society, etc., are needed to present ourselves before the public for a speech. But in the case of some famous people like Abraham Lincoln and Mahatma Gandhi, good dress, appearance, etc., did not seem to matter. But these are exceptions and not the rule.
Question 3.
What is the role of Dennis in bringing out the best in young Abe?
Answer:
Dennis was like a catalyst in bringing out the best in young Abe. Dennis recognised the capabilities of Abe and encouraged him to show them to the public. Dennis was a good friend of Abe and he wanted Abe to shine.
Question 4.
Do you think that everybody has some potential in them? Some people take the initiative, while others do not dare to showcase their talents. What do you think are the reasons for this? Write down your views.
Answer:
I think that everybody has some potential in them. Some people do not dare to showcase their talents because of many reasons:
- Lack of opportunity
- Lack of confidence
- Lack of encouragement
- Fear of failure
I. Read and Reflect
Question 1.
We are going to read the story of a young seagull. He was afraid to make his first flight. His parents helped him into action and thus made him ready to face the challenges of life.
Glimpses Of Greatness About This Unit
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” Sir Winston Churchill.
Success is surely the fruit of perseverance. The great achievement of others can inspire us. Similarly, we can be an inspiration to many others. This Unit highlights the personality traits of some great people. It emphasises the qualities that are to be developed to become successful in life.
This Unit has the following:
a) An anecdote from the life of Abraham Lincoln – ‘Abe’s First Speech’.
b) A Story by Liam O’Flaherty – ‘His First Flight’.
c) A Speech by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam – 7 will Fly’.
d) A Short Biographical Sketch of Stephen Hawking – ‘Quest for a Theory of Everything’.
e) A Poem by Rudyard Kipling – ‘If’.
The Unit aims at equipping the students to face the challenges of life with courage, confidence and perseverance and to become unique in their own ways, upholding the values of life. The Unit also aims at building confidence in the students to use English effectively in different situations of their lives.
Glimpses Of Greatness About This Author
Abraham Lincoln (Abe) is one of the greatest American statesmen. He is known for his famous speeches. Here is the story of his first speech as a small boy.
Abe’S First Speech
Abe made his first speech when he was a boy. He was without shoes. One suspender held up his trousers. He wore a cheap straw hat. Through a hole in it, some of his hair stuck out.
Abe attended a political meeting with his friend Dennis Hanks. Dennis was Abe’s companion in splitting logs to make rail fences. The meeting was addressed by one stump speaker. Stump speakers were those trained political speakers who addressed the audience standing upon tree stumps. The speaker was shouting at the top of his voice and he was making wild signs with his hands.
At the end of the speech, Abe and Dennis did not agree with the views of the speaker. Dennis thought Abe could make a better speech than what the speaker had made. He got a dry goods box and asked Abe to reply to the earlier speaker.
Abe threw his straw hat to the ground. He got on to the dry goods box and delivered a speech. The crowd listened to the speech attentively and applauded him. Even the first speaker admitted that Abe’s was a fine speech and it answered every point in the speech made by him.
Dennis Hanks was very happy. He thought that Abe was the greatest man that ever lived. He went on saying how Abe was a better speaker than the trained campaign speaker.
(From ‘Abe Lincoln’s Anecdotes and Stories’ by R.D. Wordsworth)
Glimpses Of Greatness Glossary
