KARNATAKA TEXTBOOK SOCIETY
SUB. ENGLISH (SL)
CLASS - 5
Unit - 4:
Prose - THE BOSS WHO CARES
Introduction
The lesson "The Boss Who Cares" revolves around the work environment at the Thumba Space Centre, where scientists were dedicated to developing rockets. Despite the heavy workload, the scientists were motivated to work diligently because of their compassionate and understanding boss. The story highlights an incident where one of the scientists requested permission to leave early to take his children to an exhibition, but got engrossed in work and forgot the time. The boss, noticing his commitment, took it upon himself to take the scientist's children to the exhibition. The boss turned out to be none other than Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, a respected leader known for his empathy and care towards his colleagues.
Glossary Words
1. Thumba: a village near Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala
2. Space Centre: a place where studies are conducted about outer space
3. Involved: engaged
4. Rocket: a vehicle used to put a satellite into space
5. Adventurous: daring
6. Quitting: to leave the job
7. Verbally: orally, by using words
Vocabulary
V1: Choose the opposites of the following
words from those given in brackets.
1. never X always
2. remember X forget
3. happy X sad
4. finish X start
5. quit X remain
V2: State whether the following statements are
‘True’ or ‘False’.
1. Dr. Abdul Kalam is presently the President of India. (False)
2. He took care of all the scientists. (True)
3. He visited the exhibition because he liked it. (False)
4. The scientists were happy to work under him. (True)
5. Thumba is in Karnataka. (False)
Comprehension
C1: Answer the following questions in a
sentence or two each.
1.
How many scientists were there at Thumba Space Centre?
Ans. - There were about seventy
scientists at Thumba Space Centre.
2. What made
them restless?
Ans. - The workload and the long hours made them
restless.
3. Where did
one of the scientists want to take his children?
Ans. - The scientist wanted to take his children to
the exhibition in town.
4. At what
time was he permitted to leave?
Ans. - He was permitted to leave at half past five in
the evening.
5. When did
the scientist leave the office?
Ans. - The scientist left the office at half past
eight in the evening.
6. How did
his wife react when he entered the house?
Ans. - His wife was calm when he entered the house.
7. What did
she ask him?
Ans. - She asked him if he would like to have a cup
of coffee or dinner.
8. Where
were the children?
Ans. - The children were at the exhibition.
9. Who had
taken them to the exhibition?
Ans. - The boss, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, had taken
them to the exhibition.
10. Who was
the boss?
Ans. - The boss was Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
C2: Discuss with your friends and answer the
following questions in five to six sentences each.
1. What do you understand by, “…it took a lot of time”? Explain.
Ans. - The phrase “…it took
a lot of time” means that the scientists' work was very demanding and required
many hours of dedication and effort. They worked long hours from morning till
midnight, indicating that the tasks they were involved in were complex and
time-consuming. This often left them feeling restless due to the continuous
workload.
2. What do
you think the scientist thought on the way back home?
Ans. - On the way back home,
the scientist likely felt a mix of emotions. He was probably concerned about
disappointing his children and wondered how he would explain his late arrival
to his wife. He might have also felt guilty for breaking his promise and
worried about his family's reaction.
3. When the
scientist returned home, his wife was very calm. The scientist did not expect this. Why?
Ans. - The scientist did not
expect his wife to be calm because he was late and had broken his promise to
take the children to the exhibition. He likely anticipated that his wife would
be upset and reprimand him. Her calmness surprised him because he expected a
negative reaction due to his tardiness.
4. What do
you want to say about the boss?
Ans. - The boss, Dr. A.P.J.
Abdul Kalam, was considerate and understanding. He cared about the well-being
of his employees and their families. His actions demonstrated his empathy and
willingness to go above and beyond to ensure the happiness of his team, which
in turn fostered a positive and motivated work environment.
Language
Exercises
L1: Fill in the blanks with the correct verb
forms of the words given in brackets.
1. Dr. Abdul Kalam was (to be) the President of India.
2. Under the leadership of Dr. Abdul Kalam, India’s missile programme developed
(develop) well.
3. Dr. Abdul Kalam said (say) that the youth shall (shall) dream
of a developed India.
4. Dreams must be fulfilled (fulfil) through hard work.
5. Dr. Abdul Kalam worked (work) hard as a student.
Answers to the Practice Questions
1. Where did the events in the
story take place?
The events took place at Thumba Space
Centre.
2. How many scientists were
working at Thumba Space Centre?
There were about seventy scientists working
at Thumba Space Centre.
3. What were the scientists at
Thumba Space Centre involved in?
The scientists were involved in developing
rockets.
4. What did one of the
scientists ask his boss for?
The scientist asked his boss for permission
to leave the office early so that he could take his children to the exhibition.
5. At what time did the
scientist ask permission to leave?
The scientist asked for permission to leave
at half past five in the evening.
6. Why did the scientist not
leave the office at the permitted time?
The scientist was so engrossed in his work
that he lost track of time and continued working until half past eight.
7. How did the scientist feel
when he remembered his promise to his children?
The scientist felt sad and disappointed for
not being able to keep his promise to his children.
8. What was the scientist
expecting when he reached home?
The scientist was expecting that his wife
would be upset and scold him for being late.
9. What did the scientist’s
wife ask him when he got home?
The scientist’s wife calmly asked if he
would like to have a cup of coffee or go straight to dinner.
10. Who took the scientist’s
children to the exhibition?
The scientist’s boss, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul
Kalam, took the children to the exhibition.
11. Why did the boss take the
scientist’s children to the exhibition?
The boss took the children to the
exhibition because he noticed that the scientist was too engrossed in his work
to leave on time and did not want the children to be disappointed.
12. How did the boss show that
he cared for his team members?
The boss showed that he cared by personally
taking the scientist’s children to the exhibition, understanding the importance
of keeping promises to family.
13. Who was the boss in the
story?
The boss in the story was Dr. A.P.J. Abdul
Kalam.
14. Why did the scientists
enjoy working under Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam despite the heavy workload?
The scientists enjoyed working under Dr.
Kalam because he was considerate, understanding, and cared about their personal
needs, making them feel valued and respected.
15. What qualities of Dr.
A.P.J. Abdul Kalam are highlighted in the story?
The story highlights Dr. Kalam’s empathy,
kindness, leadership, and ability to balance both professional and personal
responsibilities, making him a respected and loved leader.
