Strong Roots
by APJ Abdul Kalam

Most important MCQ Question Answer

1. APJ Abdul Kalam was born in –
(a) a middle-class family.
(b) a rich and affluent family.
(c) an aristocratic family.
(d) a very poor family.

Ans: (a) a middleclass family.

2. At present the capital city of Tamil Nadu is –
(a) Madras (b) Chennai (c) Tribandam
(d) Delhi.

Ans: (b) Chennai.

3. People sat outside the mosque and waited for Kalam’s –
(a) mother (b) friend (c) father
(d) the narrator

Ans: (c) father.

4. Kalam was born in
(a) Madras (b) Chennai (c) Delhi (d) Bangalore

Ans: (b) Chennai.

5. A.PJ Abdul Kalam is –
(a) the one of the two sons of
(b) the single son in the family
(c) one of the many children of
Jainulabdeen
(d) the eldest and tallest child of Jainulabdeen

Ans: c) one of the many children of Jainulabdeen.

6. Kalam lived in –
(a) in his mother’s house
(b) a timeworn house of his father
(c) a dilapidated building of his
father’s father
(d) in his ancestral house

Ans: (d) in his ancestral house.

7. Kalam in his childhood was provided with –
(a) material wealth
(b) money
(c) food, medicine and clothes
(d) all the above.

Ans: (c) food, medicine and clothes

8. The father of Kalam led –
(a) a very secure and peaceful life.
(b) a very luxurious and peaceful life.
(c) a veru fast and laborious and peaceful life.
(d) a very austere and peaceful life.

Ans: (d) a very austere and peaceful life.

9. Kalam is respectful to his father because –
(a) his father was very laborious.
(b) his father used to read namaz everyday before dawn.
(c) his father sold all his valuables to educate him.
(d) his father led an honest and austere life.

Ans: (d) his father led an honest and austere life.

10. Out of the most vivid memories of Kalam’s early childhood is of –
(a) two men discussing political problems
(b) two men discussing economic matters
(c) two men discussing spiritual matters
(d) two men discussing Hindu-Muslim unity.

Ans: (c) two men discussing spiritual matters.

11. A dollop of fresh coconut chutney means –
(a) a heavy amount of coconut chutney.
(b) a very negligible amount of coconut chutney.
(c) a certain amount of coconut chutney.
(d) a meagre amount of coconut chutney.

Ans: (c) a certain amount of coconut chutney.

12. Kalam is spiritual because –
(a) he preaches spirituality to the world
(b) he is very liberal in thought
(c) he goes to the mosque for evening prayer.
(d) he believes in the existence of the define power.

Ans: (d) he believes in the existence of divine power.

13. According to Kalam’s father, when we pray we transcend our body and become a part of the –
(a) cosmos (b) family (c) earth
(d) world

Answer: (a) cosmos.

14. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was born to –
(a) parents of bright complexion
(b) short but handsome parents
(c) parents of dark complexion
(d) tall and handsome parents

Ans: (d) tall and handsome parents.

15. One of the forebears of Kalam’s mother was awarded by the British the title of –
(a) Rai Bahadur (b) Bahadur
(c) Bharat Ratna (d) Padmashree.

Ans:( b) Bahadur.

16. The ancestral house of APJ Abdul Kalam is situated on
(a) the church road in Rameshwaram
(b) the Mughal Road in Rameshwaram
(c) the Shiva temple road in Rameshwaram
(d) the mosque Street in Rameshwaram

Ans: (d) the mosque Street in Rameshwaram.

17. Kalam was convinced that there exists –
(a) a divine power
(b) a magical power
(c) an economical power
(d) a natural power

Ans: (a) divine power. 

18. Kalam’s father used to get up from bed at –
(a) 4:00 a.m. (b) 5:00 a.m.
(c) 6:00 a.m. (d) 7:00 a.m.

Ans: (a) 4:00 a.m.

19. Kalam’s father used to avoid –
(a) all social festivals
(b) all essential comforts and luxuries
(c) all inessential comforts and luxury
(d) all luxurious items

Ans: (c) all inessential comforts and luxury.

20. For Kalam’s father, Jainulabdeen, the author’s mother was an –
(a) ideal companion (b) ideal helpmate
(c) ideal teacher (d) ideal friend.

Ans: (b) ideal helpmate.

21. Adversity always provides opportunities for –
(a) retrospection (b) circumspection
(c) inspection (d) introspection

Ans: (d) introspection.

22. APJ Kalam’s father started his day by –
(a) reading the namaz
(b) taking breakfast
(c) running four miles
(d) going to coconut grove.

Ans: (a) reading the namaz.

23. APJ Abdul Kalam’s locality was predominantly –
(a) Hindu (b) Christ (c) Buddhist
(d) Muslim

Ans: d) Muslim.

24. Kalam’s father said that for the distressed people he acted as –
(a) a go-between (b) a priest
(c) a mentor (d) a guru

Ans: (a) a go-between.

25. “When you pray, you become a part of ——”
(a) the divine (b) the cosmos
(c) the God (d) the universe

Ans: (b) the cosmos.

26. Kalam’s austere father did not like –
(a) essential comforts (b) material wealth
(c) luxuries (d) Arabic prayer.

Ans: (c) luxuries.

27. Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry was –
(a) a guide of Kalam
(b) the high priest of the Shiva temple
(c) a wise man
(d) a political leader.

Ans: (b) the high priest of the Shiva temple.

28. Jainulabdeen possessed a great –
(a) western education (b) wisdom
(c) Indian culture (d) innate wisdom.

Ans: (d) innate wisdom.

29. Every recurrent anguish, longing and desire –
(a) finds special friend
(b) finds hindrances
(c) finds a physician
(d) finds its special helper.

Ans: (d) finds its special helper.

30. “This water was then carried home for invalids.” – Hear the word ‘invalid’ means –
(a) illogical
(b) inessential
(c) infirm and incapable persons
(d) worthless.

Ans: (c) infirm and incapable persons.

31. “My mother’s lineage was the more distinguished.” – Here the word ‘lineage’ means –
(a) parents (b) list (c) ancestry (d) life

Ans: (c) ancestry.

32. Kalam usually ate with his mother –
(a) sitting on the floor
(b) with the banana leaves
(c) aromatic sambar and rice
(d) all the three

Ans: (a) sitting on the floor.

33. Kalam’s father believed that for the people in disstress, he was –
(a) a mere mediator
(b) greater than God
(c) mere onlooker
(d) a trouble

Answer: (a) a mere mediator.

34. The opposite word of ‘manifest’ is –
(a) reflected (b) dormant (c) revealed
(d) regulated

Ans: (b) dormant.

35. The word ‘introspection’ means –
(a) self-analysis (b) self-effacement
(c) self-revelation (d) self-expression.

Ans: (a) self-analysis.

36. Kalam’s father would take him to the mosque for –
(a) pre-dawn prayers
(b) evening prayers
(c) midday prayers
(d) afternoon prayers a

Ans: (b) evening prayers.

37. Kalam’s ancestral house was built in –
(a) mid 19th century
(b) late 19th century
(c) early 20th century
(d) early 19th century

Ans: (a) mid 19th century.

38. The coconut grove, where Abdul Kalam’s father used to walk down every morning was about –
(a) one and a half miles
(b) three miles
(c) four miles
(d) four and a half miles

Ans: (c) four miles.

39. Abdul Kalam’s father would convey complex spiritual concepts in simple, down-to-earth –
(a) Arabic (b) Urdu (c) Tamil (d) Telugu

Ans: (c) Tamil.

40. The words of Abdul Kalam father filled him with a strange energy and –
(a) relief (b) enthusiasm
(c) perseverance (d) determination

Ans: (b) enthusiasm.

41. APJ Abdul Kalam generally ate from –
(a) dish (b) plate (c) bowl (d) banana leaf

Ans: (d) banana leaf.

42. APJ Abdul Kalam’s father used to get up from bed at –
(a) 7 a.m. (b) 6 a.m. (c) 5 a.m. (d) 4 a.m.

Ans: (d) 4 a.m.

43. According 2 APJ Abdul Kalam, the divine power can lift one up from –
(a) confusion and misery
(b) melancholy
(c) failure
(d) all the above

Ans: (a) all the above.

44. Which title was bestowed on Kalam’s mother lineage by the British? –
(a) Bahadur (b) Roy Chaudhary
(c) Raja (d) Roy Bahadur

Ans: (a) Bahadur.

45. Kalam’s father maintained his routine bound life –
(a) upto sixties
(b) even in his late sixties
(c) even in his early seventies
(d) even in his late seventies

Ans: (b) even in his late sixties.

SAQ Question Answer

1. What is the source of ‘Strong Roots’ ?

Ans. ‘Strong Roots’ is taken from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam’s autobiography, Wings of Fire(1999)

2. In which town was Dr APJ Abdul kalam born ? [H.S. -2016]

Ans. Dr APJ Abdul Kalam was born in the island town of Rameswaram in the erstwhile Madras state.

3.Who were Kalam’s parents ?

Ans. Jainulabdeen and Ashiamma were Kalam’s parents.

4.In whom did Abdul Kalam’s father have an ideal helpmate ? [H.S. – 2015]

Ans. Abdul Kalam’s father had an ideal helpmate in his wife, Ashiamma.

5.What according to Kalam, did his father possess ?

Ans. Kalam’s father possessed great innate wisdom and generosity of spirit.

6.How many people did Kalam’s mother feed every day ?

Ans. Kalam’s mother fed every day more outsiders than the total number of family members.

7.Who was bestowed the title of Bahadur in ‘Strong Roots’ ? [H.S. – 2017]

Ans. One of Kalam’s mother’s forebears was bestowed the title of ‘Bahadur’.

8.How was Abdul Kalam’s mother’s lineage different from his father’s ? [H.S. – 2020]

Ans. Abdul Kalam’s mother’s lineage was more distinguished than his father’s as one of her forebears was bestowed the title of ‘Bahadur’ by the British.

9.Where did Kalam live ?

Ans. Kalam lived in their ancestral house.

10.Describe the ancestral house of Kalam ? [H.S. – 2018]

Ans. The ancestral house of kalam was a fairly large pucca house made of limestone and brick on the Mosque Street of Rameswaram.

11.What did Kalam’s father use to avoid ? [H.S. – 2019 & 2022]

Ans. Kalam’s father used to avoid all inessential comforts and luxuries.

12.When was Kalam’s ancestral house built ?

Ans. Kalam’s ancestral house was built in the middle of the 19th century.

13.How was Kalam’s childhood ?

Ans. APJ Abdul Kalam had a secure childhood both materially and emotionally.

14.With whom did Kalam eat ?

Ans. Kalam normally ate with his mother.

15.Where did Kalam usually eat in his childhood ?

Ans. Kalam usually ate on the floor of the kitchen in his childhood.

16.What food did Kalam’s mother serve him ?

Ans. Kalam’s mother served him rice, aromatic sambar, a variety of homemade pickles and fresh coconut chutney.

17.What made Rameswaram famous to pilgrims ?

Ans. The Shiva temple made Rameswaram famous to pilgrims.

18.How far was Rameswaram temple from Kalam’s house ?

Ans. Rameswaram temple was about ten minutes walk from Kalam’s house.

19.How was the locality of Kalam ?

Ans. The locality of Kalam was predominantly Muslim but many Hindu families lived there peacefully.

20.How did the Hindus and Muslims live in Kalam’s locality ?

Ans. Hindu families lived amicably with their Muslim neighbours.

21.Where would kalam’s father take him in the evening ?

Ans. Kalam’s father would take him to an old mosque in the evening.

22.Why did Kalam not understand the prayer ?

Ans. Kalam did not understand the prayer as it was chanted in Arabic.

23.What did Kalam tell about the Arabic prayer ?

Ans. Kalam told that he did not understand the meaning of the Arabic prayers but he was convinced that they reached God.

24.Who wanted Kalam’s father outside the mosque ?

Ans. People of different religions wanted Kalam’s father outside the mosque.

25.What did the people offer Kalam’s father outside the mosque ?

Ans. The people offered Kalam’s father bowls of water outside the mosque.

26.How did Kalam’s father sanctify water ?

Ans. Kalam’s father used to sanctify the water by dipping his fingertips and saying a prayer.

27.Why did the people carry the sanctified water ?

Ans. The people carried the sanctified water for invalids at home.

28.Who was the high priest of Shiva temple in ‘Strong Roots’ ? [H.S. – 2015, 2017 & 2022]

Ans. Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry was the high priest in Shiva temple in ‘Strong Roots’.

29.Who was a very close friend of Abdul Kalam’s father ? [H.S. – 2020]

Ans. Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry was a very close friend of Abdul Kalam’s father.

30.Whom did Kalam consider to be a very close friend of his father ? [H.S. – 2019]

Ans. Kalam considered Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry, the high priest of Rameswaram temple to be a very close friend of his father.

31.What was one of the most vivid memories of Kalam’s early childhood ?

Ans. One of the most vivid memories of Kalam’s early childhood was of the two men, Kalam’s father and Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry discussing spiritual matters in their traditional attire.

32.What does Kalam’s father say about the relevance/importance of prayer ? [H.S. – 2018 & 2022]

Ans. According to Kalam’s father, prayer made possible a communion of the spirit between people.

33.What, according to Kalam’s father, happens when we pray ?

Ans. According to Kalam’s father, when we pray we transcend our body and become a part of cosmos.

34.How would Kalam’s father convey complex spiritual concepts ?

Ans. Kalam’s father would convey complex spiritual concepts in very simple, down-to-earth Tamil.

35.What according to Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam’s father, does adversity always present ? [H.S. – 2016]

Ans. According to Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam’s father, adversity always presents opportunities for introspection.

36.What according to Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam’s father, do human beings do whenever they find them alone ?

Ans. According to Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam’s father human beings look for company whenever they find them alone.

37.What do human beings do when they reach an impasse ?

Ans. When human beings reach an impasse, they look for someone who can show them the way out.

38.What was the role of Kalam’s father for people in distress ?

Ans. Kalam’s father played the role of a go-between(mediator) to propitiate demonic forces with prayers and offerings.

39.When did Kalam’s father start his day ?

Ans. Kalam’s father started his day at 4.00 a.m.

40.How did Kalam’s father start his day ?

Ans. Kalam’s father started his day by reading the namaz before dawn.

41.What did Kalam’s father use to do after namaz ?

Ans. Kalam’s father used to walk four mile to their groove after namaz.

42.When did Kalam’s father take his breakfast ?

Ans. After returning from the coconut grove, Kalam’s father took his breakfast.

43.How long did Kalam’s father maintain his routined life ?

Ans. Kalam’s father maintained his routined life up to the late sixties.

44.How did Kalam try to emulate his father ?

Ans. Kalam tried to emulate his father in his own world of science and technology.

45.What is Kalam’s opinion about divine power ?

Ans. APJ Abdul Kalam feels convinced that there exists a divine power that can lift us from our confusion, misery, melancholy and failure and guide us to our true place.