UNIT - 5
A STORY OF MY
CHILDHOOD
SUMMARY
The text is a recollection from A.P.J. Abdul Kalam's childhood,
highlighting significant moments and influences in his early
education. It begins with an anecdote about his mathematics teacher
visiting his home to share the news of Abdul scoring full marks in
Mathematics and Science, showing the dedication of his teachers.
Abdul describes his early morning routine, which included attending
Arabic tuition and special mathematics classes. He fondly
remembers his mother’s cooking, particularly her special poli.
Abdul shares a childhood friendship with Ramanadha Sastry,
recalling a distressing incident when a new teacher made them sit
apart due to their religious differences. This issue was resolved with
the help of their parents, emphasizing the importance of unity.
Another influential figure was Sivasubramania Iyer, who creatively
taught Abdul about bird flight by taking the class to the seashore,
sparking Abdul's interest in flight and aerospace. This experience
solidified Abdul's future ambition and career path in aeronautics.
WORD MEANINGS-
hagiography- a biography that treats its subject with undue reverence. (extreme
regard)
psychobiography-a field within the realms of psychology and biography that
analyzes the lives of historically significant individuals through psychological
theory and research.
pathography- such biography where sadness, sickness, failure, and the like are
highlighted
chronicle : a chronological account of events in writing
obituary: the publication of an article about the life and accomplishments of
someone in a newspaper shortly after their death.
character sketch :written summary of a person's traits, characteristics, and so on.
profile : descriptive writing that informs the reader about someone or something
memoir : a documented narrative of someone's life, a location, or an event.
CONNECTIVES-
Connectives are words or phrases that link sentences or clauses together.
Such as words like- therefore, however, in addition, on the other hand,
despite/ inspite of, although/ though/ even though, furthermore, first, next,
finally, meanwhile, likewise, etc.
a. He is a millionaire. He lives in a simple house.
i) Although he is a millionaire, he lives in a simple house.
ii) In spite of his richness, he lives in a simple house.
b. The weather was extremely bad. The pilot landed the plane safely.
i) Even Though the weather was extremely bad, the pilot landed the plane safely.
ii) Despite the bad weather, the pilot landed the plane safely.
c. We study in the same college. We hardly see each other.
i) Although we study in the same college, we hardly see each other.
ii) Despite studying in the same college, we hardly see each other.
It rained heavily. We enjoyed our holiday.
I had an umbrella. I got wet in the rain.
I was really tired. I could not sleep a moment.
She has very good accent in English. She failed the interview of a
newsreader.
Lhasa has extremely cold weather in winter. Millions of tourists go there
in January.
He was badly injured in the first round of the boxing match. He was
victorious in the third round.
d. It rained heavily. We enjoyed our holiday.
i) Although it rained heavily, we enjoyed our holiday.
ii) In spite of heavy rain, we enjoyed our holiday.
e. I had an umbrella. I got wet in the rain.
i) Although I had an umbrella, I got wet in the rain.
ii) In spite of having an umbrella, I got wet in the rain.
f. I was really tired. I could not sleep for a moment.
i) Even though I was really tired, I could not sleep for a moment.
ii. Despite the tiredness, I could not sleep for a moment.
g. She has a very good accent in English. She failed the interview with the newsreader.
i) Although she has a very good accent in English, she failed the interview of a newsreader.
ii) In spite of having a very good accent in English, she failed the interview of a newsreader.
h. Lhasa has extremely cold weather in winter. Millions of tourists go there in January.
i) Although Lhasa has extremely cold weather in winter, millions of tourists go there in January.
ii) In spite of extremely cold weather, millions of tourists go to Lhasa in January.
i. He was badly injured in the first round of the boxing match. He was victorious in the third round.
i) Although he was badly injured in the first round of the boxing match, he was victorious in the third round.
ii) In spite of his injury in the first round of the boxing match, he was victorious in the third round.
AUTOBIOGRAPHY
Autobiography is a literary genre in which an individual writes about their own life
experiences. It is a firsthand account of ones own journey, offering personal reflections,
memories and insights. They provide a unique perspective allowing the readers to immerse
into the writers thoughts, emotions etc.
An autobiography, should contain the basic framework that any essay should have, with four
basic elements. Begin with an introduction that includes a thesis statement, followed by a
body containing at least several paragraphs. To complete the autobiography, you'll need a
strong conclusion, all the while crafting an interesting narrative with a theme.
The things that you include in an autobiography are:
information about where a person was born and brought up, their education, career, life
experiences, the challenges they faced, and their key achievements.
THANK YOU
VERY MUCH!
