Voyaging Towards Excellence 5

 Page No. 81 / 82  [Lines, “ At IIT………  in my life.” ]

Read the first activity, read the extract and do all the activities that follow.

A1. Complete :          (02)

Complete the following sentences choosing the information from the extract.

a) The writer used to see Nobel Laureates at the dining Table at MIT during lunch time.

b) Vincent Cerf invented the basic protocol of (TCP/ IP)  Internet.

c) The writer came in contact with 15/20 brilliant students/researchers/ professors when he was in his 3 RD year.

d) After Mr.Narayan Murthy left Patni, Writer started heading Patni’s Software division.

At IIT I got fairly good marks in my first 2 years. However, a very important thing happened while I was in my 3rd year. I came in contact with about 15-20 extremely brilliant students / researchers / professors from IIT, TIFR and BARC. They included top ranking students from IIT, visiting professors in American Universities, and very renowned mathematicians in the world and so on. I was instantaneously attracted to this group. This friendship had a lasting impact on my life. Until that time I used to consider myself somewhat intelligent. However, after I met my friends in our group, I came to know what real brilliance meant and I realised where I stood. I was actually also very lucky that I came in contact with great people on the global scale early in my life. Later in my life when Mr. Narayan Murthy left Patni to start Infosys, I started heading Patni’s software division occupying the same chair. My Head Office was in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, very near Boston. It was in fact the adjacent building to MIT in America. I had to visit the US every few months in those days. I used to visit MIT during lunch time to meet my friends. There, one could see a couple of Nobel Laureates at the dining table. If you walked for an hour from there, you could reach Harvard Square near Harvard University. I used to visit both of these universities and could talk to a number of Nobel Laureates. During these years I travelled a lot to US, Europe, Japan and Australia and could meet a number of great thinkers and management gurus such as Alvin Toffler, Peter Drucker, C. K. Prahlad, Tom Peters or great technologists such as Vincent Cerf, (who designed TCP/IP which is the basic protocol of Internet). All these discussions with these greats broadened my horizon, and my aims and worldview became global. It taught me humility and made me realise that I had to achieve a lot in life. The lesson in humility and hard work as well as passion for excellence was going to play a very important and vital role in my life.

A2. Describe :         (02)

Describe how the writer was benefited by the discussions with great people.

1. He knew what brilliance meant.

2. He knew where he stood.

3. These discussions with greats broadened his horizon.

4. His aim and worldwide view became global.

5. It thought him humility and made him realise that he had to achieve a lot in life.

A3. Give reasons :          (02)

The writer said that he realised where he stood. Write down the reasons behind his statement.

A4. Personal Response :          (02)

“Man knows by the company he keeps” Do you agree with the view. Justify with suitable examples.

A5. Language study :           (02)

a) I used to consider myself somewhat intelligent.

(Identify the modal Auxiliary used here and also write what does it indicate)

Used to = Habitual action in the past. 

b) I used to visit MIT during lunch time to meet my friends.

(Rewrite the sentence using the Gerund Form of the Underlined word)

I used to visit MIT during lunch time For meeting my friends.

c) All these discussions with these greats broadened my horizon.

(Begin the sentence with,” My Horizon…….”)

My horizon was broadened by all these discussions with these greats.

A6. Vocabulary :                  (02)

Find out words from the extract which mean the following.

a) Adjacent = nearby

b) Honoured with award = Laureates 

c) Procedure =  protocol

d) Modesty = humility

Activities prepared by

TUSHAR J BAGWE

K J SOMAIYA COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND COMMERCE VIDYAVIHAR EAST MUMBAI 77

Mobile: 9820928141

E Mail ID: tushar@somaiya.edu