Important MCQs and Answers on ‘Strong Roots’
By APJ Abdul Kalam
Ray and Martin Question Bank Class 12 Semester 3 2026
1. 'Strong Roots' is written by
(a) Rabindranath Tagore
(b) AJC Bose
(c) APJ Abdul Kalam
(d) RK Narayan
Answer: (c)
2. The full name of APJ Abdul Kalam is
(a) Abdul Pakir Jamiruddin Abdul Kalam
(b) Abdul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam
(c) Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam
(d) Ahmed Pakir Jamiruddin Abdul Kalam
Answer: (c)
3. 'Strong Roots' is part of
(a) an autobiography
(b) a biography
(c) a story
(d) an essay
Answer: (a)
4. The extract 'Strong Roots' has been taken from
(a) 'Kalam's Family Tree'
(b) 'Kalam's Biography'
(c) 'Wings of Fire'
(d) 'The Wings for Fire'
Answer: (c)
5. 'Strong Roots' presents a delightful sketch of APJ Abdul Kalam's early life and the development of his
(a) spiritual growth
(b) scientific growth
(c) physical growth
(d) mental growth
Answer: (a)
6. Kalam says, he was born into
(a) a lower middle-class family
(b) a middle-class family
(c) a very poor family
(d) a considerably rich family
Answer: (b)
7. APJ Abdul Kalam was by birth a
(a) Telugu
(b) Tamil
(c) Kannad
(d) Malayali
Answer: (b)
8. APJ Abdul Kalam's birthplace was in the town of
(a) Goa
(b) Puri
(c) Rameswaram
(d) Chennai
Answer: (c)
9. Abdul Kalam was born in
(a) the erstwhile Madras
(b) Kerala
(c) Kolkata
(d) Chennai
Answer: (a)
10. The word 'erstwhile' means
(a) subsequent
(b) later
(c) previous
(d) consequent
Answer: (c)
11. Who is Jainulabdeen in the extract?
(a) A close friend of the author's father
(b) The author's grandfather
(c) The author's father
(d) A teacher of the author
Answer: (c)
12. Dr Kalam's father had
(a) neither wealth nor power
(b) neither formal education nor power
(c) neither formal education nor wealth
(d) neither wealth nor respect
Answer: (c)
13. Kalam's father possessed
(a) great innate wisdom
(b) a true generosity of spirit
(c) divine power
(d) great innate wisdom and a true generosity of spirit.
Answer: (d)
14. For Kalam's father, his mother was an ideal
(a) wife
(b) guide
(c) friend
(d) helpmate
Answer: (d)
15. APJ Abdul Kalam's mother was
(a) Ashiamma
(b) Mrs Jones
(c) Natalya
(d) Jaya
Answer: (a)
16. The number of people who ate every day at Dr Kalam's house were
(a) very few outsiders
(b) only the family members
(c) more outsiders than all the family members put together
(d) no outsiders but the villagers
Answer: (c)
17. Based on the extract, how would you describe Abdul Kalam's mother?
(a) She was a stern disciplinarian who focused on academic success.
(b) She was known for her compassion and generosity towards others.
(c) She played a minor role in Abdul Kalam's upbringing.
(d) She prioritised material wealth and social status.
Answer: (b)
18. Abdul Kalam describes his parents as being
(a) wealthy, educated and generous
(b) highly educated but not wealthy
(c) very poor and illiterate
(d) neither wealthy nor highly educated but kind, wise and large-hearted.
Answer: (d)
19. Kalam's parents were widely regarded as
(a) proud parents
(b) an ideal couple
(c) successful parents
(d) fortunate parents.
Answer: (b)
20. One of the forebears of Kalam's mother was awarded by the British the title of
(a) Bahadur
(b) Raibahadur
(c) Padmashree
(d) Bharat Ratna
Answer: (a)
Questions 21 – 40
21. Kalam was a short boy with
(a) distinguished looks
(b) innate wisdom
(c) undistinguished looks
(d) smart appearance
Answer: (c)
22. Kalam was born to
(a) ugly parents
(b) handsome parents
(c) tall and handsome parents
(d) religious parents
Answer: (c)
23. Kalam and his family lived in their
(a) ancestral house
(b) rented house
(c) palace
(d) cottage
Answer: (a)
24. Kalam's ancestral house was built in the middle of
(a) 16th century
(b) 17th century
(c) 18th century
(d) 19th century
Answer: (d)
25. Kalam's house was a
(a) fairly large pucca house
(b) small hut
(c) two storeyed building
(d) big mansion
Answer: (a)
26. Kalam's ancestral house was made of
(a) limestone and brick
(b) cement and brick
(c) mud and brick
(d) bamboo and tin sheets
Answer: (a)
27. Kalam's father used to avoid all
(a) poor people
(b) religious ceremonies
(c) inessential comforts and luxuries
(d) money
Answer: (c)
28. Kalam's father was not
(a) active
(b) austere
(c) luxurious
(d) spiritual
Answer: (c)
29. How does APJ Abdul Kalam sum up his childhood in Rameswaram? / What was the author's childhood like?
(c) A very secure time, materially and emotionally. / (d) Very secure.
Answer: (c) / (d)
30. Kalam normally ate with
(a) his father
(b) his brothers and sisters
(c) his mother
(d) the outsiders
Answer: (c)
31. The speaker usually ate sitting on
(a) the table
(b) the floor of the kitchen
(c) a chair
(d) a cot
Answer: (b)
32. Kalam's mother would serve him rice on a
(a) banana leaf
(b) plastic plate
(c) earthen dish
(d) bowl
Answer: (a)
33. During his childhood, Kalam's lunch would include
(a) rice and aromatic sambar
(b) home-made pickle
(c) fresh coconut chutney
(d) all of the above.
Answer: (d)
34. The sambar served to Kalam was
(a) salty
(b) sweet
(c) aromatic
(d) bitter
Answer: (c)
35. The chutney that was prepared in Kalam's house was prepared with
(a) coconut
(b) mango
(c) tomato
(d) tamarind
Answer: (a)
36. Rameswaram was famous to
(a) scientists
(b) pilgrims
(c) tourists
(d) politicians
Answer: (b)
37. Rameswaram was famous to pilgrims for
(a) the Vishnu temple
(b) the Shiva temple
(c) the Tirupati temple
(d) the Mosque
Answer: (b)
38. The temple near Kalam's house was dedicated to
(a) Lord Shiva
(b) Lord Vishnu
(c) Lord Rama
(d) Lord Krishna
Answer: (a)
39. The locality where Kalam spent his childhood was predominantly
(a) Hindu
(b) Muslim
(c) Jain
(d) Buddhist
Answer: (b)
40. How does Kalam describe his neighbourhood?
(a) A predominantly Muslim locality close to the famous Shiva temple where Hindu families lived amicably with their Muslim neighbours.
(b) A predominantly Hindu locality near the Shiva temple, fraught with tension between Muslims and Hindus.
(c) A predominantly Christian locality where the Muslim population was thinly spread.
(d) A cosmopolitan urban neighbourhood with people of all castes, creeds and communities living a high-rise apartment near the Shiva temple.
Answer: (a)
Questions 41 – 60
41. People in Rameswaram lived in
(a) peace
(b) co-operation
(c) harmony
(d) conflict
Answer: (c)
42. Kalam's father would take him to the mosque for
(a) pre-dawn prayers
(b) evening prayers
(c) mid-day prayers
(d) afternoon prayers
Answer: (b)
43. The prayers chanted in the mosque were in
(a) Persian
(b) Arabic
(c) French
(d) Urdu
Answer: (b)
44. When Kalam's father took him to the old mosque in their locality for evening prayers, Kalam
(a) understood each and every phrase of the Arabic words that were chanted
(b) partly understood the meaning of the Arabic words that were chanted
(c) did not understand the meaning of a single Arabic word that was chanted
(d) knew every Arabic word that was chanted by heart
Answer: (c)
45. Young Kalam had no idea of the meaning of the prayers chanted because
(a) the language was unknown to him
(b) it was chanted in Arabic
(c) it was not audible to him
(d) both (a) & (b).
Answer: (d)
46. Kalam was totally convinced that the prayers reached
(a) God
(b) the people
(c) the devotees
(d) the soul
Answer: (a)
47. People sat outside the mosque and waited for
(a) the narrator
(b) Kalam's mother
(c) Kalam's father
(d) the high priest
Answer: (c)
48. When Kalam's father came out of the mosque, he saw people
(a) asking him for alms
(b) offering him bowls of water
(c) asking him for help
(d) offering him money
Answer: (b)
49. Many people offered bowls of water to Kalam's father who would
(a) drink the water
(b) dip his fingertips in them and say a prayer
(c) take those bowls home
(d) place them inside the mosque
Answer: (b)
50. Having dipped his fingertips in the bowls of water and saying a prayer, Kalam's father
(a) polluted the water
(b) drank the water
(c) sanctified the water
(d) threw away the water
Answer: (c)
51. The water sanctified by Kalam's father was carried home for
(a) offering prayers
(b) invalids
(c) young men
(d) children
Answer: (b)
52. People visited Kalam's home to offer thanks after
(a) getting bowls
(b) getting cured
(c) being invited
(d) visiting the mosque
Answer: (b)
53. Kalam's father always smiled and asked people to thank
(a) Ashiamma
(b) Kalam
(c) the priest
(d) Allah, the merciful.
Answer: (d)
54. Why was Kalam's father well-known in their locality?
(a) He was a successful doctor.
(b) He was a respected teacher.
(c) He was a healer who prayed for the well-being of his fellow men.
(d) He was a wealthy moneylender.
Answer: (c)
55. We know that Kalam's father was acknowledged as a spiritual person because
(a) he was very knowledgeable about spiritual matters
(b) he worked at the local mosque
(c) he read the namaz before dawn
(d) the priest of the Rameswaram temple had discussions with him.
Answer: (d)
56. The name of the high priest of Rameswaram temple was
(a) Lakshamana Sastry
(b) Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry
(c) Ram Lakshmana Sastry
(d) Rameswaram Sastry
Answer: (b)
57. Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry was a
(a) friend of Kalam's father
(b) teacher of Kalam
(c) rival of Kalam's father
(d) relative of Kalam
Answer: (a)
58. "One of the most vivid memories of my early childhood is of the two men...". 'The two men' here refer to
(a) Abdul Kalam and his father
(b) Kalam and Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry
(c) Jainulabdeen and Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry
(d) Jainulabdeen and his father
Answer: (c)
59. Both Kalam's father and the high priest used to wear
(a) dhoti and kurta
(b) modern dress
(c) formal dress
(d) traditional attire.
Answer: (d)
60. Kalam's father and the high priest used to discuss
(a) spiritual matters
(b) relevance of prayers
(c) household responsibilities
(d) belief of people
Answer: (a)
Questions 61 – 80
61. Kalam once asked his father about the relevance of
(a) having a priest as a friend
(b) being a part of the cosmos
(c) performing rituals after one's death
(d) prayer.
Answer: (d)
62. Kalam's father told him that there was nothing mysterious about
(a) the high priest
(b) prayer
(c) spirits
(d) the Shiva temple
Answer: (b)
63. According to Jainulabdeen, prayer made possible a communion
(a) between man and God
(b) of the spirit between people
(c) between poor and rich
(d) of the body and soul
Answer: (b)
64. Jainulabdeen said that through prayer a man can transcend his
(a) body
(b) mind
(c) soul
(d) conscience
Answer: (a)
65. According to Dr Kalam's father, during prayer
(a) one becomes a part of the cosmos
(b) the cosmos becomes one (Text: "become a part of the cosmos")
(c) the soul meets God
(d) the cosmos is distributed into parts
Answer: (a) (Note: The precise textual line says "you transcend your body and become a part of the cosmos")
66. No division of wealth, age, caste or creed is known to the
(a) priest
(b) temple
(c) mosque
(d) cosmos.
Answer: (d)
67. Abdul Kalam's father would convey complex spiritual concepts in simple, down-to-earth
(a) Arabic
(b) Urdu
(c) Tamil
(d) Telugu
Answer: (c)
68. According to Kalam's father, every human being is a
(a) blessed entity
(b) heavenly being
(c) specific element within the whole of the manifest divine Being
(d) unique man with specific qualities
Answer: (c)
69. What does Abdul Kalam's father teach him about troubles and sufferings in the extract?
(a) They are punishments for wrong doings.
(b) One should always seek help to overcome them.
(c) They are inevitable parts of life that lead to growth and self-discovery.
(d) They are opportunities to escape from responsibilities.
Answer: (c)
70. In the words of the author's father, adversity always presents opportunities for
(a) understanding
(b) views
(c) agreement
(d) introspection.
Answer: (d)
71. According to Kalam's father, since adversity always presents opportunities for introspection, we must try to
(a) understand its relevance
(b) accept it
(c) blame others and find their faults
(d) propitiate demonic forces with prayers and offerings
Answer: (a)
72. "Adversity always presents opportunities for introspection"Here the word 'introspection' means
(a) escaping from reality
(b) inner vision
(c) seeking advice from others
(d) deep thought about one's own thoughts, feelings or behaviour.
Answer: (d)
73. "Why don't you say this to the people who come to you for..." The people came to Kalam's father for
(a) advice and medicine
(b) help and co-operation
(c) advice and food
(d) help and advice.
Answer: (d)
74. Looking straight into Kalam's eyes, Jainulabdeen tried to judge Kalam's
(a) capacity to read and write
(b) capacity to comprehend his words
(c) intelligence
(d) appearance
Answer: (b)
75. Kalam's father answered his question in a/an
(a) thoughtful manner
(b) friendly manner
(c) irritated manner
(d) low, deep voice.
Answer: (d)
76. The words of Abdul Kalam's father filled him with a strange energy and
(a) relief
(b) enthusiasm
(c) perseverance
(d) determination
Answer: (b)
77. According to Kalam's father, whenever one feels lonely, one starts looking for
(a) company
(b) friend
(c) enemy
(d) mentor
Answer: (a)
78. According to Kalam's father, when people are in trouble, they
(a) try to solve the problem alone
(b) become very sad
(c) look for someone to help them
(d) like to discuss it with others
Answer: (c)
79. According to Kalam's father, whenever human beings reach an impasse, they
(a) look for someone to show them the way out
(b) become stunned
(c) surrender to their destiny
(d) become disappointed
Answer: (a)
80. Every recurrent anguish, longing and desire finds its own
(a) company
(b) special friend
(c) special helper
(d) special guide
Answer: (c)
Questions 81 – 101
81. The people who came to Jainulabdeen were
(a) confused
(b) afraid
(c) in distress
(d) happy
Answer: (c)
82. Kalam's father believed that for people in distress, he was
(a) a mere mediator (go-between)
(b) greater than God
(c) a solver of problems
(d) a helpless onlooker of their difficulties
Answer: (a)
83. Kalam's father works as a go-between in people's effort to propitiate demonic forces with
(a) songs and recitation
(b) Arabic chanting
(c) prayers and offerings
(d) mysterious rituals
Answer: (c)
84. "This is not a correct approach at all..."Here 'This' refers to
(a) propitiating demonic forces with prayers and offerings
(b) helping people
(c) considering adversity as opportunities for introspection
(d) seeking the enemy of fulfillment within ourselves
Answer: (a)
85. One must understand the difference between
(a) a fear-ridden vision of destiny and the vision that enables us to seek the enemy of fulfilment within ourselves.
(b) a fear-ridden vision of destiny and the vision that enables us to find joy in external achievements.
(c) a fear-ridden vision of destiny and the vision that distracts us from our true potential.
(d) a fear-ridden vision of destiny and the vision that encourages us to rely on others for fulfilment.
Answer: (a)
86. What did Kalam's father emphasise as the key to a peaceful life?
(a) Wealth and power
(b) Simplicity and spirituality
(c) Education and knowledge
(d) Hard work and determination
Answer: (b)
87. Kalam remembers his father starting his day at
(a) 4 am
(b) 5 am
(c) 6 am
(d) 7 am
Answer: (a)
88. Jainulabdeen started his day at 4 am with
(a) namaz
(b) breakfast
(c) morning walk
(d) plucking coconuts
Answer: (a)
89. After reading the namaz before dawn, Abdul Kalam's father used to
(a) meet people of different religions
(b) go to the mosque
(c) meet Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry
(d) go to the coconut grove.
Answer: (d)
90. The distance between Kalam's house and 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
Answer: (c)
91. Kalam's father would return from the grove with
(a) a dozen coconuts
(b) two-three coconuts
(c) a coconut
(d) about two dozen coconuts.
Answer: (a)
92. Kalam's father used to take his breakfast
(a) just after the namaz
(b) before going to the coconut grove
(c) before returning from the coconut grove
(d) after returning from the coconut grove.
Answer: (d)
93. Kalam's father followed his routine till his
(a) early sixties
(b) late sixties
(c) death
(d) late fifties
Answer: (b)
94. APJ Abdul Kalam's own world was concerned with
(a) science and war
(b) rocket science and technology
(c) science and technology
(d) missile technology
Answer: (c)
95. Kalam endeavoured to understand
(a) the real meaning of the Arabic prayers
(b) the preaching of his father
(c) the fundamental truths revealed to him by his father
(d) the meaning of complex spiritual ideas.
Answer: (c)
96. The fundamental truth revealed to Kalam by his father was that
(a) there exists a divine power
(b) man is mortal
(c) wisdom is strength
(d) united we stand, divided we fall
Answer: (a)
97. According to APJ Abdul Kalam, the divine power can lift one up from
(a) confusion and misery
(b) melancholy
(c) failure
(d) all of these.
Answer: (d)
98. The divine power can guide one to
(a) his own home
(b) a temple
(c) the mosque
(d) one's true place.
Answer: (d)
99. According to Kalam, severing physical and emotional bond leads one to
(a) peace
(b) happiness
(c) freedom
(d) all of these.
Answer: (d)
100. Kalam is also spiritual because
(a) he visits the mosque every day
(b) he tries to follow his father's footsteps
(c) he believes in the power of the divine
(d) he believes that an individual has to sever all ties to be happy.
Answer: (d)
101. What is the significance of the title 'Strong Roots' in this extract?
(a) It refers to the author's extensive family lineage.
(b) It describes the lush vegetation of the author's hometown.
(c) It symbolises the fundamental values instilled in the author during his childhood.
(d) It foreshadows the author's future achievements in science and technology.
Answer: (c)
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