Page 1 - Lesson Note 2

Class 10 English

The Making of a scientist

Introduction to the lesson

Richard Ebright has received the Searle Scholar Award and the Schering Plough
Award for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. It was his fascination for
butterflies that opened the world of science to him.

The story is about Richard H. Ebright who grew up in the town of Reading in
Pennsylvania, USA. As he did not have much to do there, collecting things was his
hobby. He used to collect butterflies as a child in kindergarten. Let’s read how this
curious child who collected butterflies went on to become one of the greatest
scientists of the world.

EXPLANATION

Former- having previously been a particular thing.
Scout- a member of the Scout Association or a similar organization
Proceedings- a published report of a set of meetings or a conference.
Journal- a newspaper or magazine that deals with a particular subject or

professional activity.
making the big leagues- in a field of tough competition and high rewards, the
largest or foremost of its kind. For example- winning an Oscar put the actress in
the big league.
Fossils- the remains or impression of a prehistoric plant or animal embedded in
rocks. Astronomer- an expert in or student of astronomy.

Richard H. Ebright, along with his roommate, surprised the world at the young age
of 22 when they explained the theory on how cells work in a paper published in

the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. This valuable magazine had
published the work of college students for the first time. For Richard Ebright it
was one of the many achievements that he achieved later in his life. He says that
all this curiosity started with butterflies. Ebright grew up in Pennsylvania and was
the only child of his parents. He could have not done much there as there were
very less people living there. He says that he could only do one thing alone and
that was collecting things as he had no friends to play football or baseball with.