GSEB Solutions Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 7 A Visit to Cambridge

Gujarat Board GSEB Class 8 English Textbook Solutions Honeydew Chapter 7 A Visit to Cambridge Textbook Exercise Important Questions and Answers, Notes Pdf.

Gujarat Board Textbook Solutions Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 7 A Visit to Cambridge

GSEB Class 8 English A Visit to Cambridge Text Book Questions and Answers

Answer the following questions:

Question 1.
(i) Did the prospect of meeting Stephen Hawking make the writer nervous? If so, why?
Answer:
Yes, he felt nervous when he went to meet Stephen Hawking because he was fed up with people asking him to be brave.

(ii) Did he at the same time feel very excited? If so, why?
Answer:
Yes, he felt very excited at the same time because Stephen Hawking was also totally paralysed, still he had made great achievement. This gave him strength to do so still better.

Question 2.
Guess the first question put to the scientist by the writer.
Answer:
“You have been very brave, haven’t you?” said the narrator.

Question 3.
Stephen Hawking said, “I’ve had no choice.” Does the writer think there was a choice? What was it?
Answer:
The writer thought that there was a choice. Stephen Hawking could have chosen to leave everything, and be sad and depressed. He could have sulked. However, he chose to live creatively knowing the reality of his disintegrating body.

Question 4.
“I could feel his anguish.” What could be the anguish?
Answer:
Stephen Hawking’s mind was active with many thoughts that he wanted to express, However, his thoughts came out in phrases, without reflecting his feelings or emotions. His sentences were mere lines, without any sentiment. The writer felt he could understand his anguish and frustration at that.

Question 5.
What endeared the scientist to the writer so that he said he was looking at one of the most beautiful men in the world ?
Answer:
The writer asked Stephen Hawking if I he found it annoying that someone like him came and disturbed him in his work. To this query, the scientist replied in the affirmative, frankly and honestly. Then, he smiled his one-way smile and this was what endeared him to the writer. The writer felt that he was looking at one of the most beautiful men in the world.

Question 6.
Read aloud the description of the beautiful’ man. Which is the most beautiful sentence in the description?
Answer:
‘Before you, like a lantern whose walls are worn so thin you glimpse only the light inside, is the incandescence of a man.’

Question 7.
(i) If ’the lantern’ is the man, what would its ’walls’ be?
Answer:
If the lantern is the man, its ‘walls’ is the human body.

(ii) What is housed within the thin walls ?
Answer:
Light of life is housed within the thin walls.

(iii) What general conclusion does the writer draw from this comparison?
Answer:
The writer draws the conclusion that each of us is an eternal soul, the body is not such an essential thing. Everything else is an accessory.

Question 8.
What is the scientist’s message for the disabled?
Answer:
Stephen Hawking’s message for the disabled people is that they should concentrate on what they are good at. Olympics for the handicapped or disabled people are a waste of time.

Question 9.
Why does the writer refer to the guitar incident ? Which idea does it support ?
Answer:
When Stephen Hawking said that things such as disabled Olympics were a waste of time, the writer agreed with him. He remembered the years which he spent trying to play a Spanish guitar that was considerably larger than he was. He was very happy when he unstringed it one night. It supports Stephen Hawking’s idea that the disabled should only concentrate on what they are good at, and not take up things which do not suit to their taste.

Question 10.
The writer expresses his great gratitude to Stephen Hawking. What is the gratitude for?
Answer:
The writer expressed his gratitude to Stephen Hawking because he had been an inspiration for him. He saw Stephen as the embodiment of his bravest self. He felt that if he had been as brave as Stephen, he would have achieved a lot. He felt he was moving towards that embodiment that he had believed in for many years. That is why he expressed his greatest gratitude to him as he had made him realise what great heights he could reach.

Question 11.
Complete the following sentences taking their appropriate parts from both boxes below:
(i) There was his assistant on the line ………………….
(ii) You get fed up with people asking you to be brave,………………..
(iii) There he was, ………………
(iv) You look at his eyes which can speak,………………
(v) It doesn’t do much good to know…………………….

‘A’	‘B’
• tapping at a little switch in his hand • and I told him • that there are people • as if you have a courage account • and they are saying something huge and urgent-	• trying to find the words on his computer. • I had come in a wheelchair from India. • on which you are too lazy to draw a cheque. • smiling with admiration to see you breathing still. • it is hard to tell what.

Answer:
(i) There was his assistant on the line and I told him I had come in a wheelchair from India.
(ii) You get fed up with people asking you to be brave, as if you have a courage account on which you are too lazy to draw a cheque.
(iii) There he was, tapping at a little switch in his hand trying to find the words on his computer.
(iv) You look at his eyes which can speak, and they are saying something huge and urgent – it is hard to tell what.
(v) It doesn’t do much good to know that there are people smiling with admiration to see you breathing still.

Working With Language

Question 1.
Fill in the blanks in the sentences below using the appropriate forms of the worlds given in the following box:
guide, succeed, chair, travel pale, draw true

1. I met a …………… from an antique land.
2. I need special …………….. in mathematics. I can’t count the number of times I have failed in the subject.
3. The guide called Stephen Hawking a worthy ……………… to Issac Newton.
4. His other problems …………….. into insignificance beside this unforeseen mishap.
5. The meeting was ……………. by the youngest member of the board.
6. Some people say ‘yours …………….. ’ when they informally refer to themselves.
7. I wish it had been a …………….. match. We would have been spared the noise of celebrations, at least.
Answer:
1. traveller
2. guidance
3. successor
4. paled
5. chaired
6. truly
7. drawn

Question 2.
Look at the following words
walk, stick
Can you create a meaningful phrase using both these words?
(It is simple. Add -ing to the verb and use it before the noun. Put an article at the beginning.)
… a walking stick
Now make six such phrases using the words given in the box:
1. read/session
2. smile/face
3. revolve / chair
4. walk/tour
5. dance/doll
6. win/chance
Answer:
1. reading session
2. smiling face
3. revolving chair
4. walking tour
5. dancing doll
6. winning chance

Question 3.
Use ‘all’ or ‘both in the blanks. Tell your partner why you chose one or the other:
1. He has two brothers ……………. are lawyers.
2. More than ten persons called. ………………. of them wanted to see you.
3. They ……………… cheered the team.
4. ………………. her parents are teachers.
5. How much have you got ? Give me ……………… of it.
Answer:
1. Both
2. All
3. all
4. Both
5. all

Question 4.
Complete each sentence using the right form of the adjective given in the brackets :
1. My friend has one of the ……………… cars on the road. (fast)
2. This is the …………… story I have ever read. (interesting)
3. What you are doing now is ……………… than what you did yesterday. (easy)
4. Ramesh and his wife are both ……………… (short)
5. He arrived …………….. as usual. Even the chief guest came ……………. than he did. (late, early)
Answer:
1. fastest
2. most interesting
3. easier
4. short
5. late, earlier

Speaking And Writing

Question 1.
Say the following words with correct stress. Pronounce the parts given in colour s loudly and clearly:
camel, balloon, decent, opinion
fearless, enormous, careful, fulfil
father, together, govern, degree
bottle, before

(i) In a word having more than one syllable, the stressed syllable is the one that is more prominent than the other syllable(s).

(ii) A word has as many syllables as it has vowels.
man (one syllable)
manner (two syllables)

(iii) The mark (‘) indicates that the first syllable in ‘manner’ is more prominent than the other.

Question 2.
Underline the stressed syllables in the following words. Consult the dictionary < or ask the teacher if necessary:
artist, mistake, accident
moment, compare, satisfy
relation, table, illegal
agree, backward, mountain
Answer:
‘artist, mis’take, ‘accident
‘moment com’pare, ‘satisfy
re’lation, ‘table, l’llegal
a’gree ‘backward, ‘mountain

Question 3.
Writing a notice for the School Noticeboard.
Step 1 :
Discuss why notices are put up on the ‘ noticeboard.
What kinds of ‘notices’ have you lately seen on the board?
How is a notice different from a letter or a descriptive paragraph?

Step 2 :
Suppose you have lost or found something on the campus.
What have you lost or found?
You want to write a notice about it. If you have lost something, you want it restored to you in case someone has found it. If you have found something, you want to return it to its owner.

Step 3 :
Write a few lines describing the object you have lost or found. Mention the purpose of the notice in clear terms. Also write your name, class, section and date.

Step 4 :
Let one member of each group read aloud the notice to the entire class.
Compare your notice with the other notices, and make changes, if necessary, with the help of the teacher.
OR

• Imagine that you are a journalist.
• You have been asked to interview the

president of the village panchayat.

• Write eight to ten questions you wish to ask.
• Hie questions should elicit comments as well as plans regarding water and electricity, cleanliness and school education in the village.

Answer:

NOTICE

Smt. P. B. D. Joshi High School

May 5, 2019

Found a purse in the school playground. It has no name-card in it. It seems that it belongs to some class VIII student. The owner may contact the undersigned, prove his claim and take it away.

Tirthraj Dave
Roll No. 45
VIII A

OR
The questions that I would ask the president of the village panchayat:
(1) What steps will’ you take for the development of education In your area?
(2) What will you do for health facilities ?
(3) What will you do for roads ?
(4) What will you do for civil amenities?
(5) How will you improve agriculture of your village?
(6) What will you do for the farmers ?
(7) What do you plan for the ‘Save the, Girl-child’ campaign?

Writing

Write an essay on ‘Disabled Children’ in about 150 words.

The disabled child is posing a great problem to the world. The most prevalent 5 forms of disability are physical impairment, chronic illness, mental retardation and sensory disabilities. Recognising this global problem the General Assembly of the United Nations had declared 1981 as the International Year of the Disabled Persons with the keynote theme of ‘full participation and equality’. Its resolution lay down five principal objectives for improving the condition of the disabled: (1) Helping in their physical and psychological adjustment s to their surroundings; (2) To provide proper training and assistance to get job; (3) Encouraging study and research projects to help them; (4)Educating and informing the public of the rights of disabled persons; (5) Promoting effective measures for prevention of disability.

Every citizen should be aware of the plight of disabled children. Much can be done as regards for prevention, protection, immunisation, etc. Immunisation camps should be organised and parents should be made aware of the fact inadequate nutrition may cause disability. The involvement of public in the remedial work and rehabilitation can also help to do solid work in the field. Individuals can show care for the disabled children by spending some time with them.

It is a great thing to bring light to their dark world. Reading aloud to children in a blind school, contacting the mothers of physically handicapped and helping them in this task also will go a long way in this direction. Every area can organise a special play-group and other children should accept their disabled friends and play with them. Prevention and protection from disability can reduce suffering.

GSEB Class 8 English A Short Monsoon Diary Additional Important Questions and Answers

Select the most appropriate options as answers and complete the following sentences:

Question 1.
What was common between the writer and the visitee?
A. Nature
B. Intelligence
C. Disability
D. The way of thinking
Answer:
C. Disability

Question 2.
Firdaus Kanga was disabled because of ……………… problem.
A. Down’s Syndrome
B. Brittle bones
C. Polio
D. Paralysis
Answer:
B. Brittle bones

Question 3.
Cambridge was my ‘metaphor’ for England. Here ‘metaphor’ is a/an …………… for England.
A. allegory
B. appreciation
C. favourite visiting destination
D. honour
Answer:
A. allegory

Question 4.
Stephen Hawking succeeded ……………….. holding the chair at the Cambridge University.
A. Albert Einstein
B. Issac Newton
C. Earnest Rutherford
D. Louis Pasteur
Answer:
B. Issac Newton

Question 5.
Stephen Hawking was a/an ……………….
A. physician.
B. astronomist.
C. astrophysicist.
D. astrologer.
Answer:
C. astrophysicist.

Question 6.
If one is disabled, people often ask him ………………
A. to consult a good doctor.
B. to develop positive attitude.
C. to become brave.
D. to get used to suffering.
Answer:
C. to become brave.

Question 7.
Stephen Hawking talked ………………
A. in computer-voice.
B. in broken sentences.
C. in a mild tone.
D. in a harsh voice.
Answer:
A. in computer-voice.

Question 8.
The writer had a sense of guilt …………………
A. talking with Stephen Hawking.
B. forcing Stephen Hawking to respond to his questions.
C. visiting Stephen Hawking at odd time.
D. None of these three
Answer:
B. forcing Stephen Hawking to respond to his questions.

Question 9.
Stephen Hawking found it amusing when ……………..
A. he looked at other people.
B. people patronised him.
C. someone visited him.
D. someone took pity on him.
Answer:
B. people patronised him.

Question 10.
The first glimpse that Kanga took of Stephen Hawking was shocking because ………………..
A. he looked like a still photograph.
B. his face looked feelingless.
C. his condition was pitiable.
D. All of these three
Answer:
A. he looked like a still photograph.

Question 11.
According to Stephen Hawking, our body is …………………..
A. an accessory.
B. irrelevant.
C. a case made of shadows,
D. All of these three
Answer:
D. All of these three

Question 12.
The writer and Stephen Hawking could not talk much while having a round in the garden because of …………………..
A. the rumbling noise of Stephen Hawking’s motorised wheelchair.
B. the letters on the computer screen disappeared in the glare of the sunlight,
C. both of them had already had enough talk.
D. None of these three
Answer:
B. the letters on the computer screen disappeared in the glare of the sunlight,

Say whether the following sentences are True or False:

1. Firdaus Kanga is the writer of the book A Brief History of Time’.
Answer:
False

2. Stephen Hawking’s assistant perhaps thought that Kanga had propelled himself on a wheelchair all the way from India to meet Stephen Hawking.
Answer:
True

3. Though Stephen Hawking’s mind was intensely active and vibrant, he couldn’t
express himself thoroughly.
Answer:
True

4. Stephen Hawking did not find it annoying when someone came and disturbed him in his work.
Answer:
False

5. Viewing Stephen Hawking in person, it looked like a three-dimensional photograph.
Answer:
True

6. Meeting Stephen Hawking reminded the writer that our body is like a lantern with worn, thin walls.
Answer:
True

7. According to Stephen Hawking, things like the disabled Olympics are a waste of time.
Answer:
True

8. Stephen Hawking offered Kanga tea and took him around the garden.
Answer:
True

9. While parting, Kanga kissed Stephen Hawking and touched his shoulder.
Answer:
False

10. While wheeling out, Kanga looked back and found that Stephen Hawking was waving to him.
Answer:
False

Answer the following questions in two to three sentences each:

Question 1.
Who was Stephen Hawking ?
Answer:
Stephen Hawking was a great scientist, an astrophysicist. But he was disabled – completely paralysed, confined to a wheelchair. He wrote the book A Brief History of Time. He could express himself only through a computer.

Question 2.
What took Firdaus Kanga to England ? Why did he wish to see Stephen Hawking?
Answer:
Firdaus Kanga – a writer and journalist – had come in a wheelchair from India in order to write about his travels in Britain. On the suggestion of his guide, Kanga planned to meet the most brilliant and completely paralysed astrophysicist, Stephen Hawking in Cambridge.

Question 3.
How did Kanga fix the interview with Stephen Hawking ?
Answer:
Kanga phoned Stephen Hawkings house from a phone booth. There he talked with Stephen Hawkings assistant and requested him to arrange a meeting with Stephen Hawking. Luckily he was allowed half an hour for the s interview.

Question 4.
What advice do people generally give to the disabled ? Was Stephen Hawking | brave by choice?
Answer:
People generally ask the disabled to be brave. Stephen Hawking truthfully admitted that he hadn’t been brave. In fact, he had no choice.

Question 5.
What makes a disabled person feel stronger ?
Answer:
Meeting another disabled person who has achieved something big, makes the disabled person feel stronger and more inspired to do better.

Question 6.
What is common between the speaker and the person he is talking to?
Answer:
Both are disabled. Both are confined to wheelchair. Both have decided to live s creatively.

Question 7.
What message did Stephen give to ; disabled people world over?
Answer:
Stephen called upon all the disabled people to give wholehearted attention only to what they were capable of doing. They should not copy normal people. Olympic games organized for the disabled were a waste of time.

Answer the following questions in Jour to five sentences each:

Question 1.
Write about Stephen Hawking and Firdaus Kanga.
Answer:
Both Stephen Hawking and Firdaus Kanga. Eire disabled. Firdaus Kanga is a writer and journalist. He lives and works in Mumbai. He was born with ‘brittle bones’ that tended to break easily. He has been confined to a wheelchair since then.

Stephen Hawking was one of the greatest scientists of our time. He suffered from a form of paralysis that confined him to a wheelchair, and allotted him to ‘speak’ only by punching buttons on a computer, which spoke for him in a machine-like voice.

Question 2.
Why did the writer feel guilty talking to Stephen Hawking ?
Answer:
The writer felt guilty talking to Stephen Hawking every time because in doing so, he forced him to respond, which was a painful job for him. There he tapped at the little switch in his hand, trying to find the words on his computer with the only bit of movement left to him. His eyes would often shut in frustrated exhaustion. The writer could feel his anguish but he had no option.

Question 3.
Describe the posture of Stephen Hawking in the wheelchair.
Answer:
Confined to his wheelchair, Stephen Hawking looked like a still photograph. We could see his head twisted sideways into a slump. His torso seemed shrunk inside the pale blue shirt. His legs seemed hanging useless and his eyes which could speak, looked still, and they were saying something huge and urgent-it is hard to tell what they wanted to convey.

Read the following passages carefully and answer the questions given below them:

Question 1.
When the walking tour was done, I rushed to a phone booth and, almost tearing the cord so it could reach me outside, phoned Stephen Hawking’s house. There was his assistant on the line and I told him I had come in a wheelchair from India (perhaps he thought I had propelled myself all the way) to write about my travels in Britain. I had to see Professor Hawking-even ten minutes would do. “Half an hour,” he said. “From three-thirty to four.”

And suddenly I felt weak all over. Growing up disabled, you get fed up with people asking you to be brave, as if you have a courage account on which you are too lazy to draw a cheque. The only thing that makes you stronger is seeing somebody like you, achieving something huge. Then you know how much is possible and you reach out further than you ever thought you could.

Questions:
(1) I rushed to a phone booth and, almost tearing the cord so it could reach me outside, phoned Stephen Hawking’s house. What kind of the writer’s feeling do these underlined words show?
Answer:
These words show the writer’s intense eagerness to see Stephen Hawking.

(2) Why had the writer come all the way from India?
Answer:
The writer had come all the way from India to write about his travels in Britain.

(3) Why did the writer feel weak all over ?
Answer:
The writer was expecting that he would hardly get ten minutes to meet Stephen Hawking. Instead of that, he got half an hour time for the interview. Because of this unexpected permission, his anxiety turned into nervousness and he felt weak all over.

(4) What makes a disabled person stronger, according to the writer?
Answer:
According to the writer, seeing another disabled achieving something huge makes a disabled person stronger.

Question 2.
“What do you think is the best thing about being disabled ?” I had asked him earlier,
“I don’t think there is anything good about ] being disabled.”
‘“I think,” I said, “you do discover how much kindness there is in the world.”

“Yes,” he said; it was a disadvantage of i his voice synthesiser that it could convey no inflection, no shades or tone. And I could not tell how enthusiastically he agreed with me.

Every time I shifted in my chair or turned my wrist to watch the time -1 wanted to make every one of our thirty minutes count-I felt a huge relief and exhilaration in the possibilities ; of my body. How little it mattered then that I would never walk, or even stand.

Questions:
(1) What was the reply from Stephen Hawking for ‘the best thing about being j disabled’ ?
Answer:
For ‘the best thing about being disabled’ Stephen Hawking replied that he didn’t think there is anything good about being disabled.

(2) Why could the writer not tell the intensity of Stephen Hawking’s enthusiasm in replying his question?
Answer:
The writer could not tell the intensity of Stephen Hawking’s enthusiasm in replying his question because the voice synthesiser could not convey any inflection, shades or tone of Stephen Hawking’s speech.

(3) Why did the writer look at his watch every now and then?
Answer:
The writer looked at his watch every now and then to watch the time as he wanted to make every minute of the allotted time count.

(4) What was the writer’s feeling in the end ?
Answer:
In the end the writer felt a huge relief s and exhilaration in the possibilities of his body. Now he felt that even if he would never walk, or even stand, it did not matter to him.

Question 3.
“Is there any advice you can give disabled people, something that might help make life better ?”
“They should concentrate on what they are good at; I think things like the disabled Olympics are a waste of time.”

“I know what you mean.” I remembered the years I’d spent trying to play a Spanish guitar considerably larger than I was; and how gleefully I had unstringed it one night.

The half-hour was up. “I think I’ve annoyed you enough,” I said, grinning. ‘Thank you for…”

“Stay,” I waited. “Have some tea. I can show you the garden.”

The garden was as big as a park, but Stephen Hawking covered every inch, rumbling along in his motorised wheelchair while I dodged to keep out of the way. We couldn’t talk very much; the sun made him silent, the letters on his screen disappearing in the glare.

Questions:
(1) What advice did Stephen Hawking give to disabled people?
Answer:
Stephen Hawking advised disabled people that they should concentrate on what they are good at.

(2) What had the writer been trying to play some years?
Answer:
Some years the writer had been trying to play a Spanish guitar considerably larger than he was.

(3) What was said by the writer to Stephen Hawking courteously after the half-hour was up?
Answer:
After the half-hour was up, the writer told Stephen Hawking courteously that he thought he had annoyed him enough and thanked him for the same.

(4) Why could the writer and Stephen Hawking not talk much in the garden?
Answer:
The writer and Stephen Hawking could not talk much in the garden as the letters on his screen were disappearing in the glare of the sunlight.

Vocabulary

Choose the correct words from the ^ brackets and complete the following passages:

Question 1.
(though, mentioned, through, disabled, walking, successor)
It was on a ……………1……….. tour ……….2…………. Cambridge that the guide ………….3………. Stephen Hawking, ‘poor man, who is quite ………….4……….. now, ……….5……….. he is a worthy ……….6…………. to Issac Newton, whose Chair he has at the university.’
Answer:
1. walking
2. through
3. mentioned
4. disabled
5. though
6. successor

Question 2.
(quiet, movement, disintegrating, tapping, creatively, guilty)
Surely, I wanted to say, living …………1…………… with the reality of his …………2………… body was a choice? But I kept ………..3……….. , because I felt ………….4…………. every time I spoke to him, forcing him to respond. There he was, …………..5………….. at the little switch in his hand, trying to find the words on his computer with the only bit of ………….6…………. left to him, his long, pale fingers.
Answer:
1. creatively
2. disintegrating
3. quiet
4. guilty
5. tapping
6. movement

Grammar

Choose the correct Article(s), Conjunction(s) and Preposition (s) and complete the following passages:

Question 1.
The answer flashed. “Yes.” ………….1…………… he smiled his one-way smile .………..2………….. I knew, ………….3………… being sentimental or silly, …………4…………. I was looking at one of the most beautiful men in the world.

A first glimpse of him is shocking, …………5………… he is like a still photograph- …………6…………… all those pictures of him in magazines and newspapers have turned three-dimensional.
Answer
1. Then
2. and
3. without
4. that
5. because
6. as if

Question 2.
Before you, like …………..1………… lantern ……………..2……….. walls are worn …………3………….. thin you glimpse only the light inside, is the incandescence of a man. ………….4……….. body, almost irrelevant, exists only like a case made of shadows. …………..5………….. I, no believer in eternal souls, know that this is ………….6…………. each of us is; everything else an accessory.
Answer:
1. a
2. whose
3. so
4. The
5. So that
6. what

Fill in the blanks with the appropriate forms of verbs given in the brackets and complete the texts:

Question 1.
Surely, I wanted to say, ………….1………. (live) creatively with the reality of his disintegrating body was a choice? But I …………2…………. (keep) quiet, because I felt guilty every time I spoke to him, …………..3………… (force) him …………4…………… (respond).
Answer:
1. living
2. kept
3. forcing
4. to respond

Question 2.
“A lot of people seem ………….1………….. (think) that disabled people …………2……………. (be) chronically unhappy,” I said. “I …………..3………….. (know) that’s not true myself. ………….4………. you often …………4…………. (laugh) | inside ?”
Answer:
1. to think
2. are
3. know
4. Are, laughing

Change the voice of the following:

(1) I could feel his anguish.
(2) I find it amusing when people patronise me.
(3) I was looking at one of the most beautiful men in the world.
(4) His voice synthesiser could convey no inflection.
(5) I felt a huge relief and exhilaration.
(6) It doesn’t do much good.
(7) They should concentrate on what they are good at.
Answer:
(1) His anguish could be felt by me.
(2) It is found amusing when I am patronised by people.
(3) One of the most beautiful men in the world was being looked at by me.
(4) No inflection could be conveyed by his voice synthesiser.
(5 ) A huge relief and exhilaration was felt by me.
(6) Much good is not done by it.
(7) What they are good at should be concentrated on by them.

Turn the following dialogue into Indirect Speech:

Question 1.
“What do you think is the best thing about being disabled ?” I had asked him earlier.
“I don’t think there is anything good about being disabled.”
“I think,” I said, “you do discover how much kindness there is in the world.”
Answer:
I had asked him earlier what he thought was the best thing about being disabled. He replied that he didn’t think there was anything good about being disabled. Then I said that I thought that he did discover how much kindness there was in the world.

Question 2.
“A lot of people seem to think that disabled people are chronically unhappy,” I said. “I know that’s not true myself. Are you often laughing inside?”
About three minutes later, he responded, “I find it amusing when people patronise me.”
“And do you find it annoying when someone like me comes and disturbs you in your work ?”
Answer:
I said that a lot of people seemed to think that disabled people were chronically unhappy, and I expressed my view that I know that was not true myself. Then I asked him if he was often laughing inside. About three minutes later, he responded that he found it amusing when people patronised him. I asked him further if he found it annoying l when someone like me came and disturbed him in his work.

Rewrite as directed:

(1) When the walking tour was done, I rushed to a phone booth. (Use ‘As soon as’.)
(2) Growing up disabled, you get fed up with people asking you to be brave. (Use ‘If’.)
(3) You are too lazy to draw a cheque. (Remove ‘too’.)
(4) I’ve had no choice. (Turn into Affirmative.)
(5) I kept quiet because I felt guilty every time. (Use ‘Since’.)
(6) I find it amusing when people patronise me. (Turn into Compound sentence.)
(7) How little it mattered that I would never walk, or even stand! (Turn into Assertive.)
Answer:
(1) As soon as the walking tour was done, I rushed to a phone booth.
(2) If you have grown up disabled, you get fed up with people asking you to be brave.
(3) You are so lazy that you will not draw a cheque.
(4) I’ve been without any choice.
(5) Since I felt guilty every time, I kept quiet.
(6) People patronise me and I find it amusing.
(7) It mattered very little that I would never walk, or even stand.

A Visit to Cambridge Summary in English

A Visit to Cambridge Summary:
This is the story of a meeting between two disabled people. Both were extraordinary in their fields. Stephen Hawking is a great scientist though he suffers from paralysis. He is confined to a wheelchair and he can speak only with the help of a computer. Firdaus Kanga, the writer and journalist from Mumbai was born with very weak and easily breakable bones. He too moves around in a wheelchair. He meets Hawking in England. The two had discussed how the so called normal people should look at the disabled.

The writer, Firdaus, was on a walking torn- through Cambridge. His guide told him about Stephen Hawking who was occupying Newton’s chair at the university. But Hawking was a disabled fellow. He wrote A Brief History of Time, one of the all-time bestsellers. Firdaus phoned Hawking’s house and spoke to his assistant. He said that he was from

India and wanted to meet him (Hawking) and write about his travels in Britain. Firdaus was granted a half an hour meeting. The thought of meeting somebody like him in a wheelchair, gave Firdaus courage. Both of them were disabled. Their bodies were disintegrating. Hawking had a little switch in his hand. He was able to move his finger to find the words on his computer.

He felt exhausted very often. But his mind was brilliant and bubbling with thoughts. Firdaus remarked that people often thought that disabled people were unhappy people. Hawking said that the patronising attitude of others at times, amused him. He admitted that he felt annoyed when another disabled person came and disturbed him in his work. The body in his case was just a box for the brilliant mind and soul. He did not see anything good about being disabled.