COMPREHENSION CHECK PAGE 100
Which is the right sentence?
1. “Cambridge was my metaphor for England.”
To the writer,
(i) Cambridge was a
reputed university in England.
(ii) England was famous
for Cambridge.
(iii) Cambridge was the real England.
Answer: (iii) Cambridge was the real England.
2. The writer phoned Stephen Hawking’s
house
(i) from the nearest
phone booth.
(ii) from outside a
phone booth.
(iii) from inside a phone booth.
Answer: (ii) from outside a phone booth.
3. Every time he spoke to the scientist, the
writer felt guilty because
(i) he wasn’t sure what
he wanted to ask.
(ii) he forced the
scientist to use his voice synthesiser.
(iii) he was face to
face with a legend.
Answer: (ii) he forced the scientist to use his voice synthesiser.
4. “I
felt a huge relief... in the possibilities
of my body.” In the given context, the highlighted words refer to
(i) shifting in the
wheelchair, turning the wrist.
(ii) standing up,
walking.
(iii) speaking, writing.
Answer: (i) shifting in the wheelchair, turning the wrist.
WORKING WITH THE TEXT PAGE 100
Answer the following questions.
1. (i) Did the prospect of meeting Stephen Hawking make the writer nervous? If so, why?
Answer: No doubt the writer was nervous at the prospect of meeting Stephen Hawking. Not only was Stephen Hawking one of the greatest scientists of the time, but he was also confined to a wheelchair and paralysed so much that he couldn’t easily communicate his thoughts. The very thought of whether he would be allowed to have an interaction with Stephen Hawking made the writer nervous.
(ii) Did he at the same time feel very excited? If so, why?
Answer: The writer did feel very excited at the prospect of meeting Stephen Hawking as a face-to-face interaction with an epitome of success, who had achieved great heights in spite of his disability, could prove to be a source of comfort and inspiration. Furthermore, the writer felt that meeting someone like him who has attained huge success could make him stronger.
2. Guess the first question put to the scientist by the writer.
Answer: The first question put to the scientist by the writer may have been: Do you feel you have been brave in facing the challenges that life has thrown at you?
3. Stephen Hawking said, “I’ve had no choice.” Does the writer think there was a choice? What was it?
Answer: Stephen Hawking did have a choice according to the writer. The very fact that Stephen Hawking was living creatively despite the debilitating condition of his body was a choice. In other words, Hawking could have chosen to curse himself or gone into depression, but according to the writer, he chose to live creatively.
4. “I could feel his anguish.” What could be the anguish?
Answer: The anguish could be that of the mind brimming with thoughts but the body not being able to express them vividly.
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 one-way smile of Stephen Hawking and his earnestness in answering the writer’s questions endeared the scientist to the writer and made the latter say he was looking at one of the most beautiful men in the world.
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. The body, almost
irrelevant, exists only like a case made of shadows. So that I, no believer in
eternal souls, know that this is what each of us is; everything else an
accessory.”
The most beautiful sentence in the description is: “Before you, like a lantern whose walls are worn so thin you glimpse only the light inside, is the incandescence of a man.
7. (i) If ‘the lantern’ is the man, what would its ‘walls’ be?
Answer: If ‘the lantern’ is the man, its walls would be the man’s physical body.
(ii) What is housed within the thin walls?
Answer: The light of life or glow, which is referred to as ‘incandescence’ by the writer, is housed within these thin walls.
(iii) What general conclusion does the writer draw from this comparison?
Answer: The writer draws the conclusion that the body is irrelevant and is more like an accessory to the light that dwells within. Although the writer clarifies that he is not a believer in eternal souls, he stresses that it is the glow or incandescence within a person that reflects who the person is and not the kind of body he possesses.
8. What is the scientist’s message for the disabled?
Answer: The scientist’s message to the disabled is that they should keep their focus on what they are good at.
9. Why does the writer refer to the guitar incident? Which idea does it support?
Answer: The writer refers to the guitar incident to drive home the point that he could not enjoy doing something he was not good at. As the guitar was considerably larger than the writer himself, he decided to unstring it one day. This incident supports the idea that a disabled person should concentrate on what he is good at and what he is capable of doing.
10. The writer expresses his great gratitude to Stephen Hawking. What is the gratitude for?
Answer: The gratitude expressed by the writer to Stephen Hawking is for the time the latter spent despite his debilitating health condition. The writer also felt grateful that Hawking had inspired him to live life more creatively.
11. Complete the following sentences taking
their appropriate parts from both the 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 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 |
B 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. |
Answers:
(i) and I told him I had come in a wheelchair
from India.
(ii) as if you have a
courage account on which you are too lazy to draw a cheque.
(iii) tapping at a little switch in his hand trying to find the words on his computer.
(iv) and they are saying something huge and urgent it is hard to tell what.
(v) that there are people smiling with admiration to see you breathing still.
WORKING WITH LANGUAGE PAGE 102
1. Fill in the blanks in the sentences below
using the appropriate forms of the words given in the following box.
|
guide
succeed chair travel
pale
draw
true |
(i) I met a
____________ from an antique land.
(ii)
I need special ____________ in mathematics. I can’t count the number of times I
have failed in the subject.
(iii)
The guide called Stephen Hawking a worthy ____________ to Issac Newton.
(iv) His other problems ____________ into insignificance beside this unforeseen mishap.
(v) The meeting was
____________ by the youngest member of the board.
(vi)
Some people say ‘yours ____________’ when they informally refer to
themselves.
(vii) I wish it had been a ____________ match. We would have been spared the noise of celebrations, at least.
Answers:
(i) traveller
(ii) guidance
(iii) successor
(iv) paled
(v) chaired
(vi) truly
(vii) drawn
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.
|
read/session smile/face revolve/chair
walk/tour dance/doll
win/chance |
Answer: a reading session, a smiling face, a revolving chair, a walking tour, a dancing doll, a winning chance
3. Use all or both in the blanks. Tell your partner why you chose one or the other.
(i) He has two
brothers. _______ are lawyers.
(ii) More than ten
persons called. _______ of them wanted to see you.
(iii) They _______
cheered the team.
(iv) _______ her
parents are teachers.
(v) How much have you got? Give me _______ of it.
Answers:
(i) Both (only two)
(ii) All (more than two)
(iii) all (more than two)
(iv) Both (only two - father and mother)
(v) all (uncountable)
4. Complete each sentence using the right
form of the adjective given in brackets.
(i) My friend has one of the _______ cars on the road. (fast)
(ii) This is the
_______ story I have ever read. (interesting)
(iii) What you are doing now is _______ than what you did yesterday. (easy)
(iv) Ramesh and his
wife are both _______. (short)
(v) He arrived _______ as usual. Even the chief guest came _______ than he did. (late, early)
Answers:
(i) fastest
(ii) most interesting
(iii) easier
(iv) short
(v) late, earlier
Poem: When
I set out for Lyonnesse by Thomas
Hardy
WORKING WITH
THE POEM PAGE
106
1. In the first
stanza, find words that show
(i) That
it was very cold
(ii) That
it was late evening
(iii) That
the traveler was alone
Answer:
(i) Rime
(ii) Starlight
(iii) Lonesomeness
2. (i)
Something happened at Lyonnesse. It was
(a) Improbable
(b) Impossible
(c) Unforeseeable
Answer:
(c) Unforeseeable.
(ii) Pick out two lines from stanza 2 to
justify your answer.
Answer:
“No prophet durst declare; Nor did the wisest wizard guess”.
3. (i)
Read the line (stanza 3) that implies the following.
“Everyone noticed something, and they
made guesses, but didn’t speak a word”.
Answer:
“All marked with mute surmise”.
(ii) Now read a line that refers to what
they noticed.
Answer: “My radiance rare and fathomless”.
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