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Chapter 7 – A Visit to Cambridge, By Firdaus Kanga from Heaven on Wheels, “It matters if you just don’t give up”, A Visit to Cambridge- Question and Answers, Comprehension Check, 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 synthesizer., (iii) he was face to face with a legend., Answer- (ii) he forced the scientist to use his voice synthesizer., 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- (ii) standing up, walking., Working with the Text, Answer the following questions., 1. (i) Did the prospect of meeting Stephen Hawking make the writer nervous? If so, why?, A. Yes, the prospect of meeting Stephen Hawking made the writer nervous because he was someone like him who had achieved bigger things in life. The author wanted to make use of each minute of that thirty minute meeting., (ii) Did he at the same time feel very excited? If so, why?, A. He felt excited at the same time as he had been given half an hour to be with someone like him who had achieved bigger things in life., 2. Guess the first question put to the scientist by the writer., A. The author’s first question to Hawking must have been about his well-being and the source of his inspiration that led him to do brave things., 3. Stephen Hawking said, “I’ve had no choice.” Does the writer think there was a choice? What was it?, A. Although Stephen Hawking said he had no choice but to be brave, the writer did think there was a choice. The choice was to live creatively with the reality of his disintegrated body., 4. “I could feel his anguish.” What could be the anguish?, A. The astrophysicist would get exhausted by tapping at the little switch in his hand to find words on his computer. The author mentions he could feel Hawking’s anguish on how even after having a buoyant mind, thoughts came out in frozen phrases and sentences stiff as corpses., 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?, A. The scientist’s pure and one way smile made the author feel like 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?, A. The line “Before you, like a lantern whose walls are worn so thin you glimpse only the light inside, is the incandescence of a man” is the most beautiful sentence in the description of ‘the beautiful man., 7. (i) If ‘the lantern’ is the man, what would its ‘walls’ be?, A. If ‘the lantern’ is the man, its ‘walls’ would be the body or torso., (ii) What is housed within the thin walls?, A. The glow of an eternal soul was housed within the thin walls., (iii) What general conclusion does the writer draw from this comparison?, A. From this comparison, the author draws a general conclusion that the eternal soul is what each one of us is, and everything else is just an accessory., 8. What is the scientist’s message for the disabled?, A. The scientist’s message for the differently abled is to concentrate on something they are good at., 9. Why does the writer refer to the guitar incident? Which idea does it support?, A. The writer spent years trying to learn to play Spanish guitar but unstringed it one night. The writer referred to the guitar incident to support Stephen Hawking’s idea that differently abled people must concentrate on something they are good at., 10. The writer expresses his great gratitude to Stephen Hawking. What is the gratitude for?, A. The writer expressed his great gratitude to Stephen Hawking as he could see within Stephen, an embodiment of his bravest self, the one he was moving towards and who he had believed in for so many years., 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 …, Solution-, (i) There was his assistant on the line …, 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, …, 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, …, 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, …, You look at his eyes which can speak and they are saying something huge and urgent., (v) It doesn’t do much good to know …, It doesn’t do much good to know that there are people smiling with admiration to see you breathing still., A Visit to Cambridge- Grammar Exercises, 1. Fill in the blanks in the sentences below using the appropriate forms of the words given in the following box., (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., Solution-, (i) I met a traveller from an antique land., (ii) I need special guidance in mathematics. I can’t count the number of times I have failed in the subject., (iii) The guide called Stephen Hawking a worthy successor to Issac Newton., (iv) His other problems paled into insignificance beside this unforeseen mishap., (v) The meeting was chaired by the youngest member of the board., (vi) Some people say ‘yours truly’ when they informally refer to themselves., (vii) I wish it had been a drawn match. We would have been spared the noise of celebrations, at least., 2. Look at the following words., 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., Solution-, read/session- A reading session, smile/face- A smiling face, revolve/chair- A revolving chair, walk/tour- A walking tour, dance/doll- A dancing doll, win/chance- 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., Solution-, (i) He has two brothers. Both are lawyers., (ii) More than ten persons called. All of them wanted to see you., (iii) They all cheered the team., (iv) Both her parents are teachers., (v) How much have you got? Give me all of it., 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), Solution-, (i) My friend has one of the fastest cars on the road. (fast), (ii) This is the most interesting story I have ever read. (interesting), (iii) What you are doing now is easier than what you did yesterday. (easy), (iv) Ramesh and his wife are both short. (short), (v) He arrived late as usual. Even the chief guest came earlier than he did. (late, early)