Sample QuestionsUnit - 7 : A Visit to Cambridge questions
One sample from each question group in this chapter. Select any group above to see the full set with answer keys.
They should concentrate on what they are good at.
I felt a huge relief and exhilaration.
His voice synthesiser could convey no inflection.
I was looking at one of the most beautiful men in the world.
The writer and Stephen Hawking could not talk much while having a round in the garden because of ...
- ✓
the rumbling noise of Stephen Hawking's motorised wheelchair.
- B
the letters on the computer screen disappeared in the glare of sunlight.
- C
both of them had already had enough talk.
- D
Answer: A.
View full solution →According to Stephen Hawking, our body is $.........$
Answer: A.
View full solution → The first glimpse that Kanga took of Stephen Hawking was shocking because $.........,$
- ✓
he looked like a still photograph.
- B
his face looked feelingless.
- C
his condition was pitiable.
- D
Answer: A.
View full solution →Stephen Hawking found it amusing when $.........$
- A
he looked at other people.
- ✓
- C
- D
someone took pity on him.
Answer: B.
View full solution →The writer had a sense of guilt $………. $
- A
talking with Stephen Hawking.
- ✓
forcing Stephen Hawking to respond to his questions.
- C
visiting Stephen Hawking at odd time.
- D
Answer: B.
View full solution →"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 wai "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?
$(2)$ What had the writer been trying to play some years?
$(3)$ What was said by the writer to Stephen Hawking courteously after the half hour was up?
$(4)$ Why could the writer and Stephen Hawking not talk much in the garden?
View full solution →"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 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 - I 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 disabled'?
$(2)$ Why could the writer not tell the intensity of Stephen Hawking's enthusiasm in replying his question ?
$(3)$ Why did the writer look at his watch every now and then?
$(4)$ What was the writer's feeling in the end ?
View full solution →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$?$
$(2)$ Why had the writer come all the way from India$?$
$(3)$ Why did the writer feel weak all over$?$
$(4)$ What makes a disabled stronger, according to the writer$?$
View full solution →Why did the writer feel guilty talking to Stephen Hawking ?
Write about Stephen Hawking and Firdaus Kanga.
What message did Stephen give to disabled people world over ?
What is common between the speaker
and the person he is talking to?
What makes a disabled person feel stronger ?
While wheeling out, Kanga looked back and found that Stephen Hawking was waving to him.
While parting, Kanga kissed Stephen Hawking and touched his shoulder.
Stephen Hawking offered Kanga tea and took him around the garden.
According to Stephen Hawking, things like the disabled Olympics are a waste of time.
Meeting Stephen Hawking reminded the writer that our body is like a lantern with worn, thin walls.
“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 ?”
View full solution →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).
View full solution →(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.
View full solution →(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.’
View full solution →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.
View full solution →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.
View full solution →How little it mattered that I would never walk, or even stand! (Turn into Assertive.)
I find it amusing when people patronise me. (Turn into Compound sentence.)
I kept quiet because I felt guilty every time. (Use ‘Since’.)
I’ve had no choice. (Turn into Affirmative.)
You are too lazy to draw a cheque. (Remove ‘too’.)
“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 ?”
“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.”