Answers to Comprehension Questions
### Comprehension Check
1. "Cambridge was my metaphor for England." To the writer:
- (iii) Cambridge was the real England.
2. The writer phoned Stephen Hawking's house:
- (ii) from outside a phone booth.
3. Every time he spoke to the scientist, the writer felt guilty because:
- (ii) he forced the scientist to use his voice synthesiser.
4. "I felt a huge relief... in the possibilities of my body." The highlighted words refer to:
- (i) shifting in the wheelchair, turning the wrist.
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### Answer the Following Questions
1. (i) Yes, the writer was nervous because Stephen Hawking was a great scientist and meeting
someone so brilliant was overwhelming.
(ii) Yes, he felt excited because meeting Hawking was a rare opportunity and an inspiration for him
as a disabled person.
2. The first question might have been, "What inspires you to achieve so much despite your
condition?"
3. The writer thinks there was a choice - to live creatively despite his physical limitations.
4. The anguish could be the frustration of not being able to communicate easily and being
dependent on technology.
5. Stephen Hawking's resilience, inner glow, and ability to inspire others despite his physical
challenges made him appear beautiful to the writer.
6. "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) The walls' would be his fragile body.
(ii) His brilliant mind and soul.
(iii) The writer concludes that a person's essence lies in their spirit and intellect, not their physical
appearance.
8. Stephen Hawking advised disabled people to focus on what they are good at rather than their
limitations.
9. The writer refers to the guitar incident to highlight how focusing on unsuitable activities can be
unproductive. It supports Hawking's advice to concentrate on one's strengths.
10. The writer is grateful for the inspiration and hope that Stephen Hawking provided through his
achievements and attitude.
11. (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.
(v) It doesn't do much good to know that there are people smiling with admiration to see you
breathing still.
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### Fill in the Blanks
1. (i) I met a guide from an antique land.
(ii) I need special guidance in mathematics.
(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 refer to themselves.
(vii) I wish it had been a true match.
