NCERT Solutions Class 8 English (Honeydew)
The NCERT Solutions in English Language for Class 8 English (Honeydew) Chapter – 7 A Visit to Cambridge has been provided here to help the students in solving the questions from this exercise.
NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English (Honeydew)
- Chapter – 1 : The Best Christmas Present in the World
- Chapter – 2 : The Tsunami
- Chapter – 3 : Glimpses of the Past
- Chapter – 4 : Bepin Choudhury’s Lapse of Memory
- Chapter – 5 : The Summit Within
- Chapter – 6 : This is Jody’s Fawn
- Chapter – 8 : A Short Monsoon Diary
- Chapter – 9 : The Great Stone Face 1
- Chapter – 10 : The Great Stone Face 2
Chapter – 7 (A Visit to Cambridge)
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 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
Answer the following questions.
1. (i) Did the prospect of meeting Stephen Hawking make the writer nervous? If so, why?
Answer – Yes, the prospect of meeting Stephen Hawking made the writer nervous. He was doubtful whether he would be allowed to meet him even for ten minutes.
(ii) Did he at the same time feel very excited? If so, why?
Answer – At the same time, the writer felt very excited. It was because he was allowed to meet Professor Stephen Hawking for half an hour.
2. Guess the first question put to the scientist by the writer.
Answer – The first question was how he felt when someone asked him to be brave.
3. Stephen Hawking said, “I’ve had no choice.” Does the writer think there was a choice? What was it?
Answer – Yes, the writer thinks there was a choice. It was to live creatively with the reality of one’s disintegrating body. This was Hawking’s choice. He had refused to lead a dull life of an inactive disabled person.
4. “I could feel his anguish.” What could be the anguish?
Answer – The anguish was that his pale fingers and eyes were frustrated in exhaustion. He could not express himself freely though ideas were floating in his mind.
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 scientist’s one-way smile endeared him to the writer. So he said 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.”
7. (i) If ‘the lantern’ is the man, what would its ‘walls’ be?
Answer – If ‘the lantern’ is the man, its ‘walls’ would refer to the structure of the human body.
(ii) What is housed within the thin walls?
Answer – The light of life is housed within the thin walls of the external structure.
(iii) What general conclusion does the writer draw from this comparison?
Answer – From this comparison, the writer draws the general conclusion that ‘It is not the body but the eternal soul that matters’.
8. What is the scientist’s message for the disabled?
Answer – The disabled should concentrate on what they are good at. It is foolish to waste time in imitating the normal people.
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 unnecessarily.
10. The writer expresses his great gratitude to Stephen Hawking. What is gratitude for?
Answer – Stephen Hawking spared time for the writer. After meeting him the author felt much inspired. He felt that he had met the greatest and best disabled person on earth. Therefore, the writer expresses his great gratitude to Stephen Hawking.
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. |
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 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
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.
(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 Isaac 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.
| 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.
Answer –
(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)
Answer –
(i) My friend has one of the fastest cars on the road.
(ii) This is the most interesting story I have ever read.
(iii) What you are doing now is easier than what you did yesterday.
(iv) Ramesh and his wife are both short.
(v) He arrived late as usual. Even the chief guest came earlier than he did.
