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NCERT Class 8 English Chapter 7 A Visit To Cambridge
Also, you can read the NCERT book online in these sections Solutions by Expert Teachers as per Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Book guidelines. CBSE Class 8 English Solutions are part of All Subject Solutions. Here we have given NCERT Class 8 English Chapter 7 A Visit To Cambridge and After, NCERT Class 8 English Textbook of Honeydew and It So Happen. for All Chapters, You can practice these here.
A Visit To Cambridge
Chapter: 7
HONEYDEW: PROSE
COMPREHENSION CHECK
Page No – 97
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.
Ans: (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.
Ans: (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.
Ans: (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.
Ans: (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?
Ans: Yes, the prospect of meeting Stephen Hawking makes the writer nervous because Stephen Hawking was the ablest scientist on the earth. He was the worthy author of the world renowned book “A Brief History of Time”. He had become the successor to Issac Newton at the University of Cambridge. Meeting with such a great personality made the writer nervous.
(ii) Did he at the same time feel very excited? If so, why?
Ans: He felt excited at the same time because he had been there to see Prof. Hawking for half an hour. He had achieved many milestones in his life. The writer was made aware of many possibilities present before him and he felt stronger because of the meeting. This meeting helped him to reach out which he thought he never could.
2. Guess the first question put to the scientist by the writer.
Ans: The writer might have asked the scientist how did he reach wherever he is today to reach where he had and what all did he do to achieve it. He might have wanted to know what happened to him and how.
3. Stephen Hawking said, “I’ve had no choice.” Does the writer think there was a choice? What was it?
Ans: The writer thought that there was a choice. Stephen Hawking could have chosen to leave everything, and be sad and depressed. He could have sulked. However, he chose to live creatively knowing the reality of his disintegrating body.
4. “I could feel his anguish.” What could be the anguish?
Ans: Hawking’s mind was filled with brilliant ideas that he wished to express aloud. However, he struggled to speak clearly, often fumbling over words and communicating in fragmented phrases that lacked emotion. His sentences carried no sentiment, and the writer sensed his frustration at being unable to fully convey his thoughts due to his disability. The truly saddening part was that he had to rely on a computer to speak for him.
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?
Ans: When the writer asked Stephen Hawking if his presence was a disturbance, Hawking responded honestly, admitting that he was indeed disturbed. However, he followed his remark with a one-way smile, which deeply touched the writer. At that moment, the writer felt that Stephen Hawking was one of the most extraordinary men in the world. Being disabled himself, the writer realized that it is the soul that truly defines a person, not the physical body, which is merely an accessory.
6. Read aloud the description of ‘the beautiful’ man. Which is the most beautiful sentence in the description?
Ans: The sentence describing the inside radiance of Hawking’s personality which makes his bodily looks immaterial is probably one of the most beautiful descriptions of beauty.
The 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?
Ans: If the lantern is man, its ‘walls’ is the human boy.
(ii) What is housed within the thin walls?
Ans: Light of life or the inner glow housed within the thin walls.
(iii) What general conclusion does the writer draw from this comparison?
Ans: The writer draws a general conclusion that body is not that important. It is the soul inside our body which is more important. Everything else is just an addition or an accessory. Inner beauty is thus more important than the outer beauty.
8. What is the scientist’s message for the disabled?
Ans: Stephen Hawking’s message to the disabled was to focus on their strengths and make the best use of their abilities. He encouraged them to be grateful to God and avoid setting unrealistic goals for themselves.
9. Why does the writer refer to the guitar incident? Which idea does it support?
Ans: When Stephen Hawking stated that events like the Disabled Olympics were a waste of time, the writer agreed. He recalled the years he had spent struggling to play a Spanish guitar that was far too large for him. He felt a sense of relief and happiness when he finally unstrung it one night. This experience reinforced Hawking’s belief that disabled individuals should focus on their strengths rather than pursuing activities that may not suit them.
10. The writer expresses his great gratitude to Stephen Hawking. What is the gratitude for?
Ans: The writer expressed his deep gratitude to Stephen Hawking, who had been a source of motivation and encouragement for him. He saw Hawking as a symbol of courage and felt that if he possessed the same bravery, he could have achieved much more. Meeting Hawking filled him with confidence and admiration for the iconic scientist. Having held faith in him for many years, the writer was profoundly grateful, as Hawking helped him realize the incredible heights he could aspire to reach.
11. Complete the following sentences taking their appropriate parts from both the boxes below.
(i) There was his assistant on the line …
Ans: 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, …
Ans: 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, …
Ans: 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, …
Ans: 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 …
Ans: It doesn’t do much good to know that there are people smiling with admiration to see you breathing still.
| A | B |
| Tapping at a little switch in his hand | Trying to find the words on his computer |
| And I told him | I had come in a wheelchair from India |
| That there are people | On which you are too lazy to draw a cheque |
| As if you have a courage account | Smiling with admiration to see you breathing still |
| And they are saying something huge and urgent | It is hard to tell what |
| 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.
Ans: I met a traveller from an antique land.
(ii) I need special ____________ in mathematics. I can’t count the number of times I have failed in the subject.
Ans: 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 ____________ to Issac Newton.
Ans: The guide called Stephen Hawking a worthy successor to Isaac Newton.
(iv) His other problems ____________ into insignificance beside this unforeseen mishap.
Ans: His other problems paled into insignificance beside this unforeseen mishap.
(v) The meeting was ____________ by the youngest member of the board.
Ans: The meeting was chaired by the youngest member of the board.
(vi) Some people say ‘yours ____________’ when they informally refer to themselves.
Ans: Some people say ‘yours truly’ 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.
Ans: 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 |
Ans: (i) Reading session.
(ii) Smiling face.
(iii) Revolving chair.
(iv) Walking tour.
(v) Dancing doll.
(vi) 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.
Ans: He has two brothers. Both are lawyers.
(ii) More than ten persons called __________ of them wanted to see you.
Ans: More than ten persons called. All of them wanted to see you.
(iii) They ___________ cheered the team.
Ans: They all cheered the team.
(iv) ___________ her parents are teachers.
Ans: Both her parents are teachers.
(v) How much have you got? Give me __________ of it.
Ans: 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)
Ans: My friend has one of the fastest cars on the road.
(ii) This is the __________ story I have ever read. (Interesting)
Ans: This is the most interesting story I have ever read.
(iii) What you are doing now is __________ than what you did yesterday. (Easy)
Ans: What you are doing now is easier than what you did yesterday.
(iv) Ramesh and his wife are both __________. (Short)
Ans: Ramesh and his wife are both short.
(v) He arrived __________ as usual. Even the chief guest came _________ than he did. (Late, early)
Ans: He arrived late as usual. Even the chief guest came earlier than he did.
| SPEAKING AND WRITING |
1. Say the following words with correct stress. Pronounce the parts given in colour loudly and clearly.
| Camel | Balloon |
| Decent | Opinion |
| Fearless | Enormous |
| Careful | Fulfil |
| Father | Together |
| Govern | Degree |
| Bottle | Before |
In a word having more than one syllable, the stressed syllable is the one that is more prominent than the other syllable(s)
A word has as many syllables as it has vowels.
man (one syllable)
´manner (two syllables)
The mark (´) indicates that the first syllable in ‘manner’ is more prominent than the other.
Ans: Students, do it yourself.
2. Underline stressed syllables in the following words. Consult the dictionary or ask the teacher if necessary.
| Artist | Mistake | Accident | Moment |
| Compare | Satisfy | Relation | Table |
| Illegal | Agree | Backward | Mountain |
Ans: (i) Artist.
(ii) Mistake.
(iii) Accident.
(iv) Moment.
(v) Compare.
(vi) Satisfy.
(vii) Relation.
(viii) Table.
(ix) Illegal.
(x) Agree.
(xi) Backward.
(xii) Mountain.
3. Writing a notice for the School Notice Board.
Step 1
Discuss why notices are put up on the notice board. What kinds of ‘notices’ have you lately seen on the board? How is a notice different from a letter or a descriptive paragraph?
Step 2
Suppose you have lost or found something on the campus. What have you lost or found?
You want to write a notice about it. If you have lost something, you want it restored to you in case someone has found it. If you have found something, you want to return it to its owner.
Step 3
Write a few lines describing the object you have lost or found. Mention the purpose of the notice in clear terms. Also write your name, class, section and date.
Step 4
Let one member of each group read aloud the notice to the entire class. Compare your notice with the other notices, and make changes, if necessary, with the help of the teacher.
Ans: ABC PUBLIC SCHOOL
NOTICE
20 December 2025
This is to inform all students that I have Found a watch in the school playground. It has not been identified yet. However it has been found near the senior wing so it might belong to anyone from the wing. The owner of the watch may contact the undersigned and take it proving his/her claim.
Name: xyz
Class IX Section: B
ROLL NO – 34
Or
Imagine that you are a journalist.
You have been asked to interview the president of the village panchayat. Write eight to ten questions you wish to ask.
The questions should elicit comments as well as plans regarding water and electricity, cleanliness and school education in the village.
Ans: Students, do it yourself.
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