'A Visit to Cambridge' is an inspiring chapter in the CBSE Class 8 English textbook. It is a story about a meeting between two extraordinary, differently-abled men: the brilliant astrophysicist Stephen Hawking and the writer/journalist Firdaus Kanga.
Stephen Hawking was confined to a wheelchair due to a motor neuron disease.
Firdaus Kanga, the writer, was born with brittle bones and also used a wheelchair.
The meeting lasted for 30 minutes in Cambridge, England.
Q1. 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 (Firdaus Kanga) nervous. He was nervous because he was going to meet one of the greatest scientists in the world, who was completely paralyzed and could only speak through a computer. Kanga was unsure what to ask and how to behave in front of such a brilliant mind.
Q2. What is the scientist's message for the disabled? Answer: Stephen Hawking's message for the disabled is that they should concentrate on what they are good at. He advised them not to waste time trying to imitate normal people or participate in things like the 'Disabled Olympics', which he considered a waste of time.
Q3. "I could feel his anguish." What could be the anguish? Answer: The anguish could be the frustration of a brilliant, active mind trapped inside a paralyzed body. Stephen Hawking had many creative and complex thoughts, but he could only express them slowly and mechanically through a computer synthesizer, losing the emotional inflection of a normal human voice.
The writer felt guilty because every time he asked a question, Hawking had to make a tremendous physical effort to punch the keys on his computer to generate a response.
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