NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English (Honeydew) Chapter 7 A Visit to Cambridge

Ans : 1. (iii) To the writer, Cambridge was the real England.
2. (ii) The writer phoned Stephen Hawking's house from outside a phone booth.
3. (ii) Every time he spoke to the scientist, the writer felt guilty because he forced the scientist to use his voice synthesiser.
4. (i) In the given context, the highlighted words refer to shifting in the wheelchair, turning the wrist. 

Ans : (i) Yes, the prospect of meeting Stephen Hawking made the writer nervous. He was to meet a great personality and that too one who had achieved greatness despite his disabilities. Clearly, it was a big moment, a great honour for the writer. So it is not surprising that he was nervous at the prospect of meeting Stephen Hawking.
(ii) Yes, he felt excited at the same time because it made him stronger to see somebody like him achieving something huge. This made him aware of the many possibilities present before him, thereby helping him to reach out further than he ever thought he could. 

Ans : The writer might have asked the scientist if he had been brave to reach where he had. 

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. 

Ans : Stephen Hawking's mind was active with many thoughts that he wanted to express. However, his thoughts came out in phrases, without reflecting his feelings or emotions. His sentences were mere lines, without any sentiment. The writer felt he could understand his anguish and frustration at that.