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Quest for a Theory of Everything (Profile) Textual Questions. Question 1. How did Hawking startle the ...
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Question 1.
How did Hawking startle the audience?
Answer:
He startled his audience by telling them that there was an end in sight for Theoretical Physics. He invited them to join him in a sensational escape through time and space.
Question 2.
Stephen Hawking did not appear to be a promising choice to lead any adventure. Why?
Answer:
He was sitting in a wheelchair while one of his students was reading his lecture to the audience. His appearance was not healthy and naturally he did not appearto be a promising choice to lead any adventure.
Question 3.
Can a person be judged by appearance alone? Justify your response.
Answer:
A person cannot be judged by appearance alone. Many great men in history did not have a great appearance. Napoleon Bonaparte was a very short person. Franklin Roosevelt, one of the greatest American Presidents, spent most of his working hours in a wheelchair, and he walked with leg braces and canes, usually with help. Mother Theresa did not appear a robust person but she was really great.
Question 4.
What do you learn about Stephen Hawking’s childhood?
Answer:
He was born on 8 January 1942 in Oxford, England. His parents were Frank and Isobel Hawking. They were not wealthy. Hawking attended the local St. Alban’s school. By the time he was 8, he was seriously thinking of becoming a scientist. His father wanted him to study medicine. But Stephen thought biology was too imprecise. He wanted a subject in which he could look for exact answers. He was just an ordinary school boy. He was slow in learning to read and his handwriting was horrible.
At 14, Stephen knew he would study maths and physics. But his father discouraged him from studying maths because he thought it offered no jobs, except as a teacher. Stephen’s father wanted him to attend Oxford where he had studied. Oxford had no mathematics. So Stephen studied chemistry and physics and only a little mathematics. At the age of 17, Hawking went to Oxford to study natural science and to specialise in physics.
Question 5.
Comment on Hawking’s life at 03(ford.
Answer:
For about one year and a half, Hawking was lonely and bored at Oxford. He also did not try hard at his academics. But halfway through the second year, he began to enjoy Oxford.
Question 6.
What opinion did Hawking’s peers at Oxford have about him?
Answer:
Hawking became popular and was well-accepted among his peers. They remember him as lively, buoyant and adaptable. He wore his hair long. He was famous for his wit. He liked classical music and science fiction. He took part in sports.
Question 7.
Cite an example to prove that Stephen Hawking was sharp-witted. Did his wit help him in any way?
Answer:
Stephen Hawking had applied to do a Ph.D. at Cambridge while he was a student at Oxford . He was accepted on condition that he got a ‘First’ from Oxford. Hawking thought he could get through successfully. But as the examination came, his confidence failed. Hawking got only borderline marks between a first and a second. As he had only a borderline result, his examiners called him for an interview and asked him about his plans. He told the examiners boldly, “If I get a first, I shall go to Cambridge. If I receive a second,
I will remain at Oxford. So I expect that you will give me a first.’ He got his ‘First’ and he went to Cambridge. His wit helped him here to get what he wanted.
Question 8.
Stephen’s first year at Cambridge was worse than that at 03dord. Why?
Answer:
His first year at Cambridge was worse than that at Oxford. His poor mathematical background troubled him. He found general relativity extremely tough. There was even a bigger problem. During his 3rd year, he had started getting a bit careless. He had fallen once or twice for no apparent reason. Soon he had trouble tying his shoes and sometimes he had difficulty in talking.
Question 9.
How did tragedy strike Hawking after his 21st birthday?
Answer:
Shortly after his 21st birthday, in 1963, tragedy struck him. He contracted a rare disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, for which there was no known cure. It caused a gradual disintegration of the nerve cells in the spinal cord and the brain. He went into a deep depression. He did not know what to do and what his future would be.
Question 10.
What drastic change came over Hawking after the diagnosis of the disease?
Answer:
A drastic change came over Hawking after the diagnosis of the disease. He had many dreams. He said that his dreams were at that time very confused. Before his condition was diagnosed he was bored with life. But after he came out of hospital, he dreamt that he was going to be executed. He realized then that there were a lot of important things to do if he was given a reprieve – time to live for some more time. Hawking was getting some more time to live and life was precious.