Activity I: Assessment of Hawking’s Personality
Stephen Hawking was a symbol of courage, intelligence, and hope. Even after being diagnosed with ALS, he continued his scientific work with great determination. He showed that with willpower, any obstacle can be overcome. His achievements in physics and his ability to inspire millions make him one of the most respected scientists in history.
Activity II: Timeline of Stephen Hawking
Timeline:
- 1942: Born in Oxford, England
- 1950: Family moved to St. Albans
- 1959: Entered Oxford University
- 1965: Married Jane Wilde and joined Cambridge
- 1980: Delivered famous lecture on the end of theoretical physics
- 1988: Published A Brief History of Time
- 2005: Released abridged version of the book
- Continued work with the help of technology until his death in 2018
Facts expected in a profile:
- Date of birth
- Family background
- Education
- Health challenges
- Scientific achievements
- Books published
- Personal qualities
- Impact on the world
Activity III: Interview with Stephen Hawking
Interviewer: Shortly after your twenty-first birthday, your doctors diagnosed that you had Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, a rare disease for which there is no known cure. How did you react to the diagnosis? How did you manage to cope with the situation?
Interviewee: At first, I went into a deep depression. I didn’t know what I ought to do or what my future would be like. My dreams were confused, and before the diagnosis, I had found life boring. But shortly after I came out of hospital, I dreamt that I was going to be executed. That dream made me realise there were a lot of worthwhile things I could still do. That’s when I began to value life and focus on what I could accomplish despite the disease.
Interviewer: What made you think that life was precious? Can you recollect any particular instance in your life that has become crucial?
Interviewee: Yes. As I mentioned, the dream I had after leaving the hospital—of being executed—was crucial. It made me see life differently. I realised that if I was given a second chance, I could make the most of it. That dream gave me a sense of purpose and the motivation to live fully in the present.
Interviewer: It is said that you wrote a book to make science understandable to non-scientists. Is that so?
Interviewee: That is absolutely true. I wanted to explain the big questions about the universe in a way that everyone could understand. That’s why I wrote A Brief History of Time. It starts with Newton and Einstein and leads into modern theories. My goal was to help ordinary people explore these ideas without needing a science background.
Activity IV: Local Interview and Profile
Profile: Mr. Ramesh Kumar – Successful Organic Farmer
Mr. Ramesh Kumar from Wayanad is an example of success through hard work. Despite poor financial conditions, he turned to organic farming. Using scientific methods, he grew crops without chemicals and educated nearby farmers. Today, he owns a profitable organic farm, supplies to major markets, and trains others. His belief: “Respect nature, and it will reward you.”
Activity V – Speech
Speech on Wilma Rudolph – A Symbol of Courage and Strength
Good morning everyone,
Today, I would like to speak about Wilma Rudolph, a woman who proved that no obstacle is too big if we have the courage to fight it.
Wilma Rudolph was born in 1940 in Tennessee, USA. As a child, she suffered from many illnesses, including polio, which left her with a paralyzed leg. Doctors said she might never walk again without support. But Wilma had a dream — to become an athlete.
She started walking with braces and, later, without them. With the help of her mother and her determination, she trained hard, even when the world doubted her.
In 1960, Wilma Rudolph made history by winning three gold medals at the Rome Olympics. She became the first American woman to achieve such a feat in a single Olympic Games.
Her life reminds us of Stephen Hawking’s story. Just like him, Wilma also turned her greatest challenge into her greatest strength. Her story teaches us to believe in ourselves, work hard, and never give up, no matter how hard life becomes.
Thank you!
Activity VII: Cohesive Devices
Words used – Purpose – Effective or Not:
- However – shows contrast – Yes
- Therefore – shows result – Yes
- Moreover – adds information – Yes
Function – Cohesive Devices
- Reason/Cause: because of, since
- Result: so, therefore
- Purpose: so that, in order to
- Contrast: however, but, yet
- Adding: and, also, moreover
- Illustrating: for example, such as
- Comparing: like, similarly
- Sequencing: firstly, next, finally
Let’s Practise – Chapter 3: Quest for a Theory of Everything
Activity I – Conditional Sentences (Story: “The Cat and the Mouse”)
Instruction: Complete the conditional sentences in the story using correct forms of the verbs given in brackets.
Answers:
- The cat said, “Well, I would give your tail back, if you fetched me some milk.”
- “The cat will only give me back my tail if I fetch her some milk.”
- “The cat will only give my tail back if the cow gives me some milk.”
- “And the cow will only give me some milk if she gets some hay.”
- “And the farmer will only give me some hay if the butcher has some meat for him.”
- “And the butcher will not give me some meat if you don’t bake him a loaf of bread.”
- “Well, I will give you a loaf of bread if you promise never to steal my corn or meal.”
- If the mouse had not promised never to steal the corn or meal, the baker would not have given the bread.
- If the baker had not given the bread, the butcher would have refused to give the meat.
- If the butcher had refused, the farmer would not have given the hay.
- If the farmer had not given the hay, the mouse would not have received the milk.
- If the mouse had not received the milk, she would not have got back her tail.
Activity II – Cohesive Devices Practice
Instruction: Fill in the blanks using correct cohesive devices from the box.
Word Box: moreover, firstly, on the other hand, whereas, at last, then, however, actually, besides, though
Answers:
- I had a terrible day at work and lost my umbrella too. However, I spoke to that nice guy who works in the coffee shop.
- Television turns people into lazy couch potatoes. However, there are some educational programmes on.
- Firstly, I would like to welcome you all to the conference today.
- Though the film was a little boring, we still had a nice evening out.
- I’ve always known Caroline as a miser. Actually, she lent me ₹1000 yesterday without my having to ask twice!
- I got up at 9 o’clock yesterday and had a cold shower. Then, I had breakfast and left for work.
- My brother works in a large office whereas I work on my own at home.
- Why do you think I don’t want to go out tonight? Actually, I would be delighted to get out of the house.
- You should participate in the school youth festival as it gives you a chance to meet many people. Besides, it gives you an opportunity to showcase your talents.
- I don’t want to go to the football game. Football bores me and I don’t want to pay ₹40 for a ticket. Moreover, look at the weather! All that rain!
Activity III – Collocation Practice
Instruction: Complete the sentences using collocations related to success from the box.
Word Bank:
- crowning achievement
- dramatic improvement
- made a breakthrough
- brilliant success
- enjoy the fruits of hard work
- brought out the best
- won the respect of
- remarkable achievement
Answers:
- Arun has made a breakthrough in Maths this year, doing excellent work compared to last year.
- It is, of course, a remarkable achievement on his part.
- This year has seen a dramatic improvement in Arun’s English.
- His crowning achievement is his performance in the school’s staging of Othello.
- He has found some effective ways of working with natural materials this year, and his self-portrait is a brilliant success.
- He is now able to enjoy the fruits of hard work.
- Playing for the school cricket team has certainly brought out the best in him and he rightly won the respect of all his teammates.