1. Answer the following questions.

(1) How did Helen overcome her handicaps ?
Ans: Helen overcame her handicaps because of her own courage and also that of her wonderful teacher from whom she learned to talk, go to school and college, read, write and live a full and happy life.

(2) What part did Anne Sullivan play in Helen’s life ?
Ans: Anne Sullivan, herself nearly blind, taught Helen to read and write by trying the deaf-and-dumb finger alphabet method. She also taught her to feel things and understand the meaning of words. Anne Sullivan was with Helen all through her time at the university.

(3) How did Helen Keller help other blind people ?
Ans: Throughout her life, Helen helped other blind people find courage. She travelled all over the world, inspiring everyone with her example.

(4) Helen Keller’s life is the story of……
(a) a blind woman.
(b) courage, patience and struggle.
(c) a helpless, unfortunate girl.
Ans: courage, patience and struggle.

2. Activity

(1) What is meant by ‘Honour the white cane’?
Ans: People who are blind or have a partial loss of vision walk with a long white cane to show that they are self-sufficient and independent. “Honoring the white cane” means respecting people who are blind or visually impaired and making sure they are not inconvenienced in their daily lives. We should lend a helping hand to them and assist them in overcoming life’s challenges in order to “honour the white cane.”

(2) Find out what ‘Braille’ is.
Ans: Braille is a system of raised dots that people who are blind or have low vision can read with their fingers. Ordinarily, teachers, parents, and others who are not visually impaired read braille with their eyes. Braille isn’t even a language. Rather, it is a code that allows many languages to be written and read, including English, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, and dozens more. Braille is used in native languages by thousands of people all over the world and provides a means of literacy for all.

(3) Find out the difference between the fingerspelling method, sign language and Braille.
Ans: A sign language is a language that uses body language and facial expressions to convey meaning through movements of the hand, arms, or body. The process of spelling out words by making signs with your fingers that correspond to the letters of the word is known as finger spelling. Braille is a form of written language for the blind that uses patterns of raised dots that can be felt with the fingertips to represent characters.

3. Complete the following.

Example : patient – patience.

attend –
Ans: attendance

enter –
Ans: entrance

differ –
Ans: difference