Three Days to See

(i) What does the ‘delicate symmetry of a leaf’ symbolise?
It symbolises the beauty and perfect balance of nature.

(ii) List two phrases from the extract that describe the texture of objects in nature.
“the smooth skin of a silver birch” and “the rough, shaggy bark of a pine”

(iii) The phrase ‘awakening Nature after her winter’s sleep’ refers to ______.
the coming of spring, when trees get new buds after winter.

(iv) What is the tone of the writer in this extract?
C. admiring

(i) Which of the following words does not match with the word ‘thrilling’?
C. knowledge

(ii) Why does the writer refer to the earth as ‘sleeping earth’?
At night the earth is dark and quiet, as if it is asleep. In the morning, the sun’s light seems to wake it up.

(iii) The writer wishes to dedicate the day to a brief look at the present and past world because ______.
she wants to see the history of the earth and man’s progress, which she has never seen.

(iv) Why does the writer use ‘should’ multiple times in the extract?
She uses ‘should’ to express her wishes. These are things she imagines she would do if she could see.

1. The sense of touch makes up for the loss of sight and hearing. Explain this statement with reference to the text.
Helen Keller could not see or hear. Yet she enjoyed the world through touch. She felt the symmetry of a leaf and the bark of trees. She felt the quiver of a singing bird. She even knew her friends and their emotions from the feel of their faces.

2. Why does the author believe that the sense of sight is the most wonderful?
She got so much pleasure from mere touch. So she felt that sight must reveal much more beauty. Through the eyes, one can see into the heart of a friend.

3. How might the author’s opinion on making the most of our senses guide us to be kinder towards people with special abilities?
Her words make us realise how valuable our senses are. We understand how difficult life can be without them. This makes us more patient, respectful and helpful towards people with special abilities.

4. What is the significance of imagining the loss of a sense, according to the author?
When we imagine losing a sense, we learn to value it. Then we use it fully and enjoy every moment of life.

5. How does the author encourage people to approach their everyday sensory experiences?
She asks us to use our eyes as if we would be blind tomorrow. We should hear, touch, smell and taste everything as if we would lose these senses tomorrow. We must make the most of every sense.

6. What do the author’s choices for the three days tell us about her values and priorities?
She chose to see her friends first. So she values love and friendship the most. She chose museums next, which shows her love for knowledge. On the last day she wanted to see ordinary people. This shows her care and compassion for others.