In a previous post, you have studied the Summary of the chapter The Man Who Empowered the Blind. Today in this post I am providing you with The Man Who Empowered the Blind Question Answers, Language Work and Grammar in Context. The Chapter is based on Braille System invented by Louis Braille which helps blind people to read and write. Let’s not waste much time and get started with this post:

The Man Who Empowered the Blind Question Answers
Thinking About the Text | Textual Questions
1. How did little Louis lose his eyesight?
Ans. When Louis was three years old, he went to his father’s working place and while playing with his father’s tool the awl suddenly flipped up and injured his eyes. Due to this accident, Louis lost his eyesight for the rest of his life.
2. How did the young blind Louis find his way to different places?
Ans. The young Louis found his way to different places by tapping his cane on the ground and counting the number of steps to reach any particular place.
3. What helped him to excel in playing musical instruments?
Ans. Louis was admitted to Royal Institute for Young Blind in Paris when he learnt to play piano and cello expertly. It helped him to excel in playing musical instruments.
4. How were, the blind taught reading when Louis Braille started studying at the Institute for the Young Blind?
Ans. The founder of the Royal Institute for the Young Blind, Valentin Huay developed a new way of reading for the blind about the time when Louis Braille was admitted to the institute. In this system, the blind children were taught reading by tracing the shape of letters embossed on a sheet of paper.
5. What was Captain Barbier’s invention? How did it help Braille?
Ans. Captain Barbier invented a technique of sending messages using dots and dashes which are placed on a sheet of paper like embossed letters. This code can be used in the dark because it could be felt with fingertips. Louis Braille used this same system to develop a writing system for the blinds.
6. Why were the authorities of the Institute for the Young Blind unwilling to accept Braille’s method?
Ans. The authorities of the Institute for the Young Blind were unwilling to accept Braille’s method because they felt satisfied with the old method and saw no reason to change and so were adamant about continuing the old method. Also, the printers of the old-style embossed books feared losing their business with the introduction of this new method.
7. How did the concert prove to be a great event in Louis’ life?
Ans. The young girls who gave the concert were appreciated by one and all. In her speech, she gave all the credit to Louis Braille and his teaching methods and also told the people how he helped her in the education of music. The next day all the newspapers the papers were full of stories about Louis Braille and his methods of teaching the blinds. Thus, the concert proved to be a great event in Louis’s life.
8. Give the following biographical details about Louis Braille:
Louis Braille
- Year of birth:
- Father’s name:
- Father’s occupation:
- The year in which he joined the Institute for the Young Blind:
- The year of graduation:
- The year in which he made the system for the blind:
- The year his system was introduced in the Institute:
Ans.
Louis Braille
1. Year of birth: | 1809 |
2. Father’s name: | Monsieur Braille |
3. Father’s occupation: | Harness maker |
4. The year in which he joined the Institute for the Young Blind: | 1819 |
5. The year of graduation: | 1827 |
6. The year in which he made the system for the blind: | 1829 |
7. The year his system was introduced in the Institute: | 1854 |
Language Work
A. Complete the following statements:
- Blind people before and during the days of Louis Braille earned their bread by ————–.
- The people of Coupvray were ————–. to Louis Braille when he became blind.
- The reading method used by Louis Braille had limitations such as ————–.
- Louis Braille was ————–. when Captain Barbier explained his new invention to him.
- Louis Braille evolved a system in which one letter was distinguished from another by —————-.
- Even when so many punched books were available for the blind, Louis Braille looked unhappy because —————-.
- Louis Braille’s method of teaching the blind was called —————-.
Ans.
- Blind people before and during the days of Louis Braille earned their bread by begging.
- The people of Coupvray were helpful/kind to Louis Braille when he became blind.
- The reading method used by Louis Braille had limitations such as it being very slow and expensive.
- Louis Braille was overjoyed when Captain Barbier explained his new invention to him.
- Louis Braille evolved a system in which one letter was distinguished from another by a special combination of dots.
- Even when so many punched books were available for the blind, Louis Braille looked unhappy because his system was not accepted by the authorities.
- Louis Braille’s method of teaching the blind was called Braille.
B. Read these sentences:
- The head of the school soon found that Louis quickly learned whatever was taught to him.
- A person can never be truly educated unless he can read.
In the above sentences, quickly and truly are adverbs.
Now pick out at least five adverbs from the lesson and write them in the spaces below:
- ———– 2. ———– 3. ———–
- ———– 5. ———– 6. ———–
Ans. The adverbs from the lesson are 1. Suddenly 2. Expertly 3. Determinedly 4. Quickly 5. Hardly 6. Highly 7. Finally 8. Officially
C. Give one word for the following:
- A keyboard instrument _______________
- To move back _______________
- To clap your hands to show appreciation _______________
- A person who plays the piano _______________
Ans.
- A keyboard instrument Piano
- To move back Retreat
- To clap your hands to show appreciation Applaud
- A person who plays the piano Pianist.
D. Match the words with their opposites.
Words | Opposites |
1. tough | a. clumsy |
2. forgive | b. fresh |
3. weary | c. failure |
4. nimble | d. calmness |
5. tremendous | e. crooked |
6. triumph | f. tender |
7. excitement | g. ordinary |
8. straight | h. punish |
Ans.
Words | Opposites |
1. tough | f. tender |
2. forgive | h. punish |
3. weary | b. fresh |
4. nimble | a. clumsy |
5. tremendous | g. ordinary |
6. triumph | c. failure |
7. excitement | d. calmness |
8. straight | e. crooked |
Grammar Work
Use of would and used to.
- Louis would trace each letter over and over again.
- So even a very short story would fill many heavy volumes.
In each of these sentences would be used to talk about repeated actions in the past. These repeated actions in the past could also be expressed by, used to. For instance, one would say,
Louis used to trace each letter over and over again.
Used to is also employed while talking about past situations as in the following sentences:
- She used to travel a lot when she was young.
- There used to be a lot of trees on this road.
- Rewrite the following sentences using used to and would. If both can be used in some cases, indicate the second alternative in the bracket.
- This huge building was a coffee house.
Ans. This huge building used to be a coffee house
- She helped the poor when she was at school.
Ans. She would help the poor when she was at school.
- I played football every day last year after office hours.
Ans. I used to play football every day last year after office hours.
- When my sister was seven years old, she ate ice cream regularly, but now she does not like it at all.
Ans. When my sister was seven years old, she would eat ice cream regularly, but now she does not like it at all.
- Her parents celebrated her birthday every year till she was five.
Ans. Her parents used to celebrate (would celebrate) her birthday every year till she was five.
- Tinku never sang earlier but now he sings in almost every school function.
Ans. Tinku never used to sing earlier but now he sings in almost every school function.
- My father smoked twenty cigarettes a day until two years ago but now he does not even touch them.
Ans. My father used to smoke (would smoke) twenty cigarettes a day until two years ago but now he does not even touch them.
- Whenever our English teacher was angry with us, he gave us a lot of homework.
Ans. Whenever our English teacher used to be (would be) angry with us, he gave us a lot of homework.
- The main road facing my house was always empty a few years ago, but today it is awfully crowded.
Ans. The main road facing my house used to be empty a few years ago, but today it is awfully crowded.
- I drove very fast when I began to learn, driving.
Ans. I used to drive very fast when I began to learn driving.
Let’s Write
As the head boy/ girl of the Roshni School for the Blind, J&K, you have been asked by the editor of the school magazine to contribute a brief biographical sketch of Louis Braille for the first issue of the magazine. Using the information collected in question 8 of Thinking about the Text, write a biographical sketch of Louis Braille in a brief paragraph.
Ans. Louis Braille was born on 04 January 1809 in Paris in a modest family. His father was a harness and saddle maker. When Louis was three years old, he lost his eyesight while playing with tools at his father’s working place. He has a strong sense of hearing and memory.
He was admitted to Royal Institute for the Young Blind in Paris where he learnt to play piano and cello expertly. During that time the blind were taught the books with embossed words. Louis found this method too slow and expensive. He developed a new system of reading and writing for the blinds. It is called the Braille system.
In the Braille system, a specific pattern of punched dots is used for a specific letter. The system was not easily accepted by the authorities but later on with a help of a speech made by his student after she was applauded for her concert his work gain popularity and was widely accepted.
He died on January 6, 1852, at the age of 43 years but is remembered for his contribution to the development of Braille.
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