3 worked answers · short steps first, explanations when you need them
Reading with Insight
Textbook pages
Question Reading with Insight 1
What impressions of Agha Shahid Ali do you get from Amitav Ghosh’s account?
Steps only
Recall how he welcomed people and found humour.
Mention his poetry and connection to Kashmir.
Answer
Shahid seems lively, witty, generous, and courageous. He loved poetry, friends, food, music, and Kashmir, and welcomed people from different backgrounds.
Question Reading with Insight 2
How do Shahid and Amitav Ghosh react to the knowledge that Shahid is going to die?
Steps only
State that Shahid speaks about death calmly and directly.
State that Ghosh is shocked but honours his promise to write.
Answer
Shahid faces death openly and calmly, making plans and sometimes using humour. Ghosh is shocked, then records their conversations and writes the promised tribute.
Question Reading with Insight 3
What does the chapter help you understand about the Indian diaspora?
Steps only
Define diaspora.
Connect the idea with Shahid’s life between Kashmir and the United States.
Answer
Diaspora means living away from one’s ancestral home while keeping ties to it. Shahid lived in America but remained connected to Kashmir through family, culture, memory, and poetry.