I'd like to be confirmed on this question please?

Hi teachers,
This is the context?
I gave him a card with my name on. Then I thought, ‘That was no good. This man can’t read.’ But Merrick took the card and looked at it very carefully. Then he put it in his trousers pocket.

Could you confirm or correct them? Could they be shorter or more natural?
a) According to the doctor, why wasn't a good idea to give Merrick a card?
Because Merrick can't read.
This one is wrong, isn't it? Because depite of what the doctor thought at the beginning, he can read.

b) Could Merrick read?
Yes, he could.

Thanks in advance.