Class 9

Balbharti Maharashtra State Board Class 9 English Solutions My English Coursebook Chapter 1.1 Walk a Little Slower Notes, Textbook Exercise Important Questions and Answers.

Maharashtra State Board Class 9 My English Coursebook Solutions Chapter 1.1 Walk a Little Slower

My English Coursebook Std 9 Digest Chapter 1.1 Walk a Little Slower Textbook Questions and Answers

Warming up!

Chit-chat:

Form pairs or groups of four. Use these questions to start a conversation with your friends.

• Are you a talkative person?
• Do you like to share your thoughts?
• What would you like to do after 10th?

My Thoughts:

1. Form groups of 4-6. Discuss the following with your friends in the group and then complete the sentences.

Question 1.
Form groups of 4-6. Discuss the following with your friends in the group and then complete the sentences.

English Workshop:

1. Read the poem aloud.

Question 1.
Read the poem aloud.

2. Put the words given in brackets in the proper blanks.

Question 1.
Put the words given in brackets in the proper blanks.
(a) The ………….. is talking to its . (father/child)
(b) The …………. is leading and the …………. is following. (father/child)
(c) Someday the ……………. will become a ………… (father/child)
(d) The ………….. does not wish to fall while following its …………… (father/child)
Answer:
(a) The child is talking to its father. (father/child)
(b) The father is leading and the child is following, (father/child)
(c) Someday the child will become a father. (father/child)
(d) The child does not wish to fall while following its father. (father/child)

2. Find and write pairs of rhyming words from the poem. (Words that appear at the end of the line.)

Question 1.
Find and write pairs of rhyming words from the poem. (Words that appear at the end of the line.)
Answer:

1. small-fall
2. see-me.
3. be-me
4. true-you.

3. The meanings of the words in the following pairs show that they are related

Find five more pairs of related words:
Examples :

• teacher: …………….
• doctor: ………………
• give: ………………….
• ………………………….
• ………………………….

Question 1.
Find five more pairs of related words:
Answer:

1. teacher ⇄ student
2. doctor ⇄ patient
3. give ⇄ take
4. owner ⇄ servant
5. come ⇄ go.

4. The child in the poem requests his father to walk slower. Here, the poet implies that the child wants to understand his father’s actions better. The child would like to act the same way, but wants the father to be more understanding towards the child’s needs. What is implied in the following lines?

Question a.
Sometimes your steps are very fast…
Answer:
Sometimes the father’s actions are too quick for the child to follow them properly.

Question b.
Sometimes your steps are hard to see …
Answer:
Sometimes the actions of the father are so difficult that the child cannot understand, observe and act accordingly.

Question c.
I would want to lead just right…
Answer:
The child who is grown up now wants to guide his child correctly in the journey of his life.

Question d.
And know that I was true …
Answer:
The grown up child is confident about his opinions, judgements and actions in his life. He was correct and sincere throughout his life like his father.

5. Using your own ideas, frame three sentences that show continuous action.
Example: You are leading me.

Question 1.
Using your own ideas, frame three sentences that show continuous action.
Answer:

1. My elder sister was helping me with my studies.
2. He is making us laugh.
3. Our team players are gaining confidence.

6. Using your own ideas, frame at least three sentences that show future action or state.
Examples:
Who’ll (who will) want to follow me.
When I’m all grown up …

Question 1.
Using your own ideas, frame at least three sentences that show future action or state.
Answer:

1. Who will want to participate in the elocution competition?
2. When I’m in Std. X.
3. They are going to arrive tomorrow.
4. I’ll be 16 years old in 2018.

7. Discuss the following and write the summary of your discussion in the form of bullet points.

Question a.
How are certain ideas/customs/knowledge passed on from one generation to the next?
Answer:

1. preserved by forefathers and passed on to new generations
2. continued to exist till this date
3. mythological literature, vedas, folklores, fables and arts instilled cultural values into them
4. known to them through celebrations of festival and religious ceremonies
5. Every community wants to preserve their cultural heritage because of their conservative mindset

Question b.
Is it necessary for children to follow the footsteps of their forefathers? If yes, why? Why is it sometimes necessary to change the old ways?
Answer:

1. Yes, it is necessary to follow the footsteps of our forefathers
2. because of its importance in life and the moral values it involves
3. Sometimes it is necessary to change the old ways because many of the traditions and customs are based on superstitions which cannot be explained by reason or science
4. have to accept good modern ideas
5. To safeguard the moral standard of people which is declining everywhere

8. Do you have a role model? What qualities do you appreciate in your role model?

Question 1.
Do you have a role model? What qualities do you appreciate in your role model?
Answer:
My role model is Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the former President of India. He was known as the Missile-man – the man behind India’s missile programme. I appreciate his intelligence, dedication to his duty, hard work, serenity and simplicity, his commitment to inspire and guide the youth of India, there was no change in his simplicity, politeness, humility and thoughtfulness even in his capacity as the President.

9. Think of an occasion when you did not like the decision/actions of your family members but realised later on that they were tight. Write about it in 5-8 lines.

Question 1.
Think of an occasion when you did not like the decision/actions of your family members but realised later on that they were tight. Write about it in 5-8 lines.
Answer:
Our class went for a trip to Lonavala. Before going there, all elderly persons warned me not to venture on any risky place especially if it is a river. At Lonavala, we saw a big river. All students were enjoying on the bank of the river. Some started swimming in it. I also tried to enter the river but suddenly slipped and fell into the river. I did not know swimming. I began to drown. I was terrified and cried for help. One of our teachers knew swimming. He boldly jumped into the river.

He swam towards me and holding my hand firmly brought me to the bank of river. I lay unconscious. Water in my stomach was removed. I felt a little better but could not enjoy the picnic anymore. The dangerous situation taught me the lesson of a life time. I realised that my family was right and decided never to disregard my parent’s advice.

10. Within two minutes, write as many phrases or sentences as you can using ‘a little’.

Question 1.
Within two minutes, write as many phrases or sentences as you can using ‘a little’.
Answer:

• a little while.
• I need a little more time.
• Move a little forward.
• a little earlier.
• a little smaller.
• You just need a little bit of luck.
• a little old lady.
• quite a little milk.
• a little confusion.
• I found him a little smarter.
• a little improved.

My English Coursebook 9th Class Solutions Chapter 1.1 Walk a Little Slower Additional Important Questions and Answers

Read the following extract and do the activities:

Simple Factual Activities:

Question 1.
What would happen if the child tried to walk fast? Why?
Answer:
If the child tried to walk fast he/she will not be able to properly understand the actions, thoughts, etc. of his/her father and will fail to achieve success in life.

Complex Factual Activities:

Question 1.
Does the word ‘walk’ refer only to the act of walking? What does the poet actually mean to say?
Answer:
No, the word ‘walk’ does not refer here only to the act of walking. The poet actually wants to say that the father should communicate his thoughts and feelings to the child and help him/her to learn or become familiar with the ways of life by showing him/her or explaining the child how to behave and act for living a good life.

Question 2.
What do the ‘footsteps’ of the father refer to?
Answer:
The ‘footsteps’ of the father refers here to the father’s mannerisms, distinctive and individual gestures, traits of speaking and behaving, his actions and his all other characteristics that makes a person successful in life.

Question 3.
What qualities of your parents/eiders would you like to adopt?
Answer:
Their ability, noble thoughts and actions, kindness and love for others, discipline, hard work, I honesty, perseverance and to remain happy in good or bad condition.

Appreciation of Poem:

1. Title: ‘Walk a little slower…’
2. Poet/Poetess: The poet is unknown.
3. Theme/Central Idea: The importance of l the father as a role model is the central idea of the poem. The child in the poem wants to observe and imitate the life led by his/her father. Hence the I child requests the father to be more considerate towards his/her needs.
4. Rhyme Scheme: The rhyme scheme of the stanzas is ‘abeb’.
5. Figure of Speech: Alliteration and metaphor
6. Special Features: This poem is a dramatic monologue. Dramatic monologue is a kind of poem in which the speech does not reveal the poet’s own thoughts. Instead, the thoughts of the character speaking are expressed.
7. Favourite Lines: My favourite lines from the poem are:
“I’m following in your footsteps And I don’t want to fall.”
Then I will have a little child Who’ll want to follow me.
8. Why I like the poem: I like this poem for its sheer simplicity. There is not a single difficult word in the poem. This helps me understand the poem fully. Even the implied meanings are easy to guess.

Balbharti Maharashtra State Board Class 9 English Solutions Kumarbharati Chapter 4.4 My Financial Career Notes, Textbook Exercise Important Questions and Answers.

Maharashtra State Board Class 9 English Kumarbharati Solutions Chapter 4.4 My Financial Career

English Kumarbharati 9th Solutions Chapter 4.4 My Financial Career Textbook Questions and Answers

Warming Up:

1. Observe the forms given on page 100 of the textbook and fill in your details:

2. Write in your own words:

Question (a)
Why does the bank need so many details of its customer?
Answer:
The bank has to be sure that the customer is not a fraud. The money deposited or withdrawn should be legal. The government has to be notified about various things. Letters have to be sent to the customer’s home/office or some information given to him about the transactions in his account. For all these reasons, the bank needs many details of its customers.

Question (b)
What problems do customers face when they have to make a cash deposit at a bank?
Answer:
First of all, the customer has to go to the bank during banking hours, which may not be convenient. He then has to stand in a queue, fill in the details in the paying-in-slip, etc. There may be a long queue or the staff may be few or slow, leading to a long wait. These are some of the problems that customers face when they have to make a cash deposit at a bank.

Question (c)
What are the latest modern methods of depositing money in your own or somebody else’s account?
Answer:
The latest modern method is net banking, that is, operating your account through your email or cell phone to transfer or deposit money.

3. Make a word web of at least 12 words related to banking.

Question 1.
Make a word web of at least 12 words related to banking.
Answer:

English Workshop:

1. Find from the lesson the antonyms of the following:

Question 1.
Find from the lesson the antonyms of the following:

1. afterwards
2. careful
3. confidently
4. cheerful

Answer:

1. afterwards × beforehand
2. careful × irresponsible
3. confidently × timidly
4. cheerful × sepulchral

2. Fill in the blanks choosing the appropriate word/idiom from the lesson.

Question 1.
Fill in the blanks choosing the appropriate word/idiom from the lesson.
Answer:

1. The detective solved the mysterious crime.
2. In the examination, I did not know the answer, so I wrote something.
3. He was dizzy and he shambled into the room.
4. While arguing with his elders he had a fearfully quick temper.
5. The sight of a snake rattles me.
6. As soon as I cross the threshold of my home, I greet my family.

3. Using the following points frame a character sketch of the narrator.

Question 1.
Using the following points frame a character sketch of the narrator. Support each character trait with instances from the lesson:

1. Diffident and timid
2. Unusual behaviour
3. Ignorant about banking
4. Nervous and careless
5. Economical

Answer:
Character sketch of the author:

The author was a diffident and timid person. Everything about the bank made him nervous; in fact, he was so nervous that he did not even know what he was doing and what he was signing. He behaved in an unusual manner, shambling into the bank and talking in a gloomy voice as if he had a secret. It was also unnecessary for him to ask the manager whether he could talk to him alone. He was quite ignorant about banking, and too nervous to seek the right guidance.

He did not know how to open an account or write a cheque correctly. He made careless mistakes because of his overwhelming nervousness. First, he wrote the wrong figure on the cheque. Even after realizing the mistake, he did not attempt to correct it. He was careful in spending his money, and saved enough to keep it in silver dollars in a sock at home.

4. Rewrite the following in indirect speech:

Question (a)
“Can I see the manager?” I said.
“Certainly,” said the accountant.
Answer:
I asked the accountant whether I could see the manager. The accountant replied that I could certainly do so.

Question (b)
Rewrite the following in indirect speech:
“Good morning,” I said and stepped into the safe.
“Come out,” said the manager coldly.
Answer:
I wished the manager a ‘good morning’ and stepped into the safe. The manager coldly ordered me to come out.

Question (c)
Rewrite the following in indirect speech :
…… the words seem to mean, “Let us do this painful thing while the fit is on us.”
Answer:
…….. the words seem to mean that they should do that painful thing while the fit was on them.

Question (d)
“What! Are you drawing it all out again?” he asked in surprise.
“Yes, the whole thing,” I said.
Answer:
He asked me in surprise whether I was drawing it all out again. I replied in the affirmative and confirmed that I was drawing out the whole thing.

Question (e)
“How will you have it?” he said.
“In fifties,” I said.
Answer:
He asked me how I would have it. I replied that I would have it in fifties.

5. Read the statement given below, and write first your views and then the counterview, in two separate passages: ‘Online/Net banking is better than going personally to the bank for transactions.’

Question 1.
Read the statement given below, and write first your views and then the counterview, in two separate passages: ‘Online/Net banking is better than going personally to the bank for transactions.’
Views:
…………………………..
…………………………..
…………………………..

Counterview:
…………………………..
…………………………..
…………………………..
Answer:
View:
Online/Net banking is certainly better than going personally to the bank for transactions. You do not have to wait for banking hours or worry about bank holidays. You do not have to stand in a queue or deal with indifferent staff. With net banking, the service is immediate – when you want it, and where you want it. You can operate your account from anywhere in the world. You will get all the information about your transactions at the click of a button. You can do the banking transactions in the cosy privacy of your home. There is no wastage of any sort, and complete privacy to what you are doing. Yes, net banking is worth it, any day!

Counterview:

Net banking? Certainly not. If you do all your transactions through a cell phone or a computer, where is the personal touch that is so necessary in our lives? No doubt, you may get things instantly, but is this all there is to life? Besides, if you have a problem, can you discuss it with a computer or a phone? And if you think your accounts are secure and private, that is a myth. Any reasonably good hacker will be able to hack the account and siphon off all your money before you have any idea that it has happened. You have to be extremely cautious and knowledgeable about the ins and outs of net banking to do it successfully. How many people do we have in our country who are so proficient? No, give me normal, face-to-face, personalised banking any day.

6. Read the story ‘Lord Emsworth and the Girl Friend’ by P. G. Wodehouse.

English Kumarbharati 9th Digest Chapter 4.4 My Financial Career Additional Important Questions and Answers

Simple Factual Activity:

Question 1.
What makes the narrator nervous at a bank?

OR

Complete the following web:
(The answers are given directly and underlined.)
Answer:

Complex Factual Activity:

Question 1.
What word should the writer have avoided in his request to see the manager?
Answer:
The writer should have avoided the word ‘alone’ in his request to see the manager.

Question 2.
Why was the manager alarmed?
Answer:
The manager felt that the writer had some awful secret to reveal. Hence he was alarmed.

Activities based on Contextual Grammar:

Question 1.
Rewrite the following sentence as a simple sentence :
If I attempt to transact business there, I become an irresponsible idiot.
Answer:
On attempting to transact business there, I become an irresponsible idiot.

Personal Response:

Question 1.
Have you been to a bank? If so, how did you feel about it? If not, would you like to go there?
Answer:
Yes, I have been to a bank, but not alone. I have gone there with my mother, and I was completely confused. She told me to just follow her quietly, and that is what I did! of course, as soon as I am eighteen I will learn all these things and manage my own bank account.

Simple Factual Activity:

Question 1.
Write whether the following statements are True or False:
Answer:

1. The manager was very rude to the narrator in the beginning – False
2. The narrator was one of Pinkerton’s men – False
3. The narrator was not a detective – True
4. The narrator was a young Gould – False

Complex Factual Activity:

Question 1.
Who did the manager think his visitor was?
Answer:
The manager thought his visitor was one of Pinkerton’s men.

Question 2.
What was the accountant’s name? What was he asked to do?
Answer:
The accountant’s name was Mr Montgomery. He was asked to deal with the narrator’s business.

Activities based on Vocabulary:

Question 1.
Find from the lesson the antonyms of the following:
1. withdraw
2. public
Answer:
1. withdraw × deposit
2. public × private

Question 2.
Fill in the blanks choosing the appropriate word/idiom from the lesson:
Answer:
There was a huge painting kept neatly at the side of the room.

Activities based on Contextual Grammar:

Question 1.
Rewrite using the noun forms of the underlined words:
1. He concluded now that I was the son of Baron Rothschild.
2. I propose to deposit fifty-six dollars now.
Answer:
1. He came to the conclusion now that I was the son of Baron Rothschild.
2. My proposal is to make a deposit of fifty-six dollars now.

Personal Response:

Question 1.
Why do you think the manager spoke ‘coldly’ to the narrator?
Answer:
When the narrator said that he wanted to speak to the manager alone, the manager was alarmed because he thought that the narrator was a detective who had come to find out something. When the narrator said that he was not a detective but had come to open an account, the manager thought that he was a very rich man who would deposit a huge amount of money in the bank.

But when the narrator mentioned he wanted to deposit the princely sum of fifty-six dollars, the manager got angry and spoke coldly to him for having wasted his precious time.

Simple Factual Activity:

Question 1.
Complete the paragraph :
Answer:
I went up to the accountant’s wicket and poked the ball of money at him with a quick, convulsive movement as if I was doing a conjuring trick.

Complex Factual Activity:

Question 1.
What procedure did the author have to follow to open the account?
Answer:
To open an account, the author had to first give the money to the accountant. He then had to write the sum on a slip and sign his name in a book.

Question 2.
What error did the author make in the cheque?
Answer:
The author wrote a cheque for fifty-six dollars instead of six dollars. This was the error.

Activities based on Vocabulary:

Question 1.
Match the words in Column A with the nouns in Column B:

A	B
1. invalid	(a) pale
2. ghastly	(b) millionaire
3. hollow	(c) thing
4. painful	(d) voice

Answer:

1. invalid – millionaire
2. ghastly-pale
3. hollow – voice
4. painful – thing

Question 2.
Fill in the blanks choosing the appropriate word/idiom from the lesson.
Answer:
Not having eaten the whole day, I was feeling dizzy, and the classroom swam before my eyes.

Activities based on Contextual Grammar:

Question 1.
Rewrite the following sentence as a simple sentence, beginning ‘Going …’ ; I went up to the accountant’s wicket and poked the ball of money at him with a quick, convulsive movement.
Answer:
Going up to the accountant’s wicket, I poked the ball of money at him with a quick, convulsive movement.

Personal Response:

Question 1.
Do you feel nervous when you have to go to a strange place and talk to strange people?
Answer:
Yes, I do. I think I should get over this nervousness and learn to be calm and confident. I am trying hard to do so, because I know that this is what is needed in the world today.

Simple Factual Activity:

Question 1.
Number the sentences correctly in their order of occurrence in the story:
Answer:

1. The clerk prepared to pay the money. [3]
2. I caught the echo of a roar of laughter. [4]
3. I made a wretched attempt to look like a man with a fearful temper. [2]
4. “Are you not going to deposit any mort?” asked the clerk, astonished. [1]

Complex Factual Activity:

Question 1.
Did the author correct the error he had made In the cheque?
Answer:
No. he did not.

Question 2.
Why did the author pretend to appear like a bad-tempered man?
Answer:
The officials at the bank were astonished by the writer’s behaviour. The writer was terribly nervous, and he thought that if he could look as If he had been Insulted and was hence withdrawing his money, they might not laugh at him. Hence he pretended to appear like a bad-tempered man.

Question 3.
What decision has the author taken after the episode at the bank?
Answer:
After the episode at the bank, the author has decided that he will not keep his money ¡n a bank any more. He will keep his money in cash in his trouser pocket and his savings in silver dollars in a sock.

Activities based on Vocabulary :

Question 1.
Find from the lesson the antonyms of the following:
1. spending
2. happiness
Answer:
1. spending × saving
2. happiness × misery

Question 2.
Fill in the blanks choosing the appropriate word/idiom from the lesson.
Answer:
There was a roar of laughter when the comedian cracked a joke.

Personal Response:

Question 1.
Is the author’s last decision wise?
Answer:
No, the author’s last decision is not wise. It is risky to keep money in the trousers pocket or in a sock; the money could be stolen. On the contrary you will get interest on the money if you keep it in a bank.

Simple Activities:

Question 1.
Write two compound words of your own.
Answer:
doorway, moonlight

Question 2.
Make a meaningful sentence using the phrase ‘in some alarm’.
Answer:
The man looked at the gun in his friend’s hand in some alarm.

Question 3.
Spot the error and correct the sentence:
The manager being a grave, calm man.
Answer:
The manager was a grave, calm man.

Question 4.
Pick out a gerund from the given sentence and use it in your own sentence:
All the clerks had stopped writing.
Answer:
writing-gerund.
Sentence: The girl began writing very late.

Question 5.
Identify the type of sentence:
Come in here.
Answer:
Imperative sentence

Question 6.
Pick out the word which cannot be formed by using the letters of the given word:
sepulchral-clear, pleas, crease, lurch.
Answer:
crease

Question 7.
Form the present and past participle of a verb in which the last letter is doubled.
Answer:
plan-planned, planning

Question 8.
Write the following words in alphabetical order:
prepared, pocket, painful, presume
Answer:
painful, pocket, prepared, presume

Medium-Level Activities:

Question 1.
Use the following word and its homophone in two separate sentences: write
Answer:
(a) I love to write poems and stories.
(b) We must always try to do the right thing.

Question 2.
“Are you not going to deposit any more?” said the clerk, astonished. (Rewrite using indirect speech.)
Answer:
The clerk asked in astonishment whether I was not going to deposit any more.

Question 3.
I was writing the cheque. (Use the future perfect tense of the verb.)
Answer:
I shall have written the cheque.

Question 4.
Prepare a word register of four words related to bank.
Answer:
bank – deposit, cheque, passbook, draft, account, withdrawal, credit, cashier, debit.

Challenging Activities:

Question 1.
I went up to the wicket marked ‘Accountant’.
(Rewrite as a complex sentence.)
Answer:
I went up to the wicket which was marked ‘Accountant’.

Question 2.
“Can I see the manager?” (Pick out the modal auxiliary and state its function.)
Answer:
Can-permission

Maharashtra State Board Class 9 English Solutions

Balbharti Maharashtra State Board Class 9 English Solutions Kumarbharati Chapter 2.5 Autumn Notes, Textbook Exercise Important Questions and Answers.

Maharashtra State Board Class 9 English Kumarbharati Solutions Chapter 2.5 Autumn

English Kumarbharati 9th Solutions Chapter 2.5 Autumn Textbook Questions and Answers

Warming up:

1. What changes do you see in nature in each of the following seasons? A few sentences are given below as examples. Use these and your own to describe a season appropriately.

• New grass sprouts.
• We see mist in the morning.
• Tender leaves shoot out on plants or trees.
• There are sudden showers and
• Migratory birds return. hailstorms.
• The sun shines brighter than before.
• Trees blossom.

Question 1.
What changes do you see in nature in each of the following seasons? Use the sentences given on textbook page 49 and your own to describe each season appropriately.
Answer:
(a) Summer:

1. Migratory birds return.
2. The sun shines brighter than before.
3. Many trees blossom.
4. Humidity in the air increases.

(b) Winter:

1. We see fog in the morning.
2. Nights become longer and the days shorter.
3. There may sometimes be hail or snow in some places.
4. Humidity levels in the air decrease.

(c) Monsoon:

1. New grass sprouts.
2. Tender leaves shoot out on plants and trees.
3. There are sudden showers and hailstorms.
4. There is the fresh smell of wet earth.

Question a.
Name the six seasons according to the Indian calendar. Which of these seasons is equivalent to Autumn?
Answer:
The six seasons according to the Indian calendar are :
Vasant, Grishma, Varsha, Sharad, Hemant and Shishir. Sharad Ritu is equivalent to Autumn.

Question b.
What changes do we see in the life of human beings when the season changes? Write with reference to their (a) clothes (b) diet
(c) celebrations.
Answer:
(a) clothes :
Points :

1. summer: wear cotton clothes – loose garments – head protection like caps, turbans – open shoes – goggles – long-sleeved shirts, blouses for protection from rays of sun, etc.
2. winter: sweaters, mufflers, closed shoes, sometimes gloves, socks, etc.
3. monsoon : light synthetic clothes – rubber or plastic footwear – umbrellas or raincoats, etc.

(b) diet :
Points :

1. summer : more liquids-fresh fruits and juices – less spice, less oil, light diet, etc.
2. winter : more oil, heavy food – hot food – special types of food which provide warmth – etc.
3. monsoon : only cooked food – boiled water – less liquids – more foods that will give internal warmth, etc.

(c) celebrations :
Points :

1. summer – Many Hindu festivals like Holi, Gudi padva, holidays – harvest festivals – family get-togethers, etc.
2. winter – many weddings, parties – festivals like Diwali, Christmas, New Year, etc.
3. monsoon – many festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi, farmers’ festivals, busy season for farmers, etc.

2. Guess what is personified and fill in the gaps. Choose from the brackets.
(Sun, alarm, bird, car, wind, stars, machine)

Question 1.
Guess what is personified and fill in the gaps with words from the brackets :
(sun, alarm, bird, car, wind, stars, machine) (The answers are given directly.)
(a) The weary ……… was also petrol – hungry.
(b) The playful …….. whistled among the trees.
(c) The annoying ……. screamed at 5 am.
(d) The naughty …….. winked at me from above.
(e) The rising ……. stretched its arms.
(f) The cheerful …… sang as it perched on a tree.
(g) The tireless …….. hummed as it worked hard.
Answer:
(a) The weary car was also petrol-hungry.
(b) The playful wind whistled among the trees.
(c) The annoying alarm screamed at 5 a.m.
(d) The naughty stars winked at me from above.
(e) The rising sun stretched its arms.
(f) The cheerful bird sang as it perched on a tree.
(g) The tireless machine hummed as it worked hard.

English Workshop:

1. Find three lines each, that contain images of nature in the autumn season. ..

Question 1.
Find three lines each, that contain images of nature in the autumn season :
(a) During daytime
1. ……………………..
2. ……………………..
3. ……………………..
(b) At night
1. ……………………..
2. ……………………..
3. ……………………..
Answer:
(a) During daytime :

1. With nodding rice-stems in her hair.
2. And lilies in her face.
3. In flowers of grasses she is clad.

(b) At night :

1. A diadem adorns the night! Of multitudinous stars.
2. Her silken robe is white moonlight.
3. And on her face (the radiant moon).

2. Pick out words from the poem that describe the following. List them in Column ‘A’. Substitute each of those describing words with another word/phrase of the same meaning.

Question 1.
Pick out words from the poem that describe the following. List them in Column A. Substitute each of those describing words with another word/ phrase of the same meaning.
Answer:

	A (Poetic words)	B (Your own words)
1. The Autumn	A maiden fair	A beautiful maiden
2. Stars	Multitudinous	Numerous, Countless
3. Moonlight	White	Silvery
4. Cooing of birds	A bracelet’s tinkling	A musical sound

3. Find one example of each of the following from the poem :
Simile
Metaphor

Question 1.
Simile
Answer:
Simile – Birds greet her with their cooing glad, Like a bracelet’s tinkling sound.

Question 2.
Metaphor
Answer:
Metaphor – The Autumn comes, a fair maiden.

4. Write the rhyme scheme of the poem.

Question 1.
Write the rhyme scheme of the poem.
Answer:
The rhyme scheme is ababcdcd.

5. Think and write in your own words.

Question a.
Why is the maiden Autumn said to wear rice stems in her hair?
Answer:
Probably the harvest of the rice crop is just over at the beginning of Autumn; hence the maiden Autumn is said to wear rice stems in her hair.

Question b.
How can the tender maiden Autumn become a full grown woman? What change in nature does it imply?
Answer:
When the Autumn season is just beginning, Autumn is a tender maiden, young and graceful. As the season progresses and sets in properly, she becomes a full grown, mature woman. It implies that time has passed and the season has changed.

Question c.
Why do you think that birds greet the autumn season gladly?
Answer:
Probably the birds enjoy the cool autumn after the hot summer. They may also get more grains and seeds to eat.

6. Compare the Indian Monsoon season to a powerful king of a prosperous kingdom. Write down a few similarities. Use them to compose a poem of your own.

Question 1.
Compare the Indian Monsoon season to a powerful king of a prosperous kingdom. Write down a few similarities. Use them to compose a poem of your own.
Answer:
(Students may attempt this on their own.)

7. Which is your favourite ‘Nature’ poem from your mother tongue? Write the poem and try to translate it into English. Your translation can be in the form of a poem or a paraphrase.

Question 1.
Which is your favourite ‘Nature’ poem from your mother tongue? Write the poem and try to translate it into English. Your translation can be in the form of a poem or a paraphrase.
Answer:
(Students may attempt this on their own.)

8. Read the ode ‘To Autumn’ by the famous poet John Keats. ‘Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness…’

Question 1.
Read the ode ‘To Autumn’ by the famous poet John Keats. ‘Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness…’

English Kumarbharati 9th Digest Chapter 2.5 Autumn Additional Important Questions and Answers

Read the following poem carefully and complete the activities:

Simple Factual Activity:

1. Complete the web:
(The answers are underlined directly.)

Complex Factual Activities:

Question 1.
What is the cooing of birds compared to?
Answer:
The cooing of birds is compared to the tinkling song of a bracelet.

Question 2.
How does Autumn dress up at night?
Answer:
At night Autumn wears a twinkling crown made of countless stars. Her robe of silk is the white moonlight, set free from the cloudy patches.

Question 3.
Why is Autumn called a ‘maiden fair’?
Answer:
Autumn is said to be slender and graceful. She has adorned herself by having rice-stems in her hair and lilies in her face. She is dressed in flowers of grasses. Hence, she is called a ‘maiden fair’.

Paragraph Format:

In the poem ‘Autumn’, the poet Kalidas has lovingly and picturesquely described the advent of the Autumn season. The original poem in Sanskrit is translated into English by Prof. A. W. Ryder.

The Rhyme Scheme is ababcdcd. A Figure of Speech that stands out is Alliteration: ‘She seems a slender maid, who soon…’. Repetition of the sound of the letter ‘s’. Other figures of speech are Simile and Metaphor.

The poet has compared Autumn to a slender and graceful maiden who has adorned herself in various ways.
The poem is enchanting because of the imagery and the beautiful, imaginative description of Autumn. It shows us the imagination of the poet. Autumn is personified in the entire poem and compared to a slender and graceful maiden.

Maharashtra State Board Class 9 English Solutions

Balbharti Maharashtra State Board Class 9 English Solutions Kumarbharati Chapter 4.5 Tansen Notes, Textbook Exercise Important Questions and Answers.

Maharashtra State Board Class 9 English Kumarbharati Solutions Chapter 4.5 Tansen

English Kumarbharati 9th Solutions Chapter 4.5 Tansen Textbook Questions and Answers

Warming Up:

Question (a)
Indian Classical Music consists of many Ragas. Find out from an expert or from the internet, the names of at least 10 Ragas and the time they are sung to produce greater effect.

Answer:

Name of Raga	Effective when
1. Pahadi	evening
2. Bhairav	sung in the morning
3. Deepak	evening
4. Malkous	small hours of the morning
5. Yaman	sunset to late evening
6. Bhimpalasi	late afternoon to sunset
7. Kedar	late evening to midnight
8. Jog	small hours of the morning
9. Bhairavi	often at the end of a long musical performance.
10. Gaud Malhar	monsoon

(Students can find more information from the Internet.)

Question (b)
Archaic words are those that are no longer used in a language, but sometimes their usage adds a historical or old-times flavour to a piece of writing.
Examples:

1. behold – look
2. afeared – frightened
3. forsooth – indeed
4. hither – this place

Now find out some archaic words from your mother tongue or another language that you are proficient in and write down at least ten of them, and against each, their modern equivalent and meaning in English.

Answer:

Archaic word	Modem equivalent	Meaning in English
1.
2.

(Students can find out from their parents or other elders, and attempt this in their own mother tongue.)

Question (c)
There are many legends about the ‘nine gems’ in Akbar’s Court. Can you name some of the nine gems and the stories associated with them?
Answer:
The nine gems of Akbar’s court were:

1. Abu’l Fazi ibn Mubarak
2. Raja Todar Mai
3. Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khana
4. Raja Birbal
5. Mulla Do-Piyaza
6. Faizi
7. Fakir Aziao-Din
8. Tansen and
9. Raja Man Singh I.

There Eire plenty of Akbar-Birbal stories and those of Akbar and Tansen that are famous.
(Students can read these stories either from the library or from the internet.)

English Workshop:

1. Pick out the archaic words from the poem and give their modern equivalents:

Question 1.
Pick out the archaic words from the poem and give their modern equivalents:

Answer:

Archaic Words	Modem Equivalents
1. thy	your
2. thine	yours
3. ’twere	it were
4. o’er	over
5. thee	you

2. Write who said the following words, to whom, and when:

Question 2.
Write who said the following words, to whom, and when:
(The answers are given directly and underlined.)
Answer:

The expression/sentences	Who said it	To whom	When
1. “Ah, no, to thee I sing: he sings to God.”	Tansen	Akbar	When Akbar asks him to sing the same musical composition that Ostad had sung, in the same way.
2. ‘What theme this is that holds the soul enchanted.’	Akbar	Tansen	When Akbar hears the beautiful musical composition that Ostad had sung.

3. Rearrange the following in their proper order as in the poem. Write the serial number against each line:

Question 1.
Rearrange the following in their proper order as in the poem. Write the serial number against each line:
(The answer is given directly.)
Answer:
(a) The Ostad sang the Malkous Raga enchantingly. [6]
(b) Akbar followed Tansen, dressed miserably. [4]
(c) I request you to sing such a song that I will experience unmatched joy. [9]
(d) Ostad was nowhere to be seen. [8]
(e) O Divine Teacher, please gift us the joy of your song. [5]
(f) One day, the singer sang Deepak Raga in the court. [1]
(g) Akbar expressed his wish to meet the Teacher. [3]
(h) He experienced heavenly delight. [7]
(i) Tansen sings to please the earthly king but Ostad devotes his songs to God. [10]
(j) She sang Raga Malhar, which had a cooling effect. [2]

4. Write the reason in your own words:

Question (a)
Akbar strongly desired to hear Ostad (the teacher) sing.
Answer:
Akbar was enraptured with Tansen’s singing. He said that Tansen’s teacher must be and divine for Tansen to have learnt to sing so magically under his coaching. Akbar then felt that Ostad’s singing would be even better, and so he strongly desired to hear Ostad sing.

Question (b)
Akbar had to dress like a slave.
Answer:
Akbar badly wanted to meet Tansen’s teacher and hear him sing. However, the teacher did not think it worthy to sing to kings, and hence Tansen suggested that it would be better for Akbar to meet him as a poor slave. Therefore Akbar changed his kingly attire and wore the robes of a poor man.

Question (c)
After the song, Ostad had vanished.
Answer:
Ostad vanished because he probably did not; want to hear any praise or any demands for more songs.

Question (d)
Ostad’s song was more elating than Tansen’s songs.
Answer:
Ostad’s song was more elating than Tansen’s songs because Tansen sang to Akbar, a human being, while Ostad sang to God.

5. What message does the poet wish to convey through this narrative poem, ‘Tansen’?

Question 1.
What message does the poet wish to convey through this narrative poem, ‘Tansen’?
Answer:
The poet wishes to convey that one can reach great heights in one’s field if one becomes unworldly and devotes one’s talents to someone or something higher than mere human beings.

6. Summarise the poem in your own words in 8-10 lines, highlighting only the main points.

Question 1.
Summarise the poem in your own words in 8-10 lines, highlighting only the main points.
Answer:

Tansen

Tansen was a singer in Akbar’s court. One day, he sang the Deepak Raga so well that Akbar was enraptured. He wished to meet the teacher at whose feet Tansen had learnt to sing so magically. However, the teacher lived in a remote cave in the Himalayas. He shunned wealth and disdained to sing to earthly kings. Akbar donned the clothes of a slave and went with Tansen to meet him. On their request, Ostad sang the Malkous Raga. It was so enchanting that Akbar felt as if he had been transported to Heaven. Soon after this, Ostad vanished. Akbar asked Tansen whether he could sing the same musical composition that Ostad had sung. Tansen replied that he could not, for he, Tansen, sang to earthly kings, while his Ostad sang to God.

English Kumarbharati 9th Digest Chapter 4.5 Tansen Additional Important Questions and Answers

Simple Factual Activity:

Question 1.
Say whether the following statements are True or False:
Answer:
(The answers are given directly and underlined.)

1. Akbar was fond of music. True
2. Malhar is the Song of Fire. False
3. Akbar rewarded Tansen for his singing. True
4. Tansen did not come back to normal. False

Question 2.
Write who said the following words, to whom, and when:
(The answers are given directly and underlined.)
Answer:

Utterance	Who said it	To whom	When
“Mighty thy teacher must be and divine.”	Akbar	Tansen	After hearing the wonderful Deepak Raga.
“He dwells within a cave of Himalay.”	Tansen	Akbar	When Akbar praised Tansen and asked him about his teacher.
“As you desire, Huzoor.”	Tansen	Akbar	When Akbar told Tansen that he wanted to see the teacher and hear him sing.
“O Holy Master, bless us with thy song!”	Akbar and Tansen	The teacher	When they met the teacher in the mountains.

Complex Factual Activity:

Question 1.
How did Akbar reward Tansen for the ecstatic effect of his singing?
Answer:
Akbar rewarded Tansen by praising him, gifting him a lot of jewels and calling him the chief jewel in his diadem.

Question 2.
What happened to Tansen when he sang the Deepak Raga with great fervour?
Answer:
When Tansen sang the Deepak Raga with great fervour, his body burst into flames and burnt like a pyre.

Question 3.
How did he (Tansen) come back to normal again?
Answer:
He(Tansen) came back to normal again when a maiden sang Malhar, the song of cold water, and put out the fire.

Question 4.
What does the incident tell us about Tansen’s singing?
Answer:
The incident tells us that Tansen’s singing was whole-hearted, magical and divine.

Question 5.
What did Tansen tell Akbar about his teacher?
Answer:
Tansen told Akbar that his teacher stayed in a remote cave in the Himalayas, far away from the unworthy crowds, scorning worldly wealth. He did not think it worthy to sing to kings, and hence Tansen suggested that it would be better for Akbar to meet him as a poor slave.

Question 6.
What was the magical effect of Ostad’s rendering the Malkous Raga?
Answer:
When Ostad sang the Malkous Raga, the birds and beasts gathered around, enchanted with the song. Akbar felt waves of heavenly rapture. He felt his soul was enchanted and his heart was filled with delight.

Question 7.
What happened before Akbar could come out of his trance?
Answer:
Ostad had vanished before Akbar could come out of his trance.

Question 8.
Why did Tansen’s singing not produce the same effect as that by Ostad?
Answer:
Tansen’s singing did not produce the same effect as that by Ostad because Tansen sang to Akbar – a human being – while Ostad sang to God.

Activities based on Poetic Devices:

Question 1.
Pick out the rhyming pairs of words in the first six lines.
Answer:
Rhyming words: Court – Fort, bells – tells, gem – diadem.

Question 2.
‘His voice rang like the sound of silver bells.’ Pick out and explain the figure of speech in this line.
Answer:
Simile: His voice is compared to the sound of silver bells, with the use of the word ‘like’.

Question 3.
Pick out the rhyming words in the last six lines of the extract. What is the rhyme scheme?
Answer:
Rhyming words are: slave – cave, feet – sweet, long – song. The rhyme scheme is aa, in rhyming couplets.

Question 4.
Pick out the figure of speech in the sentence:
‘He felt the waves of heavenly rapture roll.’
Answer:
The figure of speech is Alliteration; repetition of the sound of the letter ‘r’.

Point Format (for understanding)

• Title: Tansen
• Poet: Hazrat Inayat Khan
• Rhyme Scheme: The poem is in rhyming couplets. So the rhyme scheme is aa.
• Figure of Speech: Alliteration. ‘Tell me, Tansen, what theme this is that holds’. Repetition of the sound of the letter ‘t’. The other figures of speech are Simile and Inversion.
• Theme/Central idea: This narrative poem depicts Akbar’s appreciation of Tansen’s singing, his meeting with Tansen’s teacher, and what he felt during this meeting. The final lines lead to the climax of the narration.

Paragraph Format:

‘Tansen’ by Hazrat Inayat Khan is a narrative poem depicting Akbar’s appreciation of Tansen’s singing, his meeting with Tansen’s teacher, and what he felt during this meeting. The final lines lead to the climax of the narration.

The poem is in rhyming couplets. So the Rhyme Scheme is aa. A Figure of Speech : Alliteration: ‘Tell me, Tansen, what theme this is that holds’ – Repetition of the sound of the letter ‘t’. The other figures of speech are Simile and Inversion.

The poet wishes to convey that one can reach great heights in one’s field if one becomes unworldly and devotes one’s talents to someone or something higher than mere human beings. The story is told systematically and logically and can be easily understood.

Maharashtra State Board Class 9 English Solutions

Balbharti Maharashtra State Board Class 9 English Solutions Kumarbharati Chapter 2.6 The Past in the Present Notes, Textbook Exercise Important Questions and Answers.

Maharashtra State Board Class 9 English Kumarbharati Solutions Chapter 2.6 The Past in the Present

English Kumarbharati 9th Solutions Chapter 2.6 The Past in the Present Textbook Questions and Answers

Warming up:

1. We find the following in the script of a skit | or play. Rearrange the steps in these proper j order and write them down in the form of a flow chart:

Question 1.
We find the following in the script of a skit | or play. Rearrange the steps in these proper j order and write them down in the form of a flow chart:
Answer:

2. Think of a play/skit which you have seen enacted on the stage and which has impressed you. Write the following details about it.

• Name of the play/skit: ……………………………..
• Important characters: ……………………………..
• Any famous actors/actresses: ……………………………..
• Theme: ……………………………..
• Climax: ……………………………..
• Ending: ……………………………..
• Use of lights and special effects if any: ……………………………..
• Use of background music and sound effects if any: ……………………………..
• Use of sets: ……………………………..
• The costumes, make up, etc. of the characters: ……………………………..
• How well the actors present the play and behave on the stage: ……………………………..
• Your own opinion about the play: ……………………………..

Question 1.
Think of a play/skit which you have seen enacted on the stage and which has impressed you. Write the following details about it:
Answer:
1. Name of the play: Pygmalion (My Fair Lady)
2. Important characters: Professor Henry Higgins, Eliza Dolittle, Colonel Pickering, Mr. Dolittle (Eliza’s father) and Professor Higgins’ mother.
3. Any famous actors/actresses: No. The cast is made up of newcomers.

4. Theme: Bernard Shaw’s ‘Pygmalion’ centres round a bet made by Professor Henry Higgins, a well-know phonetician, with his best friend Colonel Pickering. The professor states that he can change a flower girl’s entire behaviour and speech in such a way that in a few months she can be passed off as a duchess.

5. Climax: The scene between Eliza and Professor Higgins, when she throws away the jewellery he had given her, and they have a grand fight.

6. Ending: An ambiguous ending, left to the imagination of the viewer.
7. Use of lights and special effects, if any: The lights change frequently to depict various scenes and places.

8. Use of background music and sound effects, if any: This is a musical, with superb foot-tapping music and amusing lyrics. The sound effects and background music add authenticity to the market place scene, Eliza’s diction, the Professor’s anger, etc. and are excellent.

9. Use of sets: The sets change appropriately as per the needs of the play. There is not much time wasted in between acts.

10. The costumes, make-up, etc. of the characters: Excellent. The costumes of the early and mid-20th century are entrancing. The big hats with feathers, the lovely gowns, the Professor’s elaborate I suits, etc. are a sight to behold. The make-up is suitable.

11. How well the actors present the play and behave on the stage: The dialogue delivery and the movement of the actors on stage was smooth and flawless. The song-and-dance sequences were enacted perfectly.

12. Your own opinion about the play: An excellent and interesting play, with a classic British sense of humour. The characters portray this sense of humour very well. As a result, every single sentence is worth listening to, and every single song is melodious and meaningful.

3. Present these points in the form of a review, and give it a suitable title.

Question 1.
Present these points in the form of a review, and give it a suitable title.
Answer:

Review of ‘Pygmalion’ Bernard Shaw’s ‘Pygmalion’ centres round a bet made by Professor Henry Higgins, a well-know phonetician, with his best friend Colonel Pickering. The professor states that he can change a flower girl’s entire behaviour and speech in such a way that in a few months she can be passed off as a duchess.

The important characters in the play are Professor Henry Higgins, Eliza Dolittle, Colonel Pickering, Mr. Dolittle (Eliza’s father) and Professor Higgins’ mother. The play has been performed by newcomers, and there are no known names. It is a musical, with superb foot-tapping music and amusing lyrics. The sound effects, sets and use of lights add authenticity to the market place scene, Eliza’s diction, the Professor’s anger, etc. and are excellent.

The climax is the scene between Eliza and Professor Higgins, where she angrily flings the jewellery he had given her, and they have a grand fight, resulting in Eliza walking off from the house. The ending is ambiguous and left to the imagination of the viewer.

The costumes of the early and mid – 20th century are entrancing. The big hats with feathers, the lovely gowns, the Professor’s elaborate suits, etc. are a sight to behold. The dialogue delivery and the movement of the actors on stage is smooth and flawless. The song- and-dance sequences are enacted perfectly.

Overall, an excellent and interesting play, with a classic British sense of humour. The characters portray this sense of humour very well. As a result, every single sentence is worth listening to, and every single song is melodious and meaningful.

4. Prepare a ‘power point’ presentation, using one slide for each of the above points. Present your review in a PPT format in the classroom.

Question 1.
Prepare a ‘power point’ presentation, using one slide for each of the above points. Present your review in a PPT format in the classroom.
Answer:
(Students can prepare the PPT in their Computer labs.)

English Workshop:

1. In the diagram below encircle the various features that make the script of a skit! play. List the other words and mention the form of writing of which it is a feature.

Question 1.
In the diagram below encircle the various features that make the script of a skit! play. List the other words and mention the form of writing of which it is a feature.
Answer:

1. Sender’s address – Part of a letter.
2. Salutation – Part of a letter.
3. Leadline – Part of a news report.
4. Diagram – Part of non-verbal communication.

2. Choose the proper alternative to complete the following:

Question i.
The skit covers a period of about ………………. in the past.
(a) 3000 years
(b) 1000 years
(c) 5000 years
(d) 1800 years
Answer:
(c) 5000 years

Question ii.
…………….. characters from Neel’s ancestral lineage make an appearance in the play.
(a) Fourteen
(b) Seven
(c) Sixteen
(d) Twelve
Answer:
(a) Fourteen

Question iii.
The task that all boys abhorred was ……………. .
(a) cleaning up their room
(b) farm-work
(c) filling up water
(d) making their beds
Answer:
(d) making their beds

Question iv.
The skit conveys that doing your daily chores at home ………………. .
(a) make you stronger
(b) sharpens your intellect
(c) saves a lot of expenses
(d) inculcates a sense of responsibility
Answer:
(d) inculcates a sense of responsibility

3. Fill in the table 

Question 1.
Fill in the table.
Answer:

4. Answer in your own words.

Question a.
What excuses did Neel give to avoid cleaning his room?
Answer:
Neel says that he is going out to meet his friends. He then says that he had cleaned his room just two days earlier. He wonders why it needs to be cleaned daily, for it makes no difference.

Question b.
Why does mother tell Neel about his Grandpa?
Answer:
Mother tells Neel about his Grandpa to make him realize that Grandpa had many more daily chores to finish than him, Neel, and much tougher ones too. He also had to make his bed, just like Neel would have to.

Question c.
What task did Grandpa wish to avoid?
Answer:
Grandpa wished to avoid the task of making his bed.

Question d.
What did the ancestor from 1910 wish to do instead of making his bed?
Answer:
The ancestor from 1910 wished to go to the riverside with his friends instead of making his bed.

Question e.
How many chores did the ancestor from 1800 have to do?
Answer:
The ancestor from 1800 had to do about six chores.

Question f.
How is the boy from 1500s dressed?
Answer:
The boy from 1500s is dressed in a loose, sleeveless, V-neck top and a short dhoti.

Question g.
What chores did the boys from the 1st century CE do on their farms/fields?
Answer:
In the 1st century CE, the boys would feed the poultry, tend to the sheep, keep away the birds and plaster the yard with dung.

Question h.
What did Neel realize from his encounter with his ancestors?
Answer:
From his encounter with his ancestors, Neel realized that at that time teenage boys had chores to do outdoors as well as in their homes. They also had to make their beds.

5. In the play two devices that make use of wheels are given.
The devices are 1. …………….., 2. ………………..
From the internet or other sources, trace the history of the use of the wheel. Write ‘An Autobiography of a Wheel’.

Question a
In the play, two devices that make use of wheels are given. The devices are:
Answer:
The devices are: 1. bicycle, 2. grinders

Question b.
From the internet and other sources, trace the history of the use of the wheel.
(Students can attempt this on their own.)

6. Imagine that the ancestor from 1910 CE visits Neel in his dream. Compose a dialogue between the two about the various gadgets the visitor sees in Neel’s room

Question 1.
Imagine that the ancestor from 1910 CE visits Neel in his dream. Compose a dialogue between the two about the various gadgets the visitor sees in Neel’s room
Answer:

• Neel: Hello! Who are you, Sir?
• Ancestor: I am your great-great-grandfather, Neel. I have heard a lot about your life, and I came to see you. Oh my! What are all these things here?
• Neel: All these things? What things, great, great Grandpa?
• Ancestor: This box here and that one there and this …
• Neel: Oh, this is my TV set and that is my laptop. Haven’t you ever seen these things? This is my mobile phone.
• Ancestor: TV? What is it? And phone – no, no, this is not a phone! Such a tiny thing!
  (Students can continue this conversation in this manner.)

7. Imagine and compare an argumentative dialogue between the mothers of the 2OthJ2lst century and those of the earlier era, about which life was better for women.

Question 1.
Imagine and compare an argumentative dialogue between the mothers of the 2OthJ2lst century and those of the earlier era, about which life was better for women.
Answer:

• 21st Century mother: There’s no question. Your life was certainly better, Rukmini.
• 19th Century mother: Better, Reena? You mean, bending over the old wood stove and the grinding stone was better?
• 21st Century mother: That may have been difficult, Rukmini, but otherwise your life was peaceful. You only had to look after the home and family. While today, we …
• 19th Century mother: ‘Only look after home and family’? That was a full-time job! There were no short cuts like takeaways and ready-made stuff! And what about freedom? The freedom you have!
• 21st Century mother: Freedom with chains! I have to work hard both at home and in the office. I have to be a ‘supermom’ and ‘superboss’! Do you know how terrible it is?
  (Students can continue the dialogue in this manner.)

8. Read the entry about ‘voice’ in the ‘Language Study’ pages. Note that the speeches of all the boys are in the ‘active’ voice. Turn them into passive constructions.
Example:
Neel – I put the dishes in the dishwasher. (active)
Dishes have been put in the dishwasher. (passive)
195 Boy – I have watered the garden
………………………………………..
brought home the groceries
………………………………………..
dusted the living room
………………………………………..
cleaned my bicycle…

9. Think of suitable names for the boys from the earlier centuries.

Question 1.
Think of suitable names for the boys from the earlier centuries.
Answer:
(Some examples: Vitthal, Namdeo, Manu, etc.)

10. Form groups of 5-8. Translate the play into your mother tongue (or Hindi) as a group activity. Enact the translation in the classroom.

11. Read ‘The Story of the Amulet’ by E. Nesbit.

English Kumarbharati 9th Digest Chapter 2.6 The Past in the Present Additional Important Questions and Answers

Read the following passages carefully and complete the activities:

Simple Factual Activity:

Question 1.
Fill in the blanks:
Answer:

1. Neel puts the dishes in the dishwasher.
2. Neel had cleaned his room two days earlier.
3. Neel forgets to make his bed.
4. Neel’s mother remembers something about his Grandpa.

Question 2.
Write if the following sentences are True or False:
Answer:

1. The 1910s boy was wearing loose trousers and a shirt. False
2. The 1910s boy did many outdoor chores. True
3. The 1800s boy was rude to his mother. False
4. The 1800s boy wanted to play Ashtapada with his friends. False

Question 3.
Name the following:
Answer:

1. The game the 3000 BCE boy wishes to play: Chaupar
2. The yard is plastered with this: dung
3. The game the 100 CE boy wishes to play: Bagh-chal
4. Pots for cooking are made of this: mud

Question 4.
Complete the web :
(The answers are directly underlined.)
Answer:

Activity-based on Vocabulary:

Question 1.
Write the antonyms of the following:

1. necessary
2. forgot
3. late
4. tougher

Answer:

1. necessary × unnecessary
2. forgot × remembered
3. late × early
4. tougher × easier.

Question 2.
Match the given verbs with the nouns:

A	B
1. fetched	(a) yard
2. cleared	(b) water
3. swept	(c) weeds
4. pulled out	(d) channels
	(e) walls

Answer:

A	B
1. fetched	(b) water
2. cleared	(d) channels
3. swept	(a) yard
4. pulled out	(c) weeds

Question 2.
Fill in the blanks with the correct verbs from the brackets:
(fixed, washed, took, chopped)
The 1800s boy ……….. clothes, ………….. wood, ……….. the broken fence and ………….. the goats up to the hills to graze.
Answer:
The 1800s boy washed clothes, chopped wood, fixed the broken fence and took the goats up to the hills to graze.

Question 3.
Give the plurals of:

1. jewellery
2. wood
3. grandfather
4. terrace

Answer:

1. jewellery – jewellery
2. wood – wood
3. grandfather – grandfathers
4. terrace – terraces.

Question 4.
Give the noun forms of the following:

1. recede
2. enter
3. repeat
4. impossible

Answer:

1. recede – recession
2. enter – entry
3. repeat – repetition
4. impossible – impossibility

Activities based on Contextual Grammar:

Rewrite the following sentences in the passive voice:

Question 1.
I have watered the garden.
Answer:
The garden has been watered.

Question 2.
I have brought home the groceries.
Answer:
The groceries have been brought home.

Question 3.
I have dusted the living room.
Answer:
The living room has been dusted.

Question 4.
I have cleaned my bicycle.
Answer:
The bicycle has been cleaned.

Question 5.
Mummy, I collected wood for the stove.
Answer:
Mummy, wood for the stove has been collected.

Question 6.
I fixed the broken fence.
Answer:
The broken fence has been fixed.

Question 7.
Rewrite the sentence in passive voice:
I fed the poultry.
Answer:
The poultry have been fed.

Question 8.
Rewrite using the modal auxiliary for permission:
I need your kind permission to go out and play Chaupar with my friends.
Answer:
May I go out and play Chaupar with my friends?

Rewrite the following sentences as assertive sentences:

Question 1.
Is it necessary to clean up every day?
Answer:
It is not necessary to clean up every day.

Question 2.
What difference does it make?
Answer:
It does not make any difference.

Personal Response:

Question 1.
Do you think you should make your bed every day?
Answer:
Yes. In a dusty and tropical country like ours, we have to see that the beds are clean and dust- free. It also feels better to lie down on a clean and fresh bed. So we must make the beds every day.

Question 2.
Do you do any chores in the house? What chores?
Answer:
I dust the furniture every day. I lay and clear the table before and after every meal. I fold clothes and keep them in the cupboard. These are my daily chores, besides keeping my own things like books, shoes, etc. in their proper places.

Question 3.
What do you do when you have to do a chore that you do not like?
Answer:
If I have to do a chore that I don’t like, I first try to see if I can avoid it in some way, like getting someone to do it for me. If it is not a very important chore, like making beds, I ignore it till my mother shouts at me. If it is an important chore that cannot be avoided, I hurry up and do it as fast as I can to get it over with.

Question 4.
Which life would you prefer: your life of today or the life of a teenager in 3000 BCE?
Answer:
I would certainly prefer my life of today. It is more interesting and I have more freedom. Life at any time without the computer, the TV and the mobile phone would have been terribly dull and boring. Oh, yes, life today is much better than it could have been in 3000 BCE.

Add question tags to the following statements:

Question 1.
That’s your daily work.
Answer:
That’s your daily work, isn’t it?

Question 2.
I also chopped the wood.
Answer:
I also chopped the wood, didn’t I?

Complex Factual Activity :

Question 1.
How is the boy from 1500s dressed?
Answer:
The boy from 1500s is dressed in a loose, sleeveless, V-neck top and a short dhoti.

Question 2.
What chores did the boys from 1000 CE do on their farms/fields?
Answer:
The boys from 1000 CE had to fetch water, clear blocked channels, water the crops and pull out the weeds.

Activities based on Contextual Grammar:

Question 1.
Rewrite the following sentence in the passive voice:
I have fetched vegetables from our farm.
Answer:
Vegetables have been fetched from our farm.

Question 2.
Rewrite the following sentence as an assertive sentence:
Don’t talk back.
Answer:
You should not talk back.

Question 3.
What chores did the boys from 1000 CE do on their farms/fields?
Answer:
The boys from 1000 CE had to fetch water, clear blocked channels, water the crops and pull out the weeds.

Simple Activities:

Question 1.
Write two compound words from the lesson.
Answer:
dishwasher, grandfather

Question 2.
Make a meaningful sentence using the phrase: pulled out
Answer:
The slave pulled out the thorn from the lion’s paw.

Question 3.
Spot the error in the verb/verbs and correct the sentence:
I wish I had a robot to makes my bed and tidies up my room.
Answer:
I wish I had a robot to make my bed and tidy up my room.

Question 4.
Pick out the infinitive from the given sentence:
You forgot to make your bed.
Answer:
Infinitive – to make

Question 5.
Identity the type of sentence:
Ahhh! Yes! They didn’t have any electric grinders in those days!
Answer:
Exclamatory sentence.

Question 6.
Find out two hidden words from the word:
permission
Answer:
permission – mission, prism (prison, person)

Question 7.
Pick out the verb which forms its past participle with the last letter doubled.
collect, sleep, chop, tell
Answer:
chopped

Question 8.
Write the following words in alphabetical order:
triple, recede, revered, stacked
Answer:
recede, revered, stacked, triple

Medium-Level Activities:

Question 1.
You haven’t cleaned up your room.
(Change the voice starting ‘Your
Answer:
Your room hasn’t been cleaned up.

Question 2.
Use the word ‘right’ in two separate sentences, the word having different meanings (homographs):
Answer:
(a) What you have done is not right.
(b) “Turn to the right,” said the policeman.

Question 3.
I put the dishes in the dishwasher.
(Use the past tense of the verb.)
Answer:
I put the dishes in the dishwasher.

Question 4.
Prepare a word register for clothes.
Answer:
clothes – trousers, shirt, kurta, pyjama, saree, dhoti, kurta, tunic.

Challenging Activities:

Question 1.
Use the word ‘show’ in two separate sentences, once as a noun and once as a verb.
Answer:
(a) The last show ended at midnight, (noun)
(b) “Show me your ticket,” said the doorkeeper. (verb)

Question 2.
If you try you can make such a robot.
(Pick out the clauses.)
Answer:
you can make such a robot – Main Clause If you try – subordinate clause

Working Skills:

Question 1.
Write ‘An Autobiography of a Wheel’.
Answer:
An Autobiography of a Wheel
I am very, very proud of myself, for I am considered to be one of the most important of man’s inventions. Yes, I am the wheel.
It is said that my invention was the turning point in human civilization. Of course, no one knows exactly when I was invented and by whom. As soon as I was invented and perfected, there was a revolution in the manufacturing industry. I was used for everything and by everybody – right from the potter to the assembly line of super-luxury cars. Yes, and planes and helicopters too. I am even used to go into space.

I help human beings and animals to pull things. I make work easy for them. The principle on which I work is the basic principle in many mechanical devices. Many of the things that were invented along with me have been forgotten, but I am accepted and still in demand today, in some form or the other. If I was not there, there would have been no cars, buses, trains or aeroplanes. Or even bullock carts. I know I sound proud, but that is not so. It is only that I know my own worth, and that I will be around as long as the wheel of time turns!

Maharashtra State Board Class 9 English Solutions

Balbharti Maharashtra State Board Class 9 English Solutions Kumarbharati Chapter 4.3 Intellectual Rubbish Notes, Textbook Exercise Important Questions and Answers.

Maharashtra State Board Class 9 English Kumarbharati Solutions Chapter 4.3 Intellectual Rubbish

English Kumarbharati 9th Solutions Chapter 4.3 Intellectual Rubbish Textbook Questions and Answers

Warming Up:

1. How will you react in the following situations?

Question (a)
Your Science teacher tells you plants exposed to the sunlight grow faster than those always in the shade.
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
Answer:
Points: change the location of your plants – disbelieve her, try some experiments, etc.

Question (b)
Your aunt tells you not to go for a job interview because it’s a no moon day, that very same day.
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
Answer:
Points: you ignore her words – you listen to her words – you ask for proof etc.

Question (c)
Your friend argues with you that Mount Everest is not the highest peak in the world.
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
Answer:
Points: you pity his ignorance – you believe him – you look up the internet to check, etc.

Question (d)
A stranger at your door claims to be a magician and promises your mother to turn all her silver jewellery into gold.
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
Answer:
Points: you slam the door – you call the police – you try to trick him, you give the gold, etc.

2. What do you notice about the following pairs of words?

Question (a)
What do you notice about the following pairs of words?

1. act naturally
2. liquid gas
3. open secret
4. sound of silence
5. sweet sorrow
6. original copy
7. only choice
8. growing smaller

Answer:
They are all contrasting pairs of words used together. Such contrasting pairs of words that go together are called Oxymorons.

Now try to add a contradictory word (Oxymoron) to the following:

Question (a)
What a ……………… mess you’ve got us into!
Answer:
What a wonderful mess you’ve got us into!

Question (b)
It’s a …………… imitation of a diamond necklace.
Answer:
It’s a genuine imitation of a diamond necklace.

Question (c)
My trip to Matheran was a …………. holiday.
Answer:
My trip to Matheran was a working holiday.

Question (d)
With such heavy makeup, she looks ……………. ugly.
Answer:
With such heavy make-up, she looks pretty ugly.

Question (e)
A ……………. crowd gathered to see the magic show.
Answer:
A tiny crowd gathered to see the magic show.

Note:- Contrasting words that go together are examples of the language device called Oxymoron.

English Workshop:

1. The following expressions are a combination of a noun preceded by a describing word.
Replace the describing words with as many others as you can, that go with the underlined nouns.
eg. silly mistake, grave mistake, careless mistake, obvious mistake etc.

Question (a)
fatal mistake
Answer:
silly mistake, grave mistake, careless mistake, obvious mistake.

Question (b)
foreign customs
Answer:
established customs, local customs, traditional customs, age-old customs.

Question (c)
unappetizing diet
Answer:
nutritious diet, healthy diet, unhealthy diet, strict diet, balanced diet, staple diet, vegetarian diet.

Question (d)
plentiful supply
Answer:
sufficient supply, regular supply, continuous supply, irregular supply.

Question (e)
simple device
Answer:
complicated device, expensive device, helpful device, useless device, clever device, ingenious device, safety device.

Question (f)
savage controversy
Answer:
raging controversy, bitter controversy, unending controversy, fierce controversy.

Question (g)
modern technique
Answer:
new technique, conventional technique, advanced technique, simple technique.

Question (h)
foolish custom:
Answer:
quaint custom, ancient custom, Indian custom, accepted custom.

2. Use the following idioms/expressions in sentences of your own.

Question (a)
to be prone to …………………………………
Answer:
We are prone to infections during monsoon.

Question (b)
to have a difference of opinion ………………………
Answer:
If you have a difference of opinion with someone, you must settle it amicably.

Question (c)
to go beyond …………………………….
Answer:
The fight between the two women was going beyond the limits of decent behaviour.

Question (d)
to have a beneficial effect ……………………………………
Answer:
Exercising regularly has a beneficial effect on the body.

Question (e)
to have a bias ………………………………
Answer:
We should not have a bias against foreign ideas.

Question (f)
to undo ……………………………………..
Answer:
“Do not undo all the good that I have done,” said the psychiatrist to the woman.

Question (g)
to be wary of ………………………………..
Answer:
One should be wary of schemes which promise to make one rich overnight.

Question (h)
under the influence ……………………………….
Answer:
He committed the crime when he was under the influence of alcohol.

3. Say ‘WHY’?

Question (a)
One should avoid getting angry about a difference of opinion.
Answer:
One should avoid getting angry about a ; difference of opinion because if one gets angry, it will show that one’s belief is going beyond what the evidence indicates or states.

Question (b)
The writer found his stay abroad very profitable.
Answer:
The writer found his stay abroad very profitable because it helped him to become aware of foreign ideas and customs and diminish the intensity of his insular prejudice.

Question (c)
The writer grew less dogmatic and more open-minded.
Answer:
When the writer was young, he lived for some time outside his country. He became aware of foreign ideas and customs. This made him grow less dogmatic and more open-minded.

Question (d)
Men declaring that they are saints write letters to the writer.
Answer:
The writer is a renowned person. The men who declare themselves as saints want the writer to mention them in his lectures so that they get some free publicity. Hence they write letters to the writer.

Question (e)
The writer claims that all false beliefs need not be replaced by cold science.
Answer:
The writer claims that all false beliefs need not be replaced by cold science because if this is done, the world would lose some of its interest and variety.

4. Make sentences of your own to show the difference of usage of the following words:

Question (a)
1. device
2. devise
Answer:
1. Today, we make use of various devices to help us.
2. Mothers must devise ways of keeping their children out of mischief.

Question (b)
Make sentences of your own to show the difference of usage of the following homophones :
1. advice
2. advise
Answer:
1. It is very easy to give advice but difficult to follow it.
2. The teacher advised the girl not to waste time.

Question (c)
Make sentences of your own to show the difference of usage of the following homophones:
1. practice
2. practise
Answer:
1. Dowry is an evil practice prevalent in India.
2. I have to practise every day if I want to win the dance competition.

5. When a family member is very ill for long, the grandmother of the family urges everyone to send for a person who claims he can cure victims of black magic. Compose a dialogue with her, in which her granddaughter politely convinces her that she should not believe in such things.

Question 1.
When a family member is very ill for long, the grandmother of the family urges everyone to send for a person who claims he can cure victims of black magic. Compose a dialogue with her, in which her granddaughter politely convinces her that she should not believe in such things.
Answer:

• Grandmother: What a situation! Now that you have tried all your fancy modern medicines, listen to me. Call Cureybaba.
• Granddaughter: Who is he? Never heard of him.
• Grandmother: I am certain that your mother is the victim of black magic. Cureybaba will cure her. You saw him at our neighbour’s house a few days back. He is bald and …
• Granddaughter: Grandma, for Heavens Sake! Mom was ill, no doubt, but her illness has been diagnosed and it is easily curable! There are plenty of medicines in the market.
• Grandmother: She’s been ill for so long now! Granddaughter: Oh, Grandma, only for two months! The diagnosis took long.
• Grandmother: Cureybaba will cure her in one sitting.
• Granddaughter: Listen, Granny dear, these people are all frauds. If your Cureybaba was so good, why doesn’t he get some hair on his head – we know he wears a wig – or cure his horrible cough? Why doesn’t he cure his own mother who is so ill? And has he cured that poor little girl next door? No, he hasn’t. He’s a fraud, Granny.
• Grandmother: But … but, ……….
• Granddaughter: Granny, there’s no such thing as black magic. You know that full well. You have seen enough of these ‘babas’ being exposed. Then why ………….
• Grandmother: Oh, OK. If you say your mother’s 5 illness can be cured by modern medicines easily, I will forget Cureybaba and black magic. Now that I come to think of it, our other neighbour was telling me how he cheated somebody the other day ……….
• Granddaughter: There you are, Granny!

6. List the various ways of avoiding error 1 mentioned in the passage.

Question 1.
List the various ways of avoiding error 1 mentioned in the passage.
Answer:
The various ways of avoiding error are:

1. make observations yourself
2. make yourself aware of your bias
3. be on your guard when you find yourself getting angry about a difference of opinion.

7. Answer the following questions:

Question (a)
If an opinion contrary to your own makes you angry, what does it indicate?
Answer:
If an opinion contrary to my own makes me angry, it indicates that I am subconsciously aware of having no good reason for thinking as I do.

Question (b)
What are the most savage controversies about?
Answer:
The most savage controversies are about ! those matters as to which there is no good evidence either way.

Question (c)
What are the benefits of travel?
Answer:
Travelling helps you to become aware of foreign ideas and customs. You begin to accept them and get rid of your own narrow outlook.

Question (d)
Is the influence of foreign customs always beneficial?
Answer:
No, not always. Very often, the influence of foreign customs can be harmful and we must be cautious while following them.

Question (e)
What are the advantages of an imaginary argument with a person having a different bias?
Answer:
The advantage of an imaginary argument with a person having a different bias is that it is not subject to the limitations of time and space. One can have this argument at any time and at any place.

Question (f)
Why should one be wary of opinions that flatter one’s self-esteem?
Answer:
One should be wary of opinions that flatter one’s self-esteem because there may be opinions with abundant evidence to prove the exact opposite to what one believes.

Question (g)
How does fear lead us to error?
Answer:
Fear leads us to error by making us do things like inventing rumours of disaster in wartime, imagining objects of terror, such as ghosts, or by creating belief in something comforting, like the elixir of life, or heaven for ourselves and hell for our enemies.

Question (h)
Write down the way of avoiding error mentioned in the passage.
Answer:
The way of avoiding error mentioned in the passage is to try to conquer fear.

8. What is the meaning of ‘intellectual rubbish’?

Question 1.
What is the meaning of ‘intellectual rubbish’?
Answer:
This is an oxymoron, where the writer has used contrasting or contradictory words that go together. The writer uses the phrase to describe all false beliefs, baseless opinions, dogmatism, fears and superstitions of various kinds. People follow certain beliefs, ideas and customs without inquiring into their validity. Sometimes, many of these beliefs and customs lead to evil and suffering in the world.

9. Find the opposites of the following:

Question 1.
Find the opposites of the following:

1. cautious
2. dogmatic
3. contrary
4. savage
5. beneficial
6. reasonable
7. hypothetical
8. cruelty
9. immune

Answer:

1. cautious × reckless (incautious)
2. dogmatic × open-minded
3. contrary × same
4. savage × mild
5. reasonable × unreasonable
6. hypothetical × real
7. beneficial × harmful
8. cruelty × kindness/compassion
9. immune × vulnerable

10. Write an imaginary dialogue contesting opposite views on a topic of your choice, e.g. ‘Girls should learn to do all the housework and not boys.’

Question 1.
Write an imaginary dialogue contesting opposite views on a topic of your choice, e.g. ‘Girls should learn to do all the housework and not boys.’
Answer:

• Topic: Girls should learn to do all the housework and not boys
• Myself: Mom, what is this? Why should I learn to do the housework, and not Rohan?
• Mom: You are a girl. Girls have to look after the ! house.
• Myself: Why? Don’t boys live in a house?
• Mom: A woman can look after a home better than a man.
• Myself: That’s ancient history, Mom! Haven’t you heard of something called gender equality?
• Mom: These new-fangled notions of yours!
• Myself: And these notions of only girls having to do housework are all man-made. Look at the west – men and women both do housework. (… and so on. Students can complete this imaginary dialogue.)

(Some topics for imaginary dialogues: should school students be permitted to bring cell phones to school/should coaching classes be banned/should the weight of school bags be monitored/should there be entrance exams for professional courses/should i there be uniforms in schools and colleges.)

English Kumarbharati 9th Digest Chapter 4.3 Intellectual Rubbish Additional Important Questions and Answers

Simple Factual Activity:

Question 1.
Complete the following statements:
Answer:

1. Thinking that you know when in fact you don’t is a fatal mistake.
2. If the matter is one that can be settled by observation, you must make the observation yourself.
3. Many matters are less easily brought to the test of experience.
4. Most of mankind has passionate convictions on many matters.

Complex Factual Activities:

Question 1.
What erroneous notion did Aristotle have? What does his example convey to you?
Answer:
Aristotle had the erroneous notion that women had fewer teeth than men, when in fact he didn’t verily it. His example conveys to us that we must be cautious. We must not think that we know something for sure till we make the observation ourselves.

Activities based on Contextual Grammar:

Question 1.
Underline the pronouns in the following sentence:
I believe myself that hedgehogs eat black beetles, because I have been told that they do.
Answer:
I believe myself that hedgehogs eat black beetles, because I have been told that they do.

Question 2.
Rewrite the sentence replacing the gerund with an infinitive:
Thinking that you know when in fact you don’t is a fatal mistake.
Answer:
To think that you know when in fact you don’t is a fatal mistake.

Personal Response:

1. What do you feel when:

Question (a)
Someone opposes your strong belief.
Answer:
I generally get angry but later on I think about it and try to analyse the whole issue.

Question (b)
Someone insists that 2 + 2 = 5.
Answer:
I merely laugh at him/her or feel pity at his/her ignorance.

Simple Factual Activity:

Question 1.
Write if the following statements are True or False:
Answer:

1. The writer lived in many countries in his youth – True
2. It was a Chinese custom for the women to have small feet – True
3. The Manchus followed the Chinese custom – True
4. Travelling increases the intensity of insular prejudice – False

Complex Factual Activities:

Question 1.
How can you prevent yourself from developing a dogmatic attitude?
Answer:
You can prevent yourself from developing a dogmatic attitude by becoming aware of opinions held in social circles different from your own.

Question 2.
List the various ways of avoiding error mentioned in the passage.
Answer:
The various ways of avoiding error are:
1. become aware of opinions held in social circles different from your own
2. travel, and if you cannot, seek out people with whom you disagree and talk to them.

2. Use the following idioms/expressions in a sentence of your own.

Question 1.
to become aware of:
Answer:
I became aware of the bear only when it growled loudly.

Question 2.
Find the opposites of the following :
1. diminishing
Answer:
1. diminishing × increasing

Activities based on Contextual Grammar:

Question 1.
Replace the gerund in the following sentence with an infinitive:
It is a good way of ridding yourself of certain kinds of dogmatism.
Answer:
It is a good way to rid yourself of certain kinds of dogmatism.

Question 2.
Frame a Wh-question to get the underlined part as the answer:
This reflection should generate a certain caution.
Answer:
What should generate a certain caution?

Personal Response:

Question 1.
Do you think that traveling helps us to become more tolerant and understanding?
Answer:
Yes, it certainly does. It shows us the way different people live, their ideas and customs, the difficulties they face and the way they solve these difficulties. It gives us a much broader view of life.

Simple Factual Activity:

Question 1.
Complete the following web:
Answer:

Complex Factual Activities:

Question 1.
Write down the way of avoiding error mentioned in the passage.
Answer:
The way of avoiding error mentioned in the passage is to have imaginary arguments with people having different bias.

Activities based on Vocabulary.

Question 1.
good plan
Answer:
cunning plan, thoughtful plan, well-made plan, secret plan, master plan, career plan.

Activities based on Contextual Grammar:

Question 1.
It is a good plan to imagine an argument with a person having a different bias. (Rewrite the sentence beginning ‘Imagining
Answer:
Imagining an argument with a person having a different bias is a good plan.

Question 2.
You may never meet anyone who holds this opinion. (Rewrite the sentence as a simple sentence.)
Answer:
You may never meet anyone with/having this opinion.

Personal Response:

Question 1.
Have you ever had an imaginary argument with anyone?
Answer:
Yes. I often have an imaginary argument with my mother. In my imagination, she asks me why have got peor marks in some particular subject and I reply. Then she says something else and I counter that one as well. We argue. I Imagine what she well say and provide the answers.

Simple Factual Activity:

Question 1.
Fill in the blanks:
Answer:

1. Be wary of opinions that flatter your self-esteem.
2. We are all persuaded that our own nation is superior to all others.
3. We try to show that the merits possessed b our nation are really important ones.
4. We think that the demerits of our own country are comparatively trivial.

Complex Factual Activities:

Question 1.
What two examples does the writer give to those who have opinions that flatter their self-esteem?
Answer:
The writer says that if a man points out that most poets and men of science are male, a woman can say that most criminals are also male. The second example he gives is that of general human conceit. For this, we need to remind ourselves that other parts of the cosmos may contain beings as superior to ourselves as we are to Jelly-fish.

Question 2.
What is the only way to tackle such self-pride?
Answer:
The only way to tackle such self-pride is to remind ourselves that man is a brief episode in the life of a small planet In a little corner of the universe, and that other parts of the cosmos may contain beings as superior to ourseLves as we are to Jelly-fish.

Question 3.
Why should one be wary of opinions that flatter one’s self-esteem?
Answer:
One should be wary of opinions that flatter one’s self-esteem because there may be opinions with abundant evidence lo prove the exact opposite to what one believes.

Question 4.
Write down the way of avoiding error mentioned in the passage.
Answer:
The way of avoiding error mentioned in the passage Is to be wary of opinions that hatter your self-esteem.

Use the following Idioms/expressions in sentences of your own….,

Question 1.
to deal with:
Answer:
The lawyer had to deal with a large number of court cases.

Question 2.
Give the noun forms of the following:

1. flatter
2. abundant
3. rational
4. argue

Answer:

1. flatter – flattery
2. abundant – abundance
3. rational – rationality
4. argue – argument

Activity-based on Contextual Grammar:

Question 1.
Rewrite the following sentences adding question tags:
1. The question is inherently insoluble.
2. Self-esteem conceals this from most people.
Answer:
1. The question is inherently insoluble, isn’t it?
2. Self-esteem conceals this from most people, doesn’t it?

Personal Response:

Question 1.
Do you think that there are living beings superior to man in other parts of the universe?
Answer:
Yes, I do. The universe is so huge. There is probably a whole lot of life elsewhere that is superior to us. There may also be a lot of life inferior to us, too. We should not make the mistake of thinking that ; we are the greatest.

Simple Factual Activity:

Question 1.
Write whether the following statements are Right or Wrong:
Answer:

1. Fear has many forms. Right
2. Fear operates directly and indirectly. Right
3. You must never admit your own fears to yourself. Wrong
4. We can become wise only when we conquer fear. Right

Complex Factual Activities:

Question 1.
What two evils does fear lead to? How can one overcome fear?
Ans.
Two evils that fear leads us to are superstition and cruelty. One can overcome fear by firstly admitting one’s own fears to oneself and then guarding oneself against their myth-making power.

Complex Factual Activities:

Question 1.
What two evils does fear lead to? How can one overcome fear?
Answer:
Two evils that fear leads us to are superstition and cruelty. One can overcome fear by firstly admitting one’s own fears to oneself and then guarding oneself against their myth-making power.

Question 2.
How does fear lead us to error?
Answer:
Fear leads us to error by making us do things like inventing rumours of disaster in wartime, imagining objects of terror, such as ghosts, or by creating belief in something comforting, like the elixir of life, or heaven for ourselves and hell for our enemies.

Activity-based on Vocabulary:

Question 1.
Match the adjectives in Column A with the nouns in Column B:

A	B
1. specific	(a) effort
2. vague	(b) terrors
3. difficult	(c) beliefs
4. religious	(d) fear

Answer:

1. specific – terrors
2. vague – fear
3. difficult – effort
4. religious – beliefs.

Activities based on Contextual Grammar:

Question 1.
Fear is the main source of superstition. (Rewrite beginning ‘It is ……………)
Answer:
It is fear that is the main source of superstition.

Question 2.
Until you have admitted your own fears to yourself, you cannot hope to think about other matters. (Rewrite using ‘only when
Answer:
Only when you have admitted your own fears to yourself, can you hope to think about other matters.

Personal Response:

Question 1.
What are the things you are afraid of?
Answer:
I am generally afraid of things regarding my education. I am afraid that I will not do well in my j exams and not get a seat in the college of my choice. I am also afraid that I will be separated from my friends and will not be able to make new friends at a new place. I will be lost without friends.

Simple Factual Activity:

Question 1.
Fill in the blanks:
Answer:
1. Primitive magic has the purpose of securing safety either by injuring enemies or by protecting oneself by talismans, spells or incantations.
2. Neither a man nor a crowd nor a nation can be trusted to act humanely or to think sanely under the influence of a great fear.

Complex Factual Activities:

Question 1.
What is the aim of primitive magic?
Answer:
The aim of primitive magic is to secure safety, either by injuring enemies or by protecting oneself by talismans, spells or incantations.

Question 2.
What are the two ways of avoiding fear?
Answer:
The two ways of avoiding fear are:
1. by persuading ourselves that we are immune from disaster and
2. by the practice of sheer courage.

Question 3.
Write down the way of avoiding error mentioned in the passage.
Answer:
The way of avoiding error mentioned in the passage is to avoid fear in various ways.

Activities based on Vocabulary:

Question 1.
Use the following idioms/expressions in sentences of your own.
1. at a certain point
Answer:
1. Rhea realised at a certain point during the argument that it was better to keep quiet.

Activities based on Contextual Grammar:

Question 1.
Poltroons are more prone to cruelty than brave men, and are also more prone to superstition.
(Rewrite using not only … but also…….)
Answer:
Poltroons are not only more prone to cruelty than brave men, but also more prone to superstition.

Question 2.
Science has now lessened the belief in magic.
(Pick out the verb and state its tense.)
Answer:
has lessened – present perfect tense.

Personal Response:

Question 1.
How do you try to overcome your fears?
Answer:
I try to overcome my fears by telling my parents and friends about them and getting their advice and support. I also pray to God and this helps me the most.

Simple Factual Activity:

Question 1.
Write whether the following statements are True or False:
Answer:

1. Superstitions sometimes add to the gaiety of life. True
2. The writer used to give lectures. True
3. The ‘prophetess’ walked on water successfully. False

Complex Factual Activities:

Question 1.
How did the prophetess befool her believers?
Answer:
The prophetess announced to her numerous | followers that she possessed the power of walking on water, and that she proposed to do so at 11 o’clock on a certain morning. On that day, she asked them whether they were all convinced that she could walk on water. When they replied in the affirmative, she said that then there was no need for her to prove herself. Thus she fooled her believers.

Activity-based on Contextual Grammar:

Question 1.
Rewrite the following sentences as compound sentences:
1. Although I did not enroll myself among his worshippers, his letter gave me pleasure.
2. I received once a communication from the god Osiris, giving me his telephone number.
Answer:
1. I did not enroll myself among his worshippers but his letter gave me pleasure.
2. I received once a communication from the god Osiris and he gave me his telephone number.

Simple Activities:

Question 1.
Write two compound words from the lesson.
Answer:
steamboat, self-esteem

Question 2.
Make a meaningful sentence using the phrase ‘of great importance’.
Answer:
It is of great importance to understand the rules of the land.

Question 3.
Spot the error and correct the sentence:
Fear have many forms – fear of death, fear of the dark, etc.
Answer:
Fear has many forms-fear of death, fear of the dark, etc.

Question 4.
Pick out a gerund from the given sentence:
You may never have an opportunity of meeting anyone who has this opinion.
Answer:
meeting – gerund

Question 5.
Identify the type of sentence:
Mahatma Gandhi deplored railways and steamboats.
Answer:
Assertive sentence

Question 6.
Find out two hidden words from the given word : hypothetical
Answer:
hypothetical – poetic, poetical (topic, topical).

Question 7.
Form the present and past participle of a verb in the lesson in which the last letter is doubled.
Answer:
admit-admitted, admitting

Question 8.
Write the following words in alphabetical order:
dogmatism, dominion, deplored, device.
Answer:
deplored, device, dogmatism, dominion.

Medium-Level Activities:

Question 1.
Use the word ‘spell’ in two separate sentences, the word having different meanings (homographs).
Answer:
(a) “Be sure that you spell every word correctly,” said the teacher.
(b) The witch was angry and cast a spell over the princess.

Question 2.
She announced to her numerous followers that she possessed the power of walking on water.
(Rewrite using direct speech.)
Answer:
She announced to her numerous followers, “I possess the power of walking on water.”

Question 3.
The rational man will admit that there is no right answer.
(Use the future perfect tense of the verb.)
Answer:
The rational man will have admitted that there is no right answer.

Question 4.
Science has now lessened the belief in magic.
(Change the voice beginning ‘The belief. ’.)
Answer:
The belief in magic has now been lessened by science.

Challenging Activities:

Question 1.
Although I did not enroll myself among his worshippers, his letter gave me pleasure. (Pick out the clauses and identify the type of sentence.)
Answer:
his letter gave me pleasure – main clause
Although I did not enroll myself among his worshippers – subordinate clause. Complex sentence

Question 2.
Use the two words ‘evidence’ and ‘opinion’ in a single sentence of your own.
Answer:
In the opinion of the judge, the evidence was false.

Maharashtra State Board Class 9 English Solutions

Balbharti Maharashtra State Board Class 9 English Solutions Kumarbharati Chapter 2.4 The Fall of Troy Notes, Textbook Exercise Important Questions and Answers.

Maharashtra State Board Class 9 English Kumarbharati Solutions Chapter 2.4 The Fall of Troy

English Kumarbharati 9th Solutions Chapter 2.4 The Fall of Troy Textbook Questions and Answers

Warming up:

Building a Story :
Form groups of eight. The group leader prepares slips of paper for each of the seven points given below and distributes them among the others. The group sits in a circle, taking their seats according to the number on the slip they have. Then each one completes the sentence on his/her slip without sharing it with the others. The group leader collects the slips and reads all the sentences aloud as one continuous passage. Does the story make sense? The group then works on the story to make it more meaningful and interesting.

This game may be played again, changing the groups, to form new stories.

1. Once there was a ……………………….
2. Who lived in a ……………………….
3. He/She ate ……………………….
4. She/He went ……………………….
5. There she/he saw ……………………….
6. She/He was …………………………
7. That is why ……………………….

Question 1.

1. Once there was a ……………………….
2. Who lived in a ……………………….
3. He/She ate ……………………….
4. She/He went ……………………….
5. There she/he saw ……………………….
6. She/He was …………………………
7. That is why ……………………….

Answer:

1. Once there was a beautiful princess.
2. Who lived in a dirty old shoe in a park.
3. He/She ate nails and screws and paper.
4. She/He went on a plane to the Arctic Circle.
5. There she/he saw green mountains, lush forests and thundering waterfalls.
6. She/He was very happy to go to Mars in the spaceship.
7. That is why the doctor gave me the bitter medicine.

The sentences as one continuous passage :

Once there was a beautiful princess who lived in a dirty old shoe in a park. She/He ate nails and screws and paper. She went on a plane to the Arctic Circle. There she saw green mountains, lush forests and thundering waterfalls. She was very happy to go to Mars in the spaceship. That is why the doctor gave me the bitter medicine.

The sentences read as one continuous passage do not make sense. However, if we make changes in the story, the passage will make sense.

1. Once there was a beautiful princess.
2. Who lived in a beautiful palace in a large forest.
3. She ate only fresh fruits, vegetables and salads for every meal.
4. She went on a voyage to the Arctic Circle.
5. There she saw frozen seas, ice bergs and a variety of sea animals.
6. She was thrilled to see so many different things, which she had never seen before.
7. That is why she decided to visit a new place every year.

When we put these sentences given above as a continuous passage, they form a small and sensible story.
(Students can play the game again, changing the groups, to form new stories.)

Interviews:

(a) Why? : Form groups of five. Choose a familiar character from any one of the epics you know. One person from the group plays the role of that character. Others in the group frame questions related to that character’s life. The condition is that all the questions should begin with ‘Why …?‘. They interview the character using these ‘Why -?‘ questions. Practise and present the interview in the classroom.
(b) How? : Follow the above procedure. Now all questions should begin with ‘How -?‘
(c) Prepare a short script of your interviews.

Question a.
Why?
Answer:
Form groups of five. Choose a familiar character from any one of the epics you know. One person from the group plays the role of that character. Others in the group frame questions related to that character’s life. The condition is that all the questions should begin with a ‘Why…’? They interview the character using these ‘Why?’ questions. Practice and present the interview in the classroom.
Example: Questions for Lord Rama. Epic: Ram ay an

1. Why did you marry Sita?
2. Why did your father ask you to leave the kingdom?
3. Why did your stepmother want you to leave the kingdom?
4. Why did Lakshman accompany you to the forest?
5. Why did Lakshman leave Sita alone in the hut?

Question b.
How? : Follow the above procedure. Now all questions should begin with ‘How -?‘
Answer:
Example :

1. How did you marry Sita?
2. How many brothers did you have?
3. How did your stepmother make you leave the kingdom?
4. How did Ravana trick Sita?
5. How did Hanuman help you?

Question c.
A short script of the interviews:
Answer:
Example :

Question 1.
Why did your father ask you to leave the kingdom?
Answer:
My father fulfilled my stepmother Kaikeyi’s wish and banished me from Ayodhya.

Question 2.
Why did your stepmother want you to leave the kingdom?
Answer:
My stepmother Kaikeyi wanted her son Bharat to become the king. This would not have been possible if I had been in Ayodhya. Hence she wanted me to leave the kingdom.

Question 3.
Why did Lakshman accompany you to the forest?
Answer:
Lakshman loved me and wanted to ensure my safety in the forest. Hence he accompanied me to the forest.

Part – I

English Workshop:

1. Read the passage and name the following.

(a) He composed the Illiad and Odyssey: ……………….
(b) He persuaded Helen to elope wjth him: ……………….
(c) She was wife of the King Menelaus: ……………….
(d) He led the defence of Troy for nthe years: ……………….
(e) He was killed by a poisoned arrow that entered his heel: ……………….

Question 1.
(a) He composed the Illiad and Odyssey: ……………….
(b) He persuaded Helen to elope with him: ……………….
(c) She was wife of the King Menelaus: ……………….
(d) He led the defense of Troy for nine years: ……………….
(e) He was killed by a poisoned arrow that entered his heel: ……………….
Answer:
(a) He composed The Iliad and – The Odyssey Homer
(b) He persuaded Helen to elope with him. Paris
(c) She was the wife of King Menelaus. Helen
(d) He led the defense of Troy for nine years Hector
(e) He was killed by a poisoned arrow that entered his heel. Achilles

2. Find antonyms of the following from the passage.
(a) barren × ……………..
(b) offended × ……………..
(c) cowardly × ……………..
(d) peace × ……………..
(e) surrender × ……………..
(f) exposed × ……………..
(g) defenceless × ……………..

Question 1.
Find antonyms of the following from the passage.
(a) barren × ……………..
(b) offended × ……………..
(c) cowardly × ……………..
(d) peace × ……………..
(e) surrender × ……………..
(f) exposed × ……………..
(g) defenceless × ……………..
Answer:
(a) barren × fertile
(b) offended × pleased
(c) cowardly × brave
(d) peace × war
(e) surrender × attack
(f) exposed × protected.
(g) defenceless × safe.

3. From other sources find synonyms of the following words used in the story.
(a) great (hero)
(b) beautiful (woman)
(c) fight (verb)
(d) rich (city)
(e) safe
(f) strong (city)
(g) brave

Question 1.
From other sources find synonyms of the following words used in the story.
(a) great (hero)
(b) beautiful (woman)
(c) fight (verb)
(d) rich (city)
(e) safe
(f) strong (city)
(g) brave
Answer:
(a) great – gallant (hero)
(b) beautiful – entrancing (woman).
(c) fight – attack (verb)
(d) rich – prosperous (city)
(e) safe – sheltered.
(f) strong – well-protected (city)
(g) brave – courageous.

4. Correct the following sentences using facts from the passage.
(a) Troy traded in cattle and grass, with other cities.
(b) During war, Trojans jumped over the fort gates to fight die enemy.
(c) Helen eloped with Menelaus.
(d) Troy was attacked because it was a strong. rich city.
(e) The Greek armies and heroes always defeated the Trojans.
(f) Both the enemies were eager to continue fighting.
(g) The great heroes avoided one another.
(h) Achilles was killed by an arrow that pierced his heart.

Question a.
Correct the following sentences using facts from the passage.
(a) Troy traded in cattle and grass, with other cities.
(b) During war, Trojans jumped over the fort gates to fight die enemy.
(c) Helen eloped with Menelaus.
(d) Troy was attacked because it was a strong. rich city.
(e) The Greek armies and heroes always defeated the Trojans.
(f) Both the enemies were eager to continue fighting.
(g) The great heroes avoided one another.
(h) Achilles was killed by an arrow that pierced his heart.
Answer:
(a) Troy traded in goods and grain with other cities.
(b) During the war, Trojans came out of the open fort gates to fight the enemy.
(c) Helen eloped with Paris.
(d) Troy was attacked because its Prince Paris had! persuaded Helen, the wife of a Greek king Menelaus, to elope with him.
(e) Sometimes the Trojans seemed to have the better of the fight and sometimes the Greeks.
(f) The Trojans were tired of being shut up in their city and the Greeks were longing to see their homes again.
(g) Sometimes there were single fights, between two great heroes.
(h) Achilles was killed by an arrow that pierced his heel.

5. State the counter-action for the following actions.

Question 1.
State the counter-action for the following actions.

Answer:

Action	Counter-action
1. Helen eloped with Paris.	Greece declared war against the Troy.
2. The Greeks sailed to Troy and attacked it.	The Trojans fought hard and the siege continued for ten years.
3. Hector was killed by Achilles.	Achilles himself was killed later by a poisoned arrow.
4. The siege continued for ten long years.	The Trojans fought hard and the fighting went on daily.

6. From either of our two Indian epics, find out which battle/war lasted the longest? Write down about its cause, the enemy armies, its heroes, its duration and the final outcome.

7. Complete the following sentences with reference to the passage.
(a) Epics are long poems that ………………… .
(b) They may be composed and sung or recited for many years before …………….. .
(c) Nobody knows for certain who ………………………….. .
(d) It is believed that ……………. Homer, who ………….. and who ……………… to all who ……………. .
(e) At the back rose the high peak of Mount Ida, from which ………….. .

Question 1.
Complete the following sentences with reference to the passage.
(a) Epics are long poems that ………………… .
(b) They may be composed and sung or recited for many years before …………….. .
(c) Nobody knows for certain who ………………………….. .
(d) It is believed that ……………. Homer, who ………….. and who ……………… to all who ……………. .
(e) At the back rose the high peak of Mount Ida, from which ………….. .
Answer:
(a) Epics are long poems that relate the deeds of a great national hero or a great national war.
(b) They may be composed and sung or recited for many years before they are actually written down.
(c) Nobody knows for certain who the author of these early epics is.
(d) It is believed that The Iliad and The Odyssey were composed and recited by a blind poet named Homer, who lived about 900 BCE and who wandered from one Greek city or village to another, singing his poems to all who would receive him in their homes.
(e) At the back rose the high peak of Mount Ida, from which flowed many rivers and streams.

Underline the clauses in the above sentences and also the words that link or connect the clauses.

Question 1.
Epics are long poems that relate the deed of a great national hero or a great national war.
Answer:
Epics are long poems – Clause
that relate the deed of a great national hero or a great national war – Clause

Question 2.
They may be composed and sung or recited for many years before they are actually written down.
Answer:
They may be composed – Clause (they may be)
sung – Clause (they may be)
recited for many years – Clause
before they are actually written down – Clause

Question 3.
Nobody knows for certain who the author of these early epics is.
Answer:
Nobody knows for certain – Clause
who the author of these early epics is – Clause

Question 4.
It is believed that The Iliad and The Odyssey were composed and recited by a blind poet named Homer, who lived about 900 BCE and who wandered from one Greek city or village to another, singing his poems to all who would receive him in their homes.
Answer:
It is believed – Clause
that The Iliad and The Odyssey were composed – Clause
(that The Iliad and The Odyssey were)
recited by a blind poet named Homer – Clause
who lived about 900 BCE – Clause

Question 5.
At the back rose the high peak of Mount Ida, from which flowed many rivers and streams.
Answer:
At the back rose the high peak of Mount Ida – Clause
from which flowed many rivers and streams – Clause

Part – II

1. Find and write the Greek and Trojan names used in the story (Part I and II).

Question 1.
Find and write the Greek and Trojan names used in the story (Part I and II).

2. List all the words related to ‘war’ from both parts of the story.

Question 1.
List all the words related to ‘war’ from both parts of the story.

3. Note the following constructions carefully and then use them to express your ideas:

Question 1.
Note the following constructions carefully and then use them to express your ideas:

4. Put the following events in the order in which they took place. Number them accordingly.

Question 1.
(a) The Trojans found a Greek man under the big wooden horse. [ ]
(b) They broke down part of the wall and brought the horse in. [ ]
(c) The cunning Odysseus thought of a plan. [ ]
(d) The Greeks burnt their tents and sailed away. [ ]
(e) Troy was burnt down. [ ]
(f) The Greeks built a big wooden horse. [ ]
(g) The great heroes hid inside the horse. [ ]
(h) The priest warned the Trojans not to break the wall. [ ]
(i) The Trojans were happy to see the Greek ships go. [ ]
(j) The Trojans slept soundly. [ ]
(k) The Greeks came out of the horse and opened the gates. [ ]
(l) The Greek army entered the city. [ ]
Answer:
(a) The Trojans found a Greek man under the big wooden horse. [f]
(b) They broke down part of the wall and brought the horse in. [h]
(c) The cunning Odysseus thought of a plan. [a]
(d) The Greeks burnt their tents and sailed away. [d]
(e) Troy was burnt down. [i]
(f) The Greeks built a big wooden horse. [b]
(g) The great heroes hid inside the horse. [c]
(h) The priest warned the Trojans not to break the wall. [g]
(i) The Trojans were happy to see the Greek ships go. [e]
(j) The Trojans slept soundly. [i]
(k) The Greeks came out of the horse and opened the gates. [j]
(l) The Greek army entered the city. [k]

5. Form pairs. Imagine you are a pair of Trojans and you have come to know about Odysseus’s plan. Make a counter plan to defeat the Greeks. Write down your plan as you would explain it to your fellow Trojans.

Question 1.
Form pairs. Imagine you are a pair of Trojans and you have come to know about Odysseus’s plan. Make a counter plan to defeat the Greeks. Write down your plan as you would explain it to your fellow Trojans.

6. Identify one example of a main clause and one example of a dependent clause from page 46. (Read the entry regarding clause in the Language Study pages.)

Question 1.
Identify one example of a main clause and one example of a dependent clause from page 46. (Read the entry regarding clause in the Language Study pages.)
Answer:
Many of the Trojans were killed before they could put on their armour.
Many of the Trojans were killed – Main Clause before they could put on their armour – Dependent Clause

7. Be a writer.
(a) Now read the beginning and end of a sci-fi story given below and complete the story using your imagination.

Question a.
Now read the beginning and end of a sci-fi story given below and complete the story using your imagination.
Answer:
‘The Magic Glasses’
After ten years of diligent experimenting on ‘light’, Jayant, a brilliant scientist, created a pair of eye-glasses that would enable him to see through all opaque objects, doors, walls, metal structures, etc. .
On Monday, he put on his ‘magic’ glasses and stepped into the busy street outside …

Everything seemed normal – the traffic, the crowds, etc. Suddenly, Jayant tripped over something and he looked down. It was the metal covering of a manhole. As he looked, he saw a strange sight. There were three little children below, deep under the footpath! How was that possible? Why was no one helping them? They were crying and wailing, sitting in the mess inside the drain. He looked up, and then realized that he had seen them because of his magic eye-glasses.

“Come on, help!” he shouted. “There are children trapped under this footpath, inside this drain!”
Several people stopped. “How do you know?” asked a non-believer.
“What is going on here?” asked an officious- looking policeman.
“Don’t talk – just help!” snapped Jayant, trying to prise open the manhole cover. It was heavy, and several good Samaritans stepped forward to help. Within a few moments, the heavy lid was in their hands.
Everyone peered into the dark, gloomy and smelly drain. They could hear the faint sounds of crying. “I’m going down,” said Jayant. “Those little ones will not be able to bear the poisonous gases much longer.”
With the help of the cooperative by-standers, Jayant went down into the manhole and rescued the little kids – all of whom were below the age of five. Everyone clapped when he came out, dirty and smelly, with the three half-conscious kids.
And so, Jayant received the ‘State Award for Brave Citizens’. ………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. .

Question b.
Read the following and observe the use of tenses.
‘Last week I witnessed a strange accident. Let ¡ne tell you about it. The signal flashes green. Vehicles start from the opposite direction. They ¡nove fast. Suddenly a speeding motorcyclist tries to cut across, from the wrong side. He is about to collide with a loaded truck. He applies the brakes. He falls and slides out with his bike from under the truck. He comes out unscathed on the other side.’ When an event, which has occured in the past, is narrated in the Present Tense to create a dramatic effect its Tense is called the ‘Dramatic Present Tense’ Now try to relate Jayant s sci-fI story, in brief, in the dramatic past tense.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Answer:
Jayant wears his magic glasses and steps into the street. He trips over a manhole and looks down. What! Are there three little kids trapped inside the drain under the footpath? Jayant looks around for help, but there are non – believers around him. He tries to prise open the manhole cover. Suddenly, willing hands help him.

The cover is open, and they hear the sounds of children crying. Jayant bravely lowers himself down the dirty drain. He soon rescues the three kids trapped inside. As he hands over the kids to the policeman, the people around clap for him. He is a hero. Jayant later receives the ‘State Award for Brave Citizens’.

English Kumarbharati 9th Digest Chapter 2.4 The Fall of Troy Additional Important Questions and Answers

Read the following passages carefully and complete the activities :

Simple Factual Activity :

1. Name the following :
(The answers are given directly and underlined.)

1. The language of The Iliad and The Odyssey : Ancient Greek
2. The language of The Mahabharata : Sanskrit
3. The most beautiful woman in the world : Helen of Troy.

2. Complete the following sentences :
(The answers are given directly and underlined.)

1. Odysseus thought of a plan to obtain victory.
2. Troy was taken, not by force but by a trick.
3. Two great heroes, Menelaus and Odysseus, entered the horse.
4. Only one man was left behind to persuade the Trojans to drag the horse into their city.

3. Write the correct number against the sentences in the order in which it happened :

1. They found a Greek with his hands tied together. ]2]
2. Let us make a hole in the wall and drag the horse in. [4]
3. They saw the huge, wooden horse. [1]
4. The Greek told them his tale. [3]

4. Complete the web:
(The answers are given directly and underlined.)

Complex Factual Activity :

Question 1.
How were epics transmitted from generation to generation?
Answer:
Epics were transmitted from generation to generation through songs and recitals for many years before they were actually written down.

Question 2.
Why is Homer honoured with the title ‘Father of European Poetry?’
Answer:
It is believed that the two great epics of European literature, The Iliad and The Odyssey, were composed and recited by Homer. Hence he has been honoured with the title ‘Father of European Poetry’.

Question 3.
How did Odysseus plan to defeat the Trojans ?
Answer:
Odysseus advised the Greeks to build a great wooden horse, big enough to hold men inside it. Some of their best fighters would hide inside the horse. Then they would burn their tents and pretend to sail away in their ships. But instead of sailing away, they would return at midnight. One man would be left behind with the horse to persuade the Trojans to drag the horse into their city.

After the horse with the soldiers had entered the city, at the appropriate time, the door in the horse would be opened and the soldiers hiding inside would attack Troy. The gates would be opened to allow the remaining Greek soldiers from the ships into the city. The combined force of the Greeks would defeat the Trojans and they would destroy the city of Troy.

Question 4.
What was the reason for Troy to rejoice and celebrate?
Answer:
The Trojans rejoiced and celebrated because after ten long years, the siege was finally over. The tents of the Greeks had been burnt. The shore was deserted. The Greek ships had all gone. The Trojans could go out on the plain and move around as they pleased.

Activities based on Vocabulary :

Question 1.
Find the synonyms of the following words used in the story :
famous
Answer:
famous – well-known

Question 2.
Write the adjective forms of the following words :

1. hospitality
2. hero
3. history
4. poem

Answer:

1. hospitality – hospitable
2. hero – heroic
3. history – historical
4. poem – poetic.

Question 3.
Write from the passage words that sound the same (homophones) as the following :

1. grate
2. sale
3. would
4. site

Answer:

1. great
2. sail
3. wood
4. sight.

Question 4.
Use the phrase ‘enough to’ in your own sentence :
Answer:
Our school auditorium was big enough to hold a grand function.

Question 5.
Give one word from the passage for :

1. great surprise
2. pulled out forcibly

Answer:

1. great surprise – astonishment
2. pulled out forcibly – dragged

Question 6.
Use these phrases in your own sentences :
(Please refer to textbook page 47 for examples.)

1. tired of
2. afraid of
3. too … to …

Answer:

1. We were tired of the long wait for the bus.
2. The children were afraid of the commotion.
3. The bed was too big to be kept in the room.

Question 7.
Use the phrases in your own sentences :

1. so … that
2. as soon as
3. all that day
4. in order to

Answer:

1. The teenagers were so excited that it was difficult to control them.
2. I opened my umbrella as soon as it began to rain.
3. Though their mother shouted at them, the girls lazed about all that day.
4. We have to work hard in order to do well in life.

Activity-based on Contextual Grammar :

Question 1.
Change the voice of the following sentences :

1. It is believed that The Iliad and The Odyssey were composed by Homer.
2. Nobody knows who the author of these epics is.

Answer:

1. People believe that Homer composed The Iliad and The Odyssey.
2. It is not known who the author of these epics is.

Question 2.
When the Trojans are asleep, we will attack the city. (Pick out and name the clauses.)
Answer:
we will attack the city – Main Clause.
When the Trojans are asleep – Subordinate Adverb Clause of Time.

Question 3.
The Greek leaders decided to follow the advice of the wise Odysseus. (Frame a Wh-question to get the underlined part as the answer.)
Answer:
Whose advice did the Greek leaders decide to follow?

Question 4.
Rewrite the sentence using ‘no sooner than’ :
As soon as they were hidden by an island, they had lowered their sails.
Answer:
No sooner were they hidden by an island, than they had lowered their sails.

Question 5.
Rewrite the sentence using ‘too … to’ :
They were so excited that they paid no attention to his words.
Answer:
They were too excited to pay any attention to his words.

Personal Response :

Question 1.
Have you seen any of the stories mentioned in the passage in TV serials or movies?
Answer:
Yes, I have seen both the Ramayana and the Mahabharata as TV serials.

Question 2.
Who are considered to be the authors of the epics ‘Ramayana’ and ‘Mahabharata’ respectively?
Answer:
Sage Valmiki is considered to be the author of ‘The Ramayana’ and Ved Vyasa is considered to be the author of ‘The Mahabharata’.

Question 3.
What do you think about Odysseus?
Answer:
I think that Odysseus was cunning and used underhand methods to win the war. The war should have been fought and won honestly, not by the use of a trick. Odysseus should not have given such advice and the Greeks should not have taken it.

Question 4.
What, do you think, is needed for a city to be prosperous?
Answer:
To be prosperous, a city must be well situated and have good natural resources, like water and fertile land. It should be safe from enemies. The people and the rulers should be intelligent, sensible and honest. They should also be hard-working. If all these factors are present, then a city will become prosperous.

Question 5.
Do you think that wars can solve problems?
Answer:
No, they cannot. Problems can be solved only by sitting around a table and sorting out the disputes. The practice of ‘an eye for an eye’ will only end up making the whole world blind. Wars kill people and destroy civilizations.

Question 6.
Do you think the Greeks and Trojans were superstitious? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer:
There is nothing to indicate that the Greeks were superstitious. But the Trojans were superstitious and believed that the wooden horse would bring them luck if they dragged it into their city.

Question 7.
How could the fall of Troy been avoided?
Answer:
The fall of Troy could have been avoided if the Trojans had been wise enough to detect the ‘wooden horse plot’ hatched by the Greeks. They should also not have been stupid enough to believe the silly story told by the lone Greek. They should at least, have listened to their wise priest who had warned them that the horse could be a trick to destroy Troy.

Question 8.
What do you think the Trojans should have done when they found the horse?
Answer:
The Trojans should not have believed the Greeks. They should have been cautious and examined the horse minutely. They should also not have been superstitious enough to bring the horse into the city, expecting good luck. They should have heeded the words of the wise priest.

Complex Factual Activities :

Question 1.
How did the location of Troy help it to grow into a very rich, prosperous city?
Answer:
Troy was well situated. In front of it was the sea over which sailed the ships of Troy, carrying goods and grain. At the back rose the high peak of Mount Ida, from which flowed many rivers and streams. The valleys were well-watered and fertile. Cattle fed on the rich grass of the meadows while sheep fed on the slopes of the hills. Thus, it was well situated, both for commerce and agriculture, and grew into a rich, prosperous city.

Question 2.
How were the Trojans protected during wartime?
Answer:
The Trojans had built a strong wall around the city so that no enemy should attack them from the sea. There were huge gates in the wall. In times of war, the gates would be closed, and then the city was like a strong fortress, quite safe from all attack.
It was thus protected by the walls around it as well as by the hills behind.

Question 3.
Was it enough to use the wooden horse to hide? What was done to make the Trojans take it inside the city?
Answer:
It was not enough to use the wooden horse to hide. It had to be taken inside the city. To achieve this, a Greek, who had been left behind for this very purpose, said that the horse had been left behind as an offering to the god of the sea. It had been made very big so that the Trojans could not take it inside their city. If they did so, the luck would go to the Trojans and not to the Greeks. When they heard this, the Trojans wanted to take the wooden horse inside the city, and they broke their walls to do so.

Question 4.
How did the cunning Greek explain the presence of such a large wooden horse?
Answer:
The cunning Greek said that the Greeks who had left were afraid of the long voyage home. They had made the horse and left it behind as an offering to the god of the sea. It had been made very big so that the Trojans could not take it inside their city. If they did so, the luck would go to the Trojans and not to the Greeks.

Question 5.
What was the cause of the ten-year-old war between the Greeks and the Trojans?
Answer:
Paris, a prince of Troy, had persuaded Helen, wife of a Greek King called Menelaus, to elope j with him. He had brought her to Troy. The Greeks wanted to take revenge on Troy for the wrong done to Menelaus. This was the cause of the ten-year-old war between the Greeks and the Trojans.

Question 6.
What reckless, thoughtless step did the Trojans take?
Answer:
The reckless/thoughtless step that the Trojans took was to break down part of their wall and drag the wooden horse into the city. They also celebrated and slept soundly.

Question 7.
How did the Greeks enter the city of Troy?
Answer:
When the cunning Greek who had been left behind saw the Greek fleet returning to the shores of Troy, he crept to the wooden horse and gave the signal. The side of the horse opened, and the Greeks who were inside climbed out and opened the gates. * The whole Greek army entered the city.

Question 8.
How did the Greek ships remain hidden from Troy?
Answer:
As soon as the Greek ships were hidden : by an island, they lowered their sails and dropped anchor. Thus they remained hidden from Troy.

Activities based on Contextual Grammar :

Question 1.
Round their city the Trojans had built a strong wall. (Pick out the verb and state its tense.)
Answer:
had built – past perfect tense.

Question 2.
The wall was so broad that people could stand on it. (Pick out the modal auxiliary and state what it indicates.)
Answer:
could – indicates ability.

Question 3.
Pick out the clauses from the following sentence and state their type :
He spoke and told them this false tale.
Answer:
He spoke – Main Clause.
(He) told them this false tale – Main Clause.

Question 4.
Rewrite the sentence using ‘which’ :
They saw on the sands the huge, wooden horse.
Answer:
They saw on the sands a huge horse which
was made of wood.

Question 5.
He had brought her to Troy.
(Rewrite beginning ‘She …’)
Answer:
She had been brought to Troy (by him).

Question 6.
The fighting went on daily, but the siege did not end. (Rewrite replacing the underlined word with its verb form.)
Answer:
They fought daily, but the siege did not end.

Question 7.
Write two present participles from the passage, used as adjectives. Also, write the nouns they modify:
Answer:

Present Participles used as Adjectives	Nouns they modify
1. leaping	flames
2. weeping	women
3. sleeping	Trojans

Simple Activities :

Question 1.
Write two compound words of your own.
Answer:
walking stick, fire engine

Question 2.
Make a meaningful sentence using the phrase : ‘among the hills’
Answer:
The tribal communities living among the hills are very poor.

Question 3.
Spot the error and correct the sentence :
It is believe that The Iliad and The Odyssey were compose by Homer.
Answer:
It is believed that The Iliad and The Odyssey were composed by Homer.

Question 4.
Pick out a present participle from the given sentence :
The valleys were fertile, with corn growing in the fields.
Answer:
present participle – growing.

Question 5.
Identify the type of sentence :
But all the kings and heroes had declared war against the Trojans.
Answer:
Assertive sentence

Question 6.
Find out two hidden words from the word ‘hospitality
Answer:
hospitality – hospital, soapy, (spoil, host)

Question 7.
Form a present participle in which the last letter is doubled.
Answer:
hit-hitting

Question 8.
Write the following words in alphabetical order.
great, grain, final, fight
Answer:
fight, final, grain, great.

Question 9.
Make a word chain of four more abstract nouns:
revenge →
Answer:
revenge → empathy → youth → health → humility

Question 10.
Write two compound words of your own.
Answer:
policeman, washing machine

Question 11.
Make a meaningful sentence using the phrase : ‘to follow the advice’
Answer:
Our parents told us to follow the advice of the counseller.

Question 12.
Spot the error and correct the sentence :
Paris himself were killed, also by a poisoned arrow.
Answer:
Paris himself was killed, also by a poisoned arrow.

Question 13.
Use the word ‘sleeping’ as a gerund in your own sentence :
Answer:
I love sleeping.

Question 14.
Identify the type of sentence, and state ; whether it is affirmative or negative :
The Greeks have gone and the walls are no longer necessary.
Answer:
Assertive sentence (negative)

Question 15.
Find out two hidden words from the word :
celebration
Answer:
celebration – liberate, berate, (clear, brain).

Question 16.
Pick out the verb from the following that forms its past participle by doubling the last letter :
mail, cut, hit, rot
Answer:
rot (rotted)

Question 17.
Arrange these words in alphabetical order :
wooden, walls, terror, tower
Answer:
terror, tower, walls, wooden

Medium-Level Activities :

Question 1.
Use the word ‘peak’ and its homophone in two separate sentences :
Answer:
(a) Mt. Everest is one peak I wish to climb.
(b) I might take a peek at the proposed site.

Question 2.
The Trojans fought hard. (Use the past perfect progressive tense of the verb.)
Answer:
The Trojans had been fighting hard.

Question 3.
Prepare a word register for all the words related to ‘war’ from the lesson.
Answer:
war-enemy, attack, fortress, soldiers, siege, battles, armies, heroes, fought, fighting, killed, taken, victory, fighters, terror, death, weapons, armour, conquerors.

Question 4.
Use the word ‘sail’ and its homophone in two separate sentences :
Answer:
(a) The sea gull sat on the sail of the boat.
(b) There is a wonderful sale at the mall this week.

Question 5.
The Greeks burned their tents.
(Use the present perfect tense of the verb.)
Answer:
The Greeks have burned their tents.

Question 6.
“ But why did the Greeks make such a huge horse?” some of the Trojans asked.
(Rewrite using reported speech.)
Answer:
Some of the Trojans asked why the Greeks had made such a huge horse.

Question 7.
Prepare a word register of all the Greek and Trojan names in the story.
Answer:
Greek and Trojan names – Odysseus, Menelaus, Agamemnon, Troy, King Priam, Hector, Helen, Aphrodite, Iliad, Odyssey, Achilles, Homer, Ilium, Aegean Sea, Mount Ida, Greece, Paris.

Challenging Activities :

Question 1.
Use the word ‘force’ as a noun and a verb in two separate sentences.
Answer:
(a) The policeman had to use a lot of force ; to open the door, (noun)
(b) Parents should not force children into careers j that the children do not like, (verb)

Question 2.
The Trojans too fought hard and the siege j continued for ten long years. (Pick out the clauses j and write the type of sentence.)
Answer:
The Trojans too fought hard – Coordinate Clause the siege continued for ten long years – Coordinate Clause ; Compound Sentence

Question 3.
Use the words ‘rejoicing’ and ‘voyage’ in a single sentence.
Answer:
There was a lot of rejoicing by the seamen on the voyage home.

Question 4.
It may be a trick that will ruin us. (Pick out the modal and state its function.)
Answer:
may-possibility

Maharashtra State Board Class 9 English Solutions

Balbharti Maharashtra State Board Class 9 English Solutions Kumarbharati Chapter 4.1 Please Listen Notes, Textbook Exercise Important Questions and Answers.

Maharashtra State Board Class 9 English Kumarbharati Solutions Chapter 4.1 Please Listen!

English Kumarbharati 9th Solutions Chapter 4.1 Please Listen! Textbook Questions and Answers

Warming Up:

1. Form groups of 6-8. One person (leader) chooses one item – a picture, a paragraph or a lesson from any one of the 9th standard textbooks and writes the reference on a piece of paper and folds it. Others ask him/her questions and try to guess what it is, from his/her answers. Example: (The leader thinks and writes something on a piece of paper. He folds it and keeps it on the table. Others ask questions.)

Question 1.
Is it something from social studies?
Answer:
No.

Question 2.
From Science or Maths?
Answer:
No.

Question 3.
Languages?
Answer:
Yes.

Question 4.
From the English Kumarbharati?
Answer:
Yes.

Question 5.
A prose lesson?
Answer:
No.

Question 6.
A nature poem?
Answer:
No.

Question 7.
Is it in the first unit?
Answer:
No.

Question 8.
Second unit?
Answer:
Yes.

Question 9.
Inspirational poem?
Answer:
Yes.

Invictus!!
Leader shows the folded paper; answer is Invictus!

Agreements and Disagreements.

2. Form pairs. List the things on which you ! have the same opinion and also the ones on which you have different opinions. Prepare a list of ten things in all and see how far you agree or disagree with your friend. Some useful phrases are given alongside.

Question 1.
Form pairs. List the things on which you ! have the same opinion and also the ones on which you have different opinions. Prepare a list of ten things in all and see how far you agree or disagree with your friend. Some useful phrases are given alongside.
You could talk about:

1. Clothes, latest fashion.
2. Performance of sportsmen and women.
3. Trafficll’ransport in your area.
4. Cleanliness and hygiene in your area.
5. Future occupations/Careers.
6. Latest news items.
7. TV programmes
8. Mobile Apps
9. Any subject of your choice.

English Workshop:

1. The poet uses a free, conversational style in his poem. It is also called Colloquial style. Pick out and write down such lines or expressions that support the above statement.

Question 1.
The poet uses a free, conversational style in his poem. It is also called Colloquial style. Pick out and write down such lines or expressions that support the above statement.
(a) ………………………. You have not done what I asked.
(b) ……………………………………………………………………..
(c) ……………………………………………………………………..
(d) ……………………………………………………………………..
(e) ……………………………………………………………………..
(f) ……………………………………………………………………..
Answer:
(a) You have not done what I asked.
(b) You are trampling on my feelings.
(c) All that I ask is that you listen.
(d) When you do something for me that I can and need to do for myself, you contribute to my fear and inadequacy.
(e) But when you accept as a simple fact that I feel what I feel.
(f) then I can stop trying to convince you have not done what I asked.

2. Put the following expressions in a table of Dos and Don’ts as expressed by the poet.

Question 1.
Put the following expressions in a table of Dos and Don’ts as expressed by the poet.
(a) Please listen.
(b) give me advice.
(c) tell me why.
(d) solve my problem
(e) just hear me.
(f) accept as a simple fact
(g) contribute to my fear
(h) wait a minute

Answer:

Dos	Don’ts
1. please listen	1. give me advice
2. just hear me	2. tell me why
3. accept my feelings as a simple fact	3. solve my problem
4. wait a minute	4. contribute to my fear

3. Write in your own words.

Question a.
What does the listener do when the poet asks him to just listen? Give 3 points.
Answer:
When the poet asks the listener to just listen, the listener either:

1. gives advice
2. tells him why he shouldn’t feel that way, or
3. tries to solve the; poet’s problem.

Question b.
Why does the poet remark that advice is cheap?
Answer:
The poet remarks that advice is cheap because everyone is willing to give advice. You only had to write to the agony column of any newspaper with your problems and you could get advice from the columnists. You had to spend just 20 cents to buy the paper.

Question c.
Which two facts show that the poet is confident of overcoming his irrational feelings?
Answer:
The two facts that show that the poet ; is confident of overcoming his irrational feelings 5 are : first, he says he will understand what is behind these feelings. Second, he says that when the answers become obvious, he will not need any advice.

4. According to the poet, how does God help people when they pray to Him for help?

Question 1.
According to the poet, how does God help people when they pray to Him for help?
Answer:
According to the poet, God doesn’t try to give advice or fix things. He is silent and let’s one work things out by oneself. That is how God helps people when they pray to Him for help.

5. Why should one learn to tackle one’s problems by one’s own self?

Question 1.
Why should one learn to tackle one’s problems by one’s own self?
Answer:
When one tackles one’s problems by oneself, one overcomes feelings of fear and inadequacy. Hence one should learn to tackle one’s problems by one’s own self.

6. Why should seniors not over-protect or over-pamper juniors?

Question 1.
Why should seniors not over-protect or over-pamper juniors?
Answer:
If seniors over-protect or over-pamper juniors, the juniors will be unable to stand on their own feet and face the world. They will not be able to overcome their feelings of fear and inadequacy. They will not become confident. Hence, seniors should not over-protect or over-pamper juniors.

7. Find out and write down some proverbs/ axioms/quotations that convey a message similar to ‘Self-help is the best help.’

Question 1.
Find out and write down some proverbs/ axioms/quotations that convey a message similar to ‘Self-help is the best help.’
Answer:
Examples:

1. God helps those who help themselves.
2. Self-help is the root of all success.

8. Maintain a diary for at least a week. Write about your interactions with other people in your surroundings in 3-4 lines. Also write whether you find the interactions happy – unhappy, satisfactory – unsatisfactory, enjoyable – stressful, etc.

Question 1.
Maintain a diary for at least a week. Write about your interactions with other people in your surroundings in 3-4 lines. Also write whether you find the interactions happy – unhappy, satisfactory – unsatisfactory, enjoyable – stressful, etc.
Answer:
Jan. 1: Today is New Year’s day. Holiday for J everyone. Mummy baked a yummy cake. I helped her. Papa and I went for a long walk in the park. Have made heaps of resolutions. Intend to keep every one of them. Am full of determination. Have decided to ‘ ask Seemadidi for help. A wonderful day!

Jan. 2: Not such a good day. Broke my first resolution. Overslept and had to rush to school with my shoes in my hand! Luckily my homework was all done. Kept my resolution of doing my studies before going out to play football. Had an argument with Sahil on the ground. But it ended well.

9. Write an informal letter from a teenager to his/her parent expressing a few thoughts from the poem.

Question 1.
Write an informal letter from a teenager to his/her parent expressing a few thoughts from the poem.
Answer:
Room No. 3
Ladies’ Hostel
Aundh Road
Pune – 411 007.
14th October, 2020

Dearest Mom,

Hi! Sorry, sorry, dear Mom. Are you surprised to see this letter? I wanted to talk to you about this, but then I thought I will be able to express myself better in a letter.

Mom, when I told you about the problems I was having 1 with my roommate here at the hostel, I only wanted j you to listen. I knew I was being irrational at times, and I was trying to understand this feeling. It would have taken me some time, but I would have finally got things sorted out on my own. I’m sorry, but I did not need advice, or any solutions. Now I’ve solved my problem and I am at peace.

I’m sorry, Mom, if I’ve hurt you by snapping at your good intentions. But I’m learning. I still need your support, but I have to make my own way in this world, and this is the first step. Please try to understand this.

Love you always.
Your loving daughter,
Ananya

10. Read aloud a couple of stanzas of the poem j ‘Invictus’ and ‘Please Listen’. In what ways do j they differ? Think and fill up the table with a ‘Yes’ or ‘No’.

Question 1.
Read aloud a couple of stanzas of the poem ‘Invictus’ and ‘Please Listen’. In what ways do j they differ? Think and fill up the table with a ‘Yes’ or ‘No’.

‘Invictus’ is an example of Traditional Poetry. ‘Please Listen’ is an example of Free Verse.
Answer:

	Invictus	Please Listen
1. Rhyming lines	Yes	No
2. Steady rhythm	Yes	No
3. Uniformity in length of lines	Yes	No
4. Uniformity in number of lines in each stanza	Yes	No
5. Figurative language	Yes	No
6. Example of	Traditional poetry	Free verse

English Kumarbharati 9th Digest Chapter 4.1 Please Listen Additional Important Questions and Answers

Simple Factual Activity:

Question 1.
Say whether the following statements are True or False:
Answer:

1. The poet wants advice from the listener – False
2. The poet wants sympathy from the listener – False
3. The poet wants solutions from the listener – False
4. The poet wants the listener to listen to him silently – True

Complex Factual Activity.

Question 1.
How old is the speaker in the poem?
Answer:
The speaker must be a teenager or a young person who is impatient and does not want advice or solutions.

Question 2.
Who is he/she talking to?
Answer:
He /She is talking to someone older a parent or a friend.

Activities based on Poetic Devices.

Question 1.
Pick out the two verbs that are repeated ; throughout the extract.
Answer:
The verbs ‘ask’ and ‘listen’ are repeated throughout the extract.

Question 2.
What style is the poem written in?
Answer:
The poem is written in the conversational or colloquial style.

Simple Factual Activity.

Question 1.
Fill in the blanks with the correct words:
Answer:
1. The poet says that he may be discouraged and faltering, but he is not helpless.
2. The poet accepts that he has irrational feelings.

Complex Factual Activities.

Question 1.
Is the speaker aware of his shortcomings?
Answer:
Yes, the speaker is aware of his/her shortcomings.

Question 2.
What must have happened before the speaker says all this?
Answer:
The speaker must have had some emotional stress and problems, some feelings that he/she could not find reasonable explanations for.

Activities based on Poetic Devices.

Question 1.
Is there any figurative language in the poem?
Answer:
No, there is not much figurative language in the poem.

Simple Factual Activity.

Question 1.
Complete the web:
(The answers are given directly and underlined.)

Think discuss and answer:

Question a.
Does he/she want to improve?
Answer:
Yes, he/she wants to improve.

Question b.
Is he/she confident that he/she can improve?
Answer:
Yes, he/she is confident that he/she can improve.

Question c.
How does he/she want to work it out?
Answer:
He/She wants to work it out on his/her own.

Question d.
Is the poet willing to listen to others?
Answer:
Yes, the poet is willing to listen to others.

Answer the following questions:

Question 1.
Discuss how you can be a good listener.
Answer:
To be a good listener, we must pay attention to what a person is saying without interruption. We must only listen and not try to form replies and counter-arguments in our own mind. We must also nod and show correct expressions to encourage the speaker.

Activities based on Poetic Devices:

Question 1.
The poet uses a free, conversational style in his poem. It is also called Colloquial style. Pick out and write down such lines or expressions that support the above statement.
Answer:
1. So please listen, and just hear me
2. And if you want to talk, wait a minute for your turn – and I will listen to you.

Question 2.
Comment upon the length of lines and the number of lines in each stanza.
Answer:
There is no uniformity in the length of lines or the number of lines in each stanza. It appears as if the poem has first been written in prose and then broken up into separate lines.

Point Format (for understanding).

• Title: Please Listen!
• Poet: Unknown (anonymous)
• Rhyme Scheme: The poem is in free verse. Hence there is no rhyme scheme.
• Figure of Speech: Repetition. ‘When I ask you to listen to me’. This line has been repeated in the poem for emphasis.
• Theme/Central idea: The poet tells us how he just wishes that people would listen to a person’s problems silentiy, instead of giving advice.

The poet is confident that he will find out the reasons behind his irrational feelings and then he will be able to solve his problems by himself. He feels that prayers probably work because God just listens to us silently when we pray and then lets us work things out ourselves. Through the poem, the poet implies that we too should work things out ourselves when we are faced with difficulties or have some irrational feelings.

Paragraph Format.

The poem ‘Please Listen!’ is written by an unknown poet (anonymous).

The poem is in free verse. Hence there is no rhyme scheme. There are not many figures of speech. The important Figure of Speech is Repetition: ‘When I ask you to listen to me’. This line has been repeated in the poem for emphasis.

The poet tells us how he just wishes that people would listen to a person’s problems silently, instead of giving advice. The poet is confident that he will find out the reasons behind his irrational feelings and then he will be able to solve his problems by himself. He feels that prayers probably work because God just listens to us silently when we pray and then lets us work things out ourselves. Through the poem, the poet implies that we too should work things out ourselves when we are faced with difficulties or have some irrational feelings.

Vocabulary Focus.

Question 1.
What is the difference between ‘hear’ and ‘listen’?
Answer:

1. ‘To hear’ means to receive with the ear the sound made by someone or something; to be aware of some sound.
2. ‘To listen’ means to consciously give one’s attention to a sound and try to understand it.

Maharashtra State Board Class 9 English Solutions

Balbharti Maharashtra State Board Class 9 English Solutions Kumarbharati Chapter 4.2 The Storyteller Notes, Textbook Exercise Important Questions and Answers.

Maharashtra State Board Class 9 English Kumarbharati Solutions Chapter 4.2 The Storyteller

English Kumarbharati 9th Solutions Chapter 4.2 The Storyteller Textbook Questions and Answers

Warming Up:

1. Short stories are of many types. Match the type of story in Column A with its description in Column B:

Question 1.
Short stories are of many types. Match the type of story in Column A with its description in Column B:

Answer:

Story type (A)	Description (B)
1. Anecdote	(a) serious and ends in tragedy
2. Fable	(b) untrue but realistic
3. Parable	(c) short amusing account of an incident
4. Myth	(d) where vices and folly are ridiculed
5. Legend	(e) moral bearing story with animal characters
6. Fairy Tale	(f) having historical base/characters but may not be true
7. Tragic Tale	(g) having religious base and a message or moral
8. Fiction	(h) exaggerated comedy
9. Farce	(i) having supernatural characters/ a moral for children
10. Satire	(j) originated in ancient time, authorship unknown

1. Anecdote – (c) short amusing account of an incident
2. Fable -(e) moral bearing story with animal characters
3. Parable – (g) having religious base and a message or moral
4. Myth-(j) originated in ancient time, authorship unknown
5. Legend – (f) having historical base/characters but may not be true
6. Fairy Tale – (i) having supernatural characters/a moral for children
7. Tragic Tale – (a) serious and ends in tragedy
8. Fiction – (b) untrue but realistic
9. Farce -(h) exaggerated comedy
10. Satire -(d) where vices and folly are ridiculed

2. Complete the following story using the verbs in the brackets in their proper form:

Question 2.
Complete the following story using the verbs in the brackets in their proper form:

Footprint

One night a man ………………………….. (have) a dream. He …………………………….. (dream) that he was …………………. (walk) along the beach with god. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene, he noticed two sets of foot prints in the sand; one …………………….. (belong) to him and the other, to God.

After the last scene ………………………….. (flash), he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He ………………………….. (observe) that many times along the path of his life there ………………………….. (be) only one set of footprints and that it ………………………….. (happen) at the saddest, most ………………………….. (trouble) times of his life.

He ………………………….. (question) God about it. “God, you ………………………….. (say) that once I ………………………….. (decide) to follow you, you ………………………….. (will) walk with me all the way. So I don’t understand, why you ………………………….. (leave) me alone, when I ………………….. (need) you most.”

God replied, “During your times of trials and sufferings, where you ………………………….. (see) only one set of footprints, they ………………………….. (be) mine for it was then that I ………………………….. (carry) you in my arms.”
Answer:

Footprint

One night a man had a dream. He dreamt that he was walking along the beach with God. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand; one belonging to him and the other, to God.

After the last scene had flashed, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He observed that many times along the path of his life there were only one set of footprints and that it had happened at the saddest, most troubled times of his life.

He questioned God about it. “God, you said that once I decided to follow you, you would walk with me all the way. So I don’t understand why you left me alone when I needed you the most.”

God replied, “During your times of trials and sufferings, where you saw only one set of footprints, they were mine, for it was then that I carried you in my arms.”

English Workshop:

1. From the story (Part I and Part II), find 4 words that begin with the prefIx ‘un-‘ and write their opposites.

Question 1.
From the story (Part I and Part II), find 4 words that begin with the prefIx ‘un-‘ and write their opposites.

1. ………….. × …………..
2. ………….. × …………..
3. ………….. × …………..
4. ………….. × …………..
5. ………….. × …………..
6. ………….. × …………..

Answer:

1. unsympathetic × sympathetic
2. unable × able
3. unenterprising × enterprising
4. uninteresting × interesting
5. unexpected × expected
6. unhappy × happy

2. Find one example/examples of the following punctuation marks from the story and copy the lines in which they are used:

Question 1.
Find one example/examples of the following punctuation marks from the story and copy the lines in which they are used:
(a) colon
(b) semi-colon
Answer:
(a) colon – Bertha was terribly frightened and thought to herself ;
(b) semi-colon – The first thing that it saw in the park was Bertha;

3. Read the following pieces from the story and suggest a title for each as shown in the first one:

Question 1.
Read the following pieces from the story and suggest a title for each as shown in the first one:

Answer:

From	Up to	Title
1. It was a hot afternoon ……….	………….. said the aunt weakly.	‘Children pester their aunt’.
2. The smaller girl created a diversion …………..	………….. likely to lose his bet.	‘The irritating little girl.’
3. In a low confidential voice ……………	………….. it was so stupid,” said Cyril.	‘Aunt tells a story.’
4. She (Bertha) did all that she was told …………..	………….. must be an extra good child.	‘The horribly good Bertha.’
5. The storyteller paused to let …………..	………….. popular tunes of the day.	‘Bertha’s outing at the park.’
6. Bertha was trembling very much …………..	……… the three medals for goodness ……….	‘The punishment.’

4. Write your opinion, in your own words:

Question a.
Why, do you think, did the children dislike their aunt’s story?
Answer:
The story was uninteresting and unenterprising. The children did not like the good little girl in the story. She appeared to be too good. Besides, the aunt could not satisfy the questions that they asked. Obviously, not only was the aunt a very bad story-teller but the story too was boring. Hence the children disliked the story.

Question b.
Why did they appreciate and praise the stranger’s story?
Answer:
The children were probably tired of the moral education imparted by the aunt. So when they came across a girl who was ‘horribly’ good, and who met a terrible end, they were thrilled. Moreover, the stranger narrated the story well. Hence they appreciated and praised the story.

Question c.
Do you think Bertha should have met such a gory end to her life? Justify your answer.
Answer:
No, I don’t think that Bertha should have met such a gory end to her life. After all, she was only a small child and it was probably not her fault that she was vain about her goodness. She should have merely been frightened by the wolf, not devoured by it.

Question d.
What did the aunt fail to realize in Bertha’s story?
Answer:
The aunt failed to see Bertha’s pride in herself; she only saw that Bertha was good, but had j yet met a gory end. The aunt failed to realize that Bertha met a gory end as a punishment for her vanity.

Question e.
What is that one vice that nullifies all virtues that a person has?
Answer:
Pride is the one vice that nullifies all the virtues that a person has. However good or talented a person is, he/she is not liked if he/she is proud or vain. Many tragic heroes in fiction and history were the victims of their own pride. It is often said that ‘Pride comes before a fall’.

Question f.
Write down two or three proverbs/axioms that suit the message in Bertha’s story;
Answer:

1. “Pride goes before a fall.”
2. “Wealth is a gift from God, and pride is bequeathed to us from the devil.”
3. “Proud people breed sad sorrows for themselves.”

5. Write three to five sentences about each of the following characters:

Question 1.
Write three to five sentences about each of the following characters:
1. The Aunt ………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………….

2. The Bachelor …………………………………………………..
……………………………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………….

3. Cyril …………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………..

4. Bertha ………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………
Answer:
1. The Aunt: The aunt was a meek and mild woman. She did not understand children, and could not control them. She had no imagination to make up a story, and no skills to present the story in an interesting manner. She believed that children needed a strict moral upbringing. She was upset with the bachelor’s story and thought that it was improper.

2. The Bachelor: The bachelor was impatient with the aunt’s inability to control the children. He understood kids well and knew what type of story they wanted. He was resourceful and found a method to keep the children quiet for ten minutes. He also enjoyed the fact that the children would now trouble their aunt for an improper story.

3. Cyril: Cyril was a normal, naughty and restless boy. He had many questions to ask and wanted answers for all those questions. He was quite outspoken in saying that he found the aunt’s story stupid. He found the bachelor’s unusual story beautiful.

4. Bertha: Bertha was a very, very good little girl. She was so good that she was horrible. She was also obedient and punctual. She won many medals for her good qualities. But she had one bad quality, and that was pride. However, the moment she was in danger, she wished that she had not been so extraordinarily good. She was finally devoured by the wolf.

6. Say whether you agree or disagree.

1. The children would have behaved well in the train if their aunt had scolded them harshly – Disagree
2. The youngest child was most irritating – Agree
3. Being a bachelor, the stranger had no patience with children – Disagree
4. The children showed disinterest even in the bachelor’s story-telling, throughout – Disagree
5. Bertha was very good but very proud too – Agree
6. The Prince had rare, uncommon likes and dislikes – Disagree
7. The wolf could not trace Bertha because she was behind a myrtle bush – Agree
8. The bachelor had narrated an improper story to the children – Disagree

7. ‘The Storyteller’ has a story within a story.

Question 1.
‘The Storyteller’ has a story within a story. Search from the internet or your library books for other stories which have another story within. Enlist at least 3 to 5 of them.
Answer:
Ramayan. Mahabharat, Panchatantra.

8. List all the verbs related to ‘say’ or ‘tell’ from the passage.

Question 1.
List all the verbs related to ‘say’ or ‘tell’ from the passage.
Answer:

1. Verbs related to ‘say’ or ‘tell’: said, exclaimed, added, asked, protested.
2. Verbs related to ‘say’ or ‘tell’: demanded, admitted, said
3. Verbs related to ‘say’ or ‘tell’: said, retort, demanded, began, asked.
4. Verbs related to ‘say’ or ‘tell’: continued, quoted, demanded, said.
5. Verbs related to ‘say’ or ‘tell’: said

9. Read: ‘The Open Window by H.H. Munro (Saki).

English Kumarbharati 9th Digest Chapter 4.2 The Storyteller Additional Important Questions and Answers

Simple Factual Activities:

Question 1.
Complete the following:
Answer:

1. The next stop of the train was at Templecombe.
2. Most of the remarks of the aunt seemed to begin with ‘Don’t’.
3. The bachelor said nothing out loud.
4. The child moved reluctantly to the window.

Complex Factual Activity:

Question 1.
How many occupants did the compartment have?
Answer:
The compartment had five occupants.

Question 2.
Why did the aunt have to use the word ‘Don’t’ so often?
Answer:
The children were very bored and restless and indulged in irritating activities like smacking the cushions of the seats. Hence the aunt had to use the word ‘Don’t’ very often.

Activities based on Vocabulary:

Question 1.
Write the antonyms of the following words using prefixes :
1. occupied
2. limited
Answer:
1.  occupied × unoccupied
2. limited × unlimited

Activities based on Contextual Grammar:

Question 1.
Rewrite the following as indirect speech:
“But there is lots of grass in that field,” protested the boy.
Answer:
The boy protested that there was lots of grass in that field.

Question 2.
Find an example of the following punctuation mark from the passage and copy the sentence in which it is used: semi-colon
Answer:
“But there is lots of grass in that field,” protested the boy; “There’s nothing else but grass there.”

Personal Response:

Question 1.
Do you like to travel long distances by train?
Answer:
Yes, I do. Every year, we go to my native place by train, and we have a lovely time. Since we go during the Diwali holidays, the route along the Konkan Railway is very beautiful and scenic at that time. We watch the scenery flash by, and play card games when it gets dark.

Simple Factual Activities:

Question 1.
Write whether the following statements are True or False:
Answer:

1. The bachelor was irritated with the situation – True
2. The aunt was able to satisfy Cyril’s curiosity – False
3. The smaller girl knew only one line of the poem – True
4. They could see very few cows from the windows – False

Complex Factual Activity:

Question 1.
To which question from Cyril was aunt unable to give a reasonable answer?
Answer:
Aunt was unable to give a reasonable answer to Cyril’s question: ‘Why is the grass in the other field better?’

Question 2.
How did the smaller of the two girls irritate the bachelor?
Answer:
The smaller of the two girls began to recite the poem ‘On the Road to Mandalay’. She only knew the first line, but she repeated the line over and over again, in a dreamy but resolute and very audible voice. This irritated the bachelor.

Activities based on Vocabulary:

Question 1.
List all the verbs related to ‘say’ or ‘tell’ from the passage.
Answer:
Verbs related to ‘say’ or ‘tell’: suggested, exclaimed, persisted, repeated, said.

Activities based on Contextual Grammar:

Question 1.
Rewrite the following as indirect speech:
“Perhaps the grass in the other field is better,” suggested the aunt fatuously.
Answer:
The aunt suggested fatuously that perhaps the grass in the other field was better.

Question 2.
Find an example of the following punctuation mark from the passage and copy the sentence in which it is used:
semi-colon.
Answer:
She repeated the line over and over again, in a dreamy but resolute and very audible voice: it I seemed ……… .

Question 3.
Rewrite the following sentence using ‘not’:
She only knew the first line.
Answer:
She did not know any other line except the first.

Personal Response:

Question 1.
What is your opinion of the aunt?
Answer:
I feel very sorry for the aunt. She was very meek and completely unable to handle the three children. Knowing that she was going on a train journey with three small children, she should have brought something along to keep them occupied.

Who said the following words?

Question 1.
“Wouldn’t they have saved her if she hadn’t been good?”
Answer:
the bigger of the two girls

Question 2.
“Well, yes,”
Answer:
the aunt

Question 3.
“I didn’t listen after the first bit.”
Answer:
Cyril

Question 4.
“It’s the stupidest story I’ve ever heard.”
Answer:
the bigger of the two girls

Complex Factual Activity:

Question 1.
How did the children show their disapproval of the aunt’s story?
Answer:
The children interrupted the story at frequent intervals with loud, petulant questionings. After the story was over, the bigger girl said that it was the stupidest story she had ever heard. Cyril agreed with her that it was stupid. The smaller girl had stopped listening and was repeating her favourite line from the poem.

Activities based on Vocabulary:

Question 2.
Give the noun forms of the following words:
1. moral
2. stupid
Answer:
1. moral – morality
2. stupid – stupidity

Activities based on Contextual Grammar:

Question 1.
Rewrite the following as indirect speech:
“Wouldn’t they have saved her if she hadn’t been good?” demanded the bigger of the small girls.
Answer:
The bigger of the small girls demanded whether they wouldn’t have saved her if she hadn’t been good.

Question 2.
Frame Wh-questions to get the underlined parts in the following sentences as the answers:
1. Her reputation as a story-teller did not rank high.
2. In a low, confidential voice she began the story
Answer:
1. What did not rank high?
2. How did she begin the story?

Factual Activities:

Question 1.
Write four words to describe Bertha to complete the web:
Answer:

Complex Factual Activity:

Question 1.
What did the bachelor not agree with?
Answer:
The aunt said that it was a very difficult thing to tell stories that children can both understand and appreciate. The bachelor did not agree with this statement.

Question 2.
What roused the children’s interest in the story?
Answer:
The bachelor said that the good little Bertha was ‘horribly’ good. When the children heard this, their interest was roused. The word ‘horrible’ in connection with goodness was something new that they appreciated and found acceptable.

Activities based on Vocabulary:

Question 1.
Write the gender of the following :

1. bachelor
2. aunt
3. children
4. infant

Answer:

1. bachelor – masculine gender
2. aunt – feminine gender
3. children – common gender
4. fant – common gender.

Activities based on Contextual Grammar:

Question 1.
Rewrite the following as indirect speech:
“Was she pretty?” asked the bigger of the small girls.
Answer:
The bigger of the small girls asked whether she was pretty,

Question 2.
Find an example of the following punctuation mark from the passage and copy the sentences in which it is used:
semi-colon.
Answer:
1. The children’s momentarily-aroused interest began at once to flicker; all stories seemed………
2. There was a wave of reaction in favour of the story; the word horrible in connection with goodness…………

Question 3.
Rewrite the following sentences using ‘not only … but also …’ :
1. She was always truthful, she kept her clothes clean.
2. It’s a very difficult thing to tell stories that children can both understand and appreciate.
Answer:
1.She was not only always truthful, but she also kept her clothes clean.
2. It’s a very difficult thing to tell stories that children can not only understand but also appreciate.

Personal Response:

Question 1.
Do you like stories that have a moral or a message?
Answer:
That depends on the way the story is narrated and the message that is in the story. I don’t like the usual fairy-tale stories or the do-good type stories now; I like stories that make me think about something or affect me positively in some way.

Simple Activities:

Question 1.
Punctuate:
dont cyril dont exclaimed the aunt as the small boy began sacking the cushions of the seat
Answer:
“Don’t, Cyril, don’t,” exclaimed the aunt, as the small boy began sacking the cushions of the seat.

Question 2.
Make a meaningful sentence using the I phrase ‘over and over again’:
Answer:
The little girl repeated the answer over and over again.

Question 3.
Spot the error and correct the sentence:
I doesn’t agree with you,” said the bachelor.
Answer:
“I don’t agree with you,” said the bachelor.

Question 4.
Pick out the present participle/s from the given sentence:
She began an unenterprising and uninteresting story about a little girl who was good.
Answer:
unenterprising, uninteresting

Question 5.
Identify the type of sentence:
Why is it better?
Answer:
Interrogative sentence

Question 6.
Find out two hidden words from the word ‘character’.
Answer:
character-react, chart (heart, charter).

Question 7.
Form the present participle of a verb from the lesson in which the last letter is doubled.
Answer:
begin -beginning.

Question 8.
Write the following words in alphabetical order:
fatuously, inevitable, interest, estimation.
Answer:
estimation, fatuously, inevitable, interest.

Question 9.
Make a word chain of about four adjectives of your own.
Answer:
polite → excellent thoughtful → lovely → youthful

Medium-Level Activities:

Question 1.
Use the word fast in two separate sentences, the word having different meanings (homographs):
Answer:
(a) “This is a fast train and doesn’t stop at all the stations,” said the woman.
(b) The saint refused to break his fast.

Question 2.
“Why is the grass in the other field better?” persisted Cyril. (Rewrite using indirect speech.)
Answer:
Cyril asked persistently why the grass in the other field was better.

Question 3.
The children moved listlessly. (Use the past continuous tense of the verb.)
Answer:
The children were moving listlessly.

Challenging Activities:

Question 1.
Use the following word in two separate sentences, once as a noun and once as a verb: interest
Answer:
(a) I have no interest in politics, (noun)
(b) Military history doesn’t really interest me. (verb)

Question 2.
This is the stupidest story I’ve ever heard. (Change the degree of comparison.)
Answer:
(a) I’ve never heard a story as stupid as this. (Positive)
(b) This story is stupider/more stupid than any story I’ve ever heard. (Comparative)

Simple Factual Activities:

Question 1.
Write if the following statements are True or False:
Answer:

1. There were no sheep in the park – True
2. Bertha was allowed to walk in the park twice a week – False
3. There were no animals at all in the park – False
4. Bertha had the most medals in the town – True

Complex Factual Activity:

Question 1.
For which three values did Bertha win medals? What was exceptional about it?
Answer:
Bertha won medals for obedience, punctuality and good behaviour. This was exceptional because no other child in the town where she lived had as many as three medals, which Bertha had.

Question 2.
How did the Prince reward Bertha?
Answer:
The Prince rewarded Bertha by allowing her to walk in his beautiful park once a week. As no children were ever allowed in it, this was great honour for Bertha.

Activities based on Vocabulary:

Question 1.
Write the plural of the following words:

1. country
2. dress
3. storyteller
4. punctuality

Answer:

1. country – countries
2. dress – dresses
3. storyteller – storytellers
4. punctuality – punctuality

Activities based on Contextual Grammar:

Question 1.
Find example /examples of the following punctuation marks from the story and copy the lines in which they are used:
1. colon
2. semi-colon
Answer:
1. colon – then he resumed
2. semi-colon – sink into the children’s imaginations

Question 2.
Rewrite the following as indirect speech:
“Were there any sheep on the park?” demanded Cyril.
Answer:
Cyril asked in a demanding tone if there were any sheep in the park.

Question 3.
No other child in the town had as many as three medals. (Rewrite beginning ‘She was….’.)
Answer:
She was the only child in the town who had as many as three medals.

Personal Response:

Question 1.
Do you like listening to stories?
Answer:
I generally don’t like listening to stories; but if they are short and interesting, then I listen. It also depends on the narrator; if it is narrated well, then I like to listen. I used to listen to a lot of stories in my childhood, told by my grandmother.

Simple Factual Activities:

Question 1.
Answer what the following things are, in one or two words:
Answer:

1. Bertha was sorry about the absence of this. flowers.
2. Bertha meant to keep this. her promise.
3. The flowers had been eaten by these. the animals.
4. They clinked against one another. the medals.

Complex Factual Activity:

Question 1.
Why did the children approve of the Prince’s decision?
Answer:
Maybe the children liked animals better than they liked flowers. Besides, they were probably happy that the good Bertha had no flowers she couldn’t pick. Hence they approved of the Prince’s decision.

Activities based on Vocabulary:

Question 1.
Fill in the blanks with the correct adjectives:

1. ……………….. things
2. ……………….. birds
3. ………………….. parrots
4. ………………. tunes

Answer:

1. delightful things
2. hummingbirds
3. beautiful parrots
4. popular tunes

Question 2.
Match the words with the parts of speech they belong to, with reference to the passage:

A	B
1. with	(a) adverb
2. approval	(b) adjective
3. rather	(c) preposition
4. green	(d) noun

Answer:

1. with – preposition
2.  approval – noun
3. rather – adverb
4. green – adjective

Activities based on Contextual Grammar:

Question 1.
Find example/examples of the following punctuation marks from the story and copy the j lines in which they are used:
1. colon
2. semi-colon
Answer:
1. colon: Bertha walked up and down and enjoyed herself immensely, and thought to herself
2. semi-colon: There was a murmur of approval at the excellence of the Prince’s decision

Question 2.
Rewrite the following as indirect speech:
“Because the animals had eaten them all,” said the bachelor promptly.
Answer:
The bachelor promptly said that it was because the animals had eaten them all.

Question 3.
It made her feel silly to find that there were no flowers to pick.
(Replace the underlined words with gerunds.)
Answer:
Finding that there were no flowers for picking made her feel silly.

Simple Factual Activities:

Question 1.
Complete the following statements:
Answer:

1. An enormous wolf came prowling into the park.
2. The wolf came after her with huge leaps and bounds.
3. Bertha managed to reach a shrubbery of myrtle bushes.
4. Bertha hid herself in one of the thickest of the bushes.

Complex Factual Activity:

Question 1.
Why did Bertha wish she had never come to the park?
Answer:
Bertha saw an enormous wolf come stealing towards her. She was terribly frightened and wished she had never come to the park.

Question 2.
Why was the wolf unable to trace Bertha?
Answer:
The scent of the myrtle was so strong that the wolf could not sniff out where Bertha was hiding. The bushes were also too thick for him to see her.

Activity-based on Vocabulary:

Question 1.
Match the words in Columns A, B and C correctly:

A	B	C
1. white	myrtle	eyes
2. pale	little	bushes
3. thick	clean	animal
4. fat	grey	pinafore

Answer:

1. white – clean – pinafore
2. pale – grey – eyes
3. thick – myrtle – bushes
4. fat – little – animal.

Do as Directed:

Question 1.
The scent of the myrtle was so strong that the wolf could not sniff out where Bertha was hiding. (Rewrite using ‘too … to …’.)
Answer:
The scent of the myrtle was too strong for the wolf to sniff out where Bertha was hiding.

Question 2.
She managed to reach a shrubbery of myrtle bushes and she hid herself in one of the thickest of the bushes. (Rewrite as a simple sentence.)
Answer:
Managing to reach a shrubbery of myrtle bushes, she hid herself in one of the thickest of the bushes.

Personal Response:

Question 1.
Do you like Bertha? Why?
Answer:
No, I don’t like Bertha. She is too good to be true. She also knows that she is good and she is proud of this fact. This makes her irritating and horrible.

Who said the following:

Question 1.
Unhappy woman!
Answer:
the bachelor

Question 2.
The story began badly.
Answer:
the bigger of the small girls

Question 3.
A most improper story.
Answer:
the aunt

Question 4.
I kept them quiet for ten minutes.
Answer:
the bachelor

Complex Factual Activity:

Question 1.
What gave Bertha away and how did she meet her end?
Answer:
The clinking of her medals gave Bertha away. The wolf dashed into the bush in which she was hiding, dragged her out and devoured her to the last morsel.

Question 2.
What impact did the story have on the children?
Answer:
The children loved the story and said it was the most beautiful story they had ever heard. It had also kept them quiet for the remainder of the train journey.

Question 3.
Why was their aunt annoyed with the bachelor?
Answer:
Their aunt had probably always been telling the children the advantages of having a good moral character. Now, in the bachelor’s story, the extremely good Bertha had met a terrible end. So the aunt was annoyed with the bachelor for undermining the effect of years of her careful teaching.

Activities based on Vocabulary:

Question 1.
List all the verbs related to ‘say’ or ‘tell’ from the passage.
Answer:
Verbs related to ‘say’ or ‘tell’: said, observed.

Question 2.
Pick out at least six abstract nouns from the passage :
Answer:
Abstract nouns are: obedience, conduct, punctuality, ferocity, triumph, goodness, (decision, opinion)

Activities based on Contextual Grammar:

Question 1.
Find example/examples of the following punctuation marks from the story and copy the ! sentence in which they are used: semi-colon
Answer:
1. The wolf was just moving away, when he heard the sound of the medals clinking and stopped to listen;
2. “Unhappy woman!” he observed to himself as he walked down the platform of Templecombe station.

Question 2.
Rewrite the following as indirect speech:
“Unhappy woman!” he observed to himself.
Answer:
He observed to himself that she was an unhappy woman.

Simple Activities:

Question 1.
Punctuate:
it is the only beautiful story ive ever heard said cyril
Answer:
“It is the only beautiful story I’ve ever heard,” said Cyril.

Question 2.
Make a meaningful sentence using the phrase ‘from a great distance’.
Answer:
The frightened king watched the lion from a great distance.

Question 3.
Spot the error and correct the sentence:
So many people would has decided the other way.
Answer:
So many people would have decided the other way.

Question 4.
Pick out the infinitive in the given sentence and use it in a sentence of your own:
She had meant to keep her promise.
Answer:
The maid was not allowed to keep the clothes in the cupboard.

Question 5.
Identify the type of sentence:
Why weren’t there any flowers?
Answer:
Interrogative sentence

Question 6.
Find out two hidden words from the word ‘belongings’.
Answer:
belongings – belong, longing (going, single)

Question 7.
Form the present and past participle of a verb in which the last letter is doubled.
Answer:
excel – excelled, excelling

Question 8.
Write the given words in alphabetical order: approval, animals, enormous, beautiful
Answer:
animals, approval, beautiful, enormous

Medium-Level Activities:

Question 1.
Use the word ‘rage’ in two separate sentences, the word having different meanings (homographs) :
Answer:
(a) Thick denims soon became a great rage all over the world.
(b) She walked off the stage in a rage.

Question 2.
“The story began badly,” said the smaller of S the small girls. (Rewrite using indirect speech.)
Answer:
The smaller of the small girls said that the story had begun badly.

Question 3.
She had meant to keep her promise.
(Use the present tense of the verb.)
Answer:
She means to keep her promise.

Question 4.
Everybody talked about her goodness.
(Change the voice beginning ‘Her….’.)
Answer:
Her goodness was talked about by everybody.

Challenging Activities:

Question 1.
Use the word ‘park’ in two separate sentences, once as a noun and once as a verb :
Answer:
(a) Children love going to the park to play. (noun)
(b) The driver was looking for a place to park the car. (verb)

Question 2.
Use the words ‘immense’ and ‘beautiful’ in a single sentence of your own.
Answer:
The immense mountain had beautiful flowers on its slopes.

Maharashtra State Board Class 9 English Solutions

Balbharti Maharashtra State Board Class 9 English Solutions Kumarbharati Chapter 2.3 Somebody’s Mother Notes, Textbook Exercise Important Questions and Answers.

Maharashtra State Board Class 9 English Kumarbharati Solutions Chapter 2.3 Somebody’s Mother

English Kumarbharati 9th Solutions Chapter 2.3 Somebody’s Mother Textbook Questions and Answers

Warming up :

1. Read the following proverb that has a biblical reference.
‘Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.’ Now find at least 5 other proverbs/axioms/quotations which convey the same message. Search the internet/dictionary of proverbs.
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Question 1.
‘Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.’ Find at least five other proverbs/ axioms/quotations that convey the same message.
Answer:

1. They that sow the wind shall reap the whirlwind.
2. Life is an echo – what you send out comes back.
3. As you sow, so shall you reap.
4. Love begets love.
5. Love your neighbour like yourself.

2. Study the following sets of words :
Set A – pleased, happy, joyful, ecstatic
Set B – letter, word, sentence, paragraph
Note: The words in these sets are arranged in an ascending order, each word showing a higher degree than the previous one. Now rearrange the following groups of words in the ascending order.

Question 1.
Arrange the following groups of words in the ascending order : (The answer is given directly.)
Answer:

Question 2.
Prepare similar word chains using the following ideas : (The answer is given directly and underlined.)

Answer:

English Workshop:

1. Pick out lines from the poem that help create images of the following in our mind and write them in the table.

Question 1.
Pick out lines from the poem that help create images of the following in our mind and write them in the table.
Answer:

Old Woman	The Street	School Boys
1. The woman was old and ragged and grey And bent with the chill of a winter’s day	The streets were white with a recent snow	Down the street with laughter and shout
2. At the crowded crossing she waited long, Jostled aside by the careless throng	At the crowded crossing she waited long	Came happy boys, like a flock of sheep,
3. Her aged hand on his strong young arm She placed, and so without hurt or harm He guided the tremblIng feet along	Came happy boys, like a flock of sheep, Hailing the snow piled high and deep	Past the woman so old and grey, Hastened the children on their way

2. Write at least 5 rhymes from the poem.

Question 1.
Write at least five rhymes from the extract.
Answer:

1. Rhymes: troop – group, low – go, arm – harm, along – strong, went – content.
2. Rhymes: gray – day, snow – slow, long – throng, by – eye, shout – out.

3. Give, in your own words, TWO reasons for each of the following :

Question a.
The woman was reluctant to cross the street by herself.
Answer:
The woman was reluctant to cross the street by herself because …

1. the road was slippery because of the snow.
2. there was heavy traffic of horse carriages on the road.

Question b.
The school boys were in a happy mood.
Answer:
The school boys were in a happy mood because …

1. school was over for the day.
2. the snow was piled high on the road.

Question c.
One of the schoolboys helped the old woman cross the street.
Answer:
One of the schoolboys helped the old woman cross the street because …

1. she was old and afraid to cross on her own
2. he hoped someone, sometime, may lend a hand to his own mother when he was not around.

Question d.
We must help those who are in need.
Answer:
We must help those who are in need because …

1. we too may need help one day.
2. we must show compassion to those in need.

4. Think and write In 5-6 lines, why most of the people on a road/street Ignore those In need of help. What about you? Write about your feelings after you have helped! not helped, when needed.
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Question 1.
Think and write in 5-6 lines, why most of the people on a road/street ignore those in need of help. What about you? Write about your feelings after you have helped/not helped when needed.
Answer:
People, especially in the larger cities and towns, are always in a hurry to reach their place of work or their home. Hence they don’t have time to spare to help strangers. Some people may be purely selfish and don’t have compassion for others.

I always try to help people who genuinely need help. Once I lent a hand to an old man to get onto a bus. He was very grateful and thanked me. I felt very good about it.

I did not help a woman who had slipped and fallen down on the footpath during the monsoon. I just walked past her, ignoring her. I felt very guilty about it later. I wondered how I would feel if I had been in her place and had not got any help.

5. Read the poem: ‘Home they brought her warrior dead’ by Alfred Lord Tennyson

Question 1.
Read the poem: ‘Home they brought her warrior dead’ by Alfred Lord Tennyson

English Kumarbharati 9th Digest Chapter 2.3 Somebody’s Mother Additional Important Questions and Answers

Simple Factual Activity :

Question 1.
Write whether the following statements are True or False :
Answer:

1. The woman’s feet were slow because of the snow. False
2. The people around her did not bother about her. True
3. The schoolboys were happy. True
4. A boy came immediately to help the old woman. False

Guess the following, using references from the poem :

Question 1.
The setting-the region, the locality.
Answer:
The setting is a busy street, covered with a layer of fresh snow. The area is very crowded and there is a school nearby.

Question 2.
The time – the time of the year and the day.
Answer:
It is winter. The time of the day is probably late afternoon or early evening.

Activities based on Poetic Devices :

Question 1.
From the extract, pick out and explain an example of:

i. Simile –
Answer:
‘Came happy boys, like a flock of sheep.’ The happy boys have been directly compared to a flock of sheep.

ii. Alliteration –
Answer:
‘Should trample her down in the slippery street.’ Repetition of the sound of ‘s’ at the beginning of the words.

Simple Factual Activity :

Choose the correct alternative for each statement :

Question 1.
The person who helped the old lady was :
(i) hurt and harmed
(ii) kind and compassionate
(iii) slow and proud
(iv) dear and Jar away
Answer:
(ii) kind and compassionate

Question 2.
The old lady crossed the road :
(i) but fell down on the way
(ii) all by herself
(iii) with a merry troop
(iv) without hurt or harm
Answer:
(iv) without hurt or harm

Question 3.
The old lady was helped by :
(i) a group of young boys
(ii) a proud and nobleman
(iii) a strong and young boy
(iv) somebody’s mother
Answer:
(iii) a strong and young boy

Question 4.
The old lady at night :
(i) asked for blessings for the young boy
(ii) asked for a mother for the young boy
(iii) helped the young boy’s mother
(iv) helped somebody’s mother
Answer:
(i) asked for blessings for the young boy

Answer the following :

Question 1.
Was the old lady grateful to the young boy who had helped her? How do you know?
Answer:
Yes, the old lady was grateful to the young boy who had helped her. We know this because that night, in her home, she prayed to God to be kind to him.

Activities based on Poetic Devices :

Question 1.
From the extract, pick out and explain an example of:

i. Alliteration –
Answer:
‘His young heart happy and well-content.’ Repetition of the sound of ‘h’ at the beginning of the words.

ii. Inversion –
Answer:
‘Then back again to his friends he went.’ The correct prose order is : He then went back again to his friends.

Paragraph Format:

The poem ‘Somebody’s Mother’ is by Mary Dow Brine. The Rhyme Scheme of stanzas 3 and 6 is aabbcc. All the other stanzas have the rhyme scheme aabb. A Figure of Speech is Inversion: ‘At the crowded crossing she waited long.’ The correct prose order is She waited long at the crowded crossing. Other figures of speech are Simile and Alliteration.

The poem describes an incident in which a young boy helps a frightened old lady to cross the street when she was being ignored by everyone else. He tells his young friends that he hopes that when his own mother is old and needs help, someone will help her too if he is not at hand.

Maharashtra State Board Class 9 English Solutions