9 English Periodic Assessment 1

MANAVA BHAWNA PUBLIC SCHOOL
ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE (184)

CLASS – IX (2020 – 2021)
PERIODIC ASSESSMENT 1 (SYLLABUS COVERED)
1. (SECTION –A – READING)
 FACTUAL AND DISCURSIVE PASSAGE
2. (SECTION –B – WRITING AND GRAMMAR)
(A) INFORMAL LETTER
(B) DESCRIPTIVE PARAGRAPH (PERSON/PLACE/EVENT)
(C) DIATY ENTRY
(D) CLOZE PARAGRAPH/GAP FILING / EDITING
3. (SECTION – C - LITERATURE TEXTBOOK AND SUPPLEMENTARY READING

TEXT)
(BOOK – 1) (BEEHIVE) (LITERATURE TEXTBOOK)
 UNIT 1- B - (POETRY) (THE ROAD NOT TAKEN) (BY – ROBERT FROST)
 UNIT 2- B- (POETRY) (WIND) (BY – SUBRAMANIA BHARATI)

[TRANSLATED FROM THE TAMIL BY- A.K. RAMANUJAN]
(BOOK – 2) (MOMENTS) (SUPPLEMENTRY READER)
 UNIT 1 – THE LOST CHILD (BY – MULK RAJ ANAND)
 UNIT 2 – THE ADVENTURES OF TOTO (BY – RUSKIN BOND)
 UNIT 3 – ISWARAN THE STORYTELLER (BY – R. K. LAXMAN)
 UNIT 4 – IN THE KINGDOM OF FOOLS

[A KANNADA FOLKTALE FROM A.K. RAMANUJAN’S FOLK TALES FROM
INDIA]
CLASS – IX (2020 – 2021)
ASSIGNMENT 1
(SECTION –A – READING- FACTUAL PASSAGE)
Q. READ THE PASSAGES GIVEN BELOW AND ANSWER THE QUESTIONS THAT
FOLLOW THEM:
NOTE: REFER PROVIDED LINK: https://www.learncbse.in/reading-comprehension-pdf/
(HOMETASK: COMPLETE THE GIVEN ASSIGNMENT IN THE NOTEBOOK)
Surgical Instruments Designed Due to Necessity
Necessity, they say, is the mother of invention. And Indian doctors have been quite
creative when hamstrung by few or no tools to perform specific surgeries. They
simply design it themselves at one-fourth the price they are sold abroad. In fact,
some of their innovations are priced at as much as hundreds of dollars abroad.
Take 47-year-old Dr Burjor P Banaji, pioneer of Lasik surgery in India. He's invented
over a dozen surgical instruments. When this senior eye surgeon at Max Eye Care
started Lasik, there were few surgeons doing it worldwide and no specific
instruments were available either. "As I want things super-perfect, I designed a
whole slew of instruments that made my surgery more efficient," says Banaji. The
most popular instruments are Banaji Lasik Shield and Banaji Lasik Spatula and
Canulate. "It was simple. I had the designs in my head. Putting them down on paper
was the simplest thing," he says. Instruments manufacturers and large multinationals
in the US snapped them up. "They would send me computer generated drawings
which I would correct and send back. Their level of execution was astounding. Within
two weeks of the designs being finalised, the instruments were in the world market."
His instruments are priced at hundreds of dollars each in the US, and are also sold in
Switzerland, South America, Korea, Eastern Europe, Africa and Japan. They're
available in India at a fraction of the price.
--Shobha John/TNN
Write the option that you consider the most appropriate in your answer sheets.
(a) Why have some Indian doctors created their own surgical tools?
(i) they have no tools to perform specific surgeries
(ii) they have a hamstring problem
(iii) the tools they get from abroad cost four times as much
(iv) they can sell these tools at a very high price.
(b) What has Dr Burjor P Banaji created?

(i) Lasik surgery
(ii) Max Eye Care Centre
(iii) two surgical instruments called Banaji Lasik Shield and Banaji Lasik Spatula and
Canulate.
(iv) more than a dozen instruments for operating on the eye.
(c) Where does Dr Banaji get the instruments manufactured?
(i) India
(ii) The United States of America
(iii) Switzerland
(iIV) Japan
(d) The term hamstrung refers to ……………………………

(i) Restricted
(ii) Helped
(iii) harmed
(iv)Liberated
(e) What does the phrase slew of instruments refer to?
(i) a wide range of instruments
(ii) Instruments used for slaying
(iii) tools of a similar nature
(IV) Surgical instruments
CLASS – IX (2020 – 2021)
ASSIGNMENT - 2
(SECTION –B – WRITING – INFORMAL LETTER)
NOTE: REFER BRAVIA CLASS 8- 9 WRITING SECTION AND PROVIDED BELOW

LINKS.
https://www.successcds.net/learn-english/writing-skills/informal-letter-format-examples-topics.html
https://www.studyrankers.com/2016/05/informal-letters-format-cbse.html
https://www.uzdevumi.lv/p/valsts-eksamens-anglu-valoda/12-klase/writing-7007/re-e4c760d3-faf9-
49fa-a3e3-0785feec874c
Q. 1. Inviting a friend
You are studying English at a private language school attended by many

international students. You are planning a surprise birthday party for a friend who
has been feeling particularly sad and homesick. Write to another classmate and
invite him / her to the party. In your letter:
 Explain the reason for the party

 Give the date and time of the party
 Suggest what the classmate could bring to the party
Begin your letter as follows: Dear ________
You should write at least 150 words. You should spend about 20 minutes on
this task.
Q2. Requesting Help
Your parents will be celebrating their 40th anniversary next month. You are planning
a big celebration, but you are not sure how to make the occasion really memorable.
Write to your best friend, Joan, who is a professional event planner. In your letter:
 Explain why the occasion is special

 Ask for her assistance
 Set up a time to meet at your friend's convenience to discuss your plans
Begin your letter as follows: Dear Joan,
You should write at least 150 words. You should spend about 20 minutes on
this task.
(HOMETASK: COMPLETE THE GIVEN ASSIGNMENT IN THE NOTEBOOK)

CLASS – X (2020 – 2021)
(MOMENTS)
(UNIT – 1 – THE LOST CHILD)(BY – MULK RAJ ANAND)
(NCERT TEXTBOOK SOLUTIONS)
THINK ABOUT IT (PAGE 6)
1. What are the things the child sees on his way to the fair? Why does he lag
behind?
A. The child sees a number of things which fascinate him on his way to the fair.
 First, he saw toys at a shop.
 Then he saw a flowering mustard field.
 In the fields, the child saw dragon flies bustling about on their wings and a
lone black bee in search of sweetness from the flowers.
 Then while walking on the footpath he was attracted by the insects and
worms.
 As he neared the village with his parents, he saw huge crowds of people going
to the fair.
 The child also came across a sweetmeat seller selling sweets like Burfi and
Gulab Jamun.
 A little further he came across a flower seller who was selling a garland of
Gulmohar.
 Walking ahead, he saw a man selling rainbow-coloured balloons.
 He also saw a snake charmer who stood playing a flute to a snake.
 Finally, he saw a roundabout in full swing.
The child keeps lagging behind his parents because the child is fascinated by all the
things he sees on his way. At times, he stops to be able to buy toys and at other times
he stops to admire the beauty of the nature – collecting flowers, catching butterflies.
2. In the fair he wants many things. What are they? Why does he move on
without waiting for an answer?
A. The child wanted many things at the fair. His eyes first set on the shop of a
sweetmeat seller. His mouth watered for the Burfi, which was his favourite sweet. He
knew his plea would not be heeded because his parents would call him greedy.
Therefore, he moved on. He then saw a flower-seller. He was irresistibly drawn
towards the flowers and wanted a garland. However, he knew his parents would
refuse saying that they were cheap. Hence, he moved further ahead. He was then
carried away by the colours of the different balloons and had an overwhelming
desire to possess them. He moved ahead without asking his parents as he knew they
would say that he was too old to play with such toys. He next went towards a snake
charmer. However, knowing that his parents had forbidden him from hearing such
coarse music as the snake charmer played, he carried on.
The boy moved on without waiting for an answer because he knew that his request
would be denied at each step.
3. When does he realise that he has lost his way? How have his anxiety and
insecurity been described?
A. He realizes that he has lost his way on reaching the roundabout. He stopped to
observe it moving in full swing, with men, women and children enjoying themselves
on it. Watching them intently he turned to his parents to ask for permission to go on
the rounds but there was no reply from them. He turned to look for them but they
were not there. He looked all around but there was no sign of them. A full, deep cry
rose within his dry throat and with a sudden jerk of his body he ran from where he
stood, crying out in real fear “Mother, Father.” Tears rolled down from his eyes.
Panic-stricken, he ran from one side to the other, in all directions, knowing not where
to go. His yellow turban came untied and his clothes became muddy. Having run to
and fro in a rage, he stood defeated, his cries suppressed into sobs.
4. Why does the lost child lose interest in the things that he had wanted
earlier?
A. The child lost interest in things he wanted earlier as he was lost and wanted to see
his parents immediately. The man who saw that he was lost tried to distract his
attention so that he would not panic. He tried to sooth him by taking him to the
roundabout, but the child refused asking only for his parents. The man then asked
the child to listen to the music played by the snake-charmer. However, the child shut
his ears and shouted that he wanted his parents. Then, the man asked if he wanted a
balloon, but the child’s reply was the same. The man still kept trying to make him
happy and asked if he wanted a garland to put around his neck. He also took him to
the sweetmeat shop. However, the child’s answer to all his questions was the same.
He only wanted to see his parents. He had lost interest in everything because he
wanted only one thing: he wanted to be with his parents. Since he was lost nothing
else pleased him.
5. What do you think happens in the end? Does the child find his parents?
A. In the end the parents, who continuously kept checking to see if he was with them
right from the beginning of their journey may have suddenly realized that he was
missing and come looking for the lost child. The kind and understanding man who
tried to console the little boy by offering him various things at the fair may have also
asked him for some description of his parents and helped him to be reunited with
them.
TALK ABOUT IT (PAGE 6)
1. How to ensure not to get lost.

A. It is very common that children get lost in fairs and crowds. Hardly a day passes
when no child gets lost. It is the duty of both the parents and the children to ensure
not to get lost. The parents need to be vigilant and more careful at crowded places.
Before entering a crowded place the parents should fix a point where the child
should wait in case of getting lost. They should make the child memorise home
address and telephone numbers. They should put or pin up a note on the pocket of
the child with full details. They should attend to the need of the child and never leave
him behind, in case he happens to stand at some shop.
On the other hand the child should hold the hands of his parents at a crowded place.
He should keep an eye on his parents so as not to lose sight of them. In case of any
emergency the help of police, help centres and media can be taken.
CLASS – IX (2020 – 2021)
ASSIGNMENT - 3
(SECTION – C - LITERATURE TEXTBOOK AND SUPPLEMENTARY READING TEXT)
MOMENTS
(UNIT – 1 – THE LOST CHILD)(BY – MULK RAJ ANAND)
NOTE: READ AND REFER THE CHAPTER THOROUGHLY PROVIDED AT THE BELOW
HYPERLINKS.
https://www.successcds.net/learn-english/class-9/the-lost-child-class-9-english.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kllZHMMGnL8
https://mycbseguide.com/dashboard/chapter/2445
https://edumantra.net/learn-english/the-lost-child-ncert-book-solution/
Read the following passages and answer the questions.
1. ‘He could not suppress the desire of his heart, even though he well knew the
cold stare of refusal in their eyes.’
a. What does ‘he’ well know?

b. What ‘desire of his heart’ is being talked of?
c. Why has the narrator said that ‘he’ couldn’t suppress his heart’s desire?
d. What did the child do when he couldn’t suppress his desire?
2. ‘Thinking to humour his disconsolate charge by a gift of sweets, the man took
him to counter of sweet shop.’
a. Who is ‘the man’ being referred here?

b. What was the man trying to do?
c. What was the real intention of the man?
d. What do you mean by the phrase-to humour the disconsolate charge?
Answer the following questions in brief:
3. What aspects evidently show that the child was a nature lover?
4. When did the child feel that his parents would call him ‘greedy’?
5. Describe the moment when the child realizes that he is lost.
6. What was the child’s reaction when the man took him to the balloon seller?
7. Why was the child lagging behind in the crowd?
8. What excuse will the parents provide for not buying the flowers for the child?
Answer the following long answer type questions:
9. The author beautifully depicts the typical village fair. Explain in detail.
10. Though the author has beautifully depicted the village fair, he has been more
successful in depicting child psychology in the story. Elucidate.
(HOMETASK: COMPLETE THE GIVEN ASSIGNMENT IN THE NOTEBOOK ALONG

WITH THE TEXTBOOK QUESTIONS)
NOTE: GUIDELINES FOR NOTEBOOK MAINTENANCE:
1. DATE ON EXTREME LEFT (FORMAT E.G.: 20 APRIL, 2020)

2. THOUGHT AT THE TOP
3. NAME OF THE CHAPTER ALONG WITH THE AUTHOR
4. SUMMARY OF THE CHAPTER
5. SIGHT WORDS (VOCABULARY)
6. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
7. THINK ABOUT IT
8. TALK ABOUT IT
9. ASSIGNMENT – 3
CLASS – IX (2020 – 2021)
MOMENTS
(UNIT – 2 – THE ADVENTURES OF TOTO)(BY – RUSKIN BOND)

1. How does Toto come to grandfather’s private zoo?

A. Grandfather bought Toto from a Tonga-driver for five rupees. The Tonga-driver
kept the monkey tied to a feeding-trough. It looked so out of place there that
grandfather decided he would add it to his private zoo. The grandfather gets
sympathetic with the monkey and thinks that his private zoo would be a better place
for Toto.
2. “Toto was a pretty monkey.” In what sense is Toto pretty?

A. Toto was a pretty monkey. His bright eyes sparkled with mischief beneath the
deep-set eyebrows, and his teeth, which were a pearly white, were very often
displayed in a smile that frightened the life out of elderly Anglo-Indian ladies. Even
though his hands looked dried-up as they had been pickled in the sun for many years,
his fingers were quick and wicked. His tail, while adding to his good looks served as a
third hand. He could use it to hang from a branch and it was capable of scooping up
any delicacy that might be out of reach of his hands.
3. Why does grandfather take Toto to Saharanpur and how? Why does the
ticket collector insist on calling Toto a dog?
A. Toto was a real menace for every living soul in the household. Other animals in
grandfather’s zoo were at Toto’s mercy even during night. Toto was transferred to a
big cage in the servants’ quarters where a number of grandfather’s pets lived
together. However, Toto would not allow other animals to sleep at night. Therefore,
grandfather, who had to leave for Saharanpur to collect his pension, decided to take
it along with him. So, grandfather decided to provide some relief to other animals in
the zoo and thought of taking Toto to Saharanpur. He was taken in a big black canvas
kit-bag with some straw at the bottom. The canvas was too strong for Toto to bite
and he could not get his hands out through the opening in the bag. When the bag was
closed, all his efforts to get out were restrained. The ticket collector was following his
rule books. As there seems to be no rule for fixing a monkey’s fare so he equated Toto
with a dog's fare. The ticket collector’s ingenuity tried to categorize all pets of a
certain size as dogs.
4. How does Toto take a bath? Where has he learnt to do this? How does Toto
almost boil himself alive?
A. A large bowl of warm water was given to Toto for his bath. He would cunningly
test the temperature of water with his hand before stepping into the bowl. He would
then gradually step into the bowl. Once comfortable, he would take the soap and rub
it all over himself using his hands or his feet. When the water became cold, he would
get out and run quickly to the kitchen fire in order to dry himself. Toto learnt to do so
as he had seen the narrator do the same.
Once, a large kitchen kettle had been left on the _re to boil for tea. Toto removed the
lid and found the water warm enough for a bath. He quickly got into the kettle with
only his head popping out. When the water began to boil, Toto raised himself a little.
However, finding it cold outside, he sat down again. He continued hopping up and
down for some time until grandmother took him out. By this time Toto had almost
boiled himself alive.
5. Why does the author say, “Toto was not the sort of pet we could keep for
long”?
A. Though Toto was pretty and clever, he was very mischievous. He brought a lot of
damage to the house by breaking dishes, tearing clothes and curtains. He also scared
the visitors by tearing holes in their dresses. Furthermore, he didn’t get along well
with other animals in the house too. One day Toto crossed the limits by picking up a
dish of pullao and running on a branch to eat it. When scolded he threw off the plate
and broke it. That's when grandfather realised that he had had enough of Toto. He
couldn’t bear the losses that he had incurred because of Toto’s mischief.

6. Do you have a pet? Is your pet mischievous? Tell the class about it.
A. Yes, I have a pet dog named Moti. My father had brought him from my maternal
uncle’s house when he was very small. Moti is like a member of my family. I have
special attachment to him. He is very active and vigilant. He is an epitome of loyalty.
He keeps sitting beside the main gate at night. Whenever there is any unknown
sound inside my house, he starts barking. All the members of my family love Moti
very much. Moti proves to be really a gem many a time. He keeps us safe all the time.
Our Moti is not mischievous. He is
(PROVIDE YOUR OWN INSTANCES OR EXPERIENCES)
CLASS – IX (2020 – 2021)
ASSIGNMENT - 4
(SECTION – C - LITERATURE TEXTBOOK AND SUPPLEMENTARY READING

TEXT)
MOMENTS
(UNIT – 2 – THE ADVENTURES OF TOTO)(BY – RUSKIN BOND)
HYPERLINKS.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHbmRQkUvQ0
https://edumantra.net/learn-english/ch-2-the-adventures-of-toto-extra-questions-and-notes/
https://www.successcds.net/learn-english/class-9/the-adventures-of-toto-class-9-english.html
A. EXTRACT BASED QUESTIONS
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
1. “He continued hopping up and down for some time, until Grandmother
arrived and hauled him, half-boiled, out of the kettle.”
a. Who is ‘he’ in this line?

b. Who helped him?
c. Find out a word from the line that means the same as ‘pull with effort’?
d. What ‘he’ wanted to do exactly?
2. “To his surprise he found Nana, without apparent cause, pulling at her halter
and trying to keep her head as far as possible from a bundle of hay”
a. Who is ‘Nana’?
b. Who is ‘he’ in the given lines and why 'he' made a visit to stable?
c. Why was Nana pulling her head far from the bundle of hay?
d. What is the meaning of “halter”?
B. SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
3. How does Toto’s tail serve as his third hand?
4. Who is Nana? Why Toto and Nana never become friends?
5. How does Toto nearly succeed in boiling himself alive?
6. Why does author say- “Obviously Toto was not the sort of pet we could keep for
long”?
7. How did the ticket-collector come to know about Toto’s presence?
8. What did Toto do in the writer’s room?
C. LONG ANSWET TYPE QUESTIONS
9. Describe, in brief, Toto’s mischief at lunchtime. How did that situation turn out to
sell Toto back to Tonga-driver?
10. Explain the situations Grandfather faced after buying Toto?
(HOMETASK: COMPLETE THE GIVEN ASSIGNMENT IN THE NOTEBOOK ALONG WITH THE
TEXTBOOK QUESTIONS)

6. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
7. THINK ABOUT IT
8. TALK ABOUT IT
9. ASSIGNMENT – 4
CLASS – IX (2020 – 2021)
(MOMENTS)
UNIT 3 – ISWARAN THE STORYTELLER (BY – R. K. LAXMAN)

NOTE: THE GIVEN SIGHT WORDS / PHRASES ARE TO ATTEMPTED IN THE NOTEBOOK WITH
THEIR MEANINGS
PAGE 12
Cloudy – not transparent or clear
Form – the visible shape of something
Boke-out – to begin sth suddenly and violently
Cold –sweat – the physical condition of perspiration and chill, associated with
fear
Narrated—told a story
Junior— one who is lower in rank
Supervisor—observer or a person whose job is to check the work of all the other
people
Construction Firm — company associated with making of buildings
Keep an eye on— to watch
Now and then – from time to time
Mining—digging
Coming up – (here) starting
PAGE 13
Bachelor—unmarried man
Needs – demands or wants
Odd—unfavourable
Ill-equipped—lacking facility
Circuit house – guest –house
Makeshift—temporary or portable
Canvas tent – tent made of canvas fabric
Quarry—open mining or mine
Asset – advantage
Attached – fond and affectionate
Uncomplainingly – without any complain
Posted – send to a particular location
Weave –out – tell or make up
Anecdote - A short amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person
Varied – many or different
Amazing – surprising greatly
Capacity – ability
To produce – here it means bring or make available
Seemingly – from appearance alone or sth that is visible and understood
Out of nowhere - appearing or happening suddenly and unexpectedly.
Desolate - barren or uninhabited, empty
Miraculously - marvellously (extremely well)
Conjure up - to gather or create with magic
Dishes – particular item of prepared food
Zinc sheet shelter - a temporary place to live with the roof made of metallic sheets
Meanwhile—at the same time but in another place
Tidy – clean up
Leisurely— without hurry or with comfort taking one’s own time
Pouring – putting
Mutter—to say in low voice
Dozing off - falling asleep
Thriller—full of excitement or novel or story with a suspense
Imaginative—full of imagination
Description—explanation
Narrative flourishes - detailed descriptions
In thrall – excited or in state of being under the control of one person
Account – here – story telling
Come across – find unexpectedly
Incident—event
Suspense—feeling of excitement
Uprooted—removed from ground with roots or pull up by the roots
Dramatic—full of drama
Arched – curved or bent
Gesture - A movement of hands for head to indicate something or sign
Deserted – empty or lonely
Enormous—huge
Bushy beast – here – it refers to the uprooted tree on the road
Sprawled—spread arms and legs carelessly or spread out
Canvas—strong rough cloth
Inclined - willing
Uncritically—without criticising or questioning
PAGE 14
Timber—wood
Richly wooded forest – large area of dense forest
Logs - big pieces of wood
Hauled - lifted or carried or transported
Huge well fed beast – here it is used for elephant
Experienced—skilled
Mahout - the person who controls an elephant
Control—to handle
Prologue–introduction or an introductory speech
Elaborate—detailed
Tusker - elephant
Timber yard—a yard where wood is stored
Roam about - move around
Stamping—crushing
Wild - untamed
Creepers—a plant with long stems that grow along the ground
Caught up – involved
Excitement—a feeling of great enthusiasm
Stamping – walk noisily or heavily
Emulation—copying something
Outskirt—outer area of a town or city
Smashed—broke something noisily
Helter skelter - here and there
Panic - fear
Beast—an animal (elephant)
Flattening—levelling something;
Shrub—a kind of fern
Depredation—damage or Depredations: Attacks which are made to destroy
something
Soul – here it is used for a person
Inhabitant—people who live in a particular place
Disappear—vanished
Entire—whole
Grabbed—held in hand
Menacingly—in a harmful manner
Hypnotised—put someone in a state of hypnosis
Red-eyed- to give an angry look
Trumpeted—produced loud sound (of animal)
Mustering= gathering
Whacked = struck
PAGE 15
Stunned - thunderstruck
Shivered—trembled
Collapsed—fell down
Mumbling—speaking unclearly
Rapt attention - completely fascinated or absorbed by what one is seeing or hearing
left hanging -
Not pick up the thread of the story - would not restart the story from where he left
in order to arouse curiosity
Conclusion—final part of something
Revive - bring to life again
Veterinary doctor - a doctor who specializes in treating animals
Summoned: called
Shrug—to raise shoulders to express lack of interest
Karate or ju-jitsu - Japanese martial arts
Temporarily—for some time
Paralyse—to lose ability to move or feel
Nervous system—main system of nerve control
Horror—strong feeling of fear
Credible— trustworthy
Inimitable—which cannot be copied
Make up – fill the absence
Auspicious—good omen
Tradition—a belief
Spirits - souls of the dead
Ancestors - elders of the family
Culinary skill—cooking skill
Garish - something which is too colourful and fancy that it is disliked
Supernatural - related to ghosts and spirits
Burial ground—place to bury dead people
Jerked out - Pulled out
Reverie - a state of being pleasantly lost in one's thoughts; a daydream
Satisfy—to please someone by giving what one wants
Skull—bones of head
PAGE 16
Ugly—very unattractive
Matted – tangled or twisted not reflecting shine rather dull
Shrivelled—full of wrinkles
Skeleton—frame of bones supporting human or animal body
Foetus—young human being before birth
Interrupted—stopped someone in the middle of something
Sharply – very suddenly in an aggressive manner
Figment of imagination — production of your imagination which seems real but is
not
Digestive—relating to digestion
Examine—to check
Retire—to take rest
Sulk - be silent, morose, and bad-tempered out of annoyance or disappointment
Cheerful—happy
Talkative—one who talks a lot
Unease—anxiety or discomfort
Peer—peep into or to look searchingly
PAGE 17
Vicinity—in immediate surrounding
Ghost—spirit of dead
Altogether—completely
Moan—long low sound of painful cry
Prowl—looking for a prey
Guttural—sound produced from the back of the throat (to strong)
Resist – avoid or prevent from doing something
Lest – in case
Behold—see
Wail—to cry sadly
Feline—relating to cats
Temptation—desire to do or have something;
Lower—to move something down
Window sill—a piece of wood that forms the base of window
Panting—breathing quickly and loudly with mouth
Ghastly—deadly; shocking
Reason one – decide by reasoning
Autosuggestion—ideas of a person
Subconscious—connected with feelings
Horror—fear
Fade—to lose colour or forget
Grin—wide smile
Chill—feeling of fear
Spine—body (here) Resolve—to determine. Haunted - ghostly
CLASS – IX (2020 – 2021)
MOMENTS
(UNIT 3 – ISWARAN THE STORYTELLER (BY – R. K. LAXMAN)

1. In what way is Iswaran an asset to Mahendra?
A. Iswaran cooked for Mahendra, washed his clothes, and chatted with him at night.
He would narrate various stories on varied subjects. He also had an amazing ability
to produce vegetables and cooking ingredients out of nowhere. He would
miraculously cook the most delicious dishes made with fresh vegetables within an
hour of arriving at the new workplace. Iswaran was quite attached to Mahendra and
followed him to wherever he was posted. Apart from cooking and doing household
chores, he was a great entertainer weaving out endless stories and anecdotes on
various subjects. Hence, Iswaran was an asset to Mahendra in more ways than one.
2. How does Iswaran describe the uprooted tree on the highway? What effect
does he want to create in his listeners?
A. Iswaran’s descriptions were greatly influenced by the Tamil thrillers he read.
When he came across an uprooted tree on the highway, he said very dramatically
that the road was deserted and he was all alone. Suddenly, he spotted something that
“looked like an enormous bushy beast lying sprawled across the road.” He was half-
inclined to turn and go back. However, as he came closer, he saw that it was a fallen
tree with its dry branches spread out.
Even if he was narrating the smallest of incidents, he tried to introduce suspense and
a surprise ending to the story.
3. How does he narrate the story of the tusker? Does it appear to be plausible?
A. He started the story of the tusker by giving a prologue in which he called elephants
‘huge well-fed beasts.’ He said that after escaping from the timber yard, the elephant
started roaming about, stamped on bushes and tore up wild creepers. It then came to
the main road of the town and smashed all the stalls selling fruits, mud pots, and
clothes. It then entered a school ground where the children were playing. It pulled
out the football goal-post, tore down the volleyball net, flattened the drum kept for
water and uprooted the shrubs. All the teachers were so afraid that they climbed up
to the terrace of the school building. According to Iswaran, he was studying in the
junior class at that time. He grabbed a cane from the hands of one of the teachers and
ran into the open. The elephant continued grunting and stamping its feet. However,
he moved slowly towards it. When the elephant was ready to rush towards him, he
moved forward and whacked its third toe nail. It looked stunned for a moment and
then collapsed. No this story does not appear to be plausible.
4. Why does the author say that Iswaran seemed to more than make up for the
absence of a TV in Mahendra’s living quarters?
A. The author says so because Iswaran provided a great company to Mahendra. He
would chat with Mahendra at night when he returned from his work. Iswaran would
also entertain Mahendra by telling stories. Thus, with Iswaran around Mahendra
never felt bored and never felt the necessity of having a TV for entertainment.
5. Mahendra calls ghosts or spirits a figment of the imagination. What happens

to him on a full-moon night?
A. Mahendra calls ghosts or spirits a figment of the imagination because Iswaran had
informed him that they were living on a burial site and narrated how he sometimes
saw ghosts at night particularly a horrible ghost of a woman holding a foetus in its
arms during the full moon. On a full moon night, Mahendra was woken up from his
sleep by a low moan close to his window. At first he thought that it was a cat
prowling around for mice. But the sound was too deep and guttural for a cat. He
resisted looking outside as he did not want to witness a sight that might stop his
heartbeat. But the crying became louder and less subtle. He could not resist the
temptation any more. Lowering himself to the level of the windowsill he looked out
at the white sheet of moonlight outside. There, not too far away, was a dark cloudy
form clutching a bundle. Mahendra broke into a cold sweat and fell back on the
pillow, panting.
When he recovered from this ghastly experience, he concluded that it must have
been some trick that his subconscious mind had played on him. When he got up in
the morning, the terrible memory of the previous night had faded from his memory.
However, when Iswaran confirmed the presence of the female ghost, he immediately
resigned from his post and decided to leave the ‘haunted place.’
6. Can you think of some other ending for the story?

A. The story could have ended on a more positive note. Instead of resigning from his
job, Mahendra could have shown himself as a real courageous man and proving the
ghost theory wrong. Another ending can be of both Mahendra and Iswaran leaving
the place together and in turn continuing their bond which is depicted earlier in the
story. Iswaran has been explained as a man of all seasons for Mahendra.
OR
The present story ends with Mahendra’s resolve to leave the haunted place. But it is
not the appropriate ending. Mahendra should not have decided to leave the haunted
place without knowing the reality. The story could end like this: Courageously
Mahendra approached the woman and tried to know the reality. As soon as
Mahendra caught the woman, it became the revelation of the mystery. It was none
but Iswaran in the guise of a ghost of woman.
7. Is Iswaran a fascinating storyteller? Discuss with your friends the qualities of

a good storyteller. Try to use these qualities and tell a story.
A. Undoubtedly, Iswaran is a fascinating storyteller. He is well-versed in storytelling.
Telling stories is an art. It is not everybody’s cup of tea. He has the quality of making
others realise the true spirit of story. He makes use of gestures and dramatic skills to
give sound effect.
A good story-teller should be an epitome of the qualities below mentioned:
1. Should have vivid imagination.
2. Should have good oratorical skills.
3. Should be able to act during narration.
4. Should use punctuation properly during narration.
5. Should have the ability to vary the tone according to the situation.
6. Should have amusing personality.
7. Should be capable of creating and maintaining interest of the listeners.
(STUDENTS SHOULD WEAVE UP THEIR OWN STORIES)

CLASS – IX (2020 – 2021)
ASSIGNMENT - 5
MOMENTS
(UNIT 3 – ISWARAN THE STORYTELLER (BY – R. K. LAXMAN)
HYPERLINKS.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prTJssDNBYc
https://www.successcds.net/learn-english/class-9/iswaran-the-storyteller-class-9-cbse-english.html
https://edumantra.net/learn-english/ch-3-iswaran-the-storyteller-extra-questions-and-notes/
A. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
1. “He resisted the curiosity to look out lest he should behold a sight which
would stop his heart. But the wailing became louder and less feline.”
a. Who is ‘he’ in the given extract?

b. Where was the wailing sound coming from?
c. What is the meaning of ‘feline’?
d. Why ‘he’ resisted the curiosity?
2. “Meanwhile all the teachers had climbed up to the terrace of the school
building; from there they helplessly watched the depredations of the elephant.
There was not a soul below on the ground. The streets were empty as if the
inhabitants of the entire town had suddenly disappeared.”
a. Who said this to whom?

b. Why does the speaker say this?
c. Why had all the teachers climbed up the terrace?
d. What is the meaning of ‘depredations’?
B. Answer the following questions in brief:
3. Who is Mahendra in the given story?
4. How was Iswaran useful to Mahendra?
5. What harm does the elephant cause in the story narrated by Iswaran?
6. How Iswaran describes the female ghost to Mahendra?
7. What happens to Mahendra on hearing Iswaran’s ghost story?
8. Why did the elephant collapse?

C. Answer the following long answer type questions:
9. Explain the daily routine of Mahendra and Iswaran.
10. Explain, in brief, why does Mahendra resign from the job and leaves the haunted
place?


6. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
7. THINK ABOUT IT
8. TALK ABOUT IT
9. ASSIGNMENT – 5
CLASS – IX (2020 – 2021)
(MOMENTS)
(UNIT 4 – IN THE KINGDOM OF FOOLS)
[A KANNADA FOLKTALE FROM A.K. RAMANUJAN’S FOLK TALES FROM INDIA]
NOTE: THE GIVEN SIGHT WORDS / PHRASES ARE TO ATTEMPTED IN THE NOTEBOOK WITH
THEIR MEANINGS
SIGHT WORDS:
PAGE 19
Wise: having or showing experience knowledge and good judgement.

Idiots: the people who are not intelligent
Till: here, to cultivate land for farming
Disobey: fail to obey (rule, a command, or someone in authority.)
Stirring: moving around
guru: saint
Amazed: shocked and surprised
Disciple: a follower or pupil of a teacher, leader etc.
Wander around: to walk casually around (some place) without any purpose or
destination.
Went about: to do something that you do normally in your normal life
Duddu: money in Kannada language
Grocery: item of food sold in supermarket
Astonishing: extremely surprising or impressive; amazing
Measure: a standard unit to express the size, amount or degree of something
Delighted: feeling or showing great happiness
Cheap: low in price
PAGE 20 - 21
Wisdom: the quality of having experience, knowledge and good judgement, the
quality of being wise.
Give up: admit defeat
Stay on: continue to study, work or be there after others have left.
Sacred: holy
Break into: if somebody breaks into something they suddenly start doing it.
Sneaked in: to enter some place in a quiet or secretive way.
Loot: steal goods from a place
Collapsed: break down
Pursuing: follow
ancient trade: refers to theft there
Compensate: to adjust for or to make payment
Burgled: theft
Accused: one who is blamed for some wrongdoing
Pleads: appeals
PAGE 21- 22
Execution: a routine court order that attempts to enforce the judgement.

Pleaded: requested hard
Going up and down: to come and go repeatedly in one direction
Anklets: an ornament worn around an ankle
Jingling: a light metallic ringing sound
Deepen: make or become serious
Trembling: shaking or quivering with fear or anxiety
Distracted: a thing that prevents someone from concentrating on something else
Bailiffs: law keepers of the court who look after prisoners etc.
Goldsmith: is a person who makes ornaments out of gold.
Scoundrel: a dishonest person
PAGE 22 - 23
Bailiffs: law keepers of the court who look after prisoners etc.
Accusation: blame/charge or claim that someone has done something wrong.
Impatient: restless or eager
Consulted: seek information or advice
Decisively: the ability to make decision quickly and effectively
Stake: stake is a post with a sharp, pointed end used to pierce through something
execution: an official killing of someone
impaling: to push a sharp pointed post through something
PAGE 24 - 25
Decree: order
Scrape: a difficult situation that one has got into
Clamour: to Insist on something
Solemn: characterized by deep sincerity
Earshot: the range or distance over which one can hear or be heard.
Postpone: to put off something for a later time
CLASS – IX (2020 – 2021)
(MOMENTS)

1. What are the two strange things the guru and his disciple find in the
Kingdom of Fools?
A. When the guru and the disciple reached the Kingdom of Fools, the first strange
thing they noticed was that there was no one about. There was not a single soul to be
found on the streets, not even cattle. They were amazed by what they saw around
them and wandered here and there till evening. The second strange thing was that
everything cost the same in the Kingdom of Fools i.e., a single duddu. Whatever they
bought, a bunch of bananas or a portion of rice, cost the same i.e., a duddu.
2. Why does the disciple decide to stay in the Kingdom of Fools? Is it a good
idea?
A. The disciple decided to stay in the Kingdom of Fools because he was delighted that
everything cost a single duddu and everything was very cheap. All that he wanted
was good and very cheap food. According to the Guru, staying there was not a good
idea as they were all fools and so he felt this situation would not last long and was
not sure about what they would do in the future.
3. Name all the people who are tried in the king’s court, and give the reasons
for their trial.
A. Four persons were tried in the king’s court: the owner of the house, the bricklayer,
the dancing girl and the goldsmith.
The owner of the house in which the theft had occurred was the first person to be
summoned to the court. He was pronounced guilty as his wall was weak because of
which the thief had died. The owner of the house cleverly passed the guilt on to the
bricklayer by saying that it was actually the bricklayer who had built the wall in the
first place.
When the bricklayer was told about his fault, he passed the blame to the dancing girl.
He said that she kept going up and down the street with her anklets jingling and he
could not keep his eyes off her. As a result, he lost his concentration and built a weak
wall.
The king decided to punish the dancing girl and she was summoned to the court next.
In her defence, she said that at that time, she had given some gold to a goldsmith to
make some jewellery for her. Since the goldsmith was extremely lazy, he made
several excuses and made her walk up and down to his house a dozen times and that
was when the bricklayer had seen her.
The king then came to the conclusion that the goldsmith should be punished. When
he was summoned to the court, he claimed that he was very poor and it was because
of a rich merchant, who would not wait for his order to be complete, that he kept
delaying and making excuses to the dancing girl. Incidentally, this merchant was
none other than the father of the owner of the house.
4. Who is the real culprit according to the king? Why does he escape
punishment?
A. According to the king the owner of the house was the real culprit. The owner
arrived crying and said that it was not him but his father who had ordered the
jewellery. Since his father is long dead, he could not be held responsible for the death
of the thief. On consulting his ministers, the king came to the conclusion that the
merchant’s father was the culprit. However, since he was dead, the punishment
would be carried out on the owner of the house. As the servants sharpened the stake
for the punishment, the minister realized that the merchant was too thin to be
properly executed on the stake. The king then realised that they needed a man fat
enough to fit the stake. Hence, the owner of the house escapes the punishment.
5. What are the Guru’s words of wisdom? When does the disciple remember
them?
A. The guru’s words of wisdom were that it was the city of fools. He advised the
disciple to leave the city because he would not know what they would do next. The
disciple remembered these words when he was being carried to the place of
execution. Even though he tried to explain that he was innocent and was just a
disciple, the servants said that it was a royal decree to find a man fat enough to fit the
stake. As he was waiting for his death, he remembered his guru’s words of wisdom
and prayed to him in his heart.
6. How does the guru manage to save his disciple’s life?

A. Since the guru had magical powers, he saw in a vision that the disciple was
praying to him. As soon as he arrived to save him, he whispered something to him.
He then went to the king and asked who was greater, the guru or the disciple. The
king answered that the guru was greater. Immediately, the guru asked the king to put
him to the stake first and then his disciple. The disciple understood the guru’s trick
and began saying that he was brought their first and therefore, he should be put to
death first.
The guru and disciple got into a fight. The king was puzzled. He knew there was
something mysterious about the fight. So, he promised the guru that he would put
him to death first if he told him what the mystery was. The guru told him that he and
his disciple had been all over the world, but they had never found a city like that or a
king like him. The stake was the stake of the god of justice. It was new and a criminal
had never been put on it. Whoever would die on it first would be reborn as the king
of that kingdom and whoever would die next, would be the future minister. The guru
said that they were tired of their ascetic lives. Hence, they wanted to be reborn as
king and minister.
The king started thinking immediately. He did not want to lose his kingdom to
someone else in the next life. He postponed the execution till the next day and talked
to his minister and decided that they would go on the stakes themselves and would
be reborn as king and minister. The king and the minister secretly released the guru
and his disciple and took their place and got executed on the stake. Hence, the guru
used his cleverness to save his disciple’s life.
7. In Shakespeare’s plays the fool is not really foolish. If you have read or seen
Shakespeare’s plays such as King Lear, As You Like It, Twelfth Night, you may
talk about the role of the fool.
Do you know any stories in your language about wise fools, such as Tenali
Rama or Gopal Bhar? You can also read about them in Ramanujan’s collection
of folk tales.
A. THE FOOLISH KING
Once there was a foolish king. One day, he was walking along the bank of a river. This
river flowed to the country in the east. The king did not want to let the water go to
the east. He ordered to build a dam across the river. Now the water in the river rose
up. The town was in danger. The people requested the minister to save the town. The
clever minister had an idea. A man in the palace rang a bell every hour. The minister
asked him to ring the bell for six in the morning at midnight. He obeyed the minister.
On hearing the bell, the king woke up. He could not see the sun. He called the
minister. The clever minister told him, “We kept all the water for us. The people of
the east are angry. They have stopped the sun.” At this, the king ordered to break the
dam. Thus the clever minister saved the town.
(PROVIDE YOUR OWN FEED)
CLASS – IX (2020 – 2021)
ASSIGNMENT - 6
MOMENTS
NOTE: READ AND REFER THE CHAPTER THOROUGHLY THROUGH PROVIDED

BELOW HYPERLINKS.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrwKzkres8I
https://www.successcds.net/learn-english/class-9/in-the-kingdom-of-fools-class-9-
english-poem.html
https://edumantra.net/learn-english/chapter-4-in-the-kingdom-of-fools-extra-questions-
and-notes/
A. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
1. “What have I done wrong? I’m innocent. I’m sannayasi!” he cried.

“That may be true. But it’s the royal decree that we should find a man fit
enough to fit the stake”, they said and carried him to the place of execution. He
remembered his wise guru’s words.
a. “What have I done wrong?” - Who said these words and to whom?
b. Why was the disciple fit for the stake?
c. Whom did the disciple remember?
d. What was the royal decree the executioners were following?
2. “Poor thing, she’s absolutely right, thought the king, weighing the evidence.
“We’ve got the real culprit at last. Get the goldsmith, wherever he is hiding. At
once!
a. What is the poor thing being referred to here?

b. Who is the real culprit?
c. Why did the king call the girl poor?
d. What evidence did the girl give?
B. Answer the following questions in brief:
3. Why was the kingdom, called the kingdom of fools?
4. Why did the guru leave the place but the disciple decide to stay in the kingdom of
fools?
5. What advice was given by the guru to the disciple?
6. What happened to the thief when he entered the rich merchant’s house?
7. What decision did the king take after hearing the rich merchant’s story?
8. Why did the king decide to punish the disciple instead of the merchant?
C. Answer the following long answer type questions:
9. How did the guru save his disciple from the execution? What happened at the end?
10. The king was foolish enough to dig his own grave? What reasons were there for
his doom?


6. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
7. THINK ABOUT IT
8. ASSIGNMENT – 6
CLASS – IX (2020 – 2021)
(BEEHIVE)
UNIT -1-B- (POETRY) (THE ROAD NOT TAKE) (BY – ROBERT FROST)
PREFACE TO THE POEM
ABOUT THE POET – ROBERT FROST

Robert Lee Frost (26 March 1874-29 January 1963) was an American poet born in
San Francisco but he spent most of his adult life in rural New England. His work
frequently employed themes from the early 1900s rural life in New England, U.S.A.
quite naturally; therefore, his poetry is identified with this region. Frost employed
traditional patterns, or as he said, he chose “the old-fashioned way to be new”. He is
best known for his shorter lyrics. He admired the qualities of honesty, simplicity, love
and hard work. At the centre of most of his poems lies an antithesis (contrast)
between fact and fancy, reality and imagination, pleasure and purpose, nature and
civilization, country and city. Frost was honoured frequently during his lifetime,
receiving four Pulitzer prizes for poetry. His style is unique because he usually
employs a kind of moral lesson after describing a scene or an incident. Despite his
later association with rural life, Frost grew up in the city and published his first poem
in his high school magazine. He attended Dartmouth and Harvard but never earned a
degree, and as a young man with a growing family, he attempted to write poetry
while working on a farm or teaching in a school. Frost moved his family to England in
1912 and the following year, a London publisher brought out his first book. After
publishing the second book, Frost returned to America, determined to win a
reputation in his own country. He became one of the country’s best-loved poets after
a lot of struggle. Despite the surface cheerfulness and descriptive accuracy of his
poems, he often presents a dark, sober vision of life, and there is a decidedly
thoughtful quality to his work. Some of the best known famous poems of this four-
time Pulitzer Award winner poet are ‘Mending Wall’, ‘Stopping By Woods on a
Snowy Evening’, ‘The Onset’, ‘Provide Provide’, ‘Neither Far Nor in Deep’, ‘Death
of the Hired Man’ and of course “The Road Not Taken”.
INTRODUCTION OF THE POEM

In the poem - ‘The Road Not Taken’, the road symbolizes our choices in life. The poet
says that the path that we don’t choose in our life is ‘the road not taken’. He describes
his feelings about that choice that he had left in the past. The path which we have
chosen, decides our future, our destination. The important message that the poet
wants to give is that the choice that we make has an impact on our future and if we
make a wrong choice, we regret it but cannot go back on it. So, we must be wise while
making choices.
THEME/CENTRAL IDEA OF THE POEM
“The Road Not Taken” deals with the dilemmas that man faces in life. The two roads
serve as a metaphor for the choices we make in life. Life throws up many
alternatives. Man being an individual cannot take up all choices. The choice we make
has a far-reaching consequence. Hence, our decision is a shot in the dark though our
future is dependent on it. If the choice made by us happens to be not correct, we have
to face the consequences as steps once taken cannot be retracted.
DETAILED SUMMARY OF THE POEM

The poet talks about two roads in the poem, in fact, the two roads are two alternative
ways of life. Robert frost wants to tell that the choice we make in our lives has a far-
reaching result. The poem presents a dilemma that every man faces in his life. One
day while walking in a wooded area full of trees with yellow leaves, the poet comes
to a fork in the place and he has to decide which road he should take. He stands there
for long and starts debating over the choice. He looks at the first road as far as he can
see, till it bends in the undergrowth. It seemed to have been travelled by many
people. Then he looked at the second road. It was grassy and wanted wear means
less travelled. The poet is tempted to walk on it. He keeps on thinking for a long time
and comes to the conclusion that he cannot walk on both. That is the irony of life. We
cannot travel all the available roads no matter how much we may wish to. However,
he decides to take the second path with the intention of walking on the first any
other day in the future. At the same time, he knows that the chances of his returning
that way are very less. He also knows the manner in which one path leads on to the
other. Finally, the poet started moving on the second road. Then the poem shifts to
the last stanza and the poet become completely philosophical and talk as if he has
travelled for a long era and looks back at the choices that he made in life and their
consequences. Now he feels that life has been completely different. He feels that his
life has been very different from the common people because he has always been
tempted to take the path not generally followed by others. Here he advises doing
something different also. It shows the poet as an adventurous man ready to take
risks in life which everyone should be like.
VALUE POINTS OF THE POEM

1. The poet was standing at a place where two roads/ paths ‘diverged in a yellow
wood’.
2. He was sorry that he couldn’t travel both at the same time.
3. He looked down one as far as he could till it bent away in the undergrowth.
4. The other road was just as fair and perhaps presented a better claim.
5. The second road was grassy, less frequented by travellers and ‘wanted wear’.
6. The poet had to make a choice and he resolved the dilemma.
7. He chose the second road and `kept the first for another day’.
8. The poet had a doubt that he would never get a chance to travel on the first road
again.
9. The choice had been made and it made all the difference in his life.
10. It was very di�cult to say whether the choice was right or wrong on the spur of
the moment.
11. But the poet neither seems to be very happy nor very sad with his choice nor
leaves the end open to the readers and their choices.
CLASS – IX (2020 – 2021)
(BEEHIVE)
UNIT -1- B - (POETRY) (THE ROAD NOT TAKEN) (BY – ROBERT FROST)
PARAPHRASING AND QUESTION BANK
STANZA 1
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveller, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
SIGHT WORDS:
Roads: (symbolic meaning) (refers to choices one makes in life)
Diverged: separated and took a different direction
Yellow wood: a forest with decomposing leaves or referring autumnal forest
Both: (here) used for two roads
Long I stood: standing and observing something for a long time
Looked down one: to glance at someone or something along (looked at the one
path/road)
As far as: to the extent
Bent: turn
Undergrowth: dense growth of plants and bushes.
PARAPHRASE:
The poet was standing at a junction (the place where two or more things come
together) in a yellow forest (forest in the season of autumn.) where two roads
separated in two different directions. The poet says that as he was one person, he
could travel on one road only. He had to choose one out of these two roads. The poet
feels sorry that being the lonely (only) traveller, he could not walk on both the roads
at the same time. The poet kept standing there and looked at the one path/road very
carefully as far as he could see it. Before taking the path, he wanted to know how it
was. Was it suitable for him to walk on or no? He was able to see the path till from
where it curved after which it was covered with dense trees/bushes and was hidden.
It happens in our life also when we have choices, we have alternatives, but we
have to choose only one out of them, we take time to think about the pros and
cons (the advantages and disadvantages of sth), whether it is suitable for us or
not and only then, we take a decision on what path we should choose.
STANZA – 1 - BASED QUESTIONS:
1. Name the poem and the poet of these lines.

A. The above lines have been taken from the poem The Road Not Taken’ by Robert
Frost
2. What did the narrator see in the wood?

A. The narrator saw two paths diverging in the forest.
3. What is the meaning of the word ‘diverged’? What do the roads represent in
these lines?
A. ‘Diverged’ means separated. The roads represent the different choices that one
has to make in his/her life.
4. The poet here is using “roads” as symbols of:

A. Choices one makes in life
5. The poet is standing:

(i) At a crossing (ii) at a crossing in the autumn season (iii) where two roads cross
(iv) in a forest.
6. He sees before him:

(i) a yellow forest and roads (ii) two roads crossing (iii) a dense forest (iv) two
roads diverging in a yellow forest
7. What does the ‘yellow wood’ mean?

A. ‘Yellowwood’ means that the leaves have turned yellow because of the autumn
season.
8. Where do the two roads diverge in?

A. The two roads diverge in the wood where the leaves have turned yellow in the
autumn.
9. Why does the poet stand long? OR

‘… long I stood’. What did the speaker do while standing for a long time?
A. The poet stands long because he was in a dilemma about which road to take.
10. Why did the poet look down as far as he could?

A. The poet was observing as which road would be suitable for him to walk on or
which decision would reap success or more benefit so he was thinking and observing
carefully as what to do.
11. What choice did the narrator have to make?

A. The narrator had to choose between the two roads.
12. What does the narrator regret?

A. The narrator regrets the fact that he cannot travel on both paths. He also regrets
the fact that he cannot come back to the start once he makes a choice.
13. His desire at this moment is to:
(i) Cross the road (ii) travel further (iii) travel on both the roads (iv)see the forest
14. Why does the poet feel ‘sorry’?

A. The poet feels sorry that he can’t travel on both the roads diverging in the forest
before him.
15. Why did he feel like travelling both the roads?

A. He felt like travelling both the roads as both of them looked equally fair and
promising. Although they had been worn out equally, that morning both lay
untrodden (untracked).
16. What is the mood of the poet in these lines?

A. The mood of the poet appears to be serious and pensive (deeply or seriously
thoughtful).
17. Explain: ‘And be one traveller’.

A. The expression means that he was an individual who couldn’t travel two roads at
the same time
18. What is the rhyme scheme of the stanza?

A. The rhyme scheme of the stanza is ab aab.
19. What is wood? What did the narrator see in the wood? Were the paths
similar?
A. Wood means a forest. He saw two paths diverging and disappearing in the
undergrowth. No, one had more grass and seemed less used than the other.
STANZA 2
Then took the other, just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same.
SIGHT WORDS:
Took: looked at
The other: the other Road or the Second Road
Just as fair: As good as the other one or exactly the same
Perhaps: may be
Better claim: better option
grassy: (here) unused or means nobody has walked on that road as such it was
looking green and not muddy as the grass was not crushed.
Wanted wear: had not been used
Though as for that: (here) ‘that’ is used for the first road
Passing there: the passing of travellers on that road
Worn: (here) it means used or travelled by
Them: (here) is used for both the roads
Had worn them really about the same: both of the roads were used equally or
same
PARAPHRASE:
The poet kept on looking at one path for a long time to check if it is the right path for
him or not and them he decided and started looking or walking on another road (
second road) which was as beautiful and equally good as the first one (first road). He
adds that maybe he felt that the second road or another road was better for him so
he wishes to choose it to walk on or travel by as it had grass on it which means that it
was unused. Not many people had walked on this path earlier that is why this path
(second road) was grassy. ‘And wanted wear’ means that it was not walked over by
many people. This suggests that poet had an independent spirit and did not wish to
follow the crowd. After he walked on the second path for some distance, he realized
that both the paths had been worm out the same way. Both the paths were similar
and worn out.
Even in our life, we take any path or option but all of them have the same
benefits, disadvantages, problems, challenges and we must face them. We think
that we are choosing a better option, but it is not that way.
STANZA- 2 - BASED QUESTIONS:
20. What does “other” refer to in the above lines?
A. In the above lines, “other” refers to the road that was grassy and less travelled
upon.
21. What does the poet mean by ‘as just as fair’?

A. ‘As just as fair’, means that the second road was just as beautiful as the first one.
22. How was the other road?

A. The other road was as fair and beautiful as the first one.
23. How do you understand the expression ‘grassy and wanted wear’?
A. The second road was grassy and green and its grass was not crushed and worn by
the steps of the travellers. As not many people had walked this road so it was more
inviting.
24. Which road did the narrator choose?

A. The narrator chose the one that was grassy and less travelled upon. (Second road)
25. The poet didn’t take the first road as:

(i) It had worn out by continuous use (ii) It had been tried and tested
(iii) It was expected of him (iv) It looked shabby
26. The second road had the better claim as:
(i) It had been laying waste (ii) It was attractive with green grassy carpet
(iii) It needed to be explored (iv) It was full of surprises
27. Why did the second road present a better claim than the first?
A. The second road presented a better claim as it was still grassy and had not been
used by many travellers.
28. The poet’s decision to take the other road indicates that he is:
(i) Adventurous (ii) Calculative (iii) Opportunist (iv) Careful
29. In which sense were the two roads similar?

A. Both roads were similar in the sense that they both were appealing to the poet to
travel on them.
30. What is the rhyme scheme of the given lines?
A. The rhyme-scheme of these lines is ab, aa, b.
31. Does one road seem to be more appealing than the other? Use examples
from the poem to support your answer.
A. At first the narrator comes to a fork in the road and is not able to decide which
path to take. One of the roads looks more frequented by people while the second
road appears to be less travelled on. Though he is tempted to walk on both, he
decides to take the second path with the intention of walking on the first one
sometime in future.
32. What does the poet mean when he says, ‘worn them really about the same’?
A. The poet means to relay to the readers that both the roads that diverged in a
yellow wood seemed similar and both of them looked as if they had not been used for
a while.
STANZA 3
And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
SIGHT WORDS:
Both: used for first and the second road
Equally lay: looking similar or lying in the same manner
Step: used for footsteps
Trodden: crushed or walked over
Black: is used to highlight that no leaf was crushed by the footsteps and looking
black
First one: first road
For another day: to be used on any other day
Way leads on to way: The philosophy of life advocated in these few lines is that
once we have chosen a path to move ahead, we do not have the choice to come back
to that old point and try other avenues. Ways lead on to other ways and we move on
to roads that we had not imagined taking when we first started out. Therefore, going
back on our choices can never be an option, we can only move in one direction and
that is forward.
PARAPHRASE:
The poet says that both the roads were looking similar the next morning when he
went there again. Both the roads had fallen leaves on them and no one had stepped
on them as they were still green in colour. He decided that that day he would take or
travel on one path and keep the other path for another day, the poet left the first road
thinking that he would use it on some other day and starting walking on the second
road. When he was doing so, he knew that how one way leads to another. He knew he
would go so far from the first road that he doubted if he would ever come back to
walk on it. He knew that he could not go back on the choice that he had made.
Similarly, even in our life once we choose an option, we must keep on moving
ahead with that option and we never get a chance to come back and take the
other option that we had left earlier.
33. ‘Both’ in line one refers to:

(i) Leaves (ii) Both’ refers to the two roads that lay in front of the poet (iii) steps
(IV) the poet and his friends
34. In this extract, the poet is describing.

(i) A road (ii) his love for trekking
(iii) Two roads, the one he chose and the reason for his choice (IV) his tastes
35. The first line of the extract can be explained as_________ .

(i) The world is round (ii) all roads have a dead end
(iii) All roads join at an intersection (IV) all roads lead to other roads
36. How did both the roads lie?

A. Both the roads laid there with their leaves and grass not crushed by the steps of
the travellers
37. The poet decided that:

(i) He would take the second road and leave the first one for some other day
(ii) He would take the frequently trodden road
(iii) He would go back and decide later on (IV) he would take the first road
38. The poet chose to travel on another road because:

(i) It was easier (ii) it was shorter and easier
(iii) It was grassy and wanted wear (iv) he was sure of his success in that way
39. ‘Leaves no step had trodden black’ implies:

(i) That the road was not taken by anyone (ii) that it was not a safe road
(iii) That the poet was not interested in taking the road (iv) None of the above
40. Explain: ‘leaves no step had trodden black’.

A. No traveller had trodden on either of the two roads. It was evident from the fact
that the fallen and sodden leaves lay uncrushed there. No feet had trampled them.
41. The poet doubted if:

(i) He could ever finish his journey (ii) he could meet his family again
(iii) He could join his friend (IV) he could ever come back to travel the first road
42. The poet doubts his comeback because

(i) He continues to follow the road he chooses (ii) he is very lazy
(iii) He is a man on the move (IV) he never repeats himself
43. ‘Should ever come back show that the poet was:
(i) Confident (ii) indecisive (iii) optimistic (IV) pessimistic
44. Why did the poet leave the first road?

A. The poet left the first road in the hope that he would travel on it on another day.
45. Why did the poet suffer from a doubt?
A. The poet doubted if he would ever come back to the same place to walk on the
road that he had left for another day.
46. Why does the poet doubt his coming back?

A. The poet doubts his coming back because he knows his chosen road will lead to
another road and he would go so far from the first road that he would not be able to
come back to it.
47. Having chosen his road, what decision did the speaker take about the first
road?
OR
What did the narrator hope that he would do one day? Was he sure of doing so?
A. He decided to stick to the chosen road for some more time and promised himself
that he would travel the other one sometime later. No, he did not think he would do
so because he knew that one path led to another and it would be difficult for him to
come back.
STANZA 4
I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence;
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I —
I took the one less travelled by,
And that has made all the difference.
SIGHT WORDS:
Sigh: deep breath (here is used to highlight the negative result of the choice made)
Hence: (here) in the future
Ages and ages: (after) many years
PARAPHRASE:
He says that in the future after many years, he will take a deep breath and say that
once upon a time, he had reached such a point in life that there were two options for
him to travel and he travelled on that road which had been travelled upon by lesser
number of people. That decision of his decided his future and that his choice was not
very rewarding or successful. Similarly, in future, when you grow up, then you
will say that once upon a time, when you were young, you had two options. The
choice that you made -made you what you became of it. This is a very strong
message for all the students - that you should be wise and be careful while
making choices out of the options that you have in your life because your
future depends on the choice that you make today.
48. ‘Sigh’ means:

(i) Regret (ii) to hate (iii) not to feel sorry (iv) to be indifferent
49. What has made all the difference in the poet’s life?
(i) Choosing a travelled road (ii) Choosing a less travelled road
(iii) By not choosing any road (iv) By not being weak
50. ‘Road’ is a metaphor for:

(i) Travelling wisely (ii) good health (iii) choices we make in life (IV) morning
walks
51. What will the narrator tell “with a sigh”?

A. The narrator will tell about the fork that he had come to in the woods and the
choice he had to make and the fact that he had taken the road less frequented by
people.
52. Why does the narrator say, “And that has made all the difference”?
A. The narrator said that later in life he shall be telling people how his life has been
different due to the choices he had made long ago.
53. What did the poet wish to do when he takes the road that he has not been
able to do?
A. The poet wanted to come back and take the other road.
54. What is the theme of the poem?

A. The theme of the poem is the various problems we face in life and the choices we
make.
55. Which poetic device defines the roads in the wood?

A. A metaphor has been used to define the two roads in the wood.
56. What is the tone of the poet in the last stanza?

A. The poet adopts a reflective tone in the last stanza.
57. Which road did the narrator finally decide to the lake and why?
A. The narrator finally decided to take the road that not many people had walked on
because it seemed more adventurous than the route everyone seemed to take.
58. When will the poet look back on his life?

A. The poet would look back on his life after a very long time — when he is an old
man.
59. Why do you think the poet says this “with a sigh”?
A. The poet is regretful; he could not return and take the road he had left behind to
travel on another day.
60. Why does the poet say, ‘And that has made all the difference’?
A. The poet means to say that it was the choice of that specific road that shaped his
life in a particular manner. Had he chosen the other road life would have been
different?
61. As a symbol, what does ‘road’ signify in the poem?

A. As a symbol, ‘road’ signifies opportunities in life and the decisions and choices one
has to make in life.
62. Does the poet seem to be happy with his choice?

A. The poet has left the end open on the readers. They may assume whatever suits
them after making a choice.
63. Why do you think the poet sighs in the last stanza of the poem?
A. The last stanza reveals that the poet would be telling his story with a sense of
regret as the alternative chosen by him did not yield a satisfactory result. He is not
very excited while telling the story of his life as he feels that had he taken the other
road things might have taken a better shape. Hence, the poet sighs with a sense of
dissatisfaction in the last stanza of the poem.
64. The poet says, “I took the one less travelled by, and that has made all the
difference.” What is ‘the difference that the poet mentions?
A. The poet says his choice of that particular road has shaped his life in a specific
manner with which he is not very happy. Had he chosen the other road, his ambitions
and aspirations in life might have been fulfilled and he would not have looked back
with a sense of regret. Probably, he would have called himself a successful man.
VERY IMPORTANT QUESTIONS:
1. What is the main problem or the dilemma of the poet? How does the poet
resolve the dilemma? Which road does he choose and why?
A. Robert Frost’s ‘The Road Not Taken’ revolves around the dilemma (confusion) of
making the right choice in life. He suffers from an illusion (sth many people
believe but is false) that he can use the option he has left for the other day.
Whatever ‘road’ or way of life he chooses; it makes all the difference in his life.
Sometimes after a long time, he will have to repent for choosing the path that was
less travelled by. It didn’t turn out to be quite a rewarding choice or option
The two roads represent two ways of life. They stand for two directions, two
attitudes and even two careers in life. The dilemma is of making the right and the
rewarding choice. Two roads diverge in different directions. They look equally
beautiful and fair. The poet leaves the first road for another day. He opts for the road
that was less travelled by and ‘wanted wear’ (i.e. second road). He opts for an
option that is not very conventional (not following accepted customs), popular
and risk-free. Probably he wanted to prove himself as daring.
2. What does the divergence in the road signify in real life?
Answer- The divergence in the road signifies that many times in real life we have
difficult choices to make. We take a long time thinking about which of the two would
be a better option and only time can tell whether we were right in making the choice
we made. The forking of one road into two is symbolic of the confusion or dilemma
we face in life while confronting (facing) a problem and making a decision.
3. Why did the poet stand long on the forked road to make the decision? What
impact did the choice of the ‘other road’ make on the poet’s life?
Answer- The poet took long to make a decision because he could not foresee which
choice would prove to be beneficial for him. As he looked at the roads he couldn’t see
beyond a particular point. One road was well-trodden and the other showed no signs
of anyone treading (here-walked on) on it. Thus the poet stood there for a long time
undecided which one to experiment with.
While making a choice of the roads, the poet took time deciding which one to take.
The poet’s choice shaped his life in a different manner. He had a shade of regret
about his choice. He knew that his life wouldn’t have been as it was presented if he
had taken the other road i.e. he made a wrong choice or made a wrong decision once
in his life for which he is sorry and resentful.
4. Did the poet repent for making his choice? Give an example from the poem to
prove your point.
Answer- The poet had the freedom to make a choice. The two roads were, in fact,
two alternatives in life that lay before him. The poet left the conventional and less
risky way of life. He opted for the road that was less travelled by and ‘wanted wear’.
He left the first road for another day. The choice he made brought all the difference in
his life. He seemed to be unhappy about making his choice. He shall be telling this
with a sigh somewhere ages and ages hence: ‘But he couldn’t do anything now. His
choice had altered (changed) the course of his life.
5. ‘I doubted if I should ever come back’. Why does the poet doubt he should
ever come back?
Answer- The poet doubts whether he should ever come back to try the other road
because he knows that one road leads to another. As a reckless and curious traveller,
he was sure to continue to move on in the journey of life. Thus there were no chances
of his retracing his steps. Normally one sticks to the decision once taken.
6. ‘The Road Not Taken’ is a metaphor of life. Justify this statement. Justify the
title.
OR Why has the poet’s choice ‘made all the difference’ in his life?
Answer- In ‘The Road Not Taken’, Frost uses the fork in the road as a metaphor for
the choices we make in life. Thus, the two roads are, in fact, two alternative ways of
life. They represent two directions and two options open to the poet. He has to face
the dilemma. He opts for an unconventional and risky path of life. He has made a
choice. He has opted for the road which is ‘less travelled by’. He leaves the first ‘for
another day’. He chooses to be a poet. This choice has made all the difference in his
life. Perhaps he would realise late in life that he chose an alternative which was less
rewarding than the one he had left. It becomes impossible to come back on the road,
one he has left. So one’s choice makes ‘all the difference’ in one’s life. Hence, the title
is appropriate and logical.
CLASS – IX (2020 – 2021)
(BEEHIVE)
THINKING ABOUT THE POEM (PAGE 16)
I. 1. Where does the traveller find himself? What problem does he face?
A. The traveller finds himself in the yellow woods at a point where the road divides
into two parts. He faces with the problem of being not able to make a choice on
which road to choose, for his further journey.
2. Discuss what these phrases mean to you.
(i) A yellow wood

A. The yellow woods represents the season of autumn. Autumn also stands for old
age and inactivity. The poet could be symbolically talking about his later stages of life
when he finds it hard to take a decision.
(ii) It was grassy and wanted wear

A. It means that the road was covered with grass. It looked relatively un-worn. The
poet is trying to tell that people might have less travelled on the road because it was
more risky.
(iii) The passing there

A. It means the road used by the people to pass along it.
(IV) Leaves no step had trodden black

A. The speaker is trying to say that the leaves had not turned black because less
people had stepped on them or it was the least travelled road. It represents a path
which people may never have taken in life for the fear of uncertainty.
(v) How way leads on to way

A. This phrase means how certain decisions are unpredictable. Whichever you
choose would result in interesting and unique life experiences. We have to feel good
about the choices we made.
3. Is there any difference between the two roads as the poet describes them?
(i) In stanzas two and three?

A. In stanza two the poet explains that he chose the less travelled road because he
felt it had better claims. Soon he realizes that both roads had been equally worn
down by passers-by travelling on them. In stanza three the poet says that both the
roads were equally covered with leaves which had not turned black.
(ii) In the last two lines of the poem?

A. In the last two lines of the poem the poet says that there was difference between
the two roads. He took the road that was less travelled by people and that made all
the difference to his journey.
4. What do you think the last two lines of the poem mean? (Looking back, does
the poet regret his choice or accept it?)
A. The last two lines of the poem mean that the poet accepts reality. The poet made a
choice and took the challenging path. He wanted do something different in his life so
he choose the less travelled road. No, he does not regret his choice. He sighs with
relief that he made the right choice.
II. 1. Have you ever had to make a difficult choice (or do you think you will have
difficult choices to make)? How will you make the choice (for what reasons)?
A. No, till now I have never been in a situation in which I had to make a difficult
choice. Perhaps, I am still too young to make an independent choice. Yes, I think
sooner or later I will have difficult choices to make. After completing my general
education, I will have to make choice of my profession. I will have many options
before me. I will arrive at a decision only after carefully considering all the available
options. It would be my life-transforming decision and will need serious thought. I
will choose a path that gives me satisfaction and mental peace. I will not join the rat
race for money. Like the poet in poem, I will choose a challenging and unexplored
path in my life accepting its challenges and uncertainties.
2. After you have made a choice do you always think about what might have
been, or do you accept the reality?
A. Having made a choice, I would be ready to accept the reality. Reconsidering a
decision is not a positive approach towards life. I may encounter with
many obstacles, but I will take great effort and strive to be satisfied with the choice
I made.
CLASS – IX (2020 – 2021)
ASSIGNMENT - 7
(BEEHIVE)

BELOW HYPERLINKS.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaxCY94uIOo
https://www.successcds.net/learn-english/class-9/the-road-not-taken-class-9-cbse-
english.html
Read the following stanza and answer the questions with reference to the text:
1. Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveller, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
a. Who is the poet of the poem?

b. What is the rhyme scheme of the stanza?
c. Why could the poet not travel both the roads?
d. Why did the poet look down the road?
2. Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
a. What does the poet mean by 'as just as fair'?

b. Why does the poet say 'wanted wear'?
c. What comparison is the poet making between the two roads?
d. Why according to the poet 'the other ' has a better claim?
B. SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS
3. What do you think the poet is trying to express by saying ' I could not travel both'?
4. 'And both that morning equally lay' Explain.
5. Why did the poet say 'I doubted if I should ever come back'?
6. 'And that has made the difference'. What has made the difference?
7. Why did the poet keep the road for other day?
8. "I shall be telling this with a sigh ages and ages hence". Please explain what do you
understand by it?
C. LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS:
9. Can a person take a decision and subsequently not regret it?
10. Does the end of the poem convey any emotional meaning?

WITH THE TEXTBOOK QUESTIONS, PREFACE OF THE POEM, PARAPHRASE AND
QUESTION BANK)

3. NAME OF THE POEM ALONG WITH THE POET
4. PREFACE, PARAPHRASE AND QUESTION BANK
5. THINKING ABOUT THE POEM
6. ASSIGNMENT – 7
CLASS – IX (2020 – 2021)
(BEEHIVE)
UNIT -2-B- (POETRY) (WIND) (BY – SUBRAMANIA BHARATI)

PREFACE TO THE POEM
ABOUT THE POET – SUBRAMANIA BHARATI & A.K. RAMANUJAN

Subramania Bharati (1882–1921) is a great Tamil poet, famous for his patriotism in
the pre-Independence era.
A.K. Ramanujan is a Kannada and English poet, well known for his translation of
classical and modern poetry.
INTRODUCTION OF THE POEM

In this poem, the poet describes the action of the wind. It breaks the shutters of the
windows, throws down the books on the shelf and demolishes frail (weak) houses.
But it has no effect on strong houses. It blows out weak fires. But it makes strong
fires roar. The poet conveys the idea that nobody cares for the weak. The poet
advises the weak ones to make themselves strong.
The poem “Wind” describes the power of the wind on nature and human life. It
focuses on the violent (hostile/unpeaceful) aspect of wind that causes destruction.
The fierce (violently strong) wind is also seen by the poet as a symbol of
adversities (a state of misfortune / hardship) in life. It ends with a suggestion that
if we remain strong, we can overcome any obstacles. Written originally in Tamil by
Subramania Bharati and translated by A. K. Ramanujan.
THEME/CENTRAL IDEA OF THE POEM

The poem depicts (show) the utterly enormous (extraordinarily large in size,
amount, power or degree) power of wind in the world and how it has the potential
of being both a destroyer and a creator. The weak and fragile (delicate) cannot
withstand its fury (anger), while the strong can use it to their advantage. The same
is true of the adversities of life -those who are weak easily break down and those
who are strong take them in their stride and come out stronger. Therefore, our
attitude to life and its trials and tribulations (annoying frustrating event)
determines our response to them.
The poem inspires us to face the challenges and hardships with courage, grit and firm
determination. The wind destroys the weak things in its path. When troubles come in
life the weak people are affected more. If the structures in the path of the wind are
weak, then the wind will destroy them. This shows that when troubles come in life,
the weak are more affected. So the poet asks the readers to become strong so that
they can solve their problems.
DETAILED SUMMARY OF THE POEM
The poem opens with a plea (request) to the wind to blow gently and not to cause
damage. It is urged not to break the shutters of the windows or scatter papers by
blowing them away. Personifying the wind, the poet tells it not to throw down books
on the shelf and draws its attention to the papers that it has torn and the rain that it
has brought again. The poet is not happy with the wind’s attitude here. He feels that
wind takes advantage of weak people’s helplessness and blows so hard that their
houses get destroyed; they may get injured or even killed, their lives are shattered,
trees get uprooted and people suffer great loss. They feel very low and crestfallen.
(Brought low in spirit). Wind, which has been referred to as a God, has the potential
of destroying anything or anybody that comes in his way or tries to oppose him. In
fact, wind god is so mighty that he charters his own course. It is di�cult to control
him, once he runs out of control.
The surest way to deal with the onslaught (a sudden or serious onset of trouble)
of wind is to build strong, wind-resistant houses that can withstand powerful and
speedy wind storms. Wind rattles (make or cause to make a rapid succession of
short, sharp knocking sounds) all the doors and sometimes pulls them out of their
hinges. It is important to fix the doors strongly so that they do not come off. People
need to be physically strong to face any eventuality caused by wind. And if people are
determined and make concerted and coordinated efforts, wind who is alleged to be
the friend of the strong only can become an equally good friend of the weak, who are
poor and helpless people.
The poem closes with the observation that the wind extinguishes weak fires only.
The strong flames are flared up further by it. If we are weak, the wind will overpower
us; if we are strong it will aid us. When we make ourselves capable of combating the
wind, it becomes a good friend.
VALUE POINTS OF THE POEM

1. The Poet requests the wind to slow down its speed.
2. The strong wind breaks the shutter of the windows, scatters the papers and
throws down the books on the shelf.
3. The poet asks the wind to come down and have a glimpse of the destruction it has
made.
4. The poet points out that the wind is very clever in making fun of the weaklings.
Frail houses, doors, rafters, wood, bodies, lives, hearts are easily broken into
fragments.
5. The poet considers wind as God who won't obey your words. He winnows
(process of separating grain from chaff) and crushes. Here the poet tries to say
that God separates the emotionally strong people who are ready to face all hardships
of life from the weak hearted people who are always suppressed.
6. The poet suggests building strong houses, joint doors firmly, practising to make
the bodies strong and make the heart unwavering to befriend the wind. Only if we
are emotionally strong we can overcome the challenges and obstacles of life.
7. In the last four lines the poet says that wind blows out weak fires but it makes
strong fires roar and flourish. The poet concludes saying that the wind is a good
friend and we praise him every day.
8. The message is that a weak person is not able to face the problems of life but a
strong willed person will encounter them boldly. Accept the challenges of life and
make the best of your life.
CLASS – IX (2020 – 2021)
(BEEHIVE)
PARAPHRASING AND QUESTION BANK

LINES 1 TO 4
Wind, come softly.
Don’t break the shutters of the windows.
Don’t scatter the papers.
Don’t throw down the books on the shelf.
SIGHT WORDS:
Softly: in a careful and gentle manner.
Shutters of the windows: a pane of glass in a window.
Scatter: spread, move in different directions
Shelf: bookshelf
PARAPHRASE:
The poet is addressing wind. Wind has been personified here. The poet is asking
wind not to do destruction to his things. The poet makes a request to the wind. As he
is powerful, the poet requests him to blow slowly and not to damage our things. For
this, he should slow down his speed. The poet asks wind to come softly and tells the
wind to not break the shutters of windows. He also asks the wind not to scatter the
papers in his room, or to throw down the books from his bookshelves. So here, the
poet is describing the power of the wind as what it is capable of.
LINES 1 TO 4 BASED QUESTIONS:

1. Name the poem and the poet.
The name of the poem is ‘wind’ and the name of the poet is Subramania Bharati.
2. How does the poet want the wind to come?
A. The poet wants the wind to come softly.
3. Why does the poet want the wind to come slowly?
The poet wants the wind to come slowly so as not to cause trouble to the weak. When
the wind blows softly, it is harmless and enjoyable but when it blows fiercely, it
wreaks havoc (destruction). Therefore, the poet wants the wind to be gentle and soft.
4. What should the wind not break?
A. The wind should not break the shutters of the windows.
5. What should the wind not scatter?
A. The wind should not scatter the papers.
6. What should the wind not throw down?
A. The wind should not throw down the books on the shelf.
7. What does the wind symbolize in this poem?
A. The poet converts the natural force, wind, into a symbol in the context of human
life. The destructive wind symbolizes the hardships, problems and obstructions in
the life of people. Just as buildings have to face strong winds, people have to
encounter difficulties and obstacles in life.
LINES 5 TO 7
There, look what you did — you threw them all down.
You tore the pages of the books.
You brought rain again.
SIGHT WORDS:
Threw them all down: (here) used for throwing books from shelf or breaking the
window pane or scattering the papers
Tore: separate by pulling or to cut apart
PARAPHRASE:
In these lines, the poet continues speaking to the wind. However, the tone he now
uses to address the wind has changed from the tone he had been using in the first
four lines of the poem. Here he takes on an accusatory tone (blaming for
wrongdoing). He gestures towards the mess in his room, and tells the wind that it is
he who is responsible for it. Here, the power of the wind is shown. The poet says the
wind is very powerful, it is destructive. The wind didn’t listen to the poet’s request.
Wind did the destruction. The poet shows/tells the wind how he has thrown all the
books down from the bookshelves with his force, and torn pages out of those books
as well. It has broken the shutters of windows and scattered the papers. He is so
powerful that he can cause rain and has in fact brought the rain.

8. What does the wind do?
(A) It throws down all the books on the shelf (B) It tears the pages of the books.
(C) It brings the rain again (D) All the above.
9. What did the wind do to the books?

A. The wind tears the pages off and throws them down from the bookshelf. The
potent (powerful) wind scatters the books and sheets of paper on the floor. It
disturbs everything.
10. What does the wind do to the windows?

A. It breaks the shutters of the windows.
11. Explain the line: You brought rain again”. Or how does the wind bring rain?
A. The line highlights the fact that the wind brings rain. He blows the vapour-laden
clouds around and causes them to make rain. Sometimes the rain brought about by
the wind also causes damage.
12. How does the wind become the cause of rain?

A. The wind sometimes becomes violent and appears to be a storm. It brings clouds
with it from distant lands. There is no need to say that clouds bring rain. It is a
universal truth and scientific fact that clouds bring rain from the blue sky.
13. What kind of destruction is caused by the violent wind? Or

What are the things that the wind does in the above lines?
A. When the wind blows violently, it destroys everything. It breaks the window
shutters, scatters papers around, makes the books fall down, tears their pages and
brings about the heavy downpour.
LINES 8 TO 12
You’re very clever at poking fun at weaklings.

Frail crumbling houses, crumbling doors, crumbling rafters,
crumbling wood, crumbling bodies, crumbling lives,
crumbling hearts —
the wind god winnows and crushes them all.
SIGHT WORDS:
Clever: having sharp mind;
Poking fun: making fun of something
Weaklings: a person who is weak or laughing at
Frail: weak
Crumbling: falling or to cause something to break
Rafter: sloping beam which support the roof of the building
Crumbling wood: weak rooted tress /plants or all the weak wooden structures fall.
Crumbling bodies, crumbling lives, crumbling hearts: mentally and physically
weak human beings or animals or any living beings are defeated by the strong
violent wind
Wind God: (here) wind is referred to as God
Winnows: to broke grain free of chaff, separate grain from husk by blowing on it or
to separate
Crushes: destroy
PARAPHRASE:
The poet further adds the wind is making fun of weak thing by destroying them or
overpowers them. The poet tells the wind that he makes mischief whenever he
comes face to face with anyone who is too meek and mild (soft and humble) to
protest against his actions. Here, the word ‘Crumbling’ is repeated so many times to
lay stress that everything crumbles in the face of a strong wind. So, the poet is saying
that when wind is very powerful, it is very strong; it leads to breakage of
everything. Houses which are weak, fall, doors which are weak fall, the beams on
which the roof of the buildings are supported, they also fall, all the wooden
structures fall, all bodies of people fall, animals, lives, hearts all are destroyed. So, he
is saying that everything crumbles. Everything that is weak reacts by falling down
and breaking in the face of adversity (difficult times).
The poet is addressing to wind as ‘wind God’, and he is saying that the powerful God
of wind winnows, that means he sifts (separate) all the people and those people who
are weak fall down and get crushed. So here, a comparison is made between wheat
and people. Just like we winnow the wheat to separate the grain from chaff, the wind
God separates the strong people from the weak people. When there is a strong wind,
all the things that are weak fall and get crushed. So, the poet is saying that whenever
a weak person faces any adversity or challenge in life he breaks down and falls. (i.e.
give up or accept defeat)
14. What is the attitude of the wind towards the weaklings?

A. The wind pokes fun at the weaklings.
15. Who does the wind make fun of – weak people or strong people?
A. The wind makes fun of weak people.
16. What does the wind poke fun at?

(A) Weak houses and weak doors. (B) Weak rafters and weak wood.
(C) Weak hearts and weak bodies. (D) Any living or non-living thing that is weak
and crumbling.
17. How does the wind poke fun at weaklings?

A. Weaklings pray to the wind to come softly. They pray to the Wind God not to break
the shutters of their windows. But the wind god does not listen to their prayers.
Rather he pokes fun at them. He blows down their houses. He breaks their doors. He
breaks their bodies, their lives and even their hearts. He crushes them badly.
The strong wind uses his destructive power to harm weak persons and delicate
things. Without showing any mercy or sympathy, he crushes weak houses, crumbling
doors, and even human lives and hearts. By moving violently and destroying the
weak, he seems to make fun of their helplessness.
18. What does the poet think of the wind god’s attitude to the requests of
people?
A. The poet believes that the wind god is indifferent to the requests of people. Even
though people request him to blow gently, he does not pay any heed to their pleas.
He is defiant and does not care about the wishes of people. It means that the intensity
of the wind is beyond human control.
19. What does the Wind God do?

A. The wind god separates the food grain from the chaff.
20. The Wind God winnows—?

(A) Anything that is big and strong (B) Anything that is weak and crumbling
(C) Anything that is in this world (D) anything that is not natural.
21. What does the wind God winnows?

A. The wind God winnows all the things available at home. The wind breaks and
crushes weak houses, doors, rafters, wood, human beings and lives. The wind God
windows and crushes all the weak things.
22. Why does the poet say the Wind God winnows?
A. The poet states that the Wind God winnows because it is nature’s way of rejecting
the frail and unhealthy objects. In a way, the Wind God separates the weak from the
strong like the chaff is separated from the grain. The Wind God is the winnower, the
wind as the winnowing fan and the weak men are the grain.
23. Why has the wind been called ‘God’?
A. Wind has been called ‘god’ because, like ‘god’, he uses his power to remove and
crush the undesirable, weak things.
24. Explain the expression: “crumbling lives, crumbling hearts”.

A. Many lives are lost when wind wreaks havoc. The lives of the survivors are
shattered too because their loved ones are dead and their homes and property are
destroyed. They are left with no hope in life.
25. Which poetic device has been used in the first three lines?
A. The poetic device used in these lines is anaphora i.e. the repetition of certain
words. The word ‘crumbling’ has been repeatedly used to emphasise the destruction
caused by the wind.
26. Why are the houses, doors, rafters etc. crumbling?

A. The houses, doors, rafters etc. are crumbling because they are weak and cannot
stand the onslaught of the destructive wind.
LINES 13 TO 18
He won’t do what you tell him.

So, come, let’s build strong homes,
Let’s joint the doors firmly.
Practise to firm the body.
Make the heart steadfast.
Do this, and the wind will be friends with us.
SIGHT WORDS:
He / him: (here) referred to ‘wind’
Firmly: strongly
Firm: make strong
Heart: (here) refers to way of thinking or approaching life or will power
Steadfast: unmoved
PARAPHRASE:
In these lines, the poet stops speaking to the wind, and starts speaking to his readers.
He tells his readers that the wind does not listen to anybody, and that his actions are
governed by him alone. Poet thinks and suggests that as the wind is not listening to
his request, we have to become strong at mind and heart, both physically and
mentally. We must train our body and our hearts to fight against the destructive
power of the wind. The poet wants us to make friends with the wind i.e. the
adversities in our lives. He says that the problems will not listen to us. They
will come, so we should be prepared. In preparation, we should build strong
homes and close the doors of our house firmly so that the wind cannot get into it and
harm or break it. And then he says that we should also make our bodies strong and
hearts firm to face these challenges. And then once we are strong enough all the
challenges will be like friends. We will not feel that they are troublesome. If we are
able to do this, then the poet thinks that we will no longer consider the wind
(challenges or difficulties) an enemy. Instead the wind (challenges or difficulties) will
invite us to become his friend, and we will be able to fearlessly accept his invitation.
27. We can make friends with the Wind God if we are—
(A) True (B) honest (C) strong (D) respectful
28. What does the poet propose to do about homes?
A. The poet proposes that we should make strong homes.
29. What should we do about our body and heart?

A. We should make our body firm and heart steadfast.
30. What should people do to avoid the destruction caused by the strong
winds?
Or
Why should people build strong houses and strong doors?
A. To avoid the destruction caused by the strong wind, it is essential that people
construct solid, sturdy houses with firm strong doors. The buildings should be able to
resist the attack of the violent wind.
31. When will the wind be our friend?

The wind will be our friend when we are strong.
32. What should we do to our hearts and bodies?

We should make our bodies firm and our hearts steadfast.
33. Why does the poet want people to have firm bodies and strong hearts?
A. In life, people have to encounter the winds of hardships, unfavourable
circumstances, and big obstacles. If people are infirm, unhealthy, and weak-willed,
they will be defeated by these difficulties. But, if they are physically strong and
mentally confident, they can resist all the hardships boldly and successfully.
34. What can wind do if it becomes our friend?

A. Wind can teach us positive qualities just like our good friends do. Its strength can
teach us to be tough and determined in di�cult times and its force can teach us to
face obstacles bravely.
35. What should we do to make friend with the wind?

A. The poet suggests that we should build strong houses and �x the doors firmly to
make friends with the wind. Moreover, we should make ourselves mentally and
physically strong enough to face the difficulties in life.
36. How does the poet describe the wind in the poem ‘Wind’?
A. In the poem, the poet describes the destructive and constructive forms of the
wind. The wind destroys and crushes the weak and makes the strong more strong
37. Why should the earthly people build strong houses?

A. They should build strong houses so that they may not be damaged by the wind.
They should be strong enough to endure violent winds and become a challenge to the
potent wind.
38. Why does the poet ask us to make strong houses?

The poet asks us to build strong houses as a defence against the wind.
LINES 19 TO 22
The wind blows out weak fires.

He makes strong fires roar and flourish.
His friendship is good.
We praise him every day.
SIGHT WORDS:
Blows out: destroy or extinguish
Weak fire: not so strong fire or not so strong human beings (one with weak will
power or one who lacks mental and physical strength specially during testing times)
Strong fires: strong fire or so strong human beings (one with strong will power or
one who displays immense mental and physical strength specially during testing
times)
Roar: loud sound
Flourish: to develop or grow
PARAPHRASE:
The poet gives an example of the wind’s bad and good effects. The fire with weak
force can be easily blown out by the wind. However, if the fire is burning strongly, the
wind makes it fiercer i.e. stronger.
The poet has kept the wind on a pedestal (a position of great esteem). He is
comparing the wind to God. He says that wind is God and we praise wind every
day. He adds that everything that is weak gets finished off in the face of the strong
wind. And all the things that are strong flourish and grow to become stronger. He is
giving us a very important message, that we should not feel bad that we are facing so
many challenges and adversities in life. We should make our self physically and
mentally strong to face these challenges. And once we are strong enough, we will
overcome the challenges, we will become friends with them and then we will be
happy that we had these challenges in our life because they help us become stronger
and better.
39. What is the central idea of this poem?

(A) We should make friends with the wind God (B) If we are strong, even gods will
be on our side.
(C) God helps the weak and the needy (D) we should love all creatures of God.
40. What does the wind do to weak fires?

A. The wind blows out weak fires.
41. What does the wind due to strong fires?

A. The wind makes strong fires roar and flourish.
42. What is the effect of the wind on the fire?

A. The wind blows out the weak tires but makes the strong fires very strong.
43. What is the impact of the wind on weak fires and strong fires?
A. Weak fires are powerless and helpless against the force of winds and are easily
extinguished. But the strong fires when fanned by the wind rage more furiously and
burn with a thundering roar.
44. What lesson can we learn from the action of the wind on the tire?
A. If the fire is weak, the wind blows it out. If the �re is strong, the wind adds more
power to it. It makes it roar and flourish. Therefore, we should make ourselves
strong. If we are weak, everybody will harm us. If we are strong, everybody will like
to be friends with us. Even the gods help those who are strong. They pay no attention
to the prayers of the weak
45. What should we do to make friends with the wind?

A. As friendship exists and thrives among equals, we can befriend the wind only by
becoming as strong and forceful as he is. If we are physically and mentally strong, we
can embrace it as a friend without being afraid of its fury.
46. Why does the poet remark that the friendship of wind is good?
A. The poet remarks that the friendship of wind is good because the wind has both
kind and wicked aspects. If we are weak, its destructive force causes havoc. But if we
are strong, we may harness its power and use it for constructive purposes. As a
friend, the wind works for the benefit of mankind.
47. What do the last four lines of the poem mean to you?
A. The last four lines of the poem carry an important message about it- e benefits of
strength. Strong people come out stronger in the face of difficulties and challenges,
just like the strong fires burn brighter when harsh winds blow. Thus even the trying
situations become friendly for strong people.
48. Whom does the poet praise and why?

A. The poet praises the wind. He has accepted the power of wind, which stands for
hardships in our life. If we want to be successful in life, we must have a strong body
and heart. Only strong people can face challenges in life.
49. How does the wind behave with stronger fires?
A. It behaves like a friend with strong ones. It cannot destroy them. So it accepts their
might and stops troubling them. Rather, it increases their strength by contributing its
own.
50. How does the wind behave with weak things and persons?
A. The wind does not like weak things and persons. It does not behave in a friendly
way with them. It destroys the weak things as it does with the crumbling houses,
doors etc.
51. Why and how does the wind blow out weak fires? Who roars and flourish?
A. The god of wind is against any and every shaky and weak thing. Our heart should
be fired with determination and strength. Weak fires and weaklings are blown out.
Only the strong roar and flourish. His friendship is well rewarding. Let us praise the
wind, the symbol of power and strength.
52. What does the poet mean by: “We praise him every day.”?
A. Wind is treated as a god with tremendous power and influence on our lives. We
need to pacify this god in order to keep him pleased so that we can escape his wrath.
VERY IMPORTANT QUESTIONS:
1. What does the poet ask us to do?

The poet wants us to realise the true nature and power of the wind. He advises us to
build strong houses. The doors must be closed firmly. Weak hearts will never
succeed. Let us make our heart and body strong and steadfast. The wind god does not
harm strength and steadfastness but even support them.
2. How does the poet speak to the wind—in anger or with humour? You must
also have seen or heard of the wind “crumbling lives”. What is your response to
this? Is it like the poet’s response?
A. The poet speaks to the wind with humour. I opine that the poet’s behaviour is
pertinent (appropriate) and I have also seen the wind devastating the property
mercilessly. The poet invites the wind to attack him and intends to prepare himself
for the attack.
3. Briefly describe the central idea of the poem.

A. The poem “Wind” motivates us to face challenges of life with grit and
determination. It inspires us to face all the hardships of life with courage.
Representing the turmoil and troubles of life, the strong wind teaches us the value of
unshakeable determination.
The central idea of the poem is that nobody cares for the weak. Even gods help the
strong. Therefore, we should not pray for mercy or help. We should make ourselves
strong. If we are strong, everybody will like to be friends with us.
4. How does the poet use wind as a symbol in relation to human beings? Or
Human life is full of hardships. How does the poet reveal it?
A. In relation to human beings, the wind has been used by the poet as a symbol of
hardships that life is dotted with. Men have to encounter terrible suffering, sorrows,
difficulties, and failures. So powerful are these troubles that only very strong people
are able to overcome them and move ahead. Weak, infirm and indecisive people
surrender in front of hardships and accept defeat. But, strong people with patience,
unwavering minds and firm will fight against the hardships and emerge even
stronger. Human lives can never be devoid of struggle. One only needs physical and
mental strength to overcome the unfavourable circumstances. The winds of troubles
cannot harm those who have the power to stand firm. Strong people can turn their
difficulties into opportunities and learn lessons from them. They know how to turn
tides in their favour.
5. The wind is a symbol of power and strength. How can we befriend it and
survive in our struggle for existence?
A. The wind symbolises the uncontrollable and raw power of nature. The wind god
symbolises strength and steadfastness. Weaklings who are weak in the mind and
body are swept away by the mighty power of the wind. Only those who are blessed
with steadfast minds and hearts survive in the bitter struggle of life. The poet gives a
broader message. Whatever we do or think must stand on the foundations of
strength and power. Only strong minds and bodies can face the anger of the wind and
challenges of life. We can befriend the god of wind by building strong homes and
doors. We can also win his favour by firming the body and making the heart
steadfast.
6. What moral lesson do you get from the poem ‘Wind’?
A. The poem Wind’ is full of moral lessons. The poet has poured out his heart in the
present poem. He says that people must be strong at heart because only the weak at
heart are troubled by difficulties. Here, wind symbolises difficulties which have the
power to devastate life on the earth. But if the people are strong at heart, they face
the challenges thrown out by difficulties. They struggle and at last, come out with
flying colours.
CLASS – IX (2020 – 2021)
(BEEHIVE)
THINKING ABOUT THE POEM (PAGE 31)
I. 1. What are the things the wind does in the first stanza?
A. In the first stanza, the wind breaks the shutters of the windows, scatters the
papers, throws down the books from the shelf, tears the pages of the books and
brings showers of rain.
2. Have you seen anybody winnow grain at home or in a paddy field? What is
the word in your language for winnowing? What do people use for winnowing?
(Give the words in your language, if you know them.)
A. Yes, I have seen many women winnowing grain in villages. Pachhoranais is the
word used in my language for winnowing. People use chaaj or winnowing fan for
winnowing purpose.
3. What does the poet say the wind god winnows?

A. The poet says that the wind god winnows the weak crumbling houses, doors,
rafters, wood, bodies, lives and hearts, and then crushes them all.
4. What should we do to make friends with the wind?

A. To make friends with the wind we need to build strong homes with firm doors. We
should also make ourselves physically and mentally strong by building strong, firm
bodies and having steadfast hearts.
5. What do the last four lines of the poem mean to you?

A. In the last four lines, the poet inspires us to face the wind, which symbolises the
hardships of our lives, courageously. He tells us that the wind can only extinguish the
weak fires; it intensifies the stronger ones. Similarly, adversities deter the weak
hearted but strengthen those who have unfaltering will. In such a case, befriending
the wind or the hardships of life makes it easier for us to face them.
6. How does the poet speak to the wind — in anger or with humour? You must
also have seen or heard of the wind “crumbling lives”. What is your response to
this? Is it like the poet’s?
A. The poet speaks to the wind with anger. Yes, strong winds are known to cause
plenty of damage and destruction to both life and property. Storms, cyclones, gales
and strong winds cause havoc on land. They uproot trees, bring down houses, tear
down electric posts and claim lives. They also cause damage to boats and frighten the
poor sailors and fishermen out at sea.
Yet, I do not agree with the poet that the wind only 'crumbles lives'. The wind is
responsible for bringing rain; it cools the land and makes the climate pleasant.
Today, wind energy is harnessed for several useful purposes including turning
windmills, wind turbines and generating electricity.
II. The poem you have just read is originally in the Tamil. Do you know any
such poems in your language?
A. Yes, I have read another poem on wind. It is titled 'Toofan' and was originally
written in Hindi by Naresh Aggarwal.
CLASS – IX (2020 – 2021)
ASSIGNMENT - 8
(BEEHIVE)

BELOW HYPERLINKS.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nml3FKuIRjc
https://www.successcds.net/learn-english/class-9/wind-poem-class-9-cbse-
english.html
Read the following stanza and answer the questions with reference to the text:
1. Wind, come softly.

Don’t break the shutters of the windows.
Don’t scatter the papers.
Don’t throw down the books on the shelf
(a) Who is the poet of the poem?

(b) What does the poet want the wind to do?
(c) What does the poet want the wind not to do?
(d) What was the reason that the poet asked wind to come softly?
2. There, look what you did — you threw them all down.
You tore the pages of the books.
You brought rain again.
You’re very clever at poking fun at weaklings
(a) What is the figure of speech used in the stanza?

(b) Why is the poet unhappy with Wind?
(c) What did the wind bring again?
(d) Why did the poet say that wind was clever?
B. SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS
3. What do you find amusing in the poem?
4. What are the things that the poet wants the wind to do and what not to do?
5. Why is the poet annoyed with the wind?
6. What complaint does the poet make to the wind?
7. What did the wind do to the weaklings?
8. What does the poet suggest doing so that wind becomes a friend?
C. LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS:
9. Imagine you can talk to the wind. What will be your topic of conversation, its
replies and what will be your suggestions to him?
10. Wind is a friend and a foe at the same time. With whom is the wind a friend and
with whom it is a foe?

WITH THE TEXTBOOK QUESTIONS, PREFACE OF THE POEM, PARAPHRASE AND
QUESTION BANK)

3. NAME OF THE POME AND POET
4. PREFACE, PARAPHRASE AND QUESTION BANK (COMPLETE PDF)
5. THINKING ABOUT THE POEM
6. ASSIGNMENT – 8

9 English Periodic Assessment 1

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

9 English Periodic Assessment 1

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

MANAVA BHAWNA PUBLIC SCHOOL

ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE (184)

PERIODIC ASSESSMENT 1 (SYLLABUS COVERED)

 FACTUAL AND DISCURSIVE PASSAGE

2. (SECTION –B – WRITING AND GRAMMAR)

(A) INFORMAL LETTER

(B) DESCRIPTIVE PARAGRAPH (PERSON/PLACE/EVENT)

(C) DIATY ENTRY

(D) CLOZE PARAGRAPH/GAP FILING / EDITING

3. (SECTION – C - LITERATURE TEXTBOOK AND SUPPLEMENTARY READING

(BOOK – 1) (BEEHIVE) (LITERATURE TEXTBOOK)

 UNIT 1- B - (POETRY) (THE ROAD NOT TAKEN) (BY – ROBERT FROST)

 UNIT 2- B- (POETRY) (WIND) (BY – SUBRAMANIA BHARATI)

(BOOK – 2) (MOMENTS) (SUPPLEMENTRY READER)

 UNIT 1 – THE LOST CHILD (BY – MULK RAJ ANAND)

 UNIT 2 – THE ADVENTURES OF TOTO (BY – RUSKIN BOND)

 UNIT 3 – ISWARAN THE STORYTELLER (BY – R. K. LAXMAN)

 UNIT 4 – IN THE KINGDOM OF FOOLS

Surgical Instruments Designed Due to Necessity

(b) What has Dr Burjor P Banaji created?

(d) The term hamstrung refers to ……………………………

NOTE: REFER BRAVIA CLASS 8- 9 WRITING SECTION AND PROVIDED BELOW

You are studying English at a private language school attended by many

 Explain the reason for the party

Begin your letter as follows: Dear ________

Q2. Requesting Help

 Explain why the occasion is special

Begin your letter as follows: Dear Joan,

(HOMETASK: COMPLETE THE GIVEN ASSIGNMENT IN THE NOTEBOOK)

(UNIT – 1 – THE LOST CHILD)(BY – MULK RAJ ANAND)

(NCERT TEXTBOOK SOLUTIONS)

THINK ABOUT IT (PAGE 6)

1. How to ensure not to get lost.

(SECTION – C - LITERATURE TEXTBOOK AND SUPPLEMENTARY READING TEXT)

Read the following passages and answer the questions.

a. What does ‘he’ well know?

a. Who is ‘the man’ being referred here?

Answer the following questions in brief:

5. Describe the moment when the child realizes that he is lost.

7. Why was the child lagging behind in the crowd?

(HOMETASK: COMPLETE THE GIVEN ASSIGNMENT IN THE NOTEBOOK ALONG

NOTE: GUIDELINES FOR NOTEBOOK MAINTENANCE:

1. DATE ON EXTREME LEFT (FORMAT E.G.: 20 APRIL, 2020)

(NCERT TEXTBOOK SOLUTIONS)

1. How does Toto come to grandfather’s private zoo?

2. “Toto was a pretty monkey.” In what sense is Toto pretty?

TALK ABOUT IT (PAGE 11)

(SECTION – C - LITERATURE TEXTBOOK AND SUPPLEMENTARY READING

A. EXTRACT BASED QUESTIONS

a. Who is ‘he’ in this line?

Answer the following questions in brief:

3. How does Toto’s tail serve as his third hand?

4. Who is Nana? Why Toto and Nana never become friends?

5. How does Toto nearly succeed in boiling himself alive?

7. How did the ticket-collector come to know about Toto’s presence?

8. What did Toto do in the writer’s room?

C. LONG ANSWET TYPE QUESTIONS

Answer the following long answer type questions:

10. Explain the situations Grandfather faced after buying Toto?

NOTE: GUIDELINES FOR NOTEBOOK MAINTENANCE:

1. DATE ON EXTREME LEFT (FORMAT E.G.: 20 APRIL, 2020)

UNIT 3 – ISWARAN THE STORYTELLER (BY – R. K. LAXMAN)