GEMS UNITED INDIAN SCHOOL-ABUDHABI

SUBJECT: ENGLISH
GRADE: 9
ANSWER KEY - LITERATURE
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NO MEN ARE FOREIGN

Thinking about the poem

Question 1.
In stanza 1, find five ways in which we all are alike. Pick out the words.
Answer:
In the first stanza the poet says that there is no difference between the body of a citizen of one
country and the citizen of another country. We have same kind of body; we wear same kind of
clothes. We walk on the same planet, and the end of each individual is the same.

Question 2.
How many common features can you find in stanza 2? Pick out the words.
Answer:
The following common features are given in the stanzas:

1. sun
2. air
3. water,
4. Peaceful harvests required for human survival
5. same hands

Question 3.
“… whenever we are told to hate our brothers….” When do you think this happens? Why? Who
‘tells’ us? Should we do as we are told at such times What does the poet say?
Answer:
Sometimes some selfish people instigate the innocent to harm others. They do it for their own
benefit. The common or ordinary man does not understand their tricks and starts hating his
fellow human beings. They tell them to cause riots. The poet says that one should not follow
anybody’s advice without brooding over it. The poet repeatedly says that there is no difference
in them and the foreigners. The people of the entire world are the same.
Short answer type questions

Question 1.
What message does the poet want to convey?
Answer:
The poet wants to say that there should be no discrimination between people on the basis of
their appearance, religion or region. It is inhuman to tease one because of one’s different
background. The poet wants that the people should discourage this malpractice and love their
fellow human beings from the bottom of their heart.

Question 2.
How does the poet prove that there are no foreign countries?
Answer:
The poet proves it with the help of nature. Everyone shares the same sun, earth and air. They
have the same body structure and its functioning elements. So there should be no biased
attitude towards anyone.

Question 3.
How do all men living on the earth share the same fate?
Answer:
All men living on this earth live and die the same way. They share the same fate. Beneath
different kinds of colourful dresses and faces, all have the heart of man. While they live, they
walk on the same earth. After their death, they will be buried under the same earth. The
apparent differences of lands and race are only superficial and not real.

Question 4.
Nature doesn’t differentiate between men of different lands and races. Do you agree with the
given statement?
Answer:
Nature never differentiate between men and men. It transcends the differences based on
geography, race or religion. The sun gives its heat and energy to all. Similarly, all of them need
air and water to survive. Dining peace they prosper and have plenty of food to eat. However,
long wars starve them. They labour hard to survive with the same kinds of limbs and hands.
Long answer type questions

Question 1.
‘The land our brothers walk upon. Is earth like this, in which we all shall lie!’ What does the
poet mean to say above lines? Explain.
Answer:
The poet means to say in these lines that it is the same land on which we walk and after our
death would be buried in the same earth. Through these lines the poet tell us that we do all our
activities on the same land. We get food from this land. We make our houses on this land and
we get many other things from the same land, then why do we say to some people to be
‘others’. No one is other. We live in the same house or universe as a family. Then why do we
create discrimination against some people. Why do we fight with our brothers? It is all because
of our greed to get more wealth and power. We want to have more wealth and power than
others. In pursuit to fulfil this desire, we fight with others and hurt them.

The poet also tells us that one day all of us have to die. Nothing would remain ours. We will
have to leave all things on the same earth. At last, we all will be buried in the same earth.

Question 2.
How does the poem ‘No Men are Foreign’ gives the message of unity and commonality of all
mankind? Give a reasoned answer.
Answer:
James Kirkup gives a definite message of hope to mankind. Inspite of apparent divisions and
differences, all are united together by the common bond of humanity and mankind. Vested
interests gain by dividing lands and people. They conspire to create hatred and divisions among
people. We should frustrate their evil designs. We should understand and try to recognise that
the same soul runs through all the people. Let us work for the unity and prosperity of all lands
and all people.

Let us not pollute and defile the earth which is ours. Hatred and narrow ideas pollute the minds
of the people. Conflicts and wars bring destruction and violence. We should remember that
raising our arms against anyone means fighting against ourselves. The poet reminds us to
remember, recognise and strengthen the common bond that unites mankind and humanity.

Question 3.
All great persons tell us to live cordially as brothers. But we people tend to fight over trivial
issues. Why don’t we live with others people harmoniously? What makes us fight and hurt
other?
Answer:
It is true that many people have been telling us to live harmoniously since long. We never
follow their message. We also know it that our greed to get more wealth and power cannot
give us peaceful life. But some deep-rooted evils in our society make us draw a distinction
between people. We know that all customs and conventions have been made by people. God
has made all people equal. But we make differences between people for our selfish motives.
We start to hate even our family members due to our ego to be more powerful. By doing so, we
at last harm ourselves. We became the objects of hatredness for society. In society, people
dislike selfish people.

So before going to hurt other’s feeling, first of all we should think whether doing such act with
others are justified by other people or society. We should learn to live with others as brothers.
We should learn to tolerate, forgive and compromise. Only in this way, our life would be happy
and peaceful.

TRULY BEAUTIFUL MIND

Thinking about the text
Question 1.
Explain what the reasons for the following are:

1. Einstein leaving the school in Munich for good.

2. Einstein wanting to study in Switzerland rather than in Munich.
3. Einstein seeing in Mileva an ally.
4. What do these tell you about Einstein?

Answers:

1. Einstein left the school in Munich because he did not like the discipline of the
school. He hated the school’s regimentation and often clashed with teachers.
2. Albert’s parents moved to Milan and left their son with relatives. After prolonged
discussion, Einstein got his wish to continue his education in German – speaking
Switzerland. Actually, it was more liberal than Munich.
3. Einstein saw in Mileva Marie an ally against the “Philistines”—those people in his
family and at the university with whom he was constantly at odds. He found that
she was a “clever creature”.
4. These tell that Einstein was a genius and had the capabilities to achieve his
targets. Moreover, he had his own view of life. He liked freedom too much.

Question 2.
Why does the world remember Einstein as a ‘world citizen’?
Answer:
The world remembers Einstein as a ‘world citizen’ because he believed in universal peace.
When there was the rat race for becoming atomic power, he was worried about the aftermaths
of the bomb. He was really a world citizen who was concerned with humanity.
Extract Based Questions (3 marks each)

Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:

Question 1:
A headmaster once told his father thatwhat Einstein chose as a profession would not matter,
because
“he will never make a success at anything”. Einstein began learning to play the violin at the age
of six, because his mother wanted him to. He later became a gifted amateur violinist,
maintaining this skill throughout his life.

1. What was the headmaster’s opinion about Einstein ?

2. Why did Einstein learn to play violin ?
3. Find a word from the passage that means “having great natural ability”.

Answer:

1. The headmaster’s opinion about Einstein was that he would never be successful in
his life.
2. Einstein learnt to play the violin to fulfil the desire of his mother.
3. Gifted.

Question 2:
Einstein was deeply shaken by the extent of the destruction. This time he wrote a public missive
to the United Nations. In it he proposed the formation of a world government. Unlike the letter
to Roosevelt, this one made no impact.

1. What did Einstein write and to whom ?

2. Why did he write a letter to Roosevelt earlier ?
3. Find the word from the extract that means – “a long and official letter”.

Answer:

1. Einstein wrote a public missive to the United Nations proposing the formation of a
world government.
2. He wrote a letter to Roosevelt earlier in which he warned him by saying, “a single
bomb of
this type might very well destroy the whole part with some of the surrounding
territory”, i.e., a letter warning him for a bomb blast.
3. Missive.
Short Answer Type Questions (2 marks each)
(About 30-40 words each)

Question 1:
Why did the people call Einstein a world citizen?
Answer:
People called Einstein a world citizen because he campaigned for peace and democracy and
was agitated against arms and bombs especially after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Question 2:
Why did Einstein hate school?
Answer:
He hated school regimentation because of its extreme sense of discipline. He felt tired and
suffocated with this atmosphere. He often clashed with his teacher.

Question 3:
Why does the world remember Einstein as a world citizen?
Answer:
The world remembers Einstein as a world citizen as he was deeply hurt by the mass destruction
in Japan and campaigned for peace and democracy – worked for humanity.

Question 4:
Why did Einstein’s play mates call him “Brother Boring”?
Answer:
Einstein could not mix up with other children. He did not find their games interesting. He often
uttered every word twice. He was often teased for his abnormally huge head. And so his friends
nicknamed him “Brother Boring.”

Long Answer Type Questions (4 marks each)

(About 80-100 words each)

Question 1:
Write down the achievements of Albert Einstein.
Answer:
Albert Einstein was really a scientific genius. He felt at home in Mathematics but he showed
keen interest in physics. After graduating from the university in Zurich he started working
vigorously. With his university education he was working on relativity. After his graduation, he
remained jobless. So, he gave private lessons. In 1902, he secured a job as a technical expert in
the patent office in Bera. But he went on developing his own ideas. The world showered on him
honors invitations. He was honored with Noble prize in 1921.
Question 2:
Einstein was an unusual child with no indication of his potential greatness. Comment.
Answer:
Einstein’s head was larger than the usual head. He was called “Brother Boring” because he
never mixed up with his classmates. He left school because he was not happy with the strict
regimentation. He loved mechanical toys and thought his sister to be a toy. The head master
thought him to be stupid and good for nothing and that he would never succeed in life. He also
told Einstein’s father that whatever profession he chose would not matter, because “he will
never make a success at anything”. This proves that Einstein was an unusual child with no
indication of his potential greatness.

IN THE KINGDOM OF FOOLS

Thinking about the text

Question 1.
What are the two strange things the guru and his disciple find in the Kingdom of Fools?
Answer:
The Guru and the disciple found that in the Kingdom of Fools people used to work during nights
and sleep during days. Everything was cheap and cost the same.

Question 2.
Why does the disciple decide to stay in the Kingdom of Fools? Is it a good idea?
Answer:
Everything was cheap in the Kingdom of Fools. The disciple had peculiarity of diet. He was
tempted by the cheap food. So, he decided to stay in that kingdom. It was not a good idea to
stay there for a long time as one could be in danger any time because of the unpredictable
behaviour of fools.

Short Answer Questions (2 marks each)

(About 30-40 words each)

Question 1:
Why were the people of the kingdom confused when they saw the dead bodies of the king and
his minister?
Answer:
The people of the kingdom were confused as to how their king and the minister were dead
instead of the Guru and the disciple* The people were not able to see through the plan which
was executed by the Guru against their king and minister.
Question 2:
When does the disciple remember the words of his Guru?
Answer:
The disciple did not pay any heed to the advice of his Guru, when the Guru asked him to leave
the kingdom of fools. When the king decided that the disciple was the suitable person for
execution, he remembered the words of the Guru.

Question 3:
How was the kingdom of fools different from any other place?
Answer:
Everything was different at the kingdom of fools. The night was considered as day and day as
night. Not only the human beings even the animals stayed awake at night. Anything and
everything could be bought for a Dudu.

Long Answer Type Questions (4 marks each)

(About 80-100 words)

Question 1:
Disciple in the story didn’t look into the depth of the matter and took a hasty decision of not
leaving the kingdom of fools. What light does the story throw on the importnce of good
decision making one’s life?
Answer:
Disciple in the story didn’t look into the depth of the matter and took a hasty decision of not
leaving the kingdom of fools. Disciple was waylaid by the prices of the commodities. Anything
could be • bought with a ‘Dudu’. Either it could be a mass of rice or a bunch of bananas. So, the
disciple decided to stay back not listening to his Guru who advised his disciple that it was
dangerous to stay back in the kingdom of fools as there was no justice, prevalent in such
kingdom. It was when the disciple was chosen as the suitable person for execution that he
realized his mistake. He regretted his decision of staying back. Just one small decision costed his
life.

Question 2:
Do you believe in the fact that our prayers are often heard and answered? There are miracles
which change the course of life. Which miracle took place in the story. ‘In the Kingdom of
Fools? What lesson do you learn from the Guru’s word of wisdom?
Answer:
It is often believed that our prayers are often heard and answered which was proved in the
story. ‘In the Kingdom of Fools’. The king had ordered to execute the disciple. He prayed to
Guru to save him. It was a miracle that his Guru heard his prayer and came to rescue him. He
whispered something in his ears and then asked the king to execute him first and then the
disciple. The king released them both on knowing that whoever died first would be the king in
his next birth. It was his Guru’s advice and presence of mind that saved the disciple. The disciple
realized his mistake for Guru’s not listening to the Guru’s words of wisdom.