CH.

CHHABIL DASS PUBLIC SCHOOL

WORKSHEETS
CLASS IX
SESSION 2018-19
CH. CHHABIL DASS PUBLIC SCHOOL

ENGLISH
WORKSHEET
SESSION 2018-19
 ENGLISH WORKSHEET
CHAPTER – THE FUN THEY HAD
Key Points
1. Technology can bring about a great change in the field of education.
2. The way of teaching and learning in the present age is better .
3. The present day learning is interactive and provides emotional support while
learning .
4. The futuristic learning is about computers and lacks emotional support.

Que- Read the given extract and answer the following :

a. ' I wouldn't throw it away.'

1. Who is 'I' in the above line?

2. What does 'it' stand for?
3. Name the chapter and it's writer.
4. Why does 'I' say so?

b. Margie said so with a sigh . She was thinking about the old school......
1. What did Margie say ?
2. What did she' do?
3. What did she regret ?
4. What did she want to have?

Short answer type questions:

1. Where did Tommy find the book and why did he think it to be a waste?
2. Why was Margie not able to perform well in her tests ?
3. Did Margie have regular days and hours for school? Why ?
4. What does Margie think about the old kind of schools?
5. What had once happened to Tommy's teacher?
6. What was Tommy's view about the old kind of school ?

Answer in detail :
1 What are the main features of the two types of schools and which one do you think is
better?
2. What lesson do you get from the story ?
3. How do you think technology can help in improving the education system of our
country?
4. What is the message conveyed by the writer through this chapter?
5. Give a character-sketch of Margie and Tommy.
THE SOUND OF MUSIC – 1
(ISSAC ASIMOV)
Key points

 Evelyn Glennie was eight when her hearing disability was noticed first time by
her mother.
 She wanted to make her career in music/.
 Ron Forbs, the percussionist identified her potential and supported her in
achieving her goal.
 With hard work and strong determination she achieved success and became a
source of inspiration to all.
Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow:

1. But Evelyn was not going to give up. She was determined to lead a normal life .
(a) “Evelyn was not going to give up’. What was Evelyn not going to give up?
(b) Why did Ron Forbes encourage her?
(c) Find out the word from the extract which means ‘assured’

2. Evelyn confesses that she is something of a workaholic.

(a) Name the chapter and its writer.
(b) Why is she called workaholic?
(c) Find a word from the passage which means ‘a person who works without break’.
SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS
1. Was Evelyn a girl with strong determination? Why/Why not?
2. Why did everything look black to Evelyn?
3. ‘Evelyn is a source of great pleasure to her audience’. How?
4. What did master percussionist James Blades say about Evelyn?
5. Write down Evelyn’s message for the people.
6. How did Evelyn’s deafness come to light?
7. Who helped Evelyn to continue with music ? How ?
LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS:
1. ‘Evelyn is a shining inspiration for deaf children’. Justify
Or
Evelyn is a beacon of light for the differently abled. Support the statement giving
suitable examples from the text.
2. Write the character sketch of Evelyn Glennie.
 3. What was Evelyn’s main achievement ?
THE SOUND OF MUSIC – 2
(ISSAC ASIMOV)
Key points
 Emperor Auranzeb had banned the playing of pungi in royal residence.
 A barber reformed the tonal quality of pungi, as it was first played in the shahi
chambers by a nai so it was named shehnai.
 Bismillah learnt it from his maternal uncle
 With his sincere dedication and efforts he took it to the world.

Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow:
1. The sound of the shehnai began to be considered auspicious .And for this
reason it is still played in temples.
(a) Why is it (Shehnai) still played in temples?
(b) Who brought this instrument into classical stage?
(c) Trace a word from the above lines which means ‘sacred’
2. A student of his once wanted him to head a shehnai school in the USA, and the
student promised to recreate the atmosphere of Benaras by replicating the
temples there.
(a) What did a student of his request?
(b) Under what condition he was ready to go to USA?
(c) Find word from the passage which means ‘building the duplicate image’

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

1. Which award did Bismillah Khan received in 2001 and what did he say on
receiving the award?
2. Why did Bismillah Khan not delve into world of cinema?
3. Explain how King Zahir Shah showed his happiness at the performance of
Bismillah Khan?
4. How did Bismillah Khan take to music ?
5. Where did the young Bismillah Khan practice the musical instrument ?
LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS
1. Describe the life and character of Ustad Bismillah Khan.
2. Describe Ustad Bismillah Khan’s contribution to music.
3. what important lesson does the life of Bismillah Khan teach us?
 4. For what quality should Bismillah Khan be remembered ?
POEM – WIND
Key Points
1. A strong will power helps in overcoming all the challenges in life.
2. With the help of a 'never give up' attitude, one can achieve all his goals.
3. Overcoming problems brings out the best qualities and our hidden potential.

Que- Read the given extracts and answer the following :

a.' He won't do what you tell him.
So come, let's build strong homes.'
a. Who is 'He' in the above line?
b. How can we face 'him' ?
c. Name the poem and its poet?
b. You are very clever at poking fun at weaklings
Frail crumbling houses, crumbling doors .
i) Who according to the poet is very clever?
ii) What does 'he' do?
iii) What does 'weakling' stand for ?

Short answer type questions:

1. What does 'Wind God' do?
2. Who all are disturbed by the 'Wind God' ?
3. Why should people on earth build strong houses ?
4. What does 'wind' symbolize ?
5. Does 'Wind God' do whatever we want him to do ?

Long answer type questions :

1 How does the poet use the allegory of the wind and the fire to bring out the theme of
the poem ?
2. What lesson do you get from the poem ?
3. How do obstacles help in the growth of a person?
4. What should be our attitude towards the problems in our life?
5. Give the character-sketch of the wind.
6. What does the poet want to convey through this poem?
THE LITTLE GIRL
Value Points
 This is story of a girl Kezia , who was afraid of her father.
 One day Kezia’sgrand mothertold about her father’s birthday.
 Kezia decided to present him a pin-cushion.
 She stuffed the cushion with papers from her father’s room.
 The papers were important .
 Father whipped her with a ruler .
 One day her mother got ill and Kezia was alone at home.
 She got a horrible nightmare and started screaming.
 Her father came and took her to his bed.
 She realized that her father loved her.

REFERENCE TO CONTEXT QUESTIONS

Q. Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow:
1. To the little girl he was a figure to be feared and avoided . Every morning before
going to work he came into her room and gave her a casual kiss, to which she
responded with ”Good bye, Father “,And oh , there was a glad sense of relief when she
heard the noise of the carriage growing fainter and fainter down the long road!
(a) What kind of a person was Kezia’s father?
(b) How did she feel when her father left for office?
(c ) What is your impression when little Kezia responds with’ Goodbye , Father’?
(d) What does her father’s routine imply?
Short Answer Questions
1.Why was Kezia afraid of her father?
2.What was the morning routine of Kezia and her father?
3.What was the nightmare that Kezia had?
4. Why was Kezia scared when her mother and grand mother were not at home?
5.Who was Mr. MacDonald? How was he different from Kezia’s father?
Long Answer Questions
1. Why was Kezia punished by her father? Do you think Kezia deserved this? What
should father have done instead?
2. Why did Kezia like Mr. MacDonald and hate her father?
3. How did Kezia’s attitude towards her father change? What brought them closer?
 4. Suppose you are Kezia , Write a page of your diary expressing your feelings after
the pubishment.

RAIN ON THE ROOF

Value Points
 The poet is lying in his bed .
 He hears the sound of the clouds.
 It starts raining.
 The rain on the roof creates beautiful sound.
 He remembers a number of things.
 Some memories are sweet and some are sad.
 The sound appears to be a bliss to the poet.

Que- Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow
When the humid shadows hover
Over all the starry spheres
And the melancholy darkness
Gently weeps in rainy tears
What a bliss to press the pillow
Of a cottage – chamber bed
And lie listening to the patter
Of the soft rain overhead!
(a) What does ‘humid shadows’ stand for?
(b) Which line shows that the poet is happy when it rains?
(c) What does the poet like to do when it rains?
(d) Which poetic device is used in” The melancholy darkness gently weeps in rainy
tears”?

Short Answer Questions

1. What is ‘a bliss ‘for the poet in the poem Rain on the roof ?
2. What does the poet dream of?
3. “ When the humid shadows hover over all the starry spheres.” What does the
‘shadows’ stand for? What does the poet want to convey?
4. And the melancholy darkness gently weeps in rainy tears.’ What does the
melancholy darkness mean and what does it do?
5. How does the poet describe the falling rain in the poem’ Rain on the roof’?

Long Answer Questions

1.How is the rain a bliss for the poet?
2. Describe the various sights and sounds of the falling rain and recollections it brings
to the poet.

THE LAKE ISLE OF INNISFREE

VALUE POINTS
1. The poet dreams of escaping the busy streets of London.
2. He remembers Innisfree as a perfect little island that would supply all his needs.
3. The poem explores his longing for the peace and tranquility of Innisfree where he
spent a lot of time as a boy.
4. The poet describes Innisfree as a simple, natural environment where he will build
a cabin and live alone.
5. He dreams of living on beans and honey which he will cultivate himself.
6. He imagines finding harmony on the island.
7. He is obsessed with the sound of lake water.
8. He wishes to escape to a beautiful place with wonderful light and colour.

Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow:
1. I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made:
Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honeybee,
And live alone in the bee-loud glade.
a) Where does the poet want to go?
b) What does he wish to do there?
c) What kind of place is Innisfree you think about?
d) What does the last line in the extract imply?

2. And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow
Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings;
There midnight’s all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow.
And evenings full of the linnet’s wings.
a) How does peace come in the morning?
b) Why is midnight a glimmer, and noon a purple glow?
c) What do you infer from ” evenings full of the linnet’s wings”?
d) “ And I shall have some peace there….” what do you understand by these
words?

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS:

a) Write three things that the poet would like to do when he goes back to Innisfree.
 b) Where shall the poet go and why?
c) How shall the poet live on the Island of Innisfree?
d) How is the ‘roadway in London’ different from the Lake Isle of Innisfree?
Chapter –The Snake and the Mirror.
Value Points
 It is a frightening tale told in a humorous way.
 It is about a doctor’s encounter with a snake in his room.
 He likes to appreciate his own looks by looking into the mirror.
 Suddenly, a snake landed on his shoulder turning the doctor into a stone.
 He became nervous on realizing that there was no medicine with him in case the
snake bites him.
 Suddenly the snake turned its hood and looked into the mirror.
 The snake unwound itself from his arm and looked into the mirror.
 The doctor got the chance to run away.
 He decided to vacate the room.
 The next day when he returned he found that some thief had already taken away
everything.

Reference –to-the context Questions

Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow:
Q1.With such thoughts in my mind, I resumed my seat in the chair in front of the table.
There were no more sounds from above. Suddenly there came a dull thud as if a rubber
tube had fallen on the ground…surely nothing to worry about. Even so I thought I
would turn around and take a look..No sooner had I turned than a snake wriggled over
the back of the chair and landed on my shoulder. The snake’s landing on me and my
turning were simultaneous.
a) What was the doctor thinking?
b) What did the doctor find on his shoulder?
c) ‘…. Surely nothing to worry about.’ What was the cause of ‘Nothing to worry
about’?
Short Answer Questions
Q1.The sound was a familiar one. What sound did the doctor hear? What did he think it
was?
Q2. What two important and earth-shaking decisions did the doctor take while he was
looking into the mirror?
Q3. Why did the doctor feel that he was quite near death?
Q4. What did the doctor think of doing if the snake bit him?

Long Answer Questions

Q1. What was the final insult? Why did the doctor feel insulted? What should have
been done to avoid the insult?
Q2. Describe the reactions of the doctor when he confronted the snake. Patience and
presence of mind are revealed from his behavior. Discuss
Q3.Did the doctor find his encounter with the snake humorous or frightening or both?
What aspects of human nature are revealed here?

Poem- The legend of the Northland

Value Points
 The poem is a legend of an old lady who angered Saint Peter of her greed.
 There lived an old lady in Northland.
 One day Saint Peter reached her door.
 St. Peter was fainting with hunger.
 He asked the lady to give him a piece of cake.
 She did not give him that piece as it appeared to her very big
 Again she took an extremely little scrap of dough, but still she could not part with
it.
 This made St. Peter angry who cursed her and turned her into a woodpecker.
Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.
Ext: They tell them a curious story
I don’t believe it is true;
And yet you may a learn a lesson
If I tell the tale to you.
(a) What is the curious story?
(b) What lesson does it give?
(c) Why did the poet not believe the story?
Ext: Once, when the good Saint Peter
Lived in the world below,
And walked about it, preaching,
Just us he did, you know,
(a)Which line shows that St. Peter is not alive today?
(b) What did St. Peter do?
(c ) What was the essential part of Saint Peter’s preaching?
(d ) What was the essence of St. Peter’s preaching?
Short Answer Questions
Q1.’He asked her, from her store of cakes.’ Who is ‘he’ and what did he ask for? Who
is ‘her’ here?
Q2. “It seemed too large to give away.” What does ‘it’ stands for? What does the above
expression show about the woman?
Q3. ‘You are too selfish to dwell in a human form.’ Who said this and to whom? Why
did he say so?
Q4. ‘And the children look like bear’s cubs.’ What have the children been compared to?
Why?
Q5. ‘I don’t believe ‘tis true; and yet you may learn a lesson.’ What does the poet
believe? Why does he want to tell the tale?
Long Answer Questions
Q1. Do you think that the old lady would have been so ungenerous if she had known
who Saint Peter really was? What would she have done then?
Q2. Is this a true story? Which part of this poem do you feel is the most important?

CHAPTER – MY CHILDHOOD
– APJ ABDUL KALAM
KEY POINTS –
1.Just like Kalam, we must appreciate our circumstances and look for opportunities,
2.One must look for goodness in others' actions and behaviour .
3. Make an effort to show gratitude towards all the people who are a part of our life.
Read the given extract and answer the following :
a.' I was asked to go and sit on the back bench of the class.'
a. Who is 'I' in the above line?
b. Who asked him to go and sit on the back bench of the class and why ?
c. Name the chapter and it's writer.
d. What was the affect of this order ?
b. 'Your children are not your children.'
i) Who said the above line and to whom ?
ii) Why did he say it ?
iii) What quality do you get to know about the speaker ?
iv) What did he compare his children to ?

Short answer type questions:

1. Who was Kalam's science teacher and how was he different from others ?
2. Who was Lakshmana Shastry and why was he angry ?
3. What did Kalam's science teacher ask him to do and why ?
4. What was SivasubramaniaIyer's wife's attitude towards Kalam when he was invited
to have dinner with him? How did Iyer's react to his wife's attitude?
5. What did Gandhiji declare ?How did his declaration affect Kalam?
Long Answer type questions :
1. Describe APJ Abdul Kalam's childhood.
2. Give a character-sketch of the following people–
a. Kalam's father, Jainulabdeen.
b. His mother, Ashiamma.
c. Lakshmana Shastry.
d. SivasubramaniaIyer.

POEM – NO MEN ARE FOREIGN

James Kirkup
Key Points
1. The world is one place and we must follow the concept of universal brotherhood.
2. We all must develop a spirit of global citizenship.
3. No matter what, we all are alike and despite our racial and cultural differences,
we have the same rights to lead a happy and fulfilling lives.

Que- Read the given extract and answer the following:

a.' Remember, no men are strange, no countries foreign
Beneath all uniforms, a single body breathes.'
1. What does the poet want to communicate in the first line?
2. Explain the second line.
3. Name the poem and its poet.
b. ' It is the human earth that we defile.'
1. Why does the poet say that 'we defile' the human earth?
2. How do we defile the earth?
3. What according to the poet is the correct way to live on this earth?

Short answer type questions:

1. How does the poet prove that no land is foreign?
2. How are we responsible for war?
3. What does the poet warn us?
4. Hating our brothers means hating ourselves and fighting with ourselves?
5. With reference to the poem, discuss how we all are alike .

Answer in detail :
1. Beneath the apparent differences, all men are alike. Comment.
2. What is the message that the poet wants to give to all of us?
3. With reference to the poem, explain how we all can live cordially?
4. What is the message that the poet wants to convey through this poem?
PACKING
(JEROME K. JEROME)
Key point
 Jerome is narrating the incident of packing.
 Three friends George, Harris and Jerome decided to take up a journey.
 The narrator had to open the beg time and again to pack the things that he forgot
to pack.
 They made a mess while packing the things, after packing they went to bed
around 12:50.
Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow:
1. I opened the bag and packed the boots in; and then, just as a was going to close it,
a horrible idea occurred to me. Had I packed my tooth-brush?
(a) What work was done by the speaker?
(b) Which horrible idea came in his mind?
(c) Write the antonym of ‘Close’.

2. Montmorency was in it all of course. Montmorency’s ambition in life is to get in

the way and be sworn at.
(a) Who was their pet dog?
(b) What was its keen ambition in life?
(c) Find a word from the passage which means the same as ‘desire/goal’.
SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS
1. How was the butter lost and found by George and Harris?
2. How was Jerome caught in his own words in ‘Packing’?
3. How did Montmorency add to the confusion of packing?
4. This is a humorous story. Which incident in the story did you find the most
amusing?
5. Why did the author open the bag again after he had put the boots in it?
LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS
1. Describe how George and Harris carried out their share of packing.
2. Write character sketch of George, Harris and Jerome K.Jerome.
3. Why does the author prefer packing things himself?
 4. Do you think the author packed better than George and Harris did? Give reasons
for your answer?
5. How did Montmorency add to the confusion of packing?

THE DUCK AND THE KANGAROO

(EDWARD LEAR)
Key points
 The Duck tells the Kangaroo that her life is bore in the pond.
 She requests the Kangaroo to take her around the world.
 she assures the Kangaroo that she would sit quite still and say nothing except
‘Quack’.
 The Duck adjusted according to the Kangaroo who took her around the world.

Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow:
1. Said the Duck to the Kangaroo,
“Good gracious ! how you hop!
Over the fields and the water too,
As if you never would stop!
My life is a bore in this nasty pond.
And I long to go out in the world beyond!
I wish I could hop like you!”
(a) How did the Duck express her wonder at the way the kangaroo hopped?
(b) What did the duck wish?
(c) ‘And I long to go out in the world beyond’. What does this line signify?
(d) “Good gracious! How you hop!” Why was the Duck astonished to see the
Kangaroo hopped?

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

1. Where did the Duck want to go? What did she promise the Kangaroo?
2. ‘I would sit quite still, and say nothing’. Who is ‘I’? Where would it sit? Why?
3. “Your feet are unpleasantly wet and cold.” Who is the speaker? Whose feet are
wet and cold? Why?
4. How did the Duck and the Kangaroo go round the world?
LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS
1. Write the summary of the poem the Duck and the Kangaroo.
 2. Why did she want to have a ride on his back?
3. Write the character sketch of a) the Duck b) the Kangaroo.
4. How did the Duck ride on the Kangaroo’s back?

REACH FOR THE TOP

Q.1. Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow:
1. At sixteen, most of the girls in her village used to get married. Santosh was also
under pressure from her parents to do the same.
A marriage as early as that was the last thing in her mind. She threatened her parents
that she would never marry if she did not get a proper education. She left home and got
herself enrolled in a school in Delhi.
a) What was the kind of society Santosh Yadav lived in?
b) Santosh refused to get married. What does it tell us about her?
c) Why was Santosh under pressure from her parents?
d) What was the last thing in her mind?

2. If her climbing skills, physical fitness and mental strength impressed her seniors, her
concern for others and desire to work together with them found her a special place in
the hearts of fellow climbers.
a) What qualities are necessary for a successful climber?
b) Why did she find a special place in the hearts of fellow climbers?
c) What does ‘desire to work together’ indicate?
d) What is Santosh’s strength as a mountaineer?

3. Within twelve months, Santosh found herself a member of an Indo-Nepalese

Women’s Expedition that invited her to join them. She then conquered the Everest a
second time, thus setting a record as the only woman to have conquered the Everest
twice.

a) What does in invitation to join an expedition show?

b) What record was made by her?
c) What is her second expedition that created her world record?
d) What was her achievement?

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS:

1. How was Santosh different from other girls in her village?
2. What decision Santosh had to take when she turned sixteen?
3. What did her seniors think about Santosh’s ability as a climber?

LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS:

 1. Determine and correct choice of path always lead to success. Do you agree?
Elaborate with reference to the success story of Santosh Yadav.
2. What inspired Santosh Yadav to be a climber? How does her life inspire you?
3. Both Santosh Yadav and Maria Sharapova reached the top of the world in their
respective fields. How are they alike and different? Out of the two whom would
you make your role model and why?
ON KILLING A TREE
VALUE POINTS:
1. It is not easy to kill a deep-rooted tree.
2. It takes much time to kill it.
3. A tree is too strong to be killed by a simple attack of a knife.
4. It has grown slowly consuming the earth, feeding upon its crust, absorbing years
of sunlight.
5. When a tree is chopped, the barks bleed but soon they heal up and expand again
to their former size.
6. Its most sensitive part, i.e. the root, has to be exposed to the sun and the air.
7. Once it is done, the tree is killed.

Q.1. Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow:

It takes much time to kill a tree,

Not a simple jab of the knife
Will do it. It has grown
Slowly consuming the earth,
Rising out of it, feeding
Upon its crust, absorbing
Years of sunlight, air, water,
And out of its leprous hide
Sprouting leaves.
a) What will a simple jab of knife not do?
b) What are the things that help a tree to grow strong?
c) What is the irony in the first two lines of the extract?
d) What is implies by ‘ And out of its leprous hide sprouting leaves’?

No,
The root is to be pulled out-
Out of the anchoring earth:
It is to be roped, tied,
And pulled out- snapped out
Or pulled out entirely….
a) According to the poet, how can a tree be killed?
b) Name the poem and the poet.

Q.2. SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS:

a) What is the effect of hacking and chopping on a tree?
 b) What happens to a tree after its bark will heal?
c) How do the roots look like when these are pulled out?
d) “Consuming the earth, rising out of it.” Explain.
e) What are the two important stages for killing a tree?
f) How does the poet create the feelings of sadness in the poem?
g) ‘And then it is done,’ what does this mean?
THE BOND OF LOVE
Value Points
 The author once found an orphaned sloth bear and presented it to his wife.
 She loved him deeply.
 He also performed many playful tricks which gave pleasure to her.
 When the bear grew big, he was dangerous for the children.
 The author decided to send him to the zoo.
 The departure was very painful.
 After some time they decided to bring the bear back home.

Reference to Context Questions

Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow
1. As we watched the fallen animal, we were surprised to see the black fur on its back
moved and left prostrate body. Then, we saw it was a baby bear that had been riding on
its mother’s back when the sudden shot had killed her.
(a)Who is fallen animal under the reference?
(b)Who are ‘we’ here?
(c)What was your feeling when mother bear was killed?
(d)What surprised them when they watched the fallen animal?

Short Answer Question

1. How did author’s wife react to the proposal of sending Bruno to Mysore?
2. How did Bruno and the author’s wife react when they met Mysore?
3. How was Bruno found by the author?

Long Answer Question

1. Love begets love. Do you agree? Can the company of an animal give undiluted
pleasure to a human being? Give some examples from the story The Bond Of Love.
2. Love is mutual. Do you agree? Illustrate this with reference to ‘The Bond Of Love’.
3. Animals also feel the pleasure of love and pains of separation. What would you have
done if you were in place of the author’s family?
4. What makes you feel that the author’s wife is more attached to Bruno than the
members of family? Do you think female members of family are more sensitive than
the males?

THE SNAKE TRYING

Value Points
 Most of us think that snakes are poisonous fearsome and symbol of death.
 The poet does not find all snakes fearsome.
 He finds beauty in them.
 He wishes that snake does not get hurt.
 A small green snake was lying on the sand.
 Someone noticed it and ran after it .
 The snake managed to vanish from there.

Reference-to-context Questions
Q. Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions carefully.
1.Along the sand
he lay until observed
and chased away, and now
he vanishes in the ripples
among the green slim reeds
(a)What had happened to the snake when it lay along the sand unobserved?
(b)Who chased the snake?
(c)What is implied by ‘Along the sand he lay until observed’?
(d) ‘He vanishes in the ripples among the green slim reeds”—What does the snake
symbolize when it vanishes in the reeds.
Short Answer Questions
1. How does the snake look when it tries to escape?
2. Where did the snake finally go?
3. ‘O let him go.’ who speaks these words? Who is ‘him’ here? Where does ‘he’ want
‘him’ to go?
4. ‘He is harmless even to children.’ What does the poet think about the snake?
5. What is the message of the poem ‘The Snake Trying’?
6.
Long Answer Question
1. At the end of the day the poet writes a diary entry describing his encounter with the
snake and expressing his remorse for throwing a log at him. Write his diary entry.

Chapter – Kathmandu
Value Points
 The chapter is an extract from Vikram Seth’s ‘Heaven Lake.’
 It gives a vivid description of the temples, markets and people of Kathmandu.
 Detailed atmosphere in and around Pashupatinath temple is described.
 The atmosphere in and around the Pashupatinath temple and Baudhnath stupa
differs completely.
 Excitement, noise and confusion are seen outside temple but at Baudhnath stupa,
there is a sense of stillness.
 He closely observes a flute-seller who is selling flutes.
 According to him, every culture has its own kind of flute creating a common
bond between various cultures.
Reference –to-the context Questions
Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow.
Ext: Kathmandu is vivid, mercenary, and religious, with small shrines to flower-
adorned deities along the narrowest and the busiest streets; with fruit-sellers, flute-
sellers, hawkers of postcards; shops selling Western cosmetics, film rolls and
chocolates; or copper utensils and Nepalese antiques.
(a) How does the author describe Kathmandu?
(b) Which things are sold in the market of Kathmandu?
(c) What is special in Kathmandu?
(d) What do you mean by ‘Nepalese antiques’?
Ext:In his hand is a pole with an attachment at the top from which fifty or sixty bansuris
protrude in all directions, like the quills of a porcupine. They are of bamboo; there are
cross-flutes and records. From time to time, he stands the pole on the ground, selects a
flute and plays for a few minutes.
(a) What attracts the author in the market?
(b) How is he different from other hawkers?
(c) Why does the flute seller select a flute and plays for a few minutes?
(d) What literary device is used in ‘fifty or sixty bansuris protrude in all directions,
like the quills of a porcupine.’

Short Question Answers

Q1.How was the atmosphere at Pashupatinath?
Q2.Why did the policeman stop the party of Westerners in the temple?
Q3. What were the activities which one can notice at the Bagmati river?
Long Answer Questions
Q1.Describe the Kathmandu bazaar in your own words. Do you think these bazaars are
helpful for the locals for developing a social bond?
Q2. The author finds a lot of confusion outside the temple in Kathmandu. What were
the confusions about? Is this type of confusion common in our temples?

Poem-A Slumber Did my Spirit Seal

Value Points
 The poem is about the death of a loved one.
 The poet feels grieved and troubled and realizes the reality of life after her death.
 He is contented as the passing of time will no longer affect her.
 He believes that his loved one is no more in the world because she has gone into
deep slumber.
 He is unaffected by the earthly movements because she can neither see nor feel
the worldly affairs.
 The poet’s beloved is in peace and has become part of nature.

Read the following extract carefully and answer the questions that follow.
Ext: A slumber did my spirit seal-
I had no human fears.
She seemed a thing that could not feel
The touch of earthly years.
a) How many characters are there in this stanza?
b) ‘A Slumber did my spirit seal’- what kind of a slumber is this?
c) Which poetic device has been used in this line. “She seemed a thing that could
not feel the touch of earthly years.”
d) In which sense ‘slumber’ is used in the first line of the poem?
Ext: No motion has she now, no force-
She neither hears nor sees,
Rolled round in earth’s diurnal course
With rocks and stones and trees.
a) Where is she now?
b) What does the speaker try to tell us when he says that she is in earth’s diurnal
course with rocks and stones and trees?
c) ‘No motion has she now, no force.’ What does the poet offer in his line?
d) How will time not affect the poet’s beloved?
Short Question Answers
Q1.What changes did the sleep bring in the poet’s feelings?
Q2. What is the central theme of the poem?
Q3. ‘She seemed a thing that could not feel the touch of earthly years.’ Who is ‘she’?
Why couldn’t she feel the touch of earthly years?
Q4. “A slumber did my spirit seal,” says the poet, i.e, a deep sleep ‘closed off’ his soul
(or mind).How does the poet react to his loved one’s death? Does he feel bitter grief?
Or does he feel a great peace?
Q5.The passing of time will no longer affect her, says the poet. Which lines of the poem
say this?

Long Answer Questions

Q1. ‘No motion has she now, no force.’ Who is ‘she’? Why is ‘she’ motionless? What
does it show about the poet’s state of mind?
Q2. ‘Rolled round in earth’s diurnal course.’ Explain
IF I WERE YOU
(DOUGLAS JAMES)
About the chapter
 To draw their attention towards the stage setting, direction, description, dialogues
etc.
 To make them confident to express their views.

Q. Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow:
1. I have got freedom ................................................................You are much luckier.
(a) Who is a hunted here?
(b) What will the intruder gain?
(c) Give a word from the passage which means ‘more fortunate’.

2. Now listen here......................................................................... of a mystery man.

(a) Who has killed a cop?
(b) What is the outcome of this plan?
(c) Find the word from the passage which means the same as ‘policeman’.

3. Sorry, I can’t let .............................................................. find him in the Public

Bar.
(a) Who is ‘I’ here?
(b) What is a ‘spot of bother’ for him?
(c) What must be the profession of ‘I’ here?

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

1. Why did the intruder say, “They can’t hang me twice”?
2. What impression do you form about Gerrard?
3. Why does the intruder choose Gerrard as the man whose identify he wants to
take?
 4. Why does Gerrard show his troubling bag to the intruder?

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS

1. Trace the character of Gerrard in the light of his interaction with the Intruder in
the play.
2. Justify the title ‘If I were You’.

The Lost Child

Mulk Raj Anand
Key Points
1. The children are happy when they are in the company of their parents. happy.
2. Children are innocent.
3. Children always appreciate the presence of their elders.

Read the given extract and answer the following:

a.' How did you get here, child?'

1. Who is 'you' in the above line?

2. What does 'here' stand for?
3. Name the chapter and it's writer.
4. Who is asking the question and why?

b. 'I want my mother, I want my father! '

1. Who is the speaker of the above line?
2. Why does the speaker say so?
3. What does the above line tell about the speaker?
4. Comment on the child's state of mind.

Short answer type questions:

1. Mention the things that the child wants from his parents.
2. What is the child's reaction when he reaches the village where the fair is organised?
3. How did the boy try to catch the dragon-fly?
4. What was the child's reaction when he entered the grove?
5. What was his reaction on seeing the colourful balloons?
6. How did the child get lost in the fair?

Answer in detail:
1 What was the attitude of the stranger towards the lost child? How did the child
respond to his efforts?
2. What lesson do you get from the story?
3. How can we ensure that a child is not lost in such public gatherings?
4. Give a character-sketch of —
a. The lost child.
b. The stranger.

THE ADVENTURES OF TOTO

(RUSKIN BOND)
About the chapter
 To promote harmony and have compassion for living creatures.
 To enhance their reading, writing and speaking skills.

Q. Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow:
1. Grandmother always fussed ......................................................in to the wall.”
(a) How was Toto’s presence kept a secret from the author’s grandmother ?
(b) What did Toto do during this period ?
(c) Find out the word from the extract which means the same as ‘below’.

2. Unfortunately I could not .........................................................platform.

(a) Where was the grandfather going ?
(b) What was the new abode of Toto?
(c) Find a word from the passage which means ‘eager’.

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

1. What did Toto do to invite the wrath of Ticket Collector ?
2. Explain the Pullao incident.
3. How did Toto come to grandfather’s private zoo?
4. How did Toto behave when he was put in the closet ?
5. Describe Toto’s journey to Saharanpur .

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS:

 1. ‘Toto was a trouble for the family and other animals in the grandfather’s zoo.
How?
Or
What circumstances forced grandfather to sell Toto back to the Tonga driver?
2. How did Toto get into the kettle and how was he rescued?

ISWARAN THE STORY TELLER

Value Points
 Mahendra was a junior supervisor in a firm.
 He always had his cook Iswaran with him.
 Iswaran used to read the popular Tamil Thrilling Stories.
 He linked the auspicious full moon night to the story of a female ghost.
 Mahendra rebuked him for explaining such baseless stories.
 One nightMahendra heard some sound near his window.
 He saw a cloudy figure holding a bundle.
 He resolved to leave the haunted place the very next day.

Refernce to Context Questions

1.He would miraculously conjure up the most delicious dishes made with fresh
vegetables within an hour or arriving at the zinc-sheet shelter at the new
workplace.
(a) Who is ‘he’ in the above lines? Why is he being appreciated?
(b) What was the zinc-sheet shelter?
(c ) Was the cook resourceful?
Short Answer Questions
Q1.Whar was the routine of Iswaran?
Q2.What happened when the wild elephant entered the school playground?
Q3.How did Iswaran control the wild elephant?
Q4.How did Mahendra see the female ghost?
Long Answer Questions
Q1. How did Iswaran manage to make even the simplest incident interesting? Give an
example . Do you think one should be imaginative like him?
Q2. How did Iswaran tackle the elephant in the school building? Does it appear to be
likely ? Do you think this is a positive trait of one’s personality?
Q3. Mahendra did not believe in ghosts . What happened to him on the last full moon
night? Do you think ghosts exist?

IN THE KINGDOM OF FOOLS

VALUE POINTS
1. It is the story of a kingdom where the king and his minister both were idiots.
2. They should go to bed as soon as the sun came up.
3. Once a guru and his disciple came to the city.
4. Soon they realized that they were in the kingdom of fools.
5. The guru was wise. He advised his disciple that they should leave that place at once
as it was not safe to stay there.
6. Meanwhile, there was a unique trial in the court of the king.
7. A thief had broken into a rich merchant’s house.

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

1. What was the routine of the people in the kingdom of fools?
2. What advice did the guru give to his disciple?
3. Why did the disciple become fat?
4. How did the thief die?
5. What was the trial about?
6. Why did the king want to punish the merchant?
7. How did the merchant defend himself?
8. What was the dancing girl blamed for?
9. How did the dancing girl defend herself?

LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS:

1. One should not be greedy. How did greed bring the disciple in trouble?
 2. In the lesson, ‘In the Kingdom of Fools’, the king is the kingpin of troubles that
beset his kingdom. Cite examples from the lesson to draw up a pen picture of the
king.
3. In the story ‘In the Kingdom of Fools’, the guru who had visited the kingdom,
managed to rescue the kingdom through his ways. What character qualities in
him proved to be ideal for this task?
4. The disciple was in trouble because he was greedy. The king and his minister
also met their end because of greed. Elaborate.
5. “My mind was not on it”, said the bricklayer. Was this a good excuse for not
building the wall properly? What will happen if we do something without our
mind in it? What can we learn from this situation? Explain.
6. Why was the merchant not executed after he was finally found guilty?
7. What did the guru tell the king about the stake?

CHAPTER- THE HAPPY PRINCE

Value Points
 Oscar Wilde has very beautifully depicted the need of generosity through this
story.
 The Happy Prince being the statue, felt pity on the sufferings of the people in the
city.
 The Happy Prince gave away all his sapphires and gold in order to help the por
and needy through the help of swallow.
 Once God asked one of his angels to bring him the two most precious things in
the city.
 The angel brought him the leaden heart of the Happy Prince and the dead
swallow.

Short Question Answers

Q1. What happened when the little swallow prepared to go to sleep?
Q2.How did the little swallow feel when he saw the eyes of Happy Prince were filled
with tears? Why did the Happy Prince cry?
Q3.Why did the Happy Prince ask the swallow to stay?
Q4.How did the Prince help the match girl? What was the result?
Q5. “There is no mystery as great as Misery,” said the Prince. How do you justify the
statement?
Q6. How did the Ha[[y Prince and the little swallow help the playwright?
Q7. How did the Happy Prince help the seamstress?

Long Answer Questions

Q1.What made the poor have food and the children’s faces grow rosier?
Q2. Why did they pull down the statue of the Happy Prince?
Q3.The two most precious things in the city were the Happy Prince and the swallow.
Discuss.
Q4. “Good deeds always pay.” Do you agree? How were the Happy Prince and the
swallow rewarded for their good deeds?
Q5.How did the Happy Prince help the poor and the starving children? What lesson do
you learn from the story?

CHAPTER – WEATHERING THE STORM IN ERSAMA

KEY POINTS–
1. Joy and suffering is a part of life.
2. Let us appreciate everything that the life has given us .
3. Never get defeated by the circumstances .
4. Just like Prashant, face the difficult circumstances with courage and patience.
5. Nothing is permanent, sufferings and challenges are also there in our lives for a
short period.

Read the given extract and answer the following :

a.' As they waded through the waters, the scenes they witnessed grew more and more
macabre.'
a. Who are 'they' in the above line?
b. Why did they Wade through waters ?
c. Name the chapter and it's writer.
d. Give a word that means – shocking and terrifying ?
b. 'Weak with hunger, she rushed to him, her hands outstretched,her eyes brimming.'
i) Who is 'she' in the above line ?
ii) Why did she rush towards him ?
iii) What had happened to them ?
iv) How did she feel after seeing him ?
Short answer type questions:
1. What was the scene in the village after the storm and the rain subsided ?
2. What did Prashant and his friends do to save their lives ? How did they survive for a
few days?
3. Why was it difficult for Prashant to travel back to his village?
4. What were the first two things that Prashant did after deciding to take the
responsibility of the village as a leader ?
Answer in detail :
1 Give the character-sketch of Prashant .
2. Devotion and dedication to a noble cause is always rewarded. Discuss with reference
to the chapter.
3. How did Prashant try to help the suffering women and children get over their grief ?

THE LAST LEAF

(O. HENRY)
About the chapter.

 To make them to be optimistic and perform the duty sincerely.

 To teach them to have right/ positive attitude towards life .

Q. Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow:
1. Sue and Johnsy…………………………condition.
(a) What happened to Johnsy ?
(b) Who were Sue and Johnsy?
(c) Trace a word from the above lines which means ‘staring’.

2. “Look , there is still……………………..it didn’t fall”.

(a) Who is the speaker of the above lines?
(b) Why didn’t the leaf fall down?
(c) What message does the writer want to give to the readers through these lines.

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

1. Why did Johnsy keep looking out of the window?
2. What saved Johnsy’slife ?
3. Who was Behrman ? What was Behrman’s master piece?
 4. What made Johnsy say,” It is a sin to want to die?”
5. What message does O. Henry want to give to the readers through the story, ”The
Last Leaf”?

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS

1. Justify the title of the story “The Last Leaf”.
2. What role did Sue play in saving the life of Johnsy ?.
3. Write character sketch of ‘Sue’.
4. Write character sketch of ‘Jhonsy’.

A HOUSE IS NOT A HOME

VALUE POINTS:
1. The story reflects the challenges of being a teenager, and the problems of
growing up.
2. The narrator in the story is a teenager who find sit difficult to make new friends
and adjust to a new place.
3. He feels lonely and depressed.
4. One day, his house caught fire. The whole house was burnt. He lost his dear cat
too.
5. After a month when he and his friends watching the house rebuilt, a lady came
with his cat.
6. She brought happiness back to the narrator.
7. He regained interest in life.

Que- Answer the following questions in about 30-40 words:

1. Why did the author feel isolated in is new school?
2. Why did the author visit his old school? How did his teachers encourage him?
3. Why did the author love his cat so much?
4. On seeing the house on fire, what did the author do?
5. Why did the mother run back into the house for the second time?
6. Why did the firemen hold the author?
7. What happened to his mother who had run into the burning house?
8. How did the author feel when he went to his new school after the fire accident?
9. What were the only things not destroyed in the fire?
10. Why could the author not get money from the bank? How did they manage the
funds?
 11. How did the author get rid of his feelings of loss and tragedy?
12. What three things made author’s house ‘a home’?

Que- Answer the following questions in about 80-100 words each:

1. Describe the author’s love for his cat. Do you also have the same feelings for your
pet?
2. How did a wonder woman bring happiness back in the life of the author? Making
someone happy by our deeds is the best service to God and his creation. Do you
agree?
3. Write a brief character sketch of the author. What impresses you the most?
4. The author in the lesson ‘A House Is Not a Home’ had lost everything in the fire.
Everyone in the school felt concerned and helped him. Their selfless love and
concern touched his heart and changed his misconception about people. Do you
agree that selfless love, concern for someone, compassion and gratitude one
should always imbibe in one’s personality? Elaborate taking the examples from
the story.

THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST

VALUE POINTS
 It is a humorous story.
 The narrator Bill Bryson narrates his experience as antraveller.
 He was a confused person.
 He was very forgetful and often ended up with strange situations.
 His wife and children were aware about all this.
 It was his state of mind that he missed a golden opportunity to visit Bali.

Reference to context
1. Bill Bryson says ,”I am , in short , easily confused.”
What examples has he given to justify this?
2. “…..how much I ache to be suave” says the narrator. Why does he say so?

Short Answer Question

1. Why did the author have to return to a hotel desk frequently?
2. What did the author want to get out of his carry bag at London airport?
3. What were the things that rained out of his bag at the airport?
4. Why did the author cry, “My finger! My finger!”?
5. Why did the lady in the plane look at the author with a stupefied expression?
6. Why does the author not eat or drink while travelling alone?
Long Answer Question
1. Give a brief character sketch of Bill Bryson, ‘The Accidental Tourist’ stating the
reasons for your liking of his.
2. Bill Byron ‘ached to be suave’. What were the things that he wanted to do but could
not succeed in? What does it show about his character? Would you call him carelessly?
3. Bill Bryon must fly 1,00,000 miles a year but he did not get his air miles. Why? How
does absentmindedness result in loss? Explain with reference to the story.
4. Write the character sketch of Bill Bryson.

CHAPTER-THE BEGGAR

Value Points
 It is a story about a beggar who used to beg posing as a school teacher or a
student.
 An advocate Sergei offers him a job at his house.
 Lushkoff was a weak person who couldn’t do any hard work.
 Olga, being sympathetic towards him, worked in his place.
 Once Sergei realized about Lushkoff’s weaknesses, he thought to send him to his
friend for an easier job.
 Two years later when Sergei met Lushkoff in a theatre, he found him well
dressed.
 Lushkoff thanked Sergei for his kind words and deed and disclosed the fact that
it was Olga who helped and set him right.
 Olga’s words and actions had brought a change in him which made Lushkoff to
quit drinking.

Short Question Answers

Q1. What did the beggar say to Sergei?
Q2. What happened when Sergei threatened the beggar?
Q3. Why did Sergei feel a little sorry and ashamed of himself?
Q4.Where did Sergei send Lushkoff? What advice did he give him?
Q5.Where did Sergei see Lushkoff after two years? What work was he doing then?
Q6.How did Olga save Lushkoff?
Q7.How did Sergei come to remember that he had met the beggar before?
Q8.Who was Olga? What did Sergei ask her to do?
Long Answer Questions

Q1.Bad habits ruin a person. Lushkoff turned to begging because of his drinking habit.
How does this habit ruin him? What lesson do you learn from his life?
Q2. Give a character sketch of Sergei.
Q3.Compassion and pity can bring positive changes in a human being. How does the
story ‘The Beggar’ proves it?
Q4. “Don’t offer a fried fish to a hungry boy, help him learn how to catch and fry a
fish.” Do you think Sergei believed in this sentence? What would have happened to
Lushkoff if Sergei had given him money rather than offering him work?
Q5.Lushkoff goes through various experiences in life as narrated in the story ‘The
Beggar’. These experiences bring out several hidden traits in his character. Enumerate
at least five of these traits.
Q6. What change did Sergei notice in Lushkoff when he met him after two years? How
did Olga help him? According to you, what changed him? Do you think positivity of
Olga helped him?