9 GOLD MEDALS

Extract 1

(i)Where did the athletes" come from so many countries"? why?

Ans. The athlete comes from so many countries to the venue of the special Olympic game. In
this Olympic differently-abled people participate. athletes were there to compete and win
medals for which they have gone through strenuous training for months with the dream of
winning medals.

(ii) What do the words 'gold', 'silver', and 'bronze' stand for in the extract? do you think the
contestants were prepared well for the event? give a reason for your answer.

Ans. The words 'gold', 'silver' and 'bronze' stand for the medal which was awarded to the top
three contestants. The contestant was prepared well for the event as the poet says, they have
undergone weeks and months of rigorous training before the game started.

(iii) Give the meaning of:

(a) All building up to the games.

(b)The last race about to begin.

(a) All the contestants came down to the stadium aspiring to win the gold medal.

(b) the race was the last event of the day of the special Olympic and it was about to begin

(iv) Why did the spectators gather around the field? Who is referred to as the "young women
and men"

Ans. Spectators gather around the field to cheer and encourage the participants who had come
from different countries to participate in various events and to see their favorites contestants
touching the finish line. ‘Young women and men’ referred to here are the differently-abled
athletes who came from so many countries to take part in the sports events.

(v) Which final event is referred to in the extract? What was the mood of the spectators here?

Ans. Here final event referred to a 100-meter track and field racing event which was among
nine participants who were differently abled. Through it was the last event of the day but
spectators were excited and enthusiastic. They were in cheering and encouraging mood.
Extract 2

(i) Give the meaning and significance of "poised".

Ans. The meaning of poised is "ready". In this poem 'Nine Gold Medals', the poet, David Roth
has presented the idea of empathy and how human values are as important as the spirit of
competition. The poem presents the situation of a race, where the contestants leave aside their
desire to win the medal to help a smaller and weaker contestant.

(ii) Show how the suspense was built up before the competition began

Ans. Poet gradually built suspense before the race begins. The suspense was built up with
loudspeakers calling out the names of the runners who would take part in the onehundred-
meter run and the nine athletes standing there ‘determined and poised for the sound of the
gun’. Spectators were eager to see who wins the gold medal. It is the climax, suspense and the
reader wonders what is going to happen next.

(iii) What did the exploding of the pistol signify? Give two examples of rhyming patterns in the
extract. Ans. The exploding of the pistol signified that the beginning of the anticipated race. 1st
four-line has a rhyming pattern of abcd and in the next four-line, it is abab.

(iv) During the race who had bad luck? What happened to him? What were his feelings then?

Ans. The youngest athlete among the runners had bad luck. As soon as the race begins he
stumbled and staggered and fell on his knees to the ground. He cries out with pain and
disappointment. He was utterly frustrated and gave out a cry of anguish. He felt as if all his
dreams and effort of winning the medal were broken and destroyed

(v) How does the poem show the value of true sportsmanship?

Ans. In the poem nine gold medals the poet show the true sportsman spirit and how it was
rewarded in the end. In a special Olympics racing event, one of the nine athletes took a tumble
by chance and lost all his hope of winning the race after so hard training. But immediately after
he fell on the ground, the other runners stopped and came back to help him stand up on his
feet. All the athletes joined hands and changed their 100-meter race to a walk, giving a message
that humanity is above all It was thus, an exemplary scene, that displayed the spirit of true
sportsmanship and an eye-opener that the world now needs more such cooperation than
competition. And by telling us this story the poet reminds us of the value of true sportsmanship
and that it always gets rewarded in some way or the other.
Extract 3

(i) Who gave out a cry? Why did he cry?

Ans. The youngest contestant gave out a cry. He cries out with pain and disappointment. He
was utterly frustrated and gave out a cry of anguish. He felt as if all his dreams and effort of
winning the medal were broken and destroyed.

(ii) What were his dreams? What happened to them? What was his anguish?

Ans. The dreams of the runner were to participate in and win the race and win bronze, silver,
and gold medals as a symbol of excellence in the Special Olympics. As soon as he fell down he
felt as if all his dreams and effort of winning the medal were broken and destroyed. The
youngest athlete was utterly frustrated and gave out a cry of anguish. as he felt that his dreams
and hopes were shattered.

iii) State in your word own what the eight other runners did .what did their actions reflect on
the attitude?

Ans. The eight other contestants stop running, return back and lift the smallest boy who lost
his balance and then the 9 runners move together to the finishing point by showing true
sportsmanship quality. It was a great sight to the audience, this behavior of them fills the
atmosphere with kindness.

Their action reflects on empathy and co-operations.

(iv) How do these lines bring out the main theme of the poem?

One by one they turned round and come back to help him

And lifted the lad to his feet.

Ans. As soon as the youngest boy fell down all other contestants ran to help him rather than
completing their race and win a medal, these lines bring out what true sportsmanship means.
Winning a medal is important, but it is not the most important thing. Caring and sharing are
much more important than winning or losing. Sport is not about winning medals but also
learning the values of empathy and cooperation Sports teaches us human values. This is the
main theme the poem brings out.

v) At this point of time, why does the narrator call the story a strange one? Narrate what
happened after the young boy was brought to his feet?
Ans. Following the young athlete's fall, the other eight athletes who had already begun their
race stopped in their tracks. One by one they turned around, they returned to help the fallen
boy and lifted him up. This sudden change of mind was quite unexpected, a beautiful display of
empathy, cooperation, and collaboration in this world of competition. that's why the narrator
calls the story a strange one at this point in time. All the lone runners then held each other's
hand and resumed the competition. But this race turned out to be a special one because all the
participants were now walking together and the one hundred meter race changed into a walk.
After the young athlete was brought to his feet with the help of the other contestants, they all
walked hand in hand to the finishing line of the racing event. Then all of the nine athletes were
awarded a gold medal each for their beautiful display of empathy, cooperation, and
collaboration in this world of competition, enmity, and hostility.

Extract 4

(i) Why did the nine athletes join hand? What did their action of joining hands show? Why the
race reduced to a walk?

Ans. The nine athletes joined hands to help the fallen and injured youngest runner go to the
ending point. Their action of joining hands shows the friendly and sportsman spirit in them.
Though they were there to compete with each other, they ended up helping the distressed one
out of their sense of empathy and cooperation. The race was reduced to a walk due to the
stumbling of a runner in the middle of the race. After that unfortunate incident, the other
athletes decided to stop and help the fallen one stand on his feet. Then they went to the
finishing line walking hand in hand.

(ii) Give the meaning and the significance of: And the banner above that said "Special Olympics"

Could not have been nearer the mark.

Ans. In these lines, the poet categorically refers to the name of the sports tournament for the
first time, i.e., Special Olympics. Such tournaments are organized throughout the world to
encourage sportspersons and showcase their talent. Usually, such games do not gain media
coverage and attention to the extent to which the Summer and Winter Olympic Games do. By
clearly mentioning the name of the tournament, the poet here tries to say that occasionally,
less-known tournaments witnessed historic incidents that set great standards for the entire
world of sports.

(iii) How did the race end? In what way was the ending appropriate?

Ans. The race ended with the nine runners in the Special Olympics event holding hands and
walking to the finishing line together. The race which was supposed to be a competition was
reduced to a mere walk in the end delivering a message of collaboration and cooperation. Such
an ending to the race was appropriate enough as it made the event really special, making the
title of “Special Olympics” a success. It highlighted the need for empathy and cooperation more
than the competition in today’s world.

(iv) How did the contestants feel when they crossed the finishing line together? How do you
think the spectators reacted?

Ans. The contestants must have felt happy and united when they reached the finish line still
‘holding hands’. The words smiling faces’ tell us how happy they were. The spectators were
surprised by their cooperation and gave a ‘standing ovation’ to the contestants. Each of the
contestants was rewarded with a gold medal.

(v) How did the race in the Special Olympics become very special indeed?

Ans. Each of the athletes participating in the Special Olympics was fired with the excitement,
enthusiasm, and passion to achieve the top honor. However, when one of them stumbled
during the decisive course of the most important event, other contestants showed a great
gesture of sportsmanship, unmindful of their individual claims to glory. All the contestants
displayed empathy turning the Special Olympics into a really 'special' one. It was because of
them that the Special Olympics became so special.