Class 9th English Beehive

The Snake and the Mirror (Chapter 5th)

Thinking about the Text

1.  Discuss in pairs and answer each question below in a short paragraph (30 – 40 words).

1. ”The sound was a familiar one.” What sound did the doctor hear? What did he think it was? How many times did he hear it? (Find the places in the text.) When and why did the sounds stop?

Ans. The doctor heard the sound of rats. He heard this sound four times. The phrases are ‘Again I heard that sound from above,’ and  ‘Again came that noise from above’. Suddenly there came a dull thud as if a rubber tube had fallen to the ground. The sounds stopped after this.

2. What two ”important” and ”earth-shaking” decisions did the doctor take while he was looking into the mirror?

Ans. The doctor took the following two ‘important’ and earth-shaking’ decisions.

1. He would shave daily and grow a thin moustache to look more handsome.

2. He would always keep that attractive smile on his face.

3. ” I looked into the mirror and smiled.” says the doctor. A little later he says,” I forgot my danger and smiled feebly at myself.” What is the doctor’s opinion about himself when:(i) he first smiles, and (ii) he smiles again? In what way do his thoughts change in between, and why?

Ans. The doctor thought he had a good smile when he first smiled. But when he smiled again, he laughed at his destiny. His thoughts got changed because of the snake.

My Childhood (Chapter 6th) Class 9th English Beehive

1. Answer these questions in one or two sentences each.

1. Where was Abdul Kalam’s house?

Ans. Abdul Kalam’s house was on Mosque Street in Rameswaram.

2. What do you think Dinamani is the name of? Give a reason for your answer.

Ans. Dinamani is the name of a newspaper. Abdul Kalam attempts to trace the Second World War’s news in the headlines of this newspaper.

3. Who were Abdul Kalam’s school friends? What did they later become?

Ans. Ramanandha Sastry, Aravindan, and Sivaprakasan were his school friends. Ramanandha Sastry became a priest of the Rameswaram temple. Aravindan went into the business of arranging transport for visiting pilgrims. Sivaprakasan became a catering contractor for the Southern Railways.

4. How did Abdul Kalam earn his first wages?

Ans. Abdul Kalam earned his first wages by distributing newspapers.

5. Had he earned any money before that? In what way?

Ans. Yes, he earned money before also. He used to collect the tamarind seeds and sell them to a provision shop on Mosque Street. A day’s collection would fetch him the princely sum of one anna.

6. How does the author describe:

1. his father,

2. his mother,

3. himself?

Ans. (i) The author describes his father as a wise and generous person. He felt happy when he helped others. He did not have much formal education and riches. He was a man of confidence and great wisdom. He avoided inessential comforts and luxuries.

        (ii) His mother was a noble and kind-hearted woman. She used to feed a large number of people. She had all the attributes of a typical Indian mother.

        (iii) I was born into a middle-class Tamil family. I was a short boy with rather undistinguished looks, born to tall and handsome parents. I studied physics and aerospace engineering and became a scientist.

 

Reach for the Top (Chapter 8th) Class 9th English Beehive

 

Thinking about the Text

* Answer these questions in one or two sentences each.

1. Why was the ‘holy man’ who gave Santosh’s mother his blessings surprised?

Ans. The ‘holy man’ who gave Santosh’s mother his blessings was surprised because her grandmother sought blessings for a daughter. In this society, most of the people ask the seers to bless for a son.

2. Give an example to show that even as a young girl Santosh was not ready to accept anything unreasonable.

Ans. She used to wear shorts and not the traditional dresses meant for girls.

3. Why was Santosh sent to the local school?

Ans. She was sent to the local school in line with the prevailing custom in the family.

4. When did she leave home for Delhi, and why?

Ans. She left home for Delhi to get proper education. She was sixteen at that time.

5. Why did Santosh’s parents agree to pay for her schooling in Delhi? What mental qualities of  Santosh are brought into light by this incident?

Ans. Her parents got ready because she informed them of her plans to earn money by working part-time to pay her school fees. This incident shows her determination towards her goal.

* Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph.

1. How did Santosh begin to climb mountains?

Ans. While she was staying at her hostel in Jaipur, she used to see people climbing the Aravalli Hills. When her curiosity compelled her to go looking for those people she found them to be mountaineers. At her request, they agreed to let her join them in mountain climbing. This is how her journey to become a great mountaineer began.

2. What incidents during the Everest expedition show Santosh’s concern for her team-mates?

Ans. During her Everest expedition, she tried to save her fellow climbers’ lives. She shared her oxygen cylinder with her teammates. Although one of her teammates could not be saved another one could be saved because of Santosh’s help.

3. What shows her concern for the environment?

Ans. Santosh was really concerned about the environment. She collected and brought down 500 kilograms of garbage from the Himalayas.

4. How does she describe her feelings at the summit of the Everest?

Ans. She said that it took some time for the enormity of the moment to sink in. She was delighted at this moment and proudly unfurled the Indian tricolour.

5. Santosh Yadav got into the record books both times she scaled Mt Everest. What were the reasons for this?

Ans. She is the youngest woman who scaled the Everest and the only woman who climbed the Everest twice.

 

The Bond of Love (Chapter 9th) Class 9th English Beehive

 

* Answer the following questions.

1. ” I got him for her by accident.”

1. Who says this?

2. Who do ‘him’ and ‘her’ refer to?

3. What is the incident referred to here?

Ans.

1. The author says this.

2. ‘Him’ refers to the baby bear and ‘her’ refers to the author’s wife.

3. The incident refers to the catching of the baby bear.

2. ” He stood on his head in delight.”

1. Who does ‘he’ refer to?

2. Why was he delighted?

Ans.

1. ‘He’ refers to the baby bear.

2. ‘He’ was delighted to see the author’s wife after a long time.

3. ” We all missed him greatly; but in a sense we were relieved.”

1. Who does ‘we all’ stand for?

2. Who did they miss?

3. Why did they nevertheless feel relieved?

Ans.

1. The author, his wife, and son.

2. They missed the baby bear.

3. They felt relieved because it was getting difficult to keep the baby bear at home.

* Anwer the following questions in 30 to 40 words each.

1. On two occasions Bruno ate/drunk something that should not be eaten/drunk. What happened to him on these occasions?

Ans. Bruno ate Barium Carbonate which was put to kill the rats and mice. Paralysis set to the extent that he could not stand on his feet. Once he drank one gallon of old engine oil. But it had no ill effects whatever.

2. Was Bruno a loving and playful pet? Why, then, did he have to be sent away?

Ans. Yes, Bruno was a loving and playful pet. But he was mischievous also. The bear became very attached to the narrator’s two Alsatian dogs and the children of the tenants. Bruno had grown many times the size he was when he came. Now her name was changed to Baba. Now he was getting too big to be kept at home. So he was sent to a zoo.

3. How was the problem of what to do with Bruno finally solved?

Ans. Bruno was not feeling happy after getting separated from the narrator’s family. He was getting weak day by day. The narrator’s wife went to Mysore to meet Bruno. After seeing his pitiful condition she decided to get Bruno back home. The narrator and his wife made a special arrangement for Bruno and created all facilities for him. At last, Bruno was got back home in a small cage.

 

Kathmandu (Chapter 10th) Class 9th English Beehive

 

* Answer these questions in one or two words or in short phrases.

1. Name the two temples the author visited in Kathmandu.

Ans.  Pashupatinath and Baudhnath Stupa.

2. The writer says,” All this I wash down with Coca Cola.” What does ‘all this’ refer to?

Ans. Com-on-the-cob and marzipan.

3.  What does Vikram Seth compare to the quills of a porcupine?

Ans. The flutes tied on the top of the flute seller’s pole.

4. Name five kinds of flutes.

Ans. The reed neh, the Japanese shakuhachi, the deep bansuri, the breathy flutes of South America, and the high-pitched Chinese flutes.

* Answer each question in a short paragraph.

1. What difference does the author note between the flute seller and the other hawkers?

Ans. The author finds a difference in selling the articles. The flute seller does not shout out his wares. He makes a sale in a curiously offhanded way as if this was incidental to his enterprise.

2. What is the belief at Pashupatinath about the end of Kaliyug?

Ans. People believe that when a small shrine emerges fully on the Bhagwati river, the goddess inside will escape, and the evil period of the Kalyug will end on earth.

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