NCERT Class IX English Moments Chapter 1 The Lost Child Questions and Answers

1. The Lost Child

 

A child goes to a fair with his parents. He is happy and excited and wants the sweets and toys displayed there. But his parents don’t buy them for him. Why then does he refuse when someone else offers them to him?

 

IT was the festival of spring. From the wintry shades of narrow lanes and alleys emerged a gaily clad humanity. Some walked, some rode on horses, others sat, being carried in bamboo and bullock carts. One little boy ran between his father’s legs, brimming over with life and laughter.

 

"Come, child, come," called his parents, as he lagged behind. fascinated by the toys in the shops that lined the way.

 

He hurried towards his parents, his feet obedient to their call, his eyes still lingering on the receding toys. As he came to where they had stopped to wait for him, he could not suppress the desire of his heart, even though he well knew the old, cold stare of refusal in their eyes.

 

"I want that toy," he pleaded.

 

His father looked at him red-eyed, in his familiar tyrant's way.

 

His mother, melted by the free spirit of the day was tender and, giving him her finger to hold, said, "Look, child, what is before you!"

 

It was a flowering mustard-field, pale like melting gold as it swept across miles and miles of even land.

 

A group of dragon-flies were bustling about on their gaudy purple wings, intercepting the flight of a lone black bee or butterfly in search of sweetness from the flowers. The child followed them in the air with his gaze, till one of them would still its wings and rest, and he would try to catch it. But it would go fluttering, flapping, up into the air, when he had almost caught it in his hands. Then his mother gave a cautionary call: "Come, child, come, come on to the footpath."

 

He ran towards his parents gaily and walked abreast of them for a while, being. however, soon left behind, attracted by the little insects and worms along the footpath that were teeming out from their hiding places to enjoy the sunshine.

 

"Come, child, come!" his parents called from the shade of a grove where they had seated themselves on the edge of a well. He ran towards them.

A shower of young flowers fell upon the child as he entered the grove, and, forgetting his parents, he began to gather the raining petals in his hands. But lo! he heard the cooing of doves and ran towards his parents, shouting, "The dove! The dove!" The raining petals dropped from his forgotten hands.

 

"Come, child, come!" they called to the child, who had now gone running in wild capers round the banyan tree, and gathering him up they took the narrow, winding footpath which led to the fair through the mustard fields.

 

As they neared the village the child could see many other footpaths full of throngs, converging to the whirlpool of the fair, and felt at once repelled and fascinated by the confusion of the world he was entering.

 

A sweetmeat seller hawked, "gulab-jaman, rasagulla, burfi, jalebi," at the corner of the entrance and a crowd pressed round his counter at the foot of an architecture of many coloured sweets, decorated with leaves of silver and gold. The child stared open- eyed and his mouth watered for the burſi that was his favourite sweet. "I want that burfi," he slowly murmured. But he half knew as he begged that his plea would not be heeded because his parents would say he was greedy. So without waiting for an answer he moved on.

 

A flower-seller hawked, "A garland of gulmohur, a garland of gulmohur!" The child seemed irresistibly drawn. He went towards the basket where the flowers lay heaped and half murmured, "I want that garland." But he well knew his parents would refuse to buy him those flowers because they would say that they were cheap. So, without waiting for an answer, he moved on.

 

A man stood holding a pole with yellow, red, green and purple balloons flying from it. The child was simply carried away by the rainbow glory of their silken colours and he was filled with an overwhelming desire to possess them all. But he well knew his parents would never buy him the balloons because they would say he was too old to play with such toys. So he walked on farther.

 

A snake-charmer stood playing a flute to a snake which coiled itself in a basket, its head raised in a graceful bend like the neck of a swan, while the music stole into its invisible ears like the gentle rippling of an invisible waterfall. The child went towards the snake-charmer. But, knowing his parents had forbidden him to hear such coarse music as the snake-charmer played, he proceeded farther.

 

There was a roundabout in full swing. Men, women and children, carried away in a whirling motion, shrieked and cried with dizzy laughter. The child watched them intently and then he made a bold request: "I want to go on the roundabout, please, Father. Mother."

 

There was no reply. He turned to look at his parents. They were not there, ahead of him. He turned to look on cither side. They were not there. He looked behind. 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 in real fear, "Mother, Father." Tears rolled down from his eyes, hot and fierce; his flushed face was convulsed with fear. Panic-stricken, he ran to one side first, then to the other, hither and thither in all directions, knowing not where to go. "Mother, Father," he wailed. His yellow turban came untied and his clothes became muddy.

 

Having run to and fro in a rage of running for a while, he stood defeated, his cries suppressed into sobs. At little distances on the green grass he could see, through his filmy eyes, men and women talking. He tried to look intently among the patches of bright yellow clothes, but there was no sign of his father and mother among these people, who seemed to laugh and talk just for the sake of laughing and talking.

 

He ran quickly again. this time to a shrine to which people seemed to be crowding. Every little inch of space here was congested with men, but he ran through people's legs. his little sob lingering: "Mother. Father!" Near the entrance to the temple, however, the crowd became very thick: men jostled each other. heavy men, with flashing, murderous eyes and hefty shoulders. The poor child struggled to thrust a way between their feet but, knocked to and fro by their brutal movements, he might have been trampled underfoot, had he not shrieked at the highest pitch of his voice, "Father, Mother!" A man in the surging crowd heard his cry and, stooping with great difficulty, lifted him up in his arms.

 

"How did you get here, child? Whose baby are you?" the man asked as he steered clear of the mass. The child wept more bitterly than ever now and only cried, "I want my mother. I want my father!"

 

The man tried to soothe him by taking him to the roundabout. "Will you have a ride on the horse?" he gently asked as he approached the ring. The child's throat tore into a thousand shrill sobs and he only shouted. "I want my mother, I want my father!"

 

 

The man headed towards the place where the snake-charmer still played on the flute to the swaying cobra. "Listen to that nice music, child!" he pleaded. But the child shut his ears with his fingers and shouted his double-pitched strain: "I want my mother. I want my father!" The man took him near the balloons. thinking the bright colours of the balloons would distract the child's attention and quieten him. "Would you like a rainbow- coloured balloon?" he persuasively asked. The child turned his eyes from the flying balloons and just sobbed, "I want my mother, I want my father!"

 

The man, still trying to make the child happy, bore him to the gate where the flower-seller sat. "Look! Can you smell those nice flowers, child! Would you like a garland to put round your neck?"

 

The child turned his nose away from the basket and reiterated his sob, "I want my mother, I want my father!"

Thinking to humour his disconsolate charge by a gift of sweets, the man took him to the counter of the sweet shop. "What sweets would you like, child?" he asked. The child turned his face from the sweet shop and only sobbed, "I want my mother. I want my father!"

 

Author: MULK RAJ ANAND

 

THINK ABOUT IT

 

1. What are the things the child sees on his way to the fair? Why does he lag behind?

Answer: On his way to the fair, the child sees toys in shops, a sweetmeat seller with various sweets, a flower-seller with garlands, colorful balloons, a snake-charmer, and a roundabout. He lags behind because he is fascinated by the toys and the various sights, often distracted by the beauty around him.

 

2. In the fair he wants many things. What are they? Why does he move on without waiting for an answer?

Answer: The child wants:

• A toy from the shop
• Burfi (a type of sweet)
• A garland of gulmohur flowers
• Colorful balloons
• A ride on the roundabout

He moves on without waiting for an answer because he anticipates his parents will refuse his requests. He understands their likely objections, so he does not want to be disappointed.

 

3. When does he realise that he has lost his way? How have his anxiety and insecurity been described?

Answer: The child realizes he has lost his way when he turns around and cannot find his parents anywhere. His anxiety is depicted through his frantic searching and cries for his mother and father. He experiences panic, tears, and fear, feeling lost among the crowd. His physical state, such as his untied turban and muddy clothes, reflects his distress.

 

4. Why does the lost child lose interest in the things that he had wanted earlier?

Answer: The lost child loses interest in the things he had wanted earlier because, in his moment of fear and desperation, his longing for his parents outweighs all other desires. The sweets, toys, and other attractions no longer hold any significance for him when he feels vulnerable and alone.

 

5. What do you think happens in the end? Does the child find his parents?

Answer: In the end, it is implied that the child does not find his parents immediately. He continues to cry out for them, and despite the attempts of a kind stranger to distract him with various attractions, his focus remains solely on his need for his mother and father. The story leaves the reader with a sense of uncertainty about whether the child will be reunited with his parents.

 

 

NCERT Class 10 English Chapter 8 A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal Questions and Answers

A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal

This poem is about the death of a loved one. How does the poet feel when he thinks about her death? How does he imagine her to be, after death?

A slumber did my spirit seal—
I had no human fears.
She seemed a thing that could not feel
The touch of earthly years.
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.

Written by: WILLIAM WORDSWORTH

GLOSSARY
diurnal: daily (“Earth’s diurnal course” is earth’s daily rotation on its axis.)

Thinking about the Poem

1. How does the poet react to his loved one's death?  
Answer: The poet feels numb and calm, not bitter grief or deep sadness. His soul is "sealed" as if in deep sleep, meaning he is not feeling strong emotions. He seems at peace with her death, rather than overwhelmed by sorrow.

2. Which lines of the poem say that time will no longer affect her?  
Answer: The lines that suggest time will no longer affect her are:  
"She seemed a thing that could not feel  
The touch of earthly years."

3. How does the poet imagine her to be, after death?  
Answer: The poet imagines her as a part of nature, not as someone in a happy place like heaven. He describes her as being "rolled round in earth’s diurnal course with rocks and stones and trees." These lines show that he sees her as becoming one with the earth and nature.

NCERT Class 9 English Chapter 6 No Men Are Foreign Questions and Answers

No Men Are Foreign

Have you ever thought of some people as strange, or other countries as ‘foreign’? We have many ways of thinking of other people as different from ‘us’, as ‘them.’ ‘ They’ may belong to a different country, or speak a different language. In this poem, however, the poet reminds us of the many ways in which we are all the same — for we are all human.

Remember, no men are strange, no countries foreign
Beneath all uniforms, a single body breathes
Like ours: the land our brothers walk upon
Is earth like this, in which we all shall lie.

They, too, aware of sun and air and water,
Are fed by peaceful harvests, by war’s long winter starv’d.
Their hands are ours, and in their lines we read
A labour not different from our own.

Remember they have eyes like ours that wake
Or sleep, and strength that can be won
By love. In every land is common life
That all can recognise and understand.

Let us remember, whenever we are told
To hate our brothers, it is ourselves
That we shall dispossess, betray, condemn.
Remember, we who take arms against each other

It is the human earth that we defile.
Our hells of fire and dust outrage the innocence
Of air that is everywhere our own,
Remember, no men are foreign, and no countries strange.

Author: JAMES KIRKUP

GLOSSARY
dispossess: dislodge; deprive
defile: make dirty; pollute
outrage the innocence of: violate the purity of

Thinking about the Poem

1.
(i) “Beneath all uniforms . . .” What uniforms do you think the poet is speaking about?
Answer: The poet is talking about the uniforms that people wear, like soldiers’ uniforms. These uniforms make us look different from one another, but underneath, we are all the same.

(ii) How does the poet suggest that all people on earth are the same?
Answer: The poet says that all people are the same because we all share similar things, like we breathe the same air, walk on the same earth, and live in the same world.

2. In stanza 1, find five ways in which we all are alike. Pick out the words.
Answer: In stanza 1, the five ways we are alike are:
A single body breathes (everyone breathes the same).
The earth our brothers walk on (we all walk on the same earth).
Beneath all uniforms (we are the same beneath our clothes).
The land is earth (the same land is under all of us).
We all shall lie in it (we all will die and return to the earth).

3. How many common features can you find in stanza 2 ? Pick out the words.
Answer:In stanza 2, the common features are:
Sun, air, and water (we all need these to live).
Fed by peaceful harvests (we all eat food from the earth).
War’s long winter starv’d (war affects everyone, making people suffer).
Hands (we all work with our hands).
Labour (we all do work that is not different from each other’s).

4. “... 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: This happens when people in power or leaders tell us to fight or hate other people. They tell us to hate our brothers during times of war or conflict. The poet says we should not listen to such things, because when we fight, we only hurt ourselves and the world we live in.

NCERT Class 9 English Chapter 5 A Legend of the Northland Questions and Answers

A Legend of the Northland

This poem narrates the legend of an old lady who angered Saint Peter because of her greed.

Away, away in the Northland,
Where the hours of the day are few,
And the nights are so long in winter
That they cannot sleep them through;

Where they harness the swift reindeer
To the sledges, when it snows;
And the children look like bear’s cubs
In their funny, furry clothes:

They tell them a curious story —
I don’t believe ’tis true;
And yet you may learn a lesson
If I tell the tale to you.

Once, when the good Saint Peter
Lived in the world below,
And walked about it, preaching,
Just as he did, you know,

He came to the door of a cottage,
In travelling round the earth,
Where a little woman was making cakes,
And baking them on the hearth;

And being faint with fasting,
For the day was almost done,
He asked her, from her store of cakes,
To give him a single one.

So she made a very little cake,
But as it baking lay,
She looked at it, and thought it seemed
Too large to give away.

Therefore she kneaded another,
And still a smaller one;
But it looked, when she turned it over,
As large as the first had done.

Then she took a tiny scrap of dough,
And rolled and rolled it flat;
And baked it thin as a wafer —
But she couldn’t part with that.

For she said, “My cakes that seem too small
When I eat of them myself
Are yet too large to give away.”
So she put them on the shelf.

Then good Saint Peter grew angry,
For he was hungry and faint;
And surely such a woman
Was enough to provoke a saint.

And he said, “You are far too selfish
To dwell in a human form,
To have both food and shelter,
And fire to keep you warm.

Now, you shall build as the birds do,
And shall get your scanty food
By boring, and boring, and boring,
All day in the hard, dry wood.”

Then up she went through the chimney,
Never speaking a word,
And out of the top flew a woodpecker,
For she was changed to a bird.

She had a scarlet cap on her head,
And that was left the same;
But all the rest of her clothes were burned
Black as a coal in the flame.

And every country schoolboy
Has seen her in the wood,
Where she lives in the trees till this very day,
Boring and boring for food.

Written By: PHOEBE CARY

A ballad is a song narrating a story in short stanzas. Ballads are a part of folk culture or popular culture and are passed on orally from one generation to the next. ‘A Legend of the Northland’ is a ballad.

GLOSSARY
legend: old traditional story
Saint Peter: an apostle of Christ
provoke: make angry

I.
1. Which country or countries do you think “the Northland” refers to?
Answer: The Northland likely refers to cold northern countries like Norway, Sweden, or any region near the North Pole.

2. What did Saint Peter ask the old lady for? What was the lady’s reaction?
Answer: Saint Peter asked the old lady for a cake because he was hungry. The lady, being greedy, made small cakes but thought they were too big to give away, so she didn’t give him any.

3. How did he punish her?
Answer: Saint Peter punished the old lady by turning her into a woodpecker. He said she would now have to live like a bird, getting food by pecking at wood.

4. How does the woodpecker get her food?
Answer: The woodpecker gets her food by boring (pecking) holes in trees.

5. 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?
Answer: No, if the old lady knew that it was Saint Peter, she would have been more generous and given him the cake. She would not have been so selfish.

6. Is this a true story? Which part of this poem do you feel is the most important?
Answer: No, this is not a true story. It is a legend. The most important part is when Saint Peter turns the greedy lady into a woodpecker, teaching a lesson about selfishness.

7. What is a legend? Why is this poem called a legend?
Answer: A legend is an old story passed down from generation to generation, often with a moral lesson. This poem is called a legend because it tells a story that may not be true but teaches us to not be selfish.

8. Write the story of ‘A Legend of the Northland’ in about ten sentences.
Answer: Once in the Northland, Saint Peter was preaching and became very hungry. He went to a woman’s house and asked for a cake. The woman made a very small cake but thought it was too big to give away. She made even smaller cakes, but each one seemed too large for her to give. She did not give Saint Peter any cake. Saint Peter became angry and turned the woman into a woodpecker. He told her she would now have to get her food by boring into wood. The woman flew up the chimney and became a woodpecker, with a red cap and black body. Now, she lives in the forest, pecking for food all day.

II. 1. Let’s look at the words at the end of the second and fourth lines, viz., ‘snows’ and ‘clothes’, ‘true’ and ‘you’, ‘below’ and ‘know.’ We find that ‘snows’ rhymes with ‘clothes’, ‘true’ rhymes with ‘you’ and ‘below’ rhymes with ‘know’.
Find more such rhyming words.
Answer:
1. few and through (lines 2 and 4)
2. one and done (lines 18 and 20)
3. flat and that (lines 26 and 28)
4. form and warm (lines 36 and 38)
5. word and bird (lines 42 and 44)
6. same and flame (lines 46 and 48)
7. wood and food (lines 50 and 52)

2. Go to the local library or talk to older persons in your locality and find legends in your own language. Tell the class these legends.
Answer:
1. Legend of Usha and Aniruddha: This is a romantic legend about Usha, the daughter of King Bana, and Aniruddha, the grandson of Lord Krishna. Usha dreams of Aniruddha, and with the help of her friend Chitralekha, she brings him to her palace. This story is a part of ancient Assamese folklore.

2. The Legend of Kamrup Kamakhya: This legend tells the story of the Kamakhya temple in Assam, dedicated to the goddess Kamakhya. It is linked with ancient beliefs about fertility and power, and the temple is considered one of the most important pilgrimage sites in India.

3. Legend of Lachit Borphukan: This is the story of the brave Assamese general Lachit Borphukan, who defended Assam from Mughal invasions. His leadership in the Battle of Saraighat is remembered as a heroic act of bravery and sacrifice.

NCERT Class 9 English Chapter 4 The Lake Isle of Innisfree Questions and Answers

The Lake Isle of Innisfree

This well known poem explores the poet’s longing for the peace and tranquillity of Innisfree, a place where he spent a lot of time as a boy. This poem is a lyric.

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.

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.

I will arise and go now, for always night and day
I hear the lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey,
I hear it in the deep heart’s core.

Written by: WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS

*************************
GLOSSARY
wattles: twisted sticks for making fences, walls
glade: clearing; open space
linnet: a small brown and grey bird with a short beak
*********************************
 

Thinking about the Poem

I. 1. What kind of place is Innisfree? Think about:
(i) the three things the poet wants to do when he goes back there (stanza I);
Answer: The poet wants to:
    • Build a small cabin.
    • Plant nine rows of beans.
    • Keep a beehive to live alone in the peaceful surroundings.
    
(ii) what he hears and sees there and its effect on him (stanza II);
Answer: In Innisfree, the poet hears the calm sounds of morning, crickets singing, and birds flying. He sees the glow of the sky at midnight, the purple light at noon, and peaceful evenings. These sights and sounds bring him peace.

(iii) what he hears in his “heart’s core” even when he is far away from Innisfree (stanza III).
Answer: Even when the poet is far away, standing on the road or pavement, he can still hear the soft lapping of the lake water in his heart, reminding him of the peace of Innisfree.

2. By now you may have concluded that Innisfree is a simple, natural place, full of beauty and peace. How does the poet contrast it with where he now stands? (Read stanza III.)
Answer: In the third stanza, the poet contrasts Innisfree with his current surroundings. Innisfree is peaceful and full of natural beauty, where he hears the gentle sounds of the lake. In contrast, where the poet now stands — on the "roadway" or "pavements grey" — is dull, lifeless, and noisy. The city lacks the calm and tranquility he finds in Innisfree, and he longs for that peace deep in his heart.


3. Do you think Innisfree is only a place, or a state of mind? Does the poet actually miss the place of his boyhood days?
Answer: Innisfree seems to be both a real place and a state of mind for the poet. While it is an actual place from his boyhood, it also represents his longing for peace and simplicity, away from the noise and busyness of city life. The poet deeply misses the calm and beauty of Innisfree, and it remains alive in his heart and mind, even when he is far away. It symbolizes a place of escape and inner peace that he yearns for.

II. 1. Look at the words the poet uses to describe what he sees and hears at Innisfree
(i) bee-loud glade
(ii) evenings full of the linnet’s wings
(iii) lake water lapping with low sounds
What pictures do these words create in your mind?
Answer:
(i) "Bee-loud glade" paints a picture of a quiet, natural space where the buzzing of bees is the dominant sound, suggesting harmony with nature.
(ii) "Evenings full of the linnet’s wings" brings to mind an image of a serene evening with small birds, like linnets, flying gracefully, filling the air with the gentle flutter of their wings.
(iii) "Lake water lapping with low sounds" evokes the soft, rhythmic sound of water gently hitting the shore, creating a calm and soothing atmosphere.

These images emphasize the tranquility and beauty of Innisfree.

2. Look at these words;
"...peace comes dropping slow
Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings"

What do these words mean to you? What do you think “comes dropping slow...from the veils of the morning”? What does “to where the cricket sings” mean?

Answer:
The words "peace comes dropping slow" suggest that the feeling of peace arrives gradually, like the slow unfolding of a peaceful morning. It indicates a calm, quiet atmosphere that takes time to settle in, gently filling the surroundings.

"From the veils of the morning" refers to the early morning mist or fog that slowly lifts, revealing a peaceful and serene scene as the day begins.

"To where the cricket sings" means that this peace reaches all the way to the quiet places where even the smallest sounds, like a cricket’s chirp, can be heard. It conveys a sense of calmness and natural harmony.

 

NCERT Class 9 English Chapter 7 Reach for the Top Part I. SANTOSH YADAV Questions and Answers

Reach for the Top
Part I.
SANTOSH YADAV

I. Answer these questions in one or two sentences each. (The paragraph numbers within brackets provide clues to the answers.)

1. Why was the ‘holy man’ who gave Santosh’s mother his blessings surprised? (1)
Answer: The 'holy man' was surprised because Santosh's grandmother said that they didn't want a son, which was unusual in their society.

2. Give an example to show that even as a young girl Santosh was not ready to accept anything unreasonable. (2)
Answer: Even as a young girl, Santosh preferred to wear shorts instead of traditional Indian dresses, showing that she wasn't ready to follow traditions without thinking.

3. Why was Santosh sent to the local school? (3)
Answer: Santosh was sent to the local school because her family followed the custom of sending children to nearby schools, even though they could afford better schools.

4. When did she leave home for Delhi, and why? (4)
Answer: She left home for Delhi when she was sixteen because she wanted to get a proper education and refused to get married early.

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? (4)
Answer: Santosh’s parents agreed to pay for her schooling in Delhi when she threatened to work part-time to pay for her education herself. This shows her determination and willingness to fight for what she believed in.

II. Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (about 30 words).

1. How did Santosh begin to climb mountains?
Answer: Santosh began climbing mountains by watching villagers disappear into the Aravalli Hills. Curious, she joined a group of mountaineers, who encouraged her to take up climbing.

2. What incidents during the Everest expedition show Santosh’s concern for her team-mates?
Answer: During the Everest expedition, Santosh tried to save a dying climber at the South Col and shared her oxygen with another climber, Mohan Singh, saving his life. This shows her deep concern for her teammates.

3. What shows her concern for the environment?
Answer: Santosh’s concern for the environment is evident when she brought down 500 kilograms of garbage from the Himalayas, showing her commitment to keeping the mountains clean.

4. How does she describe her feelings at the summit of the Everest?
Answer: At the summit of Everest, Santosh described feeling a deep sense of pride and spirituality as she unfurled the Indian tricolor, saying it was an indescribable and proud moment for her as an Indian.

5. Santosh Yadav got into the recor d books both times she scaled Mt Everest. What were the reasons for this?
Answer: Santosh Yadav got into the record books because she became the youngest woman to scale Mt. Everest at twenty and later became the first woman to scale it twice, setting a unique record.

III. Complete the following statements.
1. From her room in Kasturba Hostel, Santosh used to ___________________.
Answer: From her room in Kasturba Hostel, Santosh used to watch villagers going up the Aravalli Hills and disappearing after a while.

2. When she finished college, Santosh had to write a letter of apology to her father because ___________________.
Answer: When she finished college, Santosh had to write a letter of apology to her father because she had enrolled at Uttarkashi’s Nehru Institute of Mountaineering without his permission.

3. During the Everest expedition, her seniors in the team admired her ___________________ while ___________________ endeared her to fellow climbers.
Answer: During the Everest expedition, her seniors in the team admired her climbing skills, physical fitness, and mental strength while her concern for others and desire to work together endeared her to fellow climbers.

IV. Pick out words from the text that mean the same as the following words or expressions. (Look in the paragraphs indicated.)

1. took to be true without proof (1): ___________________
Answer: assumed

2. based on reason; sensible; reasonable (2): ___________________
Answer: rational

3. the usual way of doing things (3): ___________________
Answer: custom

4. a strong desire arising from within (5): ___________________
Answer: urge

5. the power to endure, without falling ill (7): ___________________
Answer: endurance

NCERT Class 9 English Textbook Chapter 7 Reach for the Top Part I. SANTOSH YADAV

 Reach for the Top
Part I.
SANTOSH YADAV



BEFORE YOU READ
•Think for a while and make a list of three to five persons you idolise, or admire very much for their achievements. Your idols may be from any sphere of life — sports, medicine, media, or art and culture.
•Your teacher will then discuss your choices with you to find out who the top five idols of your class are.

1. The only woman in the world who has scaled Mt Everest twice was born in a society where the birth of a son was regarded as a blessing, and a daughter, though not considered a curse, was not generally welcome. When her mother was expecting Santosh, a travelling ‘holy man’, giving her his blessing, assumed that she wanted a son. But, to everyone’s surprise, the unborn child’s grandmother, who was standing close by, told him that they did not want a son. The ‘holy man’ was also surprised! Nevertheless, he gave the requested blessing . . . and as destiny would have it, the blessing seemed to work. Santosh was born the sixth child in a family with five sons, a sister to five brothers. She was born in the small village of Joniyawas of Rewari District in Haryana.

2. The girl was given the name ‘Santosh’, which means contentment. But Santosh was not always content with her place in a traditional way of life. She began living life on her own terms from the start. Where other girls wore traditional Indian dresses, Santosh preferred shorts. Looking back, she says now, “From the very beginning I was quite determined that if I chose a correct and a rational path, the others around me had to change, not me.”

3. Santosh’s parents were affluent landowners who could afford to send their children to the best schools, even to the country’s capital, New Delhi, which was quite close by. But, in line with the prevailing custom in the family, Santosh had to make do with the local village school. So, she decided to fight the system in her own quiet way when the right moment arrived. And the right moment came when she turned sixteen. 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.

4. A marriage as early as that was the last thing on 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. When her parents refused to pay for her education, she politely informed them of her plans to earn money by working part time to pay her school fees. Her parents then agreed to pay for her education.

5. Wishing always to study “a bit more” and with her father slowly getting used to her urge for more education, Santosh passed the high school examinations and went to Jaipur. She joined Maharani College and got a room in Kasturba Hostel. Santosh remembers, “Kasturba Hostel faced the Aravalli Hills. I used to watch villagers from my room, going up the hill and suddenly vanishing after a while. One day I decided to check it out myself. I check it out: find out found nobody except a few mountaineers. I asked if (the truth) I could join them. To my pleasant surprise, they answered in the affirmative and motivated me to take to climbing.”

6. Then there was no looking back for this determined young girl. She saved money and enrolled in a course at Uttarkashi’s Nehru Institute of Mountaineering. “My college semester in Jaipur was to end in April but it ended on the nineteenth of May. And I was supposed to be in Uttarkashi on the twenty-first. So, I did not go back home; instead, I headed straight for the training. I had to write a letter of apology to my father without whose permission I had got myself enrolled at Uttarkashi.”

7. Thereafter, Santosh went on an expedition every year. Her climbing skills matured rapidly. Also, she developed a remarkable resistance to cold and the altitude. Equipped with an iron will, physical endurance and an amazing mental toughness, she proved herself repeatedly. The culmination of her hard work and sincerity came in 1992, just four years after she had shyly asked the Aravalli mountaineers if she could join them. At barely twenty years of age, Santosh Yadav scaled Mt Everest, becoming the youngest woman in the world to achieve the feat. 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.

8. During the 1992 Everest mission, Santosh Yadav provided special care to a climber who lay dying at the South Col. She was unfortunately unsuccessful in saving him. However, she managed to save another climber, Mohan Singh, who would have met with the same fate had she not shared her oxygen with him.

9. Within twelve months, Santosh found herself a member of an Indo-Nepalese Women’s Expedition that invited her to join them. She then scaled the Everest a second time, thus setting a record as the only woman to have scaled the Everest twice, and securing for herself and India a unique place in the annals of mountaineering. In recognition of her achievements, the Indian government bestowed upon her one of the nation’s top honours, the Padmashri.
 
10. Describing her feelings when she was literally ‘on top of the world’, Santosh has said, “It took some time for the enormity of the moment to sink in ... Then I unfurled the Indian tricolour and held it aloft on the roof of the world. The feeling is indescribable. The Indian flag was flying on top of the world. It was truly a spiritual moment. I felt proud as an Indian.” Also a fervent environmentalist, Santosh collected and brought down 500 kilograms of garbage from the Himalayas.

********************************************

Thinking about the Text

I. Answer these questions in one or two sentences each. (The paragraph numbers within brackets provide clues to the answers.)
1. Why was the ‘holy man’ who gave Santosh’s mother his blessings surprised? (1)
2. Give an example to show that even as a young girl Santosh was not ready to accept anything unreasonable. (2)
3. Why was Santosh sent to the local school? (3)
4. When did she leave home for Delhi, and why? (4)
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? (4)

II. Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (about 30 words).
1. How did Santosh begin to climb mountains?
2. What incidents during the Everest expedition show Santosh’s concern for her team-mates?
3. What shows her concern for the environment?
4. How does she describe her feelings at the summit of the Everest?
5. Santosh Yadav got into the recor d books both times she scaled Mt Everest. What were the reasons for this?

III. Complete the following statements.
1. From her room in Kasturba Hostel, Santosh used to ___________________.

2. When she finished college, Santosh had to write a letter of apology to her father because ___________________.

3. During the Everest expedition, her seniors in the team admired her ___________________ while ___________________ endeared her to fellow climbers.

IV. Pick out words from the text that mean the same as the following words or expressions. (Look in the paragraphs indicated.)
1. took to be true without proof (1): ___________________
2. based on reason; sensible; reasonable (2): ___________________
3. the usual way of doing things (3): ___________________
4. a strong desire arising from within (5): ___________________
5. the power to endure, without falling ill (7): ___________________

NCERT Class 9 English Textbook Chapter 6: My Childhood

6 My Childhood

 

BEFORE YOU READ

 

·         Can you think of any scientists, who have also been statesmen?

·         A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, whose projects in space, defence and nuclear technology guided India into the twenty-first century. became our eleventh President in 2002.

·         In his autobiography, Wings of Fire, he speaks of his childhood.

 

1. I WAS born into a middle-class Tamil family in the island town of Rameswaram in the erstwhile Madras State. My father, Jainulabdeen, had neither much formal education nor much wealth; despite these disadvantages, he possessed great innate wisdom and a true generosity of spirit. He had an ideal helpmate in my mother, Ashiamma. I do not recall the exact number of people she fed every day, but I am quite certain that far more outsiders ate with us than all the members of our own family put together.

 

2. I was one of many children — a short boy with rather undistinguished looks, born to tall and handsome parents. We lived in our ancestral house, which was built in the middle of the nineteenth century. It was a fairly large pucca house, made of limestone and brick, on the Mosque Street in Rameswaram. My austere father used to avoid all inessential comforts and luxuries. However, all necessities were provided for, in terms of food, medicine or clothes. In fact, I would say mine was a very secure childhood, both materially and emotionally.

 

3. The Second World War broke out in 1939, when I was eight years old. For reasons I have never been able to understand, a sudden demand for tamarind seeds erupted in the market. I used to collect the seeds and sell them to a provision shop on Mosque Street. A day’s collection would fetch me the princely sum of one anna. My brother-in-law Jallaluddin would tell me stories about the War which I would later attempt to trace in the headlines in Dinamani. Our area, being isolated, was completely unaffected by the War. But soon India was forced to join the Allied Forces and something like a state of emergency was declared. The first casualty came in the form of the suspension of the train halt at Rameswaram station. The newspapers now had to be bundled and thrown out from the moving train on the Rameswaram Road between Rameswaram and Dhanuskodi. That forced my cousin Samsuddin, who distributed newspapers in Rameswaram , to look for a helping hand to catch the bundles and, as if naturally, I filled the slot. Samsuddin helped me earn my first wages. Half a century later, I can still feel the surge of pride in earning my own money for the first time.

 

4. Every child is born, with some inherited characteristics, into a specific socio-economic and emotional environment, and trained in certain ways by figures of authority. I inherited honesty and self- discipline from my father; from my mother, I inherited faith in goodness and deep kindness and so did my three brothers and sister. I had three close friends in my childhood — Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan and Sivaprakasan. All these boys were from orthodox Hindu Brahmin families. As children, none of us ever felt any difference amongst ourselves because of our religious differences and upbringing. In fact, Ramanadha Sastry was the son of Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry, the high priest of the Rameswaram temple. Later, he took over the priesthood of the Rameswaram temple from his father; Aravindan went into the business of arranging transport for visiting pilgrims; and Sivaprakasan became a catering contractor for the Southern Railways.

 

 

5. During the annual Shri Sita Rama Kalyanam ceremony, our family used to arrange boats with a special platform for carrying idols of the Lord from the temple to the marriage site, situated in the middle of the pond called Rama Tirtha which was near our house. Events from the Ramayana and from the life of the Prophet were the bedtime stories my mother and grandmother would tell the children in our family.

 

6. One day when I was in the fifth standard at the Rameswaram Elementary School, a new teacher came to our class. I used to wear a cap which marked me as a Muslim, and I always sat in the front row next to Ramanadha Sastry, who wore the sacred thread. The new teacher could not stomach a Hindu priest’s son sitting with a Muslim boy. In accordance with our social ranking as the new teacher saw it, I was asked to go and sit on the back bench. I felt very sad, and so did Ramanadha Sastry. He looked utterly downcast as I shifted to my seat in the last row. The image of him weeping when I shifted to the last row left a lasting impression on me.

 

7. After school, we went home and told our respective parents about the incident. Lakshmana Sastry summoned the teacher, and in our presence, told the teacher that he should not spread the poison of social inequality and communal intolerance in the minds of innocent children. He bluntly asked the teacher to either apologise or quit the school and the island. Not only did the teacher regret his behaviour, but the strong sense of conviction Lakshmana Sastry conveyed ultimately reformed this young teacher.

 

8. On the whole, the small society of Rameswaram was very rigid in terms of the segregation of different social groups. However, my science teacher Sivasubramania Iyer, though an orthodox Brahmin with a very conservative wife, was something of a rebel. He did his best to break social barriers so that people from varying backgrounds could mingle easily. He used to spend hours with me and would say, “Kalam, I want you to develop so that you are on par with the highly educated people of the big cities.”

 

9. One day, he invited me to his home for a meal. His wife was horrified at the idea of a Muslim boy being invited to dine in her ritually pure kitchen. She refused to serve me in her kitchen. Sivasubramania Iyer was not perturbed, nor did he get angry with his wife, but instead, served me with his own hands and sat down beside me to eat his meal. His wife watched us from behind the kitchen door. I wondered whether she had observed any difference in the way I ate rice, drank water or cleaned the floor after the meal. When I was leaving his house, Sivasubramania Iyer invited me to join him for dinner again the next weekend. Observing my hesitation, he told me not to get upset, saying, “Once you decide to change the system, such problems have to be confronted.” When I visited his house the next week, Sivasubramania Iyer’s wife took me inside her kitchen and served me food with her own hands.

 

10. Then the Second World War was over and India’s freedom was imminent. “Indians will build their own India,” declared Gandhiji. The whole country was filled with an unprecedented optimism. I asked my father for permission to leave Rameswaram and study at the district headquarters in Ramanathapuram.

 

11. He told me as if thinking aloud, “Abul ! I know you have to go away to grow. Does the seagull not fly across the sun, alone and without a nest?” He quoted Khalil Gibran to my hesitant mother, “Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself. They come through you but not from you. You may give them your love but not your thoughts. For they have their own thoughts.”

 

Author: A.P.J. ABDUL KALAM [an extract from Wings of Fire]

 

********************************

erstwhile: former

innate: inborn; (a quality or feeling) in one’s nature

austere: simple, strict and severe

could not stomach: could not tolerate

downcast: sad or depressed

conviction: a strong opinion or belief

ritually pure: kept protected from all outside influences for the observances of religion

**********************************

 

Thinking about the Text

 

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

1. Where was Abdul Kalam’s house?

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

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

4. How did Abdul Kalam earn his first wages?

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

 

II. Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (about 30 words)

1. How does the author describe: (i) his father, (ii) his mother, (iii) himself?

2. What characteristics does he say he inherited from his parents?

 

III. Discuss these questions in class with your teacher and then write down your answers in two or three paragraphs each.

 

1. “On the whole, the small society of Rameswaram was very rigid in terms of the segregation of different social groups,” says the author.

(i) Which social groups does he mention? Were these groups easily identifiable (for example, by the way they dressed)?

(ii) Were they aware only of their differences or did they also naturally share friendships and experiences? (Think of the bedtime stories in Kalam’s house; of who his friends were; and of what used to take place in the pond near his house.)

(iii) The author speaks both of people who were very aware of the differences among them and those who tried to bridge these differences. Can you identify such people in the text?

(iv) Narrate two incidents that show how differences can be created, and also how they can be resolved. How can people change their attitudes?

 

2.

(i) Why did Abdul Kalam want to leave Rameswaram?

(ii) What did his father say to this?

(iii) What do you think his words mean? Why do you think he spoke those words?

 

Thinking about Language

I. Find the sentences in the text where these words occur:

erupt

surge

trace

undistinguished

casualty

 

Look these words up in a dictionary which gives examples of how they are used.

Now answer the following questions.

1. What are the things that can erupt? Use examples to explain the various meanings of erupt. Now do the same for the word surge. What things can surge?

2. What are the meanings of the word trace and which of the meanings is closest to the word in the text?

3. Can you find the word undistinguished in your dictionary? (If not, look up the word distinguished and say what undistinguished must mean.)

 

II. 1. Match the phrases in Column A with their meanings in Column B.

A	B
(i) broke out	(a) an attitude of kindness, a readiness to give freely
(ii) in accordance with	(b) was not able to tolerate
(iii) a helping hand	(c) began suddenly in a violent way
(iv) could not stomach	(d) assistance
(v) generosity of spirit	(e) persons with power to make decisions
(vi) figures of authority	(f) according to a particular rule, principle, or system

 

2. Study the words in italics in the sentences below. They are formed by prefixing un – or in – to their antonyms (words opposite in meaning).

• I was a short boy with rather undistinguished looks. (un + distinguished)

• My austere father used to avoid all inessential comforts.(in + essential)

• The area was completely unaffected by the war.(un + affected)

• He should not spread the poison of social inequality and communal intolerance. (in + equality, in + tolerance)

Now form the opposites of the words below by prefixing un- or in-. The prefix in-can also have the forms il-, ir-, or im- (for example: illiterate–il + literate, impractical –im + practical, irrational –ir + rational). You may consult a dictionary if you wish.

 

_____ adequate	_____ acceptable	_____ regular	_____ tolerant
_____ demanding	_____ active	_____ true	_____ permanent
_____ patriotic	_____ disputed	_____ accessible	_____ coherent
_____ logical	_____ legal	_____ responsible	_____ possible

 

III. Passive Voice

Study these sentences:

• My parents were regarded as an ideal couple.

• I was asked to go and sit on the back bench.

• Such problems have to be confronted.

 

The italicised verbs in these sentences are made up of a form of the verb be and a past participle. (For example: were + regarded, was + asked, be + confronted)

These sentences focus on what happens, rather than who does what. Notice that the doer of the action is not included in the sentences.

If necessary, we can mention the doer of the action in a by-phrase. For example:

• The tree was struck by lightning.

• The flag was unfurled by the Chief Guest.

 

IV. Rewrite the sentences below, changing the verbs in brackets into the passive form.

1. In yesterday’s competition the prizes (give away) by the Principal.

2. In spite of financial difficulties, the labourers (pay) on time.

3. On Republic Day, vehicles (not allow) beyond this point.

4. Second-hand books (buy and sell) on the pavement every Saturday.

5. Elections to the Lok Sabha (hold) every five years.

6. Our National Anthem (compose) Rabindranath Tagore.

 

V. Rewrite the paragraphs below, using the correct form of the verb given in brackets.

 

1. How Helmets Came To Be Used in Cricket

 

Nari Contractor was the Captain and an opening batsman for India in the 1960s. The Indian cricket team went on a tour to the West Indies in 1962. In a match against Barbados in Bridgetown, Nari Contractor (seriously injure and collapse). In those days helmets (not wear). Contractor (hit) on the head by a bouncer from Charlie Griffith. Contractor’s skull (fracture). The entire team (deeply concern). The West Indies players (worry). Contractor (rush ) to hospital. He (accompany) by Frank Worrell, the Captain of the West Indies Team. Blood (donate) by the West Indies players. Thanks to the timely help, Contractor (save). Nowadays helmets (routinely use) against bowlers.

 

2. Oil from Seeds

 

Vegetable oils (make) from seeds and fruits of many plants growing all over the world, from tiny sesame seeds to big, juicy coconuts. Oil (produce) from cotton seeds, groundnuts, soya beans and sunflower seeds. Olive oil (use) for cooking, salad dressing etc. Olives (shake) from the trees and (gather) up, usually by hand. The olives (ground) to a thick paste which is spread onto special mats. Then the mats (layer) up on the pressing machine which will gently squeeze them to produce olive oil.

 

Dictation

 

Let the class divide itself into three groups. Let each group take down one passage that the teacher dictates. Then put the passages together in the right order.

 

To Sir, with Love

1. From Rameswaram to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, it’s been a long journey.

Talking to Nona Walia on the eve of Teacher’s Day, President Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam talks about life’s toughest lessons learnt and his mission — being a teacher to the Indian youth. “A proper education would help nurture a sense of dignity and self-respect among our youth,” says President Kalam.

            There’s still a child in him though, and he’s still curious about learning new things. Life’s a mission for President Kalam.

           

2.Nonetheless, he remembers his first lesson in life and how it changed his destiny. “I was studying in Standard V, and must have been all of 10. My teacher, Sri Sivasubramania Iyer was telling us how birds fly. He drew a diagram of a bird on the blackboard, depicting the wings, tail and the body with the head and then explained how birds soar to the sky. At the end of the class, I said I didn’t understand. Then he asked the other students if they had understood, but nobody had understood how birds fly,” he recalls.

 

3.“That evening, the entire class was taken to Rameswarm shore,” the President continues. “My teacher showed us sea birds. We saw marvellous formations of them flying and how their wings flapped. Then my teacher asked us, ‘Where is the birds’ engine and how is it powered?’ I knew then that birds are powered by their own life and motivation. I understood all about birds’ dynamics. This was real teaching — a theoretical lesson coupled with a live practical example. Sri Siva Subramania Iyer was a great teacher.”

            That day, my future was decided. My destiny was changed. I knew my future had to be about flight and flight systems.

 

Speaking

 

Here is a topic for you to

1. think about;

2. give your opinion on.

Find out what other people think about it. Ask your friends/seniors/parents to give you their opinion.

‘Career Building Is the Only Goal of Education.’

or

‘Getting a Good Job Is More Important than Being a Good Human Being.’

You can use the following phrases

(i) while giving your opinion:

• I think that ...

• In my opinion ...

• It seems to me that ...

• I am of the view that ...

• As far as I know ...

• If you ask me ...

 

(ii) saying what other people think:

• According to some ...

• Quite a few think ...

• Some others favour ...

• Thirty per cent of the people disagree ...

• Fifty per cent of them strongly feel ...

 

(iii) asking for others’ opinions:

• What do you think about ...

• What do you think of ...

• What is your opinion about ...

• Do you agree ...

• Does this make you believe ...

 

Writing

Think and write a short account of what life in Rameswaram in the 1940s must have been like. (Were people rich or poor? Hard working or lazy? Hopeful of change, or resistant to it?).