Category: Class 9

By understanding the academic needs we have prepared the Karnataka State Board English Class 9 Solutions Chapter Wise. Our aim is to help the students by providing the question and answers chapter wise and help them to gain a good score in the exams. Before you start your preparation go through the chapters covered in this academic. So go through them and Download KSEEB Solutions for Class 9 English Poem Chapter 5 The Pencil’s Story Question and Answers Pdf for free.

Karnataka State Board Class 9 English Poem Chapter 5 The Pencil’s Story

The topics covered in Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board Class 9 Solutions for English Chapter 5 The Pencil’s Story. The KSEEB Solutions Class 9 English Solutions Chapter 5 The Pencil’s Story Question and Answers are prepared according to the latest edition.The Chapterwise page will help the students to revise the syllabus during the exams.

The Pencil’s Story Questions and Answers, Summary, Notes

Comprehension:

C1. Answer the following questions:

Question 1.
Where does the poet see the pencil lying:

1. in the beginning
2. at the end of the poem?

Answer:

1. In the beginning, the pencil lies upon the mantelpiece.
2. At the end, it is found in a holder.

Question 2.
Why is the pencil’s life described as weary?
Answer:
The pencil called H and B (hard and black) is narrating its own story as it is a little pencil and lies upon the mantelpiece so as to be seen by everyone. It is used almost forty times a day. So it feels very tired.

Question 3.
When, according to the poet, is the pencil

1. sad
2. glad?

Answer:

1. The pencil is sad when it is shortened and is not allowed to grow.
2. The pencil feels happy when it is useful to the whole family.

Question 4.
What does the poet mean by ‘wits are rather dull’?
Answer:
The phrase ‘wits are rather dull’ can mean two things: when the pencil is used very often it becomes blunt. But the pencil gets overused if the writer has ‘dull wits’ or what can be described as a dull mind. He would then make mistakes and use the pencil, again and again, making it blunt.

Question 5.
What makes the poet say that ‘the pencil’s speech is always dark’ and that ‘it always makes its mark’? Explain.
Answer:
The poet describes the speech of the pencil as dark because the lead from which pencil is made is black. The phrase ‘make my mark’ has additional metaphoric meaning in addition to its literal meaning. Its deeper meaning is to do something that makes one famous or successful; to do something that is very important or meaningful. In the case of the pencil, as it serves others tirelessly, ‘make a mark’ can be interpreted as doing useful work.

Question 6.
Make a list of the rhyming words found in the poem. Rhyming words in the poem:

1. B – see.
2. life – knife.
3. things – kings.
4. about – out.
5. missed – list.
6. play – day.
7. ought – short.
8. joint – point.
9. dark – mark.
10. friend – end.
11. older – holder.

Question 7.
Read lines 5 to 8. Who might be ‘Tommy’, according to the poet? How old would he be?
Answer:
According to the poet, Tommy might be the youngest family member. He might be around five to six years because his handwriting is mentioned as a ‘scrawl’ and the pictures he draws are of various themes which reveal his whims and fancies.

C2. Fill the columns after reading the poem carefully:

Persons in the poem	The various purposes for which the pencil is used by them
1. Tommy 2. Father 3. Mother	…………………………………………….. To keep score when playing ………………………………………………

Answer:

Person	Purpose for which the pencil is used
1. Tommy 2. Father 3. Mother	To draw untidy pictures like submarines, aeroplanes and cabbages. To keep score when playing. To prepare the washing list.

Additional Questions:

Explain with reference to the context:

Question 1.
…………… when my wits are rather dull I’m sharpened with a knife!
Answer:
The line above is taken from the poem “The Pencil’s Story’. It is written by Florence Hoatson, an English poet. In this poem, she pictures the life of a pencil. A pencil is useful to everyone in a household. From a small boy to the housemaker everyone uses the pencil for writing various things. Therefore, it leads a very busy life. In the poem, the pencil narrates its daily routine.

Whenever a pencil is used, with continuous writing, it becomes blunt. So, it has to be sharpened with a knife to make it usable. So, the pencil says that whenever its wits are rather dull, meaning, whenever it becomes blunt, it is sharpened with a knife.

Question 2.
I’m just a little pencil, but I have a busy day.
Answer:
The line above is from the poem ‘The Pencil’s Story’ written by Florence Hoatson. While narrating its routine, the pencil says that though it is only a little pencil, it has a busy day. Everyone at home uses a pencil at one or the other time. Tommy uses it to draw all sorts of pictures from submarines to aeroplanes and cabbages to kings.

Miss Phyllis uses it to write a letter and the pencil makes it beautiful. The mother needs it to make her washing-list, while the father makes the pencil keep the score when he begins to play. Though the pencil is kept on the mantlepiece, it never rests there, because someone or the other in the household keeps using it. However, this does not make the pencil unhappy.

Question 3.
“When I am meditating I am bitten at the end”.
Answer:
This line is taken from the poem ‘The Pencil’s Story’ by Florence Hoatson. The pencil has moments of sorrow, though most times it is happy to be used well. Such moments are like the ones when its end is bitten continuously by the person who uses the pencil. Some people have the bad habit of biting the end of the pencil, whenever they stop to think. Such moments are unhappy for the pencil.

Multiple Choice Questions:

Question 1.
The pencil says its name is
A) H
B) L & H
C) H & B
D) B & L
Answer:
C) H & B

Question 2.
The pencil is handled …………… times a day.
A) forty
B) twenty
C) twice
D) fifty
Answer:
A) forty

Question 3.
The pencil is sharpened with a knife when it is
A) sharp
B) blunt
C) short
D) long
Answer:
B) blunt

Question 4.
The pencil draws all sorts of things when it is with
A) Mother
B) Father
C) Miss Phyllis
D) Tommy
Answer:
D) Tommy

Question 5.
Miss Phyllis writes a ………….. with the pencil.
A) picture of a submarine
B) picture of an aeroplane
C) lovely letter
D) picture of a king.
Answer:
C) lovely letter

Question 6.
Mother wants the pencil when she prepares the
A) grocery list
B) washing list
C) food
D) list of flowers.
Answer:
B) washing list

Question 7.
After constant use, the pencil becomes ………….. every day.
A) longer and longer
B) shorter and shorter
C) thinner and thinner
D) thicker and thicker.
Answer:
B) shorter and shorter

Question 8.
The pencil is very happy because
A) it is short
B) it is blunt
C) it is useful
D) it is useless.
Answer:
C) it is useful

Question 9.
When the pencil cannot be used any longer it is
A) put in a geometry box
B) put in a holder
C) kept on the mantelpiece
D) thrown away.
Answer:
B) put in a holder

Appreciation:

Question 1.
Can the pencil’s journey from the mantlepiece to the holder be compared to the journey of life of all human beings?
Answer:
The poem ‘The Pencil’s Story’ is a symbolic poem. Through this poem, the poet seems to give the message that our life should be like a pencil. A pencil suffers pain when it is sharpened. The more it is used, the smaller it becomes. Yet, it would leave its mark whenever it is used or whatever is written with it. This aspect gives the message that the more good we do, the better we feel and others feel about us. The pain and suffering in our life make us better and wiser human beings.

Question 2.
Pick out the lines from the poem in which you find examples of personification.
Answer:
Personification is giving life to inanimate objects. Throughout the poem, the pencil is personified as it speaks in the first person to describe its work and feelings. Miss Phyllis uses it to write beautiful letters and Tommy uses it to draw. The mother uses it for the washing list and the father uses it to note down the scores of the game. However, the pencil feels bad because it is never allowed to grow; it is made smaller and smaller by being sharpened.

It is shortened every day. When the knife begins to sharpen it; which is very painful, the pencil keeps quiet because the point has to be sharp. But the pencil is very proud of its achievement. Though its writing is dark, it is very useful and each time someone uses it, it leaves a mark. At the end of the poem, the pencil, which has become short and useless, reaches a holder, and this is the end of the pencil’s journey. In addition to the personification of the pencil, there is the personification of sorrow that seems to follow the pencil.

The Pencil’s Story by About The Poet:

Florence Mary Hoatson was an English poet, born on October 13, 1881 at Essex, England, who has written a number of collections of poetry. Her works include ‘God made little Robin’, ‘God, whose name is Love’, ‘Hands together, softly’ etc. She died on January 28th, 1964 at Gloucestershire, England.

The Pencil’s Story Summary in English

The poem ‘The Pencil’s Story’, written by Florence Hoatson, is a symbolic poem, which highlights how even small things can teach us a lesson in our life. In the poem, a pencil called H and B, is narrating its own story. It is the story of the pencil’s journey from mantelpiece to the holder just as our journey beams from birth and ends with death. The theme of the poem is centered on the usefulness of life.

The story of the pencil called H and B (hard and black) begins when it is a little pencil and lies upon the mantelpiece, so as to be seen by everyone. It is used almost forty times a day. So it feels very tired. The pencil feels happy as it is very useful to the whole family because Tommy, the young child of the family, uses it to draw untidy pictures from submarines to aeroplanes to cabbages; Miss Phyllis uses it to write beautiful letters; mother uses it to do her washing list and father uses it to note down the scores of the game.

However the pencil feels sad because it is never allowed to grow, it is made smaller and smaller by sharpening it. It is shortened every day. When the knife begins to sharpen it, which is very painful, it keeps quiet because the point has to be sharp. But the pencil is very proud of its achievement. Though its writing is dark, it is very useful and each time someone uses it, it leaves a mark. At the end of the poem, the pencil, when it becomes short and useless, reaches the holder. That is the end of the pencil’s journey.

Thus the poem ‘The Pencil’s Story7 is a very symbolic poem. Through this poem, the poet seems to give the message that our life should be like a pencil. A pencil suffers pain (when it is sharpened) to make itself brighter. The more it is used, the smaller it becomes but it would have left its mark whenever or whatever is written with it. This aspect gives the message that the more good we become, the more good others feel about us. The pains and sufferings in our life make us better and wise human beings.

We hope the information prevailed in this article is helpful for all the students of Class 9. The Karnataka State Board Solutions for Class 9 English Chapter 5 The Pencil’s Story Question and Answers pdf enhance your skills and score good marks in the exams. Stay tuned to get the latest information about the KSEEB Solutions Class 9 English Solutions.

By understanding the academic needs we have prepared the Karnataka State Board English Class 9 Solutions Chapter Wise. Our aim is to help the students by providing the question and answers chapter wise and help them to gain a good score in the exams. Before you start your preparation go through the chapters covered in this academic. So go through them and Download KSEEB Solutions for Class 9 English Poem Chapter 9 Goodbye Party for Miss Pushpa T.S Question and Answers Pdf for free.

Karnataka State Board Class 9 English Poem Chapter 9 Goodbye Party for Miss Pushpa T.S.

The topics covered in Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board Class 9 Solutions for English Chapter 9 Goodbye Party for Miss Pushpa T.S. The KSEEB Solutions Class 9 English Solutions Chapter 9 Goodbye Party for Miss Pushpa T.S Question and Answers are prepared according to the latest edition.The Chapterwise page will help the students to revise the syllabus during the exams.

Goodbye Party for Miss Pushpa T.S. Questions and Answers, Summary, Notes

Comprehension:

C1. Answer the following questions:

Question 1.
What do you think is the ‘occasion’ for the poem?
Answer:
The occasion for the poem is a send-off party to Miss Pushpa T.S. who is going abroad.

Question 2.
What impression do you get about Miss Pushpa after reading the poem? OR What kind of person do you think Miss Pushpa is?
Answer:
Whatever we learn about Pushpa is from the references made by the speaker about Pushpa. So, we cannot conclude that in reality,

Miss Pushpa is what she is projected to be. Secondly, we should also remember that the occasion is the goodbye party for Miss. Pushpa. Hence, naturally, only good things will be said about her irrespective of what she in reality is.

From the narration of the speaker, we realize that Miss Pushpa is from a well-to-do family. She is well known for her external and internal beauty. She is a cheerful, pleasant looking, hard-working and popular person among people.

Question 3.
Write in two or three sentences about Miss Pushpa’s family.
Answer:
Miss Pushpa is described as belonging to a ‘high family’. However, the speaker cannot remember whether her father, a famous advocate, is in Bulsar or Surat.

Question 4.
Pick out the lines from the poem which reveal or indicate that Miss Pushpa was liked by all.
Answer:
“You are all-knowing, friends, what sweetness is in Miss Pushpa.”
“She is a most popular lady with men also and ladies also” reveal that Miss Pushpa was liked by all.

Question 5.
What traits of Miss Pushpa does the poet appreciate?
Answer:
The poet appreciates Miss Pushpa for her cheerfulness. He says that she is a sweet person both externally as well as at heart. Though she belongs to a well-to-do family, she does not have any arrogance but is popular among not only her female colleagues but also male colleagues. She readily takes up any work given to her and completes it in time without grumbling or refusing. All these traits of Miss Pushpa are worth appreciation.

Question 6.
How would you consider the poem – A farewell address or a welcome speech? Justify your answer.
Answer:
The poem is a farewell address as all have assembled there to bid bon voyage to Miss Pushpa who is going abroad to improve her career prospects. The speaker and the audience are quite knowledgeable about her character and aptitude which reveals that they know her very well. This is not possible when a person is just entering a company as an employee. There is also a mention in the poem twice that they have met that day to wish her bon voyage.

Question 7.
There are a few ‘expressions’ in the poem which are typically Indian. Identify these expressions.
Answer:
The whole poem is a satire on the way most of the Indians speak English. Hence, there are plenty of examples of Indian usages. The usage of present continuous tense is typically Indian. The expressions in the poem which are typically Indian are:

1. Departing for foreign
2. You are all-knowing
3. Smiling and smiling
4. Very high family
5. once only I stayed in Surat
6. with men also and ladies also
7. just now only I will do it
8. that is showing good spirit

Question 8.
Would you consider Miss Pushpa as a handsome person? Justify your answer.
Answer:
Miss Pushpa is a good looking person because the speaker mentions that not only is she a good looking person but also a beautiful person by heart.

Question 9.
Would you consider this poem as making gentle fun of the people who cannot speak English properly? Justify your answer.
Answer:
Certainly, the poem makes gentle fun of the people who cannot speak English properly. Hence, the poem can be considered a satire. However, the intention of the satire is not to make fun, but to correct. The poet shows how Indians have Indianised the English language. Since English is not our native language, it is all right for us to speak it in a manner that is different from the manner of native speakers of English.

However, not all Indians speak English in this manner. There are quite a few Indians who can speak the language in a chaste manner. Perhaps the poet should have taken enough trouble to point out this fact.

C2. Imagine you are Miss Pushpa. Prepare a thanksgiving speech in response to the speech in the poem.

Since Miss Pushpa is all set to go abroad, we can conclude that her language is different from the language of the speaker. So her speech would probably be the following:

My dear colleagues,

As all of us know, parting is painful. Though I’m going abroad for better prospects, there will always be a void in my heart as I have to say goodbye to you. This emptiness cannot be filled by the people I would be meeting in my new workplace. This I say very earnestly as each of you ensured that my time here was happy and tension-free.

You, my dear friends, will always be a part of my life. But, in life we need to move on; and so, I’ve moved on. I thank you wholeheartedly for organizing this farewell party for me. I thank Mr. Ezekiel for his words of appreciation which came straight from his heart. Before I put the mike down, let me hope that we will meet someday, somewhere.

Thank you.

C3. Read the following extracts and answer the questions that follow:

1. Surat? Ah, yes once only I stayed in Surat.

Question a.
Who does T refer to here?
Answer:
Here, T refers to Pushpa’s colleague.

Question b.
Why is the reference to Surat made here?
Answer:
Miss Pushpa’s father was a renowned advocate from a very high family in Bulsar or Surat. While referring to this point, the speaker also remembers that once he stayed in Surat with the family members of his uncle’s family.

Question c.
Is this remark apt in the context?
Answer:
No, it is not contextual. The speaker satirizes the Indian habit of meandering while narrating a particular incident.

2. “Just now only I will do it”

Question a.
Who does T refer to here?
Answer:
Here, T refers to Miss Pushpa.

Question b.
What does “if mean here?
Answer:
‘It’ means any task given to Miss Pushpa for completion.

Question c.
What does this show of the T referred to?
Answer:
It shows Miss Pushpa’s dedication to her work. She did any task given to her quickly and cheerfully. She never asked why the work was given to her. Neither did she procrastinate.

C4. Here are a few phrases/lines from the poem. Correct the mistakes wherever necessary and rewrite them.

Answer:

Multiple Choice Questions:

Question 1.
The poem is …………… to Miss Pushpa T.S.
A) a welcome speech
B) a farewell address
C) a lesson in English
D) none of the above.
Answer:
B) a farewell address

Question 2.
‘Is departing for foreign’ this line means
A) is leaving for a foreign country
B) is going to die
C) is coming from a foreign country
D) is living in a foreign country.
Answer:
A) is leaving for a foreign country

Question 3.
The poem is described as …………….. Indian English.
A) an attempt to ridicule
B) a satire on
C) a criticism of
D) comment on.
Answer:
B) a satire on

Question 4.
Miss Pushpa was going to
A) another city
B) a different office
C) a foreign country
D) give up her job.
Answer:
C) a foreign country

Question 5.
They have gathered to wish her
A) a happy birthday
B) for her wedding anniversary
C) for her achievement
D) bon voyage.
Answer:
D) bon voyage.

Question 6.
Miss Pushpa is smiling and smiling because
A) it is a humorous occasion
B) she is feeling happy
C) somebody cut a joke
D) Whenever she is free
Answer:
A) it is a humorous occasion

Goodbye Party for Miss Pushpa T.S. by Nissim Ezekiel About The Poet:

Nissim Ezekiel (1924-2004) is a well known Indo-Anglican poet. He has a number of poems to his credit. He lived in Mumbai for a long time and joined the prestigious ‘Illustrated Weekly of India’ in 1953. He worked there for two years. Later he produced several volumes of verse and plays. He was also an art critic. The present poem is taken from his ‘Collected Poems’.

Goodbye Party for Miss Pushpa T.S. Summary in English

The poem ‘Goodbye Party for Miss Pushpa T.S.’ is a monologue. A monologue is a poem in which we find a single speaker, though we feel the presence of other listeners. At the beginning of the poem, the speaker explains that Miss Pushpa is going to a different country and states that she’s a sweet person. He explains that the woman comes from a well-to-do family.

However, he gets sidetracked with his own memories. After digressing, the speaker states that Miss Pushpa is a popular person who is kind and always willing to help others. At the end of the.poem, the speaker asks the others at the party to give their own speeches about the party’s honoree.

The main theme of ‘Goodbye Party for Miss Pushpa T.S.’ isn’t the loss of a friend; instead, it is human foibles or character faults. This is a popular theme among Ezekiel’s works. The poem offers a satirical look at how some people in India speak English, a device that the poet presumably used to get an Indian reader to laugh at himself. The poem misuses the present continuous tense and uses phrases and syntax found in the Indian language.

For example, when Ezekiel writes, “Whatever I or anybody is asking/ She is always saying yes.” The poem also satirizes the Indian habit of digressing from the topic by showing that in between his speech, the speaker unnecessarily speaks about his visit to Surat.

Ezekiel wrote many of his works, including ‘Goodbye Party for Miss Pushpa T.S.’ in the dialect of urban Indians, particularly those in Bombay. This dialect is called “Babu English.” Originally, the colonial British used the word “babu” as a derogatory term while referring to subordinate Indians who spoke English as a second language.

A “Babu” was a person who tried to impress a British master using stylish ornamentation, as the way that he expressed a message was more important than the information relayed.

We hope the information prevailed in this article is helpful for all the students of Class 9. The Karnataka State Board Solutions for Class 9 English Chapter 9 Goodbye Party for Miss Pushpa T.S Question and Answers pdf enhance your skills and score good marks in the exams. Stay tuned to get the latest information about the KSEEB Solutions Class 9 English Solutions.

By understanding the academic needs we have prepared the Karnataka State Board English Class 9 Solutions Chapter Wise. Our aim is to help the students by providing the question and answers chapter wise and help them to gain a good score in the exams. Before you start your preparation go through the chapters covered in this academic. So go through them and Download KSEEB Solutions for Class 9 English Prose Chapter 4 Mauritius Question and Answers Pdf for free.

Karnataka State Board Class 9 English Prose Chapter 4 Mauritius

The topics covered in Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board Class 9 Solutions for English Chapter 4 Mauritius. The KSEEB Solutions Class 9 English Solutions Chapter 4 Mauritius Question and Answers are prepared according to the latest edition.The Chapterwise page will help the students to revise the syllabus during the exams.

Mauritius Questions and Answers, Summary, Notes

Comprehension:

C1. Read the lesson silently and answer the following questions:

Question 1.
Where is Mauritius?
Answer:
Mauritius is an island situated below the Equator on the Twentieth parallel, around 4,500 kms. south-west of Bombay.

Question 2.
Name the people of different origins found in Mauritius.
Answer:
Africans, Chinese, Biharis, Dutch, Persians, Tamils, Arabs, French, and English are the people of different origins found in Mauritius.

Question 3.
Who are referred to as the “buccaneering trinity” of those days? Why are they called so?
Answer:
The Dutch, the French and the English are referred to as the ‘buccaneering trinity’. In those days these three powers fought with one another continuously for possession of the island which had three advantages – spices and sugar, strategic position with regard to the maritime route and, advantageous position for piratical purposes.

Question 4.
List out some ‘very musical but unpronounceable names’ as found by the author.
Answer:
Trouaux Biches, Beau Bassin, Quarter Bomes, Curepipe, Ross Belle are some of the musical but unpronounceable names.

Question 5.
What are the ‘flora and fauna’ found in Mauritius?
Answer:
Centuries ago the bat was the only mammal before man went to Mauritius with monkeys and deer. In the present, the flora and fauna at Mauritius are typical of the place. The trees even in the interior of jungles are short and twisted, resembling overgrown bonsai.

The jungles have no wildlife at all. They don’t even have poisonous snakes and insects. Unfortunately, the number of birds is decreasing and dodo has gone extinct. Attempts are being made to preserve the Aldabra variety of giant tortoises as their number is also dwindling.

Question 6.
How is nature cruel to the people of Mauritius?
Answer:
Nature is cruel to the people of Mauritius because, in addition to the storms which are the annual feature of Mauritius, it devastates the island once in 15 years with the King cyclone as it did on February 6, 1975. The cyclone was a powerful 320 km. broad wind that moved in at 255 kms per hour. It ruined everything that came in its way for two days. However, people slowly forget the destruction and rebuild everything and also plant trees. But nature once again turns cruel and destroys everything with the King cyclone at the end of the 15-year period.

Question 7.
Name some aquatic creatures sighted by the author.
Answer:
Crabs, lobsters, fish coloured bright lemon yellow with black stripes, fishes with spikes all over their body, fish with long tails, fish with battered faces, shiny white blobs of sea creatures are sopie of the aquatic creatures sighted by the author.

C2. Answer the following questions:

Question 1.
Why was it difficult for the author to locate Mauritius in his Atlas?
Answer:
It was very difficult for the author to locate Mauritius in his Allas because his atlas was a very old one and the weather, time and lots of cockroaches had made a lot of damage by putting dots. Therefore finding the small speck of Island in the vast Indian Ocean was very difficult.

Question 2.
What is the reason for the people of different countries to settle in Mauritius?
Answer:
Mauritius is inundated with sugarcane fields and spices which was the reason for the people’s different countries to settle here. Added to this was the strategic position of this Island on the maritime route to the East and it was conveniently placed for piratical purposes.

Question 3.
How does the author explain the absence of protocol among the government officials and ministers in Mauritius?
Answer:
The people of Mauritius are very friendly and relaxed towards everyone. The same atmosphere is found even in the seat of the Government. One can find the cabinet Ministers and others in high positions in an airport lounge or in a hotel lobby. They are unassuming, communicative, and accessible and move about without the shield of security people. In fact, the Prime Minister’s residence is a modest flat in a busy market street.

Question 4.
Give the description of mountains as given by the author.
Answer:
The author describes the peculiarity of the mountains of Mauritius by pointing out that the mountains do not have the – traditional pyramidal shape. Their outlines are unusual with straight drops and pin-pointed peaks that dangerously balance large boulders.

Question 5.
Describe how the people of Mauritius fight against the cruel jaws of nature.
Answer:
The people of Mauritius seem to be the ones with resilience. Even after going through the suffering of the total devastation caused by King cyclone, they have the interest to rebuild everything. They seem to forget the enormous violence of nature and plant trees in congested areas, build tall structures, fix plateglass picture windows and put up rooftops with an eye for elegance. The author is surprised and sad that they forget the destruction caused by the King cyclone which promptly hits the’ island once in 15 years.

Question 6.
What would be the future of Mauritius, as opined by the author?
Answer:
The writer seems to be despondent about the future of Mauritius. He states that present Mauritius is idyllic with no problems of population and unemployment. However, the country is worried about its whole economy is dependent on the single commodity of sugar and wants to welcome foreign entrepreneurship. But the writer knows that with the introduction of industries, the population would grow and flats would come up resulting in pollution and congestion.

This would also mean increased cost of living, taxation, unemployment, slums, and a whole lot of associated problems. With the growth in industries, infrastructure also will have to change. Roads will have to be widened. With wise planning, all these problems can be tackled. But whether the leaders have the vision to preserve paradise is a question for which the writer has no answer.

C3. Compare and contrast the arriving and departing experience of the author during his flight.

Question 1.
Does it suggest anything to you?
Answer:
While the author was on his way towards the Island of Mauritius, he was full of admiration for its physical features, pristine lands viewed through acres and acres of clouds and curious about its odd mixtures of race and language but with a sense of oneness. He was full of admiration its unpolluted beauty. But, on his return flight the thoughts were all of fear and anxiety about the future of the Island.

He thought that if the foreign entrepreneurs started their industries, the Island would become polluted, with shines, increase in cost of living, unemployment etc. He was exited and enthusiastic during his arrival and was depressed and worried during his departure.

Additional Questions:

Question 1.
What was the condition of the world atlas which the writer had with him?
Answer:
It was old and it had many little dots and specks due to the passage of time, the weather and generations of cockroaches which had put them there.

Question 2.
How did the author perceive the ocean from the aircraft?
Answer:
From the aircraft, the ocean seemed to spread like a bluish-grey steel sheet.

Question 3.
What did the clouds resemble?
Answer:
The clouds seemed to resemble figures in the ancient legends of China, Rome, Greece and India.

Question 4.
What was far fetched, according to the writer?
Answer:
Drawing comparisons between what he observed from a height of 10,000 metres and what he learnt of Mauritius later seemed far fetched to the writer.

Question 5.
What was peculiar or rather special about Mauritius?
Answer:
Mauritius, though a tiny island, has an astonishing variety, strange juxtapositions, incongruities, odd mixtures of race and language. This is special about Mauritius.

Question 6.
Who ‘rub shoulders merrily’ in Mauritius as per the observations of the writer?
Answer:
Africans and Chinese, Biharis and Dutch, Persians and Tamils, Arabs, French and English – all rub shoulders merrily with one another in Mauritius.

Question 7.
Why did Radha Krishna Govindan surprise the writer?
Answer:
The writer thought that Radha Krishna Govindan was a Tamilian because he had a South Indian face and a name to go with it. But he responded in mangled English with a heavy French accent when spoken to. This surprised the writer.

Question 8.
Why were Radha Krishna Govindan’s ancestors brought to Mauritius?
Answer:
Centuries ago his ancestors were brought to the island of Mauritius as slaves or later as indentured labourers to work in sugarcane fields and factories or to cut timber in the jungle and haul it to the boats.

Question 9.
Who was the trinity referred to by the writer?
Answer:
The Dutch, the French, and the English.

Question 10.
Why did the trinity wage wars?
Answer:
The trinity battled for the possession of the islands for its spices and sugar and also for the strategic position of the islands on the maritime route to the East.

Question 11.
What is the attitude of the people of Mauritius towards strangers?
Answer:
The people of Mauritius are extremely relaxed and warm towards strangers. They always greet them with smiles as if one were a long lost friend.

Question 12.
Why was the writer ashamed?
Answer:
The writer was ashamed because being a city-bred man he could not even produce a warm smile. He had the pre-cast grim expression of a city-dweller and there was no warmth and spontaneity in his smile.

Question 13.
How are the cabinet ministers in Mauritius different from our own?
Answer:
The cabinet ministers in Mauritius do not behave as if they were born to grace the position they hold. They are unassuming, accessible,
communicative and above all, go about without a protective shield of security men.

Question 14.
Where was the residence of the Prime Minister of Mauritius situated?
Answer:
The Prime Minister’s residence was situated on a busy street lined with shops and crawling traffic. It was a modest-looking flat.

Question 15.
Whom does the writer remember when he sees Port Louis?
Answer:
Port Louis brings to the writer’s mind the memory of writers like Joseph Conrad and Somerset Maugham.3

Question 16.
How were the mountains in Mauritius formed?
Answer:
The blue mountains that ring the island of Mauritius are a volcanic happening of geological ages.

Question 17.
What is the area of Mauritius?
Answer:
The island of Mauritius is 64 km by 50 km in size.

Question 18.
What is the difference between the trees of the Andaman islands and those of Mauritius?
Answer:
The trees in the Andamans are gigantic. In Mauritius, however, they are short and gnarled even in interior jungles, looking like abnormally overgrown bonsai.

Question 19.
Name the flightless bird which was a native of Mauritius.
Answer:
Dodo.

Question 20.
Which are the water sports common in Mauritius?
Answer:
Scuba-diving, swimming, surf-riding, speed boat racing, yachting, and in some places horse-riding (in water).

Question 21.
What is the economy of Mauritius dependent upon?
Answer:
The economy of Mauritius is dependent upon sugar.

Question 22.
What is referred to as ‘paradise on earth’ by the writer?
Answer:
The island of Mauritius is referred to as paradise on earth by the writer.

Multiple Choice Questions:

Question 1.
In the World Atlas, Mauritius looked like
A) a big island
B) a big city
C) a tiny speck
D) a continent.
Answer:
C) a tiny speck

Question 2.
The ancestors of the natives of Mauritius were brought to the island as slaves or labourers
A) to work in sugarcane fields
B) to work in factories
C) to cut timber in the jungle
D) All of the above.
Answer:
D) All of the above

Question 3.
The phrase ‘buccaneering trinity’ refers to
A) the Americans, the Dutch and the French
B) the French, the Russians and the English
C) the Polish, the Kiwis and the French
D) the Dutch, the French and the English.
Answer:
D) the Dutch, the French and the English.

Question 4.
The buccaneering trinity constantly fought for the possession of the island for
A) its spices
B) its sugar
C) the strategic position
D) All of the above.
Answer:
D) All of the above.

Question 5.
The battle of 1810 for the Island ended in favour of
A) the French
B) the Dutch
C) the English
D) the Americans.
Answer:
C) the English

Question 6.
In Mauritius
A) it is common to be greeted and smiled at
B) people are hostile
C) people do not mix with outsiders
D) people fight among themselves
Answer:
A) it is common to be greeted and smiled at

Question 7.
The Cabinet Ministers and others in high positions
A) live in ivory towers
B) are high handed
C) are like ordinary people
D) like to show their power.
Answer:
C) are like ordinary people

Question 8.
The Prime Minister of Mauritius lives in
A) a bungalow
B) a modest flat
C) a palace
D) White house.
Answer:
B) a modest flat

Question 9.
The trees in Mauritius are
A) gigantic in size
B) like bonsai specimen
C) short and gnarled
D) tall and abnormal.
Answer:
C) short and gnarled

Question 10.
The ……………… was a native of Mauritius.
A) Stork
B) Eagle
C) Dinosaur
D) Dodo
Answer:
D) Dodo

Question 11.
The cyclone that promptly appears and destroys Mauritius is the ………….. cyclone.
A) Trou aux Biches
B) King
C) Beau Bassin
D) Ross Belle
Answer:
B) King

Question 12.
The economy of Mauritius is dependent on
A) steel
B) sugar
C) natural gas
D) minerals.
Answer:
B) sugar

Language Activities:

Grammar And Usage:

G1. The order of adjectives:

When there are several adjectives to a noun, certain word order is followed. Here is the order:

1. Opinion
2. Size
3. Most other qualities
4. Age
5. Colour
6. Origin
7. Material
8. Type
9. Purpose

Ex. 1. Arrange the adjectives for the nouns provided, in the correct word order.

1. vase – glass, old, lovely
   This is a lovely, old, glass vase.
   (Most other qualities, age, material)
2. Basin – sugar, antique, silver
   This is an antique, silver sugar basin.
   (Age, material, type)
3. Game – family, new, exciting
   This is an exciting, new family game.
   (Opinion, age, type)
4. Computer – business, Japanese, powerful
   This is a powerful, Japanese computer business.
   (Most other qualities, origin, type)
5. Fire – electric, excellent, small
   Excellent, small electric fire.
   (Most other qualities, size, material)
6. Chocolate bar – new, big
   Big, new chocolate bar.
   (Size, age, material)
7. Comedy – American, television, terrific Terrific American television comedy.
   (Most other qualities, origin, type)
8. Doors – aluminium, garage, stylish Stylish aluminium garage doors.
   (Most other qualities, material, type)
9. Shoes – modem, sports, wonderful Wonderful, modem sports shoes.
   (Most other qualities, age, purpose)
10. Phone – mobile, German, good Good German mobile phone.
    (Most other qualities, origin, material)

Ex. 2. From the lesson, pick out the multiple adjectives used to describe the following:

1. Clouds like ……………….
2. Trees ……………….
3. Cabinet ministers …………………
4. Mountains do not have …………………
5. Lagoons ………………

Answer:

1. Clouds like – funny shapes, odd, abstract.
2. Trees – short and gnarled, abnormally overgrown.
3. Cabinet ministers – ordinary, unassuming, accessible, communicative.
4. Mountains do not have – traditional, monotonous, pyramidal shapes.
5. Lagoons – calm, turquoise blue.

G2. Modals:

A. Given below are some dialogues. Underline the modals.

a) A: Raju has fractured his arm.
B: But still he can write.
b) A: I have still some shopping to do. May I leave my bag in your store?
B: Yes, but please collect it before 8-00 p.m.
c) A: The coffee is rather bitter. Would you please pass some sugar?
B: No, you must not take any sugar.
d) A: My feet get swollen in the evening.
B: Then you must consult a doctor.
e) A: I’ll not be able to finish my assignment in time.
B: Shall I do the drawings for you?

B. Match the modals in bold in column A with their corresponding functions and attitude given in column B.

Answer:

1. g
2. c
3. e
4. a
5. h
6. f
7. b
8. d

C. Read the following letter and choose the most suitable alternative from those given in brackets. Underline your choice. Sometimes more than one alternative is suitable.

Dear Mohit

It was pleasing to get your letter and to hear the good news that you are going trekking with your friends. You (ought to / would / should) have a break after your exams! You asked me what you (can / should / will) take. Well, you (might / can’t / mustn’t) fit everything in a backpack so you must be selective. You (will /can/must) take at least one sweater because it (ought to / should / can) get very cold in the mountains. You (needn’t / could / should) pack a gas stove because there (could / may / will) be plenty of firewood from dead trees.

I am sure you (will / should / could) have a wonderful time but I (may / would / should) give you a word of warning. Don’t get stuck in the Laki Pass at night. Once you’re there you (won’t be able to / can’t be able to / not be able to) get down and it’s very dangerous at night. By the way, you (should / should have to / should have) told me earlier that you were going and I (should have / would have / will have) given you walking boots!

Anyway, look after yourself and enjoy your holiday.

With love
Daddy
Answer:
Dear Mohit

It was pleasing to get your letter and to hear the good news that you are going trekking with your friends. You should have a break after your exams! You asked me what you can take. Well. you can’t fit everything in a backpack so you must be selective. You must take at least one sweater because it can get very cold in the mountains. You needn’t pack a gas stove because there will be plenty of firewood from dead trees.

I am sure you will have a wonderful time but I would give you a word of warning. Don’t get stuck in the Laki Pass at night. Once you’re there you won’t be able to get down and it’s very dangerous at night. By the way, you should have told me earlier that you were going and I would have given you walking boots!

Anyway, look after yourself and enjoy your holiday.

With love
Daddy

Ex.4.
Sara does not understand a concept her teacher has just taught. Complete the dialogue given below using appropriate models.

• Sara: Excuse me, Madam, …………… you repeat the explanation again, please?
• Teacher: Why do you want me to repeat it? You ……………. be very attentive when I am teaching.
• Sara: Sorry madam, I ………….. hear you properly.
• Teacher: You ……………. have a hearing problem Sara, get your ears checked. You ……………. sit in the front row from tomorrow. I ………….. now explain it again. Pay attention.
• Sara: Thank you, madam.

Answer:

• Sara: Excuse me, Madam, could you repeat the explanation again, please?
• Teacher: Why do you want me to repeat it? You should be very attentive when I am teaching.
• Sara: Sorry madam, I couldn’t hear you properly.
• Teacher: You may have a hearing problem Sara, get your ears checked. You must sit in the front row from tomorrow. I will now explain it again. Pay attention.
• Sara: Thank you, madam.

Language Skills:

L1. Read the situations given in Column A and complete the likely responses to them in Column B.

Situation	Likely Response
1) Your neighbor is playing loud music, which is disturbing you.	Can you please………………….
2) You could not visit your friend who was ill at the hospital.	I am sorry……………………..
3) You have lost the book you had borrowed from your friend.	I am Extremely sorry………………….
4) You are late to school by an hour.	Excuse me Madam, I am …………………..
5) You are unable to help your friend financially in his need.	I am afraid I cannot ……………………

Answer:

1)	Your neighbor is playing loud music, which is disturbing you.	Can you please turn down the volume?
2)	You could not visit your friend who was ill at the hospital.	I am sorry that I couldn’t visit you at the hospital.
3)	You have lost the book you had borrowed from your friend.	I am extremely sorry that I have misplaced the book that I borrowed from you.
4)	You are late to school by an hour.	Excuse me, Madam. I am sorry that I am late by an hour.
5)	You are unable to help your friend financially in his need.	I am afraid I cannot be of help to you.  OR I am afraid I cannot help you financially.

L2. Listening and speaking:

Ex. 1. Classify into two groups according to the /i:/ and /e/ sounds:

Answer:

Ex. 2. Change the vowel sound from /e/ to /i:/ in these words and write the new words.

1. check
2. red
3. bet
4. men
5. sell
6. sweat
7. bed
8. set
9. fed
10. led

Answer:

1. check cheek
2. red read
3. bet beat
4. men mean
5. sell seal
6. sweat sweet
7. bed bead
8. set seat
9. fed feed
10. led lead.

Mauritius by R.K.Laxman About The Author:

R.K. Laxman was born on the 24th of October, 1921 in Mysore. His father was a headmaster and Laxman was the youngest of six sons. One of his elder brothers, R.K. Narayan, is a well-known novelist.

Laxman drew cartoons for The Hindu’, ‘Koravanji’ and later for ‘The Times of India’. He is known for his distinctive illustrations, most notably for ‘Malgudi Days’ written by R.K. Narayan.

He has won many awards that include the Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan and the Ramon Magsaysay Award.

‘Mauritius’ is a travelogue adapted from ‘Idle Hours’ written by him.

Mauritius Summary in English

The author comes up with a detailed description of Mauritius in his essay by the same name. He says that Mauritius is a tiny speck of an island situated below the Equator on the twentieth parallel some 4,500 km. south-west of Mumbai. The world atlas which the author had was very old and contained many little dots and specks. These dots were either the products of cockroaches or the adverse effects of weather. They had nothing to do with geography. So Mauritius could not be easily located by the author in his atlas. The author’s experience on his journey to Mauritius was exciting. He was curious to see the sight below the flying aircraft.

Different aspects of the country such as the bluish-grey steel sheet-like ocean, acres and acres of cloud and land structures resembling the legendary historical’ structures of ancient countries fascinated him. The author remarks that people of different origins are found in Mauritius. There are Africans, Chinese, Biharis, Dutch, Persians, Tamils, Arabs, French and English. Of these, the Dutch, the French and the English who constantly waged battle for the possession of the island for its spices and sugar were called the ‘buccaneering trinity’. They were called so as their interest in Mauritius was piratical in nature.

The reason for the people of different countries to settle in Mauritius was for its spices and sugar or just for the strategic position on the maritime route to the East.

In Mauritius, cabinet ministers and others in big positions do not act as if they were born to grace. They are all just like ordinary people. They are unassuming, accessible, communicative and without the protective shield of hangers-on and security men to repel casual approaches.

The blue mountains ring the islands, a volcanic happening of geological ages. These mountains do not have the traditional monotonous pyramidal shapes. Their outlines are freakish and whimsical with unexpected sweeps and have perpendicular drops and pin-pointed peaks.

The author finds some names from the French language such as Trou aux Biches, Beau Bassin, Quarter Bomes, Curepipe, Rose Belle and so on musical but unpronounceable.

The author extends his study to the flora and fauna in Mauritius too. He finds that the trees found in Mauritius are short and gnarled even in the interior of jungles just like overgrown bonsai. The fauna are the bats, monkeys, deer and giant tortoises of Aldabra variety.

Mauritius is prone to cyclonic storms and it is an annual feature. Big ones occur once in 15 years and leave a trail of destruction. People are used to cyclones and have learnt to live with them. King cyclone, a massive cyclone, had struck Mauritius on February 6,1975 leaving vast areas flattened. The island has recovered from the devastation. Trees are planted in congested areas. Tall buildings have come up, plateglass picture windows are fixed and rooftops are put up with an eye on elegance.

On a cruise in a glass-bottomed boat, the author gets to see sea-shells, crabs, shapeless ugly creatures crawling in the dark depths and a school of fish, coloured bright lemon yellow with black bars. Fishes with hideous spikes all over their body, fishes with long tails, fishes with battered faces are also found.

The Government is eager to have foreign entrepreneurs start their industries here. The author opines that with industrial growth, the living space will shrink. Cars and trucks will increase. Their roads will have to be widened to take the load. The price of land will go up and flats will appear. Cost of living, pollution, unemployment, slums, taxation, controls will appear.

During his return flight the author could not see those scenes as it was dark. But he could imagine future Mauritius in a changed situation – industrialization with wider roads, tall buildings, pollution, unemployment, slums etc. He hopes that enlightened people will guide the growth of Mauritius and preserve this paradise on earth.

Glossary:

bearing (v): carrying
albeit: although
juxtaposition: put side-by-side
incongruities: out of place, absurd
indentured: bound by
strategic: important
spontaneity (n): resulting from natural impulse; not forced or suggested or caused from outside
whimsical: capricious, fantastic
precariously (adv): dependent on chance; uncertain, risky
ubiquitous: omnipresent, seeming to be everywhere
sprawling: be of loose, irregular form
gnarled: ragged
dwindling: diminishing gradually
buccaneering: piratical
(buka-neering)
relentlessly: unrelenting
trinity: a whole consisting of three parts (here, the three countries)
avidity (n): eagerness

We hope the information prevailed in this article is helpful for all the students of Class 9. The Karnataka State Board Solutions for Class 9 English Chapter 4 Mauritius Question and Answers pdf enhance your skills and score good marks in the exams. Stay tuned to get the latest information about the KSEEB Solutions Class 9 English Solutions.

By understanding the academic needs we have prepared the Karnataka State Board English Class 9 Solutions Chapter Wise. Our aim is to help the students by providing the question and answers chapter wise and help them to gain a good score in the exams. Before you start your preparation go through the chapters covered in this academic. So go through them and Download KSEEB Solutions for Class 9 English Prose Chapter 8 Ethics Question and Answers Pdf for free.

Karnataka State Board Class 9 English Prose Chapter 8 Ethics

The topics covered in Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board Class 9 Solutions for English Chapter 8 Ethics. The KSEEB Solutions Class 9 English Solutions Chapter 8 Ethics Question and Answers are prepared according to the latest edition.The Chapterwise page will help the students to revise the syllabus during the exams.

Ethics Questions and Answers, Summary, Notes

Comprehension:

C1. Answer the following questions in a sentence each:

Question 1.
Who were the occupants of the carriage?
Answer:
The occupants of the carriage were an aunt with a small girl, a smaller girl and a small boy and a bachelor.

Question 2.
What questions haunted Cyril when he saw sheep in the field?
Answer:
When Cyril saw some sheep in the field he wanted to know why the sheep were being driven from one field to another. When he was given the lame answer that the grass in the other field might be better, he wanted to know why it was better.

Question 3.
What made the aunt decide that the bachelor was a hard and unsympathetic man?
Answer:
The author indirectly points out that bachelors get annoyed by the repetitive and persistently demanding behavior of children. Bachelors have no patience with the grown-ups who are incompetent at handling children. During their journey in the railway carriage, the three small children got bored and restless.

Their innumerable questions could not be answered by their aunt. Seeing the distractions by the children and the unsuccessful effort of the aunt, the bachelor’s frown was changing to a scowl. Observing this, the aunt decided that the bachelor was a hard and unsympathetic man.

Question 4.
Who saved the little girl in the aunt’s story?
Answer:
The aunt’s story was built on the cliched idea that the good get rewarded. The little girl was saved from a mad bull by a number of rescuers who admired her moral character.

Question 5.
Name the little girl in the bachelor’s story.
Answer:
The little girl in the bachelor’s story was Bertha.

Question 6.
What remark of the bachelor’s story created a wave of reaction in favor of the story?
Answer:
The idea that being good can be unpleasant appealed to the children. The word ‘horrible’ in connection with goodness was a novelty. It seemed to introduce a ring of truth that was absent from the aunt’s tales of infant life.

Question 7.
How did the Prince of the country come to know about Bertha?
Answer:
The Prince of the country came to know about Bertha from everybody who talked about her goodness.

Question 8.
How did the Prince of the country honour Bertha?
Answer:
The Prince of the country allowed Bertha to walk in his park once a week which was outside the town.

Question 9.
Why was it a great honour for Bertha being allowed into the Prince’s park?
Answer:
Being allowed into the Prince’s park was a great honour for Bertha because no children were allowed into the park.

Question 10.
When did Bertha begin to wish that she had never been allowed into the park?
Answer:
When a wolf entered the park and started chasing her, Bertha began to wish that she had never been allowed into the park.

Question 11.
The wolf located Bertha while she was hiding in the bushes by
a) sniffing around
b) the clinking sound of the medals
c) her spotlessly white pinafore.
Answer:
(b) the clinking sound of the medals.

Question 12.
What was the aunt’s reaction to Bertha’s story?
Answer:
Naturally, the aunt thought of the story as improper. She thought that the bachelor’s story had undermined the effect of years of careful teaching. Though the aunt had her own reasons to think so, she should have also realized that if stories turn out to be merely preaching material, they fail to convince the children.

C2. Answer the following in a few lines each:

Question 1.
How did the bachelor describe

1. the pigs in the park
2. the fish in the park
3. the wolf in the park?

Answer:

1. The pigs in the park: The bachelor knew how to capture the attention of the children. He said that there were lots of little pigs running all over the place. They were black with white faces, white with black spots, black all over, grey with white patches and some were white all over. They had eaten all the flowers.
2. The fish in the park: There were ponds with gold and blue and green fish in them.
3. The wolf in the park: The wolf which came prowling into the park was enormous. It was mud colour all over, with a black tongue and pale grey eyes that gleaned with unspeakable ferocity.

Question 2.
What qualities of Bertha earned her the three medals?
Answer:
Bertha won several medals for goodness. She earned a medal for obedience, another medal for punctuality and a third for good behavior.

Question 3.
Give reasons for:

1. the absence of sheep in the Prince’s park
2. the absence of flowers in the Prince’s park
3. Bertha feeling sorry for the absence of flowers in the Prince’s park.

Answer:

1. The absence of sheep in the Prince’s park: There were no sheep in the Prince’s park because his mother had a dream once that her son would be killed by either a sheep or a clock falling on him.
2. The absence of flowers in the Prince’s park: There were no flowers in the Prince’s park because the pigs had eaten them all.
3. Bertha feeling sorry for the absence of flowers in the Prince’s park: Bertha had promised her aunts that she would not pick any of the kind Prince’s flowers and she had meant to keep her promise. It made her feel silly to find there were no flowers to pick.

Question 4.
What are the two different thoughts of Bertha on her being extraordinarily good, when she was in the Prince’s park?
Answer:
Initially, when Bertha was walking up and down the park admiring the trees, the ponds with fish, the beautiful parrots, the hummingbirds, she felt that she was able to enjoy all these only because she was extraordinarily good, It was because of that she was let into the park.

When the wolf started chasing her to eat her, she ran and hid in the myrtle bushes terribly frightened and thought to herself that if she had not been extraordinarily good, she could not have been allowed into the park and she wouldn’t have had to face the hungry wolf and could have remained safe in the town.

C3. Discuss in groups and answer the following questions:

Question 1.
How did the medals earn respect for Bertha, as well as cause her death?
Answer:
Bertha was an extremely well-behaved girl and won medals for obedience, punctuality, and good behavior which were pinned on her dress every day. Every day people talked about her dress and the Prince of the country got to hear about it and allowed her to walk once a week in his park. It was a beautiful park and the children were not allowed in it. So it was a great honor for Bertha to be allowed to go there.

Once when she was in the park, Bertha saw a wolf stealing towards her. She hjd herself behind a bush. Being unable to trace her, the wolf tried to go in search of a pigling. But when Bertha trembled and her medals clinked, the wolf could locate her and killed her.

Question 2.
The aunt terms the bachelor’s story the most improper one. Do you agree with her? Give reasons.
Answer:
In her own way, the aunt was right because it is important that we influence children positively and make them have faith in the power of the good. However, when we narrate stories, we need to be imaginative so that we don’t lose out on the interest of the children. When it comes to the bachelor’s story, we see that technically it is a brilliant story as it has a powerful description, convincing turn of events and an interesting plot. If we go by these elements, we consider the story a proper one and disagree with the aunt’s conclusion that it is an improper story. 3

When it comes to the question of morality, we see that the bachelor gives the clear message that goodness gets punished. The question is whether it is advisable to give such a message to children. Here again, there are three points to be borne in mind. First of all, in life too not always does good get rewarded.

So, we can take it as the bachelor coming up with a realistic story. Secondly, we see that the bachelor in a subtle manner shows that the girl who is good, is good in a deliberate manner. She lacks the spontaneity and sincerity of children. Maybe the bachelor is giving a moral of a different kind. People who are too conscious of being good are not genuine.

Thirdly, the bachelor must have had the sensitivity of knowing that not all children could be expected to be good like Bertha. Such children are unnecessarily made to feel pathetic about not being good. So the bachelor must have wanted to make the children feel better about their own inadequacy. Going by all these reasons, we can conclude that though the story seems to be morally inappropriate at the first glance, a deeper analysis of the story shows that it has its own positive elements.

Question 3.
What elements in the bachelor’s story appealed to the children?
Answer:
The descriptive element, the unexpected twist, convincing answers to the questions raised in the course of the story made the children conclude that it was the best story that they had ever heard.

Question 4.
How would the story have ended if Bertha had not pinned the medals on her pinafore?
Answer:
The wolf would have gone away without spotting Bertha and would have probably satiated its hunger by eating a piglet.

Additional Questions:

Question 1.
Which were the two parties travelling by train?
Answer:
One consisted of a small girl, a smaller girl, a small boy, and their aunt. The other was a bachelor.

Question 2.
What was the name of the boy?
Answer:
Cyril.

Question 3.
How did the boy produce a cloud of dust?
Answer:
By smacking the cushions of the seat.

Question 4.
Why were the sheep being driven out of the field, according to the aunt?
Answer:
The aunt said that the sheep were being driven to a field where there was more grass.

Question 5.
Why was the bachelor frowning?
Answer:
He was irritated by the noise made by the children and the fact that the aunt was unable to control them.

Question 6.
Why did the aunt call the children to listen to a story?
Answer:
The bachelor was annoyed and he stared at the aunt twice and at the communication cord once. It suggested that he was planning to pull it. So, the aunt wanted to pacify the children by telling them a story.

Question 7.
What made the bachelor think that the aunt did not rank high as a storyteller in the children’s view?
Answer:
When the aunt offered to tell a story to the children, the children moved reluctantly towards her. They did not seem to be much interested in her story. So, the bachelor thought that the aunt’s reputation did not rank high in the children’s view.

Question 8.
What was the opinion of the children about the story told by the aunt?
Answer:
The bigger girl opined that it was the stupidest story she had ever heard. The boy said that he never listened to the story after the first half because it was so stupid. The smaller girl seemed to have stopped listening to the story long back, as she had started reciting her favourite line.

Question 9.
What prompted the bachelor to tell the children a story?
Answer:
After listening to the story of the aunt, the children expressed their displeasure about it. Seeing this reaction the bachelor expressed that perhaps the aunt was not as successful as a storyteller. Hearing this comment, the aunt replied that it was not easy to tell a story that children could both understand and appreciate. The bachelor did not agree and he was challenged by the aunt to tell the children a story. The bachelor took up the challenge and started telling a story.

Question 10.
What were the good qualities of Bertha as noted by the bachelor?
Answer:
Bertha was an extraordinarily good girl. She did all that she was told, she was always truthful, she kept her clothes clean, ate milk puddings as though they were jam tarts, learned her lessons perfectly and was polite in her manners.

Question 11.
How was Bertha rewarded for her goodness?
Answer:
Bertha was so good that she won several medals for her goodness. There were medals for obedience, for good behavior and for punctuality. Ultimately, when news spread and the Prince of the country heard about it, he even allowed her to walk in his beautiful park once a week. This was an opportunity which no other child got.

Question 12.
How did the bachelor describe the park?
Answer:
It was a beautiful park. There were no flowers in the park but there were lots of pigs running all over. They were of different colours. There were ponds with colourful fish in them. The fish were gold, blue and green coloured. The trees were full of birds such as the hummingbird which hummed the popular tunes of the day and the beautiful parrots that said clever things at a moment’s notice.

Question 13.
What was the opinion of the children about the bachelor’s story?
Answer:
The children liked the story very much. They were immensely happy to hear it. The smaller of the girls said that though the story began badly, it had a beautiful ending. The bigger of the girls said that it was the most beautiful story that she had ever heard. Cyril said that it was the only beautiful story he had ever heard.

Question 14.
Why did the aunt consider the bachelor’s story as improper?
Answer:
The aunt reckoned that the story would damage the careful upbringing, particularly where values were concerned. The aunt had tried to teach values to the children all these years.

This would be undermined by the story told by the bachelor. So, the aunt considered it an improper story to be told to children.

Question 15.
What were the thoughts of the bachelor as he walked down the platform?
Answer:
As he walked down the platform the bachelor thought that the children would attack and pester their aunt with demands of an improper story for at least another six months.

Multiple Choice Questions:

Question 1.
Nearly all of the children’s remarks began with
A) Do not
B) Yes
C) No
D) Why?
Answer:
D) Why?

Question 2.
The aunt decided that the bachelor was a hard, unsympathetic man when
A) the frown on the bachelor’s face turned into a scowl.
B) Cyril asked why the grass in the other field was better.
C) she could not find a satisfactory answer for Cyril’s question.
D) she tried to divert Cyril’s attention.
Answer:
A) the frown on the bachelor’s face turned into a scowl.

Question 3.
The line, the smaller girl went on repeating over and over again, was
A) Jack and Jill went up the hill
B) On the road to Mandalay
C) Pussy cat pussy cat where have you been
D) Twinkle twinkle little star.
Answer:
B) On the road to Mandalay

Question 4.
The aunt decided to tell the children a story when
A) the bachelor asked her to keep them quiet
B) Cyril asked her to tell a story
C) the bachelor looked at the communication cord
D) the smaller girl did not stop her singing.
Answer:
C) the bachelor looked at the communication cord

Question 5.
The children did not show interest in the aunt’s story because it was
A) very interesting
B) about a good girl
C) full of novelty
D) uninteresting and unenterprising.
Answer:
D) uninteresting and unenterprising.

Language Activities:

A) Vocabulary:

V1. Match the words in column ‘A’ with their meaning in column ‘B’:

A	B
1. banish	a) the place where a person lives
2. humble	b) turn quickly
3. domicile	c) stinking
4. foul-smelling	d) expel
5. predator	e) modest
6. flip	f) an animal that hunts, kills and eats other animals

Answer:

1. d
2. e
3. a
4. c
5. f
6. b

V2. Which of the following expressions is correct?

1. a flock of birds/aflight of birds.
   a flight of birds.
2. a swarm of insects/a colony of insects.
   a swarm of insects.
3. a herd of goats/a flock of goats.
   a herd of goats.
4. a troupe of actors/a company of actors.
   a troupe of actors.
5. a wad of banknotes/a roll of banknotes.
   a wad of banknotes.
6. a pack of cards / a deck of cards.
   a deck of cards.
7. a team of experts/a panel of experts.
   a panel of experts.
8. a bunch of grapes / a cluster of grapes.
   a bunch of grapes.

V3. Write the synonyms and antonyms for the following words:

Word	Synonyms	Antonyms
1. calm	quiet, rest, peace	violence, unrest, struggle
2. ignore	neglect, carelessness, slackness, disregard	care, heed, solicitude, notice
3. gentle	moderate, sobriety, mild	rough
4. curious	interested, inquisitive	uninterested, indifferent
5. humble	humility, modest, timid, unobtrusive	conceited, vain, arrogant
6. revive	renovate, restore, renew, regenerate, refresh	weaken, replace, return
7. encounter	arrive, confront, conflict, clash, meet	depart, rebuff
8. pleasant	agreeable, amusing, pleasing, enjoyable	painful, unpleasant
9. deter	discourage, hinder, remonstrate	encourage, prompt, instigate
10. warm	hot, welcoming, cordial, earnest	cold, reticent, indifferent
11. dignified	reputed, honor, stately	disreputed, undignified
12. charming	pleasing, beautiful, delightful	displeasing, ugly, unattractive

B) Grammar And Usage:

G1. Read the following table carefully and match the details given in column A with the details given in Columns B, and C. One is done for you.

No.	A	B	C
	Statement	Tense form	Time reference
1.	Every day, I study for six hours.	Past	Future
2.	Meet me tomorrow.	Present	Future
3.	The train arrives on platform No. 4 in a few minutes.	Past	Present – up to now
4.	My aunt is visiting us next Sunday. So, I cannot join you for the next party.	Present	Future – up to then
5.	We are going to buy a new car.	Present	Past (Single event)
6.	I have finished my homework.	Present	Past
7.	I had finished my homework by the time my friend came. So, my father allowed me to go with him.	Present	Present, past and future (all time)
8.	Sushma won the first prize in the recitation competition.	Present	Future

Answer:

No.	A	B	C
	Statement	Tense	Time
1.	Every day, I study for six hours.	Present	Present, Future
2.	Meet me tomorrow.	Present	Future
3.	The train arrives on platform No. 4 in a few minutes.	Present	Future
4.	My aunt is visiting us next Sunday. So, I cannot join you for the next party.	Present	Future – up to then
5.	We are going to buy a new car.	Present	Future
6.	I have finished my homework.	Present	Present – up to now
7.	I had finished my homework by the time my friend came. So, my father allowed me to go with him.	Past	Past
8.	Sushma won the first prize in the recitation competition.	Present	Past (Single event)

G2. a) Fill in the blanks with suitable forms of the verbs given in brackets:

I am Shankar. I am an English teacher. I ………… (work) in Sarvodaya High School in Jayanagar. Every day, I ………….. (go) to Bangalore by train. The train is at 6 O’clock. So, I ………… (get) up at 4:30 a.m. and leave home around 5:30 a.m. My friend, Suresh, …………. (join) me on the way to the railway station. He is also a teacher. He …………. (teach) Biology. The train ……………. (reach) Bangalore around 8:30 a.m. We ………….. (take) a
B.M.T.C. bus from the railway station to Jayanagar.
Answer:
I am Shankar. I am an English teacher. I work in Sarvodaya High School in Jayanagar. Every day, I go to Bangalore by train. The train is at 6 O’clock. So, I get up at 4:30 a.m. and leave home around 5:30 a.m. My friend, Suresh, joins me on the way to the railway station. He is also a teacher. He teaches Biology. The train reaches Bangalore around 8:30 a.m. We take a B.M.T.C. bus from the railway station to Jayanagar.

b) Construct sentences using the appropriate tense form of the verbs underlined in each.

	Everyday	Yesterday
1.	Go to school	Go to Vijayapura to attend a friend’s marriage
2.	Evening – practice music	Evening – visit Golgumbaz
3.	Help her brother with his homework.	Go to a movie
	Every week	Last week
4.	Visit her grandmother	Spend time with relatives
5.	Thursday – go swimming	Thursday – attend a music concert

Answer:

1. Lakshmi goes to school every day, but yesterday she went to Vijayapura to attend her friend’s marriage.
2. Susheel practices music every day, but yesterday he visited Golgumbaz.
3. Bharathi helps her brother in his homework every day, but yesterday she went for a movie.
4. Kanthi visits her grandmother every week, but last week she spent time with her relatives.
5. Every week, on Thursday, Shantha goes swimming; but last Thursday, she attended a music concert.

G3. Complete the following conversation using the correct form of the verbs given in brackets:

• Dhaman: Good morning, Mr. Salunke. I am from Suyama Karnataka’s newspaper. I _______ (write) an article on the lifestyle of wrestlers. Can I trouble you tomorrow for an interview?
• Salunke: I _______ (be) afraid I will not be free tomorrow. I ______ (go) to Hyderabad to attend a conference. I ______ (back) day after tomorrow.
• Dhaman: Oh! I am to submit my article the day after tomorrow. Do you _______ (think) you can spare a few minutes now?
• Salunke: Umm! Well, I think I can _______ (spare) five minutes for you now.
• Dhaman: Thank you very much. Tell me how you _______ (prepare) yourself for the wrestling competition.
• Salunke: Everyday, I ______ (get) up very early in the morning. I _______ (spend) nearly six hours in the gymnasium. But my friend Raghu ______ (spend) only two hours in the gym. Our trainer ________ (train) us rigorously.
• Dhaman: What diet _______ you _______ (follow) ?
• Salunke: I ______ (prefer) lots of cereals and greens. But Raghu _______ (prefer) non-vegetarian diet.

Answer:

• Dhaman: Good morning, Mr. Salunke. I am from ‘Suvarna Karnataka’s newspaper. I am writing an article on the lifestyle of wrestlers. Can I trouble you tomorrow for an interview?
• Salunke: I am afraid I will not be free tomorrow. I am going to Hyderabad to attend the conference. I will be back the day after tomorrow.
• Dhaman: Oh! I am to submit my article the day after tomorrow. Do you think you can spare a few minutes now?
• Salunke: Umm! Well, I think I can spare five minutes for you now.
• Dhaman: Thank you very much. Tell me how you are preparing yourself for the wrestling competition.
• Salunke: Every day I get up very early in the morning. I spend nearly six hours in the gymnasium. But my friend Raghu spends only two hours in the gym. Our trainer trains us rigorously.
• Dhaman: What diet do you follow?
• Salunke: I prefer lots of cereals and greens. But Raghu prefers a non-vegetarian diet.

G4. Give reasons for the following. Use the verbs given in brackets. The first one is done for you:

Answer:

G5. Past Tense:

Rewrite the following by filling in the blanks with the past form of the verbs given in brackets. (You may have to use the past simple, past progressive and past perfect):

1. The children …………… (make) a lot of noise which ………….. (disturb) the bachelor. The little girl ……….. (sing) the first line of a poem repeatedly. Cyril ………… (smack) the cushions of the seat. When the aunt …………… (ask) him to look out of the window, he ………….. (start) asking questions about the sheep that ………….. (be) in the field. The aunt…… (try) to calm down the children by telling them a story. But the children did not like her narration.
The bachelor …………. (decide) to tell them a story. His style of narration ………….. (appeal) to the imagination of the children.
They ………….. (listen) to the story with rapt attention and ……………… (enjoy) the story.
Answer:
The children were making a lot of noise which disturbed the bachelor. The little girl was singing the first line of a poem repeatedly. Cyril was smacking the cushions of the seat. When the aunt asked him to look out of the window, he started asking questions about the sheep that were in the field. The aunt tried to calm down the children by telling them a story. But the children did not like her narration. The bachelor decided to tell them a story. His style of narration appealed to the imagination of the children. They listened to the story with rapt attention and enjoyed the story.

2. When I came home, my sister ……………… (work) on the computer. When I came home, my sister was working on the computer.
3. While Suresh ………….. (read) the text, Sony ………….. (note down) the main points.
While Suresh was reading the text, Sony noted down the main points.
4. The phone ……………. (ring) while I ………….. (have) my dinner. The phone rang while I was having my dinner.

Ethics by Saki About The Author:

Hector Hugo Munro (1870-1916), whose pen name is Saki, was a British writer. His stories are generally witty, mischievous, and sometimes very grim. He is compared to O. Henry and Dorothy Parker for his short stories. He is considered a master of the short story. He was influenced by writers like Lewis Carroll, Rudyard Kipling and Oscar Wilde, in turn, he also influenced many other writers of younger generations. The present story depicts something different from the usual stories told to children.

Ethics Summary in English

The short story ‘The Story-Teller’ by H.H. Munro is set in a train. We get introduced to a family of four, comprising an aunt with her two nieces and a nephew. The only other occupant is a bachelor. The story humorously refers to the difficulty of the aunt in keeping the children occupied and in ensuring that they do not disturb the other passengers. She is unable to answer their questions convincingly and hence, offers to narrate a story. But, even as a storyteller she fails as the children bombard her with questions.

It is at this point that the bachelor observes aloud that the aunt did not seem to be a good storyteller. The aunt retorts that it is difficult to narrate stories that are both understandable and entertaining to children. She also challenges the stranger to come up with an effective story.

The bachelor accepts the challenge and begins with a story. Though the story has the conventional beginning of a good girl named Bertha, it catches the attention of the children when the bachelor, while answering a question, remarks that the girl is not as pretty as the little girls in the compartment. He further amuses them by describing the girl as being horribly good. Never had the children come across an oxymoron such as ‘horribly good’.

The bachelor tells the children that the Prince of the country honours Bertha for being good by permitting her to walk in his park once a week. When the children want to know whether there are sheep in the park and are answered in the negative, they want to know the reason. The aunt is secretly happy thinking that the bachelor too would find it impossible to answer the ‘why’ questions.

But the bachelor exhibits his power of imagination by saying that there are no sheep or clock as the prince’s mother had a dream that the prince would meet his end because of a sheep or a clock. When the tricky question is asked whether the prince actually died because of either of the two, the bachelor uses his wit to avoid an inappropriate answer by saying that the prince is still alive and hence the question cannot be answered.

The bachelor exhibits his power of description while talking about the pigs, the fish and the wolf. The bachelor perhaps appeals to the children because he makes fun of Bertha in a subtle manner. We see that Bertha is elated at the opportunity of being in the park, but is disappointed that she cannot give further proof of her goodness by not touching the flowers in the park as there are no flowers.

The bachelor explains the absence of flowers by adding that the pigs in the park had eaten them all. The bachelor’s explanation that the prince had chosen pigs over flowers amuses the children as it is an unusual choice. The bachelor also gives an unexpected twist to the story by showing that Bertha meets with a tragic end because of her goodness.

A wolf comes to the park and spots Bertha because of her pinafore which is spotlessly white and is able to locate her in the thick bushes because of the sound made by the three medals that she had won for obedience, good conduct, and punctuality. The good girl’s reward for good turns out to be the cause of her death.

The story, which is termed improper by the aunt, is highly appreciated by the children. The bachelor wryly responds to the aunt by saying that he was at least able to keep the children occupied for ten minutes. The chosen piece does not explicitly answer the question of whether children need to be given morality in the form of stories- or whether it is acceptable for stories to uphold the value of entertainment alone. However, the piece clearly shows that storytelling is an art and children cannot be given silly answers to the questions that they raise.

Glossary:

sultry: uncomfortably warm
persistent: doing something continuously
smack: to hit forcefully
reluctant: unwilling
fatuous: stupid
frown: facial expression showing annoyance
scowl: a very annoyed expression
wager: bet
listlessly: unwillingly
petulant: ill-tempered
retort: angry reply
flicker: begin to go down
grin: to smile widely
pinafore: loose garment without sleeves, worn over clothes to keep them clean
leaps and bounds: very quickly
shrubbery: undergrowth
sniff out: recognize by smelling
dissentient: differing from the opinion of the majority
undermined: damaged.

We hope the information prevailed in this article is helpful for all the students of Class 9. The Karnataka State Board Solutions for Class 9 English Chapter 8 Ethics Question and Answers pdf enhance your skills and score good marks in the exams. Stay tuned to get the latest information about the KSEEB Solutions Class 9 English Solutions.

By understanding the academic needs we have prepared the Karnataka State Board English Class 9 Solutions Chapter Wise. Our aim is to help the students by providing the question and answers chapter wise and help them to gain a good score in the exams. Before you start your preparation go through the chapters covered in this academic. So go through them and Download KSEEB Solutions for Class 9 English Prose Chapter 6 All Stories are Anansi’s Question and Answers Pdf for free.

Karnataka State Board Class 9 English Prose Chapter 6 All Stories are Anansi’s

The topics covered in Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board Class 9 Solutions for English Chapter 6 All Stories are Anansi’s. The KSEEB Solutions Class 9 English Solutions Chapter 6 All Stories are Anansi’s Question and Answers are prepared according to the latest edition.The Chapterwise page will help the students to revise the syllabus during the exams.

All Stories are Anansi’s Questions and Answers, Summary, Notes

Comprehension:

C1. Answer the following questions:

Question 1.
Who owned the stories in the beginning?
Answer:
In the beginning, Nyame, the Sky God, owned the stories.

Question 2.
Who wanted to own them later?
Answer:
Anansi, the spider, wanted to own them later.

Question 3.
What was the price to be paid to own all the stories in the world?
Answer:
Mmoboro – the hornets, Onini – the python and Osebo – the leopard, had to be given to Nyame – the Sky God as the price to own all the stories in the world.

Question 4.
Did Anansi agree to pay the price?
Answer:
Yes, Anansi agreed to pay the price.

Question 5.
Why did Anansi pour water on himself and over the hornets?
Answer:
Anansi poured water on himself and over the hornets because he wanted to make the hornets believe that it was raining.

Question 6.
What did Anansi capture the hornets in?
Answer:
Anansi captured Mmoboro, the hornets, in a gourd by making a small hole in it.

Question 7.
What dispute did the spider have with his wife?
Answer:
Anansi’s wife felt that the python Onini was not longer, but shorter and weaker than a bamboo pole. Anansi disagreed with this and it led to a dispute.

Question 8.
What suggestion did Onini give to find out the truth about his length and strength?
Answer:
Onini suggested that Anansi measure him against the length of the bamboo pole to find out the truth about his length.

Question 9.
Why did Anansi tie Onini at one end of the pole?
Answer:
Anansi tied Onini at one end of the pole because when Onini stretched at one end he was getting shorter at the other. So Anansi suggested that the python be tied to the bamboo pole to ensure that he was straight and there was no mistake being made about his length.

Question 10.
Where and why did Anansi dig a pit?
Answer:
Anansi dug a deep pit in the forest to capture the leopard Osebo.

Question 11.
Why did Anansi bend a tall green tree over the pit? Anansi bent a tall green tree towards the ground over the pit in order to pull out Osebo from the pit.

Question 12.
Why did the Sky God offer Anansi all the stories?
Answer:
Anansi was offered all the stories by the Sky God Nyame because he had fulfilled all the conditions of Nyame. He had brought Mmoboro – the hornets, Onini – the python and Osebo – the leopard to Nyame.

Question 13.
What should anyone acknowledge before telling a story?
Answer:
All should acknowledge that the stories belonged to Anansi before telling a story because all the stories and tales now belonged to Anansi who had successfully won them over from the Sky God.

C2. Answer the following questions:

Question 1.
Describe how Anansi captured the hornets for the Sky God.
Answer:
Anansi was clever at cheating the hornets. He made them believe that it was raining and that they needed protection from the rain. Anansi first cut a gourd from a vine and made a small hole in it. He took a large calabash and filled it with water. He went to the tree where the hornets lived. He poured some of the water over himself so that he was dripping. He threw some water over the hornets making them all wet.

Then he put the calabash on his head, as though to protect himself from a storm and called out to the hornets and asked them why they were staying in the rain. When the hornets said that they had nowhere else to go, he told them to go into the gourd through the small hole. When the last of them had gone in, Anansi plugged the hole with a ball of grass. He took the gourd full of hornets to Nyame, the Sky God.

Question 2.
Explain how the python got trapped.
Answer:
We see that the python got trapped because of his vanity. Anansi used this weakness of the python to trap it. Anansi went “v to the forest and cut a long bamboo pole and some strong vines.

Then he walked towards the house of Onini, the python. All the while he kept talking to himself that his wife was stupid to say that Onini was shorter and weaker than that bamboo. Hearing this, Onini offered to be measured against the bamboo to solve the dispute. Anansi laid the pole on the ground and the python came and stretched himself out beside it. Anansi remarked that the python was a little short. When the python stretched at the head he was shorter at the tail and vice-versa.

So, with his consent, Anansi tied Onini’s head and tail firmly to the pole. He wrapped the vine around Onini until he was unable to move on the pretext of stretching him out against the bamboo. When the python was thus constricted, Anansi took the python to the Sky God as prisoner.

Question 3.
What method did the spider Kwaku Anansi adopt to get the leopard demanded as a price for the ownership of all tales and stories of the world?
Answer:
As we can see, the leopard was the most formidable of all the opponents of Anansi. Clever Anansi knew that if he had to deal with the leopard, he should ensure that the leopard was already in a disadvantageous position. That is why he thought of a clever ploy. Anansi went into the forest and dug a deep pit where the leopard was accustomed to walking.

He covered it with small branches and leaves and put dust on it so that it was impossible to know where the pit was. Osebo came prowling in the black night, stepped into the trap, and fell to the bottom. The next morning Anansi went to the pit and saw the leopard there.

Osebo asked for help from Anansi. Anansi bent a tall tree towards the ground so that its top was over the pit and he tied it that way. Then he tied a rope to the tree and dropped the other end of it into the pit. Anansi asked Osebo to tie the rope to his tail. When Osebo did as he was told, Anansi took his knife and cut the rope that held the tree bowed to the ground. The tree straightened up with a snap, pulling Osebo out of the hole and ‘ he hung in the air upside down. Anansi then easily killed him and took his body to Nyame, the Sky God.

C3. Read the following statement carefully and in pairs discuss the points you would like to include in your justification. Elaborate each point.

“With wisdom and knowledge, one can achieve the impossible” – Justify the statement with reference to Kwaku Anansi, the spider.
Answer:
Interestingly, we see that Anansi who wanted to buy all the stories from the Sky God was already a storyteller. With each of his victims, he used a story to cheat them. Anansi used his imagination to weave convincing stories and his insight made it possible for him to look into the weaknesses of the hornets, the python, and the leopard to catch them.

When Anansi, the spider, wanted to be the owner of all the stories in the world, he went to Nyame, the Sky God, to purchase the stories. Nyame said that he was willing to sell the stories, but the price was very high. Nyame added that even the rich and powerful families were not able to pay the price. The Sky God then asked three things as price: Mmoboro – the hornets, Onini – the python and Osebo – the leopard. Anansi agreed. Though he did not have the physical strength to capture them, he used his wisdom and knowledge and achieved the impossible.

He made the hornets get into the gourd, tied the python to the pole and he tied the leopard to the tree using his wisdom and knowledge. Thus Anansi, though physically not as strong as his opponents, could achieve what others were not able to. Thus, we see that the power of the brain is stronger than the strength of the brawn.

Additional Questions:

Question 1.
Why did people not buy the stories from the Sky God?
Answer:
Because the price was too high for them.

Question 2.
Why did Anansi call his wife stupid?
Answer:
Anansi wanted to draw the attention of the python. So, he said that his wife was stupid to say that the python was shorter and weaker than a piece of bamboo.

Question 3.
What did Anansi mean when he said, “I give him more respect. She gives him less respect”?
Answer:
Anansi wanted to impress the python. He wanted the python to react and so he said that while he respected the python. his wife did not.

Question 4.
What did Osebo request of Anansi?
Answer:
Osebo requested Anansi to help him come out of the pit.

Question 5.
Why did Anansi refuse to help Osebo at first?
Answer:
Anansi said that Osebo would be thankless. As soon as he was out of the pit, he would be hungry and would want to eat Anansi and his children. So, he refused to help Osebo come out of the pit.

Question 6.
What made Anansi agree to help Osebo?
Answer:
Osebo swore not to kill Anansi and his children. Therefore, Anansi agreed to help Osebo.

Question 7.
Why did Anansi call them all ‘foolish’?
Answer:
Each of them – the hornets, the python, and the leopard fell into the trap of Anansi as expected by him. Therefore, Anansi called them ‘foolish’.

Multiple Choice Questions:

Question 1.
Originally all the stories belonged to
A) Kwaku Anansi
B) Mmoboro
C) Osebo
D) Nyame.
Answer:
D) Nyame.

Question 2.
………….. wanted to buy all the stories known in the world.
A) Osebo, the leopard
B) Onini, the python
C) Anansi, the spider
D) Mmoboro, the hornets.
Answer:
C) Anansi, the spider

Question 3.
Rich and powerful families could not buy the stories because
Answer:
A) the Price was too high for them
B) the Price was too low for them
C) the stories were Priceless
D) Nyame refused to sell them
Answer:
A) the Price was too high for them

Question 4.
Anansi tricked the hornets into entering ……………. and caught them.
Answer:
A) a calabash
B) a dry gourd
C) a bottle
D) a box
Answer:
B) a dry gourd

Question 5.
The dispute the spider had with his wife was about
A) the intelligence of the hornets
B) the intelligence of Onini
C) the strength and length of Onini
D) the price of the stories.
Answer:
C) the strength and length of Onini

Question 6.
Anansi caught the python
A) with a net
B) by making it enter a basket
C) by tying it to a pole
D) with the help of a calabash.
Answer:
C) by tying it to a pole

Question 7.
Anansi went into the forest and dug a deep pit where
A) Onini used to crawl often
B) the hornets flew
C) Osebo was accustomed to walk
D) nansi used to go for a walk.
Answer:
C) Osebo was accustomed to walk

Question 8.
Whenever a man tells a story, he must acknowledge that it is
A) Onini’s tale
B) Osebo’s tale
C) Nyame’s tale
D) Anansi’s tale.
Answer:
D) Anansi’s tale.

Question 9.
The Sky God had set things as the price.
A) five
B) two
C) three
D) one
Answer:
C) three

Question 10.
Anansi cut a ………….. to catch the hornets.
A) pumpkin
B) gourd
C) cucumber
D) bamboo.
Answer:
B) gourd

Question 11.
The hornets lived in a
A) tree
B) thicket
C) building
D) nest
Answer:
A) tree

Question 12.
The python stretched beside the
A) pole
B) tree
C) gourd
D) Vine
Answer:
A) pole

Question 13.
Anansi wrapped the python with
A) rope
B) cloth
C) vine
D) bamboo
Answer:
C) vine

Language Activities:

A) Vocabulary:

V1. Use the following words in sentences of your own:

1. yearn
2. plug (v)
3. accustomed
4. onward
5. acknowledge
6. measure.

Answer:

1. Yearn: to long for
   I yearn to possess an i-pad in which I can store many interesting stories.
2. Plug: to fill
   We were able to plug the hole with cement.
3. Accustomed: habituated
   I am accustomed to drinking green tea in the morning.
4. Onward: forward
   While booking for the onward journey, we also booked for our return journey.
5. Acknowledge: recognize
   It is decency to acknowledge the help of others when we write our success stories.
6. Measure: to find the size, quantity, speed etc.
   The tailor can tell the length of a piece of cloth by just looking at it.

V2. Which of the following expressions do you think are appropriate? Choose/tick the right one.

1. a shining star/a glittering star
   a shining star.
2. busy traffic /heavy traffic
   heavy traffic.
3. a stomach ache/a stomach pain
   a stomach ache.
4. backside the house /behind the house
   behind the house.
5. a severe fever/a high fever
   a high fever.

B) Grammar And Usage:

G1. Here are some sentences from the lesson. Can you supply a suitable question tag to each one of them, choosing from the box given below?

1. I can do it,…………….?
2. I should first have Mmoboro,……………..?
3. I will bring them,……………..?
4. Osebo, you are half foolish,…………..?
5. My wife is stupid,………….?
6. I give them more respect,…………….?
7. My opinion was not good as my wife’s,……………?

Answer:

1. can’t I?
2. shouldn’t I?
3. won’t I?
4. aren’t you?
5. isn’t she?
6. don’t I?
7. was it?

G2. Identify the verbs and conjunctions and fill in the blanks:

1. They shouted loudly. Verb: ………….. Conjunction: None

2. He tried his best but he failed. Verb: ……………. Conjunction: ………….. Type of conjunction: Coordinating conjunction

3. He worked as if he was in a hurry. Verb: ………….. Conjunction: ………….. Type of conjunction: ……………….

Answer:

1. They shouted loudly.
   Verb – shouted
   Conjunction – none
2. He tried his best but he failed.
   Verb – tried; failed
   Conjunction – but
3. He worked as if he was in a hurry.
   Verb – worked, was
   Conjunction – as if

Type of conjunction – adverb clause.
Sentence 1 is a simple sentence.
Sentence 2 is a compound sentence.
Sentence 3 is a complex sentence.

Now compare the three sentences and list the differences:

Simple sentence	Compound sentence	Complex sentence
1. has only one finite ……… 2. can be divided into ………. and predicate.	1. has two or more ………… 2. Has …………… conjunctions. 3. has   (one/ two) parts that can stand independently.	1. has two or more ……….. 2. Has …………… conjuction.3. has   (one/ two) main Clauses. 4. has one or more subordinating clauses that depend on the main clause for their meaning.

Answer:

1. Simple sentence:
   • Has only one finite verb.
   • Can be divided into subject and predicate.
2. Compound sentence:
   • Has two or more finite verbs.
   • Has coordinating conjunctions.
   • Has two parts that can stand independently.
3. Complex sentence:
   • Has two or more finite verbs.
   • Has subordinating conjunction.
   • Has one main clause.
   • Has one or more subordinating clauses that depend on the main clause for their meaning.

G3. State whether the following sentences are simple, compound or complex sentences:

1. Either take it or leave it.
2. Rome was not built in a day.
3. People who are given to quarreling cannot be happy.
4. Many are called but few are chosen.
5. No one can harm us as long as we remain friends.
6. God made the country and man made the town.
7. I will read that book if you advise me to do so.
8. We returned when sunset.
9. There is no hope of her recovery.
10. The president appointed him governor.

Answer:

1. Compound
2. Simple
3. Complex
4. Compound
5. Complex
6. Compound
7. Complex
8. Complex
9. Simple
10. Simple

Speaking And Reading:

S1. Write a sentence for each of the following situations ‘making a polite request’. You can use any polite phrase suitable to the situation.

Answer:

1. Could you please give me a ticket to Delhi?
2. I would be grateful to have the exam time-table.
   I would appreciate it if I could have the exam time-table.
3. May I have the bottle of pickle please?
4. May I have an ice-cream please?
5. Could you please tell me a story grandma?

S2. Read the graph and answer the questions that follow:

Question 1.
What data does the graph represent?
Answer:
The graph represents the data of C0₂ emission from the transport sector in Delhi, India.

Question 2.
What was the pollution level in 2005?
Answer:
In 2005, the pollution level was more than 4500 metric tons, but less than 5000 metric tons.

Question 3.
What is likely to happen in 2020?
Answer:
In 2020, the pollution level is likely to increase to almost 10000 metric tons.

Question 4.
When was the pollution level the lowest?
Answer:
The pollution level was the lowest in 1997.

Question 5.
Is this situation prevalent only in Delhi?
Answer:
No, this is the case in all cities.

S3. Writing Activity:

Imagine yourself to be a walking stick and write down some of your experiences. Use the clues given below to write the ‘Autobiography of a Walking Stick’.

1. birth
2. place of birth
3. life in the outside world
4. first owner/other owners – interesting or strange experiences
5. last days.

Answer:
Autobiography of a walking stick
I had my birth when people were nearing their death. It is said that it had to be so. But I suppose, birth and death are not in our control. Anyway, I am happy that I got the chance to come into the world of men after a woodcutter brought a piece of log to a businessman who makes walking sticks in his factory. The businessman bought me for a pretty cheap price but sold me for an attractive amount to a wealthy old lady who asked him for a special walking stick.

The businessman sang my praises, talking about my durability and lightweight, and made me swell with pride. But alas! The old lady died within a few days of buying me and I was confined to the darkness and loneliness of the loft. My gilded handle rested in a comer until the old woman’s granddaughter had a fall and started limping.

Since the doctor advised her not to put weight on her right foot, she started using me. She dusted me and made me shine all over again. How nice it was to take care of the young and pretty girl! Not many walking sticks that were around had the privilege. But lo! The young are not as careful as the old… She threw me around so carelessly that on a fateful day I was broken into two unequal parts…

I lay in a comer again waiting for a carpenter to join me and bring me back to circulation. But that did not happen. When the family shifted to a new place, they dumped me with all the other useless stuff… Oh! How I wish I were a branch on the tree, alive and kicking, instead of lying slump in a comer!

All Stories are Anansi’s by Harold Courlander About The Writer:

This story is written by an American writer named Harold Courlander (1908-1996). He was a novelist, folklorist, anthropologist and an expert in the study of Haitian life. He specialized in the study of African, Caribbean, Afro-American and American Indian cultures. The following is a fable from an ancient culture.

All Stories are Anansi’s Summary in English

Background:
In the language of the Ashanti people, Anansi means ‘spider’. The word ‘nan’ means ‘to spin’. Ashanti folktales are known as Ananisem, which means ‘story’ and which may or may not be about spiders.
Anansi is an African folktale character. He often takes the shape of a spider and is considered to be the spirit of all knowledge of stories. He is also one of the most important characters of West African and Caribbean folklore. The prescribed lesson is an Anansi story that explains the phenomenon of how his name became attached to the whole corpus of tales.

Summary:
Once there were no stories in the world. The Sky God, Nyame, had them all. Anansi went to Nyame and asked how much the stories would cost to buy. Nyame set a high price. He had three conditions: Anansi must bring back the Mmoboro Hornets, Onini the python and Osebo the leopard.

Anansi set about capturing these. First he went to catch the hornets. Anansi filled a calabash with water and poured some over himself and some over the nest, calling out that it was raining. He suggested that the hornets get into the empty calabash, and, when they obliged, quickly sealed the opening. Then, he went to where the python lived carrying a long bamboo pole and some strong vines.

He debated out loud whether the python was really longer than the bamboo pole or not as he and his wife had debated over. The python overheard him and, when Anansi explained the debate, agreed to lie along the bamboo pole. Because the python could not easily make himself completely straight, a true impression of his actual length was difficult to obtain. When he stretched at one end, he got shorter at the other end. So the python agreed to be tied to the pole. When he was completely tied, Anansi took him to Nyame.

To catch the leopard, Anansi dug a deep hole in the ground. When the leopard fell into the hole, Anansi offered to help him out with a strong rope. He bent a tall tree towards the ground so that its top was over the pit, and he tied it that way. Then he tied a rope to the tree and dropped the other end of it into the pit.

“Tie this to your tail”, he said. Osebo tied the rope to his tail. “Is it well-tied?”Anansi asked. “Yes, it is well-tied”, the leopard said. “In that case”, Anansi said, “you are not merely half-foolish, you are all-foolish”.

And he took his knife and cut the other rope, the one that held the tree bowed to the ground. The tree straightened up with a snap, pulling Osebo out of the hole. He hung in the air head downward, twisting and turning. And while he hung this way, Anansi killed him with his weapons.
Then he took the body of the leopard and carried it to Nyame, the Sky God, saying: “Here is the third thing. Now I have paid the price.”
Nyame said to him: “Kwaku Anansi, great warriors and chiefs have tried, but they have been unable to do it. You have done it. Therefore, I will give you the stories. From this day onward, all stories belong to you.

From the story we see that there are two kinds of people on earth: The tricksters and the ones who are tricked. If we are not intelligent enough, we will fall prey to the cleverer lot. And that is why, in parts of Africa, people love to narrate, and love to hear the stories they call ‘spider stories’.

Though it is a simple story of a trickster, a few insights can be gathered from the story:
When one is very determined, nothing is impossible.

• Since Anansi really wanted to own all the stories in the world, he did everything he could to acquire his goal.
  Strength is not measured by size.
• Anansi was just a small spider but he conquered animals bigger than he was.

Glossary:

yearn: have a strong feeling of longing for something
hornet: a kind of large wasp
gourd: the large hard-skinned fruit of a climbing or trailing plant
plugged: blocked.

We hope the information prevailed in this article is helpful for all the students of Class 9. The Karnataka State Board Solutions for Class 9 English Chapter 6 All Stories are Anansi’s Question and Answers pdf enhance your skills and score good marks in the exams. Stay tuned to get the latest information about the KSEEB Solutions Class 9 English Solutions.

By understanding the academic needs we have prepared the Karnataka State Board English Class 9 Solutions Chapter Wise. Our aim is to help the students by providing the question and answers chapter wise and help them to gain a good score in the exams. Before you start your preparation go through the chapters covered in this academic. So go through them and Download KSEEB Solutions for Class 9 English Poem Chapter 2 Africa Question and Answers Pdf for free.

Karnataka State Board Class 9 English Poem Chapter 2 Africa

The topics covered in Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board Class 9 Solutions for English Chapter 2 Africa. The KSEEB Solutions Class 9 English Solutions Chapter 2 Africa Question and Answers are prepared according to the latest edition.The Chapterwise page will help the students to revise the syllabus during the exams.

Africa Questions and Answers, Summary, Notes

Warm-Up Activity:

The personalities shown in the pictures are :
Abraham Lincoln – President of America
Nelson Mandela – President of South Africa.
Both of them fought to end racial discrimination.

Comprehension:

C1. Answer the following questions:

Question 1.
How does the poet come to know about the history of Africa?
Answer:
The poet comes to know about the history of Africa from his grandmother’s songs.

Question 2.
The poet did not spend much of his life in Africa. Pick out the line/lines that express this feeling.
Answer:
“Africa of whom my grandmother sings/On the banks of the distant river/I have never known you” – these lines express the feeling that the poet didn’t spend much of his life in Africa.

Question 3.
Despite staying away from Africa, how is he able to describe Africa?
Answer:
The poet has heard his grandmother sing about Africa. In spite of staying away from his land, he knows that he belongs there. He knows that the blood that flows in his veins belongs to Africa. He feels the affinity to that land and the people. He describes it as a beautiful land of ‘ancestral savannahs’ and irrigated fields.

Question 4.
‘Red scars’ – What does this phrase refer to?
Answer:
Red scars are caused by the whipping of the blacks by the whites in the scorching heat of the midday sun. Thus, the phrase ‘Red scars’ describes the wounds and injury the blacks suffer from in their state of slavery.

Question 5.
Pick out the lines that talk about the humiliation suffered by the Africans.
Answer:
“Is this you this back that is bent This back that breaks under the weight of humiliation. This back trembling with red scars. And saying yes to the whip under the midday sun talks about the humiliation suffered by the Africans.

Question 6.
‘That tree there in splendid loneliness’. Explain this phrase with reference to the feelings of the poet about his country.
Answer:
The line shows the pride the poet has towards his country. He says that despite being repeatedly humiliated, the Africans try to stand and assert his independence proudly. He is proud of his country for its trying to assert its independence.

Question 7.
“That grows again patiently obstinately
And its fruit gradually acquires
The bitter taste of liberty”.

1. What does ‘That’ refer to?
2. How does it grow?
3. What does ‘bitter taste of liberty’ refer to?

Answer:

1. ‘That’ refers to the tree.
2. It grows patiently without giving up. When the poet uses the word ‘obstinately’, which means stubbornly, he is positive in what he conveys. He wants to express the idea that the tree which symbolizes the nation, is determined and cannot be defeated.
3. It refers to liberty which is not fully achieved. In this case it is the liberty of Africa. It can also be a pointer to the bloodshed that has made the fruit of liberty bitter.

C2. Complete the table listing the poetic devices (figures of speech) used by David Diop in the poem. Two examples are given to you.

Poetic Device	Lines from the poem
Personification	Your beautiful black blood that irrigates the field
Alliteration	Your beautiful black blood
Metaphor
Simile
Oxymoron

Answer:

Poetic Device	Lines from the poem
Personification	Your beautiful black blood that irrigates the field. The blood of your sweat. The sweat of your work. This back that is bent.
Alliteration	Your beautiful black blood.
Metaphor	That grows again patiently obstinately.
Simile	There are no similes. In fact, the poet uses metaphors throughout the poem for comparison and to create mental pictures. Since the words ‘as’ and ‘like’ are not used, though there is a comparison, we don’t take it as the simile. For example, the poet says that the colonizers drained the Africans of their blood in the form of sweat and work.
Oxymoron	The bitter taste of liberty, splendid loneliness.

C3. Complete the summary of the poem given below. Use the expressions given in the box.

The poet continues to say that he has ………….. Africa, but despite the …………… he cannot deny how much it is a ………….. The phrase ………….. which flows in his veins describes his African …………. and shows how much Africa is a part of him and how much he ………… and its people. The next verses are ……………. as he stresses that it is the …………… of his people which is irrigating the fields ………….. of other people. Here, he is pointing a finger at the …………… who the black people and used them …………… to profit from their hard labor.
Answer:
The poet continues to say that he has never known Africa, but despite the distance, he cannot deny how much it is a part of him. The phrase beautiful black blood which flows in his veins describes his African descent and shows how much Africa is a part of him and how much he loves his country and its people. The next verses are angry and accusatory as he stresses that it is the blood and sweat of his people which is irrigating the fields for the benefit of other people. Here, he is pointing a finger at the colonialists who exploited the black people and used them as slaves to profit from their hard labor.

Additional Questions:

Question 1.
Whose back is bent, according to the poet?
Answer:
The back of Africa.

Question 2.
Why does the back break, according to the poet?
Answer:
It breaks under the weight of humiliation (caused by the white man).

Question 3.
How do the people of Africa react to the whip under the midday sun?
Answer:
While their backs were trembling with red scars, they were saying ‘yes’ to the whip under the midday sun.

Question 4.
Who answers the poet?
Answer:
‘A grave voice’ answers the poet.

Question 5.
What does that voice call the poet?
Answer:
The voice addresses him as ‘impetuous son’.

Question 6.
What does the tree refer to?
Answer:
The tree refers to ‘Africa’.

Question 7.
How does the tree appear?
Answer:
The tree stands in splendid loneliness amidst white and faded flowers.

Question 8.
How does the tree grow?
Answer:
The tree grows patiently and obstinately.

Question 9.
How does the poet establish his link with Africa?
Answer:
The poet has heard his grandmother sing about Africa. He has heard about the proud warriors of Africa. Though he has never been there, he knows much about it. The beautiful black blood which irrigates the fields is the same as that which flows in the veins of the poet. By referring to all this, he establishes his link with Africa.

Question 10.
What are the feelings of the speaker when he sees his suffering brothers? OR What is the question posed by the poet to his country? What is the reply given?
Answer:
The poet asks whether the ‘bent back under the weight of humiliation’ belongs to Africa. He says that the country is trembling with red scars. These scars are a mark of slavery. The people of Africa are treated and exploited as slaves by the whites.

So, he says that their backs are bent under the weight of humiliation. They are whipped mercilessly to get the hard work done and are treated worse than animals. They seem to accept their condition without any resistance. So, the poet wants to know if this is the condition of his country.

The voice which replies, says that times are changing. The tree of liberty is growing. Though it is young at this moment, it is strong. In its loneliness, it is growing patiently, while the ‘white’ flowers are fading. So, the white man is losing his grip, and Africa is moving towards liberty.

Question 11.
What does the symbol ‘that tree young and strong’ suggest?
Answer:
The symbol of the young and strong tree refers to Africa. It suggests that after colonialism Africa will begin to grow up again just as a young tree.

Question 12.
Why do the fruits acquire a bitter taste of liberty? Why does liberty taste bitter?
Answer:
The fruits acquire a bitter taste because the liberation of the oppressed is not a simple thing. It needs sacrifice and determination. Some people lose their lives in the process. So, in such a case, liberty is never sweet but bitter.

Question 13.
Why does the poet say that ”black blood flows in his veins”?
Answer:
Black blood in this poem symbolizes African nature as there is no blood that is black in colour. So he shows that although he grew up in France he is still aware of his African identity.

Multiple Choice Questions:

Question 1.
The poet came to know about Africa through his
A) mother
B) grandmother’s songs
C) school books
D) teacher.
Answer:
B) grandmother’s songs

Question 2.
‘I have never known you’ says the poet because he was
A) bom and lived in a different country
B) not aware of its existence
C) never interested in knowing about his country
D) not told about it.
Answer:
A) bom and lived in a different country

Question 3.
In the line, ‘But your blood flows in my veins’, the poet
A) is unhappy about his ancestry
B) feels proud of his African descent
C) regrets it
D) resents being an African.
Answer:
B) feels proud of his African descent

Question 4.
The poet presents ………….. picture of Africa in the first seven
A) a realistic
B) an idealized
C) a struggling
D) a hopeless

Question 5.
In this Poem, an African is Portrayed as a ………… Person.
Answer:
A) timid
B) shy
C) tough
D) weak
Answer:
A) timid

Question 6.
The last eight lines of the poem present a
A) picture of hope in the future
B) picture of hopelessness
C) picture of exploitation
D) picture of humiliation.
Answer:
A) picture of hope in the future

Appreciation:

A1. Find the words or phrases in the poem that are used –
a) to describe the beauty and strength of Africa
b) to depict the ions suffered by the Africans.

Africa – Description	Words and Phrases
a) beauty and strength	e.g. – beautiful black blood
b) humiliations and sufferings	e.g. – back that is bent

Answer:

Africa – Description	Words and Phrases
a) beauty and strength	Proud warriors, ancestral savannahs, young and strong, splendid loneliness, grows again.
b) humiliations and sufferings	Back that breaks, weight of humiliation, back trembling with red scars, whip .under the midday sun, faded flowers.

A2. Read the lines of the poem given in Column A and fill in Column B to depict the mood of the poet.

Lines of the poem	Mood/feeling
1) Africa my Africa Africa of proud warriors in ancestral savannahs	………………
2) I have never known you But your blood flows in my veins	……………….
3) Is this you this back that is bent This back that breaks under the weight of humiliation	…………………
4) But a grave voice answers me Impetuous son that tree young and strong	…………………
5) In splendid loneliness amidst white and faded flowers That is Africa, your Africa	………………….
6) And its fruit gradually acquires The bitter taste of liberty.	………………….

Answer:

Lines of the poem	Mood/feeling
1) Africa my Africa Africa of proud warriors in ancestral savannahs	Pride for the country, patriotism
2) I have never known you But your blood flows in my veins	Belongingness, patriotism, nostalgia
3) Is this you this back that is bent This back that breaks under the weight of humiliation	Anger, frustration, sorrow, empathy
4) But a grave voice answers me, Impetuous son, that tree young and strong	Relief, hope
5) In splendid loneliness, amidst white and faded flowers That is Africa, your Africa	Pride, hope, acceptance, reckoning
6) And its fruit gradually acquires The bitter taste of liberty.	Hope, anticipation

Africa by David Diop About The Poet:

David Mandessi Diop (1927-1960) was a revolutionary African poet born in France. His parents were of West African descent. He visited Africa only in the 1950s. However, the poet expresses his love for Africa. He was a revolutionary poet and in his poems he gave the message to Africans to bring about change and freedom. He was involved in a movement started by Black writers and artists protesting against French colonialism and its effects on African culture and values. His views were published in Presence Africaine and in his book of poems Coups de pillon.

Africa Summary in English

David Diop’s poem ‘Africa’ reflects his hope for an independent African nation, and the problems brought to the continent by colonialism. Through this poem Diop attempts to give a message of hope and resistance to the people of Africa.

The poem starts by Diop reminiscing about Africa, a land he has not seen but only heard about from his grandmother’s songs. His choice of words like ‘distant’ symbolises how far he is from his country, a feeling based on his real-life as he lived in France throughout his childhood and only visited Africa in the 1950s.

Despite this, he paints a vivid scene of Africa and the proud warriors who walk on its ‘ancestral Savannahs’. You can sense how much he misses his homeland by his stress on the word ‘Africa’, and he continues to call it ‘My Africa’ to emphasize it is his land and his feelings of patriotism towards it.

He continues to say that he has never known Africa, but despite the distance he cannot deny how much it is a part of him. The ‘beautiful black blood’ which flows in his veins, describes his African descent and shows how much Africa is a part of him and his love for it and its people. The next few lines are angry and accusatory as he stresses that it is the blood and sweat of his people which is irrigating the fields for the benefit of other people.

The blood of their sweat, the sweat of their work, the work of their slavery and the slavery of their children has enriched the distant lands. By this he is pointing a finger at the colonialists who exploited Black people and used them as slaves to profit from their hard labour. Therefore, the poet wants to know what the real Africa is.

The poet urges the Black people to stand up to the pain and the humiliation that they are suffering in their own land. He reminds them of the strength and pride they have in them and to say no to the whip of the colonialist which makes them work under the hot midday sun and leaves scars on their backs. Despite this suffering, he urges them to be strong and remain unbent and not let this break them despite the weight of their suffering.

The poet’s earnest query is answered by a grave voice. The poet personifies the African continent as an angry elder. The wise voice of Africa chides him for thinking ‘impetuous’ thoughts, implying that the continent is aware of impending changes or revolution. It urges the Africans to be patient and not hasty like children as there is change on the horizon.

The voice talks about a tree which is found alone amidst white and faded flowers. The tree ‘young and strong’ represents the young people of Africa who are patiently but ‘obstinately’ waiting until they get the liberty they want.

At the moment the tree is alone, meaning the African struggle is a lonely battle but they will achieve the freedom and liberty they want no matter how bitter the taste in getting it. The tree is among the ‘white and faded’ flowers by which he means the white colonialists will fade in time while the youthful Africans will grow in strength and wait for their moment of freedom.

Glossary:

impetuous (adj): acting (or done) quickly and without thought, spontaneous
splendid (adj): grand, majestic
obstinately (adv): stubbornly

We hope the information prevailed in this article is helpful for all the students of Class 9. The Karnataka State Board Solutions for Class 9 English Chapter 2 Africa Question and Answers pdf enhance your skills and score good marks in the exams. Stay tuned to get the latest information about the KSEEB Solutions Class 9 English Solutions.

By understanding the academic needs we have prepared the Karnataka State Board English Class 9 Solutions Chapter Wise. Our aim is to help the students by providing the question and answers chapter wise and help them to gain a good score in the exams. Before you start your preparation go through the chapters covered in this academic. So go through them and Download KSEEB Solutions for Class 9 English Prose Chapter 5 A Question of Space Question and Answers Pdf for free.

Karnataka State Board Class 9 English Prose Chapter 5 A Question of Space

The topics covered in Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board Class 9 Solutions for English Chapter 5 A Question of Space. The KSEEB Solutions Class 9 English Solutions Chapter 5 A Question of Space Question and Answers are prepared according to the latest edition.The Chapterwise page will help the students to revise the syllabus during the exams.

A Question of Space Questions and Answers, Summary, Notes

Warm-Up Activity:

Work with your partner. The following ‘Word Search Puzzle’ has the names of different professions. Find them out. One (photographer) has been done for you.

Answer:

Comprehension:

C1. Read the lesson silently. The sequence of events in the lesson has been given below in a jumbled order. Rearrange them and write.

1. Anuj had started journalism on his own and took up photography later.
2. “It will help you witness your reactions as if they were happening to someone else”.
3. He felt that he needed time to pursue his own interests and pleasures, especially after he met Anuj.
4. The conflict had acquired a distinct edge ever since he had met Anuj.
5. “If you still have not found out, when do you intend to enroll?”
6. Anuj had turned into a friend very quickly, a much older friend.
7. “It seems to me that the pressure is worse for children of doctors
8. His class grades had dropped; he had started skipping group tuitions..

Answer:

1. The conflict had acquired a distinct edge ever since he had met Anuj.
2. Anuj had turned into a friend very quickly, a much older friend.
3. His class grades had dropped; he had started skipping group tuitions.
4. Anuj had started journalism on his own and took up photography later.
5. “It seems to me that the pressure is worse for children of doctors”.
6. “It will help you witness your reactions as if they were happening to someone else”.
7. “If you still have not found out, when do you intend to enroll?”
8. He felt that he needed time to pursue his own interests and pleasures, especially after he met Anuj.

C2. The extract given in the second column tells us about the persons mentioned in the first column. Write your response in the third column.

Person	Extract from the story	What this tells us about them.
Vikrant	I am already full up with tuitions.	He is finding it difficult to cope with the pressure of his studies.
Vikrant’s father	It would be better if you turned your attention to investigating a coaching center rather than spend time with junkies and irrelevant things.
Vikrant’s mother	Mother was harping on the importance of the year for getting a good grip on science and maths
Anuj	If you want to get control over a situation, you could start by observing your body’s reaction.

Answer:

Person	Extract from the story	What this tells us about them.
Vikrant	I am already full up with tuitions	He is finding it difficult to cope with the pressure of his studies.
Vikrant’s father	It would be better if you turned your attention to investigating a coaching center rather than spend time with junkies and irrelevant things.	Vikrant’s father is annoyed with him because Vikrant is hanging around with Anuj and is showing more interest in photography. Vikrant’s father feels that this is the outcome of Vikrant’s association with Anuj and he refers contemptuously to Anuj as a junkie who distracts Vikrant with irrelevant things.

Vikrant’s mother	Mother was harping on the importance of the year for getting a good grip on science and maths	The word ‘harping’ shows that the mother had the habit of nagging. She does not understand the passion of her son for photography. Instead of encouraging him in the area of his interest, she wants him to pursue what she and her husband are interested in. Just because they are doctors, she wants their son also to become a doctor.
Anuj	If you want to get control over a situation, you could start by observing your body’s reaction.	Anuj wants to help Vikrant. He knows that Vikrant is in a difficult situation as his and his parents’ interests are at loggerheads. Anuj knows that it is pointless to confront people and that confrontation only leads to unpleasantness. He knows that. it is reconciliation that would be beneficial. That is why he wants Vikrant to keep his emotions under control. Anuj knows that Vikrant would have great self­control if he studied his own feelings and his body’s response to the same.

C3. Answer the following questions in three or four sentences each:

Question 1.
Vikrant’s mother was harping on the importance of the year. Why was she anxious about Vikrant?
Answer:
Vikrant’s mother was talking about class XI as a good foundation for class XII. She knew that class XII would be a decisive year as it would show whether Vikrant had the scope to get admitted in a good institution for medical studies. Vikrant’s mother was anxious that Vikrant should ready himself to cope with the intensely competitive environment that had to be scaled for getting admission to a prestigious medical college. She showed her concern to mould the career of her son.

Question 2.
Anuj had spun into Vikrant’s life like a ‘new universe’. Why did Vikrant feel so? Who was Anuj?
Answer:
Anuj was a newfound friend of Vikrant. Though much older, he could understand Vikrant’s problems and be of help, Anuj was not just a person with dynamic ideas on photography; he could also throw light on the connectedness between human beings and all other living species. He gave new ideas to Vikrant for self-analysis – particularly the body language of the self and how to control expressions and feelings.

Question 3.
‘The identity ofVikrantzvithAmij created tension between Vikrant and his parents’. How did it happen?
Answer:
As an only child, Vikrant was the apple of his parents’ eye and they had all their hopes pinned on him. Being doctors, they hoped that Vikrant too would become a doctor. When Vikrant’s class grades dropped and he began skipping group tuitions and even extra school classes designed for the weekends, naturally his parents were upset. Tension grew between Vikrant and his parents over his identity with Anuj because they thought that it was Anuj’s bad influence that made Vikrant neglect his studies.

Question 4.
Vikrant said, “Medicine is considered …………… gives prestige”. Is this thought prejudicial? Do you agree with this opinion?
Answer:
Medicine is considered the noblest of all professions because it is in this profession that human beings save the life of other human beings. In other words, they are godly in their role as healers. Since it is considered a noble profession, it is considered prestigious also. There is nothing wrong in this line of thought. However, there are two points that go contrary to the idea. The first one is that not all doctors are noble. There are quite a few doctors who have refrained from saving lives just because their demands are not met. Secondly, it is not true that the other professions are not noble. Each profession has its own importance.

Question 5.
What was the reply of Anuj when Vikrant asked him how his suggestions would help him?
Answer:
When Vikrant asked Anuj how his suggestions would help him, Anuj replied that it would help him to witness his reactions as if they were happening to someone else. While observing his body and its reactions, he also had to distance himself from them. This distance would help him to observe his reactions and also control them by growing aware of them. This whole process can be termed as responding and not reacting to a situation. When you respond in a calculative manner without reacting instantaneously, you are being proactive and not reactive. This would be beneficial for all.

Question 6.
When did Vikrant start his self-observation? What did he observe? (Refer paras 23-25)
Answer:
Vikrant started his self-observation when he was in a conversation with his father. Once when Vikrant was having a talk with his father, he noticed that his mouth was dry, his head tight at the temples and his body slightly hunched. Vikrant noticed that his father’s last remark sent a strong wave of heat through his otherwise weary body, galvanizing him to leave the room without another word.

Question 7.
How did Vikrant’s father try to convince him to join tuitions for medical entrance?
Answer:
According to Vikrant’s father, tuitions for medical entrance were not just tuition. They coached him for a career, for a highly competitive exam. One wrong answer could make all the difference. It would be better if he turned his attention to investigating a coaching centre, rather than spend time with junkies and irrelevant things.

Question 8.
What are the last two steps of self-observation suggested by Anuj to Vikrant?
Answer:
Anuj suggested two last steps of self-observation to Vikrant. In the first one, the moment an active feeling comes, if it should be controlled, Vikrant should make a note of it without expressing it. In the second one, the person should express an emotion opposite to what one actually feels. If one is agitated, the minute one observes that the body language exhibits the agitation, one should consciously choose to express calm or warmth instead of coldness. In fact, the method of observing our own body language ensures that we don’t react immediately, but take time to respond maturely.

Question 9.
‘He did this with an awareness that it was the right thing for him to do.’ What does ‘awareness’ refer to here?
Answer:
‘Awareness’ refers to understanding. Vikrant who had all along resisted his parents’ desire that he enrol in a coaching class as a preparation for medicine, had the awareness that just as they had encouraged him in his interest, he should abide by their interest. So, Vikrant enrolled for classes at a coaching center for a medical entrance test. This he did with awareness about his future career. He was capable of deciding for himself. He could analyze his interests and come to a conclusion about what he had to do for his prosperity.

Question 10.
The word ‘Space’ in the title of the lesson has a significant reference. Comment on the title.
Answer:
Space in the title of this lesson has a significant role to play. It does not refer to physical space. It is a metaphoric reference to individual choice and freedom. It refers to that room or opportunity for one’s own interests. Generally, the interests and ideas of parents, friends and society are imposed on the children who are in the growing stage.

C4. Read the following extracts from the lesson carefully and explain each of them with reference to the context:

Question 1.
“Hey! What’s up? You look grim”.
Answer:
This sentence is taken from the lesson ‘A Question of Space’ by Neera Kashyap. The sentence is uttered by Anuj near the jogging track. Anuj puts this question to Vikrant as he looks quite dull and depressed, after being rebuked by his parents about his decreasing academic performance. Vikrant is like a bird in the cage which wishes to be free in the blue sky. But he feels trapped. Seeing his condition, Anuj asks the question above.

Question 2.
“But tell me, how do you react to pressure?”
Answer:
This sentence is an extract from the lesson ‘A Question of Space’ by Neera Kashyap. When Vikrant asks Anuj if his parents put pressure on him to become a photojournalist, Anuj answers in the negative. Vikrant feels that the pressure is worse for the children of doctors because medicine is considered the noblest among all professions and therefore gets prestige. So he asks Anuj how he reacts to such pressure.

Question 3.
“Sure. . . Why not? Actually, our range of expression is quite limited”.
Answer:
This sentence is selected from the lesson ‘A Question of Space’ by Neera Kashyap. This is said by Anuj to Vikrant. When Vikrant wants to clarify whether it is necessary to observe the body when one feels happy or excited or adventurous, and not necessarily only when one is under pressure, Anuj replies thus. Anuj continues that when one gets his full range of emotions, he will become aware of all his habitual expressions.

Question 4.
“If you still have not found out, when do you intend to enroll?”
Answer:
The sentence above is chosen from the lesson ‘A Question of Space’ by Neera Kashyap. When Vikrant’s father asks whether he has found out which is the most suitable coaching centre for his medical entrance test, Vikrant replies in the negative. At that point, Vikrant’s father reacts in this manner.
The reaction shows his annoyance with Vikrant.

Question 5.
“You cannot really change anything till things are ready for change”.
Answer:
This sentence is taken from the lesson ‘A Question of Space’ by Neera Kashyap. These are the wise words of advice of Anuj to Vikrant. Anuj notices one evening that Vikrant has a sense of discouragement because he is not able to make his parents see his viewpoint. So Anuj advises him not to be unduly perturbed over things which are beyond his area of control. Anuj wants Vikrant to take things as they come without losing his composure. However, Vikrant, who does not have the maturity of Anuj, is not able to understand the import of the words of Anuj.

C5. Answer the following questions:

Question 1.
Compare and contrast the characters – Vikrant and Anuj. Who would you like to be – Vikrant or Anuj? Justify your answer.
Answer:
Vikrant and Anuj build a rapport despite the difference in age. The only similarity between them is that both of them are from reputed families. Vikrant is a student of class XI whereas Anuj is a grown-up person, working as a photojournalist. Anuj acts as the confidante of Vikrant when Vikrant is getting worried and depressed over his parents’ pressure all the time to study more for the Class XII examination and medical entrance examination.

When Vikrant is in this state of being pressurised by his parents, he comes to know that Anuj has chosen to study photography as per his liking. He is even more surprised to know that Anuj’s parents have no objection to his pursuing his interests. It is at this point that Anuj helps Vikrant to analyze his own feelings and expressions to handle the pressure. Vikrant gets influenced by Anuj’s guidance and experience.

Thus we see that of the two, Anuj is more mature and is in a position to guide Vikrant. His advice to Vikrant on controlling his emotions shows that he is mature in his outlook and attitude. Hence it would be the desire of everyone to be like Anuj.

Question 2.
After Vikrant follows Anuj’s advice, we observe a change in his attitude and behaviour. Trace the chain of these changes.
Answer:
Once Vikrant develops a friendship with Anuj, he confides in him about the pressure from his parents. Vikrant
also tells Anuj about being disturbed by this. At that juncture, Anuj advises Vikrant on self-observation. He tells Vikrant to start observing his body whenever he feels a strong emotion. As per the advice of Anuj, Vikrant starts noticing his own body’s behavioural changes. After this self-observation, Vikrant realises that conflicts are not getting him anywhere. He also realises that he is not totally averse to the idea of studying medicine.

It is only that he does not want to be bulldozed into working three shifts a day, six days a week. He needs time to pursue his own interests and pleasures. After this stage, Vikrant tries to practise emotions which he has not experienced, yet is able to simulate. At first these are positive emotions of joy, spontaneity and excitement. When he feels more neutral, he practises a wider range. His experiments with self-observation help him see a whole range of his body reactions and the effects that different emotions have on the body and how the mind gets involved with these.

Question 3.
What is the role played by Anuj in this lesson? What message does the author convey to the reader through his character?
Answer:
Anuj is a true friend who helps Vikrant in need. We see that though Anuj has nothing to gain, he spends a lot of time to advise Vikrant and to solve his problems. After meeting Anuj, Vikrant feels he needs time to pursue his own interests and pleasures. We see that Anuj plays the role of a counselor guiding Vikrant. It is appreciable that he does not speak a single word against Vikrant’s parents.

The only piece of advice he gives Vikrant is to be aware of his emotions and to control them. He also speaks to him on various issues like his hobby of photography and self-observation. He also advises Vikrant not to worry too much about the change as no one can really change anything till things are ready for change. Thus, the author says that a positive approach to things or events can alter situations. Self-observation helps one to control one’s own feelings and expressions.

Question 4.
Assume yourself to be Vikrant. Write a letter to a friend discussing the ways in which you transformed yourself.
Answer:
Hi Susheel,

How have you been? I’m sure that you are surprised by this unexpected letter from me. I know that ours is the age of WhatsApp. But I have decided to take recourse to the older method of snail-mail because I want to share with you something dear to my heart.

I remember telling you a couple of months ago that I was upset with my parents for pressurizing me over my preparation for class XI exam and enrolment in a coaching center as preparation for the medical course. I was under a lot of stress because I felt my parents did not understand me and were forcing me to do, without giving me space, what I didn’t want to do. I didn’t like the idea of decisions about my future being unilaterally made by others. But there was a change in my viewpoint because of the timely intervention of one of my friends called Anuj.

Anuj is a photo-journalist and his unique ideas on a wide range of topics drew me to him. Though my parents didn’t like the idea of my spending a lot of time with him, it is because of him that my problems with my parents got resolved.

When Anuj realized that I was getting agitated over the conditions put by my parents over me, he taught me the technique of self-observation to control my emotions. He told me that it was important to note how our body reacts to emotions, both positive and negative, for self-awareness. Once we are aware of our physical behavior, we can control our mental thoughts.

This is possible because of the stage of distancing that takes place. When we start observing our physical responses, we distance ourselves from them. When we distance ourselves from our own behavior, we are more objective about ourselves and are able to control our thoughts. Moreover, when we control our negative physical behavior, we don’t displease people with whom we interact. But most importantly, we also realize that we ourselves could be in the wrong.

The same thing happened to me also. To begin with, when my mother made derogatory references to Anuj and my hanging out with him, as usual, I was angry. But once I started observing my physical reaction, I was able to control my agitation, retain my poise and speak calmly about what my association with Anuj meant to me. With this assertive but not arrogant behavior, I could convince my parents that they had to allow me to accommodate my interests even as I tried to do justice to my academic performance.

When my parents exhibited the spirit of accommodation, I too felt that their insistence on my pursuance of medical degree was not at all a bad idea. Thus, there was reconciliation between my parents and me and I can now say, ‘All is well that ends well.’ But all this was possible because of a level-headed, intelligent and empathetic person – Anuj.

When you come down next, let’s make it a point to meet him. I’m sure you will immensely enjoy his company. Do let me know when you plan to come down.

Warm regards
Vikrant

Question 5.
Do you have a dream/or a desire to do something? If yes, say how you would like to realize the same, in 10-15 sentences.
Answer:
Yes, like everyone else, I too have a dream. In fact, I have many dreams. But the most overpowering of them all is to be a winner in one of the reality shows. But alas! I am not especially gifted in any particular field of activity. I am neither a singer nor a dancer. It is true that I croon occasionally and tap my feet rhythmically. But it will not suffice to win an award. I cannot draw even straight lines; neither can I speak effectively.

Yet I want to be a winner. So I hope there will be a reality show for ordinary people like me, good at nothing; yet having the dream of winning. I hope to be a contestant in a reality show in which you get eliminated one by one because of your talent and the one with no talent at all wins. If there is a reality show of this kind, I will surely win and that is my dream!

Multiple Choice Questions:

Question 1.
Vikrant found himself completely out of breath
A) because he had jogged for 3.2 km
B) he had been thinking of his exams
C) his father had scolded him
D) his mother did not want him to go out.
Answer:
A) because he had jogged for 3.2 kms

Question 2.
Vikrant’s parents were
A) not interested in his studies
B) pressurising him to gear up for the medical entrance exams
C) forcing him to become a journalist
D) forcing him to become a photographer.
Answer:
B) pressurising him to gear up for the medical entrance exams

Question 3.
Vikrant’s class grades dropped because
A) he was studying hard
B) he developed new interests
C) he went astray
D) he was not interested in studies.
Answer:
B) he developed new interests

Question 4.
Doctors want their children to become doctors because
Answer:
A) it is easy to study medicine
B) the profession brings a lot of money
C) medicine is the noblest profession
D) it is easy to deal with patients.
Answer:
C) medicine is the noblest profession

Question 5.
Anuj wanted Vikrant to notice
A) his reactions as if they were happening to someone else
B) Anuj’s behaviour
C) the reactions of his parents
D) how his friends react in different circumstances.
Answer:
A) his reactions as if they were happening to someone else

Question 6.
Anuj advised Vikrant to
A) study hard
B) look for good coaching centres
C) practise expressions when there are no feelings
D) express what he feels
Answer:
C) practise expressions when there are no feelings

Question 7.
The last step suggested by Anuj to Vikrant was
A) to say no to his parents
B) to walk away
C) to express an emotion opposite to what he felt
D) to express an emotion as he felt it.
Answer:
C) to express an emotion opposite to what he felt

Question 8.
Finally, at the end of Class XI, Vikrant
A) stopped following Anuj’s advice
B) decided to stop studying
C) joined a coaching centre for medical entrance
D) decided to study engineering.
Answer:
C) joined a coaching centre for medical entrance

Question 9.
Anuj had turned into a photo-journalist because
A) his parents had pressurized him into it
B) this profession earned him a lot of money
C) he had a passion for it
D) he was not good at anything else.
Answer:
C) he had a passion for it

Question 10.
Anuj became a very good friend of Vikrant because
A) he was older
B) he also exercised with him
C) his dynamic ideas on photography and interest in self-improvement attracted Vikrant
D) he was very rich.
Answer:
C) his dynamic ideas on photography and interest in self-improvement attracted Vikrant

Question 11.
Tension grew between Vikrant and his parents because
A) Vikrant spent more time with Anuj
B) Vikrant’s interest in photography increased but his grades started dropping
C) Vikrant didn’t talk to them
D) Vikrant refused to study.
Answer:
B) Vikrant’s interest in photography increased but his grades started dropping

Question 12.
It is good to practice expressions when there are no feelings to be expressed because
A) it helps you to cheat others
B) one can experience the effect that different emotions have on the body
C) you can make others happy
D) one can become a good actor
Answer:
B) one can experience the effect that different emotions have on the body

Question 13.
Vikrant felt he could work hard towards a career if
A) he attended coaching classes soon after class XI
B) his parents let him pursue his new interests
C) he did not bother about coaching class and pursued only his interests
D) he had more time.
Answer:
B) his parents let him pursue his new interests

LANGUAGE ACTIVITIES:

A. VOCABULARY:

V1. Emotions

The nouns such as pleasure, spontaneity, excitement, etc., are used to express actions, emotions or feelings and the quality of actions. Pick out such words from the lesson which express emotions and put them under the following Columns.

Pleasant	Unpleasant
e.g. glee	e.g. dejection

Answer:

Pleasant	Unpleasant
happy	anxious
excited ‘	suspicion
adventurous	dismay
joy	hostility
spontaneity	scorn
warmth	discouragement
calm	coldness
satisfaction	agitated
glee	hopeless
pleasure	tension
excitement	pressure
	worry
	dejection
	confrontation

V2. Match the words in column ‘A’ with the corresponding meanings given in column ‘B’. You can use a dictionary to verify your answers.

A	B
1) Stevedore	a) one who studies rocks and soils
2) Chauffeur	b) one who loads and unloads ships
3) Geologist	c) one zoho drives a car for someone else
4) Juggler	d) one who is in charge of a museum
5) Anthropologist	e) one who performs tricks with the hands to amuse others
6) Auditor	f) one who studies human development
7) Curator	g) one who examines the financial records of a company.

Answer:

1. b
2. c
3. a
4. e
5. f
6. g
7. d

V3. Phrasal Verbs:

A) Complete the following sentences with a phrasal verb that includes one of the particles and one of the verbs given below.
Particles: down, in, out, up
Verbs: turn, come, slow, let, go, drop, grow, warm, plug, pull.
Eg. a) Please _______ for a cup of coffee whenever you are passing by.
Answer:
drop, in

b) Would you ______ the television _______ , please. It’s very loud.
Answer:
turn, down

1. The dentist says John will have to ______ two teeth ______.
2. Videos are cheaper now. Prices have actually ______ ______ since the 1980’s.
3. He could play the guitar when he was six. I think he’s going to be a great musician when he _____ _____.
4. ___ ____! You are driving much too fast!
5. Smoking is not allowed in here. Please _____ _____ that cigarette.
6. You must be very cold. Sit by the fire and _____ _____
7. There’s someone at the door. Can you _____ them ______ please?
8. Look, there’s the plug on the floor. You haven’t _____ the television ______.

Answer:

1. pluck; out
2. come down
3. grows up
4. Slow down
5. put; out
6. warm-up
7. let; in
8. plugged; in

B) Find the meanings of the following phrasal verbs and use them in sentences of your own:

Come across, get on, take part, getaway, get through, keep out, think over, take down, look into.

1. Come across: find by chance
   Ramesh came across his old classmate at the bus stop.
2. Get on: be friendly
   Indians get on very well with total strangers.
3. Take part: participate
   Students should have the interest to take part in extra-curricular activities.
4. Getaway: manage to escape
   Nobody can get away with wrongdoing.
5. Get through: pass
   It is very difficult to get through the CA examination.
6. Keep out: stay away
   Tell the children to keep out of mischief!
7. Think over: consider, judge, weigh the pros and cons
   You should think over the prospects of starting a new business venture in Mangalore.
8. Takedown: write
   The boss was so fast that the stenographer could not take down all the points.
9. Look into: investigate
   Only after the women’s organizations condemned the incident, the Minister ordered the police to look into the case.

C) Match the meanings of the phrasal verbs in column A with their meanings in column B.

Answer:

B. GRAMMAR AND USAGE:

COMPARISON

G1. Comment on the information using a comparative and superlative adjective.

1. Venus has a diameter of 12,104 kilometers. It isn’t as big as the Earth, which has a diameter of 12,756 kilometers. The earth is ………………. bigger than Venus.
2. The Mona Lisa is worth many millions of dollars. No other picture in the world is so valuable. The Mona Lisa is ……………. the most valuable picture in the world.
3. Telecom Tower is 180 meters tall, but Canada Tower in East London is 250 metres tall. The Canada Tower is …………… taller than the Telecom Tower.
4. Cambridge University dates from 1284, but it is not as old as Oxford University, which dates from 1167. Oxford University is …………………. older than Cambridge University.
5. Toby, who lived in New York, was a much-loved dog. When his owner died, she left $ 75 million, which made him a world record
   breaker among wealthy dogs. Toby was ………………… the wealthiest dog in the world when his owner died.

G2. A)The chart below shows the information on the expenses incurred in conducting the Annual Sports Meet in a school. Study the chart carefully.

The total cost estimated for the Annual Meet is Rs. 90,500.

1. No. of events : 70 (50 Track and Field events and
   20 Throws and Jumps)
2. No. of athletes : 750 (450 Girls + 300 Boys)
3. Staff on duty : Teachers – 65 (25 men + 40 women),
   Support Staff 20 (10 men + 10 women), Staff on Parking and Security duty 15 ‘ (10 men + 5 women)
4. Medals: 70 Gold, 70 Silver, 70 Bronze
5. Best Athlete Trophies : Boys 3, Girls 3
6. Best House Trophies : 4 (1 for each category and 1 overall)

Assume you are the Sports Secretary in charge of the School Annual Sports Meet. Taking information from the chart, prepare an oral presentation for the Management Committee of the school. Use as many expressions of comparison as you can.
Answer:
The Annual Sports Day of KVG School was carried out with pomp and glory. The expenses show that the least amount was spent on invitations, souvenir, and certificates as it came up to only 5% of the total expenditure. The biggest amount coming up to 30% was spent on the cultural programme. The amount spent on mementos and trophies at 15% was more than the amount spent on the tent, chairs, and decoration which was at 10%. The expenditure on refreshments was as much as that of mementos and trophies but was less than that of sports equipment, the expense of which stood at 25%.

There were 70 events on the whole, and the track events were more than the field events. Among the athletes, girls numbering up to 450 were more than boys who were only 300. Even among the staff on duty, there were more women than men, the ratio being 40:25. However, the support staff who were 20, had 10 men and 10 women. Gold, Silver and Bronze medals, 70 each, were bagged by the 750 athletes. Three boys and three girls were awarded the Best Athlete Trophies. Four Best House Trophies, one in each category, and one Overall Trophy were also presented.

B) Read the following article in which the writer compares the treatment of boys and girls.

Complete the article by filling in the spaces with appropriate words from the box given below.

For many parents, especially those who are poor and illiterate, a girl is a ‘lesser child’. Doesn’t it make you mad to know that girls aren’t given an equal chance to be born? Though female infanticide was banned by law over a century ago, thousands of . girls are killed before they are born or when they are babies.

Even the girls who are allowed to survive live with less of everything …………… girls are sent to school ………….. boys. They get ……………. medical care, so …………. girls die. Boys get …………… nutritious food and also …………… time to play …………….. jobs are open to girls, and even if they are employed, they are not paid as ……………. as boys. Most of all, they get ……………. respect. They are not given as ……………… opportunities as the boys to speak out on
matters that concern them. And yet, a girl usually does twice as ………….. work ……………. a boy, not only in the house but also in the fields.

This discrimination and bias must end, and end now! Can we count on your support?
For many parents, especially those who are poor and illiterate, a girl is a ‘lesser child’. Doesn’t it make you mad to know that girls aren’t given an equal chance to be bom? Though female infanticide was banned by law over a century ago, thousands of girls are killed before they are bom or when they are babies.

Even the girls who are allowed to survive live with less of everything. Fewer girls are sent to school than boys. They get less medical care, so many girls die. Boys get much nutritious food and also much time to play. Few jobs are open to girls, and even if they are employed, they are not paid as much as boys. Most of all, they get less respect. They are not given as many opportunities as the boys to speak out on matters that concern them. And yet, a girl usually does twice as much work as a boy, not only in the house but also in the fields.
This discrimination and bias must end, and end now! Can we count on your support?

C) Read the information and complete the sentences using more, most, less, least, fewer, or fewest.

1. There isn’t as much crime in the country areas as there is in cities. There’s ………….. than in the cities.
   There’s less crime in the country areas than in the cities.
2. No other state of the U.S. has as much rain as Louisiana. Louisiana …………. rain.
   Louisiana in the U.S. has the most rain.
3. The Green Party candidate didn’t get many votes. All the other candidates got more. The Green Party candidate ………….. votes.
   The Green Party candidate got the least votes.
4. There are lots of passengers on the buses in the daytime, but not so many in the evenings. In the evenings ………….. on the buses.
   In the evenings there are lesser passengers on the buses.
5. At the moment Arsenal has 42 points. No other club has more than 37. Arsenal points.
   Arsenal has the most points.
6. Seiko has made very little profit. In fact it has made less than any other supermarket. Seiko …………. profit.
   Sellco has made the least profit.
7. The accident rate among young drivers is higher than among older drivers. Young drivers …………… than older drivers.
   Young drivers have more accident rate than older drivers.

D) Complete the conversation. Put in less, least, more, most, or as.

• Lobo: I’m going to Delhi next week, so I’ll have to book my flight.
  I think it’ll be more convenient to go by air than by train.
• Peter: I’d go by train. Trains are comfortable than planes.
• Lobo: But the train fare is really expensive. The plane isn’t …………… expensive as the train, which always surprises me.
• Peter: I hate flying. It’s my …………… favourite means of transport.
• Lobo: Well, I don’t mind it. And I’m not keen on trains as you are. A short flight is …………….. boring than a long train journey, I find.
• Peter: I’d rather drive than fly.
• Lobo: I’m definitely not driving. No, thank you. Driving all the way would be the …………… stressful way of getting there.
• Peter: I don’t think driving is ……………. stressful as flying.
• Lobo: Well, it is to me.
• Peter: And will you be able to get a flight at the right time? Planes are …………… frequent than trains, aren’t they?
• Lobo: Oh, there are plenty of flights. There’s one at ten in the morning. That’ll be the …………….. convenient.

Answer:

• Lobo: I’m going to Delhi next week, so I’ll have to book my flight. I think it’ll be more convenient to go by air than by train.
• Peter: I’d go by train. Trains are more comfortable than planes.
• Lobo: But the train fare is really expensive. The plane isn’t as expensive as the train, which always surprises me.
• Peter: I hate flying. It’s my least favorite means of transport.
• Lobo: Well, I don’t mind it. And I’m not as keen on trains as you are. A short flight is less boring than a long train journey, I find.
• Peter: I’d rather drive than fly.
• Lobo: I’m definitely not driving. No, thank you. Driving all the way would be the most stressful way of getting there.
• Peter: I don’t think driving is as stressful as flying.
• Lobo: Well, it is to me.
• Peter: And will you be able to get a flight at the right time? Planes are less frequent than trains, aren’t they?
• Lobo: Oh, there are plenty of flights. There’s one at ten in the morning. That’ll be the most convenient.

E) Rewrite the sentences using ‘the ……………..the ……………’:

1. How well I sleep depends on how late I go to bed.
   The later I go to bed, the better I sleep.
2. I don’t spend much time with my family because I work so hard.
   The harder I work, the less time I spend with my family.
3. The traffic moves very slowly as more cars come into the city.
   The more cars that come into the city, the slower is the traffic.
4. How much you sweat depends on how hot you feel.
   The hotter you feel, the more you sweat.
5. The idea becomes less attractive as I think about it more.
   The more I think about it, the less attractive the idea becomes.
6. How much petrol a car uses depends on the size of the engine.
   The bigger the size of the engine, the more petrol a car uses.

F) Superlatives:

Which of the following do you like the best? Write one or two sentences comparing your choices.

1. Fresh fruit juice, Coca-cola, Maaza.
   I like fresh fruit juice the best because it is the healthiest.
2. Disco dance, Indian classic, Pop dance.
   I like Indian classic dance the most because it is the most spiritual.
3. Dance, singing, drama.
   I like dance the best because it is the most spontaneous.
4. Fruit, chocolates, ice creams.
   I like chocolates the least because they are the least healthy.

G) Error correction
Each sentence below contains an error. Identify and correct the error and rewrite the sentence correctly:

1. The faster land animal in the world is a cheetah.
   The fastest land animal in the world is a cheetah.
2. His grade is the same as mine.
   His grade is the same as my grade.
3. Sarla is slightly taller to Suman.
   Sarla is slightly taller than Suman.
4. Our house is bigger as than yours.
   Our house is bigger than yours.
5. The Vidhana Soudha is most prominent building in Bengaluru.
   The Vidhana Soudha is the most prominent building in Bengaluru.

Speaking: Group Activity

S2. Conversation

B) Pair work. Prepare a dialogue that seeks and gives information about any other country.

• Manju: Hi Mrinal, I’m planning to visit Germany. Could you please give me a few tips about the places worth visiting? I remember that you went to Germany last year.
• Mrinal: Yes, I did. I visited my niece whose husband is working for Robert Bosch in Germany. I had a lovely time there. Germany is a Western European country with a landscape of forests, rivers, mountain ranges and North Sea beaches. So there are many tourist spots of natural beauty.
• Manju: What about historically important places?
• Mrinal: It has over 2 millennia of history. Berlin, its capital, is home to art, the Brandenburg Gate and many sites relating to WWII.
• Manju: Which is the place that I must visit without fail?
• Mrinal: Frankfurt. Frankfurt, with its skyscrapers, houses the European Central Bank. Frankfurt is a central German city on the River Maine, and it is a major financial hub that’s home to the European Central Bank. It’s the birthplace of famed writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, whose former home is now the Goethe House Museum. Like much of the city, it was damaged during World War II and later rebuilt. The reconstructed Altstadt (Old Town) is the site of Romerberg, a square that hosts an annual Christmas market.
• Manju : Thank you for the information. What was the amount you spent on the entire tour?
• Mrinal: In Germany it is Euro and each Euro is nearly Rs. 70, Rs.68.60 to be exact. I spent only on my travel which was within Rs. 1,00,000. Since my niece took care of my stay and outing, I didn’t have to spend on anything else.
• Manju : Oh, ok… Let me see how much to keep aside. Thanks again.
  or whatever is written with it. This aspect gives the message that the more good we become, the more good others feel about us. The pains and sufferings in our life make us better and wise human beings.

A Question of Space by Neera Kashyap About The Author:

Neera Kashyap started her working career as a journalist with the Hindustan Times and went on to specialize in environment and health journalism as senior researcher and editor with Centre for Science & Environment and Voluntary Health Association of India respectively. Later she specialized in social and health communications chiefly in the fields of HIV/ AIDS, reproductive health and poverty.

Tapping her literary bent, she has published a book of stories for children (Daring to Dream) and anthologies of prize-winning stories for Children’s Book Trust. These stories reflect both the stresses facing children as well as magic realism, tapping deeper layers of the sub-conscious. She currently focuses on interpreting subtle meanings in Hindu and Buddhist scriptures and literatures for modem readers.

A Question of Space Summary in English

The lesson ‘A Question of Space’ written by Neera Kashyap discusses a burning contemporary issue. The author takes up the problem of parental pressure on children and shows how parents go by what they consider right for their children. It is alright if parents are concerned about their children and have a say in their future. But it is not right if they do so without lending a patient hearing to what the children have to say. Also, very often, parents go by popularly held ideas about education and careers. They are not concerned about the likes and dislikes of their children. This leads to a lot of friction between parents and their children.

The children also have no control over their emotions. They feel that their parents unnecessarily interfere in their life. They don’t understand that it is natural for parents to be concerned about their children. It is as if there is no solution for this problem because each seems to be right. However, the lesson shows that all is not lost and the children can make their parents understand their viewpoint if only they behave wisely and with thoughtfulness. The present lesson demonstrates how self- observation leads to self-improvement and change in attitudes. It is also a psychology-based lesson, which suggests to us how to control our emotions.

Vikrant is an only child of a successful doctor couple, who want him to become a doctor too. Vikrant is a student of XI standard and his day is filled with more and more studies. His parents constantly force him to study hard in order to get admission to a prestigious medical college.

It is at this juncture in his life that Vikrant meets Anuj, a photojournalist. Vikrant meets him on the jogging tracks and while conversing with him Vikrant asks him if he has been forced by his parents into this profession. Anuj replies that he has taken it up out of his own choice. However, Anuj realizes that there is something amiss in the life of Vikrant, and asks Vikrant if he is pressurized by his parents and how he reacts to the pressure. Vikrant replies that he argues with his parents and even walks out in anger.

Anuj advises him to keep observing how his body reacts when he is upset. Vikrant follows the advice of Anuj and . notices that whenever he gets upset, his body starts clenching, mouth gets dry and his head grows tight at the temples. Vikrant confides that he has felt it when his parents put pressure on him to join tuitions for medical entrance. Unable to bear the pressure everytime his parents make such references, he walks out on them.
The next day Vikrant tells Anuj that observing his body reactions and emotions was not helping him to solve his problem.

Then Anuj gives him the most important advice. He asks him to express an emotion opposite to what he feels. He adds that if he is agitated, he should express his anxiety as calmly as possible. Vikrant tries Anuj’s advice and finds that he is able to bear the pressure much better and also notices that his parents are also willing to listen to his point of view and are agreeable to support him. Surprisingly, Vikrant also realises that he too is prepared to consider his parents’ proposition. Thus, a hopeless situation turns into a win-win situation.

Thus, Vikrant controls his emotions and moods with the help of self-observation. He, at the end of class XI, enrols for coaching classes for medical entrance exam with the awareness that he is doing the right thing. Thus, self-observation leads Vikrant to self-improvement.
Thus the lesson shows how to bridge the gap between the parents and the children. It shows that if children are prepared to move a step forward in the process of easing friction, parents are also ready to take that extra step.

Glossary:

pounded (ppt): hit, throb
cosmos (n): everything (universe)
daft (adj): silly, foolish
glee (n): happiness, delight
junkies (n): useless, unwanted
weary (adj): tired, exhausted
galvanizing (v): provoking, stimulating
scorn (n): contempt, disrespect
chafe (v): irritated, annoyed
dejection (n): sadness, depression
agitated (adj): disturbed
objectively (adv): without prejudice, without bias
refrain (v): avoid doing, abstain
hobnob (v): associate, go around with
confrontation (n): disagreement

We hope the information prevailed in this article is helpful for all the students of Class 9. The Karnataka State Board Solutions for Class 9 English Chapter 5 A Question of Space Question and Answers pdf enhance your skills and score good marks in the exams. Stay tuned to get the latest information about the KSEEB Solutions Class 9 English Solutions.

By understanding the academic needs we have prepared the Karnataka State Board English Class 9 Solutions Chapter Wise. Our aim is to help the students by providing the question and answers chapter wise and help them to gain a good score in the exams. Before you start your preparation go through the chapters covered in this academic. So go through them and Download KSEEB Solutions for Class 9 English Poem Chapter 6 The Bold Pedlar and Robin Hood Question and Answers Pdf for free.

Karnataka State Board Class 9 English Poem Chapter 6 The Bold Pedlar and Robin Hood

The topics covered in Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board Class 9 Solutions for English Chapter 6 The Bold Pedlar and Robin Hood. The KSEEB Solutions Class 9 English Solutions Chapter 6 The Bold Pedlar and Robin Hood Question and Answers are prepared according to the latest edition.The Chapterwise page will help the students to revise the syllabus during the exams.

The Bold Pedlar and Robin Hood Questions and Answers, Summary, Notes

Comprehension:

C1. Answer the following questions:

Question 1.
How was the pedlar traveling?
Answer:
The pedlar put his pack all on his back and trudged across the grassy land.

Question 2.
Who did the pedlar meet on the road?
Answer:
The pedlar met Robin Hood and his faithful follower Little John on the road.

Question 3.
What did the pedlar have in his pack?
Answer:
The pedlar had several suits of bright green silk and two or three silken bow-strings.

Question 4.
What did Little John want from the pedlar?
Answer:
Little John wanted one half of the pack from the pedlar.

Question 5.
What did the pedlar boldly claim?
Answer:
The pedlar boldly claimed that nobody could ask for or take half of his pack and added that if they could defeat him in a duel, they could take the entire lot.

Question 6.
How did the pedlar protect his pack?
Answer:
The pedlar pulled off his pack and put it below his knee and stood against it.

Question 7.
Why did Little John request the pedlar to stop fighting?
Answer:
Little John and the pedlar fought until both of them broke into sweat. Little John was not able to defeat the pedlar and as he became very tired he asked the pedlar to stop fighting.

Question 8.
What challenges did Robin Hood put before Little John?
Answer:
Robin Hood challenged Little John saying that he could defeat both the pedlar and him.

Question 9.
Who won the second fight?
Answer:
The pedlar won the second fight too.

Question 10.
What was the pedlar’s identity?
Answer:
The pedlar was Gamble Gold of the Green Woods. He had fled from his country as he had killed a man in his father’s land and had run away to escape punishment.

C2. Answer the following:

Question 1.
Who were Robin Hood and Little John? Why did they attack the pedlar?
Answer:
Robin Hood and Little John were outlaws and used to loot the people travelling, through the Nottingham forest. When they saw the pedlar passing through, carrying a huge bag of wares, they decided to attack and loot him.

Question 2.
Describe the struggle between

1. the pedlar and Little John, and the outcome;
2. the pedlar and Robin Hood, and the outcome.

Answer:

1. The pedlar and Little John: The pedlar did not agree to give one half of the pack. He protected his pack by pulling it off and putting it a little below his knee. So Little John drew his sword and fought with the pedlar. They fought fiercely until both of them were tired. The outcome of the fight was that Little John cried and prayed to the pedlar to stop fighting.

2. The pedlar and Robin Hood: The same fate as that of Little John awaited Robin Hood. When Little John asked Robin Hood to fight with the pedlar, Robin Hood arrogantly said that he could defeat both the pedlar and Little John. He drew his sword, fought with the pedlar till the blood flowed from both of them in streams. But the final outcome was that Robin Hood couldn’t defeat the pedlar and he too requested him to stop fighting.

Question 3.
Robin Hood calls the pedlar his cousin. How is the fact revealed?
Answer:
After being defeated by the pedlar, Robin Hood expressed his interest in knowing who the pedlar was. The pedlar then revealed that he was Gamble Gold of the gay green woods and had traveled far beyond the sea for killing a man in his father’s land and was forced to flee his country. Robin Hood then realized that he was his mother’s own sister’s son and that they both were cousins. Thus, the association that had begun in fight and hostility, ends in peace and merriment.

Question 4.
Little John and Robin Hood lose to the pedlar. Yet the ballad ends on a happy note. Give reason.
Answer:
Little John and Robin Hood confront the pedlar because they believe in looting the rich in order to help the poor. But the pedlar turns out to be too strong for them. Both little John, the follower, and Robin Hood, the master, are defeated in this combat with the pedlar.

However, though Robin Hood loses the fight, he shows humility in asking for the pedlar’s identity. When the pedlar refuses to give his identity until and unless Robin Hood and Little John reveal their identity, without any ego, Robin Hood discloses his identity.

It is only after Robin Hood discloses his identity that the pedlar reveals his identity. Robin Hood then realizes that they are near cousins because their mothers are sisters. This is when everything turns out to be fine between Robin Hood and the pedlar and the ballad ends on a happy note.

C3. Answer the following questions:

Question 1.
Little John and Robin Hood are chivalrous men. How do they take their defeat? Was it right to do so? Why?
Answer:
The way Little John and Robin Hood face their defeat shows that they are chivalrous. They challenge the pedlar who is boldly selling his packs for a duel. On getting defeated by the pedlar in turn, instead of getting upset, they admire the pedlar for his power and prowess. This can be considered dignified, chivalrous behavior because Robin Hood does not exhibit petty envy towards a better fighter.

Question 2.
If Robin Hood and Little John had not shown humility, how do you think the ballad would have ended?
Answer:
Most of the human tragedies are the outcome of ego. If Robin Hood and Little John had not shown humility at their defeat, they would have been killed by the pedlar. There are chances that the two of them would have together overcome the pedlar in a dishonorable way. Whatever it might be, it would have been tragic because one or the other brave fighter would have got killed.

Question 3.
‘The pedlar stands for integrity’. Do you agree with this view? Justify your answer.
Answer:
The pedlar remains calm and composed throughout the poem. He did not get scared seeing Robin Hood and Little John. Naturally, he did not give up his wares when they demanded it as it was rightfully his. Instead, he challenged them to a duel. He did not accept defeat, but fought them bravely and overpowered them.

When he was asked to reveal his identity, he told them the true story. He said that he was from gay green woods and he was forced to flee because he had killed a man who had ventured into his father’s land. Even here we see that he is a fearless man. This reveals that he stands for integrity.

Additional Questions:

Question 1.
Who trudged over the lea?
Answer:
A pedlar.

Question 2.
Whom did the pedlar meet by chance?
Answer:
Two troublesome men (Robin Hood and Little John).

Question 3.
Name the two persons whom the pedlar met.
Answer:
Robin Hood and Little John.

Question 4.
Why did the pedlar refuse to tell his name?
Answer:
Because he wanted to first know the names of the two that he had met.

Question 5.
What was the name of the pedlar?
Answer:
Gamble Gold.

Question 6.
Where was the pedlar from?
Answer:
The pedlar was from gay green woods.

Question 7.
Why did the pedlar flee his land?
Answer:
For killing a man in his father’s land, the pedlar was forced to flee.

Question 8.
How was the pedlar related to Robin Hood?
Answer:
The pedlar Gamble Gold from gay green woods was Robin Hood’s cousin. He was Robin Hood’s mother’s sister’s son.

Question 9.
What did the pedlar have in his pack?
Answer:
Several suits of the gay green silks and two or three silken bowstrings.

Question 10.
How did the pedlar defend his pack?
Answer:
The pedlar pulled off his pack from his back and put it below his knee.

Question 11.
Why did Robin Hood laugh when Little John lost the fight?
Answer:
He thought it was easy to defeat the pedlar. Little John was a well-built man so he laughed at Little John for being beaten by the pedlar.

Question 12.
Who stopped the fight between the pedlar and Robin Hood?
Answer:
Robin Hood himself.

Multiple Choice Questions:

Question 1.
A pedlar with his backpack was happily walking
A) in a town
B) in the forest
C) over the grassy land
D) over the hills.
Answer:
C) over the grassy land

Question 2.
The pedlar’s pack contained
A) green silk suits and silk bowstrings
B) food
C) a lot of money
D) fruit and vegetables.
Answer:
A) green silk suits and silk bowstrings

Question 3.
Little John said …………. belonged to him.
A) the pedlar’s pack
B) one half of the pedlar’s pack
C) one suit and one bowstring
D) None of the above.
Answer:
D) None of the above.

Question 4.
The pedlar said that he would give up the whole pack if Little John
A) defeated him in the fight
B) moved him one perch from the pack
C) requested him
D) defeated Robin Hood in a fight.
Answer:
B) moved him one perch from the pack

Question 5.
Robin Hood and the pedlar fought till
A) they both did sweat
B) blood started flowing in streams
C) the evening
D) Little John asked them to stop.
Answer:
B) blood started flowing in streams

Question 6.
The pedlar refused to tell his name till
A) Little John apologized
B) Robin Hood apologized
C) they told him their names first
D) they defeated him.
Answer:
C) they told him their names first

Question 7.
The pedlar’s name was
A) Robin Hood
B) Little John
C) Francis J. Child
D) Gamble Gold.
Answer:
D) Gamble Gold.

Question 8.
Gamble Gold was Robin Hood’s
A) sister’s son
B) father’s sister’s son
C) mother’s sister’s son
D) sister’s daughter’s son
Answer:
C) mother’s sister’s son

The Bold Pedlar and Robin Hood by Francis J.Child About The Poet:

Francis James Child (1825-1896) was an American scholar and a professor at Harvard University. He was an academician, educator, and folklorist, but he is best known for his collection of folksongs known as the ‘Child Ballads’. In 1876, he was named Harvard’s first Professor of English. During that time he began his work on the ‘Child Ballads’. They are a major contribution to the study of English language folk music.

The Bold Pedlar and Robin Hood Summary in English

Background:
Robin Hood is a heroic outlaw in English folklore who, according to legend, was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. Traditionally depicted as being dressed in Lincoln green, he is often portrayed as “robbing from the rich and giving to the poor” alongside his band of Merry Men. Robin Hood became a popular folk figure in the late medieval period and continues to be widely represented in literature, films, and television.

There are many speculations as to the identity of Robin Hood. According to some historians, Robin Hood was born in the time of Henry II, perhaps Robert Fitzooth, perhaps the Earl of Huntington. His exploits centered around Bamsdale and Sherwood. Legend has it that he died in 1247 at the age of 87 at Kirkley’s Nunnery in Yorkshire. Robin Hood ballads were extremely popular with the peasantry in England for several hundred years. Thirty-seven of ‘Child Ballads’ are Robin Hood ballads. This ballad is Child Ballad 132.

Summary:
A pedlar meets Robin Hood and Little John and tells them what he has in his pack. Little John demands half of it. The pedlar refuses point blank to oblige Little John. They fight. The fight grows fierce. Finally, it is the pedlar who wins. Robin laughs and says he has a man who could defeat him. Now it is the turn of Robin to fight with the pedlar.

The pedlar wins again and refuses to hold his hand or tell his name until they had told them theirs. They do, and he says his name is Gamble Gold, and he is fleeing because he killed a man in his father’s land. Robin identifies him as his mother’s sister’s son, and they go to the tavern and drink together.

Glossary:

trudge: walk slowly with heavy steps
lea: an open area of grassy land
move one perch: the least of movements
gang: join
pray: please (in old English)
thrash: beat someone violently
flee: run away
sheathed: covered (the sword).

We hope the information prevailed in this article is helpful for all the students of Class 9. The Karnataka State Board Solutions for Class 9 English Chapter 6 The Bold Pedlar and Robin Hood Question and Answers pdf enhance your skills and score good marks in the exams. Stay tuned to get the latest information about the KSEEB Solutions Class 9 English Solutions.

By understanding the academic needs we have prepared the Karnataka State Board English Class 9 Solutions Chapter Wise. Our aim is to help the students by providing the question and answers chapter wise and help them to gain a good score in the exams. Before you start your preparation go through the chapters covered in this academic. So go through them and Download KSEEB Solutions for Class 9 English Supplementary Chapter 1 The Goat and the Stars Question and Answers Pdf for free.

Karnataka State Board Class 9 English Supplementary Chapter 1 The Goat and the Stars

The topics covered in Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board Class 9 Solutions for English Chapter 1 The Goat and the Stars. The KSEEB Solutions Class 9 English Solutions Chapter 1 The Goat and the Stars Question and Answers are prepared according to the latest edition.The Chapterwise page will help the students to revise the syllabus during the exams.

The Goat and the Stars Questions and Answers, Summary, Notes

Comprehension:

Question 1.
What makes the boy look funny?
Answer:
The boy wore oversized brown trousers. This gave him a curious look. His hair looked as if it had been shorn off with sheep shears. There was always mud on his boots.

Question 2.
Where are the goats kept?
Answer:
The goats are kept in the pigsty.

Question 3.
What did the boy do while grazing the goats?
Answer:
The boy tended to the goats very lovingly while he took them for grazing because he treated them as friends and knew that they were his friends. Every morning he would take them out for grazing and bring them back to the pigsty in the evening.

Question 4.
What first made the man and his wife become aware of the smell of the goat-kid and the boy?
Answer:
During the service, the clergyman mentioned the gifts of frankincense and myrrh given to the child Jesus by the three wise men. At this moment, the man and his wife became aware of a strange smell. Initially, they did not realize that the smell was coming from the boy and the goat. Since the sermon was on frankincense and myrrh, they wondered whether frankincense and myrrh could have such a strange smell.

Question 5.
Why was the boy troubled by the absence of snow on the ground?
Answer:
The absence of snow on the ground went against the traditional belief of the boy. He had for a long time believed that at Christmas, there would be snow on the ground, small bells would ring and there would be a moving star. But now there was no snow on the ground. There were no bells ringing. He felt disappointed.

Question 6.
Explain the message written on the notice board.
Answer:
From the response of the boy, it is clear that the message served its purpose. The purpose of the message was to motivate people to donate and give gifts generously to help the needy. The message made an emotional appeal by reiterating that no gift was too big or too small. Each gift was important by itself. It was the nobler impulse to donate that was valuable.

The message also had the words, “This means you”. This injunction could be interpreted in two ways: it could mean that the greatest gift was to offer oneself to the service of God, or it could mean that everyone who read the notice should be willing to donate something or the other.

Additional Questions:

Question 1.
Describe the appearance of the young (small) boy.
Answer:
The small boy was the son of a farmer couple who owned a small farm of about ten acres. He was an innocent young boy with a look of determination on his thin lips. His large brown trousers gave him a curious look. His hair looked as if it had been shorn off with sheep shears. There was always mud on his boots and most of the time he smelled of goats.

Question 2.
How did the notice in the Church affect the small boy?
Answer:
The small boy saw the notice every day in the morning when he came to the Church. It was in blue and scarlet letters on a board outside the Church. It had been there since a month before Christmas. The large letters, “This Means You” affected the boy more than anything else. He was troubled by this. He thought that it particularly referred to him.

The notice left him worried. It seemed to hit him in the face. It singled him out from the rest of the world. He felt that he had to do something about it because he felt that it was watching him. Finally, it appeared to him that the notice and God were one.

So, he thought that God too was watching him. Therefore, the small boy, in the end, decided to give away something which he loved more than anything and that happened to be the goat-kid, which was his favorite.

Question 3.
How did the boy spend his time during the day?
Answer:
It was the responsibility of the boy to take care of the dozen goats owned by his father. It was his job to graze them every morning and bring them back to the pigsty before darkness fell. He treated the goats like his friends; he was very fond of them. He spent all his time with them and therefore, he smelled of goats. On days when there was no school, he spent his time in the pigsty.

Question 4.
How did the small boy prepare himself and the goat-kid before going to the Church?
Answer:
The small boy was very fond of the goats and especially fond of the little goat. After seeing the notice in the Church, he felt that it was referring to him. He had to give away something and he decided to give away the goat-kid which was his favorite. It was a great sacrifice.

That afternoon, he spent his time in the pigsty, kneeling on the strewed floor, combing the delicate milky hair of the little goat with a horse comb. He was proud of the gift he was going to give. It was something small and beautiful and living. It was his friend. He tied a piece of clean string around its neck and then it was ready to be taken.

He had decided to give the goat-kid away, in spite of being greatly attached to it. It was an act of great sacrifice, but he did not want to go against what God (the notice) bid him to do. In his innocence, he believed that it was his duty to give away the thing he loved the most.

Question 5.
What were the boy’s feelings when he left the Church in the end?
Answer:
When the boy left the Church in the end, with the goat-kid in his hands, he was happy. He was not troubled by the fact that they did not want the kid. In fact, he was happy that it would be his again. The notice did not bother him either. He knew that it was not for him and that he had made a mistake. He was not troubled any more by the notice.

However, as he was leaving the Church, he was troubled by some other things. He had for a long time believed that at Christmas there would be snow on the ground, bells would be ringing and that there would be a moving star. But none of them were seen now. The boy was thinking of those things and not of the goat-kid, which he would have lost.

The Goat and the Stars Summary in English

The short story ‘The Goat and the Stars’ is about a young farm-boy who innocently misinterprets a church announcement regarding Christmas Eve gifts. The announcement says, “No Gift too Large. None too Small. Give generously. This Means You.” The little boy is deeply influenced by the words and gets disturbed every time he passes by the notice.

He even has the feeling that he is being watched by God. So he decides to give a gift. But till Christmas eve he is unable to decide what to give. However, on Christmas eve he decides to give a goat-kid as his gift.

He is of the feeling that it is a great sacrifice to make as he deeply loves the goat-kid. He is proud that he is offering a living thing, his friend. He takes the goat-kid under the cover of darkness. But he has a problem. He doesn’t know the procedure followed in the church for offerings. He thinks he can go to church and announce to the men in charge about the sacrifice of the goat-kid. So he goes to church, only to be met with laughter.

He reaches the church at the time of the sermon. The church is full of people. During the service, the clergyman mentions about the gifts of frankincense and myrrh given to child Jesus by the three wise men. At this moment, a man and his wife become aware of a strange smell.

Initially, they are not able to locate the source of the smell. Since the sermon was on frankincense and myrrh, they wonder whether frankincense and myrrh could have such a strange smell. Later they realise that the smell is coming from the boy and the goat. When they come to know the intention of the boy, they discourage him by saying that such gifts cannot be given.

The boy returns home without making the sacrifice. The author adds that the boy is surprised by the absence of snow, small bells and a moving star. The author suggests that the disappointment of the boy results in this phenomenon.

Glossary:

pasture: green land/grassy land
intervals: break-in time, break-in periods of time
sty: place where goats are kept.

We hope the information prevailed in this article is helpful for all the students of Class 9. The Karnataka State Board Solutions for Class 9 English Chapter 1 The Goat and the Stars Question and Answers pdf enhance your skills and score good marks in the exams. Stay tuned to get the latest information about the KSEEB Solutions Class 9 English Solutions.

By understanding the academic needs we have prepared the Karnataka State Board English Class 9 Solutions Chapter Wise. Our aim is to help the students by providing the question and answers chapter wise and help them to gain a good score in the exams. Before you start your preparation go through the chapters covered in this academic. So go through them and Download KSEEB Solutions for Class 9 English Poem Chapter 1 The Grass is Really Like Me Question and Answers Pdf for free.

Karnataka State Board Class 9 English Poem Chapter 1 The Grass is Really Like Me

The topics covered in Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board Class 9 Solutions for English Chapter 1 The Grass is Really Like Me. The KSEEB Solutions Class 9 English Solutions Chapter 1 The Grass is Really Like Me Question and Answers are prepared according to the latest edition.The Chapterwise page will help the students to revise the syllabus during the exams.

The Grass is Really Like Me Questions and Answers, Summary, Notes

Comprehension:

C1. Read the poem silently and answer the following questions after discussing your response in pairs or in groups.

Question 1.
What does the poet mean by the phrase,’ raise its head’? Literally it means to straighten up after being flattened.
Answer:
But metaphorically it means to survive and establish one’s identity again.

Question 2.
Explain the phrase, ‘unfurl underfoot to fulfill itself.
Answer:
The grass opens out even if it is under the foot of someone; to do justice to its existence. Likewise, women seek meaning in their lives even when they are trampled upon by men.

Question 3.
Refer to lines four and five. Are they contrasting? Which one do you think is the poet referring to?
Answer:
Line four talks of the woman made to feel ashamed of her being a woman and line five talks about the forcible submission of a woman by men. They are contrasting and the poet refers more to the second thought. She feels that woman by herself is never submissive but it is men who make her become one.

Question 4.
The poet is associating herself with the grass. Why? When she says ‘me’, is she referring to just herself or the entire womenfolk?
Answer:
The poet associates herself with the grass because just as grass is trampled upon by all passersby, a woman is also trampled upon by patriarchal forces in society. However, when the speaker says, ‘me/ she doesn’t mean her individual self; she means the entire womenfolk who are more or less in the same position of subjugation.

Question 5.
Do you think the ‘lawnmowers’ are the same in the case of the grass and the poet?
Answer:
No, the lawnmowers in the case of the grass are workers who are doing their duty. But the lawnmowers in the case of the poet are the chauvinistic people who don’t believe in the concept of equality of women.

Question 6.
Pick out the line from which the poet shifts the attention from ‘grass’ to ‘woman’. Who is the ‘you’ inline 11?
Answer:
It is inline 11 that the poet moves from the impersonal to the personal. From the lawnmowers, she moves on to men who dominate over women. ‘You’ refers to all those who victimise women.

Question 7.
What does the phrase ‘scorching defeat’ refer to? What does the poet mean by the words ‘grafted on to the earth’?
Answer:
The phrase ‘scorching heat’ refers to the various forms of torture a woman faces in her life. Those who do not have the strength to overcome the violence and injustice, are grafted on to the earth. It means they don’t have the capacity to raise their heads.

Question 8.
What is the poet trying to tell us in lines 18 and 19?
Answer:
Lines 18 and 19 refer to those women who succumb to the power that works against them. They get grafted to the earth and allow the more powerful to have their victory. They are like weak straws. However, not all women are weak and feeble. Some women raise their heads and fight against injustice. They are like the grass which unfurls and fulfills itself even as it is being trampled upon.

Question 9.
‘But neither the earth’s nor woman’s desire to manifest life dies’ Explain the meaning of the lines above.
Answer:
By equating the desire of the earth and the desire of the woman, the poet makes it very clear that it is natural for the woman to have the desire to manifest herself. Just as the earth reveals its self, its glory, a woman wants to establish her selfhood, her autonomy. Those who go against this impulse in a woman are going against the natural order in nature.

C2. Put the following lines in the table given below according to the figure of speech used in them:

1. The grass is also like me.
2. As soon as it can raise its head
   • The lawn mower
   • Obsessed with flattening it into velvet
   • Mows it down again.
3. But they are merely straw not grass.
4. Fear is the tax that conscience pays to guilt.
5. Work is food for noble minds.
6. Man needs God as he needs water and oxygen.

Simile	Metaphor	Personification

Answer:

Simile	Metaphor	Personification
The grass is also like me.	But they are merely straw not grass.	As soon as it can raise its head.
Man needs God as he needs water and oxygen.	Work is food for noble minds.	The lawn mower Obsessed with flattening it into velvet Mows it down again.
		Fear is the tax that conscience pays to guilt.

Additional Questions:

Answer the following:

Question 1.
What does the poet compare herself to?
Answer:
She compares herself to the grass.

Question 2.
How does the grass try to fulfill itself?
Answer:
It unfurls underfoot.

Question 3.
What happens to the grass when it tries to raise its head?
Answer:
The lawn mower flattens it again.

Question 4.
Who is compared to the lawn mower?
Answer:
Man, who suppresses women, is compared to the lawn mower.

Question 5.
What does not die with either the grass or with the woman?
Answer:
The desire to manifest life does not die with either of them.

Question 6.
Who are grafted to the earth?
Answer:
Those who cannot bear the defeat of their courage are grafted to the earth.

Question 7.
Why is the grass compared to a woman?
Answer:
The grass, being on the ground, is trampled upon by people walking over it all the time. Similarly, men push women down all the time without letting them make their decisions freely or act independently.

Question 8.
What is the lawn mower obsessed with?
Answer:
The lawn mower is obsessed with flattening the grass into velvet. As soon as it raises its head, the lawn mower mows it down.

Question 9.
How is the lawn mower comparable with man?
Answer:
The lawn mower is comparable with man because as soon as a woman tries to be independent and tries to reveal herself (through her opinions and thoughts), man puts her down. It is like the lawn mower which flattens the grass as soon as it raises its head.

Question 10.
How are the earth and woman similar?
Answer:
The earth and woman have a strong desire to manifest life. They represent the spirit of life. Nothing stops them from holding on to life against all odds.

Question 11.
Who is grafted to the earth?
Answer:
Those who cannot see themselves defeated or who cannot overcome the abuse are grafted to the earth. They need support, like the straw.

Question 12.
In what ways is the woman’s position comparable to that of the grass?
Answer:
The poem presents the feelings of a woman in a male ‘ dominated society. It shows the way women are treated through an interesting metaphor. The woman identifies herself with the grass. For, the grass is trampled upon by people walking over it all the time. By mowing it from time to time, the grass is tamed and cut. Similarly, a woman is not free to act or to take decisions independently.

Her freedom to do anything is curbed. Man, like the lawn mower which pulls down the grass, keeps pulling the woman down. The grass is soaked by water, scorched by the sun, and pushed down by the lawn mower, all trying to annihilate it. So, the woman’s position in a male-dominated society is comparable to that of the grass.

Question 13.
How does the speaker in the poem equate herself with the earth?
Answer:
Women, as well as the earth, have a strong survival instinct. They do not get totally destroyed under any severe conditions. Nature has gifted them with the power to resist all odds and survive even in the worst conditions. Their desire to manifest life does not die. However much men may struggle to put her down, she springs back to life. Under the worst possible conditions too, the earth strives hard to put out a shoot from a dried plant. Therefore, the woman here equates herself with the earth.

Explain the following with reference to the context:

Question 1.
“It has to unfurl underfoot to fulfill itself’.
Answer:
This line is taken from the poem, ‘The Grass is Really Like Me’ by Kishwar Naheed, a well known poet of Pakistan.
In the line above, the speaker in the poem compares her position to that of the grass. She does not have the freedom to think and express. She has to play a subservient role to man. She is oppressed by him. She cannot take decisions because men keep pushing her down all the time.

Similarly with the grass; it cannot grow freely. The moment it grows, the lawn mower is ready to flatten it, as do the people who trample over it. So, the grass, being soft and giving way, slowly opens out or unfurls under the trampling foot. It does not raise its head. A woman too cannot show that she is capable. She is expressive only in hiding.

Question 2.
But neither the earth’s nor woman’s desire to manifest life dies.
Answer:
The line above is taken from the poem, ‘The Grass is Really Like Me’. The poem is written by Kishwar Naheed, a well-known poet of Pakistan.

In these lines, the poet compares herself with earth. At the smallest opportunity and under the least congenial conditions, the earth brings forth life. The desire to manifest life cannot be curbed or killed. A woman too, like the earth, is full of spirit. Her energy is used for creating life. So, it is not easy to suppress a woman. Her desire to manifest life springs forth.

Multiple Choice Questions:

Question 1.
The poet compares her life to
A) the life of another woman
B) the life of a lawn mower
C) the life of a blade of grass
D) None of the above.
Answer:
C) the life of a blade of grass

Question 2.
‘It has to unfurl underfoot to fulfil itself means it has to
A) wilt down and die
B) prove its existence
C) get trodden by people
D) dry up and become straw.
Answer:
B) prove its existence

Question 3.
“The grass is also like me”. The word ‘me’ refers to
A) the poet only
B) people in general
C) women in general
D) one particular woman.
Answer:
C) women in general

Question 4.
The lawn mower in the case of the poet is
A) man
B) a woman
C) the people
D) the government.
Answer:
A) man

Question 5.
‘How you strive and endeavour to a level woman down too’. means men push down women whenever the women
A) assert themselves
B) show what they are
C) show what they can do
D) All of the above.
Answer:
D) All of the above.

Question 6.
‘The lawn mower obsessed with flattening it into velvet’ The figure of speech employed here is
A) Simile
B) Metaphor
C) Personification
D) Oxymoron.
Answer:
C) Personification

Question 7.
Women are oppressed constantly and hence their desire to manifest themselves
A) dies forever
B) never dies
C) never tries to show itself
D) accepts defeat.
Answer:
B) never dies

Question 8.
The women who are like straw
A) accept defeat and never grow
B) are stuck down at the bottom
C) are united with the earth
D) All of the above.
Answer:
D) All of the above.

Appreciation:

A1. Read the poem silently and choose words from the bubble that describe the mood of the poet. Give reasons for your answer.

Answer:

• Resentful: Though the poet does not directly express her bitterness, it is clear that she disapproves of the treatment meted out to women in society. So, we can say that she is resentful which means indignant, angry.
• Reflective, pensive, wistful: All these words mean that the poet is thoughtful. The poet is certainly contemplative of the fate of women in society.
• Dejected: Though the poet has the courage to put up a fight against the forces that push women down, the present scenario makes her feel dejected, which means, gloomy and depressed.
• Repulsive: Though repulsive is a strong word, we can choose it as reflective of the poet’s mood, because repulsive means revolting. We can see that the poet sows the seeds of revolt when she says that women who make way for men by being grafted to the ground are meek like straw. Stronger women like her are like the grass which has the ability to come up in life.

A2. Look at the following phrases that are associated with certain ideas. Match them with the corresponding ideas given in the box below.

1. unfurl underfoot
2. fulfill itself
3. scorching sense of shame
4. heat of emotions
5. scorching defeat
6. raise its head
7. make way for the mighty

Answer:

1. unfurl – underfoot
2. fulfill – itself
3. scorching sense of shame – embarrassed
4. heat of emotions – an insult
5. scorching defeat – shameful defeat
6. raise its head – try to progress
7. make way for the mighty – outshine.

A3. Discuss the answers to the following questions with your partner and then write them in your notebook.

Question 1.
The poet says ‘the grass is also like me’. How does she bring out this relationship in the second stanza?
Answer:
In the second stanza, the poet shows that just as the grass is repeatedly mowed down whenever it tries to raise its head, a woman’s freedom and autonomy are curbed every now and then. However, just as the grass keeps raising its head, a woman also keeps trying to restore her dignity.

Question 2.
Explain the ironical ideas used by the poet in the last stanza. How do you analyze them?
Answer:
The irony is used at different levels in the last stanza. The poet accepts the fact that there are a whole lot of women who are unable to. withstand insult and succumb to shameful defeat. These are the ones who make way for the mighty. But the poet uses the word ‘mighty’ ironically because the ones who use their power to curb the power of others are not the ones who deserve the epithet of mighty. They are in fact petty. Similarly, it’s ironic that the grass that seems to be the weakest aspect of nature is resilient and can come back to life again and again despite the repeated onslaught against it.

Question 3.
The poet has used some unusual words and phrases to evoke images in the reader’s mind as for instance, ‘scorching sense of shame’. Such a poetic device is called imagery. Pick out such phrases from the poem.
Answer:

1. unfurl underfoot
2. heat of emotions
3. flattening it into velvet
4. scorching defeat
5. grafted on to the earth
6. to make way for the mighty.

The Grass is Really Like Me by Kishwar Naheed About The Writer:

Kishwar Naheed is one of the best-known women poets of Pakistan. She was born in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh, in the year 1940. Her poems have been translated into other languages such as English and Spanish. She has written for children and also penned a collection of traditional ghazals. She founded an organization named ‘Hawwa’ (Eve) which helps women without the independent income to become financially independent, through cottage industries and selling handicrafts. She also used to write for the daily newspaper, ‘Jang’.

The Grass is Really Like Me Summary in English

The poem ‘The Grass Is Really Like Me’ is a feministic poem. The poet compares herself to the grass. The poet is associating herself with the grass because she feels that the condition of women and of the grass is the same. When she says ‘me’, she refers to the entire womenfolk. There are many points of similarity between the grass and a woman. In the case of the grass the lawn mower cuts down all the grass, but in the case of the poetess, the dominating society suppresses all her efforts to come up.

When the grass is cut or grafted, it grows again. Similarly, a woman’s feelings and emotions, which are suppressed by the dominant section of the society, rise up again and again. The phrase ‘raise its head’ implies that when women raise their voice for freedom and agitate for it, like the grass under the feet, they are trying to grow up even in their subjugated position. In the woman who raises her head, the emotions are contrasting. Even though the sense of shame is insufferable, her inability to retaliate keeps her silent. However, internally her heart yearns for equality.

The phrase ‘scorching defeat’ refers to painful burning result of the courage shown by the women. The poetess means that the defeated are suppressed just as the grass is cut and thrown down.

The poet is trying to tell us that the defeat makes the way for the bigger or the stronger. The defeated grass is cut and fallen on the ground. The remaining straw makes way for the stronger machine. Similarly, the women who remain recessive, make way for the dominant society.

The earth’s desire is to make the seedling grow. That is why even after repeated grafting, the grass grows. In the same way, woman’s desire to express or unfurl cannot be suppressed. The dominant society may curb it repeatedly but her desire will ‘raise the head’ again.

Glossary:

unfurl: open out, spread out
wetness: dampness, moisture
manifest: reveal
lawnmower: a machine used for cutting the grass on a lawn
endeavor: make an effort
grafted(past tense of ‘graft’): joined together, united
merely: just, only, simply
straw: dried stalks of grain used as fodder or for thatching, packing, etc.

We hope the information prevailed in this article is helpful for all the students of Class 9. The Karnataka State Board Solutions for Class 9 English Chapter 1 The Grass is Really Like Me Question and Answers pdf enhance your skills and score good marks in the exams. Stay tuned to get the latest information about the KSEEB Solutions Class 9 English Solutions.