NCERT Solutions Class 9 English Chapter 1

The Fun They Had

The Fun They Had

Thinking about the Text
I. Answer these questions in a few words or a couple of sentences each.
Question 1. How old are Margie and Tommy?
Answer: Margie is eleven and Tommy is thirteen years old.
Question 2. What did Margie write in her diary?

Answer: Margie wrote in her diary “Today Tommy found a real book!”
Question 3. Had Margie ever seen a book before?
Answer: No, Margie had never seen a book before.
Question 4. What things about the book did she find strange?
Answer: The things about the book that she found strange were the following:
i) The pages of the book were yellow and crinkly.
ii) The words stood still instead of moving.
iii) When they turned back to the previous page, it still had the same words on it that it had when they first
read it.
Question 5. What do you think a telebook is?
Answer: I think the telebook must be a book that gets displayed on the screen of the television.
Question 6. Where was Margie’s school? Did she have any classmates?

Answer: Margie’s school was next to her bedroom. No, she did not have any classmates.
Question 7. What subjects did Margie and Tommy learn?
Answer: Margie and Tommy learnt Geography, History and Arithmetic.
II. Answer the following with reference to the story.
Question 1. “I wouldn’t throw it away.”

(i) Who says these words?

(ii) What does ‘it’ refer to?

(iii) What is it being compared with by the speaker?
Answer: (i) Tommy says these words.

(ii) “It” refers to the books.

(iii) The paperback book is being compared with the telebooks by the speaker.
Question 2. “Sure they had a teacher, but it wasn’t a regular teacher. It was a man.”
 NCERT Solutions Class 9 English Chapter 1
The Fun They Had

(i) Who does ‘they’ refer to?

(ii) What does ‘regular’ mean here?

(iii) What is it contrasted with?

Answer: (i) “They” refers to the students centuries ago.

(ii) “Regular” means the usual for the people in 2157. Here, regular teacher means the mechanical teacher.
(iii) The mechanical teacher is contrasted with humans as teachers of earlier times.
III. Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (about 30 words).
Question 1. What kind of teachers did Margie and Tommy have?
Answer: Margie and Tommy had mechanical teachers. The mechanical teachers had big screens on which
all the lessons were shown and questions were asked. The children were taught through computer and
television screens. They did not have humans as teachers.

Question 2. Why did Margie’s mother send for the County Inspector?
Answer: Margie’s mother sent for the County Inspector because the mechanical teacher of Margie was not
functioning properly. It kept giving Margie Geography tests and Margie was performing worse every time.
Margie’s mother was concerned and thus sent for the County Inspector.
Question 3. What did he do?
Answer: The County Inspector smiled at Margie and gave her an apple. He took the mechanical teacher
away from her. Then he fixed the mechanical teacher. He told Margie’s mother that the geography sector of
the mechanical teacher was geared a little too quick and that he has slowed it up to an average ten-year
level.
Question 4. Why was Margie doing badly in geography? What did the County Inspector do to help her?
Answer: Margie was doing badly in geography because the questions that were displayed on the screen of
the mechanical teacher were too quick for her age.
The County Inspector slowed its speed to an average ten-year level so that Margie would be able to perform
satisfactorily.
Question 5. What had once happened to Tommy’s teacher?
Answer: Tommy’s teacher had to be taken away altogether for a month as the history sector had blanked
out completely.
Question 6. Did Margie have regular days and hours for school? If so, why?
Answer: Yes, Margie had regular days and hours for school because Margie’s mother believed that little
girls learned better if they learned at regular hours.
Question 7. How does Tommy describe the old kind of school?
Answer: Tommy says that the old kind of school had special buildings. All the kids went to that building for
studying.
Question 8. How does he describe the old kind of teachers?
 NCERT Solutions Class 9 English Chapter 1
The Fun They Had

Answer: He tells Margie that the old kind of teachers were humans instead of machines. The human
teacher would educate the boys and girls and give them homework and ask questions.
IV. Answer each of these questions in two or three paragraphs (100 –150 words).
Question 1: What are the main features of the mechanical teachers and the schoolrooms that Margie and
Tommy have in the story?

Answer: The main features of the mechanical teachers that Margie and Tommy have are as follows:
The mechanical teachers have big black screens on which lessons are displayed and questions are asked.
The students need to put their homework and test papers in a slot that is present in the mechanical teacher.
The students write answers in punch code and the mechanical teacher calculates the results right away.
The main features of the schoolrooms that Margie and Tommy have are given below:
In the story, the schools are there in the homes. For instance, Margie’s school was right next to her
bedroom. The students do not have classmates. They study subjects like arithmetic, history, geography, etc.
The mechanical teacher would turn on at the same time every day except on the weekends.
Question 2: Why did Margie hate school? Why did she think the old kind of school must have been fun?

Answer: Margie hated school because she felt it boring. The mechanical teacher started the class at the
same time regularly. Margie’s mechanical teacher was giving her test after test on Geography and she was
performing badly.
Margie also did not like inserting homework and test papers in the slot on the mechanical teacher.
She thought that the old kind of school must have been fun because it would have had kids from various
places of the neighbourhood. It would have been so interesting to sit together in the classroom and leave
the school together at the end of the day. All the kids learned the same things so they could help each other
in studies and homework.
Question 3: Do you agree with Margie that schools today are more fun than the school in the story? Give
reasons for your answer.

Answer: Yes, I agree with Margie that schools today are more fun than the school in the story. In the story,
the schools are in the students’ homes. This gives no space for interaction between students. Studying from
screen and taking up tests sounds boring. Inserting homework and test papers in a slot on a mechanical
teacher every day is monotonous. Writing answers in punch codes is even more draining.
Learning together in a class gives students a wider view of the people. Students also get familiar with others
and learn how to interact and socialize. Getting taught by human teachers is way more dynamic than being
taught by a machine. If there is any issue with any lesson or concept, the student can ask the human
teacher then and there. But, mechanical teachers are programmed with a certain lesson and concept for a
particular day. When the student solves homework, he/she can get help from classmates. That’s how the
schools today are more fun than the school in the story.
Thinking about Language
I. Adverbs
 NCERT Solutions Class 9 English Chapter 1
The Fun They Had

Question 1. Find the sentences in the lesson which have the adverbs given in the box below.
awfully sorrowfully completely loftily carefully differently quickly nonchalantly

Answer:

awfully:
They turned the pages, which were yellow and crinkly, and it was awfully funny to read words that stood still
instead of moving the way they were supposed to — on a screen, you know.
sorrowfully:
The mechanical teacher had been giving her test after test in geography and she had been doing worse and
worse until her mother had shaken her head sorrowfully and sent for the County Inspector.
completely:

They had once taken Tommy’s teacher away for nearly a month because the history sector had blanked out
completely.

loftily:

He added loftily, pronouncing the word carefully, “Centuries ago”.

carefully:

He added loftily, pronouncing the word carefully, “Centuries ago”.

differently:
“But my mother says a teacher has to be adjusted to fit the mind of each boy and girl it teaches and that
each kid has to be taught differently.”

quickly:

“I didn’t say I didn’t like it,” Margie said quickly. She wanted to read about those funny schools.

nonchalantly:

“Maybe,” he said nonchalantly.

Question 2. Now use these adverbs to fill in the blanks in the sentences below. .
Answer:
(i) The report must be read carefully so that performance can be improved.
(ii) At the interview, Sameer answered our questions loftily, shrugging his shoulders.
(iii) We all behave differently when we are tired or hungry.
(iv) The teacher shook her head sorrowfully when Ravi lied to her.
(v) I completely forgot about it.
 NCERT Solutions Class 9 English Chapter 1
The Fun They Had

(vi) When I complimented Revathi on her success, she just smiled nonchalantly and turned away.
(vii) The President of the Company is awfully busy and will not be able to meet you.
(viii) I finished my work quickly so that I could go out to play.
Question 3. Make adverbs from these adjectives.
(i) angry (ii) happy
(iii) merry (iv) sleepy
(v) easy (vi) noisy
(vii) tidy (viii) gloomy
Answer:
(i) angry – angrily (ii) happy – happily
(iii) merry – merrily (iv) sleepy – sleepily
(v) easy – easily (vi) noisy – noisily
(vii) tidy – tidily (viii) gloomy – gloomily
II. If Not and Unless
Complete the following conditional sentences. Use the correct form of the verb.

Answer:
1. If I don’t go to Anu’s party tonight, she will get irritated.
2. If you don’t telephone the hotel to order food, you will miss your meal.
3. Unless you promise to write back, I will not write you another letter.
4. If she doesn’t play any games, she will become lazy.
5. Unless that little bird flies away quickly, the cat will pounce on it and kill it.
Writing
Question: A new revised volume of Issac Asimov’s short stories has just been released.
Order one set. Write a letter to the publisher, Mindfame Private Limited, 1632 Asaf Ali Road, New Delhi,
requesting that a set be sent to you by Value Payable Post (VPP), and giving your address. Your letter will
have the following parts.

• Addresses of the sender and receiver

• The salutation

• The body of the letter

• The closing phrases and signature

Answer:
 NCERT Solutions Class 9 English Chapter 1
The Fun They Had

416, Sector 18
Nagpur, Maharashtra
04/08/2020
Mindfame Private Limited, 1632
Asaf Ali Road, New Delhi
Dear Sir/Madam, I recently came to know that a new revised volume of Issac Asimov’s short stories has
been released. This is to request you to send me a set of the same by Value Payable Post (VPP) on my
mailing address given above. I shall be highly obliged if you could send me the book at the earliest.
Yours sincerely,
Adwait Tiwari
 NCERT Solutions Class 9 English Chapter 1 Poem
The Road Not Taken

The Road Not Taken

Thinking about the Poem
I.
Question 1. Where does the traveler find himself? What problem does he face?
Answer: The traveler finds himself at a point in the woods where two roads diverge. The problem is that he
cannot travel both the roads and thus he has to choose one between them.
Question 2. Discuss what these phrases mean to you.
(i) a yellow wood
(ii) it was grassy and wanted wear
(iii) the passing there
(iv) leaves no step had trodden black
(v) how way leads on to way
Answer:
(i) The phrase “a yellow wood” indicates a forest during the autumn season.
(ii) The phrase “it was grassy and wanted wear” means that the road was full of grass as it has been less
travelled. As people haven’t walked on it, it is yet to wear out.
(iii) The phrase “the passing there” refers to people walking on that road.
(iv) “Leaves no step had trodden black” indicates that the fallen leaves had not been crushed under the feet of
the travelers.
(v) The phrase “how way leads on to way” means that one road leads to another. So once the poet has made a
choice between the two roads, he wonders if he will ever be able return to the same spot and choose the
other road.
Question 3. Is there any difference between the two roads as the poet describes them:
(i) in stanzas two and three?
(ii) in the last two lines of the poem?
Answer:
(i) No, there is no difference between the two roads as the poet describes them in stanzas two and
three as he says “the passing there had worn them really about the same” and that “equally lay in leaves no
step had trodden black…”
(ii) In the last two lines of the poem, the poet indicates a difference between the two roads as he says
that he took the road that was less travelled by and that has made a huge difference in his journey.
Question 4. What do you think the last two lines of the poem mean? (Looking back, does the poet regret his
choice or accept it?)
 NCERT Solutions Class 9 English Chapter 1 Poem
The Road Not Taken

Answer: The last two lines of the poem talk about taking a decision and accepting its consequences- good or
bad. The poet chose the road that was less travelled by, which indicates he took a decision that people would
not take generally.
He says in the last line of the poem that his choice of taking the road less travelled by has made all the
difference. He does not seem to regret his choice.
II.
Question 1. Have you ever had to make a difficult choice (or do you think you will have difficult choices to
make)? How will you make the choice (for what reasons)?
Answer: We all make choices on a daily basis. But I have not had to make a difficult choice till date.
I will have to face challenges in the years to come as I grow up. Then, I will have to make difficult choices. I will
have to choose my profession, my area of interest, etc.
I think when such a situation comes, I will not just follow the herd. I will think it through and just like the poet, if
required, I will take up the unexplored paths.
Question 2. After you have made a choice do you always think about what might have been, or do you accept
the reality?
Answer: There is no point in regretting or thinking about what might have been. Such thoughts will always keep
us in the hold of the past and never let us see the benefits of the choices we made. Accepting reality is the best
way to overcome any situation.
 NCERT Solutions Class 9 English Chapter 2
The Sound of Music

The Sound of Music

Thinking about the Text
I. Answer these questions in a few words or a couple of sentences each.
Question 1. How old was Evelyn when she went to the Royal Academy of Music?
Answer: Evelyn was sixteen years old when she went to the Royal Academy of Music.
Question 2. When was her deafness first noticed? When was it confirmed?
Answer: Her deafness was first noticed when she was just eight years old. It was confirmed by the time she
was eleven.
II. Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (30–40 words).
Question 1. Who helped her to continue with music? What did he do and say?
Answer: Ron Forbes who was a percussionist, helped her to continue with music. He asked Evelyn not to
listen through ears but to try to sense it some other way.
Question 2. Name the various places and causes for which Evelyn performs.
Answer: Apart from the regular concerts, Evelyn performs in prisons and hospitals. She also takes classes
for young musicians.
III. Answer the question in two or three paragraphs (100–150 words).
Question 1. How does Evelyn hear music?
Answer: Evelyn hears music through different parts of her body. Ron Forbes asked her to try to sense the
music some other way instead of ears. He started by tuning two big drums to varied notes.
Evelyn realized that she could feel the higher drum from her waist up and the lower drum from her waist
down. Forbes kept repeating the same exercise, and then Evelyn realized that she could sense certain
notes in different parts of her body.
She says that when she plays the xylophone, she can feel the music passing up the stick into her fingertips.
When she leans against the drums, she could sense the resonances flowing into her body. When she
performs on a wooden platform, she removes her footwear so that the vibrations pass through her bare feet
and up her legs.
 NCERT Solutions Class 9 English Chapter 2
The Sound of Music

Part II
The Shehnai of Bismillah Khan
I. Tick the right answer.
Answer:

1. The pungi was a ‘reeded noisemaker.’

2. A barber transformed the pungi into a shehnai.

3. Bismillah Khan’s paternal ancestors were professional musicians.

4. Bismillah Khan learnt to play the shehnai from Ali Bux.

5. Bismillah Khan’s first trip abroad was to Afghanistan.

II. Find the words in the text which show Ustad Bismillah Khan’s feelings about the items listed below. Then
mark a tick in the correct column. Discuss your answers in class.

Answer:
 NCERT Solutions Class 9 English Chapter 2
The Sound of Music

III. Answer these questions in 30–40 words.

Question 1. Why did Aurangzeb ban the playing of the pungi?
Answer: Aurangzeb banned the playing of the pungi because of the shrill unpleasant sound of the
instrument.
Question 2. How is a shehnai different from a pungi?

Answer: A shehnai’s stem is hollow, longer and broader than that of a pungi. Shehnai has holes in its body.
Question 3. Where was the shehnai played traditionally? How did Bismillah Khan change this?
Answer: Traditionally, shehnai was a part of the naubat or traditional ensemble of nine instruments found at
royal courts. It was played in temples and at marriages.
Bismillah Khan took it onto the classical stage.
Question 4. When and how did Bismillah Khan get his big break?
Answer: Bismillah Khan got his big break with the opening of All India Radio in Lucknow in 1938. He
became an often-heard shehnai player on radio.
Question 5. Where did Bismillah Khan play the shehnai on 15 August 1947? Why was the event historic?
Answer: Bismillah Khan played the shehnai from the Red Fort on 15th August 1947. He was the first Indian
to greet the nation with his Shehnai. The event was historic because that is the day when India got
independence. Bismillah Khan played Raag Kafi to an audience that included Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.
Question 6. Why did Bismillah Khan refuse to start a shehnai school in the U.S.A.?
Answer: Bismillah Khan refused to start a shehnai school in the U.S.A because he did not want to leave his
country. He felt an unbreakable bond with his towns – Dumraon and Benaras, and with River Ganga.
Question 7. Find at least two instances in the text which tell you that Bismillah Khan loves India and
Benaras.
Answer: Two instances in the text which tell us that Bismillah Khan loves India and Benaras are given
below:

• He says that whenever he is in a foreign country, he keeps yearning to see Hindustan.

• He also says that when he is in Mumbai, he thinks of only Benaras and the holy Ganga.
Thinking about Language

I. Look at these sentences.

Answer:
1. The school sports team hopes to win the competition.
2. We all want to succeed in our lives.
3. They advised the hearing-impaired child’s mother to take care of the child.
4. The authorities permitted us to perform the dance in the stadium.
5. A musician decided to play the music in front of an audience.
 NCERT Solutions Class 9 English Chapter 2
The Sound of Music

II. From the text on Bismillah Khan, find the words and phrases that match these definitions and write them
down. The number of the paragraph where you will find the words/phrases has been given for you in
brackets.
Answer:
1. the home of royal people (1) royal residence
2. the state of being alone (5) solitude
3. a part which is absolutely necessary (2) indispensable
4. to do something not done before (5) invent
5. without much effort (13) effortlessly
6. quickly and in large quantities (9) thick and fast

III. Tick the right answer.

Answer:
1. When something is revived, it lives again.
2. When a government bans something, it wants it stopped.
3. When something is considered auspicious, welcome it.
4. When we take to something, we find it interesting.
5. When you appreciate something, you find it good and useful. 6. When you replicate something, you do it
for the second time.
7. When we come to terms with something, it is no longer upsetting.
 NCERT Solutions Class 9 English Chapter 2 Poem
Wind

Wind
Thinking about the Poem
I.
Question 1. What are the things the wind does in the first stanza?
Answer: The wind breaks the shutters of the windows, scatters the papers, throws down the books on the
shelf, tears the pages of the books and brings the rain.
Question 2. Have you seen anybody winnow grain at home or in a paddy field? What is the word in your
language for winnowing? What do people use for winnowing? (Give the words in your language, if you know
them.)

Answer: Yes, I have seen my grandmother winnowing grain at home. “Fatakna” is the word in my language
Hindi for ‘winnowing’. A winnowing basket is used for winnowing.
Question 3. What does the poet say the wind god winnows?
Answer: The poet says that the wind god winnows crumbling houses, doors, rafters, wood, bodies, lives and
hearts and then crushes them all.
Question 4. What should we do to make friends with the wind?
Answer: To make friends with the wind, we should build strong homes and doors. We should strengthen our
bodies and make the heart steadfast.
Question 5. What do the last four lines of the poem mean to you?
Answer: The last four lines give a very powerful message. They say that the wind that blows weak fires is the
same wind that makes strong fires flourish.
This implies that the weak people are broken by forces but the people who are strong are strengthened by
those forces. So, the friendship with the wind or a strong force is good. We have to just stay strong mentally as
well as physically.
Question 6. How does the poet speak to the wind — in anger or with humor? You must also have seen or
heard of the wind “crumbling lives”. What is your response to this? Is it like the poet’s?
Answer: The poet speaks to the wind with humor. He says that the wind destroys houses, doors, rafters,
wood, bodies and lives. He says that it breaks the shutters of the windows and scatters the papers. But at the
same time, he also points out that the wind brings rain. He tells the readers that we must become powerful
and build strong houses because the wind only damages weak things.
Yes, I too have seen the wind crumbling lives on the news channels. Winds bring massive destruction
sometimes. It uproots weak trees and even claims the lives of people. But as the poet says, we must try to be
more powerful and build powerful structures.
II. The poem you have just read is originally in Tamil. Do you know any such poems in your language?

Answer: Yes, I have read such a poem in my language Hindi by the name “Toofan”.
 NCERT Solutions Class 9 English Chapter 3 Poem
Rain on the Roof

The Little Girl

Thinking about the Text
I. Given below are some emotions that Kezia felt. Match the emotions in Column A with the items in Column
B.

Answer:

II. Answer the following questions in one or two sentences.

Question 1. Why was Kezia afraid of her father?
Answer: Kezia was afraid of her father because he was extremely strict and commanding. He never played
with her. He used to give her a terrifying look over his spectacles.
Question 2. Who were the people in Kezia’s family?

Answer: Kezia’s family comprised her father, mother and grandmother and herself.
Question 3. What was Kezia’s father’s routine?
(i) before going to his office?
(ii) after coming back from his office?
(iii) on Sundays?
Answer:
i) Before going to office, Kezia’s father would come to Kezia’s room and give her a goodbye kiss.
ii) After coming back from his office, he would order his tea to be brought to the drawing room and would
askhis mother to get his papers and slippers. He would then order Kezia to take off his boots.
iii) On Sundays, he would stretch out on the sofa with his handkerchief on his face, his feet on one of thebest
cushions, sleep and snore.
Question 4. In what ways did Kezia’s grandmother encourage her to get to know her father better?

Answer: Kezia’s grandmother would encourage her to know her father better by asking her to go down to the
drawing room and have a nice talk with her father. She also asked Kezia to stitch a pin-cushion out of a
beautiful yellow silk piece and give it to her father as a birthday present.
II. Discuss these questions in class with your teacher and then write down your answers in two or
three paragraphs each.

Question 1. Kezia’s efforts to please her father resulted in displeasing him very much. How did this happen?
Answer: Kezia stitched three sides of the pin-cushion. She was confused about what to fill the cushion with.
Grandmother was not around. So, Kezia went to her parents’ room to ask her mother for some scrap. But, her
mother wasn’t there in the room.
Kezia then saw some sheets of papers on the bed table. She collected them all, tore them into small pieces
and stuffed the cushion with those pieces.
Her efforts to please her father resulted in displeasing him very much when at night her father searched for
those sheets of paper on the bed table. The sheets of paper had the speech for Port Authority. Her father
scolded and beat her with a ruler for touching things that did not belong to her.

Question 2. Kezia decides that there are “different kinds of fathers”. What kind of father was Mr Macdonald,
and how was he different from Kezia’s father?
Answer: Kezia decides that there are “different kinds of fathers”. Mr Macdonald was a loving father. He was
very gentle and forgiving. He used to play and laugh with his children. He was friendly with them. He was
quite different from Kezia’s father. Her father was very strict and unfriendly.
Question 3. How does Kezia begin to see her father as a human being who needs her sympathy?
Answer: One day, when her mother and grandmother were at the hospital, Kezia was left at home with Alice,
their cook. At night, she had a nightmare. Shivering with fear, she called for her grandmother but saw her
father near her bed. He took her in his arms and carefully tucked her on his bed. He then lay down beside
her. Half asleep, she went close to him, snuggled her head under his arm and held onto his shirt tightly.
She saw her father go off to sleep before her. She understood that he had to work so hard every day which
made him too tired to behave like Mr Macdonald. She told her father that he had a big heart.
Thinking about Language
I. Look at the following sentence.

Question 1. Use an appropriate word from the synonyms given above in the following sentences. Clues are
given in brackets.

Answer:
(i) She was thrilled by the news of her brother’s wedding. (very pleased)
(ii) I was delighted to be invited to the party. (extremely pleased and excited about)
(iii) She was overjoyed at the birth of her granddaughter. (extremely happy)
(iv) The coach was pleased with his performance. (satisfied about)
(v) She was very happy with her results. (happy about something that has happened)
 NCERT Solutions Class 9 English Chapter 3 Poem
Rain on the Roof

Question 2. Study the use of the word big in the following sentence.
Answer:
(i) You are a big girl now. older
(ii) Today you are going to take the biggest decision of your career. most crucial
(iii) Their project is full of big ideas. amazing
(iv) Cricket is a big game in our country. popular
(v) I am a big fan of Lata Mangeskar. great
(vi) You have to cook a bit more as my friend is a big eater. glutton
(vii) What a big heart you’ve got, Father dear. magnanimous

II. Verbs of Reporting

Question 1. Underline the verbs of reporting in the following sentences.
Answer:
(i) He says he will enjoy the ride.
(ii) Father mentioned that he was going on a holiday.
(iii) No one told us that the shop was closed.
(iv) He answered that the price would go up.
(v) I wondered why he was screaming.
(vi) Ben told her to wake him up.
(vii) Ratan apologised for coming late to the party.
Question 2: Some verbs of reporting are given in the box. Choose the appropriate verbs and fill in the blanks
in the following sentences.
Answer:
(i) “I am not afraid,” declared the woman.
(ii) “Leave me alone,” shouted my mother .
(iii) The children complained that the roads were crowded and noisy.
(iv) “Perhaps he isn’t a bad sort of a chap after all,” remarked the master.
(v) “Let’s go and look at the school ground,” suggested the sports teacher.
(vi) The traffic police ordered all the passers-by to keep off the road.
 Rain on the Roof
Thinking about the Poem
I.
Question 1. What do the following phrases mean to you? Discuss in class.
Answer:
(i) humid shadows: humid shadows refer to the dark clouds that cover the sky and bring rain
(ii) starry spheres: it refers to the sky that is usually full of stars
(iii) what a bliss: bliss means happiness: Here the poet says that it is such a happy moment when onelistens
to the patter of the rain overhead.
(iv) a thousand dreamy fancies into busy being start: It refers to the several thoughts and fantasies that
surround the poet when he listens to the patter of the rain.
(v) a thousand recollections weave their air-threads into woof: it means that poet feels as if his old memories
are being woven in front of him.
Question 2. What does the poet like to do when it rains?
Answer: The poet likes to press his head into the pillow of his cottage chamber bed and listen to the patter of
the soft rain overhead.
Question 3. What is the single major memory that comes to the poet? Who are the “darling dreamers” he
refers to?
Answer: The single major memory that comes to the poet is of his mother and her fond look on the poet.
Darling dreamers that the poet refers to are the poet and his siblings who were sent to sleep by the poet’s
mother every day.
Question 4. Is the poet now a child? Is his mother still alive?
Answer: No, the poet is now a grown up man. His mother is not alive anymore.
II.
Question 1. When you were a young child, did your mother tuck you in, as the poet’s did?
Answer: Yes, when I was a young child, my mother tucked me in. She would sing me lullabies and send me
to sleep.
Question 2. Do you like rain? What do you do when it rains steadily or heavily as described in the poem?
Answer: Yes, I like when it rains. When it rains heavily, I like to listen to the patter of the rain on the roof
overhead and to look at the drops falling on the leaves of the plants.
Question 3. Does everybody have a cozy bed to lie in when it rains? Look around you and describe how
different kinds of people or animals spend time, seek shelter etc. during rain.
Answer: No, not everyone is fortunate enough to have a cozy bed to lie in when it rains. Poor people who do
not have a shelter to protect themselves from the rain. They wander here and there to find a place where
they can stand under the tin roofs or trees. People who were out of their homes try to rush back towards their
homes as soon as possible. Animals try to find places to save themselves from getting wet during rain.
 NCERT Solutions Class 9 English Chapter 4
A Truly Beautiful Mind

A Truly Beautiful Mind

Thinking about the Text
Question 1. Here are some headings for paragraphs in the text. Write the number(s) of the paragraph(s) for
each title against the heading. The first one is done for you.

Answer:
(i) Einstein’s equation – 9
(ii) Einstein meets his future wife – 7
(iii) The making of a violinist – 3
(iv) Mileva and Einstein’s mother – 10
(v) A letter that launched the arms race – 15
(vi) A desk drawer full of ideas – 8
(vii) Marriage and divorce – 11
Question 2. Who had these opinions about Einstein?
Answer:
(i) He was boring – Einstein’s playmates
(ii) He was stupid and would never succeed in life – Einstein’s headmaster
(iii) He was a freak – Einstein’s mother
Question 3. Explain what the reasons for the following are.
(i) Einstein leaving the school in Munich for good.
(ii) Einstein wanting to study in Switzerland rather than in Munich.
(iii) Einstein seeing in Mileva an ally.
(iv) What do these tell you about Einstein?
Answer:
i. Einstein left the school in Munich for good because he disliked the school’s regimentation and often
had arguments with his school teachers.
ii. Einstein wanted to study in Switzerland rather than in Munich because Switzerland was a city that was
much more liberal than Munich.
iii. Einstein saw an ally in Mileva because just like him, she too was against ‘Philistines’, i.e., the people in
Einstein’s family and at the university with whom he was constantly at odds.
iv. The above things tell us that Einstein was a very liberal person who liked freedom. He was a person
who had his own views about life.
Question 4. What did Einstein call his desk drawer at the patent office? Why?

Answer: Einstein called his desk drawer at the patent office the ‘bureau of theoretical physics’. He called it so
because he was secretly developing his own ideas and inventions related to physics.
Question 5. Why did Einstein write a letter to Franklin Roosevelt?
 NCERT Solutions Class 9 English Chapter 4
A Truly Beautiful Mind

Answer: Einstein wrote a letter to Franklin Roosevelt because he wanted to warn America that Germany had
the ability to build and use an atomic bomb, which if exploded in a port, would destroy the entire port as well as
some of the surrounding territory.
Question 6. How did Einstein react to the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
Answer: He was deeply shaken by the extent of destruction due to the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
He wrote a public missive to the United Nations and proposed the formation of a world government.

Question 7. Why does the world remember Einstein as a “world citizen”?

Answer: The world remembers Einstein as a “world citizen” because he agitated for an end to the arms
buildup and campaigned for peace and democracy in the world.

Answer:
[7] Einstein publishes his special theory of relativity.
[9] He is awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics.
[11] Einstein writes a letter to U.S. President, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and warns against Germany’s building of
an atomic bomb.
[2] Einstein attends a high school in Munich.
[3] Einstein’s family moves to Milan.
[1] Einstein is born in the German city of Ulm.
[5] Einstein joins a university in Zurich, where he meets Mileva.
[12] Einstein dies.
[8] He provides a new interpretation of gravity.
[4] Tired of the school’s regimentation, Einstein withdraws from school.
[6] He works in a patent office as a technical expert.
[10] When Hitler comes to power, Einstein leaves Germany for the United States.
Thinking about Language
I. Here are some sentences from the story. Choose the word from the brackets which can be substituted for
the italicised words in the sentences.
Answer:
1. A few years later, the marriage became weak. (failed, broke, became weak).
2. Einstein was constantly in disagreement with people at the university. (on bad terms, in disagreement,
unhappy)

3. The newspapers declared his work as “a scientific revolution.” (declared, praised, showed)
4. Einstein got ever more involved in politics, campaigning for an end to the arms build-up. (campaigning,
fighting, supporting)
5. At the age of 15, Einstein felt so stifled that he left the school for his benefit (permanently, for his benefit, for
a short time)
 NCERT Solutions Class 9 English Chapter 4
A Truly Beautiful Mind

6. Five years later, the discovery of nuclear fission in Berlin had American physicists in a state of commotion.
(in a state of commotion, full of criticism, in a desperate state)
7. Science wasn’t the only thing that interested to the dashing young man with the walrus moustache.
(interested, challenged, worried)
II. Study the following sentences.
Answer:
1. Working round the clock, the firefighters finally put out the fire. (They worked round the clock.)
2. She watched the sunset above the mountain, noticing the colours blending softly into one another. (She
noticed the colours blending softly into one another.)
3. The excited horse pawed the ground rapidly, neighing continually. (While it neighed continually.)
4. Having taken the wrong train, I found myself in Bangalore, instead of Benaras. (I had taken the wrong train.)
5. Having not bathed for two days, I was desperate to get to the bathroom. (I had not bathed for two days)
6. The stone steps, being worn down, needed to be replaced. (They were worn down).
7. The actor received hundreds of letters from his fans, asking him to send them his photograph. (They asked
him to send them his photograph.)
Writing Newspaper Reports
Answer:
Student Unearths Einstein Manuscript
21 AUGUST 2005. An original handwritten Albert Einstein manuscript has been unearthed at a university in the
Netherlands.
It was unearthed by a student Rowdy Boeynik while researching papers belonging to an old friend of Einstein.

The 16-page document dated 1924 contained fingerprints of Albert Einstein. It has Einstein’s work on this last
theory, i.e., the behaviour of atoms at low temperature which is now known as the Bose-Einstein
condensation.
The manuscript will be kept at Leyden University where Einstein got the Nobel Prize.
 NCERT Solutions Class 9 English Chapter 4
A Truly Beautiful Mind

The Lake Isle of Innisfree

Thinking about the Poem
I.
Question 1. What kind of place is Innisfree? Think about:
(i) the three things the poet wants to do when he goes back there (stanza I);
(ii) what he hears and sees there and its effect on him (stanza II);
(iii) what he hears in his “heart’s core” even when he is far away from Innisfree (stanza III).
Answer: Innisfree is a beautiful place where poet has spent a lot of time as a boy.
(i) The three things the poet wants to do when he goes back to Innisfree are:
– he wants to build a small cabin of clay and wattles.
– he wants to have nine bean-rows there
– he wants to have a hive for the honeybee
(ii) He hears the cricket sing and sees the midnight glimmer with beauty. He sees the sky glowing purple
atnoon. He watches the evenings full of the linnet’s wings.
All of these have a positive effect on him and he feels very peaceful.
(iii) He hears the lake water lapping by the shore at low sounds in his “heart’s core” even when he is faraway
from Innisfree.
Question 2. By now you may have concluded that Innisfree is a simple, natural place, full of beauty and
peace. How does the poet contrast it with where he now stands? (Read stanza III.)
Answer: The poet contrasts the natural beauty of Innisfree with the roadways and grey pavements of the city
he now lives in. “Grey” pavements show the lack of colours and liveliness of the place.
Question 3. Do you think Innisfree is only a place, or a state of mind? Does the poet actually miss the place of
his boyhood days?
Answer: Yes, I think Innisfree is a place in reality. The poet actually misses the place of his boyhood days
spent in the natural beauty of Innisfree. He gets reminded of the low sounds of the lake water lapping by the
shore. He misses both the place and the peace and contentment the place used to give him.
II.
Question 1. Look at the words the poet uses to describe what he sees and hears at Innisfree
(i) bee-loud glade
(ii) evenings full of the linnet’s wings
(iii) lake water lapping with low sounds
What pictures do these words create in your mind?
Answer: (i) bee-loud glade creates a picture of a place in a forest that is filled with the soft buzzing sound of
honeybees.
 NCERT Solutions Class 9 English Chapter 4
A Truly Beautiful Mind

(ii) evenings full of the linnet’s wings creates an image of a red-orange sky that is full of linnets. Linnets are
beautiful birds that add up to the scenic beauty of a place when they flutter their wings and fly.
(iii) lake water lapping with low sounds lets us take a dive into the peaceful scenario where the water of the
lake is flowing and producing soothing sound.
Question 2. Look at these words;

… peace comes dropping slow

Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings
What do these words mean to you? What do you think “comes dropping slow…from the veils of the morning”?
What does “to where the cricket sings” mean?
Answer: These words mean that one can attain peace slowly and gradually.
Peace is what comes dropping slow from the veils of the morning.
The poet says that peace and serenity spread gradually from the rising morning sky to the ground where the
cricket sings.
 NCERT Solutions Class 9 English Chapter 5
The Snake and the Mirror

The Snake and the Mirror

Thinking about the Text
I. Discuss in pairs and answer each question below in a short paragraph (30–40 words).

Question 1. “The sound was a familiar one.” What sound did the doctor hear? What did he think it was? How
many times did he hear it? (Find the places in the text.) When and why did the sounds stop?
Answer: The doctor heard some noise from above when he opened the door. He thought that the sound was
of rats. He heard it four times, including the sound he heard when he opened the door:

“Again I heard that sound from above.”

“Again came that noise from above.”

“Suddenly there came a dull thud as if a rubber tube had fallen to the ground…” The
sounds stopped when the snake appeared in front of the doctor.
Question 2. What two “important” and “earth-shaking” decisions did the doctor take while he was looking into
the mirror?
Answer: The two important and earth-shaking decisions that the doctor took while he was looking into the
mirror are the following:
i. He would shave daily and grow a thin moustache to look more handsome.
ii. He would always keep that attractive smile on his face.

Question 3. “I looked into the mirror and smiled,” says the doctor. A little later he says, “I forgot my danger and
smiled feebly at myself.”
What is the doctor’s opinion about himself when: (i) he first smiles, and (ii) he smiles again? In what way do
his thoughts change in between, and why?
Answer: (i) When the doctor smiled first, he was thinking that his smile was very attractive.
(ii) When he smiled again, he was thinking that he was a poor and stupid doctor.
His thoughts changed from being a handsome doctor to being a stupid doctor between the two situations. His
thoughts changed because his life was now in danger.
II. This story about a frightening incident is narrated in a humorous way. What makes it humorous? (Think of
the contrasts it presents between dreams and reality. Some of them are listed below.)
Question 1. (i) The kind of person the doctor is (money, possessions)
(ii) The kind of person he wants to be (appearance, ambition)
Answer: (i) The doctor is a person whose earnings were meagre. His house was a small rented room. He only
had 60 rupees, some shirts, dhotis and a black coat.
(ii) He believes in making himself look handsome. He decides that he would shave daily and grow a thin
moustache.
Question 2. (i) The person he wants to marry
 NCERT Solutions Class 9 English Chapter 5
The Snake and the Mirror

(ii) The person he actually marries

Answer: (i) He wants to marry a fat woman doctor who had plenty of money.
(ii) He marries a thin reedy person with the gift of a sprinter.

Question 3. (i) His thoughts when he looks into the mirror

(ii) His thoughts when the snake is coiled around his arm
Write short paragraphs on each of these to get your answer.
Answer: (i) When he looks into the mirror, he thinks that he has a very attractive smile. He decides to keep
that smile on his face always and to shave daily. He seems contented when he looks into the mirror.
(ii) When the snake is coiled around his arm, he keeps sitting there holding his breath. He thinks that he is a
poor and stupid doctor. He is terrified by the snake’s presence.
Thinking about Language
I. Here are some sentences from the text. Say which of them tell you that the author: (a) was afraid of the
snake, (b) was proud of his appearance, (c) had a sense of humour, (d) was no longer afraid of the snake.
Answer:
(a) Was afraid of the snake: Sentences 1, 3, 4, 5.
(b) Was proud of his appearance: Sentences 6, 8.
(c) Had a sense of humour: Sentences 9, 10.
(d) Was no longer afraid of the snake: Sentence 2, 7.
II. Expressions used to show fear
Can you find the expressions in the story that tell you that the author was frightened? Read the story and
complete the following sentences.
1. I was turned ________________.
2. I sat there holding ________________.
3. In the light of the lamp I sat there like ________________.
Answer:
1. I was turned to stone.
2. I sat there holding my breath.
3. In the light of the lamp I sat there like a stone image in the flesh.
III. In the sentences given below some words and expressions are italicised. They variously mean that one

• is very frightened.

• is too scared to move.

• is frightened by something that happens suddenly.
 NCERT Solutions Class 9 English Chapter 5
The Snake and the Mirror

• makes another feel frightened.

Match the meanings with the words/expressions in italics, and write the appropriate meaning next to the
sentence. The first one has been done for you.
Answer:
1. I knew a man was following me, I was scared out of my wits. (very frightened)
2. I got a fright when I realised how close I was to the cliff edge. (very frightened)
3. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw the bull coming towards him. (to be suddenly surprised or
frightened by something)
4. You really gave me a fright when you crept up behind me like that. (too scared/ frightened)
5. Wait until I tell his story — it will make your hair stand on end. (feel shocked or scared)
6. Paralysed with fear, the boy faced his abductors. (too horrified to move)
7. The boy hid behind the door, not moving a muscle. (too frightened to move)
IV. Reported questions
Report these questions using if/whether or why/when/where/how/which/what.
Remember the italicised verbs change into the past tense.

Answer:
1. Meena asked her friend if he/she thought his/her teacher would come that day.
2. David asked his colleague where he would go that summer.
3. He asked the little boy why he was studying English.
4. She asked me when we were going to leave.
5. Pran asked me if I had finished reading the newspaper.
6. Seema asked her how long she had lived there.
7. Sheila asked the children if they were ready to do the work.
 NCERT Solutions Class 9 English Chapter 5
The Snake and the Mirror

A Legend of the Northland

Thinking about the Poem
I.

Question 1. Which country or countries do you think “the Northland” refers to?

Answer: The “Northland” may refer to any of the countries among Greenland, Norway, Russia, Canada, etc.
Question 2. What did Saint Peter ask the old lady for? What was the lady’s reaction?
Answer: Saint Peter asked the old lady for a piece of cake. She was very selfish and kept reducing the size of
the cake as to her it seemed too big to give away.
Question 3. How did he punish her?
Answer: He cursed her and changed her into a woodpecker as a punishment for being so selfish.
Question 4. How does the woodpecker get her food?
Answer: The woodpecker needs to bore all day in the hard, dry wood to get itself some food.
Question 5. Do you think that the old lady would have been so ungenerous if she had known who Saint Peter
really was? What would she have done then?

Answer: I don’t think the old lady would have been so ungenerous if she had known who Saint Peter really
was. She would have given him as large a piece of cake so that she could please him in order to get
rewarded.
Question 6. Is this a true story? Which part of this poem do you feel is the most important?
Answer: No, this is not a true story. It is a legend.
The part of the poem that, according to me, is the most important is:

And he said, “You are far too selfish

To dwell in a human form,
To have both food and shelter, And fire to keep you warm.
This shows that we must do go things for humanity as we are capable of doing so in our human form. We
should have gratitude for having food, shelter and fire. We should be generous to people.
Question 7. What is a legend? Why is this poem called a legend?
Answer: A legend is a folklore that is believed to be true by tellers and listeners but it has not been proven to
have happened. It usually imparts some morals or a message.
This poem is called a legend because it also imparts the message of generosity.

Question 8. Write the story of ‘A Legend of the Northland’ in about ten sentences.
Answer: A Legend of the Northland
 NCERT Solutions Class 9 English Chapter 5
The Snake and the Mirror

Once, Saint Peter was feeling very hungry and he asked for alms from an old lady. He asked if she could give
him a piece of cake to eat. The lady was very selfish. She kept reducing the size of the cake as she felt that
the size of the cake was too big to be given away as alms. At last she did not give him any cake.
Saint Peter grew angry and cursed her to become a woodpecker. He said that from now on, she will have to
bore dry, hard wood in order to get food. All her clothes got burnt in the chimney and till this day, woodpeckers
bore all day long for food and water.
II.

Question 1. Let’s look at the words at the end of the second and fourth lines, viz., ‘snows’ and ‘clothes’, ‘true’
and ‘you’, ‘below’ and ‘know.’ We find that ‘snows’ rhymes with ‘clothes’, ‘true’ rhymes with ‘you’ and ‘below’
rhymes with ‘know’.
Find more such rhyming words.
Answer: Here are more such rhyming words from the poem:
earth-hearth, done-one, lay-away, flat-that, myself-shelf, faint-saint, form-warm, food-wood, word-bird and
same-flame.
Question 2. Go to the local library or talk to older persons in your locality and find legends in your own
language. Tell the class these legends.
Answer: Do it yourself.
 5. My Childhood
Thinking about the Text
I. Answer these questions in one or two sentences each.
Question 1. Where was Abdul Kalam’s house?
Answer: Abdul Kalam’s house was on Mosque Street in Rameswaram.
Question 2. What do you think Dinamani is the name of? Give a reason for your answer.
Answer: I think Dinamani is the name of a newspaper because Kalam says that when his brother-in-law would
tell his stories of the War, he would later try to trace it in the ‘headlines’ of Dinamani. This implies that Dinamani
would have been a newspaper.

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

Answer: Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan and Sivaprakasan were Abdul Kalam’s school friends.
Ramanadha Sastry took over the priesthood of the Rameswaram temple from his father. Aravindan went into
the business of arranging transport for visiting pilgrims. Sivaprakasan became a catering contractor for
Southern Railways.
Question 4. How did Abdul Kalam earn his first wages?
Answer: Abdul Kalam earned his first wages by catching bundles of newspapers thrown out from the moving
train on the Rameswaram Road between Rameswaram and Dhanuskodi and distributing them.
Question 5. Had he earned any money before that? In what way?
Answer: Yes, he had earned money before that too. He used to collect tamarind seeds and sell them to a
provision shop on Mosque Street. A day’s collection would let him earn one anna.
II. Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (about 30 words)
Question 1. How does the author describe: (i) his father (ii) his mother (iii) himself?
Answer: (i) The author describes his father as honest and self-disciplined. His father used to avoid inessential
comforts and luxuries. The author tells that his father never had a formal education or much wealth, but he
possessed great wisdom and was very generous.
(ii) The author describes his mother as an ideal helpmate to his father. She used to feed a lot of outsiders along
with her family members.
(iii) The author describes himself as a short boy with undistinguished looks born to tall and handsome parents.
Question 2. What characteristics does he say he inherited from his parents?
Answer: He says that he inherited honesty and self-discipline from his father; and faith in goodness and deep
kindness from his mother.
III. Discuss these questions in class with your teacher, and then write down your answers in two or three
paragraphs each.
Question 1: “On the whole, the small society of Rameswaram was very rigid in terms of the segregation of
different social groups,” says the author.
(i) Which social groups does he mention? Were these groups easily identifiable (for example, by the way
they dressed)?
(ii) Were they aware only of their differences or did they also naturally share friendships and experiences?
(Think of the bedtime stories in Kalam’s house; of who his friends were; and of what used to take place in the
pond near his house.)
(iii) The author speaks both of people who were very aware of the differences among them and those who
tried to bridge these differences. Can you identify such people in the text?
(iv) Narrate two incidents that show how differences can be created, and also how they can be resolved.
How can people change their attitudes?
Answer:
(i) The social groups that he mentions are Hindus and Muslims. Yes, these groups were easily identifiable
by their dressing, tradition, culture, etc. For instance, Kalam used to wear a cap on his head which identified
him as a Muslim. Ramanadha Sastry wore a sacred thread.
(ii) They were not aware only of their differences. They also naturally share friendships and experiences.
Kalam’s mother and grandmother would tell events from the Ramayana and from the life of the Prophet as
bedtime stories. All his friends belonged to orthodox Hindu families. During the annual Sita Rama Kalyanam
Ceremony, his family would arrange boats with a special platform for carrying idols of the Lord from the temple
to the marriage site situated in the middle of the pond called Rama Tirtha, which was near his house.
(iii) The author speaks both of people who were very aware of the differences among them and those who
tried to bridge these differences. Yes, we can identify such people in the text.
The new school teacher and Sivasubramania Iyer’s wife were very aware of the differences among the social
groups, but Sivasubramania Iyer and Lakshamana Sastry tried to bridge these differences.
(iv) Two incidents that show how differences can be created, and also how they can be resolved are
explained below:
When Lakshamana Sastry got to know about the way the new school teacher had made Kalam sit on the
back bench because he was a Muslim, he asked the teacher to apologize or quit the school. The new
teacher not only regretted his behaviour but also was reformed by Lakshamana Sastry’s strong sense of
conviction. Kalam’s science teacher, Sivasubramania Iyer, asked Kalam to his home for a meal. His wife was
horrified at the idea of a Muslim boy being invited to her pure kitchen. Sivasubramania Iyer served Kalam
food with his own hands and sat down beside him to eat his meal.
The next time he invited Kalam to his home, Sivasubramania Iyer’s wife served him food with her own hands
inside the kitchen.
Question 2: (i) Why did Abdul Kalam want to leave Rameswaram?
(ii) What did his father say to this?
(iii) What do you think his words mean? Why do you think he spoke those words?
Answer: (i) Abdul Kalam wanted to leave Rameswaram because he wanted to study at the district
headquarters in Ramanathapuram.
(ii) His father said, ““Abul ! I know you have to go away to grow. Does the seagull not fly across the sun, alone
and without a nest?”
(iii) His words meant he understood that Kalam had to leave his house and get a good higher education to
grow. He spoke these words because he knew the harsh reality of life that the children needed to move away
from their home and parents to make a career and earn.
Thinking about Language
I. Find the sentences in the text where these words occur:
Erupt, surge, trace, undistinguished, casualty
Look these words up in a dictionary which gives examples of how they are used.
Now answer the following questions.
Answer: Sentences in the text where these words occur are:
Erupt: “For reasons I have never been able to understand, a sudden demand for tamarind seeds erupted in the
market.”

Surge: “Half a century later, I can still feel the surge of pride in earning my own money for the first time.”
Trace: “My brother-in-law Jallaluddin would tell me stories about the War which I would later attempt to trace in
the headlines in Dinamani.”
Undistinguished: “I was one of many children — a short boy with rather undistinguished looks, born to tall and
handsome parents.”

Casualty: “The first casualty came in the form of the suspension of the train halt at Rameswaram station.”
Question 1: What are the things that can erupt? Use examples to explain the various meanings of erupt. Now
do the same for the word surge. What things can surge?
Answer: Things that can erupt are: volcanoes, emotions, anger.
– A volcano erupted in the Mauna Kea last night.

– Ranjan’s anger erupted as a result of Ashima’s continuous nagging.

Things that can surge are: prices, wave, crowd, storm, etc.
Question 2: What are the meanings of the word trace and which of the meanings is closest to the word in the
text?

Answer: The meanings of the word ‘trace’ are:

– to draw an outline
– to copy
– to find out

The meaning that is closest to the word in the text is ‘finding out’.
Question 3: Can you find the word undistinguished in your dictionary? (If not, look up the word distinguished
and say what undistinguished must mean.)
Answer: No, I cannot find the word undistinguished in my dictionary.
The meaning of the word distinguished as given in the dictionary is specific, distinct.

Thus, undistinguished must mean ‘not specific’, ‘not distinct’.

II.
Question 1. Match the phrases in Column A with their meanings in Column B.
Question 2: Study the words in italics in the sentences below. They are formed by prefixing un – or in – to their
antonyms (words opposite in meaning).
Answer:

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

Answer:
1. In yesterday’s competition the prizes were given away by the Principal.
2. In spite of financial difficulties, the labourers were paid on time.
3. On Republic Day, vehicles were not allowed beyond this point.
4. Second-hand books were bought and sold on the pavement every Saturday.
5. Elections to the Lok Sabha are held every five years.
6. Our National Anthem was composed by Rabindranath Tagore.
V. Rewrite the paragraphs below, using the correct form of the verb given in brackets.
Question 1. How Helmets Came To Be Used in Cricket
Nari Contractor was the Captain and an opening batsman for India in the 1960s. The Indian cricket team went
on a tour to the West Indies in 1962. In a match against Barbados in Bridgetown, Nari Contractor (seriously
injure and collapse). In those days helmets (not wear). Contractor (hit) on the head by a bouncer from Charlie
Griffith. Contractor’s skull (fracture). The entire team (deeply concern). The West Indies players (worry).
Contractor (rush) to hospital. He (accompany) by Frank Worrell, the Captain of the West Indies Team. Blood
(donate) by the West Indies players. Thanks to the timely help, Contractor (save). Nowadays helmets (routinely
use) against bowlers.
Answer:
How Helmets Came To Be Used in Cricket
Nari Contractor was the Captain and an opening batsman for India in the 1960s. The Indian cricket team went
on a tour to the West Indies in 1962. In a match against Barbados in Bridgetown, Nari Contractor was seriously
injured and collapsed. In those days helmets were not worn. Contractor was hit on the head by a bouncer from
Charlie Griffith. Contractor’s skull was fractured. The entire team was deeply concerned. The
West Indies players were worried. Contractor was rushed to hospital. He was accompanied by Frank Worrell,
the Captain of the West Indies Team. Blood was donated by the West Indies players. Thanks to the timely help,
Contractor was saved. Nowadays helmets are routinely used against bowlers.
Question 2. Oil from Seeds
Vegetable oils (make) from seeds and fruits of many plants growing all over the world, from tiny sesame seeds
to big, juicy coconuts. Oil (produce) from cotton seeds, groundnuts, soya beans and sunflower seeds. Olive oil
(use) for cooking, salad dressing etc. Olives (shake) from the trees and (gather) up, usually by hand. The olives
(ground) to a thick paste which is spread onto special mats. Then the mats (layer) up on the pressing machine
which will gently squeeze them to produce olive oil.
Answer:
Oil from Seeds
Vegetable oils are made from seeds and fruits of many plants growing all over the world, from tiny sesame
seeds to big, juicy coconuts. Oil is produced from cotton seeds, groundnuts, soya beans and sunflower seeds.
Olive oil is used for cooking, salad dressing etc. Olives are shaken from the trees and gathered up, usually by
hand. The olives are ground to a thick paste which is spread onto special mats. Then the mats are layered up
on the pressing machine which will gently squeeze them to produce olive oil.
 No Men Are Foreign
Thinking about the Poem
Question 1. (i) “Beneath all uniforms…” What uniforms do you think the poet is speaking about?
(ii) How does the poet suggest that all people on earth are the same?
Answer: (i) The poet is speaking about the various kinds of dresses and outfits people wear.
(ii) The poet says that the uniforms (outfits) must be different but there is a human body beneath those uniforms
and all of us will lie in the same earth when we die.
Question 2. In stanza 1, find five ways in which we all are alike. Pick out the words.
Answer: The poet points out five ways in which we are all alike. Here are the words from the poem:
– no men are strange
– no countries foreign
– a single body breathes
– the land our brothers walk upon (the same planet)
– (the same earth) in which we all shall lie
Question 3. How many common features can you find in stanza 2? Pick out the words.
Answer: Following are the common features which we can find in stanza 2:
– aware of sun and air and water – which means all humans have the need and awareness of the sun, water
and air)
– fed by peaceful harvests – all humans are fed by peacefully harvested food and grains
– Their hands are ours, – they too have hands similar to ours
– in their lines we read a labour not different from our own – their hands also show the hard work and labor
they perform
Question 4. “…whenever we are told to hate our brothers…” When do you think this happens? Why? Who
‘tells’ us? Should we do as we are told at such times? What does the poet say?
Answer: We are told to hate other humans from different countries, religions or social groups during wars and
fights. These are told by selfish people who want wars and revenge instead of peace. They instil bad thoughts
and feelings for other humans for their own benefit and cause riots. No, we should not do as told at such
times. We should try to make the world more peaceful.
The poet says that we should always remember that the people we are told to fight against are also human
beings like us. We are all the same. There is no foreign land and there are no ‘foreign’ men.
 NCERT Solutions Class 9 English Chapter 7
Reach for the Top

Reach for the Top

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

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

Answer: The ‘holy man’ who gave Santosh’s mother his blessings was surprised because Santosh’s
grandmother sought that Santosh’s mother be blessed with a daughter. This was quite astonishing for the
holy man because people mostly seek blessings for having a son.
Question 2. Give an example to show that even as a young girl, Santosh was not ready to accept anything
unreasonable. (2)
Answer: Even as a young girl, Santosh was not ready to accept anything unreasonable. She was not
content with her place in the traditional way of life and began living life on her own terms from the start. While
other girls wore traditional Indian dresses, Santosh used to wear shorts.
Question 3. Why was Santosh sent to the local school? (3)

Answer: Although Santosh’s parents were rich landowners and could have sent her to the best schools,
Santosh was sent to the local school because of the prevailing custom in the family.
Question 4. When did she leave home for Delhi, and why? (4)
Answer: She left home for Delhi when she was sixteen because she wanted to get a proper education.

Question 5. Why did Santosh’s parents agree to pay for her schooling in Delhi? What mental qualities of
Santosh are brought to light by this incident? (4)

Answer: Santosh’s parents agreed to pay for her schooling in Delhi when she informed them about her
plans to earn money by working part-time to pay for her education.
Through this incident, we get to know that Santosh had a very clear goal of getting properly educated no
matter what.
II. Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (about 30 words)
Question 1. How did Santosh begin to climb mountains?
Answer: Kasturba Hostel, where Santosh used to stay during her college days, faced Aravalli Hills. She
used to watch the villagers go up the hill and vanish after a while. She decided to check out the mountains
herself. She asked the villagers if she could join them, to which they agreed. This is how Santosh began to
climb mountains.

Question 2. What incidents during the Everest expedition show Santosh’s concern for her team-mates?
Answer: During the Everest expedition in 1992, Santosh provided special care to a climber who was dying
at the South Col. She could not save him, but she managed to save another climber, Mohan Singh, by
sharing her oxygen with him.
Question 3. What shows her concern for the environment?
Answer: Santosh collected and brought down 500 kilograms of garbage from the Himalayas on her way
back from the 1992 Everest expedition. This shows her concern for the environment.
 NCERT Solutions Class 9 English Chapter 7
Reach for the Top

Question 4. How does she describe her feelings at the summit of Everest?
Answer: She says that it took her some time for the enormity of the moment to sink in. She unfurled the
Indian tricolor and held it aloft on the roof of the world.
She tells that the feeling is indescribable to watch the Indian flag flying on top of the world. She felt proud as
an Indian.
Question 5. Santosh Yadav got into the record books both times she scaled Mt Everest. What were the
reasons for this?
Answer: Santosh Yadav got into the record books both times she scaled Mt Everest. The first time she
climbed Mt Everest, she got the record of the youngest woman in the world to achieve the feat. The second
time she climbed Mt Everest, she became the only woman to climb Everest twice.
III. Complete the following statements.
Answer:
1. From her room in Kasturba Hostel, Santosh used to watch villagers from her room, going up the hill and
suddenly vanishing after a while.
2. When she finished college, Santosh had to write a letter of apology to her father because she had got
herself enrolled at Uttarkashi without his permission.
3. During the Everest expedition, her seniors in the team admired her climbing skills, physical fitness and
mental strength, while her concern for others and desire to work together with them endeared her to fellow
climbers.
IV. Pick out words from the text that mean the same as the following words or expressions. (Look in the
paragraphs indicated.)
Answer:
1. took to be true without proof: assumed
2. based on reason; sensible; reasonable: rational
3. the usual way of doing things: custom
4. a strong desire arising from within: urge
5. the power to endure, without falling ill: resistance

Part II
Maria Sharapova
Thinking about the Text
Working in small groups of 4–5 students, go back over the two passages on Santosh Yadav and Maria
Sharapova and complete the table given below with relevant phrases or sentences.
Answer:
 NCERT Solutions Class 9 English Chapter 7
Reach for the Top

Points of Santosh Yadav Maria Sharapova

Comparison/Contrast

1. Their humble beginning She was born in the small village of “My father was working as
Joniyawas of Rewari District in Haryana. much as he could to keep
my tennis training going.”

2. Their parents’ approach But, in line with the prevailing custom in “My father was working as
the family, Santosh had to make do with much as he could to keep
the local village school. my tennis training going.”

3. Their will power and “And I was supposed to be in Uttarkashi “When you come from
strong desire to succeed on the twenty-first. So, I did not go back nothing and you have
home; instead, I headed straight for the nothing, then it makes you
training.” very hungry and
determined
 NCERT Solutions Class 9 English Chapter 7
Reach for the Top

Thinking about the Language:

I. Identify the two parts in the sentences below by underlining the part that gives us the information in
brackets, as shown above.
Answer:
1. Where other girls wore traditional Indian dresses, Santosh preferred shorts. (Contrasts her dress with that
of others)
2. She left home and got herself enrolled in a school in Delhi. (Tells us what happened after the first action.)
3. She decided to fight the system when the right moment arrived. (Tells us when she was going to fight the
system.)
4. Little Maria had not yet celebrated her tenth birthday when she was packed off to train in the United
States. (Tells us when Maria was sent to the U.S.)
II. Now rewrite the pairs of sentences given below as one sentence.
Answer:
1. Grandfather told me about the old days when all books were printed on paper.
2. After you finish the book, perhaps you just throw it away.
3. He gave the little girl an apple and took the computer apart.
4. When you have nothing, that makes you very determined.
5. I never thought of quitting as I knew what I wanted.
 NCERT Solutions Class 9 English Chapter 7 Poem
On Killing aTree

On Killing a Tree
Thinking about the Poem
Question 1. Can a “simple jab of the knife” kill a tree? Why not?
Answer: No, a simple jab of the knife cannot kill a tree because the tree grows with a lot of nutrients and
resources. Even if one cuts it, it will sprout again.
Question 2. How has the tree grown to its full size? List the words suggestive of its life and activity.
Answer: The tree has grown to its full size by consuming the earth, feeding upon its crust, absorbing years of
sunlight, air and water.
The words suggestive of its life and activity are: absorbing, feeding, rising, consuming and sprouting.
Question 3. What is the meaning of “bleeding bark”? What makes it bleed?

Answer: The “bleeding bark” indicates the idea that the tree has been cut. Just like humans bleed blood when
they get wounded, trees release a liquid at the place where they are cut. So, the tree bleeds.

Question 4. The poet says “No” in the beginning of the third stanza. What does he mean by this?

Answer: The poet says “No” in the beginning of the third stanza. It emphasizes that only cutting or chopping
the tree will not cease its existence.

Question 5. What is the meaning of “anchoring earth” and “earth cave”?

Answer: The “anchoring earth” means that the earth works as an anchor to protect the tree and saves it from
getting uprooted.
“Earth cave” implies the depth of the mother earth where the tree spreads its roots and gets nurtured.
Question 6. What does he mean by “the strength of the tree exposed”?
Answer: He means to say that when one tries to pull out the tree along with its roots which are spread deep
inside the earth, one will understand the strength of the tree.
Question 7. What finally kills the tree?
Answer: When the tree is pulled out along with its roots and separated from mother earth, one has to
subject it to the scorching sun and let it wither. This will finally kill the tree.
 NCERT Solutions Class 9 English Chapter 8
Kathmandu

Kathmandu
Thinking about the Text Activity
1. On the following map mark out the route, which the author thought of but did not take, to Delhi.

Answer: The route which the author thought of but did not take to Delhi was:
Bihar (Patna)- U.P. (Benaras – Allahabad-Agra)-Delhi
 NCERT Solutions Class 9 English Chapter 8
Kathmandu

2. Find out the possible routes (by rail, road or air) from Kathmandu to New Delhi/Mumbai/Kolkata/Chennai.
Answer: Do it yourself.
I. Answer these questions in one or two words or in short phrases.
Question 1. Name the two temples the author visited in Kathmandu.
Answer: Pashupatinath temple and Baudhnath temple are the two temples that the author visited in
Kathmandu.

Question 2. The writer says, “All this I wash down with Coca-Cola.” What does ‘all this’ refer to?
Answer: All this refers to a bar of marzipan, a corn on- the-cob roasted in a charcoal brazier on the
pavement (rubbed with salt, chilli powder and lemon); a couple of love story comics, and even a Reader’s
Digest.
Question 3. What does Vikram Seth compare to the quills of a porcupine?
Answer: Vikram Seth sees a flute seller with a pole in his hands with an attachment at the top from which
fifty or sixty bansuris protrude in all directions. He compares it to the quills of a porcupine.
Question 4. Name five kinds of flutes.
Answer: The five kinds of flutes are:

• the reed neh

• the Japanese shakuhachi
• the deep bansuri of Hindustani classical music
• the clear or breathy flutes of South America
• the high-pitched Chinese flutes
II. Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph
Question 1. What difference does the author note between the flute seller and the other hawkers?
Answer: The author says that, unlike other hawkers, the flute seller plays slowly without excessive display.
He does not shout out his wares. Occasionally he makes a sale, but in a curiously offhanded way as if this
were incidental to his enterprise.
Question 2. What is the belief at Pashupatinath about the end of Kaliyug?
Answer: A small shrine half protrudes from the stone platform on the river Bagmati’s bank. It is believed that
when it emerges fully, the goddess inside will escape, and the evil period of the Kaliyug will end on earth.
Question 3. The author has drawn powerful images and pictures. Pick out three examples each of:

(i) the atmosphere of ‘febrile confusion’ outside the temple of Pashupatinath (for example: some people
trying to get the priest’s attention are elbowed aside…)
(ii) the things he sees
(iii) the sounds he hears
Answer: The author has drawn powerful images and pictures.
(i) the atmosphere of ‘febrile confusion’ outside the temple of Pashupatinath: Priests, hawkers,
devotees, tourists, cows, monkeys, pigeons and dogs roam through the grounds. We offer a few flowers. A
 NCERT Solutions Class 9 English Chapter 8
Kathmandu

party of saffron-clad Westerners struggle for permission to enter the temple as the gate says that only
Hindus are allowed in the temple.
(ii) the things he sees: Kathmandu is vivid, mercenary, religious, with small shrines to flower-adorned
deities along the narrowest and busiest streets; with fruit sellers, flute sellers, hawkers of postcards; shops
selling Western cosmetics, film rolls and chocolate; or copper utensils and Nepalese antiques.
(iii) the sounds he hears: Film songs blare out from the radios, car horns sound, bicycle bells ring, stray
cows low questioningly at motorcycles, vendors shout out their wares.
III. Answer the following questions in not more than 100–150 words each.
Question 1: Compare and contrast the atmosphere in and around the Baudhnath shrine with the
Pashupatinath temple.

Answer: The author says that the atmosphere in Pashupatinath temple was an atmosphere of ‘febrile
confusion’. He says that priests, hawkers, devotees, tourists, cows, monkeys, pigeons and dogs can be seen
roaming through the grounds. There are so many worshippers that people are elbowed aside by others
pushing their way to the front.
At Baudhnath temple, the Buddhist shrine, there was a sense of stillness. There is no crowd. It is a safe
place of quietness in the busy streets around.

Question 2: How does the author describe Kathmandu’s busiest streets?

Answer: The author describes Kathmandu’s busiest streets as vivid, mercenary and religious, with small
shrines to flower-adorned deities along the narrowest and busiest streets. The streets are full of fruit sellers,
flute sellers, hawkers of postcards; shops selling Western cosmetics, film rolls and chocolate; or copper
utensils and Nepalese antiques.
Film songs blare out from the radios, car horns sound, bicycle bells ring, stray cows look questioningly at
motorcycles, vendors shout out their wares.

Question 3: “To hear any flute is to be drawn into the commonality of all mankind.” Why does the author say
this?

Answer: “To hear any flute is to be drawn into the commonality of all mankind.”
The poet says this when he talks about five types of flutes- – the reed neh, the Japanese shakuhachi, the
deep bansuri of Hindustani classical music, the clear or breathy flutes of South America and the high-pitched
Chinese flutes. He says that a flute is at once the most universal and most particular of sounds. It is found in
every culture. He says that flute links to our common characteristics. Just like every human being, the motive
force is living breath. It too, needs to pause and breathe before it can go on.
Thinking about Language
I. Read the following sentences carefully to understand the meaning of the italicised phrases. Then match
the phrasal verbs in Column A with their meanings in Column B.

Answer:
 NCERT Solutions Class 9 English Chapter 8
Kathmandu

A B

(i) break out (d) to start suddenly, (usually a fight, a war or a disease)

(ii) break off (a) to come apart due to force

(iii) break down (f) stop working

(iv) break away (from someone) (e) to escape from someone’s grip

(v) break up (b) end a relationship

(vi) break into (c) break and enter illegally; unlawful trespassing

II. Question 1: Use the suffixes -ion or -tion to form nouns from the following verbs. Make the necessary
changes in the spellings of the words.
Answer:
cremate cremation; act action; exhaust exhaustion
invent invention; tempt temptation; immigrate immigration
direct direction; meditate meditation; imagine imagination
 NCERT Solutions Class 9 English Chapter 8
Kathmandu

dislocate dislocation; associate association; dedicate dedication

Question 2: Now fill in the blanks with suitable words from the ones that you have formed.
(i) Mass literacy was possible only after the ___________ of the printing machine.
(ii) Ramesh is unable to tackle the situation as he lacks ___________.
(iii) I could not resist the ___________ to open the letter.
(iv) Hardwork and ___________ are the main keys to success.
(v) The children were almost fainting with ____________after being made to stand in the sun.
Answer:
(i) Mass literacy was possible only after the invention of the printing machine.
(ii) Ramesh is unable to tackle the situation as he lacks imagination.
(iii) I could not resist the temptation to open the letter.
(iv) Hardwork and dedication are the main keys to success.
(v) The children were almost fainting with exhaustion after being made to stand in the sun.
III. Punctuation
Use capital letters, full stops, question marks, commas and inverted commas wherever necessary in the
following paragraph.
an arrogant lion was wandering through the jungle one day he asked the tiger who is stronger than you you
O lion replied the tiger who is more fierce than a leopard asked the lion you sir replied the leopard he
marched upto an elephant and asked the same question the elephant picked him up in his trunk swung him
in the air and threw him down look said the lion there is no need to get mad just because you don’t know the
answer

Answer:

An arrogant lion was wandering through the jungle one day. He asked the tiger, “Who is stronger than you?”
“You, O! Lion,” replied the tiger. “Who is fiercer than a leopard?” asked the lion. “You, sir,” replied the
leopard. He marched up to an elephant and asked the same question. The elephant picked him up in his
trunk, swung him in the air and threw him down. “Look”, said the lion, “there is no need to get mad just
because you don’t know the answer.”

IV: Simple Present Tense

1. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb in brackets.
(i) The heart is a pump that sends (send) the blood circulating through our body. The pumping action takes
place (take place) when the left ventricle of the contracts (contract). This forces (force) the blood out into
the arteries, which expands (expand) to receive the oncoming blood.
(ii) The African lungfish can live without water for up to four years. During a drought it digs (dig) a pit and
encloses (enclose) itself in a capsule of slime and earth, leaving a tiny opening for air. The capsule dries
(dry) and hardens (harden), but when rain comes (come), the mud dissolves (dissolve) and the lungfish
swims (swim) away.
 NCERT Solutions Class 9 English Chapter 8
Kathmandu

(iii) MAHESH : We have to organise a class party for our teacher.

Does (Do) anyone play an instrument?
VIPUL : Rohit plays (play) the flute.
MAHESH : Does (Do) he also act?
VIPUL : No, he composes (compose) music.

MAHESH : That’s wonderful!

 NCERT Solutions Class 9 English Chapter 10

A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal

Thinking about the Poem

Question 1. “A slumber did my spirit seal,” says the poet. That is, a deep sleep ‘closed off’ his soul (or
mind). How does the poet react to his loved one’s death? Does he feel bitter grief? Or does he feel a great
peace?

Answer: “A slumber did my spirit seal” says the poet. It is a little difficult to decide if the poet felt bitter grief
or peace. He says that his soul has been sealed due to his loved one’s death and that he does not have
any human fears. He talks about how his loved one seemed now- motionless and beyond the passage of
time.
Question 2. The passing of time will no longer affect her, says the poet. Which lines of the poem say this?
Answer: The lines of the poem that say this are:

“She seemed a thing that could not feel

The touch of earthly years.”

Question 3. How does the poet imagine her to be, after death? Does he think of her as a person living in a
very happy state (a ‘heaven’)? Or does he see her now as a part of nature? In which lines of the poem do
you find your answer?
Answer: The poet imagines her to be immersed in the earth. He feels that she has become a part of the
earth’s daily course and rolled along with the rocks, stones and trees.
The lines of the poem that we find our answer in are:

“Rolled round in earth’s diurnal course

With rocks and stones and trees.”

 NCERT Solutions Class 9 English Chapter 9
If I Were You

If I Were You
Thinking about the Text
I. Answer these questions.
Question 1. “At last, a sympathetic audience.”
(i) Who says this?
(ii) Why does he say it?
(iii) Is he sarcastic or serious?
Answer:
(i) Gerrard says the given statement.
(ii) He says it when the intruder asks him to talk about himself.
(iii) He is sarcastic.
Question 2. Why does the intruder choose Gerrard as the man whose identity he wants to take on?
Answer: The intruder chooses Gerrard as the man whose identity he wants to take on because Gerrard is a mystery
man who phones his orders and sometimes goes away suddenly and comes back just the same. Question 3. “I said
it with bullets.”
(i) Who says this?
(ii) What does it mean?
(iii) Is it the truth? What is the speaker’s reason for saying this?
Answer:
(i) Gerrard says the given statement.
(ii) It means that when he was in trouble, he shot someone to escape.
(iii) No, it is not the truth. Gerrard says this to manipulate the intruder so that he does not kill him.
Question 4. What is Gerrard’s profession? Quote the parts of the play that support your answer.
Answer: Gerrard’s profession is that of a dramatist.
The parts of the play that support that implication are:
“In most melodramas, the villain is foolish enough to delay his killing long enough to be frustrated”.
“Sorry I can’t let you have the props in time for rehearsal…”
“I think I’ll put it in my next play.”
“At last, a sympathetic audience!”
 NCERT Solutions Class 9 English Chapter 9
If I Were You

Question 5. “You’ll soon stop being smart.” (i)

Who says this?
(ii) Why does the speaker say it?
(iii) What according to the speaker will stop Gerrard from being smart?
Answer:
(i) The intruder says the given statement.
(ii) The intruder says this to scare Gerrard and know more about him.
(iii) The speaker intends to kill Gerrard. According to the speaker, when Gerrard gets to know that he came to Gerrard
to kill him and steal his identity, he would become scared and stop being smart. Question 6. “They can’t hang me
twice.” (i) Who says this?
(ii) Why does the speaker say it?
Answer:
(i) The intruder says the given statement.
(ii) The speaker says this because he had already murdered someone. So, it is not a big deal for him to kill another
man. He can’t be hanged twice.
Question 7. “A mystery I propose to explain.” What is the mystery the speaker proposes to explain?
Answer: The mystery that the speaker, Gerrard, proposes to explain is why he himself is a mystery man. He explains to
the intruder that he himself is a criminal who is on the run. That is the reason why he does not meet tradespeople. He
says that he murdered someone and got away with it. But now he was in a trouble and that’s why his bag was all
packed to escape again.
Question 8. “This is your big surprise.” (i)
Where has this been said in the play?
(ii) What is the surprise?
Answer:
(i) This statement is said twice in the play.
Once when the intruder is trying to scare Gerrard and the second time when Gerrard is explaining to him why he
won’t kill him for a good reason.
(ii) The surprise in the first utterance of the statement is that the intruder expresses his intention to kill Gerrard.
The surprise in the second utterance of the statement is that Gerrard explains to him that he himself is a criminal on
the run, which is why it won’t do any good to the intruder to kill him and steal his identity.