English Medium Class 9 - CBSE Question Bank Solutions

While packing the hamper, George and Harris do a number of foolish and funny thing. Tick the statements that are true.

(i) They started with breaking a cup.

(ii) They also broke a plate.

(iii) They squashed a tomato.

(iv) They trod on the butter.

(v) They stepped on a banana.

(vi) They put things behind them, and couldn’t find them.

(vii) They stepped on things.

(viii) They packed the pictures at the bottom and put heavy things on top.

(ix) They upset almost everything.

(x) They were very good at packing.

What does Jerome say was Montmorency’s ambition in life? What do you think of
Montmorency and why?

Discuss in group and answer the following question in two or three paragraphs (100
−150 words)

Of the three, Jerome, George and Harris, who do you think is the best or worst packer?
Support your answer with details from the text.

Discuss in group and answer the following question in two or three paragraphs (100−150 words)

Do you find this story funny? What are the humorous elements in it?
(Pick out at least three, think about what happens, as well as how it is described.)

Discuss in group and answer the following question in two or three paragraphs (100 −150 words)

How did Montmorency ‘contribute’ to the packing?

Thinking about Language
Match the words/phrases in Column A with their meanings in Column B.

Use suitable words or phrases from Column A above to complete the paragraph given below.
A Traffic Jam
During power cuts, when traffic lights go off, there is utter ____ at crossroads. Drivers add
to the confusion by ____ over their right of way, and nearly come to blows. Sometimes
passers-by, seeing a few policemen ____ at regulating traffic, step in to help. This gives
them a feeling of having ____ something.

Look at the sentences below. Notice that the verbs (italicised) are all in their bare form.

The table below has some proverbs telling you what to do and what not to do. Fill in the blanks and add a few more such proverbs to the table.

Thinking about the Text
Given in the box are some headings. Find the relevant paragraphs in the text to match the headings.
An Orphaned Cub;
Bruno’s Food-chart;
An Accidental Case of Poisoning;
Playful Baba; Pain of Separation;
Joy of Reunion;
A Request to the Zoo;
An Island in the courtyard

Answer the following question.

“I got him for her by accident.”
(i) Who says this?
(ii) Who do ‘him’ and ‘her’ refer to?
(iii) What is the incident referred to here?

Answer the following question.

“He stood on his head in delight.”
(i) Who does ‘he’ refer to?
(ii) Why was he delighted?

Answer the following question.

“We all missed him greatly: but in a sense we were relieved.”
(i) Who does ‘we all’ stand for?

(ii) Who did they miss?
(iii) Why did they nevertheless feel relieved?

Answer the following question in 30 to 40 words.
On two occasions Bruno ate/drank something that should not be eaten /drunk. What
happened to him on these occasions?

Answer the following question in 30 to 40 words.

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

Answer the following question in 30 to 40 words.

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

Thinking about Language
Find these words in the lesson. They all have ie or ei in them.

1. f___ld
2. ingred ___nts
3. h ___ght
4. misch ___vous
5. fr ___nds
6. ___ghty-seven
7. rel ___ved
8. p ___ce

Now here are some more words. Complete them with ei or ie. Consult a dictionary if necessary.

1. bel___ ve
2. rec ___ve
3. w ___rd
4. l ___sure
5. s ___ze
6. w ___ght
7. r ___gn
8. f ___gn
9. gr ___f
10. p ___rce

(There is a popular rule of spelling: ‘i’ before ‘e’ except after ‘c’. Check if this rule is true by looking at the words above.)

Here are some words with silent letters. Learn their spelling. Your teacher will dictate these words to you. Write them down and underline the silent letters.

The Narrative Present
Notice the incomplete sentences in the following paragraphs. Here the writer is using incomplete sentences in the narration to make the incident more dramatic or immediate. Can you rewrite the paragraph in complete sentences?
(You can begin: The vet and I made a dash back to the car. Bruno was still floundering…)

(i) A dash back to car. Bruno still floundering about on his stumps, but clearly weakening rapidly; some vomiting, heavy breathing, with heaving flanks and gaping mouth. Hold him everybody! In goes the hypodermic – Bruno squeals – 10 c.c. of the antidote enters his system without a drop being wasted. Then minutes later: condition unchanged! Another 10 c.c. injected! Ten minutes later: breathing less stertorous – Bruno can move his arms and legs a little although he cannot stand yet. Thirty minutes later: Bruno gets up and has a great feed! He looks at us disdainfully, as much as to say, ‘What’s barium carbonate to a big black bear like me?’ Bruno is still eating.
(ii) In the paragraphs above from the story the verbs are in the present tense (eg. hold, goes, etc.). This gives the reader an impression of immediacy. The present tense is often used when we give a commentary on a game (cricket, football, etc.), or tell a story as if it is happening now. It is, therefore, called the narrative present. You will read more about the present tense in Unit 10

Adverbs
Find the adverbs in the passage below. (You’ve read about adverbs in Unit 1.) We thought that everything was over when suddenly a black sloth bear came out panting in the hot sun. Now I will not shoot a sloth-bear wantonly but, unfortunately for the poor beast, one of my companions did not feel that way about it, and promptly shot the bear on the spot.

(i) Complete the following sentences, using a suitable adverb ending in –ly.
(a) Rana does her homework ___.
(b) It rains ___in Mumbai in June.
(c) He does his work ___.
(d) The dog serves his master ___.
(ii) Choose the most suitable adverbs or adverbial phrases and complete the following sentences.

(a) We should ___get down from a moving train. (never, sometimes, often)
(b) I was ___in need of support after my poor performance. (badly, occasionally,
sometimes).
(c) Rita met with an accident. The doctor examined her ___. (suddenly, seriously,
immediately)