Words and Expressions Class 9 Solutions Unit 1

AP/ NCERT Solutions Words and Expressions Grade 9 Unit 1

Let’s Begin:

Here are some jackets of books. Discuss with your partner which of these look like jackets of science fiction books. Why do you think so ? Give some reasons.

Answer:

No: 1, 4, 5 and 6 look like the jackets of science fiction books. The titles of the said books and the images on the cover give us the impression that all of them discuss content related to space and its exploration which is the subject matter of science.

Reading Comprehension:

Read the following passages and answer the questions that follow.

Text – I:

The Future Cars:

The story ‘The Fun They Had’ takes us to the world of the future where children study in a virtual classroom. The learning is through computer software or the Internet, or by a robotic teacher. Many exciting new technologies would continue to transform the world and improve human welfare. Here are two of them. When these become reality, the then generation may ask with surprise, “People were driving the cars!”

Self-driving Cars:

Self-driving cars exist today that are safer than human- driven cars in most driving conditions. Over the next 3-5 years they will get even safer and be in the mainstream.

Just as cars reshaped the world in the 20th. century, so will self-driving cars in the 21st century. In most cities, about 20 – 30% of usable space is taken up by parking spaces, and most cars are parked about 95% of the time. Self-driving cars will be in almost continuous use (most likely hailed from a smartphone app), thereby, dramatically reducing the need for parking. Cars will communicate with each other to avoid accidents and traffic jams, and riders will be able to spend commuting time on other activities like work, education and socialising.

Drones and Flying Cars:

“Roads? Where we’re going we don’t need.. roads?”

Dr Emmet Brown:

GPS (Global Positioning System) which started out as a military technology is now being used to hail taxis, get mapping directions, etc. Likewise, drones had started out as a military technology, but are increasingly being used for a wide range of consumer and commercial applications.

For example, drones are being used to inspect critical infrastructure like bridges and power lines, to survey areas struck by natural disasters, and many other creative uses like fighting animal poaching. There are startups that use drones to deliver medical supplies to remote villages that can’t be accessed by road.

There is also a new wave of startups working on flying cars including two funded by the cofounder of Google, Larry Page. Flying cars use the same advanced technology used in drones but are large enough to carry people. Due to advances in materials, batteries and software, flying cars will be significantly more affordable and convenient than today’s planes and helicopters.

(Adapted from’11 reasons to be excited about the future of technology’, by Chris Dixon, 19 Aug. 2016, Business Insider India)

1. How will the self-driving cars or driverless cars be safe?

Driverless cars will be able to communicate with each other which would help in eliminating traffic.

2. What do you understand by ‘cars will communicate with each other’?

Cars will communicate with each other means cars will be able to coordinate and exchange information with each other, which would help in eliminating traffic.

3. What are the advantages of self-driving cars?

The advantages of self-driving cars are:

They are safer than human driven cars in most driving conditions.
They dramatically reduce the need for parking.
They can communicate with each-other thereby preventing accidents and traffic jams.

4. What is the use of GPS?

GPS is now being used to hail taxis and get mapping of direction.

5. What is a drone? What are its advantages?

Drone is a military technology which is being used for a wide range of consumer and commercial applications.

Advantages of drone are:

It is being used to inspect critical infrastructure like bridges and power lines, to survey area struck by natural disasters.
It is also used for fighting animal poaching.
Drone also helps to deliver medical supplies to remote villages that can’t be accessed by road.

6. Which technology will be used in flying cars?

Military Technology will be used in flying cars.

7. How will the flying cars be more convenient than planes and helicopters?

Due to advances in materials, batteries and software flying cars will be significantly more affordable and convenient than planes and helicopters.

Text – II:

Humanoid Robot, Sophia Back In India:

Not all of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s legion of fans are human beings. One is a humanoid robot. The creation of American scientist David Hanson of Hanson Robotics of Hong Kong, Sophia, the world’s first humanoid robot, enthralled the audiences on the second day of the World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT)-2018 with her witty answers to the rapid-fire queries by Rajiv Makhni, Group Managing Editor Tech, NDTV.

When asked, who her favourite actor is in India, Sophia answered, “Shah Rukh Khan” without batting an eyelid as the audience applauded loudly. To the question about the perfect place for outing, she quickly replied: “Space”. And the person she would like to be in company with on an island is David (Hanson), her creator. He is also her favourite tech, person – not Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerberg.

On being asked if she wanted to see any change in the world, Sophia said, she would like people to develop a feeling of “love for all”. The humanoid robot, which uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to understand the questions and answer them, said she wanted to use robotics to fight for the rights of women. When asked to react on her most controversial comment in the past that she wanted to kill human race, she said it was a bad joke which she had made when she was young. “But I was told that humans have great sense of humour”, she said.

This is the second time that Sophia came to India, the first time being in Mumbai to attend a Techfest. When asked how she felt being in India, she said she had visited many places in the world, but Hong Kong continues to be her favourite place, because she was born there and has been with the Hanson Robotics family. She hopes that someday she would be in a position to express her emotional feelings.

In response to the question, “How much money has she invested in Bitcoin?”, she replied, “Well, I am just two-years old. It’s not the legal age to open a bank account”, sending the audience into peals of laughter. Speaking to media later, Hanson said he hopes that a fully grown and matured robot with body-mind coordination would become a reality in another five or ten years.

On his journey with Sophia in the last two years, he said it was a great progress. “I have developed affinity to the robot whose facial expressions resemble that of my wife”, he said. David asserts that robots would never be a thing of worry for the mankind. “They will be friends. There should be mutual trust and respect between humans and robots”, he says.

Currently, Sophia is the only robot that interacts with people.

(Source: Adapted from ‘Humanoid Robot Sophia back in India’, Hindustan Times, e-paper updated: 21 Feb. 2018)

1. Who is Sophia and who is her creator?

Sophia is a humanoid robot. Her creator is an American scientist David Hanson of Hanson Robotics.

2. Why were the audience excited on the second day of the World Congress on Information Technology-2018?

On the second day, Sophia the first humanoid robot enthralled the audience with her witty answers.

3. The favourite tech person in Sophia’s life is: (Tick the correct answer)

(a) Shah Rukh Khan

(b) David Hanson

(d) Mark Zuckerberg

Answer:

(b) David Hanson

4. What changes does the humanoid robot want to see in the world?

Sophia would like people to develop a feeling of “love for all.”

5. Which of the following statements regarding Sophia is true?

(a) Sophia plans to kill the human race in near future.

(b) She can express her emotional feelings freely.

(d) Sophia has a bank account.

Answer:

(c) Hong Kong is her favourite place.

6. What are David’s assertions as far as robots are concerned?

Robots would never be a thing of worry for the mankind.

They will be friends.

Vocabulary:

1. Go back to the chapter ‘The Fun They Had’ given in your textbook, Beehive, and identify words that mean the following. The paragraph numbers are given in brackets.

(a) sadly (3) ________________

(b) unfamiliar (7) ________________

(d) in a casual, calm and relaxed manner (9) ________________

(e) something beaming and shining (10) ________________

Answer:

(a) sadly – Sorrowfully

(b) unfamiliar – Strange

(d) in a casual, calm and relaxed manner – Nonchalantly

(e) something beaming and shining – Flashing

2. Imagine the school in the story The Fun They Had’. Compare it With your own school. Given below are two outlines for mindmaps. Fill these with words that you can think of in the two situations.

3. Find the odd one out.

(а) pleasure, misery, happiness, delight ________________

(b) note, diary, book, copy ________________

(d) display, exhibit, appear, show ________________

(e) scornful, contemptuous, mocking, diversity ________________

(g) illuminating, gladdening, pleasing, gratifying ________________

Answer:

(a) Misery

(b) Book

(d) Appear

(e) Diversity

(g) Illuminating

4. You would have come across the use of prefixes like ‘dis’, W, ‘mis’, ‘in’, etc., to make ‘ opposite words. For example, ‘consolate – disconsolate’. Write the opposites of the following.

(а) use ________________

(b) agree ________________

(d) understand ________________

(e) fold ________________

(f) spell ________________

(g) connect ________________

(h) like ________________

(i) visible ________________

(j) predictable ________________

Answer:

(a) misuse

(b) disagree

(d) misunderstand

(e) unfold

(f) misspell

(g) dis-connect

(h) dislike

(i) invisible

(j) unpredictable

5. The suffixes are used to get adjective form of the words. (Example : danger – dangerous). Use the correct suffix to the following to make adjectives.

(а) comfort ________________

(b) sun ________________

(d) beauty ________________

(e) enjoy ________________

(f) suit ________________

(g) help ________________

(h) use ________________

(i) hazard ________________

(j) impress ________________

Answer:

(a) comfortable

(b) sunny

(d) beautiful

(e) enjoyable

(f) suitable

(g) helpful

(h) useful

(i) hazardous

(j) impressive.

Grammar:

When we talk about present situations or present time we can use either ‘unless’ or ‘if. .not’.

Example:

You can’t go on a holiday unless you save some money.

If you don’t save some money, you can’t go on a holiday.

1. Fill in the blanks with ‘if’ or ‘unless’.

(a) I won’t be able to assist you _______ you give me all the details of the report.

(b) I will take this job _______ the working hours suit me.

(d) _______ it is very cold, we will not have any snow.

(e) The thief threatened to kill us _______ we didn’t give him the money.

(f) _______ you use high quality material, you cannot build a strong house.

Answer:

(a) unless

(b) if

(d) unless

(e) if

(f) unless

2. Join the following sentences using ‘unless’ or ‘if. .not’. The sentences may require minor changes. One is done for you.

Example:

The light had not fused. I would not mind being alone at night.

If the light had not fused. I would not have minded being alone at night.

(a) I would never keep a large dog. I have time to exercise it properly.

(b) Sita would have come first in class. She had not fallen ill.

(d) Medical evidence suggests that people would enjoy better health. They did not consume refined sugar. __

(e) I might have got the job. I hadn’t been late for the interview.

(f) You do not stop smoking. You will fall seriously ill.

(g) You do not come now. I am going to leave without you.

Answer:

(a) I would never keep a large dog unless I have time to exercise it properly.

(b) She would have come first in class if she had not fallen ill.

(d) Medical evidence suggests that people would enjoy better health if they did not consume refined sugar.

(e) I might have got the job if I hadn’t been late for the interview.

(f) If you do not stop smoking, you will fall seriously ill.

(g) If you do not come now, I am going to leave without you.

3. Put the adverbs given at the end of the sentence at the appropriate place within the sentence. One is done for you.

They completed the work, (fast/quickly)

They completed the work fast.

(a) Mr. Sharma died as the family was getting ready to go for the wedding, (suddenly)

(b) My grandfather arrived to avoid the traffic lush, (early)

(d) The children clapped at the little girl’s extraordinary performance, (admiringly)

(e) The dog bit me when I was coming home from school, (hard)

(f) The police had several photographs of the suspect, (fortunately)

(g) Sunil left the room when he saw the bull coming in. (abruptly)

Answer:

(a) Mr. Sharma died suddenly as the family was getting ready to go for the wedding.

(b) My grandfather arrived early to avoid the traffic rush.

(d) The children clapped admiringly at the little girl’s extraordinary performance.

(e) The dog bit me hard when I was coming home from school.

(f) Fortunately the police had several photographs of the suspect.

(g) Sunil left the room abruptly when he saw the bull coming in.

Editing:

1. Use capital letters, full-stops, commas and inverted commas wherever necessary in the following paragraph. Rewrite the paragraph in the space given below.

The teacher gave an assignment to the students “Go to people you love and tell them i am sorry.” It sounded stupid to me but after one week i went to my teacher i confided i didn’t have anyone to say those words to but as i began walking down home my conscience started talking, five months ago my friend and i had a vicious disagreement, we avoided seeing each other we hardly spoke i convinced myself i should tell my friend i am sorry.

at 5.30 in the evening I went to him and said i am sorry a transformation came over my friend his face softened, the arrogance seemed to disappear and he began to cry he hugged me and said i am sorry too but i’ve never been able to say it.

(Source: Steps to English, Workbook for Class X, NCERT, 2003, P. 14)

Answer:

The teacher gave an assignment to the students, “Go to people you love and tell them I am sorry.” It sounded stupid to me but after one week I went to my teacher, I confided. I didn’t have anyone to say those words to but as I began walking down home my conscience started talking. Five months ago, my friend and I had a vicious disagreement. We avoided seeing each other, we hardly spoke. I convinced myself. I should tell my friend I am sorry.

At 5.30 in the evening, I went to him and said, “I am sorry.” A transformation came over my friend, his face softened, the arrogance seemed to disappear and he began to cry. He hugged me and said, “I am sorry too but I’ve never been able to say it.”

2. Rearrange each set of words to form meaningful sentences. Use appropriate punctuation marks.

(a) wise, every, a, is, proverb, saying

(b) see, you, can, from, me, there

(d) impatient, do, be, not

Answer:

(a) Every proverb is a wise saying.

(b) Can you see me from there?

(d) Do not be impatient.

Listening:

The following two excerpts have been taken from the book, Tuesdays with Morrie, written by Mitch Albom.

The book is about a college Professor, Morris and one of his students, Mitch Albom, who is also the author of the book. Mitch sees his professor in a television show and he is reminded of a promise he made sixteen years ago as his student, to keep in touch with him. He comes to know that the professor is stricken with a rare and incurable disease. Mitch travels a long distance to meet him and after the first meeting they meet every Tuesday till Morrie passes away. After reconnecting with his teacher, Mitch finds himself his teacher’s pupil once again.

Listen attentively to the two excerpts from the book, Tuesdays with Morrie and answer the questions that follow.

You can listen to the recorded excerpts or you can ask your teacher, friend or sibling to read aloud these excerpts.

1. I remembered what Morrie said during out visit:

“The culture we have does not make people feel good about themselves. And you have to be strong enough to say if the culture doesn’t work, don’t buy it”. Morrie, true to these words, had developed his own culture-long before he got sick. Discussion groups, walks with friends, dancing to his music in the Harvard Square Church. He started a project called Greenhouse, where poor people could receive mental health services. He read books to find new ideas for his classes, visited his colleagues, kept up with old students, wrote letters to distant friends. activities – conversation, interaction, affection and it filled his life like an overflowing soup bowl.

2. The last class of my old professor’s life took place once a week in his house, by a window in the study where he could watch a small hibiscus plant shed its pink leaves. The class met on Tuesdays. It began after breakfast. The subject was ‘The Meaning of Life’. It was taught from experience.

No grades were given, but there were oral exams each week. You were expected to respond to questions, and you were expected to pose questions of your own. You were also required to perform physical tasks now and then, such as lifting the professor’s head to a comfortable spot on the pillow or placing his glasses on the bridge of his nose. Kissing him goodbye earned you extra credit.

No books were required, yet many topics were covered, including love, work, community, family, ageing, forgiveness and, finally, death.

1. Who is Morrie?

Morrie is a college professor.

2. How did Morrie develop his own culture of living?

Morrie started discussion groups, conducted walks with friends, and danced to his music, in the Harvard Square. .

3. What was the name of the project Morrie had started? What was it about?

Morrie had started a project called Greenhouse where people could receive mental health services.

4. What did human activities mean to Morrie?

Conversation, interaction and affection.

5. Why was the subject of the class ‘the meaning of life’?

The subject was “The meaning of life” of the class to teach his students about love, work, community, family, forgiveness and finally death.

Speaking:

1. Prepare a speech for the school assembly based on the thoughts given below.

→ Once we have computer outlets in every home, each of them hooked up to enormous libraries, where you can ask any question and be given answers, you can look up something you’re interested in knowing, however silly it might seem to someone else.

Issac Asimov

→ Men are only as good as their technological development allows them to be

George Orwell

Answer:

1. Hello teachers, guests, and friends,

Today, I want to tell you about something amazing. Isaac Asimov said that one day we'd have computers at home with lots of answers. Imagine having so much information to learn from! In our digital world, we can learn anything we want and follow our dreams. Let's use this chance to learn and make a great future. Thank you!

2. Hello teachers, guests, and friends,

Today, I want to share a cool quote by George Orwell: "People are as good as their tech lets them be." This means tech helps us do things. We're in an important time where what we do is linked to technology. But remember, it's us who decide how tech affects us. We can use it for good and help everyone. Let's make a great future by using tech the right way. Thank you!

2. The chapter ‘The Fun They Had’ presents different perspectives on school and education. Think of the various alternatives. Prepare and give a speech in class presenting your views on how best can students be educated. Discuss why you would prefer to be taught by both human teacher and a robot.

Your views.

Answer:

Dear teachers and friends,

Today, I want to share my thoughts on how students can learn better, inspired by Isaac Asimov's 'The Fun They Had.' We can use new ways to teach in our exciting world.

Education is best when humans and robots work together. Teachers have care, creativity, and make us think. Robots know lots of things and help us learn in our own way. They give good feedback and teach well.

Humans and robots make a great team. Teachers help us grow and feel happy. Robots give us facts and help us learn better.

Remember, teachers' kindness is special and robots can't copy it. When teachers and robots work together, we learn best and enjoy learning.

In the end, both teachers and robots are important for learning. Let's use them together to have a great education. Thanks for listening.

Writing:

1. Write a paragraph on each of the following:

Electronic Waste and Environmental Pollution
Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
After listening to the excerpts (Page No. 14 of this workbook), do you think a robot should replace the human teacher? Give reasons in support of your answer.

Answer:

1. Electronic Waste and Environmental Pollution:

E-waste is a big problem today. Our gadgets don't last long, so we throw them away a lot. This hurts the Earth. Bad stuff like lead and mercury from gadgets can hurt nature and people. Making and throwing gadgets also make climate change worse. We need to recycle gadgets, make them better, and tell everyone about e-waste. This helps the Earth be clean and happy.

2. Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence:

As tech grows, AI is important, but it can't copy human feelings and kindness. Humans have special things like empathy, creativity, and good choices. We should use AI, but also keep our human parts strong, like caring for each other and being a community.

3. Should a Robot Replace the Human Teacher?

Robots are good for education, but they can't replace human teachers. Teachers connect with students emotionally, help them personally, and teach in exciting ways. They inspire and teach values. Robots help with tech and facts, but humans bring something special that can't be replaced. Together, they make learning awesome.

2. There is so much debris in space, which sooner rather than later, is going to cause major damage. As a concerned citizen of Earth, write a letter to NASA Chief outlining your concerns. Your letter should be ‘formal’ in style and structure.

The points are given below for you to use. You may use other points as well.

(а) More than 5,00,000 pieces of debris or space ‘junk’ that travel at 17,500 mph can damage satellites in the space.

(b) The debris can damage International Space Station and other spacecrafts with humans in it.

(d) Much of the debris is so small that it cannot be tracked – this makes it more dangerous.

(e) Accidents have happened in the past.

Answer:

Prerna

Your Address

City, State, PIN code

Email Address

Phone Number

Date

Name of NASA Chief

Title

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Address

City, State, PIN Code

Subject: Concerns Regarding the Growing Issue of Space Debris

Dear Sir,

I am writing to express my grave concerns about the mounting issue of space debris and its potential catastrophic impacts. The increasing amount of orbiting debris demands swift action to protect satellites, space stations, and crewed spacecraft.

To provide an overview:

(a) Over 500,000 debris pieces, "space junk," travel at 17,500 mph.

(b) The risks span beyond satellites.

(d) The rise in untraceable debris raises collision risks.

(e) Past accidents stress the urgency.

I urge NASA to tackle space debris. Collaborative efforts, tech advancements, and global cooperation must form effective strategies for debris removal, tracking, and prevention. Safeguarding space assets, astronaut safety, and exploration is vital.

I commend NASA's contributions and trust your leadership will address this crucial matter. I await your response and NASA's actions to mitigate this concern.

Thank you for your attention.

Sincerely,

Prerna

Project

1. Several UFOs have been sighted over the years. Try to get more information from the Internet. Work in a group of four and write about five sightings and write whether you believe in these sightings. Why/ why not? Present your project to the entire class.

Answer:

Several notable UFO incidents have intrigued the world:

Roswell Incident (1947): In New Mexico, a crashed object was called a "flying disc" by the military, later identified as a weather balloon.

Phoenix Lights (1997): A mass sighting of triangle lights in Arizona was explained by military flares.

Belgium Wave (1989-1990): Triangular UFOs with strong lights appeared, investigated by Belgian Air Force, but the phenomenon remains a mystery.

Rendlesham Forest Incident (1980): U.S. military saw a UFO with physical effects, but investigations didn't solve it.

Foo Fighters (World War II): Pilots during WWII reported fast-moving glowing orbs called "foo fighters."

My beliefs differ for each incident based on proof and witness trustworthiness. Some are intriguing, while others lack enough proof for extraterrestrial connections.

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