Words and Expressions Class 9 Solutions Unit 8

You have read about Santosh Yadav, the youngest woman in the world to have conquered Mount Everest in 1992. You must have heard or read about Poorna, who at the age of 13 years 11 months, became the youngest girl in the world to have scaled the Mount Everest in 2014, with sheer determination and willpower. You would have also read about Maria Sharapova who bagged the Women’s Singles crown at Wimbledon in 2004. She was determined, tough, competitive, hard-working with unwavering desire. Both of them had big dreams from the very young age.

1. Do you have the passion to do something other than your studies like these two icons have ? (Be it music, dance, theatre, trekking, watersport, painting, football, cricket, etc.)

Apart from studies, I am extremely passionate about becoming a musician. I strongly feel music is the love of my life. It accords me inner peace and happiness. It never fails to uplift my mood whenever I feel low spiritied.

2. Do you find any difficulty in pursuing your passion?

Other than the fact that I may not be able to spare out time from my work schedule to pursue a devoted career in music, I experience no obstruction or difficulty as such.

3. Who gives you support and encouragement to go ahead with your passion?

have been lucky to have parents who under-stand me and recognise my talents and desires. They are always ready to extend their full support and encouragement in everything that I choose to do.

Reading Comprehension:

Read the following passage carefully. Based on your reading, answer the following questions in he space provided.

Text – I

On 3 August 1996, Leander Paes became the first Indian to win an individual medal in 44 years when he defeated Fernando Meligeni of Brazil in an exciting match in the Centennial Olympic Games at Atlanta. Paes ranked 31 places below the Brazilian, played with grsto and determination against a player who has two ATP tour titles under his belt, and clinched the bronze medal. He was given a standing ovation when Paes raised his hand in triumph and said a silent prayer.

Leander’s father had won a bronze medal in the Munich Olympics 1972 as a member of the Indian hockey team. It is creditable to Leander Paes as he got it in an individual event.

Later he dedicated the medal to his coach and his doubles teammate. “They have helped me out and given me advice and kept me in good frame of mind. This medal doesn’t just show my efforts, it shows the efforts of the whole team.”

Paes was recognised as a prodigy by Vijay Amritraj in the ’80s..Even so, Paes’ true mentor has been Naresh Kumar, the former Indian Davi^ Cup Captain. His incredible Davis Cup record speaks for itself. While it may be said that some of his Davis Cup victories were achieved because he was playing on his favourite surface, grass and enjoyed home support. But at Atlanta, Paes had none of these advantages except his coach, close family members and the expatriates. While Davis Cup victories bring in good cash rewards and ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) points, there he was playing for just a medaj. Paes explains it all when he says, “When I am playihg for my country I don’t expect anything.” That straightaway sets him apart.

He succeeds because of his willingness to take his chances, swift reflexes and mental strength, and the fact that he does not accept defeat easily.

1. Leander’s victory at Atlanta is significant because he became the first Indian to win an individual medal in 44 years.

2. His father’s Olympic triumph in 1972 was different from his own because it was a bronze medal in the Munich Olympics as a member of the Indian Hockey team.

3. Leander gave credit to his coach and his teammate in doubles for his victory. How did they help him?

They helped him out and gave him advice and kept him in good frame of mind. The medal showed the effort of the whole team.

4. If you are required to sum up Leander’s qualities as a player, which one would you like to highlight and why?

Determination, humbleness, swift reflexes and mental strength are some of the qualities that he posesses. The best quality is not to accept defeat easily as it helps you to try harder and harder.

5. In India, while registering his victories in Davis Cup one could say that he won because he was playing on his favourite surface, grass and enjoyed home support.

6. At Atlanta he won because of his willingness to take, chances, swift reflexes and mental strength and due to the fact that he not accept defeat easily.

Read the following poem and answer the questions that follow:

Text – II

Where the Mind is Without Fear:

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high;

Where knowledge is free;

Where the world has not been broken up into fragments

By narrow domestic walls;

Where words come out from the depth of truth;

Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection;

Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way

Into the dreary desert sand of dead habits;

Where the mind is led forward by thee

Into ever-widening thought and action;

Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake

– Rabindranath Tagore

1.Given here are certain ideas from the poem “Where the mind is without fear” by Rabindranath Tagore. Identify the lines from the poem that refer to these and write the lines in the space given below.

(a) Everybody should be able to learn.

(b) There ought not to be a division among people on the basis of caste, class, creed, religion or any other such basis.

(c) People should be honest and speak out their heart.

(d) Actions should stem from logic and not superstitions and beliefs, leading to progress.

(e) People to be free of fear and oppression.

(f) The poet is addressing _______ so that _______.

(a) Where knowledge is free.

(b) Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls.

(d) Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habits.

(e) Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high.

(f) God; he makes his country awake.

2. This poem was written by Rabindranath Tagore much before India attained freedom. What, do you think, is the significance of these lines in the context of his time?

The poet wants freedom, not only in terms of independence, but also freedom from illiteracy, poverty, superstitions and all kinds of barriers in the path of living freely.

Vocabulary:

1. Suggest a word for each sentence/phrase correctly. Refer to the chapter ‘Reach for the Top, Part F given in your textbook, Beehive. The paragraph numbers where these words are used, are given in brackets.

(a) A state of happiness and satisfaction. (2) Contentment

(b) An action or way of behaving that is usual in tradition. (3) custom

(d) The ability to withstand hardship or adversity. (7) resistance

(e) Final stage of something you’ve been working towards. (7) culmination

2. Fill in the blanks using the words given in the box. These words are taken from the chapter ‘Reach for the Top’ of your textbook, Beehive. You can refer to a dictionary to find out the meanings of these words.

prevails – positive – apology – affluent

expedition – culmination

(a) She wears expensive dresses and jewellery. It seems she belongs to an family. affluent

(b) At present, political turmoil in most parts of the world. prevails

(d) The Director was quite _____ while addressing his employees. positive

(e) The result that you see today is a _____ of years of hardwork and dedication. culmination

(f) School children went on a weeklong _____ during their summer holidays. expedition.

3.Playing with the words: How many words can you make from the words given below?

1. vocal 1. labour

(i) Coal (i) Bolar

(ii) Oval (ii) Boral

(iii) Cola (ii) Labor

_______ (iv) Blur

_______ (v) Boar

(vi) oral

4.An idiomatic expression is a group of words with a special meaning. The individual words in the expression do not mean what they otherwise stand for.

Example:

Maria Sharapova cannot be ‘pigeon-holed’ or categorised. Her talent, unwavering desire to succeed and readiness to sacrifice have lifted her to the top offhe world.

Here pigeon-holed does not mean that there is a hole for the pigeon to its nest. But it means that someone or something belongs to a particular type or group; is categorised, especially without knowing much about them.

Now, consult a dictionary and match the following idiomatic expressions given in Column ‘A’ with their meanings in Column ‘B’.

Column ‘A’ with their meanings in Column ‘B’.

Answer:

(a) I won’t enter the room until she cleans it.

(b) I will come to your house after I do the cooking.

(d) They rested when evening came.

(e) The salesman came while Rita was eating her breakfast.

Rita was eating her breakfast while the salesman came.

(f) Do you remember when we went to see the play with grandfather ?

Now, consult a dictionary and match the following idiomatic expressions given in Column ‘A’ with their meanings in Column ‘B’.

Column A	Column B
1. eager beaver	(a) something or someone provides a lot of money for little effort
2. cash cow	(b) very careless in the way a person moves or behaves
3. kangaroo court	(c) wait and be patient
4. bull in a china shop	(d) a keen and enthusiastic person who works very hard
5. hold your horses	(e) an unofficial court or meeting that disregards current laws and conducts unfair trials

Answer:

1. (d); 2. (a); 3. (e); 4. (b); 5. (c)

Grammar:

In the chapter ‘Reach for the Top’ in Beehive, you have read that two clauses in a sentence have their own subject and verb or verb phrase. One part of the sentence (or one clause) tells us why or when something happened.

Examples:

I read Sherlock Holmes while I was on holiday.

It was raining heavily when I got home in the evening.

I will phone you when I go to the clinic.

Can I borrow your book when you have finished it?

1. Match each of the sentence halves given below to make meaningful sentences.

1. He was found guilty of driving	(a) when she tripped over.
2. I get a pain in my knee	(b) when the mother left.
3. The boy started to cry	(c) I switched on the emergency light.
4. Rainy was walking along the footpath	(d) when you cross my house.
5. When the lights went out	(e) while he was under the influence of alcohol.
6. You will see the river	(f) when I walk up the stairs.

Answer:

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

2. Make one sentence combining the two statements given below.

Example:

Its getting dark.

Let’s go home before that.

Let’s go home before it gets dark.

(a) She must clean the room.

I won’t enter the room until this is done.

________________ until.

(b) I will do the cooking.

Then I will come to your house.

________________ after

Then I will issue the book for you.

________________ when

(d) Evening came.

They rested.

________________ when

(e) The salesman came.

Rita was eating her breakfast.

________________ while

(f) We went to see the play with grandfather.

Do you remember?

________________ when

Answer:

(a) I won’t enter the room until she cleans it.

(b) I will come to your house after I do the cooking.

(d) They rested when evening came.

(e) The salesman came while Rita was eating her breakfast.

Rita was eating her breakfast while the salesman came.

(f) Do you remember when we went to see the play with grandfather ?

Editing:

1. In each of the following sentences you have to remove or add a word or a phrase to make the sentence grammatically correct. Write the correct sentences in the space given below.

(а) Maria Sharapova likes to be dancing, singing and fashion.

(b) She has love for pancakes with chocolate spread and fizzy orange drinks.

(d) She put with insults and humiliation in order to realise dream of becoming a tennis star.

(e) Her dream was to be number one world tennis.

Answer:

(a) Maria Sharapova likes to dance, sing and fashion.

(b) She loves pancakes with chocolate spread and fizzy orange drinks.

(d) She put up with insults and humiliation in order to realise her dream of becoming a tennis star.

(e) Her dream was to become number one world tennis player/star.

2.There are spelling errors in the paragraph given here. Correct the spelling errors and rewrite the paragraph with appropriate punctuation marks in the given space.

Savitribai Phule

“Awake Arise, and Educate.

Smash traditions – Liberate”

First female teacher of Indias first womens school, founder of the modern Marathi poetry at a time when womens potential and celibre were underrestimmated she worked for the uplifftment and educasion of females in the country with her husbands help, she opened a school for untouchable girls Orrthodox individuals from the upper cast used to mock at her eforts and throw stones and dung on her nevertheless she continued with her teaching the British govenment honoured her contribution to eduction later on.

First female teacher of India’s first women’s school, founder of Modern Marathi poetry at the time when women’s potential and calibre was under estimated, she worked for the upliftment and education of females in the country. With her husband’s help, she opened a school for untouchable girls. Orthodox individuals from the upper caste used to mock at her efforts and throw stones and dung on her. Nevertheless, she continued with her teaching. The British government honoured her contributions to education, later on.

Listening:

Your teacher or a classmate will read the excerpt given below. Listen to it carefully and answer the questions.

Harvard-MIT researcher, Hugh Herr, is familiar with the obstacles faced by amputees. A world-class mountain climber at the age of 17, Herr and a friend were trapped in a snowstorm while ascending New Hampshire’s Mount Washington in 1982. After three days without food or camping gear, the two were rescued, but frostbite cost Herr both his legs, which were amputated just below the knee. Herr was fitted with prostheses, but he soon discovered that they were developed for walking on flat surfaces, and not for taking on advanced functions like climbing or running. With the same determination that he once applied to climbing, he set out to create a better prosthetic leg. He worked with an engineering shop to fashion his own prostheses, tinkering with customised sockets and lighter materials. He even designed artificial feet specially made for climbing rock (built flat and narrow for getting a toehold in cracks and ice featuring sharp spikes).

“I experienced a tremendous amount of pain from prosthetic limbs at first”, Herr says. “So I decided to go back to school and learn about physics and engineering to try to solve these problems.” Herr obtained a Master’s degree in mechanical engineering from MIT in 1993 and a doctorate in biophysics from Harvard five years later.

After struggling for a decade to come up with a better prosthetic limb, just getting the knee to market will be a personal triumph for Herr – yet another mountain conquered. “It’s been a long road”, he says. “But I think I’m finally in a position to make a difference.” (Adapted from ‘Bom to Run’, Evan Ratliff, Span,

1. What happened to Hugh Herr at the age of 17?

He and a friend were trapped in a snowstorm while ascending New Hampshire’s Mount Washington in 1982.

2. What happened to both of his legs?

Both of his legs were amputated just below the knees.

3. What were the two things he was unable to do with the prostheses?

He was unable to climb or run with the prostheses.

4. Why did he decide to go back to school?

He decided to go back to school in order to learn about physics and engineering.

5. What degrees did he get from MIT and Harvard?

He obtained a Master’s degree in mechanical engineering from MIT and a doctorate in biophysics from Harvard.

Speaking:

1. In a group of three, read aloud the dialogues. You are Kiran and your two partners are Sunita and Sarita. Then fill in the table given below.

Sunita : What kind of things do you like to do in your free time?
Kiran : I like playing basketball. I play on a city team every Saturday afternoon. It helps me stay fit and happy. I have made some good friends!
Sarita : I didn’t know that. How long have you been playing?
Kiran : For about a year now. But it’s not the only thing I like to do. I also enjoy painting. It’s great for relieving stress.
Sunita : Really? Are you good at it?
Kiran : Not too bad. But I’m not Picasso or Rembrandt. How about you guys? What do you like to do in free time?
Sarita : Well, a couple of times a month I go up to Widow Mountain with some buddies and go hang gliding.
Sunita : No way! You do? That sounds dangerous! Aren’t you scared?
Sarita : Not at all. It’s fascinating. It’s so beautiful up there. I feel as free as a bird. You should try it sometime.
Sunita : It sounds awesome, but I think I’m too much of a scared cat to try it.
Kiran : Wow! I might want to try it sometime. Do you think I could?
Sarita : Sure, how about this Saturday? I’ll let you know the details later.
Kiran : Sounds great! I can’t believe I’m going to do it. Sunita, by the way, you never told us what you do in your spare time.
Sunita : Well, uh, I like to knit…And you know I can’t go very far…But I am going to convince my parents to let me join Karate classes. It will be great self defence.
Answer:

Names	List of Interests	Why do they find these interesting?
Sarita	Hang gliding	1. Feel as free as a bird
Kiran	Playing basketball, painting	2. It helps her to stay fit and happy. 3. Relieves stress
Sunita	Knitting, Karate classes	4. For self defence.

2. Work in pairs. Imagine you are Sunita. You are trying to convince your father to let you join the Karate classes.

You can use the given clues for the conversation. Take turns to be Sunita and her father.

Want to learn Karate	Girls to stay at home
Friends are into sport	Who will help mother?
Felt out of place not doing anything sporty	School work may suffer
Decided to take up Karate	Going out may be unsafe
Keep me physically fit	No real benefits, expenses
Class in the next society	May be called unfeminine
Great self defence, you can see these videos	Oh, that’s nice, my daughter will be no less.

You can write the conversation here.

Sunita	Father
1. Papa, I have a desire to learn Karate.	No, that can’t be. Girls must stay at home.
2. But all my friends are into sports.	If you go out to play, who will help your mother?
3. I always feel out of place in my friend circle for not doing anything sporty. They all play some or the other sport.	If you keep playing, how will you study? Your school work will suffer.
4. Papa, I have decided to take up Karate classes.	No, going out alone may not be safe for girls.
5. Karate will help me to stay physically fit.	These classes are of no real benefits rather cause expenses.
6. The classes are commencing in the next society.	If you learn Karate, you may he called unfeminine. The sport is mainly for boys.
7. Karate is of great benefit in self defence, you can see the videos.	Oh, that’s nice. I didn’t know about it. Great! My daughter will be no less. Go ahead.

Writing:

1. Given below is some information about Saina Nehwal and Sania Mirza. You can visit your school library and search the Internet to collect more information and to find out if it is correct. Write a short motivational article for your school magazine using these details. The article can aim towards encouraging girls to take up sports.

Saina Nehwal	Sania Mirza
From Hisar in Haryana	Indian professional tennis player
Her family shifted to Hyderabad when she was very young.	Born in Mumbai
First trained with Nani Prasad, stadium was 25 km away from home.	Family moved to Hyderabad some time after her birth.
Then coached by S.M. Arif, Vimal Kumar and P. Gopichand.	Started learning lawn tennis from her father at the age of six.
Professional badminton singles player.	Started participating in the ITF tournaments in 2001.
World No. 2 in 2009, formerly world No. 1 in 2015.	Won three titles in 2002 to be identified as an upcoming player.
Right-handed player with many international titles.	Turned professional in 2003, and won several titles including the Girls’ Doubles title at Wimbledon.
Has seen both ups and downs.	Has been injured and recovered.
First Indian woman to win Olympic medal.	Won several doubles titles in WTA. Formerly ranked as India’s No. 1 doubles player by WTA.
Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award, Arjuna award, has received the Padma Bhushan in 2016.	Times Magazine’s 2016 list – Sania one of the most influential people in the world. Has been awarded the Arjuna Award and the Padma Shree.

Saina Nehwal is a badminton player from India. She's originally from Hisar in Haryana but moved to Hyderabad when she was little. Saina started playing badminton with a coach named Nani Prasad, and her practice place was 25 km away from home. Later, she had other coaches like S.M. Arif, Vimal Kumar, and P. Gopichand. She's really good at playing badminton and has won many prizes in different countries. In 2015, she became the best in the whole world at badminton. Saina has had some tough times, but she also made history by being the first Indian woman to win a medal in the Olympics. She got awards like Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, Arjuna award, and Padma Bhushan in 2016. Saina is like a superstar in badminton!

Sania Mirza is a tennis player from India. She was born in Mumbai and later moved to Hyderabad with her family. When she was just six years old, she started learning tennis from her dad. In 2001, she began playing in big tournaments, and by 2002, she had already won three titles, showing everyone she was a talented player. In 2003, Sania became a professional tennis player and even won the Girls’ Doubles title at Wimbledon. She faced some injuries but worked hard to get better. Sania has won many doubles titles in WTA, and she was once ranked as India’s No. 1 doubles player. In 2016, Times Magazine said she was one of the most influential people in the world. She's received awards like the Arjuna Award and the Padma Shree for her amazing achievements in tennis. Sania Mirza is a true tennis star!

3. The chapter ‘Reach for the Top’, Part I ends with the sentence “Santosh collected and brought down 500 kilograms of garbage from the Himalayas.

You may have visited different tourist places and picnic spots. However, the beauty of the Nature is spoiled by waste and garbage thrown unmindfully by tourists.

As a conscious and responsible citizen of India, write a letter to the editor of a national newspaper. Therein you may highlight the issue and measures for creating awareness about curbing environmental pollution. Discuss with your classmates how ‘Swachch Bharat Abhiyan’ can be promoted.

[Your Name]

[Your Address]

[City, State, PIN Code]

[Date]

The Editor

[Newspaper Name]

[Newspaper Address]

[City, State, PIN Code]

Dear Editor,

Through the columns of your esteemed newspaper,I want to talk about something important—keeping our favorite places clean.

I read a story in your paper about Santosh cleaning up 500 kilograms of garbage from the Himalayas. That's a lot! It made me think about our own beautiful places that sometimes get messy because people forget to throw away their trash.

I've been to many fun places with my family, like parks and picnic spots. But sometimes, it's sad to see garbage left behind by people who forget to pick up after themselves.

As a good citizen of India, I think we should all help take care of our nature. Could you please tell everyone in your newspaper how important it is not to leave trash when we visit nice places? Maybe you can give some tips on how to keep our environment clean and why it's essential.

Thank you for listening. I hope more people will start caring for our beautiful places.

Yours

[Your Name]

Project:

1. In January 2018, the President of India awarded 112 amazing “First Ladies” for being first in their respective fields. Find out the achievements of some of them.

A class board can be prepared with your contributions.
Make a collage of the “First Ladies”, their struggle, endeavour and achievements. Display it in the class.
Your group can make PowerPoint presentation of their life, struggle, society, inspiration and achievements.

2. Even now girls have to struggle for getting education and participating in games. They are victims of child marriage, harassment, etc. Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao is an initiative by the Government of India for ensuring survival, protection and education of the girl child. As a citizen of India what will be your contribution in promoting girls, education and safeguarding their interest?

As an Indian citizen, I would help girls by telling everyone that it's important for them to go to school and play games. Some girls have a hard time because they get married when they are too young or face problems like harassment. The government started something called Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao to make sure girls stay safe, get an education, and survive well. My job would be to tell people in my town about this and say that girls should be treated the same as boys. I would also tell parents to let their daughters go to school and not get married too early. Supporting groups that help girls and talking about this with my friends and family will be my way of helping girls have a good future.

→ Prepare posters, write slogans and draw charts to create awareness in the society.