Words and Expressions Class 9 Solutions Unit 11

Words and Expressions Class 9 Solutions Unit 11

Reading Comprehension:

The Bishop’s Candlesticks
Read the following text and answer the questions that follow.

Text – I

Interview with a Detective:

His appearance was clean, cool and deliberately ambiguous. Under the sanctuary of his aviators, his eyes silently scanned the room. He is a Manhattan-based, third-generation private detective who’s been in the business for more than three decades – specialising in surveillance and being an overall mystery-tinged badass. We asked him everything we’ve ever wanted to know about the profession.

Interviewer : So, what exactly do you do?

Detective : I do a lot of surveillance. Basically, someone who wonders, “What is this other person up to?” If it’s an insurance company (surveying someone on workers’ compensation), they’ll ask, “Is he back working?” Things like that.

Another very common request is locating people, and it could be for a lot of reasons. I had a case recently, a man hadn’t been in touch with his mother for 20 years and I helped him find her.

Interviewer : What kind of skills make for a good PI (Private Investigator)?

Detective : Patience – Number one. You have t< pay attention. You have to be the kind of person, if you sit in front of a door watching it for six hours, and you haven’t seen your guy.

You have to plan accordingly, and be willing to make sacrifices in order to stay out there. It’s not a job for people who want to slack off.

Interviewer : If you needed to locate someone, what’s the ideal information you need to start?

Detective : Usually, this is what I tell people, “If you want to find someone, I need the name with the exact spelling, the DOB if you know it, the social security number, add a last known, official address where they’ve lived within the past 15 years.” Because that means they’ll be in our database.

Interviewer : Do most private investigators have a relationship with local police?

Detective : I would say that’s kind of a myth. Most cops wouldn’t even do it in the first place, because they know how serious a violation it is.

Interviewer : Do most private eyes carry guns?

Detective : I don’t think so. We don’t kill people but help them.

Interviewer : What do films and television shows get wrong about being a PI?

Detective : The big difference is, the things you see in films do happen to private detectives, but they’re shrinking down maybe 20 years of adventure into an episode. After 30 years, I probably have one good movie worth of experiences.

(Adapted from https://www.thrillist.com/…/private- detective-interview-questions-you-ve-always-want)

1. What is the profession of the person being interviewed?

Private Detective.

2. Complete the following sentence.

As soon as the detective entered the room, he ________.

(а) examined the place carefully.  ✔

(b) was vague and uncertain.

(c) knew what he was doing.

(d) got ready for the interview.

3. Which of the following was not a part of the job of the detective?

(a) to wander about

(b) to find lost people

(c) to carry guns ✔

(d) to keep a watch

4. According to the detective, there are some qualities that are essential in his profession. What are these and why are they essential?

Patience, ability to plan, and willingness to make sacrifices. These qualities ensure that the person is serious and sincere about his job.

5. What information should the PI have in order to locate someone?

The PI should have the name with the exact spelling, the DOB if known, the social security number, and official address where he/she has lived within the past 15 years.

6. In the sentence given below the word ‘aviators’ means sunglasses. Now choose the appropriate meaning for the underlined word from the options given.

Under the sanctuary of his aviators, his eyes scanned the room.

(a) shelter

(b) shade ✔

(c) hideout

(d) refuge.

Text – II

Read the passage and answer the questions that follow.

Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay:

Do you know who is Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay? He was a Bengali writer. He is remembered for his most famous creation of a fictional detective, Byomkesh Bakshi.

He was actively involved with Bengali cinema as well as Bollywood. He wrote different forms of prose: novels, short stories, plays and screenplays. Besides, he wrote many songs and poems. However, his forte was short stories and novels. He also wrote historical fiction and supernatural stories.

Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay started writing Byomkesh stories in 1932 at the age of 33. He has written 32 Byomkesh stories. He continued to write till his death in 1970. He portrayed himself as a narrator of his stories named Ajit Bandhopadhyay who is also a companion of Byomkesh Bakshi. In some stories Also also investigates in the absence of Byomkesh. These stories are written in traditional Bengali language and have now been translated into other languages.

His stories are very engrossing and consist of a series of events. Byomkesh solves cases from international drug racket to household mysteries and crimes. Byomkesh identifies himself as Satyanweshi meaning ‘truth seeker’rather than a detective. Where he stands out from other legendary detectives like Hercule Poirot or Sherlock Holmes is that he is more concerned with truth than with the law.

(Source: An excerpt from ‘A well-known literary figure of Bengal’/The Asian Age online: http://dailyasianage.com/ news/109713/a-we-known-literary-figure-of-bengal)

1. Who among the following is not a detective?

(а) Byomkesh Bakshi

(b) Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay ✔

(c) Hercule Poirot

(d) Sherlock Holmes

2. Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay is known for his ________.

(a) Short stories and novels

(b) Poems and songs

(c) Historical fiction

(d) All of the above ✔

3. State whether true or false.

(a) Byomkesh is a ‘truth seeker’. True

(b) Byomkesh is a detective like Hercule Poirot and Sherlock Holmes. True

(c) Byomkesh is concerned with truth rather than with the law. True

(d) Byomkesh follows law to solve his cases. False

4. What is the role of Ajit in Byomkesh stories?

He is the narrator of the stories. He is also a companion of Byomkesh Bakshi. In some stories Ajit also investigates in the absence of Byomkesh.

5. Find the antonyms of the words given below. All of them are given in the text.

(a) natural - fictional

(b) fact - fiction

(c) passively - actively

(d) discontinued - continued

(e) presence - absence

(f) modem - traditional

(g) unconcerned - concerned

Vocabulary:

1. The following words and phrases occur in the passages. Try to guess the meanings. Match the words with their meanings. You may refer a dictionary later.

Answers: 

• database – a structured set… various ways.
• violation – the act of going against … an agreement, etc.
• surveillance – close observation … criminal.
• insurance – an agreement made… premium.
• ambiguous – open to more than one… meaning.
• forge – to make an illegal… deceive.
• sinister looking – suggesting evil or harm
• scandal – an action or event regarded … outrage.

2. The contextual meaning of‘sanctuary* in the comprehension passage I is ‘shade’. The same word ‘sanctuary’ is used in a variety of sentences given below. They have different meanings in different contexts. Refer to a dictionary and write the meanings.

(а) Banita’s home was a sanctuary for runaway kids.

(b) The refugees found sanctuary when they reached India.

(c) The sanctuary contains the altar of sacrifice.

(d) I found sanctuary in the cave to save myself from the storm.

(e) Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected area for tigers.

Answer:

(a) a shelter; a safe place

(б) refuge

(c) a holy building

(d) a place of protection

(e) reserve for birds and wildlife

3. Use the following pair of opposites in sentences. One has been done for you.

lose/gain

You’ve nothing to lose, but what have you to gain?

(a) hot/cold

(b) beautiful/ugly

(c) smart/foolish

(d) lonely/busy

(e) great/little

(f) live/die