Unit 8 NCERT Solutions | English Class 9 PDF Download

Reading Comprehension

Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow. 

Text I 
When we think of tourism, we think primarily of people who are visiting a particular place for sightseeing, visiting friends and relatives, taking a vacation, and having a good time. They may spend their leisure time engaging in various sports, sunbathing, talking, singing, taking rides, touring, reading or simply enjoying further. We may include in our definition of tourism people who are participating in a convention, a business conference, or some other kind of business or professional activity. Those who are taking a study tour under an expert guide or doing some kind of scientific research or study are also doing tourism. These visitors use all forms of transportation from hiking in a wilderness park to flying in a jet to an exciting city. Transportation can include taking a chairlift up a Colorado mountainside or standing at the rail of a cruise ship looking across the blue Caribbean. Whether people travel by one of these means or by car, motor coach camper, train, motorbike or bicycle, they are taking a trip and thus are engaging in tourism.

Q1: Tourism is about taking a tour
(a) to  a place under an expert guide
(b) for hiking in remote places
(c) for visiting a place for sightseeing
(d) All of the above
Ans: (d) All of the above

Q2: By ‘hiking in wilderness’ the author means
(a) taking a long distance walk in abandoned areas
(b) walk in the forest areas
(c) marathon in uninhabited areas
(d) sprinting in abandoned, uninhabited areas
Ans: (a) taking a long-distance walk in abandoned areas

Q3: A cruise ship is
(a) a large ship that carries people on voyages of pleasure.
(b) a big ship that carries people and goods on special mission.
(c) a large watercraft for carrying passengers from one point to another.
(d) a large ship that carries mail, goods and first aid facilities.
Ans: (a) a large ship that carries people on voyages of pleasure.

Q4: What all activities do tourists engage in?
Ans: Tourists engage in various activities such as sightseeing, visiting friends and relatives, taking vacations, engaging in sports, sunbathing, talking, singing, taking rides, touring, reading, participating in conventions, business conferences, study tours, and scientific research.

Q5: What are the forms of transportation tourists use for visiting places?
Ans: Tourists use various forms of transportation including hiking, flying in jets, taking chairlifts, standing at the rail of a cruise ship, traveling by car, motor coach, camper, train, motorbike, or bicycle.

Text II 
Read the excerpt and answer the following questions. 
Following is an excerpt from the travelogue, The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain. A little after noon on that distinguished Saturday I reached the ship and went on board. All was bustle and confusion. The pier was crowded with carriages and men; passengers were arriving and hurrying on board; the vessel’s decks were encumbered with trunks and valises; groups of excursionists, arrayed in unattractive traveling costumes, were moping about in a drizzling rain and looking as droopy and woebegone as so many molting chickens. The gallant flag was up, but it was under the spell, too, and hung limp and disheartened by the mast. Altogether, it was the bluest, bluest spectacle!
It was a pleasure excursion—there was no gainsaying that, because the program said so—it was so nominated in the bond—but it surely hadn’t the general aspect of one.

Q1: Why is Saturday described as that distinguished Saturday?
(a) because the much awaited Saturday has come when the voyage has to start.
(b) because Saturday was a holiday.
(c) because it is on Saturday that people were allowed to board the ship.
(d) because it is in the afternoon on Saturday that ship would start the voyage.
Ans: (a) because the much-awaited Saturday has come when the voyage has to start.

Q2: Who are excursionists?
(a) They are the research students.
(b) They are pilgrims.
(c) They are musicians.
(d) They are tourists on a leisure trip.
Ans: (d) They are tourists on a leisure trip.

Q3: What was the mood of the people on the ship?
Ans: The mood of the people on the ship was sad and miserable, as described by words like "woebegone" and "droopy."

Q4: What was the author looking forward to?
Ans: The author was looking forward to a pleasure excursion, despite the initial disappointing appearance of the ship and the mood of the people.

Q5: Match the words/phrases in Column A with pictures in Column B.

Ans:

Vocabulary

Q1: Match the phrasal verbs in Column A with the meanings in Column B.

Ans:

• Look for → search
• Look up to → having a great deal of respect for a person
• Look forward to → await eagerly
• Look up → to try to find a piece of information

Q2: Rewrite the following words by removing the suffix ‘age’.
(a) carriage
(b) coverage
(c) hermitage
(d) marriage
Ans:
(a) carriage → carr
(b) coverage → cover
(c) hermitage → hermit
(d) marriage → marr

Q3: Rewrite the following words by adding the suffix ‘ful’.
(a) beauty  
(b) colour
(c) duty
(d) revenge  
(e) help  
(f) mouth  
(g) mercy
Ans:
(a) beauty → beautiful
(b) colou → colourful
(c) duty → dutiful
(d) revenge → revengeful
(e) help → helpful
(f) mouth → mouthful
(g) mercy → merciful

Grammar

Tense
Q1: Read the following passage carefully. What is the event described in the passage? Guess when it took place. Underline and name the tenses in the following passage.
This is a good place to enrich ourselves about plant species which are environment friendly. The residents could gather a lot of information about horticulture at the event.  
Several states from north India are represented at this event and the florists showcase the best of their horticulture at the show.
The organisers said that several events are lined up for Sunday and these include dance, drawing, painting and a fashion show competition, among others. As many as 85 stalls have been put up by florists, gardening equipment wholesalers and seed retailers. Entry to the show has been made free for all. However, this year, it’s the pollution control plants that have been grabbing all eyeballs.
All plants emit oxygen, but it was established in a study conducted by National Aeronautics and Space Administration back in 1989 that some indoor plants could be extremely useful in controlling the air pollution by acting as a ‘vacuum cleaner’ against the pollutants and absorbing them.
Detox plants, which act as ‘vacuum cleaners’ inside the house, are a hit in the ongoing event. Nature enthusiasts are preferring them for pollution control as well as interior decoration.
Ans:

• "This is a good place to enrich ourselves about plant species which are environment friendly." (Present Simple)
• "The residents could gather a lot of information about horticulture at the event." (Past Simple)
• "Several states from north India are represented at this event and the florists showcase the best of their horticulture at the show." (Present Simple)
• "The organisers said that several events are lined up for Sunday and these include dance, drawing, painting and a fashion show competition, among others." (Past Simple, Present Simple)
• "As many as 85 stalls have been put up by florists, gardening equipment wholesalers and seed retailers." (Present Perfect)
• "Entry to the show has been made free for all." (Present Perfect)
• "However, this year, it’s the pollution control plants that have been grabbing all eyeballs." (Present Perfect Continuous)
• "All plants emit oxygen, but it was established in a study conducted by National Aeronautics and Space Administration back in 1989 that some indoor plants could be extremely useful in controlling the air pollution by acting as a ‘vacuum cleaner’ against the pollutants and absorbing them." (Present Simple, Past Simple)
• "Detox plants, which act as ‘vacuum cleaners’ inside the house, are a hit in the ongoing event." (Present Simple)
• "Nature enthusiasts are preferring them for pollution control as well as interior decoration." (Present Continuous)

Editing

Q1: Punctuate the following passage with appropriate punctuation marks.
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 film songs blare out from the radios car horns sound bicycle bells ring stray cows low questioningly at motorcycles vendors shout out their wares 

This passage is taken from the text ‘Kathmandu’ by Vikram Seth. You can compare and check your rewritten passage with the passage in the textbook and see how far you are correct.

Ans: Kathmandu is vivid, mercenary, and 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. Film songs blare out from the radios, car horns sound, bicycle bells ring, stray cows low questioningly at motorcycles, and vendors shout out their wares.

Listening

Listen to the passage and answer the questions that follow.
A Visit to Bhitarkanika The sun was warm but the sea breeze kept up its cooling effect all along. Soon the steamer turned away and anchored near a creek by the river. The muddy fringe and the mangrove vegetation declared the gateway to the Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary in Odisha. The steamer could not negotiate these creeks at low tide, so a similar motorboat was hired to ferry us to the Dangmal forest rest-house in the heart of the mangrove forest. From the motorboat we had a good look at a large crocodile basking in the sun.
The boat moved on, taking us deeper into the forest. Here we felt as though we had stepped into a time warp. In this awesome and mysterious place, birds of extraordinary plumage appeared before us. For the moment we revelled in the magnificence of nature which had us completely in its thrall. Among the birds, the kingfishers were the stars of the show. Crocodiles, large and small, slid into the water at our approach. Through the foliage we could see chital deer delicately browsing on fresh outcrops of leaves.
A herd of wild boar was spotted searching for succulent roots. High above us, open-billed storks stood sentry-like following our progress through their remarkable kingdom. The evening sun was beginning to paint the tree-lined horizon crimson and gold and a brooding silence enveloped us all. 

Q1: Where was the author going?
Ans: The author was going to Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary in Odisha.

Q2: Where was the forest rest-house? How did the group manage to get there?
Ans: The forest rest-house was in Dangmal, at the heart of the mangrove forest. The group managed to get there by hiring a motorboat to ferry them from the creek where the steamer anchored.

Q3: Which creature did they see first?
Ans: They first saw a large crocodile basking in the sun.

Q4: What does the author mean by ‘the magnificence of nature’?
Ans: By ‘the magnificence of nature’, the author means the extraordinary beauty and awe-inspiring sights of the natural environment, including the diverse bird species and the serene forest setting.

Q5: How are the kingfishers and the open-billed storks described?
Ans: The kingfishers are described as the stars of the show with their extraordinary plumage, and the open-billed storks are described as standing sentry-like, following the group's progress through the forest.

Q6: What were the chital deer and the wild boar doing when the motorboat went past them?
Ans: The chital deer were delicately browsing on fresh outcrops of leaves, and the wild boar were searching for succulent roots.

Speaking

Q1: Prepare a short speech on the following and share it in the school assembly.
“Travelling––it offers you a hundred roads to adventure, and gives your heart wings.”
“Travelling––it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.”
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”
Ans: Traveling broadens our horizons, opens up new experiences, and allows us to explore the world's diverse cultures, landscapes, and people. It teaches us to be adaptable, fosters empathy, and creates lifelong memories. As Ibn Batuta said, “Travelling––it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.” By stepping out of our comfort zones and venturing into new territories, we not only discover the world but also discover ourselves.

Writing

Q1: Read/watch the advertisements on tourism. You can also watch the Kerala Tourism advertisement film ‘A Reading Room With a View’ which is on the cultural diversity of Kerala. The film is awarded the best film in 60 second category at the prestigious Kyoorius Awards. Now create an advertisement for your city or state for promoting tourism.
Ans:
Visit [Your City/State Name] - A Gem Waiting to be Explored!
Discover the breathtaking landscapes, rich cultural heritage, and vibrant local traditions of [Your City/State Name]. Whether you seek adventure in our pristine nature reserves, a journey through our historical monuments, or a taste of our delicious cuisine, [Your City/State Name] has something for everyone. Join us for an unforgettable experience!

Q2: Write a paragraph describing a journey, imaginery, or you have undertaken. You can follow the steps given below:
1. Prepare an itinerary.
2. You can make use of the following expressions, phrases and proverbs frequently used by the travellers. Ans: Last summer, I embarked on a thrilling journey through the Himalayas. The adventure began with a train ride to the foothills, followed by a winding bus ride up the mountain paths. Each turn revealed breathtaking views of snow-capped peaks and lush green valleys. Hiking through quaint villages, I encountered warm-hearted locals who shared stories of their lives and offered homemade delicacies. The crisp mountain air, the serene beauty of the landscapes, and the sense of achievement at reaching the summit made this journey an unforgettable experience.