NCERT Textbook: Unit 3 | English Class 9 PDF Download

 Page 1


Unit
3
The story of ‘The Little Girl’, in Beehive, is about the changing attitude of a girl 
child towards her father. 
• As you are grown up now, you may want to interact with your parents on 
many issues. How will you go about it? 
• Do you feel a communication gap between you and your parents which 
leads to unpleasantness?
• What are your feelings at that time?
• How do you cope with that situation?
L E T’ S B EG I N
READING COMPREHENSION
Read the following text and answer the questions that 
follow.
Text I
This is an extract from Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mocking Bird.
After supper, Atticus sat down with the paper and called, 
“Scout, ready to read?”. I ran crying, went to the front 
porch. Atticus followed me. “Something wrong, Scout?” I 
told Atticus I didn’t feel very well and didn’t think I’d go to 
school any more if it was alright with him. Atticus sat down 
in the swing and crossed his legs. His ?ngers wandered 
to his watch pocket; he said that was the only way he 
could think. He waited in amiable silence, and I sought to 
reinforce my position: “You never went to school and you 
do alright, so I’ll just stay home too. You can teach me like 
Granddaddy taught you ‘n’ Uncle Jack.” “No I can’t”, said 
Unit 3.indd   38 1/7/2019   10:03:16 AM
2024-25
Page 2


Unit
3
The story of ‘The Little Girl’, in Beehive, is about the changing attitude of a girl 
child towards her father. 
• As you are grown up now, you may want to interact with your parents on 
many issues. How will you go about it? 
• Do you feel a communication gap between you and your parents which 
leads to unpleasantness?
• What are your feelings at that time?
• How do you cope with that situation?
L E T’ S B EG I N
READING COMPREHENSION
Read the following text and answer the questions that 
follow.
Text I
This is an extract from Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mocking Bird.
After supper, Atticus sat down with the paper and called, 
“Scout, ready to read?”. I ran crying, went to the front 
porch. Atticus followed me. “Something wrong, Scout?” I 
told Atticus I didn’t feel very well and didn’t think I’d go to 
school any more if it was alright with him. Atticus sat down 
in the swing and crossed his legs. His ?ngers wandered 
to his watch pocket; he said that was the only way he 
could think. He waited in amiable silence, and I sought to 
reinforce my position: “You never went to school and you 
do alright, so I’ll just stay home too. You can teach me like 
Granddaddy taught you ‘n’ Uncle Jack.” “No I can’t”, said 
Unit 3.indd   38 1/7/2019   10:03:16 AM
2024-25
Unit 3 39
Atticus. “I have to make a living. Besides, they’d put me in 
jail if I kept you at home. Now what’s the matter? Bit by 
bit, I told him the day’s misfortunes. “And the teacher said 
you taught me all wrong, so we can’t ever read any more, 
ever. Please don’t send me back, please Sir.” Atticus stood 
up and walked to the end of the porch. When he completed 
his examination of the wisteria vine he strolled back to 
me. “First of all”, he said, “if you can learn a simple trick, 
Scout, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. 
You never really understand a person until you consider 
things from his point of view-” “Sir?” “-until you climb into 
his skin and walk around in it”. “But if I keep on goin’ 
to school, we can’t ever read any more…” “That’s really 
bothering you, isn’t it?” “Yes sir.”
When Atticus looked down at me I saw the expression 
on his face that always made me expect something. “Do you 
know what a compromise is?”, he asked. “Bending the law?” 
“No, an agreement reached by mutual concessions. It works 
this way”, he said. “If you’ll concede the necessity of going 
to school, we’ll go on reading every night just as we always 
have. Is it a bargain?”
“Yes sir!”
“We’ll consider it sealed without the usual formality”, 
Atticus said, when he saw me preparing to spit.
As I opened the front screen door Atticus said, “By the 
way, Scout, you’d better not say anything at school about 
our agreement”. “Why not?” “I’m afraid our activities would 
be received with considerable disapprobation by the more 
learned authorities.”
My brother and I were accustomed to our father’s  
diction, and we were at all times free to interrupt Atticus for a 
translation when it was beyond our understanding. “Huh, Sir?”
“I never went to school”, he said, “but I have a feeling 
that if you tell Miss Caroline we read every night she’ll get 
after me, and I wouldn’t want her after me”.
1. Why  was  Scout, the little girl upset? _________________
 ____________________________________________________.
(a) She didn’t like being told what to do.
(b) She didn’t want to read with her father.
bargain: an agreement between 
two or more people as to what 
each will do for the other
wisteria vine: a genus of 
flowering plants
disapprobation: strong moral 
disapproval
Unit 3.indd   39 29-05-2018   17:30:00
2024-25
Page 3


Unit
3
The story of ‘The Little Girl’, in Beehive, is about the changing attitude of a girl 
child towards her father. 
• As you are grown up now, you may want to interact with your parents on 
many issues. How will you go about it? 
• Do you feel a communication gap between you and your parents which 
leads to unpleasantness?
• What are your feelings at that time?
• How do you cope with that situation?
L E T’ S B EG I N
READING COMPREHENSION
Read the following text and answer the questions that 
follow.
Text I
This is an extract from Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mocking Bird.
After supper, Atticus sat down with the paper and called, 
“Scout, ready to read?”. I ran crying, went to the front 
porch. Atticus followed me. “Something wrong, Scout?” I 
told Atticus I didn’t feel very well and didn’t think I’d go to 
school any more if it was alright with him. Atticus sat down 
in the swing and crossed his legs. His ?ngers wandered 
to his watch pocket; he said that was the only way he 
could think. He waited in amiable silence, and I sought to 
reinforce my position: “You never went to school and you 
do alright, so I’ll just stay home too. You can teach me like 
Granddaddy taught you ‘n’ Uncle Jack.” “No I can’t”, said 
Unit 3.indd   38 1/7/2019   10:03:16 AM
2024-25
Unit 3 39
Atticus. “I have to make a living. Besides, they’d put me in 
jail if I kept you at home. Now what’s the matter? Bit by 
bit, I told him the day’s misfortunes. “And the teacher said 
you taught me all wrong, so we can’t ever read any more, 
ever. Please don’t send me back, please Sir.” Atticus stood 
up and walked to the end of the porch. When he completed 
his examination of the wisteria vine he strolled back to 
me. “First of all”, he said, “if you can learn a simple trick, 
Scout, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. 
You never really understand a person until you consider 
things from his point of view-” “Sir?” “-until you climb into 
his skin and walk around in it”. “But if I keep on goin’ 
to school, we can’t ever read any more…” “That’s really 
bothering you, isn’t it?” “Yes sir.”
When Atticus looked down at me I saw the expression 
on his face that always made me expect something. “Do you 
know what a compromise is?”, he asked. “Bending the law?” 
“No, an agreement reached by mutual concessions. It works 
this way”, he said. “If you’ll concede the necessity of going 
to school, we’ll go on reading every night just as we always 
have. Is it a bargain?”
“Yes sir!”
“We’ll consider it sealed without the usual formality”, 
Atticus said, when he saw me preparing to spit.
As I opened the front screen door Atticus said, “By the 
way, Scout, you’d better not say anything at school about 
our agreement”. “Why not?” “I’m afraid our activities would 
be received with considerable disapprobation by the more 
learned authorities.”
My brother and I were accustomed to our father’s  
diction, and we were at all times free to interrupt Atticus for a 
translation when it was beyond our understanding. “Huh, Sir?”
“I never went to school”, he said, “but I have a feeling 
that if you tell Miss Caroline we read every night she’ll get 
after me, and I wouldn’t want her after me”.
1. Why  was  Scout, the little girl upset? _________________
 ____________________________________________________.
(a) She didn’t like being told what to do.
(b) She didn’t want to read with her father.
bargain: an agreement between 
two or more people as to what 
each will do for the other
wisteria vine: a genus of 
flowering plants
disapprobation: strong moral 
disapproval
Unit 3.indd   39 29-05-2018   17:30:00
2024-25
 Words and Expr Essions 1 40
(c) She didn’t want to stop reading with her father.
(d) She didn’t want to read with her teacher.
2. How did Atticus, her father, react to her outburst?____ 
____________________________________________________.
(a) He was angry.
(b) He was patient.
(c) He was annoyed.
(d) He was sad. 
3. What little advice did Atticus give to his little girl to 
cope  up with situations that might upset her?________
 ____________________________________________________.
(a) to know and understand that life isn’t fair.
(b) to stay calm and then run away from the problem.
(c) to try and see from the other person’s point of view.
(d) to face her fears by expressing how she felt. 
4. How was the matter eventually resolved?______________ 
 ____________________________________________________. 
(a) Atticus agreed to allow her to learn from home.
(b) Atticus agreed to continue reading as before.
(c) Atticus agreed to speak to her teacher.
(d) Atticus agreed to allow only the teacher to teach 
her.
5. “I’m afraid our activities would be received with 
considerable disapprobation by the more learned 
authorities.” In this context, the word ‘disapprobation’ 
might mean____________________________________.
(a) disapproval
(b) disturbance
(c) disgrace
(d) disorientation
6. Atticus decided to come to a compromise and to read 
to Scout but asked her not to mention it to her teacher 
because____________________________________________.
(a) he respected the wishes of the teacher yet didn’t 
want to disappoint his daughter.
Supposed 
This is often misused 
as ‘suppose to’ which is 
incorrect because it lacks the 
letter ‘d.’
Fun fact
Unit 3.indd   40 29-05-2018   17:30:00
2024-25
Page 4


Unit
3
The story of ‘The Little Girl’, in Beehive, is about the changing attitude of a girl 
child towards her father. 
• As you are grown up now, you may want to interact with your parents on 
many issues. How will you go about it? 
• Do you feel a communication gap between you and your parents which 
leads to unpleasantness?
• What are your feelings at that time?
• How do you cope with that situation?
L E T’ S B EG I N
READING COMPREHENSION
Read the following text and answer the questions that 
follow.
Text I
This is an extract from Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mocking Bird.
After supper, Atticus sat down with the paper and called, 
“Scout, ready to read?”. I ran crying, went to the front 
porch. Atticus followed me. “Something wrong, Scout?” I 
told Atticus I didn’t feel very well and didn’t think I’d go to 
school any more if it was alright with him. Atticus sat down 
in the swing and crossed his legs. His ?ngers wandered 
to his watch pocket; he said that was the only way he 
could think. He waited in amiable silence, and I sought to 
reinforce my position: “You never went to school and you 
do alright, so I’ll just stay home too. You can teach me like 
Granddaddy taught you ‘n’ Uncle Jack.” “No I can’t”, said 
Unit 3.indd   38 1/7/2019   10:03:16 AM
2024-25
Unit 3 39
Atticus. “I have to make a living. Besides, they’d put me in 
jail if I kept you at home. Now what’s the matter? Bit by 
bit, I told him the day’s misfortunes. “And the teacher said 
you taught me all wrong, so we can’t ever read any more, 
ever. Please don’t send me back, please Sir.” Atticus stood 
up and walked to the end of the porch. When he completed 
his examination of the wisteria vine he strolled back to 
me. “First of all”, he said, “if you can learn a simple trick, 
Scout, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. 
You never really understand a person until you consider 
things from his point of view-” “Sir?” “-until you climb into 
his skin and walk around in it”. “But if I keep on goin’ 
to school, we can’t ever read any more…” “That’s really 
bothering you, isn’t it?” “Yes sir.”
When Atticus looked down at me I saw the expression 
on his face that always made me expect something. “Do you 
know what a compromise is?”, he asked. “Bending the law?” 
“No, an agreement reached by mutual concessions. It works 
this way”, he said. “If you’ll concede the necessity of going 
to school, we’ll go on reading every night just as we always 
have. Is it a bargain?”
“Yes sir!”
“We’ll consider it sealed without the usual formality”, 
Atticus said, when he saw me preparing to spit.
As I opened the front screen door Atticus said, “By the 
way, Scout, you’d better not say anything at school about 
our agreement”. “Why not?” “I’m afraid our activities would 
be received with considerable disapprobation by the more 
learned authorities.”
My brother and I were accustomed to our father’s  
diction, and we were at all times free to interrupt Atticus for a 
translation when it was beyond our understanding. “Huh, Sir?”
“I never went to school”, he said, “but I have a feeling 
that if you tell Miss Caroline we read every night she’ll get 
after me, and I wouldn’t want her after me”.
1. Why  was  Scout, the little girl upset? _________________
 ____________________________________________________.
(a) She didn’t like being told what to do.
(b) She didn’t want to read with her father.
bargain: an agreement between 
two or more people as to what 
each will do for the other
wisteria vine: a genus of 
flowering plants
disapprobation: strong moral 
disapproval
Unit 3.indd   39 29-05-2018   17:30:00
2024-25
 Words and Expr Essions 1 40
(c) She didn’t want to stop reading with her father.
(d) She didn’t want to read with her teacher.
2. How did Atticus, her father, react to her outburst?____ 
____________________________________________________.
(a) He was angry.
(b) He was patient.
(c) He was annoyed.
(d) He was sad. 
3. What little advice did Atticus give to his little girl to 
cope  up with situations that might upset her?________
 ____________________________________________________.
(a) to know and understand that life isn’t fair.
(b) to stay calm and then run away from the problem.
(c) to try and see from the other person’s point of view.
(d) to face her fears by expressing how she felt. 
4. How was the matter eventually resolved?______________ 
 ____________________________________________________. 
(a) Atticus agreed to allow her to learn from home.
(b) Atticus agreed to continue reading as before.
(c) Atticus agreed to speak to her teacher.
(d) Atticus agreed to allow only the teacher to teach 
her.
5. “I’m afraid our activities would be received with 
considerable disapprobation by the more learned 
authorities.” In this context, the word ‘disapprobation’ 
might mean____________________________________.
(a) disapproval
(b) disturbance
(c) disgrace
(d) disorientation
6. Atticus decided to come to a compromise and to read 
to Scout but asked her not to mention it to her teacher 
because____________________________________________.
(a) he respected the wishes of the teacher yet didn’t 
want to disappoint his daughter.
Supposed 
This is often misused 
as ‘suppose to’ which is 
incorrect because it lacks the 
letter ‘d.’
Fun fact
Unit 3.indd   40 29-05-2018   17:30:00
2024-25
Unit 3 40 41
Notes (b) he might get into trouble with the teacher who 
might come after him.
(c) he only cared for his daughter and thought the 
teacher was incorrect.
(d) he was afraid that the teacher may not like it and 
Scout might get into trouble.
7. The word ‘reinforce’ means the following — fortify, brace, 
stiffen, strengthen, underpin. 
Find the contextual meaning of ‘reinforce’ in the 
passage._________________________________________
Text II
Read the poem and answer the questions given below. You 
can recite too to appreciate the idea in the poem.
Poem at Thirty-Nine
How I miss my father.
I wish he had not been
so tired
when I was
born.
Writing deposit slips and cheques
I think of him.
He taught me how.
This is the form,
he must have said:
the way it is done.
I learned to see
bits of paper
as a way
to escape
the life he knew
and even in high school
had a savings
account.
He taught me
that telling the truth
did not always mean
a beating;
though many of my truths
must have grieved him
Bemused 
This word is not related 
to ‘amuse’ in any way. 
Bemused means bewildered 
or perplexed. 
Fun fact
Unit 3.indd   41 29-05-2018   17:30:00
2024-25
Page 5


Unit
3
The story of ‘The Little Girl’, in Beehive, is about the changing attitude of a girl 
child towards her father. 
• As you are grown up now, you may want to interact with your parents on 
many issues. How will you go about it? 
• Do you feel a communication gap between you and your parents which 
leads to unpleasantness?
• What are your feelings at that time?
• How do you cope with that situation?
L E T’ S B EG I N
READING COMPREHENSION
Read the following text and answer the questions that 
follow.
Text I
This is an extract from Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mocking Bird.
After supper, Atticus sat down with the paper and called, 
“Scout, ready to read?”. I ran crying, went to the front 
porch. Atticus followed me. “Something wrong, Scout?” I 
told Atticus I didn’t feel very well and didn’t think I’d go to 
school any more if it was alright with him. Atticus sat down 
in the swing and crossed his legs. His ?ngers wandered 
to his watch pocket; he said that was the only way he 
could think. He waited in amiable silence, and I sought to 
reinforce my position: “You never went to school and you 
do alright, so I’ll just stay home too. You can teach me like 
Granddaddy taught you ‘n’ Uncle Jack.” “No I can’t”, said 
Unit 3.indd   38 1/7/2019   10:03:16 AM
2024-25
Unit 3 39
Atticus. “I have to make a living. Besides, they’d put me in 
jail if I kept you at home. Now what’s the matter? Bit by 
bit, I told him the day’s misfortunes. “And the teacher said 
you taught me all wrong, so we can’t ever read any more, 
ever. Please don’t send me back, please Sir.” Atticus stood 
up and walked to the end of the porch. When he completed 
his examination of the wisteria vine he strolled back to 
me. “First of all”, he said, “if you can learn a simple trick, 
Scout, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. 
You never really understand a person until you consider 
things from his point of view-” “Sir?” “-until you climb into 
his skin and walk around in it”. “But if I keep on goin’ 
to school, we can’t ever read any more…” “That’s really 
bothering you, isn’t it?” “Yes sir.”
When Atticus looked down at me I saw the expression 
on his face that always made me expect something. “Do you 
know what a compromise is?”, he asked. “Bending the law?” 
“No, an agreement reached by mutual concessions. It works 
this way”, he said. “If you’ll concede the necessity of going 
to school, we’ll go on reading every night just as we always 
have. Is it a bargain?”
“Yes sir!”
“We’ll consider it sealed without the usual formality”, 
Atticus said, when he saw me preparing to spit.
As I opened the front screen door Atticus said, “By the 
way, Scout, you’d better not say anything at school about 
our agreement”. “Why not?” “I’m afraid our activities would 
be received with considerable disapprobation by the more 
learned authorities.”
My brother and I were accustomed to our father’s  
diction, and we were at all times free to interrupt Atticus for a 
translation when it was beyond our understanding. “Huh, Sir?”
“I never went to school”, he said, “but I have a feeling 
that if you tell Miss Caroline we read every night she’ll get 
after me, and I wouldn’t want her after me”.
1. Why  was  Scout, the little girl upset? _________________
 ____________________________________________________.
(a) She didn’t like being told what to do.
(b) She didn’t want to read with her father.
bargain: an agreement between 
two or more people as to what 
each will do for the other
wisteria vine: a genus of 
flowering plants
disapprobation: strong moral 
disapproval
Unit 3.indd   39 29-05-2018   17:30:00
2024-25
 Words and Expr Essions 1 40
(c) She didn’t want to stop reading with her father.
(d) She didn’t want to read with her teacher.
2. How did Atticus, her father, react to her outburst?____ 
____________________________________________________.
(a) He was angry.
(b) He was patient.
(c) He was annoyed.
(d) He was sad. 
3. What little advice did Atticus give to his little girl to 
cope  up with situations that might upset her?________
 ____________________________________________________.
(a) to know and understand that life isn’t fair.
(b) to stay calm and then run away from the problem.
(c) to try and see from the other person’s point of view.
(d) to face her fears by expressing how she felt. 
4. How was the matter eventually resolved?______________ 
 ____________________________________________________. 
(a) Atticus agreed to allow her to learn from home.
(b) Atticus agreed to continue reading as before.
(c) Atticus agreed to speak to her teacher.
(d) Atticus agreed to allow only the teacher to teach 
her.
5. “I’m afraid our activities would be received with 
considerable disapprobation by the more learned 
authorities.” In this context, the word ‘disapprobation’ 
might mean____________________________________.
(a) disapproval
(b) disturbance
(c) disgrace
(d) disorientation
6. Atticus decided to come to a compromise and to read 
to Scout but asked her not to mention it to her teacher 
because____________________________________________.
(a) he respected the wishes of the teacher yet didn’t 
want to disappoint his daughter.
Supposed 
This is often misused 
as ‘suppose to’ which is 
incorrect because it lacks the 
letter ‘d.’
Fun fact
Unit 3.indd   40 29-05-2018   17:30:00
2024-25
Unit 3 40 41
Notes (b) he might get into trouble with the teacher who 
might come after him.
(c) he only cared for his daughter and thought the 
teacher was incorrect.
(d) he was afraid that the teacher may not like it and 
Scout might get into trouble.
7. The word ‘reinforce’ means the following — fortify, brace, 
stiffen, strengthen, underpin. 
Find the contextual meaning of ‘reinforce’ in the 
passage._________________________________________
Text II
Read the poem and answer the questions given below. You 
can recite too to appreciate the idea in the poem.
Poem at Thirty-Nine
How I miss my father.
I wish he had not been
so tired
when I was
born.
Writing deposit slips and cheques
I think of him.
He taught me how.
This is the form,
he must have said:
the way it is done.
I learned to see
bits of paper
as a way
to escape
the life he knew
and even in high school
had a savings
account.
He taught me
that telling the truth
did not always mean
a beating;
though many of my truths
must have grieved him
Bemused 
This word is not related 
to ‘amuse’ in any way. 
Bemused means bewildered 
or perplexed. 
Fun fact
Unit 3.indd   41 29-05-2018   17:30:00
2024-25
 Words and Expr Essions 1 42
before the end.
How I miss my father!
He cooked like a person
dancing
in a yoga meditation
and craved the voluptuous
sharing
of good food.
Now I look and cook just like him:
my brain light;
tossing this and that
into the pot;
seasoning none of my life
the same way twice; happy to feed
whoever strays my way.
He would have grown
to admire
the woman I’ve become:
cooking, writing, chopping wood,
staring into the fire.
—Alice Walker
1. What made Alice Walker open a savings account in 
High School?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
2. What lesson did her father give her on telling the truth?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
Egg on one’s face 
Be embarrassed, feel foolish
Fun fact
Unit 3.indd   42 29-05-2018   17:30:00
2024-25