Unit 9 NCERT Solutions | English Class 9 PDF Download

Reading Comprehension 

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 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 to 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, and 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.

Q1: What is the profession of the person being interviewed?
Ans: The person being interviewed is a private detective.

Q2: Complete the following sentence. As soon as the detective entered the room, he____
(a) examined the place carefully.
(b) was vague and uncertain.
(c) knew what he was doing.
(d) got ready for the interview.
Ans: (a) examined the place carefully.

Q3: 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
Ans: (c) to carry guns

Q4: According to the detective, there are some qualities that are essential in his profession. What are these and why are they essential?
Ans: Patience is essential because a private investigator needs to be able to wait and watch for long periods without seeing any activity. Attention to detail is also important to ensure nothing is missed during surveillance.

Q5: What information should the PI have in order to locate someone?
Ans: The PI should have the name with the exact spelling, the date of birth, the social security number, and the last known, official address where the person has lived within the past 15 years.

Q6: 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
Ans: (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 Ajit 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.

Q1: Who among the following is not a detective?
(a) Byomkesh Bakshi
(b) Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay
(c) Hercule Poirot
(d) Sherlock Holmes
Ans: (b) Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay

Q2: Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay is known for his
(a) Short stories and novels
(b) Poems and songs
(c) Historical fiction
(d) All of the above
Ans: (d) All of the above

Q3:  State whether true or false.
(a) Byomkesh is a ‘truth seeker’.
Ans: True

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

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

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

Q4: What is the role of Ajit in Byomkesh stories?
Ans: Ajit is the narrator of the stories and a companion of Byomkesh Bakshi. He sometimes investigates in the absence of Byomkesh.

Q5: Find the antonyms of the words given below. All of them are given in the text.
(a) natural
(b) fact
(c) passively
(d) discontinued
(e) presence
(f) modern
(g) unconcerned
Ans:
(a) natural - supernatural
(b) fact - fiction
(c) passively - actively
(d) discontinued - continued
(e) presence - absence
(f) modern - traditional
(g) unconcerned - concerned

Vocabulary

Q1: 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.

Ans: 

• database: a structured set of data held in a computer, especially one that is accessible in various ways.
• violation: the act of going against or refusing to obey a law, an agreement, etc.
• surveillance: close observation, especially of a suspected spy or criminal.
• insurance: an agreement made with a company or the Government that provides a guarantee of compensation for specified loss, damage, illness, or death in return for payment of a specified premium.
• ambiguous: open to more than one interpretation; not having one obvious meaning.
• forge: to make an illegal copy of something in order to deceive.
• sinister: suggesting evil or harm.
• scandal: an action or event regarded as morally or legally wrong and causing general public outrage.

Q2: 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.
(a) Banita’s home was a sanctuary for runaway kids.
Meaning: a place of refuge or safety.

(b) The refugees found sanctuary when they reached India.
Meaning: a safe place or refuge.

(c) The sanctuary contains the altar of sacrifice.
Meaning: a holy or sacred place within a temple or church.

(d) I found sanctuary in the cave to save myself from the storm.
Meaning: a place of refuge or safety.

(e) Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected area for tigers.
Meaning: a nature reserve.

Q3: 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
Sentence: The weather is either too hot in the summer or too cold in the winter.

(b) beautiful/ugly
Sentence: The garden was beautiful in the spring, but it looked ugly after the storm.

(c) smart/foolish
Sentence: It is smart to save money, but foolish to spend it all at once.

(d) lonely/busy
Sentence: The office is busy during the day, but it becomes lonely at night.

(e) great/little
Sentence: He had great ambitions, but achieved very little.

(f) live/die
Sentence: All living things must live and eventually die.

Grammar

Q1: Change affirmative sentences into negative sentences without changing the meaning. One has been done for you.
I know all the answers. / There are no answers that I don’t know.
(a) All the members liked the programme.
Sentence: There were no members who did not like the programme.

(b) Amritsar is colder than Delhi.
Sentence: Delhi is not as cold as Amritsar.

(c) I am free to go places and do nothing.
Sentence: I am not restricted from going places and doing nothing.

(d) The farmer was too weak to walk.

Sentence: The farmer was not strong enough to walk.

(e) She is always on time.
Sentence: She is never late.

(f) The intruder was foolish to let Gerrard go.
Sentence: The intruder was not wise to let Gerrard go.

Q2: Choose the words from the box and complete the sentences given below.
(a) Before we begin I would like you______ my place.
Ans: Before we begin I would like you to clear off my place.

(b) I’ll be glad _______ you.
Ans: I’ll be glad to help you.

(c) You mean ______ with me?
Ans: You mean to team up with me?

(d) But are you sure it’s going ______ you?
Ans: But are you sure it’s going to pay you?

(e) Those are just the things I want______.
Ans: Those are just the things I want to change.

(f) Be willing to make sacrifices in order _____ out there.
Ans: Be willing to make sacrifices in order to stay out there.

(g) Anju asked Hemant_____ Rs. 100 to avoid a scene.
Ans: Anju asked Hemant to pay Rs. 100 to avoid a scene.

(h) Well, tell him_____ directly.
Ans: Well, tell him to phone up directly.

Editing

Q1: Some words are missing in the passage given below, indicated by ‘/’. Rewrite the passage by providing the missing words, and using appropriate punctuation marks in the space given below.
Sherlock Holmes is/ fictional private detective, the first scientific detective, created/ British author Sir arthur conan doyle. He is a ‘consulting detective’ in the stories written by Sir Doyle. Holmes is known for his skills of observation, knowledge of forensic science, / logical reasoning. He employs all these while investigating cases for/ wide variety of clients. Sir Doyle’s  four novels and 56 short stories, excluding one, are set in the victorian or edwardian eras, between about 1880 and 1914 Most are narrated by Dr Watson, Holmes’s friend. he is also his biographer/ usually accompanies Holmes during his investigations/ often shares quarters with him at the address of 221B Baker Street, london, where many of the stories begin.

Sherlock Holmes is arguably/best known fictional detective, with guinness World Records listing him as the ‘most portrayed movie character’ in history The stories have been adapted into stage/ radio plays, television films video games, and other media for over one hundred years. Many have believed Holmes to be not a fictional character/ a real individual because of his  popularity/ fame. widely considered a British cultural icon, the Character and Stories have had a profound/ lasting effect on mystery Writing and popular culture/a Whole.
Ans:  Sherlock Holmes is a fictional private detective, the first scientific detective, created by British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. He is a ‘consulting detective’ in the stories written by Sir Doyle. Holmes is known for his skills of observation, knowledge of forensic science, and logical reasoning. He employs all these while investigating cases for a wide variety of clients. Sir Doyle’s four novels and 56 short stories, excluding one, are set in the Victorian or Edwardian eras, between about 1880 and 1914. Most are narrated by Dr. Watson, Holmes’s friend. He is also his biographer and usually accompanies Holmes during his investigations and often shares quarters with him at the address of 221B Baker Street, London, where many of the stories begin.
Sherlock Holmes is arguably the best-known fictional detective, with Guinness World Records listing him as the **‘most portrayed movie character’ in history. The stories have been adapted into stage and radio plays, television films, video games, and other media for over one hundred years. Many have believed Holmes to be not a fictional character but a real individual because of his popularity and fame. Widely considered a British cultural icon, the character and stories have had a profound and lasting effect on mystery writing and popular culture as a whole.

Listening

Listen to the story of Shibi Rana and answer the questions that follow.
There are many stories in our mythology when gods have disguised themselves in the forms of human beings, birds, etc. This is done either to test the efficiency and ability of the kings or to see if people are happy and contented on earth. This is another aspect of changing the identity. Let us listen to story of King Shibi.
There was a great king, Shibi Rana who had immense power then, even gods in heavens were amazed. They feared that Shibi might take away their kingdoms. They devised a plan to test his sense of justice. So they decided to reach Shibi’s kingdom in disguise.
One day, Shibi Rana was sitting on his throne. His courtroom was surrounded by majestic gardens. There came a scared dove flying to him and it was followed by a fierce looking eagle. The king gave shelter to the dove and saved her. The eagle argued that the king has taken away his food — the dove. It would starve. The king assured the eagle that he would give equal quantity of any other food. The eagle asked for King Shibi’s flesh. The magnanimous king agreed with a smile. A balance was brought in the court. It was soon found that with each addition of the king’s flesh the dove grew heavier. The equal balance was not arrived at. But the king remained calm and unperturbed.
The Gods in the guise of dove and eagle were assured of Shibi’s righteousness. The forms of the eagle and the dove soon disappeared. In their place stood Indra, the king of the Gods and Agni, the God of fire smiling and blessing the king for his benevolence and greatness.

Q1: Why were the Gods in heaven afraid of King Shibi?
Ans: The Gods in heaven were afraid of King Shibi because he had immense power, and they feared that he might take away their kingdoms.

Q2: What made the eagle angry?
Ans: The eagle was angry because the king took away its food, the dove.

Q3: What did the eagle demand?
Ans: The eagle demanded the flesh of King Shibi as compensation for the dove.

Q4: Was the eagle satisfied?
Ans: No, the eagle was not satisfied because with each addition of the king’s flesh, the dove grew heavier, and the equal balance was not achieved.

Q5: Who were in the disguise of the eagle and the dove?
Ans: The eagle and the dove were the Gods Indra and Agni in disguise.

Q6: King Shibi was blessed for his:
Ans: King Shibi was blessed for his righteousness and magnanimity.

Speaking

Q1: In a group of four, discuss and take down notes based on the discussion about ‘Theft in the digital age.’
Ans:
Theft in the digital age: Theft that occurs when someone uses another’s unique personal details like his/her name, credit card numbers, without his/her permission, to commit fraud or other crimes.

Q2: You may talk to the manager of a Bank, Cyber crime cell, etc., about ‘online identity theft’ cases and measures to avoid them.

Ans:

• Discuss in groups of four in the class.
• Prepare posters on creating awareness about online identity theft.

Writing

Q1: Sometimes we think about what we are like and how each of us is different. We all are interesting people with our physical differences and attitudes to life. Write in about 300–400 words what you are like, your identity and what you enjoy doing and how do you envision yourself in future.
Ans: (This is a personal task and should be written by the individual based on their own experiences and aspirations.)

Q2:Complete the following story. It has to be a scary story that terrifies people. Give a suitable title to your story.
I stopped my scooter in front of an old and dilapidated building. A haggered, skinny old man with drooping shoulders came towards me. “Don’t go in, Sir”, he whispered. “It is dangerous...”
Ans: (This is a creative writing task and should be completed based on the individual's imagination.)

Project

Q1: Going digital means more transparency, saving of papers, accountability and ease of transaction. The Government has initiated the programme ‘Digital India’. Collect more information about this programme.
Ans: Interview people, collect photographs, anecdotes, data, etc., and prepare a report based on your findings.

Q2: Prepare a street play (nukkad natak) on how someone was duped by an unknown person when he/she was trying to withdraw money from the ATM and how the bank manager helped him/her in getting back the money.

Ans:

• Discuss precautions suggested by the bank manager to avoid such incidents in the future.
• Enact the nukkad natak in your school assembly/community hall/park, etc.