ICSE Class 9 English Language Sample Question Paper 3 with Answers

ICSE Class 9 English Language Sample Question Paper 3 with Answers

Question 1.
Write a composition (300 – 350 words) on any one of the following :
(a) Write an original short story titled “The Door of Dreams”.
(b) Describe what you might see or hear in your town early in the morning.
(c) Your class went on a visit to a steel factory for an educational visit. Write a narrative essay about the visit.
(d) Too much money is a bad thing.’ Write an essay arguing for or against the topic.
(e) Study the picture given below. Write a short story or a description or an account of what it suggests to you. Your composition may be about the subject of the picture or you may
take suggestions from it; however, there must be a clear connection between the picture and your composition.
ICSE Class 9 English Language Sample Question Paper 3 with Answers
Answer:
The Door of Dreams

(a) Days were sultry, leaves dry with dust covering them and roads emanating heat beyond the bearing capacity. Sitting in my hostel room with nothing much to do, I was getting uncomfortable and began to leaf through a book that might take my thoughts off the heat. Hardly had it been ten minutes, when I dozed off. I was soon amongst the clouds. It was a refreshing and an admirable spectacle. I got excited and began jumping over the clouds.

As I jumped, I plunged and landed on the cloud that was pouring down rain. It was like going down a waterfall. I leapt to another cloud and soon found myself on top of a mountain. The trees stood tall, towering with pride, echoing with faint animal callings and bird chirpings. It was fully alive. I went around walking and there were plenty of fruit trees. I ate berry-like fruits from some of the trees which were delicious. There was a river beside the forest.

ICSE Class 9 English Language Sample Question Paper 3 with Answers

I jumped into the river and stayed there as long as I could. I felt so refreshed and the water there was like an elixir. I had never felt like that before. The whole experience was unbelievable and I kept wandering around. I found a banyan tree. Grabbing its roots I swung around, dropping into the water again. As I kept exploring the forest, when suddenly I tripped and fell into a hidden pit and when I looked up I was in my room.

I felt very flustered as I was soaked in sweat more than what I was in the river water, I was dreaming of. However, as an answer to my prayers, it began to rain. This was a pleasant relief as this time I took off to the terrace and got drenched in the rain, feeling considerably better.

My Town in the Early Hours of the Day

(b) It is time to get ready for school. I hear sleepy groans and see half-closed eyes heading towards the bathroom. There is the inevitable waiting to use the bathroom. Outside, the roosters welcome the dawn even though it is still dark.

We wash ourselves and have our breakfast. Nobody talks while eating on the table. Each person seems preoccupied with his or her own thoughts. Occasionally my mother comes around to make sure we are eating properly. She feels that one cannot pay attention in class when one’s stomach is empty and there is truth in what she believes.

ICSE Class 9 English Language Sample Question Paper 3 with Answers

After we finish our breakfast, it is already bright outside. On some days, the rising sun resembles a huge red salted egg. It is quite a sight to behold. Rising among the dark silhouetted buildings and coconut trees, the sun look as though it is consuming the buildings and trees with its blazing red fire. But as quickly as it appears to do so, its redness gives way to a hot brightness that the eyes cannot bear to look directly at. The day has begun and I head towards my bicycle with my schoolbag hanging from my shoulders.

On the way to school, I see hundreds of school children on their way to school too. Some are on bicycles like I am, some are walking and some are in cars and buses. Everywhere I look, I see glimpses of bright blue skirts. It is pleasant to see a sea of blue moving toward school amidst an increasing chatter of voices and laughter.

Other road users make up the general atmosphere of the morning traffic. Sometimes I might see an aggressive mini-bus driver weaving in and out of traffic with total disregard for the safety of others. Shouting curses and obscene gestures do not do any good to anybody. Only a policeman can put a stop to the driver’s irresponsible behaviour.

Besides school-going children, other early risers are on their way to work. I sometimes meet labourers, office workers, road sweepers, newspaper delivery boys and other workers. There is also an occasional jogger dressed up in the most up-to-date running gear puffing and panting his way past the others.

ICSE Class 9 English Language Sample Question Paper 3 with Answers

In the school compound, masses of children are gathered waiting for the bell to ring. After I park my bicycle, I join some of my friends in our usual morning-before-lessons gossip. Once in a while I might catch snatches of conversation from other groups of gossiping school children. I hear words but they make no sense. We all talk aimlessly, just to fill in the time. There is a huge monotonous hum created collectively by those present. Suddenly, the bell rings. The hum changes key. The sound shuffling feet increases in pitch. We head towards our classroom. The daily grind begins.

Class Visit to a Steel Factory

(c) It was a bright and sunny day and there was excitement in the air as Grades 9 and 10 students were taken to the Steel Plant in Vishakhapatnarrt as part of their educational visit to factories. The place bustled with teachers and students. It was a superb learning experience. The initial picture of the plant was imposing.
We were checked in individually for security reasons and we all had to a wear a protective helmet to keep us safe. Wearing the bright yellow helmet made us feel important.

We had an officer as our guide. We went from station to station to understand the process of making steel. Initially, we saw the iron making process where the ore was converted into liquid iron. The place was hot and sultry, and we saw the workers working very close to the furnaces and it was unbelievable to see the heat in which they worked in. The area was cordoned off for the visitors. The molten amber metal looked amazing.

ICSE Class 9 English Language Sample Question Paper 3 with Answers

We also witnessed the process where pig iron was converted into liquid steel. The liquid steel was cast into large blocks and then with aluminium to remove impurities. Then we saw where these hot blocks were cooled off to solidify.

We then went to the place where they were being packed and it was wonderful to see the long process undertaken so that the common man can avail the benefits of steel. Today, steel industries are in the process to make many steps mechanised so that it becomes a little easier for those working in the plant.

We learnt that there is so much hard work put in the making of steel and that we needed to realise that nothing comes easy. We pick up steel vessels from the stores or order online for steel vessels without giving much thought to the miners and workers in the factories. We left with thankful hearts and were content that we learnt a lot from our visit to the steel factory.

Too Much Money is a Bad Thing

(d) (i) For the Motion .
Too much money is not a bad thing. It is the ticket to do many good things. Money is the source of our livelihood and it will be a good thing if one has more. He or she then has ‘ the freedom to use it in endless ways. With money so much can be accomplished in this

world today. Money is required to sponsor various welfare programmes all over. All welfare projects require large resources and that is possible with money. For example, many rich people sponsor a lot of programmes that help many suffering nations with their struggles.

Money can aid in bringing relief to people at times of calamity, distress and civil disputes in many countries. Even at an individual level money brings freedom and one is not obliged to another for things that matter in one’s life. When there is money you are free to do what you wish and need not depend upon others for what you want to do. This is because we often see the poor being exploited so much because they do not have money.

Money raises the standard of living of people and when people stop struggling just for survival, they are able to help others in need. In such a case money is not a bad at all. If society keeps improving, there would be lesser crimes such as robbing or killing just for money’s sake.

ICSE Class 9 English Language Sample Question Paper 3 with Answers

Money spent in the right manner can alleviate poverty and all the quotes that we hear of all being equal is probable when money is channelised. Today too much money is not the problem but its proper utilisation is. So if money is used to bring up the downtrodden and under developed nations from a fix, it can be said that too much money is not a bad thing.

Question 2.
Select any one of the following :
(a) Write a letter to your friend telling him/her that you forgot something at his/her place and request to keep it safe and send it to you.
(b) You want to join an extension programme conducted in the local college for school students. Write a letter to the Principal of the college showing interest and make inquiries.
Answer:
(a)

21, Mantri Apartments,
Kothanur,
Hennur Bagalur Road,
Bangalore
15th May 20xx

Dear Leena,

Hope you are fine and you classes are going well. I hope everyone at home is doing well too. The reason I am writing to your is that I have forgotten something at your house when I left after spending the week with you. I left some of my project files which I need to submit at school. It is my science project that I wrote while I was there. I think I might have left it in the far left cupboard in your room. Can you please send it to me? Thank you for all your effort and I am sorry for the inconvenience caused.

Your loving friend,
Joan

ICSE Class 9 English Language Sample Question Paper 3 with Answers

(b)

12th Cross, OMBR Layout,
Banaswadi,
Bangalore
18th February 20xx

The Principal,
Asian Academy of Arts tarid Sciences,
Hennur,
Bangalore
Subject: Enquiries, Regarding the joining of the extension programme
Respected Madam,
I would like to join the extension programme conducted at your college. I want to take up a course that will be a valuable addition to my education.
I would like to know the courses available and the related details. I request you to kindly provide them to me as soon as possible and I would also like to know the fee structure and the number of students that are admitted in the summer courses.
I am very interested in joining one of the courses.

Yours sincerely,
Keerthi Anand

ICSE Class 9 English Language Sample Question Paper 3 with Answers

Question 3.
(a) Write a notice announcing a lecture on reptiles by Romulus Whitaker, the famous wildlife conservationist.
(b) Write an email to Romulus Whitaker inviting him to your school to give a lecture on reptiles.
Answer:
(a) LOVE FOR REPTILES
Lecture on Reptiles by Romulus Whitaker
Date : Sunday, 21 October, 20 xx Time : 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Venue : The Anderson Hall of St. Hilda’s School
All students are welcome. For booking seats, you may contact the Secretary – Student Council, Gloria Samuel on or before 20 October, 20xx

(b) To : romuluswhitaker@crocodilepark.com
Subject: Invitation to give, lecture on reptiles
Dear Sir,
I am Gloria Samuel, writing on behalf of the Student Council of St. Hilda’s School. I would like to invite you to our school to give our students a lecture on reptiles. We will be greatly benefited by your knowledge and understanding about reptiles.
We request you to give us a date when the lecture can be made possible.
We will be very glad to have you with us.
Looking forward to your reply.
Thanking you,
Yours faithfully,
Gloria Samuel
Secretary, Student Council

ICSE Class 9 English Language Sample Question Paper 3 with Answers

Question 4.
Read the following passage carefully and answer the question that follow :
It was my second year at boarding school and I was sitting on platform no. 8 at the Ambala station, waiting for my train. Though I was about twelve at that time, my parents considered me old enough to travel alone. I had arrived by bus at Ambala early in the evening and I had to wait till midnight before my train arrived. Most of the time I had been pacing up and down the platform, browsing at the book-stall, or feeding broken biscuits to stray dogs.

Trains came and went, the platform would be quiet for a while and then, when a train arrived, it would be an inferno of heaving, shouting and agitated human bodies. As the carriage doors opened, a tide of people would sweep down upon the nervous little ticket collector at the gate and 10 every time this happened I would be caught in the rush and swept outside the station. Being tired of that game of ambling about the platform, I sat down on my suitcase and gazed dismally across the railway tracks. Trolleys rolled past me and I was conscious of the cries of the various vendors, the ‘ sweet-meat seller, the newspaper boy etc., but I had lost interest in all that went on along the busy platform and continued to stare across the railway tracks, feeling bored and a little lonely. “Are you all alone, my son?’ asked a soft voice close behind me. I looked up and saw a woman standing near me.

She was leaning over, and I saw a pale face and dark eyes. She wore no jewels and was dressed very simply in a white sari. 20
‘Yes, I am going to school/ I said, and stood up respectfully. She seemed poor, but there was a dignity about her that commanded respect. ‘I have been watching you for some time/ she said. ‘Didn’t your parents come to see you off?’
‘I don’t live here/ I said. ‘I had to change trains. Anyway, I can travel alone.’
‘I am sure you can/ she said and I liked her for saying that, and I also liked her for the simplicity of her dress and for her deep, soft voice and the serenity of her face.
‘Tell me, what is your name?’ she asked.
‘Arun/ I said.
‘And how long do you have to wait for your train?’ 30
‘About an hour, I think. It comes at twelve o’clock.’
‘Then come with me and have something to eat.’
I was going to refuse, out of shyness and suspicion, but she took me by my hand, and then I felt it would be silly to pull my hand away.

(a) Give the meaning of each of the following words as used in the passage.
One world answers or short phrases will be acepted.
(i) ambling (line 12)
(ii) dignity (line 22)
(iii) serenity (line 26)
Answer:
(i) wandering
(ii) nobility
(iii) calmness

ICSE Class 9 English Language Sample Question Paper 3 with Answers

(b) Answer the following questions briefly in your own words
(i) What was Arun doing at the Ambala Railway Station?
(ii) What was Arun doing in the railway station to pass time?
(iii) What were the Arun’s impressions of the lady ?
(iv) In what manner did Arun show respect to the lady?
(v) List out some of the adjectives used to describe the lady?
Answer:
(i) Arun had arrived to the station by bus and was waiting for the midnight train to go northward.
(ii) Arun paced around the station, stared at the bookstall, fed broken biscuits to the dogs and watched the trains come and go.
(iii) Arun’s first impressions of the lady were that she had a pale face and dark eyes. She was dressed simply in a white sari and wore no jewels.
(iv) Though the lady seemed poor, she commanded respect and Arun stood respectfully and answered her.
(v) The adjectives used to describe the lady include ‘die dignity and serenity on her face’, ‘her soft voice’, ‘dark eyes’ and ‘simplicity of her dress’.

(c) In not more than 50 words, describe the scene at the station.
Answer:
The railway station would be quiet for a while and when a train arrived, the place would noisy and chaotic. The nervous ticket inspector was swept down by the crowd and the vendors were heard selling their goods. Every time the crowd swept out Arun, he ambled back to the station after the train left.

ICSE Class 9 English Language Sample Question Paper 3 with Answers

Question 5.
(a) Fill in each of the numbered blanks with the correct form of the word given in brackets. Do not copy the passage, but write in correct serial order the word or phrase appropriate to the blank space.
Example :
(0) was reading
Yesterday, I (0) …………….. (read) a corpus about the British explorer James Cook. He (1) …………….. (born) in the village of Marton, Yorkshire, on 27 October 1728. His family soon (2) …………….. (move) to another village, called Great Ayton, where Cook (3)…………….. (spend) most of his childhood. As a teenager James Cook (4) …………….. (develop) a fascination for the sea and (5)……………….. (travel) to Whitby where he (6)……………….. (find) employment on a coal ship. While he (7) …………….. (serve) in the Royal Navy during the Seven Year’s War (1756-1763), Cook (8)…………….. (have) the command of a ship.
Answer:
(1) was bom
(2) moved
(3) spent
(4) developed
(5) travelled
(6) found
(7) served
(8) had

(b) Fill in the blanks with the appropriate word.
(i) We accept your kind invitation ……………. pleasure.
(ii) I should like to read that book …………….. Ernest Hemingway.
(iii) These oranges are sold …………….. the dozen.
(iv) The door …………….. the house is painted red.
(v) While waiting for my train, I took a walk …………….. the station.
(vi) The door was locked, so I shoved the letter …………….. the door.
(vii) He sat the camp fire……………..
(viii) Over one-third …………….. the oranges, are spoiled.
Answer:
(i) with
(ii) by
(iii) by
(iv) of
(v) around
(vi) under
(vii) near
(viii) of

ICSE Class 9 English Language Sample Question Paper 3 with Answers

(c) Join the following sentences to make one complete sentence without using and, but or so.
(i) The judge gave his decision. The court listened carefully.
(ii) He wants to earn his livelihood. He works hard for that reason.
(iii) Einstein was a great scientist. He made many inventions.
(iv) I saw few trees. The trees were laden with fruits.
Answer:
(i) The court listened carefully as the judge gave his decision.
(ii) He works hard to earn his livelihood.
(iii) Einstein was a great scientist who made many inventions.
(iv) I saw a few trees which were laden with fruits.

(d) Re-write the following sentences according to the instructions given after each. Make other changes that may be necessary, but do not change the meaning of each sentence,
(i) Swama asked me a question. I was unable to answer it.
(Begin with: I was )

(ii) You helped Tania. She will always be grateful.
(Begin with: Tania will )

(iii) I heard you won a prize. I am extremely delighted.
(Begin with: I am extremely…)

(iv) There was heavy traffic. We reached the stadium on time.
(Begin with: Though )

(v) Their trip lasted three days.
(Begin with: They )

(vi) She had to do the washing up but she didn’t.
(Begin with: She forgot )

(vii) English is easy to learn.
(Begin with: It )

ICSE Class 9 English Language Sample Question Paper 3 with Answers

(viii) Don’t leave the lights on all night, you will waste electricity.
(Begin with: If )
Answer:
(i) I was unable to answer Swama’s question.
(ii) Tania will always be grateful for your help.
(iii) I am extremely delighted to hear that you won a prize.
(iv) Though there was heavy traffic, yet we reached the stadium on time.
(v) They had a three-day trip.
(vi) She forgot that she had washing to do.
(vii) It is easy to learn English.
(viii) If you leave the lights on all night, you will waste electricity.

ICSE Class 9 English Language Question Papers with Answers

ICSE Class 9 English Language Sample Question Paper 2 with Answers

ICSE Class 9 English Language Sample Question Paper 2 with Answers

Question 1.
Write a composition (300 – 350 words) on any one of the following :
(a) Write an original story titled, ‘All is well that ends well
(b) You have been to your favourite place during the holidays. Write an essay describing the sights and persuade others to visit the same place.
(c) You are on your way back home from school and it suddenly thunders and starts pouring. Write a narrative essay on the topic.
(d) Express your views either for or against the statement.
“Grades do not measure how smart you are”.
(e) Study the picture given below. Write a short story or a description or an account of what it suggests to you. Your composition may be about the subject of the picture or you may take suggestions from it; however, there must be a clear connection between the picture
ICSE Class 9 English Language Sample Question Paper 2 with Answers
Answer:
All is Well that Ends Well
(a) It was my sixteenth birthday and my dad was supposed to come from sailing. He works in the merchant navy and he promised he would make it for my birthday. My mother was planning a big-birthday bash and it was no secret at all for she enjoyed organising parties and the moment I saw her scurrying around I knew she was planning something big.

On the day of my birthday, I woke up early and soon was drowned with wishes and gifts from my family and friends. I was very happy because my grandmother and grandfather had come home for my birthday. But amidst all this, I was looking forward to seeing my father.

As I was getting ready to go to school, we got a call and my mother answered. She told us that there had been an unfortunate delay as the person who had to take over could not reach in time. So, my father had to stay back.

I dragged myself to school trying to be happy. My friends wished me and my teachers took it easy on me as it was my birthday. Usually, I am up to some tricks in the class but that day I was feeling sober and sad.
When I went home I saw that everyone else at home were quiet too, not knowing what to say to me. They all knew that I was very eager to see my father and I had waited for a long time as his sailing went on for more than six months.

The party was about to begin and I didn’t want to sadden everybody, so I plastered on a smile and walked towards the cake table. As I was about to cut the cake, I looked up and saw my father at the door. I ran to him and hugged him tightly. It was so surprising My birthday turned out to be great after all. My father somehow got things coordinated and came home just in time. In the end, All’s well that ends well.

My Favourite Place to Travel

(b) The summer holidays had been entirely a series of events that kept us going from one place to another. We attended the wedding of our cousin. It was great meeting all of the family and friends and it was so much fun.

The day after the wedding we travelled to Valparai, a hill station around four-hour drive up the hill from a town called Pollachi in Tamil Nadu. We were a group of five families travelling together. It was wonderful with each of the cars going one behind the other.

There were forty hairpin bends in all right up to the mountain. At about the 10th hairpin bend one could stop and see the bends below like snakes winding down a stair. The place had no major attractions like Ooty and Coonoor which are quite famous, but still, this trip was the most enjoyable and relaxing we have ever had.

The hills stretched with tea plantations as far as the eyes could see, even right up to the top of the hills. On the way, we saw the Nilgiri Tahr, the state animal of Tamil Nadu and it did not stop there for we saw elephants from afar. We also saw a bison and a few lion-tailed monkeys that are especially found in that area.

ICSE Class 9 English Language Sample Question Paper 2 with Answers

The hills were pristine and the forest was so still that you could hear the insects and the gentle gurgle of the stream at night. We visited a dam which had very less water but heard stories from the local people that the water runs deep, even in a seemingly small stream and there could be flash floods at any point in time. We still went to the stream below the dam and could only imagine what it would be if things went wrong. It gave us quite a scare, and we rushed up to the ground level.

We also visited a local tea factory and witnessed how tea was produced and how they were graded for different markets. We also learnt that branding of the tea does not happen there and the middlemen buy the tea and sell it to various other companies which adds flavour and blends them to the regular tea powder.
We enjoyed every bit of our stay in’Valparai and if you love serene and beautiful places, Valparai is the best for a holiday.

My Encounter with Thunder

(c) The day at school was a pleasant one with easy subjects as art, sports and library. The day was made better when it became cloudy and there were gentle showers and the smell of dirt after the showers were so earthy and wonderful. It was amazing to take it all in while sitting in our art class. Then the bell rang which was a welcome relief and all the kids ran out of their classes to get wet in the showers for it had rained after a very long dry spell.

I took my bicycle and headed out of the school. I took the long, winding road to my house, suddenly there was a loud thunder and lightning struck right about 10 feet in front of me and I rattled in fear. I almost fell off my cycle and within seconds it began pouring and I was completely soaked.

As the thunder was getting louder along with the lightning, I took cover under the tree and stood close to it. I saw the water flowing fast and the water was rising. Soon some bikers also came under the tree to take shelter. But it was the best one could do as it is safe to be under a tree when lightning strikes.

We soon started talking among ourselves about the rain and it helped me assuage my fears and I was waiting for the rain to slow down or stop for I was really scared. The rain slowly came down to a mild shower and all those waiting under the tree soon started moving out. I took my bicycle and went home. It was a striking experience because I usually enjoy the thunder and lightning, sitting at home sipping hot tea but this time it made me realise how strong nature can be.

ICSE Class 9 English Language Sample Question Paper 2 with Answers

(d) (i) For the Motion
It is true that grades cannot measure how smart you are for we now belong to the era where multiple intelligences have promulgated and people are more than aware of the concept. Therefore, it is not grades that really matter, for intelligence in certain areas do make them competent and better than those who have recieved good grades. It is not the grades that define their intelligence but their ability to do things in a greater manner.

It is imperative that this intelligence is recognised on a larger scale. The wide range of cognitive abilities need to be appreciated and children or people need to be considered smart as they are good in some field or the other. For example, one might find it difficult to do math but will have high intelligence in art and design. There is always a need for good talent and skills. In today’s world, skills and emotional intelligence are valued more than just knowledge and good grades.

People who have scored high grades consistently will never have an idea of failure and when such people face trials and failures they are often found not making smart choices. They are clueless and emotionally drained when there are hard knocks and in such situations, people who are emotionally smart despite not getting good grades, cope up with tough situations better.

In many cases, school dropouts are smart and achieve great things in life. There are so many examples of such people and also of those who we meet every day and with such heroes, we can say, “Grades do not measure how smart you are.”

(ii) Against the Motion
Grades are everything in the country we live in today. All our lives revolve around grades. Time after time grades and marks are everything that drives parents and society to base their children’s lives on it. Grades do tell that one is smart as students who make good grades are able to solve all answers and are able to reproduce everything that is being taught.

When it comes to gaining admission into a good institute, it is certain that grades do matter for it is an indicator that unless one is smart one cannot get good grades. Students who are smart find ways in which they can get better scores and it reflects in them finding a better position not just in education but also when getting better jobs than others whose grades are not up to mark.

Right from the day, children get into kindergarten their parents push them towards studies. Parents believe that grades tell them that their children are smarter. To a large extent, children who are intelligent do get good grades.

ICSE Class 9 English Language Sample Question Paper 2 with Answers

Therefore, grades determine the intelligence level in an indivisual. Smart people put in a lot of effort to study and fetch good grades. After all, intelligence is defined as a person’s ability to acquire and apply the knowledge and skills they have, in real life.

So it would be right to say that grades and especially good grades show that a person is smart. So, yes it is good that students do drive towards good grades as it would help them in the long run.

Question 2.
Select any one of the following :
(a) You have watched any latest movie. Write a letter to your friend telling about the movie and also recommending him/her to watch the movie.
(b) You are the Student Secretary and you would like to bring it to the Principal’s attention that the school canteen needs to change the menu to make the food offered, healthier and nutritious.
Answer:
Happy faces amidst such filth is a contradiction yet a reality when we look at this picture. It depicts a scene where we see children making the best of the situation. But the question is, should they be in such a situation at all.

The picture shows that children are exposed to such a dangerous situation quite early in life. When one part of the population sends their children to schools, we see children like these in the picture taking comfort in old cardboard boxes, that no one knows where it had been, before it reached the dump. Cardboard boxes are craft material for some and here it is the shelter for children from the hot sun and from the immediate filth.

Such children often wade through broken glass, rubbish and toxic waste to collect scrap metal and plastic which they sell to earn their living. These children are exposed to bad putrefying smells when they should be experimenting in school labs.

They do not earn much, as the middlemen buy the waste material, process and sell it at huge profits. These children are being cheated day in and day out of their livelihood and their lives as they are in the garbage dumps when they should be learning in schools. Children such as these are not just in our country but in many nations across the world. It is important that nations and governments choose to provide education to them and that they should be taken into the mainstream society for making them great citizens of the country and the world.

ICSE Class 9 English Language Sample Question Paper 2 with Answers

In the meantime, governments and people should have the drive to create a cleaner world, by taking the first step of reducing waste, sorting waste in their homes which will go a long way in taking children out from garbage dumps and into schools, parks and cleaner housing in order to build a better society.

(ii)

SBOA School,
Madurai- 7
26th July 2Oxx

The Principal,
SBOA School,
Madurai-7
Subject: Suggestions for improvement of school centeen service
Dear Madam,
I, Srikanth Rao, the Student Secretary of the school, on behalf of the Student Council and all the students would like to bring it to your notice that the food served in the canteen is often oily and greasy which seems unhealthy. So, we would like you to consider changing the menu and to include some suggestions from the students to make choices on the menu. We will also create awareness among students to make better food choices. Thanking you for helping us in moving forward towards a healthier school campus.

Yours sincerely,
Srikanth Rao
Student Secretary

ICSE Class 9 English Language Sample Question Paper 2 with Answers

Question 3.
(a) Your School Literary Club is organising a book donation camp for the benefit of poor children, near the campus. Write a notice announcing the camp to all students to donate books.
(b) Write an e-mail to the Principal asking for permission and support for the cause.
Answer:
(a) BOOKS OFF THE SHELF
Book Donation Camp
on 17th September, 20xx
from 9.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m.
at the Auditorium of St. Wilford College
Interested students may contact the Secretary of School Literary Club, Simran Ahuja on or before 15th September 20xx

(b) To : principaladarshhss@gmail.com
Subject: Book Donation Camp
Dear Sir,
I am Ashish Herbert, secretory of the School literary Club, St. Wilford College. Our School Literary Club would like to organise a Book Donation Camp as a part of our annual event. We request you to grant us permission to conduct the camp.
This is to be held on the 17th of September, 20xx from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the auditorium of St. Wilford College.
We would like to make this year’s book donation to the local government school in Santhosh Nagar. We would also like to use the school auditorium for the collection of books.
Thanking you for your constant support in all our endeavours.
Thanking you,
Yours faithfully,
Ashish Herbert
Secretary, School Literary Club

ICSE Class 9 English Language Sample Question Paper 2 with Answers

Question 4.
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow :
I have no idea of the extent of this zoo. I know only my corner and whatever passes before me. On the day I was wheeled in, I only noticed two gates opening to admit me. When I stood up I caught a glimpse of some cages ahead and also heard the voice of a lion. The man who had transferred me from the forest stepped out of his jeep and said, after a glance in my direction, ‘He is all right. Now run up and see if the end cage is ready.

This animal is used to human company and a lot of free movement. We must keep him where people will be passing. The open-air enclosure must also be available to him when the wild ones are not let out. See to it.’
They have shown special consideration towards me, by the grace of my 10 Master, whom I may not see again. All the same, lying here on the cool floor, I madly hope that my Master might suddenly appear out of a crowd, open the door of my cage and command, ‘Come out, let us go.’ Such is my dream.

I keep scrutinising faces, but all the faces look dull and monotonous, none radiant like my Master’s. Men, women and children peer through the bars, and sometimes cry aloud, ‘Ah, see this tiger. What a ferocious beast!’ and make crude noises to rouse me, fling a stone if the keeper is not looking, and move on to appreciate similarly the occupant of the next cage.

You are not likely to understand that I am different from the tiger next door, that I possess a soul within this forbidding exterior. I can think, analyse, judge, 20 remember and do everything that you can do, perhaps with greater subtlety and sense. I lack only the faculty of speech.

But if you could read my thoughts, you would be welcome to come in and listen to the story of my life. At least, you could slip your arm through the bars and touch me and I will hold out my forepaw to greet you, after retracting my claws, of course.

You are carried away by appearances – my claws and fangs and the glowing eyes frighten you no doubt. I don’t blame you. I don’t know why God has chosen to give us this fierce makeup, the same God who has created the parrot, the peacock and the deer, which inspired poets and painters. 30

I myself shuddered at my own reflection on the still surface of a pond while crouching for a drink of water, not when I was really a wild beast, but after I came under the influence of my Master and learnt to question,
‘Who am I?’

(a) Give the meaning of the following words as used in the passage.
One word answers or short phases will be accepted.
(i) glimpse (line 3)
(ii) consideration (line 10)
(iii) monotonous (line 14)
Answer:
(i) notice
(ii) thoughtfulness
(iii) dull and uninteresting

(b) Answer the following questions briefly in your own words.
(i) What is the initial idea of the narrator about his surroundings?
(ii) What are the two things the narrator gets a glimpse of when he enters the cage?
(iii) What does the man who got the tiger to the zoo say about him?
(iv) What are some of the responses of the visitors when they see the tiger?
(v) Why did the tiger shudder at his own reflection?
Answer:
(i) The narrator has no idea about the extent of the zoo knowing just the things that pass before him.

(ii) The narrator observes cages ahead of him and also hears the voice of a lion. He is unable to see much when he is in the cage.

(iii) The man who got the tiger from the forest tells the other person to get the end cage ready and the tiger is fine with human company, for movement. He also asked to provide the open-air enclosure for the tiger when the other wild animals are not let out.

(iv) People consider it a ferocious beast. They tease it by making crude noises, throwing stones when the keeper is not looking and go on to do the same to the animal in the next cage.

(v) The tiger shuddered at his own appearance as he considered himself to be gentle and subtle until he looked at his own reflection and wanted to know more about who he is.

ICSE Class 9 English Language Sample Question Paper 2 with Answers

(c) In not more than 50 words, describe how the tiger feels that he possesses a soul.
Answer:
The tiger calls us to attention stating that within that forbidding exterior there is a soul and only if we were to touch him he would greet us gently. He can think, analyse, judge, remember and do everything we can do but the only thing he lacks is the faculty of speech. (52 Words)

Question 5.
(a) Fill in each of the numbered blanks with the correct form of the word given in brackets. Do not copy the passage, but write in correct serial order the word or phrase appropriate to the blank space.
Example :
(0) slowed
(0) ……………. I (slow) the car as I saw the new house. I come from a very large family and recently my parents (1) ……………. (decided) that they (2) ……………. (spend) long enough living in an overcrowded house in Mumbai. “We (3) ……………. (move) to the country”, my father, ……………. (4) (announce) one evening. “I ……………. (5) (sell) this house and we (6) ……………. (live) on a farm”. So last week we (7) ……………. (load) all our belongings into two hired vans, and for the last few days we (8) …………….. (try) to organise ourselves in our new home.
Answer:
(1) decided
(2) had spent
(3) are moving
(4) announced
(5) am selling
(6) will live
(7) loaded
(8) are trying

(b) Fill in each blank with an appropriate word :
1. I prevailed ……………. him to join the gymnasium.
2. The curious child eagerly begged ……………. an answer to the riddle.
3. He was bent ……………. coming first in the examinations.
4. The theory exam was followed ……………. a group discussion.
5. The Phoenix is a legendary bird that rises ……………. its ashes.
6. The police pulled the briefcase from ……………. the table.
7. The mob rushed onto the pavement, everyone seemed angry ……………. everyone else.
8. The old women looked ……………. the cupboard, searching for the photograph.
Answer:
(1) upon
(2) for
(3) upon
(4) by
(5) from
(6) under
(7) with
(8) inside / through

(c) Join the following sentences to make one complete sentence without using and, but or so :
(i) Polar bears are fiercely territorial animals. Grizzly bears are the same.
(ii) My friend is not a judge. He is not a lawyer.
(iii) He is being victimised. He still keeps a level head.
(iv) He was found guilty. He was hanged.
Answer:
(i) Polar bears, as well as Grizzly bears, are fiercely territorial animals.
(ii) My friend is neither a lawyer nor a judge.
(iii) Though he is being victimised, he still keeps a level head.
(iv) As he was found guilty he was hanged.

(d) Re-write the following sentences according to the instructions given after each. Make other changes that may be necessary, but do not change the meaning of each sentence.
(i) They didn’t want to be late for the meeting so they left in plenty of time.
(Begin : So as…)

(ii) This is the first time I’ve been here.
(Begin : I haven’t )

(iii) He plays tennis as well as football.
(Begin : Not only )

ICSE Class 9 English Language Sample Question Paper 2 with Answers

(iv) Arm stayed away from work because she was ill.
(Begin : If she had not )

(v) “Sebastian is the one who stole the video recorder,” said Bernard.
(Begin : Bernard accused )

(vi) She was the only person capable of being House Captain.
(Use : Capability)

(vii) Mary will only come to the party if Peter is invited.
(Begin : Unless)

(viii) I would prefer you to deliver the table on Saturday.
(Use : would rather )
Answer:
(i) So as not to be late for the meeting, they left in plenty of time.
(ii) I haven’t been here before.
(iii) Not only does he play tennis but also football.
(iv) If she had not been ill, Ann would not have stayed away from work.
(v) Bernard accused Sebastian of stealing the video recorder.
(vi) She was the only person with the capalrlity of being the house captain.
(vii) Unless Peter is invited, Mary will not come to the party.
(viii) I would rather you delivered the table on Saturday.

ICSE Class 9 English Language Question Papers with Answers

ICSE Class 9 English Language Sample Question Paper 1 with Answers

ICSE Class 9 English Language Sample Question Paper 1 with Answers

[Max Marks : 80
[2 Hours]

General Instructions

  • Answers to this Paper must be written on the paper provided separately.
  • You will not be allowed to write during the first 15 minutes.
  • This time is to be spent in reading the question paper.
  • The time given at the head of this Paper is the time allowed for writing the answers.
  • Attempt all five questions.
  • The intended marks for questions or parts of questions are given in brackets [ ].
  • You are advised to spend not more than 30 minutes in answering Question 1 and 20 minutes in answering Question 2.
  • For Email and Notice Writing, anyone format may be followed, both are acceptable.

Question 1.
(Do not spend more than 30 minutes on this question.)

(i) Write a composition (300 – 350 words) on any one of the following : [20]
(a) Write an original short story which clearly illustrates the friendship between a boy and his dog.
(b) You mistakenly went to your school on a day which was a holiday. Everything was closed and the school was empty. Write a description of what you saw and heard. What were your feelings at the end of the visit?
(c) Your room has been very untidy for a long time and your parents have been urging you to tidy it. Narrate your experience of cleaning and tidying your room. What did this experience teach you?
(d) Express your views either for or against the statement:
“Life’s best lessons are learnt from friends.”
(e) Study the picture given below. Write a short story or a description or an account of what it suggests to you. Your composition may be about the subject of the picture or you may take suggestions from it; however, there must be a clear connection between the picture and your composition.
ICSE Class 9 English Language Sample Question Paper 1 with Answers 1
Answer:
An Unconditional Friendship
(a) Kenneth was a little boy who loved animals especially dogs. He loved being with them and enjoyed playing with puppies the most. He would always hold them, every time he saw one, stray or otherwise. There was a dog in the campus where he lived. It belonged to a Korean family but was allowed to roam freely in the campus.

Kenneth’s family called her ’Wolfe’ because she resembled a wolf. She had a salt and pepper coat and seemed to be of a mixed breed; but she was the gentlest dog there could be. She always came to Kenneth’s house and sat there at their door everyday irrespective of the weather. The interesting part was Wolfe went to her owner’s place when they would come to their house or leave. She was faithful to them, but she seemed to find comfort at Kenneth’s place.

ICSE Class 9 English Language Sample Question Paper 1 with Answers

Kenneth played with her, sat next to her and sometimes on her. She was always gentle with him. Kenneth talked to her as if she was his own friend and the best part was, she slept in Kenneth’s house quite often.
In two years, Kenneth’s sister was born. Soon his sister started crawling around and Wolfe was there to play with her too. She too would sit on Wolfe and Wolfe would do nothing to topple the baby off. It was always wonderful to watch Wolfe and the kids play together. This went on for a few years and Wolfe would come to Kenneth’s house bringing in comfort. Her quiet presence seemed a surety until she passed away one night.

Wolfe passed away near the window of Kenneth’s bedroom and that left a deep mark on all those who loved her especially Kenneth and his family. It took some time to heal and soon things changed when Kenneth got a puppy called Pepper.

My School on a Holiday

(b) My dad and mom had gone on a vacation and as it was school time I had to stay back and study. I enjoyed the first few days of freedom as there was no one to be at my back all the time. I enjoyed the food our helping maid prepared because she made all my favourite dishes. I enjoyed school and mostly because I got to do my work in peace at home. I studied and listened to music and had fun.

I met my friends, played and watched movies. All of this was going well and soon I developed a routine.
One day, when I reached the school, I found all the gates locked with a lone watchman there. I wondered what had happened and when I asked the security guard what had happened, he smiled and told me that it was a holiday due to a local festival. I looked at him sheepishly and told him that I had forgotten about it as I was busy having fun by myself.

ICSE Class 9 English Language Sample Question Paper 1 with Answers

I parked my cycle and looked around the campus and realised that the school did look amazing. The forest had flowered spreading out like a coloured carpet; red and yellow across the campus. I heard the seven sisters chirping and hopping around and it was great to see the birds flitting around freely as there was no one.

The quietness was peaceful which made me realise how privileged I was to study in such a school. As I pondered upon this serene place, I went out counting my blessings, which many children do not have.

My Experience of Tidying My Room One Day

(c) The first thing you would notice in my room would be things strewn all around. Cleaning was one thing I did not like to do and like all mothers, my mother too liked to run a tight ship, but I was a hindrance to all that because every time she cleaned my room, I messed it up again.

It was not that I did not like cleanliness, it was just that I believed I found order in chaos. I knew or thought I knew where everything was and it would not be difficult to find anything. With holidays around the comer and my cousins visiting our home, my mother gave me a deadline to clean the room as I had to share my room with my cousins.

I had no clue from where to begin, so I started picking up things from all over and sorting them out. I found there were quite a bit of dirty clothes thrown around and I felt ashamed that there were stinking clothing flung all around the room. I put all the dirty ones for washing and soon kept all the things in the right place. I found a lot of things I did not use and so, I packed them up according to their usage and asked my mom to give the rest away to clarify.

ICSE Class 9 English Language Sample Question Paper 1 with Answers

I recognised that I had more than enough space once things were cleared. I spruced up the room with some DIY decor and bingo ! My room was as good as new. I felt great that I had accomplished something and was very glad when my mother told me that she would consider allowing me to paint the room in the colour T like and I could do it on my own. I love such challenges.

Life’s Best Lessons are Learnt from Friends

(d) (i) For the Motion
Friends make up for the most important part of our lives. The friends we make in our childhood mean a lot as we appreciate every moment with them. Time with friends when young is all about petty fights, sleepovers, picnics and playing endlessly.

Friends are there when it is time to play and also when we are hurt and want to share our burdens. Friends teach us about ‘trust’. We can share our deepest thoughts and feelings with our friends without the fear of being judged.

Friends are encouraging and when we are depressed they are present to support us. Friends inspire us to be the best version of ourselves. One also learns that one is never alone when he/she is with friends. Friends are present in times of need, to share one’s joys arid sorrows. Problems become lighter when friends care for each other.

There is nothing greater than having a friend with whom we can share our feelings and secrets.
Friends teach us about many things in life. Life’s lessons about trust, faith, love, courage etc., are developed along the path of friendship. Friends enrich our lives with happiness and add so much meaning and blessing to our lives.

ICSE Class 9 English Language Sample Question Paper 1 with Answers

(ii) Against the Motion
“A friend in need is a friend indeed”. This is a quote we often hear especially in negative situations. But sometimes friends pull out in the last minute and leave us in the lurch. It is also an irony that some of the negative issues also teach us certain lessons.

Though friends are present most of the times, it is the family that one turns to when one is in dire need. Friends knowingly or unknowingly bring us down by not paying attention to us or not being there when we need them the most. In times of need when we need someone to encourage or console us, it is the family that steps in at such moments.

Most often friends make us do things which are inappropriate that we might regret later in our lives. For example, a friend might ask us to take drugs or cheat, which can ruin our character and steer us to the path where we are not supposed to go.

ICSE Class 9 English Language Sample Question Paper 1 with Answers

Friends who are not loyal will never praise the good efforts we put in and discourage us to do things that are beneficial for us in the long run. Friends can push us away by repetitively being mean to us where we might feel frustrated causing us to drift away. We might also pick up the bad influence subconsciously, changing everything within us. We might become more like them than who we really are. Thus, it can be said that some bad lessons in life are learnt from friends.

Picture Composition

(e) The picture suggests that there is joy in learning and children thrive when a learning environment is provided for them. The broad spectrum that involves acquiring skills and gaining knowledge is called education. Every child has the right to education and in India there are laws to promote individual freedom and empowerment which is possible only through education.

In our country, it is essential that every child between the age of 6 and 14 years is educated of age and it is a matter of pride as we are among the 135 nations to make education a fundamental right. This makes it imperative that the state governments ensure the completion of elementary education for every child.
This also means that even private schools have to take in 25% of their admissions under the Education Act and it should be made free.

This picture is indeed pleasing and delightful to see children learning especially a girl. This should motivate everyone to ensure that every girl child is educated in the country. Both the government and private schools should make it their mission to provide education for all the children including every girl child until it becomes a reality and not a privilege.

ICSE Class 9 English Language Sample Question Paper 1 with Answers

Question 2.
(Do not spend more than 20 minutes on this question.)
Select any one of the following : [10]
(a) You have behaved very rudely to a friend. Write a letter to him/her apologizing for the rude behaviour. Explain what happened and tell him/her what you plan to do to make amends.

(b) You are in charge of the Nature Club in your locality. Write a letter to the Secretary of the Sports Club in the neighbourhood requesting permission to hold a Nature Fest on the club grounds nearby. Give details of your plans for the event.
Answer:

5th Street,
F Block, Anna Nagar East,
Chennai-102
15th May, 20xx

Dear Donna,
I am not even sure how to approach you again after the way I behaved with you and uttered all those mean things to you. I have no excuse to justify what I did, but I am extremely sorry that I behaved in an inappropriate manner and I hope that you will forgive me for what I did. I wish to mend the situation by taking you out for dinner. I also want to promise you that I will not let my temper and emotions get the better of me, and will try to be honest and open with you.
I hope that you will forgive me and accept my apology.
Please let me know if we can make it to the dinner.

Your friend,
Reena

ICSE Class 9 English Language Sample Question Paper 1 with Answers

(b)

6th Street,
G Block, K. K. Nagar,
Chennai- 46
15th May, 20xx

The Secretary,
Sports Club,
K.K Nagar,
Chennai- 46
Subject: Request for organising ‘Nature Fest’
Dear Sir,
I an writing on behalf of the Nature Club in K. K. Nagar and we are looking forward to host a Nature Fest on June 5, 20xx, as a part of our anniversary celebrations. I request you to give us the permission to use the club grounds for this purpose.

We would like to use the premises from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm. We also need a power source for the PA system and fans. We promise to give back the premises to you as clean as possible as we believe in doing what we can to keep the environment clean. Looking forward to hear from you.

Yours faithfully,
Raj Dev
Incharge of Nature Club

ICSE Class 9 English Language Sample Question Paper 1 with Answers

Question 3.
(a) Your school is hosting an Inter-school music competition. Write a notice to be put up in your school informing students about the event and inviting them to participate in the Inter-school music competition. [5]
Answer:
SA RE GA MA MUSIC FEST Inter-school Music Competition
Date : Wednesday, 25 September, 20xx Time : 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Venue : Stephen Miller’s Hall of St. Joseph’s School
Interested students from class III to XII may register with the Cultural Secretary, Vivekni Mishra on or before 15 September, 20xx

(b) Write an e-mail to the Principal of a neighbouring school requesting him/her to send a team to participate in the event. [5]
Answer:
To : principaladarshhss@gmail.com
Subject: Inter-school Music Competition
Dear Madam,
I am Ankit Shah, the Cultural Secretary of the Student Council, St. Joseph’s School, We are celebrating its 20th anniversary and as part of the celebrations we are hosting an after-school Music Competition. It will he held on 25th of September, 20xx, from 3 p.m. am and 8 p.m. at the Stephen Miller’s Hall of St. Joseph’s School.

We request you to send two teams of five students each from classes III to XII participate  in the event. The themes for the event are contemporary and fusion. We look forward to your school’s participation in the competition.

Thanking you,
Yours faithfully,
Ankit Shah
Cultural Secretary, Student Council

ICSE Class 9 English Language Sample Question Paper 1 with Answers

Question 4.
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow :
With dry lips, parched throat, and ink-stained fingers, and exhaustion on one side and exaltation on the other, Swaminathan strode out of the examination hall on the last day.

Standing in the veranda, he turned back and looked into the hall and felt slightly uneasy. He would have felt more comfortable if all the boys had given their papers as he had done, twenty minutes before time. With his left shoulder resting against the wall, Sankar was lost to the world. Rajam, sitting under the second ventilator, between two third-form boys, had become a writing-machine.

Mani was still gazing at the rafters, scratching his chin with the pen. The Pea was leaning back in his seat, revising his answers. One 10 supervisor was drowsing in his chair; another was pacing up and down with an abstracted look in his eyes. The scratchy noise of active nibs, the rustle of papers, and the clearing of the throats, came through the brooding silence of the hall.

Swaminathan suddenly wished that he had not come out so soon. But how could he have stayed in the hall longer? The Tamil paper was set to go on till five o’clock. He had found himself writing the last line of the last question at four-thirty. Out of the six questions set, he had answered the first question to his satisfaction, the second was doubtful, the third was satisfactory, the fourth he knew was clearly wrong (but then, he did not know the correct 20 answer).

The sixth answer was the best of the lot. It took only a minute to answer it. He had read the question at two minutes to four-thirty, started to answer a minute later, and finished it at four-thirty.

He had found it hard to kill time. Why wasn’t the paper set for two and a half hours instead of three? He had looked wistfully at the veranda outside. If only he could pluck up enough courage to hand in the paper and go out – he would have no more examinations for a long time to come – he could do what he pleased – roam about the town in the evenings and afternoons and mornings – throw away the books – command Granny to tell endless tales. 30

He had seen a supervisor observing him, and had at once pretended to be busy with the answer paper. He thought that while he was about it, he might as well do a little revision. He read a few lines of the first question and was bored. He had to pretend that he was revising. He set his pen to work. He went on improving the little dash under the last line indicating the end, till it became an elaborate complicated pattern.

He had looked at the clock again, thinking that it must be nearly five now. It was ten minutes past four-thirty. He saw two or three boys giving up their. papers and going out, and felt happy. He briskly folded the paper and wrote his name. 40 The bell rang. In twos or threes the boys came out of the hall. It was a thorough contrast to the preceding three hours. There was din of excited chatter.

ICSE Class 9 English Language Sample Question Paper 1 with Answers

(a) Give the meaning of the following words as used in the passage :
One word answers or short phrases will be accepted. [3]
(i) pacing (line 11)
(ii) wistfully (line 26)
(iii) din (line 42)
Answer:
(i) walking up and down
(ii) regretfully
(iii) noise

(b) Answer the following questions briefly in your own words.
(i) Why did Swamy feel slightly uneasy as soon as he came out of the examination hall? [2]
(ii) Why did he think he had answered the sixth question best of all? [1]
(iii) What did he plan to do with his books once the examination was over? [2]
(iv) Which word in the passage tells you that Swami used to bully his grandmother? [2]
(v) Why do you think Swami drew an elaborate complicated pattern after his last answer? [2]
Answer:
(i) Swamy felt uneasy as soon as he came out of the examination hall because almost everyone else was still writing and he had finished his paper and wondered if he had done right by coming out so early. He was being unsure of himself.

(ii) He thought that the sixth question was the best of all because he was very sure of the answer and it took him only a minute to answer it.

(iii) He planned to throw away the books because he felt that he might not need them
X for a very long time. He also planned to roam around the town throughout the day.

(iv) The words, ‘command granny to tell endless tales/ tells us that he often bullied his grandmother with whatever he wanted and it also shows that he got away with it.

(v) Swami just wanted to put a small dash but as he was clueless on what to do with the rest of the time, he ended up drawing an elaborate pattern.

ICSE Class 9 English Language Sample Question Paper 1 with Answers

(c) In not more than 50 words, describe what Swami’s classmates and supervisors were doing in the examination hall. [8]
Answer:
The scene at the classroom during the examination portrays both lackadaisical and fervent moods; the listless Sankar and Rajam and Mani were lost; Pea was revising the answers and two students were writing like a machine. One of the supervisors was dozing in the chair and the other was pacing up and down.

Question 5.
(a) Fill in each of the numbered blanks with the correct form of the word given in brackets. Do not copy the passage, but write in correct serial order the word or phrase appropriate to the blank space. [4]
Example:
looked Suraj (0) ……………….. (look) out of the door. He (1) ………………..  (Catch) sight of the board (2) ………………..  (bear) the station’s name. He was so (3) ………………..  (astonish) that he almost (4) ………………..  (fall) out of the compartment. He was back in his home town! After ………………..  (5) (travel) for forty or fifty kilometers, here he (6) ………………..  (is) home again. He ………………..  (7) (can) not understand it. He ………………..  (8) (climb) out of the compartment slowly. [4]
Answer:
(1) caught
(2) bearing
(3) astonished
(4) fell
(5) travelling
(6) was
(7) could
(8) climbed

ICSE Class 9 English Language Sample Question Paper 1 with Answers

(b) Fill in each blank with an appropriate word : [4]
(i) Bobby waited in front …………… the school.
(ii) The children were told to return home …………… it became dark.
(iii) He wore an old muffler wrapped …………… his neck.
(iv) We saw the bird fly high ……………  the tower and disappear.
(v) Music therapy is a cure …………… many ills.
(vi) The thief ran ……………  the staircase and out into the yard.
(vii) Mr. Roy jumped into his car and drove …………… as fast as he could.
(viii) Please do not get carried …………… by these rumours.
Answer:
(i) of
(ii) before
(iii) around
(iv) over
(v) for
(vi) down
(vii) off
(viii) away

ICSE Class 9 English Language Sample Question Paper 1 with Answers

(c) Join the following sentences to make one complete sentence without using and, but or so : [4]
(i) The teacher arrived. The class started.
(ii) The drive was so tedious. I fell asleep on the backseat.
(iii) He was found in possession of the stolen goods. He was punished.
(iv) Stop talking. Leave the classroom.
Answer:
(i) The teacher arrived before the class started.
(ii) The drive was so tedious that I fell asleep on the backseat.
(iii) He was punished as he was found in possession of the stolen goods.
(iv) Either stop talking or leave the classroom.

(d) Re-write the following sentences according to the instructions given after each. Make other changes that may be necessary, but do not change the meaning of each sentence. [8]
(i) “I saw a panther this morning”, he said modestly.
(Rewrite using indirect speech ……………….. )

(ii) Kiran is the fastest runner in our school.
(Begin: No other ………………. )

(iii) Susan hid her grandmother’s spectacles.
(Begin : Her grandmother’s ………………. )

(iv) Ali was too embarrassed to speak clearly.
(Begin : Ali was so ………………. )

(v) As soon as the election results were out, the victory procession started.
(Begin : No sooner ………………. )

ICSE Class 9 English Language Sample Question Paper 1 with Answers

(vi) Ranji prefers reading a book to watching a movie.
(Begin : Ranji would rather ………………. )

(vii) Anu does not study enough, but she still stands first.
(Begin : Despite ………………. )

(viii) If Aruna practices, she will win the competition.
(Begin : Unless ………………. )
Answer:
(i) He modestly said that he saw a panther that morning.
(ii) No other runner is as fast as Kiran in our school.
(iii) Her grandmother’s spectacles were hidden by Susan.
(iv) Ali was so embarrassed that he could not speak clearly.
(v) No sooner had the election results come out than the victory procession started.
(vi) Ranji would rather read a book than watch a movie.
(vii) Despite not studying enough, Anu stands first in the class.
(viii) Unless Aruna practices, she will not win the competition.

ICSE Class 9 English Language Question Papers with Answers

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 5 with Answers

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 5 with Answers

Section A – Drama
The Merchant of Venice : Shakespeare

Question 1.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
Morocco : Mislike me not for my complexion,
The shadozv’d livery of the burnish’d sun,
To whom I am a neighbour, and near bred.
Bring me the fairest creature northward born,
Where Phoebus’ fire scarce thaws the icicles,
And let us make incision for your love,
To prove whose blood is reddest, his or mine
Hath fear’d the valiant: by my love, I swear
The best regarded virgins of our clime
Have lov’d it too: I would not change this hue,
Except to steal your thoughts, my gentle queen.

(i) What is the Morocco referring to? Where does the scene take place ?
(ii) How strong are the feelings of Morocco towards Portia ?
(iii) Is there a sense of pride or vanity in the Prince for being attractive ? Explain.
(iv) To the Morocco, Portia is a conquest to be won. Give reasons your answer.
(v) How does the Prince’s analysis make him choose the casket ?
Answer:
(i) Morocco is referring to the colour of his skin. Being born and brought up in the tropical region, he is dark. The scene is taking place in Portia’s mansion in Belmont. They are in the room where caskets are kept for display.

(ii) Morocco is strong in feelings when he says his blood is as red as the blood of the fairest person on Earth, and so, can stand the test of love for Portia, but his later words and choice of casket proves the hollowness of his feelings.

(iii) Yes, the prince appears to be vain when he says that all the ladies of his land fall for his looks and valour. He seems to be a proud prince in the .exaggerations that he lays.

(iv) Yes, Morocco wants to prove to others that he is good enough to claim the most beautiful and rich lady in the world. He considers Portia as a prize to be won to satisfy his ego and prove to the world that he is good enough to marry the fairest lady, whom noble princes from all over the world, die to own.

(v) Morocco finds the lead to be too threatening, as one who chooses it should risk all he has. The silver casket says the chooser will get what he deserves and so he fears that it may not include Portia; so he settles for gold which says, “Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire.” Portia is desired by many men from every corner of the world. Moreover, he feels that such a great lady’s portrait cannot be contained in the base lead or mediocre silver but only in the richest metal, gold.

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 5 with Answers

Question 2.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
Bassanio : In Belmont is a lady richly left,
And she is fair, and, fairer than that word, 
Of wondrous virtues : sometimes from her eyes
I did receive fair speechless messages:
Her name is Portia, nothing undervalued
Renowned suitors, and her sunny locks
Hang on her temples like a golden fleece;
Which makes her seat of Belmont Colchis’ strand,
And many Jasons come in quest of her.

Antonio : Thou know’st that all my fortunes are at sea;
Neither have I money nor commodity
To raise a present sum, therefore go forth
Try what my credit can in Venice do :
That shall be rack’d, even to the uttermost,
To furnish thee to Belmont, to fair Portia.

(i) What is Bassanio arriving at and what are his indirect requests ?
(ii) How does Bassanio praise Portia and express his wishes ?
(iii) What is Antonio’s response and what does it say of him?
(iv) “Thou knowest that all my fortunes are at sea; neither have I money nor commodity to raise a present sum.” What do these words of Antonio mean?
(v) In what way does this scene become the cornerstone of the play?
Answer:
(i) Bassanio has apparently met and fallen in love with Portia in his travels and would like to woo her in style and this requires money. He has come to Antonio knowing very well that his friend would not let him down. Bassanio describes Portia to the heights and making her unattainable unless he impresses her with his wealth, which he lacks. He hints at Antonio that he would also win his rivals in winning Portia’s hand if he is fortunate. Antonio does, in all earnestness, falls for his bait and offers him money even if it means taking it on credit in his name.

(ii) Bassanio has found the girl of his dreams with the added benefit of wealth and beauty. He is sure that she has expressed her interest through silent messages spoken with her eyes. Shakespeare reminds that romantic gestures are so worldwide. She is rich and famous as the daughter of Cato and wife of Brutus. Suitors come from far and wide to win her hand in marriage. Bassanio praises her golden hair and wishes for money to woo and win her.

(iii) Antonio immediately expresses that his ships and fortune are at sea and presently he does not have that huge amount Bassanio is aiming for. In spite of his own critical situation, he tells Bassanio to borrow money from anyone on credit and he is willing to vouch for it. This shows that Antonio is a generous person who is willing to go out of the way to help his friend.

(iv) Bassanio has gone, asking for help, to Antonio despite knowing that his friend might not be in the position to loan him the huge amount of money. Antonio expresses his state of affairs of how his ships, his fortunes are all at sea and presently he has nothing to give to Bassanio. Bassanio, who has debts all around the town, takes advantage of the generous nature of his friend though he knows the truth.

(v) The extravagant and excessive nature of Bassanio and the generous and magnanimous attitude of Antonio can be considered as some of the main reasons that cause Antonio to approach Shylock, the Jewish moneylender. The finance would facilitate Bassanio to meet Portia and the incidents that triggered in succession caused the involvement of all the chief characters in the play. This scene reveals that the need of one can become the greed of another leading to a conflict and final restitution.

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 5 with Answers

Question 3.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
Jessica : Farewell, good Launcelot.
Alack, what heinous sin is it in me
To be ashamed to be my father’s child!
But though I am a daughter to his blood
I am not to his manners. O Lorenzo,
If thou keep promise, I shall end this strife,
Become a Christian and thy loving wife.

(i) What is Jessica planning to do at the moment and where does the scene take place ?
(ii) What is the sin that Jessica is talking about and how has it affected her ?
(iii) Is there any apprehension on the part of Jessica in her love for Lorenzo ?
(iv) How does she want to end the conflict ?
(v) Launcelot and Jessica have planned to give upon whom and why ?
Answer:
(i) The scene takes place at Shylock’s house. Jessica is annoyed by her father’s behaviour and she tells Lorenzo that if he keeps his promise then she will elope with him; marry him and become a Christian.

(ii) Jessica feels she is a sinner as she happens to be the daughter of a Jew, who thinks only about money and who does not help those in need. She has lost all love and respect for her father as well as his faith.

(iii) Like any other girl who decides to elope, Jessica also has apprehension. This is evident when she says, “If thou keep promise.” But she is determined to run away with Lorenzo and be freed from her father.

(iv) Jessica wants to marry Lorenzo, become a Christian and put an end to the confusion in her mind. Annoyed and ashamed of being Shylock’s daughter, Jessica wanted to run away with Lorenzo and be freed from her father.

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 5 with Answers

(v) Launcelot and Jessica have decided to give upon Shylock; the former, because he can no longer work under a miserly master who keeps showering him with abuse and the latter because she is ashamed of her father and wants to marry a Christian and become one as well.

Section B – Poetry
A Collection of Poems

Question 4.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the Milky Way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

(i) How does the poet relate the continuity of the stars to the daffodils ?
(ii) How does the poet describe the stretch of the field ?
(iii) Is there any relation between the poet’s loneliness and the daffodils ?
(iv) How were the flowers dancing ?
(v) What is the speciality of the field of daffodils ?
Answer:
(i) The poet has narrated in the poem the scenery that he had witnessed while he was out one day on a walk. He says that he was wandering alone when he came across a field of daffodils which had an enchanting effect on him. While describing the scene, he says that the continuous line of flowers grown along the bay seemed like a continuous row of stars in the sky. The reference to the stars is made to indicate the infinite seeming field of daffodils.

(ii) In the poem ‘Daffodils’, the poet has expressed his pleasure on finding a field of daffodils which bloomed and danced near the bay. The poet says the flowers looked extremely beautiful in such large numbers. He also uses the example of the never-ending line of twinkling stars that are seen shining in the night sky. He says that the flowers growing along the bay appear like the innumerable stars shining in the sky.

(iii) The narrative in the poem shows how the poet relates his happiness and pleasure to the daffodil flowers. The poet brings to thought, the visual of the field of daffodils which he had witnessed way back in time. The collective beauty of the hundreds of daffodils had excited his fantasies and he often recollects the same whenever he is lonely or in a pensive mood. The thought of the flowers gladdens his heart and gets him some relief and peace.

(iv) The poet has described the brightly beaming and happily dancing daffodils that he had once come across. The scene was visually so enchanting that he hadn’t forgotten it even after a long time. The flowers seem to be tossing their heads and dancing along the breeze. The description of the poet creates a picture where the flowers are enjoying their blooming time and they are reflecting their joy and happiness on everything around them. The visual is a reflection of the happiness that one feels on looking at the flowers.

(v) It is common in most flowers that they are a pleasant sight to behold and fragrant when smelt. But some flowers surpass others in beauty. For example, the poet has mentioned the daffodils in this poem which are in large numbers and look beautiful together. Their collective beauty is far greater than their individual beauty. The poet is mesmerised by the long and wide stretch of the flowers growing along the bay. To him, the daffodils looked far more pretty and beautiful when beheld in large numbers.

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 5 with Answers

Question 5.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
And sailing ships and elephants,
And cannibals crouching ’round the pot,
Stirring away at something hot.
(It smells so good, what can it be?
Good gracious, it’s Penelope.)
The younger ones had Beatrix Potter
With Mr. Tod, the dirty rotter,
And Squirrel Nutkin, Pigling Bland,
And Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle and-
Just How The Camel Got His Hump,
And How the Monkey Lost His Rump,
And Mr. Toad, and bless my soul,
There’s Mr. Rat and Mr. Mole-
Oh, hooks, what books they used to know,
Those children living long ago!

(i) What does the poet mention about the cannibals in the books ?
(ii) What are the stories of the camel getting his hump and the monkey losing his rump ?
(iii) What fictional characters does the poet speak of ?
(iv) Which author does the poet suggest for the young children ?
(v) What were the children doing long ago ? How was it beneficial to them ?
Answer:
(i) The poem describes how there was a common habit of reading among the children. There used to be books all around the children and they used to spend most of their free time with books. The poet has also mentioned some of the books that were popular at that time. He tells about a story where some cannibals are crouching around a pot stirring something hot in it. There is a character named Penelope in the pot whom the cannibals are cooking.

(ii) While referring to the reading habits of children in the past, the poet mentions a number of books of fiction that used to be popular and favourite among children. He talks about some of the classics of children’s literature like the works of Nobel Prize winner Rudyard Kipling. His famous stories ‘How the camel got his hump’ and ‘How the monkey lost his rump’ have been mentioned among the beloved stories.

(iii) The poet has mentioned a number of fictional characters whose books were read by children and were hugely popular amidst them. The list of characters includes, Penelope, Mr. Todd, Squirrel Nutkin, Piggling Bland, Mrs. Tiggy Winkle, Mr. Rat, Mr. Mole, etc. Some of the latter characters were creations of Miss Beatrix Potter.                                                                              ,

(iv) The poet, Roald Dahl, has made a strong statement about reading and has made his dislike for television very clear. He talks about the times when books were the only and the most beloved pastime for the children of all ages. He has enlisted a number of classics which were hugely popular in those times, like the works of Rudyard Kipling. He has narrated how the youngest ones among children used to read the works of Beatrix Potter whose variety of funny characters had kept generations of children entertained.

(v) In the poem, it is described how, in the early times, when there was no television and the favourite pastime of the children was reading books. They spent most of their time reading interesting and informative books which educated as well as entertained them. It had a great effect on their understanding and knowledge. The children were well equipped with varied information about the world around them. The habit of reading had opened up their minds and made them imaginative. When they had to imagine the visuals of their books on their own, the horizons of their thinking were broadened.

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 5 with Answers

Question 6.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
Their logs held tight in death’s still hands
WAS proof of human sin.
They didn’t die from the cold without
They died from the cold within.

(i) What is said to be a proof of the six men’s sin ?
(ii) What human sin does the poem talk about ? Did the last man survive ?
(iii) In whose hands are their logs said to be ? Why does the poet say so ?
(iv) What does the ‘cold within’ refer to ? Where was it ?
(v) What according to you is the message of the poem ? What social evil does it condemn?
Answer:
(i) The six men caught in the storm had the opportunity to save their lives by burning their individual logs of wood from which they could generate enough heat to bear the bitter cold. Five of them foolishly refused to use their logs because they didn’t approve of someone or the other in the group. They finally died of cold with the logs in their dead hands. The poet says these logs in the hands of death were a proof of their sinful hatred.

(ii) The six men who were trapped together in a storm, died due to severe cold as they didn’t use the logs of wood they had for fire. The reason why none of them used their logs of wood was their dislike or hatred for some or the other person from the group. All of them died holding their logs in their hands. The poet discloses the human sin of hatred was the reason behind all the deaths.

(iii) Five of the six people trapped in the storm died due to severe cold. All of them had logs of wood but none was ready to share its fire with someone or the other from the group whom they disliked. Due to their hatred for each other, they ended dying as well killing the others. Their foolish beliefs led them to their tragic end. The poet says that the logs of wood, though held by them were not in their hands. They were in the hands of death because eventually, death won over them.

(iv) The poet says that the people who were trapped in the storm didn’t die of the cold that was outside their place of shelter. In fact, they died because of the coldness in their heart. The hatred, prejudice, dislike in their hearts has been called as the cold within. They couldn’t help themselves survive because of this cold which they bred in their hearts and minds.

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 5 with Answers

(v) The poem gives a strong message that if we keep on harbouring prejudices and hatred for each other based on religion, sect, race and wealth, we will all end up destroying ourselves. The survival of no one is possible in a place where everyone dislikes the other for some or the other reason. The poem implies that due to our hatred for others, we end up causing harm and loss to our own selves. The major problem of today’s world is discrimination and this poem talks about it. The message is clear. In times of difficulty, we need love and understanding. Intolerance will lead to the destruction of the human civilization.

Section C – Prose
A Collection of Short Stories

Question 7.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
In all the Earth there is no place dedicated to solitude. At night when the streets of your cities and villages are silent and you think them deserted, they will throng with the returning hosts that once filled them and still love this beautiful land. The White Man will never be alone. — (Chief Seattle’s Speech)
(i) Bring out the context of the passage.
(ii) Why does the speaker say that there is no place dedicated to solitude ? What does this show of the nature of the Red Indians ?
(iii) Why does the speaker assure the White Man will never be alone ?
(iv) What does Seattle think of life after death ?
(v) What differences are pointed out by Seattle between the Red Man and the White Man ?
Answer:
(i) The excerpt is from ‘Chief Seattle’s’ speech, given on the occasion of the audacious offer made by the United States. Indians had to accept the proposal, as they were a minority and did not have the means to refuse the offer. In his impassionate speech, the Chief tells the Government that his people may perish and the whole land may be taken by the invaders, but each of them will return to his or her land in the form of spirits, as they believe there is no death as such.

(ii) It is the belief of the Red Indians that, in all the Earth, there is no place for solitude. The dead will return and give company to the future generations of the States, in the fields, stores, shops or highways or in pathless woods. This shows they are simple, humble people who value human ties with each other and with their motherland. They do not forsake their land, their ancestors, or the living even after death.

(iii) There is no place for solitude as the spirits of the natives are so tied to their beautiful motherland that they will throng every nook and comer, giving company to the white man. The shadow of the natives will haunt the minds of the settlers, as it is their land that the white people are occupying. Past can never be completely obliterated and the peace loving, nature loving, humane natives will visit, guide, console and comfort them.

(iv) Seattle thinks there is life after death. Death is just a change of the world. The spirits of the dead natives will visit the land that has given birth to them. They will come back to wander in the verdant valleys, majestic mountains, lakes and bays and will act as companions for the ones lost in the busy streets and lonely woods.

(v) First of all, Seattle says that the Red man’s God and White man’s God are not the same. The Red man takes the kind lessons given by the Great Spirit of Nature. The White Man has a strict God who has written, in stone, strict rules like the Ten Commandments. As per their learning, their values also differ. The pale-faced have a materialistic outlook, whereas the natives are steeped in naturalistic and spiritual outlook.

Their religion is the traditions of their ancestors which they have imbibed in the silence of the night, and carried in their hearts. Another difference, according to the Chief is, the dead of the settlers cease to love the living as well as their motherland. The same is the case when the living forget the dead. But the dead natives visit their land with its beautiful landscape.

Moreover, to the red faced, ashes of their forefathers are sacred, and their resting place is hallowed grounds. The whites wander far from the graves without regret. Finally, Chief Seattle subtly points out that, true to their peaceful nature, the reds retreat, surrendering their lands, and the whites advance to usurp their lands.

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 5 with Answers

Question 8.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
We will visit India this winter, it’s time to look at other civilizations.’ Next day she called the travel agent first thing and told him to fix it, and so here I am. Ruth came with me but is staying back at Srinagar, and I am the one doing the rounds and joining her later.”  — (A Horse and Two Goats- R.K. Narayan)

(i) Who is the speaker ? Who is the ‘she’ referred to ? Where were they before they visited India? What made them do that ?
(ii) How did Muni react to this ? What interrupted the words Muni was going to speak ?
(iii) What did Muni say about the village theft ?
(iv) What deal did the speaker want to make with Muni ? Did Muni understand the speaker ? Why or why not? What was the result of this transaction ?
(v) Why was Muni surprised to see one of his goats at his doorstep ? Why was he angry with the goat ? What does it show of his character ?
Answer:
(i) The speaker is the red-faced American, who approached Muni after alighting from his vehicle. ‘She’ is referred to his wife Ruth. They were in Connecticut before they visited India. One day, electricity failed and the man felt fed up of the heat in his office, on the fortieth floor of the Empire State Building, stuck for four hours with no elevator or air¬conditioning. On his way home, he decided to get away from all this and visit India for a change.

(ii) Muni did not understand what was said and, after his customary ‘Yes’ and ‘No’, he started talking about his young days. He could not finish’ what he started to speak, because he was interrupted by the remark made on his teeth, by the American. He was also asked how old he was.

(iii) Muni said that there was a lot of theft in his village. The thieves of the next village were responsible for them. Also, the village priest could identify the thief in the camphor flame lit for the purpose. Besides theft, the village lost cattle as jackals or cheetahs carried them off.

(iv) The speaker thought that the horse statue belonged to Muni which he wanted to buy. Muni did not understand as he knew only two words in English. So, when the foreigner gave a hundred rupees to Muni, he thought the other man wanted to buy his goats and happily allowed him to do so.

(v) Muni was happy to sell the goats to the American. He took the hundred rupees offered by the man. He did not know the American was interested in taking the horse statue home. So, when the goat came back, the Tamilian was surprised. He was angry with the goat as he thought it had run away from its buyer. This shows the simplicity of the villager and the integrity of his character that made him guilty of getting something he already had taken money for.

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 5 with Answers

Question 9.
Answer the following questions with reference to T.S. Arthur’s short story, ‘An Angel in Disguise’:
(i) The Story starts on a tragic note. What is the tragedy of the life of the children ?
(ii) What was the reaction of Mrs. Thompson when the handicapped child was brought to her home ?
(iii) Comment on the title of the story.
Answer:
(i) The tragedy in the life of the children in ‘An Angel in Disguise’ is beyond imagination. A poor mother died in front of her three frightened children: John, Kate and Maggie who were nearly half-starving. Of these, John, was the oldest boy of twelve years. He was a stout lad who was able to earn his living with any farmer. The second child named Kate was between ten and eleven.

She was a bright and active girl and could turn out to be very useful if in good hands. The youngest among them was the poor little Maggie who washopelessly diseased. Two years ago, she had fallen from a window and injured her spine due to which, she was bedridden. Since then, she had not been able to leave her bed except when lifted in the arms of her mother.

She was crippled for life and nobody wanted to take her home as she would turn out to be a burden for anyone. Her innocent looks attracted everyone but no one was ready to take her. It was decided that she should be sent to the poorhouse.

(ii) Joe’s wife, Mrs. Thompson, was childless, so she had no feelings. She was ill-tempered and it had become her usual nature. She had lost the purpose of living. When she saw Mr. Thompson carrying a piece of precious burden in his arms from the window, she sharply questioned him about the child.

Her tone was full of anger and astonishment and her face was in flame when she asked, “You haven’t brought home that sick brat”. Her tone scared little Maggie and she started shrinking in Thompson’s arms. He did not reply but carried Maggie to the small chamber on the first floor and laid her on a bed.

(iii) ‘An Angel in Disguise’ is the most appropriate title for the story. Maggie, the youngest of three children, brings joy and happiness in the lives of a childless couple, Mr. and Mrs. Thompson. She proves to be an angel for them. Mrs. Thompson’s attitude and behaviour show a drastic change.

From a rude, ill-tempered and self-afflicting woman, Mrs. Thompson is now transformed into a loving and caring figure. The sick and helpless child brings light and happiness to Thompson’s house. She is a blessing for them. For a long period of time, it has been dark, cold and miserable because Mrs. Thompson has no one to take care of or love.

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 5 with Answers

That is why she became sore, irritable, ill-tempered and self- afflicting. Now the sweetness of that sick child, who is also thirsty for getting someone’s love, has become honey to her soul as she carries her in her heart as well as in her arms. Maggie comes into the Thompson’s house and their hearts as an ‘angel in disguise’ and fills its dreary chambers with love.

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Question Papers with Answers

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 4 with Answers

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 4 with Answers

Section A – Drama
The Merchant of Venice : Shakespeare

Question 1.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
Morocco : This first, of gold, who inscription bears :
‘Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire’.
This second, silver, which this promise carries :
‘Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves’.
This third, dull lead, with warning all as blunt:
‘Who chooseth me must give and hazard all he hath’,
How shall I know if I do choose the right ?

(i) Where is Morocco ? What has brought him there ?
(ii) What was the motto carved on the golden casket ? What did it contain ?
(iii) What was the motto borne by the silver casket ? What did it contain ?
(iv) What was the motto borne by the lead casket ? What did it contain ?
(v) What are the views of the different suitors who are concerned with the caskets’ incident ? What do you think about their views and remarks ?
Answer:
(i) Morocco is in a room in the Portia’s house. He has come to try his luck with the lottery of caskets, to win the hand of Portia.

(ii) The motto carved on the golden casket was that the man who opens it will get what many men desire. It contained an empty human skull with a”roll of paper in which it was written that whoever happens to be guided by the glitter of things is invariably deceived.

(iii) The motto borne by the silver casket was that the suitor who opens it will get what he deserves. It contained the portrait of a blinking idiot presenting a scroll in which was written that those who do not think carefully before taking any step in any matter will always be befooled.

(iv) The motto borne by the lead casket was that the suitor who would choose it would have to sacrifice whatever he has. It contained the portrait of fair Portia, and a roll of paper on which it was written that whosoever had chosen it, should feel contended with Portia and he must not think of any other woman in the world.

(v) The Prince of Morocco looks upon the caskets as a matter of ‘chance’. The Prince of Arragon looks upon the selection of caskets as a matter of fortune. Even Bassanio, the successful suitor says, “But let me to my fortune and the caskets”. The remarks and views of various persons would lead us to think that destiny is all powerful and she guides all human actions. Portia rightly remarks, ‘When they choose, they have the wisdom by their wit to lose’.

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 4 with Answers

Question 2.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
Launcelot: Well, well: but, for mine own part, as I have set up my rest to run away, so I will not rest till I have run some ground. My master’s a very Jew : give him a present ? Give him a halter ! I am famished in his service; you may tell every finger I have with my ribs. Father, I am glad you are come : give me your present to one Master Bassanio, who indeed, gives rare new liveries.

(i) What has old Gobbo just said, which makes Launcelot say, “Well, well” ?
(ii) Give the meaning of : “As I have set up my rest to run away, so I will not rest till I have run some ground.”
(iii) What does the expression “a very Jew” tell about Shylock and about jews in general ?
(iv) What is a ‘halter’ ? Why does Launcelot suggest that his father gives Shylock a halter instead of a
present ?
(v) “I am famished in his service.” What do you come to know about the character of Launcelot and Shylock from this expression?
Answer:
(i) Launcelot says “Well well” when his father announces that he has brought a gift for Shylock. Launcelot does not approve of it, as he has decided to leave the miserly Shylock.

(ii) As Launcelot has decided to run away, he cannot wait to get going. He has decided to leave Shylock and find work with someone else.

(iii) Launcelot says his master, Shylock, is a typical Jew. He means all Jews are miserly and care only for money. They will do anything to spare money and will not show kindness and consideration for relatives or servants.

(iv) Launcelot says his master is a total Jew. Instead of giving him a present, his father should give him a noose to hang himself as he is not fit to live. Shylock had starved him to death and one can see his ribs so will that one can count them.

(v) We come to know that Shylock is a miserly master who does not even provide propel food or clothing to his servants, even when he exacts hard work from them. Launcelot, on the other hand, has served his master well, but cannot endure his master’s cruelty any more and therefore he has decided to quit his service.

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 4 with Answers

Question 3.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
Solanio : Now, by two-headed Janus;
Nature hath framed strange fellows in her time :
Some that will evermore peep through their eyes,
And laugh like parrots at a bag-piper;
And other of such vinegar aspect
That they’ll not show their teeth in way of smile,
Though Nestor swear the jest be laughable.

(i) Contextualize the extract. Who is Janus ? Why is he referred to as ‘two-headed’ ? To what is Janus compared to in the extract ? What are the terms of comparison ?
(ii) What conclusion does Solanio come to when Antonio remarked that he was not sad because of love ?
(iii) Describe in your own words the two types of strange fellows that nature has framed.
(iv) Give the meanings of:
(a) framed strange fellows
(b) peep through their eyes
(c) of such vinegar aspect.
(v) Why are some people compared to parrots in the extract ?
Answer:
(i) When Solanio and Salerio are discussing the reasons why Antonio felt melancholic, they say there are some people who are sad just because they are not merry. Humans differ in their attitude. Then they refer to Janus, the Roman god of beginnings and endings, the two faced god who looks to the future and to the past. Likewise, there are people whc laugh even on silly things and those who refuse to laugh even if the situation is ticklingly funny.

(ii) Solanio says that Antonio is sad because he is not merry. He says to Antonio that it is as simple as to laugh and dance around and say that he is in a good mood. He could just say that he is not sad.

(iii) Solanio says that some people will laugh at anything, and others are so grouchy that they will not even crack a smile when they hear something hysterically funny.

(iv) (a) Framed strange fellows – Nature has created humans with strange behaviour.
(b) Peep through their eyes – laugh so much that tears flow out from their eyes.
(c) Of such vinegar aspect – of serious and sombre nature.

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 4 with Answers

(v) Solanio contrasts the sad Antonio to those people who are silly enough to laugh like Parrots at the melancholic sounds made by bagpiper.

Section B – Poetry
A Collection of Poems

Question 4.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
The most important thing we’ve learned,
So far as children are concerned,
Is never, NEVER, NEVER let
Them near your television set-
Or better still, just don’t install
The idiotic thing at all.
In almost every house we’ve been,
We’ve watched them gaping at the screen.
They loll and slop and lounge about,
And stare until their eyes pop out.
(Last week in someone’s place we saw
A dozen eyeballs on the floor.)
They sit and stare and stare and sit
Until they’re hypnotised by it,
Until they’re absolutely drunk
With all that shocking ghastly junk.

(i) What important rule does the poet give with regard to children ?
(ii) In what different ways does television cause physical harm to children ?
(iii) What, according to the poet, is a usual sight in most houses with television ?
(iv) How has the poet described the children who are intoxicated by television ?
(v) What is the poet’s opinion on children getting addicted to television ? Is he right ?
Answer:
(i) In the poem Television’, the poet says that parents should follow a hard and fast rule in regard to children and that rule is to keep their young children far away from the television. The poet feels that children should be kept far from the TV or better still the television set must be thrown out of the house.

(ii) The poem emphasises on the various harms that the television causes to children due to excessive watching. It keeps the children bound to their spot in the house in front of the TV. They find it tiresome to go out and play while mostly they loll around in the house They become extremely lazy and their body becomes unhealthy. Continuous watching of TV may also affect their eyes severely.

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 4 with Answers

(iii) While mentioning the state of most households, the poet describes how the situation of almost every house is the same. The children everywhere are stuck in front of the TV set all day long and that makes them lazy and inactive. Their physical health is severely harmed which will cause them trouble in the future as well. The children stare at the screens as if their eyes are glued to it and it seems that their eyes will pop out from the sockets due to the stress.

(iv) Children who watch television continuously and excessively are addicted to it. The poet says in the poem that the children who are intoxicated by the television, often seem to be dizzy. They go on staring at the screens all day long and it seems that it is their only drug. They are hypnotised by it and seem to be completely in its clutches. They appear drunk in the intoxication caused by the television.

(v) The poet Roald Dahl strongly criticises the presence of television in a house that has young children. He suggests that a bookshelf should be installed in the place of the television set. He opines that when there is television at home, children tend to become addicted to it. And once they are addicted, they waste all their time on it. It ruins their thinking process and makes them unimaginative as well as lazy and unhealthy. The criticism of the poet is very true because the television indeed is a very harmful form of entertainment.

Question 5.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
What does he plant who plants a tree ?
He plants, in sap and leaf and wood,
In love of home and loyalty
And far-cast thought of civic good 
His blessings on the neighborhood,
Who in the hollow of His hand .
Holds all the growth of all our land 
A nation’s growth from sea to sea
Stirs in his heart who plants a tree.

(i) What do we get from trees, according to the poem ? What virtues does a tree give us ?
(ii) The hollow of whose hand is mentioned in the lines ? What all does that hand hold in it ?
(iii) What is the intention behind the capitalization of ‘His’ in the final lines ? What does it denote ?
(iv) The poet has related one’s love for one’s nation to planting of trees. Explain how ?
(v) What would be your message to human beings if you were a tree and you could speak in human language ?
Answer:
(i) Trees provide us With innumerable benefits some of which are essential for our survival. In the poem, material’ and spiritual benefits have been mentioned to bring the reader’s attention to the greatness of trees. Among the things we get from trees that the poet has mentioned are sap, leaf, wood, etc. According to the poet, trees also inculcate in us the love of our home and loyalty to it.

(ii) The poet talks about a person who grows trees using the honorary ‘He’ and he mentions the hollow of the person’s hand who has planted a tree. The poet says that anyone who plants a tree and believes in increasing their number holds the growth of his country in the hollow of his hand. The hollow of the hand is an indication of power. People who work for the growth of trees, they are actually working for the growth and betterment of their motherland.

(iii) The capitalization of His’ indicates the all-powerful attribute of the person who grows trees. The poet says that the person who grows trees has in the glory and growth of his country in the hollow of his hand. The extent to which a person can benefit by growing trees has caused the poet to use the capital ‘His’ to denote the powers that such a thoughtful person posseses with regards to the development of his country.

(iv) Trees have innumerable benefits and they are essential to human survival on Earth. The presence of trees in a country directly affects the national health situation and in some ways it also helps the economy develop. When a person plants trees and tend to them, they are directly working for the betterment of their country. So, the more a person loves their nation, the more they would plant trees.

(v) If I were a tree and also could speak to humans in their language, I would request them to consider the importance of trees in their lives. As trees are dependent on humans for their cultivation, so are humans dependent on trees for their survival. Both need each other. Humans should grow more and more trees and consider greatly the consequences of deforestation. It is for their own good that they should grow trees and take care of them as well. There is enough space on Earth for trees and humans both and humans don’t need to cut trees to make space for themselves.

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 4 with Answers

Question 6.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
Some are like fields of sunlit corn,
Meet for a bride on her bridal morn,
Some, like the flame of her marriage fire,
Or, rich with the hue of her heart’s desire,
Tinkling, luminous, tender, and clear,
Like her bridal laughter and bridal tear.
(The Bangle Sellers- Sarojini Naidu)

(i) What is the colour of the bangles that are suitable for a bride ? How has the poetess described the
colour ?
(ii) What beautiful things does the poetess mention about marriage and a bride ?
(iii) What are the desires of a newly-wed bride ?
(iv) What colour does the marriage fire refer to ?
(v) What is the importance of bangles for a traditional Indian bride ?
Answer:
(i) The colour most appropriate for a bride’s bangles is red. In India, red is the colour associated with a bride and her happy married life. The poetess has mentioned the significance of bangles coloured in red and its associated shades. She describes the dark orange colour with the example of com that is brightly coloured by sunlight. The poetess also makes use of fire to describe the colours of bridal bangles.

(ii) The poetess suggests different bangles for different kinds of women. In one stanza, she writes about marriage and a bride. She says that the bangle sellers have sunlit orange bangles for sale that are perfect for a bride on the morning of her wedding. The poetess has mentioned how a bride gets to laugh and cry as well to her heart’s content on the day of her wedding.

(iii) The heart of a newly-wed bride is full of desires and aspirations. The poet has described how a girl is full of hopes and dreams when she becomes a wife. She is at the threshold of a completely new life. She has her own reservations about her new home and new family whereas she is also excited about starting a new life where she will be the source of future generations.

(iv) The poetess has used various references to describe the wonderful bangles that are on sale in the market. The bangle sellers call out to the people in the market while describing their wares. The sellers explain how they have different kinds and colours of bangles for woman of different ages and life stages. While talking about the bangles for a bride, the poet mentions a bangle that has the colour of the marriage fire in it. This is a reference to the shades and hues between orange and red.

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 4 with Answers

(v) In the traditional Indian culture, a lot of emphasis is put on the adornments of women. Adornments have in fact been the marks of identification in earlier times to denote whether a woman is unmarried, married or widowed. It is unimaginable that an Indian bride will be without forearms full of bangles on her wedding day and even months after that. The importance of bangles for Indian women has surpassed the limitations of religions and castes.

Section C – Prose
A Collection of Short Stories

Question 7.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
There was a pontoon bridge across the river and carts, trucks, and men, women and children were crossing it. The mule-drawn carts staggered up the steep bank from the bridge with soldiers helping push against the spokes of the wheels. The trucks ground up and away heading out of it all and the peasants plodded along in the ankle deep dust. But the old man sat there without moving. He was too tired to go any farther.
(Old Man at the Bridge- Ernest Hemingway)
(i) What is a pontoon bridge ? What is happening at the bridge ?
(ii) What is the contrast drawn between the busy traffic and the old man ? Why doesn’t the old mem move ?
(iii) Who is the speaker in the above extract ? Why is he there ?
(iv) Explain how the story brings out the conflict at two levels.
(v) What does Hemingway want to convey through the story ?
Answer:
(i) A bridge that is made of large hollow containers filled with air is called a pontoon bridge. Men, women, children, cars, and trucks, were crossing over, They are escaping from enemy attack during Spanish Civil war.

(ii) In contrast to the rapid movements of the others on the bridge, the old man is sitting on the bridge as though he does not want to go anywhere or escape from danger. He was too tired to go any farther because he had already walked twelve kilometers since he left his hometown, San Carlos.

(iii) An unnamed narrator, an army scout is the speaker. He could most probably be the writer himself, when he worked as a journalist during those times. He was on a mission to cross the bridge and find out how far the enemy had advanced.

(iv) The story has two levels of conflicts between : man and his inner self, and man and the outside world. The conflict between man and his inner self is evident in the character of the old man. He is guilty of leaving his animals behind, and escaping to save himself from the artillery.
Man against man is another conflict in the story. In times of war, man causes pain and suffering to another being. He fights with his own race for what he thinks is for greater good.

(v) The Spanish civil war brought untold misery and destruction and Hemingway, who was a pacifist, wanted to convey how in times of war, man acts inhumanly to his own race. War causes death and destruction, and this is highlighted through the condition of the old man who can be seen as the symbol of civilian victims of war. The old man finds a meaning in life by taking care of his animals, but the war takes away even that comfort from him. He sits alone by the side of the road; helpless and a victim of fate; he cannot escape and is too old and tired to save himself. The story has a universal appeal, as it depicts the helplessness of civilians, anywhere in the world, who are the real victims of wars.

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 4 with Answers

Question 8.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
Muni sat at the foot of the statue, watching his two goats graze in the arid soil among the cactus and the lantana bushes. He looked at the sun; it had titled westward no doubt, but it was not the time yet to go back home; if he went too early his wife would have no food for him. Also he must give her time to cool off her temper and feel sympathetic, and then she would scrounge and manage to get some food.
(A Horse and Two Goats- R.K. Narayan)
(i) Who is Muni ? What do you know about his background ?
(ii) Where is he now ? Why is he there ? How long has he been there ? Why is he not going home ?
(iii) Describe the statue of the horse. What changes has time made on it ?
(iv) Who comes at this point of time ? In what sort of vehicle does he come ? What does Muni think about the profession of this newcomer ? What wish does the newcomer express a little later and how does Muni react to it ?
(v) What are the factors that appeal to you, in the story, ‘A Horse and Two Goats’ ?
Answer:
(i) Muni is an old man of seventy years, who lives in the village of Kritam, Tamil Nadu. He used to own a flock of forty goats, but is now in an impoverished condition owning only two goats. Drumsticks that grow on a tree nearby is a delicacy for him now and the leaves of the tree are his staple diet these days. Sometimes he gets some provisions from a store, by humouring the shopkeeper. He spends his day taking his goats to grazing and returns in the evening to some meagre meal somehow managed by his wife.

(ii) Muni is in the outskirts of his village ‘Kritam’, grazing his goats. As usual, he is sitting on the pedestal of a horse statue, watching the vehicles pass along the highway. He has been there for almost the whole day. Although it is nearly evening, but it is not time for him to return home, as his wife would not be ready with the food. Moreover, he wants to give time to cool off her temper and so that she feels sympathetic enough to cook for him.

(iii) The horse is nearly life size, moulded out of clay, baked, burnt, and brightly coloured. Proudly holding its head up, it cuts a dynamic picture, with its forelegs in the air, and tail flourishing in a loop. Over the years, the white colour has changed into a muddy brown. It has lost the splendour of red and black brocade decorating its back. The multicoloured sash of the warrior beside it, is also gone. The villagers hardly look up to the work of art.

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 4 with Answers

(iv) A red-faced American comes in a vehicle which is a cross between a motor car and a bus. Muni at first thinks the newcomer to be a policeman or a soldier. A little later the man expresses the wish to take the statue of the horse home but Muni feels he is bargaining for the goats.

(v) The simplicity, light humour and compassionate approach shown by the author, make the story appealing. The comedy that arises out of misinterpreting the spoken languages bring about rich situational comedy.

An English speaking American meets an illiterate South Indian villager who knows only Tamil. Both the men are equally baffled by the words and behaviour of each other. Taking the man in khaki to be a policeman, Muni thinks of running away but restrains himself thinking that it will make the man chase him. In reply to his greeting, Muni replies that his name is Muni, and the two goats belong to him and no one can deny that.

The man offers him a smoke and Muni says ‘Yes, No/ the only words he knows in English. Muni implores not to ask any question about murder, as he knows nothing about it. Ignoring the blabber, the foreigner asks about the horse and Muni insists that he does not know anything about the crime.

The American talks about his travel plans and Muni says, ‘Yes, No.’ When being complimented on his teeth, Muni talks about thefts. When the man expresses his wish to buy the horse statue, and offers him hundred rupees, Muni thinks he wants to buy his goats. The man asks him to assist him in lifting the horse and Muni hurries home leaving his goats.

The rural background, the simplicity of the protagonist and the confusion that rises out of the conversation with him are touching but at the same time make us chuckle.

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 4 with Answers

Question 9.
Answer the following questions with reference to Chief Seattle’s Speech.
(a) In what circumstances was the famous speech of Chief Seattle given ? What proposal was put forward to the Red Man by the Great Chief ? What would be the impact of the proposal on the Red man and in what light would the world see the White man ?
(b) How does Seattle compare Christianity and the religion of Great Spirit ?
(c) What is the gist and overall message of the speech ? How is the order of nature referred to by the Chief ? How does he hint that justice will be done at the end ?
Answer:
(a) Chief Seattle gave a powerful and eloquent speech as a reply to the government who offered to buy two million acres of land occupied by the Native Americans. His speech is described as one of the most inspiring ones ever argued in favour of environment and human rights.

The proposal was that the natives should surrender their land to the Whites. In return of this, the Whites would protect them from foreign attack of the Haidas and Tsimshians. The Whites were willing to allow them enough land to live comfortably.

The impact of the proposal meant the Native Americans to leave their revered land where their ancestors were resting in eternal peace. They would lose their land which was full of memories with stirring events connected with their lives. The land that they were asked to sell was sacred for them.

The Whites were unjustly exercising authority over the Native Americans. Having a powerful army and navy, they were expecting the Red Indians to bow down to their super strength. The world would see it as symbolic of master-slave relationship; sheer exploitation by imperial powers.

(b) The White men follow Christianity written by the iron finger of their god, symbolising strict adherence to rules and principles. The God of this religion is partial and has forsaken his Red children. Seattle says that this God loves only his paleface children and makes them stronger everyday. So soon they will fill all the land. He does not love the Red children thus they seem to be ebbing away.

Seattle says that for a Red Man, the ashes of his ancestors are sacred and their resting place is hallowed ground. They love to stay in the land where their ancestors’ memories are alive, whereas the Whites wander far from their ancestors’ graves. They forget their native land and never return.

The religion of the Red Man is the tradition of their ancestors. The dreams of their old men, given them in solemn hours of the night by the Great Spirit, and the visions of their schemes, are written in the hearts of their people.

(c) One cannot fail to notice the overall irony reflected throughout the speech. The speaker thanks the friendship and goodwill shown by the White Chief and appreciates it. ‘It’s kind of him.’ However, in every single word, the Chief makes it clear that it is the power of money and millitary strength that makes rich nations subdue the less powerful, and in the garb of friendship, they cheat the real holders of their land.

Chief Seattle is upset but at the same time, is aware that he and his men are cornered and will have to consider the proposal. But before that, he gives a few warnings and suggestions which are to be heeded by all. God, land, water and plants are close-knit family and require more respect and reverence than white men are giving. There is an order in Nature and if that balance is upset, everything will be lost. Tribe follows tribe; nation follows nation. No one is above the other.

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 4 with Answers

By sheer strength of the army, some may be able to conquer the others, but not for long. In the zeal to build and possess, they may lose all they have. There will come a time when they will realise that the ultimate destiny of man is the same. Some may prolong their existence; some may perish early, like the Red Indian minority. When the powerful nations accept this truth, they will realise that all are brothers and have equal rights.

The Chief also makes it clear, that the tribe should be able to visit the tombs of their near and dear ones whenever they want and no restrictions should be imposed. He also promises that their dead would throng the shops and streets, highways and countrysides along with the living Whites; the memories of the vanished tribe will haunt their present, giving them company, and solace in solitude.

Whether the speech lost its authenticity in translation or not, what matters is that Seattle’s words inspire in a most compelling truth about man’s relation with a man and his environment.

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Question Papers with Answers

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 3 with Answers

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 3 with Answers

Section A – Drama
The Merchant of Venice : Shakespeare

Question 1.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
Portia : By my troth, Nerissa, my little body is aweary of this great world.
Nerissa : You would be sweet madam, if your miseries were in the same abundance as your good fortunes are : and yet, for aught I see, they are as sick that surfeit with too much as they that starve with nothing. It is no mean happiness therefore to be seated in the mean : superfluity comes sooner by white hairs, but competency lives longer.
Portia : Good sentences and well pronounced.
Nerissa : They would be better, if well followed.

(i) “My little body is aweary of this great world.” What does Portia mean by these words and where is the scene taking place ?
(ii) What is Nerissa referring to when she says, “You would be, sweet madam”?
(iii) They are as sick that surfeit with too much as they that starve with nothing.’ How does Nerissa express her stance though she is aide to Portia ?
(iv) ‘Competency lives longer.’ Explain these words.
(v) How do you think that Portia’s situation is in truth wearisome ?
Answer:
(i) Portia is referring to the long list of suitable she has to meet before any one of them chooses the right casket with her portrait. This is the great burden she is facing who is otherwise, free to enjoy the fortunes. The scene happens in a room in Portia’s house, in Belmont.

(ii) By saying the given line, Nerissa means that Portia would be tired, if she had bad luck than wealth and good luck. As a lady-in-waiting, whose station in society is lower than that of Portia, she explains that Portia’s sufferings are not of great magnitude.

(iii) Nerissa is considered as a close friend of Portia, and though her station is lower than that of Portia, she speaks her mind. She states that people with too much wealth and fortune suffer just as much as those who starve with nothing to eat or have. Nerissa is bold in articulating her thoughts and has wise words for Portia.

(iv) The word ‘competency’ here means capability, know-how, or proficiency. It states that a skill is required to endure in a world full of wearies and burdens. Nerissa explains that superfluity or trying to cope with excesses will not live longer, but competency or skills will help one stand longer and stronger. Nerissa also makes a subtle dig at the imagined troubles of the rich, while the common man has more than enough to overcome.

(v) Portia, the rich and famous young woman who has suitors from all across the lands, in truth has no say in the matter, of her father’s edict. Portia’s fate is sealed until one chooses the right casket. Her happiness rests on someone else’s choice and not her own, and this is her burden. In addition, she has to meet and entertain all the suitors who come to win her over, whether she desires it or not. In this manner of speaking, one can say that her “little body is aweary of this great world.”

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 3 with Answers

Question 2.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :

Shylock : To bait fish withal: if it will feed nothing else, it will feed my revenge. He hath disgraced me, and hindered me half a million, laughed at my losses, mock’d at my gains, scored my nation, thwarted my bargains, cooled my friends, heated mine enemies, and what’s his reason ? I am a Jew. If a Jew wrong a Christian, what is his humility ? Revenge! If a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christian example ? Why, revenge! The villainy you teach me, I will execute, and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction.

(i) Who has insulted Shylock and in what manner ? Where does the scene take place ?
(ii) How does Shylock plead his case ?
(iii) How do Christians insult Jews according to Shylock ?
(iv) What are the disparities in how the Christians and the Jews look at each other ?
(v) To whom is Shylock addressing and why ? Explain.
Answer:
(i) Antonio has insulted Shylock by making him lose out on interest, then mock him for his loss as well as gains, insulted his nation, and also made him deprive of friends and incited his enemies. The scene takes place in a street in Venice.

(ii) Shylock says Christians and Jews are created in the same manner and proportions; just like Christians have hands, organs, limbs and senses, likes and dislikes the Jew also possess the same. They feed on the same food, are injured by the same weapons, get the same diseases, are cured by same medicines and suffer the same climatic conditions. They bleed, they laugh and die in the same way; so is the case with revenge too.

(iii) According to Shylock, Christians insult Jews, both with words and actions. They do not allow them to do decent business, taunt them in Rialto, spit on their faces and dresses, and call them names.

(iv) In all ways Christians have the upper hand. When Christians insult Jews, it is justified as revenge for some wrongdoing, and when Jews wrong them, they are worthy to be taken revenge on. According to Shylock, since both are made in the same way and both react in the same way, Jews can also take revenge in the same way.

(v) Although Salarino is there, Shylock is actually indulging in a monologue that is almost like a soliloquy, revealing his innermost thoughts. His deep hatred for all the grievances undergone by him and the rest of his tribe are revealed here. His intention to exact the flesh of Antonio to feed the fish shows his deep feelings of revenge.

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 3 with Answers

Question 3.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
Shylock : I am debating of my present store,
And, by the near guess of my memory,
I cannot instantly raise up the gross
Of full three thousand ducats. What of that ?


Tubal, a wealthy Hebrew of my tribe, 

Will furnish me. But soft ! How many months
Do you desire ? (To Antonio) Rest you fair, good signior;
Your worship was the last man in our mouths.
(i) Who is the speaker ? Identify the context.
(ii) Explain :
(a) Debating of my present store ?
(b) Cannot instantly raise to the gross ?
(iii) Who is Tubal ? What function has he in the play ?
(iv) State in your own words what does the speaker say to Antonio ? Comment on their relationship.
(v) What is the meaning of the last line “Your worship was the last man in our mouths” ?
Answer:
(i) Shylock is the speaker. Antonio’s ships had sunk in the sea and consequently he had no money to finance the trip of Bassanio, his friend. So they go to Shylock to take loan. Then Shylock informs Bassanio that he does not have enough ready money and he will have ‘ to ask another wealthy Jew to raise enough ducats for him.

(ii) (a) Means Shylock does not have ready cash in hand to lend to Antonio.
(b) Shylock cannot raise the requisite sum immediately.

(iii) Tubal is a wealthy Jew of Venice and Shylock’s friend. He is Shylock’s confidante and helps him in many ways. He goes to track his friend’s daughter Jessica, who had eloped with an Englishman and informs him about a list of things she bought including a monkey with the ducats stolen from her father. He also brings Shylock the news that Antonio is on the verge of bankruptcy, thus providing an impetus to his wicked plan.

(iv) Shylock says that he does not have full three thousand ducats with him but Tubal, a rich Jew could help him in raising the amount. To Antonio, he politely says that he and Bassanio were talking about him just before he reached there. Shylock has racial prejudice towards Antonio for being a Christian and also wants to take revenge on him for lending money without interest at Rialto, thereby bringing the rate of usury down in Venice. Antonio has no respect for the other due to his attitude to money lending.

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 3 with Answers

(v) Shylock says that Antonio was the subject of his conversation with Bassanio. Although he addresses Antonio as ‘Your worship’, he has scant respect for him. Ironically, the word ‘mouth’ reminds us of Shylock’s intention of feeding his grudge towards Antonio, and his decision to exact his pound of flesh.

Sections B – Poetry
A Collection of Poems

Question 4.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
Old Kaspar took it from the boy,
Who stood expectant by;
‘ And then the old man shook his head,
And, with a natural sigh,
“T is some poor fellow’s skull/’ said he,
“Who fell in the great victory,
“I find them in the garden,
For there’s many here about;
And often when I go to plough,
The ploughshare turns them out.
For many thousand men,” said he,
“Were slain in that great victory.”

(i) What happened to the person whose skull was found by Peterkin ?
(ii) Were the children educated by Old Kaspar on war ? How was his recollection of the war ?
(iii) Whom did the skull belong to ? What was Kaspar’s opinion about it ?
(iv) What did Kaspar say about skulls ? How does he treat the death of the slain ?
(v) What would be your reaction if you come across a skull ? Does it matter whose skull it is ?
Answer:
(i) As Peterkin and Wilhelmine were playing around near the house, the boy found a large and smooth thing near the rivulet. It was a skull. He brought it to his grandfather who told them that it must have belonged to one of the hundreds of soldiers who fought in wars and lost their lives in the struggle. The person whose skull was found must have died as a result of war and his skull must have flown along the rivulet from somewhere reaching the area near Kaspar’s house.

(ii) The discovery of the skull made Kaspar tell the children about wars and the cause of deaths. He told them about a battle that took place near their house and how it was necessary to fight for victory. The truth is that the old man himself hardly knows anything much about wars. But the tone in which he explains the victory seems to imply for those who agree with war and that the deaths of hundreds and thousands is the fair price for victory.

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 3 with Answers

(iii) Peterkin found a skull near the rivulet and brought it to his grandfather. His grandfather told them that a war had taken place some time back and this must be the skull of one of the many soldiers who fought and died in the war. Kaspar was not shocked or surprised to see the skull because he had seen many such skulls around while ploughing the field and working on the crops.

(iv) Kaspar informed the children that the skulls were not a big deal and he had often found a number of them while working in the fields. He says that the skulls are a result of the many deaths in the war, but it is said that war resulted in a great victory so the deaths are not a big deal.

(v) The skulls have always served as symbols of death and destruction. When a person comes across a skull and especially that of a human being, it is natural for the person to feel shocked and scared. If I ever come across a skull, I would surely be shaken. It does not really matter whose skull it is, whether of a human or an animal. Nor does it matter of what race, gender or colour the person was.

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 3 with Answers

Question 5.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
Some are meet for a maiden’s wrist,
Silver and blue as the mountain mist,
Some are flushed like the buds that dream
On the tranquil brow of a woodland stream,
Some are aglow with the bloom that cleaves
To the limpid glory of new born leaves.
(i) What is the meaning of the word ‘meet’ in the poem ?
(ii) What natural phenomenon has the poetess used to describe the bangles in the lines given above ?
(iii) Who in the poem is said to be dreaming ? Why has the poetess used the term ‘dreaming’ for them ? Are they actually dreaming ?
(iv) What has the glow of some bangles been compared with ?
(v) What importance do bangles have for women ? What do you think is the most attractive quality of bangles ?
Answer:
(i) The poetess narrates how the bangle sellers are calling out to the people in the market and selling their merchandise. The bangle sellers are introducing their bangles to the crowd of buyers near their shops. They suggest different bangles for different women and recommend the silver and blue bangles for a young maiden. The word ‘meet’ is used to say that the bangles are suitable for a young woman.

(ii) The poetess has made use of many attributes to describe the bangle sellers wares. She describes the colours of the bangles using imagery of nature. She talks about the silver and blue bangles for maidens using the example of mountain mist. She also makes use of the words ‘blooming buds’ and new born leaves’ for the description of bangles.

(iii) While using natural imagery to describe colourful bangles, the poetess at one instance mentions blooming buds. The poetess says that the buds are dreaming peacefully near the stream in the woods. She uses the word ‘dream’ to define the action of the buds because they have not yet bloomed and their future is unclear yet. The buds are still and calm so it seems that they are having a beautiful dream.

(iv) The bangle sellers are praising their merchandise so as to attract the buyers in the market. The poetess talks about some bangles that are bright green in colour. In order to describe them, she uses the similitude of fresh green leaves. The poetess says that the bangles are brightly shining the way newly born leaves glow.

(v) Bangles are worn by women in many cultures as an adornment and accessory. Indian women enjoy a very close relationship with bangles and they give a lot of importance to it. They relish the shiny rings of glass and metals on their hands as they enhance their beauty and make their hands look more attractive. The most attractive quality of bangles is their lustre and bright colours. They beautify the wrists of the wearer.

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 3 with Answers

Question 6.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
What does he plant who plants a tree ?
He plants a friend of sun and sky;
He plants the flag of breezes free;
The shaft of beauty, towering high;
He plants a home to heaven anigh;
For song and mother-croon of bird
In hushed and happy twilight heard
The treble of heaven’s harmony
These things he plants who plants a tree.

(i) How does a tree get to be friends with the sun and the sky ? Are they related to each other despite the distance between them ?
(ii) What accessories to a tree are mentioned in the aforementioned lines ?
(iii) Why does the poet connect a tree to a home to heaven’ ?
(iv) How has the poet described the atmosphere of the morning ?
(v) How different would be our mornings with and without trees ?
Answer:
(i) The poet has described the tree as a friend of the sun and the sky. In spite of the great distance between them, they are very closely related to each other. The survival of the tree is dependent largely on sunlight from the sun and rain from the sky. The sun, the sky and the tree are said to be friends as they benefit from each other in some way or the other.

(ii) A tree without leaves and flowers beauty. There are certain accessories to a tree that makes it a beautiful and admirable sight. A coat of green leaves is an evidence of the tree’s health. It is indeed a pleasure to look at a tree with leaves, flowers and fruits. The poet has also mentioned a few accessories of a tree. Sweet breezes blow from a tree and chirping birds make their home on its branches. These birds croon happy songs.

(iii) The poet says the tree is a home to heaven and by that he is referring to the beauty one sees in the tree. The sunlight from the sky and the water from the clouds come together to nourish the tree and the signs of their glory are seen in the majesty of the tree laden with fruits and leaves. The birds that make their nests on the branches of the tree sing cheerful songs and their joy mirrors how the tree itself is heaven for them.

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 3 with Answers

(iv) The poet describes the beauty of the tree along with the glory of the morning. He mentions how the tree stands tall majestically and emits freshness in the air. Sweet breeze blows to and from the tree and calms the atmosphere. The birds are singing songs in the morning which signify a merry start of the day.

(v) Trees are eternal symbols of life and they are greatly responsible for the purity of air on Earth. The presence of trees is essential for human survival. Our mornings, our lives are all largely dependent on these elements of nature. Mornings without trees are unimaginable. There will be no fresh breezes, no chirping of birds, no flowers on the pathways, and no fruits for breakfast. One cannot imagine mornings without the greenery of trees as that is the only thing that comforts our eyes, amidst the harsh visuals of cities.

Section C – Prose
A Collection of Short Stories

Question 7.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
“Yes”, he said, “I stayed, you see, taking care of animals. I was the last one to leave the town of San Carlos.” He did not look like a shepherd nor a herdsman and 1 looked at his black dusty clothes and his gray dusty face and his steel rimmed spectacles and said, “What animals were they ?” ‘
(Old Man at the Bridge- Ernest Hemingway)
(i) Who is the speaker ? To whom is he speaking ? What do you know about San Carlos from the text ?
(ii) Describe the circumstances in which the other person is now.
(iii) Why was the person the last one to leave the town ? What ultimately made him leave ?
(iv) What was the speaker’s only worry ? Ultimately he decides not to worry about two creatures. What were they and why ?
(v) What does the narrator convey in the last, paragraph of the story ?
Answer:
(i) The old man is the speaker of these lines. He is speaking to the narrator. San Carlos, in Spain, was old man’s native town which was twelve kilometers away from the place where the old man was sitting.

(ii) The other person is the narrator, who is a soldier. He is doing his duty of observing the advancement of the army across the bridge. He is also among the volunteers to help the civilians. When he crosses the Pontoon bridge near the Ebro River, which people are crossing to escape from the war zone, he observes an old man sitting, wearing steel- rimmed spectacles and very dusty clothes. He is concerned about the old man’s safety and asks him to cross the bridge and catch a truck towards Barcelona.

(iii) The old man was the last one to leave the town because he was anxious about the safety of the animals he was taking care of which included two goats, a cat and four pairs of pigeons. He had no family but these animals were his only family. He was feeling guilty that he had not been able to save the lives-of the animals which were dependent on him. He was forced to leave his hometown San Carlos to escape from the artillery fire from the enemy as the Civil War had broken out in Spain.

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 3 with Answers

(iv) The old man’s only worry was his innocent helpless animals who were left unattended when he was displaced by the Civil War. He didn’t have any family in the form of human beings but these pets were his only family and he was compelled to leave them alone. He was least worried about the safety of the cat as it could look after itself. Then, there were pigeons which would fly away from the cage, he had left unlocked.

(v) In the last paragraph, the narrator wanted to convey that nothing could be done of the old man. He could see his forthcoming death because the old man was not ready to move. He refused to get up as he was tired and extremely weak. The fascists were moving towards Ebro and the day was overcast so there were no planes in the sky to attack the people. That was his only good luck but soon they would cross the bridge and the old man would meet his fate. Thus, the story ends with the soldier’s anxiety for the old man and old man’s anxiety for his animals.

Question 8.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
“You’ll excuse me for speaking, miss, but, I see you’re acquainted with the marshall here. If you’ll ask him to speak a word for me when we get to the pen he’ll do it, and it’ll make things easier for me there. He’s taking me to Leavenworth prison. It’s seven years for counterfeiting.” “Oh!” said the girl, with a deep breath and returning colour. “So that is what you are doing out here ? A marshall ?” (Hearts and Hands- O. Henry)
(i) What explanation was given by the other man to the young woman about Mr. Easton ?
(ii) What reason was given by Mr. Easton for not going to Washington ?
(iii) Why did Miss Fairchild call Mr. Easton ‘Dashing Western Hero’ ?
(iv) “My butterfly days are over”, what kind of irony is there ?
(v) Why were Miss Fairchild’s eyes rested upon the glittering handcuffs and what did the other man explain her ?
Answer:
(i) When the other man saw that young lady was acquainted with Easton who was handcuffed, he sensed Easton’s embarrassment. On the other hand, the pretty woman was in a state of bewilderment, so he called Easton as marshal who was taking him to the Leavenworth prison for seven years of imprisonment in the case of counterfeiting.

(ii) Mr. Easton told the woman that he wanted to do something. According to him “Money has a way of takings unto itself” and to live in Washington, a lot of money is required. He saw the opportunities in the West as well. Miss Fairchild was surprised to know that Easton has preferred life in West to become marshal over life in West to become marshal over life in Washington.

(iii) In the course of conversation, the ruffled man told Miss Fairchild that he was being taken to Leavenworth prison for seven years of imprisonment in the case of counterfeiting. As the conversation continued, the woman was surprised to learn that Easton had given up the life in Washington to become a marshal in West. She was impressed with this and called him ‘Dashing Western Hero’ who ride and shoot and face all kinds of dangers.

(iv) There is a verbal irony here as Mr. Easton was not talking of his good days with Miss Fairchild. Rather he was talking about locked up and not being free like a butterfly. His freedom had been snatched away because of his wrong act. But Miss Fairchild thought that he was talking about his social days as he had up a job of responsibility, he won’t be able to move as freely as he was earlier.

(v) Miss Fairchild encountered Mr. Easton, one of her old acquaintances in the same coach on the train to Denver in which she was traveling. She spoke to him but was surprised to see him handcuffed with the other man. The other man guessed her embarrassment and gave her an explanation. She then continued to chat with him but her eyes were still on handcuffs. The other man told her that she should not worry as all the marshals handcuffed themselves to their prisoners.

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 3 with Answers

Question 9.
Answer the following questions with reference to Ruskin Bond’s short story, ‘A Face in the Dark’.
(i) What do you know about Mr. Oliver and the school he worked in ?
(ii) What bizarre incident took place one day when Mr. Oliver was coming back from Simla Bazaar ?
(iii) One what two planes can you evaluate the incidents in the story ?
Answer:
(i) Mr. Oliver, the protagonist of the story, ‘A Face in the Dark’, was an Anglo-Indian teacher who worked in one of the prestigious schools in Simla. He had been teaching in the school for several years. He was a bachelor. It has been his habit to go to Simla Bazaar, which was three miles away from the schooL There he might watch movies or dine in a restaurant, and return after dark, taking a short cut through the pine forest. He was not a nervous person, nor given to much of imagination, so he was not scared of walking through the forest which would make an eerie sound when strong winds blew.

(ii) Mr. Oliver was returning after spending some time in Simla Bazaar. He took the pine forest route. It was a lonely path, dark and eerie. In the flickering light of the torch, he saw the figure of a boy, sitting alone on a rock. The boy was crying, It was a strange soundless weeping which made the teacher, rather uneasy. He held his head in his hands and his body shook convulsively. The concerned teacher insisted that the boy should look up and tell him his trouble. To his utter shock, when the boy looked up, he realised, he had no eyes, ears, nose or mouth. It was just a smooth head, with a school cap on top of it. Immediately, he turned and ran towards the school. He encountered the watchman and told him about the boy without features. The watchman held the lantern to his face and asked whether the face was like his. He also did not have any features. Even Mr. Oliver, with his rational outlook had a fit of terror at the confrontation of what might have been supernatural.

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 3 with Answers

(iii) The Story can be evaluated at two levels : either as a weird supernatural experience or on a rational ground. Dark, lonely path through a pine grove, the eerie sound made by the wind, the reservation the locals had in using the short cut, all create an illusion of the supernatural. A boy sitting on a rock with his head down, his face covered with his hands, his body shaking in soundless sobs, the flickering torchlight revealing a face without eyes, ears, nose or mouth; enough to make any man shake with fear.

That was exactly what the school master went through on that bizarre night. On the top of it, he encountered another being of the same strange face in the form of a watchman, carrying a lantern. It is a perfect setting for a ghost story.

 

On the other hand, Mr. Oliver is described as a man, who was not easily given to nervousness or imagination. Perhaps, the lonely walk in the stormy night, might have led him to imagine something supernatural like a ghostly figure. A boy’s school cap lying on a rock or a mask someone left behind, might have created an illusion in the flickering light of his torch. The same fear might have made him imagine the watchman too as being faceless.

The story ends with a sense of ambiguity, leaving the ending open. The reader has to decide whether they were ghosts, whether they were optical illusions or whether the whole thing was a prank played upon the teacher by a mischievous student.

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Question Papers with Answers

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 2 with Answers

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 2 with Answers

Section – A Drama
The Merchant of Venice : Shakespeare

Question 1.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
Morocco : O hell! what have we here ?
A carrion Death, within whose empty eye
There is a written scroll. I’ll read the writing.
All that glisters is not gold;
Often have you heard that told?
Many a man his life hath sold But my outside to behold:
Gilded tombs do worms enfold.
Had you been as wise as bold,
Young in limbs, in judgment old,
Your answer had not been inscroll’d.
Fare you well; your suit is cold.
Cold, indeed; and labour lost:
Then, farewell, heat, and welcome, frost !

(i) What is in store for Morocco when he opens the casket?
(ii) What is the proverb that he reads in the beginning and what does it mean?
(iii) How does Morocco bid farewell to Portia?
(iv) ‘Farewell heat, and welcome, frost/ What do these words mean?
(v) Give the significance of this extract.
Answer:
(i) Morocco is bewildered to find a skull with a scroll in its empty eye socket inside the golden casket. He realises of his wrong choice of that casket and accordingly will have to lead a cold life of celibacy.

(ii) Having opened the casket, Morocco read the proverb, “All that glisters is not gold” written in the scroll. It means that outward attractive appearances may sometimes be deceptive. They are unreliable. So consequently, Morocco lost and went back to his kingdom.

(iii) Morocco says that he will have to bid farewell to a warm relationship with Portia as well as stick to the stipulation of not proposing marriage to any lady. According to the rule for the losers, he bids farewell to Portia with a sad heart, which makes him leave abruptly without waiting to bid a formal farewell.

(iv) Heat means the warmth of love and frost means the coldness of celibacy. Having made a wrong choice, Morocco has to bid farewell to Portia and go back and never speak to a lady in the matter of marriage. –

(v) The song is significant as it helps Bassanio to make the right choice. It is appropriate to the situation as it adds to the entertainment value of the drama. It also shows how clever Portia is; as while ensuring not to break the rules her father made, through the song she helps Bassanio to make the right choice. Her sharp brain is at work here which is a prelude to her role as a lawyer in the Trial Scene later.

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 2 with Answers

Question 2.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
Shylock : Signor Antonio, many a time and oft
In the Rialto you have rated me
About my moneys and my usances:
Still have I borne it with a patient shrug,
For sufferance is the badge of all our tribe.
You call me misbeliever, cut-throat dog,
And spit upon my Jewish gaberdine,
And all for use of that which is mine own.
Well then, it now appears you need my help:

(i) What are the insulting things Antonio has spoken about Shylock in Rialto and where does the scene take place?
(ii) According to Shylock, what are the miseries faced by the Jews ?
(iii) How much of reality is Shylock speaking here?
(iv) How does Antonio treat Shylock and what do you understand by it?
(v) For sufferance is the badge of all our tribe/ Explain.
Answer:
(i) According to Shylock, Antonio had insulted him by calling him a worthless Jew, a non-believer and an usurer, who charged high rate of interest for money, lent to the poor. He also called Shylock a ruthless dog and spat on his face as well as the gabardine worn by him. The characters are standing on a street in Venice.

(ii) According to Shylock, the Jews are persecuted, mocked and treated as inferior to Christians. They are spat upon, called names and made fun of. Their very faith is questioned and they are not included in their circle of friends.

(iii) Shylock is speaking the truth as anti-Semitism was prevalent in olden times. Christians believed people of other faith to be pagans, and especially looked down upon Jews. Christians followed the New Testament and Jews who believed in the Old Testament hated their ways. Antonio being a Christian was against usury, whereas Shylock did not see anything wrong in it. Ultimately it was a case of racial prejudice that they both suffered from.

(iv) Antonio does not like or respect Shylock, the Jew, as he is a ruthless moneylender and also nurtures the general prejudice of the English for the Jews. He treats the usurer with contempt and has insulted him many times out of anger. But Antonio is ready to eat the humble pie and to ask for help from Shylock in a time of need.

(v) Shylock refers to the stoic nature of his tribe that has suffered so much, under the contempt and cruelty of the Christians. They have cultivated endurance as a virtue and, now, hold it as a flag of their identity. He says that they are used to the insults and the ill-treatment done by the Christians.

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 2 with Answers

Question 3.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
Launcelot: Ergo, Master Launcelot. Talk not of Master Launcelot, father; for the young gentleman (according to fates and destinies and such odd sayings, the sisters three and such branches of learning) is, indeed, deceased; or, as you would say in plain terms, gone to heaven.
(i) What does “Ergo” mean ? Why does Launcelot use this word ? What makes Launcelot call old Gobbo “father” in the second line of the extract ? Is Launcelot really a “master” ? Give reason for your answer.
(ii) Give the meaning of the following: “according to fates and destinies and such odd sayings, the sisters three and such branches of learning.”
(iii) Why does old Gobbo feel deeply the death of his son?
(iv) How does Launcelot finally establish that he was old Gobbo’s son?
(v) Why does old Gobbo think that Launcelot has a fine beard?
Answer:
(i) Ergo is a Latin word for ‘therefore’. Launcelot wants to play a game with his father, so he uses high-sounding words in order to confuse his father and disguise his identity. He wants his father to think that he is the master and not a servant. Also, he calls Gobbo, his father in a formal way to keep up the pretense for some time and gradually prove, he is the old man’s son.

The truth is, the speaker is really a servant who is planning to leave Shylock to seek a job with Bassanio. Launcelot uses high-sounding words in his conversation with Gobbo to convince him that he possesses classical learning and is a gentleman. Shakespeare wants to convey to the audience the habit of some vain people of his time, who pretended to be what they were not. ’

(ii) Launcelot lies that the young gentleman, i.e., himself is gone to heaven. He has submitted himself to the three sisters who influence the fate of man and rule the destiny and other branches of learning. In other words, he declares himself as dead.

(iii) Old Gobbo is shocked to hear about the death of his son whom he states has been his only support in his old age.

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 2 with Answers

(iv) When Gobbo asks Launcelot to tell him whether his son is really dead or not. Launcelot confesses that he is Gobbo’s son but Gobbo does not believe him. Then Launcelot mentions the name of his mother, Margery, as a proof to’show that he is really Gobbo’s son. Hence, Gobbo gets convinced about the truth.

(v) In a humorous situation where Launcelot is asking for his father’s blessing, he kneels in front of his father. His father feels his beard and says that Launcelot has more hair on his face than their cart-horse has on his tail.

Section B – Poetry
A Collection of Poems

Question 4.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
“Great praise the Duke of Marlbro’. won,
And our good Prince Eugene.”
“Why, ’twas a very wicked thing!”
Said little Wilhelmine.
“Nay… nay… my little girl,” quoth he,
“It was a famous victory.
“And everybody praised the Duke
Who this great fight did win.”
. “But what good came of it at last?”‘
Quoth little Peterkin.
“Why that I cannot tell,” said he,
“But ’twas a famous victory.”

(i) What was the Duke praised for ? Was it a praiseworthy act ?
(ii) What does Peterkin expect to come out of the war ?
(iii) Who were praised for their successes in the war ?
Did the little understand why the winners were praised ?
(iv) How does the grandfather deal with the queries of the grandson and granddaughter?
(v) What was Peterkin’s final question? What answer was his grandfather able to give.?
Answer:
(i) While narrating the events and results of the war, old Kaspar also mentions the great victory that came after the war. He describes how the Duke of Marlbro was praised and honoured by the people of his country because of his role in the war. The nature of his act depends upon the perspective of a person. For those who belonged to his country, the Duke had done a great job in the war and brought his country, a glorious victory. And for those not from his nation, he was a mass murderer who was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of soldiers and civilians.

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 2 with Answers

(ii) When his grandfather tells him and his sister about the situation of the war and its consequences, Peterkin keeps on asking more questions to his grandfather. Old Kaspar does not have much information to give. He tells them only those things that he has heard from others. When Peterkin hears his grandfather glorify the war, he expects something good to come out of it. But to his disappointment, his grandfather has no answer as to what good came out of the war.

(iii) While narrating the situation of war and its consequences, Kaspar tells the children about the events that followed the victory. He tells them how the Duke of Marlbro and Prince Eugene, two important figures of the war, were loved and praised by all. The children wondered why anyone would praise people who went around killing hundreds of people and ruining their property. They were surprised to learn that the criminals of war who did such a wicked thing were praised by everybody.

(iv) In the poem, the poet describes the conversation between the grandfather and his grandchildren about war. The grandfather narrates the situation and the consequences of the war. He also describes how glorious was their country’s victory in the war. Neglecting the ill-effects of the war, he gives the children incomplete information and repeatedly says that it was a great victory. All his information is from hearsay and this is the only information he has to transfer to the children.

(v) On gaining detailed information about the war from their grandfather, the children are appalled at the destruction and the loss caused by wars and their immediate consequences. They learnt that thousands of people died and hundreds of homes were burnt down to the ground. After all this, the children had an obvious query as to what was the benefit that was gained from the war. Subsequently, Old Kaspar was left speechless and he did not have any answer for what became of all that killing and destruction. All that he was able to say was that it was a great victory and that he did not know of true benefit gained from war.

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 2 with Answers

Question 5.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude; 
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

(i) In what mood does the poet often remember the flowers ?
(ii) What is the ‘inward eye’ that the poet mentions ?
(iii) Does the poet relish his loneliness ?
(iv) What happens to the poet’s heart on thinking about the daffodils ?
(v) Why do elements of nature like trees, flowers, and birds make our hearts glad and peaceful ?
Answer:
(i) The poet often recollects the field of daffodils when he is in a sober or pensive mood. He mentions that often when he is lying on his couch with varied thoughts coming and leaving his mind, he thinks about the field of daffodils he had once seen while strolling near the bay. The poet expresses the joy with which his heart is filled on thinking about the flowers even though he may be in a sad mood.

(ii) In the poem, ‘Daffodils’, the poet has mentioned an ‘inward eye’ through which he imagines the beauty of the flower. The inward eye that the poet is referring to is the imagination of the mind. The poet has the scene of the daffodils stored in his memory and he often recollects it to bring calmness and pleasure to his heart.

(iii) In the poem, it does not seem that the poet enjoys his loneliness. Humans are social animals and they often find solitude suffocating. The poet says that often when he is in a pensive mood, he lies down on his couch and thinks about the daffodils. When he recollects the scene of the field of daffodils, it gladdens his heart. In a way, the pleasure that he gets from imagining the field of flowers is primarily because he imagines them when he is lonely and free to think.

(iv) In the poem, the poet has described the effect that flowers have on the human psyche. He describes his personal experience when he had seen a field of daffodils. The poet’s heart is filled with pleasure and joy when he thinks about the daffodils and when he is in a pensive mood, the thought of the flowers gladdens his heart and brings peace to his mind.

(v) The poem describes how we are intrinsically connected to the natural world. We feel happy and peaceful in the company of nature because we are a part of nature and this is the same situation like the one where a child finds the most peace and comfort in the arms of the mother. We came from nature and when we are close to it, we become relaxed and calm. The vast oceans, the ruffling rivers, the chirping of birds, the bright flowers, are all the things that excite our senses.

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 2 with Answers

Question 6.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
The rich man just sat back and thought
Of the wealth he had in store
And how to keep what he had earned
From the lazy shiftless poor.
(i) What were the thoughts of the rich man ? What was he saving and from whom ?
(ii) What opinion did the rich man have of the poor ? Did his wealth benefit him at the end ?
(iii) Why did the rich man resent the poor ?
(iv) What were the thoughts of the rich man in his final moments ?
(v) What good act was the rich man supposed to do ? How would it have benefitted him ?
Answer:
(i) Of the six people trapped in the cold, one was a rich man. Like everyone else in the group, the rich man had a log of wood to himself. He was busy thinking about the wealth he had accumulated. When it was his turn to put in his log and keep the fire burning, he took his steps back because he saw that a poor man was also sitting in the group. The rich man had long harboured hatred in his heart for the poor and now when he saw that the poor man too would benefit from his log of wood, he did not approve of it. He was saving his wood from the poor.

(ii) The rich man seems to have long felt dislike and resentment for the poor. He believed that he was rich because of his hard work and struggle. If the poor man too would have worked hard, he would have become rich. But the poor are lazy and not ready to adjust, that is why they are poor. The rich man’s log of wood did not come of any help to him; he kept his wealth to himself.

(iii) The rich man in the group did not put his log of wood in the fire to keep it burning because he did not approve of the poor man in the group. The rich seems to believe that the poor are shiftless and they are poor because of their laziness. In his opinion, a hardworking person cannot be poor. Only the lazy and comfort-loving are left poor because they don’t work for their own betterment and prosperity.

(iv) As the rich man was not prepared to sacrifice his Log of wood for the warmth of the group, he kept holding his firewood in his hands. He did not wish to share his wood for the benefit of the poor person in the group whom he believed to be lazy and useless. In his final moments, the rich man was thinking about all the wealth he had accumulated in his life. His wealth and his rich status had affected him so much that, even in his last moments, his mind was concentrating solely on his accumulated wealth.

(v) The rich man was supposed to keep aside his prejudices for the poor and use his firewood for keeping the fire alive. If he had put his log of wood in the fire, it would have generated enough warmth for all the remaining people in the group. By giving them the critically important warmth; the rich man could have saved his life while saving the others. If he lived, it would have been possible for him to return to his accumulated wealth which was on his mind all the time.

Section C – Prose
A Collection of Short Stories

Question 7.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
The Simla Bazaar, with its cinemas and restaurants, was about three miles from the school, and Mr. Oliver, a bachelor, usually strolled into the town in the evening, returning after dark, when he would take a short cut through the pine forest. (A Face in the Dark- Ruskin Bond)
(i) Who is Mr. Oliver ? Which school is being mentioned in the passage ? What type of students studied there ?
(ii) What is said about the reputation of the school? What did the students wear to school ? What did it symbolise ?
(iii) Who did Mr. Oliver meet on his way through the pine forest ? What was his initial reaction? How did he react later ?
(iv) What strange thing happened soon after ? What did Oliver do at this point of time ? Who did he encounter a little later ?
(v) To what genre does the story belong ? What is your comment on the ending of the story ?
Answer:
(i) Mr. Oliver is a school teacher. A school running on English public school lines, on the outskirts of the hill station of Simla, is mentioned in the passage. Most of the boys who studied there were from wealthy Indian families.

(ii) The school was given a tribute by Life magazine, calling it the ‘Eton of the East’. The boys wore blazers, caps and ties, true to its English tradition. It symbolised the aristocratic attitude of Indians towards the British way of life and education.

(iii) Mr. Oliver met a lonely boy sitting on a rock in the pine forest. Initially, he was shocked and then angry because no boys were expected to be out after dark. Later, he thought something was wrong as the boy seemed to be crying. He felt uneasy at the strange, soundless weeping and felt concerned.

(iv) Oliver, in his concern, asked what troubled the boy and insisted that he look up. At this, the boy lifted his face only to reveal a smooth round head with no eyes, ears, nose or mouth. Oliver ran away in fright. And as he was running blindly, he stumbled up to the watch man who lifted his lamp to reveal no features, not even an eyebrow.

(v) This belongs to the genre of horror stories but it does not jar our senses as other stories of this genre do. True to Ruskin Bond’s style, it reveals a strange but realistic encounter that any one may come across in life. Yes, the story does generate an eerie feeling but not the type that haunts our minds or disturbs our sleep. It arouses a curiosity as who the faceless people are and how they came to this state. The readers keep wondering if they were ghosts, or is it the blurred light that made the teacher hallucinate. The author leaves us in suspense. The story is fascinating despite its brevity; it is able to portray the elements of the bizarre.

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 2 with Answers

Question 8.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
Neighbours went hastily to the old tumble-down hut, in which she had secured little more than a place of shelter from summer heats and winter cold: some with grave-clothes for a decent interment of the body; and some with food for the half-starving children, three in number.
(An Angel in Disguise- T.S. Arthur)
(i) Why did the neighbours go hastily to the tumbled down hut ?
(ii) What did they carry in their hands ?
(iii) What do you know about the three children ?
(iv) What happened to the two elder ones ultimately ?
(v) Why was the third one left out and who took her home ? What does this episode show of human character ?
Answer:
(i) When the neighbours discovered the woman dead at the threshold of her own door in the presence of her three children, they rushed to her tumbled down hut. The dead woman was despised, mocked and condemned by almost every member of the village. But when she died, everybody gathered around her house. They were more worried . about the wretched children than her and so, in spite of being angry with her, they pitied her.

(ii) The people of the neighbourhood came with grave clothes for the decent burial of the body and some came with food for the half-starving children. Women in the neighbourhood showed compassion towards Maggie because of her innocent looks and brought discarded clothes and dressed her in clean clothes.

(iii) There were three children in all who were orphaned after the mother’s death. They were nearly half-starving. Of these, John, was the oldest boy of twelve years. He was a stout lad who was able to earn his living with any farmer. The second child named Kate was between ten and eleven. She was bright and active and could turn out to be very useful if in good hands. The youngest among them was the poor little Maggie who was hopelessly diseased.

(iv) After the mother’s death, the chief question was “What is to be done with the children?” The dead mother would be buried soon and she would be free from all the care or concern of the villagers, but humanity was something that could not leave the children to starve. After considering the matter and having discussed with his wife, farmer Jones decided to take John with him. Mrs. Ellis who was looking out for a bound girl did charity on her part by choosing Katy, although she was too young to be useful for her. But only Maggie was left.

(v) Maggie was the dead woman’s third child. Two years ago, she had fallen from a window and injured her spine because of which, she was bedridden. Since then she had not been able to leave her bed except when lifted in the arms of her mother. She was crippled for life and nobody wanted to take her home as she would turn out to be a burden for anyone. Her innocent looks attracted everyone but no one was ready to take her. It was decided that she should be sent to the poorhouse.

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 2 with Answers

Finally, Mr. Thompson took pity on her and felt it forbidding leaving her alone and took her home. This shows that howsoever one may be hostile towards someone but death changes and touches the inner self of the person.

Question 9.
Answer the following questions with reference to R.K. Narayan’s short story, ‘A Horse and Two Goats’.
(i) Depict the life of Muni and his wife at the beginning of the story.
(ii) Describe the horse statue. What is the significance of it in the story ?
(iii) The way of life and language of Muni and the red-faced man differed and due to this, their conversation creates a lot of humour. Elaborate.
Answer:
(i) Muni and his wife lived in a tiny village named ‘Kritam’. The name, in Tamil, means coronet or crown. The village had less than thirty houses, and only one of them was built(i) Muni and his wife lived in a tiny village named ‘Kritam’. The name, in Tamil, means coronet or crown. The village had less than thirty houses, and only one of them was built with cement and brick; painted in yellow and blue with gorgeous carvings, it was known as the Big House. Muni’s mud-house was thatched with bamboo, and straw. Muni had forty sheep in his good days, but it dwindled down to two. All day he would graze his animals, sitting on the pedestal of a horse statue.

Muni’s wife would cook the meagre supply of millet and salt, for breakfast and lunch. Occasionally, he would have drumsticks, but mostly they did not have the ingredients to make a sauce for them. At times, he would humour the local shopkeeper and buy things on credit, which he may never repay. Although, the lady of the house would scold him, somehow she conjured up some food for the evening out of the money she made by working in the Big House or somewhere else. Muni looked seventy and his only worry was what his wife would do once he was gone.

(ii) The village could boast of a life size horse statue, ‘moulded out of clay, baked, burnt and brightly coloured’. It was a dynamic one, as though in motion, with its head held proudly, springing its forelegs in the air and flourishing its tail in a loop. Beside the horse, there was the figure of a warrior with curved moustachios, bulging eyes and a sharp nose. Initially, the horse had been pure white and had a colourful brocade cover on its back, but with time, it became a shadow of its former self. The statue was big enough for Muni to creep under its belly for shade.

When the foreigner came to visit the village, he was enamoured by the statue and wanted to buy it. Muni, who hardly knew English, could not understand the man. When the man gave him money, Muni thought it was for his goats. The man took away the horse to America, and Muni was happy to get the money. Thus, the horse stands testimony to the misunderstanding which language can cause. Also, it shows how foreigners appreciate local art and how the locals pay no attention to such works.

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 2 with Answers

(iii) There is a huge cultural difference between Muni and the foreigner. Muni is a poor villager in an obscure place in India while the red-faced man is an American who has come to see the local culture of India. He speaks English but Muni knows only Tamil and his knowledge of English is limited to two words- ‘Yes’ and ‘No’.

Right from the initial greetings, this difference in culture and language makes the interactions of the two hilarious. The lack of connection through language results in verbal and situational humour. Just the sight of the khaki-clad man sent shivers of fear through the old man. He felt that the red-faced man was a police officer and when he offered his card, Muni thought that it was a warrant.

He immediately denied any knowledge about the village murder and tried to change’ the conversation to theft in the village. While he talked about his childhood; the foreigner talked about his holiday plans. He talked about buying the horse statue, but Muni talked about selling of his goats. Misunderstandings arose from both sides and the confusion created out of them was simply hilarious.

Cross culture differences leading to humour can also be seen at the ending of the story. Muni thought that he had sold his goats and made a profit. The traveller thought that he had purchased the statue at market price. Humour is enhanced by the fact that Muni understood the significance of the statue, and yet could not understand that he had played a crucial role in the transaction.

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 2 with Answers

The red-faced traveller imagined the statue “in his living room,” but failed to understand how it was a landmark for the locals. In the resolution to this misunderstanding, cultural differences in the form of language prevented either one from understanding the other. Yet, both got what they wanted. Muni got the money he so coveted and the foreigner got the statue he desired. Thus, in a way, the lack of cultural understanding manages to provide an ending that brought contentment for both.

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Question Papers with Answers

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 1 with Answers

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 1 with Answers

Max Marks : 80
[2 Hours]

General Instructions

  • Answers to this Paper must be written on the paper provided separately.
  • You will not be allowed to write during the first 15 minutes.
  • This time is to be spent in reading the question paper.
  • The time given at the head of this paper is the time allowed for writing the answers.
  • Attempt five questions in all from only three text books.
  • You must attempt at least one question from each of the Sections A, B and C and not more than two other questions from the same books you have already compulsorily chosen.
  • The intended marks for questions or parts of questions are given in brackets [ ].

Section A – Drama
The Merchant of Venice: Shakespeare

Question 1.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
Shylock : Therefore I part with him; and part with him
To the one that I would have him help to waste
His borrowed purse- Well Jessica, go in :
Perhaps I will return immediately :
Do as I bid you; shut the doors after you :
Fast bind, fast find;
A proverb never stale in thrifty mind.

(i) Shylock says, “Therefore I part with him”; From whom does Shylock part ? Why does Shylock not bid a tearful adieu to ‘him’ ? [3]
(ii) Where is Shylock going ? What does Shylock “bid” Jessica to do prior to these lines ? [3]
(iii) Explain the line : ‘Fast bind, fast find’. What does Shylock want to ‘find’ ? Bring out the irony in these words. [3]
(iv) What reasons does Shylock give for his unwillingness to leave the house ? [3]
(v) Racial prejudice is a major theme in the preceding scenes. However, Jessica is portrayed as an exception. Use examples from the text to demonstrate how Jessica is shown to be different from her father and others of her community. [4]
Answer:
(i) Shylock parts from Launcelot. Shylock does not bid him adieu tearfully because he thinks of Launcelot as a lazy servant who would never work fast at a task which would benefit his master; he could sleep at daytime better than a wild cat and, besides, he has now pledged his allegiance to the man who squanders the wealth which he has borrowed from Shylock. Thus, parting with Launcelot does not make him emotional at all.

(ii) Shylock is going out for supper, in response to the invitation from Antonio and Bassanio. He tells Jessica that he saw a bad omen in his dream and fears for his wealth. He is reluctant to leave his wealth unsupervised and, thus, repeatedly urges her to keep all the windows and doors locked and commands her to be vigilant, so as to avoid any unwanted incident.

(iii) The proverb, ‘Fast bind, fast find’, means that the closely guarded things are kept the safest. Shylock seeks to find solace in the fact that his own daughter will be guarding his prized possessions. The irony in these words and his false sense of security is that Jessica, the very person he trusted with their safekeeping, was the one who ran away with all of it, when she eloped with Lorenzo.

(iv) The reasons that Shylock gives for his unwillingness to leave the house are that he was invited to supper for flattery, rather than out of love; he is unwilling to part with his beloved possessions, especially when he had seen a bad omen in a recent dream. He is afraid that the masked procession might be used as an opportunity at robbing his house.

(v) The first example is seen when, while talking to Portia for the first time, the Prince of Morocco apologizes to Portia for his dark complexion, saying ‘Mislike me not for my complexion’, even though he is of a higher stature than she is. This shows the prevalence of racial discrimination in the Elizabethan era. Another such example comes from Jessica when she exclaims to Launcelot about the heinous sin in her ‘being Jewish’. She thinks that it is a sin to be a Jew and her father, Shylock, is to be blamed for her being sinned as she is his daughter.

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 1 with Answers

Question 2.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
Arragon : What many men desire! That “many” may be meant, ’
By the fool multitude, that choose by show,
Not learning more than the fond eye doth teach;
Which pries not to the interior, but like the martlet,
Builds in the weather on the outward wall,
Even in the force and road of casualty.
I will not choose what many men desire,

(i) Why is Arragon in this place? What is the inscription that he has just read, and on  which casket was it found ? [3]
(ii) List the conditions that Arragon had to promise to abide by before he was allowed to choose a casket. [3]
(iii) Explain in your own words, the comparison that Arragon makes between the  martlet and the foolish multitude. [3]
(iv) Which casket does Arragon eventually choose ? What does he find inside the casket that he chooses ? [3]
(v) How does Arragon respond when he discovers that he had made the wrong choice? [4] What does this reveal about Arragon’s character ? [4]
Answer:
(i) Arragon is in this place because he wants to marry Portia and, for that reason, has arrived to try his luck at choosing the casket. The inscription he just read is written on the golden casket, it says, “Who chooseth me, shall gain what many men desire.”

(ii) The conditions that Arragon has promised to abide by are, firstly, he shall not disclose which casket he chose to anyone; secondly, should he choose the wrong casket, he shall never court a maiden with the intention to marry her. Finally, he vowed to leave there immediately, should he choose the wrong casket.

(iii) The comparison made by Arragon, between the martlet and the foolish multitude, is just like the martlet, a majority of the foolish people build their nests on the external wall which is subject to the harsh weather conditions and external threats. He says that such men are sure to fail as they put themselves in such unwelcoming conditions.

(iv) He eventually chooses the silver casket. The casket contains a picture of an idiot who seems to be winking at Arragon and the casket also holds a scroll to offer to whoever chooses it.

(v) Arragon, being an arrogant character, refuses to believe that he made the wrong choice. When Portia ridicules his choice and Arragon himself, he accepts the reality and accepts depressingly his overconfidence which he carried in the beginning that he had come to get Portia, who he thought he deserved. In the end, the prince is honest enough to admit having been foolish. He states he has become twice as foolish as he was when he arrived.

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 1 with Answers

Question 3.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
Nerissa : Your father was an ever virtuous: and holy men
at their death have good inspirations :
therefore, the lottery, that he hath devised
in these three chests of gold, silver and
lead, whereof who chooses his meaning
chooses you, will, no doubt, never
be chosen by any rightly but one who shall rightly love.

(i) What are the terms of the lottery referred to in the above extract? Who devised it ? [3]
(ii) How do you know that Portia was not happy with this lottery ? [3]
(iii) Name any six suitors who came to woo Portia. [3]
(iv) What does Nerissa say to comfort Portia ? What is Nerissa’s opinion of Portia’s father ? [3]
(v) Which casket does the Prince of Morocco choose ? What leads him to make this choice ? [4]
Answer:
(i) The terms of the lottery are that the man who chooses the right casket will be deemed worthy of courting Portia and will be allowed to marry her. But, should the man choose the wrong casket, he shall leave Belmont immediately and vow never to get married, i.e., swear to die a bachelor. The lottery was devised by Portia’s late father.

(ii) Portia’s unhappiness regarding the lottery is clearly put forth when she tells Nerissa that the terms of the lottery upset her. She dislikes the fact that she may not marry someone of her own volition, nor can she refuse marriage if she finds the chooser of the right casket unlikable.

(iii) The suitors who came to woo Portia were the Neapolitan Prince, the Count Palatine, Monsieur Le Bon, the Prince of Morocco, the Prince of Arragon, and Bassanio.

(iv) Nerissa comforts Portia by saying that the only person who will be able to choose the right casket will be not of materialistic value but the one that Portia would value in her heart of hearts. Nerissa’s opinion of Portia’s father is quite an esteemed one. She thinks what he thought of by way of the lottery was a justified plan to ensure a happy life for his daughter once he is gone.

(v) The Prince of Morocco chooses the golden casket. What makes him choose it was the inscription on it that said that the casket contained what many men desired. Having known the fact that Portia was desired by many suitors from across the world, he felt that the golden casket was the right one. Hence, he decided to pick the golden casket.

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 1 with Answers

Section B – Poetry
A Collection of Poems

Question 4.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
He plants the forest’s heritage
The harvest of a coming age
The joy that unborn eyes shall see
These things he plants who plants a tree.

(i) Explain how a tree is the ‘forest’s heritage’. [3]
(ii) What is meant by ‘mother-croon of bird’ ? How do birds sing? When do they sing ? [3]
(iii) What is the ‘treble of heaven’s harmony’ ? [3]
(iv) How far is a tree ‘the harvest of a coming age’ ? [3]
(v) What stirs the heart of a man who plants a tree ? [4]
How does a tree planter do civic good ?
Answer:
(i) A tree is the forest’s heritage because it will not be ready for eyes to feast upon anytime soon. But when it has matured into a beautiful spectacle, its planter will no longer be around; rather the future generations will be the ones able to see the fruit of the labour of the generations past and they will love and cherish the legacy that their ancestors have left behind for them.

(ii) ‘Mother croon of bird’ means the soft humming sound which the mother bird uses to call out to its little hatchlings. The way of the birds’ singing feels like the treble of heaven’s harmony. The lullabies of the mother birds are heard at twilight when there is no audible distraction in the surroundings.

(iii) The phrase ‘treble of heaven’s harmony’ refers to the way in which the different high pitched sounds of the singing birds harmoniously align to form a blissful melody.

(iv) ‘The harvest of a coming age’ is said in this context to shed light upon the fact that by the time the tree becomes mature or comes of age, it will become an object of inspiration and admiration for the coming generations or the ‘coming age’. It will provide crops to the future generations. Surely, the upcoming generations will reap all the benefits of the trees that are being planted now.

(v) The planter’s ‘blessings on the neighbourhood’ come to fruition when the tree he planted grows into a beautiful spectacle that entrances the hearts of the growing nation and conveys his wishes and blessings to the coming generations long after his death. A tree planter does civic good by planting a tree by helping restore the nature and by leaving a lesson, for his descendents, of love and mutual respect.

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 1 with Answers

Question 5.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
The last man of this forlorn group
Did naught except for gain.
Giving only to those who gave.
Was how he played the game.

(i) Why does the poet call the group ‘forlorn’? Who were the people who made up this group? What did each of them possess ? [3]
(ii) What prevents the woman and the poor man in the group from sharing what they have ? [3]
(iii) Why did the rich man sit back ? What was his opinion of the poor ? [3]
(iv) Explain how the black man saw in this situation, an opportunity for revenge. [3]
(v) What happens to this group of people at the end of the story ? [4]
What could they have done to change their fate ?
Justify the title of the poem, ‘The Cold Within’.
Answer:
(i) The poet calls the group ‘forlorn’ because of their inevitable doom which was caused due to their mutual selfishness. The people comprising the group were from different walks of life and each of them had an opposite person whom they disliked. They each possessed a log of wood.

(ii) The fact that there was a black man in the group prevented, the woman from sharing her log of wood. The poor man refrained from sharing his log of wood as he felt disdainful towards the ‘idle rich’.

(iii) The rich man decided not to share his log of wood as he did not agree of the poor. He felt that the poor people were miserable because of their ‘shiftless’ nature.

(iv) The black man saw the situation as a chance to avenge the white people for the atrocities committed by them against the black folk in the past. He saw the scenario as an opportunity to spite the white people and teach them a lesson by keeping his log of wood to himself.

(v) The selfish nature of the people in the group led each one of them towards their end. They could have easily changed their fate, had they shared what they had, by burning their logs one at a time. The title ‘The Cold Within’ is quite justified because what caused their tragic end wasn’t the cold outside but their own cold-heartedness.

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 1 with Answers

Question 6.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude.

(i) Who is the speaker? Describe the sight that greeted his eyes when he was out walking in the countryside. [3]
(ii) Where were the daffodils growing ? To what does the poet compare the flowers ? [3]
(iii) What effect does the scene have on the poet ? [3]
(iv) What is the ‘wealth’ mentioned in the poem ? How do the daffodils outdo the waves ? [3]
(v) Compare the poet’s mood at the start of the poem with his mood at the end. [4]
What do you suppose causes this change in mood ?
Answer:
(i) The speaker of the above lines is the poet, William Wordsworth. The sight that greeted the poet, when he was walking by the countryside, was a ‘host of golden daffodils’, growing ‘beside the lake’.

(ii) The daffodils were growing ‘beside the lake, beneath the trees’. To the poet the flowers growing along the bay appear like the innumerable stars shining in the sky and so he compares the daffodils to the ‘never-ending line of stars, twinkling across the Milky Way’.

(iii) The scene has a positive effect on the poet as the peaceful and joyous sight alleviates the agony of his lonesomeness. The scene’s soothing nuance converts his loneliness into contentment.

(iv) The ‘wealth’ mentioned in the poem, contrary to monetary affluence, is the spiritual contentment which will bring peace to the poet’s mind for as long as he shall live. The poet says that the sparkling waves danced in the breeze, but the beauty of the bright daffodils surpassed their beauty. The daffodils seemed to dance with the breeze with much more liveliness and their sight seemed happier than the waves which did not bring as much joy as the yellow flowers.

(v) In the beginning of the poem, the poet feels ‘lonely as a cloud’. He is disheartened and a bit depressed of being forlorn. Towards the end of the poem, the agony of his solitude gradually transforms into a feeling of contentment which is caused by the serenity of the daffodils ‘fluttering and dancing in the breeze’.

Section C – Prose
A Collection of Short Stories

Question 7.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
“What are you doing out here, boy?” asked Mr. Oliver sharply, moving closer so that he could recognize the miscreant. But even as he approached the boy, Mr. Oliver senses that something was wrong. The boy appeared to be crying. (Face in the Dark- Ruskin Bond)
(i) Who was Mr. Oliver ? How did he usually spend his evenings ? [3]
(ii) Mention any three facts about the school at which he worked. [3]
(iii) Where did Mr. Oliver find the boy ? How could he tell that the boy was ‘weeping’ ? [3]
What made Mr. Oliver feel uneasy ?
(iv) What did Mr. Oliver see when the boy finally looked up ? [3]
What was Mr. Oliver’s immediate reaction ?
(v) To whom does Mr. Oliver turn for help ? What does he discover about this person ? Mention any two effective methods that the author has used to create an eerie atmosphere in the story, ‘A Face in the Dark’.[4]
Answer:
(i) Mr. Oliver was an Anglo-Indian teacher in a prestigious school in Simla. He had been teaching there for several years. Mr. Oliver usually strolled into town in the evening, wandering in the Simla market, returning after dark, when he would take a shortcut through the pine forest.

(ii) From before Kipling’s time, the school’had been running on English public school lines; most of the students there belonged to wealthy aristocratic families and wore uniforms that imitated the British. In a feature on India, the Life magazine had once called the school the ‘Eton of the East’.

(iii) Mr. Oliver found the boy in the pine forest located on the outskirts of Simla. He could tell that the boy was crying by observing his posture; his head hung down; his face covered with his hands and his body shook convulsively. The strange and soundless weeping of the boy made him feel uneasy.

(iv) When the boy finally looked up, Mr. Oliver realised that he had no eyes, no mouth; in fact, the boy had no facial features at all. His immediate reaction to the eerie turn of events was that he shot off in the direction that he came from, running blindly in the dark forest, terrified.

(v) Mr. Oliver turns for help to the first person he sees. He sees a watchman when he reaches the school and when he narrates the incident that took place, he discovers the watchman to be faceless, same as the boy he just ran away from. The two methods used by the author to create an eerie atmosphere were the magnificent use of verbal imagery and the suspense created right from the beginning.

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 1 with Answers

Question 8.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
It was my business to cross the bridge, explore the bridgeheads beyond and find out to what point the enemy had advanced. I did this and returned over the bridge. There were not so many carts now and very few people on foot, but the old man was still there. (Old Man at the Bridge- Ernest Hemingway)
(i) Describe the old man seated near the bridge. [3]
(ii) Describe the scene at the bridge at the beginning of the story. [3]
(iii) What was the narrator’s duty ? [3]
(iv) Why did the old man have to leave his home ? [3]
Why was he the last one to leave town ?
(v) How does Hemingway show us the effect of war on the lives of common people through the story of the Old Man at the Bridge ?[4]
Answer:
(i) The old man who sat near the bridge wore steel rimmed spectacles and very dusty clothes. He seemed determined not to move but when the soldier returned from his survey, he seemed to understand that the real reason behind the old man still being seated there was actually that he was too tired to move.

(ii) There were a lot of people in a rush to get across the bridge in the beginning of the story. There were a lot of carts, carriages and trucks trying to get across the pontoon bridge in such a hurry that a mule-carriage driver decided to get across by crossing the stream rather than waiting for his turn at the bridge. There were a lot of farmers trudging through the ankle deep mud; the soldiers helped the mule-carriage get across when its wheel got stuck in the mud.

(iii) The narrator’s duty was to cross the bridge and explore the bridgehead beyond in order ‘to find out what point the enemy had advanced’ and then report back to his officials. His job, in a way, was to find out how much time they had to carry out the evacuation so as to avoid any unnecessary preventable civilian casualties.

(iv) The old man had to leave his home due to the danger of artillery being fired upon them. The Captain warned all the civilians to evacuate the area as it was too close to where the war was going on and it was no longer safe for civilians to live.

After the narrator’s persuasion, the old man finally ‘got to his feet, swayed from side to side and then sat down backwards in the dust.’ He kept saying to himself, “I was only taking care of the animals.” Perhaps he was last in thought about leaving his animals and his home, where he had been living for long and is anxious about where to go.

(v) The author shows the readers the adverse effects of wars on the common folk by narrating how innocent people are forced to abandon their homes, their livelihood, their precious memories and their prized possessions. Not to mention the loss of internal and external peace, the loss of life and resources is colossal and all in vain as nobody gains anything from these futile wars.

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper 1 with Answers

Question 9.
Answer the following questions with reference to T.S. Arthur’s short story, ‘An Angel in Disguise’:
(i) How did the children’s mother die ? [4]
What did the villagers decide to do about the children ?
(ii) What did Joe see when he looked in through the brightly lit window of his home [4] later that evening ? Why does this scene fill him with a sense of relief ?
(iii) How does the author describe Mrs. Thompson initially ? [8]
Trace the change in Mrs. Thompson’s nature from the time that Maggie enters the Thompsons’ home.
Answer:
(i) The mother of the children was unemployed and became addicted to drinking due to her depression. One fateful day her excessive drinking exceeded the threshold of what her body could bear; she had a stroke and dropped dead in front of her frightened children. The villagers decided to take the boy and the older girl in out of outward pity as their real motives were selfish. John was taken in due to his stout build and Kate was taken in due to her sharp wit. Although, nobody wanted to take in poor Maggie due to her physiological disability.

(ii) When Joe looked into the brightly lit room from the window, he saw, to his pleasure, the sight he had longed to see for quite a while. He saw Mrs. Thompson sitting in Maggie’s room and having a very compassionate and motherly discussion with the little girl. This scene fills him with a sense of relief because it assures him that his wife had finally accepted Maggie.

(iii) The author initially describes Mrs. Thompson as a rude and disdainful woman who was forced to become so due to her being childless. The author made it appear as if her hateful nature was caused by the lack of a child in her life upon whom she could shower her love and give her motherly care to. Maggie’s arrival in Mrs. Thompson’s life brought her something that she longed for.

She became a completely different woman who afterward developed a tender and loving nature and a more understanding approach towards what life throws her way. The title of the story aptly precedes the events of the story, although, there are two angels in disguise; Mr. Thompson is the first angel as he saves Maggie from a dreadful fate and the second angel is Maggie herself as she changes Mrs. Thompson for good and fills the lives of a childless couple with joy.

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Question Papers with Answers

ICSE Class 9 English Language Sample Question Papers with Answers 2021-2022

ICSE Class 9 English Language Sample Question Paper with Answers 2021-2022

ICSE Sample Papers for Class 9 with Answers

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Papers with Answers 2021-2022

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Sample Question Paper with Answers 2021-2022

ICSE Sample Papers for Class 9 with Answers