Words and Expressions Class 9 Solutions Unit 10

‘Kathmandu’ is an excerpt from the travelogue Heaven Lake written by Vikram Seth. The travelogue is an account of his travel from China, Tibet and Kathmandu to India. Vikram Seth beautifully describes the natural landscape, cultural richness and diversity among people from region to region.

Do you know?
A river in New Zealand has become the first in the world to be recognised as a living entity with the legal status of a person after a 170-year battle by the local Maori people.

The nation’s parliament passed a bill to allow Whanganui River – known by the Maoris as Te Awa Tupua – to represent its own interests and advocate on its own behalf.

This is a unique judgement for sustaining the health and well-being of the river.
(Source: Adapted from The Guardian International Edition, 16 March 2017)

Question 1.
Collect information on similar judgements being taken in the context of river Ganga, and discuss in class.
Answer:
Swami Chidanand Saraswati, president, Parmarth Nike tan Ashram in Rishikesh put forward a proposal to declare the Ganga river as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The proposal was presented to Union Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma, The Ashram believes that recognizing the Ganga itself for its ciiltural heritage would be an important step towards preserving the riverine system which supports 500 million human lives.

Question 2.
Talk about the condition of Bagmati river in Kathmandu written by Vikram Seth.
Answer:
The writer saw some monkeys playfully running down to the river. A corpse was being cremated at the shore. Women were washing their clothes on the banks. Some children were bathing and playing in the river. Someone threw dried flowers from a window into the river as the writer watched.

Class 9 English Literature Reader NCERT Solutions

Reading Comprehension:

Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.

Text – I

When we think of tourism, we think primarily of people who are visiting a particular place for sightseeing, visiting friends and relatives, taking a vacation, and having a good time. They may spend their leisure time engaging in various sports, sunbathing, talking, singing, taking rides, touring, reading or simply enjoying further. We may include in our definition of tourism people who are participating in a convention, a business conference, or some other kind of business or professional activity. Those who are taking a study tour under an expert guide or doing some kind of scientific research or study are also doing tourism.

These visitors use all forms of transportation from hiking in a wilderness park to flying in a jet to an exciting city. Transportation can include taking a chairlift up a Colorado mountainside or standing at the rail of a cruise ship looking across the blue Caribbean. Whether people travel by one of these means or by car, motor coach camper, train, motorbike or bicycle, they are taking a trip and thus are engaging in tourism.
(Adapted from Tourism: Principles, Practices, Philosophies by Charles R. Goeldner and J.R. Brent Ritchie, P. 4)

Question 1.
Tourism is about taking a tour _________.
(a) to a place under an expert guide
(b) for hiking in remote places
(c) for visiting a place for sightseeing
(d) All of the above
Answer:
(d) All of the above

Question 2.
By ‘hiking in wilderness’ the author means _________.
(a) taking a long distance walk in abandoned areas
(b) walk in the forest areas
(c) marathon in uninhabited areas
(d) sprinting in abandoned, uninhabited areas
Answer:
(b) walk in the forest areas

Question 3.
A cruise ship is _________.
(a) a large ship that carries people on voyages of pleasure.
(b) a big ship that carries people and goods on special mission.
(c) a large watercraft for carrying passengers from one point to another.
(d) a large ship that carries mail, goods and first aid facilities.
Answer:
(c) a large watercraft for carrying passengers from one point to another.

Question 4.
What all activities do tourists engage in?
Answer:
Tourists engage in various activities based on their interest. Some like sightseeing, visiting friends, sunbathing, touring etc. Those who are more adventurous indulge in adventurous sports. Some tourists are participants in a business convention while some are on study tours.

Question 5.
What are the forms of transportation tourists use for visiting places?
Answer:
Tourists use different means of transport such as flying in a jet or hiking. They also use chairlifts in at high altitudes. Cars, motor coach camper, train, cruise ship, motorbike are some other means of transport used by them.

Read the excerpt and answer the following questions.

Text – II

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

Question 1.
Why is Saturday described as that distinguished Saturday?
(a) because the much awaited Saturday has come when the voyage has to start.
(b) because Saturday was a holiday.
(c) because it is on Saturday that people were allowed to board the ship.
(d) because it is in the afternoon on Saturday that ship would start the voyage.
Answer:
(a) because the much awaited Saturday has come when the voyage has to start.

Question 2.
Who are excursionists?
(a) They are the research students.
(b) They are pilgrims.
(c) They are musicians.
(d) They are tourists on a leisure trip.
Answer:
(d) They are tourists on a leisure trip.

Question 3.
What was the mood of the people on the ship?
Answer:
The general mood of the people seemed a bit down. The travellers on the deck were wearing unattractive costumes and had an air of sadness. It was drizzling and the weather made the scene even’ more gloomy.

Question 4.
What was the author looking forward to?
Answer:
The author was looking forward to having a pleasureable trip as the program said so. However the general aspect of his fellow travellers promised a gloomy excursion. There was a little or no excitement among them.

Question 5.
Match the words/phrases in Column A with pictures in Column B.
Words and Expressions Class 9 Solutions Unit 10 IMG 1
Answer:
1. Pier (e)
2. Deck (c)
3. Carriage (a)
4. Valise (b)
5. Mast (d)

Vocabulary:

Question 1.
Match the phrasal verbs in Column A,with the meanings in Column B.

A	B
(а) Look for (b) Look upto (c) Look forward to (d) Look up	to try to find a piece of information await eagerly having a great deal of respect for a person search

Answer:
(a) Look for – search
(b) Look upto – having a great deal of respect for a person
(c) Look forward to – await eagerly
(d) Look up – to try to find a piece of information

Question 2.
Rewrite the following words by removing the suffix ‘age’.
(a) carriage __________
(b) coverage __________
(c) hermitage __________
(d) marriage __________
Answer:
(a) carry
(b) cover
(c) hermit
(d) marry

Question 3.
Rewrite the following words by adding the suffix ‘ful’.
(а) beauty _________
(b) colour _________
(c) duty _________
(d) revenge _________
(e) help _________
(f) mouth _________
(g) mercy _________
Answer:
(a) beautiful
(b) colourful
(c) dutiful
(d) revengeful
(e) helpful
(f) mouthful
(g) merciful.

Grammar:

Tense:

Question 1.
Read the following passage carefully. What is the event described in the passage? Guess when it took place. Underline and name the tenses in the following passage.
This is a good place to enrich ourselves about plant species which are environment friendly. The residents could gather a lot of information about horticulture at the event. Several states from north India are represented at this event and the florists showcase the best of their horticulture at the show.

The organisers said that several events are lined up for Sunday and these include dance, drawing, painting and a fashion show competition, among others. As many as 85 stalls have been put up by florists, gardening equipment wholesalers and seed retailers. Entry to the show has been made free for all. However, this year, it’s the pollution control plants that have been grabbing all eyeballs.

All plants emit oxygen, but it was established in a study conducted by National Aeronautics and Space Administration back in 1989 that some indoor plants could be extremely useful in controlling the air pollution by acting as a Vacuum cleaner’ against the pollutants and absorbing them.

Detox plants, which act as Vacuum cleaners’ inside the house, are a hit in the ongoing event. Nature enthusiasts are preferring them for pollution control as well as interior decoration.
(Source: Hindustan Times, Saturday, 24 Feb. 2018)
Answer:
A horticulture event is described in the passage. It is an ongoing exhibition/show. It must be taking place in the month of July or August.

Present, past, present, present, present, present perfect continuous, present perfect continuous, present perfect continuous, past, present, present.

Editing:

Question 1.
Punctuate the following passage with appropriate punctuation marks.
Kathmandu is vivid mercenary religious with small shrines to flower-adorned deities along the narrowest and busiest streets with fruit sellers flute sellers hawkers of postcards shops selling western cosmetics film rolls and chocolate or copper utensils and nepalese antiques film songs blare out from the radios car horns sound bicycle bells ring stray cows low questioningly at motorcycles vendors shout out their wares

This passage is taken from the text ‘Kathmandu’ by Vikram Seth. You can compare and check your rewritten passage with the passage in the textbook and see how far you are correct.
Answer:
Kathmandu is vivid, mercenary, religious from small shrines to flower-adorned deities along the narrowest and busiest streets; with fruit sellers, flute sellers, hawkers of postcards; shops selling Western cosmetics, film rolls and chocolate; or copper utensils and Nepalese antiques. Film songs blare out from the radios, car horns sound, bicycle bells ring, stray cows low questioningly at motorcycles, vendors shout out their wares.

Listening:

Listen to the passage and answer the questions that follow.

A Visit to Bhitarkanika:
The sun was warm but the sea breeze kept up its cooling effect all along. Soon the steamer turned away and anchored near a creek by the river. The muddy fringe and the mangrove vegetation declared the gateway to the Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary in Odisha. The steamer could not negotiate these creeks at low tide, so a similar motorboat was hired to ferry us to the Dangmal forest rest-house in the heart of the mangrove forest. From the motorboat we had a good look at a large crocodile basking in the sun.

The boat moved on, taking us deeper into the forest. Here we felt as though we had stepped into a time warp. In this awesome and mysterious place, birds of extraordinary plumage appeared before us. For the moment we revelled in the magnificence of nature which had us completely in its thrall. Among the birds, the kingfishers were the stars of the show. Crocodiles large and small, slid into the water at our approach. Through the foliage we could see chital deer delicately browsing on fresh outcrops of leaves.

A herd of wild boar was spotted searching for succulent roots. High above us, open-billed storks stood sentry-like following our progress through their remarkable kingdom. The evening sun was beginning to paint the tree-lined horizon crimson and gold and a brooding silence enveloped us all.
(Source: Steps to English, Workbook for Class IX, NCERT, 2003)

Question 1.
Where was the author going?
Answer:
The author was going to the Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary in Odisha.

Question 2.
Where was the orest rest-house? How did the group manage to get there?
Answer:
The Dangmal forest rest-house was in the heart of the mangrove forest. They travelled on a steamer and later hired a motorboat.

Question 3.
Which creature did they see first?
Answer:
They saw a large crocodile basking in the sun.

Question 4.
What does the author mean by ‘the magnificence of nature’?
Answer:
The author is referring to the extraordinary beauty of birds and natural surroundings which enthralled him.

Question 5.
How are the kingfishers and the open billed storks described?
Answer:
The author believed that kingfishers were the stars of the show. The open-billed storks stood like soldiers, witnessing the tourists roaming around.

Question 6.
What were the chital deer and the wild boar doing when the motorboat went past them?
Answer:
The chital deer was grazing on fresh leaves. A herd of wild boar was spotted searching for succulent roots.

Speaking:

Prepare a short speech on the following and share it in the school assembly.

Question 1.
“Travelling – it offers you a hundred roads to adventure, and gives your heart wings.”
“Travelling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.” (Ibn Batuta, a 14th century traveller)
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” (Mark Twain, The Innocents Abroad)
Answer:
Respected Principal, teachers and my dear friends, I am here to speak on travelling. Travelling opens up your heart and mind about the world. The delightful experiences that await a person when he travels often impart wisdom. People travel for sight-seeing, for pilgrimage, for business or personal reasons. Travelling means leaving your comfort zone behind and getting into the unknown territory. It brings new challenges of language, culture, lifestyle, terrain that helps a person to learn something new and enrich their mind. It adds to a person’s experience. It broadens our minds as we move beyond our narrow prejudices, ideas and engage with different people and cultures.

Travelling is educational as well as practical. It also brings us closer to nature. We appreciate the lakes, oceans, mountains and sunsets more when we are travelling. It provides a break from our routine life and infuses our mind and body with fresh vigour.

Travelling brings people from different countries, races, classes together. Sharing travelling experiences can help people bond better in social situations. People who travel with friends and families create memories that last a lifetime.

Travelling is a training for one’s, soul as well as for body. It rejuvenates the heart and brings pleasure forever.

Question 2.
The tourism sector can be aligned with the policies of sustainable development.
Answer:
The tourism sector can be aligned with the policies of sustainable development. The tourism sector is thriving and it has become a booming industry. Millions of people travel for pleasure as well as for business and people are spending huge amounts of money to ensure they have a pleasant trip. Sustainable tourism refers to the idea of visiting a place as a tourist and making an effort to leave a positive impact on the environment, society and economy.

The tourist destinations often bear the brunt of high footfalls in peak seasons. There is an increased demand for goods and services, which leads to over exploitation of resources. This practice harms the ecological balance of the region as the resources are exploited ruthlessly by people intent on making a profit. Recently, the hill station Shimla was in news because of acute water scarcity in the region. Bookings were cancelled, businesses suffered and tourists were stranded. It put focus on the importance of aligning tourism with sustainable development.

It has become the need of the hour to use the available resources judiciously. Use of local resources should be prioritised and environmentally conscious businesses should get preference. Tourists should also support and respect the local cultures and traditional values. It would build the path towards ‘responsible’ and ‘sustainable’ tourism.

Writing:

Question 1.
Read/watch the advertisements on ‘ tourism. You can also watch the Kerala Tourism advertisement film ‘A Reading Room With a View’ which is on the cultural diversity of Kerala. The film is awarded the best film in 60 second category at the prestigious Kyoorius Awards.

Now create an advertisement for your city or state for promoting tourism.
Answer:
Delhi:
Explore the walled city!

Gorge on parathas in purani delhi !
Shop at connaught place till you drop !
Visit the tombs and qillas !
We have something for everyone !

Come, explore the Capital and satiate your cravings (a Delhi Tourism Initiative)

Question 2.
Write a paragraph describing a journey, imaginary, or you have undertaken.
You can follow the steps given below :
1. Prepare an itinerary.
2. You can make use of the following expressions, phrases and proverbs frequently used by the travellers.
Jetlag, itchy feet, hit the road, time table, on the home stretch, call it a day, book in advance, travel over, travel through, travel light, any port in a storm, stopover, etc.
Answer:
Paragraph Writing:
It was two in the morning when we started our final journey towards Guru Dongmar Lake which is 18,000 ft above sea level. It was eerie to drive on mountain roads in darkness. The light began filtering in, we could see frozen mountain peaks, frozen river and also, Chinese soldiers watching the vehicles. When we reached the lake, it was a sublime experience.

The oxygen was less at that altitude so we took deep breaths and walked slowly. Our sneakers could not keep out the cold and we kept stamping our feet to keep them warm. The lake was entirely frozen except for one small area. There was also a small temple near the lake. We clicked pictures and just gazed speechlessly at the marvellous view before us. Soon it was time to return to Gangtok. We took a deep breath, took some selfies and left.

Project:

Question 1.
You have read about the mesmerising effect of the music of flute on Vikram Seth in ‘Kathmandu’.
Do you know the instruments for Sufi music differ from one culture to another? In Turkey, Iran and North Africa, the most prominent instrument is the ‘Ney’ which is the reed flute. In Sufi music the ‘Ney’ is accompanied by string instruments like saz, santoor, rubab, etc.

Create a class magazine on music and artists. Some suggestions are given below.

Collect information on the commonly used musical instruments in the following categories
Indian classical music
Ghazal singing
Bharatnatayam, Chau and Kathak dance
Folk music
Jazz
Collect photographs of musical instruments.
Prepare brief biographical sketches of musicians, dancers, costume designers, artists, etc. You can meet some of them or collect information from sources like books, Internet, magazines, newspapers, etc.
Give a suitable name to the magazine.

Answer:
Class Magazine
Musical Instruments
Sources
www.culturalindia.net
wikipedia.org
www.swarganga.org
www.sahajayogaportal.org
Musicians –
Words and Expressions Class 9 Solutions Unit 10 IMG 2

Question 2.
Plan a trip to the North-east region of the country by road. Explore the various possibilities of the travel. Also, create a map of your travel.
NOTES
Answer:
Road Trip to Sikkim from Siliguri

Day 1	Start from Siliguri Reach Gangtok in the evening
Day 2	Travelling to Lachen Stay overnight
Day 3	Drive towards Thanger and Gurudongmar Lake Stay at Lachung village
Day 4	Visit Yunthang Valley
Day 5	Return to Gangtok Visit Lai Bazar and M.G. Road
Day 6	Visit Tsongmo Lake
Day 7	Visit Rumteh Monastery Return to Siliguri

Words and Expressions Class 9 Solutions

Class 9 English Main Course Book

Unit 1 People

Unit 2 Adventure

Unit 3 Environment

Unit 4 The Class IX Radio and Video Show

Chapter 1 Radio Show

Unit 5 Mystery

Unit 6 Children

Unit 7 Sports and Games

Class 9 English Workbook