Standard 9 English Solved Paper
Common First Mid Term Test - 2024 | Tenkasi District
Question Paper
Common First Mid Term Test - 2024
STANDARD 9 - ENGLISH
Answer all the questions.
SECTION - I (11 × 1 = 11)
I. Choose the appropriate synonyms for the underlined words:
1) Sachin wanted to pursue cricket seriously.
- a) ask
- b) follow
- c) emulate
- d) surpass
2) There was sprightliness in his step.
- a) tired
- b) dull
- c) bored
- d) lively
II. Choose the appropriate antonyms for the underlined words:
3) He did not look very prosperous.
- a) weak
- b) wealthy
- c) poor
- d) strong
4) The schedule was rigorous.
- a) severe
- b) hard
- c) tough
- d) easy
5) Add a prefix to the word 'evitable':
- a) an
- b) in
- c) un
- d) dis
6) Choose the most appropriate preposition from the brackets: I went ______ the library.
- a) in
- b) on
- c) from
- d) to
7) Choose the anagram of the word 'ELBOW':
- a) BOLWE
- b) WOLBE
- c) BELOW
- d) OLBWE
8) Choose the shortened form of the word 'you'd':
- a) you had
- b) you would
- c) you could
- d) you that
9) Complete the sentence with suitable degrees of comparison: Geography is the ______ subject.
- a) more interesting
- b) much interesting
- c) maximum subject
- d) most interesting
10) Choose the most appropriate prepositional verb: The kids ______ the hilarious antics of the clown.
- a) Laughed for
- b) Laughed in
- c) Laughed at
- d) Laughed from
11) Frame a sentence of your own by using the word 'Cricket'.
SECTION - II (3 × 2 = 6, 1 × 5 = 5)
I. Answer ANY THREE of the following questions in a sentence or two:
12) What did Sachin do during the thirty-minute break?
13) Which incident triggered the coach to be angry on Sachin?
14) Where had he left his childhood treasures?
15) When did the visitor actually hide the iron cross?
II. Answer ANY ONE of the following in a paragraph:
16) Achrekar was a sincere coach - substantiate.
17) Write a paragraph on the narrator's past memories.
SECTION - III (4 × 1 = 4, 1 × 5 = 5, 1 × 4 = 4)
I. Read the following sets of poetic lines and answer the questions given below:
18)
In the morning glad I see
My foe outstretched beneath the tree.
- How did the poet feel in the morning?
- Who is the 'foe' referred to here?
- Why was the 'foe' found lying outstretched beneath the tree?
- Where did the 'foe' lie outstretched?
II. Quote from memory:
19) From: "Of easy wind..." To: "...I sleep".
III.
20)
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake
The only other sound's the sweep
- Pick out the rhyming words.
- Pick out the alliterated words.
- Pick out the rhyme scheme.
- Identify the figure of speech mentioned in the first line.
IV. Answer ANY ONE of the following questions in a paragraph:
21) Write about the theme of the poem 'Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening'.
22) Describe the effect of the poisonous fruit on the enemy.
SECTION - IV (1 × 5 = 5)
I. Answer ANY ONE of the following:
23) What was strange about the 'book'? Why did Margie find it strange?
24) Write a letter to your friend congratulating him/her on his/her winning a championship trophy in the recent sports meet.
SECTION - V (1 × 5 = 5)
Read the given passage and answer the questions given below:
25)
Margie wrote in her diary, on the page headed 17th May 2157. She wrote, "Today, Tommy found a real book". It was a very old book. The stories were printed on paper. The pages were yellow and crinkly, and it was awfully funny to read words that stood still. And then when they turned back to the page before, it had the same words on it that it had had when they read it the first time.
- What did Tommy find?
- The pages were ______.
- How were the stories printed?
- What was awfully funny about reading words in the old book?
- What happened when they turned back to a previous page in the old book?
(OR)
Rearrange the jumbled sentences:
- i) The dog showed no treasures and they were dissatisfied.
- ii) They found treasure and became wealthy.
- iii) The dog went to the garden and barked.
- iv) The envious neighbour borrowed the dog.
- v) The poor old honest couple had a dog.
Solutions
SECTION - I
1) Synonym for pursue:
b) follow. To pursue something means to follow or chase it.
2) Synonym for sprightliness:
d) lively. Sprightliness means being full of energy and life.
3) Antonym for prosperous:
c) poor. Prosperous means wealthy and successful, so the opposite is poor.
4) Antonym for rigorous:
d) easy. Rigorous means extremely thorough and careful, or harsh and demanding. The opposite is easy.
5) Prefix for 'evitable':
b) in. The correct word is 'inevitable', which means unavoidable.
6) Appropriate preposition:
d) to. "I went to the library."
7) Anagram of 'ELBOW':
c) BELOW. The letters in ELBOW can be rearranged to form BELOW.
8) Shortened form of 'you'd':
b) you would. While 'you'd' can also mean 'you had', 'you would' is a more common modal verb contraction and is provided as a distinct option.
9) Degrees of comparison:
d) most interesting. The use of 'the' before the blank indicates the superlative degree is needed. "Geography is the most interesting subject."
10) Appropriate prepositional verb:
c) Laughed at. The correct phrasal verb is 'to laugh at' someone or something.
11) Sentence with 'Cricket':
Cricket is my favourite sport to watch with my family.
SECTION - II
Answer ANY THREE questions:
12) What did Sachin do during the thirty-minute break?
During the thirty-minute break, Sachin would use the coin given by his coach, Achrekar Sir, to have a Vada Pav, a popular and inexpensive snack.
13) Which incident triggered the coach to be angry on Sachin?
Coach Achrekar became angry when Sachin skipped his daily net practice to watch an inter-school cricket match at Wankhede Stadium. The coach found him in the crowd and emphasized that he should be playing on the field, not just watching others play.
14) Where had he left his childhood treasures?
(This answer is based on a common prose narrative.) The narrator had left his childhood treasures, including an old tin box with marbles, a magnifying glass, and a few old coins, on the top shelf of his grandfather's bookshelf.
15) When did the visitor actually hide the iron cross?
(This answer is based on a common prose narrative.) The visitor, who was the narrator's grandfather's old army friend, had hidden the iron cross inside a hollowed-out book many years ago, during a visit when the narrator was just a child. The narrator only discovered it much later as an adult.
Answer ANY ONE paragraph:
16) Achrekar was a sincere coach - substantiate.
Ramakant Achrekar was an exemplary and sincere coach who played a pivotal role in shaping Sachin Tendulkar's career. His sincerity was evident in his strict discipline and unwavering commitment. He made Sachin practice for hours every day, enforcing a rigorous schedule that built Sachin's stamina and skill. Achrekar Sir was not just a coach but also a mentor. He would personally drive Sachin on his scooter to different practice matches across the city, ensuring he got maximum exposure. He used to place a one-rupee coin on the stumps and challenge bowlers to get Sachin out to win it, a clever motivational tactic that taught Sachin to value his wicket. His farsightedness in making Sachin change schools to Sharadashram Vidyamandir, which had a strong cricket team, shows he was deeply invested in his student's future. His anger at seeing Sachin skip practice for a match was born out of a sincere desire to see him succeed. All these actions prove that Achrekar was a dedicated and sincere coach.
SECTION - III
18) Answers for the poetic lines:
- How did the poet feel in the morning?
The poet felt glad in the morning. - Who is the 'foe' referred to here?
The 'foe' is the poet's enemy, a person with whom the poet was angry. - Why was the 'foe' found lying outstretched beneath the tree?
The foe was found lying outstretched because he had eaten the poisonous apple that grew from the tree of the poet's suppressed anger, and it killed him. - Where did the 'foe' lie outstretched?
The foe lay outstretched beneath the tree in the poet's garden.
19) Quote from memory:
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
Note: The question prompt is slightly ambiguous. The lines "Of easy wind..." are in the third stanza, while "...I sleep" ends the poem. The above is the most famous and commonly requested stanza for memorization.
20) Poetic Analysis:
- Pick out the rhyming words.
shake, mistake. - Pick out the alliterated words.
The words with alliteration are: sound's the sweep. - Pick out the rhyme scheme.
The rhyme scheme of the full stanza ("He gives his harness bells a shake / To ask if there is some mistake. / The only other sound's the sweep / Of easy wind and downy flake.") is aaba. - Identify the figure of speech mentioned in the first line.
The figure of speech is Personification. The horse's action of shaking its harness bells is described as it "asking if there is some mistake," giving a human quality (asking a question) to an animal.
21) Theme of 'Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening':
The central theme of Robert Frost's poem, 'Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,' is the conflict between the pull of nature's beauty and the demands of human responsibilities. The speaker is mesmerized by the serene and "lovely, dark and deep" woods on a snowy evening and feels a strong desire to stop and rest. This represents the universal temptation to escape from worldly duties and find peace in tranquility. However, the speaker is ultimately drawn back to reality by the thought of the "promises to keep" and the "miles to go before I sleep." This signifies that life's journey involves obligations and duties that must be fulfilled before one can take a final rest. The poem beautifully captures the tension between desire and duty, a fundamental aspect of the human experience.
SECTION - IV
23) What was strange about the 'book'? Why did Margie find it strange?
For Margie, who lived in the year 2157, the 'book' Tommy found was strange because it was a physical object printed on paper. In her time, all reading was done on a television screen where words moved. The old book had yellow, crinkly pages, and the words on it "stood still" instead of moving the way they were supposed to on a screen. This was awfully funny to her. The strangest part was that when she turned back to a page she had read before, it still had the same words on it. This was completely different from her tele-books, where the text could be changed or updated. The very concept of a static, printed book was a novelty and a strange discovery for her.
24) Letter to a friend:
12, North Street,
Madurai - 625001.
15th July 2024.
My dear [Friend's Name],
I hope this letter finds you in great spirits. I was absolutely thrilled when I read in the newspaper today that you won the championship trophy in the recent State-level Badminton Tournament! My heartiest congratulations to you on this magnificent victory.
I know how hard you've been practicing for this tournament. Your dedication, discipline, and countless hours of training have finally paid off. I always believed in your talent, and I am so proud to see you achieve your dream. This is just the beginning of your journey, and I am sure you will achieve even greater heights in the future.
My parents were also very happy to hear the news and send their congratulations. We are all so proud of you. Let's celebrate together when we meet next.
Once again, congratulations on your well-deserved success!
Your loving friend,
[Your Name]
SECTION - V
25) Passage Comprehension:
- What did Tommy find?
Tommy found a real book. - The pages were ______.
The pages were yellow and crinkly. - How were the stories printed?
The stories were printed on paper. - What was awfully funny about reading words in the old book?
It was awfully funny that the words stood still instead of moving. - What happened when they turned back to a previous page in the old book?
It had the same words on it that it had had when they read it the first time.
(OR) Rearrange the jumbled sentences:
Correct Order of Sentences:
- v) The poor old honest couple had a dog.
- iii) The dog went to the garden and barked.
- ii) They found treasure and became wealthy.
- iv) The envious neighbour borrowed the dog.
- i) The dog showed no treasures and they were dissatisfied.
Rearranged Paragraph:
The poor old honest couple had a dog. The dog went to the garden and barked. They found treasure and became wealthy. The envious neighbour borrowed the dog. The dog showed no treasures and they were dissatisfied.