NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English
The Little Girl NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 3
The Little Girl NCERT Text Book Questions and Answers
Thinking About the Text The Little Girl
I.
Question 1.
Given below are some emotions that Kezia felt. Match the emotions in Column A with the items in Column B.
| A | B |
| 1. fear or terror 2. glad sense of relief 3. a “funny” feeling, perhaps of understanding |
(i) father comes into her room to give her a goodbye kiss (ii) noise of the carriage grows fainter (iii) father comes home (iv) speaking to father (v) going to bed when alone at home (vi) father comforts her and falls asleep (vii) father stretched out on the sofa, snoring. |
II. Answer the following questions in one or two sentences.
Question 1.
Why was Kezia afraid of her father?
Answer:
Kezia was afraid of her father because he was very strict and always used to give commands to everybody else in the house. He never played with her. He had big hands and heavy face especially his mouth when he yawned were big and she was especially terrified with the manner in which he looked at her over his spectacles.
Question 2.
Who were the people in Kezia’s family?
Answer:
Kezia’s family consisted of her father, mother, grandmother and herself.
Question 3.
What was Kezia’s father’s routine
(i) before going to his office?
(ii) after coming back from his office?
(iii) on Sundays?
Answer:
(i) Before going to his office, Kezia’s father usually went into her room to give her a casual kiss.
(ii) After coming back from his office, he ordered for tea to bring into the drawing room. He also asked his mother to bring him the newspaper and his slippers, and Kezia to pull off his boots.
(iii) On Sunday, Kezia’s father would stretch out on the sofa. He would cover his face with his handkerchief, put his feet on one of the cushions and sleep soundly.
Question 4.
In what ways did Kezia’s grandmother encourage her to get to know her father better?
Answer:
Kezia’s grandmother encouraged her to get to know her father better by sending her to the drawing room to talk to her parents on Sundays. She also suggested Kezia to make a pin-cushion out of a beautiful piece of yellow silk as a gift for her father’s birthday.
III. Discuss these questions in class with your teacher and then write down your answers in two or three paragraphs each.
Question 1.
Kezia’s efforts to please her father resulted in displeasing him very much. How did this happen?
Answer:
Kezia was always afraid of her father. She always stuttered before him. She tried to please her father on various occasions but her efforts resulted in displeasing him very much. When he asked her to take off his shoes, he would ask her if she had been a good girl. The moment she stuttered, her father got irritated and called her ‘a little brown owl’. Kezia wanted to please her father by making a pin-cushion. She did so but she used her father’s important papers as scrap to fill in the pin-cushion. It displeased her father and she was punished for it.
Question 2.
Kezia decides that there are “different kinds of fathers”. What kind of father was Mr. Macdonald, and how was he different from Kezia’s father?
Answer:
Kezia compared her father with Mr. Macdonald. She found Mr. Macdonald to be a different ‘ kind of father. He was a nice man. He played with his children. He put baby Mao on his shoulder and his daughters hung on to his coat’s pockets. They ran round and round the flower-beds laughing. Kezia’s father was just opposite to Mr. Macdonald. He never played with Kezia. He was very strict and harsh with her. This made Kezia decide that there are different kinds of fathers.
Question 3.
How does Kezia begin to see her father as a human being who needs her sympathy?
Answer:
One night, Kezia was alone in the house. She had a nightmare and started crying. She saw a butcher with a knife and a rope. Her father heard her crying. He took her to his bedroom and made her comfortable. This changed her feelings for him. She realised that her father was not so cruel as she thought. She understood how he got tired after day’s work. She began to see him as a human being who needed her sympathy.
The Little Girl Thinking about Language
I.
Look at the following sentence.
There was a glad sense of relief when she heard the noise of the carriage growing fainter…
Here, glad means happy about something.
Glad, happy, pleased, delighted, thrilled and overjoyed are synonyms (words or expressions that have the same or nearly the same meaning.) However, they express happiness in certain ways.
Read the sentences below.
- She was glad when the meeting was over.
- The chief guest was pleased to announce the name of the winner.
Question 1.
Use an appropriate word from the synonyms given above in the following sentences. Clues are given in brackets.
(i) She was ……………. by the news of her brother’s wedding. (very pleased)
(ii) I was …………… to be invited to the party, (extremely pleased and excited about)
(iii) She was …………… at the birth of her granddaughter. (extremely happy)
(iv) The coach was …………….. with his performance. (satisfied about)
(v) She was very …………with her results, (happy about something that has happened)
Answer:
(i) thrilled
(ii) delighted
(iii) overjoyed
(iv) pleased
(v) happy
Question 2.
Study the use of the word big in the following sentence.
He was so big – his hands and his neck, especially his mouth…
Here, big means large in size.
Now, consult a dictionary and find out the meaning of big in the following sentences. The first one has been done for you.
(i) You are a big girl now. …….
(ii) Today you are going to take the biggest decision of your career……….
(iii) Their project is full of big ideas…….
(iv) Cricket is a big game in our country……….
(v) I am a big fan of Lata Mangeskar………
(v) You have to cook a bit more as my friend is a big eater……….
(vi) What a big heart you’ve got, Father dear…………..
Answer:
(i) Older
(ii) most important
(iii) innovation
(iv) popular
(v) great
(vi) gourmand
(vii) generous
II.
Verbs of Reporting
Study the following sentences.
- “What!” screamed Mother.
- “N-n-no”, she whispered.
- “Sit up,” he ordered.
The italicised words are verbs of reporting. We quote or report what someone has said or thought by using a reporting verb. Every reporting clause contains a reporting verb. For example:
- He promised to help in my project.
- “How are you doing?” Seema asked
We use verbs of reporting to advise, order, report statements, thoughts, intentions, questions, requests, apologies, manner of speaking and so on.
Question 1.
Underline the verbs of reporting in the following sentences.
(i) He says he will enjoy the ride.
(ii) Father mentioned that he was going on a holiday.
(iii) No one told us that the shop was closed.
(iv) He answered that the price would go up.
(v) I wondered why he was screaming.
(vi) Ben told her to wake him up.
(vii) Ratan apologised for coming late to the party.
Answer:
(i) He says he will enjoy the ride.
(ii) Father mentioned that he was going on a holiday.
(iii) No one told us that the shop was closed.
(iv) He answered that the price would go up.
(v) I wondered why he was screaming.
(vi) Ben told her to wake him up.
(vii) Ratan apologized for coming late to the party.
Question 2.
Some verbs of reporting are given in the box. Choose the appropriate verbs and fill in the blanks in the following sentences.
were complaining, shouted, replied, remarked, ordered, suggested
(i) “I am not afraid,” …………. the woman.
(ii) “Leave me alone,” ……………. my mother
(iii) The children ………….. that the roads were crowded and noisy.
(iv) “Perhaps he isn’t a bad sort of a chap after all,” …………… the master.
(v) “Let’s go and look at the school ground,” …………. the sports teacher.
(vi) The traffic police …………. all the passers-by to keep off the road.
Answer:
(i) “I am not afraid,” replied the woman.
(ii) “Leave me alone,” my mother shouted.
(iii) The children were complaining that the roads were crowded and noisy.
(iv) “Perhaps he isn’t a bad sort of a chap after all,” remarked the man.
(v) “Let’s go and look at the school ground,” suggested the sports teacher.
(vi) The traffic police ordered all the passers-by to keep off the road.
The Little Girl NCERT Workbook Questions
Question 1.
Look at the words — see, watch, look at, view, observe, catch, glimpse. These are all synonyms. Fill in the blanks with appropriate words. You can change the tense where it is required.
(a) We ……………… a television programme on tourism in India. It was very informative.
(b) Somebody is keeping a ……………….. over the tower.
(c) The ………………. from the cliff is panoramic.
(d) You can’t afford to fall sick again, ………….. your diet.
(e) She ………… the amazing view and drew a picture.
(f) If you are able to………. a …………… of dancing dolphins, you are lucky.
(a) watched
(b) watch
(c) view
(d) watch
(e) observed
(f) catch, glimpse
Question 2.
Look at the following sentence:
By that time he had his spectacles on and looked at her over them…
Here, look means lay one’s eye on or to direct one’s gaze in a specified direction.
Use appropriate words from the synonyms given below in the following sentences.
glance, gaze, stare, peep, watch, see, observe
(a) Ginny ……………… at her watch, (take a brief or hurried look)
(b) The door was ajar and she couldn’t resist …………. in. (look quickly and furtively at something)
(c) Lucy ………. him playing, (look at or observe attentively over a period of time)
(d) He could only …………… her in astonishment. (look steadily and intently, especially in admiration, surprise or thought)
(e) She ……………that all the seats were already occupied. (notice or perceive something)
(f) In the distance, she could ……………..the blue horizon. (perceive with the eyes)
(g) He ………………. at her in amazement. (look fixedly or vacantly at someone or something with one’s eyes wide open)
Answer:
(a) glanced
(b) peeping
(c) observed
(d) gaze
(e) saw
(f) watch
(g) stared
Question 3.
Read the following passage and underline the reporting verbs.
(i) Anu’s mother agreed that Anu could go to the party but cautioned her not to have too many sweets. The dentist has advised her not to eat too many sweets.
(ii) Anita reminded Leena to buy milk and keep it in the fridge because Vrinda wanted to have coffee in the evening. Leena insisted that she would only make coffee. Anita agreed to her request.
(iii) We decided to go to our village near Goa on holiday. Mona recommended going to the beach. The coast guard advised us against going into the water. He also warned us about the weak bridge. He warned the children not to cross the bridge there. We thanked him and went back.
(iv) The teacher explained the functioning of the heart with the help of a model. He wished us good luck for our practical exam. He also reminded us that the classes would resume from Tuesday.
Answer:
(i) agreed, cautioned, advised
(ii) reminded, wanted, insisted, agreed
(iii) decided, recommended, advised, warned, thanked
(iv) explained, wished, reminded
Question 4.
Read the following sentences and choose the correct reporting verb from the options given against each sentence.
(i) He ……………. me against eating junk food.
(a) advised
(b) told
(c) suggested
Answer:
(a) advised
(ii) The teacher …………me to telephone my mother.
(a) informed
(b) advised
(c) reminded
Answer:
(c) reminded
(iii) He ………….. to get me a cup of tea.
(a) offered
(b) said
(c) invited
Answer:
(a) offered
(iv) She …………….. Ruchi of stealing her book.
(a) told
(b) accused
(c) admitted
Answer:
(b) accused
(v) The host …………. for the delay.
(a) said
(b) apologised
(c) regretted
Answer:
(b) apologised
(vi) The Police later ………………. that one of the convicts had been arrested.
(a) convinced
(b) declared
(c) confirmed
Answer:
(b) declared
(vii) The little girl ………….. to wear the sweater.
(a) refused
(b) denied
(c) said no
Answer:
(a) refused
(viii) He ………………….. taking the train as the road was terrible.
(a) invited
(b) claimed
(c) suggested
Answer:
(c) suggested