NCERT Solutions For Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 8 Kathmandu is given here. These Solutions contains answers to all questions provided in the textbook. Class 9th English Kathmandu questions and answers are explained by the expert English teacher and as per NCERT (CBSE) guidelines.
Class 9 English Kathmandu Questions and Answers
Thinking about the Text
Question 1. On the following map mark out the route, which the author thought of but did not take, to Delhi.
Answer:The route the author had thought of but did not take is given below:
Kathmandu — Patna (Bihar) — Allahabad (Uttar Pradesh) — Delhi
Question 2. Find out the possible routes (by rail, road or air) from Kathmandu to New Delhi/ Mumbai/Kolkata/Chennai.
Answer: For self-attempt. Students may take the Atlas of the country and see or find themselves the air, road routes from Kathmandu to New Delhi/Mumbai/ Kolkata/ Chennai.
Some possible routes are:
By Road
- Kathmandu—Viratnagar—Patna
- Kathmandu—Nepalganj—Gorakhpur
By Rail
Patna—Delhi
Gorakhpur—Delhi
Patna—Kolkata
Gorakhpur—Varanasi—Kolkata
Patna—Mumbai
Gorakhpur—Allahabad—Mumbai
Patna—Khadarpur—Chennai
Gorakhpur—Allahabad—Nagpur—Chennai
I. Answer these questions in one or two words or in short phrases.
Question 1. Name the two temples the author visited in Kathmandu.
Answer: The two temples the author visited in Kathmandu were the Pashupatinath temple and the Baudhnath stupa.
Question 2. The writer says, “All this I wash down with Coca Cola.” What does ‘all this’ refer to?
Answer: ‘All this’ refers to eating a bar of marzipan, a corn-on-the-cob roasted in a charcoal stove on the pavement (rubbed with salt, chilli powder and lemon), and reading a couple of love story comics and a Reader’s Digest.
Question 3. What does Vikram Seth compare to the quills of a porcupine?
Answer: Vikram Seth compares the fifty or sixty bansuris protruding in all directions from the pole of a flute seller to the quills of a porcupine.
Question 4. Name five kinds of flutes.
Answer: The reed neh, the recorder, the Japanese shakuhachi, the deep bansuri of Hindustani classical music, the clear or breathy flutes of South America and the high-pitched Chinese flutes.
II. Answer each question in a short paragraph.
Question 1. What difference does the author note between the flute seller and the other hawkers?
Answer: The flute seller does not shout out his wares like the other hawkers. He simply plays slowly, meditatively, without excessive display.
Question 2. What is the belief at Pashupatinath about the end of Kaliyug?
Answer: At Pashupatinath, there is a small shrine that protrudes from the stone platform on the river bank. People believe that when the shrine will emerge fully, the goddess inside it will escape and the evil period of Kaliyug on earth will then end.
Question 3. The author has drawn powerful images and pictures. Pick out three examples each of
(i) the atmosphere of ‘febrile confusion’ outside the temple of Pashupatinath (for example: some people trying to get the priest’s attention are elbowed aside…)
(ii) the things he sees
(iii) the sounds he hears
Answer: (i) The author describes the monkey’s fight vividly and graphically. A fight breaks out between two monkeys. One chases the other, who jumps onto a shivalinga, then runs screaming around the temples and down to the river.
(ii) The author observes a princess of the Nepalese royal house. Everyone bows to her. He sees monkeys. He sees felt bags, Tibetan prints and silver jewellery. He looks at flute sellers, hawkers of postcards, shops selling western cosmetics, etc.
(iii) He hears film songs from the radios, car horns, bicycle bells, stray cows low and vendors shout out their wares. He also listens to the various flutes played by the flute seller.
III. Answer the following questions in not more than 100 − 150 words each.
Question 1. Compare and contrast the atmosphere in and around the Baudhnath shrine with the Pashupathinath temple.
Answer: The atmosphere at the Pashupatinath temple was full of chaos and confusion. Priests, hawkers, devotees, tourists, cows, monkeys, pigeons and dogs roamed through the grounds. There were so many worshippers that some people trying to get the priest’s attention were elbowed aside by others pushing their way to the front. Some saffron-clad Westerners were trying to enter the temple. Monkeys were fighting and adding to the general noise. Washerwomen were at their work, while children were bathing.
In contrast, the Baudhnath stupa was “a haven of quietness in the busy streets around”. There was no crowd, which helped build the stillness and serenity at the Buddhist shrine.
Question 2. How does the author describe Kathmandu’s busiest streets?
Answer: The author says that Kathmandu is vivid, mercenary, religious, with small shrines to flower-adorned deities along the narrowest and busiest streets. There are 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, vendors shout out their wares. The author buys a com-on- the-cob roasted in a charcoal brazier on the pavement. He also buys coca-cola and orange drink.
Question 3. “To hear any flute is to be drawn into the commonality of all mankind.” Why does the author say this?
Answer: The author considers flute music to be “the most universal and most particular” of all music. It belngs to all the cultures. Though each kind of flute has a specific fingering and compass, every flute produces music with the help of the human breath. Thus, because of its prevalence around the world and its closeness to the human breathing the author says that to hear any flute is “to be drawn into the commonality of all mankind”.
Thinking about Language
I. Read the following sentences carefully to understand the meaning of the italicised phrases. Then match the phrasal verbs in Column A with their meanings in Column B.
1. A communal war broke outwhen the princess was abducted by the neighbouring prince.
2. The cockpit broke offfrom the plane during the plane crash.
3. The car broke down on the way and we were left stranded in the jungle.
4. The dacoit broke away from the police as they took him to court.
5. The brothers broke up after the death of the father.
6. The thief broke into our house when we were away.
| A | B |
| (i) break out | (a) to come apart due to force |
| (ii) break off | (b) end a relationship |
| (iii) break down | (c) break and enter illegally; unlawful trespassing |
| (iv) break away (from someone) | (d) of start suddenly, (usually a fight, a war or a disease) |
| (v) break up | (e) to escape from someone’s grip |
| (vi) break into | (f) stop working |
Answer:
| A | B |
| (i) break out | (d) of start suddenly, (usually a fight, a war or a disease) |
| (ii) break off | (a) to come apart due to force |
| (iii) break down | (f) stop working |
| (iv) break away (from someone) | (e) to escape from someone’s grip |
| (v) break up | (b) end a relationship |
| (vi) break into | (c) break and enter illegally; unlawful trespassing |
II. 1. Use the suffixes −ion or −tion to form nuns from the following verbs. Make the necessary changes in the spellings of the words.
Example: proclaim − proclamation
| cremate _____________ | act ________________ | exhaust ___________ |
| invent _______________ | tempt ______________ | immigrate __________ |
| direct _______________ | meditate ____________ | imagine ____________ |
| dislocate _____________ | associate _____________ | dedicate ____________ |
Answer:
| cremate cremation | act action | exhaust exhaustion |
| invent invention | tempt temptation | immigrate immigration |
| direct direction | meditate meditation | imagine imagination |
| dislocate dislocation | associate association | dedicate dedication |
2. Now fill in the blanks with suitable words from the ones that you have formed.
(i) Mass literacy was possible only after the ___________ of the printing machine.
(ii) Ramesh is unable to tackle the situation as he lacks ____________.
(iii) I could not resist the _____________ to open the letter.
(iv) Hardwork and ___________are the main keys to success.
(v) The children were almost fainting with ______________after being made to stand in the sun.
Answer:
(i) Mass literacy was possible only after the invention of the printing machine.
(ii) Ramesh is unable to tackle the situation as he lacks direction.
(iii) I could not resist the temptation to open the letter.
(iv) Hardwork and dedication are the main keys to success.
(v) The children were almost fainting with exhaustion after being made to stand in the sun.
III. Punctuation
Use capital letter, full stops, question marks, commas and inverted commas wherever necessary in the following paragraph.
an arrogant lion was wandering though the jungle one day he asked the tiger who is stronger than you you O lion replied the tiger who is more fierce than a leopard asked the lion you sir replied the leopard he marched upto an elephant and asked the same question the elephant picked him up in his trunk swung him in the air and threw him down look said the lion there is no need to get mad just because you don’t know the answer
Answer: An arrogant lion was wandering through the jungle. One day, he asked the tiger, “Who is stronger than you?” “You, O lion!” replied the tiger. “Who is more fierce than a leopard?” asked the lion. “You sir,” replied the leopard. He marched up to an elephant and asked the same question. The elephant picked him up in his trunk, swung him in the air, and threw him down. “Look,” said the lion, “there is no need to get mad just because you don’t know the answer.”
IV. Simple Present Tense
1. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb in brackets.
(i) The heart is a pump that ____________(send) the blood circulating through our body. The pumping action ____________(take place) when the left ventricle of the heart ____________(contract). This ____________(force) the blood out into the arteries, which ____________(expand) to receive the oncoming blood.
(ii) The African lungfish can live without water for up to four years. During drought, it ____________(dig) a pit and ____________(enclose) itself in a capsule of slime and earth, leaving a tiny opening for air. The capsule ____________(dry) and ____________(harden), but when rain ____________(come), the mud ____________(dissolve) and the lungfish ____________(swim) away.
(iii) Mahesh: We have to organise a class party for our teacher. ____________(Do) anyone play an instrument?
Vipul: Rohit ____________(play) the flute.
Mahesh: ____________(Do) he also act?
Vipul: No, he ____________(compose) music.
Mahesh: That’s wonderful!
Answer:
(i) The heart is a pump that sends the blood circulating through our body. The pumping action takes place when the left ventricle of the heart contracts. This forces the blood out into the arteries, which expands to receive the oncoming blood.
(ii) The African lungfish can live without water for up to four years. During drought, it digs a pit and encloses itself in a capsule of slime and earth, leaving a tiny opening for air. The capsule dries and hardens, but when rain comes, the mud dissolves and the lungfish swims away.
(iii) Mahesh: We have to organise a class party for our teacher. Does anyone play an instrument?
Vipul: Rohit plays the flute.
Mahesh: Does he also act?
Vipul: No, he composes music.
Mahesh: That’s wonderful!