NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 6 My Childhood

NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 6 My Childhood are given below. This chapter contains many questions that are essential for exams. Our expert teachers answered all the questions with a detailed explanation that help students to complete their assignments and homework. We have also provided NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Chapter 6 My Childhood in PDF format so that you can download them for offline use.

My Childhood NCERT Questions and Answers

Thinking about the Text

I. Answer these questions in one or two sentences each. 

Question 1. Where was Abdul Kalam’s house?

Answer: Abdul Kalam’s house was on the Mosque Street in Rameswaram.

Question 2. What do you think Dinamani is the name of? Give a reason for your answer.

Answer: Dinamani is the name of a local newspaper. It is so because Kalam traced the stories of the war in the head lives in Dinamani. 

Question 3. Who were Abdul Kalam’s school friends? What did they later become?

Answer: Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan and Shivaprakasan were Abdul Kalam’s school friends. Ramanadha Shastry became the high priest of the Rameshwaram temple, Aravindan a transport businessman and Shivprakasan was the catering contractor for the southern railways. 

Question 4. How did Abdul Kalam earn his first wages?

Answer: Abdul Kalam earned his first wages by catching bundles of the newspapers thrown out from the moving train on the Rameswaram Road between Rameswaram and Dhanuskodi and distributing them.

Question 5. Had he earned any money before that? In what way?

Answer: Yes, he had earned money before that too. He used to collect the tamarind seeds and sell them to a provision shop on Mosque Street. A day’s collection would let him earn one anna.

II. Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (about 30 words). 

Question 1. How does the author describe: (i) his father, (ii) his mother, (iii) himself?

(i) The author, Abdul Kalam describes his father as an honest and generous man. He had neither much formal education nor much wealth. However, he possessed great innate wisdom and a kind heart. He was self-disciplined and avoided all inessential luxuries.

(ii)  He describes his mother, Ashiamma as an ideal helpmate to her husband. She was a woman with a big heart who fed many people everyday.

(iii) He describes himself as a short boy with undistinguished looks. He possessed the qualities of honesty, self-discipline and kindness which he inherited from his parents.

Question 2. What characteristics does he say he inherited from his parents?

Answer: He says that he inherited honesty and self-discipline from his father; and faith in goodness and deep kindness from his mother.

III. Discuss these questions in class with your teacher and then write down your answers in two or three paragraphs each. 

Question 1: “On the whole, the small society of Rameswaram was very rigid in terms of the segregation of different social groups,” says the author.

(i) Which social groups does he mention? Were these groups easily identifiable (for example, by the way they dressed)?

(ii) Were they aware only of their differences or did they also naturally share friendships and experiences? (Think of the bedtime stories in Kalam’s house; of who his friends were; and of what used to take place in the pond near his house.)

(iii) The author speaks both of people who were very aware of the differences among them and those who tried to bridge these differences. Can you identify such people in the text?

(iv) Narrate two incidents that show how differences can be created, and also how they can be resolved. How can people change their attitudes?

Answer:

(i) He mentions two social groups of Rameshwaram – orthodox Brahmins and Muslims. Yes, these groups were easily identifiable. For example, by the way they dressed; Kalam wore a cap which marked him as a Muslim. Ramanadha Sastry wore a seared thread which marked him a Hindu. 

(ii) They were not aware only of their differences. They also naturally share friendships and experiences. Kalam’s mother and grandmother would tell events from the Ramayana and from the life of the Prophet as bedtime stories. All his friends belonged to orthodox Hindu families. During the annual Sita Rama Kalyanam Ceremony, his family would arrange boats with a special platform for carrying idols of the Lord from the temple to the marriage site situated in the middle of the pond called Rama Tirtha which was near his house.

(iii) The author speaks both of people who were very aware of the differences among them and those who tried to bridge these differences. Yes, we can identify such people in the text.

The new school teacher and Sivasubramania Iyer’s wife were very aware of the differences among the social groups but Sivasubramania Iyer and Lakshamana Sastry tried to bridge these differences.

(iv) The first incident to show that how differences can be created is that when the new young teacher found a Muslim student sitting beside a Hindu student, he asked Kalam to sit in the last raw. His friend Ramanadha Sastry was heartbreaken. They informed their respective parents Lakshmana Sastry summoned the teacher and conveyed the strong sense of conviction which ultimately reformed him. The other incident shows that how differences can be resolved. The author’s science teacher, Sivasubramania Iyer, though an orthodox Brahmin with a very conservative tried to bridge these differences. People can change their attitudes by observing no difference in the way of Hindu’s and a Muslim’s eating of meals, drinking of water and cleaning of the floor. 

2. (i) Why did Abdul Kalam want to leave Rameswaram?

Answer: Kalam wanted to leave Rameswaram for further studies. He wanted to study at the district headquarters in Ramanathapuram.  

(ii) What did his father say to this? 

Answer: His father said, ““Abul ! I know you have to go away to grow. Does the seagull not fly across the sun, alone and without a nest?”

(iii) What do you think his words mean? Why do you think he spoke those words? 

Answer: Abdul Kalam’s father’s words bear great meanings. First, he inspired his son to go ahead above giving the example of the seagull. Secondly, he explained Kalam’s mother to give his son opportunities to get higher education and to make progress. I think he spoke those words to encourage Abdul Kalam and to control the emotional attachment of his wife for Kalam.  

Thinking about Language

I. Find the sentences in the text where these words occur: 

Erupt surge  trace  undistinguished  casualty 

Look these words up in a dictionary which gives examples of how they are used. 

Now answer the following questions. 

1. What are the things that can erupt? Use examples to explain the various meanings of erupt. Now do the same for the word surge. What things can surge? 

Answer:  The sentences in the text where these words occur are the following:

(i) a sudden demand for tamarind seeds erupted in the market.

(ii) I can still feel the surge of pride in earning my own money for the first time.

(iii) I would later attempt to trace in the headlines in Dinamani.

(iv) a short boy with rather undistinguished looks, born to tall and handsome parents.

(v) The first casualty came in the form of the suspension of the train halt at Rameswaram Station.

A few things that can erupt are violence, volcano, emotions, riots, etc. 

Different sentences to explain the various meanings of erupt are given below:

(i) Violence erupted during the protests.

(ii) He erupted in anger.

(iii) The volcano erupted, spewing lava across a wide area.

(iv) On the day of the party, a pimple erupted on her face

Things that can surge are waves, electric current or voltage, boat, prices, crowd, etc.

Different sentences to explain the various meaning of surge are given below:

(i) A power surge at that generator created a blackout across the whole district.           

(ii) The fans surged forward to see their favourite actor.

(iii) The army surged towards their enemy.

(iv) The prices of gold surged tremendously this year.

2. What are the meanings of the word trace and which of the meanings is closest to the word in the text? 

Answer: The different meanings of the word trace are:

(i) To move along, follow, or traverse 

(ii) To find something or someone through investigation

(ii) To follow the development or process of something

(iii) To draw, sketch, outline, etc.

The closest meaning of the word ‘trace’ in the text is to find something or someone through investigation.

3. Can you find undistinguished in your dictionary? (If not, look for the word distinguished and say what undistinguished mean.) 

Answer: No, the word undistinguished does not exist in the dictionary. 

However, its meaning can be derived from the meaning of the word ‘distinguished’, which denotes the ‘special or eminent appearance or behaviour of a person’. Thus, undistinguished symbolises ‘ordinary appearance or behaviour of a person’. 

 II. 1. Match the phrases in Column A with their meanings in Column B.  

A	B
(i) broke out	(a) an attitude of kindness, a readiness to give freely
(ii) in accordance with	(b) was not able to tolerate
(iii) a helping hand	(c) began suddenly in a violent way
(iv) could not stomach	(d) assistance
(v) generosity of spirit	(e) persons with power to make decisions
(vi) figures of authority	(f) according to a particular rule, principle, or system

Answer:

A	B
(i) broke out	(c) began suddenly in a violent way
(ii) in accordance with	(f) according to a particular rule, principle, or system
(iii) a helping hand	(d) assistance
(iv) could not stomach	(b) was not able to tolerate
(v) generosity of spirit	(a) an attitude of kindness, a readiness to give freely
(vi) figures of authority	(e) persons with power to make decisions

2. Study the words in italics in the sentences below. They are formed by prefixing un – or in – to their antonyms (words opposite in meaning). 

• I was a short boy with rather undistinguished looks. (un + distinguished) 
• My austere father used to avoid all inessential comforts.(in + essential) 
• The area was completely unaffected by the war.(un + affected) • He should not spread the poison of social inequality and communal  intolerance. (in + equality, in + tolerance) 

Now form the opposites of the words below by prefixing un– or in-. The prefix in- can also have the forms il-, ir-, or im– (for example: illiterate –il + literate, impractical –im + practical, irrational – ir + rational). You may consult a dictionary if you wish. 

IV. Rewrite the sentences below, changing the verbs in brackets into the passive form. 

1. In yesterday’s competition the prizes (give away) by the Principal.
2. In spite of financial difficulties, the labourers (pay) on time.
3. On Republic Day, vehicles (not allow) beyond this point.
4. Second-hand books (buy and sell) on the pavement every Saturday.
5. Elections to the Lok Sabha (hold) every five years.
6. Our National Anthem (compose) Rabindranath Tagore.

Answers: 1. In yesterday’s competition the prizes were given away by the Principal.
2. In spite of financial difficulties, the labourers were paid on time.
3. On Republic Day, vehicles are not allowed beyond this point.
4. Second-hand books are bought and sold on the pavement every Saturday.
5. Elections to the Lok Sabha are held every five years.
6. Our National Anthem was composed by Rabindranath Tagore.

V. Rewrite the paragraphs below, using the correct form of the verb given in brackets. 

1. How Helmets Came To Be Used in Cricket 

Nari Contractor was the Captain and an opening batsman for India in the1960s. The Indian cricket team went on a tour to the West Indies in 1962. In a match against Barbados in Bridgetown, Nari Contractor (seriously injure and collapse). In those days helmets (not wear). Contractor (hit) on the head by a bouncer from Charlie Griffith. 

Contractor’s skull (fracture). The entire team (deeply concern). The West 

Indies players (worry). Contractor (rush) to hospital. He (accompany) by Frank Worrell, the Captain of the West Indies Team. Blood (donate) by the West Indies players. Thanks to the timely help, Contractor (save). Nowadays helmets (routinely use) against bowlers. 

Answer: Nari Contractor was the Captain and an opening batsman for India in the 1960s. The Indian cricket team went on a tour to the West Indies in 1962. In a match against Barbados in Bridgetown, Nari Contractor got seriously injured and collapsed. In those days helmets were not worn. Contractor was hit on the head by a bouncer from Charlie Griffith. Contractor’s skull had fractured. The entire team was deeply concerned. The West Indies players were worried. Contractor was rushed to hospital. He was accompanied by Frank Worrell, the Captain of the West Indies Team. Blood was donated by the West Indies players. Thanks to the timely help, Contractor was saved. Nowadays helmets are routinely used against bowlers. 

2. Oil from Seeds 

Vegetable oils (make) from seeds and fruits of many plants growing all over the world, from tiny sesame seeds to big, juicy coconuts. Oil (produce) from cotton seeds, groundnuts, soya beans and sunflower seeds. Olive oil (use) for cooking, salad dressing etc. Olives (shake) from the trees and (gather) up, usually by hand. The olives (ground) to a thick paste which is spread onto special mats. Then the mats (layer) up on the pressing machine which will gently squeeze them to produce olive oil. 

Answer: Vegetable oils are made from seeds and fruits of many plants growing all over the world, from tiny sesame seeds to big, juicy coconuts. Oil is produced from cotton seeds, groundnuts, soya beans and sunflower seeds. Olive oil is used for cooking, salad dressing etc. Olives are shaken from the trees and gathered up, usually by hand. The olives are ground to a thick paste which is spread onto special mats. Then the mats are layered up on the pressing machine which will gently squeeze them to produce olive oil.