Students can access the CBSE Sample Papers for Class 9 English Communicative with Solutions and marking scheme Set 3 will help students in understanding the difficulty level of the exam.
CBSE Sample Papers for Class 9 English Communicative Set 3 with Solutions
Time Allowed : 3 hours
Maximum Marks : 80
General Instructions:
- 15-minute prior reading time allotted for Q-paper reading.
- The Question Paper contains FOUR sections-READING SKILLS, WRITING SKILLS, GRAMMAR and LITERATURE TEXTBOOK.
- Attempt questions based on specific instructions for each part.
SECTION – A (Reading Skills) (20 Marks)
Question 1.
Read the following passage.
(A) The new spaper is one of the significant signs of modern civilisation. It is the most popular form of reading in the present time because it interests all sorts of people. It is full of political news, sports and commercial ews, as well as articles by well-known writers. A newspaper keeps us both entertained and informed.
(B) m these days of democracy, public opinion rules everywhere. No government can long withstand the pressure of a strong public opinion. It is, therefore, quite clear that if the press controls public opinion, and public opinion in turn controls the government, ultimately the press controls the government. It acts as an i^erpreter between the government and the people and brings the rulers and the ruled together. A newspiVer is the cheapest, the most popular and the easiest means of information and knowledge. A newspaper virtually an encyclopedia of day-to-day information. That is why newspapers are so popular. We cannot tnink of our lives without newspapers.
(C) In recent times, there has been a great expansion of the press in India. There are over 4,000 daily newspapers being published in Hindi, English and the regional languages. There are over 20,000 periodicals – weeklies, bi-weeklies, fortnight-lies, monthlies etc. They form a vital link between the public and the government. On current problems and issues of national importance, there are editorials, leading articles and comments. These educate the public about them. They guide, mould and also reflect the public opinion. The readers publish their grievances, opinions and comments on sensitive and vital issues through the press. It helps the government and administration to know the mind and the mood of the public at large.
(D) The significance of the press is becoming more and more vital. The freedom of the press in a democratic country like India is of great importance. The press is the watch dog of democracy and the free expression. Personal freedom is the essence of democracy and it is reflected in the freedom that press enjoys in the country. Liberty of press is an essential ingredient of democracy. The newspapers should be free to criticise, condemn and warn the administration when they feel so. It should be left to the press to expose the wrong¬doings of the government. The press also acts as a public court. All evils, corruptions, vices, scandals etc. are given publicity and brought forth to the public through the medium of newspapers. The pressure of public opinion can be brought to bear upon the doers of evil and injustice. The oppressed and the downtrodden may easily demand justice at the bar of public opinion.
(E) Again, to build a nation, it becomes necessary to spread the ideas of liberty and independence among the masses. The real freedom of a country is never possible without the upliftment of the common people. Politicians as well as economists can circulate their ideas easily through newspapers as they reach the most distant comers in the shortest possible time.
(F) Newspapers also tell people what their rights are and teach them how they can protect and exercise these rights. By placing before the readers new view-points everyday, they stimulate thought and increase the power of independent thinking. Thus, newspapers contribute to the development of knowledge and their educative influence is indeed immense.
(G) The advantages of having a strong, independent and honest press far outweigh the evils practised by a few cheap, irresponsible newspapers. The newspaper is one of the greatest blessings of civilisation and journalism and therefore, it should be allowed to have the maximum amount of freedom possible.
(H) Restrictions on newspapers should be as few as possible in order to ensure the healthy growth of a nation. In the present stage of developing civilisation, newspapers are an absolute necessity, and given freedom of expression, they are capable of doing immense good to the society, country and world. Thus, the freedom of press is the first requisite for freedom of the people.
Answer the following questions based on the passage above.
(i) Find out the antonym of ‘ discourage’ from the passage?
(A) encourage
(B) secure
(C) stimulate
(D) inspire
Answer:
(A) encourage
Explanation:
‘Discourage’ means to put
(ii) Which word in the passage means ‘ enormous1?
(A) line
(B) immense
(C) block
(D) range
Answer:
(B) immense
Explanation:
‘Enormous’ means very big.
(iii) Who among the following cannot circulate their ideas through newspapers?
(A) Politicians
(B) Economists
(C) Common man
(D) None of these
Answer:
(D) None of these
Explanation:
Everyone can circulate their ideas through newspapers.
(iv) Which among the following is essential to build a strong nation?
(A) Spreading the ideas of liberty among the masses
(B) Spreading the ideas of independence among the masses
(C) Uplifting the common people
(D) All the above
Answer:
(D) All the above
Explanation:
A strong nation is built by spreading the ideas of liberty and independence among the masses and uplifting the common people.
(v) Find out the antonym of ‘restriction’ from the passage.
(A) slavery
(B) courage
(C) influence
(D) freedom
Answer:
(D) freedom
Explanation:
‘Restriction’ means limiting someone.
(vi) List one importance of newspapers.
Answer:
(a) They keep us both entertained and informed.
(b) They act as an interpreter between the government and the people.
(c) They also act as a public court.
(vii) How does public opinion rule everywhere in case of democracy?
Answer:
No government can long withstand the pressure of a strong public opinion. Thus, public opinion controls the government
(viii) ________ is an essential ingredient of democracy.
Answer:
Liberty of press
(ix) When can real freedom come to existence?
Answer:
Real freedom can come to existence only when the press is given freedom of expression.
(x) Which word in the passage means ‘crushed’?
Answer:
downtrodden
Question 2.
Read the following passage.
(A) The idea that coffee is bad for heart pops up periodically. It was found that regularly drinking very strong coffee could sharply increase cholesterol levels. Researchers even isolated fat-like chemicals, cafestol and kahweol responsible for the rise.
(B) It turned out that in the European brewing method, boiling water sits on the coffee grounds for several minutes before straining; this produces a high concentration of cafestol and kahweol. By contrast, the filter and percolation methods remove all but a trace of these chemicals still remains. Moreover, the studies involved large amounts of coffee-five to six cups a day. Moderate coffee drinkers drink only two cups.
(C) Research has also shown that regular, moderate coffee drinking does not dangerously raise blood pressure. And studies have failed to substantiate fears that coffee might trigger abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias) in healthy people.
(D) “For heart disease, I think the issue is closed,” says Meir Stampfer, an epidemiologist at Harvard who had studied many aspects of coffee and health. “Coffee drinking at reasonable levels is unrelated to heart risk.”
(E) Evidence suggests that coffee may help fend off Parkinson’s disease. A 30-year study of 8,000 Japanese and American men found that coffee drinkers had one-fifth the risk of those who didn’t drink the brew.
(F) Scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital, USA, found indirect evidence that Caffeine – the habit-forming stimulant in coffee – may actually combat Parkinson’s disease. The caffeine seemed to protect mice brain cells from depletion of the nerve chemical dopamine – the problem underlying Parkinson’s in humans. However, these are preliminary findings; human studies have not consistently supported caffeine’s protective role.
(G) The studies on coffee and cancer have focussed on three organs and are reassuring. You may remember a brief coffee scare in the early 1980s, when a single study linked coffee with pancreatic cancer. A false alarm: many studies since then have shown that the association is either extremely weak or non-existent.
(H) If there’s a connection between coffee and bladder cancer, it possibly applies just to coffee junkies. A re-analysis of 10 European studies found an increased risk only among people who drank 10 or more cups a day. And studies show that coffee seems to have no adverse influence on the risk of colon cancer.
(I) Caffeine is such a powerful stimulant that the International Olympic Committee and the National Collegiate Athletic Association have set limits on how much content can remain in the blood during competition. In addition to boosting physical endurance, caffeine increases alertness and improves mood. The buzz may come at a price though. People who drink more than they’re used to, may become restless and unable to sleep. Moreover, it’s possible to become physically dependent on caffeine in days.
(J) The question now arises: how much to drink? Those with heartburn and anxiety may want to see, if cutting back on coffee improves their condition. For most people, however, there’s virtually no risk in consuming up to three normal cups a day. Harvard’s Stampfer tries to keep his coffee drinking irregular enough to avoid habituation: “That way, I can get a buzz when I feel like it.”
Answer the following questions based on the above passage.
(i) Coffee increases ________ of those people who regularly drink very strong coffee.
(A) cholesterol
(B) tension
(C) the amount of blood
(D) fats
Answer:
(A) cholesterol
Explanation:
Coffee is known to increase cholesterol.
(ii) A person should not drink coffee ________
(A) less than 10 cups a day
(B) more than 10 cups a day
(C) more than three cups a day
(D) None of these
Answer:
(C) more than three cups a day
Explanation:
Drinking 3 cups or more of coffee causes increased cholesterol.
(iii) It has been proven that coffee does not have any adverse effect on the risk of
(A) colon cancer
(B) diabetes
(C) lung cancer
(D) None of these
Answer:
(A) colon cancer
Explanation:
Coffee does not cause cancer. It does increase cholesterol.
(iv) Caffeine boosts
(A) physical endurance
(B) mental endurance
(C) positive feelings
(D) None of these
Answer:
(A) physical endurance
Explanation:
Caffeine stimulates one physically.
(v) Find the word which conveys similar meaning as ‘separated’
(A) isolated
(B) unite
(C) mix
(D) link
Answer:
(A) isolated
Explanation:
‘Isolated’ means separated from everyone and made alone.
(vi) In what respect does coffee harm the human heart? How?
Answer:
Drinking very strong coffee could sharply increase cholesterol levels. Fat like chemicals – cafestol and kahweol are responsible for the rise.
(vii) European brewing methods produce a high concentration of ________ and ________.
Answer:
cafestol and kahweol
(viii) Depletion of the nerve chemical dopamine in nerve cells causes ________ disease.
Answer:
Parkinson’s
(ix) Name the three types of cancer listed in the passage.
Answer:
(a) pancreatic cancer
(b) bladder cancer
(c) colon cancer
(x) Name the diseases mentioned in the passage:
(a) associated with the heart
(b) associated with nerves
Answer:
(a) arrhythmias
(b) Parkinsons
SECTION – B (Writing Skills) (24 Marks)
Question 3.
You are Radhika Shah , Head Girl of your school. Draft a brief notice informing the students of Classes IX to X about an on the spot painting competition to be held on 10th March.
Answer:
ABC Public School, Guigaon
NOTICE
5th March 20XX
On the spot Painting Competition
This is to inform the students of classes IX to X thatOn on-the-spot painting competition is being organ ised for the students to display their talent and artis
tic skills. The details for the competition are – Venue : School Auditorium Time: 10:00, a.m. Date: 10th March 20XX Interested students can submit their names to the art teacher. Contact the undersigned for further details.
Radhika Shah
( Head Girl)
Question 4.
Complete the dialogue given below. Write your answers against the correct blank numbers.
Parth : Hi Tanvi! Where are you going? Tanvi: (a) ________. My father is admitted there.
Parth : Oh ! Is everything alright? (b) ________
Tanvi : He is feeling better now. He slipped on the staircase and (c) ________
Parth : What did the doctor say ?
Tanvi : (d) ________. The plaster will be out in 14 days.
Parth: Well, (e) ________.
Answer:
(a) I’m coming from the hospital.
(b) Is he better now?
(c) fractured his leg
(d) he has to rest
(e) I pray that he gets well soon
Question 5.
You will soon have to make a decision about the subjects that you wish to study in classes XI and XII. Write a letter (in 120 words) to your grandfather telling him about the subjects that you plan to take up. Be sure to explain the reason for your choice and how you think these subjects would help you in future.
Answer:
B-19, Aparna Heights
Dayal Bagh
Agra
26th March 20XX
Dear Grandpa
I received your letter yesterday and was happy to know that you have recovered from your ailment and are back from the hospital. I really admire your concern about my future, since, in your letter you have inquired about the stream and subjects I wish to take in XI and XII. You know quite well that I have always wanted to become a famous scientist, like you. You have always inspired me to come up in life. I want to take science stream in order to fulfill my aim of becoming a scientist. The subjects that I wish to study are Math, Chemistry, Physics, along with Computer Science. Moreover, you are always there to guide and assist me for my future endeavours.
I am sure, I will do very well and fulfill my ambition soon.
Thanking you for always being there for me.
Your loving granddaughter
Deepika.
Question 6.
Write a short paragraph (in 150 words) on Various Functions Performed by the Rain that Affect the Earthly Life.
Answer:
The rain represents a new life and brings joy and love wherever it goes. The clouds empty their burden. When it falls on the earth it quenches the thirst of the parched grounds. The plants and flowers rejoice at the welcome drops of rain and seem to be dancing in joy. The rain spreads happiness all around. No one seems to be saddened by its arrival. Its dotted silver threads dropped from heaven look divine. Nature has sent it to decorate her fields and valleys. The cry of rain is a matter of rejoicing and laughter for the hills.
They get a new lease of life. The vegetation, trees and rivulets are replenished. Its’ humble showers make the flowers dance with joy. Everyone is elated when it bows and falls on the earth as a blessing. The rain acts as a messenger of mercy between the two lovers, the field and the cloud. The rain has its own music or song. Everyone can hear it but only a few can understand it. It is the’ sigh of the sea, the laughter of the field and the tears of the heaven.
OR
Write a paragraph on the topic My Ambition in Life. (Word count: maximum 150 words).
Answer:
I would like to make my individualistic choice that would help me to choose a destination which would be exemplary for others. It is true that every person faces a dilemma in Life. He comes across the problem of making choices in life. The important thing is how the decisions are taken. The road is symbolic of the opportunities that come in our life and compel us to take the right decision. The divergence of the road is symbolic of the dilemma we face in life when one is caught in a problem. The choices have to be made thoughtfully and wisely. Adventurous people take the less travelled path. All these choices decide their future. Their life is affected by these choices as the step once taken cannot be retraced.
SECTION – C (Grammar) (10 Marks)
Question 7.
Complete the tasks A – C, as directed.
(A) Complete the following passage by choosing the most appropriate options from the ones given below.
Kabir, (a) ________ famous saint, was neither a Muslim nor a Hindu. He (b) ________ a ‘fakir’ (c) ________ preached love, peace and brotherhood to mankind.
(a) (i) a
(ii) one
(iii) the
(iv) most
Answer:
(i) a
(b) (i) is
(ii) has been
(iii) was
(iv) had been
Answer:
(iii) was
(c) (i) who
(ii) which
(iii) and
Answer:
(i) who
B. In the following passage, one word has been omitted in each line. Write the missing word along with the words before and after against the correct blank:
Answer:
Before | Omitted | After |
(a) owner | from | Maharashtra |
(b) mother | were | going |
(c) them | to | take |
(d) bridge | a | little |
(C) Rearrange the following words and phrases to form meaningful sentences.
(a) they / venomous / are / the longest / of all / snakes
Answer:
They are the longest of all venomous snakes.
(b) are shy / they / and / humans / will avoid / whenever possible
Answer:
They are shy and will avoid humans whenever possible
(c) live / they / mainly in the / plains of India / rain forests / and
Answer:
They live mainly in the rain forests and plains of India.
SECTION – D (Literature) (26 Marks)
Question 8.
Read the given excerpts and answer the questions briefly, for ANY TWO excerpts, of the three, given. 4 + 4 = 8
(A) So I lay in the old dentist’s chair,
And I gaze up his nose in despair,
And his drill it do whine
In these molars of mine
“Two amalgum”, he’ll say “for in there”.
(a) What made the poet feel upset?
Answer:
She was upset because she was sitting in a dentist s chair and had to undergo the drilling of her teeth.
(b) What did the dentist do to the poet’s teeth?
Answer:
The dentist drilled the poet’s teeth and filled her cavities with a mixture of mercury and silver
(c) What does ‘two amalgum’ mean?
Answer:
It means the mixture of mercury and silver.
(B) ” Or is it some more humble lay,
Familiar matter of today?
Some natural sorrow loss or pain,
That has been and may be again?”
(a) Who is singing and where?
Answer:
The Solitary Reaper is singing in the field.
(b) What is the poet trying to guess?
Answer:
The poet is trying to guess the theme of the song.
(c) What does ‘humble lay’ stand for?
Answer:
‘Humble lay’ stands for the common man of the song and that the song may be about the common, simple people or situations.
(C) “I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I
I took the one less travelled by,”
(a) What does the poet want to convey in the first line?
Answer:
The poet wants to convey that the speaker will tell others with a sigh about the choice he made and the difference it made in his life.
(b) What was the ‘difference’ the speaker mentions here?
Answer:
It refers to the speaker’s decision to take the less-travelled path in the woods. The speaker suggests that this choice has had a significant impact on his life and has led him down a unique and fulfilling path. It can be understood as a metaphor for the idea that even small choices can have a significant impact on our lives and shape our future.
(c) What does the word ‘hence’ mean here?
Answer:
‘Hence’ means ‘later years’ when he will tell this story which made all the difference in his life.
Question 9.
Answer ANY SIX of the following seven questions in about 30-40 words each. 2 × 6 = 12
(i) Decision Making plays an important role in day to day life. Explain this line with reference to the poem ‘The Road Not Taken’.
Answer:
There are many choices that one needs to make on a daily basis to simply get through the day. Life choices however are more important and have an everlasting effect on the individual. They are less frequent but have more of an impact on one’s life. The writer Robert Frost chose to use the poem “The Road not Taken” to show how one’s decisions can change the outcome of your life. Frost used the details of picking the road, the inability to reverse his choice, the consequences of his judgment, along with the external factors that influenced his judgments to express to the readers how life’s decisions make a difference all by writing a poem.
(ii) To whom does Wordsworth compare the Solitary Reaper?
Answer:
The poet compares the song of the Solitary Reaper with that of the nightingale and the cuckoo bird. He says that the Solitary Reaper’s voice is far more soothing, melodious and inspiring than these birds.
(iii) Why did the poet in the poem “Oh, I wish I’d looked after me teeth” go to the dentist? How could she have avoided it?
Answer:
The poet went to the dentist as the cavities in her teeth had started troubling her. She could have avoided this visit to the dentist if she had avoided chocolates, sticky food and sweets as well as by proper brushing of her teeth.
(iv) Why has rain been compared to dotted silver threads and pearls in the poem ‘The Song of the Rain’?
Answer:
Rain is transparent and crystal-clear like silver. When it falls on the earth, its drops shimmer like pearls in the sunlight. The droplets come down in the form of threads one after another, giving it the appearance of dotted silver thread.
(v) What is your impression about Mrs. A1 Smith?
Answer:
Mrs. Al. Smith is a rich American lady who is engaged in making films. She is self- opinionated, over-confident and brusque. She is prejudiced against the French people and has a high opinion of Americans. In the end, she is outsmarted by Gaston, who is a Frenchman.
(vi) Do you think the Bishop was right in selling the salt-cellars? Why/why not? Justify your answer.
Answer:
The Bishop was a kind, selfless and generous man. He was always ready to help others. When he came to know that Mrs. Gringoire was unable to pay her rent, he sold his silver salt-cellars and sent the amount to Mere Gringoire so that she could pay the rent.
(vii) How does Duke prove to be a beacon of light for Hooper?
Answer:
Duke was not merely a playful pet dog. He was a companion, a nurse and even a guide for his master. Duke assumed the responsibility of leading his crippled master back to his office desk.
Question 10.
Answer ANY ONE of the following two questions in about 120 words. 6 × 1 = 6
(A) Private Quelch was nicknamed Professor in the very first week of his training. How were doubts about the appropriateness of the name removed?
Answer:
Private Quelch was a lanky, stooping man. He had a frowning expression and wore horn-rimmed spectacles. His colleagues nicknamed him ‘Professor’ due to his appearance. But any doubts about the correctness of his name were soon removed because like a Professor he was a knowledgeable man. He surprised everyone at the training depot by his knowledge. He informed them that the muzzle velocity at which the bullet leaves the rifle is two thousand four hundred and forty feet per second. He also knew by heart the definition, the parts of the rifle, its use and care. Even after a 30 miles walk he was hearty and miraculously tireless.
His salute on pay day was a model to behold. When he heard the sound of a high flying invisible aeroplane he could tell what aircraft it was. About hand grenades he knew that the outside of a grenade was divided into forty-four segments. During cookhouse duties he protested against the unscientific and unhygienic method of peeling potatoes. He considered it a waste of vitamin values. He could lecture his fellows daily on every aspect of human knowledge. He was ambitious, hard-working and a good reader.
OR
(B) Harold’s parents were too perceptive and concerned. Yet they failed to see the reality of their son’s interests. Bring out the truth of this statement by giving evidence from the text.
Answer:
Harold’s parents were extremely proud of his intelligence. They knew that he was a prodigy and were highly concerned that Bill’s profession should be hidden from him. They regarded him as a person showing a bit too much class for them. But they failed to see the reality of their son’s interests. This is evident from the reaction of Harold when he comes to know the reality. He cries and says that it was a rotten thing to hide everything from him. He tells them that he had a bet with his friend, Dicky Saunders, that Jimmy Murphy would not last ten rounds.
Harold also tells Jerry that he’s been interested in all these things since he was a kid. He also says that all the fellows with him were very keen on discussing about the boxers’ performances. Harold himself names the boxers one after the other, which amazingly shows his field of interest which his parents were completely unaware of.