Students can access the CBSE Sample Papers for Class 9 English Communicative with Solutions and marking scheme Set 5 will help students in understanding the difficulty level of the exam.
CBSE Sample Papers for Class 9 English Communicative Set 5 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) Maggi is a food product that is ready to cook in 2 minutes. This instant noodle product was introduced to Indian customers by Nestle India ltd. It was initially founded by the Maggi family in Switzerland in 19th century and hence the name Maggi. Being well versed about fast-moving consumer goods, Nestle wanted to explore the potential for such instant food among Indian market.
(B) Introducing Maggi into India was the right decision; now Maggi enjoys around 90% market share in this segment. It is also the most popular instant food. Although Maggi is a highly accepted product today, it did not receive the same success in its initial stages. Maggi had to face a lot of difficulties in its product launch.
(C) The biggest problem was the Indian mentality. The period when Maggi was introduced Indian customers were new to ready to eat products; they were not welcoming and had a pre-determined notion that instant food was a bad innovation. Nestle’s target market was working women since it was more convenient for them to cook while following a busy schedule and marketing Maggi to them would be the best idea. Even after investing heavily on advertising Maggi was not picking up sales.
(D) To beat this situation, Nestle conducted heavy research and repositioned its product as ‘convenience’ for mothers and ‘fun’ for kids. They made effective taglines for communication like “fast to cook, good to eat”, “2-mins to cook” etc.
(E) To be branded, products must be differentiated. Maggi lengthened its product length with line stretching. In this case, the company wanted to introduce products for the lower market segment. This was done due to counter competition and to also bring in more volume sales.
(F) Maggi similarly came up with ‘Maggi Chotu’, for noodles and another segment of ‘Maggi Pichkoo’ for ketchup. Also, by decreasing the quantity, Maggi offers a wide range in its soups and masalas at low prices. Maggi recently came up with its new range of products in cubes of chicken and vegetables. Maggi has stretched its product line up and down to create a product line differentiated by benefits, varieties, ingredients, quantity and price.
Answer the following questions based on the passage above.
(i) Identify the meaning of ‘well-versed’ in line 3.
(A) very persuasive
(B) very business-like
(C) very professional
(D) very knowledgeable
Answer:
(D) very knowledgeable
Explanation:
very knowledgeable.
(ii) The article states that introducing Maggi into India was ‘the right decision’. Identify two pieces of evidence the article gives that support the view.
Answer:
- Maggi now enjoys 90% market share (in this segment)
- It is the most popular instant food.
- It is now a highly accepted product.
(iii) Re-read lines 10 – 15. Give two reasons the writer gives for the low sales of Maggi when it was first introduced into India.
Answer:
- Indians were new to/not familiar with ready to eat products.
- They were not welcoming.
- They thought instant food was bad (innovation).
(iv) Comment on the words ‘convenience’ and ‘fun’ as used in the text.
Answer:
- Convenience appeals to busy mothers. Instant food saves time in preparing meals.
- Fun is used to target children and suggests the idea of a treat.
(v) What efforts have been made recently to make Maggi, a more interesting product in the market?
Answer:
Maggi recently came up with its new range of products in cubes of chicken and vegetables. Maggi has stretched its product line up and down to create a product line differentiated by benefits, varieties, ingredients, quantity and price.
(vi) What did Nestle do to beat the situation of less sales of Maggi in the market?
Answer:
To beat this situation, Nestle conducted heavy research and repositioned its product as ‘convenience’ for mothers and ‘fun’ for kids. They made effective taglines for communication like “fast to cook, good to eat”, “2-mins to cook”, etc.
Question 2.
Read the following passage.
(A) Uday Kalburgi, an electronics and telecom engineer, has spent his life caring for, collecting and restoring old radios. Now he’s got 111 of the gleaming gems on display on the ground floor of his family home. Uday Kalburgi has about 150 dependents that his wife and two children have made their peace with. These rather needy things are short-wave radios that he has collected over decades and is constantly restoring and repairing.
(B) Bom in Bellary, Karnataka, in 1963, Kalburgi became fascinated with radios at the age of nine. He began collecting radio sets at 15. By then it was the late 1980s and though he didn’t know it, these would be the final years before radio made way for TV.
(C) “There was a time when the radio was such a focal point of family gatherings,” says Kalburgi, now 57 and an electronics and telecommunications engineering consultant. “Around these sets, stories were woven, musicians from far away sang to us and good and bad tidings from around the world tiptoed into the home.”
(D) The world has long since moved on—to gadgets that grow ever smaller, capable of performing an alarmingly long list of tasks. But where today’s devices are discarded and replaced annually, a radio set was a fixture, a matter of pride. What makes his collection particularly interesting is that every item in it still works. “Most radios at my museum are restored. As they have aged, it has taken time, patience and skill to revive each one”, he says.
(E) In all, 70 people have visited his museum since its launch on February 13, to coincide with World Radio Day. There, proudly displayed on shelves, are the items he has collected from markets and stores across the country. One radio, his largest, is a Philips BX998A from 1955 that weighs 27 kg. The smallest is a Philips 2802 from 1928 that didn’t even have a band switch. He now hopes that his museum will inspire some interest, if not love, in a new generation. “Radios can be used as amplifiers. So you can connect your set to an Alexa or a Bluetooth receiver and use it as a speaker,” he says. Meanwhile, he’s working on getting his wife to agree to let his museum “gradually” expand.
Answer the following questions based on the above passage.
(i) Which of the following statements about the radios in Kalburgi’s museum is true?
(A) They can only be displayed as museum artefacts.
(B) They can be used as speakers.
(C) They are like mobile phones.
(D) They can be used for accessing the internet.
Answer:
(B) They can be used as speakers.
Explanation:
Modified radios can be used as speakers.
(ii) Identify two facts Kalburgi gives about radios before the arrival of television.
Answer:
Stories were woven musicians from far away sang to them good and bad tidings from around the world tiptoed into the home.
(iii) From the final paragraph, give two details that show Kalburgi’s pride in his radio collection.
Answer:
- Items collected from across the country
- The size and weight of the Philips radio
- His hope that his museum will interest / inspire younger people
- Their usefulness today as speakers
(iv) From line 2, comment on the writer’s use of the phrase ‘gleaming gems’ to describe the radios Kalburgi has collected and restored.
Answer:
- ‘gleaming’-shining brightly
- ‘gems’-precious / valuable / like treasure to him
(v) How did Kalburgi’s journey of being an electronics and telecom engineer begin?
Answer:
Born in Bellary, Karnataka, in 1963, Kalburgi became fascinated with radios at the age of nine. He began collecting radio sets at 15. By then it was the late 1980s and, though he didn’t know it, these would be the final years before radio made way for TV.
(vi) With how many dependents, have Uday Kalburgi and his family made peace?
(A) 15
(B) 150
(C) 5
(D) 10
Answer:
(B) 150
Explanation:
Uday Kalburgi has about 150 dependents that his wife and two children have made their peace with.
SECTION – B (Writing Skills) (24 Marks)
Question 3.
You are Secretary of Health club of your school. You find that after the lunch break school playground and veranda are littered with wrappers, paper/polythene bags, etc. Write a notice in about 50 words advising students to refrain from doing so.
Answer:
National Public School, Ramnagar
NOTICE
24th October 20XX
Keep the School Premises Clean!
It has been noticed that during the break, students litter verandas and playground with wrappers, paper! poly bags etc. Please ensure that the waste is disposed in the dust bins only. Disciplinary action will be taken against those who are found littering the premises.
Please cooperate in keeping the surroundings clean and hygienic.
Rani Gupta
Secretary, (Health Club)
Question 4.
Complete the dialogue given below. Write your answers against the correct blank numbers.
Meeta : Hello Sonu! (a) _________?
Sonu : (b) _________ during winter break.
Meeta : Tell me (c) _________ ?
Sonu : We spent almost a week visiting different sites.
Meeta : Could you please enlighten me about (d) _________.
Sonu : There are (e) _________.
Answer:
(a) Where have you been these past few months
(b) I went to Delhi
(c) how you spent your time there
(d) the sites you visited
(e) so many places of tourist interest in Delhi
Question 5.
You have just acquired an unusual pet. Write a letter to your friend telling him/her about it. Give details about the care you have to take in looking after and feeding the pet.
Answer:
19, Akash Vihar
M.G. Road
Lucknow
3rd September 20XX
Dear Amit
Thanks for the birthday card you sent me. It was indeed very thoughtful of you to remember.
This year I celebrated my birthday differently, instead of the usual party and cake cutting, I went with my friends for a picnic in an amusement park near the banks of a river. After the boat ride, we sat down on the bank savouring the scenic beauty. Just then I noticed a brown coloured tortoise, the size of a small plate, crawling towards us. We all crowded around it, but unmindful of our glare, it made its way towards the crumbs of left over sandwiches. Scooping the creature in the empty paper lunch box, I decided to take it home as a pet.
The idea did not initially appeal to my parents, but seeing my enthusiasm they finally acceded to my request. I made a small shelter of twigs and leaves for him in one corner of the kitchen garden. ‘Sandy’ the little tortoise made himself comfortable in his new surroundings. To escape the summer heat, he usually crawls into a shallow pool of water near his new abode. It is great fun playing with him in the evening. He crawls out of the pit on seeing me wave a loaf of bread. After finishing it, he hides himself under his shell. The sight of a leafy shoot only gets him to stick his neck out.
I am sure you will also like him when you will come for this summer vacation. Give my regards to Uncle and Aunty.
Yours affectionately
Sunil
Question 6.
‘God doesn’t stay in a temple or a church but in the human body.’ Write a paragraph in 150 words.
Answer:
God is good. Truth, innocence, love and virtues are distributed equally without any criterion by him. All these positive virtues are embodied in the human body. God resides within us through these virtues. So, there is no need to search for him in churches or temples. For instance, in the lesson, ‘Bishop’s candlesticks’, the convict was once a normal human being. The hellish life in jail had made him lose faith in humanity. The bishop’s love and kindness moved the convict. He promises to become a good man and start his life anew. Thus, all are the children of the same God and he resides within us. So, we should treat one another with love and respect. Being kind to others is an effortless job one can do because everybody fights their own battle in life and go through a difficult time. Stay optimistic and true to your self for as long as possible.
OR
Write a paragraph on the topic ‘Past Looms large in the present.’ (150 words)
Answer:
In reference to the poem, ‘Oh, I wish I’d looked after my teeth’, the poet remained indifferent to the health of her teeth. Little did she know that her liking for sweet sticky things would result in disastrous ailments of the teeth. Now she realised that she spent her shilling on buying wrong things. She was fond of chewing toffees, licking lollies and eating candies and sweets of all kinds. She didn’t know that by eating them she was paving the way for cavities, caps and decay. When she realised the damage that she herself had done to her teeth her conscience was pricked. But it was too late. She couldn’t stop the rot now.
It was in her fate to sit in the chair of an old dentist. She had to suffer him filling and drilling into the teeth. There was a time when she used to laugh at the false teeth of her mother. Now the time for reckoning had come. It was her turn now. The poem gives a definite message to the readers. Negligence of teeth leads to disastrous results. We should not eat so many lollies, toffees and candies. Otherwise, we are paying the way for cavities, caps and decay. The chair of an old dentist and his drilling machine are waiting for us.
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.
Around the 1880s, an American doctor George Howard Monke modified an already existing game called Hoppity and called it Halma. The idea of (a) _________ (this/that/these/those) game (b) _________ (are/is/were/ was) to make your way across the board from your comer and move to the opposite side (c) _________ (along/ with/before/first) your opponent. Chinese Checkers originated as a spin off from Halma.
Answer:
(a) this
(b) is
(c) before
(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 | Correction | After |
(a) increases | with | hard work |
(b) does | not | work |
(c) by | the | cases |
(d) writer’s | efficiency/popularity | is |
(e) the | number | of |
(f) typist | is | tested |
(g) in | his | work |
(h) key | to | success |
(C) Read the conversation given below and complete the passage that follows:
John : I am off to school. Are you coming?
Hamid : You are very early today. What is the matter?
John : I shall have to spend half an hour in the botany laboratory before the bell goes.
Hamid : I have not had my breakfast. Do not wait for me. I shall see you at school. John told Hamid that he was off to school.
He asked Hamid (a) _________ Hamid told John that he was very early that day. He asked him (b) _________. John said that he would have to spend half an hour in the botany laboratory before the bell went. Hamid said that he hadn’t had his breakfast. He asked John not to wait for him. He said that (c) _________.
Answer:
(a) if he was coming.
(b) what the matter was.
(c) he would see him at school.
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) “The spectaded child considered the point for a moment gravely. Then, nodding he arranged his books in readiness for his return and went out. The front door closed with a decorous softness.”
(a) Who is the spectacled child referred to in the above lines? What was the child doing when the mother came in?
Answer:
Harold is the spectacled child. The boy was studying hard.
(b) Which point was the spectacled child asked to consider?
Answer:
That he should go out for a walk.
(c) What do the words ‘decorous softness’ mean?
Answer:
It means ‘Polite gentleness’.
(B) “For about nine seconds, he had me rattled, and I came mighty near getting cold feet and trying to sell him some plate-glass.”
(a) The speaker is talking about _________.
Answer:
He is talking about his meeting with Colonel Allyn, Jessie’s father.
(b) What did the speaker do after these ‘nine seconds’?
Answer:
After these nine seconds, he got over his nervousness, gained confidence and talked about his liking for Jessie.
(c) What rapport did the speaker share with Colonel?
Answer:
Both became good friends.
(C) “I slip, I slide, I gloom, I glance,
Among my skimming swallows;
I make the netted sunbeam dance
Against my sandy shallows.”
(a) Name the literary device used in this stanza.
Answer:
Alliteration.
(b) Why did the swallows touch the surface of the brook?
Answer:
The swallows touch the surface of the brook to catch the fish.
(c) What do ‘slipping’, ‘sliding’, ‘glooming’ and ‘glancing’ reflect?
Answer:
The lines “I slip, I slide, I gloom, I glance” from the poem describe the movement of the brook as it flows through its environment. The verbs “slip” and “slide” suggest a smooth and fluid motion, while “gloom” and “glance” create a sense of shifting light and shadow as the brook moves through different areas. These verbs reflect the brook’s dynamic and ever-changing nature, highlighting its liveliness and energy. Overall, these lines celebrate the beauty and vitality of nature.
Question 9.
Answer ANY SIX of the following seven questions in about 30 – 40 words each. 2 × 6 = 12
(i) How did Harold react when he came to know that his father was a professional boxer? Why?
Answer:
Harold was delighted to know that his father was a professional boxer. He was proud to be the son of ‘Young Porky’ who was the heartthrob of millions of inhabitants of London. His father was a hero in the eyes of his friends. He was so happy because his classmates would no longer tease him for being a spectacled child. Moreover, he would be able to show off like the others.
(ii) “My dear sir, do nothing hasty. Think before you speak.” What does the speaker ask the person he addresses to do and why? What moral value is exhibited in the above extract?
Answer:
The speaker, Percy Stokes asks the person to behave responsibly and respect a father’s feelings and not to be spiteful. This extract shows that one should respect other’s feelings and should not be spiteful while addressing someone. One should keep his calm and maintain respect in his speech.
(iii) What is the importance of being determined and punctual in our day-to-day life?
Answer:
Both determination and punctuality can take us a long way towards our destination. They provide us with the motivation to fight difficulties and overcome hurdles.
(iv) What happened with Hooper one day?
Answer:
One day, he was hit by a car. This accident completely paralysed his left side due to the haemorrhage in the motor section of his brain. Hooper was critical and remained so for a month. He underwent physiotherapy for his paralysed arm and leg, but it didn’t help much. Now he had to move on a wheel-chair.
(v) What did the ‘Professor’ mean by ‘intelligent reading’?
Answer:
By ‘intelligent reading’ the ‘professor meant that apart from the training provided one needed to update one’s knowledge with wise reading. Training and personal efforts go hand in hand.
(vi) Why did the Bishop lie and say that he had gifted his candlesticks to the convict?
Answer:
He did so as he did not want to send him to hell (prison) again. He also wanted him to realise his fault. He believed that sympathy and affection could change the criminal into a good human being.
(vii) What message does the poem ‘The Road Not Taken’ give us?
Answer:
The poet conveys a very important message in this poem. He tells us that man comes across many situations when he has to take a decision which sometimes can be crucial.
We must make the right choice by keeping in mind that ‘opportunity knocks only once’.
Answer ANY ONE of the following two questions in about 120 words. 6 × 1 = 6
(A) Pescud is short and not of the stuff heroes are made of. Yet he wins Jessie. What do you think were the main reasons that went in his favour?
Answer:
Pescud was short and ordinary-looking, and not of the stuff that heroes are made of. But the fact is that it was not his physical appearance that had impressed Jessie. She had liked his honesty and the space he had given her and Colonel Allyn to just give him one chance. He had said. “If I couldn’t make a hit with the little lady, I’d clear out, and not bother any more.” More than his physical looks, it was his personality which had been in his favour. Like a perfect salesman, he had been successful in impressing the Colonel. He had understood that the Colonel could be easily flattered if he listened to his stories, anecdotes and humorous occurrences. All these things went in his favour and he was able to win Jessie.
OR
(B) The Brook is a symbol of energy and determination to us. Describe in about 120 words.
Answer:
The poem draws a parallel between the journey of the brook and the journey of human life. Similar to the journey of the brook, human life also passes through many ups and downs. The brook passes through many hills, ridges, towns, villages and bridges and reveals its mood by the sound it makes when it moves on. Similarly, man also has to overcome many hurdles and difficulties in life and has to struggle hard to reach his destination. Neither the life of man nor the journey of the brook is smooth. But, just as the brook goes on undaunted and heads towards its destination, human beings must also go on.