Students can use Kaveri Class 9 English Book Solutions and Class 9 English Kaveri Book Poem 5 Question Answer Nine Gold Medals as a quick reference guide.
Nine Gold Medals Poem Class 9 Question Answer
Class 9 English Kaveri Poem 5 Question Answer
Class 9 Kaveri Poem 5 Nine Gold Medals Question Answer
Reflect and Respond (NCERT Page 156)
I. Work in pairs. Discuss the difference between Olympics, Special Olympics and Paralympics.
Answer:
The Olympics, Special Olympics and Paralympics differ mainly in who participates and how events are organised.
- The Olympics are for athletes without disabilities and focus on high-level international competition.
- The Paralympics are for athletes with physical disabilities, where events are adapted to different types of impairments and performance is judged competitively.
- The Special Olympics are for athletes with intellectual disabilities and emphasise participation, confidence, and personal growth rather than winning.
Thus, while all three promote sports, they serve different groups of athletes and different purposes.
II. Work in pairs to match the words ’empathy’, ‘sympathy’, and ‘compassion’ to the sentences given in the table below.
Answer:
| Word | Sentence |
| Sympathy | I am so sorry for what is happening to you. It is sad, do you want something to eat? |
| Empathy | I can imagine how you feel. I understand that you are upset and why. |
| Compassion | I understand how you feel. I will spend some time with you, so that you don’t feel lonely. |
III. Work in pairs. List the words you associate with empathy. Share your responses with your classmates and teacher.
Answer:
- Understanding
- Listening
- Sensitivity
- Sharing feelings
- Respect
- Caring
- Kindness
- Concern
- Support
- Emotional connection
Check Your Understanding (NCERT Pages 158-160)
I. Work in pairs. Match the words and phrases in Column 1 with their meanings in Column 2. You may read the poem again and infer the contextual meaning.
Check your answers with the teacher.
Answer:
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
| 1. dashed in the dirt | (ii) destroyed |
| 2. stumbled | (iv) step awkwardly, lose balance and almost fall |
| 3. staggered | (i) walk or move with difficulty |
| 4. anguish | (v) extreme pain or suffering |
| 5. asphalt | (iii) a hard black substance used to make roads and paths |
II. Identify the gist of each stanza. Write the number of the stanza in the boxes given.
1. Spectators cheered participants of different events and waited enthusiastically for the final event to start.
Answer: Stanza 2
2. All runners dashed ahead as soon as they heard the gun shot; suddenly, one of the athletes tripped and fell on the ground.
Answer: Stanza 4
3. The race finished with nine athletes holding hands and winning the well-deserved gold medals; their smiles, and spectators standing up to applaud, conveyed everything.
Answer: Stanza 8
4. Participants got ready at the starting line and the determined athletes waited for the sound of the gun.
Answer: Stanza 3
5. Athletes from various parts of the country had gone through rough months of training; had big dreams of winning a medal.
Answer: Stanza 1
6. The eight athletes stopped to help the young fallen athlete stand up, forgetting that they were competing.
Answer: Stanza 6
7. Nine athletes held the banner and walked hand in hand; this gesture represented the ethos of Special Olympics.
Answer: Stanza 7
8. The young athlete felt his dreams were shattered and cried in pain and disappointment, but something unique happened.
Answer: Stanza 5
III. Let us appreciate the poem.
Question 1.
Two examples of alliteration from the poem are
(i) _________ (ii) __________.
Answer:
(i) stumbled and staggered (ii) holding hands
Question 2.
Give three examples of visual imagery from the poem.
(i) ________ (ii) ________ (iii) ________.
Answer:
(i) “The spectators gathered around the old field”
(ii) “fell to the asphalt instead”
(iii) “They came to the finish line holding hands still”
Question 3.
Give an example of auditory imagery from the poem.
(i) ________.
Answer:
(i) “The signal was given, the pistol exploded”
Question 4.
How does the use of imagery make the poem more appealing?
Answer:
Imagery makes the poem vivid and lively. It helps readers clearly imagine the race, the fall, the help given by the runners, and the final walk to the finish line, making the emotions stronger and the poem more engaging.
Question 5.
How does the spectators change from the beginning to the end of the poem?
Answer:
At the beginning, spectators are excited and cheering for a competitive race. At the end, they stand in ovation, moved by the athletes’ kindness and unity rather than by victory.
Question 6.
What is the overall mood created by the poem?
Answer:
The mood shifts from excitement and tension to sympathy, compassion and finally joy and admiration.
Question 7.
What is the message being conveyed by the poem?
Answer:
The poem conveys that humanity, empathy, and cooperation are greater than winning medals and true success lies in helping others.
Critical Reflection (NCERT Pages 160-162)
I. Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.
Extract 1
The eight other runners pulled up on their heels The ones who had trained for so long to compete One by one they all turned round and went back to help him And brought the young boy to his feet.
(i) Select the correct option to complete the sentence.
The phrase ‘pulled up on their heels’ means that the runners ________ .
A. moved aside
B. stopped running
C. tried to run faster
D. jumped ahead
Answer:
B. stopped running
(ii) Mention one character trait common to all the eight other runners.
Answer:
One common character trait of the eight runners is compassion (or kindness/empathy).
(iii) What is the tone of the poet in these lines?
Answer:
The tone of the poet in these lines is admiring and emotional. The poet appreciates the runners for their kindness and humanity.
(iv) How might the young athlete have felt on being helped by the others?
Answer:
The young athlete might have felt grateful, relieved, and comforted. He may also have felt happy that he was not left alone in his difficult moment.
(v) Would you consider this incident as a turning point in the poem? If yes, why? If no, why not?
Answer:
Yes, this incident is a turning point in the poem. It changes the race from a competition into an act of unity and kindness. From this moment, the focus shifts from winning medals to helping and supporting one another.
Extract 2
That’s how the race ended, with nine gold medals They came to the finish line holding hands still And a standing ovation and nine beaming faces Said more than these words ever will.
(i) How did the nine contestants feel when they reached the finishing line together?
Answer:
The nine contestants felt happy, proud and united when they reached the finishing line together. They felt satisfied because they showed kindness and teamwork instead of competing selfishly.
(ii) Why do you think all the nine contestants were given gold medals?
Answer:
All nine contestants were given gold medals because they showed true sportsmanship, empathy, and unity. Their act of helping one another was more important than winning the race.
(iii) Complete the sentence appropriately.
The holding of hands signifies a feeling of
Answer:
unity and togetherness
(iv) Choose the correct option to complete the sentence.
The spectators giving a ‘standing ovation’ indicates that they were
A. amazed
B. speechless
C. distracted
D. thoughtful
Answer:
A. amazed
(v) Explain the last line of the extract.
Answer:
The last line means that the emotions of the runners and the spectators were so powerful that they could not be fully expressed in words. Their smiles and the applause showed the true spirit of humanity.
II. Answer the following questions.
Question 1.
Describe how the setting established in the first two stanzas of the poem create a vivid atmosphere for the events that follow.
Answer:
In the first two stanzas, the poet describes athletes coming from different parts of the country after months of hard training. The spectators gather around the field with excitement for the final event. This creates a lively and competitive atmosphere filled with hope, ambition, and anticipation, making the later incident more emotional and meaningful.
Question 2.
How do you think the youngest athlete might have felt when he fell?
Answer:
When the youngest athlete fell, he must have felt shocked, embarrassed and deeply disappointed.
After months of training, his dreams seemed shattered in a moment. He may have felt helpless and frustrated, thinking he had lost his chance to win and prove himself.
Question 3.
Why were the athletes eager to begin the race?
Answer:
The athletes were eager to begin the race because they had trained for many weeks and months with dedication and hard work. They had big dreams of winning medals and making their country proud. The race was the moment to prove their effort and determination.
Question 4.
What does the transformation of the hundred-yard dash to a walk symbolise?
Answer:
The transformation of the hundred-yard dash into a walk symbolises unity, compassion and true sportsmanship. It shows that helping others is more important than winning. The runners chose kindness over competition, proving that humanity and togetherness are greater achievements than individual victory.
Question 5.
How might the poem be different if the focus was solely on individual achievement rather than collective support?
Answer:
If the poem focused only on individual achievement, it would have been a simple story about competition and winning medals. The emotional impact would be less powerful and the moral message would be lost. The message of empathy and unity would be missing. Instead of inspiring kindness, the poem would only highlight personal success and rivalry.
Question 6.
How does the poet’s use of language and tone enhance the reader’s engagement with the poem?
Answer:
The poet uses simple and clear language, which makes the poem easy to understand and emotionally touching. The tone shifts from excitement to sadness and finally to admiration. This change keeps the reader interested and helps them feel the emotions of the athletes more deeply.
Question 7.
What might be the poet’s purpose of writing this poem?
Answer:
The poet’s purpose in writing this poem is to highlight the true meaning of sportsmanship. Through the incident of the race, the poet wants to show that compassion, empathy and unity are more important than winning medals.
The poem teaches readers that real success lies in helping others and standing together in difficult moments. It encourages us to value humanity over competition.
Vocabulary in Context (NCERT Pages 162\163)
I. The phrase ‘standing ovation’ is an example of an adjective-noun collocation. Identify two other similar examples from the poem.
Collocation is a pair or group of words that habitually appear together.
Answer:
Two other examples of adjective-noun collocations from the poem are
1. young boy
2. nine gold medals
These word pairs are commonly used together and form natural combinations in English.
II. Complete the table given below by writing four nouns in Column 2 that collocate with the adjectives in Column 1. One example has been done for you. You may take the help of a dictionary.
Answer:
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
| 1. big | disappointment, failure, surprise, decision |
| 2. heavy | rain, traffic, load, breathing |
| 3. strong | wind, coffee, evidence, bond |
| 4. large | amount, scale, number, quantity |
| 5. great | success, pleasure, power, effort |
III. Choose the correct adjectives from those given in the box for the underlined words given in the sentences below. Ensure you do not use the same adjective twice.
1. The littlest athlete was moving at a steady pace.
________________________________.
Answer: youngest
2. The eight athletes had a smiling attitude.
________________________________.
Answer: positive
3. When the athlete fell, he gave a huge cry of pain.
________________________________.
Answer: loud
4. The spectators saw a terrible difference in the athletes who had only come to compete.
________________________________.
Answer: significant
5. The gaudy crowd cheered the runners enthusiastically.
________________________________.
Answer: noisy
Writing Task (NCERT Page 165)
I. Work in pairs to write three creative slogans on Special Olympics.
One example of a slogan on Special Olympics has been given below.
Special Olympics: Igniting a Universe of Potential
Present your slogans in a creative manner and share with your classmates and teacher.
Steps to write a slogan
- Understand the theme on which you want to write a slogan.
- Brainstorm ideas and use them to create the slogan.
- Keep it brief and simple.
- It should not be more than eight to ten words.
- Make the slogan catchy.
Now, create a poster based on the inspiration you have drawn from the poem. Present your poster to the class and display it on the classroom board.
Steps to design a poster
- Include all vital information.
- Remember to place the slogan you created.
- Colour and decorate your poster.
- Write down the ideas.
- Include some illustrations, a call for action, if needed.
- Present your poster as a box item.
- Use top, bottom, and sides of the poster for other important information.
Answer:
