NCERT Solutions Class 9 English - Beehive and Moments | NotPadhai
Beehive
Moments

Beehive

Prose and Poetry chapters

The Fun They Had

Isaac Asimov

Q1. What kind of education did Margie and Tommy have?
Solution

Margie and Tommy had mechanical, home-based education. A computer teacher appeared on a screen and gave them lessons, tests, and homework on a punch card system. There were no classmates, no real teachers, and no social interaction. Their education was monotonous and isolated.

Q2. Why did Margie hate the geography lesson?
Solution

Margie hated the geography lesson because it was always the same. The mechanical teacher gave repeated tests on the same topics. The geography sector was adjusted to her level but offered no variety or excitement.

Q3. What did Margie find in the old school book?
Solution

In the old book, Margie found that children from the entire neighborhood went to school together, sat in a classroom, and learned the same things. She was amazed by the idea of real teachers and classmates learning together.

Q4. What is the message of the story?
Solution

The story conveys that while technology can enhance education, it cannot replace the human connection, social interaction, and shared experience of a real classroom. Learning should be joyful, interactive, and social.

The Sound of Music (Part I)

Evelyn Glennie

Q1. What challenge did Evelyn Glennie face?
Solution

Evelyn lost most of her hearing at age 11. Doctors said she could not hear music, but she proved them wrong by learning to feel vibrations through her body. Percussionist Ron Forbes helped her sense different pitches through vibrations.

Q2. How did Evelyn learn to feel music?
Solution

Evelyn learned to feel music by sensing vibrations through her body. Ron Forbes tuned drums at different pitches. She felt the higher drum in the upper part of her body and the lower one in her waist and legs.

Q3. What message does Evelyn's life give us?
Solution

Evelyn's life teaches us that determination and passion can overcome any obstacle. Her deafness did not stop her from pursuing her dream of becoming a world-class musician.

The Sound of Music (Part II)

Bismillah Khan

Q1. How did Bismillah Khan develop interest in shehnai?
Solution

Young Bismillah was fascinated by the shehnai at a temple in Varanasi. He accompanied his uncle who played shehnai at the Vishwanath Temple and practiced for hours.

Q2. What was Bismillah Khan's contribution to Indian music?
Solution

He brought the shehnai from the realm of temple music to the concert stage. He received the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour, in 2001.

Q3. Why did Bismillah Khan refuse to go to Pakistan?
Solution

During Partition in 1947, Bismillah Khan refused to leave India. He loved Varanasi deeply and could not imagine leaving the land of his ancestors.

From the Diary of Anne Frank

Anne Frank

Q1. Why did Anne feel lonely despite having many acquaintances?
Solution

Anne had many acquaintances but no true friend to confide in. She wrote that paper had more patience than people, so she turned to her diary as a friend.

Q2. Why did Mr. Keesing punish Anne?
Solution

Mr. Keesing was annoyed because Anne talked too much in class. He gave her extra homework essays as punishment. Anne turned the punishment into creative writing.

Q3. What does Anne's writing reveal about her character?
Solution

Anne was intelligent, witty, observant, and had a sharp sense of humour. Despite difficult circumstances, she remained hopeful and maintained a positive outlook.

The Hundred Dresses I

Eleanor Estes

Q1. Who was Wanda Petronski?
Solution

Wanda was a poor Polish girl who lived in Boggins Heights. She wore a faded blue dress and always said she had a hundred dresses, which the girls made fun of.

Q2. What did Wanda's hundred dresses actually refer to?
Solution

Wanda's hundred dresses were beautiful drawings she submitted to the drawing competition. They proved her talent and creativity.

Q3. What is the moral of the story?
Solution

We should never judge or make fun of anyone based on appearance or economic condition. Treat everyone with kindness and respect.

A Truly Beautiful Mind

Albert Einstein

Q1. What was special about Einstein's thinking?
Solution

Einstein asked deep questions, thought independently, and was not satisfied with surface-level answers. His curiosity and imagination led him to the Theory of Relativity.

Q2. What did Einstein's letter to the US President reveal?
Solution

Einstein wrote to President Roosevelt warning about Nazi Germany developing atomic weapons. He later regretted his role, calling it the biggest mistake of his life.

Q3. Why is Einstein called a truly beautiful mind?
Solution

Because of his extraordinary imagination, scientific genius, and humanitarian values. He made groundbreaking contributions to physics while advocating for peace.

My Childhood

A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

Q1. What values did Kalam's parents teach him?
Solution

His father taught him hard work, honesty, and faith. His mother taught him kindness and generosity. Despite limited means, they provided love and supported his education.

Q2. How did Kalam's teachers influence him?
Solution

His teacher Sivasubramania Iyer encouraged him to study hard. His science teacher inspired him to pursue science and aerospace engineering.

Q3. What does Kalam say about the importance of teachers?
Solution

Kalam believed teachers play a crucial role in shaping students' lives. He credited them for inspiring him to overcome social and economic barriers.

Packing

Jerome K. Jerome

Q1. What humorous situations arise during packing?
Solution

The three friends create chaos while packing. They forget things, argue, and unpack/repack multiple times. Jerome puts his boots in first, then has to take everything out to find them.

Q2. What role does the cheese play in the story?
Solution

The Stilton cheese creates a memorable incident. When unpacked in a railway compartment, its terrible smell embarrasses them. They throw it out the window and it lands on a man's hat.

Q3. What is the central theme of the story?
Solution

The central theme is friendship and the humorous side of everyday situations. Ordinary activities become memorable adventures when shared with friends.

Reach for the Top

Santosh Yadav and Maria Sharapova

Q1. What challenges did Santosh Yadav overcome?
Solution

She faced gender discrimination, financial constraints, and societal pressure. Despite being from a poor family in Haryana, she became the first Indian woman to climb Mount Everest twice.

Q2. How did Maria Sharapova achieve success?
Solution

Maria left Russia at a young age to train in the US. Through hard work and determination, she became world number one in tennis at age 18.

Q3. What common qualities do Santosh and Maria share?
Solution

Both shared determination, hard work, and willingness to sacrifice comfort for their dreams. They proved anyone can achieve the impossible with dedication and courage.

The Bond of Love

Kenneth Anderson

Q1. How did the bond between Bruno and the author develop?
Solution

The author found a baby bear and adopted him. Bruno was raised like a child, bathed, fed, and given toys. The bond of love remained strong even as Bruno grew large.

Q2. Why was Bruno sent to the zoo?
Solution

Bruno grew too large and aggressive to be kept safely at home. The author's wife insisted he be sent to the zoo for everyone's safety.

Q3. What does the story teach about human-animal relationships?
Solution

Animals can form deep bonds with humans. Bruno recognized the author even after months of separation. Love transcends species boundaries.

The Road Not Taken

Robert Frost

Q1. What does the poet's choice of road symbolize?
Solution

The two roads symbolize choices in life. The poet takes the less traveled road, representing choosing the less conventional path. Our choices shape our destiny.

Q2. Why does the poet say the roads were 'about the same'?
Solution

The poet admits both roads were worn equally, suggesting choices are not always clearly better. Yet he will claim he took the less traveled one, showing how we rationalize decisions.

The Wind

Subramania Bharati

Q1. What does the wind symbolize?
Solution

The wind symbolizes challenges and difficulties in life. It destroys weak structures and represents forces that try to weaken us.

Q2. What lesson does the poet teach?
Solution

We should be strong in adversity. Build strong homes and hearts that can withstand challenges. The strong overcome difficulties while the weak are destroyed.

A Legend of the Northland

Phoebe Cary

Q1. What happened to the greedy old lady?
Solution

St. Peter asked her to bake a cake. She was too stingy to give even a small portion and kept making it smaller. St. Peter turned her into a woodpecker as punishment.

Q2. What is the message of the poem?
Solution

Greed leads to loss. We should share what we have with others. Being selfish and greedy invites punishment.

No Men Are Foreign

James Kirkup

Q1. What does the poet mean by 'no men are strange'?
Solution

All human beings are the same. We share the same earth, breathe the same air, and are warmed by the same sun. There are no foreign people in the true sense.

Q2. What warning does the poet give?
Solution

The poet warns against hating or fighting others. Hatred leads to war and destruction. When we hate, we betray ourselves and shared humanity.

A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal

William Wordsworth

Q1. What does 'slumber' refer to in the poem?
Solution

Slumber refers to death. The speaker's beloved has died, sealing his spirit. He can no longer hear or see her in the physical world.

Q2. What has death done to the beloved?
Solution

Death has taken away all fears. She neither hears nor feels earthly things. She has become one with nature and the earth, beyond human senses.

Moments

Supplementary Reader chapters

The Lost Child

Mulk Raj Anand

Q1. What did the child want at the fair?
Solution

The child wanted toys, sweets, flowers, and the roundabout. His parents refused each time. When he got separated, all these things lost their charm.

Q2. Why did the child refuse the stranger's help?
Solution

The child refused because he only wanted his parents. His love for them was stronger than any material desire.

Q3. What is the theme of the story?
Solution

The theme is unconditional love between parent and child. Love is more valuable than any material possession.

The Adventures of Toto

Ruskin Bond

Q1. How did Grandfather acquire Toto?
Solution

Grandfather bought Toto from a tonga-driver for three rupees. The driver kept the monkey tied and beat him. Grandfather purchased him to give him a better life.

Q2. What trouble did Toto cause?
Solution

Toto tore servants' clothes, threw dishes, bit Grandfather's ears, and once escaped causing chaos. His mischief was endless and uncontrollable.

Iswaran the Storyteller

R.K. Narayan

Q1. What kind of stories did Iswaran tell?
Solution

Iswaran told thrilling, exaggerated stories from Tamil epics like the Mahabharata, and stories about ghosts, elephants, and supernatural events.

Q2. What is the significance of the elephant incident?
Solution

The narrator mistook a sleeping elephant for a ghost, showing how Iswaran's stories could influence perception and make imagination run wild.

The Happy Prince

Oscar Wilde

Q1. What did the Happy Prince see from the statue?
Solution

He saw the misery of the city - poor people in dark alleys, a seamstress working tirelessly, a hungry boy. He felt deep sorrow for their suffering.

Q2. What did the Happy Prince ask the swallow to do?
Solution

He asked the swallow to take the gold leaf from his body and give it to the poor, remove his sapphire eyes and give them to those in need.

Q3. What is the moral of the story?
Solution

True happiness lies in helping others. Compassion and selfless service are the highest virtues. Those who help the poor are closest to God.

Weathering the Storm in Ersama

INTACH

Q1. How did Prashant help after the cyclone?
Solution

Prashant organized survivors, set up relief camps, started food distribution, rallied youth for rescue work, and helped rebuild the community.

Q2. What lessons does the story teach?
Solution

The story teaches about community resilience, leadership during crises, and how ordinary people can make a difference through collective effort.

The Last Leaf

O. Henry

Q1. What did Johnsy believe about the last leaf?
Solution

Johnsy was seriously ill and believed she would die when the last leaf fell from the ivy vine outside her window.

Q2. What did old Behrman do?
Solution

Behrman painted a realistic leaf on the wall during a stormy night. The leaf looked so real that Johnsy believed it was real, giving her the will to live.

Q3. What happened to Behrman?
Solution

Behrman caught pneumonia from painting in the cold rain and died. His painting was his masterpiece - the leaf he painted saved Johnsy's life.

Q4. What is the message of the story?
Solution

True art and selfless love can save lives. Behrman's masterpiece was an act of sacrifice. The greatest heroism often goes unnoticed.

A House Is Not a Home

Zan Gaudioso

Q1. What was the author's biggest challenge after the fire?
Solution

Rebuilding his life from scratch after losing his home, photographs, and all material possessions. The emotional trauma was as devastating as the physical loss.

Q2. How did the community help?
Solution

Strangers offered help, donated clothes and furniture, and provided emotional support. This taught him the value of community and human kindness.

Q3. What is the difference between a house and a home?
Solution

A house is a physical structure. A home is created by the people, love, and memories. While a house can be destroyed, the spirit of a home survives.

Reach for the Top

Santosh Yadav and Maria Sharapova

Q1. What challenges did Santosh Yadav overcome?
Solution

She faced gender discrimination, financial constraints, and societal pressure. She became the first Indian woman to climb Mount Everest twice.

Q2. How did Maria Sharapova achieve success?
Solution

Maria left Russia young to train in the US. Through hard work, she became world number one in tennis at age 18.

The Bond of Love

Kenneth Anderson

Q1. How did the bond between Bruno and the author develop?
Solution

The author found a baby bear and adopted him. Bruno was raised like a child. The bond of love remained strong even as Bruno grew large.

Q2. Why was Bruno sent to the zoo?
Solution

Bruno grew too large and aggressive. The author's wife insisted he be sent to the zoo for everyone's safety.