MCQ Questions for Class 9 English Moments Chapter 1 The Lost Child MCQ with Answers
MP Board Class 9th General English Unseen Passages
Factual Passages
Q. 1. Read the following paragraph and answer the questions.
The first computer was built in the early nineteenth century by Charles Babbage. He called it a ‘difference engine’: It could carry out long calculations and print the results. Later he invented a better machine called an ‘analytical engine’. The computer that you use has been developed by several scientists working independently or as a team. It is being improved everyday.
The computer can work out calculations and provide answers to complicated problems in a flash. A man would take days, or even months, to work the same thing out. But it cannot do things on its own. All the information it needs to do something is fed into it. This information is called data. Then it must be given clear and precise instructions about what to do with this data. These instructions have to be in a language that the computer understands. The information and the instructions make up a computer program. If a computer gives an incorrect answer, something must be wrong with the programme and not with the machine.
The computer also has a memory. It can store away information and use it later. It can, therefore, be compared to the human brain. But it can solve problems much faster and more accurately than the human brain. It can be made to play games like chess and can translate words from one language to another. (If you like, it can correct your spelling mistakes in what you write.) But it cannot take decisions or think up new deas. That is where it cannot compete with the human brain.
Questions
(1) What two things could the first computer developed by Charles Babbage do?
(2) What is a computer program?
(3) In what way is the computer better than a human brain?
(4) Give a word from the passage that means same as ‘correctly’.
(5) Find a word from the passage that means ‘without anybody’s help’.
Answers
(1) It could carry out long calculations and print the results.
(2) A computer program consists of information and instructions.
(3) A computer is better than a human brain because it solves problems much faster and more accurately than human brain.
(4) accurately.
(5) independently.
Q. 2. Read the given passage and answer the following questions.
Kalpana Chawla, the astronaut who died on aboard the space shuttle Columbia, had been sponsoring two students from her school (Tagore Bal Niketan in Kamal) each year since 1997 for the International Space School Camp in Houston.
Manpreet Kaur and Namita Alung visited NASA in August 2002. “We spent an excellent day with KC; she even cooked for us and made us feel totally at home,” said Namita. These two and other youngsters who benefited from this programme say KC, as she was popularly known might have been the first Indian-born woman in space but was entirely unaffected by her success.
Gaurav Goel of the 1999 batch and now an engineering student at Ambala said, “Not only was KC down to earth, she still retained the Indian in herself despite living in US for so many years.”
Even as a student, Kalpana had looked out for other students. She used to pay the fees for two of her college mates who could not afford it. “It is possible that to this day they are not aware that Kalpana used to pay their tuition fees,” says Sovina Sood, Kalpana’s junior in the Punjab Engineering College.
Sovina who now teaches Civil Engineering said that sometimes Kalpana would hand over the money to her “but-ask me not to disclose it to anybody.”
Questions
(1) What did Kalpana Chawla do since 1997?
(2) Who visited NASA in August 2002?
(3) What did Kalpana Chawla do for her college mates when she was a student?
(4) Give a word from the passage that means same as ‘getting advantage’.
(5) Sponsoring means—
(a) to provide support, (b) contributing, (c) participating.
Answers
(1) Kalpana Chawla had been sponsoring two students from her school since 1997.
(2) Sanpreet Kaur and Namita Along visited NASA in August 2002.
(3) Kalpana Chawla used to pay the fees for two of her college mates.
(4) benefited.
(5) (b) contributing.
Q. 3. Read the following passage and answer the questions below it.
Ramcharit Manas is the holy book of Hindus.
It was written by Tulsidas. It is the story of Ram, the son of Dashrath, the king of Ayodhya. Ram is described as an ideal character. He is an ideal son, ideal husband, ideal brother and ideal ruler. He left Ayodhya to obey his father and lived in forest. When Ravana took away Sita, he attacked Lanka. Ravana was killed in the war and Sita was released. They returned to Ayodhya after 14 years of exile. Then Ram became the king of Ayodhya.
Questions
(1) Who wrote Ramcharit Manas?
(2) What does Ramcharit Manas describe?
(3) How is Ram described in the book?
(4) Find a-word from the passage that means same as ‘to set free’.
(5) Exile means—
(a) banishment, (b) movement, (c) to expel.
Answers
(1) Ramcharit Manas was written by Tulsidas.
(2) Ramcharit Manas describes the life of Lord Ram.
(3) Ram is described as an ideal character in the book.
(4) released.
(5) (a) banishment.
Q. 4. Read the following paragraph and answer the questions givep below it.
India is facing many dangerous problems. The main problems among them are unemployment, pollution, population and illiteracy. Due to these harmful problems our country cannot progress well. All of us and specially our government should make effective efforts to solve them. The role of students, teachers and of the whole society has great importance in this field. We should change our tendency, policy of education and should end these problems. Our state governments are trying their best to solve such huge problems. Every change needs enough time. Questions
(1) What are the main problems of India?
(2) Who can play the main role in this field?
(3) Give a suitable heading to the above passage.
(4) Give a word from the passage that means same as ‘producing a desired result’.
(5) Tendency means—
(a) habit, (b) behavior, (c) incline.
Answers
(1) The main problems of India are unemployment, pollution, population and illiteracy.
(2) Students, teachers and whole society can play the main role in this field.
(3) ‘Problems of India’.
(4) effective.
(5) (a) habit.
Q. 5. Read the following passage and answer the questions given below it.
Smoking is the single largest preventable cause of death worldwide. It is killing about 2,200 people in India everyday that means one every forty seconds. It is alarming that in spite of this, smoking is increasing among the youth of India. According to World Bank Study, India, Indonesia and China are the only countries in the world where incidence of smoking is going up. It is increasing not only in cities but also in towns and villages. Higher educated groups are also taking to smoking more readily.
Questions
(1) How many people in India die in a day due to smoking?
(2) In which countries is smoking going up?
(3) Who are taking up smoking more readily?
(4) Give a word from the passage that means the same as ‘reason’.
(a) cause (b) work (c) begin (d) habit.
(5) Find a word from the passage that means frightening or worrisome.
(a) beating (b) ringing (c) alarming (d) singing.
Answers
(1) Smoking is killing about 2,200 people in India everyday.
(2) Smoking is going up in India, Indonesia and China.
(3) Higher educated groups are taking to smoking more readily.
(4) (a) cause.
(5) (c) alarming.
Literary Passages
Q. 1. Read the following stanzas and answer the questions given below.
Life has loveliness to sell,
All beautiful and splendid things.
Blue waves whitened on a cliff,
Soaring fire that sways and sings,
And children’s faces looking up,
Holding wonder like a cup.
Life has loveliness to sell,
Music like a curve of gold,
Scent of fine trees in the rain,
Eyes that love you, arms that hold,
And for your spirit’s still delight,
Holy thoughts that star the night.
Questions
(1) What does life have to sell?
(2) What do soaring fire do?
(3) With what music is compared?
(4) Find out a word from the poem that means same as ‘magnificent’.
(a) wonder (b) splendid (c) delight (d) spirit.
(5) Find a word from the passage that means ‘steep rock’.
(a) a small hill (b) island (c) cliff (d) curve.
Answers
(1) Life has. loveliness to sell.
(2) Soaring fire sways and sings.
(3) Music is compared with a curve of gold.
(4) (a) splendid
(5) (c) cliff.
Q. 2. Read the following paragraph and answer the questions given below.
A few days later, Premchand resigned his job of Inspector of Schools after having worked in the department for twenty years. He was a free man after all. Now he could write novels and stories about his country and its people. In his books he dealt with the lives of the peasants and workers. He revealed the greed and meanness of the money-lenders, landlords and priests. He attacked the social evils like dowry and early marriage. He held society responsible for the sins of women.
Questions
(1) Which job did Premchand resign?
(2) What kind of man was Premchand after his resignation?
(3) What did he reveal?
(4) Find out a word from the passage that means same as—‘Farmers’.
(5) Find out a word from the passage that means ‘one who lends money’.
Answers
(1) Premchand resigned the job of Inspector of Schools.
(2) Premchand was a free man.
(3) He revealed the greed and meanness of money lenders.
(4) Peasants.
(5) Money lenders.
Q. 3. Read the following poem and answer the questions given below it.
Unfolding Bud
One is amazed
By a water-lily bud
Unfolding
With each passing day
Taking on a richer colour
And new dimensions
One is not amazed
At a first glance,
By a poem,
Which is as tight closed
As a tiny bud.
Yet on is surprised
To see a poem
Gradually unfolding,
Revealing its rich feelings
As one reads it
Again
And over again.
Questions
(1) What two things amaze the poet?
(2) With what does a water-lily bud arrest one’s attention?
(3) What does a poem reveal?
(4) Find out a word from the passage that means same as : ‘leaf or a flower at the beginning of its growth’:
(a) bud (ii) colour (iii) thorn (iv) stem.
(5) ‘Gradually’ means :
(a) slowly, step by step (b) rapidly (c) surprisingly (d) frighteningly.
Answers
(1) An unfolding bud and an unfolding poem amaze the poet.
(2) A water-lily bud arrests one’s attention by taking on a richer colour.
(3) A poem reveals its rich feelings.
(4) (a) bud.
(5) (a) slowly, step by step.
Q. 4. Read the following passage and answer the questions given below it.
Long, long ago there lived an old woman who was very rich. She had a number of maids. They were made to work very hard to do their fixed duties at any given time.
Since there were np clocks to tell time, the old woman kept a cock. When it started crowing, everyone got up. The poor maids had to leave their beds as soon as the cock crew early in the morning every day. And the maids did not like it.’ But what could they possibly do?
The cock was their enemy, they thought. “The cock is a nuisance,” said one maid to another, “Why don’t we get rid of it ? ”
“How ?” asked her friends. “If we wring its neck and kill it, there will be no one to disturb us in our sleep. We could get up late every morning and then our mistress would not be able to say anything to us. ”
“A good idea”, cried the others. One of the maids, therefore, quietly caught hold of the bird and killed it. As a result, the next morning they were able to sleep late. The old woman slept late too, as there was no cock to wake her up. She woke up at last to discover how late it was, and that the cock was dead. She was, of course, angry, not only because she had lost her bird but also because her routine for the day had been upset.
She thought of a plan. From that day onwards she began to keep a watch herself at nights, making up for her loss of sleep by resting during the day. And as she kept watch, she went at odd hours of the night to wake up her maids so that they did not get their usual hours of sleep.
The maids found that they were worse off now.
“This is very bad”, said they. “Now the old woman wakes us up at all odd hours. We thought we had solved our problem by killing the cock. But we have not.”
You see, they were helpless now. They had to obey the old woman and work according to her set routine.
Questions
(1) Why did the maids kill the cock ?
(2) Why was the old woman angry ?
(3) Why were the maids worse off now ?
(4) Find a word from the passage that means ‘one that causes difficulty’.
(5) Wring means—
(a) to cut (b) to squeeze tightly (c) to kill.
Answers
(1) The maids killed the cock because it was their enemy, they thought.
(2) The old woman was angry not only because she had lost her bird but also because her routine for the day had been upset.
(3) The maids were worse off now because they did not get their usual hours of sleep.
(4) nuisance.
(5) (b) to squeeze tightly.
Discursive Passages
Q. 1. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it.
Home is the first and the most important school of character. It is a common saying that “Manners make the man”, and there is a second that “Mind makes the man”, but truer than either is a third that “Home makes the man”. For the home training includes not only manners and mind, but also character. It is mainly in the home that the heart is opened, the habits are formed, the intellect is awakened, and the character is moulded for good or for evil.
Questions
(1) Which is the first and most important school of character?
(2) What does home training include?
(3) Which is the common saying?
(4) Give a word from the passage that means same as ‘moral strength’.
(5) Find a word from the passage that means ‘reasoning power of the mind’.
Answers
(1) Home is the first and most important school of character.
(2) Home training includes not only manner and mind, but also character.
(3) The common saying is that “Manners make the man”.
(4) Character.
(5) Intellect.
Q. 2. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it.
There is no doubt that a common language used throughout the world does much to bring countries closer to each other. Though it is becoming increasingly easy to move from place to place, our inability to communicate with one another, gives rise to numerous misunderstandings and makes real contact between people of different “nationalities impossible. Many attempts have been made to overcome the problem and they have all failed. The fear of foreign influence and domination rules out the universal acceptance of any one of the existing major languages.
Questions
(1) What will help bring the countries of the world close to each other?
(2) What gives rise to numerous problems?
(3) What is the major problem in accepting one of the existing major languages as a common language?
(4) Find out a word from the passage that means the same as ‘surely’:
(a) no doubt (b) of course (c) easily (d) really.
(5) ‘So many’ means (a) contact (c) fear
Answers
(1) A common language will help the countries of the world to communicate with one another and create goodwill. Thus, the countries will come closer to one another.
(2) Our inability to communicate with each other gives rise to many problems.
(3) The fear of foreign influence and domination rules out the universal acceptance of any one of the existing major languages.
(4) (a) no doubt.
(5) (b) numerous.
Q. 3. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it.
Proper food is the basic requirement of health. Health does not mean absence of disease; it rather means the presence of energy and vitality. Most of the food we eat daily does not contain essential nutrients needed for preservation of health and prevention of disease. There are various kinds of food. Protective foods are essential for prevention of disease and are needed both by the healthy and sick. They are rich in proteins, vitamins and minerals. Energy giving food are rich in carbohydrates.
Questions
(1) What is the real meaning of health?
(2) Name two essential elements of protective food?
(3) What do energy giving foods contain?
(4) Find out a word from the passage that means same as ‘need’.
(a) requirement (b) prevention (c) disease (d) energy.
(5) ‘Power to live or grow’ means :
(a) variety (b) vitality (c) health (d) protein.
Answers
(1) Real meaning of health means the presence of energy and vitality.
(2) Vitamins and proteins.
(3) Energy giving foods are rich in carbohy-drates.
(4) (a) requirement.
(5) (b) vitality.
Q. 4. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it.
Discipline must be enforced early in life. Discipline at home makes for the future greatness of a child. It forms his character and makes him a fit citizen. The child who is allowed to have his own way becomes wayward. The child who is allowed all sorts of exercises like running in sun, exposing himself to cold, eating unwholesome things will fall ill very frequently. A child whose habits have been disciplined and who has been taught to rise early, attend to his lessons properly, take physical exercise at the proper time and avoid things that are injurious will grow up to be a useful member of the society. The spoilt child who has been allowed to run his own course will show vices contained in younger days. His parents would wish that he had not been at all.
Questions
(1) When should discipline be enforced?
(2) What does discipline do for a child?
(3) If a child is allowed to do what he likes, what will happen to him?
(4) Pick out from the passage a word which means the same as ‘often’.
(5) Wayward means—
(a) spoilt, (b) self willed, (c) destructive.
Answers
(1) Discipline should be enforced in early life.
(2) Discipline forms a child’s character and makes him a fit citizen.
(3) If a child is allowed to do what he likes he would become wayward and spoilt. He would show vices contained in younger days.
(4) frequently.
(5) (b) self willed.
