Class 9 English Lesson 18

Look at the pairs of pictures, talk about them in groups making comparisons.

👉 Answer –
The train is depicted in the first image while the bullet train is in the second. With the aid of the bullet train, we are able to travel at an extremely high speed, but it is also expensive. Traditional train travel is inexpensive but slow. Similarly, the bus is shown in the final image while the car is shown in the third. In a car, we can travel easily, quickly, and at our own pace, but owning and maintaining a car is expensive. Contrarily, although taking the bus is less expensive, we cannot travel at our own convenience and will. On the bus, we must adhere to the predetermined and fixed route (and on the train as well).

Reading I

a. Who are the people seen in the picture?

👉 Answer – I think the people seen in the picture are Wright Brothers.

b. What are they doing?

👉 Answer – In my view, they are doing an experiment with the aircraft they have made.

Wright Brothers

A. The meanings of the words are given below. Find the words from the text above.

👉 Answer –

a. accessories

b. descent

c. aeronautical

d. steady

e. experiment

f. plague

C. State whether the following statements are true or false.

👉 Answer –

a. The Wright brothers sold copies of toy helicopters at the market. False

b. They had a printing business in their cycle shop. False

c. The experience of cycling helped them to generate ideas for controlling and balancing aircraft. True

d. The wing warping system controls the aircraft in a roll. True

e. They learned more about balancing by watching other aircraft fly. True

f. Their first experimentation was with a kite. True

g. Wilbur Wright was the pilot of their 1903 Flyer. False

h. Their aircraft could only fly straight. False

D. Put the following events from the text above in chronological order.

👉 Answer –

1. d. Milton Wright brought home a toy helicopter.

2. f. The children made copies of the toy helicopter.

3. h. The Wright brothers started a printing business.

4. b. The Wright brothers opened a cycle shop.

5. g. The Wright brothers began their aeronautical research.

6. e. Wright brothers built their first machine designed to carry a pilot.

7. a. Their first Flyer took off under its own power with a pilot.

8. c. The Wright brothers developed a machine overcoming complex technical problems.

E. Answer the following questions.

a. What services did the Wright brothers offer from the cycle shop?

👉 Answer – They sold and repaired bicycles, replaced spokes, fixed chains, sold accessories, and later built their own brand.

b. How did their cycle business help them to build an aircraft?

👉 Answer – Their cycle experience helped them understand balance and control, which they applied in aircraft design.

c. How did the brothers develop the idea of balance and control in the flight of an aircraft?

👉 Answer – They used three axes of motion, a wing-warping system, and learned from birds like buzzards.

d. What was their first aircraft like?

👉 Answer – It was like a small kite with a five-foot wingspan, used to test control ideas.

e. What did they do to create the flight conditions?

👉 Answer – They tested model wings in a wind tunnel they built.

f. What is “wing warping”?

👉 Answer – It was a system used to control the aircraft in a roll.

g. When and where did the first Flyer take off?

👉 Answer – At 10:35 am in 1903 at Kill Devil Hills, NC.

h. What progress had they made by 1904?

👉 Answer – They completed the first circular flight of an airplane.

i. What was the world’s first practical airplane like?

👉 Answer – It was the Flyer, with better balance, power, and flight control.

F. What improvements have been made to aircraft since the time of Wright brothers to the modern day? Discuss.

👉 Answer –

Aircraft have become much faster, safer, and more advanced. Technologies like autopilot, GPS, and lighter materials have improved flight. New designs and warning systems help pilots. Jet engines and sleeker shapes have made planes more efficient. Today’s aircraft are much more reliable than the first ones by the Wright brothers.

Grammar I

A. Read through the Wright Brothers’ text again and underline the adjectives and adverbs. Then, write them under the respective headings in the table below.

👉 Answer –

Adjectives: small, handmade, new, their, steady, first, vertical, twisted, right, big, practical, aeronautical, old

Adverbs: initially, later, together, carefully, seriously, only, often, easily, successfully

B. Choose the correct words from the brackets and fill in the blanks.

👉 Answer –

a. Shishir was seriously injured in a car accident.

b. The other passengers sustained serious injuries.

c. You behaved very selfishly.

d. Riyasa is terribly upset for having lost the job.

e. There was a sudden change in the weather.

f. All the men and women had worn colourful dresses.

g. Lalita was colourfully dressed.

h. Rajkumar fell off the roof and hurt himself quite badly.

i. Netra was trying hard to win Nirmal’s trust.

j. Don’t climb that tree. It doesn’t look safe.

k. He gave me an angry look when I interrupted him.

l. Look at that snake! It seems very dangerous.

Writing I

The given chart represents the number of worldwide use of electrical vehicles from 2015 to 2019.

👉 Answer –
The vertical axis shows the number of electric vehicles in millions, and the horizontal axis shows the years. In 2015, it was 0.72 million. Then in 2016, it increased to 1.18 million. In 2017, it rose to 1.93 million. In 2018, the number increased to 3.27 million. Finally, in 2019, it reached 4.79 million. From this, we can say electric vehicles have become more popular. People are becoming aware of the environment, which is a good sign.

Reading II

a. What does the rickshaw puller look like?

👉 Answer – He looks very old, lean, and thin.

b. Is the rickshaw rider happy? Give reasons.

👉 Answer – No, he is not happy. Though he is riding, he feels sad seeing the hard work of the old puller.

Rickshaw Ride

A. Match the words with their meanings.

👉 Answer 

a. harbour – iii. a protected area on the coast

b. folded – viii. having slight folds; wrinkled

c. sandbar – vii. a long mass of sand, especially at the mouth of the river

d. snake – i. to move in long twisting curves

e. sake – ii. for the purpose of; in the interest of; in order to achieve or preserve

f. clatter – vi. loud noise from hard objects knocking together

g. cathedral – iv. the main church

h. tram – v. a vehicle driven by electricity

B. Fill in the blanks with the correct words/phrases from the poem.

👉 Answer –

a. The old man is waiting for customers at the harbour.

b. He is very weak with folded face.

c. He knows that a dollar is nothing for the rider.

d. He takes the rider as far as to Victoria.

e. The rider’s eyes are caught by the old man’s twisted face.

f. The rider didn’t have the fun when riding

C. Answer the following questions.

a. How old is the rickshaw puller?

👉 Answer – He is as old as China.

b. What does ‘he is made of leather’ mean?

👉 Answer – It means he is very skinny and worn due to age and hard work.

c. What attracts the attention of the rider?

👉 Answer – His muscles and veins on neck and shoulders.

d. Why does the rider want the rickshaw puller not to fall?

👉 Answer – Because he has paid money, and he also feels pity for the old man.

e. Did the man enjoy the rickshaw ride? Give reasons.

👉 Answer – No, because he felt sad for the puller and said the ride was not much fun.

Pronunciation

Listen to your teacher and read the following sentences. Then write the type of intonation they represent.

a. Will you go for ride on his rickshaw?

👉 Question intonation

b. My parents bought rice, cereals and vegetables.

👉 Listing intonation

c. You don’t often go there, do you?

👉 Tag question intonation

d. Santoshi is a smart girl.

👉 Statement intonation

e. Wow! It’s finally snowing.

👉 Exclamation intonation

f. None of the strategies are working, are they?

👉 Tag question intonation

g. What’s your favourite subject?

👉 Question intonation

h. Can they finish the project in time?

👉 Question intonation

i. How can I help you?

👉 Question intonation

j. Nice to meet you.

👉 Statement intonation

Listening

A. Answer the following questions.

a. How do you usually travel?

👉 I usually travel by bus.

b. What is the main means of transportation where you live?

👉 The main means of transportation where I live is the bus.

B. Listen to the audio and choose the correct alternative to answer the questions.

a. Where does the passenger want to go?

👉 ii. National History Museum

b. How long does it usually take to reach the passenger’s destination?

👉 iii. about twelve minutes

c. What is the taxi fare?

👉 ii. 18 dollars including the tip

d. What time does the museum close?

👉 ii. at half past four

e. What is the best way to get to the restaurant, La Fajita, from the museum?

👉 i. taking the subway

f. Why is it inconvenient to take a taxi to the museum?

👉 iii. They don’t stop near the museum.

C. Fill in the gaps with the correct words/phrases from the audio.

a. The passenger thanked the taxi driver for stopping for him.

b. The time to reach the museum depends on the traffic.

c. The driver claims that he is not an expert.

d. The passenger enquires about what time the museum closes.

e. The taxi driver knows that it’s the first time the man is visiting the city.

f. According to the driver, La Fajita is the best restaurant in town.

g. The taxis don’t run by the museum very often.

D. Name any two places in your locality that are worth visiting. Where are these places located? Talk about their facilities, accommodation, etc. for the visitors.

👉 Two places worth visiting in my locality are the Central Park and the City Museum. The Central Park is located in the heart of the city and has beautiful gardens, walking trails, and play areas for children. It also has clean restrooms and a small cafe for refreshments. The City Museum is situated near the main bus station. It showcases the history and culture of the city with many interesting exhibits. It provides guided tours and has a souvenir shop. Both places have good accessibility and parking facilities for visitors.

Grammar II

Use the correct forms of the adjectives or adverbs given in the brackets.

👉 Answer –

a. biggest

b. most famous

c. deadly

d. more interestingly

e. most humorous

f. more innocent

g. more expensive

h. tall

i. better

j. more dangerous

k. more carefully

Writing II

You might have travelled to different places. Write an account of one of your journeys.

👉 Answer –

I once went to Pokhara to see its beautiful places. We travelled by bus. I was with my parents and two family members. It was one of the best trips of my life. On the way, I saw trees, houses, vehicles, and rivers. After 12 hours, we reached Pokhara. We stayed for four days. We visited Bindhyabasini Temple, Phewa Lake, Sarangkot, Mahendra Cave, and Devi’s Falls. I took many pictures. I will always remember this journey.

Project Work

Find information about the invention of the telephone. Then, write a short piece about the history of its development.

Answer –

The telephone is one of the most significant inventions that changed the way people communicate. It was invented by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876. Bell was a Scottish-born scientist and inventor who was interested in helping people with hearing difficulties. His work eventually led to the creation of the telephone, which allowed voices to be transmitted over long distances using electrical signals.

Before the telephone, people mostly used telegraphs to send messages, which required knowledge of Morse code and could only send short messages. The telephone was revolutionary because it enabled people to talk directly to each other even when they were far apart, making communication faster and easier.

The first successful telephone call took place when Bell spoke to his assistant, Thomas Watson, saying the famous words, “Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you.” This marked the beginning of a new era in communication technology.

After Bell’s invention, many improvements were made to the telephone. The original device was simple and could only work over short distances. Later, telephone companies built networks of wires and exchanges to connect more people over longer distances. The design also changed from hand-cranked devices to rotary dial phones, and later to push-button models.

In the 20th century, the telephone became more affordable and widespread, becoming a common household item. Eventually, mobile phones were developed, allowing wireless communication and making telephones portable. Today, telephones have evolved into smartphones that combine communication with internet access, cameras, and many other functions.

The invention of the telephone played a key role in connecting people, improving business, and helping societies grow globally. It remains one of the greatest inventions that shaped modern communication.