Gujarat Board GSEB Solutions Class 9 English Second Language GSEB Class 9 English Competence Testing – 1 [Units 1 to 6] Textbook Exercise Questions and Answers.

GSEB Class 9 English Competence Testing – 1 [Units 1 to 6]

Language Function

(A) Fill in the blanks from the given options and complete the dialogue.

(Could you please bring me a cup of coffee ? could you give me a pen to fill in this form ? Would you like sugar in that ? could I get (another blanket, please ? Would you like a pillow as well ?)

You: Could you please bring me a cup of coffee ? I’m feeling a little cold.
Flight Attendant: Certainly, sir. Would you like sugar in that ?
You: No, thanks. But could I get another blanket, please ?
Flight Attendant: Sure. Would you like a pillow as well ?
You :Yes, please ! And could you give me a pen to fill in this form ?
Flight Attendant: I don’t have one with me right now, but I’ll get one for you.

(B) Rewrite the text by correcting the underlined parts.

See, Romesh is looking at something. ! Let we go and asked him that he is looking for. I thought he can be searching for his book.
Answer:
See, Romesh is looking for something, Let’s go and ask him what he is looking for. I think he could be searching for his book.

(C) Arrange the jumbled parts to make meaningful sentences.

Question 1.
it is not advisable / as it is / for us to ( go out / raining heavily
Answer:
It is not advisable for us to go out as it is raining heavily. ?

Question 2.
why I had returned / the previous night / asked me / home late / my father
Answer:
My father asked me why I had returned home late the previous night.

Question 3.
her cat had to be operated upon / a plastic bag / the veterinary doctor / informed that / as she had swallowed
Answer:
The veterinary doctor informed that her cat had to be operated upon as she had swallowed a plastic bag.

(D) Choose the appropriate responses from the options given.

Question 1.
Could you please bring that book here, Krish ?
(A) Yes, of course.
(B) No, thanks.
(C) It’s nice of you.
Answer:
Yes, of course.

Question 2.
Get well soon.
(A) I surely will.
(B) Thanks a lot.
(C) Nothing wrong.
Answer:
I surely will.

(E) Rewrite the sentences as directed.

Question 1.
Shall we go for a walk in the evening ? (Use ‘Let’s’.)
Answer:
Let’s go for a walk in the evening.

Question 2.
Ketaki is the cleverest girl in the class. (Use ‘as… as’.)
Answer:
No other girl in the class is as clever as Ketaki.

Question 3.
I don’t have a pen. I don’t have a pencil.
(Join the sentences using ‘neither… nor’.)
Answer:
I neither have a pen nor a pencil.

Question 4.
The question was very difficult so none of us could answer it. (Use ‘because’.)
Answer:
None of us could answer the question because it was very difficult.

Question 5.
Mr Desai is really a very humble teacher. (Turn into an exclamatory sentence.)
Answer:
What a humble teacher Mr Desai is !

Question 6.
The man standing at the gate is the security guard of the society (Rewrite using an adjective clause.)
Answer:
The man who is standing at the gate is the security guard of the society.

Question 7.
At sunrise, the birds leave their nests. (Rewrite using ‘as soon as’ ‘when.’)
Answer:
As soon as the sun rises, the birds leave their nests. OR When the sun rises, the birds leave their nests.

Question 8.
Each student of my class is well- ( behaved and obedient.
(Use ‘all’ in place of ‘each’.)
Answer:
All the students of my class are well-behaved and obedient.

Question 9.
Please, go and open the door. (Use ‘would’.)
Answer:
Would you please go and open the door ?

Question 10.
Our class will visit the Science City tomorrow. (Use ‘going to’.)
Answer:
Our class is going to visit the Science City tomorrow.

(F) Fill in the blanks with the correct forms of the verbs given in the brackets.

The Government of Gujarat has decided (decide) to provide clean drinking water to all the remote villages by 2016 AD. Most of the villages will be provided (provide) electricity by 2018 AD. The government has l launched (launch) a massive drive ‘Clean l Gujarat, Green Gujarat’. More classrooms are being built (build) in the villages under the SSA scheme.

Textual Comprehension

(A) Comprehension based on memory ? (MCQs). Find out the correct options.

Question 1.
Why did the mother cheetah go on crying ?
A. because she couldn’t find food for her young ones
B. because she couldn’t find her young ones
C. because she was trapped by a hunter
D. because she was very hungry
Answer:
A. because she couldn’t find food for her young ones

Question 2.
What did Mohan decide after his parents encouraged him ?
A. to modify the guitar for playing Indian classical music
B. to learn sitar, vocal and classical violin
C. to learn Indian classical music
D. to practise the sitar more and more
Answer:
B. to learn sitar, vocal and classical violin

Question 3.
Chandani was overflowing with joy because ….
A. once again she was with her mother
B. she was fed with the best of food
C. she was treated very kindly
D. she was now free from Abbu Miyan’s jail
Answer:
D. she was now free from Abbu Miyan’s jail

Question 4.
How many statues of Gauri does the Rani Ki Vaav have ?
A. twenty
B. twenty-seven
C. twelve
D. fifteen
Answer:
D. fifteen

(B) Read the extracts and answer the questions in one or two sentences.

(1) Dr Sharma : Cleaning of mouth is the first requirement of dental hygiene. If you don’t clean your mouth, tiny bits of food inside stick to the surface of your teeth and in the space between your teeth. Now germs feed on these food-particles that eventually eat up parts of the teeth too ! They destroy the enamel coating of the teeth, and in the long run it leads to cavity.

Question 1.
How is our dental hygiene affected ?
Answer:
If we don’t clean our mouth,bits of food stick to the surface of the teeth and in the space between the teeth. Germs feed on these food particles and destroy the enamel coating of the teeth, leading to cavity.

Question 2.
What should we do to maintain dental health ?
Answer:
We should clean our mouth to maintain dental health.

(2) The same night, Chandani made the window her passage to freedom. When Chandani reached the hilltop, the big yellow sun was rising on the horizon. She was overflowing with joy and 5 wonder. The green grass under her feet became golden yellow. The wind sang an endless song of welcome. Chandani felt as if she were meeting her mother after years of separation. How different all this was from Abbu Khan’s prison house !

Question 1.
From where did Chandani escape ?
Answer:
Chandani escaped from the window.

Question 2.
How did Chandani feel after reaching the hilltop ?
Answer:
After reaching the hilltop, Chandani was overflowing with joy and wonder. She felt as if she were meeting her mother after years of separation.

(3) This time I did not forget her. She was with me for the rest of the journey, and for long after. All that year she was a bright, living thing. And when the college term ended, I packed in haste and left for Dehra earlier than usual. I was nervous and anxious as the train entered Deoli. I was wondering what I should say to the girl, and what I should do. I was determined that I wouldn’t stand helplessly before her.

Question 1.
Why did the writer leave for Dehra earlier than usual ?
Answer:
The writer left for Dehra earlier than usual because he wanted to meet the girl who sold baskets at the Deoli station.

Question 2.
How did the writer feel as the train entered the station ? What was he thinking ?
Answer:
The writer was nervous and anxious as the train entered Deoli. He was thinking what he should say to the girl and what he should do.

Comprehension

(A) Read the paragraphs and find out the correct options for the questions.

(1) While he was standing in the doorway of the moving railway carriage, one of Mahatma Gandhi’s sandals slipped and fell off. He promptly pushed off the other sandal and said, “The poor man who finds the sandal on the track will now have a pair to use.”

Question 1.
Why did Gandhiji push off the other sandal ?
A. because it was useless now
B. because it was torn
C. because one man asked for it
D. because the man could make a pair
Answer:
D. because the man could make a pair

Question 2.
Gandhi was standing ….
A. in the carriage
B. in the doorway of the carriage
C. on the track
D. on the platform
Answer
B. in the doorway of the carriage

(2) Abraham Lincoln, the President of United States of America, had great love for children. A little girl was taken by her father to see the President at the White House. Lincoln took her upon his knee and had a pleasant chatting with her. Turning to her father, the girl exclaimed, “Oh, pa! He isn’t ugly at all; he is just beautiful.”

Question 1.
The father took the little girl….
A. to America
B. to the White House
C. to Lincoln’s house
D. to a meeting where Lincoln was present
Answer:
B. to the White House

Question 2.
The girl found Lincoln….
A. beautiful
B. ugly
C. pleasant
D. talkative
Answer:
A. beautiful

Question 3.
Which of the following statements is false ?
A. Abraham Lincoln did not like children.
B. The girl liked Lincoln.
C. Lincoln played with the girl.
D. Lincoln talked pleasantly with the girl.
Answer:
A. Abraham Lincoln did not like children.

(B) Read the paragraph and answer the questions.

The ‘final’ began. For one kilometre, it was land. The rabbit ran that distance within five minutes. Then came a lake. So the rabbit took rest under a tree. The tortoise reached there after an hour. He went to the rabbit and woke him up.

They talked for a while. The spectators could not understand what these rivals were doing. But they saw that the rabbit jumped on the tortoise and stood in perfect balance. The tortoise swam across the lake. When they reached the land, the tortoise sat on the rabbit.

Then came a river. Now it was the rabbit’s turn to sit on the tortoise’s back. Thus they helped each other all through the track. Both of them touched the winning line together. They hugged each other.

Question 1.
Why was it easy for the rabbit to finish the track within five minutes ?
Answer:
It was easy for the rabbit to finish the track within five minutes because it was land.

Question 2.
‘The tortoise took one hour to go across the lake.’ True or False ?
Answer:
False

Question 3.
With whom did the tortoise swim across the lake ?
Answer:
The tortoise swam across the lake with the rabbit.

Question 4.
How did the tortoise finish the track of land ?
Answer:
The tortoise sat gn the rabbit and finished the track of land.

Question 5.
Why did they touch the winning line together ?
Answer:
They touched the winning line together because they helped each other all through the track.

Vocabulary

(A) Find out the nearest meanings of the words. Blacken the correct boxes.

Question 1.
wicked
(a) cruel
(b) vicious
(c) sad
(d) vanish
Answer:
(a) cruel

Question 2.
drag
(a) dirty
(b) pull
(c) push away
(d) determine
Answer:
(b) pull

Question 3.
competent
(a) capable
(b) careful
(c) energetic
(d) eager
Answer:
(a) capable

Question 4.
impatient
(a) anxious
(b) careless
(c) confident
(d) quiet
Answer:
(a) anxious

Question 5.
ferocious
(a) fabulous
(b) fearful
(c) violent
(d) separate
Answer:
(c) violent

(B) Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words from the brackets.

(hooted, stain, slave, Alas!, particles, appetite, storey)

(1) Alas ! India lost the final one day match in the tournament.
(2) I was in the jungle. Suddenly, an owl looked at me and hooted.
(3) When we have fever, we lose our appetite.
(4) The pen in my pocket leaked and made a stain on my shirt.

(C) Frame sentences of your own using the given words. You can change the forms of the words.

Question 1.
dynasty
Answer:
King Ashoka belonged to the Maurya dynasty.

Question 2.
immense
Answer:
I am immensely benefitted by yoga.

Question 3.
pretend
Answer:
Mohan pretended as if he was deaf.

Question 4.
blurred
Answer:
The view was blurred due to heavy rains.

Question 5.
preserve
Answer:
We must preserve our culture and traditions.

Question 6.
storey
Answer:
There is a ten-storeyed building in our town.

Question 7.
envy
Answer:
All the girls envied Mugdha for her beauty.

Writing

(A) Describe these pictures in about ten sentences each. Focus on details and emotions of people.

Question 1.

Answer:
This is a picture of a dentist’s clinic. The picture shows a dentist, his assistant and a patient. The patient is sitting on the dental chair. The assistant is busy doing something. The dentist is an old man. He is smiling. The patient

Question 2.

Answer:
This is a picture of a bus stop. There are five people standing in a queue. There are three girls and two boys.The first girl is short. She has long, black hair. The two boys are talking to each other. One is short, while the other is tall. The short boy has a bag in his hand. The last two girls are also talking. One girl has long, straight hair. The other girl has black, curly hair.

(B)

Question 1.
Last month there was an English week in your school. How was your experience for the whole week ? Write a brief report about it using the points given.
(the dates of celebration – how teachers and students felt using English – activities held – how you felt – your honest opinion – an overall view)
Answer:
Last week, we celebrated English Week in our school. It was decided that only English would be used in school. The teachers and students had a wonderful time. Many activities were held during the week. There was an essay-writing competition on ‘The Advantages of English Language’. There were poetry recitation competitions, debates and elocution.

All the students and teachers enjoyed various games that were based on the English language. I won the Spelling-Bee competition. It was great fun. I honestly feel that English, as a language, should be taught in all schools. It is the international language of communication. Everyone should have the basic knowledge of English.

Question 2.
There was a free medical check-up programme in your school. Write a brief report using the points given below.
(arranged by government – team of doctors and assistants – diagnosis and prescription – free medicines – students with major problems asked to visit government hospital – teachers’ help)
Answer:
Last week, a free medical checkup programme was held in the school. A team of doctors and their assistants from the government hospital came to our school. It was a good experience. Many students were found to have weak eyesight.

A few students were found to be undernourished. They were given proper guidance and some medicines also. There were some students who were diagnosed with some major problems. They were asked to visit the government hospital for further diagnosis and treatment. The teachers and volunteers helped the doctors. It was a very useful and important programme.

(C) Write a short note on each of the following using the keywords.

Question 1.
Sonia’s problem of toothache
(terrible toothache – visited the dentist – cavity – prescribed medicine – visited the next day – cleaned – filled)
Answer:
Sonia had a terrible toothache. She could not eat anything. She could not go to school or even study at home. She was not able to sleep also. She visited the dentist, Dr Bansi Sharma. He checked and found that there was a cavity in a premolar. So he gave Sonia some medicines to stop the pain. The next day, he cleaned the cavity and then filled it with a white substance.

Question 2.
Abbu Chacha’s love for Chandani
(named Chandani – only family member – caressed – loved – talked with her – lots of hope with her)
Answer:
Chandani was a pretty goat. She was white as snow, had little horns and two bright red eyes. Abbu Khan named her Chandani. He caressed her soft fur. He always talked to her. Chandani was his only family member. She had brought new life to him. He could not live without her. Abbu Khan was sure that even Chandani would never leave him.

(D) Write a paragraph in about 100 words on the subjects given. Use the keywords.

Question 1.
A Visit to a Historical Place
(which place ?- when ?- time of its construction – history – temples – carvings – paintings – information – your experience)
Answer:
Last week, I visited the Sun Temple at Modhera. It is a temple dedicated to the Surya-the Sun God. It is 102 km from Ahmadabad. It was built in 1026 AD by King Bhimdev of the Solanki dynasty. The temple was so designed that the first rays of the sun fall on the image of Surya, the Sun God, at the time of equinoxes. The Sun temple has a unique architecture.

The Suryakund, also known as Ramakund, is a large rectangular tank used to store pure water. It has stone steps leading down to its base. 108 tiny statues are carved in between the steps. There are four terraces to reach the bottom of the tank. Each terrace has small pyramid-shaped steps. You can see statues of Lord Vishnu, Lord Ganesh, Lord Natraj and Sitlamata on them.

There are two big ornamental arches called torans, which form a gateway to the Sabha Mandap. The Sabha Mandap has a carved ceiling and 52 carved pillars. The carvings show episodes from the Ramayana and the Krishna-Lila. The main temple has an open hall with pillars and arches. The walls show different aspects of the Sun God in each month.

The exterior of the temple walls has 12 different postures of Aditya-the Sun God along with eight Dikpals, Lord Vishwakarma, Varundev – God of Water, Agnidev – God of Fire, Lord Ganesh, Saraswati – Goddess of Education & Wisdom. It was a wonderful and memorable experience.

Question 2.
Half an Hour at the Railway Station
(busy – receive guests – inquiry window – queues – platforms – stalls – hawkers – porters – passengers – trains – announcements)
Answer:
Yesterday, I went to the railway station to receive my uncle, who was coming from Mumbai. When I reached the l station, it was announced that the train was 30 minutes late. I had no choice but to wait and pass my time. The platform was very crowded.

As train had just arrived. So there were passengers getting down and climbing into the train. Coolies were also seen running around with luggage. There was noise and chaos all around. Soon the train left. Suddenly, everything was quite.

I saw some hawkers on the l platform. There were a few policemen, too. I also saw some beggars troubling people. There were two small boys, who were sitting on the platform and polishing shoes. As I looked around, I saw long queues at the ticket windows. There were people at the inquiry counter also.

Two ticket-checkers were standing at the main gate. There were book stalls and a big tea stall on the platform. There was a big waiting room, too.

Every now and then, there were s announcements for different trains arriving or leaving. Suddenly, there was crowd and noise all around and s then suddenly, everything would be quiet again.At last it was announced that the train from Mumbai was arriving. I was happy I did not realize how soon half l and hour had passed at the railway station.

(E) Write a dialogue on each of the following situations. Write minimum four turns for i each partner.

Question 1.
Meghna and Anjali are planning to go for their cousin Mana’s birthday party.
Answer:
Meghna : Anjali, what shall we give as a gift to Mana?
Anjali: Mana is fond of reading books. So let’s give her some books.
Meghna: But she already has many books. And books are boring.
Anjali: Ok. What do you suggest ?
Meghna: I was thinking of giving her some jewellery.
Anjali:Well, that’s a good idea. Mana likes to wear jewellery.
Meghna: What will you give her?
Anjali: I think I will give her music CDs of her favourite singers.
Meghna :Yes. She likes Sonu Nigam and Shreya Ghoshal.
Anjali :Yes. So let’s meet in the evening. We will go to Mana’s house together.
Meghna: Right. See you in the evening.

Question 2.
Alfaz is talking to his friend Maulik about the birds and animals he saw in the Gir forest last week.
Answer:
Alfaz: I went to Sasan Gir during my summer vacation.
Maulik:Wow! Did you see the lions?
Alfaz :Yes, we saw two lions, a lioness and a few cubs.
Maulik : Did you see any other animals ?
Alfaz :Yes, we saw deer, monkeys and crocodiles.
Maulik : And what about birds ?
Alfaz: There are so many birds in the Gir forest. But we could see and recognize only a few common birds.
Maulik: Did you see peacocks and robins ?
Alfaz: No, but we spotted some eagles and vultures. There were cuckoos, too.