Class 9th English Chapter-5 A Hero Question Answer

D. Let’s Understand The Text:

Q1. Swami was very much interested in the newspaper report about the brave village boy. What were Swami’s views?
Ans: Swami was very much interested in the newspaper report about the brave boy. But he didn’t believe the news that his father told him. He was wonderstruck how a boy could fight a tiger. He thought that he might have been a very strong and grown-up person.

Q2.Why did Swami’s father want him to sleep alone?
Ans: Swami’s father wanted Swami to be a courageous boy who might face any hurdle in his life. He also thought that sleeping alone at night might make one courageous. So his father wanted him to sleep alone in his office room.

Q3.How did Swami react to his father’s proposal to sleep alone?
Ans: Father proposed Swami to sleep alone in his office room. First of all, Swami thought that his father might be joking . Swami changed the subject matter tactfully by saying that the elders were allowed to play in their cricket team. But his father stuck to his proposal. Swami grumbled but it had no effect.

Q4. How did Swami feel when he was left alone in his father’s office at night?
Ans: Swami felt fish out of water when he was left alone in his father’s office at night. It gave him great pain as he disliked the strain of cruelty . He hated the newspaper for the tiger’s story. His heart beat faster. He remembered the stories of devils and ghosts he had heard. Every moment he expected the devils to come up and clutch at his throat or carry him away.

Q5. What kind of dreams did he have while he was sleeping there?
Ans: While Swami was sleeping in his father’s office alone, he dreamt a terrible dream He dreamt that a tiger was chasing him. His feet struck to the ground. He tried to escape but he couldn’t move and the tiger was at his back. Again, he could hear its claws scratching the ground. He groaned in despair.

Q6. Why did he wake up?
Ans: Swami crouched under the bench in fear.He fell asleep and saw a terrible dream. When the frightening dream was continuing, he heard a light thud. He was extremely frightened. All sorts of noises reached his ears. These thoughts suddenly woke him up.

Q7. What made Swami desperate?
Ans: Swami heard a noise in his sleep. He opened his eyes. He sweated with fear. He stared in the darkness and saw something was moving down the wooden leg of the bench and rustling. So he became desperate thinking that the devil would tear him to pieces.

Q8.What made him attack the burglar?
Ans: Swami could hear the rustling in dark. He woke up in terror. He was frightened and sweated with fear as he was alone. Soon he found something was moving down. He thought that it was a devil. He was sure of his death. So without waiting he came out from under the bench and hugged the figure with all his strength and bit its ankle severely.

Q9.Suppose you were asked to describe Swami in a few words, how would you do it ? Write the most appropriate answer.
(a) Young, strong and brave.
(b) Well-behaved and polite.
(c) Disobedient, disrespectful and naughty.
(d) Clever but not courageous.
Ans: (d) Clever but not courageous.

Q10. What did Swami dream in the office?
(a) The devils came up and clutched at his throat.
(b) A tiger chased him and he tried hard to escape but couldn’t.
(c) As a devil came nearer, he held his arms around the devil tightly.
Ans:(b) A tiger chased him and he tried hard to escape but couldn’t.

E. Let’s Understand The Text Better :

Q1. Discuss how Swamy felt being forced to sleep alone.
Ans: Swami was compelled by his father to sleep alone in the office room to prove his courage. He appealed to his mother and granny to come to his rescue. But his father did not listen to anything. Being forced to do so he felt cut off from humanity. He was pained and felt angry. He did not like the strain of cruelty of his father’s nature. He also hated newspapers for printing the tiger’s story.

Q2. How would you feel if you were made to sleep alone in a room? Do you share Swami’s feelings?
Ans: If I were made to sleep alone in a room, I would be terrified. Because I am not in habit of sleeping alone. I also share Swami’s feelings because I used to sleep beside my granny or grandmother and had no experience of sleeping alone at night.

Q3.How did Swami feel in the darkness?
Ans: Swami was compelled to sleep alone in his father’s office room at night. He had never experienced it before. He was suffocated. He remembered the stories of devils and ghosts he had heard and remembered his friend who had seen a devil. He was faint with fear.

Q4. Discuss Swami’s response to the movement in the darkness.
Ans: Swami’s loneliness in utter darkness made him frightened. He tried his best to fall asleep. As he fell asleep, he saw a frightful dream. Just then he heard some rustling sound. He opened his eyes. He stared into the darkness. To his utter surprise, he saw something moving down. He thought it was a devil. He was sure of his death. He became desperate and thought that the devil would certainly tear him to pieces.

Q5. Was Swami really courageous? What did people think about him?
Ans: Certainly, Swami was courageous. Had he not been courageous, he wouldn’t have attacked the burglar in dark. He attacked the burglar thinking of him to be a devil. People congratulated him for his heroic action. A notorious house-breaker could be captivated only because of Swami’s timely action. People thought him a true hero.

Q6.“Courage is everything, strength and age are not important.”
Ans: ‘Courage is everything, strength and age are not important.’ It was the statement and theory of Swami’s father. It is a fact. A mighty person without courage can do nothing whereas a weak person with courage can do everything. It so happened in the life of Swami. He could attack a strong house-breaker even if he was very young then.

F. Let’s Learn Some New Words:

The words given in the brackets have come from the story ‘A Hero’. The expression in each sentence is the meaning of the word after that sentence. Rewrite each sentence using the appropriate form of the word in brackets.
Example :
The teacher looked at me continuously before asking the question. (fixedly)
Ans: The teacher looked at me fixedly before asking the question.

1. The plan of action suggested by the students was not accepted by the headmaster. (proposition)
2. The child spoke in an unclear manner which her mother couldn’t hear. (mumble)
3. My friend sleeps in a separate room because he breathes noisily while asleep. (snore)
4. The patient’s painful condition affected everyone. (agonise)
5. The boy was not prepared and so did not want to take the examination. (hesitate)
6. The low continuous sound of the bee adds charm to the garden. (humming)
7. The surface of my car was damaged due to the accident. (scratch)

Ans:
1. The proposition suggested by the students was not accepted by the headmaster.
2. The child mumbled which her mother couldn’t hear.
3. My friend sleeps in a separate room because he snores while asleep.
4. The patient’s painful condition agonized everyone.
5. The boy was not prepared and so hesitated to take the examination.
6. The humming of the bee adds charm to the garden.
7. The surface of my car was scratched due to the accident.

The following sentences occur in the story you have read in Section -1.
1. “How could a boy fight a tiger ?”
2. Any change in this arrangement kept him trembling.
‘Fight in sentence 1 is a verb.
‘Change’ in sentence 2 is a noun.
Now read these sentences:
1. He got into a fight with a man in the bar. (Noun)
2. We change our car every two years. (Verb)

Often in English, one comes across words that can function both as nouns and as verbs in different contexts.
Read the story again and pick out ten such words. Then use each word In two different sentences of your own mentioning ‘noun use’ and ‘verb use’.
Ans:

Turn (Noun)

(Verb)

You have missed your turn so you’ll have to wait.

The wheel turned slowly.

Face (Noun)

(Verb)

She had a surprised expression on her face .

The building faces north.

Attack (Noun)

(Verb)

Security will be increased after yesterday’s attack on the President’s life.

The enemy attacked at night.

Dispute (Noun)

(Verb)

This question is still under dispute .

The two parties disputed over the ownership

Hope (Noun)

(Verb)

The situation looks bad, but we don’t give up hope .

I hope to go to university next year.

Cut (Noun)

(Verb)

How did you get that cut on your hand?

I cut my face when I was shaving.

Command (Noun)

(Verb)

The Indian Army is under the government’s direct command .

The general commanded his men to the boundary.

Sleep (Noun)

(Verb)

Try to get eight hours’ sleep a night.

I couldn’t sleep well last night.

Bat (Noun)

(Verb use)

Bat and ball are necessary for cricket.

The Indian players are batting now.

10.

Call (Noun)

(Verb)

Give me a call when you are ready.

The teacher called (out) the names of everyone.

G. Let’s Learn Language:
Speech Change :
Speech is the words spoken by the speaker.
Example :
The teacher said, “Oil floats on water”.
Two types of speech :

Direct speech

Indirect speech

(i) It is the actual words of a speaker.

(ii) The actual words are kept within the inverted commas or quotation marks.

(i) It is the changed words told by somebody else other than the speaker.

(ii) inverted commas are omitted.

Change to be effected in the indirect speech :

Direct speech		Indirect speech
I	—>	he/she
we	—>	they
my	—>	his / her
our	—>	their
his / her	—>	my
you	—>	I/he/she/they
your	—>	my / his./ her / their
present simple {go/goes/does/do go)	—>	past simple (went)
past simple {went)	—>	past perfect (had gone)
present progressive {is/am/are going)	—>	past progressive (was/were going)
present perfect {has/have gone)	—>	past perfect {had gone)
present perfect progressive (has/have been eating) can/may/ shall/will/must)	—>	past perfect progressive (had been eating) could/might/should/would/had to
this	—>	that
these	—>	those
since	—>	then
ago	—>	before
today	—>	that day
tonight	—>	that night
tomorrow	—>	the next day / the day after the day
yesterday	—>	before / the previous day the
last night	—>	previous night
here	—>	there
present simple as the reporting verb (say/says/tell/tells)	—>	no change in the tensed verb

Examples:

· D.S.: Father said, “You can’t go with me”.
I.S.: Father said told that (€c) I couldn’t go with him.

· DS.: The teacher said to the pupils, “You have made our school proud this year.
I.S.: The teacher told the pupils that they (pupils) had made their school proud that year.

· DS.: Rohit said, “I am visiting Saurav tonight”.
I.S.: Rohit said that he was visiting Saurav that night.

· D.S.: Manali said to Rabi Sir, “Did you call me ?“ (Did – helping verb)
I.S.: Manali asked Rabi Sir if ( QI’ he had called her).

· D.S.: Suresh says, “I am pleased with your performance now.”
(says = reporting verb / present simple tense)
I.S.: Suresh says that he is (not ‘was’ for ‘is’) pleased with my performance then.

Here are some more examples :
(i) Swami said, “Your office room is very dusty and there may be scorpions behind your law books”. (Direct speech)
Swami told his father that his office room was very dusty and there might be scorpions behind his law books. (Indirect speech) .
Turn the following statements into indirect speech (i) Father said, “I don’t at all like the way you are being brought up”.
“If you do it, mind you, I will make you the laughingstock of your school.”
Ans:
Indirect speech: Father told (Swami) that he didn’t at all like the way (Swami) was being brought up. He (Father) warned him. to make him the laughing-stock of his school provided he (Swami) did it.

Questions:
Look at the following sentence.
Granny pleaded “Why do you disturb him ?”
Indirect speech: Granny asked father why he disturbed Swami.

Direct speech

Indirect speech

(i) “Wh-questions + helping verb

(is, am, are, do, does, was, have) can, must + Subject………………….. ?”(ii) “Helping verbs + Subject ?”

(Yes-No questions) inverted commas or quotation marks.

—> … asked (Object), Wh-questions +Subject + Verb(s)…

—>…. asked (Object) if + Subject + Verb + … inverted commas or quotation marks deleted.

Exercise:
Report the following dialogue.
“Let me sleep in the hall, father” Swami pleaded. “Your office room is very dusty and there may be scorpions behind your law books”.
“There are no scorpions, little fellow. Sleep on the bench if you like”.
“Can I have a lamp burning in the room ?”
“No. You must learn not to be afraid of darkness. It is only a question of habit. You must cultivate good habits”.
“Will you at least leave the door open ?”
“All right. But promise you will not roll up your bed and go to your granny’s side at night”.

Ans:
(In the indirect speech or reporting)
Swami sought his father’s permission to sleep in the hall in an appealing tone . He reasoned that his office room was very dusty and there might be scorpions behind his law books. Thereupon father bluntly refused Swami’s logic for there were no scorpions and asked him to sleep on the bench if he liked. Swami (showing a bit of excitement) enquired if he could have a lamp burning in the room. At this, father turned down his request and reassured him of learning not to be afraid of darkness and encouraged him (Swami) to cultivate good habits as it was only question of habit. Swami further asked if he would at least leave the door open and father gave his nod , however, he wanted him (Swami) to promise him that he (Swami) must not roll up his bed and go to his granny’s side at night.

H. Let’s Write:
1. In the story you read Swami was asked by his father to sleep alone in his office room at night. Imagine that you are Swami and give an account of what followed from your point of view. Begin: It was a terrible experience. Father told me to sleep in the office room alone to do away with fear. Till then I always used to
You may like to end with: My fear of darkness remained unchanged and I still had the habit of sleeping with granny. But the incident made me a hero overnight.

Ans:
It was a terrible experience. Father told me to sleep in the office room alone to do away with fear. Till then I always used to sleep beside my grandmother and any sort of the change in this arrangement kept me awake all night. Everybody knew the fact well. My father left me in the office alone at night. My heart started beating faster as the stories of ghosts and devils came to my memory. I completely covered myself with the blanket. I expected the devils to capture me or carry me away. As I shut my eyes, I saw frightening dreams. Just then I could hear a rustling sound. I got up and stared into the darkness.

I found that something was moving down. I became desperate. As it came nearer I hugged it and used my teeth on it like a mortal weapon. It fell down on the ground. Father along with two other attendants reached there and captured the injured man. He was a notorious house-breaker of the district. The next day I was congratulated at my school. I became a hero overnight. Even the Inspector of Police praised me for my heroic deed. My fear of darkness remained unchanged and I still had the habit of sleeping with granny. But the situation made me a hero overnight.

2. Write a citation (a statement about someone’s character or brave actions) to be read out on the occasion of the award-giving ceremony in honor of a brave young man of your locality who has been selected for the “Bravery Award” by the government.

Ans: BRAVERY OF A YOUNG VILLAGE LAD
Bikram, a young village lad of 14 years could save a helpless baby from a burning house. On a hot summer afternoon, he was returning home from his coaching center. All of a sudden he heard a loud cry of people and rushed to the spot. He found a large gathering around a burning house. The most pitiable incident he got to know was that a helpless crying mother had left her baby sleeping inside that house. Nobody could dare to enter the burning house and save the baby. It was Bikram who wasted no time and at once jumped into the room with the help of a ladder. Then he came out with the crying baby wrapped under a blanket. The baby was immediately taken to the nearest hospital and was saved. After this heroic incident, the villagers embraced Bikram and thanked him immensely for his brave and adventurous deed.

Class 9th English Chapter-5 A Hero Question Answer

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