HBSE Class 9 Question Paper 2021 English

Code No. 1402
CLASS : 9th (Ninth) Series : 9-April/2021
Roll No.











ENGLISH
(Only for Fresh/School Candidates)
Time allowed : 2 21 hours ] [ Maximum Marks : 80

• Please make sure that the printed pages in this question paper are 16 in number
and it contains 11 questions.

• The Code No. on the top of the question paper should be written by the candidate on
the front page of the answer-book.

• Before beginning to answer a question, its Serial Number must be written.

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the written answer.

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• Before answering the question, ensure that you have been supplied the correct and
complete question paper, no claim in this regard, will be entertained after
examination.

General Instructions :

(i) This question paper is divided into four Sections – A, B, C and D. All
questions are compulsory.

(ii) Attempt all the parts of a question together.

(iii) Stick to the word limit wherever prescribed.

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SECTION – A
(Unseen Comprehension)

1. Read the passages given below carefully and answer the questions that follow.
Do any two passages :

(a) Bees are insects. Bees are special insects because they can fly! They can
move through the air like an airplane! Bees can fly because they have
wings. They use their wings to fly. Bees can fly fast. Bees can also fly
slowly. They can fly up and they can fly down. They need to fly to get to
the flowers! Bees can have three colours. They can be yellow, red, and
orange. All bees are black in some places. Bees have three main parts.
They have a head. They have a body and they have a stinger. The stinger
is used to defend against enemies. They also have six legs. They use their
legs to stand and climb. They also use their legs to eat and collect pollen.
Bees live in many places. They live in Africa, Australia, Asia, Europe,
North America, and South America. The only continent that bees do not
live on is Antarctica! I understand why they don't live in Antarctica. It's
too cold! Most of the time, bees are nice to humans. If you do not bother
them, they will not bother you. Have fun watching the bees this summer!

Choose the correct option : 1×5=5

(i) What are bees ?

(A) Insects (B) Birds

(C) Reptiles (D) Mammals

(ii) How do bees fly ?

(A) They use their legs (B) They use their head

(C) They use their wings (D) None of the above

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(iii) How many legs do bees have ?

(A) Two (B) Four

(C) Six (D) Eight

(iv) What is the stinger used for ?

(A) To eat food (B) To defend against enemies

(C) Both (A) and (B) (D) None of the above

(v) Where do bees live ?

(A) North America (B) Asia

(C) Antarctica (D) Both (A) and (B)

(b) Tourists to Jammu and Kashmir have another attraction – a floating post
office on the Dal Lake in Srinagar, the first in the country. 'Floating Post
Office, Dal Lake'– claimed to be the only one such post office in the world
is built on an intricately carved maroon houseboat, fastened on the
western edge of the Dal Lake. This post office lets you avail of all the
regular postal services available in the country while being afloat. The
seal used on everything posted from Floating Post Office is unique – along
with the date and address, it bears the design of a boatman rowing a
shikara on the Dal Lake. This is actually a heritage post office that has
existed since British times. It was called Nehru Park Post Office before
2011. But then the chief postmaster John Samuel renamed it as 'Floating
Post Office'. The greatest fear is the recurrence of 2014 like floods in
which the houseboat had gone for a toss uncontrollably pushed by the
flood. Rescue teams had to anchor it using special mechanism in a
nearby highland. Then it was brought back on the Dal after the water
receded. The biggest boon is that at no time of the year do you need a fan
in this post-office.

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Choose the correct option : 1×5=5

(i) Where is the floating post office situated in Srinagar ?

(A) On the Dal Lake (B) Near Centaur

(C) Near Pari Mahal (D) None of the above

(ii) What is special about the seal used in the post office ?

(A) Design of the houseboat on the Dal Lake

(B) Design of a boatman rowing a shikara on the Dal Lake

(C) Design of chinar tree on the Dal Lake

(D) All of the above

(iii) Who renamed the post office as 'Floating Post Office' ?

(A) Chief postmaster (B) Postman

(C) Delivery agent (D) None of the above

(iv) Which is the greatest fear that the post office has ?

(A) Floods (B) Earthquake

(C) Tsunami (D) Volcanic eruption

(v) When did the flood come in Kashmir Valley ?

(A) 2011 (B) 2012

(C) 2013 (D) 2014

(c) Our ancestors had great difficulty in getting books. Now, our difficulty is
what to read. There are books and books but our hours of reading are
very few. Therefore, choice becomes essential. We should be very careful
about what we read. There are books which poison our lives by
suggesting evils. We should keep them at arm's length. We should read
only those books which have stood the test of time. Such books are our

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great classics like the Ramayana and the Gita. They contain the wisdom
of our sages and saints. They have appealed to mankind from generation
to generation. Reading of such books has ennobling influence on our
mind and character. It gives us spiritual enjoyment. These books give us
instruction with entertainment. They represent our ancient culture. They
set before us high ideals to follow. They are our best friends, best guides
and the best treasure.

Choose the correct option : 1×5=5

(i) We should be selective because .... .

(A) there is a great number of books available to us

(B) there is scarcity of books

(C) there are only bad books in the market

(D) none of the above

(ii) We should avoid those books which .... .

(A) cost high price

(B) come in paperback

(C) corrupt our lives by suggesting evils

(D) come in more than one volume

(iii) The books which have stood the test of time are called .... .

(A) great books

(B) rare books

(C) biographies

(D) classics

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(iv) What is/ are special quality/qualities of classics ?

(A) They affect our mind in a good way

(B) They teach us something great and also entertain us

(C) They help us in our spiritual growth

(D) All of the above

(v) An expression in the passage which means 'good effect' is .... .

(A) Spiritual enjoyment

(B) Ennobling influence

(C) High ideals

(D) Very careful

SECTION – B

(Writing Skills)

2. Attempt any one of the following : 5

(a) You are Rahul/Ruhi staying at 110, Kunj Vihar, Delhi. You have seen an
advertisement for the post of an English teacher in Deep Public School,
Rohini. Write a letter in response to the advertisement applying for the
post.

(b) You are Anubhav of class IX studying in C.J.M. Public School, Narnaul.
Write an application to the Principal of your school to remit your fine.

3. Attempt any one of the following : 5

(a) You are Rohan, President of English Literary Club of Government Sr. Sec.
School, Kota. Draft a notice for your school notice board inviting the
names of students for Inter-house Debate Contest. Give relevant details.

(b) Write a paragraph on the global pandemic of 'Corona Virus'.

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SECTION – C

(Grammar)

4. Attempt any fifteen questions : 1 × 15 = 15

(a) Fill in the blanks with appropriate modal auxiliaries by choosing the
correct option :

(i) We …………. respect our elders.

(A) should (B) would

(C) could (D) may

(ii) …………. God bless you!

(A) Should (B) Would

(C) Could (D) May

(iii) She …………. swim very well.

(A) may (B) can

(C) would (D) could

(b) Fill in the blanks with suitable articles wherever necessary :

(i) Christmas falls on …………. 25th December.

(A) a (B) an

(C) the (D) No article

(ii) Mohan's father is …………. electrician.

(A) a (B) an

(C) the (D) No article

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(iii) Milk costs 50 rupees …………. litre.

(A) a (B) an

(C) the (D) No article

(c) Fill in the blanks with appropriate conjunctions by choosing the correct
option :

(i) I was ill …………. I didn't go to work.

(A) so (B) because

(C) as (D) and

(ii) Mohan is an obedient son …………. a loving brother.

(A) because (B) and

(C) so (D) unless

(iii) He is rich …………. miser.

(A) but (B) as

(C) so (D) therefore

(d) Change the following into indirect speech by choosing the correct option :

(i) I said to the children, "Do not make a noise."

(A) I said to the children that do not make a noise.

(B) I forbade the children to make a noise.

(C) I told the children to make a noise.

(D) I said to the children not to make a noise.

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(ii) The teacher said, "Honesty is the best policy."

(A) The teacher said that honesty was the best policy.

(B) The teacher told that honesty was the best policy.

(C) The teacher said that honesty is the best policy.

(D) The teacher asked that honesty was the best policy.

(iii) She says, "I am ill."

(A) She told that she was ill. (B) She says to me that she is ill.

(C) She said that she was ill. (D) She says that she is ill.

(e) Choose the sentence with correct punctuation marks :

(i) chandigarh is the capital of haryana

(A) Chandigarh Is The Capital Of Haryana.

(B) chandigarh is the Capital of haryana.

(C) chandigarh is the capital of haryana.

(D) Chandigarh is the capital of Haryana.

(ii) they said to me are the apples sweet

(A) They Said To Me Are The Apples Sweet.

(B) They said to me are the apples sweet ?

(C) They said to me, "Are the apples sweet ?"

(D) They said to me, "are the apples sweet."

(iii) divyansh had a banana an apple a papaya and a mango

(A) Divyansh had a banana an apple a papaya and a mango.

(B) Divyansh had a banana, an apple, a papaya and a mango.

(C) Divyansh had, a banana, an apple, a papaya and a mango.

(D) Divyansh had a banana; an apple; a papaya and a mango.
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(f) Fill in the blanks with correct form of verb :

(i) My mother …………. to temple daily. (go)

(A) go (B) goes

(C) had gone (D) had been going

(ii) He …………. a film last week. (see)

(A) see (B) saw

(C) have seen (D) is seeing

(iii) We …………. T.V. when it started to rain. (watch)

(A) watch (B) is watching

(C) are watching (D) were watching

SECTION – D

[ A : Prose Text (Beehive) ]

5. Read the passages given below carefully and answer the questions that follow.
Do any two passages.

(a) Margie even wrote about it that night in her diary. On the page headed 17
May 2157, she wrote, "Today Tommy found a real book!" It was a very old
book. Margie's grandfather once said that when he was a little boy his
grandfather told him that there was a time when all stories were printed
on paper. They turned the pages, which were yellow and crinkly, and it
was awfully funny to read words that stood still instead of moving the way
they were supposed to – on a screen, you know. And then when they
turned back to the page before, it had the same words on it that it had
when they read it the first time.

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Choose the correct option : 1×5=5

(i) Name the chapter from which these lines have been taken.

(A) The Fun They Had (B) The Sound of Music

(C) The Little Girl (D) A Truly Beautiful Mind

(ii) Name the author of the given lines.

(A) Bismillah Khan (B) Isaac Asimov

(C) Jerome. K. Jerome (D) A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

(iii) On which date, Margie made an entry in her diary ?

(A) 20 May 2157 (B) 19 May 2157

(C) 18 May 2157 (D) 17 May 2157

(iv) Who found a real book ?

(A) Margie (B) County Inspector

(C) Mechanical Teacher (D) Tommy

(v) Who told Margie once about real books ?

(A) Tommy (B) County Inspector

(C) Margie's grandfather (D) Margie's mother

(b) At the age of two-and-a-half, Einstein still wasn't talking. When he finally
did learn to speak, he uttered everything twice. Einstein did not know
what to do with other children, and his playmates called him "Brother
Boring". So the youngster played by himself much of the time. He
especially loved mechanical toys. Looking at his new born sister, Maja, he
is said to have said : "Fine, but where are her wheels ?"

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Choose the correct option : 1×5=5

(i) Name the chapter from which the lines have been taken.

(A) The Fun They Had (B) A Truly Beautiful Mind

(C) The Little Girl (D) The Sound of Music

(ii) When Albert learnt to speak, he uttered everything .... .

(A) Thrice (B) Twice

(C) Once (D) None

(iii) What toys did Albert like specifically as a child ?

(A) Racing Cars (B) Mechanical toys

(C) Soft Toys (D) None

(iv) What was the name of Albert's younger sister ?

(A) Mary (B) Michelle

(C) Maja (D) Monica

(v) What did little Albert say looking at her newborn sister ?

(A) Beautiful, where did she come from ?

(B) Fine, but where are her wheels ?

(C) Cute, but here are her wheels ?

(D) Lovely, but where are her wheels ?

(c) I ran up to it to attempt a capture. It scooted into the sugarcane field.
Following it with my companions, I was at last able to grab it by the scruff
of its neck while it snapped and tried to scratch me with its long, hooked
claws. We put it in one of the gunny-bags we had brought and when I got
back to Bangalore I duly presented it to my wife. She was delighted! She
at once put a coloured ribbon around its neck, and after discovering the
cub was a 'boy' she christened it Bruno.

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Choose the correct option : 1×5=5

(i) Name the chapter from which the lines have been taken.

(A) The Fun They Had (B) Truly Beautiful Mind

(C) The Little Girl (D) The Bond of Love

(ii) Name the author of the given lines.

(A) Isaac Asimov (B) Bismillah Khan

(C) Kenneth Anderson (D) Jerome. K. Jerome

(iii) Who does 'I' refer to in these lines ?

(A) Author's friend (B) Author himself

(C) Author's wife (D) None of the above

(iv) They put the baby sloth bear in one of the .... .

(A) cages (B) gunny bags

(C) animal jails (D) wooden box

(v) The author presented the sloth bear to .... .

(A) the Zoo Department (B) his wife

(C) his friend (D) the Museum

6. Answer in about 100 words : 5

Kezia's efforts to please her father resulted in displeasing him. How did this
happen ? (The Little Girl)

OR

Of the three, Jerome, George and Harris, who do you think is the best or worst
packer ? Support your answer with details from the text. (Packing)

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7. Answer any four of the following questions : 2×4=8
(i) When was Evelyn's deafness first noticed ? When was it confirmed ? (The
Sound of Music : Evelyn Glennie Listens to Music without Hearing It)
(ii) Why did Aurangzeb ban on playing pungi ? (The Sound of Music :
Bismillah Khan)
(iii) Who were Abdul Kalam's childhood friends ? What did they later become ?
(My Childhood)
(iv) What shows Santosh Yadav's concern for the environment ? (Reach for
the Top : Santosh Yadav)

(v) Who was Bruno ? Where did the author find him ? (The Bond of Love)
(vi) What is Gerrard's profession ? (If I Were You)

[ B : Poetry (Beehive) ]

8. Read the stanza given below carefully and answer the questions that follow.
The snake trying
to escape the pursuing stick,
with sudden curvings of thin
long body. How beautiful
and graceful are his shapes!

Choose the correct option : 1×5=5

(i) Name the poem from which these lines have been taken.

(A) The Road Not Taken (B) Wind

(C) Rain on the Roof (D) The Snake Trying

(ii) Who is the poet of the poem ?

(A) William Shakespeare (B) Subramania Bharati

(C) W.W.E. Ross (D) Charles Dickens

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(iii) What was the snake trying in the poem ?

(A) To eat (B) To choke

(C) To bite (D) To escape

(iv) What is the snake trying to escape from in the poem ?

(A) The pursuing stick (B) The forest

(C) The enemy (D) The rat

(v) The poem revolves around .... .

(A) A harmful snake

(B) A poisonous snake

(C) A harmless snake

(D) A snake that poet considers as his pet

9. Answer any two of the following in about 50 words : 3×2=6

(i) How does the poet James Kirkup suggest that all people living on Earth
are same in the poem 'No Men are Foreign' ? Give any three points.

(ii) What is the central idea of the poem 'The Road Not Taken' ?

(iii) What did Saint Peter ask the old lady for ? What was lady's reaction ?
(A Legend of Northland)

[ C : Supplementary Reader (Moments) ]

10. Answer in about 100 words : 5

What were the things that the child wanted in the fair ? Why did he lose
interest in those things later ? (The Lost Child)

OR

Give a brief character-sketch of Prashant on the basis of your reading of the
chapter 'Weathering the Storm in Ersama'.
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11. Answer any three of the following in about 30-40 words : 2×3=6

(i) What are the two strange things that the guru and his disciple find in the
Kingdom of Fools ? (In the Kingdom of Fools)

(ii) Why does the Happy Prince send a ruby for the seamstress ? (The Happy
Prince)

(iii) What is Johnsy's illness ? What can cure her medicines or her willingness
to live ? (The Last Leaf)

(iv) What is the meaning of "My cat was back and so was I." ? Had the author
gone anywhere ? (A House is not a Home)

(v) During their conversation, Lushkoff reveals Sergei's cook, is responsible
for the positive change in him. How has Olga changed Lushkoff ? (The
Beggar)

S

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