Class 9 Half Yearly Question Paper 2025-26 English

CBSE CLASS 9
Half Yearly Question Paper
Session 2025-26

ENGLISH

Exam CBSE Class 9
Subject English
Session 2025-26
Document Type Half Yearly Question Paper

Notes · Sample Papers · Previous Year Papers · Mock Tests

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Question Paper
HALF YEARLY EXAMINATION
SESSION: 2025-2026 ag
CLASS: IX MAXIMUM MARKS: 80
SUBJECT: English Communicative (101) TIME: 3 Hours
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General Instructions:

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• Please check that this question paper contains 6 printed pages.

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Please check that this question paper contains 12 questions.
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The question paper contains four sections-A, B, C and D.
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Instructions are given with each section and question wherever necessary. Read the

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instructions carefully.
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agDo not exceed the prescribed word limit while answering the questions.

SECTION A-(Reading Skills- 20 Marks)
1. Read the following passage carefully: 10 Marks
1.Walter Elias"Walt" Disney was born on December 5, 1901, in Hermosa,
Illinois. He lived most of his childhood in Marceline, Missouri, where he began
drawing, painting and selling pictures to neighbours and family friends. Disney
attended McKinley High School in Chicago, where he took drawing and

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photography classes and was a contributing cartoonist for the school paper. At
night, he took courses at the Chicago Art Institute.

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2.When Disney was 16, he dropped out of school to join the army but was

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rejected for being underage. Instead, he joined the Red Cross and was sent to

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France for a year to drive an ambulance. When Disney returned from France in
1919, he moved back to Kansas City to pursue a career as a newspaper artist.
His brother Roy got him a job at the Pesmen-Rubin Art Studio, where he met
cartoonist Ubbe EertIwerks, better known as Ub Iwerks. From there, Disney
worked at the Kansas City Film Ad Company, where he made commercials
based on cutout animation. Around this time, Disney began experimenting with
a camera, doing hand-drawn cell animation, and decided to open his own
animation business. From the ad company, he recruited Fred Harman as his first
employee.

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3.Walt and Harman made a deal with a local Kansas City theatre to screen their

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cartoons, which they called Laugh-O-Grams. The cartoons were hugely

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popular, and Disney was able to acquire his own studio, upon which he

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including Harman's brother Hugh and Iwerks. They did a series of seven minute

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fairy tales that combined both live action and animation, which they called
Alice in Cartoonland. By 1923, however, the studio had become burdened with
debt, and Disney was forced to declare bankruptcy.
4.Disney and his brother, Roy, soon pooled their money and moved to
Hollywood. Iwerks also relocated to California, and there the three began the
Disney Brothers' Studio. Their first deal was with New York distributor
Margaret Winkler, to distribute their Alice cartoons. They also invented a
character called Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, and contracted the shorts at $1,500
each.
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On the basis of your understanding of the passage, answer the following
questions.
i. Which of the following did Walt Disney not learn in his childhood? 1
A. drawing B. cooking
C. selling pictures to neighbours and family friends D. painting
ii. Walt was not selected in the army because he _______ 1
A. was contributing cartoonist for the school paper
B. took drawing and photography classes
C. opened his own animation business
D. was underage
iii. How did Walt’s brother help him in Kansas? 1
iv. What skill did Walt learn at Kansas City Film Ad Company? 1
v. Name the first employee of Ad Company. 1
A. Harman B. Disney
C. Oswald D. Fred Harman
vi. Complete the given sentence appropriately. 1
Walt and Harman collaborated in a deal with _________________.
vii. Write briefly about Alice in Cartoonland. 1
viii. Mention the deal made with Margaret Winkler? 1
ix. Assertion: The studio had become burdened with debt, 1
Reason: Disney was forced to declare bankruptcy.
Choose the correct option to figure out the reason of the given assertion,
A. Both (A) and (R)are true, and (R) is a correct explanation of (A).
B. Both (A) and (R)are true, and (R) is not a correct explanation of (A).
C.(A) is true, but (R) is false.
D.(A) is false, but (R ) is true.

x. Suggest an appropriate title of the given passage. 1

2. Read the following passage carefully:
The House with Silent Stories 10 Marks
1. The old bungalow at the edge of the town had always been a mystery. Its
paint had peeled away, the windows were clouded with dust, and the garden
was tangled with weeds. Children whispered stories about ghosts and treasure,
but no one dared to go near. That changed when Myra, a young writer, moved
into the neighbourhood. She wasn’t afraid of silence—in fact, she sought it.
2. One morning, Myra decided to explore the bungalow. The gate groaned as
she pushed it open, and the air smelled of damp earth and forgotten memories.
Inside, the rooms were dim but filled with objects that seemed to speak. A
wooden rocking chair sat beside a fireplace, its cushion torn but still shaped by
someone’s presence. A bookshelf leaned against the wall, filled with novels,
poetry, and a few cookbooks. Dust coated everything, but the arrangement was
careful, almost loving.
3. In the kitchen, Myra found a calendar from 1972 still hanging, with dates
marked in red ink—birthdays, anniversaries, and one day circled with the
words “She left today.” Myra paused. Who was “she”? A daughter? A wife? A
friend? The mystery deepened. On the dining table lay a stack of letters tied
with a ribbon. One read: “I hope you find happiness, wherever you are. I miss

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your laughter.” The handwriting was elegant, the words tender.

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4. Upstairs, the bedrooms told more stories. One had a sewing machine and
rolls of fabric, suggesting someone who loved to create. Another had posters of
space and science, and a telescope by the window. Myra imagined a curious
child, dreaming of stars. The smallest room had a crib and a mobile of paper
birds hanging from the ceiling. A family had lived here—each with dreams,
routines, and emotions.
5. As Myra left the house, she felt a strange connection. Though she had never
met the people who once lived there, their belongings had whispered fragments
of their lives. She wondered: Can we truly know someone through what they

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leave behind? Or do we simply build stories from the pieces we find?

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On the basis of your understanding of the passage, answer the following

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questions:
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Whatadoes the passage suggest about the lives of the family who lived in the
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i.
a They were a family who loved and cherished their time together but faced an
bungalow?
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unknown tragedy.
B. They were a wealthy family who abandoned the house for a better life.
C. They were a group of strangers who happened to live in the same house.
D. They were a family who disliked each other and left the house in anger.
ii. How does the author use the objects in the house to build an overarching 1
narrative about the family?

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A. By describing the objects as random and unrelated.

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B. By connecting the objects to specific personalities and emotions.

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C. By focusing only on the physical condition of the house.

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D. By ignoring the objects and focusing on Myra’s thoughts.

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iii. Write the significance of the calendar marked with “She left today” in the given 1
passage.
a
A. It suggests a moment of joy for the family.
B. It shows that the family was careless about their belongings.
C. It hints at a significant and emotional event in the family’s life.
D. It indicates that the house was abandoned in a hurry.
iv. What theme does the passage explore through Myra’s reflections? 1
A. The inevitability of loss and decay.
B. The need to avoid abandoned places.

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C. The importance of preserving old houses.

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D. The power of imagination to connect with the past

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v. Mention the factor which made the old bungalow mysterious to the 1

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townspeople?

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vi. Complete the following analogy correctly with a word from the above passage. 1

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Recommend : Suggest :: ___________ : inquisitive

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viii. What is the tone of the passage—humorous, nostalgic, or critical?
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ix. Rectify the given statement: 1
The bungalow was described as "bright and lively, with a well-maintained
garden."

x. Complete the statement suitably: 1
The letters on the dining table were written in __________________________.

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SECTION-B (Writing Skills-24 Marks)
3. You are Rima / Risabh, the Secretary of the Resident Welfare Association (RWA) 4
of Green Valley Apartments. The association is organizing a cleanliness drive in
the locality to promote hygiene and awareness among residents. Draft a notice
informing the residents about the event, including details such as date, time,
venue, and purpose. Write the notice in not more than 50 words. Put the notice in
a box.
4. Imagine you have purchased an electric bicycle that has been stolen from the 5
market area of your locality. You want to complain to the nearby Police Station.
Write a dialogue between you and the Police Officer about the same in about 100
words. Imagine you are Akshaan/Akshaani.
5. You are Divya/ Diyanshu, a student of class-IX. You have recently attended a 7
lecture session by Shiv Khera (writer of “You Can Win: Winners don’t do
different things. They do things differently”). The lecture session motivated you
in such a manner that you found the purpose of your life. Write a letter to your
friend in about 120 words, sharing your experience of attending the session and
how you felt thrilled to listen to him.
6. Snorkelling in Lakshwadeep is one of the popular adventurous activities. Assume 8
that you have experienced snorkellingon your visit to Lakshwadeep. During the
short adventure, you faced difficulty in breathing, leading to panic. You were
amazed to see the mental and physical endurance of the snorkel guides who
helped you to have a safe experience. Taking hints from your MCB unit –
‘Adventure’ and based on the visual clues given below along with your ideas,
write a paragraph on ‘Adventure Makes Life Worth Living’, in about 150 words,
describing your thrilling experience.

OR
Leadership is not all about position and fame, it is about how one influences
others in a positive way and can translate vision into reality. This quality should
be nurtured from the school life itself. It makes a student confident, well-versed
and responsible citizen for the future of the nation. Taking hints from the MCB
unit- ‘People’ along with your own ideas write a paragraph in about 150 words on
‘ Fostering Leadership Qualities in School: A Key to Future Success.’
Clues:
• Providing opportunities for practical experience
• Developing essential skills
• Fostering a supportive environment
• Encouraging teamwork and collaboration

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7.
SECTION-C (Grammar-10 Marks) a
Fill in the blanks i)-iii) with the most appropriate options from those given in the 1X3=3
brackets.
Anyone who has tried meditation for more than three seconds (i)_______ (know/
knew/ knows) how frustrating it can be, the next distraction inevitably pops into
your mind. You (ii)_______ ( should/ can/ have to) transformfrustration into
delight when you realize that (iii)__________ (many/ few/ each) interruption
gives you a chance to practice returning to your breath.

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8. In the following passage, one word has been omitted in each line. Write the 1X4=4

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missing word along with the word that comes before and after it. The first one has

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been done as an example.
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word missing word
Text
before word after
e.g Space Shuttle Atlantis which is orbiter is an orbiter
i. began its first flight October, 1985 and
ii. retired recently after completing last flight.
iii. In July, 2011 weighed around 80 tonne. It
iv. spent 306 days, 14 hours, 12 minutes 43
seconds in space.

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9. Do as directed.

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i. Rearrange the following jumbled words/ phrases in the given information to 1

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create a meaningful sentence.

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The Artic and Antarctica are located around the north and the south poles of the

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earth.

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Report the dialogue to completeathe paragraph that follows.
the/at both/atmosphere/is/cold/these places/very
1+1=2
Sam : Why did the student bring a magnet to school?
Eliza: Why?
Sam: Because he wanted to attract attention.
Sam asked Eliza why the student a)___________________ school. Eliza asked
the reason. Sam replied that he b)___________________ attention.

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SECTION-D (Literature Textbook-26 MARKS)

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10. Read the following extracts and answer the questions briefly.(Attempt any two.) 4+4=8

i..c
o “No nightingale did ever chant
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More welcome notes to weary bands

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Of travellers in some shady haunt
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Among Arabian Sands.
A voice so thrilling ne’er was heard
In spring-time from the cuckoo-bird.
Breaking the silence of the seas
Among the farthest Hebrides.” (The Solitary Reaper)
(a) How does the poet compare the song of the solitary reaper with that of the 1
nightingle?
(b) What do you infer from the phrase ‘shady haunt’? 1
(c) How does the expression ‘breaking the silence of the seas’ reflect the impact of 1

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the solitary reaper’s song.

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(d) Pick out a line from the extract containing the same poetic device as used in the 1

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sentence given below “She sells seashells by the seashore.”

ii. “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;” (The Road Not Taken)
(a) What does the expression ‘looked down one as far as I could’ suggest? 1
(b) Why does the narrator find the other road to be ‘as just as fair’? 1
(c) What is the tone of the given extract? 1
(d) What does the narrator’s choice of the grassy road reveal about his thoughts and 1
priorities in Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken”?
iii. “Chuck hit the target, and after March 1, there was no time for the physiotherapy
programme; he turned completely to Duke, who pulled him along the street faster
and faster, increasing his stability and endurance. Sometimes, walking after dark,
Hooper would trip and fall. Duke would stand still as a post while his master
struggled to get up. It was as though the dog knew that his job was to get Chuck
back on his feet.” (A Dog Named Duke)
(a) What do you infer from the phrase ‘he turned completely to Duke’? 1
(b) Identify the quality of Duke from the phrase ‘stand still as a post’. 1
(c) Why did Chuck struggle to get up? 1
(d) How does the phrase ‘Chuck hit the target’ reflect the characteristic of Chuck? 1
11. Answer ANY SIX of the following seven questions in about 30-40 words each. 2X6=12
(i) ‘I am touching the feet of a teacher.’ Describe the incident that made the 2
grandmother touch the feet of her granddaughter. (How I Taught My
Grandmother To Read)
(ii) How does the poet use the brook as a metaphor for life? (The Brook) 2
(iii) What does Juliette’s behaviour suggest about her attitude towards selling the 2
villa? (Villa for Sale)
(iv) How does the use of the phrase ‘Somewhere ages and ages hence’ reveal the 2
poet’s perspective on time? (The Road Not Taken)
(v) In what ways does Private Quelch demonstrate that knowledge without humility 2
has its limitations? (The Man Who knew Too much)
(vi) Chuck’s paralysis strengthened the bond between him and Duke. Explain how 2
did their relationship evolve after the mishap? (A Dog Named Duke)
(vii) Analyse the role of Mrs. AI Smith in portraying cultural and racial biasness. 2
(Villa for Sale)
12. Answer ANY ONE of the following two questions in about 150 words each. 1X6=6
(i) Elucidate the theme of decision-making in The Road Not Taken and How I
Taught My Grandmother to Read. How do the characters’ choices reflect their
personal journeys and values?
OR
(ii) The melody of the Solitary Reaper’s song transcends language barriers and leaves
a lasting impression on Wordsworth, even though he could not understand the
language of her song. Do you think music truly knows no boundaries, as
expressed in the poem? Justify your answer with respect to Wordsworth's
experience.
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