NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English (Moments) The Accidental Tourist [Old Book]

NCERT
SOLUTIONS
CLASS - 9TH

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Book - Moments Ncert Solutions | Chapter-9 English-2

Class : 9th
Subject : English-2
Chapter : 9
Chapter Name : The Accidental Tourist

Q1 Bill Bryson says, “I am, in short, easily confused.” What examples has he given to justify
this?

Answer. Bill Bryson claimed that he was easily confused. Many times he went looking for the
lavatory in a cinema and ended up standing in an alley on the wrong side of a self-locking
door. He said that his specialty was returning to hotel desks two or three times a day and
asking what his room number was. That is why he said that he was easily confused.

Q2 What happens when the zip on his carry-on bag gives way?

Answer. When the zip on his carry-on bag gave way, the side of the bag ew open and
everything within fell and scattered on the ground. These things included newspaper cuttings
and other loose papers, a 14-ounce tin of pipe tobacco, magazines, passport, English money
and lm.

Q3 Why is his nger bleeding? What is his wife’s reaction?

Answer. His nger was bleeding as he had gashed his nger on the zip of the bag that he was
trying to open. His wife looked at him with an expression of wonder and said that she could
not believe that he did that for a living.

Q4 How does Bill Bryson end up in a “crash position” in the aircraft?

Answer. Once when he was travelling in an aeroplane, he leaned over to tie a shoelace at the
same moment when someone in the seat ahead of him threw his seat back into full recline.
That was when he found himself pinned helplessly in the ‘crash position’. He had to claw at
the leg of the man sitting next to him in order to get himself freed.

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Book - Moments Ncert Solutions | Chapter-9 English-2

Q5 Why are his teeth and gums navy blue?

Answer. Once in an aeroplane, Bill was writing important thoughts in a notebook. He was
sucking thoughtfully on the end of his pen. Later when he retired to the lavatory, he
discovered that his pen had leaked and that his mouth, chin, tongue, teeth and gums had
become navy blue.

Q6 Bill Bryson “ached to be suave”. Is he successful in his mission? List his ‘unsuave’ ways.

Answer. No, Bill could never manage to be suave in his ways. He would rise from a dinner table
without looking as if he had just experienced “an extremely localized seismic event”. He would
get in a car and close the door leaving fourteen inches of coat outside. He would wear light-
coloured trousers discovering at the end of the day that he had at various times sat on chewing
gum, ice cream, cough syrup and motor oil. He tried to be suave, but it was not to be.

Q7 Why do you think Bill Bryson’s wife says to the children, “Take the lids off the food for
Daddy”?

Answer. Bill Bryson’s wife asked the children to take the lids off the food for Bill because if Bill
had tried to do that himself, then he might have taken it off in such a manner that the lid
would be ying away to some part of the plane and the food might spill all over the place.

Q8 What is the signi cance of the title?

Answer. The title ‘The Accidental Tourist’ signi es the accidental nature of Bill Bryson who
was a frequent yer. He travelled a lot to all parts of the world. However, he always managed
to cause some kind of an accident on the way in the aeroplane. Once he leaned over to tie his
shoelace at the same moment when someone in the seat ahead of him threw his seat back into
full recline. That was when he found himself pinned helplessly in the ‘crash position’. He had
to claw at the leg of the man sitting next to him in order to get himself freed. On another
occasion, he knocked a soft drink onto the lap of a lady sting beside him. The ight attendant
cleaned her up and brought him a replacement drink. He knocked it onto the woman again,
who of course was very angry and annoyed. On yet another occasion, his lips, gum, mouth,
chin, tongue, and teeth were covered with navy blue ink as he had been chewing on the end of
his pen that had leaked. He realized this quite late. Not only in the plane, but he was also
prone to accidents otherwise. He always forgot his room number and went to the hotel desk
again and again to enquire about it. He was so prone to accidents that when the food was
delivered on planes, his wife asked their children to take the lids off the food for him. When
travelling alone, he did not eat, drink or lean over to tie his shoelaces. Thus, he travelled a lot

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Book - Moments Ncert Solutions | Chapter-9 English-2

for his living and was accident-prone, hence justifying the title of the story.

Q1 To get confused and behave in ‘unsuave’ ways like Bill Bryson is normal and human. Tell
your class about any similar situation that you found yourself in.

Answer. DIY

Page : 61 , Block Name : Talk About It

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