NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehives Chapter 6 My Childhood

We have tried to provide NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 6 My Childhood covering each & every question of the textbook Beehive. Students will improve their answer writing skills by referring to the following NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive.

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👁 NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehives Chapter 6

NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehives Chapter 6 MyChildhood

Thinking about the Text

I. Answer these questions in one or two sentences each.

Que 1. Where was Abdul Kalam’s house?

Answer-

 Abdul Kalam’s house was located on the Mosque Street in Rameswaram.

Que 2. What do you think Dinamani is the name of? Give a reason for your answer.

Answer-

Dinamani - the name of a local newspaper in Rameswaram. It is so because Kalam's brother-in-law read the headlines of the Dinamani newspaper.

Que 3. Who were Abdul Kalam’s school friends? What did they later become?

Answer-

Abdul Kalam’s school friends were: Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan & Shivaprakasan.

Ramanadha Shastry became the high priest of the Rameshwaram temple, Aravindan was a transport businessman & Shivprakasan was the catering contractor for the southern railways.

Que 4. How did Abdul Kalam earn his first wages?

Answer-

During the Second World War, the newspapers were bundled & thrown out of a moving train. Abdul Kalam by helping his cousin, earned his first wages and distributed newspapers in Rameswaram by catching these bundles.

Que 5. Had he earned any money before that? In what way?

Answer-

Yes, he had earned some money before he started helping his cousin. There was a sudden demand for tamarind seeds in the market when the Second World War broke out. Abdul Kalam collected the seeds & sold them at a provision shop on Mosque Street. Usually, a day’s collection earned him one anna.

II. Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph. (about 30 words)

Que 1. How does the author describe: (i) his father, (ii) his mother, (iii) himself?

Answer-

1. Kalam’s father, Jainulabdeen was neither wealthy nor educated. However, he was honest & generous & possessed great innate wisdom. He was self-disciplined & avoided all inessential luxuries.
2. Kalam’s mother, Ashiamma was an ideal helpmate to her husband. She was a believer in goodness & profound kindness, & fed many people every day.
3. The author describes himself as a short boy with undistinguished looks, who had a secure childhood. He is honest, self-disciplined & believes in goodness & deep kindness.

Que 2. What characteristics does he say he inherited from his parents?

Answer-

He says that he inherited honesty & self-discipline from his father & he inherited faith in goodness & deep kindness from his mother.

III. Discuss these questions in class with your teacher and then write down your answers in two or three paragraphs each.

Que 1. “On the whole, the small society of Rameswaram was very rigid in terms of the segregation of different social groups,” says the author.

1. Which social groups does he mention? Were these groups easily identifiable (for example, by the way, they dressed)?
2. Were they aware only of their differences or did they also naturally share friendships and experiences? (Think of the bedtime stories in Kalam’s house; of who his friends were; and of what used to take place in the pond near his house.)
3. The author speaks both of people who were very aware of the differences among them and those who tried to bridge these differences. Can you identify such people in the text?
4. Narrate two incidents that show how differences can be created, and also how they can be resolved. How can people change their attitudes?

Answers-

1. Kalam & Ramanadha Sastry were members of two distinct social groups that were identifiable by their distinct traditions, cultures & dressing style. For example, Kalam who wore a cap on his head, made him identify as a Muslim, while Ramanadha Sastry who wore a sacred thread, made him identify as a Hindu.
2. No, they were not aware of these differences. They had a true & natural friendship & shared experiences.
   Kalam’s mother & grandmother would narrate the children of his family, events from the Ramayana & from the Prophet's life, during their bedtime. During the Shri Sita Rama Kalyanam ceremony, his family would arrange boats with a special platform for carrying the idols of the Lord from the temple to the marriage site, which was in the middle of the pond called Rama Tirtha that was located near his house.
3. The author discusses individuals who either recognize & acknowledge the social divisions present within their community or make an effort to bridge these divides. Examples of these types of characters can be seen in the new school teacher, Sivasubramania Iyer & his wife, Lakshamana Sastry.
4. The story provides two examples of how differences between people can both be created & resolved. In the first instance, Lakshamana Sastry confronted the new school teacher for discriminating against Kalam based on his religion & the teacher ultimately changed his behavior. In the second example, Sivasubramania Iyer invited Kalam to his home for a meal & his wife initially resisted due to her prejudices, but ultimately served him food herself. This indicates a shift in her perspective. These incidents demonstrate that it is possible for individuals to overcome their biases & strive for understanding & unity.

Que 2. 

1. Why did Abdul Kalam want to leave Rameswaram?
2. What did his father say to this?
3. What do you think his words mean? Why do you think he spoke those words?

Answers-

1. Kalam wanted to study at the district headquarters in Ramanathapuram for which he had to leave Rameswaram in order to pursue his further studies.
2. Kalam’s father said that he was well aware that one day, Kalam had to go away to grow. He gave him the analogy of a seagull that flies across the sun alone & without a nest. He then quoted Khalil Gibran to Kalam’s mother saying that her children were not their own children. They were the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself. They come through their parents, but not from them. They may give them their love, but not their thoughts as the children have their own thoughts.
3. Abdul Kalam’s father’s words have a deep meaning. First, he inspired his son to go ahead by giving an example of a seagull. Secondly, he explained to Kalam’s mother to give his son opportunities to get higher education & to make progress. I think he spoke these words to encourage his son & to control his wife's emotional attachment to him.

Thinking about Language

I. Find the sentences in the text where these words occur:

erupt, surge, trace, undistinguished, casualty

Look these words up in a dictionary that gives examples of how they are used. Now answer the following questions.

Que 1. What are the things that can erupt? Use examples to explain the various meanings of erupt. Now do the same for the word surge. What things can surge?

Answer-

 A few things that can erupt are anger, volcano, tooth, rash, riots, unrest, etc. Erupt has several meanings. Their explanation, with examples, is given as follows:

(i) Start unexpectedly
Example: Riots erupted in the city.

(ii) Start to burn or burst into flames
Example: The spark soon erupted into flames.

(iii) Become active and spew forth lava & rocks
Example: The molten lava erupted out of the active volcano.

(iv) Forceful & violent release of something pent up.
Example: The difference in their beliefs soon erupted in a fight.

(v) Sudden appearance on the skin
Example: On her birthday, a pimple erupted on her face.

(vi) Break out
Example: Eruption of the wisdom tooth gives a lot of pain.

Things that can surge are pride, anxiety, waves, boats, the army, etc. The several meanings it has can be explained with the following examples:

(i) Sudden forceful flow
Example: The girl drowned in the surging waves.

(ii) Rise and move forward
The army surged toward their enemy.

(iii) Heave upward under the influence of a natural force
Example: The boat surged in the high tide.

(iv) See one’s performance improve
Example: Hard work helped to surge Sam’s scores.

(v) A sudden or abrupt strong increase
Example: The surge in the stock market left people in a dilemma.

(vi) Rise rapidly
Example: As time passed, their tension surged.

Que 2. What are the meanings of the word trace & which of the meanings is closest to the word in the text?

Answer-

The following are the meanings of the word trace:

1. Follow, discover, or ascertain the course of development of something
2. Read with difficulty
3. Make one’s course or travel along a path; travel or pass over, around, or along
4. To go back over again
5. Pursue or chase relentlessly
6. Find or discover through investigation
7. Make a mark or lines on a surface

The closest meaning of the word ‘trace’ in the text is ‘to find or discover through investigation’.

Que 3. Can you find the word undistinguished in your dictionary? (If not, look up the word distinguished and say what undistinguished must mean.)

Answer-

No, the word undistinguished does not exist in the dictionary. However, its meaning can be derived from the meaning of the word ‘distinguished’, which means ‘special appearance or behavior of a person’. Thus, undistinguished means ‘ordinary appearance or behavior of a person’.

II.

1. Match the phrases in Column A with their meanings in Column B.

(i) broke out	(a) an attitude of kindness, a readiness to give freely
(ii) in accordance with	(b) was unable to tolerate
(iii) a helping hand	(c) began suddenly in a violent way
(iv) could not stomach	(d) assistance
(v) generosity of spirit	(e) persons with the power to make decisions
(vi) figures of authority	(f) according to a particular rule, principle, or system

Answer-

A	B
(i) broke out	(c) began suddenly in a violent way
(ii) in accordance with	(f) according to a particular rule, principle, or system
(iii) a helping hand	(d) assistance
(iv) could not stomach	(b) was unable to tolerate
(v) generosity of spirit	(a) an attitude of kindness, a readiness to give freely
(vi) figures of authority	(e) persons with the power to make decisions

Que 2. Study the words in italics in the sentences below. They are formed by prefixing un – or in – to their antonyms (words opposite in meaning).

1. I was a short boy with rather undistinguished looks. (un + distinguished)
2. My austere father used to avoid all inessential comforts.(in + essential)
3. The area was completely unaffected by the war.(un + affected)
4. He should not spread the poison of social inequality & communal intolerance. (in + equality, in + tolerance)

Now form the opposites of the words below by prefixing un– or in-. The prefix in- can also have the forms il-, ir-, or im– ( for example illiterate –il + literate, impractical –im + practical, irrational – ir + rational ). You may consult a dictionary if you wish.

adequate	acceptable	regular	tolerant
demanding	active	true	permanent
patriotic	disputed	accessible	coherent
logical	legal	responsible	possible

Answer-

Inadequate	Unacceptable	Irregular	Intolerant
Undemanding	Inactive	Untrue	Impermanent
Unpatriotic	Undisputed	Inaccessible	Incoherent
Illogical	Illegal	Irresponsible	Impossible

III. Passive Voice

Study these sentences:

1. My parents were regarded as an ideal couple.
2. I was asked to go and sit on the back bench.
3. Such problems have to be confronted.

The italicized verbs in these sentences are made up of a form of the verb be & a past participle. (For example: were + regarded, was + asked, be + confronted) These sentences focus on what happens, rather than who does what. Notice that the doer of the action is not included in the sentences. If necessary, we can mention the doer of the action in a by-phrase.

For example:

1. The tree was struck by lightning.
2. The flag was unfurled by the Chief Guest.

IV. Rewrite the sentences below, changing the verbs in brackets into the passive form.

1. In yesterday’s competition the prizes (give away) by the Principal.
2. In spite of financial difficulties, the laborers (pay) on time.
3. On Republic Day, vehicles (not allowed) beyond this point.
4. Second-hand books (buy and sell) on the pavement every Saturday.
5. Elections to the Lok Sabha (held) every five years.
6. Our National Anthem (compose) Rabindranath Tagore.

Answer-

1. In yesterday’s competition, the prizes were given away by the Principal.
2. In spite of financial difficulties, the laborers were paid on time.
3. On Republic Day, vehicles are not allowed beyond this point.
4. Second-hand books are bought & sold on the pavement every Saturday.
5. Elections to the Lok Sabha are held every five years.
6. Our National Anthem was composed by Rabindranath Tagore.

V. Rewrite the paragraphs below, using the correct form of the verb given in brackets.

1. How Helmets Came To Be Used in Cricket

Nari Contractor was the Captain and an opening batsman for India in the 1960s. The Indian cricket team went on a tour to the West Indies in 1962. In a match against Barbados in Bridgetown, Nari Contractor (seriously injure & collapse). In those days helmets (not wear). Contractor (hit) on the head by a bouncer from Charlie Griffith. Contractor’s skull (fracture). The entire team (deeply concerned). The West Indies players (worry). Contractor (rush ) to hospital. He (accompany) by Frank Worrell, the Captain of the West Indies Team. Blood (donate) by the West Indies players. Thanks to the timely help, Contractor (save). Nowadays helmets (routinely use) against bowlers.

Answer-

Nari Contractor was the Captain and an opening batsman for India in the 1960s. The Indian cricket team went on a tour to the West Indies in 1962. In a match against Barbados in Bridgetown, Nari Contractor got seriously injured & collapsed. In those days helmets were not worn. The contractor was hit in the head by a bouncer from Charlie Griffith. The contractor’s skull had fractured. The entire team was deeply concerned.
The West Indies players were worried. The contractor was rushed to the hospital. He was accompanied by Frank Worrell, the Captain of the West Indies Team. Blood was donated by the West Indies players. Thanks to the timely help, the Contractor was saved. Nowadays helmets are routinely used against bowlers.

2. Oil from Seeds

Vegetable oils (make) from seeds and fruits of many plants growing all over the world, from tiny sesame seeds to big, juicy coconuts. Oil (produce) from cotton seeds, groundnuts, soya beans, and sunflower seeds. Olive oil (use) for cooking, salad dressing, etc. Olives (shake) from the trees and (gather) up, usually by hand. The olives (ground) to a thick paste which is spread onto special mats. Then the mats (layer) up on the pressing machine which will gently squeeze them to produce olive oil.

Answer-

Vegetable oils are made from seeds and fruits of many plants growing all over the world, from tiny sesame seeds to big, juicy coconuts. Oil is produced from cotton seeds, groundnuts, soya beans, and sunflower seeds. Olive oil is used for cooking, salad dressing, etc. Olives are shaken from the trees and gathered up, usually by hand. The olives are ground to a thick paste which is spread onto special mats. Then the mats are layered up on the pressing machine which will gently squeeze them to produce olive oil.

Dictation

Let the class divide itself into three groups. Let each group take down one passage that the teacher dictates. Then put the passages together in the right order.

To Sir, with Love

1. From Rameswaram to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, it’s been a long journey. Talking to Nona Walia on the eve of Teacher’s Day, President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam talks about life’s toughest lessons learned and his mission — being a teacher to the Indian youth. “A proper education would help nurture a sense of dignity and self-respect among our youth,” says President Kalam. There’s still a child in him though, and he’s still curious about learning new things. Life’s a mission for President Kalam.
2. Nonetheless, he remembers his first lesson in life and how it changed his destiny. “I was studying in Standard V, and must have been all of 10. My teacher, Sri Sivasubramania Iyer was telling us how birds fly. He drew a diagram of a bird on the blackboard, depicting the wings, tail, and body with the head, and then explained how birds soar to the sky. At the end of the class, I said I didn’t understand. Then he asked the other students if they had understood, but nobody had understood how birds fly,” he recalls.
3. “That evening, the entire class was taken to Rameswaram shore,” the President continues. “My teacher showed us sea birds. We saw marvelous formations of them flying and how their wings flapped. Then my teacher asked us, ‘Where is the bird’s engine & how is it powered?’ I knew then that birds are powered by their own life & motivation. I understood all about birds’ dynamics. This was real teaching — a theoretical lesson coupled with a live practical example. Sri Siva Subramania Iyer was a great teacher.” That day, my future was decided. My destiny was changed. I knew my future had to be about flight & flight systems.

Answer-

To Sir, with Love

From Rameswaram to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, it’s been a long journey. Talking to Nona Walia on the eve of Teacher’s Day, President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam talks about life’s toughest lessons learned and his mission — being a teacher to the Indian youth. “A proper education would help nurture a sense of dignity and self-respect among our youth,” says President Kalam.

There’s still a child in him though, and he’s still curious about learning new things. Life’s a mission for President Kalam.

Nonetheless, he remembers his first lesson in life and how it changed his destiny. “I was studying in Standard V, & must have been all of 10. My teacher, Sri Sivasubramania Iyer was telling us how birds fly. He drew a diagram of a bird on the blackboard, depicting the wings, tail, and body with the head, and then explained how birds soar to the sky. At the end of the class, I said I didn’t understand. Then he asked the other students if they had understood, but nobody had understood how birds fly,” he recalls.

“That evening, the entire class was taken to Rameswaram shore,” the President continues. “My teacher showed us sea birds. We saw marvelous formations of them flying and how their wings flapped. Then my teacher asked us, ‘Where is the bird’s engine and how is it powered?’ I knew then that birds are powered by their own life & motivation. I understood all about birds’ dynamics. This was real teaching — a theoretical lesson coupled with a live practical example. Sri Siva Subramania Iyer was a great teacher.”

That day, my future was decided. My destiny was changed. I knew my future had to be about flight & flight systems.

Speaking

Here is a topic for you to

1. 1. think about;
2. 2. give your opinion.

Find out what other people think about it. Ask your friends/seniors/parents to give you their opinion.

‘Career Building Is the Only Goal of Education

or

‘Getting a Good Job Is More Important than Being a Good Human Being’

You can use the following phrases

(i) While giving your opinion:

• I think that ...
• In my opinion ...
• It seems to me that ...
• I am of the view that ...
• As far as I know ...
• If you ask me ...

(ii) saying what other people think:

• According to some ...
• Quite a few think ...
• Some others favor...
• Thirty percent of the people disagree ...
• Fifty percent of them strongly feel ...

(iii) asking for others’ opinions:

• What do you think about ...
• What do you think of ...
• What is your opinion about ...
• Do you agree ...
• Does this make you believe ...

Answer-

‘Career Building Is the Only Goal of Education

I think that these days, building a career is one of the most important things that an individual has in their mind. It's like the ultimate goal of education is to build a career. But is it so? Does education teach us only to get a job & earn a livelihood or is it much more than that? A holistic education is one which aims at the overall growth of an individual. Quite a few of my friends feel that these days in this cut-throat competitive world, one needs to level up their game. But in my opinion, what I believe is that healthy competition should be there. But not to the extent that we forget our values & emotions. We are humans after all, not robots. Building a career does not mean you let go of your emotions, values & skills. Education empowers us to be independent & gives us the freedom to work on our goals. It also tells us to put our best foot forward in helping others as well. If you ask me what the goal of education is, I would say it's to build a better human being.

Writing

Question 1: Think and write a short account of what life in Rameswaram in the 1940s must have been like. (Were people rich or poor? Hard-working or lazy? Hopeful of change, or resistant to it?)

Answer-

I think in the 1940s life in Rameswaram must have been very different from how it is today. People were rigid & orthodox. It was not easy for them to accept any change in their way of living. They were hard-working & poor. Some people at Rameswaram would differentiate among various social groups. They were more religious & pious.