SHRI BALAJI PUBLIC SCHOOL, KHANDWA

(2023-24)
Grade:9 Topic: Kathmandu Subject: English

. Answer these questions in one or two words or in short phrases.

Question 1. Name the two temples the author visited in Kathmandu.

Answer: The two temples the author visited in Kathmandu are Pashupatinath and
Baudhnath Stupa.

Question 2. The writer says, “All this I wash down with Coca Cola.” What does ‘all this’ refer
to?
Answer: ‘All this’ refers to Com-on-the-cob and marzipan.

Question 3. What does Vikram Seth compare to the quills of a porcupine?

Answer: Vikram Seth compares the quills of a porcupine to the flutes tied on the top of the
flute seller’s pole.

Question 4.Name five kinds of flutes.

Answer: The five kinds of flutes as described in the chapter are: The reed neh, the recorder,
the Japanese shakuhachi, the deep bansuri, the breathy flutes of South America and the
high pitched Chinese flutes.

II. Answer each question in a short paragraph.

Question 1. What difference does the author note between the flute seller and the other
hawkers?
Answer: The author finds a difference in selling the articles. The flute seller does not shout
out his wares. He doesn’t take much effort to display his flutes. He makes a sale in a
curiously offhanded way as if this was incidental to his enterprise.

Question 2. What is the belief at Pashupatinath about the end of Kaliyug?

Answer: People believe that when the small shrine at the bank of Bagmati river emerges
fully the goddess inside will escape, and the evil period of the Kalyug will end on earth.

Question 3. The author has drawn powerful images and pictures. Pick out three examples
each of

1. the atmosphere of ‘febrile confusion’ outside the temple of Pashupatinath (for

example: some people trying to get the priest’s attention are elbowed aside…)
2. the things he sees
3. the sounds he hears
Answer: 1. The author describes the monkey’s fight vividly and graphically. A fight breaks
out between two monkeys. One chases the other, who jumps onto a shivalinga, then runs
screaming around the temples and down to the river.

2. The author observes a princess of the Nepalese royal house. Everyone bows
to her. He sees monkeys. He sees felt bags, Tibetan prints and silver
jewellery. He looks at flute sellers, hawkers of postcards, shops selling
western cosmetics, etc.
3. He hears film songs from the radios, car horns, bicycle bells, stray cows low
and vendors shout out their wares. He also listens to the various flutes played
by the flute seller.

III. Answer the following questions in not more than 100-150 words each.

Question 1. Compare and contrast the atmosphere in and around the Baudhnath shrine
with the Pashupatinath temple.
Answer: At Pashupatinath there is an atmosphere of ‘febrile confusion’. Priests, hawkers,
devotees, tourists, cows, monkeys, pigeons and dogs roam through the grounds. There are
so many worshippers that some people trying to get the priest’s attention are elbowed
aside by others pushing their way to the front. At the Baudhnath stupa, the Buddhist shrine
of Kathmandu, there is a sense of stillness. Its immense white dome is ringed by a road.
Small shops stand on its outer edge. Most of the shops are owned by Tibetan immigrants.
There are no crowds and this is a haven of quietness in the busy streets around.

Question 2. How does the author describe Kathmandu’s busiest streets?

Answer: The author says that Kathmandu is vivid, mercenary, religious, with small shrines
to flower-adorned deities along the narrowest and busiest streets. There are fruit sellers,
flute sellers, hawkers of postcards, shops selling western cosmetics, film rolls and
chocolate or copper utensils and Nepalese antiques. Film songs blare out from the radios,
car horns sound, bicycle bells ring, stray cows low, vendors shout out their wares. The
author buys a com-on- the-cob roasted in a charcoal brazier on the pavement. He also buys
coca cola and orange drink.

Question 3. “To hear any flute is to be drawn into the commonality of all mankind.” Why
does the author say this?
Answer: The author says this because he is aware of the fact that music appeals to senses.
It gives pleasure to every listener. The flute seller does not sell only one kind of flute. He
has various types of flutes that represent different customs and culture. The flute seller is a
wise sales person. He does not shout out his wares. He plays melodious tunes which
fascinate others. Mankind does not have multiple appearances and shapes. It is universal
and cosmopolitan. Music soothes everyone’s heart irrespective of their caste, colour and
creed. So the author says that to hear any flute is to be drawn into the commonality of all
mankind.

Thinking about language

(Page 132)
Question 1. Match the phrasal verbs in column A with their meanings in column B.

Answers:

A B

(d) to start suddenly, (usually a fight, a war

(i) break out
or a disease)

(ii) break off (a) to come apart due to force

(iii) break down (f) stop working

(iv) break away (from someone) (b) end a relationship

(v) break up (e) to escape from someone’s grip

(c) break and enter illegally; unlawful

(vi) break into
trespassing

Question 2.
Now fill in the blanks with suitable words from the ones that you have formed.

1. Mass literacy was possible only after the of the ……….. printing machine.
2. Ramesh is unable to tackle the situation as he lacks ………..
 3. I could not resist the ……….. to open the letter.
4. Hardwork and ……….. are the main keys to success.
5. The children were almost fainting with ……….. after being made to stand in the
sun.

Answer:

1. invention
2. imagination
3. temptation
4. dedication
5. exhaustion.

IV. Simple Present Tense

Question 1. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb in brackets.

(i) The heart is a pump that …………. (send) the blood circulating through our body. The
pumping action …………. (take place) when the left ventricle of the heart …………. (contract).
This …………. (force) the blood out into the arteries, which …………. (expand) to receive the on
coming blood.

(ii) The African lungfish can live without water for up to four years. During a drought it
………… (dig) a pit and ………… (enclose) itself in a capsule of slime and earth, leaving a tiny
opening for air. The capsule ………… (dry) and ………… (harden), but when rain ………… (come),
the mud ………… (dissolve) and the lungfish (swim) ………… away.

(iii) Mahesh : We have to organise a class party for our teacher. ………… (Do) anyone play an
instrument?
Vipul : Rohit ………… (play) the flute.
Mahesh : ………… (Do) he also act ?
Vipul : No, he ………… (compose) music.
Mahesh : That’s wonderful!

Answer:

1. sends, takes place, contracts, forces, expands

2. digs, encloses, dries, hardens, comes, dissolves, swims
3. Does, plays, Does, only composes.

Writing
(Page 135)

Diary entry for a travelogue

Question 1. The text you read is a travelogue where the author, Vikram Seth, talks about his
visit to two sacred places in Kathmandu.

Imagine that you were with Vikram Seth on his visit to Pashupatinath temple, and you were
noting down all that you saw and did there, so that you could write a travelogue later.

Record in point form

• what you see when you reach the Pashupatinath temple

• what you see happening inside the temple
• what you do when inside the temple
• what you see outside the temple
• what your impressions are about the place.

Answer:

28th August, 20XX

Dear Diary,

Today I feel pleasure to note down my experience to the visit to Pashupatinath Temple in
Kathmandu with Vikram Seth. The visit was indeed exciting for me, though there was too
much tumult at Pashupatinath Temple. I saw crowds of priests, hawkers, devotees, tourists
at the temple. We offered a few flowers to God. Inside the temple I saw a large number of
worshippers trying to get the priest’s attention and some of them were elbowed aside by
others who were pushing their way to the front.

Outside the temple, I saw a party of saffron- clad westeners struggle for permission to enter
the temple. The policeman did not allow them to enter the temple because they were not
Hindus.

There is no doubt that the place is worth visiting. We feel aesthetic satisfaction by visiting
such religious place.
Mayank

Question 2. Here is your diary entry when you visited Agra. Read the points and try to write a
travelogue describing your visit to Agra and the Taj Mahal. You may add more details.
January 2003—rise before dawn—take the Shatabdi Express at 6.15 am from Delhi— meet a
newly-married couple on train— talk about Himachal Pradesh—get off the train—enter the
once-grand city, Agra— twisted alleys—traffic dense—rickshaws, cars, people—vendors
selling religious artifacts, plastic toys, spices and sweets—go to the Taj Mahal—constructed
entirely of white marble—magical quality—colour changes with varying of light and
shadow— marble with gemstones inside—reflection of the Taj Mahal in the pond—school-
children, tourists—tourist guides following people.

Answer: A Visit to Agra

It was January 2003.1 woke up before dawn and took the Shatabdi Express at 6.15 a.m.
from Delhi bound for Agra. I met a newly married couple who belonged to Himachal
Pradesh. We talked with one another and got off the train. I entered the once grand city,
Agra. I saw the dense traffic, numerous rickshaw pullers, cars, people and vendors selling
religious artifacts, plastic toys, spices and sweets. I went to the Taj Mahal which is one of
the seven wonders of the world. It was entirely of white marble and had a magical quality of
colour changing with varying of light and shadow. The white marble of Taj Mahal has
gemstones of multi coloured engraved in it. The reflection of the Taj Mahal could be seen in
the pond. There were many tourists, school children and tourist guides.

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