Grade 9 English SAFAL

Read the passage and answer the following questions:

Peter Pan – by James M. Barrie

All children, except one, grow up. They soon know that they will grow up, and the way Wendy
knew was this. One day when she was two years old she was playing in a garden, and she
plucked another flower and ran with it to her mother. I suppose she must have looked rather
delightful, for Mrs. Darling put her hand to her heart and cried, “Oh, why can’t you remain like
this for ever!” This was all that passed between them on the subject, but henceforth Wendy knew
that she must grow up. You always know after you are two. Two is the beginning of the end. Of
course they lived at 14 [their house number on their street], and until Wendy came her mother
was the chief one. She was a lovely lady, with a romantic mind and such a sweet mocking
mouth. Her romantic mind was like the tiny boxes, one within the other, that come from the
puzzling East, however many you discover there is always one more; and her sweet mocking
mouth had one kiss on it that Wendy could never get, though there it was, perfectly conspicuous
in the right-hand corner.

The way Mr. Darling won her was this: the many gentlemen who had been boys when she was a
girl discovered simultaneously that they loved her, and they all ran to her house to propose to her
except Mr. Darling, who took a cab and nipped in first, and so he got her. He got all of her,
except the innermost box and the kiss. He never knew about the box, and in time he gave up
trying for the kiss. Wendy thought Napoleon could have got it, but I can picture him trying, and
then going off in a passion, slamming the door.

1. This passage best demonstrates which narrative technique?

a. Denouement
b. Characterization
c. Foreshadowing
d. Pathos

2. The author’s description of Mrs. Darling’s “sweet mocking mouth” implies:

a. While pretty, Mrs. Darling frequently chides others.
b. Although subject to slight disfigurement, Mrs. Darling’s mouth is still pleasant in appearance.
c. The description implicitly likens Mrs. Darling to a mockingbird, which sings a sweet song yet
is a trickster.
d. Mrs. Darling is a loving woman, yet she does not wholly give her love away.

3. Overall, from this passage you can infer that Mrs. Darling:
a. Is a dominant, complex woman.
b. Accidentally denies those around her.
c. Is artistic and absent-minded.
d. Has a troubled marriage.

The Thirty-None Steps – by John Buchan

I did not give him very close attention. The fact is, I was more interested in his own adventures
than in his high politics. I reckoned that Karolides and his affairs were not my business, leaving
all that to him. So a lot that he said slipped clean out of my memory. I remember that he was
very clear that the danger to Karolides would not begin till he had got to London, and would
come from the very highest quarters, where there would be no thought of suspicion. He
mentioned the name of a woman–Julia Czechenyi–as having something to do with the danger.
She would be the decoy, I gathered, to get Karolides out of the care of his guards. He talked,
too, about a Black Stone and a man that lisped in his speech, and he described very particularly
somebody that he never referred to without a shudder–an old man with a young voice who could
hood his eyes like a hawk.

He spoke a good deal about death, too. He was mortally anxious about winning through with his
job, but he didn’t care a rush for his life. ‘I reckon it’s like going to sleep when you are pretty
well tired out, and waking to find a summer day with the scent of hay coming in at the window.
I used to thank God for such mornings way back in the Blue-Grass country, and I guess I’ll thank
Him when I wake up on the other side of Jordan.’

Next day he was much more cheerful, and read the life of Stonewall Jackson much of the time. I
went out to dinner with a mining engineer I had got to see on business, and came back about
half-past ten in time for our game of chess before turning in.

4. What does the following line analogize? “I reckon it’s like going to sleep when you are
pretty well tired out, and waking to find a summer day with the scent of hay coming in at
the window.”
a. What the narrator imagines the experience of death to be like.
b. The sensation of “winning through” with one’s job.”
c. This is analogous to the narrator’s earlier mention of his companion’s “high politics.”
d. What the narrator’s companion imagines the experience of death to be like.

5. It can be gathered from the passage that Karolides:

a. Is a woman
b. Is the narrator’s companion
c. Will be ruined by corporate sabotage
d. Will be threatened by surreptitious forces

6. The narrator’s greater interest in his companion’s “adventures than in his high politics”
suggests that:
a. The narrator is not a political man.
b. The narrator is indifferent to his companion.
c. The narrator is a man of action.
d. More can be learned from the companion’s description of events than his personal beliefs for
committing to a cause.

A PERSONAL SATELLITE?
Many of us are already so loaded with technology, we don’t have time to think about integrating
even more! [1] In fact at this point it seems impossible to think about personal satellites now, just
as we once thought about smart phones. [2] The reality of personal spacecraft is still in the realm
of Star Trek and geeky space fantasies. [3]
However, the days when each of us will have our own personal satellite are not far
away! [4] And what is even more exciting is they will be available for the cost of an
iPhone! [5] At least, according to Zach Manchester, the inventor of the nanosatellite
KickSat. [6] “I’d like to think of it as the people’s satellite,” says Manchester. [7] “We’re
pushing towards a personal satellite, where you can afford to put your own thing in space.” [8]
The KickSat, a 30 cm. long hardware pack, is a space enthusiast’s dream. [9]
It contains the basics of a fully functional satellite. [10] Inside its compact design, the KickSat
itself contains 200 more tinier satellites of cubic shape called “Sprites”. [11] The Sprites are
engineered and programmed so that they can be tracked and communicate via radio signals with
a ground station on earth. [12] Each Sprite is available for purchase and is uniquely named after
the sponsors who support Zach’s project. [13] Anyone who has sponsored a Sprite will be able to
track their personal satellite from a ground station installed in their balcony or roof! [14]
7. Which sentence from the passage is an example of a sentence fragment?
a. 4
b. 7
c. 6
d. 10

8. Which of the following sentences should be edited to reduce redundancy?

a. 5
b. 4
c. 10
d. 16

9. Which of the following changes are needed to sentence 2?

a. In fact at this point it seems impossible to think about personal satellites now – just as we once
thought about smart phones.
b. In fact, at this point, it seems impossible to think about personal satellites now, just as we once
thought about smart phones.
c. In fact, at this point, it seems impossible to think about personal satellites now – just as we
once thought about smart phones.
d. In fact at this point, it seems impossible to think about personal satellites now, just as we once
thought about smart phones.

10. Which of the following changes are needed to sentence 11?

a. Under its compact design, the KickSat itself contains 200 more tiny satellites of cubic shape
called “Sprites.”
b. Under its compact design, the KickSat itself contains 200 more tiny satellites of cubic shapes
called “Sprites.”
c. Inside its compact design, the KickSat itself contains 200 tinier satellites of cubic shapes
called “Sprites.”
d. With its compact design, the KickSat contains 200 tiny cube-shaped satellites called “Sprites.”
Read the passage and answer the following questions:
 When another old cave is discovered in the south of France, it is not usually news. Rather, it is an
ordinary event. Such discoveries are so frequent these days that hardly anybody pays heed
to them.However, when the Lascaux cave complex wasdiscovered in 1940, the world was
amazed. Painted directly on its walls were hundreds of scenes showing how people lived
thousands of years ago. The scenes show people hunting animals, such as bison or wild cats.
Other images depict birds and, most noticeably, horses, which appear in more than 300 wall
images,by far outnumbering all other animals.Early artists drawing these animals accomplished a
monumental and difficult task. They did not limit themselves to the easily accessible walls but
carried their painting materials to spaces that required climbing steep walls or crawling into
narrow passages in the Lascaux complex. Unfortunately, the paintings have been exposed to the
destructive action of water and temperature changes, which easily wear the images away.
Because the Lascaux caves have many entrances, air movement has also damaged the images
inside. Although they are not out in the open air, where natural light would have destroyed them
long ago, many of the images have deteriorated and are barely recognizable. To prevent further
damage, the site was closed to tourists in 1963, 23 years after it was discovered.

11. Which title best summarizes the main idea of the passage?

A. Wild Animals in Art

B. Hidden Prehistoric Paintings
C. Exploring Caves Respectfully
D. Determining the Age of French Caves

12. In line 4, the words pays heed to are closest in meaning to _______.
A. discovers
B. watches
C. notices
D. buys

13. Based on the passage, what is probably true about the south of France?

A. It is home to rare animals.

B. It has a large number of caves.
C. It is known for horse-racing events.
D. It has attracted many famous artists.

14. In line 10, the word depict is closest in meaning to _______.

A. show
B. hunt
C. count
D. draw
15. According to the passage, all of the following have caused damage to the paintings
EXCEPT _______.
A. temperature changes
B. air movement
C. water
D. light