NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Words and Expressions -1 Chapter 7
NCERT solutions for Class 9 English Words and Expressions 1 Unit 7: Reading Comprehension – complete answers and explanations
Class 9 English Words and Expressions 1 Unit 7 is one of the most enriching units in the NCERT curriculum. Titled Reading Comprehension, this unit draws on the inspiring real-life stories of champions like Leander Paes and the timeless vision of Rabindranath Tagore to help students build strong reading, thinking, and language skills. The unit encourages students to go beyond surface-level reading and truly engage with texts — analysing characters, identifying themes, and expressing their own views with clarity and confidence. It also covers vocabulary enrichment, grammar practice with time clauses, editing exercises, listening tasks, speaking activities, and writing tasks such as motivational articles and letters to the editor. For Class 9 students preparing for their exams, this unit is particularly important because it builds both comprehension and expression skills together. This blog brings you clear and reliable NCERT solutions for every section of Unit 7, making it easy to understand and revise. Download the worksheet and practice alongside these solutions for better clarity. If your child needs personalised support, book a free trial now to get expert guidance.
What this NCERT chapter covers?
1. The unit opens with a "Let's Begin" section that encourages students to reflect on their personal passions, the challenges they face in pursuing them, and the people who support them — building a personal connection before the reading texts begin.
2. Text I is a prose passage about Leander Paes and his historic bronze medal win at the Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta in 1996, where he became the first Indian to win an individual Olympic medal in 44 years.
3. Students answer comprehension questions based on Text I, testing their ability to locate information, make inferences, and express opinions about a player's qualities and achievements.
4. Text II presents Rabindranath Tagore's iconic poem "Where the Mind is Without Fear," helping students practise poetry comprehension by identifying specific lines that represent given ideas.
5. The unit includes a reflective question on the historical significance of Tagore's poem written in the context of India's colonial period, encouraging students to think beyond the text.
6. The vocabulary section builds word power through exercises like suggesting words for given phrases, filling in blanks with contextual words, making new words from given words, and matching idiomatic expressions with their meanings.
7. The grammar section focuses on time clauses using conjunctions like when, while, until, and after — an important concept for Class 9 English exams.
8. The editing section asks students to identify and correct grammatical errors in sentences related to Maria Sharapova, covering articles, prepositions, parallelism, and phrasal verbs.
9. The editing section also includes a paragraph about Savitribai Phule with spelling errors and punctuation mistakes that students must correct and rewrite.
10. The listening section is based on a passage about Hugh Herr, a Harvard-MIT researcher who overcame the loss of both legs to become a pioneer in prosthetic limb research.
11. The speaking section includes a group dialogue activity and a role-play task where students practise convincing a parent — building real-life communication and persuasion skills.
12. The writing section covers a motivational article about Saina Nehwal and Sania Mirza for a school magazine, along with a formal letter to the editor of a national newspaper on environmental pollution at tourist spots.
13. The project section features two meaningful social projects — one on India's "First Ladies" honoured by the President in 2018, and one on the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao initiative — encouraging research, creativity, and civic awareness.
How to use these NCERT solutions?
1. Always attempt each question on your own first before referring to the solutions. This helps you identify your own strengths and gaps, and makes the learning process much more effective.
2. Use the solutions to cross-check your answers after attempting them. If your answer differs, read the correct answer carefully to understand what was expected and where your approach went wrong.
3. For comprehension questions, pay attention to how the answer is structured. NCERT expects answers to be complete, relevant to the passage, and expressed in your own words where required.
4. For open-ended and opinion-based questions marked as "Answers may vary," understand that your response should still be logical, relevant, and well-reasoned — there is no single right answer, but the quality of your reasoning matters.
5. For vocabulary exercises, go back to the original chapter in Beehive to understand the context in which each word appears. This helps you remember and use words correctly in your own writing.
6. For grammar exercises, read the examples given in the unit carefully before practising. Understanding the rule behind each exercise makes it easier to apply in unseen sentences during exams.
7. Parents and teachers can use these solutions to guide students section by section, checking understanding after each exercise rather than rushing through the entire unit at once.
8. All solutions in this blog follow the exact order of questions and sections as they appear in the worksheet, so you can easily locate any specific answer without confusion.
Important tips and tricks for students
1. For comprehension passages, always read the passage at least twice before attempting the questions. The first reading gives you the overall idea, and the second helps you locate specific details needed for your answers.
2. When a question asks "why" or "how," always write your answer in complete sentences and support it with evidence from the passage. Incomplete one-line answers may not fetch full marks.
3. For opinion-based questions like "which quality would you like to highlight and why," make sure your answer is backed by reasoning. Simply naming a quality without explaining it will not be considered a complete answer.
4. In poetry comprehension, always quote or closely reference the actual line from the poem when asked to identify lines corresponding to a given idea. Do not paraphrase when the question asks for the line itself.
5. For vocabulary exercises like "Fill in the blanks," re-read the full sentence after filling it in to check that it makes grammatical and contextual sense. A word that fits the meaning but not the grammar will cost you marks.
6. In grammar exercises on time clauses, remember that conjunctions like when, while, until, and after must logically connect the two parts of the sentence. Practise by reading the completed sentences aloud to check if they sound correct.
7. In the editing section, always read the incorrect sentence first, identify what is wrong (missing word, extra word, wrong preposition), then write the corrected sentence. Writing the reason in brackets, as shown in the answer key, is excellent exam practice.
8. For speaking and role-play tasks, prepare both sides of the conversation. Understanding both the speaker's and the listener's point of view helps you write more realistic and convincing dialogues.
9. For letter writing, always follow the correct format — sender's address, date, receiver's address, subject, salutation, body, and closing. Even strong content loses marks if the format is incorrect.
10. For project work, research from multiple sources and present your findings creatively. Projects are not just about facts — they are an opportunity to show your ability to organise, present, and communicate information effectively.
NCERT solutions – complete answer key
LET'S BEGIN
Note: These are discussion/oral questions. Students should answer based on their own personal experiences and opinions.
1. Answer: (Individual response) — Students may talk about their passion for music, dance, theatre, trekking, watersport, painting, football, cricket, or any other activity they pursue beyond studies.
2. Answer: (Individual response) — Students may mention difficulties such as lack of time, lack of support, financial constraints, or pressure of studies.
3. Answer: (Individual response) — Students may mention parents, friends, teachers, or coaches who encourage and support them.
READING COMPREHENSION
Text I
1. Leander's victory at Atlanta is significant because:
He became the first Indian to win an individual medal in 44 years. He was ranked 31 places below his opponent, Fernando Meligeni of Brazil, who had two ATP tour titles, and yet he played with great determination and gusto to clinch the bronze medal at the Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta on 3 August 1996.
2. His father's Olympic triumph in 1972 was different from his own because it was:
His father had won a bronze medal in the Munich Olympics 1972 as a member of the Indian hockey team — that is, it was a team event. Leander's victory, on the other hand, was in an individual event, which makes it especially creditable.
3. Leander gave credit to his coach and his teammate in doubles for his victory. How did they help him?
According to Leander, they helped him out and gave him advice. They also kept him in a good frame of mind throughout the tournament. He made it clear that the medal did not just show his own efforts but represented the efforts of the whole team.
4. If you are required to sum up Leander's qualities as a player, which one would you like to highlight and why?
Sample Answer: The quality I would like to highlight is Leander's mental strength. Despite being ranked 31 places below his opponent and having none of the usual advantages he enjoyed in Davis Cup matches — such as playing on his favourite surface or with home support — he did not lose confidence. His willingness to take chances, swift reflexes, and refusal to accept defeat easily show his exceptional mental toughness. Playing purely for his country without expecting anything in return sets him apart from other players.
5. In India, while registering his victories in Davis Cup, one could say that he won because:
He was playing on his favourite surface, grass, and he also enjoyed home support. These advantages helped him achieve his incredible Davis Cup record.
6. At Atlanta he won because:
At Atlanta, Paes had none of his usual advantages. He won purely because of his willingness to take his chances, his swift reflexes, his mental strength, and his determination not to accept defeat easily. His patriotism and selfless attitude — playing for his country without expecting anything in return — also set him apart.
TEXT II
1. Given here are certain ideas from the poem. Identify the lines from the poem that refer to these:
a. Everybody should be able to learn.
Where knowledge is free;
b. There ought not be a division among people on the basis of caste, class, creed, religion or any other such basis.
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls;
c. People should be honest and speak out their heart.
Where words come out from the depth of truth;
d. Actions should stem from logic and not superstitions and beliefs, leading to progress.
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habits;
Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action;
e. People to be free of fear and oppression.
Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high;
f. The poet is addressing:
The poet is addressing God (the Father / the Almighty) so that He may lead the minds of the people of India into a state of true freedom — a heaven of freedom — where the country can awake to its full potential.
2. This poem was written by Rabindranath Tagore much before India attained freedom. What, do you think, is the significance of these lines in the context of his time?
In the context of colonial rule, when India was not yet free, these lines were deeply significant. Tagore was not merely asking for political freedom from British rule — he was asking for a deeper freedom of the mind. At a time when people were divided by caste, religion, superstition, and fear, Tagore dreamed of an India where knowledge would be freely accessible to all, where reason would guide action, and where people would speak truth without fear. His vision was of a nation that was truly awake — not just politically independent, but intellectually, morally, and spiritually free.
VOCABULARY
1. Suggest a word for each sentence/phrase. (From 'Reach for the Top, Part I' — Beehive)
a. contentment
b. convention
c. affirmation
d. endurance / resilience
e. culmination
2. Fill in the blanks using the words given in the box:
a. She wears expensive dresses and jewellery. It seems she belongs to an affluent family.
b. At present, political turmoil prevails in most parts of the world.
c. Mr Khanna admitted his mistake by writing a letter of apology to the Head of the Department.
d. The Director was quite positive while addressing his employees.
e. The result that you see today is a culmination of years of hardwork and dedication.
f. School children went on a weeklong expedition during their summer holidays.
3. Playing with the words: How many words can you make from the words given below?
Vocabulary:
vocal, cab, lab, boa, arc / car, lacy / clay
Labour:
labour, lour, boa, bar, oar, our
Note: Students may find additional words. The above are sample answers. Students are encouraged to explore further.
4. Match the idiomatic expressions in Column A with their meanings in Column B:
eager beaver — a keen and enthusiastic person who works very hard
cash cow — something or someone provides a lot of money for little effort
kangaroo court — an unofficial court or meeting that disregards current laws and conducts unfair trials
bull in a china shop — very careless in the way a person moves or behaves
hold your horses — wait and be patient
GRAMMAR
1. Match each of the sentence halves to make meaningful sentences:
He was found guilty of driving — while he was under the influence of alcohol.
I get a pain in my knee — when I walk up the stairs.
The boy started to cry — when the mother left.
Rainy was walking along the footpath — when she tripped over.
When the lights went out, — I switched on the emergency light.
You will see the river — when you cross my house.
2. Make one sentence combining the two statements given below:
a. I won't enter the room until she cleans it.
b. I will come to your house after I finish the cooking.
c. I will issue the book for you when I go to the library.
d. They rested when evening came.
e. The salesman came while Rita was eating her breakfast.
f. Do you remember when we went to see the play with grandfather?
EDITING
1. Remove or add a word or a phrase to make the sentences grammatically correct:
a. Incorrect: Maria Sharapova likes to be dancing, singing and fashion.
Correct: Maria Sharapova likes dancing, singing and fashion.
(Remove 'to be'; 'likes' should be followed by gerunds, not infinitives, to maintain parallelism with 'fashion'.)
b. Incorrect: She has love for pancakes with chocolate spread and fizzy orange drinks.
Correct: She has a love for pancakes with chocolate spread and fizzy orange drinks.
(Add the article 'a' before 'love'.)
c. Incorrect: Maria had to be leave her mother behind in Siberia at age of nine.
Correct: Maria had to leave her mother behind in Siberia at the age of nine.
(Remove 'be'; add 'the' before 'age'.)
d. Incorrect: She put with insults and humiliation in order to realise dream of becoming a tennis star.
Correct: She put up with insults and humiliation in order to realise her dream of becoming a tennis star.
(Add 'up' after 'put'; add 'her' before 'dream'.)
e. Incorrect: Her dream was to be number one world tennis.
Correct: Her dream was to be number one in world tennis.
(Add 'in' before 'world tennis'.)
2. Correct the spelling errors and rewrite the paragraph with appropriate punctuation marks:
Savitribai Phule
"Awake, Arise, and Educate. Smash traditions — Liberate."
First female teacher of India's first women's school, founder of modern Marathi poetry, at a time when women's potential and calibre were underestimated, she worked for the upliftment and education of females in the country with her husband's help. She opened a school for untouchable girls. Orthodox individuals from the upper caste used to mock at her efforts and throw stones and dung on her. Nevertheless, she continued with her teaching. The British government honoured her contribution to education later on.
LISTENING
1. At the age of 17, Hugh Herr, a world-class mountain climber, was trapped in a snowstorm along with a friend while they were ascending New Hampshire's Mount Washington in 1982. After three days without food or camping gear, they were rescued. However, frostbite caused him to lose both his legs, which were amputated just below the knee.
2. Both of his legs were amputated just below the knee due to severe frostbite he suffered during the snowstorm on Mount Washington.
3. The prostheses he was fitted with were developed for walking on flat surfaces only. They were not suitable for climbing or running.
4. He experienced a tremendous amount of pain from prosthetic limbs. He decided to go back to school to learn about physics and engineering so that he could solve these problems and create better prosthetic limbs.
5. He obtained a Master's degree in mechanical engineering from MIT in 1993 and a doctorate in biophysics from Harvard five years later (in 1998).
SPEAKING
1. Fill in the table based on the dialogue read aloud in the group:
Names | List of Interests | Why do they find these interesting?
Sarita | Hang gliding | She finds it fascinating. She feels as free as a bird up there. She enjoys the beauty of being high up in the sky.
Kiran | Basketball and painting | Basketball helps her stay fit and happy and she has made good friends. Painting is great for relieving stress.
Sunita | Knitting; wants to join Karate | Knitting is something she enjoys at home. She wants to learn Karate as it will be great for self-defence.
2. Conversation between Sunita and her Father (Role Play):
Sunita: Papa, I have a desire to learn Karate.
Father: No, that can't be. Girls must stay home.
Sunita: Papa, all my friends are into sports. I felt out of place not doing anything sporty.
Father: School work may suffer if you go out every day.
Sunita: Papa, I promise my studies won't be affected. There is a class in the next society itself, so I won't have to go far.
Father: Going out alone may be unsafe for a girl.
Sunita: Papa, that is exactly why I want to learn Karate — it is great self-defence. I can show you some videos about how it helps girls protect themselves.
Father: It may be expensive and I don't see any real benefits.
Sunita: Papa, it will keep me physically fit. And honestly, learning a martial art can't be called unfeminine — it makes a girl stronger and more confident.
Father: (After a pause) Oh, that's nice. My daughter will be no less than anyone.
WRITING
1. Title: Dream Big, Play Hard — The Stories of Saina Nehwal and Sania Mirza
If there are two names that have inspired millions of young girls across India to pick up a racket and step onto the court, they are Saina Nehwal and Sania Mirza.
Saina Nehwal, born in Hisar, Haryana, moved to Hyderabad at a young age. Despite travelling 25 kilometres from home to reach the stadium for her early training under Nani Prasad, she never gave up. Later coached by S.M. Arif, Vimal Kumar, and the legendary P. Gopichand, she went on to become a world no. 1 professional badminton singles player. She was the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal in badminton and has been honoured with the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, the Arjuna Award, and the Padma Bhushan in 2016.
Sania Mirza, born in Mumbai and raised in Hyderabad, began learning lawn tennis from her father at just six years of age. She started competing in ITF tournaments in 2001, won three titles in 2002, and turned professional in 2003. She went on to win the Girls' Doubles title at Wimbledon and several WTA doubles titles, becoming India's no. 1 doubles player. Time Magazine included her in its 2016 list of the most influential people in the world. She has also received the Arjuna Award and the Padma Shree.
Both these champions have faced setbacks — injuries, criticism, and personal challenges — yet they rose above every obstacle with determination and hard work. Their journeys prove that talent, combined with relentless effort and courage, can break every barrier.
So, girls — pick up your racket, lace up your shoes, and step out onto the field. The courts and stadiums of India are waiting for you!
3. Letter to the Editor of a National Newspaper (on Environmental Pollution at Tourist Spots):
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[Date]
The Editor
[Name of the Newspaper]
New Delhi
Subject: Urgent Need to Address Garbage and Pollution at Tourist Spots in India
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing to draw your attention to a matter of grave concern — the increasing pollution of our beautiful tourist destinations and natural landscapes due to irresponsible waste disposal by visitors.
The chapter 'Reach for the Top' from our NCERT textbook mentions how mountaineer Santosh Yadav collected and brought down 500 kilograms of garbage from the Himalayas. This remarkable act of responsibility made me reflect on the sad state of our tourist spots, hill stations, forests, and pilgrimage sites, which are being buried under layers of plastic, food wrappers, and garbage left behind by thoughtless tourists.
It is our moral duty as citizens to protect the natural beauty that our country is blessed with. I urge the concerned authorities to install more dustbins and waste disposal units at tourist spots, impose strict fines for littering in public places, launch awareness campaigns through schools and media, and promote the Swachch Bharat Abhiyan more actively at local levels through community participation. Citizens too must take a pledge not to litter, to carry their own waste back, and to lead by example.
Nature does not belong to any one generation — it is a gift we hold in trust for those who come after us. Let us not fail in our responsibility.
Thanking you,
Yours sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Class and School Name]
PROJECT
1. "First Ladies" Project:
Activity 1: Prepare a class board with contributions about 112 First Ladies honoured by the President of India in January 2018. Research their names, fields, and achievements from school library resources or the internet.
Activity 2: Make a collage showing the First Ladies, their struggles, endeavours, and achievements. Display it in the classroom for all students to view.
Activity 3: Your group can prepare a PowerPoint presentation covering their life stories, struggles, the society they lived in, their sources of inspiration, and their achievements.
Note: Students should research independently. Some notable First Ladies to explore: Muthulakshmi Reddi (first woman legislator), Kiran Bedi (first woman IPS officer), Bachendri Pal (first Indian woman to climb Mount Everest), etc.
2. Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao Project:
Activity: Prepare posters, write slogans, and draw charts to create awareness in society about the importance of educating girls and protecting their rights.
Sample Slogan Ideas:
- "Educate a girl, empower a nation."
- "A girl's dream is India's future."
- "Save the girl child — she is your strength, not your burden."
- "Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao — India ka naara, desh ka sahara."
Note: Students are encouraged to think of original slogans and design their own posters. The project should reflect individual thought, creativity, and awareness of gender equality issues in India.
Why NCERT solutions help students?
Working through clear and aligned NCERT solutions gives Class 9 students a significant advantage when it comes to exams. When students know exactly what the correct approach to each type of question looks like — whether it is a comprehension answer, a grammar exercise, or an editing task — they build genuine confidence in their abilities. These solutions also reinforce concept clarity by showing how language skills, vocabulary, and grammar connect to real contexts. For parents, having access to reliable NCERT solutions means they can support their child's revision at home with greater ease and assurance. Most importantly, practising with well-structured answers helps students write better, think more critically, and feel prepared when they sit for their exams.
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