NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Unit 4 Chapter 4 Reading Comprehension

This worksheet provides complete NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Unit 4 Chapter 4 Reading Comprehension from the book Words and Expressions – 1. The chapter focuses on developing reading, comprehension, vocabulary, and critical thinking skills through passages, poems, and writing tasks. It helps students understand ideas presented in texts and interpret their meaning accurately.

This worksheet explains the reading passages and activities in simple and clear language so that students can understand the chapter better. The solutions follow the NCERT structure and provide accurate answers to help students practise comprehension questions, vocabulary tasks, and writing activities. These NCERT Solutions help students strengthen their reading ability, understand themes in literature, and prepare confidently for school assessments
Chapter summary: stories, poems & themes

This chapter includes multiple reading passages and activities that help students develop comprehension and interpretation skills. The first text discusses ideas about individual development and society. Another passage highlights the relationship between Albert Einstein and Mahatma Gandhi and their shared belief in peace and non-violence. The chapter also includes lines from the poem “If” by Rudyard Kipling that teach values such as patience, courage, humility, and resilience.

Through these texts, students learn about important life values like self-confidence, calmness during difficulties, and the importance of moral thinking. The chapter also includes vocabulary activities, sentence construction tasks, grammar exercises, and writing activities that help students practise language skills in meaningful ways.

What this NCERT chapter covers?

• Reading comprehension through multiple passages and texts 
• Understanding themes such as peace, courage, and positive thinking 
• Vocabulary development through word meaning and usage exercises 
• Interpreting ideas and messages from literary texts 
• Grammar practice through sentence structure activities 
• Writing practice through essay and argumentative article activities 

How to use these NCERT solutions?

Students should first read each passage in the worksheet carefully and attempt the questions on their own. After completing the tasks, they can use these NCERT Solutions to check their answers and understand the correct responses.

Parents and teachers can use these solutions to guide students while practising reading comprehension. Since the answers follow the same order and structure as the NCERT worksheet, students can easily compare their responses and learn how to write accurate answers for exams and class assignments. These solutions also help students revise key ideas and language concepts covered in the chapter.

Student tips & learning tricks

Students should read each passage slowly and try to understand the main idea before answering the questions. Identifying important words and phrases in the text helps in answering comprehension questions correctly.

While answering questions related to poems, students should focus on the message of each stanza and the values conveyed by the poet. For vocabulary questions, students should pay attention to the context in which words are used. When writing essays or articles, students should organise their ideas clearly with an introduction, main points, and conclusion.

Why NCERT solutions are important?

NCERT Solutions are designed to match the exact learning objectives of the CBSE curriculum. They help students understand how to answer questions correctly according to NCERT guidelines. Using these solutions regularly helps students build strong reading and language skills.

By practising NCERT-based answers, students gain confidence in comprehension and writing tasks. These solutions also help students prepare effectively for school tests and improve their ability to analyse texts and express ideas clearly.

Complete answer key – NCERT solutions

Text I: The World as I See It

1. (a) distance 
2. (b) unthinkable 
3. (c) passivity 
4. (d) accord 
5. (e) annoyance 

Text II: When Einstein wrote to Gandhi

1. (d) presence 
2. (b) succeed 
3. (c) violence 
4. (a) possible 
5. (e) friend 

Text III: If (by Rudyard Kipling)

The poet means that even after losing everything, a person should begin again from the start without complaining.

Stanza 1 
• Keep calm when others lose control 
• Trust yourself even when others doubt you 

Stanza 2 
• Treat success and failure in the same way 
• Rebuild what has been broken 

Stanza 3 
• Take risks bravely 
• Start again after losing without complaining 

Stanza 4 
• Remain humble among all people 
• Use every moment wisely 

Vocabulary exercise

(a) Very important to me 
(b) The Earth / globe 
(c) Field or area of activity 
(d) Different fields or professions 
(e) Real life 

(a) eccentric 
(b) amateur 
(c) tolerance 
(d) philistine 
(e) professional 

Sentence construction exercise

(a) Standing by the side of a temple, he asked people to go in. 
(b) Coming out of the room, she greeted the visitors. 
(c) Hearing the news, he started crying. 
(d) Finding the lock broken, he rang up the Police. 
(e) Feeling sleepy, he went to bed. 

Grammar exercise

(a) Dave read a magazine 
(b) having lost 
(c) treated with care 
(d) being 
(e) having been unemployed 

Word completion exercise

(a) left 
(b) my 
(c) could 
(d) these 
(e) started 
(f) was 

Reading comprehension questions

1. The people of Kosala warned the Buddha because a dangerous robber named Angulimala lived in the jungle and it was very risky to pass through that area. 

2. Angulimala was considered a terror because he robbed travellers and had committed many murders. 

3. Angulimala became enraged because the Buddha entered the jungle without fear despite warnings about him. 

Essay writing activity

Topic: “Our happiness in life depends entirely on our mental attitude.”

Introduce the topic with a quotation.

“Happiness depends upon ourselves.”

Highlight the main points.

• Mental attitude shapes our thoughts and behaviour. 
• Positive thinking helps us overcome difficulties. 
• People with optimistic minds remain happier. 
• Negative attitude leads to stress and dissatisfaction. 

Elaborate the points.

• A positive mindset helps people face challenges calmly. 
• Gratitude and hope improve emotional well-being. 
• Even in difficult situations, the right attitude helps maintain happiness. 

Conclusion.

Happiness largely depends on our mental attitude because our thoughts shape how we see and experience life.

Argumentative article

New technology is common, new thinking is rare.

Technology has become a major part of modern life. New devices, machines and digital tools are created every day. However, true innovation does not come only from technology but from new ways of thinking.

Many people use modern technology but still follow old ideas and habits. Creative thinking is what leads to real progress. New ideas help solve problems in better ways and improve society.

Therefore, while technology may be common, original thinking remains rare and valuable. Society needs people who can think creatively and use technology wisely.

Short answers

(i) A genius is a person with exceptional intellectual or creative ability. 

(ii) The attributes of a genius include creativity, curiosity, deep thinking, determination and the ability to solve complex problems. 

(iii) Stephen Hawking was a genius because of his extraordinary contributions to theoretical physics and cosmology. 

(iv) He is famous for his work on black holes and the theory of Hawking radiation. 

(v) Some of his books include: 
• A Brief History of Time 
• The Universe in a Nutshell 
• The Grand Design 

(vi) People admired Hawking for his intelligence, determination, courage and ability to continue his scientific work despite serious illness. 

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