Chapter 2- The Sound Of Music

Part 1 –
1. jostle: push roughly
2. slight: small and thin
3. daunting: frightening, Scary
4. teenager: a person who is in his teens
5. aspiring musician: a person who wants to be a musician
6. Profoundly deaf: absolutely deaf.
7. gradual: in phases
8. conceal: to hide
9. Specialist: a doctor specializing in a particular part of the body.
10. Deteriorated: worsened, reduces
11. Urged: requested
12. impaired: weakened
13. pursue: to follow

14. xylophone: a musical instrument with a row of wooden bars of different lengths
15. percussionist: a person who plays the drum, the tabla, etc, a person who play different musical
instruments
16. potential: quality or ability that can be developed
 17. youth: Young people, people like who are in college or high school
18. orchestra: group of musicians
19. auditioned: gave a short performance so that the director could decide whether she was good
enough
20. orchestral work: group performance, performing in a group of musicians
21. Solo: to perform single, alone.
22. most sought after: most popular, in demand
23. intriguing: fascinating and curious
24. flawlessly: without a fault or mistake
25. lilt: a way of speaking like we say accent
26. tingles: causes a slight pricking or stinging sensation
27. resonances: echoes of sounds
28. workaholic (informal): a person who finds it difficult to stop working
29. enormous – big
30. accomplished: achieved

Chapter 2- The Sound Of Music

Part 2 – The Shehnai of Bismillah Khan

1. banned: prohibited
2. shrill: very sharp
3. unpleasant: something that you dislike
4. generic name: a name given to a class or group as a whole
5. Generic name means the scientific name or a broad classification of something
6. reeded: wind instruments which have reeds like the flute, the clarinet, etc.
7. revived: brought back to live.
8. tonal quality: sound
9. hollow: empty from inside.
 10. auspicious: promising to bring good fortune
11. indispensable: without which a piece of work cannot be done, something which is necessary
12. Ensembles (pronounced ‘onsomble’): things (here, instruments) considered as a group
13. Laddu or laddoo are sphere-shaped sweets originated in the Indian subcontinent.
14. paternal ancestors: ancestors of the father
15. Captivated: attracted
16. on end: for a very long time without stopping, continuously
17. apprentice: trainee
18. haunt: place you like come, where you like to visit many times a day
19. solitude: being alone, single
20. recital: performance
21. taken in by: attracted or charmed by
22. souvenirs: things given in memory of a place, person or event
23. chartbuster: record breaker
24. celluloid: old fashioned way of referring to films
25. venture: project that often involves risk, something which has a lot of risk
26. Emphasis: to lay stress on something
27. thick and fast: he got a lot of awards and was recognized at many places
28. conferred: given, usually an award or a degree
29. coveted: much desired
30. replicating: making a copy of something
31. yearning – longing, having a desire for something
32. devout: believing strongly in a religion and obeying its laws and following its practices

Please see: Class 9 English Lessons summary and Explanation

Chapter 3 – The little girl by Katherine Mansfield

1. a figure to be feared: a person to be feared

 2. Glad sense of relief: feeling relaxed
3. Fainter and fainter: to lessen or reduce
4. slip down: come down quietly and unwillingly
5. Stutter: to stammer, to speak with pauses
6. given it up: stopped doing it
7. Trying so hard: making a lot of efforts
8. Wretched: unhappy, sad
9. on the brink of suicide: about to commit suicide
10. suicide: kill oneself
11. Snoring: the sound produced by some people when there are asleep.
12. Gravely: seriously.
13. Laboriously: with lot of effort or difficulty.
14. Wandered into: went into, by chance
15. Scraps: small pieces of cloth or paper etc that are not needed.
16. Hue and Cry: angry protest.
17. The damned thing: used to express anger at something.
18. shadowed room means that as it was dark, there was a light outside the room which was making
shadows in the room.
19. a sad little pattern refers to the sad atmosphere in the room.
20. Bedclothes Refers to the sheets, the top sheets that you cover yourself when you are sleeping.
21. Clung: to attach yourself to something.
22. Nightmare: a bad dream.
23. A Butcher is a person who cuts animals, who cuts meat.
24. tucked up: covered up nicely in bed
25. Snuggled: moved into a warm, comfortable position, close to another person

Chapter 4 – A Truly Beautiful Mind

 1. destined: fate, a predetermined set of events that has to happen in the future
2. freak: a word used disapprovingly to talk about a person who is unusual and doesn’t behave, look
or think like others
3. Uttered: spoke
4. amateur: doing something for personal enjoyment rather than as a profession, something which is
your hobby and you do it as a past time.
5. pupil: student
6. regimentation: order or discipline taken to an extreme
7. Stifled: unable to breathe; suffocated
8. Left the school for good: left school forever.
9. liberal: willing to understand and respect other’s opinions
10. Walrus is a shape of Moustache.
11. ally: a friend or an associate
12. philistines: a word used disapprovingly to talk about people who do not like art, literature or music
13. To be at odds means to be in the opposition of someone, to be against someone.
14. patent: a document which gives the rights of an invention to an inventor
15. absolute: measured in itself, not in relation to anything else
16. unravelling: starting to fail
17. faltered: became weak
18. deflected: changed direction because it hit something
19. Nobel Prize was based on the will of the famous Swedish scientist, a scientist who belongs to
Sweden, Alfred Nobel. It was established in 1895 and the first Nobel Prize was given in the year
1901.
20. Emigrated: leave one’s own country in order to settle permanently in another
21. in an uproar: very upset
22. missive: letter, especially long and official
23. visionary: a person who can think about the future in an original and intelligent way

Chapter 5 – The Snake and the Mirror by Vaikom Muhammad

Basheer [translated from the Malayalam by V. Abdulla]
1. meagre: small in quantity.
2. possessed: had
3. solitary: single
4. Yard is an open area like a garden or veranda.
5. gable: upper part of a wall below a sloping roof
6. taken time off: to take a day off, take a holiday
7. bachelor: a man who is not and has never been married
8. earth-shaking decision: something very important
9. on top of it: to add on to something
10. paced: walked
11. valid: logical, justifiable
12. wriggled: crawled

13. simultaneous: happened at the same time

14. slithered: Twisting and crawling motion of the snake
15. hood: head of the snake.
16. strike: attack
17. lurked: hid
18. feebly: weakly
19. vermilion spot: red bindi
20. closer quarters: to get a closer look
 21. Granite: form of a marble, it’s a stone.
22. all I was worth: all the strength that I had
23. reedy person: a thing or person resembling a tall, thin – leaved plant of the grass family
24. smeared: covered with
25. Little to carry means his belonging were stolen and there was nothing much left to carry away.
26. rascal: a mischievous or cheeky person, especially a child or a man, a naught person
27. taken with: attracted by

Chapter 6 – My Childhood by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam [an extract from

Wings of Fire]

1. erstwhile: former
2. innate: inborn; (a quality or feeling) in one’s nature
3. generosity of spirit: his soul sought to help others who were needy
4. undistinguished: ordinary or common
5. Pucca House means a house made of bricks, cement and limestone.
6. austere: simple, strict and severe
7. secure: safe
8. Materially means in terms of things like clothes food, medicine
9. emotionally means in terms of love and affection.
10. tamarind seeds: kind of fruit
11. princely sum: generous amount (here, ironic)
12. anna: an old Indian coin, worth about six paise
13. Dinamani: a tamil daily newspaper.
14. isolated: Lonely, cut-off
15. Allied Forces: the armies of U.K., U.S.A. and Russia during the Second World War
16. casualty: loss
17. suspension: end
18. halt: stop
19. filled the slot – fit into a place easily
20. pride: sudden increase in the feeling of satisfaction derived from one’s own achievements.
21. Half a century later means after a period of 50 years.
22. figures of authority: A person who had authority over another person; a person who has the power
to give orders or make decisions.
23. Inherited means a characteristic, or a quality which you have got from your parents or ancestors.
24. socio-economic means in terms of money
25. orthodox: strict
26. Rama Kalyanam ceremony is known as Kalyanotsava. It means marriage festival. In South India,
marriage is known as Kalyanam. So, Lord Ram and Sita’s marriage is called Sita Rama Kalyanam
ceremony. It is the ceremony of the depiction of the marriage between Seetha and Rama.
27. could not stomach: could not tolerate
28. downcast: sad or depressed
29. summoned: called
30. bluntly: speaking in a direct and honest way, even if this offends or upsets people.
31. apologise: seek pardon
32. quit: to leave
33. conviction: a strong opinion or belief
34. convey: communicated
35. rigid: strict
36. segregation: separation
37. orthodox: one who follows the religion strictly
38. conservative: traditional
39. rebel: in opposition
40. Mingle: interact with each other.
41. on par: at the same level
42. ritually pure: kept protected from all outside influences for the observances of religion
43. perturbed: upset
44. hesitation: doubt, delay
45. confronted: faced, tackled
46. imminent: about to happen
47. Unprecedented: never done or know before.
48. Optimism: hope, cheer
49. Longing: desire
50. For they have their own thoughts: Excerpt from “Your children’ – Poem by Khalil Gibran.
 Class 9th English Lessons Class 9th English Mcq Take Free MCQ Test English

Class 9th Hindi Lessons Take Free MCQ Test Hindi

Class 9th Sceince Lessons

Chapter 7 – Packing by Jerome K Jerome (an extract from Three

Men in a Boat)

1. pride myself on: am proud of

2. fell into: here, accepted
3. Uncanny: strange, weird
4. cocked his legs: bent the legs on the knee as he sat
5. Intended: planned, meant
6. potter about: do some unimportant things
7. loll on the sofa: to recline or lean in a relaxed manner
8. messing about: to waste time doing something without a particular purpose
9. sit still: sit without doing anything
10. Superintend: supervise, manage
11. strapped it: closed it
12. Wild: mad with anger
13. Haunts: to repeatedly give trouble
14. Misery: sad
15. cold perspiration: sweat
16. Hunt: search
17. mortal thing: every ordinary thing
18. Rummaged: searched in a hurried or careless way
19. Chaos: confusion
20. Reigned: ruled
 21. didn’t care a hang: show no concern or interest
22. Slammed: shut the lid forcefully and loudly
23. Hampers: baskets used to carry food, utensils, etc.
24. light-hearted spirit: to be cheerful
25. Evidently: clearly, obviously
26. Exception: a person or thing that does not follow the general rule
27. Squashed: crush or squeeze something with force so that it becomes flat, soft, or out of shape
28. trod on: stepped on
29. Upset: overturned
30. Scrape: drag or pull
31. Oath: to swear upon something
32. Indignantly: in a manner indicating anger or annoyance at something perceived as unfair
33. sworn at: get scolded
34. Squirm: to wriggle or twist one’s body
35. Nuisance: to cause inconvenience or annoyance
36. Stumble: to trip over a hurdle
37. Curse: scold
38. Conceit: here, his pride in himself
39. Worried: disturbed
40. Pretended: to behave as if something is true when you know that it is not
41. land him: hit or punch someone
42. Reflection: thought
43. Tossed: throw something somewhere lightly or casually
44. a bit of a row: an argument
45. split the difference: this means that they agreed on 6.30 because it was halfway between six and
seven
46. Tumble: to fall quickly and without control

Chapter 8 – Reach for the Top Part 1 Santosh Yadav

1. Contentment: satisfaction
2. Affluent: well – to – do
 3. In line with: following or in accordance with, according to
4. Custom: tradition
5. the last thing: the least important thing
6. Politely: gently
7. Urge: strong desire
8. Check it out: find out the truth
9. Answered in the affirmative: gave a positive reply
10. No looking back: to progress without interruption or impediment
11. Enrolled: took admission into
12. Headed straight for: went towards
13. Matured: developed
14. Resistance: the ability not to be affected by something
15. Equipped: supplied with
16. Physical endurance: strength
17. Culmination: end
18. Scaled: climbed
19. Annals: historic records
20. Bestowed upon her: honoured her with
21. Top honours: highest award
22. the enormity of the moment: a very great moment
23. sink in: be understood
24. held it aloft: held it up high
25. fervent: having strong and sincere feelings

Chapter 8 – Reach for the Top Part 2 Maria Sharapova

 1. Disarming: likeable
2. At odds with: in conflict with
3. Poised: calm, elegant
4. Pinnacle: the most successful point
5. Rapid: fast
6. Ascent: growth
7. Endure: suffer patiently
8. Heart – wrenching: extremely sad
9. Depress: sadden
10. Quitting: leaving
11. Pursue: follow
12. Bagging: winning
13. Meteoric: very rapid
14. Ambition: goal, aim
15. Amply: plentifully
16. Parades: displays
17. Sophisticated: fashionable
18. At odds with: in disagreement with
19. Fizzy: aerated
20. Pigeon-holed: classified, categorized
21. Unwavering: steady, firm
22. Grudge: oppose, mind

Chapter 9 – Bond Of love by Kenneth Anderson

1. Panting: taking short, quick breaths
2. wantonly: for no good reason
3. prostrate: lying on the ground facing downwards
4. scooted: ran away
5. scruff of the neck: take hold of the back of the neck or collar suddenly and roughly
6. Christened it: named it
7. condiments: spices
8. Relish: great enjoyment
9. Floundering: struggling to move
10. Heaving: taking deep breaths
11. Flanks: the side of the body between the ribs and hips
12. Gaping: wide open
13. Hypodermic: a long needle used to give an injection under the skin
14. Squeals: screams
15. Antidote: a medicine taken or given to counteract a particular poison
16. Stertorous: noisy
17. Disdainfully: disapprovingly
18. the sump: the base of an internal combustion engine, which serves as a reservoir of oil for the
lubrication system
19. Studebaker: an old American car
20. Concealed: hidden
21. curator: here, a person in charge of the zoo
22. fretting: worried; unhappy; not relaxed
23. Restrain: stop
24. Conjectured: formed an opinion by guessing
25. Hoisted: raised by means of ropes or pulleys
 26. Accomplished: completed
27. Squad: team
28. Gnarled: rugged, twisted

Chapter 10 Kathmandu by Vikram Seth (An extract from ‘Heaven

Lake’)

1. Proclaims: make known publicly or officially

2. Febrile confusion: hurried activity; complete chaos
3. Saffron – clad westerners: foreigners dressed as sadhus
4. Corpse: dead body
5. Wilted: dry and withered
6. Shrine: a place of worship
7. Protrudes: comes out
8. Kalyug: it is the fourth and last stages or time period of a Mahayuga. It started with the end of
Mahabharata when Lord Krishna left the Earth.
9. Immigrants: a person who comes to live permanently in a foreign country.
10. Haven: a safe place
11. Deities: gods and goddesses
12. Cows low: the ‘moo’ sound made by cows
13. Marzipan: a sweet made with grated almonds
14. Brazier: open stove
15. Wash down: to drink something after a meal to digest it
16. Nauseating: sickening
17. Propelled: drive or push something forward
18. Per se: by itself
19. Meditatively: thoughtfully
20. Offhanded: casual; not showing much interest in something
21. Fingering: way of placing the fingers to play different notes
22. Compass: here, range
Chapter 11 – If I were you by Douglas James
1. Intruder: a person who intrudes, especially into a building with criminal intent.
2. Paws: here, hands
3. Melodramatic: excessive emotions than are required for the situation

4. Nonchalant: not showing anxiety, interest or enthusiasm

5. Gypsies: nomads
6. Inflection: a change in the modulation of voiceEmbrace: accept
7. Dandy: stylish, fashionable
8. gratuitous double: done without reason.
9. To beat it: to leave immediately
10. Posh: rich, showy
11. Pantomime: to mime or copy someone
12. Tribute: to show gratitude, respect or admiration for someone or something
13. Elude: escape
14. Dodge: to avoid someone, here, the policeQueer: strange
15. Invested in: taken up, adopted
16. Cloak: cape, robe
17. Sunday-school teacher: used to indicate an honest man
18. Disguise: give a different appearance in order to hide one’s identity
19. Muddled head: confused mind
20. Frame: false
21. Props: things used by actors to change appearance
22. Spot of bother: something that causes inconvenience or trouble