Chapter 5: Nine Gold Medals (0903CH05)
Kaveri · 32 questions · 10 sections
Chapter code: 0903ch05 · Book: Kaveri · Class 9 English
Find complete NCERT solutions for Class 9 English, Kaveri Chapter 5. This page covers Nine Gold Medals with clear answers for chapter code 0903CH05.
Reflect and Respond(3 questions)
Difference between Olympics, Special Olympics, and Paralympics.
Olympics → Global sporting event for able-bodied athletes. Paralympics → International event for athletes with physical disabilities. Special Olympics → For athletes with intellectual disabilities, focusing on inclusion and participation.
Match empathy, sympathy, compassion.
"I am so sorry for what is happening to you." → Sympathy "I can imagine how you feel." → Empathy "I understand why you feel low; I will spend time with you so you don't feel lonely." → Compassion
Words associated with empathy.
Understanding, kindness, patience, sensitivity, care, support.
Reading for Appreciation(3 questions)
Match words with meanings.
1. dashed in the dirt → destroyed 2. stumbled → step awkwardly, lose balance 3. staggered → walk/move with difficulty 4. anguish → extreme pain or suffering 5. asphalt → hard black substance used for roads
Gist of the stanzas.
1. Stanza 2 → Spectators cheered and waited for final event. 2. Stanza 4 → One athlete tripped and fell. 3. Stanza 8 → Race ended with nine athletes holding hands, winning gold medals. 4. Stanza 3 → Athletes ready at starting line. 5. Stanza 1 → Athletes trained for months, dreaming of medals. 6. Stanza 6 → Eight athletes stopped to help the fallen boy. 7. Stanza 7 → Nine athletes walked hand in hand, banner of Special Olympics. 8. Stanza 5 → Fallen athlete cried, but something unique happened.
Appreciation — poetic devices, imagery, tone, mood, message.
1. Alliteration → "stumbled and staggered", "dreams... dashed in the dirt." 2. Visual imagery → (i) athletes at starting line, (ii) boy falling on asphalt, (iii) nine runners holding hands. 3. Auditory imagery → "The pistol exploded." 4. Effect of imagery → It makes the poem vivid and emotional, helping readers visualise and feel the moment. 5. Tone change → From competitive excitement to compassionate unity. 6. Overall mood → Inspirational and uplifting. 7. Message → True victory lies in empathy, compassion, and unity, not just winning medals.
Critical Reflection: Extract 1(5 questions)
The phrase 'pulled up on their heels' means that the runners ______.
B. stopped running.
Mention one character trait common to all the eight other runners.
Compassion — they showed genuine care and kindness for a fellow competitor over their own chance to win.
What is the tone of the poet in these lines?
Admiring and warm, as the poet highlights the runners’ selflessness and kindness with evident approval.
How might the young athlete have felt on being helped by the others?
Grateful, relieved and encouraged — comforted that his fall did not end the race for him, and touched by his fellow runners’ kindness.
Would you consider this incident as a turning point in the poem? If yes, why? If no, why not?
Yes, because the race changes from a competitive event into an act of collective compassion, redefining what winning means in the poem.
Critical Reflection: Extract 2(5 questions)
How did the nine contestants feel when they reached the finishing line together?
They felt joyful, proud and united, as shown by their beaming faces and the fact that they finished still holding hands.
Why do you think all the nine contestants were given gold medals?
Because their act of compassion — stopping to help a fallen competitor — mattered more than winning, embodying the true spirit of the Special Olympics.
Complete the sentence: The holding of hands signifies a feeling of ______.
unity, togetherness and shared triumph.
The spectators giving a 'standing ovation' indicates that they were ______.
A. amazed.
Explain the last line of the extract.
The line means that the athletes’ joyful faces expressed their compassion and unity more powerfully than any words could — the moment itself was the message.
Answer the Following (Paragraphs 30–40 words)(7 questions)
Describe how the setting established in the first two stanzas of the poem creates a vivid atmosphere for the events that follow.
The poem opens with athletes gathered after months of training and spectators cheering with excitement. This builds anticipation and a competitive, celebratory atmosphere, making the later act of compassion feel even more powerful and unexpected.
How do you think the youngest athlete might have felt when he fell?
He likely felt frustration, embarrassment and heartbreak, as his months of training and dreams of winning seemed to collapse in an instant, leaving him in pain both physically and emotionally.
Why were the athletes eager to begin the race?
They were eager because they had trained for weeks and months, and the race was the culmination of all their hard work and hope of winning gold, silver or bronze.
What does the transformation of the hundred-yard dash to a walk symbolise?
It symbolises a shift in priority from competition to compassion. Winning individually no longer mattered; supporting a fellow athlete and finishing together became the true goal.
How might the poem be different if the focus was solely on individual achievement rather than collective support?
It would have been an ordinary sports poem about winning and losing. The collective support instead makes it a moving story about empathy, transforming a race into a lesson on humanity.
How does the poet's use of language and tone enhance the reader's engagement with the poem?
Simple, rhythmic language and a tone that shifts from excitement to compassion draw readers emotionally into the race, making them feel the disappointment, the kindness, and the final joy alongside the athletes.
What might be the poet's purpose in writing this poem?
The poet’s purpose is to show that true victory lies in empathy and unity, encouraging readers to value compassion and helping others over personal achievement and competition.
Vocabulary in Context(3 questions)
The phrase 'standing ovation' is an adjective–noun collocation. Identify two other similar examples from the poem.
“Old field” and “young boy” (also acceptable: “beaming faces”).
Complete the table by writing four nouns that collocate with each adjective.
1. big → disappointment, failure, surprise, decision 2. heavy → rain, traffic, burden, losses 3. strong → smell, wind, opinion, coffee 4. large → crowd, amount, family, scale 5. great → achievement, joy, distance, importance
Choose the correct adjective (positive, significant, youngest, noisy, loud) for the underlined word in each sentence.
1. littlest → youngest 2. smiling (attitude) → positive 3. huge (cry) → loud 4. terrible (difference) → significant 5. gaudy (crowd) → noisy
Listen and Respond(2 questions)
Listen to a radio talk about Patrick Gomes, a coach of special athletes. Write true or false.
1. Patrick Gomes began his career in sports with track events. → True. 2. Patrick Gomes has been coaching special athletes for 10 years. → False (he has coached for over 15 years). 3. Patrick Gomes does all the household work himself. → True.
Listen again and choose the correct option for each question.
1. 'Push your boundaries' wants listeners to → (i) challenge themselves. 2. Patrick Gomes is at present a → (ii) coach of special athletes. 3. The Special Olympics at Connecticut was a → (ii) turning point for him. 4. As a special athlete, he mostly participated in → (iii) football. 5. He believes sports is essential because it encourages → (i) a positive outlook, along with fitness.
Speaking Activity(1 questions)
In pairs, take turns expressing your points of view on the importance of Special Olympics, its impact, and how to create awareness, using given sentence starters.
Model: "Personally, I believe Special Olympics promotes inclusion by giving athletes with intellectual disabilities a platform to shine." / "What is your opinion on how it impacts their confidence?" / "From my perspective, awareness can be created through school events and social media campaigns."
Writing Task(1 questions)
Write three creative slogans on Special Olympics, then design a poster inspired by the poem.
Slogans: 1. "Special Olympics: Where Every Finish Line is a Victory." 2. "Abilities Unite, Hearts Ignite." 3. "Together We Run, Together We Win." Poster: include a bold slogan, an illustration of athletes holding hands, key facts about Special Olympics, and a call to action to volunteer or attend.
Learning Beyond the Text(2 questions)
Read the information about Special Olympics 2023 Indian medallists (Ravimathi Arumugam, Aanchal Goyal, Saket Kundu). Find out more about other Indian achievers of Special Olympics.
Model: these athletes won medals in events like powerlifting and athletics. Research examples: more Indian Special Olympics achievers at the 2023 Berlin Games — e.g., athletes in swimming and table tennis. Note their events and achievements for a short presentation.
Read the infographic (Olympics/Paralympics). Create an infographic on any sport and present it in class.
Model: design an infographic on high jump — history, rules, famous Indian athletes (e.g., Mariyappan Thangavelu), and key records. Include images, simple statistics, and interesting facts in a clear, colourful layout.