Words and Expressions Class 9 Solutions Unit 11

Reading Comprehension:

The Bishop’s Candlesticks
Read the following text and answer the questions that follow.

Text – I

Interview with a Detective:

His appearance was clean, cool and deliberately ambiguous. Under the sanctuary of his aviators, his eyes silently scanned the room. He is a Manhattan-based, third-generation private detective who’s been in the business for more than three decades – specialising in surveillance and being an overall mystery-tinged badass. We asked him everything we’ve ever wanted to know about the profession.

Interviewer : So, what exactly do you do?

Detective : I do a lot of surveillance. Basically, someone who wonders, “What is this other person up to?” If it’s an insurance company (surveying someone on workers’ compensation), they’ll ask, “Is he back working?” Things like that.

Another very common request is locating people, and it could be for a lot of reasons. I had a case recently, a man hadn’t been in touch with his mother for 20 years and I helped him find her.

Interviewer : What kind of skills make for a good PI (Private Investigator)?

Detective : Patience – Number one. You have t< pay attention. You have to be the kind of person, if you sit in front of a door watching it for six hours, and you haven’t seen your guy.

You have to plan accordingly, and be willing to make sacrifices in order to stay out there. It’s not a job for people who want to slack off.

Interviewer : If you needed to locate someone, what’s the ideal information you need to start?

Detective : Usually, this is what I tell people, “If you want to find someone, I need the name with the exact spelling, the DOB if you know it, the social security number, add a last known, official address where they’ve lived within the past 15 years.” Because that means they’ll be in our database.

Interviewer : Do most private investigators have a relationship with local police?

Detective : I would say that’s kind of a myth. Most cops wouldn’t even do it in the first place, because they know how serious a violation it is.

Interviewer : Do most private eyes carry guns?

Detective : I don’t think so. We don’t kill people but help them.

Interviewer : What do films and television shows get wrong about being a PI?

Detective : The big difference is, the things you see in films do happen to private detectives, but they’re shrinking down maybe 20 years of adventure into an episode. After 30 years, I probably have one good movie worth of experiences.

(Adapted from https://www.thrillist.com/…/private- detective-interview-questions-you-ve-always-want)

1. What is the profession of the person being interviewed?

Private Detective.

2. Complete the following sentence.

As soon as the detective entered the room, he ________.

(а) examined the place carefully. ✔

(b) was vague and uncertain.

(d) got ready for the interview.

3. Which of the following was not a part of the job of the detective?

(a) to wander about

(b) to find lost people

(d) to keep a watch

4. According to the detective, there are some qualities that are essential in his profession. What are these and why are they essential?

Patience, ability to plan, and willingness to make sacrifices. These qualities ensure that the person is serious and sincere about his job.

5. What information should the PI have in order to locate someone?

The PI should have the name with the exact spelling, the DOB if known, the social security number, and official address where he/she has lived within the past 15 years.

6. In the sentence given below the word ‘aviators’ means sunglasses. Now choose the appropriate meaning for the underlined word from the options given.

Under the sanctuary of his aviators, his eyes scanned the room.

(a) shelter

(b) shade ✔

(d) refuge.

Text – II

Read the passage and answer the questions that follow.

Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay:

Do you know who is Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay? He was a Bengali writer. He is remembered for his most famous creation of a fictional detective, Byomkesh Bakshi.

He was actively involved with Bengali cinema as well as Bollywood. He wrote different forms of prose: novels, short stories, plays and screenplays. Besides, he wrote many songs and poems. However, his forte was short stories and novels. He also wrote historical fiction and supernatural stories.

Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay started writing Byomkesh stories in 1932 at the age of 33. He has written 32 Byomkesh stories. He continued to write till his death in 1970. He portrayed himself as a narrator of his stories named Ajit Bandhopadhyay who is also a companion of Byomkesh Bakshi. In some stories Also also investigates in the absence of Byomkesh. These stories are written in traditional Bengali language and have now been translated into other languages.

His stories are very engrossing and consist of a series of events. Byomkesh solves cases from international drug racket to household mysteries and crimes. Byomkesh identifies himself as Satyanweshi meaning ‘truth seeker’rather than a detective. Where he stands out from other legendary detectives like Hercule Poirot or Sherlock Holmes is that he is more concerned with truth than with the law.

(Source: An excerpt from ‘A well-known literary figure of Bengal’/The Asian Age online: http://dailyasianage.com/ news/109713/a-we-known-literary-figure-of-bengal)

1. Who among the following is not a detective?

(а) Byomkesh Bakshi

(b) Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay ✔

(d) Sherlock Holmes

2. Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay is known for his ________.

(a) Short stories and novels

(b) Poems and songs

(d) All of the above ✔

3. State whether true or false.

(a) Byomkesh is a ‘truth seeker’. True

(b) Byomkesh is a detective like Hercule Poirot and Sherlock Holmes. True

(d) Byomkesh follows law to solve his cases. False

4. What is the role of Ajit in Byomkesh stories?

He is the narrator of the stories. He is also a companion of Byomkesh Bakshi. In some stories Ajit also investigates in the absence of Byomkesh.

5. Find the antonyms of the words given below. All of them are given in the text.

(a) natural - fictional

(b) fact - fiction

(d) discontinued - continued

(e) presence - absence

(f) modem - traditional

(g) unconcerned - concerned

Vocabulary:

1. The following words and phrases occur in the passages. Try to guess the meanings. Match the words with their meanings. You may refer a dictionary later.

Answers:

database – a structured set… various ways.
violation – the act of going against … an agreement, etc.
surveillance – close observation … criminal.
insurance – an agreement made… premium.
ambiguous – open to more than one… meaning.
forge – to make an illegal… deceive.
sinister looking – suggesting evil or harm
scandal – an action or event regarded … outrage.

2. The contextual meaning of‘sanctuary* in the comprehension passage I is ‘shade’. The same word ‘sanctuary’ is used in a variety of sentences given below. They have different meanings in different contexts. Refer to a dictionary and write the meanings.

(а) Banita’s home was a sanctuary for runaway kids.

(b) The refugees found sanctuary when they reached India.

(d) I found sanctuary in the cave to save myself from the storm.

(e) Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected area for tigers.

Answer:

(a) a shelter; a safe place

(б) refuge

(d) a place of protection

(e) reserve for birds and wildlife

3. Use the following pair of opposites in sentences. One has been done for you.

lose/gain

You’ve nothing to lose, but what have you to gain?

(a) hot/cold

(b) beautiful/ugly

(d) lonely/busy

(e) great/little

(f) live/die

(a) hot / cold

The soup was too hot to drink, but after a few minutes it became cold.

(b) beautiful / ugly

The garden looked beautiful in spring, but the old broken wall beside it looked ugly.

It was smart to save your money, but foolish to spend it all at once later.

(d) lonely / busy

I felt lonely on Sunday, but on Monday I became busy with school work.

(e) great / little

She showed great courage, though she had little experience.

(f) live / die

All living things must live their life fully, even though one day they will die.

Grammar:

An affirmative sentence can be changed into a negative sentence without changing the meaning of the original sentence. Look at the examples given below.

You may be comfortable, but I am not. /You may not be uncomfortable, but I am.
Few people take the trouble to visit me. / People generally do not take the trouble to visit me.
Better be quick. / Better not be late.

1. Change affirmative sentences into negative sentences without changing the meaning. One has been done for you.

I know all the answers. / There are no answers that I don’t know.

(a) All the members liked the programme.

(b) Amritsar is colder than Delhi.

(d) The farmer was too weak to walk.

(e) She is always on time.

(f) The intruder was foolish to let Gerrard go.

Answer:

(a) There was no member who did not like the programme.

(b) Delhi is not as cold as Amritsar.

(d) The farmer was not so strong to walk.

(e) She never comes late.

(f) The intruder was not smart to let Gerrard stop.

2. Let us look at the sentence given below.

I am glad you are pleased to see me.

Here, ‘to see’ is an example of the infinite form of a verb. The infinite form of a verb is usually preceded by ‘to’.

Choose the words from the box and complete the sentences given below.

phone up, pay, assist, change, clear off, help, team up, stay

(a) Before we begin I would like you ________ my place.

(b) I’ll be glad ________ you.

(d) But are you sure it’s going ________ you?

(e) Those are just the things I want ________.

(f) Be willing to make sacrifices in order ________ out there.

(g) Anju asked Hemant ________ Rs. 100 to avoid a scene.

(h) Well, tell him ________ directly.

Answer:

(a) to clear off

(b) to assist

(d) to help

(e) to change

(f) to stay

(g) to pay

(h) to phone up

Editing:

Some words are missing in the passage given below, indicated by ‘/’. Rewrite the passage by providing the missing words, and using appropriate punctuation marks in the space given below. Sherlock Holmes is/ fictional private detective, the first scientific detective, created/ British author Sir arthur conan doyle. He is a ‘consulting detective’ in the stories written by Sir Doyle. Holmes is known for his skills of observation, knowledge of forensic science, / logical reasoning.

He employs all these while investigating cases for/ wide variety of clients. Sir Doyle’s four novels and 56 short stories, excluding one, are set in the Victorian or edwardian eras, between about 1880 and 1914 Most are narrated by Dr Watson, Holmes’s friend, he is also his biographer/ usually accompanies Holmes during his investigations/ often shares quarters with him at the address of 22 IB Baker Street, london, where many of the stories begin.

Sherlock Holmes is arguably/best known fictional detective, with guinness World Records listing him as the ‘most portrayed movie character’ in history. The stories have been adapted into stage/ radio plays, television films video games, and other media for over one hundred years. Many have believed Holmes to be not a fictional character/ a real individual because of his popularity/ fame. Widely considered a British cultural icon, the Character and Stories have had a profound/ lasting effect on mystery Writing and popular culture /a Whole.

Answer:

Sherlock Holmes is a fictional private detective, the first scientific detective, created by British author Sir arthur Conan Doyle. He is a ‘consulting detective’ in the stories written by Sir Doyle. Holmes is known for his skills of observation, knowledge of forensic science and logical reasoning. He employs all these while investigating cases for a wide variety of clients. Sir Doyle’s four novels and 56 short stories, excluding one, are set in the Victorian or Edwardian eras, between about 1880 and 1914. Most are narrated by Dr Watson, Holmes’s friend. He is also his biographer and usually accompanies Holmes during his investigations and often shares quarters with him at the address of 22 IB, Baker Street, London, where many of the stories begin.

Sherlock Holmes is arguably the best known fictional detective, with Guinness World Records listing him as the ‘most portrayed movie character’ in history. The stories have been adapted into stage and radio plays, television films, video games, and other media for over one hundred years. Many have believed Holmes to be not a fictional character but a real individual because of his popularity and fame. Widely considered as (of) a British cultural icon, the character and stories have had a profound and lasting effect on mystery writing and popular culture as a whole.

Listening:

Listen to the story of Shibi Rana and answer the questions that follow:

There are many stories in our mythology when gods have disguised themselves in the forms of human beings, birds, etc. This is done either to test the efficiency and ability of the kings or to see if people are happy and contented on earth. This is another aspect of changing the identity. Let us listen to the story of King Shibi.

There was a great king, Shibi Rana who had immense power then, even gods in heavens were amazed. They feared that Shibi might take away their kingdoms. They devised a plan to test his sense of justice. So they decided to reach Shibi’s kingdom in disguise.

One day, Shibi Rana was sitting on his throne. His courtroom was surrounded by majestic gardens. There came a scared dove flying to him and it was followed by a fierce looking eagle. The king gave shelter to the dove and saved her. The eagle argued that the king has taken away his food – the dove. It would starve. The king assured the eagle that he would give equal quantity of any other food. The eagle asked for King Shibi’s flesh. The magnanimous king agreed with a smile. A balance was brought in the court. It was soon found that with each addition of the king’s flesh the dove grew heavier. The equal balance was not arrived at. But the king remained calm and unperturbed.

The Gods in the guise of dove and eagle were assured of Shibi’s righteousness. The forms of the eagle and the dove soon disappeared. In their place stood Indra, the king of the Gods and Agni, the God of fire smiling and blessing the king for his benevolence arid greatness.

1. Why were the Gods in heaven afraid of King Shibi?

They were afraid that King Shibi might take away their kingdoms because he had immense power.

2. What made the eagle angry?

The eagle was angry because the king gave shelter to the dove which was the eagle’s prey.

3. What did the eagle demand?

The eagle demanded the king’s flesh equal to the weight of the dove.

4. Was the eagle satisfied?

Yes, the eagle who was Lord Indra in disguise was assured of the King’s righteousness.

5. Who were in the disguise of the eagle and the dove?

Indra, the king of Gods and Agni, the God of Fire.

6. King Shibi was blessed for his:

Benevolence and greatness.

Speaking:

1. In a group of four, discuss and take down notes based on the discussion.

Theft in the digital age. Theft that occurs when someone uses another’s unique personal details like his/ her name, credit card numbers, without his/her permission, to commit fraud or other crimes.

Theft in the Digital Age

Computers are a recent invention, but they have changed our lives in a big way. As technology grows, it becomes more complex. So, we must make sure we can still control it and use it safely.

Identity Theft (Simplified)

In the digital age, identity theft happens when someone steals another person’s personal details, like name, date of birth, credit card number, or Social Security Number. They use this information without permission to commit fraud. Most victims lose money. In 2014, one person became a victim every two seconds.

How Does Identity Theft Happen?

Today, most information is stored on computers. Criminals use tricks like fake emails, phishing, social engineering, and harmful websites to steal information. If they get your details for a long time, they can cause more harm.

Warning Signs of Identity Theft

Notice about a data breach
Unknown withdrawals from your bank account
Important bills not arriving
Cheques or cards getting declined
Calls about loans you did not take
Unknown entries in your credit report

What to Do If Identity Theft Happens

Contact the bank/company and freeze the account
Place a fraud alert and ask for a credit report
Report the theft to the bank officer
File a police complaint (FIR)

How to Prevent Identity Theft

Check your accounts regularly
Use SMS alerts from the bank
Use strong passwords and change them often
Verify any organization before sharing information
Be careful with emails asking for personal details
Do not share too much personal information on social media

2. You may talk to the manager of a Bank, Cyber crime cell, etc., about ‘online identity theft’ cases and measures to avoid them.

Discuss this in groups of four in the class.
Prepare posters on creating awareness about online identity theft.