SRDAV PUBLIC SCHOOL, DAYANAND VIHAR

MLL Assignment I (2024-25)

SUBJECT: ENGLISH
CLASS -IX

Section A: Reading Skills (20 Marks)

I. Read the passage given below. 10 Marks

1. We have but one method of acquiring knowledge. From the lowest man to the highest yogi,
all must use the same method, and that method is called concentration. Concentration implies,
first, an ability to release one's thoughts and emotions from all other interests and involvements,
and second, an ability to focus them on a single object or state of awareness.

2. Concentration may assume various manifestations, from a dynamic outpouring of energy to

perfectly quiescent perceptions. At every level of mental activity, it is the concentration that is
the key to success. What is not generally known is that a concentrated mind succeeds not only
because it can solve problems with greater dispatch, but also because problems have a way of
somehow vanishing before their focused energies, without even requiring to be solved. A
concentrated mind often attracts opportunities for success, that, to less focused individuals,
appear to come by sheer luck.

3. The chemist who works in his laboratory concentrates all the powers of his mind, brings
them into one focus, and throws them on the elements, and the elements stand analyzed, and
thus comes his knowledge. The astronomer also concentrates the powers of his mind, brings
them into one focus and then throws them on to objects through his telescope. Stars roll forward
and give up their secrets to him. So, it is in every case - with the professor in his chair, the
students, and their books - with every man who is working to gain knowledge.

4. The greater the power of concentration, the more the knowledge acquired because this is the
one and only method of acquiring it. Even the lowest shoeblack, if he pays more concentration,
will polish shoes better, the cook, with his concentration, will focus all his attention on the
work at hand and will cook a better meal. In making money or in worshipping God or doing
anything else, the stronger the power of concentration, the better will be the work done.

5. Even though concentration is the key to acquiring knowledge, concentration itself is not
easy to attain. It is a skill that can be developed only through a lot of patience and practice. He
who masters it is a real yogi. To control our senses and gather all our awareness into one focus
is by no means an easy task. Life itself is complex and there are invariably several
 issues vying for our attention which makes it even more difficult to focus on only one thing.
Even if we try to concentrate fully on the work at hand, the subconscious mind is deviated in
varied directions and soon drags our conscious mind along, without even our realizing it.
Therefore, it requires a lot of discipline, willpower, and self-control to focus or concentrate.

6. However, the effort is worth it and pays rich dividends in the form of the accomplishment
of the goals. This is the one call, the one knock which opens the gate of nature and lets out
floods of light.

Answer the questions that follow, based on the passage: (1x10=10 Marks)

i. Based on your reading of the text, list 2 points to explain what concentration implies. 2

1)

2)

ii. What comes more easily to a concentrated mind than to less focused individuals? 1
iii. Why does a concentrated mind succeed? 1

iv. Select the option that corresponds to the following relation: 1

The greater the power of concentration, the more knowledge acquired.
A. The lower the immunity—the greater the chances of catching an infection
B. The more the wastage—the lesser the resources
C. The lesser the speed breakers—the faster the ride/speed
D. The bigger the gift—the higher the excitement

v. The writer says, “Even if we try to concentrate fully on the work at hand, our subconscious
mind is deviated in varied directions and soon drags our conscious mind along, without even
our realizing it.” Mention the reason why our subconscious mind deviates in varied directions.
1

vi. What connection does the writer draw out between concentration, patience, and practice?1

vii. Supply 1 point to justify the following. 1

There are invariably several issues vying for our attention.

viii. Evaluate the INAPPROPRIATE reason for the ‘skill of concentration being the one
call, the one knock which opens the gate of nature, and lets out floods of light.’ 1
A. It helps to release one's thoughts and emotions from all other interests and involvements.
B. It is the key to acquiring knowledge.
C. It helps to solve problems with greater dispatch.
D. It makes us unable to control our senses and gather all our awareness into one focus.

ix. Mention a synonym for the word ‘obstacles’ from paragraph 2. 1

II. Read the passage given below. 10

Marks A Planet Poisoned by Plastic by Simon Reeve
1. From Hawaiian beaches to the coast of Britain, we are paying a lethal price for our
 throwaway society, says TV adventurer Simon Reeve. The beautiful tropical islands of Hawaii
have been used as a setting for countless TV series and films ranging from ‘Lost’ to ‘Jurassic
Park’. In the middle of the vast Pacific Ocean, distance alone protects Hawaii's spectacular
landscapes and its turquoise sea from environmental problems being faced by the rest of the
planet.

2. However, the beaches are covered in plastic rubbish washed up from around the world. The
pristine sand is covered with old plastic toothbrushes, combs, shoes and belts. Clearing the
beaches becomes almost impossible because as soon as it is cleared, the waves dump another
mountain of rubbish.

3. The larger pieces of waste can be collected by hand but the surface of the beach is covered
with millions of small plastic pellets known as 'nurdles.' This is the raw material that factories
use to form the infinite number of plastic products that fill our lives. These are dumped out of
factories into the sea in trillions. Because tiny fragments of plastic in our oceans are so small
and look like food, they are being gobbled up by small fish, which in turn are eaten by larger
fish-which, in turn, are eaten by us.

4. Plastic doesn't biodegrade. Instead, it breaks down into even smaller pieces. Among the
grains of sand were billions of tiny plastic flecks, which due to the pounding of the sea were
reduced in size. From the beaches of Hawaii to the seas around Britain, we are soiling our own
nest.

5. Since 1994, plastic litter has increased by an extraordinary 121 percent. The plastic we see
on our beaches is just a fraction of the plastic waste that is clogging our oceans. Incredibly all
the plastic ever created hundreds of millions of tonnes, is still out there in the environment in
some form.
6. So plastic is ruining our beaches, choking the oceans, and poisoning our food chain. We
need to spurn and reject the main culprits: plastic bags, packaging, and single-use water

bottles, a wasteful obscenity. These make up the bulk of plastic usage. The future of beaches,
our seas, and the food chain, all are at stake. It is nothing short of an environmental emergency.

The following facts are the findings based on a case study.

• This year over nine million tonnes of plastic will enter our oceans.
• Plastic does not decompose; it just gets smaller. Over time a single bottle can break up into
over 10,000 pieces of micro plastic which is 1 million times more toxic than the water around
it.
• 96% of all biodiversity ingests plastics- 52% of turtles, 100% of coral reefs and ninety
percent of all sea birds.
• The animal most vulnerable to plastic poisoning is at the very top of the food chain-US!
• The following four steps will eliminate almost 70% of plastic pollution.
- introduce a container deposit system to eliminate beverage rubbish
-ban all single-use plastic bags
-remove microbeads from personal care and laundry products.
-Ensure plastic producers and recyclers capture microplastics on their premises.
 Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below.
(1x10=10)
i. In paragraph 1 the phrase ‘our throwaway society’ refers to a society that makes things
that are . 1
A. sustainable and meant to last a long time.
B. meant to last for generations
C. produced cheaply and can be used over and over again
D. convenient to use and meant to be thrown away after a single use.

ii. What can protect Hawaii from the problems the rest of the world is facing?1
A.Distance and its scenic beauty
B.Distance and isolation
C.The fact that it is used as a setting for TV series and films.
D.Its spectacular landscape and turquoise sea.

iii. Infer one reason for the following, based on information in paragraph 2. 1
Clearing the beaches becomes almost impossible.

iv. Fill in the blank based on the passage

‘Nurdles' are the raw materials that are used to .
1

v. Complete the following analogy correctly with a word from paragraph

3.
book: pages:: : fingers 1

vi. Select the option that correctly captures the usage of the word ‘pounding’ as used in
paragraph 4. 1
A. Pounding music blared from the giant loudspeakers.
B. The pounding in her chest was loud.
C. With a pounding heart, I took my position on the podium.
D. They walked home through the pounding rain.

vii. State whether the following statement is TRUE or FALSE. 1

The plastic we see on our beaches is the total plastic waste that is clogging our oceans.

viii. Fill in the blank with suitable/correct word/words. 1

That plastic pollution is a threat to all species is evident from the fact that of them
ingest it.

ix. Based on your reading of the text, list 2 reasons why the writer
says that, “It is nothing short of an environmental emergency.” 2
1.
2.
 SECTION B: WRITING SKILLS (24 Marks)

3. You are the Secretary of Vasudha Welfare Association, Vaishali, Ghaziabad. Write a notice in not more
than 50 words to be circulated to the members of the Association requesting them to attend a meeting to
discuss the parking of the vehicles of the residents. Include all necessary details.
(4Marks)

4. During the recently held DAV United festival, you happened to meet your favourite sports personality. As
the school captain, you got an opportunity to have an interview with him.
Recreate this interview in the form of dialogues. (About 100 words) (5 Marks)

5. You are Arundhati/Arun Juneja. Write a letter in about 120 words to your mother
expressing your first day at boarding school. (7Marks)

6. On the basis of your understanding of MCB Unit 3 ‘Environment’ and taking hints from the given cues,
write a paragraph on “Protecting Our Planet: Every Action Counts Towards a Sustainable Future." (Word limit-
150 words)

Hints:
possible causes- impact of human activities on environment- deforestation, for instance, leads to the
loss of biodiversity-disrupts ecosystems, and contributes to climate change by increasing carbon
dioxide levels in the atmosphere-pollution, whether it be air, water, or soil, contaminates resources
essential for life - poses significant health risks to all living beings- to combat these issues, sustainable
practices such as reforestation-by taking collective action to protect our environment- we can ensure
a healthier planet for future generations.

OR

On the basis of your understanding of MCB Unit 2 ‘Adventure’ and taking hints from the given cues, write a
paragraph on “The impact of Adventure on Our Lives”, as it helps us in realizing our true and hidden
potential. (Word limit- 150 words) (8 marks)

Hints:
personal growth-skill development –mental and emotional benefits-overcoming challenges-
new perspectives-appreciating our capacity to do something-helps us go beyond our limits- can
spark creativity- inspire new goals- adopt a proactive approach to life.

SECTION C- GRAMMAR (10 Marks)

7. Complete the tasks A-C ,as directed:

A. Fill in the blanks by choosing the appropriate option from the ones given in the brackets:
3 Marks
William Shakespeare is considered to be (A) (a/an/the) unparalleled literary
genius of the Elizabethan Age. He wrote (B) (to/for/in) the stage in a simple
lyrical language which the court and the public (C) (should/must/could) enjoy.

B. The following paragraph has not been edited. There is one error in each line.
Identify the error and write its correction against the correct blank number.
Remember to underline the correction. (4 marks)
Error Correction
Sarojini Naidu was a brilliant scholar. She were A)
way ahead of the student’s of her age and completed B)
her schooling in the age of 12. Moreover, she C)
topped a matriculation examination. D)

C. Rearrange the jumbled words/phrases to create meaningful sentnces. (3 Marks)

a. last/ was/ the railway/ Sunday/ particularly/ platform/ busy

b. on the platform/ vendors/ were/ selling/ flowers/ sweet-smelling/ the

c. board/ were unsure how they/ the/ We/ would/ train