NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Chapter 5 The World of Limitless Possibilities (PDF) – 2027

Sample answer (observations):

• Sheetal Devi is seated and holds the bow with her bare foot, her leg stretched out in front of her.
• She draws the string with a strap on her shoulder and a release held at her mouth, not with her hands.
• The arrow is level, her eyes look straight along it, and her face is calm and focused.
• She wears sports kit, and the Paralympic symbol (the Agitos) is repeated in the background.

The picture shows that skill, focus and practice matter more than the usual way of doing things.

Yes, Sheetal Devi inspires me. Archery needs a perfectly steady hold and a clean release, and she does this with her foot, shoulder and jaw instead of her hands — a technique she had to build for herself. Her skill won her the Arjuna Award in January 2024. She shows me that there is usually another way to do a difficult thing if I am willing to practise. Now, when I find a subject hard, I try a new method and practise it daily instead of giving up.

Sample captions (write any one): Steady as any hand · Ability beyond disability · Every target is within range

A good caption is short (about eight words) and adds an idea — here, skill and focus — instead of describing what the picture already shows.

(fill it with what you yourself know and want to know):

Fact – opinion. Sentence (i) is a fact: the Games, the medal and the event can be checked in the records. Sentence (ii) is an opinion: it begins ‘I feel’ and gives her own judgement of what the medal meant.

Cause – effect. Sentence (i) is the cause: a tumour was found in her spine. Sentence (ii) is the effect: because of it she had surgery and was told she would be bound to a wheelchair for the rest of her life.

Answer: 2 (fact – opinion). The first sentence is a fact — her membership of the Working Group (2012–17) is on record. The second is an opinion — ‘It is believed that…’ reports what people think, and ‘greatly’ is a judgement.

Answer: 1 (cause – effect). The first sentence is the cause: the Paralympics show the talent and determination of para-athletes. The second is the effect: the global perception of disability shifts, and this inspires para-athletes to pursue their dreams.

Answer: Like a caterpillar that becomes a butterfly, she did not just return to her old life — she changed it completely. After being paralysed, she chose to ‘transform it to a world of limitless possibilities’ instead of wasting it in remorse. She switched to para-athletics and emerged as a Paralympic medallist, able to do things she had never done before.

Answer: She could switch comfortably because she was already a sportsperson: she says, ‘I love sports and had been a swimmer too.’ Her fitness, training habits and competitive spirit carried over, so she changed only the sport, not her way of life.

… because she won the silver medal in the shot-put event there — her first Paralympic medal, which made her India’s first woman Paralympic medallist. She felt it was a personal victory and a step forward in changing people’s perceptions.

Answer: B. reflective. ‘In hindsight’ means understanding something after it has happened. She is looking back at the Rio medal and thinking about what it meant.

Answer: One perception she changed: that a person who uses a wheelchair cannot be a serious, competing athlete. Her silver medal in shot-put at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games proved that disability and top-level sport can go together.

Answer: (a) A and D — appreciative and optimistic. She praises what sport can do (‘extraordinary ability’, ‘a new lease of life’) and is hopeful that stereotypes and attitudes towards disability will change.

Answer: stereotypes. ‘Ability’ and ‘potential’ have nearly the same meaning. The word in the extract that means nearly the same as ‘preconceived notions’ is ‘stereotypes’ — fixed ideas formed before knowing the truth.

True. The extract says people ‘witness the strength, skill, and competitive spirit of para-athletes’ (the Paralympics showcase their abilities), and that the Paralympics ‘challenge stereotypes’ and break down ‘preconceived notions’ (they question stereotypes).

Answer: It tells us that she is ambitious and determined. She does not accept limits set by her body or by other people; she keeps testing herself and going beyond what others thought she could do.

Answer: “a new lease of life” — “Paralympics has given me a new lease of life…” It shows that her life became active and full of energy again; it was transformed.

Answer: Society often sees a woman paralysed waist down as dependent and in need of care. Dr. Malik’s achievements replace that assumption with a record. She won the silver medal in shot-put at the 2016 Rio Paralympics; she was the first Indian woman para-athlete to win an Asian Games medal in athletics and India’s first woman Paralympic medallist in any sport; and she received the Khel Ratna, Arjuna and Padma Shri. Each result supports her belief that ‘physical limitations don’t define one’s potential’. She says her real challenge was ‘societal perceptions’ — people underestimated her — and her medals prove that persons with disabilities ‘can be as capable, if not more than their able-bodied counterparts’.

Answer: Dr. Malik believes ‘youth is the voice of tomorrow’, so awareness sessions in schools and colleges have a lasting effect. Young people who learn about disability early grow up without prejudice, so inclusion becomes a normal habit rather than a favour. They learn respectful language and behaviour. As future architects, teachers and officials, they will plan ramps, accessible buildings and fair policies from the start. Students with disabilities may discover their own talent for sport, and every aware student can become an advocate. Over time this helps create the society she wants, where everyone ‘is treated with dignity and given a fair chance to succeed’.

Answer: The title comes from Dr. Malik’s own words at the turning point of her life. After being paralysed, she had two choices — ‘squander my life in remorse or transform it to a world of limitless possibilities.’ Her attitude matches the title: she refused to accept the limit the doctors set and believes in ‘ability beyond disability’. Her achievements prove it — a silver medal in shot-put at Rio 2016, the first Indian woman para-athlete to win an Asian Games medal in athletics, India’s first woman Paralympic medallist, and the Khel Ratna, Arjuna and Padma Shri. Through her advocacy she also opens this ‘world’ of possibilities to others. So the title is apt.

Answer: Setbacks come to everyone — a failed exam, an illness, a lost job, a failed crop. We cannot always control the setback, but we can choose how we respond, just as Dr. Malik chose to ‘transform’ her life instead of wasting it in regret. A setback shows us our weak points so that we can work on them, and it reveals a strength that easy success never tests. If we treat each failure as a chance to learn, try again and take help from a ‘support system’, we become more confident and resilient. So the line is a lesson for students, workers and families, not only for sportspersons.

Answer: The International Paralympic Committee named Dr. Malik one of the 10 most inspirational women para-athletes globally. This places an Indian woman with a disability among the world’s best, and so challenges two biases at once — against women in sport and against athletes with disabilities. It makes women’s para-sport visible and gives girls, especially girls with disabilities, a role model. Because she is honoured for her performance (the Rio 2016 silver, the Khel Ratna, the Arjuna), it supports equality based on merit, not sympathy. She also uses her fame to empower women ‘through outdoor sports and adventure activities’. In this way her recognition strengthens the demand for equal opportunities for women in sports.

Answer: ‘Ability beyond disability’ asks athletes to focus on what they can do, not on what they cannot. As a guideline, it tells future para-athletes to find the sport that suits their strengths — as Dr. Malik, a former swimmer, turned to shot-put — and to develop their own techniques. It helps them ignore other people’s low expectations, since her biggest challenge was ‘societal perceptions’. It encourages them to measure success by their own improvement, through hard training and a ‘support system’ of coaches and family. Above all, it gives them self-belief: disability is ‘a unique strength waiting to be unleashed’.

I learnt three things from the interview. First, the biggest obstacle is often other people’s low expectations — ‘People often underestimated my abilities.’ I will include classmates and ask them, instead of deciding for them what they can do. Second, every setback is a chance to prove one’s strength. When I fail a test, I will find my weak topics and work on them instead of giving up. Third, everyone needs a support system. I will encourage my friends and support simple changes, such as keeping our sports equipment where everyone can reach it.

Answer: 1 – (iii), 2 – (v), 3 – (iv), 4 – (i), 5 – (ii)

Sentences of my own:

1. defy the odds — With two players injured, our school team defied the odds and beat the district champions.
2. a new lease of life — A coat of paint and a new chain gave my grandfather’s old cycle a new lease of life.
3. in hindsight — In hindsight, we should have left for the station an hour earlier.
4. breakthrough moment — Her breakthrough moment came when the state selectors watched her throw at the inter-district meet.
5. turn obstacles into stepping stones — He failed the first entrance test, used the paper to find his weak chapters, and turned that obstacle into a stepping stone.

Answer (slowest to fastest): crawl → creep → plod → amble → saunter → stroll → walk → jog → run → dart → sprint

Answer: 1 – (v) past ability; 2 – (vi) impossibility; 3 – (iv) obligation; 4 – (iii) prediction. The two extra functions are (i) promise and (ii) possibility.

One sentence for each function, all set in situations from this chapter or from school life. The function is named in brackets, exactly as the exercise asks.

1. The sentences given above are in Direct Speech — the speakers’ exact words are given after their names.
2. The sentences given above are declarative sentences — each makes a statement and ends with a full stop.

Changes noted in Column 3 (row 1 is the book’s example):

The four blanks:

1. had watched a documentary on the para equestrian event on television the previous night
2. it did, and that it had been so interesting to watch
3. they also had to find and develop their own style of communication with their horse
4. he would watch that documentary the next weekend

Answer: school auditorium.

The announcement gives the venue in the same sentence as the day and the time: “This assembly will take place on Thursday, 10 October, at 9.00 a.m. in the school auditorium.” (Appendix, printed page 268)

Answer: Interact Club.

The transcript lists the programme in order: “The assembly will commence with a welcome speech by our Principal, followed by a staging on inclusion by the Interact Club.” (printed page 268)

Answer: diversity and acceptance.

The transcript says: “There will also be a special performance by the school’s dance team that highlights themes of diversity and acceptance.” (printed page 268)

Answer: panel discussion.

The transcript says: “After the performances, we will have a panel discussion featuring guest speakers who are advocates for inclusion in various fields.” (printed page 268)

Answer: song.

The last line of the announcement is: “We will conclude with a song presented by students to nurture inclusive practices and collaboration among all members of our school community.” (printed page 268)

Sample answer — formal interview with the Sports Coach (extract):

Interviewer: Good morning, Sir. It is my privilege to get this opportunity to have this interaction with you.
Coach: Good morning. It’s a pleasure.
Interviewer: Could you tell me how your journey in sports began?
Coach: I was a middle-distance runner in college. I never missed a morning session, and that is what my coach noticed first.
Interviewer: What advice do you have for aspiring athletes?
Coach: Turn up on the days you don’t feel like it. That is the whole secret.
Interviewer: Thank you, Sir, for sharing your insights.

For the informal interview with the Sports Captain, use the informal prompts (‘Hello! I’m so glad…’, ‘Tell me about yourself…’) and everyday words.

Answer: A notice gives information to students or a particular group of people — about an event, a celebration, a competition, important information or a lost/found article. Its parts, in order, are: name of the organisation → NOTICE → date → heading → details → signature → name → designation.

(draw the whole notice inside a box):

Word count of the details: 46 words — inside the 50-word limit. The heading, date, name and designation are not counted in the body.

Key facts from the box (there is no question to answer; note these for the presentation):

This is a group project, so the book’s steps are the marking scheme. Note that the slide count is fixed: 1 introduction + 2 on the origin and history of the Paralympics + 4 to 5 on your chosen topic + 1 conclusion = 8 to 9 slides. Divide them four ways so that every member speaks, as the last step requires.

Sample answer — outline for the topic ‘Two lesser-known Paralympic sports’:

The three are separate movements with different athletes, different aims and different symbols. They are constantly confused, so fix the distinction on one line each: the Olympics are for athletes without disability; the Paralympics are elite competition for athletes with physical, visual or intellectual impairments; the Special Olympics are for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, and are built around participation rather than the podium.

Answer: (a) sympathy — feeling sorry for someone; (b) empathy — understanding how the other person feels, and why; (c) compassion — understanding the feeling and acting to help.

(one pair’s word web, in the order they thought of it): understanding — listening — kindness — patience — putting yourself in someone’s shoes — noticing — including — comfort — support — imagination — respect.

Answer: 1 – (ii) destroyed; 2 – (iv) step awkwardly, lose balance and almost fall; 3 – (i) walk or move with difficulty; 4 – (v) extreme pain or suffering; 5 – (iii) a hard black substance used to make roads and paths.

Answer: 1 – stanza 2; 2 – stanza 4; 3 – stanza 8; 4 – stanza 3; 5 – stanza 1; 6 – stanza 6; 7 – stanza 7; 8 – stanza 5.

(i) “he stumbled and staggered” (stanza 4)    (ii) “dashed in the dirt” (stanza 5)

Alliteration is the repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of words that are close together.

Answer:
(i) “The blocks were all lined up for those who would use them” (stanza 3)
(ii) “But the smallest among them, he stumbled and staggered / And fell to the asphalt instead” (stanza 4)
(iii) “And a standing ovation and nine beaming faces” (stanza 8)

(i) “The signal was given, the pistol exploded” (stanza 4). The word ‘exploded’ makes us hear the loud crack of the starting pistol.

Answer: Imagery lets the poet show the scene instead of just telling us about it. Pictures such as ‘The blocks were all lined up’, the runner who ‘stumbled and staggered / And fell to the asphalt’ and the ‘nine beaming faces’ let us see the race as if we were there. Sounds such as the pistol that ‘exploded’ and the boy’s ‘cry of frustration and anguish’ make us feel the tension and his pain. Because we see and hear everything, we feel with the athletes, and the ending moves us without the poet stating any moral.

Answer: At the beginning the tone is matter-of-fact and excited — the training, the crowd, the athletes ‘Poised for the sound of the gun’. When the boy falls and cries out (stanzas 4–5) it becomes pained and sympathetic. From stanza 6, when the eight runners help him and all nine finish together, it is warm, admiring and joyful, ending humbly: the scene ‘Said more than these words ever will.’

Answer: The overall mood is uplifting and heart-warming. It moves from excitement before the race, through sadness when the boy falls, to warmth, joy and admiration when the others help him and all nine finish together to a standing ovation.

Answer: The message is that compassion and togetherness matter more than winning. The eight runners, who ‘had trained for so long to compete’, gave up their chance to win in order to help a fallen competitor, and all nine finished together. True victory lies in kindness, inclusion and sportsmanship — the spirit of the Special Olympics.

Answer: B. stopped running. ‘Pulled up’ means stopped suddenly. The next line proves it: they ‘turned round and went back to help him’, which they could do only after stopping.

Answer: compassion — they did not just feel sorry for the fallen boy but acted: ‘One by one they all turned round and went back to help him’. (Selflessness, kindness or sportsmanship are also acceptable.)

Answer: The tone is admiring and warm. The poet reminds us that these runners ‘had trained for so long to compete’, so their choice to go back and help the boy is shown with quiet admiration, though he uses no direct words of praise.

Answer: He would first have felt surprised that his rivals came back for him, and then relieved and grateful that his race was not over. Being helped up and finishing hand in hand with them would also have given him a sense of belonging and joy — he became one of the ‘nine beaming faces’.

Yes — it is the turning point of the poem. Until this moment the poem describes an ordinary race in which each runner wants to win. When the eight runners stop, turn round and help the boy, competition changes into compassion: the dash becomes a walk, and the race ends with nine gold medals instead of one. The poet prepares us for it: ‘The same goes for what next occurred.’

Answer: They felt joyful, proud and united. The poet shows this through the ‘nine beaming faces’ and by saying they came to the finish line ‘holding hands still’.

Answer: All nine were given gold medals because they finished together, hand in hand, so no one came first. More importantly, they showed the spirit of the Special Olympics — acceptance and inclusion. The eight gave up their chance to win to help the fallen boy, and he got up and completed the race. Their compassion was honoured as a greater achievement than speed.

… a feeling of unity and togetherness (solidarity and equality among the nine runners).

Answer: A. amazed. A standing ovation — the audience rising to applaud — is given when people are struck by something extraordinary, like the runners walking the fallen boy to the finish line.

Answer: The last line is ‘Said more than these words ever will.’ The poet means that the standing ovation and the nine beaming faces expressed the meaning of that moment — kindness, unity and joy — better than any words, including his own poem, ever could.

Answer: The first two stanzas create an atmosphere of excitement and high expectation. Stanza 1 tells us that the athletes ‘had come from all over the country’ after ‘Many weeks and months of training’ to run for gold, silver and bronze — so the race matters a great deal. Stanza 2 fills the scene with spectators ‘gathered around the old field’ to cheer, as ‘The final event of the day was approaching’ and ‘Excitement was high’. This picture of a crowded, important race makes the later events stand out: the boy falls in front of everyone, and the eight runners’ decision to go back is a real sacrifice.

Answer: He would have felt hurt, shocked and deeply disappointed. The poet says he ‘gave out a cry of frustration and anguish’ and that his ‘dreams and his efforts’ were ‘dashed in the dirt’. After months of training, his hope of winning was gone in a moment, and falling in front of the watching crowd would also have made him feel embarrassed.

Answer: The athletes were eager because they had trained for ‘Many weeks and months’, and everything was ‘All coming down to these games’. They had come ‘from all over the country’ to win gold, silver or bronze. It was the final event of the day, the crowd was excited, and they were ‘resolved’ and ‘Poised for the sound of the gun’ — ready and determined to start.

Answer: The change of the hundred-yard dash into a walk symbolises the change from competition to compassion and togetherness. A dash is about leaving others behind; a walk lets everyone move at the pace of the slowest. By walking hand in hand, the runners show inclusion and equality — winning together matters more than winning alone. It also changes the meaning of victory: all nine finish together, and all nine get gold.

Answer: If the poem focused only on individual achievement, it would be an ordinary race story. The fall would be a small incident, the other runners would only be rivals to beat, and the poem would end with one winner, one medal and an ordinary cheer. The title ‘Nine Gold Medals’, the joined hands, the standing ovation and the last line would lose their meaning. Its message would be only ‘hard work brings success’, instead of the deeper message that compassion and togetherness are greater than victory.

Answer: The poet uses simple, everyday language, like a live sports commentary, so the reader follows the race moment by moment. Alliteration (‘stumbled and staggered’, ‘dashed in the dirt’) and vivid images (‘the pistol exploded’, ‘nine beaming faces’) make us see and hear the scene. In stanza 5 he speaks to us directly — ‘as sure as I’m standing here telling this story’ — which draws us in. His tone changes from excited to pained to admiring, so our feelings change with the story, and he leaves the moral for us to feel.

Answer: The poet’s purpose is to make readers rethink what winning means. Through one simple incident at a Special Olympics race, he celebrates compassion and sportsmanship — eight runners give up their chance to win to help a fallen competitor. He honours the spirit of the Special Olympics, acceptance and inclusion, and shows its athletes as true competitors, not objects of pity. He wants readers to remember the picture of nine runners finishing together as a lesson in kindness.

Answer: “beaming faces” (stanza 8) and “final event” (stanza 2). (Also acceptable: old field, young boy, resolved athletes.)

Answer: youngest. The youngest athlete was moving at a steady pace. ‘Littlest’ is informal; ‘youngest’ is the adjective in the box that fits the athlete.

Answer: positive. The eight athletes had a positive attitude. A face can smile but an attitude cannot; ‘positive attitude’ is the natural pairing.

Answer: loud. When the athlete fell, he gave a loud cry of pain. A cry is a sound, so an adjective of volume (‘loud’) fits.

Answer: significant. The spectators saw a significant difference in the athletes who had only come to compete. The change was important and noticeable, not ‘terrible’.

Answer: noisy. The noisy crowd cheered the runners enthusiastically. ‘Gaudy’ means showily bright-coloured; a cheering crowd is noisy.

True.

The radio-talk says: “He is a talented special athlete whose journey began with his participation in various track events way back in 1991, in Chennai.” (Appendix, printed page 268)

False.

The transcript says: “He has been coaching special athletes for over 15 years now in sports and related values.” (printed page 269)

True.

The transcript says: “Despite his speech challenge, he is quite an independent and confident person. In fact, he lives all by himself, doing all the daily chores at home. He says it keeps him fit too.” (printed page 269)

Answer: (i) challenge themselves.

The phrase comes in the talk’s opening line: “If you’re feeling a bit low today, I’ve something to share that will inspire you to push your boundaries.” (printed page 268)

Answer: (ii) coach of special athletes.

The question turns on the words ‘at present’. The talk gives his career as a sequence: he took part in track events from 1991, was selected in football for the Special Olympics World Summer Games at Connecticut in 1995, later represented Special Olympics Bharat in Spain at a World Athletics Championship, and then — “Gradually, he trained as a coach. He has been coaching special athletes for over 15 years now.” (printed pages 268–269)

Answer: (ii) turning point.

The talk says: “in 1995… he was selected in football for the Special Olympics World Summer Games held at Connecticut, in the USA. That is how his journey of Special Olympics began. It became a milestone in his life, changing his life forever.” (printed pages 268–269)

Answer: (iii) football.

The key word is ‘mostly’. The talk traces his events in order: track events in 1991 to begin with; selection in football for Connecticut in 1995; and then — “He participated in several special games after that, primarily football.” (printed page 269) Primarily is the audio’s word for the question’s mostly.

Answer: (i) a positive outlook.

The talk says: “He strongly believes that sports is important for everyone as it brings positivity, fitness, and discipline.” (printed page 269) The question already accounts for fitness (‘along with fitness’), so the blank must be filled by one of the other two qualities — and ‘positivity’ is what option (i) restates as ‘a positive outlook’.

Sample answer (extract):

A: What is your opinion on the Special Olympics?
B: Personally, I believe they are very important because they promote inclusion. They give children and adults with intellectual disabilities a real chance to train and compete.
A: How do you feel about their impact on the athletes?
B: From my perspective, they build confidence. Patrick Gomes began as a Special Olympics athlete and has now coached special athletes for over 15 years.
A: What is your take on creating awareness?
B: I have a strong feeling that schools can help — through assemblies, posters, films and an inclusive event on sports day.

Sample answer — three slogans:

1. Nine runners. One finish line. Everybody wins. (built directly on the poem — the ending explained in seven words)
2. Different starting blocks, the same fire. (‘starting blocks’ borrowed from stanza 3 of the poem; the balanced pair ‘different… the same’ makes it memorable)
3. Include, and watch us compete. (the imperative is addressed to the spectator, not the athlete — inclusion is presented as something the crowd must do)

A poster is a visual text, so plan the layout before you plan the sentences. The steps on page 166 give you the marking scheme; here is a layout that satisfies every one of them.

Sample answer — one entry from a student’s research file:

Name: Ravimathi Arumugam. Sport and event: Athletics, 400 metres (Level C, women). Achievement: Gold at the Special Olympics World Summer Games, Berlin, 2023 — as recorded on page 167 of Kaveri. What I want to find out next: which state association she trains with, who coaches her, and what her timing was in the final. Where I will look: the Special Olympics Bharat website and newspaper reports from June 2023.

Sample answer — plan for an infographic ‘Para Archery: A Glimpse’ (five panels, one picture each):

1. Archery has been part of the Paralympics since the first Games, Rome 1960.
2. Two bows: the recurve (shot at 70 metres) and the compound (50 metres).
3. Archers compete in classes based on function — standing, seated, or shooting with the feet.
4. India’s Sheetal Devi (Arjuna Award, 2024) holds the bow with her foot.
5. The key skill is stillness: a steady hold and a clean release.