NCERT Class 9 English Chapter 19 On Killing a Tree

NCERT Class 9 English Chapter 19 On Killing a Tree Solutions to each chapter is provided in the list so that you can easily browse through different chapters NCERT Class 9 English Chapter 19 On Killing a Tree and select need one. NCERT Class 9 English Chapter 19 On Killing a Tree Question Answers Download PDF. NCERT English Class 9 Solutions.

NCERT Class 9 English Chapter 19 On Killing a Tree

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Also, you can read the NCERT book online in these sections Solutions by Expert Teachers as per Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Book guidelines. CBSE Class 9 English Solutions are part of All Subject Solutions. Here we have given NCERT Class 9 English Chapter 19 On Killing a Tree and After, NCERT Class 9 English Textbook of Beehive and Supplementary Reader (Moments). for All Chapters, You can practice these here.

On Killing a Tree

Chapter: 19

BEEHIVE – POETRY

STANZAS FOR COMPREHENSION

Read the stanzas given below and answer the questions that follow:

Stanza -1

It takes much time to kill a tree, 

Not a simple jab of the knife 

Will do it. It has grown 

Slowly consuming the earth, 

Rising out of it, feeding 

Upon its crust, absorbing 

Years of sunlight, air, water,

And out of its leprous hide

Sprouting leaves.

Questions

(i) What helps to grow the tree?

(a) Earth.

(b) Air.

(c) Gardener. 

(d) Fertilisers. 

Ans: (a) Earth.

(ii) The roots of the tree remain hidden:

(a) In the water.

(b) In the air.

(c) In the earth. 

(d) No where.

Ans: (c) In the earth.

(iii) One most far, ‘sudden rough blow’:

(a) Cut.

(b) Jab.

(c) Scarching.

(d) Kill.

Ans: (b) Jab.

(iv) The strength of the trees are found in:

(a) Branches. 

(b) Roots.

(c) Stem.

(d) Leaves.

Ans: (d) They had three sounds.

(v) The poet compares the bark of the tree with:

(a) The sunlight.

(b) Leprous hide.

(c) Air and water. 

(d) Sprouting hide.

Ans: (b) Leprous hide.

Stanza-2

So hack and chop

But this alone wont do it.

Not so much pain will do it.

The bleeding bark will heal

And from close to the ground

Will rise curled green twigs,

Miniature boughs

Which if unchecked will expand again

To former size.

Questions

(i) The strength of the tree is exposed when:

(a) It is pulled out.

(b) It is hacked and chopped.

(c) It is snapped.

(d) It is roped out.

Ans: (a) It is pulled out.

(ii) The poet used the word ‘miniature . It states:

(a) Small and tiny.

(b) Sprouting.

(c) Closeness.

(d) Curled twigs.

Ans: (a) Small and tiny.

(iii) The miniature boughs will come down against if it is left:

(a) Unchecked.

(b) Unhurt.

(c) unhacked.

(d) Unharmed.

Ans: (c) Unhacked.

(iv) The title ‘On killing a tree’ establishes:

(a) Force.

(b) Irony.

(c) Hyperbole.

(d) Achievement.

Ans: (b) Irony.

(v) Put out the words in right order:

(i) Twig.

(ii) Trunk.

(iii) Branch. 

(iv) Root.

(a) (iii), (iv), (i), (ii).

(b) (iv), (iii), (i), (ii).

(c) (iv), (ii), (iii), (i). 

(d) (i), (ii), (iii), (iv).

Ans: (c) (iv), (ii), (iii), (i).

Stanza-3

No,

The root is to be pulled out

Out of the anchoring earth; 

It is to be roped, tied,

And pulled out-snapped out

Or pulled out entirely,

Out from the earth-cave,

And the strength of the tree exposed

The source, white and wet,

The most sensitive, hidden 

For years inside the earth.

Questions

(i) What should we do to kill a tree entirely?

(a) Cutting down completely. 

(b) Pulling out the roots.

(c) Cutting the branches only.

(d) devoiding sun, air and water.

Ans: (b) Pulling out the roots.

(ii) The root needs to be pulled out of the:

(a) Firm and soul.

(b) Anchoring earth.

(c) Underground earth. 

(d) Firm earth. 

Ans: (b) Anchoring earth.

(iii) The first step of uprooting a tree is: 

(a) To use the rope. 

(b) To use the bulldozer. 

(c) To burnt it.

(d) None / all of these.

Ans: (a) To use the rope.

(iv) “Out from the earth-cave”, Here ‘cave’ refers to:

(a) The hale.

(b) A hollow around the earth. 

(c) Well made by man. 

(d) A place where animals live.

Ans: (b) A hollow around the earth.

(v) What would happen if a tree is only hacked and chopped?

(a) Tree get angry.

(b) It begins to grow again.

(c) Tree will cry.

(d) Tree will curse you.

Ans: (b) It begins to grow again.

Stanza-4

Then the matter

Of scorching and choking

In sun and air,

Browning, hardening,

Twisting, withering,

And then it is done.

Questions

(i) What meaning do you read ‘then it is done’? 

(a) Killing completely.

(b) Uprooting.

(c) Drying.

(d) Making breathless. 

Ans: (a) Killing completely.

(ii) When a tree a uprooted, if faces:

(a) Buring.

(b) Panic. 

(c) Scorching.

(d) Chocking.

Ans: (c) Scorching. (d) chocking.

(iii) What is the effect of sun and air over it?

(a) Making it wither.

(b) Making it harder.

(c) Making it colourless. 

(d) None / All of these.

Ans: (d) All of these.

(iv) Find a similar word of ‘chocking’:

(a) Unable to drink.

(b) Unable to breathe.

(c) Unable to eat.

(d) Unable to move.

Ans: (b) Unable to breathe.

(v) ‘Withering’ means:

(a) Becoming harder. 

(b) Brown in colour.

(c) Curving.

(d) Drying.

Ans: (d) Drying.

TEXTUAL QUESTIONS

THINKING ABOUT THE POEM

Read the following questions and write your answers in 30-40 words each:

Q.1. Can a ‘simple jab of knife’ kill a tree? Why not? 

Ans: No, simply stabbing a tree with a knife will not kill it. The tree is very strong. It has become thick and stout over the years. Its branches come out again and again.

Q.2. How has the tree grown to its full size? List the words suggestive of its life and activity. 

Ans: The tree has grown to its full size over many years. It has slowly consumed the soil, absorbed sunlight, air and water, and put forth leaves.

Words suggestive of its life and activities-consuming, rising, feeding, absorbing, sprouting.

Q.3. What is the meaning of ‘bleeding bark’? What makes it bleed? 

Ans: ‘Bleeding bark’ means the wounded rind (bark) of the tree.

It is bleeding because it has been hacked and chopped.

Q. 4. The poet says ‘No’ in the beginning of the third stanza. What does he mean by this?

Ans: Here the word ‘No’ means a shift in the argument offered. It bleeds after being cut but it heals itself slowly and comes to the former size. Its roots are deep in the earth which keep it protected. 

Q. 5. What is the meaning of ‘anchoring earth’ and ‘earth cave’?

Ans: (i) ‘Anchoring earth’ here refers that the roots of the tree held it securely in the earth. They hold it properly.

(ii) ‘Earth cave’ here means that after uprooting a tree, the roots come out. There an opening is formed which is generally deep. It is called ‘earth cave’. 

Q. 6. What does he mean by “The strength of the tree exposed’? 

Ans: Here ‘the strength of the tree exposed’ signifies when the roots of the tree are completely pulled out of the earth, which hold it securely, at that time the strength of the tree is exposed. Thus it becomes unprotected.

Q. 7. What finally kills the tree?

Ans: After pulling the tree, its white and wet roots come out. Its source of strength goes so it cannot grow again. It falls dead on the earth. Its branches and leaves become dry. It begins to whither and turns hard brown. Then it is finally killed.

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS

Q.1. If you trace back Indian history all great men have achieved sainthood and supreme wisdom under trees. Trees are an integral part of our ecosystem. What do you think should be our attitude towards trees?

Ans: Trees are the protector of our mother earth. They give us oxygen, shade, fruit, wood for furniture, paper and these have innumerable advantages. Trees also possess life and we must show tenderness towards them. We should plant more and more trees to make the environment clean. We can also fulfil needs of mother earth by planting as many trees as possible around our homes.

Q. 2. ‘Slowly conserving the earth’. The tree has been depicted as a living organism. What should be our attitude towards trees?

Ans: Trees also possess feelings like human beings. They also have emotions. They feel sad when they are ill – treated and at the same time they feel happy to see the gardener. It has been scientifically proved by crescograph invented by J.C.

Bose that trees have emotions and react to human touch. 

Q. 3. What message does the poet Gieve Patel give through the poem ‘On Killing the Tree’?

Ans: The poet wants to give the message that we, mankind should protect tree and should treat it as humans. The efforts that are put to kill the tree should be used elsewhere.

It is man who is responsible for cutting trees for its selfish interest to pursue industrialisation and urbanisation. As a student we should popularize tree plantation drive. We should also sensitize the society about importance of trees.

Q. 4. Challenges and adversities have always been deflected by strength and power. How does the tree fight the adversities? What lesson do we learn from tree?

Ans: Man overpowers the tree by cutting it with axe and it is kept to bleed. Tree has always faced challenges and adversities. The bleeding bark of the trees grows after facing difficulties. Even a small bough can expand to a huge tree. We learn from this that men should be courageous and they must face challenges like trees. 

Q. 5. What are the necessities of a tree in becoming strong?

Ans: For its feeding and growth, a tree is always in need of water, air, sunlight and manure. After a long span of years, it becomes strong by getting its roots sticked in the earth below. Even various forces of the nature make it grow and strong. 

Q. 6. What is the process in killing a tree?

Ans: A tree can never be killed by a simple jab of a knife. Even minute chopping and hacking fail to kill it entirely because its twigs sprout out after sometime. For its complete kill, its roots have to be pulled out thoroughly. Then the sun, air and the oxygen wither it completely. Thus it will die.

Q. 7. What is the Theory behind the growth and progress of a tree?

Ans: The growth and progress of a tree is not a simple process. It takes years of feeding, protection and the help of the nature like the sun, air and water. In the beginning, a seed is sown which steadily comes out of the leprous earth. Slowly and steadily, it goes on developing and it becomes a full grown tree after a struggle of years.

Q. 8. What is the healing power hidden in the tree?

Ans: It is quite known that the earth protects the tree like a mother. It keeps its roots intact and these spread within the earth goes on providing all the essentialities needed for its growth. Whenever it is hurt or cut, the bleeding barks get automatically healed, After sometimes the twigs and the new flowers and fruits come out. This is the hidden and healing power within a tree.

Q. 9. Describe the similarities that you can observe between a tree and a man.

Ans: After analysing, evaluating and observing the facts, we can say that trees and the individuals are living organisms. They have life, growth and end equally. They need protection, care, feeding and support for their progress and development. The poet points out that an individual has deep rooted evils which are impossible to uproot like a tree.

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