CBSE Board has recently introduced discursive passages for classes 9 and 10, offering a unique blend of unseen passage English reading. These passages contain contentious arguments and diverse points of view, enabling the students explore the issue from multiple perspectives and hone their comprehension passage reading abilities. Dive into discursive passage with MCQ for class 9.
Table of Contents
Following are the unseen passage English selections for class 9, meticulously crafted to enhance your comprehension passage reading skills.
Passage – 6 Unseen Passage English
Let’s delve deeper into another unseen passage English
1. There are various beliefs prevalent in the society as to what should be eaten and what should not be eaten to keep healthy. If one has high blood pressure, one is told to cut down on or stop consuming sodium. A new study from Boston University reveals that low sodium does not actually cause low blood pressure.
A little salt is part of a healthy food plan. The study has shown that the people with the lowest intake of sodium along with the ones who have the highest intake of sodium have a greater risk of heart disease than the people in the middle.
2. There is a theory that drinking milk post infancy is unnatural. It is true that humans are the only species to drink milk as adults. Research shows that we have genetically evolved to adapt to it. Milk products actually play an important role in keeping us healthy. Dairy products are rich in whey, protein, linoleic acid and calcium.
3. Fat in general is not a bad thing. The scientific community is still debating the benefits of saturated fats. The other types of fats taken in moderation are good for us. Plant-based fats such as monosaturated fats found in foods like almonds, avocado and omega-3 fatty acids found in fish offer many healthy benefits. These fats may reduce inflammation and improve the quality of blood.
4. It may seem that diet products such as light salad dressing are healthier choices to eat but often they are really not. Healthy food like this used to be popular, but many of these products remove the fat and replace it with added sugar. Large amounts of added sugar in the diet may be even more damaging to health than excessive dietary fat.
A major study from CDC showed that people who consumed a lot of sugar were more than twice likely to die from heart disease. If you opt for a higher food, check the ingredients and food label to make sure that the fats have not been replaced with added sugar. We must study the reports of various researches before adopting any new mode of eating or food habit otherwise the result of the food plan may be opposite of what is expected.
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the following questions.
(i) The reason why we should consume dairy products, is:
(a) they are rich in protein and calcium.
(b) they are tasty and tempting.
(c) they are good for heart.
(d) they are not very expensive.
(ii) Which type of people have a greater risk of heart disease?
1. People with no intake of salt.
2. People with the lowest intake of salt.
3. People with moderate intake of salt.
4. People with the highest intake of salt.
5. People who have multiple complications.
(a) 1 and 3
(b) 2 and 3
(c) 4 and 5
(d) 2 and 4
(iii) Plant-based fats are good because they:
(a) improve the quality of blood.
(b) improve appetite.
(c) strengthen mind and body.
(d) improve heart beats.
(iv) The word `prevalent’ in the first paragraph of the passage means:
(a) most uncommon.
(b) most common.
(c) unconventional.
(d) important.
(v) What is more damaging to health than excessive dietary fat?
(a) A lot of added sugar in diet.
(b) No sugar intake.
(c) Eating saturated fat frequently.
(d) No fat intake.
(vi) Monosaturated fats are found in food like:
1. milk products
2. sugar
3. almonds
4. oil
5. avocado
(a) 1 and 4
(b) 3 and 5
(c) 2 and 4
(d) 2 and 3
(vii) The phrase ‘added sugar’ in the last paragraph refers to sugars added during the:
(a) cooking of food.
(b) eating of food.
(c) processing of food.
(d) production of sucrose.
(viii) What does the first paragraph of the passage suggest?
(ix) The passage focuses on the importance of……………..
(x) What does the term ‘Eating something in moderation’ mean?
Answers:
(i)(a) they are rich in protein and calcium.
(ii) (d) 2 and 4
(iii) (a) improve the quality of blood.
(iv) (b) most common.
(v) (a) A lot of added sugar in diet.
(vi) (b) 3 and 5
(vii) (c) processing of food.
(viii) The first paragraph of the passage suggests that ‘salt is not as bad as we think’.
(ix) a balanced diet
(x) The given term means to avoid eating something excessively.
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Passage – 7 Comprehension Passage Reading
Unseen Passage English: A Deep Dive into Discursive Texts
1. Happiness is not something far away and unattainable. Happiness does not depend on circumstances or objects. It is an inseparable part of our consciousness, of our essence, but hidden and covered from sight by our thoughts, desires and worries. We all seek happiness but few, very-few, indeed, get it. We are unhappy partly because we desire much more than what we can hope to attain.
Our countless desires are hard to be satisfied. And that is what makes us so sad in life. The secret of happiness lies in the simplification of life. Simple living encourages high thinking. It leads to contentment. Contentment gives us inner wealth, the wealth of the mind and of the soul.
2. A contented man devotes himself to virtues; a man can feel true happiness. I do not mean that for simplification of life, a man should become an ascetic. The happiness of a sadhu is of a negative kind. I want positive kind of happiness. For this I must live in the midst of life and faithfully carry out my responsibilities to my home and my country. But all this should be done in the spirit of selfless service.
3. A man, who wants to lead a happy life, should also make others happy. In making others happy he will taste real and lasting happiness. There is a kind of joy in serving others with virtuous motives, in sacrificing what one has for the good of others. An act of goodness is of itself an act of happiness. The secret of perfect happiness lies in renunciation.
4. Wealth may give us joy for a while and fame may provide us with fleeting excitement. But they cannot give us permanent happiness. Kings have everything to make them happy and yet they feel unhappy. It is because they do not practise renunciation. There is a sense of joy in doing one’s work honestly and efficiently. A research-worker feels joy in research and a journalist in writing.
In doing one’s duty sincerely, one feels peace of mind which is an important essence of happiness. It is only by cultivating spirit of renunciation, self-sacrifice, contentment and science work that one can really be happy. The strings of misfortune spare none but they will not cow such a person.
5. Happiness is like the sun, it is often hidden by the clouds of thoughts, worries and desires. We have to scatter and dissolve them to experience happiness. You don’t have to create happiness. All you have to do is calm your mind, because when there is a quiet mind and inner peace, there is happiness.
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the following questions.
(i) Which of the following is the correct chain of things, as mentioned in the passage, leading to happiness?
(a) contentment, high thinking, simple living, inner wealth
(b) simple living, high thinking, inner wealth, contentment
(c) high thinking, simple living, inner wealth, contentment
(d) simple living, high thinking, contentment, inner wealth
(ii) What does a contented man do?
(a) He assimilates the basic virtues of life.
(b) He faces boldly the adversities of life.
(c) He encounters the strings of misfortunes.
(d) He gives up bad habits effortlessly.
(iii) What, according to the passage, is a positive kind of happiness?
(a) Keeping our motives and feelings under control.
(b) Love for life and a country.
(c) Leading a simple life of an ascetic.
(d) Carrying out all worldly activities in the spirit of selfless service.
(iv) A man who wants to live a happy life should:
(a) make others happy.
(b) master the art of renunciation.
(c) pursue wealth and fame.
(d) inculcate the virtues of life.
(v) Choose the option that best captures the central idea of the passage from the given quotes.
| “Life is about creating and living experiences that are worth sharing.” -Steve Jobs | “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” -Albert Einstein |
| (1) | (2) |
| “Happiness is not something readymade; it comes from your own actions.” —Dalai Lama | “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” —Paulo Coelho |
| (3) | (4) |
(a) Option (1)
(b) Option (2)
(c) Option (3)
(d) Option (4)
(vi) Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE in the context of the passage?
(a) One feels peace of mind in doing one’s duty sincerely.
(b) Renunciation is the result of perfect happiness.
(c) Multiplicity of desires make us unhappy.
(d) Making others happy makes one happy.
(vii) The phrase “cow a person” refers to get someone:
(a) spared
(b) caught
(c) scared
(d) provoked
(viii) Doing one’s work sincerely hardly makes one happy. (True/False)
(ix) Select the option that makes the correct use of “unattainable”, as used in para 1.
(a) Unattainable development implies a long-term perspective.
(b) Keep goals small so they are more easily unattainable.
(c) Diabetes is unattainable but not curable.
(d) Some economists think that 100% employment in India is an unattainable goal.
(x) The antonym of ‘permanent’ as given in para 4 is………… .
Answers:
(i)(d) simple living, high thinking, contentment, inner wealth
(ii) (a) He assimilates the basic virtues of life.
(iii) (d) Carrying out all worldly activities in the spirit of selfless service.
(iv) (a) make others happy.
(v) (c) Option (3)
(vi) (b) Renunciation is the result of perfect happiness.
(vii) (c) scared
(viii) False
(ix) (d) Some economists think that 100% employment in India is an unattainable goal.
(x) fleeting
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Passage – 8 Unseen Passage English
In this section of comprehension passage reading, we’ll explore the omnipresence of technology in our daily lives.
1.It is an indisputable fact that the world has gone too far with the innovation of new technologies such as mobile phones, the internet and so on, due to which people are able to tour the cosmos virtually sitting at one place using their smart devices or other technological gadgets. Though mobile internet access is oftentimes hurried and short, it can still provide common internet features like alerts, weather data, emails, search engines, instant messages, and game and music downloading.
2. Due to the easy access of smartphones, communication has been very effective and instant. People are able to convey their message all around the globe to their loved ones without spending hefty sums of money. Adults are always fond of such gadgets and they always welcome and adopt such new technology readily.
Further, young people have been able to broaden their minds and improve their skills by doing research on the Internet. For instance, they use smart phones to look up any new word they come across. As we know that most of the universities have online teaching provision and smartphones assist the students to complete their assignments on time.
3. The mobile phone has been a lifesaver for a lot of people in case of an emergency. Likewise, use of smartphones can be of vital importance in preventing crimes in the society by providing information to the security forces in time.
4. Nonetheless, for the young the use of mobile phone can be like an addiction and they can misuse it. Young people are also prone to getting involved in undesirable activities on the Internet. This might have adverse effect on their academic performance. Therefore, young people should always be monitored and made aware of its bad outcomes.
5. Also a major contributor to its popularity is the availability of prepaid or pay as you go services from a phone shop or an online store. This allows subscribers to load text or airtime credits to their handsets by the use of their credit cards, debit cards or by buying a prepaid card from the network they subscribe to.
This plan also doesn’t commit a particular customer to a contract. If prepaid card is not that appealing to you, then you can opt to subscribe using the pay by month plan.
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the following questions.
1.The reason why communication today has become very effective and instant, is because of the
(a) improved mobility system
(b) easy access of smartphones
(c) growing organisation
(d) increasing number of vehicles
(ii) Choose the option that best captures the central idea of the passage from the given sentences.
| Mobile phones are beneficial for the young generations. | Smartphones have enabled us to research on the internet. |
| (1) | (2) |
| Crimes can be prevented by the use of smartphones. | Mobile phones are a boon to modern people but their addiction should be avoided. |
| (3) | (4) |
(a) Option (1)
(b) Option (2)
(c) Option (3)
(d) Option (4)
(iii) Young people with smartphones in their hands are needed to be monitored because they can
1. waste time
2. be negligent
3. misuse the gadget
4. be indulged in undesirable activities on Internet
5. disobey their parents
(a) 1 and 3
(b) 2 and 4
(c) 3 and 4
(d) 1 and 5
(iv) Choose the option that correctly states the two meanings of ‘virtually’, as used in para 1.
1. correctly
2. almost
3. more or less
4. similarly
5. online
(a) 1 and 4
(b) 2 and 5
(c) 3 and 4
(d) 4 and 5
(v) The world has gone too far in terms of:
(a) computers
(b) mobile phones
(c) security
(d) television
(vi) What does the phrase ‘hefty sums of money’ mean in the passage?
(a) little money
(b) large amount of money
(c) penniless
(d) treasury
(vii) The mobile phone is considered a lifesaver in case of……….. .
(viii) Write the most appropriate title for the passage.
(ix) The passage suggests grown-ups that they should encourage the use of new technology by the young people. (True/False)
(x) Find a phrase in para 2 which means ‘search for information using book, computer, etc’.
Answers:
(i)(b) easy access of smartphones
(ii) (d) Option (4)
(iii)(c) 3 and 4
(iv) (b) 2 and 5
(v) (d) television
(vi) (b) large amount of money
(vii) emergency
(viii) Merits and Demerits of Smartphones
(ix) False
(x) look up
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Passage – 9 Comprehension Passage Reading
Unseen Passage English: Exploring Diverse Perspectives
1. A youngster quit Facebook in December after spending over three years on the social networking site. With that one act, he bid a silent adieu to more than 300 contacts that he had added to his account during the period. Like almost everyone from his “friends’ circle,” the 20-year-old was a regular on the service; visiting it every day to post photos and status updates.
But last week, a new feature on Facebook called Timeline forced him to reconsider the pros and cons of being on the networking site.
2. ‘Everyone has some skeletons in their closet and I am just not comfortable with Facebook digging up and displaying all the facets of my life on a bulletin board,’ says thisyoungster who joined the network in July 2007 while he was in Class 11.
3. Facebook, you see, had compressed the time he spent on the site and arranged it in chronological order. And while he initially liked the new, neatly organised scrapbook-like feature, he wasn’t happy to reveal posts from the past, those that, until recently, were hidden under layers and layers of recent updates.
Just clicking on a date on the timeline could transport his friends back in time and enable them to view every embarrassing comment, link or photo he had posted on his profile.
4. “I think it’s a recipe for disaster,” he says. “In 2007, I had some wall posts, which seemed appropriate at the time, but now after a lapse of four years, I have moved on and don’t want them to be openly displayed for all to see.” And he is not alone.
Many users, worried about how Facebook activity could possibly affect their offline lives, are choosing to commit ‘Facebook suicide’. While some have privacy concerns, others feel that the site that was meant to bring them closer to their friends actually does the opposite – it reduces their friendship to something superficial.
5. “Poking and liking are not enough to keep a friendship going,” says a business analyst. Having quit Facebook three years ago, she prefers meeting her ‘real’ friends face-to-face, instead of reading their trite posts online. “On Facebook, people hype everyday issues including what they ate and where they went on a daily basis,” says this analyst who continues to use Twitter.
Similarly, an engineering student, quit Facebook last December four years after joining it. One fine day, he exported all the data from his account into a little zip file and hit the delete button. “I realised that when it came to my friends who really mattered, I could actually keep in touch with them over the phone or by meeting them in real life,” he wrote on his blog.
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the following questions.
(i) The feature of Facebook where one can see the posts, the embarrassing comments and thoughts, photos and links that a person had put on his profile in the past is:
(a) create story
(b) Facebook live
(c) timeline
(d) messenger
(ii) Choose the option that best captures the central idea of the passage from the given quotes.
| “What is interesting is the power and the impact of social media… So we must try to use social media in a good way. ” -Malala Yousafzai | “The great thing about social media was how it gave a voice to voiceless people.” -Jon Ronson |
| (1) | (2) |
| “Facebook is not your friend. It is a surveillance engine.” -Richard Stallman | “Social media is awesome because I can somewhat paint myself the way I want people to see me.” -Kevin Abstract |
| (3) | (4) |
(a) Option (1)
(b) Option (2)
(c) Option (3)
(d) Option (4)
(iii) Many people are getting out of Facebook as they feel:
(a) addicted to it.
(b) that their facebook activity could affect their real life.
(c) they should join Instagram, WhatsApp or Twitter.
(d) poking and liking is not enough.
(iv) The phrase “Facebook suicide” refers to get someone:
(a) poking and liking
(b) quitting Facebook as it could affect their real life.
(c) clicking on a date on the timeline
(d) using Twitter
(v) Which of the following can be the most appropriate title for the passage?
(a) Social Media: A Powerful Tool
(b) Your Privacy and Facebook
(c) Virtual Life
(d) Facebook Friends
(vi) What are some of the threats faced by the users?
(vii) According to the passage, the social media can cause than good.
(viii) The feature ‘Timeline’ on Facebook, according to the passage, forces the youngster to reconsider increasing use of social media. (True/False)
(ix) Select the option that makes the correct use of “trite”, as used in para 5.
(a) At that moment, his words sounded trite to me.
(b) It was either a trite or an excellent copy.
(c) Her trite powers give life and colour to her paintings.
(d) A little trite air might clear some of the cobwebs.
(x) The antonym of the word ‘pleasing’ in para 1 is………. .
Answers:
(i)(c) timeline
(ii) (c) Option (3)
(iii)(b) that their facebook activity could affect their real life.
(iv) (b) quitting Facebook as it could affect their real life.
(v) (b) Your Privacy and Facebook
(vi) Stalking, personal attacks and misuse of information are some of the threats faced by the users.
(vii) more harm
(viii) False
(ix) (a) At that moment, his words, sounded trite to me.
(x) embarrassing
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Passage – 10 Unseen Passage English
Comprehension Passage Reading: Mastering the Art of Interpretation
1. The novel coronavirus has given rise to a global pandemic that has destabilized most institutional settings. While we live in times when humankind possesses the most advanced science and technology, a virus invisible to the naked eye has massively disrupted our lives, economies, healthcare, and education systems worldwide.
Given the coronavirus’s current situation, some households have also had time to introspect on gender roles and stereotypes. For instance, women are expected to carry out household chores like cooking, cleaning, and looking after the family. With men sharing household chores responsibilities during the lockdown period, it gives hope that they will realize the burden that women have been bearing and will continue sharing such responsibilities.
2. This tough period also gave people some time to reflect on the importance of keeping themselves fit. With sufficient time in hand, people started investing their time learning new ways to exercise. Those who never exercised before, giving excuses of busy lives, too developed some new habits of Yoga, Pranayam and exercises during the lockdown period.
These new habits and people’s increased focus on their health, wellness and immunity will surely change the way we lead our lives even in future.
3. The nature too healed itself during the lockdown period. Restricted human movement led to better air quality, cleaner water bodies and joyful wildlife movements. The human beings, we hope, reflected during this time, how some of their unconscious activities cause disruption in nature and worked out ways to adopt environmental-friendly options for their activities in future.
This situation also affected the education sector to a great extent. It has forced us to shift from offline to online mode of teaching-learning process, almost immediately without prior preparation. Is it giving us a peek into the reality ahead?
Technology-enabled teaching is definitely the future we are looking towards, but it is important to identify key challenges for students and teachers in the current scenario. Once identified, academic leadership and the government can address these through innovations in the focused areas to minimise the effect of pandemic on the education of the students.
4. The current scenario has also affected our economies to the extent wherein many businessmen had to bear heavy losses in their businesses. The governments and individuals need to take actions to mitigate risk and minimize transmission while maintaining social and economic activities.
However, relaxed control measures, declining risk perception and the understandable desire to return to normalcy have led to reduced protective behaviours and more social and workplace interactions, often in confined, close-contact settings, where the virus spreads really fast.
5. It is our responsibility that we take all necessary precautions through mask-wearing, physical distancing, hand hygiene as part of daily life. It is highly important to make these new behaviours part of our everyday habits. Travelling to new places, casual café visits with a large bunch of friends, spending our weekends in shopping, window-shopping and casual strolls, large gatherings in birthday parties and other celebrations will require some modifications and patience to fit into “New Normal” keeping all the safety norms in mind.
We are sure that regular communication from authorities, improved understanding of individual responsibility and, subsequently, a greater willingness to adopt infection prevention practices can be a stepping stone to a “new future”.
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the following questions.
(i) The outbreak of COVID-19 is called a pandemic because
(a) it has spread across the globe.
(b) it has spread across India.
(c) it is invisible to the naked eye.
(d) it has disrupted many institutional settings.
(ii) Choose the option that is NOT TRUE.
People, who never exercised before, started exercising during the lockdown period because
(a) they had sufficient time in hand.
(b) exercise was the only way to treat people from the novel coronavirus.
(c) people learnt new ways to exercise their body.
(d) people understood the importance of health and wellness in the face of the pandemic.
(iii) Which of the following has NOT led to reduced protective behaviours amongst people?
(a) relaxed control measures
(b) declining risk perception
(c) physical distancing
(d) understandable desire to return to normalcy
(iv) Which of the following is NOT an appropriate behaviour in the context of COVID-19?
(a) Wearing Mask
(b) Being in crowded places
(c) Washing hands
(d) Maintaining physical distancing
(v) What does the phrase “stepping stone” in para 5 refer to?
(vi) A positive change was seen in nature during the lockdown period in terms of cleaner air and water bodies because………… .
(vii) How did schools continue educating students during the pandemic?
(viii) During the lookdown period, men started sharing responsibilities related to household chores. (True/False)
(ix) Select the option that makes the correct use of “disrupt” as used in para 1.
(a) He is a popular leader so many union members disrupt his decision.
(b) Climate change could disrupt the agricultural economy.
(c) She wants to improve her relationship with her brother so she attempted to disrupt with him.
(d) It is important for him to disrupt the odds in his favour if he wants to be successful in his plan.
(x) The word ‘mitigate’ as used in para 4 means……………..
Answers:
(i)(a) it has spread across the globe
(ii) (b) exercise was the only way to treat people from the novel coronavirus.
(iii)(c) physical distancing
(iv) (b) Being in crowded places
(v) Something used as a way to progress
(vi) there was less human movement due to lockdown.
(vii) During the pandemic schools adopted online mode of teaching.
(viii) True
(ix) (b) Climate change could disrupt the agricultural economy.
(x) alleviate
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