ICSE Class 9 English Syllabus

English syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for English in ICSE Class 9, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Treasure Trove of Short Stories

   4 topics

   • The Lumber Room
   • The Blue Bead
   • The Necklace
   • A Day's Wait
2. 2

   The Merchant of Venice

   5 topics

   • Act 1
   • Act 2
   • Act 3
   • Act 4
   • Act 5

English flashcards for ICSE Class 9

23 of 50 cards from the English deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. Who is the author of the short story "The Lumber Room" and what is its main theme?

   Saki (H. H. Munro). Its main theme is the triumph of a child's imagination over rigid adult authority, exposing the hypocrisy and folly of stern, unimaginative grown-ups.

2. In "The Lumber Room," how does Nicholas prove that the frog was really in his bread-and-milk?

   He had secretly put the frog there himself, so he could speak with the assured truth of an eyewitness; the adults' error proved that grown-ups can be wrong even when sure they are right.

3. In "The Lumber Room," why are the other children taken to Jagborough beach, and how does the trip turn out?

   They are taken as a treat from which Nicholas is excluded for his "misbehaviour." The trip is a failure because the tide is high, there is no sand to play on, and one child's new boots hurt him.

4. Describe the most fascinating object Nicholas discovers in the lumber room of Saki's story.

   A large, framed tapestry picture of a huntsman who has just shot a stag with an arrow, while four wolves approach; Nicholas's imagination dwells on whether the man can escape the second wolf.

5. In "The Lumber Room," how does Nicholas outwit his aunt when she falls into the rain-water tank?

   When she calls for help to get out, he pretends he cannot help because she might be the Evil One tempting him, citing her own earlier warning that the Devil tempts people—turning her rules against her.

6. What is the significance of the lumber room itself in Saki's story?

   It is a forbidden storeroom full of wonderful, neglected treasures; it symbolises the rich world of imagination locked away by joyless adults, which the child Nicholas joyfully unlocks.

7. Who wrote "The Blue Bead" and where is the story set?

   Norah Burke wrote it. It is set in rural India by the banks of a river (with crocodiles), near a village in the foothills of the Himalayas.

8. In "The Blue Bead," who is the protagonist and what act of courage does she perform?

   Sibia, a poor twelve-year-old village girl. She bravely stabs a giant crocodile with a hayfork to save a Gujar woman who is being attacked while drawing water at the river.

9. What is the "blue bead" in Norah Burke's story, and why is it precious to Sibia?

   It is a small, ordinary blue glass bead Sibia finds in the sand by the river. Though worthless in money, it is a priceless treasure to the poor girl, filling her with simple joy.

10. In "The Blue Bead," how is the crocodile (the mugger) described?

    As an ancient, armoured, ferocious reptile—about twice the length of a tall man, with horny skin, cruel teeth and great strength—lying like a log to ambush prey at the river crossing.

11. What contrast does "The Blue Bead" draw between the value of money and the value of life/joy?

    Sibia ignores the dramatic, life-risking heroism she just performed and is instead overjoyed by a worthless blue bead—showing that true happiness lies in simple things, not material worth.

12. What is ironic about Sibia's reaction immediately after she saves the Gujar woman from the crocodile?

    She makes no fuss about her heroic deed; she is far more excited about the little blue bead she found, treating the life-or-death rescue as far less important than her tiny treasure.

13. Who wrote "The Necklace" and what is the central theme of the story?

    Guy de Maupassant. Its central theme is that vanity and the desire for wealth one cannot afford lead to ruin; it warns against valuing appearances over reality.

14. In "The Necklace," why does Mathilde Loisel borrow a necklace from Madame Forestier?

    She has no fine jewellery to wear to a grand ministerial ball and refuses to attend looking poor, so she borrows what she believes is a diamond necklace to appear wealthy and elegant.

15. What disaster strikes Mathilde Loisel at the end of the ball in "The Necklace"?

    She discovers that she has lost the borrowed necklace somewhere on the way home, and it cannot be found anywhere.

16. How do the Loisels replace the lost necklace in Maupassant's story, and at what cost?

    They buy a real diamond necklace for 36,000 francs, borrowing heavily and using Loisel's inheritance; they then spend ten years of grinding poverty and hard labour repaying the crushing debt.

17. What is the famous ironic twist at the end of "The Necklace"?

    After ten years of toil to repay the debt, Mathilde learns from Madame Forestier that the original borrowed necklace was a fake, worth at most 500 francs—their suffering was needless.

18. How does Mathilde Loisel change over the course of "The Necklace"?

    She begins as a discontented, vain young woman longing for luxury, but after ten years of poverty she becomes a coarse, hardened, aged working woman who has lost her beauty and youth.

19. Who is the author of "A Day's Wait" and who is the young boy in the story?

    Ernest Hemingway wrote it. The boy is his nine-year-old son, Schatz, who falls ill with influenza and a fever.

20. In "A Day's Wait," what misunderstanding causes Schatz such silent terror?

    At school in France he learned that a person cannot live with a temperature above 44 degrees (Celsius). Hearing his fever is 102 degrees (Fahrenheit), he believes he is certain to die.

21. What does the doctor say is Schatz's temperature and prognosis in "A Day's Wait"?

    The doctor measures a temperature of 102 degrees Fahrenheit, says it is nothing to worry about (epidemic flu), and prescribes medicines; there is no danger if pneumonia is avoided.

22. How is Schatz's bravery shown throughout the day in "A Day's Wait"?

    Believing he is dying, he quietly waits all day for death without complaint—refusing to sleep, holding himself rigidly, and even telling his father not to stay if it would trouble him.

23. What is the resolution and lesson of Hemingway's "A Day's Wait"?

    The father explains the Fahrenheit–Celsius difference, and Schatz realises he will not die. The story shows a child's quiet courage and how misunderstandings can cause needless suffering.

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