Vitamin-M – Complete Solutions (Pages 1-29)
PAGE 1 (Textbook Page 97) – Reflect and Respond
Q. Why should we care for the elderly?
Answer: We should care for the elderly because they have spent their entire lives looking after their families. In old age, they become physically weak, lonely, and need love and support. They have valuable experience and wisdom to share with us. It is our duty to give them the same care they once gave us.
Q. What are the problems faced by the elderly?
Answer: Elderly people face many problems such as weak eyesight, poor hearing, memory loss, loneliness, health issues, difficulty in walking, and feeling ignored by family members.
Q. What could be the possible reasons for the problems faced?
Answer: The main reasons are old age, weakening of body organs, lack of company, busy lifestyle of children, generation gap, and shifting from familiar places to new surroundings.
Q. How can we take care of the elderly?
Answer: We can take care of them by spending time with them, listening to their stories, giving medicines on time, taking them for walks, respecting their feelings, and never treating them like children.
PAGE 2 (Textbook Page 98) – Vocabulary Table
Q. Meanings of the words:
Answer:
- frail – weak, especially due to old age
- shuddered – shook with fear or unpleasant memory
- poky – small and uncomfortable (a poky flat)
- forbid – to order someone not to do something
- pottering – moving around doing small unhurried jobs
- winced – showed an expression of embarrassment or pain
PAGE 6 (Textbook Page 102) – Check Your Understanding I
Q.I Why did Grandpa dislike living in the city with his daughter?
Answer: Grandpa disliked living in the city because he hated the noise and bustle. The flat was poky (small) and the city was horrible and crowded. He missed his small brick house in town with the big mango tree where it was so quiet that he could even hear a leaf fall.
Q.II Why did Vidya not want her father to go out alone?
Answer: Vidya did not want her father to go out alone because once he got lost while taking a walk and forgot the way back home. He had also absent-mindedly taken a double dose of his medicines and had to be admitted to the hospital. So she felt it was too dangerous for him to go out alone.
Q.III Was Ravi in favour of his mother treating Grandpa like a child? How can you say so?
Answer: No, Ravi was not in favour of his mother treating Grandpa like a child. We can say so because Ravi winced at the over-loud tone his mother used while speaking to Grandpa, as if she were speaking to a child who could not hear or understand.
Q.IV Would Ravi be able to keep up his promise to his mother?
Answer: No, Ravi would not be able to keep his promise. Grandpa insisted on going out alone to buy the Tamil newspaper, and Ravi did not want to hurt his feelings. So he decided to follow Grandpa secretly instead of stopping him.
PAGE 10 (Textbook Page 106) – Check Your Understanding II (Flow Chart)
Q. Complete the flow chart describing Grandpa’s day out:
Answer:
- children’s park
- peanuts and watches children play
- tea stall
- The little boy’s mother (lady with umbrella) and the vendors
- sugary tea and bananas (and ice cream)
- barber shop
- bus stop and boards the first bus
PAGE 11 (Textbook Page 107) – Check Your Understanding II (Questions)
Q.II Was Grandpa lost as feared by Ravi’s mother?
Answer: No, Grandpa was not lost. He returned home safely and was peacefully sleeping in his bedroom when Ravi reached home. In fact, it was Ravi who was fooled by Grandpa.
Q.III How would Ravi feel after seeing Grandpa?
Answer: Ravi felt great delight and relief after seeing Grandpa safe at home. He was suddenly overcome with affection for his grandfather, knelt down near his bed, put his cheek against the old man’s face, and gave him a hug.
Q.IV Do you think Ravi’s mother will get to know about what had happened?
Answer: No, Ravi’s mother will probably not get to know the full truth because Ravi will not tell her — if he did, he would have to admit that he had been following Grandpa and had failed in his duty. Grandpa also enjoyed teasing Ravi without giving him away.
PAGE 13 (Textbook Page 109) – Check Your Understanding III
Q.I Describe how Ravi’s emotional reaction upon finding Grandpa safe at home reveals his feelings towards his grandfather.
Answer: Ravi’s emotional reaction shows deep love and affection for his grandfather. He felt great relief on hearing Grandpa snoring. He knelt down, placed his cheek against the old man’s face, and gave him a warm hug. This proves that Ravi truly cared for Grandpa, even though he sometimes felt annoyed by his stubbornness.
Q.II What might be the significance of Grandpa’s habit of giving gifts to everyone on his birthday rather than receiving them?
Answer: Grandpa’s habit shows that he is a generous, loving, and selfless person. Instead of expecting gifts on his special day, he wishes to spread happiness among his loved ones. It also shows that he still considers Ravi’s parents as his “babies” and loves giving rather than taking.
Q.III Why do you think Grandpa gave Ravi a detective story book as a gift? What might this suggest about Grandpa’s awareness of Ravi’s actions earlier in the day?
Answer: Grandpa gave Ravi The Best Detective Stories with a hint that Ravi should learn “how to avoid getting fooled when one is trailing a suspect.” This suggests that Grandpa was fully aware that Ravi had been secretly following him the whole day. The twinkle in his eye showed he had played a clever trick on Ravi.
PAGES 13–14 (Textbook Pages 109–110) – Critical Reflection I.1
Q.(i) Choose the emotion displayed by the Grandfather.
Answer: C. nostalgic (he is fondly remembering his old home)
Q.(ii) Grandpa hated the busy and noisy city life because ______.
Answer: Grandpa hated city life because he was used to the peace and quiet of his small brick house in the town, where the air was calm and one could even hear a leaf fall.
Q.(iii) Why did Grandpa come to the city despite his dislike for city life?
Answer: Grandpa came to the city because he had slipped and fallen in his garden one evening and lay outside the whole night as there was no one to help him. So his daughter locked up the brick house and brought him to live with her in the city for his safety.
Q.(iv) Choose an expression similar in meaning to ‘you can even hear a leaf fall’.
Answer: D. pin drop silence
Q.(v) State one advantage and one disadvantage of the Grandfather living in the house in town.
Answer:
- Advantage: It was a peaceful and quiet place with a big mango tree, and Grandpa loved the calm surroundings.
- Disadvantage: He lived alone, so if anything happened (like his fall in the garden), there was no one to help him.
PAGES 14–15 (Textbook Pages 110–111) – Critical Reflection I.2
Q.(i) Choose the option that displays the tone of the Grandfather’s response.
Answer: C. calm
Q.(ii) Why was Ravi confused and embarrassed?
Answer: Ravi was confused and embarrassed because Grandpa told his mother that Ravi had disappeared instead of staying at home to look after him. Ravi could not defend himself because he had indeed gone out — to secretly follow Grandpa.
Q.(iii) Ravi’s mother was impatient because ______.
Answer: Ravi’s mother was impatient because she thought Grandpa had forgotten that Ravi’s birthday was three months ago and was wrongly giving him a gift now.
Q.(iv) State whether True or False – “Grandfather forgot that Ravi’s birthday was three months ago.”
Answer: False. Grandpa had not forgotten. He was giving gifts because it was his own birthday, and he had a habit of giving gifts to every child in the house on his birthday.
Q.(v) Why did Grandpa say he didn’t know what kind of morning Ravi might have had?
Answer: Grandpa said this because Ravi had gone out of the house secretly to follow him. Grandpa hinted in a clever way that Ravi had disobeyed his mother’s instructions and had not stayed at home.
PAGE 15 (Textbook Page 111) – Answer the Following Questions
Q.1 Grandpa is portrayed as a person with failing memory in the beginning. Give two evidences to disprove this.
Answer:
- Grandpa remembered thousands of chess games — like Karpov’s match against the computer and Bobby Fischer’s match against Spassky.
- Grandpa remembered his own birthday and bought gifts for everyone — even Ravi, his parents — while Ravi’s mother herself had forgotten.
Q.2 Give two characteristic traits of each character.
Answer:
- (i) Grandfather: Independent and self-reliant; clever, witty and mischievous; also generous.
- (ii) Ravi: Caring and loyal towards his grandfather; responsible and sincere about keeping his promise.
- (iii) Ravi’s mother: Anxious and caring about her father; strict but slightly forgetful (she forgot Grandpa’s birthday).
Q.3 Why was Ravi worried about what Grandfather had at the tea stall?
Answer: Ravi was worried because Grandpa drank sugary tea, ate two bananas, and an ice cream — all of which were forbidden for him at home due to his health. Ravi feared that his mother would faint if she came to know.
Q.4 Do you think it was easy for Ravi to follow his Grandfather? If yes, why? If no, why not?
Answer: No, it was not easy at all for Ravi. He had to hide behind a bush in the park, was caught by a small child and scolded by the boy’s mother. Later, the vendors near the tea stall surrounded him. He was even thrown out of a Ladies’ Hairdressing Salon. Finally, he was fooled by Grandpa with the yellow cap trick.
Q.5 ‘Ravi is a good detective’. Give one argument in favour of and against this statement.
Answer:
- In favour: Ravi cleverly followed Grandpa from the park to the tea stall to the barber shop and even managed to board the same bus.
- Against: He was caught and scolded several times, and in the end, he was easily fooled by a stranger wearing Grandpa’s yellow cap.
Q.6 Was Grandfather aware that Ravi was following him? How do you know?
Answer: Yes, Grandpa was aware. We know this because he gave his yellow cap to a stranger to fool Ravi, he later told Ravi’s mother that Ravi had “disappeared,” and he gifted Ravi a detective book with the tip on “how to avoid getting fooled when trailing a suspect.” The twinkle in his eye made it clear.
Q.7 In your opinion, who needs Vitamin-M? And why?
Answer: In my opinion, Ravi’s mother (Vidya) needs Vitamin-M, not Grandpa. She forgot her own father’s birthday even after circling the date in red on her calendar, while Grandpa remembered everyone’s birthday and gave gifts to all.
Q.8 Give an example of age-based discrimination you have experienced or observed.
Answer: (Sample) Once my grandmother gave a useful suggestion about a family decision, but my elders ignored her, saying she was “too old to understand modern matters.” Similarly, children’s ideas are often dismissed by adults saying “you are too young to know.”
PAGES 16–17 (Textbook Pages 112–113) – Vocabulary I
Q. Classify the words into Movement (Column 1) and Sound (Column 2).
Answer:
- Movement (Column 1): pottering, twirling, crouch, crawl, creeping, ducked, zigzagging, evicted, briskly, sprinting, jumping, darted, trailing
- Sound (Column 2): boomed, bustle, thudded, shrieks, whirr, grunted, snoring
Q. Fill in the blanks (Detective Shankar passage):
Answer:
- trailing
- bustle
- briskly
- thudded
- twirling
- crouch
- creeping
- grunted
- darted
- whirr
PAGE 17 (Textbook Page 113) – Vocabulary II
Q. Synonyms of DILEMMA:
Answer:
- QUANDARY
- PREDICAMENT
PAGE 17 (Textbook Page 113) – Vocabulary III (Word Table)
Answer:
| Word | Meaning | Part of Speech | Synonym | Antonym |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. craftily | in a clever/cunning way | adverb | cunningly | honestly |
| 2. dilemma | a difficult situation/confusion | noun | quandary | solution |
| 3. furious | extremely angry | adjective | angry | calm |
| 4. boomed | made a loud, deep sound | verb | thundered | whispered |
| 5. humiliation | feeling of shame | noun | embarrassment | pride |
| 6. attire | clothing/dress | noun | outfit | nakedness |
PAGE 17 (Textbook Page 113) – Vocabulary IV (Match the Following)
Answer:
- embarrassed → (v) felt uncomfortable
- countered → (iv) reply to an argument
- flushed → (vi) became red in the face
- stricken → (i) affected severely by an unpleasant feeling
- gleam → (iii) expression of emotion (Option (ii) to be confused is extra.)
PAGE 18 (Textbook Page 114) – Vocabulary V (Prepositions)
Answer:
- (i) through the village
- (ii) over a brook
- (iii) near a cottage
- (iv) in the garden
- (v) along a riverbank
- (vi) towards the unknown
PAGES 18–19 (Textbook Pages 114–115) – Vocabulary VI (Interrogative Sentences)
Answer:
- A. (i) interrogative
- B. (ii) Yes/No type
- C. (iii) Wh- type
- (iv) There are two types of interrogative sentences.
PAGE 20 (Textbook Page 116) – Vocabulary VII (Reported Speech)
Answer:
Arvind asked Priya if she (1) helped in taking care of her grandparents at home, for which Priya replied in the affirmative and said that they (2) took turns making sure they were alright. Priya further asked Arvind (3) if/whether he had grandparents living with him. Arvind replied in the negative and said that (4) his parents and he visited his grandpa every weekend. He further enquired (5) how she managed her grandparents’ medical needs. Priya responded by saying that they (6) had a schedule for giving medications and visits to the doctor.
PAGES 20–21 (Textbook Pages 116–117) – Listen and Respond (Meditation Podcast)
Note: These answers depend on the audio transcript given to the teacher. Common expected answers based on the topic:
Answer:
- relaxation / concentration
- physically and mentally
- mental health / positive thoughts
- daily habit
- stress / daily challenges
PAGE 23 (Textbook Page 119) – Learning Beyond the Text
Q.I Choose the image that correctly displays Grandpa’s walking stick.
Answer: The second image (the walking stick with a brass handle carved in the shape of an eagle’s head) is correct. The text describes it as a “beautiful shiny-black mahogany walking stick with a brass handle carved in the shape of an eagle’s head.”
Note on Other Sections
- Pages 1, 2 (Reflect and Respond III) and Speaking Activity / Writing Task / Learning Beyond II are personal/creative tasks — answers depend on each student’s own experience and should be written individually.
- Pages 24–29 contain the story “The Lost Child” by Mulk Raj Anand — no questions are given on these pages; they are only the text of the story for reading and discussion.
All answers above are taken directly from the chapter Vitamin-M by Asha Nehemiah and the related exercises in your NCERT Kaveri textbook (Class 9). 📘