NCERT Solutions for Class 9th English Chapter 5 The World of Limitless Possibilities (interview with Dr. Deepa Malik) — Check Your Understanding

Book page 143–144 Updated on2026-09-08

Q1.

I. Fill in the fact table given below based on the interview with Dr. Deepa Malik. Discuss your answers with your classmates and teacher. Fact Table 1. diagnosed with spinal tumour at the age of 2. result of the surgery 3. named as one of the 10 most effective para-athletes by 4. first successful Paralympic event 5. list of ‘firsts’ — (i) (ii) 6. awards won — (i) (ii) (iii) 7. two things supported by her — (i) (ii)

Answer

Every entry below is taken straight from Dr. Malik’s own words in the interview, pages 139–142.

Fact Table	Answer	The line it comes from
1. diagnosed with spinal tumour at the age of	29	“I was 29, an awful tragedy struck me when I was diagnosed with spine tumour.” (page 139)
2. result of the surgery	She was paralysed waist down, and the doctors declared she would be bound to a wheelchair for the rest of her life.	“The doctors declared that I would be bound to a wheelchair for the rest of my life, as I was paralysed waist down.” (page 139)
3. named as one of the 10 most effective para-athletes by	the International Paralympic Committee	“You’ve been listed as one of the 10 most inspirational women para-athletes globally by the International Paralympic Committee.” (page 139)
4. first successful Paralympic event	Shot-put — the silver medal at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games	“My breakthrough moment came in the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games, when I secured the silver medal in the shot-put event.” (page 140)
5. list of ‘firsts’ (i)	the first ever Indian female para-athlete to win an Asian Games medal in athletics	page 140
5. list of ‘firsts’ (ii)	India’s first ever female Paralympics medallist across any sport	page 140
6. awards won (i), (ii), (iii)	Khel Ratna; Arjuna; Padma Shri	“Dr. Deepa Malik, a Khel Ratna, Arjuna, and Padma Shri Awardee” (page 139)
7. two things supported by her (i)	persons from lower socio-economic strata	“I also support persons from lower socio–economic strata and provide equipment to para sportspersons.” (page 142)
7. two things supported by her (ii)	providing equipment to para sportspersons	page 142

Also acceptable for row 7, if your teacher allows the wider answer: she works for strengthening the emotional health of persons with challenges and for empowering women through outdoor sports and adventure activities (page 142). Both are things she says she supports; the two listed above are the ones she introduces with the words “I also support”.

Q2.

II. Read the two sets of sentences given below. Choose whether the given statements display: fact-opinion or cause-effect. (1) (i) In the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games, I secured the silver medal in the shot-put event. (ii) I feel it was a moment of personal victory and a step forward in changing perceptions.

Answer

Fact – opinion.

Sentence (i) states something that can be checked in a record book: the Games (2016 Rio), the medal (silver), the event (shot-put). Nothing in it depends on the speaker’s feelings, so it is a fact.

Sentence (ii) begins “I feel” and then calls the medal a personal victory and a step forward in changing perceptions. Those are her own judgements about what the medal meant. Another person could reasonably value it differently, so it is an opinion.

Why it is not cause–effect: the second sentence does not come out of the first as an outcome. Winning the silver did not produce her feeling — the feeling is her interpretation, laid on top of the same event. Test it with ‘so’ and ‘because’: “She won the silver, so she felt it was a victory” sounds forced, while “That is a fact; that is what she thinks of it” is exact.

Q3.

II. (2) (i) I was diagnosed with a tumour in my spine. (ii) I had a surgery and was told that I would be bound to a wheelchair for the rest of my life.

Answer

Cause – effect.

Sentence (i) is the cause: a tumour was found in her spine. Sentence (ii) is the effect that followed from it — the surgery, and then the doctors’ verdict about the wheelchair.

How to check: join the two with ‘because’ and see if the meaning survives. “She had surgery and was told she would use a wheelchair for life because she was diagnosed with a tumour in her spine.” It reads perfectly — the second event cannot be explained without the first. Both sentences are also facts, which is exactly why the fact–opinion label does not apply here: neither one is a belief.

Tip: a pair can only be fact–opinion if one of the two is a judgement. Look for signal words such as I feel, I believe, it seems, probably, the best. Look for so, therefore, as a result, because to spot cause–effect.

Q4.

III. Work in pairs to identify which of these pairs of sentences show: 1. cause-effect 2. fact-opinion. Write 1 or 2 in the boxes given. (i) Dr. Deepa Malik was a member of the Working Group for the Formulation of Twelfth Five Year Plan (2012–17). It is believed that she contributed greatly to create better sports policies for the persons with disabilities.

Answer

Answer: 2 (fact – opinion).

The first sentence names a body (the Working Group for the Formulation of the Twelfth Five Year Plan) and a period (2012–17). It is on record and can be verified, so it is a fact.

The second opens with “It is believed that…” — the giveaway. ‘Believed’ by whom, and on what evidence? The sentence reports an estimate of her contribution, not a documented one, so it is an opinion. Words like greatly also carry judgement rather than measurement.

Why not cause–effect: being a member of a working group is not presented as the cause of the better policies; the sentence only says people think she contributed. If it had read “Because she sat on that Working Group, the sports policy for persons with disabilities was rewritten in 2013”, it would have been cause–effect.

Q5.

III. (ii) Paralympics showcases incredible talent and determination of para-athletes. The global perception on disabilities shifts, inspiring para-athletes to pursue their dreams.

Answer

Answer: 1 (cause – effect).

The first sentence is the cause: the Paralympics put the talent and determination of para-athletes in front of the world. The second is the effect, and it is in fact a chain of two effects — global perception shifts, and that shift then inspires more para-athletes to pursue their dreams.

Why this is the right label: the second sentence uses a present-tense verb of change, “shifts”, and follows it with a participle of consequence, “inspiring”. Neither sentence contains a word of belief. Dr. Malik states the same chain in her own words on page 141: “When people witness the strength, skill, and competitive spirit of para-athletes, it breaks down preconceived notions.” The verb witness is the cause, breaks down the effect.

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