CBSE Class 9 English — Kaveri Chapter 32 Nine Gold Medals — 20 MCQs with Answers
David Roth's 'Nine Gold Medals' is a moving narrative poem in CBSE Class 9 English Kaveri Chapter 32 that recounts a true Special Olympics race where nine athletes chose compassion over competition. When one runner stumbled and fell, the other eight returned to help him stand, and all nine crossed the finish line together—each receiving a gold medal for embodying the Olympic spirit. The poem has appeared in CBSE board exams and school assessments through comprehension passages, value-based questions, and MCQs. This page delivers 20 exam-style multiple-choice questions to help you master factual details, poetic techniques, thematic understanding, and higher-order thinking required for scoring full marks.
Key takeaways
- ✓The poem celebrates empathy and cooperation when nine athletes help a fallen runner instead of racing for gold, all receiving medals together.
- ✓David Roth uses vivid imagery and contrast to highlight the transformation from competitive athletes to compassionate human beings.
- ✓CBSE Class 9 English Kaveri Chapter 32 MCQs test comprehension, poetic devices, theme, and application of values in real life.
- ✓Practising these 20 MCQs builds confidence in handling both factual and HOTS questions under exam time constraints.
- ✓Understanding the context—Special Olympics, differently-abled athletes—is crucial for answering inference and assertion-reason questions correctly.
- ✓Effective MCQ strategy includes eliminating obviously wrong options first and looking for textual evidence before marking answers.
- ✓CBSETUTOR.ai offers unlimited MCQ practice, instant doubt-solving by photo upload, and chapter-wise tests at ₹999/month with a 3-day free trial.
Understanding the Narrative and Setting — Basic Recall MCQs
- Q1. How many athletes participated in the race described in 'Nine Gold Medals'? (A) Seven (B) Eight (C) Nine (D) Ten — Answer: (C) Nine. Reason: The title and poem explicitly mention nine athletes competing.
- Q2. What kind of sporting event is depicted in the poem? (A) Commonwealth Games (B) Paralympic Games (C) Special Olympics (D) Asian Games — Answer: (C) Special Olympics. Reason: The poem refers to athletes with intellectual disabilities competing in the Special Olympics.
- Q3. What was the initial mood of the crowd in the stadium? (A) Indifferent (B) Anxious and eager (C) Disappointed (D) Quiet and solemn — Answer: (B) Anxious and eager. Reason: The opening lines describe the crowd's anticipation for the race to begin.
- Q4. What event triggered the change in the athletes' behaviour during the race? (A) A false start (B) One athlete stumbled and fell (C) Rain interrupted the race (D) A competitor was disqualified — Answer: (B) One athlete stumbled and fell. Reason: The poem describes one runner falling, prompting the others to stop and help.
Theme and Message — Interpretive and Application MCQs
- Q5. What is the main theme of the poem 'Nine Gold Medals'? (A) The importance of winning at any cost (B) Compassion and cooperation over competition (C) The challenges faced by disabled athletes (D) The role of coaches in sports — Answer: (B) Compassion and cooperation over competition. Reason: The athletes prioritize helping a peer over finishing first, illustrating empathy.
- Q6. What message does the poet convey through the actions of the nine athletes? (A) Individual success is the ultimate goal (B) True victory lies in humanity and kindness (C) Special Olympics are less important than regular Olympics (D) Athletes should always compete fiercely — Answer: (B) True victory lies in humanity and kindness. Reason: The poem celebrates the athletes' choice to help each other, earning them all gold medals.
- Q7. The phrase 'nine gold medals' symbolizes: (A) Equal distribution of prizes (B) Recognition of collective human spirit (C) Failure of the race officials (D) A tie in the competition — Answer: (B) Recognition of collective human spirit. Reason: All nine athletes received gold for embodying compassion and unity.
- Q8. Which real-life situation best reflects the theme of 'Nine Gold Medals'? (A) A student topping the class by studying alone (B) A group project where all members support each other to succeed (C) An athlete training hard to break a record (D) A team celebrating only the captain's victory — Answer: (B) A group project where all members support each other to succeed. Reason: Cooperation and mutual support mirror the athletes' actions in the poem.
Literary Devices and Poetic Techniques — Analytical MCQs
- Q9. Identify the literary device in the line 'the crowd rose to its feet'. (A) Simile (B) Personification (C) Metaphor (D) Transferred Epithet — Answer: (B) Personification. Reason: The crowd is described as if it had feet and could rise like a person, attributing human action to a collective noun.
- Q10. The phrase 'nine hearts beating as one' is an example of: (A) Hyperbole (B) Alliteration (C) Metaphor (D) Onomatopoeia — Answer: (C) Metaphor. Reason: It metaphorically expresses unity and collective emotion among the athletes.
- Q11. What is the effect of repeating the number 'nine' throughout the poem? (A) To emphasize the large number of participants (B) To highlight unity and collective action (C) To create a musical rhythm (D) To confuse the reader — Answer: (B) To highlight unity and collective action. Reason: Repetition reinforces that all nine athletes acted together, symbolizing solidarity.
- Q12. The imagery of 'a banner waving' at the start of the race serves to: (A) Indicate the start of the event (B) Describe the weather (C) Show the athletes' nervousness (D) Criticize the organizing committee — Answer: (A) Indicate the start of the event. Reason: The banner signals the official beginning of the race, setting the competitive scene.
Character and Motivation — Inference and HOTS MCQs
- Q13. Why did the eight athletes stop and return to help the fallen runner? (A) They were ordered by the referee (B) They felt compassion and did not want to leave anyone behind (C) They wanted to avoid disqualification (D) They were tired and needed a break — Answer: (B) They felt compassion and did not want to leave anyone behind. Reason: The poem emphasizes their empathy and collective spirit over competitive instinct.
- Q14. Assertion: The athletes chose to sacrifice their individual chance of winning. Reason: They valued human dignity more than personal glory. (A) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A (B) Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation (C) A is true, R is false (D) A is false, R is true — Answer: (A) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A. Reason: Their decision to help reflects prioritizing human values over competition.
- Q15. What does the crowd's reaction at the end suggest about societal values? (A) People admire only winners (B) Society appreciates compassion and collective success (C) Crowds are easily swayed by emotion (D) Spectators do not understand sports — Answer: (B) Society appreciates compassion and collective success. Reason: The crowd applauded all nine, showing that empathy is valued more than individual victory.
- Q16. The line 'helping the others to win' implies: (A) Winning is only about crossing the finish line first (B) True winning includes lifting others up (C) The race was fixed (D) Athletes should always compete fiercely — Answer: (B) True winning includes lifting others up. Reason: The poem redefines victory as collective achievement and mutual support.
Contextual Vocabulary and Word Meaning — Language MCQs
- Q17. In the poem, the word 'stumbled' most closely means: (A) Ran quickly (B) Tripped and lost balance (C) Stopped deliberately (D) Jumped over an obstacle — Answer: (B) Tripped and lost balance. Reason: 'Stumbled' describes the athlete falling accidentally during the race.
- Q18. The phrase 'with hope in their eyes' suggests the athletes were: (A) Confident and optimistic (B) Fearful and anxious (C) Indifferent and bored (D) Angry and frustrated — Answer: (A) Confident and optimistic. Reason: 'Hope' conveys positive expectation and enthusiasm at the start of the race.
- Q19. What does 'banner waving' signify in the context of the poem? (A) A decoration in the stadium (B) The signal to start the race (C) A protest by the crowd (D) The end of the event — Answer: (B) The signal to start the race. Reason: The banner is used to officially begin the competition.
- Q20. The word 'dignity' in the poem refers to: (A) The athletes' physical strength (B) Respect and honor for oneself and others (C) The prize money awarded (D) The speed of the runners — Answer: (B) Respect and honor for oneself and others. Reason: The athletes' choice to help reflects maintaining human dignity over competitive ego.
Strategies to Attempt MCQs in the CBSE Class 9 English Paper
- Read the question stem and all four options before marking your answer; hasty selection leads to silly mistakes.
- Eliminate two obviously wrong options first, then choose between the remaining two based on textual evidence.
- For theme or message MCQs, ask yourself: does this option align with the poet's intent and the poem's climax?
- In assertion-reason questions, check if both statements are factually correct, then verify if the reason logically explains the assertion.
- Underline or mentally note keywords like 'main theme', 'literary device', 'suggests', 'implies' to stay focused on what is asked.
- Avoid overthinking; your first careful read is often correct—change answers only if you spot a clear mistake.
- Practice 50-100 MCQs per chapter under exam timing to build confidence and reduce anxiety on test day.
Frequently asked questions
How many MCQs from Class 9 English Kaveri Chapter 32 Nine Gold Medals appear in CBSE exams?+
What is the best way to prepare MCQs on Nine Gold Medals for Class 9 English?+
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What are the most important themes to remember for Nine Gold Medals MCQs?+
How should I approach MCQs on literary devices in Nine Gold Medals?+
Can I score full marks in Nine Gold Medals MCQs without reading the entire poem?+
What is the recommended time to spend on each MCQ in the CBSE English paper?+
Where can I find more practice MCQs for Class 9 English Kaveri Chapter 32?+
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