Follow That Dream
Exercise Question
Questions within the Lesson
Exercise Question
Check Your Understanding
I. State whether the following sentences are true or false. Share your answers with your classmates and teacher.
1. Reaching the peak of skill in a field typically demands a focused and intense dedication for about a decade.
Ans:- True
2.The mother believes that significant effort and personal sacrifices are essential for turning aspirations into reality.
Ans:- True
3. The path to achieving the deepest desires has very little difficulty or a few obstacles.
Ans:- False
4. The mother is of the opinion that a person’s life goals and hopes can evolve over time.
Ans:- True
5. Having a strong network of individuals can be a hurdle in pursuing one’s ambition.
Ans:- False
6. The mother feels that pursuing a major life goal will not involve any financial expense or sacrifice.
Ans:- False
7. For many individuals, their aspirations remain just wishes because they don’t move beyond mere daydreaming.
Ans:- True
Critical Reflection
I Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.
1. It starts with a passion for a particular interest, then comes the conviction that it is imperative to realise it. Count the cost in years of effort, financial investments and sacrifice. Then if it is still burning in your blood and you are ready to commit yourself to the task, plunge. It could be in any field—sports, science, arts, business, or design. The road may be uphill most of the way and often you are buoyed up only by the knowledge that you are doing what you love best and are doing the right thing. When stamina is running out, the prospect of success will keep you on track.
(i) Complete the analogy with a suitable word from the extract.
enthusiasm: passion:: belief: _____________
Answer: conviction
(ii) Choose the correct option to complete the following sentence appropriately.
The author says that a realistic assessment of effort, investment and sacrifice is crucial for preventing _____________.
A. the need for external support network
B. an early abandonment of the dream
C. initial excitement from fading over time
D. others from questioning one’s commitment
Answer: B. an early abandonment of the dream
(iii) Complete the following with the correct option from those given in the brackets.
The word ‘plunge’ as used in the extract indicates a _____________ (complete/gradual) involvement in a task.
Answer: complete
(iv) Complete the sentence with an appropriate reason.
The author’s emphasis on ‘when you are doing what you love best and are doing the right thing’ works as a form of intrinsic motivation because _____________.
Answer: it gives inner satisfaction and keeps a person going even when stamina is running out.
(v) Mention one motivating factor besides ‘prospect of success’, that might keep a person on track, despite running out of stamina.
Answer: the knowledge that you are doing what you love best and are doing the right thing.
2. From my own experience, life itself may change a person’s dreams. These hopes and aspirations are no less than the original dream of younger days. To fulfil them you will need to negotiate a path through a maze of hurdles. The dream will take a much longer time to realise, and the people who are participants in your dreamscape would be many more.
(i) Complete the sentence appropriately.
The phrase ‘life itself may change a person’s dreams’ suggests that dreams are not static but rather dynamic. (evolving/dynamic)
(ii) What does the author mean by, ‘hopes and aspirations are no less than the original dream of younger days’?
The author means that even if dreams change with time, the new hopes and aspirations are equally important and meaningful as the dreams of one’s youth.
(iii) Identify the phrase from the extract that indicates a complex and challenging journey.
The phrase is “negotiate a path through a maze of hurdles.”
(iv) Complete the sentence with an appropriate reason.
The author says, ‘people who are participants in your dreamscape would be many more’ because achieving dreams often involves the support and involvement of many people over time.
(v) What is the tone of the author in this extract?
A. appreciative and celebratory
B. excited and cheerful
C. optimistic and encouraging
D. eager and inquisitive
Ans :- C. optimistic and encouraging
II. Answer the following questions :
1. The letter begins thus, ‘By all means follow that dream’. What do you think Ming must have written to her mother about?
Ans :- Ming must have written to her mother about her dream or ambition that she wished to pursue. She was likely seeking her mother’s advice or approval about following her passion and making it her goal in life.
2. How can one attain an international level of skill in any field? Mention any two ways.
Ans :- One can attain an international level of skill by:
- Pursuing the field with focused and intensive practice for many years (around ten years).
- Putting in continuous effort and making sacrifices, including time and resources, to achieve excellence.
3. What differentiates the mere dreamers from actual achievers?
Ans :- Mere dreamers only wish and think about their dreams, while actual achievers take action, work hard, stay committed, and make sacrifices to turn their dreams into reality.
4. How does Ming’s mother use critical questions and personal anecdotes to persuade Ming and convey her message effectively?
Ans :- Ming’s mother uses critical questions to make Ming think about the effort, time, and sacrifices needed to achieve her dreams. She also shares real-life examples and her own experiences to make her advice practical, relatable, and convincing.
5. How does Ming’s mother balance encouragement with caution in her advice?
Ans :- Ming’s mother encourages her to follow her dreams but also advises her to carefully consider the effort, time, sacrifices, and possible challenges involved before making a decision.
6. In the letter, Ming’s mother specifically addresses the challenges people face in pursuing their dreams. Do you think this advice is still relevant in contemporary society? If yes, why? If no, why not?
Ans :- Yes, this advice is still relevant because even today achieving dreams requires hard work, dedication, sacrifice, and overcoming challenges. People still face obstacles like financial issues and changing circumstances.
7. What ‘costs’ in terms of effort, sacrifice, and time are you willing or unwilling to invest to pursue your goals?
Ans :- I am willing to invest hard work, time, and dedication to achieve my goals, but I may be cautious about sacrificing my health or important relationships while pursuing them.
Vocabulary and Structures in Context
I. Read the following sentence from the text.
The dream will take a much longer time to realise, and the people who are participants in your dreamscape would be many more.
The word ‘dreamscape’ is a compound word where ‘-scape’ means ‘a view or scene of’.
Now, refer to a dictionary and and out the meaning of the following words.
I. Fill in the blanks in the following dialogue between two friends with the words given in the box:
Sneha: Your Goa pictures were beautiful! That (i) seascape was dreamy.
Kiran: Thanks! It was way better than our usual (ii) cityscape, so peaceful.
Sneha: I get that. But sometimes the city lights have their own charm.
Kiran: True, but I’m craving a quiet (iii) landscape. Forests, hills—something real.
Sneha: Yes, nature clears the (iv) mindscape, doesn’t it?
Kiran Exactly. Let’s plan a trip that soothes— inside and out.
II. Read each sentence carefully and choose the best meaning for the underlined expression. Then, use that expression in a sentence of your own:
1. She had a dream that seemed to burn in her blood, and she wasn’t going to give up on it easily.
(i) make her angry
(ii) have a passionate desire
(iii) cause physical pain
(iv) become
Answer: (ii) have a passionate desire
Sentence: Her desire to become a doctor burned in her blood.
2. Preparing for the final exam without proper notes felt like an uphill task.
(i) a tough challenge
(ii) a slow progress
(iii) a hard routine
(iv) a difficult choice
Answer: (i) a tough challenge
Sentence: Completing the project alone was an uphill task.
3. The team was buoyed up by their recent victory and felt confident about the next game.
(i) energised by success
(ii) encouraged by the result
(iii) motivated to improve
(iv) lifted in spirit
Answer: (iv) lifted in spirit
Sentence: She was buoyed up by her success in the competition.
4. He thought he could ace the exam without studying, but that was just wishful thinking.
(i) a clever shortcut but no real effort behind it
(ii) a confident guess but lacking proper knowledge
(iii) a hopeful belief but unlikely to be true
(iv) a strong desire but based on facts and planning
Answer: (iii) a hopeful belief but unlikely to be true
Sentence: Thinking that he would win without practice was just wishful thinking.
5. Don’t be a wet blanket—we’re trying to have fun!
(i) spoil-sport
(ii) latecomer
(iii) rule-breaker
(iv) dayd
Answer: (i) spoil-sport
Sentence: He acted like a wet blanket and ruined the party mood.
6. Excitement was coursing through her veins as she stepped onto the stage for the first time.
(i) hiding deep inside
(ii) flowing through her body
(iii) lingering in her thoughts
(iv) causing numbness
Answer: (ii) flowing through her body
Sentence: Happiness was coursing through his veins when he heard the good news.
III. Read the following sentence from the text.
After all the obstacles are considered, if the burning conviction is still coursing through your veins, then go ahead and do something about it.
Here, the first conditional is used to talk about real or possible situations in the future. Sometimes, instead of saying ‘will + verb’ in the main clause, we use an imperative (a command or advice).
Complete the sentences using your own words (imperatives):
If the idea excites you, go ahead and try it.
If you hear strange noises, check it carefully.
If this seems too hard, ask for help.
If you care about the issue, take action immediately.
If you finish early, help others.
IV. Read the following sentences from the text. Analyse the usage of ‘could’ and match the sentences with their functions given in the box below.
1. It could be in any field—sports, science, arts, business or design.
Answer: Possibility
2. “I wish I could be this or the other,” they have never got beyond just wishful thinking.
Answer: Unreal or hypothetical situation
3. They could have preferred to trade their dream for security.
Answer: Past possibility or speculation
4. I know too, of people who had wished to finish secondary school but they had to go out to work so that they could support their siblings through school.
Answer: Past ability or purpose
V. Complete the following sentences using ‘could’ with the functions mentioned within brackets:
1. I wish I could travel without worrying about money. (unreal or hypothetical)
2. They could have taken the shorter route, but they didn’t know about it. (past possibility or speculation)
3. When I was younger, I could run without stopping. (past ability)
4. She could be in the library right now—she had mentioned it. (possibility)
5. Could you repeat the question? I didn’t hear it clearly. (formal/polite request)
VI. Fill in the blanks with suitable grammatical forms of the words given in brackets:
Experiential learning is an approach to education that focuses on learning through experience, action and reflection. It 1. helps (help) students gain practical knowledge and develop real-world skills. Traditionally, students 2. learned (learn) by listening to lectures and memorising facts, but experiential learning has changed this process.
In an experiential setting, students 3. work (work) on projects, solve problems, and take part in activities that reflect real-life challenges. They 4. apply (apply) what they have learned in class to new and unfamiliar situations. For example, a student studying science 5. conducts (conduct) experiments to test a theory, while a business student 6. analyses (analyse) a case study to understand market trends.
Reflection is key to this process. After completing a task, learners 7. must reflect (must/reflect) on what went well and what could be improved. This reflection 8. helps (help) them build a deeper understanding of the topic.
Educators believe that experiential learning 9. is (be) more effective than passive learning methods because it is engaging and meaningful. In the future, more schools and universities 10. will incorporate (incorporate) experiential learning into their curriculum to prepare students for the real world.
Writing Task
I. Write an email to the Director of a reputed design institute enquiring about a summer workshop and expressing your interest in joining it.
Ans:-
From: [mamta@email.com](mailto:mamta@email.com)
To: [director@designinstitute.com](mailto:director@designinstitute.com)
Cc: —
Bcc: —
Date: 10 April 2026
**Subject:** Enquiry Regarding Summer Design Workshop
Respected Sir/Madam,
I hope this message finds you well. I am a student of Class 9 and I am very passionate about pursuing a career in designing. I recently came across information about the summer workshop being conducted at your reputed institute, and I am highly interested in joining it.
I would like to kindly request you to provide me with detailed information regarding the workshop. I would appreciate if you could share details such as the duration of the course, eligibility criteria, fee structure, schedule, and the application process.
I believe that this workshop will help me enhance my creativity and gain valuable knowledge in the field of design. I would be grateful if you could guide me on how to enroll in the programme.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to your response.
Yours sincerely,
Mamta
Student
Contact No.: 9876543210
Email: [mamta@email.com](mailto:mamta@email.com)
Questions within the Lesson
NCERT Intext Questions for Class 9 English – (Page no – 231)
Reflect and Respond
I. Read the questions given below and share your answers with your classmates and teacher.
1. What is your dream?
Ans:- My dream is to achieve success in life by following my passion and doing what I truly love.
2. Who inspires you to dream?
Ans:- My parents and great people who worked hard to achieve their dreams inspire me to dream.
3. What qualities should you have in order to fulfil your dream?
Ans:- I should have hard work, dedication, patience, determination, and strong belief in myself to fulfil my dream.
4. Abdul Kalam said, “Dream is not that you see in sleep, dream is something that does not let you sleep.” Discuss.
Ans:- This means a real dream is not just something we see while sleeping, but a strong desire that keeps us motivated and makes us work hard to achieve it.
II. What role can parents and community play to help children achieve their dreams?
Ans:- Parents and the community can support children by encouraging their interests, guiding them in the right direction, and providing opportunities to learn and grow. They can motivate children, help them build confidence, and stand by them during challenges so that they can achieve their dreams.
III. Complete the given web chart. Give as many reasons as you can
Ans:-
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