Nine Gold Medals Question and Answers RTCs

Nine Gold Medals Question and Answers RTCs

Q1. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

All round the field spectators were gathered Cheering on all the young women and men Then the final event of the day was approaching.The last race about to begin.

i. Why had spectators gathered around the field?

Spectators had gathered around the field to cheer for the participants of the Special Olympics. They were there to encourage each athlete who showed enthusiasm and dedication towards participating in various sporting events.

ii. Who were the 'young women and men'? What else do we learn about them before this stanza?

The young women and men were intellectually disabled athletes from various countries who were participating in the Special Olympics.

We also learn that they had trained hard for the event. Each athlete was focused on winning the bronze, silver or gold medals.

iii. What was the final event of the day? How many competitors were there in this

event? What was announced over the loudspeakers?

The final event of the day was the hundred metres race.

There were nine competitors in this event.

The names of the runners were announced over loudspeakers.

iv. What happened immediately after the event started? 

Of the nine athletes, the youngest one stumbled and fell down as soon as the race started. He cried out in frustration and despair.

v. Describe the attitude of the athletes before the start of the event. Did it change. later?

Before the race started, all the nine athletes stood alert and in position to begin the race as soon as the signal to start was given. They were determined to do their best and win.

Yes, their attitude changed later when a fellow competitor fell down. They no longer thought about winning or defeating each other. Instead they helped the boy who had fallen down and walked hand in hand towards the finish line.

Q2. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

He gave out a cry in frustration and anguish His dreams and his efforts all dashed in the dirt. But as sure as I'm standing here telling the story Now it's a strange one, but here's what occurred.

i. Who is 'he'? Why did he cry out in frustration and anguish? 

'He' in this stanza refers to the youngest runner of the hundred-metres race at a Special Olympics event.

As soon as the race began, he stumbled and fell down. He cried out in frustration because all the hard work he had put in to train for the event had gone down the drain. His dream to win a medal fell apart within seconds of the start of the race.

ii. Identify and explain the figure of speech used in the second line of the stanza.

The second line contains alliteration. The 'd' sound has been repeated in the line.

"His dreams and his efforts all dashed in the dirt"

iii. What happened next? What was strange about it?

After the boy fell down, the eight other runners stopped running. They turned back to help him and aided him in getting back up. They even walked with him to the finish line. This was unexpected because typically competitors do not help each other out. These athletes had all worked hard and dreamed of winning medals. But without any hesitation, they kept their dreams aside and decided to help someone in need.

iv. How would you characterise the eight other runners? 

The eight other runners are empathetic. They are able to put themselves in the youngest runner's shoes and understand his frustration. They are also selfless, as they choose not to think about their own dreams and hopes given the situation. They also display true sportsmanship spirit. Instead of focussing just on winning, they show respect for their competitor.

v. How does the setting of the poem impact it?

The poem is set during a Special Olympics,an event meant for disabled individuals. The gesture of the eight runners to help the young boy shows us how the intellectually disabled, who are often harshly and unfairly branded as 'not normal', are perfectly capable of displaying human emotions. Thus, the setting of the poem adds more depth to it.

Q3. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

Then all nine runners joined hands and continued. The one hundred metres reduced to a walk And the banner above that said "Special Olympics" Could not have been nearer the mark.

i. Why did the nine runners join hands?

The nine runners joined hands so that they could walk together to the finish line and complete the race as a single unit. Each runner empathized with their fallen friend and knew how important completing the race was for him..

ii. Why did they choose to walk instead of running together to the finish line? 

The nine runners chose to walk instead of running to the finish line as they were no longer competing against each other. They were working as a team and decided it was more important to help their fellow runner finish his race. They decided to keep true sportsmanship above victory and medals.

iii. Why does the poet mention the banner in these lines? 

The poet wanted to highlight the word 'special' in the banner. The banner not only represented the actual event, which was essentially people with certain challenges coming together to compete, but by the end of the day it even highlighted how this particular day, specifically the hundred metres race, ended up being a special event in itself. The poet also wishes to convey how special the eight runners were for acting selflessly and kindly.

iv. Do you think the decision taken by the athletes was a good decision? Justify.

 In the poem 'Nine Gold Medals, the decision to walk hand in hand to the finishing line according to me was a display of true sportsmanship spirit. It was a decision that helped the world understand the real essence behind such events. The whole gesture was inspiring and gave a clear message to the world that humanity is above everything else, even winning.

v. How do these lines highlight the overall theme of the poem?

The main theme of the poem 'Nine Gold Medals' is the value of true sportsmanship over competition. This theme is clearly highlighted in these lines which describe the actions of the eight runners who chose to ignore their own dreams. They chose to complete the race as a team.

Q4 Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

That's how the race ended, with nine gold medals They came to the finish line holding hands still. And the banner above and nine smiling faces Said more than these words ever will Said more than these words ever will.

i. Why were there nine gold medals?

The race ended with all nine athletes walking hand in hand towards the end line. Their faces were shining brightly as they crossed the finish line together. Thus, the race had nine winners and therefore, nine gold medals.

ii. Who are 'they'? Why were they holding hands?

Here, they' refers to the nine athletes who were competing against each other in the hundred metres race.

However, because one of them fell at the very start of the race, everyone else returned to help him. They decided to walk towards the finish line, supporting him and helping him complete the race he too had trained for.

iii. Why do you think the poet has repeated the same line in the end?

In the last two lines, the poet conveys how a simple gesture by the eight athletes contained such a powerful message. They managed to tell all those who were watching that they valued empathy and compassion over competition. By repeating the line, the poet emphasises the profoundness of the message, and also the fact that actions speak louder than words.

iv. What is the overall tone of the poem?

The overall tone of the poem is that of hope. The poem portrays a sense of empathy, cooperation and collaboration, while sending a message to the world that we need cooperation more than competition. Through the actions of the athletes, it conveys that there is still hope for this world if we agree to not focus only on leaving others behind.

v. Do you agree with the title of the poem? Give reasons.

The title of the poem is 'Nine Gold Medals'. It expands on an event that occurred during a Special Olympic race where one of the runners fell and the other eight athletes stopped and returned to help him. They ended the race by walking together towards the finish line. Thus, the event had nine winners as opposed to the usual one winner. The title of the poem captures this perfectly. Also, since nine gold medals are not given for a single event, the title succeeds in creating curiosity in the reader's mind about the poem.

Nine Gold Medals by David Roth. :-

1. Question and Answers RTCs: http://novakidhs.blogspot.com/2022/03/nine-gold-medals-question-and-answers.html

2. Context and Summary: http://novakidhs.blogspot.com/2022/03/nine-gold-medals-context-and-summary.html

3. Themes, Setting, Form and Structure: http://novakidhs.blogspot.com/2022/03/nine-gold-medals-themes-form-and.html

4. Literary Devices: http://novakidhs.blogspot.com/2022/03/nine-gold-medals-literary-devices.html