APPENDIX
AUDIO TRANSCRIPTS — Listen and Respond
UNIT 1
How I Taught My Grandmother to Read
I You will listen to a speaker talk about digital literacy. As you listen, complete the following sentences with one to three exact words that you hear.
Good morning, everyone. Today, I would like to discuss an essential skill in our daily lives—digital literacy. Earlier, literacy meant just reading and writing. Now, it includes the ability to use digital tools effectively and responsibly.
Digital literacy means accessing, creating, and sharing information using technology. It’s not just about using gadgets but also understanding digital platforms, identifying reliable sources, and protecting personal data.
So, why do you think digital literacy is important?
First, it empowers individuals—students learn to research critically, professionals handle digital transactions, and senior citizens stay connected. Second, it promotes safe internet use by helping us recognise misinformation, scams, and cyber threats. Third, it prepares us for a digital future, where skills in online services, job applications, and governance are essential. Being digitally literate is no longer optional—it’s a necessity.
This is the reason the Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (DISHA) or National Digital Literacy Mission (NDLM) Scheme has been formulated to impart IT training to people across the country.
Bharat Our Land
I You will listen to four people talk about the places they like to travel to. As you listen, write the speaker number for the two pictures given.
SPEAKER 1: I like places of nature that offer comfort. As an elderly man, I love visiting serene riversides. I still remember my last visit to Poicha village on the bank of river Narmada, last year. The gentle flow of the river spoke to my soul. I could reflect, meditate, and find inner harmony. I enjoy the calm of a desert destination too, but riverside visits are my favourite. I have my tickets booked for Ayodhya, next.
SPEAKER 2: Adventures thrill me, and so, I think there's no place better than the mountains for this. I truly enjoy river sports as well but a visit to the Western ghats changed it all for me. Our college supports adventure sports and the mountains are my playground, where I push my limits and embrace the adventurous side of life.
SPEAKER 3: I'm a photographer. I simply find the deserts breath-taking. The forest areas are a close second but vast stretches of sand dunes and the colours of the desert before sunset combined with the play of shadows is matchless. The desert's beauty rewards me with one-of-a-kind clicks.
SPEAKER 4: I have to admit that I love the mountains but, my heart beats for the forests of India. As a travel vlogger, exploring these biodiverse areas allows me to share the wonders of nature with my audience. My recent trip was to the Sundarbans and my subscribers loved the videos I had uploaded.
II You will once again listen to the four speakers. As you listen, match the given statements to the speaker. There are two statements you do not need.
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UNIT 2
The Pot Maker
I You will listen to a man speaking about stone statues. As you listen, complete the given paragraph by filling in the blanks with the exact words you listen to.
Hello everyone! Let me share what a stone statue is. Well, it is a statue made with stone, usually by carving or assembling, to form a visually interesting three-dimensional shape.
You see, since early civilisation, stone has been used in architectural sculpture on the outside of buildings. Nowadays, it is mostly used for making stone sculptures. We can find evidence that even the earliest societies indulged in some form of stonework, mostly in India, Egypt, Iran, and Greece. However, some of the most fascinating and mesmerising evidence of stone sculptures can be found only in India. I mean it when I say this because you will definitely find evidence of stone monuments across the country.
II You will now listen to the man speaking about some steps involved in making stone statues. As you listen, select the six correct steps out of the nine given.
So, what is involved in the making of a stone sculpture? Quite obviously, it all begins with choosing the stone. First of all, a sculptor chooses a stone according to the needful weight and dimensions of the statue. When a sculptor carves a stone, he/she begins by removing large unwanted portions of the stone. It is after this that the craft of bringing out the imagined shape from the block of stone begins. Different tools are used to do this.
However, this isn't all. You see, the fully dimensional form is created for the first time in the stone itself as the sculptor removes material, sketches on the block of stone, and develops the work along the way. The statue is then detached from the block of stone and the sculptor refines it with finishing touches. I'm sure that whenever you look at a stone statue next, you will appreciate the work and skill more!
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Gifts of Grace: Honouring Our Vocations
I You will listen to two friends, a boy and a girl discussing the occupations of their parents. As you listen, answer the following question in two to three words only.
Boy: Hello Aruna! Where are you coming from?
GIRL: Oh, I'm just on my way back from the factory. I had gone to drop my mother's lunch box. It's vacation time for me and I want her to have warm food. That's the reason I pack it fresh and take it to her these days.
Boy: That's heart-warming. What does your mother do in the factory?
GIRL: The factory is an automobile spare parts manufacturing unit and she is the line supervisor. She checks the smooth functioning of the manufacturing process and the quality of the parts, at that level.
Boy: Wow! That's a lot of responsibility. I can understand because my father is an automobile mechanic. The supervisor at his workshop also has to do all that.
GIRL: An automobile mechanic? That's interesting. No wonder you were so good with mechanical demonstrations during the Science exhibition! I can identify the smaller parts at my mother's factory but I am clueless about their application.
Boy: (laughs) Father lets me go through his tool kit over the weekends if I want to. I often use toy cars to discuss details and usage with him.
GIRL: Wonderful! I'd love to join in next time.
Boy: Of course. You're welcome.
II You will listen to the boy and girl once again. As you listen, answer the questions by selecting the correct option.
UNIT 3
Winds of Change
I You will listen to a dialogue between a boy and a girl discussing which type of pankha they should choose as a gift. As you listen, choose four statements out of seven that are true from 1–7 given below.
BOY: Priya, what do you think we should get Grandma for her birthday? I was thinking about getting her a traditional pankha.
GIRL: That’s a great idea! She loves traditional crafts. But there are so many types of pankhas. Which one do you think she’ll like?
BOY: Hmm, maybe something light that she can use easily. I remember she likes sitting in the veranda in the evenings.
GIRL: True. But do you think she would prefer something heavy that feels sturdy? You know, like those brass ones we saw at the craft fair last month.
BOY: Good point. She did mention once that she likes things with a bit of weight. But won’t that be hard to move around?
GIRL: Yeah, you’re right. Maybe something in between? Not too heavy, not too light. And it should be pretty enough for her to show to her friends when they come over.
BOY: Definitely. And it should be something she can keep under her pillow when she’s not using it. She likes keeping special things close.
GIRL: What about the ones with intricate designs? Like those embroidered ones from Rajasthan. Mom always says Grandma loves those kinds of patterns.
BOY: Oh yeah, the applique ones! Those are beautiful. And they would look so nice in her room.
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GIRL: I think we should narrow it down to two options: the lightweight bamboo one with the delicate beadwork, or the medium-weight embroidered one with the mirror work. What do you think?
BOY: I like both, but let's ask Mom for her opinion. She knows Grandma's tastes better than anyone.
GIRL: Good idea. Let's go ask her now. I'm sure she'll help us choose the perfect pankha for Grandma.
BOY: Yes! Maybe we can also get it customised with Grandma's initials or something special like that.
GIRL: Perfect! Let's discuss with Mom.
Canvas of Soil
I You will listen to a young girl describe her school garden. As you listen, identify which of the following 1–3, she does not talk about.
Good day to one and all. I'm glad I've been asked to speak about my school garden. I quite enjoy spending my time there before assembly and even during the Nature Club talks.
My school garden has beautiful flowers in three rows. The first row just has pink flowers. The second row has red roses and the third row has white jasmines. These usually have butterflies fluttering around them.
My school garden is not just a flower garden, it has several useful plants that are placed in pots in both the left corners. The right corners have potted evergreen plants that are a total of 20. The garden is systematically bordered with bricks. I still remember the day the members of the Nature club painted these white and red. Even the grand banyan tree in the centre of the garden is lined with these bricks, in a circle.
The Art and Craft club members beautified the garden by creating several items from waste materials, like small scarecrows, pin wheels, and dust bins.
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They even painted the garden bench, kept near the garden entrance.
If you visit my school, do spend a little time in my school garden.
Bye for now!
II You will once again listen to the young girl. As you listen, circle the correct answer from options given below.
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UNIT 4
Vitamin-M
You will listen to a podcast on meditation. As you listen, complete the sentences with not more than three exact words that you hear.
Dear students, welcome to today's session on meditation. Before we explore the techniques of meditation, let me provide you with a brief introduction.
Meditation is an important yogic practice which is commonly used for relaxation and stress management. Basically, meditation provides rest and peace to the mind. During meditation, all kinds of thoughts which cause stress are removed. This, in turn, results in an enhanced state of well-being, physically and emotionally.
You see, after meditation, the person feels fresh and gains a new perspective on stressful situations. Not only this, meditation also helps to reduce negative emotions and increases self-awareness.
Therefore, I encourage you to start practising meditation on a regular basis and make it your routine. I assure you that it will contribute to your overall well-being and positively influence your memory power.
In fact, practising meditation regularly can help lessen exam-related pressure, allowing you to manage them with ease.
So, let's begin the journey of meditation together.
Thank you!
I Cannot Remember My Mother
You will listen to four short extracts of people expressing their childhood memories. As you listen, match each statement 1–6 to each speaker (i)–(iv). There are two statements that you do not need.
SPEAKER (i): In my childhood, when disheartened, my grandfather's advice about keeping the morale high to solve most of the problems
still echoes in my mind. To boost my spirits, he would ask me who the bravest one was. I still remember I would always shout, 'Me'. When feeling low, I still hear his voice, and believe that I am the bravest.
SPEAKER (ii): In our childhood, we revelled in the liberty to explore nature without restrictions. Running after butterflies and grasshoppers filled our days. Rainy seasons meant making paper boats and playing in muddy waters, sandy beaches, returning home with monkey faces to escape scolding. These carefree memories echo the simple joys we embraced.
SPEAKER (iii): Cherished memories from my preparatory school days include my grandma's sweet tolerance. Mornings for me meant, sitting on grandpa's lap, demanding comic strip tales from newspapers. Afterward, in the kitchen, pretending to retell the stories, I'd end up babbling, forgetting the real narratives. These beautiful memories linger clearly in my memory.
SPEAKER (iv): Childhood experience at the beach with my parents remains a cherished memory until we moved away when I was in grade one. Returning after a decade, the once serene beach is now crowded. The carefree days are now replaced by a sense of distance within our family, highlighting the shift in generational connections.
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UNIT 5
The World of Limitless Possibilities
I You will listen to an announcement for special assembly in school. As you listen, fill in the blanks with one or two exact words.
Good morning everyone. We are excited to announce a special assembly on the occasion of World Inclusion Day. This assembly will take place on Thursday, 10 October, at 9.00 a.m. in the school auditorium.
We have a series of engaging programmes planned for the day to celebrate and promote inclusion. The assembly will commence with a welcome speech by our Principal, followed by a staging on inclusion by the Interact Club. There will also be a special performance by the school's dance team that highlights themes of diversity and acceptance. After the performances, we will have a panel discussion featuring guest speakers who are advocates for inclusion in various fields.
We will conclude with a song presented by students to nurture inclusive practices and collaboration among all members of our school community.
Thank you
Nine Gold Medals
I You will listen to a radio-talk about Patrick Gomes, a coach of special athletes. As you listen, write true or false for the statements given.
Good morning, dear listeners! If you're feeling a bit low today, I've something to share that will inspire you to push your boundaries. I'm going to talk about an inspirational personality, Patrick Gomes, a special athlete and coach. He is a talented special athlete whose journey began with his participation in various track events way back in 1991, in Chennai. However, it was only in 1995, as a student at Okhla Centre of Learning and Development, that he was selected in football for the Special Olympics World Summer Games held
at Connecticut, in the USA. That is how his journey of Special Olympics began. It became a milestone in his life, changing his life forever. He participated in several special games after that, primarily football. Later, he represented Special Olympics Bharat in Spain for a World Athletics Championship. Gradually, he trained as a coach.
He has been coaching special athletes for over 15 years now in sports and related values. He strongly believes that sports is important for everyone as it brings positivity, fitness, and discipline. You will be inspired by his own fitness routine as he jogs for two hours every day. Despite his speech challenge, he is quite an independent and confident person. In fact, he lives all by himself, doing all the daily chores at home. He says it keeps him fit too. He feels that had he not been introduced to Special Olympics, he is unable to imagine what else would've been there for him.
II You will listen to the radio talk once again. As you listen, choose the correct options for each question.
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UNIT 6
Twin Melodies
I Now, listen to a musician describing the yazh and check if your choice was correct.
Hello, I’d like to talk about the yazh (yāl) today.
You see, the yazh is an Indian harp which was used in ancient Tamil music. It is referred to as the ancestor of modern day veena. It was named so, because the tip of stem of this instrument was carved into the head of the mythological animal Yali. Can you imagine that?
The yazh was an open-stringed instrument. It had gut strings with a wooden boat-shaped skin-covered resonator and an ebony stem. I hope these descriptions share a mental image with all of you. Musical instruments are tuned, and for the yazh, it was tuned by either pegs or rings of gut moved up and down the string.
Depending on variations in designs, the instrument took different names such as ‘mayuri yazh’ - meaning peacock yazh , ‘makara yazh’ – meaning crocodile yazh , ‘matsya yazh’ – meaning fish yazh and ‘vil yazh’ -meaning bow string yazh.
Hope you all enjoyed getting to know about the yazh.
Thank you
II Listen to the musician’s description of the yazh once again. As you listen, complete the notes below with not more than three words.
A Friend Found in Music
I Before you listen, read the questions and guess the responses to the given questions.
II Now, listen to the conversation between the two people. As you listen, check your answers and rectify them wherever needed. Once done, discuss your responses with your classmates and teacher.
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WOMAN: Why are you looking so upset, Jaspreet?
BOY: Oh! How did you know I'm upset?
WOMAN: I'm your mother, I get to know instantly. Whatever it is, we'll talk and address the problem. For now, pack up quickly, the music centre is about to close for the day. We'll talk on the way home.
BOY: Sure mom! I should have chosen another instrument to play. I'm facing issues after having chosen the santoor.
WOMAN: The santoor music is fabulous. Each instrument requires dedicated practice. What is the problem you're facing?
BOY: I am more than ready for the hard work, but the teacher who teaches santoor comes to the centre just twice a week. So regular practice is missing.
WOMAN: Hmmm...perhaps watching videos about the playing of this instrument might work. Have you tried that?
BOY: I did! But playing an instrument is a hands-on skill. Watching these videos did not help much. I really want to learn to play the santoor well. I'm so sad that I might have to change my choice of musical instrument.
WOMAN: That won't happen. I have a friend who used to play the santoor. I can request her to lend the instrument till the time we purchase our own. You can practice on that at home. That way your learning will remain fresh.
BOY: That's fantastic! Please remember to place your request today.
WOMAN: (Laughing) Oh sure!
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UNIT 7
Carrier of Words
I You will listen to a girl talking about an event. As you listen, fill in the blank with the suitable word from the brackets.
Good morning. Respected Principal, teachers, and my dear friends, I, Bhavna of Grade 9 B, would like to share some information about the celebration of Indian Postal Day in our school. It is celebrated on 10 October to commemorate the service of India Post, the most widely functioning government postal service in the world.
We will be celebrating it by organising ‘Daakroom’—a letter writing carnival at our school. Its name comes from the Hindi word ‘daak’ which means ‘post’.
The objective behind this carnival is to get all of us excited about letter writing, a forgotten art form. The carnival will have various competitions, events and workshops such as letter writing, stamp collecting, calligraphy, origami, graphology—which means the study of handwriting and postcard making. This carnival will also feature music, theatre, and dance. It will also include interactive demonstrations by the postal department. I request all the students to actively participate and make this event a grand success.
Thank you.
II You will listen to the girl talking about the event again. As you listen, choose the correct option for the following questions.
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Words
I You will listen to a conversation between a girl and a boy. As you listen, mark four statements from 1–6 that are true.
Boy: Good morning, Sonali. Have you heard about the inter-school declamation contest scheduled next week?
GIRL: Good morning, Vivek. The one on the topic ‘Use of English Language for Communication’?
Boy: Yes, that’s right. Are you participating in it?
GIRL: Of course, I am. I was among the first few students to register for the contest.
Boy: Yes, I was sure you would. Do you think it is a topic that can lead to an engaging talk?
GIRL: Sure, I do. You see, English is used all over the world for communication purposes. In our daily lives, we come across several informal and formal situations, where we want to share information with others or express ideas and relate our experiences with them.
Boy: That’s right! I feel that to communicate effectively, we need to organise our thoughts well; and choose appropriate words and phrases.
GIRL: Obviously! That’s because English is not our mother tongue. Many of us face difficulties in speaking and understanding it.
Boy: Absolutely! I find that many of us hesitate to speak in English because we think we do not have sufficient vocabulary and knowledge of English grammar.
GIRL: Correct! I think that it would be a good idea to develop vocabulary and grammar to be able to communicate with confidence. This gets reflected in our body language too.
Boy: Body language? How?
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GIRL: You may have noticed that some people appear nervous and conscious while speaking in English.
BOY: Right. What would be your advice to those who face this problem?
GIRL: They should not forget that communication takes place not only with words but also with gestures and postures. So, they must remember to work on their body language too.
BOY: That's a valid point. Let me pick up a book on body language from the library.
GIRL: Great! You will find them in the reference section. You may request the librarian to issue it.
BOY: Thank you for the advice. I will find the book soon enough. All the best for the declamation!
GIRL: Thank you! Bye!
Unit 8
Follow That Dream
I You will listen to an announcement regarding vocational courses starting in school. As you listen, fill in the blanks with one to three exact words that you hear.
Good morning, students
We are pleased to inform you that our school will be offering a new set of vocational courses from this academic year. These courses aim to equip you with practical skills that will be useful in both higher education and future careers.
The available options include Graphic Design, Basic Coding, Web Application, Artificial Intelligence, Multimedia, Data Science, and Entrepreneurship Skills. Each course will be conducted by trained professionals.
Interested students from Grades 9 to 12 may collect the registration form from the school office starting Monday, 04 April. The last date to submit completed forms is Friday, 08 April.
Note: Each student can choose only one course, and seats will be allotted to early applicants.
Don’t miss this opportunity to learn beyond the textbook and develop real-world skills.
Believe in Yourself
I You will listen to a conversation between two friends. As you listen, answer the following questions in one to three exact words that you hear.
Boy: I don’t know if I can do this, Ananya. Everyone’s expecting me to perform well in the play, but I’m just so nervous. What if I mess up? What if I forget my lines?
GIRL: (reassuringly) Karan, you’ve been practicing for weeks. You’ve already done so many
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rehearsals, and you've got this. Self-belief is the first step. If you don't believe you can do it, how will you ever succeed?
BOY: (sighing) I get that, but what if I freeze on stage? Everyone will be watching me, and I don't know if I can handle that pressure.
GIRL: Pressure is a part of it, but it's also what helps you grow. The more you push yourself, the more confident you'll become. Just take a deep breath, focus on your lines, and trust yourself. You've practised this more than anyone else!
BOY: I don't know... I keep doubting myself. I feel like I'm not good enough, even though I've put in the work.
GIRL: But self-doubt is just part of the process! Everyone feels nervous before big moments. Remember, confidence comes from taking action, even when you don't feel fully ready. You've got the skills, now you need to trust yourself and step onto that stage.
BOY: I guess you're right. I need to stop doubting myself. I'll give it my best shot, even if I feel a little nervous.
GIRL: Exactly! You've got all the tools you need. Believe in yourself and own that stage. I know you'll shine!
II You will once again listen to the conversation. As you listen, select the four true statements from 1-7 given below.
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NOTES
© NCERT not to be republished