NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 2 - The Sound of Music

Part I

I. Answer these questions in a few words or a couple of sentences each.

Q1: How old was Evelyn when she went to the Royal Academy of Music?

Ans: Evelyn was seventeen years old when she went to the Royal Academy of Music in London.

Q2: When was her deafness first noticed? When was it confirmed?

Ans: Evelyn's deafness was first noticed when she was eight, after her mother called her name and she didn't respond. By the time she was eleven, her hearing loss was confirmed, as her grades had worsened and her headmistress suggested seeing a specialist. It was then revealed that nerve damage had caused her hearing to decline.

II. Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (30 – 40 words).

Q1: Who helped her to continue with music? What did he do and say?

Ans: Percussionist Ron Forbes discovered Evelyn's potential by having her feel the vibrations of two tuned drums. She realized she could sense different notes through vibrations in various parts of her body.

Q2: Name the various places and causes for which Evelyn performs.

Ans: Evelyn amazed audiences with her music, touring the UK with a youth orchestra and maintaining a busy international schedule. She gave free concerts in prisons and hospitals and prioritized teaching young musicians, becoming an inspiring figure for deaf children.

III. Answer the question in two or three paragraphs (100 – 150 words).

Q1: How does Evelyn hear music? 

Ans:  Evelyn experienced music through vibrations in her body. When Ron Forbes tuned two drums and asked her to sense the sound, she felt the higher drum from the waist up and the lower drum from the waist down. While playing the xylophone, she sensed the sound through the stick in her fingertips. By leaning against drums or standing on a wooden platform, she felt the vibrations through her body, saying music poured in through her skin, cheekbones, and even her hair.

Part II

Q1. Tick the right answer

1. The (shehnai, pungi) was a ‘reeded noisemaker.’
2. (Bismillah Khan, A barber, Ali Bux) transformed the pungi into a shehnai.
3. Bismillah Khan’s paternal ancestors were (barbers, and professional musicians).
4. Bismillah Khan learned to play the shehnai from (Ali Bux, Paigambar Bux, Ustad Faiyaaz Khan).
5. Bismillah Khan’s first trip abroad was to (Afghanistan, U.S.A., Canada).

Ans:

1. The pungi was a ‘reeded noisemaker.’
2. A barber transformed the pungi into a shehnai.
3. Bismillah Khan’s paternal ancestors were professional musicians.
4. Bismillah Khan learned to play the shehnai from Ali Bux.
5. Bismillah Khan’s first trip abroad was to Afghanistan.

Q2. Find the words in the text which show Ustad Bismillah Khan’s feelings about the items listed below. Then mark a tick (✔) in the correct column. Discuss your answers in class.

Ans:

Q3. Answer these questions in 30 – 40 words.

1. Why did Aurangzeb ban the playing of the pungi?

Ans: Emperor Aurangzeb banned the playing of the pungi in the royal residence for it had a shrill and unpleasant sound. It became the generic name for reeded noisemakers.

2. How is a shehnai different from a pungi?

Ans: Shehnai is a pipe with a natural hollow stem that is longer and broader than the pungi. It has seven holes on its body. When it is played, the closing and opening of some of the holes produce soft and melodious sounds.

3. Where was the shehnai played traditionally? How did Bismillah Khan change this?

Ans: Traditionally, the shehnai was part of the traditional ensemble of nine instruments found at royal courts. It was used only in temples and weddings. However, Ustad Bismillah Khan brought the change by bringing it onto the classical stage.

4. When and how did Bismillah Khan get his big break?

Ans: At fourteen, Bismillah Khan attended the Allahabad Music Conference, where Ustad Faiyaz Khan encouraged him. In 1938, he got his big break with All India Radio in Lucknow and became a popular Shehnai player.

5. Where did Bismillah Khan play the shehnai on 15 August 1947? Why was the event historic?

Ans: On 15 August 1947, Bismillah Khan played the shehnai from the Red Fort. It was a historic day as India gained independence on that day. He became the first Indian to greet the nation with his shehnai. His audience included illustrious names such as Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi.

6. Why did Bismillah Khan refuse to start a shehnai school in the U.S.A.?

Ans: Bismillah Khan refused to start a shehnai school in the U.S.A. because he couldn’t live outside India. Although his student promised to recreate the atmosphere of Benaras, including its temples, Bismillah jokingly asked if he could also bring the River Ganga, which was impossible. He always longed to return to India whenever he was abroad.

7. Find at least two instances in the text that tell you that Bismillah Khan loves India and Benaras.

Ans: Bismillah Khan deeply loved India, especially Benaras and Dumraon. In his early years, he often practiced in solitude at the temples of Balaji and Mangala Maiya, and by the banks of the River Ganga in Benaras. The flowing Ganga inspired him to create new ragas for the shehnai. He refused to start a shehnai school in the U.S.A. because he couldn't live outside India. When his student offered to replicate Benaras' temples, Bismillah humorously asked if he could also bring the River Ganga, which was impossible.

Thinking About Language

Q1. Complete the following sentences. Beginning with a to-verb, try to Ans the questions in brackets.

1. The school sports team hopes __________ (What does it hope to do?)
2. We all want __________ (What do we all want to do?)
3. They advised the hearing-impaired child’s mother __________(What did they advise her to do?)
4. The authorities permitted us to __________ (What did the authorities permit us to do?)
5. A musician decided to __________ (What did the musician decide to do?)

Ans:

1. The school sports team hopes to do better than the last time.
2. We all want to go on a vacation.
3. They advised the hearing-impaired child’s mother to take her to a specialist.
4. The authorities permitted us to organize a charity event.
5. A musician decided to take India’s music to the world. 

Q2. From the text on Bismillah Khan, find the words and phrases that match these definitions and write them down. The number of the paragraph where you will find the words/ phrases have been given for you in brackets.

1. the home of royal people (1) __________
2. the state of being alone (5) __________
3. a part which is absolutely necessary (2) __________
4. to do something not done before (5) __________
5. without much effort (13) __________
6. quickly and in large quantities (9) __________ and __________ 

Ans:

1. The home of royal people (1) the royal residence
2. The state of being alone (5) solitude
3. A part which is absolutely necessary (2) indispensable
4. To do something not done before (5) invent
5. Without much effort (13) effortlessly
6. Quickly and in large quantities (9) thick and fast 

Q3. Tick the right Answer

1. When something is revived, it (remains dead/lives again).
2. When a government bans something, it wants it (stopped/started).
3. When something is considered auspicious, (welcome it/avoid it).
4. When we take to something, we find it (boring/interesting).
5. When you appreciate something, you (find it good and useful/find it of no use).
6. When you replicate something, you do it (for the first time/for the second time).
7. When we come to terms with something, it is (still upsetting/no longer upsetting). 

Ans:

1. When something is revived, it lives again.
2. When a government bans something, it wants it stopped.
3. When something is considered auspicious, welcome it.
4. When we take to something, we find it interesting.
5. When you appreciate something, you find it good and useful.
6. When you replicate something, you do it for the second time.
7. When we come to terms with something, it is no longer upsetting.