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

NCERT
SOLUTIONS
CLASS - 9TH

aglase .co

Book - Beehive Ncert Solutions | Chapter-2 English-1

Class : 9th
Subject : English-1
Chapter : 2
Chapter Name : The Sound of Music

Q1 Answer these questions in a few words or a couple of sentences each.
1. How old was Evelyn when she went to the Royal Academy of Music?
2. When was her deafness rst noticed? When was it con rmed?

Answer. 1. Evelyn was seventeen years old when she went to the Royal Academy of Music in London.

2. Her deafness was rst noticed by her mother when Evelyn was eight years old. She was once waiting
to play the piano. When her name was called, she did not move. That was when her mother realized
that Evelyn had not heard anything. Her deafness was con rmed when she was eleven. Her marks had
deteriorated and her headmistress had urged her parents to take her to a specialist. It was then
discovered that gradual nerve damage had severely impaired her hearing.

Page : 25 , Block Name : Thinking about the Text

Q2 Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (30–40 words).
1. Who helped her to continue with music? What did he do and say?
2. Name the various places and causes for which Evelyn performs.

Answer. 1. Percussionist Ron Forbes was the rst person to notice Evelyn's potential. He began by
tuning two large drums to different notes. He asked Evelyn not to listen through her ears but to try and
sense the sound in some other manner. Suddenly Evelyn realized that she could feel the higher drum
from the waist up and the lower drum from the waist down. Forbes repeated the exercise and Evelyn
realized that she could sense certain notes in different parts of her body.

2. Evelyn always delighted her audience. She had toured the United Kingdom with a youth orchestra.
She had a very hectic international schedule. Apart from the regular concerts, she gave free concerts in
prisons and hospitals. She gave high priority to classes for young musicians because of which she was a
shining inspiration for deaf children.

Page : 25 , Block Name : Thinking about the Text

Q3 Answer the question in two or three paragraphs (100–150 words).
1. How does Evelyn hear music?

Answer. Evelyn heard music by sensing the notes in different parts of her body. When Ron Forbes
tuned two drums and asked her to sense the sound without using her ears, she realized that she could
feel the higher drum from the waist up and the lower drum from the waist down. When she played the
xylophone, she could sense the sound passing up the stick into her ngertips. By leaning against the

Page 1 of 10 Aglasem Schools

Book - Beehive Ncert Solutions | Chapter-2 English-1

drums, she could feel the resonances owing into her body. On a wooden platform, she removed her
shoes so that the vibrations could pass through her bare feet. She herself said that music poured in
through every part of her body. It tingled in the skin, her cheekbones and even in her hair.

Page : 25 , Block Name : Thinking about the Text

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, professional musicians).
4. Bismillah Khan learnt to play the shehnai from (Ali Bux, Paigambar Bux, Ustad Faiyaaz Khan).
5. Bismillah Khan’s rst trip abroad was to (Afghanistan, U.S.A., Canada).

Answer. 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 learnt to play the shehnai from Ali Bux.
5. Bismillah Khan's rst trip abroad was to Afghanistan.

Page : 26 , Block Name : Thinking about the Text

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.

Answer.

Page 2 of 10 Aglasem Schools

Book - Beehive Ncert Solutions | Chapter-2 English-1

Page 3 of 10 Aglasem Schools

Book - Beehive Ncert Solutions | Chapter-2 English-1

Page : 26 , Block Name : Thinking about the Text

Q3 III. Answer these questions in 30–40 words.
1. Why did Aurangzeb ban the playing of the pungi?
2. How is a shehnai different from a pungi?
3. Where was the shehnai played traditionally? How did Bismillah Khan change this?
4. When and how did Bismillah Khan get his big break?
5. Where did Bismillah Khan play the shehnai on 15 August 1947? Why was the event historic?
6. Why did Bismillah Khan refuse to start a shehnai school in the U.S.A.?
7. Find at least two instances in the text which tell you that Bismillah Khan loves India and Benaras.

Answer. 1. 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. 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 produces soft and
melodious sounds.
3. 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 in the
change by bringing it onto the classical stage.
4. Bismillah Khan had accompanied his uncle to the Allahabad Music Conference at the age of
fourteen. At the end of his recital, Ustad Faiyaz Khan patted his back and told him to work hard and he
shall make it big in life. He got his big break with the opening of the All India Radio in Lucknow in
1938. He soon became an often-heard shehnai player on radio.
5. 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 rst Indian to greet the nation with his
shehnai. His audience included illustrious names such as Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma
Gandhi.
6. Bismillah Khan refused to start a shehnai school in the U.S.A. because he could not live outside
India. His student, who had asked him to head the shehnai school, promised that he would recreate the
atmosphere of Benaras by replicating the temples in the city. However, he wanted to know if his
student could also transport River Ganga, which his student obviously could not. He himself said that
whenever he was in a foreign country', he kept yearning to see Hindustan.
7. Bismillah Khan immensely loved India, particularly Benaras and Dumraon. In his initial years, the
temple of Balaji, Mangala Maiya, and the banks of River Ganga in Benaras became his favourite haunts
where he could practice in peace and solitude. River Ganga's owing waters inspired him to improvise
and invent ragas that were once thought to be beyond the range of shehnai. Bismillah Khan refused to
start a shehnai school in the U.S.A. because he could not live outside India. His student, who had asked
him to head the shehnai school, promised that he would recreate the atmosphere of Benaras by
replicating the temples in the city. However, he wanted to know if his student could also transport
River Ganga, which his student obviously could not.

Page : 26 , Block Name : Thinking about the Text

Q1 Look at these sentences.

Page 4 of 10 Aglasem Schools

Book - Beehive Ncert Solutions | Chapter-2 English-1

Evelyn was determined to live a normal life.

Evelyn managed to conceal her growing deafness from friends and teachers.

The italicised parts answer the questions: “What was Evelyn determined to do?” and “What did Evelyn
manage to do?” They begin with a to-verb (to live, to conceal).
Complete the following sentences. Beginning with a to-verb, try to answer 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?)

Answer. 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.

Page : 25 , Block Name : Thinking about Language

Q2 From the text on Bismillah Khan, nd the words and phrases that match these de nitions and write
them down. The number of the paragraph where you will nd the words/phrases has 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 ____________

Answer. 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

Page : 26 , Block Name : Thinking about Language

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).

Page 5 of 10 Aglasem Schools

Book - Beehive Ncert Solutions | Chapter-2 English-1

3. When something is considered auspicious, (welcome it/avoid it).
4. When we take to something, we nd it (boring/interesting).
5. When you appreciate something, you ( nd it good and useful/ nd it of no use).
6. When you replicate something, you do it (for the rst time/for the second time).
7. When we come to terms with something, it is (still upsetting/no longer upsetting).

Answer. 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 nd it interesting.
5. When you appreciate something, you nd 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

Page : 26 , Block Name : Thinking about Language

Q4 Dictionary work

The sound of the shehnai is auspicious.

The auspicious sound of the shehnai is usually heard at marriages.

The adjective auspicious can occur after the verb be as in the rst sentence, or before a
noun as in the second. But there are some adjectives which can be used after the verb be
and not before a noun. For example:

Ustad Faiyaz Khan was overjoyed.

We cannot say: *the overjoyed man.
Look at these entries from the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (2005).

Consult your dictionary and complete the following table. The rst one has been done for

Page 6 of 10 Aglasem Schools

Book - Beehive Ncert Solutions | Chapter-2 English-1

you.

Use these words in phrases or sentences of your own.

Answer.

Indispensable– A nourishing food is indispensable for growing children.
Impressed—All the countries of the world are impressed by Indian Democracy.
I am not afraid of Mohan.

Page 7 of 10 Aglasem Schools

Book - Beehive Ncert Solutions | Chapter-2 English-1

Cricket is an outdoor game.
He is my paternal uncle.
Countless people have prayed in the temple.
This painting is priceless.

Page : 26 , Block Name : Thinking about Language

Q1 Imagine the famous singer Kishori Amonkar is going to visit your school. You have been
asked to introduce her to the audience before her performance. How would you introduce
her?
Here is some information about Kishori Amonkar you can nd on the Internet. Read the
passage and make notes of the main points about:
her parentage
the school of music she belongs to

her achievements

her inspiration

awards

Padma Bhushan Kishori Amonkar, widely considered the nest female vocalist
of her generation, was born in 1931, daughter of another great artist, Smt.
Mogubai Kurdikar. In her early years she absorbed the approach and repertoire
of her distinguished mother’s teacher Ustad Alladiya Khan. As her own style
developed, however, she moved away from Alladiya Khan’s ‘Jaipur Atrauli
gharana’ style in some respects, and as a mature artist her approach is usually
regarded as an individual, if not unique, variant of the Jaipur model.
Kishori Amonkar is a thinker, besotted by what she calls the mysterious world of
her raagas. She dissects them with the precision of a perfectionist, almost like a
scientist, until the most subtle of shades and emotions emerge and re-emerge.
She is very much inspired by the teachings of the ancient Vedic sages, written at
a time when vocal music was highly devotional in character. This soul searching
quality of her music, coupled with a very intellectual approach to raaga
performance has gained her quite a following in India and has helped to revive
the study of khayal.
Signi cant awards bestowed on this artist include the Sangeet Natak Akademi
Award (1985), the Padma Bhushan (1987), and the highly coveted Sangeet
Samradhini Award (considered one of the most prestigious awards in Indian
Classical Music) in 1997.

Answer. Good morning Teachers, Students and Everyone else present,
Today, it is my pleasure to have amongst us here, Miss. Kishori Amonkar, the
nest female vocalist of her generation. Born to one of India's music legends
Mogubai Kudikar, Amonkar is a disciple of Sir. Ustad Alladiya Khan. Though
trained by him in the 'Jaipur-Atrauli gharana' she soon moved onto explore
music in her own individual ways. She is both intellectual and emotional in her

Page 8 of 10 Aglasem Schools

Book - Beehive Ncert Solutions | Chapter-2 English-1

approach to music. Inspired by Vedic teachings, her music has a soul-searching
effect to it. She has been awarded the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, Sangeet
Natak Akademi Award and Sangeet Samradhini Award, India's most prestigious
awards in music.
Let me please welcome you on stage to speak a few words, ma'am.

Page : 28 , Block Name : Speaking

Q2 Use your notes on Kishori Amonkar to introduce her to an imaginary
audience. You may use one of the following phrases to introduce a guest:
I am honoured to introduce.../I feel privileged to introduce.../We welcome you...
Answer. I am honoured to introduce to you all Padma Bhushan Kishori Amonkar.
She is the nest female vocalist . She is born in 1931. Her mother was a great
artist Smt. Mogubai Kurdikar. She has her own style that is different in some
respect from of Ustad Alladiya Khan's 'Jaipur- Atrauli gharana'. She is very much
inspired by the teachings of the ancient Vedic sages. And her careful research of
the raagas has lead her to recreate soul searching quality of her music and
emotions through her music.
She has honoured with many prestigious awards, which include the Sangeet
Natak Akademi Award (1985), the Padma Bhushan (1987) and the highly coveted
Sangeet Samradhini Award(consider one of the most prestigious awards in the
Indian classical music (1997).
We all are highly thankful to her for honouring us with her gracious presence.

Page : 28 , Block Name : Speaking

Q1 “If you work hard and know where you’re going, you’ll get there,” says Evelyn
Glennie. You have now read about two musicians, Evelyn Glennie and Ustad
Bismillah Khan. Do you think that they both worked hard? Where did they want
to ‘go’? Answer these questions in two paragraphs, one on each of the two
musicians.

Answer. Let me start by rst of all looking at the life of Evelyn Glennie
Evelyn Glennie: Evelyn is a 51 year old Scottish musician from Aberdeenshire,
United Kingdom. What is actually surprising about her is the fact that she was
increasingly getting deaf starting from the age of 12. However, that did not stop
her from learning and enjoying music and she continued to play various western
classical instruments. Throughout her career she has received more than a
dozen awards
Ustad Bismillah Khan: Ustad Bismillah Khan was born in Bihar in 1916, then
British Indian Empire. He belonged to a long line of musicians in the family and
even though he belonged to a strict Shia community which usually does not like
music, he is today famous for single handedly making the 'Shenhai' a famous
instrument in Indian pop and folk culture. He was eventually awarded India's
highest civilian award

Page : 29 , Block Name : Writing

Page 9 of 10 Aglasem Schools

Book - Beehive Ncert Solutions | Chapter-2 English-1

Q1 1. What are the things the wind does in the rst stanza?
2. Have you seen anybody winnow grain at home or in a paddy eld? What is the
word in your language for winnowing? What do people use for winnowing? (Give
the words in your language, if you know them.)
3. What does the poet say the wind god winnows?
4. What should we do to make friends with the wind?
5. What do the last four lines of the poem mean to you?
6. How does the poet speak to the wind — in anger or with humour? You must
also have seen or heard of the wind “crumbling lives”. What is your response to
this? Is it like the poet’s?

Answer. 1. In the rst stanza, the wind shutters breaks the shutters of the
windows, scatters the papers, throws down the books from the shelf, tears the
pages of the books and brings showers of rain.
2. Yes, I have seen many women winnowing grain in villages. Pachhorana is the
word in my language for winnowing. People use chaaj or winnowing fan for
winnowing purpose.
3. The poet says that the wind god winnows the weak crumbling houses, doors,
rafters, wood, bodies, lives and hearts, and then crushes them all.
4. To make friends with wind we need to build strong homes with rm doors. We
should also make ourselves physically and mentally strong by building strong,
rm bodies and having steadfast hearts.
5. In the last four lines, the poet inspires us to face the wind, which symbolises
the hardships of our lives, courageously. He tells us that the wind can only
extinguish the weak res; it intensi es the stronger ones. Similarly, adversities
deter the weak-hearted but make stronger those who have unfaltering will. In
such a case, befriending the wind or the hardships of life makes it easier for us to
face them.
6. The poet speaks to the wind with anger.
Yes, strong winds are known to cause plenty of damage and destruction to both
life and property. Storms, cyclones, gales and strong winds cause havoc on land.
They uproot trees, bring down houses, tear down electric posts and claim lives.
They also cause damage to boats and frighten the poor sailors and shermen out
at sea. Yet, I do not agree with the poet that the wind only •crumbles lives'. The
wind is responsible for bringing rain; it cools the land and makes the climate
pleasant. Today, wind energy is harnessed for several useful purposes including
turning windmills, wind turbines and generating electricity.

Page : 29 , Block Name : Thinking about the Poem

Q2 The poem you have just read is originally in the Tamil. Do you know any such
poems in your language?

Answer. Yes, I have read another poem on wind. It is titled 'Toofan' and was
originally written in Hindi by Naresh Aggarwal.

Page : 29 , Block Name : Thinking about the Poem

Page 10 of 10 Aglasem Schools