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

NCERT Solutions Class 9 English (Beehive (Prose)) 

The NCERT Solutions in English Language for Class 9 English (Beehive (Prose)) Chapter – 2 The Sound of Music has been provided here to help the students in solving the questions from this exercise. 

Chapter – 2 (The Sound of Music) 

Part – I
Thinking about the Text

I. 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?
Answer – Evelyn Glennie was seventeen years old when she went to the prestigious Royal Academy of Music in London.

2. When was her deafness first noticed? When was it confirmed?
Answer – Her deafness was first noticed when she was eight years old and it was confirmed when she was eleven.

II. 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?
Answer – Percussionist Ron Forbes helped Evelyn to continue with music. He began by tuning two large drums to different notes. He asked her not to listen to them through her ears but to try and sense the sound in some other manner.

2. Name the various places and causes for which Evelyn performs.
Answer – Evelyn gave solo performances at regular concerts. She gave free concerts in prisons and hospitals. She also accorded high priority to classes for young musicians.

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

1. How does Evelyn hear music?
Answer – Evelyn does not hear music, she feels it. She senses the notes through different parts of her body. Initially, she was encouraged by percussionist Ron Forbes, who tuned two drums to different notes 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. This exercise helped Evelyn to open up her mind and body to sounds and vibrations.
Evelyn explains that when she plays the xylophone, she senses the sound flowing up the stick and into her fingertips. She leans against the drums, stands barefoot on a wooden platform so that she can feel the vibrations. She says how her whole body including her hair is sensitive to her music and its resonances.

Part – II
Thinking about the Text

I. 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 first 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 first trip abroad was to Afghanistan.

II. 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 –

III. Answer these questions in 30–40 words.

1. Why did Aurangzeb ban the playing of the pungi?
Answer – Emperor Aurangzeb banned the playing of the musical instrument, pungi in the Royal residence because it had a very shrill unpleasant sound.

2. How is a shehnai different from a pungi?
Answer – A shehnai’s stem is hollow, longer and broader than that of a pungi. Shehnai has holes in its body.

3. Where was the shehnai played traditionally? How did Bismillah Khan change this?
Answer – The shehnai was traditionally played in royal courts, temples and weddings. Ustaad Bismillah khan, an undisputed monarch of shehnai brought this instrument onto the classical stage.

4. When and how did Bismillah Khan get his big break?
Answer – Bismillah Khan got his big break with the opening of All India Radio in Lucknow in 1938. He became an often-heard shehnai player on radio.

5. Where did Bismillah Khan play the shehnai on 15 August 1947? Why was the event historic?
Answer – On 15 August 1947, Bismillah Khan played the Raag Kaafi on his shehnai from the Red Fort. The event was historical because it was on the occasion of India’s Independence from British Rule.

6. Why did Bismillah Khan refuse to start a shehnai school in the U.S.A.?
Answer – Bismillah Khan refused one of his student’s request to start a shehnai school in the U.S.A. because he would not live away from Hindustan, specifically, from Benaras, the River Ganga and Dumraon.

7. Find at least two instances in the text which tell you that Bismillah Khan loves India and Benaras.
Answer – In his initial years, Bismillah used to practice in the temples of Benaras and on the banks of River Ganga. Later, his love for India and Bernaras made him turn down the offer to head a shehnai school in the U.S.A.

Thinking about Language

I. Look at these sentences.

• 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 win the match.
2. We all want to succeed in our lives.
3. They advised the hearing-impaired child’s mother to take care of the child.
4. The authorities permitted us to construct the building.
5. A musician decided to open a school for children.

II. 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 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) 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

III. 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).
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 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.

IV. 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 first 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.
Consult your dictionary and complete the following table. The first one has been done for you.

Answer –

Indispensable : Electronic gadgets have become indispensable to modern life.
Impressed : He was impressed by his friend’s speech.
Afraid : Raghav is afraid of dark.
Outdoor : Outdoor games are necessary for keeping yourself healthy.
Paternal : My paternal uncle lives in Mumbai.
Countless : There are countless stars in the sky.
Priceless : Children’s smiles are priceless.

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