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?
Evelyn was seventeen when she went to the Royal Academy of Music.
2. When was her deafness first noticed? When was it confirmed?
Her deafness was first noticed at age eight. It was confirmed at age eleven when specialists discovered severe nerve damage.
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?
Percussionist Ron Forbes helped Evelyn continue with music. He tuned two drums to different notes and told her to sense the sounds through her body, helping her feel vibrations differently.
2. Name the various places and causes for which Evelyn performs.
Evelyn performs regular concerts, free concerts in prisons and hospitals, and gives classes for young musicians. She also inspires deaf children through performances for the Beethoven Fund for Deaf Children.
III. Answer the question in two or three paragraphs (100-150 words).
1. How does Evelyn hear music?
Evelyn Glennie, despite being deaf, hears music through physical sensations. She feels vibrations in different parts of her body, such as the higher drum notes from her waist up and lower notes from her waist down. When playing the xylophone, she senses the sound through her fingertips as it travels up the stick. By removing her shoes on a wooden platform, she allows vibrations to pass through her bare feet and legs, enhancing her connection to the music. She describes music pouring into her body, tingling in her skin, cheekbones, and even hair.
This unique ability to sense music through vibrations, combined with her determination, allows Evelyn to perform flawlessly as a multi-percussionist. Her approach, guided by Ron Forbes, opened her mind and body to sounds, making her performances deeply expressive and inspiring to audiences worldwide.
Thinking about the Text
I. Tick the right answer.
1. The (shehnai, pungi) was a 'reeded noisemaker.'
Pungi
2. (Bismillah Khan, A barber, Ali Bux) transformed the pungi into a shehnai.
A barber
3. Bismillah Khan's paternal ancestors were (barbers, professional musicians).
Professional musicians
4. Bismillah Khan learnt to play the shehnai from (Ali Bux, Paigambar Bux, Ustad Faiyaz Khan).
Ali Bux
5. Bismillah Khan's first trip abroad was to (Afghanistan, U.S.A., Canada).
Afghanistan
II. Find the words in the text which show Ustad Bismillah Khan's feelings about the items listed below.
Bismillah Khan's feelings about
Positive
Negative
Neutral
1. teaching children music
"Teach your children music, this is Hindustan's richest tradition" (✓)
2. the film world
"I just can't come to terms with the artificiality and glamour" (✓)
3. migrating to the U.S.A.
"God forbid! Me, leave Benaras? Never!" (✓)
4. playing at temples
"play the shehnai every morning at the Kashi Vishwanath temple" (✓)
5. getting the Bharat Ratna
"his eyes glinting with rare happiness" (✓)
6. the banks of the Ganga
"inspired him to improvise and invent raagas" (✓)
7. leaving Benaras and Dumraon
"I keep yearning to see Hindustan" (✓)
III. Answer these questions in 30-40 words.
1. Why did Aurangzeb ban the playing of the pungi?
Aurangzeb banned the pungi in the royal residence because it had a shrill, unpleasant sound, which was considered disruptive and unsuitable for the royal court.
2. How is a shehnai different from a pungi?
The shehnai, made from a longer, broader hollow stem with seven holes, produces soft, melodious sounds, unlike the pungi, which is a reeded noisemaker with a shrill, unpleasant sound.
3. Where was the shehnai played traditionally? How did Bismillah Khan change this?
Traditionally, the shehnai was played in temples and at North Indian weddings. Bismillah Khan brought it to the classical stage, making it a respected concert instrument.
4. When and how did Bismillah Khan get his big break?
Bismillah Khan got his big break in 1938 with the opening of All India Radio in Lucknow, where he became a frequently heard shehnai player on radio broadcasts.
5. Where did Bismillah Khan play the shehnai on 15 August 1947? Why was the event historic?
Bismillah Khan played Raag Kafi on the shehnai from the Red Fort on 15 August 1947. It was historic as it marked India's independence, greeting the nation musically.
6. Why did Bismillah Khan refuse to start a shehnai school in the U.S.A.?
Bismillah Khan refused to start a shehnai school in the U.S.A. because he couldn't leave Benaras and the Ganga, which were integral to his music and identity.
7. Find at least two instances in the text which tell you that Bismillah Khan loves India and Benaras.
Bismillah Khan loved Benaras, saying he could never leave it, even for a U.S. school. He yearned for Hindustan and the Ganga, missing Benaras even when in Mumbai.
I. 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?)
The school sports team hopes to win the championship this year.
2. We all want (What do we all want to do?)
We all want to succeed in our exams and pursue our dreams.
3. They advised the hearing-impaired child's mother (What did they advise her to do?)
They advised the hearing-impaired child's mother to fit her with hearing aids and enroll her in a school for the deaf.
4. The authorities permitted us to (What did the authorities permit us to do?)
The authorities permitted us to organize a cultural event in the school auditorium.
5. A musician decided to (What did the musician decide to do?)
A musician decided to teach underprivileged children music to inspire them.
II. From the text on Bismillah Khan, find the words and phrases that match these definitions.
1. the home of royal people (1)
Royal palace
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)
Improvise
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).
Lives again
2. When a government bans something, it wants it (stopped/started).
Stopped
3. When something is considered auspicious, (welcome it/avoid it).
Welcome it
4. When we take to something, we find it (boring/interesting).
Interesting
5. When you appreciate something, you (find it good and useful/find it of no use).
Find it good and useful
6. When you replicate something, you do it (for the first time/for the second time).
For the second time
7. When we come to terms with something, it is (still upsetting/no longer upsetting).
No longer upsetting
IV. Dictionary work
Complete the following table.
adjective
only before noun
not before noun
both before and after the verb be
indispensable
✓
impressed
✓
afraid
✓
outdoor
✓
paternal
✓
countless
✓
priceless
✓
Wind (Poem)
I.
1. What are the things the wind does in the first stanza?
The wind breaks window shutters, scatters papers, throws down books, tears their pages, and brings rain, causing destruction and chaos.
2. Have you seen anybody winnow grain at home or in a paddy field? What is the word in your language for winnowing? What do people use for winnowing?
Yes, I've seen grain winnowing in a paddy field. In Hindi, it's called "phatakna." People use a flat basket or tray to toss grain, letting the wind blow away chaff.
3. What does the poet say the wind god winnows?
The poet says the wind god winnows frail houses, doors, rafters, wood, bodies, lives, and hearts, separating the weak from the strong.
4. What should we do to make friends with the wind?
To make friends with the wind, we should build strong homes, firmly join doors, strengthen our bodies, and make our hearts steadfast to withstand its force.
5. What do the last four lines of the poem mean to you?
The last four lines mean that the wind destroys weak things but strengthens strong ones. By being resilient, we gain the wind's friendship, which I find inspiring for facing challenges.
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?
The poet speaks to the wind with a mix of frustration and humour, playfully scolding it for its mischief. I've heard of storms destroying homes, which is tragic. Like the poet, I believe we should strengthen ourselves to face such forces.
II.
The poem you have just read is originally in Tamil. Do you know any such poems in your language?
Yes, in Hindi, poems like Surdas' works, such as those describing nature's beauty or Krishna's life, are similar. They use vivid imagery to convey emotions, much like Bharati's poem.