NCERT English Beehive Class – 9 – Solutions Ch -2 :Part – 2 The Shehnai of Bismillah Khan

Posted on by Sumita Tah

                                         

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, – Ali Bux

Ustad Faiyaaz Khan).

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. Then mark a tick (4) in the correct column. Discuss your answers in class.

Bismillah Khan’s feelings aboutPositiveNegativeNeutral
1. teaching children musicPositive  
2. the film world Negative 
3. migrating to the U.S.A. Negative 
4. playing at temples  Neutral
5. getting the Bharat RatnaPositive  
6. the banks of the GangaPositive  
7. leaving Benaras and Dumraon Negative 

III. Answer these questions in 30–40 words.

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

Ans. Emperor Aurangzeb banned pungi in the royal residence for it had a shrill, unpleasant sound. ‘Pungi’ became the generic name for reeded noisemakers.

2. How is a shehnai different from a pungi?

Ans. A pungi is a reeded noisemaker and has a shrill unpleasant sound. A shehnai is an improved version of the pungi. It has a pipe with a natural hollow stem that is longer and broader than a pungi and has seven holes on the body of the pipe which helps in playing classical music.

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

Ans. The sound of shehnai was considered to be auspicious and was played in temples and in north Indian weddings. In the past it was also a part of the naubat at royal courts.

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

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

Ans. On 15th August 1947, the shenai was played by Bismillah Khan at Red Fort.

         This event was historic since India became independent on this day and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru gave his famous speech ‘ Tryst with Destiny’.

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

Ans. Bismillah Khan was a very patriotic person and loved India. He refused to set up a school in U.S.A as he was extremely attached with Benaras, the banks of Ganga and Dumraon . When a student asked whether he would be amenable to move to U.S if the atmosphere of Benaras was recreated there; Khansaab retaliated by saying whether the Ganga could be transported there as well.

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

Ans. Bismillah Khan’s love for India is reflected when he refuses to shift to the U.S to start a school there. He also said that he missed Benaras when he was in Mumbai and he missed Dumraon when he was in Benaras. He also refused to shift to Pakistan during separation.

Thinking about Language

  1. 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 – to win. (What does it hope to do?)

2. We all want – to succeed (What do we all want to do?)

3. They advised the hearing-impaired child’s mother – to take her to a specialist. (What did they advise her to do?)

4. The authorities permitted us to -use the stadium. (What did the authorities permit us to do?)

5. A musician decided to – create a world record. (What did the musician decide to do?)

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)  – royal residence

2. the state of being alone (5)    – solitude

3. a part which is absolutely necessary (2) – an indispensible component

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  – lives again (remains dead/lives again). 

2. When a government bans something, it wants it – stopped (stopped/started).

3. When something is considered auspicious, – welcome it (welcome it/avoid it).

4. When we take to something, we find it – interesting (boring/interesting).

5. When you appreciate something, you – find it good and useful (find it good and useful/find it of no use).

6. When you replicate something, you do it – for the second time (for the first time/for the second time).

7. When we come to terms with something, it is- no longer upsetting (still upsetting/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.

Look at these entries from the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (2005).

elder adi., noun adjective 1 [only before noun] (of people, especially two members of the same family) older: my elder brother • his elder sister 2 (the elder) used without a noun immediately after it to show who is the older of two people: the elder of their two sons 3 (the elder) (formal) used before or after sb’s name to show that they are the older of two people who have the same name: the elder Pitt • Pitt, the elder.awake adj., verb adjective [not before noun] not asleep (especially immediately before or after sleeping): to be half/fully awake; to be wide awake. I was still awake when he came to bed.

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

adjectiveOnly before nounNot before nounboth before and after the verb be
indispensable         Yes
impressed    Yes Yes
afraid    Yes Yes
outdoor   Yes  
paternal   Yes  
countless   Yes  
priceless Yes  
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THE ROAD NOT TAKEN – Summary: Question/ Answers : Literary Devices

Posted on by Sumita Tah

                                                             

                                                                                                              

About the poet:

Robert Frost was born on March 26th, 1873 in San Francisco and died in January 29, 1963.  Frost mostly wrote about the life and landscape of New England. He avoided the poetic experiments of his time and was a poet of traditional verse forms and meter.  Frost, one of the best-known and most beloved American poets of the 20th century, won the Pulitzer Prize four times for New Hampshire (1924), Collected Poems (1931), A Further Range (1937), and A Witness Tree (1943).

             The Road Not Taken

                               Robert Frost

    Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

    And sorry I could not travel both

    And be one traveler, long I stood

    And looked down one as far as I could

    To where it bent in the undergrowth;

    Then took the other, as just as fair,

    And having perhaps the better claim,

    Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

    Though as for that the passing there

    Had worn them really about the same,

   And both that morning equally lay

   In leaves no step had trodden black.

   Oh, I kept the first for another day!

   Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

   I doubted if I should ever come back.

   I shall be telling this with a sigh

   Somewhere ages and ages hence:

   Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

   I took the one less traveled by,

   And that has made all the difference.

Summary of ‘ The Road Not Taken’

The poem ‘The Road Not Taken’ is about the choices that one makes in the journey of life. The road is the metaphor of that journey and the diversions in the road stand for the different choices that one comes across as one travels through life.

In the poem the poet describes his experience of a walk through the woods one autumn morning. As he walked through the wood he came across a diversion or a fork on the road. He wanted to make the correct choice and therefore found himself in a dilemma about choosing the right one. He wanted to travel through both the roads and felt sorry that he was unable to do so. Therefore, he looked as far as possible till the road curved among the bushes and was no longer visible.

After much contemplation he took the other road which looked just as good as the other. He thought that it had a greater claim for travelers as it was grassy and wanted people to travel through it. It wanted people to wear down the grassy road through use. Though, afterwards he felt that both the roads were walked on almost the same by travelers.

 It was early in the morning, and the fallen leaves were still fresh not having been stepped upon and turned black with the impact.  Therefore, the poet decided to keep the first well-travelled road for a later time and took the somewhat less frequented one. Though, in his sub- conscious mind he knew that it was a futile thought, as one way leads to the other and it was extremely doubtful that he would get the chance to travel the other road.

He then predicts that sometime in the distant future he would tell others with a sigh, that at some point in his life he had to make a choice between two options. He chose to take the less travelled road which made a difference in his life and decided his future.

Literary devices in ‘The Road Not Taken’

  1. Metaphor –  the road is the metaphor for journey of life
  2. Metaphor – the divergent paths are metaphors for choices in life.
  3. Symbolism – The roads symbolize the choices in our life.
  4. Anaphora – Repetition of ‘ and ‘ in lines 2, 3, 4
  5. Alliteration – ‘wanted wear’, ‘first for’, ‘then took’, ‘that the’
  6. Repetition – ‘ Ages and ages’ , ‘ and I / I took …’
  7. Repetition – ‘Two roads diverged in a’ (repeated I stanza 1 and 4)

Questions and answers:

1. Where does the traveller find himself?  What problem does he face?

Ans..The traveller finds himself in a wood during the autumn season. He comes to a point where the road diverges into two separate paths.

The road is the metaphor for the journey of life, and the fork in the road stands for choices in life’s journey.  The problem of the traveller is that he is facing a dilemma and is unable to decide which road or choice to take.

 2. Discuss what these phrases mean to you.
(i) a yellow wood

The yellow wood is the wood during autumn. The leaves have turned yellow and are about to fall. The autumn season is symbolic of the matured age of a man’s life.

(ii) it was grassy and wanted wear

The road was less travelled and was filled with grass. Here, the road is personified as it seems to want people to travel on that road, so that it could also become worn out like the other one.

(iii) the passing there

The passing there refers to the road on which people had trodden on the grass. To the traveller both the roads that morning seemed to be used almost the same. Here, the poet is using contrast and antithesis to express his repentance of having to make a choice as both options seemed to be equal.

(iv) leaves no step had trodden black

The traveller was travelling in the morning. So he finds that the freshly fallen leaves had not been walked over by anyone and hence they had not turned black and looked equally attractive and fresh. The roads symbolise equal opportunities.

(v) how way leads on to way

Although the traveller wanted to explore both the roads, he decided to take the less frequented one and keep the other one for future.  He also realizes that it was a futile thought as one way would lead to another and he would not be able to come back to explore the other road. Symbolically it means that the choices we make in life are permanent.

3. Is there any difference between the two roads as the poet describes them
(i) in stanzas two and three?

There wasn’t much difference between the two roads. Initially the traveller thought that he had chosen the less travelled grassy road, but after travelling for some time he realised that both roads were about the same. That is, he faced similar challenges in the path that he had chosen.

(ii) in the last two lines of the poem?

In the last two lines the travelled expresses his satisfaction in choosing the less travelled road. It was the correct choice which made a difference in his life. Though he sighs for lost opportunities, he is satisfied about the outcome of his choice.

Extra questions of ‘The Road Not Taken’

1. Discuss the appropriateness of the title ‘The Road Not Taken ‘.

Ans. The poet has chosen a negative sentence to convey to his readers that it was his wise decision not to make the common choice which made the difference in his life. The title thus appropriately brings out the wisdom of the poet’s decision to take the less travelled path.

2. What is the theme of ‘The Road Not Taken ‘?

Ans. The theme of ‘The Road Not Taken ‘ is the importance of making correct choices in life which decides our future.  It also points out the permanence of the choices that we take in our lives.

3. What is the message of ‘The Road Not Taken ‘?

Ans. The poem gives the message to its readers that it is important to take correct decisions at the correct time for living a life of satisfaction and success.

4. What is the rhyme scheme of the poem?

Ans. The rhyme scheme of the poem is abaab. The poem is written in four stanzas of five line each called quintain or quintet.

Ch – 2 Adventures of Toto -Class 9 – CBSE English – Moments – Question/ Answers NCERT

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Adventures of Toto
Ruskin Bond


Think about It


Q.1. How does Toto come to Grandfather’s private zoo ?


Ans. Grandfather is fond of animals. When he sees Toto tied to the feeding-trough of a tonga-drivers carriage, looking quite out of place, he decides to add him to his private zoo. He buys Toto from the tonga-driver for a sum of rupees five.


Q.2.” Toto was a pretty monkey.” In what sense is he pretty?


Ans. Toto has bright, mischievous, sparkling eyes beneath deep set eyebrows. His teeth are pearly white which he displays in sparkling smiles that terrifies the Anglo-Indian ladies. Apart from which he has deft fingers and a long tail which he uses as a third hand and to swing himself around.

Q.3. Why does Grandfather take Toto to Saharanpur and how ? Why does the ticket collector insist on calling Toto a dog ?


Ans. 4. Grandfather needed to travel to Saharanpur to collect his pension. He is compelled to take Toto to Saharanpur as Toto would not let the other animals in the servant’s quarters sleep. Therefore, Toto is put inside a strong canvas bag which is impossible for him to bite through. As a result, the passengers at the Dehra Dun platform gets entertained by a canvas bag that keeps rolling and hopping.
Toto manages to put his head out and smile at the ticket collector, just when it is grandfather’s turn to produced his ticket at the turnstile. Since, there is no provision for issuing tickets for monkeys, the ticket collector insists that Toto is a dog and makes grandfather pay three rupees for carrying a dog.


Q.4. How does Toto take a bath ? Where has he learnt to do this ? How does Toto almost boil himself alive ?


Ans.4. Grandmother is a kind soul and gives a treat of a warm bath to Toto as well as the author. Toto checks the temperature of the water cautiously and then puts one feet after the other before submerging himself to his neck. Thereafter, he rubs himself with soap. When the water becomes cold he runs to the kitchen fire to dry himself. He is offended if anyone laughs at him to see him do so.
Toto has learnt to take his bath by observing the author when he took his bath.
A kettle full of water is put on the kitchen fire for tea. When Toto checks the temperature it is comfortably warm for a bath, so he puts himself inside the kettle. As the water becomes warmer he feels uncomfortable and raises himself out. But finding the temperature cold outside he gets inside the kettle. This continues till grandmother reaches there and hauls him out of the kettle almost half boiled.

Q.5. Why does the author say, “Toto was not the sort of pet we could keep for long ?’’


Ans.5. Toto’s antics are too expensive for the family to bear. He keeps destroying plates, dishes, curtains, clothes, wallpapers whose losses are too much for the family to afford, as they are not very well-off. Gradually, the author as well as his grandfather realises that they can not afford to keep him, and he is sold back to the tonga-driver by grandfather for a sum of rupees three.

Beehive : Ch -2. The Sound of Music -Questions and Answers

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     Part I 

     Evelyn Glennie Listens to Sound without Hearing It

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?

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

2. When was her deafness first noticed? When was it confirmed?

Ans. Evelyn’s deafness at its primary level was noticed by her mother when she was eight years old waiting to play the piano.

It was confirmed by a specialist 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?

Ans. Ron Forbes (a percussionist) assisted her in continuing with music.

         He tuned two drums to higher and lower notes. He then advised her not to listen through ears but try to sense the vibrations. Evelyn realized that she could feel the higher notes waist up, and the lower ones waist down.

2. Name the various places and causes for which Evelyn performs.

Ans. Evelyn performs internationally in various concerts and provides pleasure to music lovers around the world. Apart from regular concerts she gives free performances in prisons and hospitals to make them happy. She holds classes for young musicians. She also performs and teaches in deaf schools to inspire and motivate deaf children to become successful.

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

1. How does Evelyn hear music?

Ans.  Evelyn feels music through her whole body. When she lost her sense of hearing and still wanted to learn xylophone, master percussionist Ron Forbes saw her potential and made her sense musical notes through her body. He tuned two drums to higher and lower notes and told her to feel the music. She began to realize that she could differentiate between higher notes which she could feel waist up, and the lower ones which she could feel waist down.

 She says that she feels music tingling in her skin, her cheekbones and even her hair. While playing the xylophone, she senses the vibrations passing up the sticks to her fingertips. By leaning against the drums she feels the resonances flowing through her body. She performs barefoot on wooden platforms so that she can sense the vibrations pass through her bare feet up her legs. Therefore, although she has lost her hearing she feels music through her entire being which makes her music so profound.

Ch-1,The Lost Child by Mulk Raj Anand

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                                                                         MOMENTS Ch 1 – NCERT Class -9

About the author:

Mulk Raj Anand (12/10/1905- 28/9/2004) is famous for his stories related to the traditional society and the poor of India. He wrote short stories and novels portraying the lives of the downtrodden in a sympathetic and realistic manner. His famous works include- ‘Coolie’, ‘Untouchable’, ‘The Village’, ‘The Big Heart’ and ‘Seven Ages of Man’.

Summary

The author begins the story with the description of a spring morning when the village lot, dressed in a medley of colours set off to visit the temple fair. A child with his parents also sets off for the fair, excited and gay. He is attracted towards the toy shops along the way, but his father gets angry when he demands to buy them. His mother however is in a pleasant mood and tries to distract him by showing him the mustard field that shines like liquid gold in the golden sun. The boy is enthralled with the dragon flies, butterflies and the lone black bee that are seen to be fluttering gaily over the mustard fields. He also becomes engrossed watching the insects and worms along the footpath,  as a result  he lags behind his parents.

When his parents went to sit down in a grove, he runs towards them and is greeted by a shower of flowers which he collects in his little hands. Soon he hears the cooing of the dove and shouts “The Dove! The Dove!’; forgetting the petals in his hands. Then he capers around the banyan tree in mirth. His parents call him, and then lifts him, up before proceeding towards the fair.

When they reach the fair the child sees many things at the fair, such as sweets like; gulab jamun, rasgulla, burfi, and jalebies. He wants to have burfi as it is his favourite. Next, he yearns for a garland of gulmohur; followed by rainbow coloured balloons. Then, he takes fancy to the snake charmer’s music. Although the boy wants all these things, he moves ahead without waiting for an answer as he knows that his parents would not digress, no matter how much he pleaded.

When he reaches the swirling roundabout, he badly wants to have a ride on it, and turns around boldly to get permission from his parents. It is then that he realizes that he had lost his parents. He cries out and tears start rolling from his eyes. Panic-stricken he runs about here and there, not knowing where to go or what to do. His yellow turban becomes untied and his clothes mud-stained. He seeks his parents everywhere but is unable to find them. He goes near the temple and is pushed around in the crowd. Just as he is about to be trampled, he is rescued by a kind man who picks him up.

The man tries to console him and offers him all the things he had wanted one after the other; but the child is inconsolable and wants nothing except his parents.

Theme of ‘The Lost Child’

The theme of the story is the deep relationship of pure love between parents and a child. No material possession can compensate for the loss of close ones.

Title of ‘The Lost Child’

The title of ‘The lost Child’ approprialtely reflects the flow of the story. On one hand it foreshadows the incident in the story, while on the other hand it tells us about the desires of a child to possess everything he sets his eye upon in this material world. The lost child symbolizes entire mankind in pursuit of material things. Humans take for granted the precious blessings in life which are free. It is only with the loss of these blessings that one realizes its true value. It is then that all material things lose their significance and one helplessly seeks to regain what they have lost.

THINK ABOUT IT

Q1. What are the things the child sees on his way to the fair? Why does he lag behind?

Ans. On his way to the fair, the child first comes upon toy shops that were lined on the way. In an attempt to distract the child his mother shows him the golden mustard field, full of dragon flies intercepting the flight of a lone black bee. There are also butterflies fluttering about in search of nectar. He also sees insects and worms which come out to enjoy the spring sunshine.

The child lags behind his parents as he is fascinated by the toys in the toyshop and by the dragonflies, butterflies in the mustard field.

Q2. In the fair he wants many things. What are they? Why does he move on without waiting for an answer?

Ans. The child sees many things at the fair, such as sweets like gulab jamun, rasgulla, burfi, and jalebies. He wants to have burfi as it was his favourite. Next, he yearns for a garland of gulmohur; followed by tempting rainbow coloured balloons. Then he takes fancy to the snake charmer’s music. Finally, he badly wants to have a ride on the roundabout.

Although the boy wants all these things, he moves ahead without waiting for an answer as he knows that his parents would not concede no matter how much he pleaded.

Q3. When does he realise that he has lost his way? How have his anxiety and insecurity been described?

Ans. When the little boy receives no reply to his request for a ride on the roundabout, he turns about and realizes that he is lost in the fair.

His fear and insecurity has been brought about in an expressive manner. On finding out that he had lost his way the boy cries out and tears start rolling from his eyes. Panic-stricken he runs about hither- thither, not knowing where to go or what to do. His yellow turban becomes untied and his clothes become mud-stained.

Q4. Why does the lost child lose interest in the things that he had wanted earlier?

Ans. The lost child becomes disinterested in things that had appealed to him earlier as he has lost his parents, who are more precious than anything else,  and wants them back.

Q5. What do you think happens in the end? Does the child find his parents?

Ans. The author has left the story open ended, leaving it to the reader to decide what happens to the child. In my opinion the child would be united with his parents.

The man who rescued the child from the crowd must have helped him find his parents at the end.

Talk about it

How to ensure not to get lost?

To make sure that one is not lost, one must-

  1. Memorize home address.
  2. Learn phone number by heart
  3. Keep an identity card
  4. Children should hold on to parents
  5. Parents should be vigilant