Thinking about the Text (page 26)
iii. Answer these questions in 30-40 words.
1. Why did Aurangzeb ban the playing of the pungi?
Ans: Aurangzeb did not like the sound of pungi at all. He thought pungi to be an unnecessary musical instrument that produced unpleasant and irritating sounds in his court. So he banned the playing of the pungi.
2. How is a shehnai different from a pungi?
Ans: A pipe of a natural hollow stem is used to make shehnai. It is bigger than pungi. Holes are made on the pipes so that they can produce different kinds of tunes. It is normally broader than pungi. It is like a flute which is played by opening and closing the holes made on it.
3. Where was the shehnai played traditionally? How did Bismillah Khan change this?
Ans: The place where shehnai was played traditionally was the Vishnu Temple of Varanasi. Ali Bux, maternal uncle of Bismillah Khan was fond of playing shehnai in the Vishnu Temple of Varanasi. Bismillah Khan was inspired by him and used to play the same in the temple of Mangala Maiya and Balaji. After he got some experience he started creating Raagas with fine tunes by playing on shehnai. Consequently, shehnai was completely changed.
4. When and how did Bismillah Khan get his big break?
Ans: The place where Bismillah Khan got a big break is Lucknow. He performed for All India Radio in 1938.
5. Where did Bismillah Khan play the shehnai on 15 August 1947? Why was the event historic?
Ans: It was a very precious occasion when India was going to celebrate Independence Day on the 15th of August 1947, Bismillah Khan played the shehnai from the Red Fort in Delhi. This event was historic because the first Prime Minister of India along with Mahatma Gandhi witnessed his performance of Raag Kafi.
6. Why did Bismillah Khan refuse to start a shehnai school in the U.S.A.?
Ans: Bismillah khan was very fond of his soil and its natural beauty. He did not forget his native land even during his staying abroad. He likes Ganga, he loved Banaras and he loved mattha of Dumraon. The above-mentioned things and environment would never be availed in the U.S.A. and so he rejected the proposal of 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.
Ans: It is true that Bismillah Khan loves India ans Banaras. He said that when he was in foreign he wanted to see his native land India. When he was in Mumbai he wanted to see Varanasi and the holy Ganga. He remembered the mattha of Dumraon.
Thinking about Language
I. Look at these sentences.
⦁ Evelyn was determined to live a normal life.
⦁ Evelyn manages to conceal her growing deafness from friends and teachers.
The italicized 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 the match. (What does it hope to do?)
2. We all want to get success. ( What do we all want to do?)
3. They advised the hearing-impaired child's mother to get the child diagnosed. ( What did they advise her to do?)
4. The authorities permitted us to play indoor games. (What did the authorities permit us to do?)
5. A musician decided to perform better than before. (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 paragraphs where you will find the words/phrases has been given for you in brackets.
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) - an indispensable 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 (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).
Writing
"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.
Ans: Evelyn Glennie: Evelyn Glennie was very young when she became deaf. But she did not stop due to her deafness. She was able to see and follow the instruction of her teacher. She followed cent percent instructions of her teachers and got grand success in her life. Parts of her body were developed in a way that they became able to sense the tones and sounds of music. Whatever she wanted to achieve she achieved by working hard. She bagged most of the top awards after all.
Ustad Bismillah Khan: Ustad Bismillah Khan was very fond of playing shehnai since his childhood. He was mostly inspired by his maternal uncle who used to play shehnai in the Vishnu Temple of Varanasi. He used to follow the uncle very keenly and interestingly. He started practicing shehnai sitting on the bank of the holy Ganga in solitude and got success in improvising new Raagas. He was honored around the world for his magnificent performance in shehnai and awarded Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award of India.
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