Class 9 English - Beehive - Chapter The Sound of Music NCERT Solutions | How is a shehnai different from a pungi?

When and how did Bismillah Khan get his big break?

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

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

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?)

Where was the shehnai played traditionally? How did Bismillah Khan change 4this?

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

Bismillah Khan learnt to play the shehnai from (Ali Bux, Paigambar Bux, Ustad Faiyaaz Khan).

Bismillah Khan’s first trip abroad was to (Afghanistan, U.S.A., Canada).

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 longerupsetting).

The (shehnai, pungi ) was a ‘reeded noisemaker.’

How old are Margie and Tommy?

Given below are some emotions that Kezia felt. Match the emotions in Column A ​with the items in Column B. 

1. Here are some headings for paragraphs in the text. Write the number(s) of the paragraph(s) for each title against the heading. The first one is done for you.
(i) Einstein’s equation____
(ii) Einstein meets his future wife____
(iii) The making of a violinist____
(iv) Mileva and Einstein’s mother_____
(v) A letter that launched the arms race_____
(vi) A desk drawer full of ideas_____
(vii) Marriage and divorce_____

I. Discuss in pairs and answer each question below in a short paragraph (30–40 words).
1. “The sound was a familiar one.” What sound did the doctor hear? What did he think it was? How many times did he hear it? (Find the places in the text.) When and why did the sounds stop?

2. What two “important” and “earth-shaking” decisions did the doctor take while he was looking into the mirror?

3. “I looked into the mirror and smiled,” says the doctor. A little later he says, “I forgot my danger and smiled feebly at myself.” What is the doctor’s opinion about himself when: (i) he first smiles, and (ii) he smiles again? In what way do his thoughts change in between, and why?

I. Answer these questions in one or two sentences each.

1. Where was Abdul Kalam’s house?
2. What do you think Dinamani is the name of? Give a reason for your answer.
3. Who were Abdul Kalam’s school friends? What did they later become?
4. How did Abdul Kalam earn his first wages?
5. Had he earned any money before that? In what way?
 

I. Discuss in pairs and answer each question below in a short paragraph (30– 40 words).
1. How many characters are there in the narrative? Name them. (Don’t forget the dog!).
2. Why did the narrator (Jerome) volunteer to do the packing?
3. How did George and Harris react to this? Did Jerome like their reaction?
4. What was Jerome’s real intention when he offered to pack?
5. What did Harris say after the bag was shut and strapped? Why do you think he waited till then to ask?
6. What “horrible idea” occurred to Jerome a little later?
7. Where did Jerome finally find the toothbrush?
8. Why did Jerome have to reopen the packed bag?
9. What did George and Harris offer to pack and why?
10. While packing the hamper, George and Harris do a number of foolish and funny things. Tick the statements that are true.
(i) They started with breaking a cup.
(ii) They also broke a plate.
(iii) They squashed a tomato.
(iv) They trod on the butter.
(v) They stepped on a banana.
(vi) They put things behind them, and couldn’t find them.
(vii) They stepped on things.
(viii) They packed the pictures at the bottom and put heavy things on top.
(ix) They upset almost everything.
(x) They were very good at packing.

I. Answer these questions in one or two sentences each. (The paragraph numbers within brackets provide clues to the answers.)

1. Why was the ‘holy man’ who gave Santosh’s mother his blessings surprised? (1)

2. Give an example to show that even as a young girl Santosh was not ready to accept anything unreasonable. (2)

3. Why was Santosh sent to the local school? (3) top honours: highest awards the enormity of the moment: a very great moment sink in: be understood held it aloft: held it up high fervent: having strong and sincere feelings

4. When did she leave home for Delhi, and why? (4)

5. Why did Santosh’s parents agree to pay for her schooling in Delhi? What mental qualities of Santosh are brought into light by this incident? (4)

I. Given in the box are some headings. Find the relevant paragraphs in the text to match the headings.

          An Orphaned Cub; Bruno’s Food-chart; An Accidental Case of Poisoning;
          Playful Baba; Pain of Separation; Joy of Reunion; A Request to the Zoo;
          An Island in the Courtyard

I. Answer these questions.
1. “At last a sympathetic audience.”
(i) Who says this?
(ii) Why does he say it?
(iii) Is he sarcastic or serious?

2. Why does the intruder choose Gerrard as the man whose identity he wants to take on?

3. “I said it with bullets.”
(i) Who says this?
(ii) What does it mean?
(iii) Is it the truth? What is the speaker’s reason for saying this?

4. What is Gerrard’s profession? Quote the parts of the play that support your answer.

5. “You’ll soon stop being smart.”
(i) Who says this?(ii) Why does the speaker say it?
(iii) What according to the speaker will stop Gerrard from being smart?

6. “They can’t hang me twice.”
(i) Who says this?
(ii) Why does the speaker say it?

7. “A mystery I propose to explain.” What is the mystery the speaker proposes to explain?

8. “This is your big surprise.”
(i) Where has this been said in the play?
(ii) What is the surprise?

I. Answer these questions in one or two words or in short phrases.
1. Name the two temples the author visited in Kathmandu.
2. The writer says, “All this I wash down with Coca Cola.” What does ‘all this’ refer to?
3. What does Vikram Seth compare to the quills of a porcupine?
4. Name five kinds of flutes.

III. Answer the following questions in 30 to 40 words each.
1. On two occasions Bruno ate/drank something that should not be eaten/ drunk. What happened to him on these occasions?
2. Was Bruno a loving and playful pet? Why, then, did he have to be sent away?
3. How was the problem of what to do with Bruno finally solved?

II. Here are some words with silent letters. Learn their spelling. Your teacher will dictate these words to you. Write them down and underline the silent letters.
knock          wrestle          walk              wrong
knee            half               honest          daughter
hours           return           hornet           calm
could           sign               island           button

II. Answer the following questions.
1. “I got him for her by accident.”
(i) Who says this?
(ii) Who do ‘him’ and ‘her’ refer to?
(iii) What is the incident referred to here?

2. “He stood on his head in delight.”
(i) Who does ‘he’ refer to?
(ii) Why was he delighted?

3. “We all missed him greatly: but in a sense we were relieved.”
(i) Who does ‘we all’ stand for?
(ii) Who did they miss?
(iii) Why did they nevertheless feel relieved?

I. Given in the box are some headings. Find the relevant paragraphs in the text to match the headings.

          An Orphaned Cub; Bruno’s Food-chart; An Accidental Case of Poisoning;
          Playful Baba; Pain of Separation; Joy of Reunion; A Request to the Zoo;
          An Island in the Courtyard

Identify the two parts in the sentences below by underlining the part that gives us the information in brackets, as shown above.
1. Where other girls wore traditional Indian dresses, Santosh preferred shorts. (Contrasts her dress with that of others)
2. She left home and got herself enrolled in a school in Delhi.(Tells us what happened after the first action.)
3. She decided to fight the system when the right moment arrived.(Tells us when she was going to fight the system.)
4. Little Maria had not yet celebrated her tenth birthday when she was packed off to train in the United States. (Tells us when Maria was sent to the U.S.)

I. 1. Find these words in the lesson. They all have ie or ei in them.
                                      f___ld  ingred___nts  h___ght  misch____vous
                                      fr___nds ____ghty-seven  -rel___ved  p___ce

2. Now here are some more words. Complete them with ei or ie. Consult a dictionary if necessary.
                                        bel__ve rec__ve w__rd l sure s__ze
                                        w__ght r__gn f__gn gr f p__rce
(There is a popular rule of spelling: ‘i’ before ‘e’ except after ‘c’. Check if this rule is true by looking at the words above.)

(IV).     1. The Narrative Present

Notice the incomplete sentences in the following paragraphs. Here the writer is using incomplete sentences in the narration to make the incident more dramatic or immediate. Can you rewrite the paragraph in complete sentences?
(You can begin: The vet and I made a dash back to the car. Bruno was still floundering ... )
(i) A dash back to the car. Bruno still floundering about on his stumps, but clearly weakening rapidly; some vomiting, heavy breathing, with heaving flanks and gaping mouth. Hold him, everybody! In goes the hypodermic—Bruno squeals — 10 c.c. of the antidote enters his system without a drop being wasted. Ten minutes later: condition unchanged! Another 10 c.c injected! Ten minutes later: breathing less stertorous — Bruno can move his arms and legs a little although he cannot stand yet. Thirty minutes later: Bruno gets up and has a great feed! He looks at us disdainfully, as much as to say, ‘What’s barium carbonate to a big black bear like me?’ Bruno is still eating.
(ii) In the paragraphs above from the story the verbs are in the present tense (eg. hold, goes, etc.). This gives the reader an impression of immediacy. The present tense is often used when we give a commentary on a game (cricket, football, etc.), or tell a story as if it is happening now. It is, therefore, called the narrative present. You will read more about the present tense in Unit 10.

                              2.  Adverbs
Find the adverbs in the passage below. ( You’ve read about adverbs in Unit 1.) We thought that everything was over when suddenly a black sloth bear came out panting in the hot sun. Now I will not shoot a sloth-bear wantonly but, unfortunately for the poor beast, one of my companions did not feel that way about it, and promptly shot the bear on the spot.
(i) Complete the following sentences, using a suitable adverb ending in –ly.
(a) Rana does her homework .
(b) It rains in Mumbai in June.
(c) He does his work .
(d) The dog serves his master .
(ii) Choose the most suitable adverbs or adverbial phrases and complete the following sentences.
(a) We should get down from a moving train. (never, sometimes, often)
(b) I was in need of support after my poor performance. (badly, occasionally, sometimes)
(c) Rita met with an accident. The doctor examined her . (suddenly, seriously, immediately)

3. Take down the following scrambled version of a story, that your teacher will dictate to you, with appropriate punctuation marks. Then, read the scrambled story carefully and try to rewrite it rearranging the incidents. A grasshopper, who was very hungry, saw her and said, “When did you get the corn? I am dying of hunger.” She wanted to dry them. It was a cold winter’s day, and an ant was bringing out some grains of corn from her home. She had gathered the corn in summer.
“I was singing all day,” answered the grasshopper.
“If you sang all summer,” said the ant, “you can dance all winter.”
“What were you doing?” asked the ant again.
The grasshopper replied, “I was too busy.”
“I collected it in summer,” said the ant. “What were you doing in summer?
Why did you not store some corn?”

Did Margie have regular days and hours for school? If so, why?

Why did Margie’s mother send for the County Inspector?

What had once happened to Tommy’s teacher?