Chapter 2 The Shehnai of Bismillah Khan Questions and Answers

NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 2 The Shehnai of Bismillah Khan Questions and Answers

Part – ll: The Shehnai of Bismillah Khan

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 musi-cians).

4. Bismillah Khan leamt 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).

Ans. 1. Pungi

2. A barber

3. Professional musicians

4. Ali bux

5. 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.

Ans. 1. Positive

2. Negative

3. Negative

4. Neutral

5. Positive

6. Positive

7. Negative

iii. Answer these questions in 30-40 words:

1. Why did Aurangzeb ban the playing of Pungi?

Ans. Aurangzeb Ban the playing of Pungi because he thinks that the sound of Pungi is shrill and unpleasant.

2. How is a Shehnai different from a Pungi?

Ans. A Shehnai is a hollow stem that was longer and broader than the pungi. It had seven holes. when we play the Shehnai, by closing and opening some of these holes. soft and pleasant is sounds were produced.

3. Where was the Shehnai played traditionally? how did Bismillah Khan change this?

Ans. The Shehnai was traditionally played in temples and wedding ceremony.  Bismillah Khan takes this instrument to the classical stage.

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

Ans. Bismillah Khan get his big break with the opening of the all-India radio in Lucknow in 1938.

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

Ans. On 15 August 1947, the Bismillah Khan played the Shehnai from the Red Fort.
It was a large historical day because India get its independence and he was the first Indian to great the nation with his Shehnai.

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

Ans. Bismillah Khan refuses to start a school in U.S.A because Bismillah Khan miss his birthplace Banaras and the student of Bismillah Khan promise to recreate the atmosphere of Banaras by replicating the temple. whenever he is in a former country he keeps yearning to see Hindustan.

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

Ans. Bismillah Khan loves India and Banaras from the bottom of his heart. he said that he misses the holy Ganga and India. He thinks only of the holy river and the Holy City.

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).

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?)

Ans. 1. to win

2. to succeed

3. to take her to a specialist

4. play

5. play a new Raaga

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 ……………

Ans. 1. royal residence

2. solitude

3. an indispensable component

4. improvise

5. effortlessly

6. thick, 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).

Ans.

1. lives again

2. stopped

3. welcome it

4. interesting

5. find it good and useful

6. for the second time

7. no longer upsetting