GIDB4911614-Class 9 English Beehive Prose Notes

 

 

ENGLISH LANG & LIT PROSE NOTES Class 9 -2020-21

YBIS ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

 

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Contents

CHAPYER: 1 THE FUN THEY HAD....................................................................................................2 CHAPTER: 2 THE SOUND OF MUSIC..............................................................................................20   CHAPTER: 2.1 PART II THE SHENNAI OF BISMILLAH KHAN .............................................32 CHAPTER: 3 THE LITTLE GIRL.......................................................................................................51 CHAPTER: 4 A TRULY BEAUTIFUL MIND.....................................................................................72 CHAPTER: 5 THE SNAKE AND THE MIRROR ................................................................................88 CHAPTER:6 MY CHILDHOOD........................................................................................................101 CHAPTER:7 PACKING....................................................................................................................115 CHAPTER: 8 PART-I REACH FOR THE TOP ................................................................................127  

CHAPTER:8.1 PART-II – REACH FOR THE TOP ................................................................138

CHAPTER:10 KATHMANDU..........................................................................................................148 CHAPTER:11 IF I WERE YOU........................................................................................................159

 

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CHAPTER: 1 THE FUN THEY HAD By– Isaac Asimov Isaac Asimov – A Short Biography Scholar Isaac Asimov was one of the 20th century’s most proliic writers, writing in many genres. He was known for sci-i works like Foundation and me, Robot. Born on January 2, 1920, in Petrovichi, Russia, Isaac Asimov immigrated with his family to the United States and became a biochemistry professor while pursuing writing. He published his irst  novel, Pebble in the Sky, in 1950. An immensely proliic author who penned nearly 500 books, he published inluential sci-i works like I, Robot and the Foundation trilogy, as well as books in a variety of other genres. Asimov died in New York City on April 6, 1992. The on The Fun They Had is one of the most popular ictional works written by him.  

Introduct Intr oduction ion of the lessonlesso n- The Fun They Had INTRODUCTION   This story is set in future when books and schools as we have now perhaps will not exist. Two students of that period about 150 years advance from today ind a printed book. They are surprised very much. They talk about the schools and books of the old period. They compare those schools with those of their own which are situated in their homes and have mechanical teachers to teach them. They ind their own schools dull and boring. They think that it was great fun to study in the schools of old times when all the kids in the area went there to learn the same thing by a man teacher. Introduction(2): “The Fun They Had” is a short story that falls in the category of science iction and has the future year 2157 as its background setting. It takes us into a world where computers will play a major role in educating children. Schools that use paper books and that encourage mutual interaction between teachers and students will cease to exist.

Plot/ Theme / Central Idea of the Lesson/ Literary Literar y Analysis of The Fun They Had/ Main Idea The story “The Fun They Had” by Isaac Asimov is about the year 2157 when every child has his own machine teacher and schools like today do not exist anymore. Asimov wrote this story in 1951 for a syndicated newspaper page. Later “The Fun They Had” was published in “Fantasy and Science Fiction” magazine. In the year 2157, the thirteen-year-old Tommy inds an old book. He and Margie, who is eleven, ind it strange that the words on paper do not move after having been read. Nowadays they only read stories on the computer screen. The book is about school centuries ago. Margie is very surprised that  in the past pupils had a person as a teacher and that all children of the same age learnt the same thing and went to a schoolhouse with other children. Margie wants to read more of the book but  irst, she has to learn with her machine machine teacher whose level is too advanced for her and she think thinkss the school in those days was much better than today. today.  Ultimately the theme is to understand the importance of the present time lively school atmosphere in which we keep on inding faults over nothing. Theme  The main theme in the short story ‘The Fun They Had’ is that of education. More speciically, the narrative deals with the future of education which will become increasingly Computerized and estranged from social interactions. Message

 

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The author’s message is one of warning against the dangers of computerized homeschooling which deprives children of the beneits of the personal interactions between students and teachers, which help them to develop many social skills. JUSTIFICATION OF THE TITLE The title quite suits the story, “The Fun They Had”. Tommy and Margie ind an old book and learn how the schools were different in the past from their time and how much fun the children studying in those school had. It also gives us a glimpse of future education.

Moral/ Moral / Message Messag e of the lesson – The Fun They The y Had The author’s isen onefro ofm warnings against of computerized homeschooling which keeps kee ps away awa y message the chi childr ldren from the beneits bene its of the thedangers person per sonal al intera int eracti ctions ons bet betwee ween n stu studen dents ts and teachers, which help them develop social skills as well as many more things. So without critising the present schooling we should understand the value of the present lively education system and enjoy it to the fullest. CHARACTERS Margie Margie is an eleven-year-old girl who represents future students In the twenty-second century. She is a typical young girl who dislikes school which is highly personalised and includes a television and a mechanical teacher. She studies in the comfort of her home. Her homework is checked by her mechanised mecha nised teacher, teacher, a comput computer, er, and she also gets lessons from it. Margi Margie e does not like her school bec ecau ause se sh she e is co con ni ine ned d to a ro room om and has to st stud udy y al alon one e at a i ixe xed d ti time me ev ever ery y da day. y.  Margie is a curious girl. When she inds a real book in Tommy’s hands, she is eager to know about its contents. In fact, she wants to read the book herself. However, she is surprised that the book  describes a school of the yesteryears which had real men as teachers and classes were conducted in a special building. She is fascinated to learn that in those times the students of the same level studied together. She concludes that the old system was much better as the students had so much fun when they studied together and could help each other. It is through Margie that the author has projected a contrast between the schools of today and the schools of the future. f uture. Tommy  Tommy, a young boy of thirteen years, plays an important role in the story as he is the one who inds a book about the schools from yesteryears. The entire action of the story begins after that. He repres rep resent entss the stu studen dents ts of the fut future ure era whe when n edu educat cation ion wil willl be abs absolu olutel tely y mec mechan hanise ised d an and d automated. Tommy is very curious. As soon as he discovers a real book, he starts reading it. However, he does not like the idea of printed books which, according to him, are a waste once they have been read. Compared to Margie, he is not as sensitive to the contents of the book. He has an air of superiority – he snubs Margie when she expresses her ignorance about old schools. But he does believe in sharing, and when Margie’s mother calls her to attend the school he assures her that they can inish the book later. Tommy has been used by the author to contrast the school education of the twentieth-century with that of the twenty-second.

DETAILED SUMMARY On the day of 17 May 2157, Tommy found a real book. He showed it to Margie. Margie was eleven years old. She had never seen a real book before. She had once heard from her grandfather about the printed books. It was a very old book. Its pages have turned yellow and crinkly. They turned its pages and read them. Tommy found it just a waste. They had no printed books. Their books lashed on the television screen. Tommy who was of thirteen had read more books on the television screen than Margie.  Tommy told Margie that it was a book about school. Margie always hated school. Her school was situated in a room in her home. It was in the room next to her bedroom. Her Mechanical teacher lashed on her television screen at a ixed time daily except on Saturday and Sunday. She had to attend alone. This mechanical teacher asked her questions, gave her homework and checked it. It  also checked the assignment test papers and awarded them. Margie’s mechanical teacher had been giving her test after test. Margie’s performance had been going from worse to worst. Her mother called for the County Inspector. He set the speed of the mechanical teacher right up to the level of an average ten-year child. Tommy told Margie that  hundreds and hundreds of years ago there was old kind of schools. Those schools were situated in a special building. Men teachers taught in them. All the kids in the area went there and learnt the same

 

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thing. Margie thought that it would be great fun to study in those schools. She wanted to read about  those funny schools. Just then Margie’s mother called Margie to attend her school. Margie was reluctant but she had to go inside her schoolroom nonchalantly. It was right next to her bedroom. Her mechanical teacher was on and waiting for her. It asked Margie to put her homework in the proper slot. Margie did so with a sigh. sig h. the mechanic mechanical al tea teache cherr was teaching teaching her the mat mathem hemati atics cs top topic ic of fra fracti ctions ons but she was thinking about the schools of the old days and the fun they had. Summary (2):  On May 17, 2157, Tommy, a young boy of thirteen happens to ind a book in the attic of his house which he shows to Margie, a girl of eleven. The book is centuries old and its pages are yellow and crinkly. Both Tommy and Margie are amazed to see that the words in the book are ixed on the pages and do not move as they do on a screen they are accustomed accustomed to. Actua Actually, lly, they have been born and brought up in an era of advanced computers and T.V. with a mechanical teacher giving lessons at  home. Margie recalls that once her grandfather had told her about how stories were printed on pages in the times of his grandfather. Tommy considers books a waste because, unlike computers, they cannot have new words after one has inished reading them. Margie is disappointed when Tommy tells her that the book is about a school because she dislikes schools. Her concept of a school is a T.V. screen with machines giving lessons in various subjects. The T.V. has a special slot where the students have to submit their homework which is checked and marked by the machine in no time. Margie’s dislike for a school has been intensiied these days because the mechanical teacher has not been functioning properly. Margie’s Margi e’s mother calls the County Inspe Inspector ctor to exami examine ne the cause behin behind d the error error.. The Inspector Inspector disbands the mechanical teacher and inds that Margie was not at fault for her poor performance. Actually, the geography sector had been ixed at a speed that was too fast for the little girl. The Inspector is able to set the speed to Margie’s level but she is unhappy to have the teacher put in order. She had hoped that it would be taken away for some time and she would be relieved of the trouble of taking so many tests. Tommy informs Margie that the book is not about their kind of school which has a T.V. with mechanical teachers. It is, on the other hand, about the old kind of schools which used to work  hundreds of years ago. He tells her that the old schools were special buildings where lessons were taught by men and not by machines. The students of one level were taught together by the same teacher in the same room. Tommy and Margie discuss how earlier many students adjusted their level with the same teacher, unlike unl ike the their ir own schools schools whe where re eve every ry tea teache cherr is att attune uned d to the requirem requirement ent of the individu individual al student. They haven’t even read half the book when Margie’s mother reminds her that it is time for school. Margie’s schoolroom is right next to her bedroom. She has to study at regular hours because her mother considers it right to study at a ixed time every day. As the mechanical teacher is teaching the addition of proper fractions, Margie is lost in her thoughts about the working of schools in old times. She believes that the kids must have enjoyed going together to school. They must have had fun going to the same school, s chool, studying the same things and being able to help one another. Summary (3) Tommy inds a ‘real book’ which has been printed printed on paper in the attic of his house. He shows the book to Margie. Together, they both take a look at it. The book is really old and the pages are yellow and crinkly. In the year 2157, this kind of books doesn’t exist anymore. In this time, words are moving on a television screen. This television contains over a million books. That is the reason, Tommy thinks that they are much better. Margie inquires what’s it about. Tommy says that it is about school. Margie hates school and cannot understand why someone would write about it. She is having problems with learning geography from her ‘mechanical teacher’. It is black, large and has a screen on it. It teaches the students, gives them exercises and asks them questions, all in a special room in their own house. It can also calculate the marks in no times. Margie hates the slot where she has to insert her homework or test papers. Once the geography sector of her mechanical teacher has geared too quick so that her marks are getting worse and worse. The County Inspector slows it after one hour. He is really nice to Margie. She hopes that her mechanical teacher would be away for a long time. Tommy says that the book which he has found, is not about their type of school, it is about school centuries ago. They ind out that students back then

 

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had a man as a teacher who taught the girls and boys, gave them homework and asked them the question. They had a special building. And they learned the same thing if they were of the same age. At irst, Margie does not understand how a person could be a teacher and how the students were taught the same thing because her mother says that education must it each child’s mind, but these schools are funny and she wants to read more about it. Then it is time for Margie and Tommy for their school. Margie goes to the schoolroom in her house, where the mechanical teacher stands. It is already alrea dy on because the lesso lessons ns are alwa always ys at regul regular ar hours. She was thinking about the old school system and how much fun the children must have, learning and spending time together.

Character Sketch Margie Jones: Margie Jones is an eleven-year-old girl living in 2157. She is homeschooled by a mechanical teacher. She has a friend named Tommy. Margie has a diary in which she writes about  inding a ‘real book’. The event had a strong impact on her. From her conversation with Tommy about the book and school in the past, Margie comes across as naive, having little knowledge about  the way school was in the past. Tommy: Tommy is Margie’s friend, who is older than her, being thirteen years old. He comes across smarter than the little girl because he has seen more tele-books and he has more knowledge about  how the school was “centuries ago”.

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Margie and Tommy are students of future schools. Tommy inds an old book about school in the attic. They turn yellow, crinkly pages of the book and are surprised to see still words in the book. They thought the old book to be wastage of resources, as it was to be thrown after one use. But tele tele-books -books last longer and contain many books together. Margie hated her teacher gave her she performed badly. She hated the school slot foras putting homework andtest testand papers. Margie’s mother called County Inspector who came with all his equipment and repaired it in an hour. Margie wasn’t happy as she thought he would take the teacher for a few days. County Inspector Inspector told her mother that Margie’s Margie’s bad performance performance in Geogr Geography aphy was due to the faulty setting of her teacher. t eacher. Tommy explained that centuries ago the schools were not like theirs. They had a man as a teacher who taught students different subjects, asked questions and gave homework also. Margie couldn’t believe the man to be smart enough to have knowledge about different  subjects. Tommy told her that the school was in a special building and students would go there and children of same age group studied the same things. But Margie’s mother had told her that every child has to be taught according to his needs. Now Margie was interested in reading more about the old funny schools.

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Tommy and Margie attended school at awhere ixed time. Margie thought about the old schools kids had a lot of fun studying together and playing. The computer screen of her ‘teacher’ was lashing new chapter in arithmetic on the addition of proper fractions. But Margie was lost in the thoughts of old school.

Vocabulary Headed—titled; Crinkly—full of wrinkles; Awfully—very much; Funny—humorous; Supposed to —expected; Throw—send throug ough h the air; Million—ten lakhs lakhs;; Plenty—many; Attic—spa space ce jus just  t  send thr below the roof to store things;  Scornful—hateful; Mechanical—connected with machines;  machines;  Shake— to mo move ve— Sorrow Sorrowful fully— ly—sadly; County—region; Inspector—a pe pers rson on wh who o in insp spec ects ts.. Tool— count; Marks—score; In no time— equipment; Slot—a given space, time or position;  Calculate—to count;  very fast; Fault—mistake; Geared—prepared and ready for something; something;  Quick—fast; Happen—to  Slow it up—  Average— take place; to make something run at low speed; usual standard; Actually— in fact; Satisfactory—good enough; Superior—wide; Stupid—fool; Pronounce—to make sound; Hurt—fe feel el pa pain in;; Regular—perman ent;; ix ix;; Smart—wise; wise;  Dispute—to ar argu gue; e; Strange— permanent unknown; unknown;   Scream— to cry; Kid— child;  Adjust—change;  Adjust— promptly;  Funny—  Probably— Nonchalantly— amusing;  complete; of capromptly;  re; Whistle— blow perhaps; lack Quickly— amusing; Finish—  Addition—inclusion; Proper—right; Fraction sound sou nd wit with h mou mouth; th; Dusty—dirty; Beneath—below; Addition—

 

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—part; Insert—put som ome ething inside; Sigh—to breathe nearby;  Yard—land next to a building; Flash—to shine. nearby;

heavily; Neighbourhood—from

MULTIPLE CHOICE C HOICE QUESTIONS/ QUESTI ONS/ Quiz- The Fun They Had 1. On which date did Margie make an entry in her diary about schools ? (A) 17 May 2156 (C) 17 May 2158  Ans. (B) 17 May 2157 2. Who found a real book ?

(B) 17 May 2157 (D) 17 May 2159

(A) Tommy (B) Margie (C) Tommy’s teacher (D) The mechanical teacher  Ans.Tommy What did Margie write about in her diary ? 3.  (A) a real school (B) a real teacher (C) a real book (D)Tommy her grandfather  Ans. (A) a real school Who told Margie once about real books ? 4.  (A) her father (B) Tommy  (C) the mechanical teacher (D)her grandfather  Ans. (D) her grandfather Why were the pages of the book were yellow and crinkly 5.  (A) it was a very old book (B)Its colour was yellow  (C) they were yellow because (D)none of these written in yellow ink . it was a very book in the book?  Ans were theold words 6. . (A)How (A) moving (B) Steady (C) getting unprinted after reading (D) none of these options is right   Ans. (B) steady How old was Margie? 7. (A) ten years (B) eleven years  (C) twelve years (d) thirteen years  Ans. (B) eleven years How old was Tommy? 8. (A) ten years (B) eleven years  (C)-14,/elve years (D) thirteen years Ans. (D) thirteen years Where did Tommy found the book? 9. (A) in the attic (B) in the school (C) in a shop (D) in a library  Ans.(A) in the attic 10. What was Margie scornful about? (A) the printed book (B) the school (C) Tommy (D) e-mail books  Ans. (B) the school school 11. What do you mean by a mechanical teacher?  (A) television (B) a teacher who teaches with instruments (C) a real teacher (D) all the options are correct   Ans. (A) television  Ans 12. What was Margie’s mechanical teacher giving her?  (A) tests in mathematics (B) tests in geography (C) a sound beating (D) good marks  Ans. (B) tests in geography 13. Margie’s mother called the County Inspector to (A) teach Margie (B) give her good marks  (C) take her to other schools (D) set the mechanical teacher right   Ans. (D) set the mechanical teacher right   Ans

 

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14. Margie’s mother shaken her head sorrowfully :  (A) at Margie’s Margie’s poor performance in tests (B) at the old times of schools (C) at the printed books (D) at the mechanical teacher  Ans. (A) at Margie’s poor performance in tests L5. Who was around little man? (A) the County Inspector (B) the mechanical teacher  (C) the real teacher (D) Tommy  Ans. (A) the County Inspector 16. Why had the inspector tools and wires with him? (A) he was to set Margie right (B) he was to set the mechanical teacher right (C) he was to check Margie’s mother (D) none of these options  Ans. (B) he was to set the mechanical teacher right  17. How long did it take the inspector to set the mechanical teacher right?  (A) one hour (B) thirty minutes  (C) two hours (D) one month  Ans. (A) one hour  Ans 18. Which part of the mechanical teacher did Margie hate most? (A) screen (B) the whole box (C) slot (D) none of these  Ans. (C) slot  19. How did Margie feed her homework in the mechanical teacher? (A) in a punch code (B) in written papers (C) by speaking (D) none of these options  Ans. (A) in a punch code 20. Margie was doing worse and worse in?  (A) Geography (B) Maths  (C) Physics (D) English  Ans. (A) Geography 21. What did Tommy and Margie mean by a regular teacher (A) a male teacher (B) a female teacher  (C) a good teacher (D) a mechanical teacher  Ans. (D) a mechanical teacher 22. Select the title of the story of Tommy and Margie (A) A Real Book. (B) The Fun They Had (C) The Fun with Printed Books (D) A Printed Book   Ans. (B) The Fun They Had

 Read the extracts and answer the questions that follow. PASSAGE 1  Margie even wrote that night inaher diary. On the page headed 17 May 2157, ‘Today Tommy foundabout a realitbook!’ It was very old book. Margie’s grandfather once saidshe thatwrote, when he was a little little boy his grandfather grandfather told him that there was a time when all stories were printed on paper. They turned the pages, which were yellow and crinkly, and it was awfully funny to read words that stood still instead of moving the way they were supposed to — on a screen, you know. And then when they turned back to the page before, it had the same words on it that it had had when they read it the irst time. Questions :  (i) What did Margie write in her diary?  (ii) Had Margie ever seen a book before? (iii) ‘They’ turned the pages. Who does ‘They’ refer to? (iv) What was funny about the book? (v) Why had the pages of the book turned yellow and crinkly?  Answers : (i) On the page headed 17 May 2157, Margie wrote, ‘Today Tommy found a real book!’ (ii) No, Margie had never seen a book before. (iii) They are Margie and Tommy. (iv) The words in the book stand still instead of moving. (v) The pages of the book had turned yellow and crinkly because it was very old.

 

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PASSAGE 2 ‘Gee,’ said Tommy. ‘What a waste. When you’re through with the book. you just throw it away. I guess. Our television screen must have had a million books on it and it’s good for plenty more. I wouldn’t throw it away.’ ‘Same with mine,’ said Margie. She was eleven and hadn’t seen as many telebooks as Tommy had. Ile was thirteen. She said, ‘Where did you ind it ?’ ‘In my house.’ He pointed without looking because he was busy reading. ‘In the attic.’ ‘What’s it about ?’ ‘School. ‘ Questions :  (I) What is a waste for Tommy?

(ii) What sortwere of books didand Margie and Tommy have in their schools? (iii) How old Margie Tommy? (iv) Where did Tommy ind the book? (v) What was that book about?  Answers :  (i) Printing books on paper is a waste for Tommy. (ii) They have moving books on their television screen. (iii) Margie was eleven and Tommy was thirteen years old (v) Tommy found the book in his house in the attic. (v) It was about ‘School’.

PASSAGE 3 Margie was scornful. ‘School? What’s there to write about school? I hate school.’ Margie always hated school, but now she hated it more than ever. The mechanical teacher had been giving her test after test in geography and she had been doing worse and worse until her mother had shaken her head sorrowfully and sent for the County Inspector. Questions :

(i) Name of the storyabout ‘The Fun They Had’. (ii) What the waswriter Margie’s opinion school?  (iii) What had been doing her mechanical teacher?  (iv) What were Margie’s responses?  (v) Why was the County Inspector sent for?  Answers :   (i) Issac Asimov.   (ii) Margie hated school. (iii)Her mechanical teacher had been giving her test after test in geography. (iv)Margie’s (iv) Margie’s responses were very poor.  (v) The County Inspector was sent to check the mechanical teacher.

PASSAGE 4  He was around the little man with a red face and a whole box of tools with dials and wires. He smiled at Margie and gave her an apple, then took the teacher apart. Margie had hoped he wouldn’t  know how to put it together together again, but he knew how all right, right, and, after an hour or so, there it was again, large and black and ugly, with a big screen on which all the lessons were shown and the questions were asked. That wasn’t so bad. The part Margie hated most was the slot where she had to put homework and test papers. She always had to write them out in a punch code they made her learn when she was six years old, and the mechanical teacher calculated the mark in no time. Questions : Who was around little man? What did he do to the teacher? What had Margie hoped? Which part of the mechanical teacher did she hate most and why? (v) How did she write her test papers?  Answers : (i) The County Inspector was a round little man. (ii) He took the mechanical teacher into pieces. (iii) Margie had hoped that the County Inspector would not know how to put it together. (iv) She hated the slot most because she had to put her homework and test papers in it.  

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(v) She wrote her test papers in a punch code.

 

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PASSAGE 5 The Inspector had smiled after he was inished and patted Margie’s head. He said to her mother, ‘It’s not the little girl’s fault, Mrs Jones. I think the geography sector was geared a little too quick. Those things happen sometimes. I’ve slowed it up to an average ten-year level. Actually, the overall pattern of her progress is quite satisfactory.’ And he patted Margie’s head again. Margie was disappointed. She had been hoping they would take the teacher away altogether. They had once taken Tommy’s teacher away for nearly a month because the history sector had blanked out completely. So she said to Tommy, ‘Why would anyone write about school?’

Questions : (i) ‘The Inspector smiled after he was inished’. What was inished?  (ii) What was the problem with the mechanical teacher?  (iii) At what level did the Inspector set it?  (iv) The mechanical teacher was set right but Margie was disappointed, why? (v) What trouble had been there once with Tommy’s teacher?  Answers : (i) He had reassembled the mechanical teacher all right. (ii) Its geography sector was geared a little too quick.  (iii) He set it up to an average ten-year child level. (iv) She had hoped that she would get a long vacation until her mechanical teacher was repaired. (v) Its history sector had completely blanked out.

PASSAGE 6 ‘Maybe’ he said nonchalantly. He walked away whistling, the dusty old book tucked beneath his Margie went into the schoolroom. It was right next to her bedroom, and the mechanical teacher was on and waiting for her. It was always on at the same time every day except Saturday and Sunday because her mother said little girls learned better if they learned at regular hours. The screen was lit  up, and it said: said: ‘Today ‘Today’s ’s ari arithm thmeti eticc lesson lesson is on the addition addition of proper proper fra fracti ctions ons.. Please Please insert  insert  yesterday’s homework in the proper slot.’ Questions : (i) ‘Maybe’, he said nonchalantly. Who does ‘he’ refer to? (ii) Where was Margie’s school situated?  (iii) What was the routine of Margie’s mechanical teacher?  (iv) What topic was Margie going to learn that day? (v) Find a word from the passage which has the meaning same as ‘showing not any   interest’.  Answers :  (i) ‘He’ refers to Tommy. (ii) In her house in the room next to her bedroom.  (iii) It lashed at the right time daily except on Saturday and Sunday.

 (iv)  She was going to learn the addition of proper fractions. (v) Nonchalantly.

PASSAGES FOR PRACTICE (UNSOLVED) PASSAGE 7 Tommy looked at her with very superior eyes. ‘Because it’s not our kind of school, stupid. This is the old kind of school that they had hundreds and hundreds of years ago.’ He added loftily, pronouncing the word carefully, ‘Centuries ago.’ Margie was hurt. ‘Well, I don’t know what kind of school they had all that time ago.’ She read the book over his shoulder for a while, then said, ‘Anyway, they had a teacher.’ ‘Sure they had a teacher, but it wasn’t a regular teacher. It was a man.’ ‘A man? How could a man be a teacher?’ ‘Well, he just told the boys and girls things and gave them homework and asked them questions.’ Questions : (i) Name the lesson and its author.  (ii) ‘Tommy looked at her with very superior eyes.’ Who does ‘her’ refer to? (iii) Which schools schools were  were Tommy talking about? (iv) ‘But it wasn’t a regular teacher. It was a man.’ With reference to this lesson tell who was a regular teacher.

 

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(v) ‘A man? How could a man be a teacher ?’ Who said this?

PASSAGE 8 Margie did so with a sigh. She was thinking about the old schools they had when her grandfather’ Margie grandfather’ss grandfather was a little boy. All the kids from the whole neighbourhood came, laughing and shouting in the schoolyard, sitting together in the schoolroom, going home together at the end of the day. They learned the same things, so they could help one another on the homework and talk about it. And the teachers teachers were people The mechanical mechanical teacher teacher was lashing lashing on the screen: screen: ‘When we add fractions ‘A and ‘A -‘ Margie was thinking about how the kids must have loved it in the old days. She was thinking  Questions : about the fun they had. ‘Margie did so with a sigh.’ What did Margie do with a sigh? What was a special feature of the schools in the old times? (iii) What was the feature of learning in the schools of old times? (iv) What topic was the mechanical teacher teaching her? (v) What was Margie thinking about   Margie’s grandfather once said that when he was a little boy his grandfather told him that  9. there was a time when all stories were printed on paper. They turned the pages, which were yellow and crinkly, and it was awfully funny to read words that stood still instead of moving the way they were supposed to—on a screen, you know. Questions (i) What did great grandfather tell about stories? (ii) How were the pages of a real book? (iii) Why were the words funny? (iv) What did Margie think about the words?  Answers (i)The great grandfather told that there was a time when stories were printed on paper. (ii) The pages of the real book were yellow and crinkly. (iii) The words were funny because they were stood still. (iv) Margie thought that the words were supposed to move on a screen. 10. Margie always hated school, but now she hated it more than ever. The mechanical teacher had been giving her test after test in geography and she had been doing worse and worse until her mother had shaken her head sorrowfully and sent for the County Inspector. Questions (i)Who was Margie? (ii) Who was the County Inspector?  (iii) How did Margie perform in geography?  (iv) Why was the Country Inspector called for?  Answers (i)Margie was a girl of eleven years. (ii) He was a computer mechanic. (iii) In geography, her performance was worse.  (iv) The Country Inspector has called for the repairment of her mechanical teacher who was not  functioning properly. 11. He was around the little man little man with a red face and a whole whole box of tools with dials and wires. He smiled at Margie and gave her an apple, then took the teacher apart. Margie had hoped he wouldn’t know how to put it together again, Questions (i)Who is ‘he’ here?  (ii) Why did the man have a box of tools? (iii) Why did he take the teacher apart? (iv) What was Margie’s hope?  Answers (i)’He’ is the Country Inspector here. (ii)The (ii)Th e man had a box of tools because because he was a compute computerr mecha mechanic nic who repaired dysfunctions dysfunctions of  mechanical teachers. (iii) He took the teacher apart for repairing it. 

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(iv) Margie hoped that the t he mechanic would not know who to put the teacher together again. 12. The Inspector had smiled after he was inished and patted Margie’s head. He said to her mother, “It’s not the little girl’s fault, Mrs Jones. I think the geography sector was g geared eared a little too quick”. Questions (i)Why did the Inspector pat Margie’s head? (ii)Who was Mrs Jones? (iii) What did the Inspector say to Mrs Jones? (iv) Why did Margie not do good in geography?  Answers (i)Inspector patted Margie’s head to cheer her up because her performance was not as bad in geography as it was considered by her teacher. (ii) Mrs Jones was Margie’s mother. (iii) The Inspector said to Mrs Jones that it was not Margie’s fault that she could not do good in geography.  (iv) Margie did not do good in geogr geography aphy because the geography sector of the mechanical mechanical teacher has geared a little too quick. 13. Margie was hurt, “Well, I don’t know what kind of school they had all that time ago”. She read the book over his shoulder s houlder for a while, then said, “Anyway, they had a teacher”. Questions (i)Why was Margie hurt? (ii) Which book did she read for some time?  (iii) When was the school in the old book in existence? (iv) What was Margie sure about?  Answers (i)Margie was hurt because Tommy called her stupid.  (ii) She read the old book that Tommy found for some time. (iii) It was in existence centuries before. (iv) Margie was sure about the teacher that the children had in school centuries ago. 14. Margie wasn’t prepared to dispute that. She said, “I wouldn’t want a strange man in my house to teach me.”   Tommy screamed with laughter. “You don’t know much, Margie. The teachers didn’t live in the house. They had a special building and all the kids went there.”  “And all the kids learned the same thing?” “Sure, if they were the same age.” Questions (i)What was the dispute? (ii) According to Tommy, where do teachers live? (iii) What did the kids learn in old school? (iv) What can be said about the old school?  Answers (i)The dispute was about the teacher of the old school. (ii) They live in a special building. (iii) In the old school, all the kids learnt the same thing. (iv) The old school was a special building and all the kids went there. 15. “But my mother says a teacher has to be adjusted to it the mind of each boy and girl it  teaches and that each kid has to be taught differently.” “Just the same they didn’t do it that way then. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to read the book.” Questions (i)Why should a teacher be adjusted? (ii) Who said it and to whom? (iii) How should each kid be taught? (iv) Who does ‘they’ refer to here?  Answers (i)A teacher should be adjusted to it the mind of each boy and girl. (ii) Tommy’s mother said to Tommy.

 

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(iii) Each kid should be taught differently as per his/her level of understanding. (iv) Here ‘they’ refers to ‘men as teachers’ in the past schools. 16. Margie went into the schoolroom. It was right next to her bedroom, and the mechanical teacher was on and waiting for her. It was always on at the same time every day except  Saturday and Sunday because her mother said little girls learned better if they learned at  regular hours. The screen was lit up, and it said: “Today’s arithmetic arithmetic lesson is on the addition of proper fractions. fractions. Please insert yesterday’s homework in the proper slot.” Questions (i)Who was waiting for Margie in her schoolroom? (ii) What did Margie’s mother say about little girls?  (iii) What was the mechanical teacher famous for? (iv) What did Margie learn that day?  Answers (i)Margie’s mechanical teacher was waiting for her in the schoolroom. (ii) Margie’s mother said that little girls learned better if they learned at regular hours. (iii) He was always punctual. (iv) That day, there was an arithmetic lesson in which she learnt the addition of proper fractions. 17. She was thinking about the old schools they had when her grandfather’s grandfather was a little boy. All the kids from the whole neighbourhood came, laughing and shouting in the schoolyard, sitting together in the schoolroom, going home together at the end of the day. Questions (i)Who is ‘she’ here? (ii) Where did her grandfather’s grandfather read? (iii) Where did the kids in the old school read? (iv) What similarity do you ind in the kids of old school?  Answers (i)’She’ is Margie here. (ii) He read in the old school. (iii) They read in the schoolroom.  (iv) All the kids learned the same lesson and helped one another with homework. 18. All the kids from the whole neighbourhood came, laughing and shouting in the schoolyard, sitting together in the schoolroom, going home together at the end of the day. They learned the same things, so they could help one another with the homework and talk about it. And the teachers were people… Questions (i)What kind of school Margie’s great grandfather read in? (ii) What kind of teachers taught in the old school? (iii) Why were the kids given the same homework in the old school? (iv) How did the kids of the old school have a great sense of cooperation?  Answers (i)He read in the old school. (ii) The teachers were people and taught in the old school. (iii) In the old school, the kids were given the same homework because they learned the same thing in the old school. (iv) The kids of the old school had a great sense of cooperation as they sat together, learned the same thing and helped one another with homework.

Main Characters of the Story- The Fun They Had The most important character in the short story “The Fun They Had” by Isaac Asimov is Margie. She is the main character whose perspective has been followed by the narrator. Secondary characters are Tommy, Mrs Jones and the County Inspector.

Give a character sketch of Margie Jones Jones from the chapter chapter The Fun Fun They Had Margi Margie eedJones is an eleven-y ear-old d girl living livin g tion. in n. 2155. Except t forwthis information , nothing much reveal rev ealed about abo ut theeleven-year-ol girl’s out girl’s outer er cha charac racter teriza izatio We Excep also als o kno know thatinfor tha t shemation, is hom homesc eschoo hooled led by isa mechanical teacher and that she has a friend named Tommy. Margie’s inner characterization is

 

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revealed through her actions and her attitude towards school in her time and the past. The fact that  Margie has a diary in which she writes about inding a ‘real book’ indicates the event had a strong impact on her. From her conversation with Tommy about the book and school in the past, Margie comes across as naive, having little knowledge about the way school was in the past, and very mistrustful.

Give a character sketch of Tommy from the chapter The Fun They Had Tommy Tommy is Margie’s friend, who is older than her, being thirteen years old. He comes across as smarter than the little girl because he has seen more telebooks and because he has more knowledge about how school was “centuries ago”.

Extra Very Short Answer Type Important Questions 1. On what date did Margie make an entry in her diary about the real book?  Ans. She did so on 17 May 2157. 2. What did Tommy ind?  Ans. He found a real book.  Ans 3. How old was Margie?  Ans. She was eleven years old  Ans old.. 4. How old was Tommy?  Ans. He was thirteen years old. 5. What was the real book, that Tommy found, about?  Ans. It was about ‘School’.  Ans 6. What did Margie hate?  Ans. She hated school. 7. What had the mechanical teacher been giving to Margie?  Ans. The mechanical teacher had been giving test after test to Margie in geography. geog raphy. 8. Why did Margie’s mother send for the County Inspector?  Ans. She sent for the County Inspector because Margie had been doing worse and worse in her  Ans geography tests. 9. Why did Margie hate slot most?  Ans. Margie hated slot most because she had to put homework and test papers in it. 10. What was wrong with the geography sector of Margie’s mechanical teacher?  Ans. The geography sector of Margie’s mechanical teacher was geared a little too quick. II. What do you mean by a regular teacher?  Ans. It means the mechanical teacher that appears on the television screen at the ixed time.  Ans 12. What is the name of Margie’s mother?  Ans. Her name is Mrs Jones.  Ans 13. On which two days there came no mechanical teacher on the TN. screen?  Ans. On Saturday and Sunday. 14. What subject did Tommy learn?   Ans AnsName . He learnt history. 15. the writer of the lesson ‘The Fun They Had’.  Ans. Isaac Asimov. SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS (to be answered in about 30 – 40 words each) Q1. Who are Tommy and Margie? How old are they? (Textual)  Ans.  Tommy and Margie are students from the year 2157. They are neighbours and spend time together like children of their age usually do. Tommy is a thirteen-year-old boy and Margie is an eleven-year-old girl.  Q2. What did Margie write in her diary? (Textual)  Ans. On 17 May 2157 Margie recorded in her diary the discovery of a real book by Tommy. It was a  Ans. very old paper book with yellow and crinkly pages. Q3. Where did Tommy ind the book and in what condition? Or  Describe the book that Tommy had found in the attic.

 

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 Ans. Tommy found a real book in the attic of his house. The pages had turned yellow and crinkly because it was at least two hundred years old. Moreover, it was all covered with dust as it had been lying in the attic for ages. Q4. Had Margie ever seen a book before? (Textual)  Ans.No, Margie had never seen a book before till she saw the one that Tommy had found in the attic of his house. She had only heard about books from her grandfather who himself had not seen any. He too had heard about a printed book from his own grandfather.  Q5. Did Margie like the printed book? Why/Why not?  Ans. Margie was so excited to know that Tommy had found a ‘real’ book which was unlike the onscreen books the two were used to reading, that she recorded the discovery in her diary. As she turned turne d the yell yellow ow and crink crinkly ly pages of the book with Tommy, she found it awfully funny to read it. While Tommy found it a waste, Margie was fascinated by it and liked it. Q6. What things about the book did Margie ind strange? (Textual)  Ans. Margie lived in an era of mechanical education with telebooks stored in a machine. So she  Ans. found it strange that the words in the printed book remained ixed unlike the moving ones on her television screen. Q7. “What a waste!” What is Tommy referring to as a ‘waste’? Is it really a waste?  Ans. Tommy thinks that the paper books with words printed and ixed on them are a waste. Once a book is read, it becomes useless and must be thrown away because it has the same content. Actually, printed books are not a waste. They can be read by many people over and over again and should be preserved for future generations.  Q8. What do you think a telebook is? (Textual)  Ans. A telebook is a compact book in an electronic form. It is stored in a computer and can be read by scrolling its pages up, down or sideways on a screen. Q9. How does Tommy ind the telebooks of his own time to be better?  Ans. Tommy felt that his telebooks were better than the printed books of the ancient times because  Ans. they could be stored on television and read again and again. They occupied very little space as compared to the printed books and need not be discarded once they t hey had been read. Q10. Where was Margie’s school? Did she have any classmates? (Textual)  Ans. Margie’s Margie’s school was inside the comfort of her house. It was just next to her bedroom. bedroom. It was a customised school, set up exclusively for her according to her level and needs. No, she did not have any classmates. Q11. Why had Margie started hating her school?  Ans. Mar  Ans. Margie gie nev never er lik liked ed sch school ool.. But rec recent ently ly her hat hatred red had in incre crease ased d bec becaus ause e of her poo poorr performance in geography tests. Her mechanical teacher gave her one test after another and her performance went on becoming worse and worse. Q12. Which part of her school did Margie hate the most? Or  What did Margie hate the most about her school?  Ans. The part that Margie hated most was the slot where she had to put homework and test papers. She always had to write them in a punch code that she was made to learn at the tender age of six. Besides, the mechanical teacher calculated her marks in no time which left no scope for Margie to relax after submitting the assigned tasks. Q13. What subjects did Tommy and Margie learn? (Textual)  Ans. Tommy and Margie learnt a lot of subjects like History, Geography and Mathematics.  Ans. Q14. What kind of teachers did Margie and Tommy have? (Textual)  Ans. Margie and Tommy had mechanical teachers. They were not real persons but televisions which  Ans. had different subject sectors. These teachers were customised to the level of a student. In case of  malfunction, they were disbanded and repaired.  Q15. Why did Margie’s mother send for the County Inspector? (Textual) Or Why did Margie’s mother shook her head one day and send for the County Inspector?

 

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 Ans. Margie’s mother sent for the County Inspector because Margie had been performing poorly in Geography. The repeated fall in her daughter’s performance disappointed her. So, she decided to call a specialist, the County Inspector, who could locate the problem and correct it. Q16. What views did Margie’s mother have about teachers and learning?  Ans. Margie’s mother was very particular about her child’s education and made sure that Margie  Ans. attended her tele-school regularly and studied properly and punctually. She believed that a teleteacher had to be adjusted to the mind of each student and that each student had to be taught  differently. Whenever she noticed a snag in Margie’s tele-teacher, she sent for the County Inspector to get the snag removed so that Margie did not miss Out of her school and learning. Q17. What was the County Inspector trained to do?  Ans. The County Inspector worked as a technical expert. He was trained to identify and rectify errors in the functioning of the system installed in the mechanical teachers. Q18. What idea do you form of the County Inspector as a person?  Ans. The County Inspector was certainly a kind-hearted man. Instead of inding fault with Margie, he gave her an apple and told her mother that if Margi Margie e was not performing performing well, it was not her fault, but the fault of the mechanical teacher. He aligned the speed of the geography sector keeping in mind the level of the girl. Before leaving, he patted Margie on the head and expressed satisfaction at  her performance.  Q19. Why was Margie doing badly in geography? What did the County Inspector do to help her? (Textual)  Ans. Margie geography sector had been ixed too fast for  Margie was doing badly because the speed of the geography her level. The County Inspector slowed down the speed to suit the level of an average ten-year-old. As Margie was of eleven years, she was comfortable with the new level set by the County Inspector. Q20. “Margie was disappointed,” says the author. Why was she disappointed?  Or  How did the County Inspector disappoint Margie?  Ans.  Margie was disappointed because she hated school and hoped that her mechanical teacher would be taken away for repairs as Tommy’s teacher was once taken away for a month. But  when the County Inspector promptly repaired and reset it at her home itself, she was unhappy. Q21. What had once happened to Tommy’s teacher? (Textual)  Ans. Once, Tommy’s mechanical teacher had developed a fault and its history sector had blanked out  absolutely. The teacher had to be taken away for repairs and it had taken a month to put it in order. Q22. Did Margie have regular days and hours for school? If so, why? (Textual)  Ans. Yes, Margie had regular days and hours for school. She studied from Monday to Friday at the same time every day. Although her school was a large black television screen installed in her own house, she had to attend it regularly. Her mother thought that young girls learnt things better if they studied them at regular hours. Q23. How does Tommy describe the old kind of school? (Textual)  Ans. Tommy describes the old school as a special building where all the children went to study together. The students of the same age-group learnt the same things which were taught by human teachers. Q24. How does Tommy describe the old kind of teachers?  Ans. Tommy tells Margie that the teach teachers ers in olden times were not mecha mechanical nical but real men. They taught various things to boys and girls, gave them homework and also asked them questions. The teache tea chers rs wen wentt to a spe specia ciall bui buildi lding ng cal called led the sch school ool where they tau taught ght the chi childr ldren en in the classrooms. Q25. How did Margie react when Tommy told her that twentieth-century schools had human teachers? Or  Why did Margie remark, “How could a man be a teacher”?  Ans. Margie made this remark when she heard Tommy mention that children were taught by human teachers in the times gone by. She could not believe the truth of Tommy’s comment because she had not seen any human teacher; she was used to studying with the help of her mechanical tele-teacher

 

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only. Moreover, she believed that a human teacher could not match the mechanical teacher in intelligence and knowledge. Q26. Who interrupts Margie and Tommy’s conversation? Why?  Ans. Margie and Tommy were lost in unravelling the exciting mystery of the ‘real’ book that the latter had found in his attic, when Margie’s mother interrupted them saying “Margie! School!” and she even suggested to Tommy that it was time for him to attend school, too.  Q27. When Margie went to her school, what did the teacher on the screen teach?  Ans. When Margie went to her school, which was a room next to her bedroom, the mechanical teacher taught an arithmetic lesson on the addition of proper fractions. It taught her how to add the fractions 1/2 and ¼. Q28. Why couldn’t Margie concentrate on the Arithmetic lesson?  Ans. Margie could not concentrate on the arithmetic lesson because her mind was pre-occupied with the thoughts about the school that Tommy had just described her. She was awestruck to learn that  children studied together and were taught by real persons in these old schools. She thought how much fun those students must have had while studying together. Q29. Why did Margie think that children must have loved to go to school when her grandfather’s grandfather grandfather was a little boy? Or  Why did Margie feel that children in old times had fun while studying in school? Or why does Margie feel that learning was fun in the schools of the past?  Ans. Margie attends a tele-school, which is just a machine in the room next to her bedroom and she studies alone unlike students of the schools in the bygone times. She feels that learning was more fun in those days because hundreds of children had the opportunity of congregating and studying together with the help of human teachers and printed books. Schools were huge buildings where a lot of activi activities ties could be carried out by stude students nts in groups groups.. Compared to that, her present school is much too mechanical, boring, monotonous and demanding, and she hates it. Q30. What was Tommy’s opinion about the ‘real book’?  Ans. Tommy found the ‘real book’ a waste as once read you, just throw it away. It did not seem interesting and useful. The words were ixed on it and not any other thing can be printed on it. Q.31. How does Tommy describe the old kind of teachers?  Ans. He says that the old teachers did not live in the house. They had a special building and all the kids went there. They gave homework to students. They were not mechanical teachers, but human beings. Q32. Who was the Country Inspector? What was his work?  Ans. The country Inspector was the man who repaired the mechanical teacher. He adjusted the level of the teacher as per the child’s requirements and intelligence. Q33. Why was Margie doing worse in geography? What did the County Inspector do to help her?  Ans. Margie had been doing worse in geography because the mechanical teacher was very fast in displaying the questionnaire. The County Inspector adjusted its speed up to an average ten-year level.. Thus, the mecha level mechanical nical teacher’s teacher’s speed was contr controlled olled appropriately. appropriately. The Coun County ty Inspe Inspector ctor assured that the overall pattern of Margie’s progress was quite satisfactory. Q.34. Did Margie have regular days and hours for school? If so, why?  Ans. Yes, Margie had regular days and hours for school because her mother said little girls learned better if they learned at regular hours. Q35. Why did Tommy pronounce the word ‘centuries ago’ carefully?  Ans. Tommy pronounced the word carefully because he wanted to lay stress on the fact that the school was very old and it was quite different from theirs. Q36. What had once happened to Tommy’s teacher?  Ans. Once Tommy’s teacher was taken away for about a month because the history sector had blanked out completely. Q37. What is the ‘slot’? Why does Margie hate it?  Ans. ‘Slot’ was a space in the mechanical teacher where each student is to put his homework and test  assignments for marking. assignments marking. Margi Margie e hates it the most because she has to work hard to punch code for answering homework.

 

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Q38. Evaluate ‘The Fun They Had’ as a futuristic story.  Ans. The Fun They Had’ is a futuristic story. It tells us about the revolutionary changes that will come in the ield of education in the 22nd century. Technology will replace the concept of old schools and printed books. Margie and Tommy are the students of the year 2157. They are taught in their bedroom bed roomss ser servin ving g as vir virtua tuall cla classr ssrooms ooms.. A mec mechan hanica icall tea teache cherr wil willl rep replac lace e a hum human an tea teache cher. r. Computers and e-books will replace old printed books. Q.39. How will the e-books be different from the old books that existed centuries ce nturies ago?  Ans. The very concept of ‘the books’ will change in the 22nd century. The e-books will replace old books. The books will not be printed on papers. The words will move on a TV/computer screen. The television screen may have more than a million books on it . 40. What did Margie’s mother think about the teacher’ and ‘the school’?  Ans. Ma Marg rgie ie’s ’s mo moth ther er th thoug ought ht th that at ev ever ery y ch chil ild d ha had d a di diff ffer eren entt in inte tell llig igen ence ce an and d ca capa paci city ty to understand things. The mechanical teacher should be adjusted to it the mind of each boy and girl it  taught. Each kid had to be taught differently. She thought that little girls and boys would learn better if they learned at regular hours at the ‘school’. Q41. Describe the characteristics of the old school? How did it inluence Margie?  Ans. The old school had several characteristics — the children went to a big building. The man worked as a teacher and taught the boys and girls. The teacher gave them homework. He also asked them questions. They sat together and studied the same subject. In the old school, children studied and played together. It was quite opposite to the school that has been talked about in the chapter. Margie was very much inluenced by the old school. In her class, she was busy thinking about the fun the children had at that time. Q42. Will future schools be completely devoid of humans and human values? Give a reasoned answer.  Ans. Certainly, a revolutionary change will come in the ield of education in future. The mechanical teachers and tele-books will dominate the scene. Every student will be taught by the mechanical teacher according to his or her ability. However, the institution of schools will remain in one form or the other. Human teachers will not disappear altogether. Education will never be completely devoid of humans and human values. Q43. Why did Tommy and Margie think the old book a wastage of resources?  Ans. Because they found the words in the old book not moving. The pages had turned yellow and crinkly. Moreover, the old book could not last long. Q44. What difference did Margie’s mother ind in the old school?  Ans. Margie’s mother was of the opinion that children should be taught according to their individual needs. But in the old school, the children of the same age group studied the same things Important Long/ Detailed Answer Type Questions- to be answered in about 100 -150 words each LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS (to be answered in about 100 – 150 words each) Q1.How did a chance discovery of a paper book leave Margie and Tommy awestruck?  Ans. Margie (9) and Tommy (13) are neighbourhood friends in the year 2157. It is an age of total automation, automa tion, mechanisation, mechanisation, digitalisation digitalisation and comput computerisa erisation. tion. Children do not go to a school building and they are not taught by a human teacher. Instead, their teacher is a tell teacher, a computer like a machine that has millions of books. It can be customised according to the age and learni lea rning ng nee needs ds an and d abi abilit lities ies of ind indivi ividua duall stu studen dents. ts. Rea Readin ding g is don done e on a scr screen een tha thatt dis displa plays ys movable text. So, one day when Tommy inds an old, dusty paper book in the attic of his house, he shares the exciting news with his friend Margie and together they are awestruck, for they had hitherto never seen or heard about a book that had no screen but only ixed text on pages that had to be lipped with ingers. As the duo kept reading the book further and further, their excitement kept  growing. They were awestruck to discover that ancient schools were huge buildings where hundreds of children studied together with the same syllabus, the same subjects and carried out the same activities and tasks. They were taught by real human teachers with the help of real books. Margie believes that students those days must have had a lot of fun studying together. Q2. What are the main features of the mechanical teachers and the schoolrooms that Margie and Tommy have in the story? (Textual)

 

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 Ans. Tommy and Margie are young schools going children in the year 2157. Schools and teachers have an entirely different form from the ones in the twentieth century. Margie and Tommy’s school is not in a separate special building but in a room in their respective houses where the television or the mechanical teacher is placed. Each student has to sit and study alone with the help of the mechanical teacher. The ‘teacher’ assigns tests to the students and assesses their progress. The speed of the different subject sectors is ixed according to the age level of each student. There is a special slot in the tele-teacher where students have to insert their homework. If the mechanical teacher develops any fault, there are engineers to repair it. Sometimes the fault may be a major one and it takes longer to repair it, as was the case when Tommy’s history teacher developed a snag.  Thus, the mecha mechanical nical teachers teachers and schoolrooms schoolrooms of Tommy and Margie are fully computerised computerised and are completely different from the present day schools. Q3. Why did Margie hate school? Why did she think the old o ld kind of school must have been fun? (Textual)  Ans.. Margie hated school because it did not have any fun. Her schedule was too regimented and she  Ans had to study at a ixed time on all days of the week except Saturdays and Sundays. She did not have any classmates to study with and seek help from. Her mechanical teacher sometimes developed a snag and assigned the tests that were quite dificult for her. Constant failure to perform well in such tests was disappointing for her. There were times when she wanted a break, but the technical advancement of 2157 did not give her a chance. The County Inspector took just a little while to set  right the Geography sector of her teacher.  She thought that the old kind of school must have been fun becau because se unli unlike ke her school school,, the ancient  schools were in special buildings where the students from the whole neighbourhood came laughing and playing. Students of the same level would be in the same room and were taught by human teachers. The students would sit together in the schoolroom, go home together, learn the same things, help one another with the homework and talk about it. Hence, schools in olden days did not  restrain their students but gave them a chance to grow up together.  Q4. Do you agree with Margie that schools today are more fun than the school in the story? Give reasons for your answer. (Textual)  Ans. Margie’s school, as described in the story, seems to be a boring place where learning in a mere task. In comparison, comparison, school schoolss today are more fun. Students get a chanc chance e to come out of their homes and travel to reach school. On their way, they laugh, play and have so much fun. The schoolyard too is a great open place where the students get a chance to interact informally with each other. They get  an opportunity to share their experiences and help each other. Their learning schedule is also lexible and gives them enough time to have fun. They have so many extra-curricular activities which teach a lot of skills in a fun-illed way. Their teacher is a real person who makes them sit together and teaches them the same topic. In this way, they learn to adjust and adapt which helps them develop the values of tolerance and cooperation. Hence, Margie’s view that schools today are more fun than her school is totally justiied. justi ied. Q5. Suppose you are Margie. Write a diary entry dated 17th May 2157 about Tommy’s real book that he found in his attic.  Ans. Tuesday,  17th May 2157 10.00 p.m. Dear Diary  It has been a wonderful day for me as I have seen a real, hard-bound printed paper book. In fact, Tommy found the book in the attic of his house when he was cleaning the cupboard of his grandfather. It consists of about 200 pages which have become yellow and crinkly with time. It is a strange experience to read the words ixed on its papers unlike the ones in my telebooks that keep moving as I scroll.  When I turn the page, I ind the same words again. The book is about a school from olden times, about two centuries ago. Can you believe that in those times a school was not a room in one’s own house but a special building dedicated to the purpose of teaching and learning! The students of the same level studied the same things sitting together in the same classroom. It is really wonderful to think that the teachers were men and not machines. I really believe that it must have been great fun for children to go to such schools together, laughing, joking, playing, and teasing each other. How

 

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wonderful it must have been that the students helped each other with lessons as well! I wish I could travel back in time and study in one of those schools.  Margie Q6. Why did Margie hate school? Why did she think the old kind of school must have been fun?  Ans. Margie hated school because she had a mechanical teacher. It was at her house. She was supposed to sit in that room alone to complete her home task or assignments. The part Margie hated the most was the slot where she had to put homework and test papers. She thought that the old schools have been fun schoolyard, because the going students used to sit together in the classroom. They enjoyed, laughedmust and shouted in the home together at the end of the day. They learned the same things so that they could help one another with homework and talk about it. All the teacher were wer e peo people ple.. Chi Childr ldren en nee needed ded a com compan pany y to enh enhanc ance e the their ir ski skills lls.. If the they y are isolated, isolated, the they y get  depressed and dejected. Q7. The old schools are considered fun by the modern generation. Explain.  Ans. The ancient schools consisted of Gurukuls in which the students stayed in the building with the guru. Then with the change of time Gurukuls changed into schools. Hence the teacher and the student have a formal relationship. In these schools, teachers are human beings and books are real oness mad one made e of pap paper. er. Now with tim times, es, the modern modern gen genera eratio tion’s n’s school replaced replaced by e-t e-tex extt and computers. The future generation would envy when they come to know about the old system of  education in which all the kids went to school together. t ogether. They studied together, played together. They could have better innovative innovative minds as they got a chanc chance e to discus discusss thing thingss with each other. The old system of education in which ‘man’ as a teacher could inluence his students by the charisma of his personality. Future generation would utter what fun the schools were long ago. Q8. Do you agree with Margie that schools today are more fun than the school in the story? Give reasons for your answer.  Ans. There is no doubt that today’s schools have more fun than the school discussed in the story. This school has nothing but a mechanical teacher with no emotions and sentiments. It does not have the ability to understand the psychology of a child. Moreover, it guides a pupil according to its adjusted modes. But today’s schools work for the overall development of a child. They are given training train ing in leade leadership, rship, sports, politics politics and science. They learn how to adapt themse themselves lves to the new surroundings and cope with strangers. The students sit and learn together forgetting their caste, colour col our and creed. creed. The These se act activi ivitie tiess don don’t ’t giv give e ven ventt to the feelings feelings of dep depres ression sion,, ali aliena enation tion and segregation. Q9. Will the existing schools and teachers become totally irrelevant in future ‘school’? Give a reasoned answer.  Ans. Naturally, schools that existed centuries ago will not be the same in the coming centuries. The system of education will be highly computerised and mechanical. The ‘school’ will have no separate building. Nor will they be taught the same thing together. The mechanical teacher will be a big TV screen, scree n, good for a milli million on books. The mecha mechanical nical teacher teacher will be adjusted according according to the age and capacity of the student. But it will be an exaggeration to say that everything about the old schools will disappear. Even the future schools can’t be completely devoid of the human angle. Perhaps the instit ins tituti ution on of the old sch schools ools and tea teache chers rs wil willl rem remain ain.. Hum Human an inv involv olveme ement nt can can’t ’t dis disapp appear ear altogether. Q10. Describe the characteristics of old schools. How did they arouse so much interest in Margie and Tommy?  Ans. The good old students relected the charm and romance of their times. Every school had its own buildings. Students from different parts of the town went there for studies. All the students in a class were taught the same things. They received the same kinds of homework. Hence, students could help one another. The teachers were real human beings. The books were printed on papers.  There was an air of romance about the old schools. Margie’s interest was around about them. She got the relevant information about them from Tommy. In comparison to her mechanical teacher and her ‘school’, the old schools charmed Margie. She was fascinated by the way children went to their schools. They studied together. They were taught the same things. It was easier for them to help one another. Margie was rather envious of the fun the children had in old schools.

Q11. Can you imagine a school without teachers and books? Give your opinion on the basis of  the lesson ‘The Fun They Had’.

 

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 Ans. No one can deny the role of modern technologies in our lives and in our studies. Nowadays education is changing but schools without teachers and without books are beyond imagination. Without teachers, teaching would not be good because no one would be there to explain and to teach as well. No student would like the environment, it would be like an ofice. Teachers are very important for education. Teachers not only teach us different subjects but they also teach us to live in discipline and to live together. Teachers resolve the student’s problem and doubt and if they aren’t aren ’t in schools the students students don’t study enough. As in the lesson Margie does not like her school school,, she inds it tedious as she does not have the opportunity to be with other students and to do every work togethe together. r. Modern technolo technologies gies can benever takenbe aspreferred. an aid to impro improve ve the standard standard of studi studies es but  the schools without books and teachers will Q12. What is the role of a teacher in the life of a student? How is a human teacher better than a mechanical teacher?  Ans. Teachers play a very important role in the life of a student. They not only provide bookish knowle kno wledge dge but also ins inspir pire e the their ir stu studen dentt to liv live e a mea meanin ningfu gfull and suc succes cessfu sfull lif life. e. The They y bur burn n themselves like a candle throughout their lives to remove the darkness and ignorance from their student’s life. This can be done by a human teacher only. A mechanical teacher can provide ample know kn owle ledg dge e on va vari rious ous su subj bjec ects ts bu butt he he/s /she he ca can n no nott bo boos ostt up th thei eirr st stud uden entt to do so some meth thin ing g distinguished. There is a single mechanical teacher having various sectors geared up according to the level of the child. There is no companion, no playground and no fun at all. The teaching is mechanical and monotonous. Thus the human teachers are better than the mechanical teachers in many ways. They know individually intellect of their students which help them to guide them individually according to the mental level of students.

 CHAPTER: 2 THE THE SOUND OF MUSIC BY: Deborah Cowley PART-I INTRODUCTION This is a lesson, giving inspiration to those who are physically handicapped. In this lesson, the author has shown how handicapped persons are to face trouble and dificulties in their life. Most of them make a compromise with their destiny. They accept their handicapped life and take to begging or some other lawless lawless activities activities but some persons persons being handicapped handicapped do not give to it. They struggle struggle hard. They ight it hard and rise themselves to a high position in life. To them, handicapped life is not  a curse but a boon. A small girl of eleven Evelyn Glennie gets her hearing capacity totally killed. But  she does not give to it. She struggles hard activities and learns the music. She becomes the most  sensational music star in the world. She becomes a igure of inspiration for disabled people. Introduction (2):   The biographical feature “The Sound of Music” (Part I) reveals the achievements of the multipercus per cussion sionist, ist, Evelyn Evelyn Glenn Glennie ie who overca overcame me her handic handicap ap of hearin hearing g impair impairmen mentt wit with h great  great  determinat deter mination ion and conidence conidence.. The feature describes how, under the able guidance of Ron Forbes, Evelyn Glennie found a way out of her problem by developing an ability to sense music through different parts of her body.

Plot/ Theme / Central Idea of the Lesson/ Literary Literar y Analysis of The Sound of music music/ / Main Idea THEME The irst part of the feature is based on the theme that earnest efforts and able guidance pave one’s way to succes success. s. The aspirations, aspirations, endea endeavours vours and achie achievemen vements ts of the eminent Scottish percussion percussion musician Evelyn Glennie were made possible by her unfaltering determination. She overcame the challenge of her impaired hearing through her irm belief in herself and great conidence co nidence in her will.   The signiicance of the Title – The Sound of Music (Value Based)

TITLE The title “The Sound of Music” is quite appropriate as the feature briely relates the inspiring success story of the talented musician Evelyn Glennie. The subtitle “Evelyn Glennie Listens to Sound Without  Hearing It” suggests what the readers are going to discover. It leaves them curious about how Glennie must have developed sensitivity to the sounds of music despite her deafness. She could

 

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sense the sounds and vibrations of music through her skin, her hair, her cheekbones, her feet – in fact, through every part of her physical frame. The title also alludes to the famous movie with the same name. Thus both the main title and the subtitle are apt.

Vocabulary Rush hour— hour—A tim time e whe when n peo people ple usu usuall ally y tra travel vel;; Crowd—a lar large ge num number ber of peo people ple gat gather hered ed together;Jostle—pu push sh ro roug ughl hly; y;  Underground—bel elow ow the ea earrth th;; Vibration—sl slig ight ht sh shak akin ing g  Aspiring  Approach—reach close; Prestigious—havin movement; Approach— having g high status; Daunting—tough; tough;  Aspiring —ha dific havi ving ng st stro rong ng de desi sire re;;  Challenge—dif icul ultt jo job; b; Profoundly—extreme; Realise—come to know; Conceal—hide;Deafness—in inab abil ilit ity y to he hear ar;; Deteriorate—be beco come me wo wors rse; e; Specialist— a highly skilled person in a speciic ield;  Impair—hinder; Aid—support; Determine—to be certain to do something; Pursue—follow; Discouraged—made somebody less conident;  Percussionist—a play pl ayer er of a mu musi sica call in inst stru rume ment nt;; Potential—capacity; Solo—a pi pie ece of mus usiic fo forr on onlly on one e Hectic— Intrigue—  Function—  Effortlessly— person;   person; very busy; secret plan; work; easily; Especially—us used ed to po poin intt ou outt on one e pe pers rson on,, th thin ing, g, or si situ tuat atio ion n,  Flawlessly—without  stopping; Tingle—itching; Fingertip—th the e ti tip p of a i ing nger er;; Surprisingly—with surpr surprise; ise; Delightgreat pleasu pleasure; re; Audience—a group of people gathered to watch/listen to a play;  Prestigious— honoured; honoured;  Soloist—a pe pers rson on wh who o pl play ayss an in inst stru rume ment nt;;Extraordinary—uncommon; Confess— accept; Workaholic—too much devoted to work; Classical—relating to ancient art; Enormous— too much, very big;  Concert—musical performance; Priority—a thing regarded as more important  than another; Accomplish—to achieve; Handicapped—physically or mentally disabled; disabled;  Pleasure —happiness. Download Full Lesson in PDF

Moral/ Message Messag e of the lesson – The Sound of Music Mus ic MESSAGE Evelyn’s Glennie’s bio-sketch gives us the message that handicaps may be countered, problems may be overcome, and aspirations can be realized if one is irmly resolute and conident. Those who do learn to overcome hardships certainly achieve the highest goals. There is always a way out of the challenges of life; only one has to trace the way and adhere to it with unstaggering faith in one’s abilities. CHARACTERS Evelyn Glennie Eve Evelyn lyn Gle Glenni nnie, e, the int intern ernati ationa onally lly ren renown owned ed per percus cussion sionist ist,, eme emerge rgess as an emb embodi odimen mentt of  unlinching determination, strong self-belief, dedication and courage. Although challenged by severe hearing impairment, this young girl is able to make her way to an enviable position in life. Evelyn was found to have lost her hearing faculty at a very young age of eight years but her strong determination enabled her to encounter the challenge very bravely. Instead of joining the school for the deaf, as suggested by the headmistress of her school, she decided irmly to lead the life as a normall girl. She wanted to play the xylop norma xylophone hone but was discou discouraged raged by her teachers. teachers. Howev However, er, her resolution by encouragement she from the percussionist, Ron thr Forbes. Under Und er his was able abl e strengthened guidan gui dance, ce, Eve Evelyn lynthe learnt lea rnt how to dev develo elop pgot sensit sen sitivi ivity ty to musica mus icall sou sounds nds through ough different parts of her body. She managed to sense musical notes through her skin, her hair, her ingers, and even her bare feet. Endowed with great conidence, Evelyn was able to get admission to the Royal Academy of Music, London, the most prestigious institution for music. Her conidence and devotion enabled her to receive the highest awards in percussion music. Such is her contribution to the percussion music that it has earned a special place in the orchestra. Despite her deafness, Evelyn gives solo performances and has command over a large number of percussion instruments. A person with a humanitarian spirit, Evelyn even performs in prisons and hospitals. Thus, with her conidence and resolute decision, Evelyn has revealed to the world that disabilities disappear before dedication and determina determinatio tion. n. Her ach achiev ieveme ements nts are a sour source ce of in inspi spirat ration ion for tho those se who suffer from handicaps. Summary in English- The T he Sound of o f Music

DETAILED SUMMARY  This chapter chapter tells tells about the life story of a Scottish girl named Evelyn Glennie. Glennie. When she was eight  years old, it was noticed for the irst time that she had lost her hearing capacity to some extent. She managed to conceal it from her friends and teachers in the school. But when she was of eleven, the

 

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case of her deals got conirmed. She had lost her hearing capacity totally. It happened as a result of  gradual nerve damage. Everything had turned black for her.  But she did not give up to it. She was determined determined to lead a normal normal life. She learnt music. A famous percussioni percu ssionist st Ron Forbes Forbes helpe helped d her a lot in the learning learning of music. music. He encouraged encouraged her. Ile told her not to hear music through her ears but through some other way. She practised hard and got success in listening to music through other organs of her body. She had learnt to open her mind and body to sounds and vibrations She never looked behind from that point onwards. She toured the United Kingdom with a youth orchestra. At the of sixteen, sheone decided make marks music in her life. She gave auditionShe forhad the Royal Academy of age music. She scored of theto highest the history of thean academy. got a mastery of some 1000 instruments of music.  She could listen and understand even the minutes’ point. It seems impossible that a deaf person like her can respond to the things so luently. She spoke lawlessly with a Scottish lilt. She says that music pours in through every part of her body. It tingles in the skin, her cheekbones and even her hair. When she plays the xylophone, she can listen to its music through the inger tops. By leaning against  the drums, she can listen to the echoes in her heart. She performs barefooted on a wooden platform so that music may reach to her heart through her feet and legs.  In 1991 she was presented with the Royal Philharmonic Society’s prestigious Soloist of the Year Award. She calls her a workaholic. Apart from the regular concerts, she gives free performances in prisons and in hospitals. She also gives high priority to classes for young musicians. She is a shining inspiration for deaf children.  Summary(2)::  Summary(2)  This biographical feature is a brief account of how Evelyn Glennie, a Scottish musician, was able to achieve the greatest heights in the ield of music despite the hearing impairment she suffered at a young you ng age of eight eight years. years. Ins Instea tead d of yieldi yielding ng to the handi handicap cap,, Evelyn Evelyn pursued pursued her dream and eventually made her way to the Royal Academy of Music in London. Evelyn’s mother came to know about her daughter’s deafness when at the age of eight, the latter was to give her performance on the piano in school but could not hear her name being called. When her deafness was conirmed at the age of eleven, the headmistress of her school suggested that she should be sent to the school for deaf children. But Evelyn was not the kind of girl who could be discouraged.  Once, when she was demotivated by the teachers from playing upon a xylophone, Ron Forbes, a great percussionist, came to her rescue. He observed great potential in her and guided her on how to sense music through different parts of her body without listening through ears. She then opened up her mind and body to sense the sounds and vibrations of musical instruments. Evelyn now dedicated herself to music and participated in a youth orchestra in the United Kingdom. Afterwards, she moved from orchestra to solo performances. She got one of the highest scores in the history of the Royal Academy of Music when she gave an audition for it. At the age of seventeen, she moved to the Royal Academy for a three-year course and bagged the topmost awards during her career. With her unfaltering determination, she became the most eminent and most demanded percussionist who could play proiciently a large number of instruments. Not only did she speak  lawlessly, but she also managed to learn French and basic Japanese.  According to Evelyn, she could feel music pouring in through every part of her body – her skin, her cheekbones, even her hair. She could feel the vibrations of instruments penetrate into her body through her bare feet. In 1991, she received the prestigious ‘Soloist of the Year Award’ presented by the Royal Philharmonic Society.   A person with a humane attitude, Evelyn gave free concerts in prisons and hospitals. With her efforts, she secured a signiicant place for percussion instruments in the orchestra. In fact, Evelyn Glennie is a great inspiration for all those tho se who suffer from physical disabilit iies. es. Summary (3) Evelyn Glennie is a virtuoso percussionist. She can play about 1000 instruments with perfection. She listens to sound without hearing it. Evelyn fought against a physical disability and became a source of inspiration for thousands of disabled persons. She was profoundly deaf. She was 11 years old when it was discovered that she had a hearing disability. She wanted to pursue her career in music but her teachers discouraged her, it was Ron Forbes who recognized her potential and supported her in achieving her goal. He advised her not to listen through her ears but try to sense and feel it in

 

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some other way. Soon she was excited. She felt the vibrations of the higher drum from the waist  above and the lower drum from the waist down. Later she realized that she could feel the vibrations in every part of her body. She had learnt to open her body and mind to the sounds and vibrations.  Evelyn joined the prestigious Royal Academy of Music and scored one of the highest marks in the history of the academy. She worked hard with strong determination. She got right to the top. In 1991, she was presented with the Royal Philharmonic Society’s prestigious Soloist of the Year Award. Evelyn gives free concerts in prisons and hospitals. She is a shining inspiration for deaf  children. She has accomplished more than most people twice her age. She has brought percussion to the frontBased of the /orchestra Extract comprehens ion test Questions comprehension Questio ns and Answers of The Sound of Music MPQRTANT PASSAGES FOR COMPREHENSION

Read the following passages and answer the questions given at the end of each : PASSAGE 1  Evelyn Glennie’s loss of hearing had been gradual. Her mother remembers noticing something was wrong when the eight-year-old Evelyn was waiting to play the piano. ‘They called her name and she didn’t move. I suddenly realised she hadn’t heard,’ says Isabel Glennie. For quite a while Evelyn managed to conceal her growing deafness from friends and teachers. But by the time she was eleven her marks had deteriorated and her headmistress urged her parents to take her to a specialist. It was then discovered discovered that her hearing hearing was severely severely impaired as a result of gradual gradual nerve damage. They were advised that she should be itted with hearing aids. Questions : (I) At what age was her deafness sighted irst? (ii) For what her name was called?

 (iii): What was Evelyn’s response when her name was called?  (iv) When was her deafness conirmed?  (v) From whom did she try to conceal her deafness?  Answers :  (i) At the age of eight years.  (ii) Her name was called to play the piano. (iii) She did not move at the call of her name.  (iv) Her deafness was conirmed when she was eleven years old. (v) From her teachers and friends.

PASSAGE 2 But Evelyn was not going to give up. She was determined to lead a normal life and pursue her interest in music. One day she noticed a girl playing the xylophone and decided that she wanted to play it too. Most of the teachers discouraged her but percussionist Ron Forbes spotted her potential. He began by tuning two large drums to different notes. ‘Don’t listen through your ears,’ he would say, ‘try to sense it some other way.’ Says Evelyn, ‘Suddenly I realised I could feel the higher drum from the waist up and the lower one from the waist down.’ Forbes repeated the exercise, and soon Evelyn discovered discov ered that she could sense certain certain notes in different different parts of her body. had learnt learnt to open my mind and body to sounds and vibrations.’ The rest was sheer determination and hard work.  Questions : (i) What had happened to Evelyn?  (ii) What was she determined to?  (iii) Who was Ron Forbes? (iv) What did he inspire Evelyn for?  (v) How did he ask Evelyn to hear music?  Answers : (I) Her hearing capacity had gone completely.  (ii) She was determined to lead the normal life. (iii) He was a famous percussionist of Evelyn’S school. (iv) He inspired Evelyn to pursue her music. (v) He asked Evelyn to hear music not through her ears but other pans of her body.

 

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PASSAGE 3 She never looked back from that point onwards. She toured the United Kingdom with a youth orchestra orche stra and by the time she was sixteen, sixteen, she had decided to make music her life. She auditioned for the Royal Academy of Music and scored one of the highest marks in the history of the academy. She gradually moved from orchestral work to solo performances. At the end of her three-year course, she had captured most of the top awards. Questions :  (1) Why did she tour the United Kingdom?

(ii) What did she decide to make her life? (iii) What was her performance in the audition for the Royal Academy of Music? (iv) From orchestra what did she decide to move? (v) What was her performance during the course in the Royal Academy of Music  Answers :  (i) With a young orchestra for giving music performances.  (ii) Music.  (iii) She scored the highest marks in them. history of the academy.  (iv) She decided to move to solo: (v) She had captured most of the top awards.

PASSAGE 4 Not surpri surprisin singly gly,, Evelyn Evelyn del deligh ights ts her audien audiences ces.. In 1991 1991 she was presen presented ted with with the Roy Royal al Philharmon Philh armonic ic Society’s Society’s prestigious Soloist of the Year Award.”Sa Award.”Says ys master master percussioni percussionist st James Blades, ‘God may have taken her hearing but he has given her back something extraordinary. What  we hear, she feels—far more deeply than any of us. That is why she expresses music so beautifully.’

Questions : (I) How do Evelyn’s audiences feel? (ii) What award did she win in 1991?  (iii) Who was James Blades? (iv) The things what we hear, what does Evelyn do with them?  (v) How does she express her music?  Answers :  (i) Her audiences feel delighted. (ii) ‘Soloist of the Year Award’ by Philharmonic Society. (iii) He was a master percussionist. (iv) She feels them.  (v) She expresses her music beautifully.

PASSAGE 5 Evelyn Glennie has already accomplished more than most people twice her age. She has brought  percussion to the front of the orchestra and demonstrated that it can be very moving. She has given inspiration to those who are handicapped, people who look to her and say, ‘If she can do it, I can.’ And, not least, she has given enormous pleasure to millions. Questions : (i) What has Evelyn Clennie achieved? (ii) What has he done for percussion?  (iii) To whom has she given inspiration? (iv) What has she done for millions?  (v) Name the chapter and the author.  Answers : (i) Evelyn Glennie has achieved more than most people twice her age.  (ii) She has brought percussion to the front of the orchestra. (iii) She has given inspiration to disabled, (iv) She has given pleasure to millions. (v) The name of the chapter is ‘The Sound of Music’ and its author is ‘Deborah Cowley’

Value Points 

Evelyn Glennie was a seventeen-year-old girl, she had decided to make music her life. But  she was completely deaf.

 

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This aspiring musician, feels the vibration of an approaching train, has been selected for training at the prestigious Royal Academy of Music in London. Glennie started losing her hearing power gradually from the age of eight due to nerve damage. She was advised to be sent to school for the deaf. But Evelyn was determined to lead a normal life and pursue her interest in music. Most of the people discouraged her but percussionist Ron Forbes noticed her potential and motivated her to feel music in different parts of her body.

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Evelyn immediately realized higher drum from the waist up and lower drum from the waist  down. During her 3 years course in Royal Academy of Music, Evelyn scored highest marks in the history of Academy, she got most of the top awards and started giving solo-performances. According to her, “If you yo u work hard and know where you are going, you’ll get there”. It is fascinating to watch Evelyn working without much effort. She speaks clearly as she could listen till the age of eleven. During the conversation, she watches lip movement, face and especially eyes. She had learnt French and basic Japanese. While Whil e playin playing g ins instru trumen ments, ts, she remain remained ed barefo barefoot ot on a wooden wooden platform platform,, so that that the vibrations pass through her bare feet and up her legs. She could feel music through every part  of her body. She has been a workaholic and has been rewarded enormously. Besides regular concerts, she has given free concerts in prisons and hospitals. Teaching young musicians is her top priority. Her life is an inspiration for all differently abled people. EXTRACTS FOR COMPREHENSION  Read the following extracts and answer the questions that follow in one or two lines each. (I)  It was her irst day at the prestigious Royal Academy of Music in London and daunting enough for any teenager fresh from a Scottish farm. But this aspiring musician faced a bigger challenge than most: (a) Who is referred to as the ‘aspiring musician’?  Evelyn Glennie is referred to as the aspiring musician. (b) What was likely to daunt teenager? The irst day in a great and renowned institute like The Royal Academy of Music, London was likely to daunt any teenager. (c) What do you understand by the expression: “fresh from a Scottish farm”? “ Fresh from a Scottish farm” implies that the girl belonged to the family of farmers in Scotland and had not yet attained much experience or exposure in the world. (d)What bigger challenge did she have to face? The ‘bigger challenge’ that she had to face was to rise in spite of her total hearing impairment. (II) They called her name and she didn’t move. I suddenly realised she hadn’t heard.” (a) Who is ‘she’ in these lines? In these lines, ‘she’ refers to Evelyn Glennie when she was a young girl of eight years.  (b) Who is the speaker in these lines? The speaker in these lines is Evelyn’s mother, Isabel Glennie. (c) Who were ‘they’? Why had they called her name and what was her response? They’ were the announcers. They had called Evelyn’s name to invite her to the stage to give her performance on the piano. However, Evelyn did not respond to their call because she didn’t hear it. (d) What did the speaker realize? The speaker, Isabel Glennie, realized that Evelyn had a serious hearing problem. (III)  They were advised that she should be itted with hearing aids and sent to a school for the deaf. (a) Who are ‘they’? By whom were they advised? ‘They’ are the parents of Evelyn Glennie. They were advised by the headmistress of the school. (b) Who is ‘she’ and what recommendation was made for her? 

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‘She’ is Evelyn Glennie and it was recommended that she should be provided with hearing aids in order to be able to hear. (c) What other proposal was made for her? The headmistress made another proposal that Evelyn should be sent to a school for the deaf. (d) Why was this proposal considered appropriate?  Evelyn suffered from hearing impairment. Therefore, the proposal to send her to a school for the deaff was considere dea considered d app appropr ropriat iate e as she wou would ld be tau taught ght by spe specia cialis listt tea teache chers rs in a spe specia ciall environment.

(IV) Ron Forbes spotted her potential. Most of the teachers discouraged her but percussionist  (a) Who is ‘her’ in the above extract?  ‘Her’ here refers to Evelyn Glennie. (b) What did she want to do? She wanted to learn to play the xylophone.  (c) Why did her teachers discourage her?  Her teachers discouraged her because they felt that being deaf she would not be able to learn to play the xylophone. (d) What was the difference between the attitude of the teachers and that of Ron Forbes? The teachers, with their negative attitude, saw only the handicap of Evelyn whereas Ron Forbes, with his optimistic and positive positiv e attitude, could see her potential and capabilities. (V)  “I ha had d le lear arnt nt to open open my mi mind nd an and d bo body dy to so soun unds ds an and d vi vibr brat atio ions ns.” .” The The rest rest was was sh shee eerr determination and hard work. (a) Who is the speaker in the irst line?  In the irst line, the speaker is Evelyn Glennie, the famous multi-percussionist.  (b)How was she able to hear sounds and vibrations? She was able to hear sounds and vibrations by sensing them through her body and her mind. Being deaf, she could not hear with her ears so she had trained and sensitized her body and mind. (c)What does ‘the rest’ stand for? How could she achieve it? The rest’ stands for the greatest heights that Evelyn scaled in the sphere of percussion music. Her irm determination and dedicated work enabled her to achieve those heights. (VI)  She gradually moved from orchestral work to solo performances. At the end of her three-year course, she had captured most of the top awards. (a) Who is ‘she’ in these lines? How did she advance in her career? ‘She’ refers to Evelyn Glennie, an eminent percussionist. Initially, she performed in a group of the orchestra. Gradually, she started giving solo performances. (b) Where did she pursue her three-year course? She pursued her three-year course in the most prestigious institute of music in England, The Royal Academy for Music, London.  (c) What were her achievements at the end of her course? At the end of her course, she had bagged the biggest awards in her ield. (d) What made her achievements so great?  The fact that she had won the awards despite her hearing disability made her achievements so great. (VII)  “It pours in through every part of my body. It tingles in the skin, my cheekbones and even in my hair.” (a) Who is the speaker of these words?  Evelyn Glennie is the speaker of tthese hese words.  (b) What does ‘it’ stand for?  It stands for music or musical sounds and vibrations.  (c) Why does she have to sense it through different parts of her body?  Evelyn Glennie had to sense music through different parts of her body because her hearing ability was totally lost. (d) How did the different parts of her body sense ‘it’?

 

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The sound waves and vibrations of music tingled her skin, cheekbones, hair, torso and legs. From these sensations, she picked up the music. (e) What does this statement show the speaker’s character? This statement shows that Evelyn was very sensitive to even the smallest of the sensations. She was determined to achieve her goal in spite of her handicap. Main Characters of the Story- The Sound of Music CHARACTERS Bismillah Khan In “The Sound of Music” (Part II), Bismillah Khan has been portrayed as a great  musician, a devoutof patriot, and honoured a liberal human being.heritage Bismillah beenBorn oneand of the most  eminent musicians India who rich, cultural of Khan Indianhas music. brought  up in the family of musicians, he inherited and learnt a lot from his paternal and maternal families. But he further enriched the shehnai music by his improvised raagas which he harmonised with the wavess of the Gang wave Ganga. a. His passio passion n for music started started at the early age of thre three e and contin continued ued up to his death at ninety. Starting with playing music in temples and on the banks of the Ganga, Bismillah Khan rose to fame with international conferences and concerts. Such was his fame that he was invited to play shehnai at the Red Fort on the occasion of the independence of India on August 15, 1947. Many awards like the Padamshri, Padamshri, the Padma Bhushan Bhushan and the Padma Vibh Vibhushan ushan were conferred conferred on him. He has also been honoured with the Bharat Ratan, the greatest civilian award in India. He played shehnai in Afghanistan before King Zahir Shah; was invited to perform at Lincoln Central Hall, USA; participated in the World Exposition in Montreal, in the Cannes Art Festival and Osaka Trade Fair. Such is his international fame that in Teheran, an auditorium has been named after him.Bismillah Khan was a great patriot who declined the offer of his student to settle down in the USA. He had a profound love for the Ganga in Benaras and his birthplace, the estate in Dumraon, Bihar. Such high regard does he have for the rich heritage of o f India, that he was not allured by the glamour of the ilm world. Bismillah Bismil lah Khan was a lib libera erall hum human an bei being ng who had res respec pectt for all rel religi igions ons.. Tho Though ugh a devout  devout  Muslim Mus lim,, he pla played yed shehnai shehnai eve every ry day in the Kashi Vis Vishwa hwanat nath h tem temple ple,, Ben Benara aras. s. Thu Thus, s, a gre great  at  musician and a great human being, Bismillah Khan earned international repute for himself.

Additional Very Short Answer Type Questions What was wrong with Evelyn Glennie? 1.  Ans. She was profoundly deaf.  Ans 2. When was her deafness irst noticed?  Ans. Her deafness was irst noticed at the age of eight  3. At what age did Evelyn go to the Royal Academy of music in London?  Ans. She went there at the age of seventeen. 4. What was Evelyn’s special ield of interest?  Ans. She was interested in music.  Ans 5. At. Her what age waswas Evelyn’s deafness  Ans deafness conirmed at theconirmed? age of eleven. 6. Who was Ron Forbes?  Ans. He was the music instructor in Evelyn’s school. 7. At what age did Evelyn visit the United Kingdom with a youth orchestra?  Ans. At the age of sixteen years.  Ans 8. What was her performance in the audition for the Royal Academy of music?  Ans. She scored the highest marks in the history of the academy. 9. What award did Evelyn win in 1991?  Ans. In 1991 she was presented with the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Prestigious Soloist of the  Ans Year Award. 10. How did Ron Forbes ask Evelyn to hear music?  Ans. Ile asked Evelyn to hear music not through her cars but other parts of her body. 11. Who did Evelyn give a big inspiration too?  Ans. She gave a big inspiration to the handicapped people.  Ans SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS (to be answered in about 30 – 40 words each)

 

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 Q1. Which train was Evelyn waiting for on the underground train platform? How did she feel when she sensed the train approaching?  Ans. On the underground train platform, Evelyn was waiting for a train to London where she was to  Ans. join the prestigious Royal Academy for Music. As she sensed the train approaching, she felt both nervous and excited.  Q2. How old was Evelyn when she went to the Royal Academy of Music? Why was she nervous on her way to the academy? (Textual)  Ans. Evelyn was only seventeen years of age when she went to the Royal Academy of Music, London. Her nervousness result of her young age and lack laIn ckaddition, of exposure. Coming from a farmland in Scotland, she hadwas not the experienced much of the world. going to a big institute like The Royal Academy of Music with her hearing disability made her uneasy. Q3. While leaving for the Royal Academy of Music, why was Evelyn excited despite her nervousness?  Ans.. For Evelyn, going to the Royal Academy of Music, London was a dream come true. She was  Ans going to join a three-year course in an institute she had cherished to join. It excited her to think that  despite her impaired hearing she had made her way to such a prestigious institute.  Q4. When was Evelyn’s deafness irst noticed? When was it conirmed? (Textual) Or How did Evelyn’s parents come to discover her deafness?  Ans.Evelyn’s deafness was irst noticed when she was eight years old. In fact, her mother had noticed it when Evelyn had not responded to a call for a performance on the piano. Her deafness was conirmed at the age of eleven when her poor academic performance forced her parents to consult a specialist, speci alist, who discov discovered ered that her hearing was badl badly y impai impaired red because of gradua graduall nerv nerve e damag damage. e. Q5. Why had Evelyn’s headmistress advised her parents to take her to a specialist? Evelyn managed to hide her growing deafness from students and teachers for some time. However, by the time she was eleven years old, her performance in school deteriorated and her marks decreased. It was then that the headmistress advised her parents to consult a specialist.  Q6. What advice were the parents of Evelyn given once her deafness was conirmed?  Ans. When the deafness of Evely Evelyn n was conirmed conirmed by a specia specialist, list, Evelyn’s Evelyn’s paren parents ts were advised to get hearing aids for their daughter. They were also advised to send her to a special school where only deaf children were taught.  Q7. “Everything suddenly looked black”. Why does Evelyn say so?  Ans. When Evelyn was advised to use hearing aids and join the school for the deaf, she felt that her future was bleak and dark. She was depressed, as all hope for great achievements seemed to have vanished. She had now become a disabled child who could not have easy access to normal life.  Q8. How did Evelyn Glennie respond to the discovery of her deafness?  Ans. On learning about her deafness due to gradual nerve damage, Evelyn Glennie, instead of giving up, decided to lead a normal life like other children, and pursue her dream of learning music.  Q9. How did Evelyn’s teachers respond when she expressed her desire to play the xylophone?  Ans. Eve Evelyn lyn always always lov loved ed mus music ic an and d des despit pite e her deafness deafness,, she expresse expressed d a des desire ire to pla play y the xylophone when she saw another girl playing it. But her teachers felt that she would not be able to play Q1 it because of her impaired hearing and they discouraged her.  Q10. Who wiped Evelyn to continue with music? What did he do and say? (Textual)  Ans. It was Ron Forbes, the percussionist, who encouraged and helped. Evelyn to continue with music. While her teachers discouraged her, he noticed her potential and decided to develop it. He told Evelyn to train different parts of her body to sense musical notes. He turned two drums with different notes to make her sense the higher ones through the upper part of her body and the lower ones through down her waist. Q11. How did Evelyn open her mind and body to musical sounds and vibration s?  Ans. As the guide I by Ron Forbes, Evelyn learnt learnt to liste listen n through different different parts of the body other than her ears. Her mind and body were sensitized to notice and differentiate various sounds and vibrations of music. She compensated for the loss of hearing with this awakened and sharpened sense in other parts of her body. Q12. Why does Evelyn say that men with bushy beards give her trouble?

 

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 Ans. Evelyn says that men with bushy beards give her trouble because she has to watch their whole face, especially their eyes, d in order to grasp what they say. just watching their lips did not help as the lips remained partially hidden in the beards. Q13. Which qualities of character enabled Evelyn to move ahead in life?  Ans. Unfaltering determination and hard work enabled Evelyn to move ahead in life without looking back. Instead of yielding .r before her handicap, she decided to overcome it and lead the life of a normal person. Being a workaholic, she put in her earnest efforts and kept advancing further and further. Q14. Evelyn How did Evelyn get admission to thetoRoyal Music, London?  Ans. gave audition for admission RoyalAcademy Academyofof Music, London. Her score in the audition was one of the highest in the history of the academy. Therefore, she got selected for a threeyear course.  Q15. What were Evelyn’s achievements after she joined the Royal Academy of Music, London?  Ans.. At the Royal Academy of Music, London, Evelyn began as one of the performers in an orchestra.  Ans But gradually she moved on to give solo performances. At the end of her three-year course, she had bagged the biggest awards in the Academy. Q16. What is Evelyn’s view of her achievements? achieve ments?  Ans. Evelyn is so modest that she does not consider her achievements to be heroic deeds. She feels  Ans. that if one has the clarity of the goat and puts in hard work, one is sure to achieve the aim. She believes that it is through hard work only that she has been able to achieve success. Q17. What reveals that Evelyn has succeeded immensely in her career? c areer?  Ans.Evelyn’s success in her career is revealed by the fact that she has command over about a thousand musical instruments. As a percussionist, she is the most admired one at the international level. In 1991, the Royal Philharmonic Society conferred on her the most prestigious “Soloist of the Year Award”. Q18. Name the various places and causes for which Evelyn performs. (Textual)  Ans.  Evelyn performs in regular concerts on the global level. But she also gives concerts free of  charge in prisons and hospitals. In addition, she holds classes for young musicians.  Q19. Who is James Blades? What is his opinion about Evelyn’s talent?  Ans. James Blades is a master percussionist. He believes that God might have taken Evelyn’s hearing but has given her back something extraordinary. The audience hears what she feels, which is far deeper than what any of the other percussionists feel. It is due to this t his talent that she expresses music so beautifully. Q20. How is Evelyn an inspiration for the handicapped people?  Ans.Evelyn’s achievements, gained through determination and hard work, set an example before other handicapped people. They gain conidence from her example and believe that they too can achieve their goals in life by overcoming their handicaps with irm determination. Q21. What is Evelyn’s contribution to percussion?  Ans. Evelyn has contributed to percussion by securing for it a front place in the orchestra. She has  Ans. shown how the music of the percussion instruments is deeply moving and touches the hearts and emotions of people. LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS Q1.How does Evelyn hear music? (Textual) Or Evelyn Glennie’s deafness was more than compensated by other parts of her body so far as music was concerned. Discuss. Evely Evelyn n Glennie had a deep passion for music but unfor unfortuna tunately, tely, she lost her hear hearing ing completely completely at  the age of eleven years. She wanted to lead a normal life and play the xylophone, but her teachers discou dis courag raged ed her con consid sideri ering ng her dea deafne fness ss to be an obs obstru tructi ction. on. How Howeve ever, r, Ron For Forbes bes,, a gre great  at  percussionist, trained her to listen to the musical sounds and vibrations not through ears, but  through throug h other parts of her body. He creat created ed two drums with different different sounds to make her hear the higher beats from the upper part of her body and the lower beats from the parts lower than her waist. The experiment was so effective that Evelyn opened her mind and body to the ine sounds of  music.  Eve Evelyn lyn now bel believ ieves es tha thatt mus music ic pen penetr etrate atess in into to her thr through ough every par partt – thr through ough her ski skin, n, cheekbones and even her hair. When she plays the xylophone, she feels that the sounds move from

 

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the stick into the tips of her ingers. When the drums are played, she can feel the resonant sounds pouring into her body. She takes off her footwear on a wooden stage and the vibrations of the instruments pass from her bare feet into her legs. Thus, Evelyn has sensitized the different parts of  her body to the different sounds of music.  Q2. If you work hard and know where you are going, you’ll get there,” remarks Evelyn Glennie. What does it reveal about her character? Or Which traits of Evelyn’s personality enabled her to overcome the challenge of deafness?

Or the handicap of her deafness? What does  Which values of life strengthened Evelyn against her career teach to the handicapped people? Evelyn’s irm determination, her industrious nature and her clarity of aim are well revealed in her statement. These values of her character have enabled her to overcome her handicap of deafness very bravely. Although she developed hearing impairment at a young age of eight only, she has never let it become a stumbling block in her way to success. Firmly determined to lead the life of a normal person, Evelyn never gave up her passion for music. The encouragement encouragement and training training provi provided ded by Ron Forbes paved the way for her advan advancemen cementt and she stuck to the path with unsta unstaggerin ggering g conid conidence ence.. It was this conidence conidence and faith in herself that  made her dare to audition for the Royal Academy of Music, London where she received the topmost  awards.  Evelyn is a workaholic. This helped her to toil hard, in fact much harder than the classical musicians to bring percussion to the front stage in the orchestra. She believes that no goal is unachievable for those who work hard and are focused on the goal. With her earnest efforts, she moved from orchestra to solo performances and eventually became an internationally renowned percussionist  owing to her command over a large number of instruments. She had the courage and conidence to trample down her disability and move on without looking back. Her irm decisions, her sincere efforts, her passionate labour, and her untiring devotion to music are a source of inspiration for the people with challenges. Q3. Suppose you are Ron Forbes. You have come to know that Evelyn Glennie has been awarded the Royal Philharmonic Society’s prestigious ‘Soloist of the Year Award’. Write a letter to Evelyn in about150 words. In your letter, you should • congratulate Evelyn on winning the prestigious award • say how pleased you are at the news • appreciate her values of hard work and dedication • wish her great success in future

(Address) (Date)  Dear Evelyn Please accept my heartiest congratulations and blessings on being awarded the ‘Soloist of the Year Award’, the most prestigious award given by the Royal Philharmonic Society. It is really a proud moment and I am overwhelmed with pleasure at your enviable achievement. It is really gratifying to see you scaling new heights day after day. Evelyn Eve lyn,, you yourr sin sincer cerest est eff efforts orts and unf unfalt alteri ering ng pas passio sion n for mus music ic hav have e res result ulted ed in your grand achievements. I remember the day you responded so well to the drums I made for you and since then you have never looked back. You have proved to the world that no dream is too big if one has the mental courage and irm determination to overcome the obstructions. You have trampled down your handicap and moved on ceaselessly with your unfaltering faith in yourself. You are really ideal for handicapped people. I wish you good luck and pray that you may achieve the highest glory in life. I send you blessings from the core of my heart. May the almighty keep in you the lame of energy and enthusiasm burning bright!  With deep affection  Ron Forbes

 

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Q4. Supp Q4. Suppos ose e you you are are Ev Evel elyn yn Glenn Glennie. ie. The The doct doctor or has has di diag agno nose sed d that that you yourr hear hearin ing g is completely lost. Write a diary entry in about 150 words about how you feel and what you plan to do. (Day and Date) (Time)  Dear Diary Today is a very sad day in my life. The doctor has told me that I can no longer hear because my hearing is completely impaired owing to some nerve damage. The headmistress and teachers at my school have advis ed the to use hearing aids and join a school for the deaf. It is a real agony to think  that I am notadvised among tme he normal, able children.  I understand that I’ll have to depend on hearing aids, but I have decided not to give in to my handicap. I know a number of people who have risen to great heights despite their disabilities. I have never forgotten about the life and achievements of Helen Keller. I will continue to pursue my passion for music and put in my best efforts to ind a way to overcome the handicap. I know that all obstructions can be conquered by irm determination. Therefore, I’ll never ever accept defeat. I’ll prove that one can ind ways to come out of problems if one adheres irmly to one’s aims and objectives. I pray to the Almighty to strengthen my mind and give me moral courage so that I may make it to the Royal Academy of Music. The dream is much too lofty but not impossible to achieve. Amen! Evelyn

  QUICK REVIEW REVIEW OF CHAPTER I 1. What was wrong with Evelyn?  (A) she was blind (B) she was deaf   (C) she was lame (D) she was mentally weak    Ans Ans. (B) she was deaf  Evelyn learned music from 2.  (A) Royal Academy of Music in London (B) Royal Academy of Music in Paris (C) Royal Academy of Music in Delhi (D) Royal Academy of Music in Newyork   Ans. (A) Royal Academy of Music in London Why did the crowd jostle at the station? 3.  (A) to get free food (B) to listen to Evelyn’s music (C) to get position for the train (D) to sec the train  Ans. (C) to get position for the train  Ans How old was Evelyn? 4. (A) ifteen years (B) sixteen years  (C) seventeen years (D) ten years  Ans. (C) seventeen years How did Evelyn Glennie become deaf? 5. (A) attack she was by birth (B)through in an accident  (C) ofdeaf chicken-pox (D) a gradual process  Ans. (D) through a gradual process  At what age did she become fully deaf? 6.  (A) 5 years (B) 8 years (C) 10 years (D) 17 years  Ans.(B) 8 years  Ans What did Evelyn’s parents conceal about her from her teachers and friends? 7. (A) her deafness (B) her mental retards (C) her speaking problem (D) all of these  Ans. (A) her deafness What did the headmistress advise Evelyn’s parents? 8. (A) they should should withdraw her (B) they should shift her to another school name from the school school (C) they should teach her at home (D) they should take her to a specialist doctor  Ans. (D) they should take her to a specialist doctor  Ans What was Evelyn not going to give up? 9. (A) her struggle to deafness (B) her hope for becoming a great musician (C) her ambition in life (D) all the options are correct 

 

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  Ans Ans. (U) all the options are cored 10. What did she notice a girl playing one day? (A) violin (B) tabla (C) guitar (D) xylophone  Ans. (D) xylophone 11. Who was Ron Forbes? (A) Evelyn’s father (B) a doctor (C) Evelyn’s friend (D) music teacher of her school musicdid teacher of her school   Ans Ans Ron Forbes ask Evelyn to hear the music with? 12.. (D)What (A) ears (B) whole body (C) hearing aids (D) eyes  Ans. (B) whole body 13. What was her performance at the Royal Academy of Music? (A) she could not qualify (B) she gave a normal performance (C) she scored one of the highest marks in the (D) she left her studies in the midterm history of the academy  Ans. (C) she scored one of the highest marks in the history of the academy 14. Evelyn was a girl. (A) Scottish (B) American  (C) British (D) Russian  Ans. (A) Scottish 15. Which award was given to Evelyn in 1991?  (A) Soloist of the year (B) Painter of the year  (C) Actress of the year (D) Teacher of the year  Ans. (A) Soloist of the year  Ans 16. When did Evelyn get the Royal Philharmonic Society’s prestigious Soloist of the Year  Award? (A) in 1990 (B) in 1991 (C) in 1992 (D) in 1993  Ans. (B) in 1991 17. Evelyn performs on a wooden platform with bare feet so that :  (A) the vibrations may pass through her (B) she may feel easy feet and up her legs (C) she may remain undamaged (D) she considered the stage pious Ms.  Ans. (A) the vibrations may pass through her feet and up her legs

CHAPTER: 2 PART II THE SHENNAI OF BISMILLAH KHAN KHAN By- Deborah Cowley I INTRODUCTION This chapter gives, in brief, the life story of the great musician Bismillah Khan. He is a Shehnai maes ma estr tro. o. It al also so tell tellss us abou aboutt the the origi origin n of the the Sh Sheh ehna nai. i. Bi Bism smil illa lah h Kh Khan an is on one e of the the grea great  t  personalities of Hindustani music. He belongs to the Benaras Gharana. He was born in Dumraon in Bihar. His interest in music was visible from his childhood. As a Shehnai player, he has won national and international awards. He has travelled all over the world. He has also been awarded the nation’s highest award Bharat Ratna. Bismillah Khan thinks that music can bridge the gap between different  communities. So he wants that music should be made a compulsory subject in schools. Introduction(2)  The feature traces the origin of ‘shehnai’ as an improved version of the pungi, a needed instrument, which was banned by Aurangzeb. It also narrates the journey of Bharat Ratan Bismillah Khan whose hard work and dedication to the art of ‘shehnai vaadan’ had enabled him to win the most cherished

 

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awards. In addition, the author brings to light Bismillah Khan’s patriotic devotion to India and his deep love for the Ganga in Benaras and the estate of Dumraon in Bihar.

Plot/ Theme / Central Idea Ide a of the Lesson/ Literary Liter ary Analysis of o f The Shennai Shenn ai of Bismillah Bismilla h Khan/ Main Idea THEME The feature is written on the theme that music transcends all barriers. The author’s focus on Bismil Bis millah lah Kha Khan’s n’s ach achiev ieveme ements nts in the ie ield ld of cla classic ssical al she shehna hnaii mus music ic rev reveal ealss how thi thiss gre great  at  musician’s life was devoted to his passion for shehnai. It was Bismillah Khan’s secular approach to music that he sharpened his skill without any bias towards the source of his opportunities. The life of  this legendary musician is an example of the rich, cultural heritage of India that respects talent, irrespective of the religion of the artist.

Signiicance of the Title – The Shennai of Bismillah Khan (Value Based) Justify the title of The Shennai of Bismillah Khan TITLE The title “The Sound of Music” and the subtitle “The Shehnai Bismillah Khan” are very appropriate as they are in accord with the contents of the feature, which celebrates the melodious music produced by Bismillah Khan’s shehnai. It also describes Bismillah Khan’s evolution and achievements as a pioneering shehnai player.   VOCABULARY  Ban—forbid; Royal—related to kings; Residence—house; Generic—relating to a group;  Reed—a plant; Revive— brin ing g to ver life li fey ag agai ain; n;ortant;  Hollow— empty; Melodious— a pl plea easa sant nt tu tune ne; Indispensable—  Ensemble— inluence; very importa imp nt;  Traditional— conventional; group of   a ; Impress—  Ancestors—persons persons in yo musicall items musica items;;Credit—praise; Paternal—rel relate ated d to fat father her;; Ancestors— your ur fa fami mily ly who lived a long time ago;  Fascinated—attracted; Accompany—go wi with th;; Captivate—hold attention; Apprentice—a pe pers rson on le lear arni ning ng a tr trad ade e fr from om a sk skil ille led d em empl ploy oyer er;;  Favourite—much liked;  Solitude lonely; Improvise—create and perform without preparations; Conference—a formal liked; musical perfo meetin mee ting g for dis discus cussio sion; n; Recital—musical performanc rmance; e;  Destiny—lu luck ck;; Pe Perf rfor orma manc nce e an ac actt of   Abroad—foreign; Maestro—musician;Priceless—precious; Souvenirs—memento;  presenting;  Abroad— presenting; memento; Fas cinate—captivate; Chartbuster—a best seller; Artiiciality—  Artiiciality—fakeness; fakeness;  Glamour— glitter; Recognition—fame; Prestigious—honoured; Exposition—a la larg rge e pu publ blic ic ex exhi hibi biti tion on of  art; Internationally—in, between, or among many different nations;  Auditorium-a big hall for an audience;  Exceedingly—in excess; Replicate—to copy; Yearning— relating to cultu strong desir desire; e; Unique—one of its typ type; e; Per Perfec fect-e t-exac xact; t; Cultural—relating culture; re;  Heritage— relating to tradition; Effortlessly—easily.

Moral/ Message Messag e of the lesson – The Shennai of Bismillah Bismi llah Khan

MESSAGE The life sketch of Bismillah Khan teaches the important lesson that Indian music is very rich and invigorating. Great musicians like Bismillah Khan not only adopted and inherited traditional music but also enhanced it with their original contributions. The feature conveys the message in Bismillah Khan’s own words: “Teach your children music, this is Hindustan’s richest tradition; even the West is now coming to learn our music.” Another message that the feature gives is that one must love one’s country and rise above communal feelings.

Summary in EnglishEng lish- The Shennai She nnai of Bismillah Bismi llah Khan DETAILED SUMMARY This chapter tells us about the origin of the Indian musical instrument Shehnai. It also gives the life history of the great Shehnai player, Bismillah Khan. It is said that in the past a musical instrument  called pungi used to be played in palaces before the kings and Nawabs. But Aurangzeb did not like the and unpleasant the pungi. So he banned playing of this musical in the shrill royal residence. Theresound was aof barber who belonged to a the family of musicians. He hadinstrument access to the royal palace. He tried hard to improve the tonal quality of the instrument. He chose a pipe with a

 

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natural hollow stem that was longer and broader than the original pungi. He carved seven holes on the body of the instrume instrument. nt. When he pla played yed on it, an impres impressive sive sonorous sonorous tonal sound was produced. The barber played it before the king and his courtiers. Everybody was impressed. [the instrument was called Shehnai because it was born in the Shah’s chamber and was invented by a Mar (barber). There is another story about the origin of Shehnai. The original Shehnai players were mostly employed in temples. They played the Shehnai before the images at various times of the day. It was also played on North Indian wedding and every auspicious occasion. Gradually, the Shehnai became very popular. Ustad Bismillah Khan is the greatest Shehnai player. He belongs to the Benaras Gha Gharan rana a of Hindus Hin dustan tani i Music. Music. was born atboy, Dumrao Dum raon n inKhan Bihar. Biharused . lie to belonge belo nged d to a family famnear ily of  professional Shehnai players. AsHe a ive-year-old Bismillah play gill i-danda a pond in Dumraon. After playing he generally went to a nearby temple called Bihariji Temple. a lie would sit there and sing the Bhojpuri thaita’ thaita’.. The local Maha-raja Maha-raja was pleased to hear him sing. At  the age of three, he went to Benaras. There his maternal uncle All Bux taught him the art of playing Shehnai. For hours, he would practise in the temples of Balaji and Mangala Maiya. He would also go to the bank of Ganga mid practise in solitude. Even as a child, Bismillah Khan won many awards. He got his irst big award when he was only 14 years old. He got it at the All India Music Conference in Allahabad. On the day of independence, 15th August, 1947, he played at the Red Fort at the request  olawaharlal Nehru. In 1999, lie was awarded the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award in the country. Bismillah Khan is fondly called K hansaab. He has travelled all over the world. Ile got  honours in every country, In Tehran, an auditorium was named after him. lie has seen many cities, but he remains very fond of    Benaras and Duntraon. He calls them the most wonderful towns in the world. He has a special fascination for Benaras because of the Ganga there. In his youth, he used to practise Shehnai in solitude on the there. banksHe of said the Ganga. one of his the students in the USA requested him to head a Shehnai school that heOnce would recreate atmosphere of Benaras by building similar temples there. But the Ustad asked him whether he would bring the Ganga also there. Once he said, “Whenever 1 is in Mumbai. I think of only Varanasi and the holy Ganga”. And while in Varanasi, I miss the unique “mattha in Dumraon”.  Summary(2)::  Summary(2)  “The Sound of Music” (Part II) briely relates how Bismillah Khan, the Padma Vibhushan and Bharat  Ratan recipient, made an immensely valuable contribution to the musical world of ‘shehnai’. Hailing from a family of musicians, Bismillah Khan secured for the shehnai a place among the classical musical instruments. He improvised many new raagas and his originality won him accolades at the international level as well.  Aurangzeb, the Mughal emperor had imposed a ban on the musical instrument pungi in the royal family because he found its sound to be jarring and shrill. However, a barber tried to improve the music of the pungi. He took a hollow stem which was wider than the pungi, made seven holes in it  and produced music that was soft and melodious. The barber ((nai nai)) played it in the royal court (in the court of Shah) and the instrument was named ‘Shehnai’. Then onwards, the music of shehnai came to be associated with auspicious occasions. It was played in temples and during weddings, particularly in northern India. Born in 1916 in Dumroan, Bihar, Bismillah Khan belonged to a well-known family of musicians. His grandfather, Rasool Bux Khan was a shehnai player in the court of the king of  Bhojpur. His father, Paigambar Bux, Bux,   and his paternal and maternal uncles were also great shehnai players. Bismillah Khan got  fascinated fasci nated by music at a very young age of three years. At the age of ive, he used to regularly go to ‘ Iaddu‘‘ by the Maharaja the nearby Bihariji temple to sing the Bhojpuri chaita‘. chaita‘. He was awarded a big ‘Iaddu for his melodious singing. In Benaras, he got training from his maternal uncle, Ali Bux, who played shehnai in the Vishnu temple. When Bismillah Khan was fourteen, his talent came to be recognised in the A I Allahabad Allahabad Music  Music Conference. A big opportunity came his way when in 1938, All India Radio was established in Lucknow, where he played shehnai frequently. In Benaras, the Ganga provided him much inspir inspirati ation on and in harmon harmony y wit with h the lo lowin wing g waters waters of the Ganga, Ganga, Bismil Bismillah lah Khan discovered new raagasfor raagasfor shehnai. He developed such devotion for the Ganga and for Dumraon that  he declined to settle down in America when he was offered an opportunity.  At the most important moment in Indian history, the declaration of the independence of India in 1947, Bismillah Bismillah Khan’s shehnai ushered ushered in a new era. It was played played prior to the speech speech of our irst  Prime Minister, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru.

 

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Unlike other musicians, the glamour of the ilm industry failed to captivate Bismillah Khan. Although he contributed to the music of two ilms, he did not pursue this option further. He was rewarded for his dedication to shehnai with national awards – the Padmashri, the Padma Bhushan and the Padma Vibhushan. In 2001, he received the highest civilian award of India, the Bharat Ratan. He was the irst Indian invited to perform in Lincoln Central Hall, USA. Bismillah Khan’s love for both Muslim religion and Hindu temples gives a message that India is a land with a liberal environment.

Summary (3) A musical instrument called pungi was banned by Emperor Aurangzeb for its shrill unpleasant  sound. It was perfected by a barber who belonged to a family of professional musicians. Its sound was appreciated by the emperor. Since it was irst played in the Shah’s Chamber and played by Nai (barber), it named Shehnai. In the beginning, it was played in the temples before the images of gods and goddesses. It was played on every auspicious domestic occasion also. Gradually it became popular. Ustad Bismillah Khan belonged to the Benaras Gharana. He was born in 1916 at Dumraon in Bihar. As a ive-year-old boy, he played Gilli-danda near a pond. He used to visit Bihariji temple and sing Bhojpuri Chaita there. He would earn a big Laddu from a local Maharaja as a prize. At the age of  six, he moved to Benaras. He learnt to play Shehnai there from his uncle Ali Bux. Being devoted to music, he used to spend most of his time practising on the bank of the river Ganga. The themes of his music are deeply affected by the lowing water of the Ganga. He got the best performer award of the All India Music Conference in Allahabad in 1930. In 1937 he bagged three medals at a music conference in Kolkata. He was invited by Pandit Nehru to play the Shehnai from the ramparts of Delhi’s Red Fort in 1947. He won many International awards also.

Line to Line Explanation in Hindi- The Shennai of Bismillah Khan 

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Value Points Bismillah Bismil lah Khan was a great great Shehna Shehnaii Player Player.. He belong belonged ed to a family family of profes profession sional al musicians. He was attracted towards Shehnai at the age of three and with his hard work he brought it  on to the classical stage. Pungi a musical instrument was banned by Emperor Aurangzeb for its shrill, unpleasant  sound. A barber of a family of musicians decided to improve the tonal quality of pungi pungi.. He took a hollow pipe longer than pungi and made seven holes on it. When he played on it, sweet and soft sounds were produced. Since it was played in the Shah’s Chamber and was Played by a Nai (barber), it was named Shehnai. The sound of Shehnai is considered auspicious. The Shehnai was part of the Warble (a group of nine traditional musical instruments) found in the royal courts. It was played only in temples and weddings. listed Bismillah Khan invented many raagas raagas and  and played them on Shehnai.

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Bismillah Khan was born on March 21, 1916, in a musician family of Rasool Bux Kh Father Paigamber Bin was also great Shehnai player. His maternal uncle Ali Bux gave him Shehnai lessons. He practised playing Shehnai’ at Balaji and Mangla Maiya Temple and on the bank of river Ganga. At the age of 14, he played Shehnai with his uncle at Allahabad Music Conference and I was appreciated by Ustad Faiyaz Khan. Bismillah Khan was the irst Indian to greet the nation, with his Shehnai on 15th August  1947 in Raag Kai. Film director Vijay Bhatt named a ilm `Gunj Uthi Shehnai’. Bismillah Khan composed a hit  song “Dil Ka Khilona Hai Toot Gaya REFERENCE TO CONTEXT Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow: 1. A slight girl, looking younger than her seventeen years, was nervous yet excited as she felt  1. the vibrations of the approaching train. It was her irst day at the prestigious Royal Academy of  Music in London and daunting enough for any teenager fresh from a Scottish farm. But this 

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aspiring musician faced a bigger challenge than most: she was profoundly deaf. Questions (i)Who was the girl?

 

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 (ii) How did she react to the approaching train? (iii) What can be said about her appearance? (iv) What challenge was she facing?  Answers (i)She was Evelyn Glennie.  (ii) She was nervous but excited. (iii) She appeared a little younger than her age. (iv) The challenge was to become a successful percussion player while being a deaf person. 2.

Evelyn Eve lyn Glenni Glennie’s e’s loss loss of hearin hearing g had bee been n gradua gradual. l. Her mot mother her rememb remembers ers notici noticing ng something was wrong when the eight-year-old Evelyn was waiting to play the piano. “They called her name and she didn’t move. I suddenly realised she hadn’t heard,” says Isabel Glennie. Questions (i)Did Evelyn Glennie’s loss of hearing occur all of a sudden? (ii) How old was she when her mother realised her deafness? (iii) Why did Evelyn Glennie not move to play the piano? (iv) How did her mother realise that Evelyn did not hear her name?  Answers (i) No, her loss of hearing had been gradual. (ii) She was eight-years-old when her mother realised her deafness. (iii) Evelyn did not move to play the piano because she did not hear her name. (iv) When her friends called her name, she did not move. 3. For quite quite a while while Evelyn Evelyn managed managed to concea conceall her growi growing ng deafne deafness ss from from friend friendss and teachers. by the timeher sheto was eleven her marks had deteriorated and her headmistress urged her But parents to take a specialist. Questions (i) Who did Evelyn try to conceal deafness from? (ii) How did her mother realise that Evelyn did not hear her name? (iii) What did the headmistress suggest to Evelyn’s mother? (iv) What happened to her hearing?  Answers (i) She tried to conceal it from her friends and teachers. (ii) When her friends called her name, she did not move. (iii) The headmistress suggested to take her to a specialist as her marks had deteriorated greatly. (iv) It was severely impaired. 4. Forbes repeated the exercise, and soon Evelyn discovered that she could sense certain notes in different parts of her body. “I had learnt to open my mind and body to sounds and vibrations.” The rest was sheer determination and hard work. She never looked back from that  point onwards. Questions (i) Who was Forbes? (ii) How did he help Evelyn? (iii) Why is Evelyn indebted to Forbes? (iv) What helped Evelyn rise high in her ield?  Answers (i) He was a percussionist. (ii) He taught Evelyn to sense music through her body parts. (iii) From him, she learnt to open her mind and body to sounds and vibrations. (iv) Her sheer determination and hard work helped her rise in her ield. 5. She has brought percussion to the front of the orchestra and demonstrated that it can be very moving. She has given inspiration to those who are handicapped, people who look to her and say, ‘If she can do it, I can.’ And, not least, she has given enormous pleasure to millions. Questions (i) Who does ‘she’ refer to here? (ii) Why did she bring percussion to the front of the orchestra? (iii) How does she help the handicapped?

 

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 (iv) What has she done for other people?  Answers (i) Here ‘she’ refers to Evelyn Glennie. (ii) She did so to show that the percussion can be very touching. (iii) (ii i) She has bec become ome an ins inspir pirati ation on to the handicap handicapped ped to do wha whatev tever er the they y wan wantt wit with h the their ir determination and hard work. (iv) She has given enormous pleasure to millions of people. 6. A barber of a family of professional musicians, who had access to the royal palace; decided to pungi.. He chose a pipe with a natural hollow stem that was improve the tonal quality of the pungi longer and broader than the pungi and made seven holes on the body of the pipe. Questions (i) What was a pungi? (ii) What decision did the barber take? (iii) Who banned the playing of pungi in the royal residence? (iv) What name was given to the new musical instrument made by the barber?  Answers (i) It was a musical instrument. (ii) He decided to improve its tonal quality. (iii) Emperor Aurangzeb banned the playing of pungi in the royal residence. (iv) It was named `Shehnai’. 7. Soon Bismillah started accompanying his uncle, Ali Bux, to the Vishnu temple of Benaras where Bux was employed to play the shehnai. Ali Bux would play the shehnai and Bismillah would wou ld sit captivate captivated d for hours on end. end. Slowl Slowly, y, he starte started d gettin getting g lesson lessonss in playin playing g the instrument and would sit practising throughout the day. Questions (i) Who was Ali Bux and what was his profession? (ii) Why did Bismillah Khan accompany his uncle? (iii) How did Ali Bin attract Bismillah Khan? (iv) How did his uncle help him in learning to play Shehnai?  Answers (i) Ali Bux was Bismillah’s maternal uncle. He was employed to play the Shehnai in the Vishnu temple of Varanasi. (ii) Bismillah Khan accompanied his uncle to learn from him how to play Shehnai. (iii) Ali Bux attracted him by playing fascinating and melodious tunes of Shehnai. (iv) His uncle started giving him lessons in playing Shehnai for practice. 8. Ustad Faiyaz Khan patted the young boy’s back and said, “Work hard and you shall make it.” With the opening of the All India Radio in Lucknow in 1938 came Bismillah’s big break. Questions  (i) Who is the ‘young boy’ here? (ii) How old was Bismillah Khan when he participated in the Allahabad Music Conference? (iii) Why did Ustad Faiyaz Khan pat him? (iv) How was the opening of o f the All India Radio in Lucknow a big break for him?  Answers (i) Bismillah Khan is the ‘young boy’ here. (ii) He was only fourteen years old. (iii) He patted him for his performance in the Allahabad Music Conference. (iv) Bismillah was given a chance to play Shehnai on the All India Radio. 9. With the coveted award resting on his chest and his eyes glinting with rare happiness he said, “All I would like to say is: Teach your children music, this is Hindustan’s richest tradition; even the West is now coming to learn our music.” Questions (i) Who is ‘he’ here? (ii) Which award is being referred to? (iii) Why does Bismillah Khan want children to learn Hindustani Music? (iv) What quality of him is relected in the above lines?  Answers

 

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(i) ‘He’ is Ustad Bismillah Khan here.  (ii) The Bharat Ratna is being referred to. (iii) Bismillah Khan wants children to learn Hindustani Music as India has a very rich tradition of  music, even the West is now coming to learn this music. (iv) He was very fond of Hindustani music. 10. A student of his once wanted him to head a Shehnai school in the U.S.A., and the student  promis pro mised ed to recrea recreate te the atm atmosp ospher here e of Benara Benarass by replic replicati ating ng the tem temple pless there. there. But  Khansaab asked him if he would be able to transport River Ganga as well. Later, he is remembered to have said, “That is why whenever I am in a foreign country, I keep yearning to see Hindustan. Questions (i) Who was Khansaab?  (ii) What did his disciple promise him? (iii) What did Bismillah Khan ask his disciple? (iv) How did Bismillah Khan show his love for the country?  Answers  (i) He was Ustad Bismillah Khan. (ii) He promised him to recreate the atmosphere of Benaras in the U.S.A.  (iii) He asked him if he would be able to transport River Ganga. (iv) Bismillah Khan loved his country. Whenever he went to any foreign country, he kept yearning to see Hindustan. IMPORTANT PASSAGES FOR COMPREHENSION

Read the folllowing the folllowing passages  passages and answer the questions given at the end of each :   PASSAGE 1  Emperor Aurangzeb banned the playing of a musical instrument called pungi in the royal residence for it had a shrill unpleasant sound. Fungi became the generic name for reeded noisemakers. Few had thought that it would one day be revived. A barber of a family of professional musicians, who had access to the royal patience, decided to improve the tonal quality of the fungi. He chose a pipe with a natural hollow stern that was longer and broader than the pungi and made seven holes on the body of the pipe. When he played on it. casing and opening some of these holes, soft and melodious sounds were produced. He played the instrument before royalty and everyone was impressed. The instrument instr ument so different from the pungi had to be given a new name. As the story goes, since it was irst played in the Shah’s chambers and was played by a ‘name’ (the barber), the instrument was named the ‘Shehnai’..  Questions : (i) Why did Aurangzeb ban the playing of pungi?  (ii) Which family did the barber belong? (iii) What slid the barber decide to do?

 (iv) Where didwas the barber new instrument the irst time? 01 What name given toplay thisthe new instruments?  Answers : (i) Aurangzeb banned the playing of pungi because he did not like its shrill pleasing sound. (ii) The barber belonged to a family of professional musicians.  (iii) The barber decided to improve the tonal quality °lithe pungi.  (iv) He played k in the Shah’s chamber.  (v) This instrument was named the ‘Shehnai’.   PASSAGE 2 The sound of the Shehnai began to be considered auspicious. And for this reason, it is still played in temples and is an indispensable component of any North Indian wedding. In the past, Shehnai was part of the naubat or traditional ensembles of nine instruments found at royal courts. Till recently it  was used only in temples and weddings. The credit for bringing this instrument onto the classical stage goes to Ustad Bismillah Khan. Questions : (I) How was the sound of the Shehnai considered? (ii) On which occasions was the Shehnai played? (iii) What was the Shehnai a part of?

 

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 (iv) What change did Bismillah Khan give to ‘Shehnai’? (v) Name the lesson  Answers (i) The sound of Shehnai was considered auspicious.  (ii) It was played in temples and (on the occasion of) weddings. (iii) It wara part of the naubat or traditional ensembles. (iv) He played Shehnai on another occasion also other tthan han in temples and in weddings.  (v) ‘The Shehnai of Bismillah Khan.’ PASSAGE 3 As a ive-year-old, Bismillah Khan played Gilli-danda near a pond in the ancient estate of Dumraon in Bihar. He would regularly go to the nearby Bihariji temple to sing the Bhojpuri ‘Chaim’, at the end of which he would earn a big laddu weighing. 1.25 kg, a prize given by the local Maharaja. This happened 80 years ago, and the little boy has travelled far to earn the highest civilian award in India —the Bharat Ratna. Questions : (i) What did Bismillah Khan use to do when he was just ive years old?  (ii) Why did he go to the Bihariji temple? (iii) What award did he win at the end of this Bhojpuri that’? (iv) What is the highest civilian award in India? (v) Name the lesson.  Answers :  (i) When he was ive-year-old he used to play Gilli-danda near a pond in Dumraon. (ii) He went to Bihariji temple to sing the Bhojpuri ‘Chaitra’.  (iii) The  A big ladduRatna. weighing 1.25 kg. (iv) Bharat (v) ‘The Shehnai of Bismillah Khan’.

PASSAGE 4 Born on March 21, 1916, Bismillah belongs to a well-known family of musicians from Bihar. His grandf gra ndfath ather, er, Rasool Rasool Bux Khan Khan was the Shehna Shehnai-N i-Nawa awazz of the Bhojpu Bhojpurr king’s king’s court. court. His father father,, Paigambar Bux, and other paternal ancestors were also great g reat Shehnai players. Questions :  (i) When was Bismillah Khan born?  (ii) Which family did Bismillah Khan belong? (iii) What was the name of his grandfather? (iv) What was his grandfather’s Profession? (v) Name Bismillah Khan’s father.  Answers : (i) Bismillah Khan was born on March 21, 1916.  (ii) He belongs to a well-known family of musicians in Bihar. (iii) ftdsool Bux Khan.  (iv) He was the Shehnai-Nawaz of the Bhojpur King’s Court. (v) Paigambar Bux. PASSAGE 5 Awards and recognition came thick and fast. Bismillah Khan became the irst Indian to be invited to perform at the prestigious Lincoln Center Hall in the USA. He also took part in the World Exposition in Montreal, at the Cannes Art Festival and in the Osaka Trade Fair. So well known did he become intern internati ationa onally lly that that an auditor auditorium ium in Teh Tehera eran n was nam named ed after after him—Ta him—Tahar har Mosiqu Mosiquee ee Ust Ustaad aad Bismillah Khan. Questions : (i) Where did Bismillah Khan perform in the USA? (ii) Where was the Cannes Art Festival held? (iii) What honour did he receive in Teheran? (iv) In which country do you think Teheran is?  (v) What  performance did Bismillah Khan give in Osaka Trade Fair?  Answers : (i) He performed at the prestigious Lincoln Center Hall.

 

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(ii) The Cannes Art Festival was held in Montreal. (iii) An auditorium in Teheran named after him—Tahar Mosiquee Ustaad Bismillah Khan. (iv) Tehran is the capital of Iran.  (v) He gave the performance of ‘Shehnai recital’.

PASSAGE FOR PRACTICE (UNSOLVED) PASSAGE  Bismillah Khan has given many memorable performances both in India and abroad. His irst trip abroad was to Afghanistan where King Zahir Shah was so taken in by the maestro that he gifted him priceless Persian carpets and other souvenirs. The King of Afghanistan is not the only one to be fascinated with Bismillah’s music. Film director Vijay Bhatt was so impressed after hearing Bismillah play at a festival that he named a ilm after the instrument called “Gunj Uthi Shehnai”. The ilm was a hit, and one of Bismillah Khan’s composition, “Dii ka khilona hai toot Gaya “, turned out to be a nationwide chartbuster!  Questions : What was Bismillah Khan’s irst visit abroad? What gifts did King Zahir Shah of Afganistan give to him? Which ilm director was much impressed with him? What honour did Vijay Blatt give to Bismillah Khan? How was Bismillah’s composition ‘DO ka khilona hai toot Gaya’ judged by the public? Main Characters of the Story- The Sound of Music Character Sketches Evelyn Glennie: Evelyn was a determined and hardworking girl. With her strong will power, she overca ove rcame me the obstacle obstacle that was gifted gifted to her here e by Nat Nature ure.. In chi childh ldhood ood,, she lost her hearing hearing capabilities gradually. At the age of eleven years, her hearing power was severely damaged. In spite   

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of he herr ha hand ndic icap ap,, sh she e di did d no nott wa want nt to gi give ve up up.. Sh She e to took ok mu musi sicc as he herr pa pass ssion ion.. He Herr te teac ache hers rs discouraged her but percussionist Ron Forbes guided her. She joined a three-year course at the Royal Academy of Music. She captured the most of top awards at the Royal Academy. She is the world’s most sought multiplayer of drums and tables. Ron Forbes: He was a percussionist. He identiied Evelyn potential and supported her in achieving her goal. He trained her to sense the music through different parts of her body. He certainly played a great role in helping Evelyn achieve her goal. He was a perfect teacher and lift his marks in the world of music. EXTRACTS FOR COMPREHENSION  Read the following extracts and answer the questions that follow in one or two lines each. (I)  Few had thought that it would one day be revived. A barber of a family of professional musicians, who had access to the royal palace, decided to improve the tonal quality of the pungi. pungi. (a) What does ‘it’ refer to?  It refers to a reeded musical instrument called the pungi.

(b) didemperor ‘it’ need Aurangzeb to be revived? TheWhy Mughal had banned the pungi in the royal residence as he found its sound to be shrill and unpleasant. Therefore, it needed to be revived. (c) Why did the barber probably have interest in ‘it’?  The barber hailed from a family of professional musicians. That is why he probably had an interest  in the reeded musical instrument, the pungi the  pungi.. (d) Did he succeed in improving ‘it’? If yes, y es, how? Yes, he succeeded in improving the tonal quality of the pungi. He took a reed or a pipe with the natural hollow stem which was wider and longer than the pungi. He made seven holes in it. When played, it produced soft and melodious music instead of the shrill, unpleasant sound of the earlier pungi. (II) As the story goes, since it was irst played in the Shah’s chambers and was played by a nai nai (barber),  (barber), the instrument was named the ‘shehnai. ‘ shehnai. (a) What is ‘it’ here? It is shehnai – a musical instrument made with a hollow stem with seven holes in it.  (b) How did ‘it’ get its name?

 

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The instrument was played by the barber in the chambers of the emperor. ‘Shah’ is an Urdu word for ’emperor’ ’empe ror’ and ‘nai’ for a barber. The two words combined combined to form the name ‘shehnai’ that was the improved version of pungi. of pungi. (c) Who was the barber that played the instrument irst? The barber who irst played the instrument belonged to the family of musicians. He had made an improved form of pungi. of pungi. (d) What is the signiicance of the instrument being played in the royal court? The The pungi  pungi had  had been banned by the emperor Aurangzeb in the royal residence. Therefore, concerts of  the shehnai in the royal court made it a signiicant instrument. (III)  Till recently it was used only in temples and weddings. The credit for bringing this instrument onto the classical stage goes to Ustad Bismillah Khan. (a) Which instrument is being referred to in the extract?  The instrument is referred to in the extract is ‘shehnai’.  (b) Why, do you think, it was used only in temples and weddings? The sounds of shehnai were so melodious that they were considered to be auspicious. As the temple is a holy place and wedding, is an auspicious occasion, shehnai came to be played there. (c) Who was Ustad Bismillah Khan? Ustad Bismillah Khan was the renowned shehnai player who contributed in a major way to the promotion of shehnai as a signiicant musical instrument. (d) How did Bismillah Khan bring the shehnai to the classical stage? Bismillah Khan did a great service to shehnai as it came to be regarded as an instrument of classical music because of the new melodies produced by him. raagas that  that were earlier The lowing waters of the Ganga inspired him(IV) to improvise and invent raagas considered to be beyond the range of the shehnai.  (a) Who was inspired by the lowing waters of the Ganga? Ustad Bismillah Khan was inspired by the lowing waters of the Ganga.  (b) What kind of impact did the waters of the Ganga have on ‘him’? The waters of the Ganga inspired him to improvise the old raagas and invent new ones for the shehnai. (c) How did he widen the range of the shehnai? There were certain raagas or musical notations which were considered to be outside the range of the shehnai. He invented and played new raagas on it and made its range wider. (d) What could be the relation between the waters of the Ganga and the musical notations? The waters of the Ganga low with a rhythm and beat which are similar to musical notations. (V)  He poured his heart out into Raag Kai from the Red Fort to an audience audience which included Mahatma Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, who later gave his famous ‘Tryst with Destiny’ speech.  (a) Who is ‘he’ in this line? He is Ustad Bismillah Khan, the eminent shehnai player. (b) On which occasion did he play Raag Kai for the audience?  He played Raag Kai for the audience on the occasion of the independence of India on August 15, 1947. (c) Which instrument did he play upon on this occasion? He played upon the shehnai, the music of which is considered auspicious in India. (d) Explain the expression: “He poured his heart out.” The expression implies that the music played on the shehnai came from the depths of the heart of  Bismillah Khan who, as a true patriot, was excited at the declaration of the independence of India. (VI) “I just can’t come to terms with the artiiciality and glamour of the ilm world….” (a) Who is the speaker of these words?  Bismillah Khan, the famous shehnai maestro, is the speaker of these words. (b) Which two characteristics of the ilm world did he dislike? He disliked the artiiciality and glamour of the ilm world. (c) What does it indicate about his character?

 

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It indicates that truthfulness and simplicity were two signiicant traits of Bismillah Khan’s character. (d) Explain: ‘come to terms’. The expression ‘come to terms’ means to reconcile with or to accept somebody or something. (VII)  But Khansaab asked him if he would be able to transport River Ganga as well.  (a) Who does ‘Khansaab’ refer to in this extract? In this extract, ‘Khansaab’ refers to Bismillah Khan, the great shehnai maestro.  (b) Who did Khansaab ask the question?  Khansaab asked the question from his student who was settled in the USA. ( C) When did Khansaab say so? He said so when his student asked him to head a school of music in the USA and promised that he would create the atmosphere Of Benaras by replicating the temples. temples . (d) What does the remark reveal about ‘Khansaab’? It reveals that Khansaab was a true patriot, who passionately loved the Ganga and never wanted to live away from it.

 Additional  Addi tional Questions Q.1 Why was this musical instrument named Shehnai?  Ans. This musical instrument was irst played in the Shah’s chamber and was played by a ‘nai’. So this instrument was named Shehnai. Q.2. Describe Bismillah Khan as a boy in Duniraon.  Ans. As a boy, Bismillah Khan played Gilli-danda near a pond at Dummon. Alter that he would go to Bhihariji Temple and sang Bhojpuri ‘Chaitra’. The local Maharaja was pleased to hear him sing.  Q.3. What prize did boy Bismillah Khan earn? Why was he given this prize? Ans. Bismillah Khan earned a big laddu weighing 1.25 kg. He was given this prize by the local Maharaja. Bismillah Khan earned this prize for singing the Bhojpuri ‘Chaita’ at the Bihariji Temple. Q.4. “I5th August. 1947, the irst Independence Day was the happiest day of his life.” Why?  Ans. On the irst Independenc Independence e Day, Bismillah Bismillah Khan played the Shehnai at the rampa ramparts rts of the Red Fort in Delhi. Prime Minis Minister, ter, Jawaharlal Jawaharlal Nehru had invit invited ed him to play the Shehnai Shehnai there there.. It was a great honour for him. So it was the happiest day of his life. 5. Why is Bismillah Khan so attached to the Ganga?  Ans. Bis Bismil millah lah Kha Khan n is gre greatl atly y att attach ached ed to the Gan Ganga. ga. lie had spe spent nt his chi childh ldhood ood pla playin ying g an and d practising Shehnai on the blanks of the Ganga. He gets inspiration from the Ganga. He cannot imagine his life happy if he is away from her. He loves the Ganga very much. Main Characters of the Story- The Shennai of Bismillah Khan CHARACTERS Bismillah Khan In “The Sound of Music” (Part II), Bismillah Khan has been portrayed as a great  musician, a devout patriot, and a liberal human being. Bismillah Khan has been one of the most  eminent musicians of India who honoured rich, cultural heritage of Indian music. Born and brought  up familyenriched of musicians, he inherited learnt a lot from his paternal maternal with families. Butinhethe further the shehnai music and by his improvised raagas which heand harmonised the wavess of the Gang wave Ganga. a. His passio passion n for music started started at the early age of thre three e and contin continued ued up to his death at ninety. Starting with playing music in temples and on the banks of the Ganga, Bismillah Khan rose to fame with international conferences and concerts. Such was his fame that he was invited to play shehnai at the Red Fort on the occasion of the independence of India on August 15, 1947. Many awards like the Padamshri, Padamshri, the Padma Bhushan Bhushan and the Padma Vibh Vibhushan ushan were conferred conferred on him. He has also been honoured with the Bharat Ratan, the greatest civilian award in India. He played shehnai in Afghanistan before King Zahir Shah; was invited to perform at Lincoln Central Hall, USA; participated in the World Exposition in Montreal, in the Cannes Art Festival and Osaka Trade Fair. Such is his international fame that in Teheran, an auditorium has been named after him. Bismillah Khan was a great patriot who declined the offer of his student to settle down in the USA. He had a profound love for the Ganga in Benaras and his birthplace, the estate in Dumraon, Bihar. Such of thehigh ilm regard world. does he have for the rich heritage of India, that he was not allured by the glamour

 

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Bismillah Bismil lah Khan was a lib libera erall hum human an bei being ng who had res respec pectt for all rel religi igions ons.. Tho Though ugh a dev devout  out  Muslim Mus lim,, he pla played yed shehnai shehnai eve every ry day in the Kashi Vis Vishwa hwanat nath h tem temple ple,, Ben Benara aras. s. Thu Thus, s, a gre great  at  musician and a great human being, Bismillah Khan earned international repute for himself. MAIN CHARACTERS OF THE STORY  Ustad Bismillah Khan: He was a great Shehnai player. His contribution to Shehnai will always be remembered. From his very childhood, he was a great learner. He watched his maternal uncle Ali Bux at Benaras and learnt the lessons of Shehnai from him. As he was dedicated to Shehnai, he practised for hours on the peaceful bank of Ganga in Benaras. He developed different varieties of  Hindustani ragas and became popular. He was unable to forget the Ganga, Benaras and the Mattha of  Dumraon. He had visited several countries but never tried to settle there. He got the opportunity to celebrate the Independence of India by playing Shehnai on the ramparts of the Lal Quila. His music really moved the country. Finally, he was given the highest civilian award — the Bharat Ratna.  Ali Bux: He was the maternal uncle of Ustad Bismillah Khan. Like a true teacher, he peacefully gave Bismillah the lessons of Shehnai. Bux was a hard working Shehnai player. He used to practise playing Shehnai for hours. The great quality of o f his character was that he had no difference between religions. He was employed as the Shehnai player in the Vishnu temple of Benaras. Here he tried to please Lord Vishnu with the charming music of Shehnai. His character was very inluencing. He taught Bismillah the importance of constant practice and dedication of work.

Additional Very Short Answer Type Questions 1. What did Aurangzeb do to the playing of pungi in his royal residence?  Ans.Ms. Aurangzeb banned the playing of pungi in his royal residence. 2. Why did Aurangzeb ban the playing of pungi in his royal residence?  Ans. Aurangzeb banned the playing of pungi in his royal residence because he did not like its shrill unpleasant sound. 3. Which family did the barber belong to?  Ans. He belonged to a family of professional musicians. Q.4. Who invented `Shehnai’?  Ans. A barber in Aurangzeb’s court invented Shehnai. 5. How many holes does a Shehnai have on its body?  Ans. It has seven holes in its body. 6. Where was Bismillah Khan born?  Ans. He was born in Dumraon in Bihar. 7. When was Bismillah Khan born?  Ans. He was born on 21 March 1916. 8. Which highest civilian award in India was conferred on Bismillah Khan?  Ans. The Bharat Ratna. 9. What was the name of Bismillah’s grandfather?   Ans AnsWhat . His name wasname Rasool Khan. father? 10. was the ofBux Bismillah’s  Ans. His name was Paigambar Bux. 11. What was the profession of Bismillah’s paternal ancestors?  Ans. They were great Shehnai players. 12. Who was Ali Bux?  Ans. AN Bux was Bismillah’s maternal uncle. 13. When was All India Radio in Lucknow was opened?  Ans. In 1938.  Ans 14. What is Bismillah Khan’s special achievement on 15 August 1947?  Ans. Bismillah Khan became the irst Indian to greet the nation with his Shehnai on this day.  Ans 15. To which foreign country did Bismillah Khan go on his irst trip?  Ans. Afghanistan  Ans Afghanistan.. 16. Which ilm was made by Vijay Matt after hearing Fsismillah’s Shehna Shehnai? i?  Ans. `Gunj Uthi Shehnai’. 17. Which auditorium is namedisafter Bismillah in Tehran?  Ans.  The name of the auditorium Tahar MosiqueeKhan Ustaad Bismillah Khan. 18. What name is Bismillah Khan fondly called?

 

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 Ans. He is fondly called `Khansaab’. 19. When Bismillah Khan is in Mumbai he missed two things badly. Name those two things.  Ans. They are Benaras and the Ganga. 20. What did one of his students in the U.S.A. want him to do?  Ans. One of his students in the U.S.A. wanted him to head a Shehnai school in the U.S.A. SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS QUE STIONS (to be b e answered in about ab out 30 – 40 words eac each) h) Q1. Why did Aurangzeb ban the playing of the  pungi ? (Textual)  Ans.  Emperor Aurangzeb banned the playing of the pungi because he considered it as a reeded noisemaker with its loud, shrill, and unpleasant sound. He prohibited its play in the royal court. Q2. Why did the pungi  become  become a generic name for “reeded noisemakers”?  Ans. The pungi  produced loud, unpleasant and jarring music. Because of this shrill music, Aurangzeb  The pungi produced banned it in the royal house. As it was made from a reed and produced noisy sounds, it became a generic name for “reeded noisemakers”.  Q3. How is a ‘shehnai’ different from a  pungi ? (Textual)  Ans.Though a reeded instrument like a a pungi  pungi,, a shehnai differs from it in width and sound. It is made with a longer and broader stem than a pungi and produces soft, melodious sounds instead of the loud, jarring sound of a pungi a pungi..  Q4. Who revived the pungi  and  and what shape did it take?  Ans. Whe  Ans. When n Aur Aurang angzeb zeb ban banned ned the pla playin ying g of the the pungi  pungi  in th the e ro roya yall re resi side denc nce, e, a ba barb rber er wh who o belonged to a family of professional musicians revived it by taking a wider and longer hollow stem and making seven holes in it. The improved pungi improved pungi produced  produced soft and sweet sounds. Q5. How did the ‘shehnai’ get its name?  Ans. the   It is of believed that the barber who improved  pungi, , played instrument in the the chamber the emperor (shah). The(nai) c combination of thethe pungi two words ‘shah’his and ‘nai’ formed name ‘shehnai’. Q6. Why was the shehnai played in temples and weddings?  Ans. The music of the shehnai was melodious and soft. It came to be believed that it was auspicious. Therefore, in the holy temples and on the happy auspicious occasions of weddings, the shehnai was played. Q7. Where was the shehnai played traditionally? How did Bismillah Khan change it? (Textual)   Or How did Bismillah Khan bring the ‘shehnai’ onto the classical stage?  Ans. Traditionally, the shehnai was played in the royal court as one of the nine instruments together known as naubat . Bismillah Khan made it an independent instrument and gave its music a place among other classical instrumental music. Q8. Where did Bismillah Khan usually sing at the age of ive? How was he rewarded and by whom?  Ans. At the age of ive, Bismillah Khan usually sang the Bhojpuri ‘chaita a’ in the Bihariji temple in his native town Dumraon in Bihar. At the end of the song, he earned a big laddu weighing 1.25 kg which was given by the local Maharaja as a prize. Q9. What does the feature “The Shehnai of Bismillah Khan”, tell us about the paternal ancestors of Bismillah Khan? Or What kind of family did Bismillah Khan hail from?  Ans. Bismillah Khan hailed from a family of musicians in Bihar. His grandfather Rasool Bux Khan  Ans. was the shehnai player in the royal court of the king of Bhojpur. His father Paigambar Bux and many paternal and maternal uncles were also ‘shehnai vaadaks’ (players).  Q10. Who was Ali Bux? Where was he employed and what was his inluence on Bismillah Khan?  Ans.  Ali Bux was the maternal uncle of Bismillah Khan and may be regarded as his mentor and trainer. He was a great shehnai player and was employed to play the shehnai in the Vishnu temple of  Benaras. At a very young age, Bismillah Khan started accompanying him and got lessons in playing the shehnai from him. The young boy would sit for hours listening to his uncle and later practise throughout the day.

 

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 Q11. Which places were young Bismillah Khan’s favourite haunts for practising music? Why?  Ans.  The temple of Balaji and Mangala Maiya, as well as the banks of the Ganga, were young Bismillah Khan’s favourite haunts because he could practice his music there in solitude. The lowing waters of Ganga inspired him to improvise and invent raagas which were earlier considered beyond the range of the shehnai. Q12. When and how did Bismillah Khan get his big break? (Textual)  Ans.  The ‘big break’ came to Bismillah Khan when in 1938 the All India Radio was started in  Ans. Lucknow. Khansaab was regularly invited to play the shehnai and soon became an often-heard shehnai player on the radio. Q13. Where did Bismillah Khan play the shehnai on August 15, 1947? Why was the event historic? (Textual)  Ans. Bismillah Khan played the shehnai on August 15, 1947, at the Red Fort in New Delhi prior to the speech of Pandit Nehru. It was a historic event as India had got independence from the British on this day. Bismillah Khan was the irst Indian to greet the nation and he poured his heart out while playing the melodious Raag Kai on o n his shehnai. Q14. Where did Bismillah Khan go on his irst foreign trip? How was he honoured there?  Ans. Bismillah Khan’s irst foreign trip took him to Afghanistan where King Zahir Shah was so impressed with the maestro’s shehnai recital that he honoured him with gifts of priceless Persian carpets and other souvenirs. Q15. Why did the ilm director Vijay Bhatt name his ilm “ Gunj Uthi Shehnai “? “?  Ans. The ilm director, Vijay Bhatt, once heard the shehnai recital of Bismillah Khan in a festival. He was so fascinated by the performance that he decided to name his next ilm after the instrument and called it “Gun “Gunilms Uthi Shehnai“ Shehnai “ Q16. Which did Bismillah Khan provide music for? Why did he discontinue playing the shehnai for ilms?  Ans. Bismillah Khan ventured into the ilm world with Vijay Bhatt’s “ Gunj Uthi Shehnai” Shehnai” . Then he played in a Kannada ilm – “Samadhi “ Samadhi Apanna“. Apanna“. Though he was very successful, he gave up the ilm world because his tastes did not tune well with the artiiciality and glamour of ilmdom. Q17. How was Bismillah Khan’s music appreciated and recognised on the international level?  Ans. Bismillah Khan’s music was so much appreciated on the international level that he became the irst Indian to be invited to perform in the prestigious Lincoln Central Hall, USA. He participated in the World Exposition in Montreal, the Cannes Art Festival and the Osaka Trade Fair. In Teheran, an auditorium was named after him. Q18. How did India honour and reward the great musician, Bismillah Khan?  Ans. Ind India ia hon honour oured ed Bis Bismil millah lah Kha Khan n by con confer ferrin ring g on him the gre greate atest st na nation tional al awa awards rds – the Padmashri, the Padma Bhushan and the Padma Vibhushan. He was also awarded the Bharat Rama in 2001, the highest civilian award in India.  Q19. Why did Bismillah Khan want that the children in India should be taught music?  Ans. Bismillah Khan had great regard for Indian music and considered the Hindustani music to be its richest heritage. He wanted that children must not cut off their bond from this grand tradition which was fascinating even for the people of o f the west.  Q20. What offer did one of Bismillah Khan’s students in the US make to him? Why?  Ans. A student of Bismillah Khan, who himself was settled in the US, wanted that the great maestro  Ans. should be the head of a shehnai school in the U.S. He promised that he would create the environment  of India by erecting the temples like those in Benaras, India. Q21. Why did Bismillah Khan refuse to start a shehnai school in the U.S.A.? (Textual)  Ans. Bismillah Khan was a staunch patriot and was passionately in love with Benaras and Dumraon in India. He intensely loved the Ganga and could not stay away from the sacred river. Therefore, he declined the offer to settle down in the US and head a shehnai school there. Q22. Why does the author believe that Bismillah Khan’s life is “a perfect example of the rich, cultural heritage of India”?  Ans. India has always shown a liberal attitude to all communities and religions. Its cultural heritage is a blend of various castes and creeds. Bismillah Khan’s life perfectly represents this blend. Although a devout Muslim, Khansaab played the shehnai in the Kashi Vishwanath temple every morning. Q23. Find instances in the text which tell you that Bismillah Khan loved India and Benaras.

 

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(Textual)  Ans. Bismillah Khan’s love for India and Benaras is revealed by the fact that he refused to settle down in the US as the head of a shehnai school in spite of a strong assurance from his student to build temples like those in India. This love also becomes obvious in his acceptance speech after receiving the Bharat Ratna when he declared Hindustani music to be the richest heritage. Q.24. How did Evelyn sense the sounds and vibrations of o f the music?  Ans. Evelyn sensed the sounds and vibrations of the music by opening her mind and body to them. She felt different notes through different parts of her body. Q25. What was the contribution of Forbes in helping Evelyn to learn music?  Ans. Forbes played a crucial role in shaping Evelyn’s musical talents. He asked her to sense the sounds and vibrations through her different body parts. He turned two large drums to different  notes and asked her to feel f eel the different notes and sounds some other way. Q26. How was Evelyn a source of great pleasure to her audience?  Ans. Evelyn was very young. She performed despite her handicap. Her music was better than those of her double double age age.. She was an ins inspir pirati ation on to the handicap handicapped ped.. Thu Thus, s, she has give given n eno enormo rmous us pleasure to millions. Q27. How is Evelyn able to express music so beautifully?  Ans. Though deaf, Evelyn was able to express music beautifully as she could feel far more deeply than many of us. That is why she expressed music so beautifully. Q28. How was Evelyn able to get admission to the Royal Academy of Music?  Ans. Ron Forbes spotted Evelyn’s potential in music. She never looked back from that point. By the time she was sixteen, she had decided to make music her life. She auditioned for the Royal Academy of Music and scored the highest marks in the history of the academy. Q29. While Why does Evelyn removeshe herremoves shoes onshoes the wooden platform?  Ans. playing instruments on the wooden platform. It allows the vibrations to pass through her bare feet and up to her legs. She is able to feel music through every part of her body. She can also feel the echo of sound lowing into her body by leaning against the drums. Q30. How did Ron Forbes give training in music to Evelyn?  Ans. He took two large drums for tuning Evelyn at once realised higher drums from the waist up and lower drums from the waist down. He motivated her to feel music in different parts of her body. Q31. When and how did Bismillah Khan get his big break?  Ans. With the opening of All India Radio in Lucknow in 1938, Bismillah Khan got a big break. He became an often heard Shehnai player on Radio. When India got independence on 15th August 1947, Bismillah Khan became the irst Indian to greet the nation with his Shehnai. Q32. Where did Bismillah Khan play the Shehnai on 15 August 1947? Why was the event  historic?  Ans. Bismillah Khan played the Shehnai from the Red Fort on 15th August 1947. It was a historic event because because he became the irst Indian Indian to greet the natio nation n on the occasion of irst Independenc Independence e Day. This programme was attended by Nehru, the irst Prime Minister and many stalwarts of the nations. Q33. What were the recurring themes of Bismillah Khan’s music?  Ans. Bismillah Khan was a true Indian at heart. The recurring themes of his music were the ethics of  temples and human relationships. The lowing waters of the Ganga inspired him to improve and invent `raagas’. Q34. How was pungi came to be named Whehnai’?  Ans. A barber from a family of professional musicians decided to improve the pungi. He chose a pipe with a hollow stem that was longer and broader than the pungi. He played the instrument before the king and everyone was impressed. Since it was played by a barber, and in the Shah’s chambers, the instrument was named as ‘She/tile. Q35. Bismillah Khan loved India and Benaras the most. Justify it by giving two instances from the text.  Ans. He was fond of Benaras and Dumraon. They remained for him the most wonderful towns in the world. He said that whenever he was in a foreign country, he kept yearning to see India. While in Mumbai, he thinks only of Benaras and the holy Ganga. And while in Benaras, he misses the unique mattha of Dumraon.

 

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Q36. How did the barber change the tonal quality of a pungi into the melodious voice of the Shehnai?  Ans. The barber chose a pipe with a natural hollow-stem. It was longer and broader than `pungi’. He made seven holes on the body of the pipe. He played on it. Soft and melodious sounds were produced. The barber played it before the royalty and it came to be known as Shehnai. Q37. How did Ustad Bismillah Khan bring Shehnai to the classical stage?  Ans. Bismillah Khan was a great Shehnai player. He invented many raagas and played them on Shehnai. His tunes enchanted everybody. Thus, Shehnai became a popular musical instrument in the country. Q38. What idea did Ustad Bismillah Khan hold about Hindustani music?  Ans. He held a high about Hindustani music. He was of the opinion that every child should learn Hindustani music. India has a very rich tradition of music. Even the West come here to learn our music.

 ESSAY TYPE QUESTIONS Q.1. Write a note on the origin of the Shehnai.  Ans. It is said that in the past a musical instrument called pungi used to be played in palaces before  Ans the Kings and Nawabs. But Aurangzeb did not like the shrill and unpleasant sound of the pungi. So he banned the playing of this musical instrument in the royal residence. There was a barber who belonged to a family of musicians. He had access to the royal palace. He tried hard to improve the tonal quality of the instrument: Ile chose a pipe with a natural hollow stem that was longer and broader than the original pungi. lie carved seven holes on the body of the instrument. When he played on it, an impressive sonorous tonal sound was produced. The barber played it before the king and his courtiers. Everybody was impressed. The instrument Was called Shehnai because it was born in the Shah’s chamber and was invented by a ‘nai’ (barber). There is another story about the origin of Shehnai. It is said that a doctor of Iran invented it. His name was I laquim Bu All Saina and the instrument was named after him. Q.2. What are the recurring themes of Bismillah Khan’s music and how did they originate?  Ans. At the age of lute, Bismillah Khan went to Benaras. #1 here his maternal uncle All Bux taught  him the nuances of the Shehnai. the lie used to practise in the temple of Balaji and Mangla Maiya. He also practised on the banks of the Ganga. There is practised for hours in complete solitude. The lowing waters of the Ganga inspired him to improvise his music. There he invented the ‘ragas’ that  were earlier considered beyond the range of Shehnai. The atmosphere of the temple and the solitude of the banks of the Ganga had a great effect on him. They inluenced the themes of his music also. One such theme was the ethos of the temple. The other theme was the relationship between human beings based on the tune of the lowing river. These became the recurring themes of Bismillah Khan’s music. 3. Why is Benaras so important to Bismillah Khan?  Ans. Mr Bismillah Khan is fondly called Khansaab. He has travelled all over the world. He got  honours in every country. In Tehran, an auditorium was named after him. He has seen many cities, but he remains very fond of Benaras and Dumraon. He calls them the most wonderful towns in the world. He has a special fascination for Benaras because of the Ganga there. In his youth, he used to practise Shehnai in solitude on the banks of the Ganga. Once one of his students in the USA requested him to head a Shehnai school there. He said that he would recreate the atmosphere of Benaras by building similar temples there. But the Ustad asked him whether he would bring the Ganga also there. Once he said, “Whenever I am in Mumbai, I think of only Varanasi and the holy Ganga”. Q4.Write a note on the life and achievements of Bismillah Khan as a ‘shehnai vaadak’. What values of life do you derive from his story?  Ans. Bismillah Khan’s journey as a ‘shehnai vaadak’ carries in itself deep moral values of dedication, simplicity and patriotism. It started at the young age of three and continued up to the age of ninety. The journey ranged from playing the instrument in the temples to getting international fame. Hailing Haili ng from a family of musici musicians, ans, Bismillah Bismillah Khan inher inherited ited an interest in the shehnai. At a young age of three, he started accompanying his maternal Uncle Ali Bux to the Vishnu temple in Benaras and learnt a lot from him. He would sing scriptures like the Bhojpuri chaita’  Bismi Bismillah got a signiicant signiican t brea break k when he started the All India moment Radio, Lucknow in 1938.llah HisKhan music was so admired that he was invited playing to play for at the historic of Indian independence on 15 August 1947. In recognition of his talent, he was conferred upon with the

 

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greatest awards of India – the Padmashri, the Padma Bhushan and the Padma Vibhushan. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award in India, in 2001. Bismillah Khan ventured into the ilm world but aba abando ndoned ned it aft after er he found it to be too art artii iicia ciall and glamoro glamorous. us. On the international level, he mesmerized the King of Afghanistan with o his shehnai s hehnai music. He was the only Indian to be invited to play shehnai in the Lincoln Central Hall, USA. He also played inn international eventss like the World Exposition, event Exposition, Montr Montreal, eal, the Cannes Art Festival and the Osaka Trade Fair. As a token of appreciation, the Teheran government has named an auditorium after Bismillah Khan.  Bismillah Khan has a deep devotion to his motherland and is proud of its heritage of music. Hence, he declined the offer to settle down in foreign countries. F His journey teaches the values of  dedication to one’s talent and persistent efforts to reach the greatest heights of excellence. Q5. How does the author of The Sound of Music” portray Bismillah Khan as a great patriot? Or Bismillah Khan, on receiving the Bharat Ratna, remarked, “Teach your children music, this is Hindustan’s richest tradition; even the West is now coming to learn our music.” What does it  reveal about his sentiments towards India?  Ans. Bismillah Khan, in “The Sound of Music”, emerged as a person imbued with intense and strong patriotic emotions. He had a profound and passionate love for his birthplace, Dumraon in Bihar and for Benaras where he took training to play the shehnai. He feels a deep bond with the Ganga because the lowing waters waters of the holy river made him improv improvise ise and spontaneously spontaneously play new raagas – the ones which were earlier regarded to be beyond the range of the shehnai. Such was Bismillah Khan’s love for his country and the Ganga that he refused to settle down in America to head a-school for the shehnai. His strong attachment with the sacred river made him miss Benaras when he was in Mumbai or elsewhere. Equally strong was his bonding with his birthplace Dumraon.  Bismillah great regard for the of Hindustani for him,on is the richest cultural heritage ofKhan India.had He awanted the tradition the Indianmusic musicwhich, to be carried from generation to generation. That is why he advised the people of India to teach music to their children and felt proud that this music fascinated even the people of the west.  Q6. 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? (Textual) Or Evelyn Glennie and Bismillah Khan shared the values of hard work and perseverance. Discuss. Or What important lesson does the life of Evelyn Glennie and Bismillah Khan teach us?  Ans. Evel Evelyn yn Gl Glen enni nie e an and d Bi Bism smil illa lah h Kh Khan an,, th the e tw two o em emin inen entt mu musi sicc ma maes estr tros os,, th thro roug ugh h th thei eirr achievements, have proved to the world that the values of hard work and unstaggering efforts are always alwa ys rewa rewarded. rded. Evely Evelyn n Glen Glennie nie beca became me an inter internation nationally ally admired multi multi-percu -percussioni ssionist st only because of her untiring work which could conquer even her handicap. Instead of yielding to her deafn deafness, ess, she madeback. all-out all-o ut efforts sense theefforts, soundsshe of music differe parts of of herMusic, body and never looked With her to persistent made through it to thedifferent Royalnt Academy London Lon don and bag bagged ged the most pre prestig stigiou iouss awa awards rds.. Her sincere sincere dev devoti otion on to her art has giv given en percussion a new place on the international stage. Bismillah Khan, like Evelyn, was dedicated to his art and attained greatest heights as a ‘shehnai vaadak’. He too worked diligently and transformed the shehnai into a classical instrument. He added enormously to what he had inherited by widening the range of the shehnai. He invented many new raagas spontaneously. Starting with playing in the temples of Benaras and on the banks of Ganga, he reached the stage of international acclaim. His hard work enabled him to win the most prestigious awards in India and in the world. Thus, the lives of both Evelyn Glennie and Bismillah Khan are perfect examples of how dedicated efforts and persistent hard work lead to grand achievements.  Q7. Write a note on some of the most memorable performances of Ustad Bismillah Khan as described in the feature “The Shehnai of Bismillah Khan”.  Ans. During his illustrious career spanning over 80 years, Bismillah Khan gave countless music  Ans. performances, but a few of them stand out as milestones in his career.

 

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For exa exampl mple, e, his per perfor forman mance ce of the Bho Bhojpu jpuri ri ‘chaita’   at the Bihariji temple at the age of ive indicated the signs of a maestro he was to evolve into. For every recital, he would get a 1.25 kg laddu as a reward from the local king. At the age of 14, he was patted for his performance at the Allahabad Music Conference by Ustad Faiyaz Khan. In 1938, Bismillah Khan got perhaps the biggest break of his career car eer when he got to per perfor form m on the All Ind India ia Rad Radio, io, Lucknow. Lucknow. Equally Equally rem remark arkab able le was the opportunity to usher in the Independence of the country from the ramparts of the Red Fort on 15th August 1947. His irst foreign performance in Afghanistan got him rich accolades and honours. He also had the chance to provide music to two ilms – Vijay Bhatt’s “Gunj Uthi Shehnai” and Srinivas’s Kannada movie “Samadhi Apanna”. Then follo Kannada followed wed a strin string g of inter internation national al perfor performance mances, s, notab notable le among them being the performances at the prestigious Lincoln Centre Hall (USA), World Exposition (Montreal), Cannes Art Festival and Osaka Trade fair. Q8. “Music has no religion.” How did Bismillah Khan’s Shehani prove it?  Ans. Music is the voice of the soul. It is sacred beyond the religions. It is eternal and acts as a source of inspiration for everyone. A musician never plays music for any particular religion. Bismillah Khan who belonged to the Muslim community played Shehnai in temples. He was deeply attached to the holy city of Benaras and the holy river Ganga. The river Ganga and its lowing water were the main source of inspiration for him. He could never think of leaving Benaras and holy river Ganga. Since his childhood, he was fond of music. As a ive-year-old child, he used to visit Bihariji temple at Dumraon to sing Bhojpuri Chaita. His love for music was so deeply inluenced by Benaras and Ganga that once a student from the USA wanted him to head a Shehnai school there. He promised him to recreate the atmosphere of Benaras in the USA by replicating the temple. But Bismillah Khan refused to say that  he couldn’t take the Ganga there. Q9. Describe the life and character of Ustad Bismillah Khan with emphasis on values of his

character shouldKhan imbibe.  Ans. Ustadyou Bismillah was a great Shehnai player. He was born in a village of Bihar state. He belonged to a family of professional musicians. He made Shehnai a famous musical instrument in the world. The government of India gave him the greatest civilian award —”Bharat Ratna”. He was a true patriot. He never showed his desire to settle abroad when he was offered several chances. Bismillah had a great passion for Shehnai. He took lessons from his maternal uncle Ali Bux and practised hard on the peaceful banks of the river Ganga. Infect his life is motivating for students. He teaches them that human beings should give up narrow mindedness. They should take values from different  religions. Q10. Why did Emperor Aurangzeb ban the playing of the pungi and how it was improved and called Shehnai?  Ans. Emperor Aurangzeb banned the playing of the pungi in the royal residence because it had a shrill and unpleasant sound. But a barber of a professional family of musicians was able to improve it. He chose a pipe with a natural hollow stem that was longer and broader than the pungi. He made seven holes on the body of the pipe. He played the instrument before the king and everyone was impressed. was Since it wasthe irst played in the Shah’s chambers and was played by an’ (barber), the instrument named ‘Shehnai’ Q11. How was Bismillah Khan associated with the ilm world?  Ans. Film director Vijay Bhatt heard Bismillah Khan at a festival. He was so much impressed by Bismillah Khan that he named a ilm after the instrument ‘Cu& Uthi Shehnai. The ilm was a huge hit. One of Bismillah Khan’s compositions “Di! Ka Valens ilm at Toot Gaya”, turned out to be very ! popular: In spite of his great success in the world, Bismillah Khan’s ilm music was limited to two. Vijay Bhatt’a `Gunj Uthi Shehnai’ and Vikram Srinivas’s `Samadhi Apanna’. But Bismillah made it clear that he could not come to terms with the artiiciality and glamour of the ilm world. Q.12. What important lesson does the life of Bismillah Khan teach us?  Ans. Bismillah Khan teaches us a very remarkable lesson of life. People make advancement in life by dint of hard work and devotion. He was very interested in music as he was born in the family of a musician. He used to sing Chaita in the Biharji temple. When he was in Benaras, he was greatly inluenced by his maternal uncle, who was a great Shehnai player. He copied his uncle in the true spirit and practised Shehnai in the peaceful environment of the Ganga. His hard work and devotion brought him good fruits. He was awarded the greatest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna.

 

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QUICK REVIEW OF CHAPTER I Who banned the playing of pungi in the royal palace? 1.  (A) Babur (B) Akbar (C) Shah Jahan (D) Aurangzeb  Ans. (D) Aurangzeb 2. Why did Aurangzeb ban the playing of pungi in the royal palace? (A) it was played only by the Hindus (B) it was an ill-omened instrument  (C) he did not like its unpleasant tone (D) none of these  Ans. (A) it was played only by the Hindus Which family did the barber belong? 3. (A) professional barbers (B) professional musicians (C) professional soldiers (D) professional beggars  Ans. (B) professional musicians What did the barber decide to do? 4. (A) to play the pungi before the Emperor (B) not to cut the emperor’s hair  (C) to request the emperor to lift the ban from the playing of pungi (D) to improve the quality of the pungi  Ans. (D) to improve the quality of the pungi Where did he play his newly discovered music instrument for the irst time? 5. (A) in the Shah’s chambers (B) before the public  (C) in the open court (D)) none of these  Ans. (A) In the Shah’s chambers  Ans What name was given to this new instrument? 6. (A) new pungi (B) improved pungi (C) shehnai (D) none of these  Ans. (C) shehnai How the sound of shehnai began to be considered? 7. (A) auspicious (B) ill-omened (C) unpleasant (D) a sign of mourning  Ans. (A) auspicious When and where is shehnai played? 8. (A) in temples (B) in weddings (C) on auspicious occasions (D) all the options are right   Ans. (D) all the options are right   Ans What credit is given to Ustad Bismillah Khan regarding shehnai? 9. (A) inventing shehnai (B) inventing pungi (C) bring shehnai onto the classical stage (D) none of these  Ans. (C) bring shehnai onto the classical stage 10. Who do you know is Bismillah Khan? (A) a politician (B) a shehnai maestro  (C) an actor (D)) a writer  Ans. (B) a shehnai maestro 11. Where did Bismillah Khan regularly go to sing Bhojpuri thaltat ?  (A) Bihariji Temple (B) Jama Masjid (C) Rumpurva Temple (D)) Durga Temple  Ans. (A) Bihariji Temple  Ans 12. Where was Bismillah Khan born?  (A) Varanasi (B) Prayag (C) Dumraon (D) none of these  Ans. (C) Dumraon 13. What was Bismillah Khan’s grandfather?  (A) a soldier (b) an actor (C) a courtier (D) the shehnai Nawaz of the Bhojpur King’s court  the shehnai BhojourKhan’s King’s court    Ans Ans 14.. (D)What was theNawaz nameof ofthe Bismillah father? (A) Rasool Brix Khan (B) Paigambar Bux

 

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(C) All Bux (D) liazrat Rasool Kaar  Ans. (B) Paugambar Bux  Ans 15. Who was Ali Bux? (A) Bismillah’s father (B) Bismillah’s grandfather (C) Bismillah’s maternal uncle (D) Bismillah’s friend  Ans. (C) Bismillah’s maternal uncle 16. Bismillah Khan was deeply attached to____ (A) the Sutlej (B) the Ganga  (C) the Narmada (D) the Godavari   Ans Ans. (B) the Ganga 17. On August 15, 1947, which Raag was played by Bismillah Khan from the Red Fort? (A) Raag Malhaar (B) Raag Deepak  (C) Raag Kati (D) Raag Megh  Ans. (C) Raag Kai 18. Which ilm is named after Bismillah’s instrument?  (A) Shehnai Ki Awaj (B) Shehnai Ka Raja (C) Shehnai Wala (D) Gunj Uthi Shehnai  Ans. (D) Gunj Uthi Shehnai 19. Of the following which is Bismillah Khan’s composition?  (A) Dil ka khilona hai toot gaya (B) Mere khuda mujhko na bhoolana (C) Main Tere dar to aaya Noon (D) Ye Dil ka taranaa hai  Ans. (A) Dil ka khilona hai toot gaya 20. When was Bismillah Khan awarded the highest civilian award ‘Bharat Ratna’? (A) in 2000 (B) in 2001 (C) in 2002 (D) in 2003  Ans. (B) in 2001 21. Where is Lincoln Center Hall situated?  (A) UK (B) the USA (C) Canada (D) France  Ans. (B) USA 22. Bismillah Khan took part in : (A) the World Exposition in Montreal (B) the Cannes Art Festival (C) the Osaka Trade Fair (D) All of these  Ans. (D) All of these 23. Tahar Mosiquee Ustaad Bismillah Khan auditorium is situated in : (A) Montreal (B) Osaka (C) Teheran (D) Behrin  Ans. (C) Teheran

24.Which national award was conferred Bismillah (A) the Padmashri (B)on theUstad Padma Bhushan Khan? (C) the Palma Vibhushan (D) All of these  Ans. (D) All of these 25. Which is India’s highest civilian award? (A) the Padmashri (B) the Padma Bhushan  (C) the Padma Vibhushan (D) the Bharat Ratna  Ans. (D) the Bharat Ratna  Ans Khan, what is Hindustan’s Hindustan’s richest tradition? 26.  According to Bismillah Khan, (A) earning money (B) music  (C) spirituality (D) politics  Ans. (B) music 21. Bismillah Khan was called (A) Khansaab B) Bismillahsaab (C) Kingsaab (D) Ustadsaab  Ans. (A) Khansaab

 

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CHAPTER: 3 THE LITTLE GIRL    

By- Katherine Mansield

INTRODUCTION This is a story about a little girl. She feared her father greatly. She thought that he was hard-hearted and strict. papers. She always avoided him. oftenwas rebuked Once The he beat for of tearing his important But one night, herHe mother in theher. hospital. littleher girlseverely was afraid the dark. But her father consoled her. She slept beside her father. Then she realised that her father was very good. THEME The story is based on the theme of a young child’s point of view about her father. Children take time to understand the actions of their elders. Till then, they tend to develop a negative opinion and sometimes even distrust. However, as kids grow older, their attitude towards their elders undergoes change. chang e. The theme of this story is based based on this process of change change that makes little children notic notice e the soft and caring heart of their overtly strict elders. Theme (2) Parents need to punish their children when it is necessary to do so and children who have been punished exceedingly too much or too less undergo poor development. Kezia’s father belongs to the wrong kind of parents. His act of upbringing his little child was unit and the instance of his hitting Kezia for ruining his very important speech-sheets was unjustiiably wrong. On one side the sheets were important for him but the fact that Kezia ruined them for making him a birthday gift stands strongly against the father.  TITLE The title of the story “The Little Girl” is apt as it is about a little girl Kezia. All the episodes in the story sto ry des descri cribe be the experi experienc ences, es, opinio opinions ns and observat observation ionss made made by Kezia. Kezia. This This story story is in fact  fact  narrat nar rated ed from from the point point of view view of Kezia Kezia alone. alone. Her views views about about her father, father, her mother, mother, her grandmother, their cook Alice, and their neighbours – Macdonalds, let the reader know what a little girl thinks and how she feels regarding the people around her. Thus, the title is appropriate. Justiication of the Title (2) Kezia’ Kez ia’ss father father was a busy busy man and she was afraid afraid of him. him. Her father father would always always give give her instructions but never made any effort to know what she expected from him. She wanted his love and company. He only wanted her to be obedient, disciplined, organised and a perfect person. As a little girl, she couldn’t build up self-conidence to feel free to talk. The entire story moves around her expectations. So, the title is apt and appropriate.

Important Word-Meanings Word-Meanings of dificult words from the lesson- THE LITTLE GIRL Vocabulary Figure—shape; Avoid—ke keep ep aw away ay;; Casual— with thou outt de deep ep af affe fect ctio ion n or in inte tere rest st;;  Respondwi reply; Glad—happy;  happy; Relief—comfort; Carriage—car; Faint—slow; Staircase—a set of stairs; Drawin Dra wing-ro g-roomom-com common mon roo room m for vis visito itors; rs; Paper—ne ne“PaPer; “PaPer;  Slowly—gradually; Push—to us use e force to move something away from you; Spectacles—eyeglasses; eyeglasses;  Terrifying—frightening; Hurry up—do quickly; Stutter— Wretched—  Properly—  Matter—  Brink— stammer; case;  worried; position; Suicide in a right way; case;  —kill oneself; Carefully—with care; Yawn—an act of opening one’s month wide and inhaling air deeply dee ply due to tir tiredn edness ess;; Giant—gigant gigantic ic man; Stretch—expand; Handkerchief—a squ square are clo cloth th carried in one’s pocket for wiping one’s nose,  nose,  Snoring—sleep noisily; Gravely—seriously;  seriously; Cold— blowing of nose; nose;  Suggest—produce any idea; Silk—a ine, strong, soft, lustrous ibre; Laboriously— with hard work; Stitch— sew; Wander—move without aim; Scrap—residue of   something; Gathered—collect; Stuffed—to i ill ll;; Hue and cry—noise; Surprise—gift; Scream— cry; Straight—a part of something that is not curved or bent;  Instant—that very moment; Drag— pull; To and fro—ba back ckwa ward rd an and d fo forw rwar ard; d; Sharp—loud; Explain—to make som ome ething clear; Whisper—to sp spea eak k in a lo low. w. vo voic ice; e; Fetch—go an and d br brin ing; g; Damned—use used d esp especi eciall ally y to express anger; Instant—a precise moment of time; Lay—put to bed; Shadow—darkness; Pattern— arr rra ang ngem eme ent of sh shap apes es;; Floor—surface; Ruler—scale; Beat—hit; Belong—related; related;  Palm—the

 

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inner surface of the hand; Wrap—cover; Rock—shake; Clung—hold; Sob—weeping silently; Forget  —unable to remember; Quickly—hurriedly; hurriedly;  Gap—hole; Fence—wall; Tag—a children’s game;  Hanging—falling down;  game; down; Shaking—moving with short quick movement;  movement;  Hose—pipe; Cook—  Afraid—frightened; Nightmare—fright a person who cooks food; Afraid— ening ng dre dream; am; Grannie— frighteni grandmother; grandmother;  Socks—a short stocking reaching a point between the ankle and the knee;  Butcher— a person who kills animals;  animals;  Dreadful—fearful; Shiver—tremble; Creep—crawl; Snuggle—warm; comfortable and protected; especially from the cold; Tight—irmly; Rub—to press and move; Warm —hot; Tired—lose of energy;  Hard—dificult;Stir—mix.

MESSAGE   The story conveys a beautiful message that there is a very strong bond between parents and children. This bond has the strength to survive every type of challenge. However, in order to prepare their little children for the hardships of adult life, parents resort to strict punishment and it is dificult for children to understand the true motive behind the stern actions of their parents. As a result, they develop negativity. Therefore, the story gives message to both the children and parents. Children should trust their parents and the parents should understand that physical punishment can leave emotional scars that hamper the growth of a balanced personality of their child. So, the responsibility to strengthen the parent-child bond rests equally on both. Message (2) In a family, interpersonal relationships between parents and their children, siblings and elders and a congenial atmosphere in the family are very important for a smooth and successful life. For For a bett better er rela relati tion onsh ship ip,, the the i irs rstt an and d fo fore remos mostt fact factor or is mutua mutuall in inte tera ract ctio ion n and and regu regula larr commun com munica icatio tion n among among the member memberss of a family family bec becaus ause e throug through h commun communica icatio tion n only only we can understand each other’s aspirations, expectations, desires, strength and weaknesses in a better way. better  way.  

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Value Points Kezia is a little girl, growing in her loving grandma’s care. Kezia has formal relations with mother and father. She is afraid of her strict father so she stammered while talking to him. She thought him to be giant sized. On Sundays, Grandma sent her to spend time with parents but Kezia found her father lay down on the sofa to relax and mother busy in reading. One day grandma, suggested her to prepare a gift for father’s birthday. Kezia prepared a pin cushion with a beautiful yellow silk cloth. For that, she needed scrap to ill it. She took some papers from father’s room and store them up to stuff them in the pincushion. It was the father’s important speech for the Port Authority. When Kezia was questioned, she admitted her act. Father beat Kezia with a ruler and she cried bitterly. She clung to grandma who consoled her. Next door neighbour Mr Macdonald plays with his children in the evening. After watching him, Kezia concludes that all fathers are not like hers.

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One day,Old hernightmare mother got admitted admitted hospital, hospital , shea was homeShe under of  the cook. haunted herto– the a butcher with knifealone in hisathand. wasthe toocare much afraid of it. Father came to her room hugged her, carried her to his room to comfort her. She realised that he was not so bad, but he was too busy to express his love. That night, she felt her father had a big heart.

DETAILED SUMMARY  Kezia was a little girl. She feared her father. She thought that her father was like a giant. He had big hands and a big neck. His mouth was also very big. She always avoided him. She thought that he was very cruel. Kezia’s father worked in an ofice. He went to an ofice in the morning. Before going, he went to the little girl’s room. He gave her a casual kiss. The father went to the ofice in a carriage. She felt very happy when her father had gone. In the evening, the little girl’s father came back. He spoke loudly in the house. Kezia feared her father’s voice. Hersternly. mother would ask her go father and take his shoes. When she entered his room, heloud looked at her Kezia thought thattoher wasoff a hard-hearted person.

 

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One day Kezia made a pin-cushion. She wanted to present it to her father on his birthday. She needed paper to stuff the pin-cushions. She found some sheets of paper in her father’s room. She tore the sheets to stuff the pin-cushion. Her father had written an important speech on them. He was very angry with her. He took a stick and beat her severely. He told her not to touch anything that did not  belong to her. Kezia wept bitterly. She wondered why God had made fathers. Now she trembled t rembled even at the sight of her father.  One day, Kezia saw her neighbour, Mr Macdonald. He was playing with his children. They all looked very happy. But Kezia’s father never played with her. Now she thought that there were different kind of fathers in the world. Her own father was very cruel.  After a few days, Kezia’s mother became ill. Her grandmother took her to the hospital. Kezia was alone in the house with the nurse. She had to sleep alone in her bedroom. At night, she had a horrible dream. She saw that there was a botcher with a knife. She was terriied. She gave a loud cry. Her fatherr came into her room. He lifted her and took her to his own bed. She lay beside her father. He fathe was tired and fell asleep before her. She was lost in thoughts. She thought that he had to work hard every day. He came in the evening. Then he was too tired to play with her. She thought that it was her fault to tear those important papers. She realised that her father was not bad. He had a big and loving heart. Summary (2) Kezia’s father was a busy man. He was so much lost in his business that he had no time for his family. Being an over-disciplined man, he was strict with Kezia as well. He never had those soft feelings for his little daughter nor did he pat her for a while. All he did was giving her a perfunctory kiss rather than a loving one. His presence at home frightened Kezia and she felt relieved when he was gone. Kezia was able to speak without stuttering but in her father’s presence, she stuttered and had all those speech problems. In an attempt to speak normally in her formidable father’s presence, she stuttered. In spite of all, Kezia’s father had a loving heart. The Macdonalds who lived next door had an exuberant, lively, playful family. Looking through the vegetable garden-wall, Kezia saw the ive children playing with their father, turning a hose at him and the father tickling the children. When compared with her scary father who never played with her, Kezia saw the height of o f love between father and children next door and she loved the Macdonald family.

  MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS Choose the correct answer : 1.Name the writer of the story ‘The Little Girl’ .   (A) Coates Kinney.   (B) Phoebe Cary.   (C) Katherine Mansield.   (D) Robert Frost. 2. Why was Kezia afraid of her father?   (A) Because he never talked to her lovingly.   (B) Because he never played with her.   (C) Because he kept inding faults with her.   (D) All the above. 3. Who were the people in Kezia’s family?   (A) Her parents.   (B) Her parents and her granny.   (C) Her parents, her sister and her granny.   (D) H Her er parents, parents, her her brother, brother, her sister and her granny. 4. What would Kezia’s father do before going to his ofice?   (A) He would give Kezia a goodbye kiss.   (B) He would read the newspaper.   (C) He would sit and have a pleasant chat with Kezia.   (D) He would help Kezia with her homework. 5. What would Kezia’s father do after coming back from his ofice?   (A) He would play with Kezia.

 

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  (B) He would go out with Kezia and her mother.   (C) He would go to sleep in his bedroom.   (D) He would sit in the drawing-room, drawing-room, have tea and read the newspaper. 6. What would Kezia’s father do on Sundays?   (A) H He e would stretch himself on the sofa in in the drawing-room. drawing-room.   (B) He would put his handkerchief handkerchief on his face and his feet on a cushion.   (C) He would sleep soundly and snore.   (D) All the above.

7. Why would Kezia’s grandmother encourage her to talk to her father?   (A) So that she could learn many new things.   (B) So that she could explain her problems to him.   (C) So that she could give him some company and make him feel less lonely.   (D) So that she could know know h her er father better. 8. How did Kezia feel when her father looked at her through his spectacles?   (A) Excited.   (B) Elated.   (C) Terriied.   (D) Shocked. 9. What would Kezia do while saying something to her father?   (A) She would stammer.   (B) She would begin to cry.   (C) She would speak very loudly.   (D) She would run away in fear. 10. When would Kezia start stuttering?   (A) While talking to her father.   (B) While talking to her mother.   (C) While talking to her granny.   (D) While talking to a stranger. 11. What would Kezia feel while thinking about her father?   (A) She felt she was thinking about an angel.   (B) She felt she was thinking about a giant.   (C) She felt she was thinking about a god.   (D) She felt she was thinking about a stranger. 12. What would the father say on seeing Kezia K ezia looking at him?   (A) He would say she looked like a fairy.   (B) He would say she looked like a little brown owl.   (C) He would say she looked like a fool.   (D) He would say she looked like a clever cat. 13. What kept Kezia indoors one day?   (A) A cold.   (B) A fever.   (C) A toothache.   (D) A headache. 14. What gift did the grandmother suggest to Kezia to give her father on his birthday?   (A) A pen.   (B) A table-lamp.   (C) A cigar-case.   (D) A pin-cushion. 15. What did she ill the pin-cushion with   (A) Sheets of paper. (B) Tiny pieces of paper.   (C) Little pieces of cloth. (D) Some pieces of straw. EXTRACTS FOR COMPREHENSION Read the following extracts and answer the questions that follow in one or two lines each.

 

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To the little girl, he was a igure to be feared and avoided. Every morning before going to work he came into her room and gave her a casual kiss. (a) Who does ‘he’ refer to in this extract? e xtract?  Ans: He refers to the father of the little girl, Kezia. (b) What were the feelings of the little girl towards to wards him?  Ans: The little girl was afraid of him and tried to avoid him. (c) What did ‘he’ do before going to work every morning?  Ans: Before going to work every morning, he came to the room of the little girl and casually kissed her. (d) What does this gesture show about him?  Ans: This gesture shows that he loved her girl but was not very expressive in his affection. (II) She never stuttered stuttered with other people – had quite given it up – but only with Father, because then she was trying so hard to say the words properly. (a) Who is ‘she’ in this extract?  Ans: She’ is Kezia, the little girl who was afraid of her father.  ‘ Ans: father. (b) What had she ‘quite given up’?  Ans: She had quite given up the occasional stuttering in front of other people. (c) How did ‘she’ speak in the presence of her father?  Ans: In the presence of her father, Kezia stuttered while speaking and displayed lack of conidence.  (d) Why did ‘she’ speak so differently before her father?  Ans: Being afraid of her father, Kezia hesitated to speak to him. Whenever she had to, she would stutter and sound different because her natural speech would be obstructed. (III)  He was so big – his hands and his neck, especially his mouth when he yawned. Thinking about him alone was like thinking about a giant. (a) Who is ‘he’ in the above extract?  Ans: In this extract, ‘he’ refers to the father of Kezia, who was a veil, strict disciplinarian. (b) why does the speaker ind him so big?  Ans: The speaker is his little daughter Kezia who was very scared of him. Hence she inds him so big – with big hands, neck and mouth. mo uth. (c) why does the speaker think of him as a giant?  Ans: The speaker, Kezia, thought of him as a giant because to a small girl like her, his big body  Ans: structure was as frightening as that of a giant of children’s stories. (d) When did his mouth especially appear big?  Ans: His mouth especially appeared big when he opened it wide while yawning. (IV) “Mother, go up to her room and fetch down the damned thing – see that the child’s put to bed this instant.”  (a) Who speaks these lines and to whom?  Ans: Kezia’s father speaks these lines to his mother.  (b) What is the mood of the speaker in these lines?  Ans: The speaker, Kezia’ss fathe father, r, is in a very angry mood while speaking these lines because Kezia speaker, Kezia’ had torn his important speech to pieces.  (c) What does the speaker refer to as the ‘damned thing’?  Ans: The ‘damned thing’ referred to by the speaker, Kezia’s father, is the pin-cushion Kezia had  Ans: made for him.  (d) Who is the ‘child’ here? Why does the speaker wish the child to be put to bed immediately?  Ans:  The ‘child’ here is Kezia. Her father, the speaker, wishes her to be put to bed immediately because he is furious at the damage caused by her. He does not want to lose his anger further due to her presence in front of him. (V)   “Here’s a clean hanky, darling. Blow your nose. Go to sleep, pet; you’ll forget all about it in the morning. I tried to explain to Father but he was too upset to listen tonight.” (a) Who speaks these lines to whom and when?

 

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 Ans: The kind and affectionate Grandmother speaks these lines to a sobbing Kezia after she is hit on her little pink palms with a ruler by her father.  (b) Why does the speaker offer a clean hanky?  Ans: Grandmoth er, the speak speaker, er, offers a clean hanky because because Kezia had been crying after she was  Grandmother, punished by her father for tearing his important papers. She needed a clean hanky to blow her nose. (c) What did the speaker want the listener to forget? Why?  Ans: Grandmother, the speaker, wanted Kezia, the listener to forget all about the beating that she had got from her Father. She wanted her to forget it because the punishment was not given to hurt  her but to make her understand that things belonging to others must not be touched. (d) What did the speaker try to explain to Father?  Ans: Grandmother, the speaker, tried to explain to Father that Kezia was a ‘little girl and had not  destroyed the papers intentionally. She was, in fact, trying to complete his surprise birthday gift. (VI)  “What’ll I do if I have a nightmare?” she asked. “I often have nightmares and then Ginnie takes me into her bed – I can’t stay in the dark – it all gets g ets ‘whispery’…” (a) Who is the speaker in these lines? Who is being addressed here?  Ans: In these lines, the speaker is Kezia, the little girl and she is addressing Alice, the cook.  (b) What happens when the speaker has nightmares?  Ans: When Kezia has nightmares, she is comforted by her grandmother who takes the little girl into her bed. (C)Why can’t the speaker stay in the dark?  Ans: Kezia can’t stay in the dark because she is a little girl and the deep silence of darkness scares  Ans: her.

(d)Where is Grannie right now?   Ans: Ans: Kezia’s Grannie is at the hospital with Kezia’s mother who is unwell. (VII) “Oh,” said the little girl, “my head’s on your heart. I can hear it going. What a big heart you’ve got, Father dear.” (a) Who is the little girl in these lines?  Ans: The little girl in these lines is Kezia.  Ans:  (b) Where has she put her head? Why?  Ans: Kezia has put her head on the big heart of her father. She has done so because she is free from  Ans: her fears and nightmare and is happy to discover the tender and loving side of her otherwise strict  daddy. (c) What can the little girl hear?  Ans: Kezia can hear the heartbeat of her father. Symbolically, it means that she can understand the true love that is buried deep in her father’s heart. (d) How does the little girl feel at this time?   Ans: Ans:giant-like.  Kezia feels happyshe andknows safe atthat thishetime. She does not loving, think her to be cruel, dominatin dominating, g, and Instead, is actually a kind, andfather considerate person with a big heart. 8. Slowly the girl would slip down the stairs, more slowly still across the hall, and push open the drawing-room door. By that time he had his spectacles on and looked at her over them in a way that was terrifying to the little girl. Questions (i) Name the lesson. (ii) What did the little girl’s mother tell her? (iii) Where was her father? (iv) Why was her father’s look terrifying for her?  Answers (i) The name of the lesson is The Little Girl’. (ii) She told her to come down and take off her father’s boots. (iii) He was in the drawing-room. (iv) Her father’s look was terrifying for her because she was afraid of him.

 

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She never stuttered with other people — had quite given it up — but only with Father} because then she was trying so hard to say the words properly. “What’s the matter? What are you looking so wretched about? Questions (i) Who is ‘you’ here? (ii) With whom is she talking here? (iii) How did she speak with other people? (iv) Why did she stutter before her father?

 Answers (i) ‘You’ is Kezia, the little girl here. (ii) She is talking with her mother here. (iii) She never stuttered with the other o ther people. (iv) She stuttered before her father because she was afraid of him. 10. What are you looking so wretched about? Mother, I wish you taught this child not to appear on the brink of suicide… Here, Kezia, carry my teacup back to the table carefully.” He was so big — his hands and his neck, especially his mouth when he yawned. Thinking about him alone was like thinking about a giant. Questions (i) What is Kezia afraid of? (ii) Whom does the author think like a giant? (iii) What does her father with her mother to teach Kezia? (iv) How does Kezia’s father look physically?  Answers (i) Kezia is afraid of her father and does not want to face him. (ii) The author compares Kezia’s father with a giant. (iii) Kezia’s father wishes to her mother that she would teach her not to appear on the brink of  suicide. (iv) Kezia’s father has very big hands and neck and his mouth look huge when he yawns. 11. Her grandmother told her that father’s birthday was next week and suggested she should make him a pin-cushion for a gift out of a beautiful piece of yellow silk. Laboriously, with double cotton, the little girl stitched three sides. But what to ill it with? That was the question. The grandmother was out in the garden, and she wandered into the mother’s bedroom to look for scraps. Questions (i) Who is ‘she’ referred to in the above passage? (ii) What did her grandmother suggest her? (iii) What was her problem? (iv) What does the pin-cushion symbolise for her?

 Answers (i) `She’ is referred to Kezia. (ii) Her grandmother suggested that she should make a pin-cushion and gift it to her father on his birthday. (iii) Her problem was to ind scraps to ill the pin-cushion. (iv) It symbolises her love and affection for her father. 12. 12. Laboriously, with double cotton, the little girl stitched three sides. But what to ill it  with? That was the question. The grandmother was out in the garden, and she wandered into the mother’s bedroom to look for scraps. On the bed-table, she discovered a great many sheets of ine paper, gathered them up, tore them into tiny pieces, and stuffed her case, then sewed up the fourth side. That night there was a hue and cry in the house. Father’s great speech for the Port Authority had been lost. Rooms were searched; servants questioned. Finally, the mother came into Kezia’s room. Questions (i) Why did the little girl go to her mother’s bedroom? (ii) What did she discover on the bed table? (iii) Why was there a hue and cry in the house? (iv) Why did she need paper sheets?

 

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 Answers (i) She went to her mother’s bedroom to search for something to stuff the pin cushion. (ii) She discovered a great many sheets of ine paper on the bed-table. (iii) There was a hue and cry in the house because the great speech for the Port Authority was missing. (iv) She needed them to ill the pin-cushion. 13. That night there was a hue and cry in the house. Father’s great speech for the Port Authority had been lost. Rooms were searched; searched; servants questioned. questioned. Finally, the mother came into Kezia’s room. “Kezia, I suppose you didn’t see some papers on a table in our room?” “Oh yes,” she said, “I tore them up for my surprise.” Questions (i) Who made a hue and cry in the house? (ii) Why were the servants questioned? (iii) How did Kezia’s mother ask her about the papers? (iv) Why did Kezia tear up the great speech?  Answers (i) Kezia’s father made a hue and cry in the house. (ii) They were questioned to know about the papers on which the t he great speech was written. (iii) She asked her about the papers in a polite manner. (iv) She needed scraps to ill her father’s gift. 14. And she was dragged down to where Father was pacing to and fro, hands behind his back. “Well?” he said sharply.

Questions (i) Who is ‘he’ here? (ii) Why was she making a ‘pin-cushion’? (iii) Why were the servants s ervants questioned by her father? (iv) What quality of her is relected in the above lines?  Answers (i) ‘He’ is Kezia’s father here. (ii) She was making it present her father on his birthday. (iii) The servants were questioned by her father because his great speech was missing. (iv) She had a great love for her father. 15. Hours later, when Grandmother had wrapped her in a shawl and rocked her in the rocking chair, the child clung to her soft body. “What did God make fathers for?” she sobbed. “Here’s a clean hanky, darling. Blow your nose. Go to sleep, pet; you’ll forget all about it in the morning. Questions (i) Why was the little girl sobbing? (ii) How did the grandmother show her love for the girl? (iii) What did the girl want to know about the father? (iv) What kind of memory do children have as expressed in the above lines?  Answers (i) The little girl was sobbing because she was beaten by her father. f ather. (ii) The grandmother wrapped her in a shawl and rocked her in the rocking chair. (iii) The girl wanted to know why the father gives punishments to children. (iv) Children forget things quickly. 16. “Oh, a butcher — a knife — I want Grannie.” He blew out the candle, bent down and caught  up the child in his arms, carrying her along the passage to the big bedroom. A newspaper was on the bed. He put away the paper, then carefully tucked up to the child. He lay down beside her. Half asleep still, still with the butcher’s smile all about her it seemed, she crept close to him, snuggled her head under his arm, held tightly to his shirt. Then the dark did not matter; she lay still. “Here, rub your feet against my legs and get them warm,” said Father. Questions

 

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(i) What was Kezia’s nightmare? (ii) How did her father comfort her? (iii) Where did she see the butcher? (iv) How did her father f ather behave when she had a nightmare?  Answers (i) In her nightmare, Kezia saw a butcher, with a knife and a rope in his hands. (ii) He asked her to rub her feet against his legs to make them warm. (iii) She saw him in the nightmare. (iv) He behaved with love and affection. 17. He was harder than Grandmother, but it was a nice hardness. And every day he had to work  and was too tired to be a Mr Macdonald…She had torn up all his beautiful writing… Questions (i) Who does ‘He’ refer to here? (ii) How could the hardness of Kezia’s father towards Kezia be nice to her? (iii) Why couldn’t her father be a Mr Macdonald? (iv) What did Kezia regret about?  Answers (i) Here ‘He’ refers to Kezia’s father. (ii) His hardness kept Kazia in the discipline. (iii) Her father worked very hard and was too tired to be a Mr Macdonald. (iv) Kezia was regretted about tearing up her father’s papers. CHARACTERS Kezia Kezia, the young female protagonist of the story “The Little Girl”, is an emotional and sensitive girl. She is as much affected by her father’s disciplinarian attitude as by his love. The behaviour of Kezia is typical of a young girl. She sees her father as the boss of the family who must be served properly all the time. So, she feels relieved when he leaves for work every morning. Kezia is an obedient girl. She is afraid of her father and wishes to avoid him, still, she takes off his shoes when her mother asks her to. However, she fears her father so much that she begins to stutter in his presence. Sometimes she even thinks that there should not have been any fathers in this world. When she compares herself to other children, she is pained to observe that her father does not  pamper her like the fathers of other children. Kezia is innocent but impulsive. She makes a pin-cushion for her father as his birthday present but  innocently picks up his important papers as stufing for the pin-cushion. Impulsively, she tears those papers without seeking permission and hence spoils matters.  Kezia’s strong bond with her father comes to fore when she is quick to observe his affection on the night she gets terriied by a bad dream. She feels happy when her father protectively takes her to his bed and comforts her. Her distrust for him changes into the appreciation for his hard work. She admir admires his big heartunderstanding and discovers discoversand her affectionate love for him.daughter. She changes from a resenting resenting and frightened frightened girl toes a soft-hearted, Kezia’s Father Kezia’ Kez ia’ss father father dis displa plays ys two diverg divergent ent charac character teristi istics cs in the story. story. Ini Initia tially lly,, he app appear earss as a domineerin domin eering, g, head of the family and demands demands complete complete obedience from other members. members. He wants them to be at his beck and call all the time. As soon as he returns home in the evening, he wants his tea brought to him along with the newspaper. Instead of taking off his shoes himself, he makes Kezia do it for him. He is so strict with his daughter that the poor girl stutters in front of him and feels relieved when he leaves for work in the morning.  This negative aspect of his personality is highlighted even more when he punishes Kezia with a ruler. It appears that he fails to understand the innocent emotions of his daughter who damages his papers accidentally.   However, the positive aspect of his persona surfaces when he takes care of his little girl in the absence of the women of the household. He not only carries her in his arms to his room but also tucks her comfortably in his bed. He asks her to rub her feet with his legs to make them warm. This reveals his paternal affection, protective nature, and caring attitude. Kezia’s father thus makes a typical father who poses a stern exterior which actually hides a soft, affectionate, and tender big heart, full of love.

 

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Kezia’s Grandmother Kezia’s Grandmother is addressed as ‘Grannie’ by Kezia and as ‘mother’ by Kezia’s father, her son. Her character comes up as a mature and understanding elder in a household. She does not question the authoritarian attitude of her son but keeps prodding her young granddaughter to make efforts to build her bond with her parents. She advises Kezia to talk nicely to her parents when they are relatively relaxed on Sunday afternoons. She does not interfere in any matters of the household and simply provides background support. When Kezia’s father punishes Kezia with a ruler, Grandmother wrapss her in a shawl and rocks her in a chair clinging her to her soft body. She is a mature woman wrap who understands that the upbringing of children is a delicate issue and parents should be allowed to discipline their children in their own way. Grandmother’s supportive character can also be seen when she accompanies her daughter-in-law to the hospital. Hence, the Grandmother is an important  character even though she remains mostly in the backdrop. IMPORTANT PASSAGES FOR COMPREHENSION  Read the following passages and answer the questions given at the end of each each :  :

PASSAGE 1 To the little girl, he was a igure to be feared and avoided. Every morning before going to work he came into her room and gave her a casual kiss, to which she responded with “Goodbye, Father”. And oh, there was a glad sense of relief when she heard the noise of the carriage growing fainter and fainter down the long road!  In the evening when he came home she stood near the staircase and heard his loud voice in the hall. “Bring my tea into the drawing-room……… Hasn’t the paper come yet? Mother, go and see if my paper’s out there—and bring me my slippers.”

Questions : (i) What was the name of the little girl?  (ii) What was her father’s routine before going to work? (iii) When did the girl feel relieved?  (iv) What was her father’s daily routine after coming from the ofice?  (v) Give the meaning of ‘a igure to be feared’.

Answers :  (i) The name of the little girl was Kezia.  (ii) Every morning before going to work he came into her room and gave her a casual kiss. (iii) The girl felt relieved after her father had gone to work. (iv) After coming from ofice in the evening he cried loudly for tea and newspaper. (v) ‘a person to be feared.’

PASSAGE 2  That night there was a hue and cry in the house. Father’s great speech for the Port Authority had bee lost. Rooms were searched; servants questioned. Finally, Mother came into Kezia’s room.  “Kezia, I suppose didn’t see up some on a table in our room ?”  “Oh yes,” she said,you ” I tore them for papers my surprise.”  “What!” screamed Mother. “Come straight down to the dining-room this instant.”

Questions : (i) Why was there a hue and cry in the house? (ii) Why were the servants questioned? (iii) What was Kezia’s surprise?  (iv) Give the meaning of ‘hue and cry’. (v) Name the chapter and the author.

Answers : (i) The There re was a hue and cry in the house house bec becaus ause e the father’ father’ss great speech speech for the Por Port  t   Authority had been lost. lost.  (ii) The servants were questioned if they had seen the report anywhere. (iii) A present of a pin-cushion to her father on his birthday was Kezia’s surprise. (iv) ‘angry protest’.  (v) ‘The Little Girl’ by Katherine Mansield.

 

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PASSAGE 3 The Macdonalds lived next door. They had ive children. Looking through a gap in the fence the little girl saw them playing lag’ in the evening. The father with the baby, Mao, on his shoulders, two little girls hanging on to his coat pockets ran round and round the lower-beds, shaking with laughter. Once she saw the boys turn the hose on him—and he tried to catch them laughing all the time.

Questions : (i) Who were the Macdonalds? (ii) What did Kezia see through the gap in the fence?  (iii) Name the child on Mr Macdonald’s shoulders. (iv) What did the boys do with the hose? (v) Was Mr Macdonald angry with his children?

Answers : (i) The Macdonalds were were Kezia’s next door neighbour. neighbour. (ii) Kezia saw Mr Macdonald playing ‘tag’ ‘tag’ will all his ive children. (iii) His name was Mao.  (iv) The boys turned the hose on Mr Macdonald. Macdonald.  (v) No. he was not angry with his children.

PASSAGE 4 Tired out, he slept before the little girl. A funny feeling came over her. Poor Father, not so big, after all—and with no one to look after him. He was harder than Grandmother, but it was a nice hardness. And every day he had to work and was too tired to be a Mr Macdonald She had torn up all his beautiful writing She stirred suddenly, and sighed. “What’s the matter?” asked her father. “Another dream?” “Oh,” said the little girl, “my head’s on.your heart. I can hear it going. What a big heart you’ve got, Father dear.”

 Questions :  (i) Why did the father sleep before the little girl?  (ii) How did the girl feel her father’s hardness now? (Ill) Who was Mr Macdonald? (iv) What could the little girl hear? (v) Who was Kezia lying with?

 Answers : (i) The father slept before the little girl because he was much tired. (ii) She felt that her father’s hardness was a nice hardness. (iii) Mr Macdonald was Kezia’s next door neighbour.  (iv) The little girl could hear her father’s heartbeat. (v) She was lying with her father.

PASSAGE 5 On Sunday afternoons Grandmother sent her down to the drawing-room to have a “nice talk with Father and Mother”. But the little girl always found Mother reading and Father stretched out on the sofa, his handkerchief on his face, his feet on one of the best cushions, sleeping soundly and snoring.  She sat on a stool, gravely watched him until he woke and stretched, and asked the time — then looked at her.

Questions :  (i) Why did Grandmother girl send the little girl to the drawing-room?  (ii) What did she always ind her mother doing?  (iii) What did she always ind her father doing? (iv) Where did the little girl sit and wait? (v) Name the chapter and the author.

PASSAGE 6 (Page 33) She never stuttered with other people — had quite given it up — but only with Father. because then she was trying so hard to say the words properly.

 

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 ” What’s the matter? What are you looking so wretched about? Mother, I wish you would teach this child not to appear appear on the brink of suicide ………Her ………Here, e, Kezia, carr carry y my teacup teacup back to the table carefully.” He was so big — his hands and his neck, especially his mouth when he yawned. Thinking about him alone was like thinking about a giant.

Questions 1.”She never stuttered with other people – but only with her father.” Why? 2. What made did Kezia think about thelike sizeaofgiant? her father? 3. What Kezia’s father look 4. Was Kezia’s father really indifferent towards her? PASSAGE 8 (Page 34) One day, when she was kept indoors with a cold, the grandmot grandmother her told her that father’s father’s birthday was next week and suggested she should make him a pin-cushion for a gift out of a beautiful piece of yellow silk.  Laboriously, with double cotton, the little girl stitched three sides. But what to ill it with? That was the question. The grandmother was out in the garden, and she wandered into the mother’s bedroom to look for ‘scraps’. On the bed-table, she discovered a great many sheets of ine paper, gathered them up, tore them into tiny pieces, and stuffed her case, then sewed up the fourth side. That night there was a hue and cry in the house. Father’s great speech for the Port Authority had been lost. Rooms were searched — servants questioned. Finally, the mother came into Kezia’s room.

Questions 1. Keziamake kept indoors? 2. Why Why was did Kezia a pin-cushion? 3. What did Kezia ill the pin-cushion with? 4. Why was there a hue and cry in the house?  Answers 1.Because she had a cold.  2. She wanted to to gift it to her father father on his birthday. birthday. 3. She illed it with pieces of paper. 4.Because Father’s speech for Port Authority had been lost. PASSAGE 9 (Page 35) “What did God make fathers for ?” she sobbed.   “Here’s a clean hanky, darling. Blow your nose. Go to sleep, pet; you’ll forget all about it in the morning. I tried to explain to Father but he was too upset to listen tonight.”  But the child never forgot. Next time she saw him she quickly put both hands behind her back and a red colour lew into the cheeks.

Questions 1. What did Kezia feel about her father? 2. Why did grandmother give a hanky to Kezia? 3. Why did Father not listen to anything that night? 4. Why did Kezia put both hands behind her back on seeing him? PASSAGE -10 (Page 37) But the same old nightmare came – the butcher with a knife and a rope, who came nearer and nearer, smiling that dreadful smile, while she could not move, could only stand still, crying out, “Grandma! Grandma !” She woke to shiver to see Father beside her bed, a candle in his hand. “What’s the matter ?” he said. “Oh, a butcher — a knife — I want Grannie.” Grannie.” He blew out the candle, bent down and caught up the child in his arms, carrying her along the passage to the big bedroom. A newspaper was on the bed — a half-smoked cigar was near his reading lamp. He put away the paper, threw the cigar into the ireplace, then carefully tucked up to the child. He lay down beside her. Half asleep still, still with the

 

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butcher’s smile all about her, it seemed. She crept close to him, snuggled her head under his arm, held tightly to his shirt.

Questions 1. What was Kezia’s nightmare? 2. Did Kezia have the nightmare only once? 3. What did Kezia’s father do when she had a nightmare? 4. Was Kezia’s father indifferent towards her or did he love her? Answers 1. A smiling butcher with a knife and a rope came towards Kezia in her nightmare.  2.No, she had it many a time. 3. He took her to his own bed. 4. Kezia’s father loved her very dearly. PASSAGE 11 (Page 37) Then the dark did not matter; she lay still. “Here, rub your feet against my legs and get them warm,” said Father. Tired out, he slept before the little girl. A funny feeling came over her. Poor Father, not so big, after all, and with no one to look after him. He was harder than the grandmother, but it was a nice hardness. And every day he had to work and was too tired to be Mr Macdonald… She had torn up all his beautiful writing ….. She stirred suddenly s uddenly and sighed.  “What’s the matter ?” asked her father. “Another dream ?” “Oh,” said the little girl. “my head’s on your heart. I can hear it going. What a big heart you’ve got, Father dear !”

Questions 1.” Then the dark did not matter; she lay still.” Why was she no longer afraid? 2. What reason does Kezia ind for her father not playing with her? 3. Why did the girl sigh? 4. What did the girl tell her father Short Answer Type Type Questions (30 to 40 words) words) Additional Questions Q.I. What made Kezia’s father punish her? Was he right to do so?  Ans.  Kezia’s father had written a speech on some papers. Kezia had made a pin-cushion for her father on his birthday. She needed paper to stuff the pincushion and put them into the cushion. So her father punished her. Father was not right to beat her. He could have made Kezia realize her mistake with love Q.2. Why did the little girl start making the pin-cushion?  Ans. One day Kezia was suffering from cold. She was kept indoors. Her father’s birthday was next  week. Her grandmother suggested that she should present a pin-cushion to her father. So she started making the pin-cushion. Q.3. What did she stuff it with? Why was the stufing very ve ry important for her father? Did she know that it was important?  Ans. Kezia found some sheets of paper in her father’s bedroom. She tore them into pieces. She stuffe stu ffed d the pin pin-cu -cushi shion on wit with h tho those se pie pieces ces.. The stufing stufing was ver very y imp import ortant ant for her father. father. An important speech was written on those papers. But the little girl did not know about it  Q.4. Kezia looked through a hole in the fence into Mr MacDonald’s garden. What did she see?  Ans. Kezia saw that Mr Macdonald was playing with his children. They were running around the lower beds Baby Mao was on his shoulders. The two little girls were hanging on to his coat pockets. They were very happy. Q.5. Describe the departure of Kezia’s father for his ofice.  Ans. Kezia’s father went to the ofice early in the morning. Before going, he went to Kezia’s room. He gave her a kiss. She said goodbye to her father.  Q.6. Describe the arrival of Kezia’s father at home from the ofice.

 

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 Ans. Kezia’s father returned from ofice in the evening lies coming was a noisy affair. He raised his voice on entering the house. Kezia’s mother asked her to take off her father’s shoes.

Additional Very Short Answer Type Questions 1. What was the name of the little girl?  Ans. Her name was Kezia 2. To the little girl who was a igure to be feared and avoided?  Ans. To the little girl, her father was a igure to be feared and avoided. 3. How did the little girl feel when her father left for the ofice in the morning?  Ans. She felt relieved. 4. What WAS the little girl’s fault when she appeared before her father?  Ans. Before her father, she stuttered badly. 5. What did Kezia always ind her father and mother doing on o n Sunday afternoons?  Ans. She always found her mother reading and father stretched out on the sofa. 6. On what occasion did Kezia’s grandmother ask her to present a gift to her father?  Ans. She asked Kezia to present a gift to her father on the occasion of his birthday. 7. What gift did Kezia prepare for her father?  Ans. She prepared a pin-cushion for her father. 8. What did Kezia stuff the pin-cushion with?  Ans. She stuffed the pin-cushion with the paper’s on which her father’s important speech was written 9. Who was ‘the Macdonalds’?  Ans. They were Kezia’s next door neighbour. 10. How many children did Mr Macdonald have?  Ans. He had ive children. 11. How many brothers and sisters did Kezia have?  Ans. Kezia had no brothers or sisters, she was the only child of her parents. 12. Why was there hue and cry on the loss of the papers in the house?  Ans. There was so much hue and cry in the house on the loss of the papers because the father’s great  speech for the Port Authority was written in them. 13. Why was Kezia left alone one night with her father?  Ans. Kezia’s mother was ill and the grandmother went with her to the hospital. 14. Who was Alice?  Ans. Alice was the cook in Kezia’s house. 15. What was Kezia’s nightmare?  Ans. Kezia saw a butcher with a knife in her nightmare. 16. Name the writer of the lesson ‘The Little Girl’.  Ans. Katherine Mansield. SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS (to be answered in about 30 – 40 words each) Q1. Why was Kezia afraid of her father? (Textual)  Ans: Kezia was afraid of her father’s strictness and terrifying angry looks. Instead of tender love and affection, she would get harsh words of scolding and physical punishment from him. Evert his giant  like size would terrify her. Q2. Who were the people in Kezia’s family? (Textual)  Ans: Kezia’s family had four people in all. Her very strict father, her stern mother, her soft-hearted grandmother and little Kezia herself.  Q3. What was Kezia’s father’s routine before going to an ofice and after coming back in the evening?(Textual)  Ans: Before going to an ofice, Kezia’s father would come to her room, give her a casual kiss and  Ans: leave for work. He would return in the evening and demand that tea is brought into the drawingroom, and ask for his papers and slippers in a loud voice. Q4. What would Kezia’s mother ask her to do when Father returned from ofice?  Ans: When Father returned ofice,, the mother would tell Kezia to come downs downstairs tairs returned home from the ofice and take off her father’s shoes. She would also be told to take the shoes outside. Further, she was ordered by Father to put his teacup back on the table.

 

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 Q5. Why did Kezia go slowly towards the drawing-room when the mother asked her to come downstairs?  Ans: Kezia never enjoyed the company of her dominating father. He always scolded her for one thing or the other and never appreciated or loved her. She was so frightened of him that she went very slowly towards the drawing-room when she was’ asked to come downstairs to take off his shoes. Q6. Which expressions on Kezia’s face annoyed Father?  Ans: Besides her stuttering, the expressions of gloom and wretchedness on Kezia’s face annoyed Father. He felt that with such expressions, she seemed as if she were on the verge of suicide. Q7. Why did Kezia stutter in the presence of Father?  Ans: Kezia’s father’s domineering personality and frequent scolding shook her self-conidence. She felt under pressure to please him, so she would search hard for appropriate words in her mind while talking to him. This pressure made her stutter in his presence.  Q8. Why did Kezia feel that her father was like a giant?  Ans: Kezia felt that her father was like a giant because he had very big hands and neck. His mouth seemed big especially when he yawned. In addition, his stern and cold behaviour too made the little girl think of him as a giant. Q9. In what ways did Kezia’s grandmother encourage her to get to know her parents better?  Or (Textual) Why did Kezia’s grandmother send her to the drawing-room every Sunday afternoon?  Ans: Kezia’s grandmother wanted the little girl’s bond with her parents should be strong. Therefore, every Sunday afternoon afternoon she woul would d encour encourage age Kezia to go downs downstairs tairs to the drawing-room, drawing-room, have a nice conversation with them, and get to know them better. Q10. What was Kezia’s father’s routine on Sundays? (Textual)  Ans: On Sundays, Kezia’s father would relax in the afternoon. He would stretch out on the sofa in their drawing-room, put the handkerchief on his face, feet on the best cushion and sleep snoring soundly. All this while, her mother would be absorbed in reading the newspaper. Q11. What would Kezia do while her father slept on Sundays? what happened when he woke up?  Ans: Kezia would would sit on a stool and gravely watch her father father until he woke up and stretched stretched to ask  the time. Then, he would look at her and tell her not to stare at him as it made her look like a brown owl.  Q12. What did Grandmother ask Kezia to make and why?  Ans: Grandmother asked Kezia to make a pin-cushion out of a beautiful piece of yellow silk as a birthday birth day present for Fathe Father. r. She wante wanted d the little girl to prese present nt this pin-cu pin-cushion shion as a surpr surprise ise gift  and make her father happy. This could possibly bring them both close to each other. Q13. What did Kezia make as a birthday gift for her father? How did she prepare it?  Ans: Kezia made a pin-cushion as a birthday gift for her father. In order to prepare it, she laboriously stitched its three sides with double cotton and stuffed it with papers that she took from the bed-table in her mother’s room. Finally, she sewed up the fourth side and the gift was ready. Q14. Why was there a hue and cry in Kezia’s house at night before her father’s birthday?  Ans: Nobody knew that Kezia had mistakenly torn the papers that had her father’s great speech for the Port Authority. She had stuffed them in the pin-cushion that was to be a surprise gift for her father on his birthday. The hue and cry at night were for those missing papers. Q15. Why was Kezia dragged down to the dining-room at night?  Ans: Kezia was dragged down to the dining-room at night to be br’aligilt in front of her father who  Ans: was extremely angry as she had o the papers that had his great speech for the Port Authority. Q16. Why did Father come to Kezia’s room with a ruler?  Ans: Father was a strict disciplinarian who believed in the use of physical punishment to correct  children. He came to Kezia’s room with a ruler because he wanted to punish her and teach her not to touch what did not belong to her. Q17. Kezia’s efforts to please her father resulted in displeasing him very much. How did this happen? (Textual)  Ans:: On grandmother’s suggestion Kezia decided to make a pin-cushion as a birthday gift for her  Ans father hoping it would please her. But and instead, wasasfurious because had inadvertently torn the papersthat of his Port Authority speech usedhe them a stufing in theshe pin-cushion.

 

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Q18. Do you think Kezia was wrong in tearing the papers of her father? What does it show about her character?  Ans: Kez Kezia ia was certainl certainly y wro wrong ng in tea tearin ring g the papers papers of her fat father her because because the they y for formed med his important speech for the Port Authority. She should not have used any of his things without his permission. The incident only shows that she was too innocent and immature to know the wrong she was doing. All she wanted was to please her father with a birthday gift. gif t.  Q19. How and why did Grandmother comfort Kezia after her father hit her with a ruler?  Ans: Hours after Kezia’s father hit her with a ruler, her grandmother wrapped the little girl in a shawl and rocked her in the rocking-chair, with the child clinging to her soft body. She gave her a clean hanky to blow her nose and tried to put her to sleep comforting her with affectionate words. Q20. Why did Kezia ask, “What did God make fathers for?”  Ans: Kezia questioned why God made fathers because she was very upset with her father’s strict  behaviour. She felt that he was too harsh and unforgiving. He did not give her even one chance to explain herself. Q21. Why did Grandmother tell Kezia that her father was too Upset that night to listen to her?  Ans: Grandmother always tried to bridge the gap between Kezia and her parents, especially her father. She told Kezia that her father was too upset that night to listen to her because she did not  want the little girl to nurture any grudge against her father. Q22. How did Father punish Kezia? What was the impact of this punishment?  Ans: Father punished Kezia by hitting hard on her little, pink palms with a ruler. The impact of this punishment was so strong that Kezia could never forget it. Next time when she saw him, she at once hid her hands behind her back and her cheeks lushed with fear.  Q23. Who were Kezia’s neighbours? What did she observe about them?

 Ans: The Macdonalds were Kezia’s neighbours. She observed that Mr Macdonald played cheerfully with his children. He laughed when they turned the hose on him and ran about lower-beds with his young son, Mao, on his shoulders and his two little daughters hanging on to his coat pockets. Q24. Kezia felt that Mr Macdonald was a better father as compared to her own father. Why?  Ans: Kezia observed that Mr Macdonald was a jolly fellow who played and enjoyed in the company of his children. Contrary to this, her own father was domineering and suppressive and (ha not  express any affection or showed any leniency for Kezia. Q25. Why was Kezia left alone in the house with the cook Alice?  Ans: One day Kezia’s mother had suddenly taken ill and had to be I hospitalized. Grannie too went  along to look after her in the hospital. Kezia was thus left at home and Alice, their cook was deputed to take care of the little girl in the absence of elders. Q26. Why did Kezia suddenly grow afraid when Alice put her to bed? Or What did Kezia tell Alice, the cook, about her fear?  Ans: When Alice put Kezia to bed at night, the little girl suddenly got afraid as she had to sleep alone. She told Alice that she was scared of darkness and often had nightmares at night. Earlier Grannie would take her into her bed but today she was alone. Q27. What kind of dreams did Kezia usually have?  Ans: Usually, Kezia had horrible, frightening dreams. In her nightmares, she saw a butcher with a knife and a rope. The butcher came closer and closer to her with a dreadful smile while she stood still overpowered by fear.  Q28. How did Father comfort the little girl, Kezia, when she got scared in her sleep?  Ans: When Kezia got scared in her sleep, her father came to her room, lifted her in his arms, took her to his bed and made her sleep close to him. He allowed her to warm her feet against his legs. She felt  secure and protected as she snuggled up to him. Q29. When and how does Kezia’s view of her father undergo a change?  Ans:  Kezia’s view of her father underwent a change for the better when her father came to her rescue when she had a nightmare. He carried her to his room, carefully tucked her up and slept  beside her. Kezia felt reassured and safe and snuggled up to him. That is when she realised that her father was not a cruel giant but a large-hearted, hard-working man who got extremely tired by the end the day. Q30.ofHow did Kezia feel when her father beat her?

 

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 Ans. Kezia needed some papers to stuff her pin-cushion. She tore her father’s important speech for the Past Auth Authority. ority. When she admitt admitted ed her act, her fathe fatherr beat her. Undoubtedly Undoubtedly she was annoy annoyed ed with her father. But her grandma consoled her. Q31. Why was Kezia afraid of her father?  Ans. She was afraid of her father because of his rude and harsh behaviour. He never interacted with her politely and humbly. He always kept ordering o rdering her to do one thing or the other. He even beat her. Q32. How did Kezia’s birthday present for her father prove to be a disaster for her?  Ans. Her grandmother asked her to prepare a pin-cushion as a birthday gift to her father. She couldn’t ind anything suitable which she could use to stuff her pin-cushion. So, she used her father’s papers for this purpose. She tore them into pieces and stuffed the cushion with them. When her father came to know about it, he was very much annoyed and beat her with a ruler. Thus, Kezia’s birthday present proved to be a disaster.  Q33. What was the morning routine of Kezia and her father?  Ans. Before going to his ofice, Kezia’s father used to visit her room. He would give her a casual kiss. She responded with “Goodbye, father.” Since she was afraid of him, she always felt relieved after his departure. Q34. Why was Kezia punished by her father?  Ans. Kezia wanted to present a pin-cushion to her father on his birthday. She illed it with some papers. These papers contained an important speech for the Port Authority. When her father came to know about it, he punished Kezia. Q35. Kezia’s efforts to please her father resulted in displeasing him very much. How did this happen?  Ans. She stitched cotton cloth three sides and looked for the things that could be stuffed into the stitched cloth. Soon she found out many sheets of paper. Actually, they contained her father’s speech for the Port Authority. She tore them into pieces and stuffed her case. Next day when her father looked for the papers, he did not ind them. After some time, he came to know that Kezia had torn them into pieces to make a pin-cushion. He got infuriated and beat her with a ruler. Q36. What kind of father was Mr Macdonald, and how was he different from Kezia’s father?  Ans. Her father was always busy with his oficial work. He had no time to talk to her. For Kezia, her father was a igure to be feared and avoided. On the other hand Mr Macdonald, the neighbour always play with his children. He had time to spare with his children. Q37. Give in brief the message of the story ‘The Little Girl’.  Ans. Appearances can be deceptive. Kezia’s father looked like a cruel giant to her. She trembled and stuttered in his presence. His harsh words made her curse her fate. However, she, later on, found that her father was not devoid of tender human feelings. Beneath his rough exterior was hidden his deep love and affection for his daughter. Q38. Why was a hue and cry in the house? Why did her father punish Kezia?

 Ans. There were a hue and cry in the house. Kezia had stuffed her father’s important papers into the pin-cushion. It was a birthday present she wanted to gift to her father. His father became furious after knowing this. He beat her with a ruler for tearing his important papers into pieces. Q39. Why did Kezia always stutter while talking to her father?  Ans. Kezia was a normal girl but whenever she was in front of her father she felt nervous. She would try hard to speak words but would end up in stuttering. She was too afraid of her father. Q40. How did Kezia make a pin-cushion for her father?  Ans. Kezia’s grandmother advised her to make a pin-cushion for her father on his birthday. She made it out of a beautiful beautiful piece of yello yellow w silk. She wanted something something to ill it with. She found some sheets of paper lying on the bed table. She tore them up and illed in the pincushion. Q41. In what ways did Kezia’s grandmother encourage her to get to know her father better?  Ans. On Sunday afternoons, Kezia’s grandmother sent her to her father’s room to have a nice talk  with him. Besides, she asked her to make a gift of a pin-cushion on her father’s birthday. Q42. Why was Kezia’s father to be feared and avoided? What did she think of him?  Ans. For Kezia, her father was a igure to be feared and avoided. No doubt, Kezia responded his casual ‘Goodbye Father’. However, felttorelieved when herpaper fatherinto disappeared along the road. Inkiss thewith evening he would ask in his loudshe voice bring his tea and the drawing room. She felt very uncomfortable in his presence.

 

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Q43. How did Kezia feel when her father left for ofice and why?  Ans. Kezia was a little girl. Her parents were working. She had formal relations with her parents. She often felt a sense of relief when her father left for ofice. Actually, she was afraid of her father. f ather.

ESSAY TYPE QUESTIONS  Q.1. How did the little girl start understanding her father? Or Narrate in about 100 words the story ‘The Little Girl’.  Ans. Kezia was a little girl. She was very afraid of her father. To her, he looked like a giant. He spoke very loudly in the house. So she always avoided him. One day she tore up an important speech written by her father. He became very angry and beat her with a stick. Kezia started weeping. She wondered why God had made fathers. One day Kezia’s mother was ill. She was taken to the hospital. Kezia was alone in the house. At night  she had a bad dream. She cried with fear. Her father took her to his own bed. She lay beside him. Then she realised that her father was not bad. lie had to work hard. lie had no time to play with her. It was her fault to tear up the speech. Now Kezia felt that her father was large-hearted Q.2. Kezia slept one night with her father and changed her opinion about him. What was her opinion about her father before? What change did take place?  Ans. Earlier Kezia thought that her father was a cruel man. She always avoided him. She saw that her neighbour Mr Macdonald loved her children. But her father never cared for her. One day Kezia’s mother Was taken to a hospital. Kezia was alone in her room. At night she had a nightmare. She cried with fear. Her father took her to his bed. She slept with him. Her father asked her to rub her feet  against his legs to make them warm. She felt sorry for her father. He worked hard. the lie was so tired that he had no time to play with her She realised that it was her fault to tear up the sheets. Now it appeared to her that her father was not a hard-hearted man 3 Relate in your own words the pin-cushion incident.  Ans. The little girl wanted to gift a pin-cushion to her father on his birthday. She took a piece of  yellow silk and stitched its three sides. She left the fourth side for illing. But she did not know’ what  to ill it with. She found some sheets s heets of paper. She tore them into pieces. She stuffed the cushion with them. She then stitched the fourth side also. Unfortunately, those papers contained a very important  speech. It was written by her father. When he came to know that Kezia had torn the papers, he was very angry. He took a ruler and hit Kezia on her hands. 4. Write a short character-sketch of Kezia’s father.  Ans. Kezia’s father has big hands, neck and mouth. In the beginning, he appears to be a very cruel person. He never talks to his daughter kindly. He never plays with her. Once Kezia tears up his speech. He beats her badly. But in fact. he is not cruel. He is very good at heart. One day Kezia cries out at night. She has a nightmare. nightmare. Her fathe fatherr comes and carri carries es her to his room. He puts her by his side. Now Kezia feels how her father loves her. In fact, he has to work very hard. He becomes too tired to play with his daughter. But the little girl thinks her father does not love her. At last, she does come to know how dearly her father loves her  her   5Write a short note on the relationship between Kezia and her father.  Ans:  The relationship between Kezia and her father was a delicate one. He was a conventional disciplinar discip linarian ian and as the head of the family, he asser asserted ted his author authority ity over every everyone, one, including including his little girl. He often scolded her for her sad looks and for stuttering. She was made to take off his shoes and put them outside when he returned home from the ofice in the evening. He even punished her when she mistakenly tore his important papers. He did not give her even one chance to explain herself and failed to see her loving intention behind the mistake. As a consequence of her father’s overly strict behaviour, Kezia developed a strong fear for him. She preferred to stay out of  his sight and was relaxed only during his absence from the house. She compared him to be a giant – a dreadful creature for little children. After being beaten by him with a ruler, she even questioned the purpose of God in making fathers. However, this dry relationship undergoes a drastic change towards the end of the story. Father displays his soft corner when Kezia is alone and gets scared by her nightmare. He carries her in his arms to his room, tucks her comfortably in his bed, lies down close to her and gives her the assurance that children seek from parents. This protective, caring and considerate side of her father arouses her sympathy for him. She realises that he has a big heart which is full of love for her.

 

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6. How did Kezia once earn her father’s wrath? What punishment did she get for her mistake? Was it justiied? What light does this incident throw on her father’s character?  Ans: Kezia once earned her father’s wrath for tearing his speech for the Port Authority to stuff a pincushion she was making for him as a birthday present. When he discovered that Kezia was the culprit, he punished her by beating her little pink palms with a ruler to teach her not to touch what  did not belong to her.  I think it was a very harsh punishment for an innocent mistake of a fond little daughter. It is true that the papers were extremely important for him and their loss must have caused him a lot of  inconveniences but he should have understood and appreciated the fact that Kezia was making a birthday present for him. Gentle but irm words would have suficed to teach the sensitive Kezia that  she should not touch things that do not belong to her. But Father instead chose to beat her little pink  palms with a ruler. That was much too cruel on his part. This incident shows that he was a very cruel and insensitive father who demanded a very high standard of discipline from his daughter and could not tolerate any disobedience. 7. How do you interpret the behaviour of Kezia’s mother towards her?  Ans: The behaviour of Kezia’s mother towards her is unlike the expected role played by mothers in  Ans: households. Perhaps, her husband’s strict nature does not leave enough room for her to pay the desired attention to her daughter. The story reveals that her relationship with her daughter is distant. She treats the little girl in accordance with her husband’s expectations. She orders her to take off her father’s shoes and put them outside as this would indicate obedience. On Sunday afternoons, she spends time engrossed in a newspaper sitting with her husband instead of talking to her daughter. When Kezia mistakenly tears the papers of her father, she drags her downstairs to face the wrath of Father. She does not try to soothe her when Father scolds and beats her. Neither does she defend her or try to protect her in any way. That is why Kezia turns to her grandmother to fulil her need for motherly care and affection.  8. Why did Kezia feel drawn towards her grandmother?  Ans: Failing to get any expression of affection from her Parents, especially her father, Kezia feels drawn to her grandmother. She turns to her to fulil her need for love and protection. Grandmother too showers abundant love upon the little girl. She keeps trying to build her bond with her parents. She advises Kezia to talk to t o her parents when they would be relaxing in the drawing-room on Sunday afternoons. Again, she tells Kezia about Father’s birthday and suggests that she should make a pincushion for him as a present. When Father beats Kezia, it is a grandmother who consoles and comforts her by covering her with her shawl and allowing the child to cling to her soft body. Earlier too, whenever whenever Kezia would get scared by her nightmares, nightmares, grandmother grandmother would take her in her own bed. Hence, her afinity and support make Kezia look up to her for everything. 9. Kezia decides that there are “different kinds of fathers.” What kind of father was Mr Macdonald and how how was he different from from Kezia’s father? (Textual)  Ans: Mr Macdonald, Kezia’s next door neighbour, had ive children and Kezia would often see them playing in their garden. One day, when Kezia looked through the gap in the fence she saw the Macdonalds playing the game ‘tag’. It was evening, and Mr Macdonald had just returned from work but unlike her father, he looked happy and energetic. He was having a good the hose on him and he tried to catch them laughing two girls time with his children – baby Mao was on his shoulders, were hanging on to his coat pockets and the party ran around the lower beds, shaking with laughter. Mr Macdonald’s sons turned This happy scene made Kezia conclude that there were different sorts of fathers. Mr Macdonald was so different from her own father. He was not at all strict, was always happy and thoroughly enjoyed the company of his children. In contrast, her own father was often in an angry mood and remained much too busy in his work. She dreaded him and avoided his company as much as she could. Whenever she was with him, he would get upset because out of fear she would stammer and fumble and look silly. His strict discipline and his domineering nature would often make Kezia wonder what God made fathers for. 10. How does does Kezia Kezia begin to see her father father as a human human bein being g who needs needs her sympat sympathy? hy?

(Textual)  Ans:  Kezia was used to being scolded by her father and sometimes even got punishment for her little mistakes. She lived in awe of him, for he would often ind fault with her manners, behaviour, speech,

 

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her general timidity and silliness. Little wonder then that she s he would tremble, stutter and look clumsy in front of him. He would often ind her looking wretched wretched as if she was on the verge of commit committing ting suicide. However, a nightmare one night made Kezia discover the tender, caring and loving side of her father. Since her mother and grandmother were away to a hospital, Alice, the Cook, had put her to sleep but  she was bothered by her usual nightmare of a butcher with a knife and a rope, and a dreadful smile. When her father heard her shrieking, he came to her room, lifted her in his arms and took her to his room. He comforted her and tucked her up nicely and slept next to her. He told her to rub her feet  against his to warm them. She snuggled her head under his arm and held tightly to his shirt. At that  moment, she discovered that her father was very much a human being and needed her sympathy. He was big, hard, snug and reassuring but there was no one to look after him. These thoughts illed her heart with love and affection for him. Q11. Every father has a love for his child whether he expres expresses ses his love or not. Comment on the basis of the story “The Little Girl”.  Ans. Fathers are not alike. Some play with their children while others love and care for them. They show their love to them by working hard and giving them all the facilities as well as instructions. Though they never express their love they have a deep love for their child. Kezia’s father belongs to the second type. He did not believe in showing off his affection for his daughter. He believed in showing his love by making her future more secure. When she tore his papers unknowingly, he beat  her harshly. But in thean end, we ind him a very loving and caring caring father. Thus it is true that every father loves his child’s but the way of love is different from one person to another. Most of the fathers live their dream in their children. Their strictness is also a kind of love. Q12. Father who seems hard from outside is not so from within. Comment on this statement 

with reference to Kezia’s father in ‘The Little Girl’.  Ans. Parents’ contribution in shaping and framing the life of their kids cannot be compared with anything. The values, courage, and virtues are all implanted by parents at a young age. The early years of a child’s life are very delicate, his future is made or marred at this age. For cultivating good qualities, qual ities, for making their kids bette betterr than them, they have to chide chide,, scold or show their strictness strictness but, in reality, a spring of love remains behind it. As in the story ‘The little girl’, Kezia’s father appears strict to her and she makes her opinion about him as a strict and hard-hearted father but when she realises the warmth of love she understands the love of her father. Q13. How can you say that punishments given by parents hold love for you?  Ans. Parents are very fond of their children. They always desire to see them on the top. If they punish punis h them, it does not mean that they want to hurt them. Kezia had stuffe stuffed d the pin-cu pin-cushion shion with the papers that contained important speech, which was great damage for her father. If her father beat her, he only wanted to teach her that she should value the important things in life. So his punishment had a lesson for Kezia and before doing any work, she would think twice whether the work that she was going to do was right or wrong. Q14. “That night there was a hue and cry in the house.” Why did her father get agitated?  Ans. One day, when Kezia was kept indoors indoors due to cold, her grand grandmother mother suggested suggested her to make a pin-cushion for her father. She stitched three sides of the cushion and went to her mother’s bedroom to look for scraps with which she could ill the cushion. On the bed-table, she discovered a great many sheets of ine paper, gathered them up, tore them into tiny pieces and stuffed her case and then sewed up the fourth side. That night there was a huge hue and cry in the house because those papers were very important. It  was a great speech for the Port Authority. So her parents were in search of those sheets. This was the reason that her father got agitated and punished her with a ruler. Q15. How does Kezia begin to see her father as a human being who needs her sympathy?  Ans. One night Kezia had a nightmare which made her too terriied. She was crying out of fear. When she woke up, she found her father beside her bed with a candle in his hand. He asked her what the matter was. When he came to know about her nightmare, he blew out the candle, bent down and caught up the child in his arms. He carried her to the big bedroom. He laid her on the bed and pulled the covers up around her. Apart from this, he lay down beside her. After half aslee she crept close to him, snuggled her head under his arm and held tightlysome to histime, shirt.still Now sheasleep, felt p, comfortable. Her father told her to rub her feet against his legs and get them warm.

 

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Now, Kezia realised that her father was not as harsh as she thought. She realised that her father had to work all day long and got so tired that he could not play with her. She realised that her father wanted her to understand his compulsion. At bottom, he was a very good person,

QUICK REVIEW OF THE CHAPTER 1.To the little girl who who was a igure to to be feared and avoided (A) a ghost (b) her father  (C) her mechanical teacher (d) none of these  Ans. (B) her father 2. How did Kezia feel when her father left for the ofice? (A) a sense of relief (B) lonely  (C) unhappy (D) depressed  Ans.  (A) a sense sense of relict  relict  3. What thing did Kezia’s father demand when he reached home in the evening? (A) a cup of tea (B) newspaper (C) slippers (D) all the options are correct   Ans: (D) all the options are correct  4. Who did the father ask for newspaper and his slippers? (A) the link girl (B) the little girl’s mother (C) his own mother (D) none of these  Ans. (C) his own mother 5. What was the name of the little girl?  (A) Margie (B) Kezia  (C) Alice (D) Lucy  Ans. (B) Kezia 6. When did Kezia speak with halts?  (A) while talking to her father (B) while talking to her teacher (C) while talking to other people (D) while talking to her classmates  Ans. (A) while talking to her father 7. Why did Grandmother send Kezia down to the drawing room on Sunday afternoon?  (A) to give her father and mother tea (B) to have a nice talk with them (C) to seek their permission to go out for (D) to help them in their household jobs playing  Ans. (B) to have a nice talk with them  Ans 8. What did Kezia ind her mother always doing?  (A) peeling vegetables (B) watching T.V.  (C) talking to her father (D) all the options are false Ms.  Ans. (D) all the options are false  Ans 9. Where did Kezia sit in the drawing room? (A) on the sofa (B) on a chair (C) on a stool (D) on a bed  Ans. (C) on a stool 10. What does Kezia’s father compare her to?  (A) a cat (B) a fox  (C) a sparrow (D) an owl Arts.  Ans. (D) an owl 11. Why does the grandmother ask the little girl to go make a present for her father?  (A) the father’s father’s birthday was the next week week (B) the father was going to be retired the next next week   (C) the father was was going to get a big reward (D) all all the options a are re incorrect incorrect the next week   Ans. (A) the father’s birthday was the t he next week  12. What gift did Kezia want to give to her father on his birthday? (A) a pin-cushion (B) a cigarette lighter  (C) a pen (D) a shirt  Ans.  (A) a pin-cushion 13. Where was Kezia’s father to give the great speech? (A) Parliament  (C) Port authority  Ans. (C) Port Authority  Ans

(B) State Assembly (D) Rail authority

 

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14. Who tore up father’s great speech? (A) Kezia’s mother (B) Kezia’s grandmother  (C) Kezia’s brother (D) Kezia  Ans. (B) Kezia’s grandmother 15. Who lived in ‘Kezia’s neighbourhood?  (A) The Macmillan (B) The Macdonalds (C) The Williams (D) The Georges  Ans. (B) The Macdonalds 16. How many children did Mr Macdonald have? (A) two (B) three (C) four (D) -ive  Ans. (D) ive 17. In Kezia’s view, what type of father was Mr Macdonald? (A) very cruel (B) very good (C) very bad (D) she had no opinion about him.  Ans. (B) very good 18. What was the name of the cook in Kezia’s house? (A) Alice (B) Lucy (C) Anne (D) Maria  Ans. (A) Alice  Ans. 19. Kezia had a nightmare about ………..  (A) a fairy (B) her father  (C) a butcher with a knife in his hand (D) a beautiful garden  Ans. (C) a butcher with a knife in his hand 20. Where had Kezia’s grandmother and mother gone one day?  (A) to market (B) to hospital  (C) to the cinema (D) to on a picnic  Ans. (B) to hospital

CHAPTER: 4 A TRULY BEAUTIFUL MIND  

BY-ALBERT EINSTEIN

 

INTRODUCTION Albert Einstein was one of the greatest scientists in the world. This lesson throws a light on his life and his works theHe ield world politics. was deiciencies born on March 1879, the German city of in Ulm. wasofa science normal and looking child. But hethe hadliesome as a14, child) He in began to speak very late and when he spoke he repeated every word twice. His playmates made fun of him. His parents were not even so careful about him. But from his childhood, he had a big interest in science. He was good at studies. Ile always got good marks but he did not like the strict discipline of  the school. So, he left the school for good. He agreed to study in Switzerland which has a liberal atinospher0There he got interested in a fellow student Mileva Mark. Later he married her. He worked on different scientiic theories. Ile was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1921. He was showered with honours and invitations from all over the world. When America dropped atom bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki he was deeply shaken. He proposed for the formation of the world government. He worked for the development of peace and democracy in the work until he died in 1955. He is remembered even today as a ‘world’s citizen) THEME This brief sketch of the life and achievements of the great genius Albert Einstein, reveals that  extraordina extra ordinary ry personalitie personalitiess with exceptional exceptional intellect intellectual ual capab capabilitie ilitiess are not necessaril necessarily y noticed noticed during the early years. The author focuses on two aspects of Einstein’s personality – as a scientist  and as a human being. As a scientist, his marvellous discoveries created a revolution and as a human being, he worked towards peace and democracy in the world.

 

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TITLE  The title of this biographical feature “A Truly Beautiful Mind” is very appropriate as it encompasses both the intelligence of Einstein and his humanistic tendencies. As a genius, he made an immense contribution to the world of science by presenting startling theories and as a human being, he preached for peace and democracy. Thus, his mind was really beautiful and teeming with new ideas and human concerns. MESSAGE This account of the life and personality of the famous scientist Einstein gives us the message that a beautiful mind possesses not only innovative ideas but also makes sincere efforts to use these ideas for the well being of mankind. Science should be solely devoted to the promotion of worldwide peace and prosperity. If used for destructive purposes, the scientiic inventions and discoveries can wreak  havoc on the earth. Important Word-Meanings of dificult words from the lesson- A TRUE BEAUTIFUL MIND CHARACTER  Albert Einstein  Albert  Alb ert Einstein has been portrayed portrayed as a great intellectual intellectual genius and a peace-lovin peace-loving g human being with liberal ideas. As an intellectual, he created a revolution in the ield of science, particularly physics. Ma human being, he spread the message of love, liberty and peace. During his childhood, Einstein did not show any traces of intelligence. He was a slow child who started speaking very late. Even his mother considered him to be a freak and the headmaster of his school had such a negative opinion about him that he stated that Einstein would never achieve success in any career that he chi” However, Einstein proved to be a good student as he had s13’en interest and skills in mathematics and physics and he also scored in all other subjects. Einstein’s love for freedom dated back to his school days. He felt suffocated in his school in Munich becaus bec ause e of excess excessive ive disciplin discipline. e. He opted opted to study study in Switzer Switzerlan land d in a school school with with a libera liberall environment. He left Germany for America when the dictatorial Nazis took over because he was averse to every type of authority. Though a great scientist, Einstein was a lover of arts and literature. He was against philistinism (ignorance of or hostility towards art and culture). He fell in love with a Serbian girl Mileva Maric because she held similar ideas about art. As a scientist, his theories of relativity and gravity created a stir in the world of science. He was awarded the Nobel Prize and got numerous other honours. Einstein was a great lover of mankind. He wanted a world government. He was perturbed by the destructive use of science when the atom bomb was dropped over Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He spent  the rest of his life spreading the message of peace and democracy. Thus, Einstein’s traits as a scientiic genius and a peace-loving human being with a deep love for freedom are amply highlighted in this biographical account.  Short and Simple Summary of the lesson in English– (Lesson Name) / Summary in simple Words/ Critical appreciation of the lesson – (Lesson Name)

Summary in ENGLISH

Albert Einstein was born on March 14, 1879, in the German city of Ulm. He was a normal looking child. His mother thought him an abnormal child. He began to speak very late. And when he spoke he repeated each word twice. The other children made fun of him. So he used to play all alone. lie loved to play with mechanical toys. When he was six years old, he learnt to play the violin.   Albert Einstein went to high school in Munich. He was a good student. Ile scored good marks in all subjects. But he did not like the strict discipline of the school. He often got clashed with his teachers. So he left the school for good. After long discussions, he agreed to continue his study in Switzerland. He was highly gifted in mathematics and interested in physics. After passing high school, he joined Zurich University. There he got interested in a fellow student Mileva Marie. He found f ound an ally in her. She was a young Serb. She was very intelligent. They fell in love and later they got married in 1903. Albert graduated in 1900, at the age of 21. He was unemployed. the lie worked as a teaching assistant. In 1902, he got the job of a technical expert in a patent ofice in Bern. His job was to assess other people’s discoveries. He was secretly developing his own ideas. He published his famous paper in 1905 on ‘Special Theory of Relativity’, according to which time and dist distance ance are not absolute.

 

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Einstein’s new personal chapter coincided with his rise to world fame. In 1915, he had published his ‘General Theory of Relativity’, which provided a new interpretation of gravity. Einstein has correctly calculated in advance the extent to which the light from ixed stars would be delected through the sun’s gravitational ield. Einstein received the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1921. He was showered with honours and invitations from all over the world and lauded by the press.  When the Nazis came to power in Germany in 1933, Einstein emigrated to the United States. Five years later, the discovery of nuclear ission in Berlin had American physicists in an uproar.  At the urging of a colleague, Einstein wrote a letter to the American president Franklin D. Roosevelt, on August 2, 1939, in which he warned against the danger of atom bombs. His words inluenced Roosevelt. The Americans developed the atomic bomb in a secret project of their t heir own and dropped it  on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945.  Einstein was deeply shaken by the extent of the destruction. This time he wrote a long letter to the United Nations. In it, he proposed the formation of a world government. Einstein got ever more involved in politics using his popularity to campaign for peace and democracy. When Einstein died in 1955 at the age of 76. he was celebrated as a visionary and world citizen as much as a scientiic genius.

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS Choose the correct answer : 1.What did the other children say about Einstein ?   (A) That he was ugly.   (B) That he was boring.   (C) That he was quarrelsome.   (D) That he was stupid. 2. What did Einstein’s headmaster feel about him?   (A) That he was boring.   (B) That he was quarrelsome.   (C) That he was lazy.   (D) That he was was stupid and would would never never succeed succeed in his life. life. 3. What did Einstein’s mother think about him?   (A) That he was very lovely.   (B) That he was boring.   (C) That he was stupid.   (D) That he was a freak. 4. Why did Einstein leave the Munich school for good?   (A) He disliked the building of that school.   (B) He disliked the regimentation of that school.   (C) He disliked the head teacher of that school.   (D) He disliked the teachers of that school. 5. Where did Einstein want to go to study after leaving the Munich school?   (A) To England.   (B) To America.   (C) To Frankfurt,   (D) To Switzerland. 6. Why did Einstein want to study in Switzerland rather than Munich?   (A) B Because ecause he disliked disliked the the regimentation in the Munich school.   (B) Because he liked the liberal atmosphere in Switzerland.   (C) Both A and B above.   (D) Neither A nor B above. 7. Why did Einstein see an ally in Mileva?   (A) Both of them were of the same age.   (B) Both of them were classmates.   (C) Bo Both th of them were intelligent and opposed to philistines.   (D) B Both oth of them were opposed to the idea of making making atomic atomic 8. What did Einstein call his desk drawer at the patent ofice?   (A) The Bureau of freedom.

 

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  (B) The Bureau of patented inventions.   (C) The Bureau of theoretical physics.   (D) The Bureau of nuclear ission. 9. What discovery had the Nazis in Germany made?   (A) The discovery of atom.   (B) The discovery of physics.   (C) The discovery of bombs.   (D) The discovery of nuclear ission. 10. Who was Franklin Roosevelt?   (A) The President of America.   (B) The Prime Minister of America.   (C) The Chief Scientist of America.   (D) The Chief Commander of the American Air Force. 11. Why did Einstein write a letter to Roosevelt?   (A) To warn him how powerful the Nazis had become in Germany.   (B) To warn how destructive the atomic bomb could be.   (C) To tell him how the atomic bomb could be made.   (D) To tell him to to thr throw ow the the atomic atomic bomb bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. 12. How did Einstein react to the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki?   (A) He was shocked.   (B) He wrote a letter to the United Nations suggesting a world government.   (C) He started campaigning for peace and democracy.   (D) All the above.

13. Why does the world remember Einstein as a ‘world citizen’?   (A) He supported peace and democracy.   (B) He was in favour of a world government.   (C) He wanted the world to function as one unit.   (D) All the above. 14. What type of toys did Einstein love to play with as a boy?   (A) Clay toys.   (B) Plastic toys.   (C) Mechanical toys.   (D) Electrical toys. 15. What did Einstein say when he looked at his newborn sister?   (A) That she had no eyes.   (B) That she had no legs.   (C) That she had no toys.   (D) That she had no wheels. 16. Who did Albert often clash with during his school days in Munich?   (A) With his classmates.   (B) With his teachers.   (C) With his head teacher.   (D) With his playmates. 17. How old was Einstein when he did his graduation?   (A) Twenty-one.   (B) Nineteen.   (C) Seventeen.   (D) Fifteen. 18. Who was Albert’s irst wife?   (A) Elsa.   (B) Mileva.   (C) Maria.   (D) Emily. When was the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki?  19. (A) In August 1940.   (B) In August 1945.

 

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  (C) In August 1947.   (D) In August 1950. 20. What was it that put the American physicists in an uproar?   (A) The discovery of the atomic bomb in Japan.   (B) The discovery of the atomic power in America.   (C) The discovery of nuclear ission in Berlin.   (D) The discovery of nuclear ission by Einstein. Hints : 1.B 1.B  2. 2.D D  3.D 3.D 4.B 4.B  5.D 5.D 6.C 6.C 7.C 7.C  8. 8.C C  9. 9.B B  10.  A  A  11. 11.B B  12.D 12.D  13. 13.D D  14.C 14. C  15.D 15.D  16. 16.B B  17.  A  A  18.B 18.B  19. 19.B B  20. C.

EXTRACTS FOR COMPREHENSION Read the following extracts and answer the questions that follow in one or two lines each. At the age of two-and-a-half, Einstein still wasn’t talking. When he inally did learn to speak, he uttered everything twice. Einstein did not know what to do with other children, and his playmates called him “Brother Boring”. (a) Why does the writer point out that Einstein wasn’t talking till the age of two-and-a-half? The wri writer ter poi points nts out tha thatt Ein Einste stein in was wasn’t n’t tal talkin king g til tilll the age of two two-an -and-a d-a-ha -half lf to cla clarif rify y tha that  t  outwardly his growth parameters were slower as compared to other children of his age. (b) How did Einstein speak when he inally started talking? When Einstein inally started talking, he used to utter everything twice. This indicated that his speech pattern was unlike what is usually found in young children.  (c) Why was Einstein called “Brother Boring” by his playmates? Einstein’s playmates called him “Brother Boring” because he was shy, slow, introvert and did not  know the art of interacting with others. (d) Which other word has been used for ‘speak’ in this extract?  The oth other er wor word d use used d for ‘sp ‘speak eak’’ is ‘ut ‘utter ter’.E ’.Eins instei tein n ha hated ted the sch school ool’s ’s reg regime imenta ntatio tion n and oft often en clashed with his teachers. At the age of 15, Einstein felt so stiled there that he left the school for good. (a) What did Einstein hate about his school in Munich? Einstein hated the strict military-like regimentation in his school in Munich. It suppressed his, inquisitive mind. (b) Why did Einstein clash with his teachers? The strict regimentation regimentation in the school demanded complete surrender surrender befor before e the teachers. teachers. But  Einstein had a curious mind and he would not accept things unquestioningly. Hence he often clashed with his teachers.  (c) When did Einstein leave his school in Munich and why?  Ein Einste stein in le left ft his school school in Mun Munich ich when he was ifteen ifteen yea years rs of age age.. He lef leftt bec becaus ause e he felt  completely suffocated by the rigid atmosphere there.

(d) Where did Einstein go after leaving his school in Munich? Einstein went to the German-speaking part of Switzerland, in a more liberal city than Munich. He worked as a teaching assistant, gave private lessons and inally secured a job in 1902 as a technical expert in the patent ofice in Bern. While he was supposed to be assessing other people’s inventions, Einstein was actually developing his own ideas in secret.  (a) What did Einstein do before securing a job? Before securing a job, Einstein gave private lessons and worked as a teaching assistant. (b) When did Einstein secure a job? What was the nature of this job?  Einstein secured a job in 1902. This job was in a patent ofice and Einstein worked here as a technical assistant. In this job, he was supposed to give appraisal and assessment of the inventions of  other people. (c) Why did Einstein develop his ideas in secret? Einstein had secured a job for monetary stability. Actually, his sole passion was science. So he developed his ideas in secret while his job required him to assess the inventions of other people. (d) Which word in the passage means the same as ‘evaluating’? In thefamous passage the word ‘assessing means the same asbetween ‘evaluating’.From this followed the world’s most formula which describes the relationship mass and energy.  (a) What does ‘this’ refer to?

 

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This refers to Einstein’s Speciic Theory of Relativity, according to which time and distance are not absolute.  (b) Which formula was framed from Einstein’s theory of relativity? The formula that was framed from Einstein’s theory of relativity is E=mc2,  (c) What is described by this formula? relationship between mass and ener The relationship energy gy is described by this formula. In this formula, ‘E’ stands for energy, ‘m’ for mass and ‘c’ for the speed of light in a vacuum.  (d) How did this formula establish Einstein as a scientiic genius? This formula, having been proved to be accurate, had become the most famous formula of the world and therefore, Einstein’s reputation as a scientiic genius was established. Many of them had led from Fascism, just as Einstein had, and now they were afraid the Nazis could build and use an atomic bomb.  (a) Who does ‘they’ refer to in the above lines? In the above lines ‘they’ refers to the American Physicists who had escaped from dictatorship in their parent countries.  (b) When and where had they all led to? They all had led to America when the Nazis came to power in Germany.  (c) Why did they have to lee their country?  They had to lee their country because they feared suppression of their liberal ideas by the dictatorial Nazis. (d) What were they afraid of and why? They were afraid that the discovery of nuclear ission could be developed by Germany to build and use an atomic bomb. If t happened, the Nazis would misuse it to cause massive destruction and gain supremacy over the entire world. Einstein was deeply shaken by the extent of the destruction. This time he wrote a public missive to the United Nations.  (a) Which destruction is referred to here? The destruction destruction referred referred to here is the massive damage caused by the atom bombs dropped in the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 by America. (b) What was the impact of this destruction on Einstein? The large-scale devastation caused by the dropping of atom bombs in Japan by America shook  deeply the peace-loving Einstein. (c) What is a ‘missive’? A missive is a long, oficial, public letter, like the one written by Einstein to the United Nations. (d) What did Einstein write in the missive to the United Nations?  Einstein proposed the formation of a world government, to counter the destruction of acts like the use of atom bombs, in the missive that he wrote to the United Nations. Unlike the letter to Roosevelt, this one made no impact. But over the next decade, Einstein got ever more involved in politics – agitat agi tating ing for an end to the arms buildup buildup and using his pop popula ularit rity y to cam campai paign gn for peace and democracy. (a) Who was Roosevelt?  Roosevelt was the president of America during the Second World War.  (b) Who had written a letter to Roosevelt and why? Einstein had written a letter to President Roosevelt to warn him against the atom bomb that  Germany could make on the principle of nuclear ission. (c) Which letter did not make any impact?  The letter written by Einstein to the United Nations after the atomic attack on Hiroshima and Nagasaki did not make any impact. In this letter, Einstein had proposed the formation of a world government to counter destructive acts like the use of atom bombs. (d) Why did Einstein get more involved in politics? Einstein got more involved in politics because he was a supporter of world peace and harmony. Through politics, he launched an agitation to end arms buildup and campaigned for peace and democracy.

 

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IMPORTANT PASSAGES FOR COMPREHENSION COMPREHENSION Read the following passages and answer the questions given at the end of each : PASSAGE 1  Albert Einstein was born on March 14, 1879) in the German city of Ulm, without any indication that  he was destined for greatness. On the contrary, his mother thought Albert was a freak. To her, his head seemed much too large. At the age of two-and-a-half, Einstein still wasn’t talking. When he inally did learn to speak, he uttered everything twice. Einstein did not know what to do with other children, and his playmates called him “Brother Boring.” So the youngster played by himself much of the time. He especially loved mechanical toys. Looking at his newborn sister, Maja, he is said to have said: “Fine, but where are her wheels?

 Questions :  (i) When was Albert Einstein born? (ii) Where was Albert Einstein born? (iii) What problem did arise in Einstein in his childhood? (iv) What did Einstein love in his childhood?  (v) Who was Maja?

Answers : (i) Einstein was born on March 14, 1879.  (ii) Einstein was born in the German city of Ulm. (iii) He uttered every word twice.  (iv) In his childhood, he loved Mechanical toys.  (v) Maja was Einstein’s younger sister.  

PASSAGE 2 The previous year, Albert’s parents had moved to Milan, and left their son with relatives. After prolon pro longed ged discus discussion sion,, Ein Einste stein in got his wis wish h to contin continue ue his educat education ion in German German-spe -speaki aking ng Switzerland, in a city which was more liberal than Munich. Einstein was highly gifted in mathematics and interested in physics, and after inishing school, he decided to study at a university in Zurich. But science wasn’t the only thing that appealed to the dashing young man with the walrus moustache.

Questions : (i) From which place they had moved to Milan?  (ii) About what thing did prolonged discussion take place?  (iii) Where did Einstein want to study? (iv) Why did he not want to study in Munich? (v) Which two subjects were Einstein’s favourite?

Answers : (i) They had moved to Milan from Munich. (ii) The prolonged discussion took place about where Einstein should study  (iii) He wanted to study in Switzerland.  (iv) the lie did not want to study in Munich because the atmosphere in Munich was very much stiled. (v) His two favourite subjects were mathematics and physics.

PASSAGE 3 Einstein’s new personal chapter coincided with his rise to world fame. In 1915, he had published his General Theory of Relativity, which provided a new interpretation of gravity. An eclipse of the sun in 1919 brought proof that it was accurate. Einstein had correctly calculated in advance the extent to Which Whi ch the light light from from ixed ixed sta stars rs wou would ld be de delec lected ted throug through h the sun’s gravita gravitatio tional nal ie ield. ld. The newspapers proclaimed his work as “a scientiic revolution.” Einste Ein stein in receiv received ed the Nobel Prize for Physics Physics in 192 1921. 1. He was shower showered ed with with honour honourss and invitations from all over the world and lauded by the press.

Questions :

 (i) What did he publish in 1915?