Class 9 English Chapter 2 NCERT Solutions – The Sound of Music & Poem Wind

 

NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English – Chapter 2: The Sound of Music

Thinking About the Text

I. Short Answers

Question 1. How old was Evelyn when she joined the Royal Academy of Music?
Answer: Evelyn joined the Royal Academy of Music at the age of sixteen.

Question 2. When was her hearing loss first noticed and confirmed?
Answer: Her hearing loss was first noticed when she was eight years old, and it was confirmed by the age of eleven.

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II. Short Paragraph Answers

Question 1. Who encouraged Evelyn to continue with music and what did they do?
Answer: Percussionist Ron Forbes guided Evelyn to continue her musical journey. He advised her to explore music in ways other than listening, encouraging her to feel the vibrations and rhythms through her body.

Question 2. Where and for what causes does Evelyn perform?
Answer: Evelyn performs not only in concerts but also in hospitals and prisons. She also teaches young students, sharing her love for music and inspiring others.

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III. Long Answer

Question 1. How does Evelyn experience music?
Answer: Evelyn perceives music through the vibrations felt in different parts of her body. With guidance from Ron Forbes, she learned to sense the higher notes of drums from her waist up and lower notes from her waist down.

Answer: She explains that when playing the xylophone, the vibrations travel through the stick into her fingertips. While leaning on drums or performing barefoot on a wooden platform, she feels the resonance moving through her body. These techniques allow her to connect deeply with music despite being deaf.

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Part II – The Shehnai of Bismillah Khan

I. Multiple Choice

Answer:

1. The pungi was a “reeded noisemaker.”

2. A barber transformed the pungi into a shehnai.

3. Bismillah Khan’s paternal ancestors were professional musicians.

4. He learned to play the shehnai from Ali Bux.

5. His first trip abroad was to Afghanistan.

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II. Bismillah Khan’s Feelings

Answer:

Bismillah Khan’s feelings about	Positive	Negative	Neutral
Teaching children music	✓
The film world		✓
Migrating to the U.S.A.		✓
Playing at temples			✓
Receiving the Bharat Ratna	✓
The banks of the Ganga	✓
Leaving Benaras and Dumraon		✓

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III. Short Answer Questions

Question 1. Why did Aurangzeb ban the pungi?
Answer: Aurangzeb banned the pungi because its sound was shrill and unpleasant.

Question 2. How does a shehnai differ from a pungi?
Answer: A shehnai is longer, broader, and hollow with holes in its body, unlike the simpler pungi.

Question 3. Where was the shehnai traditionally played? How did Bismillah Khan innovate?
Answer: Traditionally, the shehnai was played in temples, marriages, and royal ensembles. Bismillah Khan introduced it to the classical music stage.

Question 4. When and how did Bismillah Khan get his major opportunity?
Answer: In 1938, during the launch of All India Radio, Lucknow, he became widely recognized as a shehnai artist.

Question 5. Where did he play on 15 August 1947? Why is it significant?
Answer: He performed from the Red Fort on India’s Independence Day, greeting the nation with Raag Kafi to an audience that included Pandit Nehru.

Question 6. Why did Bismillah Khan refuse to open a shehnai school in the U.S.A.?
Answer: He declined because he did not want to leave his homeland and was deeply connected to Benaras, Dumraon, and the Ganga.

Question 7. How do we know he loved India and Benaras?
Answer: He often longed for India when abroad and thought of Benaras and the Ganga even when in Mumbai.

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Thinking About Language

I. Completing Sentences

Answer:

1. The school sports team hopes to win the competition.

2. We all want to succeed in life.

3. They advised the hearing-impaired child’s mother to take care of the child.

4. The authorities permitted us to perform the dance in the stadium.

5. A musician decided to perform in front of an audience.

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II. Vocabulary from the Text

Answer:

1. Home of royal people – royal residence

2. State of being alone – solitude

3. Absolutely necessary part – indispensable

4. Doing something never done before – invent

5. Without much effort – effortlessly

6. Quickly and in large amounts – thick and fast

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III. Tick the Correct Meaning

Answer:

1. Revived – lives again

2. Banned – stopped

3. Auspicious – welcome it

4. Take to something – find it interesting

5. Appreciate – find it good and useful

6. Replicate – for the second time

7. Come to terms – no longer upsetting

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IV. Adjective Usage

Answer:

Adjective	Only before noun	Not before noun	Both before and after be
Indispensable		✓
Impressed		✓	✓
Afraid		✓	✓
Outdoor	✓
Paternal	✓
Countless	✓
Priceless		✓	✓

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Speaking

Question 1. Imagine introducing Kishori Amonkar.
Answer: I am honoured to introduce Kishori Amonkar, one of India’s finest female vocalists. A Padma Bhushan awardee, she was born in 1931 to Smt. Mogubai Kurdikar. Her mastery over ragas and devotion to classical music have earned her numerous accolades including the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and the Sangeet Samradhini Award.

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Writing

Question 1. Did Evelyn and Bismillah Khan work hard? Where did they want to go?

Answer (Evelyn Glennie): Evelyn, despite being deaf from the age of eleven, pursued music passionately. She auditioned for the Royal Academy of Music at sixteen, achieving one of the highest marks in its history. She uses her body to feel vibrations and has inspired millions with her performances.

Answer (Bismillah Khan): Bismillah Khan, from a family of musicians, transformed the shehnai from a temple and marriage instrument to a classical stage performer. On India’s Independence Day, he performed from the Red Fort, showcasing his deep love for Benaras and the Ganga. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna for his contributions.

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NCERT Solutions for the Poem Wind

Question 1. What does the wind do in the first stanza?
Answer: It breaks shutters, scatters papers, topples books, tears pages, and brings rain.

Question 2. Have you seen grain winnowing?
Answer: Yes, my grandmother winnowed grain at home. In Hindi, winnowing is called “Fatakna”, usually done using a winnowing basket.

Question 3. What does the wind god winnow?
Answer: He winnows weak structures, objects, bodies, and hearts, crushing the vulnerable while leaving the strong intact.

Question 4. How can we become friends with the wind?
Answer: By strengthening our homes, bodies, and hearts, we can withstand its force.

Question 5. Meaning of the last four lines:
Answer: The wind destroys the weak but strengthens the resilient, teaching that one must stay strong physically and mentally.

Question 6. Tone of the poem:
Answer: The poet speaks with humor and insight, showing that while wind can destroy, it also brings benefits like rain.

Question 7. Similar poems in your language:
Answer: In Hindi, a comparable poem is “Toofan”.