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

Question:

Answer:

The first instance is when he refused his student's request to start a shehnai school in U.S.A. The second instance is when he was asked by Shekhar Gupta about moving to Pakistan during the partition, he said that he would never leave Benaras.

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Do you have a pet ? Is your pet mischievous ? Tell the class about it.

Why does the author say, “Toto was not the sort of pet we could keep for long”?

How does Toto take a bath ? Where has he learnt to do this ? How does Toto almost boil himself alive ?

Why does grandfather take Toto to Saharanpur and how ? Why does the ticket collector insist on calling Toto a dog ?

“Toto was a pretty monkey.” In what sense is Toto pretty ?

How does Toto come to grandfather’s private zoo ?

How does the poet speak to the wind — in anger or with humour? You must also have seen or heard of the wind “crumbling lives”. What is your response to this? Is it same as the poet’s?

What do the last four lines of the poem mean to you?

How does we make wind our friend?

What does the poet say the wind God winnows?

Have you seen anybody winnow grain at home or in a paddy field? What is the word in your language for winnowing? What do people use for winnowing? (Give the words in your language, if you know them.)

What are the things the wind does in the first stanza?

“If you work hard and know where you’re going, you’ll get there,” says Evelyn Glennie. You have now read about two musicians, Evelyn Glennie and Ustad Bismillah Khan. Do you think that they both worked hard? Where did they want to ‘go’? Answer these questions in two paragraphs, one on each of the two musicians.

IV. Dictionary work l The sound of the shehnai is auspicious. l The auspicious sound of the shehnai is usually heard at marriages. The adjective auspicious can occur after the verb be as in the first sentence, or before a noun as in the second. But there are some adjectives which can be used after the verb be and not before a noun. For example : l Ustad Faiyaz Khan was overjoyed. We cannot say : the overjoyed man. Look at these entries from the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (2005). Consult your dictionary and complete the following table. The first one has been done for you.

Tick the right answer. 7. When we come to terms with something, it is (still upsetting/no longer upsetting).

Tick the right answer. 6. When you replicate something, you do it (for the first time/for the second time).

Tick the right answer. 5. When you appreciate something, you (find it good and useful/find it of no use).

Tick the right answer. 4. When we take to something, we find it (boring/interesting).

Tick the right answer. 3. When something is considered auspicious, (welcome it/avoid it).

Tick the right answer. 2. When a government bans something, it wants it (stopped/started).

Tick the right answer. 1. When something is revived, it (remains dead/lives again).

From the text on Bismillah Khan, find the words and phrases that match these definitions and write them down. The number of the paragraph where you will find the words/phrases has been given for you in brackets. 6. Quickly and in large quantities (9) ......... and .......

From the text on Bismillah Khan, find the words and phrases that match these definitions and write them down. The number of the paragraph where you will find the words/phrases has been given for you in brackets. 3. A part which is absolutely necessary (2) ........... .

Complete the following sentences. Beginning with a to-verb, try to answer the questions in brackets. 5. A musician decided to ............ (What did the musician decide to do?)

Complete the following sentences. Beginning with a to-verb, try to answer the questions in brackets. 4. The authorities permitted us to ............ (What did the authorities permit us to do?)

Complete the following sentences. Beginning with a to-verb, try to answer the questions in brackets. 3. They advised the hearing-impaired child’s mother ............ (What did they advise her to do?)

Complete the following sentences. Beginning with a to-verb, try to answer the questions in brackets. 2. We all want ............ (What do we all want to do?)

Complete the following sentences. Beginning with a to-verb, try to answer the questions in brackets. 1. The school sports team hopes ............ (What does it hope to do?)

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

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

When and how did Bismillah Khan get his big break?

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

How is a shehnai different from a pungi?

Why did Aurangzeb ban the playing of the pungi?

II. Find the words in the text which show Ustad Bismillah Khan’s feelings about the items listed below. Then mark a tick (ü) in the correct column. Discuss your answers in class.

Tick the right answer. 5. Bismillah Khan’s first trip abroad was to ................(Afghanistan, U.S.A., Canada).

Tick the right answer. 4. Bismillah Khan learnt to play the shehnai from ................ (Ali Bux, Paigambar Bux, Ustad Faiyaaz Khan).

Tick the right answer. 3. Bismillah Khan’s paternal ancestors were ................ (barbers, professional musicians).

Tick the right answer. 2. ................ (Bismillah Khan, A barber, Ali Bux) transformed the pungi into a shehnai.

Tick the right answer. 1. The ................ (shehnai, pungi) was a ‘reeded noisemaker.’

How does Evelyn hear music?

Name the various places and causes for which Evelyn performs.

Who helped her to continue with music? What did he do and say?

When was her deafness first noticed? When was it confirmed?

How old was Evelyn when she went to the Royal Academy of Music?

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