NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 2 The Sound Of Music

NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 2 The Sound Of Music help students understand the inspiring journeys of Evelyn Glennie and Ustad Bismillah Khan. This chapter highlights themes of determination, passion, and dedication towards music, showing how hard work leads to success despite challenges.

Prepared according to the latest CBSE Class 9 English syllabus, these solutions provide clear and structured answers to help students understand the chapter deeply and perform well in exams.

NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 2 The Sound Of Music

The Sound of Music: Bismillah Khan
Medium
Q.
Tick the right answer.
1. The (shehnai, pungi) was a ‘reeded noisemaker.’
2. (Bismillah Khan, A barber, Ali Bux) transformed the pungi into a shehnai.
3. Bismillah Khan’s paternal ancestors were (barbers, professional musicians).
4. Bismillah Khan learnt to play the shehnai from (Ali Bux, Paigambar Bux,
Ustad Faiyaaz Khan).
5. Bismillah Khan’s first trip abroad was to (Afghanistan, U.S.A., Canada).
The Sound of Music: Bismillah Khan
Medium
Q.
Find the words in the text which show Ustad Bismillah Khan’s feelings about
the items listed below. Then mark a tick (✔) in the correct column. Discuss your answers in class.
Bismillah Khan’s feelings about
Positive
Negative
Neutral
1. teaching children music
 
 
 
2. the film world
 
 
 
3. migrating to the U.S.A.
 
 
 
4. playing at temples
 
 
 
5. getting the Bharat Ratna
 
 
 
6. the banks of the Ganga
 
 
 
7. leaving Benaras and Dumraon
 
 
 
The Sound of Music: Bismillah Khan
Medium
Q.
Why did Aurangzeb ban the playing of the pungi?
The Sound of Music: Bismillah Khan
Medium
Q.
How is a shehnai different from a pungi?
The Sound of Music: Bismillah Khan
Medium
Q.
Where was the shehnai played traditionally? How did Bismillah Khan change this?
The Sound of Music: Bismillah Khan
Medium
Q.
When and how did Bismillah Khan get his big break?
The Sound of Music: Bismillah Khan
Medium
Q.
Where did Bismillah Khan play the shehnai on 15 August 1947? Why was the event historic?
The Sound of Music: Bismillah Khan
Medium
Q.
Why did Bismillah Khan refuse to start a shehnai school in the U.S.A.?
The Sound of Music: Bismillah Khan
Medium
Q.
Find at least two instances in the text which tell you that Bismillah Khan loves India and Benaras.
The Sound of Music: Bismillah Khan
Medium
Q.
Complete the following sentences. Beginning with a to-verb, try to answer the questions in brackets.
1. The school sports team hopes_______ (What does it hope to do?)
2. We all want_______ (What do we all want to do?)
3. They advised the hearing-impaired child’s mother_______ (What did they advise her to
do?)
4. The authorities permitted us to_______ (What did the authorities permit us to do?)
5. A musician decided to_______ (What did the musician decide to do?)
The Sound of Music: Bismillah Khan
Medium
Q.
From the text on Bismillah Khan, find the words and phrases that match these definitions and write them down. The number of the paragraph where you will find the words/phrases has been given for you in brackets.
1. the home of royal people (1)_________
2. the state of being alone (5) _________
3. a part which is absolutely necessary (2) _________
4. to do something not done before (5) _________
5. without much effort (13) _________
6. quickly and in large quantities (9) _________ and_________  
The Sound of Music: Bismillah Khan
Medium
Q.
Tick the right answer.          
1. When something is revived, it (remains dead/lives again).
2. When a government bans something, it wants it (stopped/started).
3. When something is considered auspicious, (welcome it/avoid it).
4. When we take to something, we find it (boring/interesting).
5. When you appreciate something, you (find it good and useful/find it of no use).
6. When you replicate something, you do it (for the first time/for the second time).
7. When we come to terms with something, it is (still upsetting/no longer upsetting).
The Sound of Music: Bismillah Khan
Medium
Q.
Dictionary work


Look at these entries from the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (2005).

 
elder adi., noun
adjective 1 [only before noun]
(of people, especially two
members of the same family)
older: my elder brother • his
elder sister 2 (the elder) used
without a noun immediately after
it to show who is the older of two
people: the elder of their two
sons 3 (the elder) (formal) used
before or after sb’s name to show
that they are the older of two
people who have the same name:
the elder Pitt • Pitt, the elder.
awake adj., verb
adjective [not before noun] not
asleep (especially immediately
before or after sleeping): to be
half/fully awake; to be wide
awake. I was still awake when
he came to bed.


Consult your dictionary and complete the following table. The first one has been done for you.

 
adjective
only before noun
 
not before noun
both before and
after the verb be
indispensable
 
 
✔
impressed
 
 
 
afraid
 
 
 
outdoor
 
 
 
paternal
 
 
 
countless
 
 
 
priceless
 
 
 


Use these words in phrases or sentences of your own.
The Sound of Music: Bismillah Khan
Medium
Q.
Imagine the famous singer Kishori Amonkar is going to visit your school. You have been asked to introduce her to the audience before her performance. How would you introduce her?
Here is some information about Kishori Amonkar you can find on the Internet.
Read the passage and make notes of the main points about:
• her parentage
• the school of music she belongs to
• her achievements
• her inspiration
• awards
Padma Bhushan Kishori Amonkar, widely considered the finest female vocalist of her generation, was born in 1931, daughter of another great artist, Smt. Mogubai Kurdikar. In her early years she absorbed the approach and repertoire of her distinguished mother’s teacher Ustad Alladiya Khan. As her own style developed, however, she moved away from Alladiya Khan’s ‘Jaipur- Atrauli gharana’ style in some respects, and as a mature artist her approach is usually regarded as an individual, if not unique, variant of the Jaipur model.
Kishori Amonkar is a thinker, besotted by what she calls the mysterious world of her raagas. She dissects them with the precision of a perfectionist, almost like a scientist, until the most subtle of shades and emotions emerge and re-emerge. She is very much inspired by the teachings of the ancient Vedic sages, written at a time when vocal music was highly devotional in character. This soul searching quality of her music, coupled with a very intellectual approach to raaga performance has gained her quite a following in India and has helped to revive the study of khayal.
Significant awards bestowed on this artist include the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1985), the Padma Bhushan (1987), and the highly coveted Sangeet Samradhini Award (considered one of the most prestigious awards in Indian Classical Music) in 1997.
The Sound of Music: Bismillah Khan
Medium
Q.
Use your notes on Kishori Amonkar to introduce her to an imaginary audience.
You may use one of the following phrases to introduce a guest:
I am honoured to introduce.../I feel privileged to introduce.../We welcome you...
The Sound of Music: Bismillah Khan
Medium
Q.
“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.

NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 2 The Sound Of Music

Q1. Tick the right answer.

Ans:

  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. Bismillah Khan learnt to play the shehnai from Ali Bux.
  5. Bismillah Khan’s first trip abroad was to Afghanistan.

Q2. Bismillah Khan’s feelings about:

Ans:

  • Teaching children music – Positive
  • The film world – Neutral
  • Migrating to the U.S.A. – Negative
  • Playing at temples – Positive
  • Getting the Bharat Ratna – Positive
  • The banks of the Ganga – Positive
  • Leaving Benaras and Dumraon – Negative

Q3. Why did Aurangzeb ban the playing of the pungi?

Ans: Aurangzeb banned the pungi because it had a shrill and unpleasant sound, and it was considered a noisy instrument.

Q4. How is a shehnai different from a pungi?

Ans: The shehnai is longer and broader than the pungi and has seven holes, producing a soft and melodious sound, unlike the harsh sound of the pungi.

Q5. Where was the shehnai played traditionally? How did Bismillah Khan change this?

Ans: The shehnai was traditionally played in temples and royal courts. Bismillah Khan brought it to the classical music stage, making it globally recognized.

Q6. When and how did Bismillah Khan get his big break?

Ans: He got his big break in 1938 with the opening of All India Radio in Lucknow, where he became a well-known shehnai player.

Q7. Where did Bismillah Khan play the shehnai on 15 August 1947? Why was it historic?

Ans: He played at the Red Fort on India’s Independence Day. It was historic because he was the first Indian to greet the nation with his shehnai.

Q8. Why did Bismillah Khan refuse to start a shehnai school in the U.S.A.?

Ans: He refused because he could not live away from India, Benaras, and the Ganga, which were very close to his heart.

Q9. Give examples that show Bismillah Khan’s love for India and Benaras.

Ans: He refused to settle abroad and always expressed his deep love for Benaras and the River Ganga, showing strong attachment to his homeland.

Q10. Complete the sentences.

Ans:

  1. The school sports team hopes to do better in the National Championship.
  2. We all want to go for a picnic.
  3. They advised the hearing-impaired child’s mother to take her to an audiologist.
  4. The authorities permitted us to protest peacefully.
  5. A musician decided to open a music school.

Q11. Find words/phrases from the text.

Ans:

  1. The royal residence
  2. Solitude
  3. Indispensable
  4. Invent
  5. Effortlessly
  6. Thick and fast

Q12. Tick the right answer.

Ans:

  1. Lives again
  2. Stopped
  3. Welcome it
  4. Interesting
  5. Find it good and useful
  6. For the second time
  7. No longer upsetting

FAQs – Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 2 The Sound Of Music

Q1. What is the central theme of the chapter?
The chapter highlights hard work, determination, and passion for music.

Q2. Who are the main personalities in this chapter?
The chapter focuses on Evelyn Glennie and Ustad Bismillah Khan.

Q3. What lesson do we learn from Evelyn Glennie?
We learn that nothing is impossible with determination, even physical challenges can be overcome.

Q4. Why is Bismillah Khan important?
He popularized the shehnai globally and made it a respected classical instrument.

Q5. Why is this chapter important for exams?
It includes biography-based and value-based questions, which are frequently asked in exams.