The Sound of Music- Part 2 Reading Comprehension

 AP/ NCERT Board-Based Reading Comprehension Passages Grade 9 Beehive 

Chapter 2 The Sound of Music -2

The Shehnai of Bismillah Khan

Reading Comprehension 1

EMPEROR Aurangzeb banned the playing of a musical instrument called pungi in the royal residence for it had a shrill unpleasant sound. Pungi 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 palace, decided to improve the tonal quality of the pungi. He chose a pipe with a natural hollow stem that was longer and broader than the pungi, and made seven holes on the body of the pipe. When he played on it, closing and opening some of these holes, soft and melodious sounds were produced. He played the instrument before royalty and everyone was impressed. The instrument so different from the pungi had to be given a new name. As the story goes, since it was first played in the Shah’s chambers and was played by a nai (barber), the instrument was named the ‘Shehnai’.

1. Why did Emperor Aurangzeb ban the playing of the pungi in the royal residence?

   a) It had a shrill and unpleasant sound.

   b) It was too large and cumbersome.

   c) It was considered inappropriate for royal gatherings.

   d) It was associated with lower-class musicians.

   

2. What was the barber's intention when he decided to improve the pungi?

   a) To make it easier to play

   b) To enhance its visual appearance

   c) To change its tonal quality

   d) To increase its popularity among commoners

   

3. How did the barber modify the pungi to create a new instrument?

   a) He made the stem shorter and narrower.

   b) He added more holes to the body of the instrument.

   c) He replaced the reeds with a different material.

   d) He increased the size and weight of the instrument.

  

4. What impressed everyone when the barber played the modified instrument before royalty?

   a) The instrument's visual design

   b) The instrument's unique name

   c) The soft and melodious sounds produced

   d) The barber's exceptional playing skills

 

5. Why was the instrument named the "Shehnai"?

   a) It was first played in the Shah's chambers.

   b) It was played by a renowned musician named Shehnai.

   c) It resembled another instrument called the Shehnai.

   d) It was commonly played by barbers in the royal palace.   

Reading Comprehension 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, the shehnai was part of the naubat or traditional ensemble 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.

1. Why is the shehnai considered auspicious?

   a) It is associated with royal courts.

   b) It is played in temples and weddings.

   c) It has a unique and melodious sound.

   d) It is a traditional instrument of North India.

   

2. What was the role of the shehnai in the past?

   a) It was used only in temples and weddings.

   b) It was part of the traditional ensemble at royal courts.

   c) It was primarily played in classical music concerts.

   d) It was a popular instrument among North Indian musicians.

   

3. Who is credited with bringing the shehnai onto the classical stage?

   a) Ustad Bismillah Khan

   b) Emperor Aurangzeb

   c) The barber who modified the instrument

   d) Ustad Bismillah Khan's teacher

 

4. Where is the shehnai commonly played today?

   a) Royal courts and palaces

   b) Classical music concerts

   c) Temples and weddings

   d) Theatres and auditoriums

  

5. What is the significance of the naubat ensemble?

   a) It includes nine different types of shehnai.

   b) It is a traditional North Indian dance form.

   c) It is a musical ensemble found in royal courts.

   d) It is a specific style of shehnai playing.

Reading Comprehension 3

As a five-year old, Bismillah Khan played gillidanda near a pond in the ancient estate of Dumraon in Bihar. He would regularly go to the nearby Bihariji temple to sing the Bhojpuri ‘Chaita’, 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.

Born on 21 March 1916, Bismillah belongs to a well-known family of musicians from Bihar. His grandfather, Rasool Bux Khan, was the shehnai nawaz of the Bhojpur king’s court. His father, Paigambar Bux, and other paternal ancestors were also great shehnai players.

1. Where did Bismillah Khan play gillidanda as a five-year-old?

   a) In the Bihariji temple

   b) Near a pond in Dumraon, Bihar

   c) In the ancient estate of Dumraon

   d) At the local Maharaja's palace

   

2. What prize did Bismillah Khan earn for singing the Bhojpuri 'Chaita' at the Bihariji temple?

   a) A big laddu weighing 1.25 kg

   b) The Bharat Ratna award

   c) A prize given by the local Maharaja

   d) The highest civilian award in India

   

3. To which family of musicians does Bismillah Khan belong?

   a) The Maharaja's family

   b) The Bihariji temple singers

   c) A well-known family of musicians from Bihar

   d) The Rasool Bux Khan family

   

4. Who was Bismillah Khan's grandfather?

   a) Bismillah Khan

   b) Paigambar Bux

   c) Rasool Bux Khan

   d) The Bhojpur king

 

5. What is the highest civilian award in India that Bismillah Khan earned?

   a) The Bharat Ratna

   b) The shehnai nawaz award

   c) The Dumraon Achievement Award

   d) The Bihariji temple honor

   

6. Choose TRUE statements.

1.Bismillah Khan's father was the shehnai nawaz of the Bhojpur king's court.

2.Bismillah Khan earned the Bharat Ratna award for playing gillidanda.

3.The Bihariji temple awarded Bismillah Khan a big laddu for singing the Bhojpuri 'Chaita.'

4.Bismillah Khan's family has a long-standing musical background.

    a) Statements 1 and 2

    b) Statements 2 and 3

    c) Statements 3 and 4

    d) Statements 1 and 4

Reading Comprehension 4

The young boy took to music early in life. At the age of three when his mother took him to his maternal uncle’s house in Benaras (now Varanasi), Bismillah was fascinated watching his uncles practice the shehnai. 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 sit captivated for hours on end. Slowly, he started getting lessons in playing the instrument and would sit practising throughout the day. For years to come the temple of Balaji and Mangala Maiya and the banks of the Ganga became the young apprentice’s favourite haunts where he could practise in solitude. The flowing waters of the Ganga inspired him to improvise and invent raagas that were earlier considered to be beyond the range of the shehnai.

1. Where did Bismillah Khan practice playing the shehnai in solitude?

    a) Vishnu temple of Benaras

    b) Maternal uncle's house in Benaras

    c) Balaji and Mangala Maiya temple

    d) Banks of the Ganga

2. What inspired Bismillah Khan to improvise and invent raagas?

    a) Captivating performances by his uncle

    b) Lessons from his mother

    c) Solitude and the flowing waters of the Ganga

    d) Music concerts in Benaras

3. Match the vocabulary words with their definitions:

1.Apprentice            a) To visit or spend time in a place regularly

2.Haunts                 b) To learn a trade or skill from a skilled professional

3.Improvise              c) To enchant or fascinate someone

4.Captivated            d) To create or perform something spontaneously

5.Raagas                 e) Melodic frameworks in Indian classical music

        a) 1-b , 2-a, 3-c, 4-d,5-e

        b) 1-b , 2-e, 3-d, 4-c ,5-a

        c) 1-a , 2-b, 3-d, 4-c ,5-e

        d) 1-b , 2-a, 3-d, 4-c ,5-e

Reading Comprehension 5

At the age of 14, Bismillah accompanied his uncle to the Allahabad Music Conference. At the end of his recital, 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. He soon became an often-heard shehnai player on radio.

When India gained independence on 15 August 1947, Bismillah Khan became the first Indian to greet the nation with his shehnai. He poured his heart out into Raag Kafi from the Red Fort to an audience which included Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, who later gave his famous ‘Tryst with Destiny’ speech.

1. At what age did Bismillah accompany his uncle to the Allahabad Music Conference?

   a) 12

   b) 14

   c) 16

   d) 18

  

2. Who patted the young boy's back and encouraged him to work hard?

   a) Mahatma Gandhi

   b) Ustad Faiyaz Khan

   c) Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru

   d) Bismillah's uncle

   

3. In which year did the All India Radio open in Lucknow?

   a) 1928

   b) 1932

   c) 1938

   d) 1942

  

4. On what date did India gain independence?

   a) 26 January 1950

   b) 15 August 1947

   c) 2 October 1947

   d) 5 September 1948

   

5. Who was present in the audience when Bismillah Khan performed Raag Kafi from the Red Fort?

   a) Mahatma Gandhi

   b) Ustad Faiyaz Khan

   c) Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru

   d) All of the above   

Reading Comprehension 6

Bismillah Khan has given many memorable performances both in India and abroad. His first 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 was 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 filmafter the instrument called Gunj Uthi Shehnai. The film was a hit, and one of Bismillah Khan’s compositions, “Dil ka khilona hai toot gaya ...,” turned out to be a nationwide chartbuster! Despite this huge success in the celluloid world, Bismillah Khan’s ventures in film music were limited to two: Vijay Bhatt’s Gunj Uthi Shehnai and Vikram Srinivas’s Kannada venture, Sanadhi Apanna. “I just can’t come to terms with the artificiality and glamour of the film world,” he says with emphasis.

1. Which of the following statements is irrelevant?

    a) The film "Gunj Uthi Shehnai" was a hit.

    b) Bismillah Khan's compositions became nationwide chartbusters.

    c) Bismillah Khan expressed his dislike for the artificiality and glamour of the film world.

    d) Bismillah Khan was accompanied by his uncle to the All India Radio in Lucknow.

2. Match the following vocabulary words with their definitions:

    1. Maestro            a) The material from which movies are made; film.

    2. Celluloid           b) A song or piece of music that becomes extremely popular.

    3. Chartbuster      c) The quality or state of being artificial or fake.

    4. Artificiality         d)A highly skilled or distinguished musician or conductor.

                a) 1-b, 2-a, 3-d, 4-c

                b) 1-d, 2-c, 3-b, 4-a

                c) 1-d, 2-a, 3-b, 4-c

                d) 1-a, 2-d, 3-b, 4-c

3. Where was Bismillah Khan's first trip abroad?

    a) Pakistan

    b) Afghanistan

    c) United States

    d) England

4. Which Bismillah Khan composition turned out to be a nationwide chartbuster?

    a) "Dil ka khilona hai toot gaya ..."

    b) "Gunj Uthi Shehnai"

    c) "Sanadhi Apanna"

    d) "Shehnai Sangeet"

5. State TRUE or FALSE:

            1.The film "Gunj Uthi Shehnai" was directed by Vijay Bhatt.

            2.Bismillah Khan composed the music for the film "Sanadhi Apanna."

    a) 1- True ,      2- True

    b) 1- False,     2- False

    c) 1- True,      2- False

    d) 1- False, 2- True

Reading Comprehension 7

Awards and recognition came thick and fast. Bismillah Khan became the first Indian to be invited to perform at the prestigious Lincoln Centre Hall in the United States of America. He also took part in the World Exposition in Montreal, in the Cannes Art Festival and in the Osaka Trade Fair. So well known did he become internationally that an auditorium in Teheran was named after him — Tahar Mosiquee Ustaad Bismillah Khan.

National awards like the Padmashri, the Padma Bhushan and the Padma Vibhushan were conferred on him.

 In 2001, Ustad Bismillah Khan was awarded India’s highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna. 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.’’

1. Which award was conferred on Ustad Bismillah Khan in 2001?

   a) Padmashri

   b) Padma Bhushan

   c) Padma Vibhushan

   d) Bharat Ratna

   

2. Why did Ustad Bismillah Khan emphasize teaching children music?

   a) To promote cultural heritage

   b) To gain international recognition

   c) To win awards and recognition

   d) To make a career in the music industry

  

3. Which prestigious international event did Ustad Bismillah Khan participate in?

   a) Cannes Art Festival

   b) World Exposition in Montreal

   c) Osaka Trade Fair

   d) All of the above

  

4. How did Ustad Bismillah Khan feel when he received the Bharat Ratna award?

   a) Overwhelmed

   b) Sad

   c) Indifferent

   d) Angry

   

5. Why do you think Ustad Bismillah Khan's awards and international recognition were significant?

   a) They boosted his ego and fame.

   b) They brought financial rewards.

   c) They highlighted the richness of Indian music and culture.

   d) They paved the way for his international tours. 

Reading Comprehension 8

 In spite of having travelled all over the world — Khansaab as he is fondly called — is exceedingly fond of Benaras and Dumraon and they remain for him the most wonderful towns of the world. A student of his once wanted him to head a shehnai school in the U.S.A., and the student promised to recreate the atmosphere of Benaras by replicating the temples 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 yearningto see Hindustan. While in Mumbai, I think of only Benaras and the holy Ganga. And while in Benaras, I miss the unique mattha of Dumraon.”

Ustad Bismillah Khan’s life is a perfect example of the rich, cultural heritage of India, one that effortlessly accepts that a devout Muslim like him can very naturally play the shehnai every morning at the Kashi Vishwanath temple.

1. Who is known as "Khansaab"?

    a) Ustad Bismillah Khan

    b) King Zahir Shah

    c) Vijay Bhatt

    d) Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru

2. Why did Ustad Bismillah Khan yearn to see Hindustan when he was in a foreign country?

    a) To perform at Kashi Vishwanath temple

    b) To play the shehnai in Benaras

    c) To experience the unique atmosphere of Benaras and Dumraon

    d) To visit the holy Ganga river

3. What did a student of Ustad Bismillah Khan promise to recreate in the USA?

    a) Temples of Benaras

    b) Mattha of Dumraon

    c) River Ganga

    d) Kashi Vishwanath temple

4. Why is Ustad Bismillah Khan's life considered a perfect example of India's rich cultural heritage?

    a) Because he played the shehnai every morning

    b) Because he was a devout Muslim

    c) Because he yearned to see Hindustan while in a foreign country

    d) Because he effortlessly blended different cultural elements

Match the following vocabulary words with their definitions:

1. Devout            a) With little or no difficulty; smoothly.

2. Heritage          b) Having deep religious commitment.

3. Replicate         c) Established customs, traditions and beliefs

4. Effortlessly     d) To reproduce or imitate something exactly.

        a) 1- c, 2-b, 3-d, 4-a

        b) 1- b, 2-d, 3-c, 4-a 

        c) 1- b, 2-c, 3-a, 4-d

        d) 1- b, 2-c, 3-d, 4-a