EVELYN GLENNIE LISTENS TO SOUND WITHOUT HEARING IT

 

The Sound of Music - Evelyn Glennie

Concept Map:

 About the text:

The chapter is about Evelyn Glennie - a girl who lost her hearing ability but did not lose hope. The chapter gets revealed in the form of an interview where Evelyn is sharing her experiences. At the same time, the narrator (the interviewer) uses the flashback technique to go in the past and come back to the present. The chapter tells us about the trouble Evelyn has gone through, about her initial stages of learning music and about becoming one of the greatest percussionists in the world.

Summary:

Evelyn Glennie was 11 years old when her hearing ability got deteriorated and everything went blank for her. However, she did not give up. One day, she noticed a girl playing the xylophone and that made her took interest in music. She was encouraged to listen to music using her body by the percussionist Rob Forbes. She could feel music and vibrations through her body. She dedicated her life to music so much that she was one of the highest scorers in music exam in Royal Academic of Music. She started her career working with a youth orchestra and soon started working as an individual composer. She says that she is a workaholic. She tries to lip read people but also mentions that men with bushy beard give her trouble as she cannot read their lips properly. She is Scottish but she fluently speaks French and Japanese. People all over the world have praises for her. Master percussionist James Blades says, "She feels music deeper than most of us and expresses the same." Apart from regular concerts, Evelyn does free concerts and teaching in charity homes and prisons as well. People with disability look at her, get encouraged and say, "If she can, why can't we?"

 

Themes:

Hope: Evelyn's life is full of struggle. A girl of 11 would lose all hope with the thought that he is not able to hear people. As Evelyn says, "The entire world went into darkness" She almost lost everything, but hope. Hope stands as the strongest themes of this story.

Never Give Up: Evelyn did not give up on herself. Right from accepting her disability and the fact she is no more a common child to becoming one of the greatest percussionists in the world, she never gave up. She learnt music through her body parts, by feeling it. As she mentions, she is a workaholic person.

Humility: Though Evelyn is a famous personality, we can see that she still has the humility intact through this interview. She answers the interviewer without having any vanity. She is humble enough to teach music and perform a free concert at prisons and hospitals.

Textbook Exercise:

Q. 1) Answer the following questions: (1 Mark each)

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

Answer: Evelyn was sixteen years old when she went to the Royal Academy of Music.

 

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

Answer: Her deafness was first noticed when she was eight years old. It happened when her mother observed that her name was called but Evelyn was not responding during the piano class.

Q. 2) Answer the following in 30-40 words: (2 Marks each)

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

Answer: The percussionist Rob Forbes spotted Evelyn's potentials. He encouraged her to continue with music. Understanding her inability to hear music, he asked her to feel the music through vibrations on different body parts. For that, he tuned two large drum sets to different notes. He repeated the exercise and soon Evelyn discovered that she could sense certain notes in different parts of her body. In short, he helped Evelyn feel the music through her other organs.

 

2)    Name the various places and causes for which Evelyn performs.

Answer: Evelyn toured the United Kingdom with a youth orchestra. She performed at various concerts in different places and apart from that, she did free concerts in prisons and hospitals. She gives high priority free classes to young musicians. She teaches children with hearing disability for Beethoven Fund for Deaf Children.

Q. 3) Answer the question in two or three paragraphs (100–150 words).

1)    How does Evelyn hear music? (5 Marks each)

Answer: In the beginning, Even was encouraged to feel the differently tuned drums. She could feel the vibrations of different frequency above her legs and on her legs. Whenever she used to play the xylophone, she could feel the sound vibrations moving from the stick to her hand. Gradually, with encouragement from the teacher and her hard work and dedication, he started hearing music through her different organs. While performing on stage, she would remove her shoes and go bare feet so that she would feel each sound through her feet.

ADVERB - NCERT CBSE Class 9 and Class 10 English Grammar Notes

  What are ‘adverbs’?

An adverb is a part of speech – a word- that gives more information about a verb, an adjective or an adverb as well.

Just the way, adjectives gives more information about the noun, the adverb gives more information about the verb, the adjective and the other adverb as well.

Allen was walking.	Walking - verb	Allen was walking slowly. ‘slowly’ is adverb because it modifies the verb ‘walking’.
Allen was walking slowly.	Slowly - adverb	Allen was walking very slowly. ‘very’ is an adverb that modifies other adverb ‘slowly’.
Allen is intelligent.	Intelligent - adjective	Allen is superbly intelligent. ‘superbly’ is an adverb that modifies the adjective ‘intelligent’.

 

Note that most of the time an adverb ends with ‘-ly’ or ‘-ily’. They are modified from adjectives. For example:

Adjective	Adverb
Angry	Angrily
Happy	Happily
Merry	Merrily
Sleepy	Sleepily
Easy	Easily
Noisy	Noisily
Tidy	Tidily
Gloomy	Gloomily

 

Question: Given below are the adverbs. Use them in the sentences to fill in the blanks:

(Awfully, sorrowfully, completely, loftily, carefully, differently, quickly, nonchalantly)

(i)                   The report must be read ……………… so that performance can be improved.

Answer: The report must be read cafefully so that performance can be improved.

 

(ii)                  At the interview, Sameer answered our questions ……………, shrugging his shoulders.

Answer: At the interview, Sameer answered our questions loftily, shrugging his shoulders.

 

(iii)                We all behave …………… when we are tired or hungry.

Answer: We all behave differently when we are tired or hungry.

 

(iv)                 The teacher shook her head …………… when Ravi lied to her.

Answer: The teacher shook her head sorrowfully when Ravi lied to her.

 

(v)                  I ……………. forgot about it.

Answer: I completely forgot about it.

 

(vi)                 When I complimented Revathi on her success, she just smiled and ………….. turned away.

Answer: When I complimented Revathi on her success, she just smiled and nonchalantly turned away.

 

(vii)               The President of the Company is ………….. busy and will not be able to meet you.

Answer: The President of the Company is awfully busy and will not be able to meet you.

 

(viii)             I finished my work ……………. so that I could go out to play.

Answer: I finished my work quickly so that I could go out to play.

Notes by Amit Kharat

The Road Not Taken - NCERT CBSE Class 9 English Notes

About the poem: The Road Not Taken

'The Road Not Taken' by Robert Frost is about the circumstances we come across in our life where we have to choose one option. However, while choosing an option, we often get confused as the other option also seems equally good. Sometimes, we think of what suits us the best, while sometimes, we think of what our future will be if we choose a particular option. This poem is universal as any human being can be related to it.

About the poet: Robert Frost

Robert Frost is an American poet who belongs to the modern genre of poetry. Most of his poems also reflect romanticism. His poems show us the realistic setting of the rural life of early 18th century England. He, through his poems, explored the different social and philosophical themes. He used nature as a metaphor for life and the same can be seen in his famous poems such as 'Stopping by Wood' and 'The Road Not Taken'.

Summary of the poem:

One autumn morning when the yellow leaves are fallen on the forest trail, the narrator comes across a fork where two roads diverge. As being the only traveller, he has to take only one road. He knows that any road, he would take would go and meet the other road. But to make his choice easier, he observes both the roads.

He looks at the first road. It is very much visible and is somewhat filled with yellow foliage. This road goes into the undergrowth.

To give a fair chance to the other road, he too looks at it to make a choice. This road is grassy as not many people have chosen this road. For him, the road wants to get worn, wants to get used. On this road too, the yellow foliage is fallen, and that makes both the roads similar.

It seems that same number of people have passed from both the roads and neither of the road is less travelled.

He decides to go by the road, which is 'grassy and wanted wear'. He knows that he if chooses this road, he might not come back to see what the other road offers.

Finally, after many years, he tells this situation with a sigh, with relief, and mentions that as he chose the road less travelled, it has made all the difference. Whatever he is now, it is because of the less travelled road he chose.

Metaphor in this poem:

The entire poem is a metaphor as human life is compared with the forest trail/roads. We often come across the fork in our life where we have to choose between the alternatives that are offered to us. We always look for their pros and cons before making a decision. Also, even years after making a decision, we think of what would have happened if we would have chosen the other option. The phrase 'yellow woods' represent the decision made during the toughest time.

Poetic Devices:

Imagery:

A description that appeals to our senses is imagery. Here the poet describes the wood and the train in such a way that it creates visuals in the readers' minds. 'Yello wood' is strong imagery used here. Also, the entire journey is described in such a way that the poem acts as a navigator through the woods.

Simile:

When two or more things are compared using the words 'like', 'as', it is a simile. In this poem, simile is used in the line, 'Then took the other, as just as fair' to compare the roads with the ways of life.

Personification:

When a non-human and inanimate object is given human quality, it is personification. The line 'It was grassy and wated wear' is personification. The road wants to get worn seems like it is demanding something just the way humans demands.

Alliteration:

When two or more words with similar beginning consonant sound appear together, it is alliteration. For example: 'wanted wear'.

Rhyme Scheme:

The rhyme scheme used in this poem is ABAAB.

Question - Answers:

1)    Where does the traveller find himself? What problem does he face?

Answer: One fine morning, the traveller (the narrator) finds himself in a yellow wood. As he walks on a road, the road diverged into two roads. The traveller is confused which road he should take.

 

2)    Discuss what these phrases mean to you:

a)    Yellow wood - The phrase 'Yellow wood' means it is an autumn season where trees have shredded their yellow leaves. It also means the 'difficult time'.

b)    It was grassy and wanted wear - It means the road was not used by many people.

c)    Passing there - Both the roads in the morning seem as same number of people have passed from there.

d)    Leaves no step had trodden black : That morning, it seems that neither of the roads are less travelled by

e)    How way leads on to way: It means that any road we choose, it leads and join to some other way.

 

3)    Is there any difference between the two roads as the poet describes them in a) stanza two and three and 2) in the first two lines of the poem?

Yes, there is a difference between the roads the poet describes in stanza 2 and 3 and in the first two lines of the poem.

The first two lines of the poem describe that there are two roads diverged in the yellow wood. Here, the poet has not given a detailed description of the roads.

However, in the second and third stanza, the poet has described the two roads in detail so that it would be easy for him to take the decision.

 

4)    What do the lines: I  took  the  one  less  travelled  by, And  that  has  made  all  the  difference' mean?

We are the result of the decision we took in the past. The same thing the poet is trying to convey here. He has chosen a path less travelled, believed in his instincts that the less-travelled path would offer him something better, and thus became what he is today i.e. a well-known person in the world of literature. Very few people have to courage to go against the mainstream notions. But most of them became successful in it too.

Notes by Mr. Amit Kharat

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Fun They Had Notes - NCERT CBSE Class 9 English

Summary:

The story is taking place in the future i.e. the year 2157. Margie (aged 11) and Tommy (aged 13) are friends and neighbours. One day, Tommy finds a real book - of pages and printed words, which people of 2157 have never seen - in the attic. The book has yellow pages and crinkly. So, Margie writes a diary entry about it.

Margie came to know from her grandfather that his father used to tell her about the previous generation of people who used to study from such books. This book of pages and words is weirder for Margie and Tommy who have always seen telebooks (e-books) on the screen where words and pictures move, where what is there on the previous page is never there when the pages are turned. This book is about school. However, Margie hates school.

Margie and Tommy are learning from the mechanical teacher. Their school takes place in the house where they are supposed to sit in front of the mechanical teacher and learn. The mechanical teacher has a slot where students are supposed to submit their homework. the homework needs to be converted into codes, and coding is taught to children from the age of 6.

Margie hates school. Lately, her mechanical teacher has been giving her test after test in Geography and she was performing worse. Her worried mother called for the County Inspector for repairing the mechanical teacher. Margie expected County Inspector to take the mechanical teacher away for about a month because she has seen the same happening when Tommy's mechanical teacher needed repair when its History sector had gone blank. But unfortunately, Margie's mechanical teacher is repaired there itself. Margie and her mother are told by the County Inspector that the mechanical teacher, somewhat, geared up a little too quick, and that led to the problem in the Geography sector. He tells them that the mechanical teacher is now geared according to Margie's age.

Margie, who hates school, is now thinking about the school mentioned in the old book. She and Tommy discuss the human teacher of the old school who would know almost everything. They also discuss students coming together to a building called 'school', and would sit together in the class, enjoy their day in the playground. This makes Margie feel that the earlier way of learning was better as it was full of fun.

 

Textbook Exercise:

Q. A) Answer the following in 40-60 words: (2 Marks each)

1)    What kind of teacher did Margie and Tommy have?

Margie and Tommy had a mechanical teacher who teaches according to the age group set inside it. The teacher had a screen on which millions of books can be saved and read. This teacher also gave instructions for learning and give homework to students. The students would complete the homework, convert it into codes and insert the code in the slot given in the mechanical teacher. 

2)    Why was Margie doing badly in Geography? Why did Margie's mother send for the County Inspector? What did the County Inspector do to help her?

Margie's mother was worried about Margie's worse performance in Geography where the mechanical teacher was giving her test after test. That is why she called for the County Inspector to see if something was wrong with the teacher.

The County Inspector inspected the teacher and diagnosed the problem. He found that the Geography sector in Margie's mechanical teacher was geared a bit quick and it was not according to Margie's age. Finally, he geared it a little slow that would suit the nine-year-old Margie. 

3)    What had once happened to Tommy's mechanical teacher?

Once the History sector in Tommy's mechanical teacher blanked out completely, and it was a difficult task to fix it. That is why Tommy's mechanical teacher was taken away altogether for nearly a month. 

4)    Did Margie have regular days and hours for school? If so, why?

Yes, Margie had regular days and hours for school. Margie's mother knew that Margie hated school and she wanted Margie to not miss anything because of her attitude towards school. Also, her mother believed that little girls learn better if they learn at regular hours. 

5)    How does Tommy describe the old kind of school and old kind of teachers?

Tommy mentioned in the earlier times the school used to take place in a building where all the children would come to learn. They would sit in the classroom according to their age groups. There would be a human teacher who would know almost everything about the subject and he would teach them. The students would enjoy a lot while meeting friends, sitting with them and playing with them in the playground.

Q.B) Answer the following in detail in about 100-150 words: (5 Marks each)

1)    What are the main features of the mechanical teachers and schoolrooms that Margie and Tommy have in the story?

The mechanical teacher has a screen that displays the instructions for the students. Students have to follow the instructions. It has a slot where the students are supposed to submit their homework after converting it into coding. This mechanical teacher will give study materials and instructions according to the levels of the learners. The school is nothing but a study room inside the house where the mechanical teacher is installed.

2)    Why did Margie hate school? Why did she think the old kind of school must have been fun?

Margie's mother was conscious of Margie's studies and she used to make Margie attend the class at the decided time only. Margie did not like it much. On top of that, the mechanical teacher, due to some error in it, was giving Margie test after test resulting in Margie scoring worse in Geography. Due to all these reasons, Margie hated school.

However, when she heard about the old kind of school from Tommy, she thought that it must be a fun school where all the kids from the whole neighbourhood would come, laughing and shouting in the schoolyard, sitting together in the classroom and going home together at the end of the day. Those students would learn the same things so that they could help each other with the homework. 

3)    Do you agree with Margie that school today are more fun than the school in the story? Give reasons for your answer.

I agree with Margie that a school - a building - where all the students come together, sit, play and learn together is better than learning from a school, which is installed in your home. I think learning from the mechanical teacher would be difficult, as it does not have human qualities that would understand what a student thinks and what he/she goes through. In addition, sitting idle at a place would lead to physical illnesses such as obesity.

Notes by Mr. Amit Kharat