Overcoming physical disabilities (Evelyn Glennie) and the life of Shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan

Bismillah Khan’s life demonstrates deep dedication to art, especially to the shehnai and Indian classical music. He practised continuously, refined the instrument’s sound and helped place the shehnai on the respected classical-music stage. His achievement did not come from luck or temporary interest; it grew from discipline, devotion and years of focused practice. Therefore, option A is correct. Laziness, fear of practice and distance from music contradict the facts of his life, because he remained closely connected with music and worked patiently to develop his mastery. The broader lesson is that sincere commitment can elevate both an artist and an instrument.

Option A, Banaras, is correct because the chapter connects Bismillah Khan’s music with the cultural and spiritual atmosphere of Banaras, also known as Varanasi. He grew deeply attached to the city, its temples, the Ganga and its musical traditions. These surroundings shaped the feeling and character of his shehnai performances. The question is not asking merely where he was famous; it asks which city’s spirit could be heard in his music. Kolkata, Hyderabad and Bhopal are not the city identified in this account. Remembering his lifelong association with Banaras makes the answer clear and also explains why his music carries a distinctive cultural identity.

Bismillah Khan became famous as a remarkable shehnai player. He helped raise the status of the shehnai from an instrument mainly heard in traditional or ceremonial settings to one respected on major concert stages. His careful practice, musical skill, and deep understanding of the instrument made him a celebrated maestro. His fame was therefore based on performance and mastery of the shehnai, not on a general connection with the arts.

The question asks for his main professional identity. Option A names the instrument for which he was nationally and internationally admired. The other choices describe drawing, writing, and dancing, none of which is the central subject of his life in the lesson. His achievements, public performances, and contribution to Indian classical music all relate to shehnai playing. Thus the correct choice follows directly from the chapter’s focus on his musical career.

Option A is correct because music was the central passion and vocation of both people described in the chapter. Evelyn Glennie overcame profound hearing difficulty by learning to experience musical vibrations through her body and became an accomplished percussionist. Bismillah Khan devoted his life to the shehnai, practice and Indian classical music, raising the instrument’s status. Their backgrounds and methods were different, but their shared love of music connected their stories. Politics, business and sports do not explain the common focus of their lives. The question requires identifying a common element, so the answer must apply meaningfully to both personalities rather than to only one of them.

Option A expresses the central lesson of both biographies. Evelyn Glennie faced serious hearing loss, yet she worked with a perceptive teacher, developed a new way of sensing vibrations and practised until she became an internationally respected percussionist. Bismillah Khan also spent years practising the shehnai and remained devoted to music, eventually giving the instrument a distinguished place in Indian classical performance. Their stories show that obstacles need not decide a person’s future when effort, discipline and dedication are sustained. The other options reject practice, art or perseverance, so they conflict with the evidence and message of the chapter.

Option A, courage, is the clearest feeling shown by Evelyn Glennie’s struggle. After her hearing began to deteriorate, she did not abandon music or accept the difficulty as an absolute barrier. With guidance and determined training, she learned to sense musical vibrations through different parts of her body and developed into a successful percussionist. Such action requires confidence, patience and the courage to face an unusual challenge. Fear would suggest withdrawal, indifference would show a lack of concern, and pride is not the main quality highlighted by the narrative. Her courage is therefore inferred from her persistent choices and achievements, not from a mere label.

Option A is correct because the shehnai was inseparable from Bismillah Khan’s identity, daily discipline and spiritual devotion. He did not treat it as a casual object or temporary entertainment. Through sustained practice, performances and emotional attachment, he made the instrument the centre of his artistic life. The chapter presents his relationship with the shehnai as intimate and lifelong, which is why describing it as a part of his life is appropriate. A toy or a game would make his serious musical work seem trivial, while a problem would contradict his love for the instrument and the honour he brought to it. The answer therefore captures both personal attachment and artistic commitment.

Option A is correct because Evelyn Glennie’s career shows that a physical disability does not automatically prevent talent, learning or achievement. Although she gradually lost her hearing, she found a different way to experience music by recognising vibrations through her body. She also accepted expert guidance and practised persistently until she became a celebrated percussionist. Her success does not mean that disability creates no difficulty; rather, it proves that difficulty need not destroy a person’s possibilities when determination, adaptation and support are present. The other options are contradicted by the account: music was central to her achievement, practice helped her, and a teacher played an important guiding role.

Option A is correct because Bismillah Khan transformed the public status of the shehnai by presenting it as a serious instrument of Indian classical music. Before his contribution, the shehnai was often associated mainly with ceremonies and traditional occasions. Through disciplined practice, innovative performance and prestigious concerts, he demonstrated its range and musical depth on the classical stage. A cricket ground, business market or art exhibition is not the professional setting in which an instrumentalist establishes the classical value of a musical instrument. The important connection to remember is Bismillah Khan, shehnai and Indian classical music; together these facts explain why option A is unambiguous.

Option A, music, is correct. Evelyn Glennie is presented in the chapter as a highly accomplished percussionist who continued to develop her musical ability despite serious hearing loss. Her achievement involved performance, rhythm, percussion instruments and an unusual method of sensing sound through bodily vibrations. These details place her success firmly in the field of music, not agriculture, business or politics. The question asks for the broad professional field, so the answer should identify the area in which her talent and public recognition were gained. Her story also demonstrates that an artist can adapt to a physical challenge without abandoning the chosen discipline, making music both the factual answer and the central context of her biography.

Option A is correct because Bismillah Khan gave the shehnai and its musical tradition wider national and international recognition. Through his exceptional performances, he showed that the instrument could occupy an important place in Indian classical music rather than being viewed only as a ceremonial instrument. His artistry therefore strengthened the world’s awareness of shehnai music as a distinctive part of India’s cultural identity. Cloth trade, sports competition and painting schools may be parts of other fields, but none represents his specific contribution in the chapter. The answer should focus on the instrument and tradition he carried to prestigious stages, not on a general Indian achievement unrelated to his work.

The governing concept is adaptation: a physical challenge need not prevent artistic achievement when a learner discovers an effective method. Because Evelyn Glennie gradually lost her hearing, she trained herself to sense sound as vibrations through different parts of her body, including her skin, bones and feet. This method enabled her to recognise rhythm, pitch and musical expression while performing as a percussionist. Therefore option A is correct. Reading notation may support any musician, but it was not the distinctive answer here. Imitation is not the lesson, and simply listening at a high volume would not solve her difficulty or represent her disciplined approach.

The governing concept is the guru–disciple tradition, in which disciplined guidance, practice and transmission of artistic knowledge shape a learner's progress. Bismillah Khan received his shehnai training from his maternal uncle, Ustad Ali Bux, who played at the Vishwanath Temple in Banaras. Under this guidance, Khan practised deeply and developed the mastery that later made him an internationally respected shehnai player. Thus option A correctly shows the importance of a guru. Option B is wrong because his learning was not limited to books; option C ignores Ali Bux's training; and option D reverses the actual relationship and its result.

The governing idea is that achievement is judged through dedication, talent and perseverance rather than through a person's limitation. People are impressed by Evelyn Glennie's remarkable musical ability and by the persistent effort through which she developed it despite severe hearing difficulty. Her success as a percussionist demonstrates that she transformed an apparent disadvantage into a different way of experiencing music. Therefore option A is the only relevant answer. Sports skill, politics and business are unrelated to the achievement described in this lesson. The question asks what people admire in her, not merely what physical condition she had, so the response must mention both her commitment and her musical accomplishment.

The governing concept is attachment to homeland and cultural roots. Although Bismillah Khan travelled abroad and received opportunities to perform internationally, he remained deeply connected with India, especially Banaras and the Ganga. He did not want to settle permanently away from his homeland because its atmosphere, traditions and memories were inseparable from his music. Hence option A is correct. The other choices describe actions that contradict the lesson: he did not abandon music, forget Banaras or sell the shehnai. His patriotism is shown not by a slogan but by his continuing emotional and artistic bond with Indian places and culture.

The governing concept is overcoming limitations through courage, creativity and sustained effort. Evelyn Glennie's hearing difficulty could have been treated as a reason to abandon music, but she searched for another way to experience sound, practised patiently and became a distinguished percussionist. Her example therefore inspires people to recognise their possibilities and move beyond the restrictions they face. Option A expresses this positive lesson. Options B, C and D are negative actions that oppose the values shown by her life: she did not give up dreams, stop practising or run away from art. Her story changes the meaning of limitation from a barrier into a challenge that can be approached intelligently.

Ustad Bismillah Khan’s devotion was chiefly connected with the shehnai and with the discipline of music. His life in the lesson shows how deep practice, love for his instrument, and respect for musical tradition can turn an artist into a great performer. The word “devotion” here means sincere, sustained dedication, not an ordinary interest or a temporary hobby.

Among the choices, shehnai music is the only one that matches his life and achievement. Trade, sports, and painting are unrelated to the central account of his work. Therefore, option A follows directly because his practice, public recognition, and cultural contribution were all connected with playing the shehnai and serving music.

Evelyn Glennie adopted a positive, determined, and hardworking attitude towards her difficulty. When her hearing loss threatened her musical ambitions, she did not surrender or wait for sympathy. Instead, she sought guidance, practised patiently, and learned to experience sound through vibrations. This way of thinking converted a severe limitation into a challenge that could be approached creatively and systematically. Therefore, option A is correct. Option B describes the attitude she rejected, while option C conflicts with her disciplined training. Option D is also unsupported because the account emphasises dedication and courage, not arrogance. Evelyn’s example teaches that constructive thinking, effort, and resilience can open possibilities even when circumstances are demanding.

The governing concept is the national and cultural significance of an artist's contribution. Through exceptional mastery of the shehnai, Bismillah Khan elevated an instrument that had traditionally been associated mainly with ceremonies and gave it a prestigious place on the Indian classical music stage. His performances brought recognition not only to himself but also to Indian music and the country whose cultural tradition he represented. Thus option A, India, is correct. The alternatives are deliberately too narrow or unrelated: his achievement was not limited to his house, a shop or a sports team. The lesson presents him as a national cultural figure whose art enriched India's reputation.

The governing concept is inclusion: people should be recognised for their abilities and given opportunities to participate, rather than being reduced to a disability. Evelyn Glennie's career shows that a person with hearing impairment can understand, perform and create music through a different sensory approach. Her achievement challenges stereotypes and encourages teachers, institutions and society to focus on support, equal opportunity and individual potential. Therefore option A, inclusive thinking, is correct. Discrimination and neglect would deny the very opportunity that allowed her talent to emerge, while fear is not the lesson of her confident and disciplined life. The example promotes respect, accessibility and participation.

The governing concept is the elevation of a traditional art form through excellence and dedication. Bismillah Khan devoted his life to the shehnai and displayed its expressive possibilities through rigorous practice and memorable performances. He helped move the instrument from a largely ceremonial association to a respected position in Indian classical music, making it admired in India and abroad. Therefore option A is correct. Options B, C and D directly contradict the lesson: he did not abandon classical music, permanently sever his ties with India or give up the shehnai for another profession. His lasting identity is inseparable from the instrument and its classical recognition.

The governing concept is resilience supported by purposeful practice and adaptation. Evelyn Glennie did not allow hearing loss to define the limits of her future. She worked with a perceptive teacher, learned to identify musical vibrations through her body and continued practising until this alternative method became a source of artistic strength. The combination of persistent effort and a new way of experiencing sound makes option A correct. Excuses and fear would have kept her from developing, while leaving music would have meant surrender rather than transformation. The lesson therefore presents weakness becoming strength through disciplined action, creative problem-solving and commitment to a goal.

The mention of the Ganga expresses Bismillah Khan’s deep emotional attachment to Banaras and to the cultural environment in which his music developed. The river is not included merely as a geographical detail. It represents memories, belonging, spiritual feeling, and the traditions that shaped his identity as a shehnai player. His connection with the place helped make his music part of a living culture.

The other choices describe attitudes that are opposite to the meaning of the passage. He was not bored with art, distant from music, or afraid of practice. The Ganga therefore points to love for one’s culture and place, making option A the best answer. It shows that an artist’s work may grow from a strong bond with the people, memories, and traditions of a particular place.

The governing concept is the shared theme connecting both biographies: dedication can transform difficulty and talent into excellence. Evelyn Glennie overcame profound hearing difficulty by practising, adapting her way of sensing sound and remaining committed to music. Bismillah Khan achieved mastery through years of disciplined training, devotion to the shehnai and deep love for his cultural tradition. Together, their stories show that music becomes meaningful and great through hard work, perseverance and affection for the art. Therefore option A is correct. The other choices are false: music is not restricted to the wealthy, practice is essential, and a physical challenge does not automatically prevent success.

The correct answer is A, hearing disability. Evelyn Glennie began losing her hearing when she was young, and by the age of eleven she was profoundly deaf. The governing idea of this part of the lesson is that a physical limitation need not prevent achievement when a person finds an alternative method and works with determination. Evelyn learned to experience music through vibrations in her body rather than depending only on her ears. Visual impairment was never described as her difficulty; mathematics and stage fear were also not the central obstacles in her story. Her success as a percussionist shows courage, adaptation and disciplined practice.