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

Correct answer: A. He valued Banaras and India instead of settling abroad

Explanation: The governing concept is attachment to one’s cultural and geographical roots. Bismillah Khan achieved international recognition, but fame did not make him reject Banaras or India. He continued to feel a profound emotional connection with Banaras, the Ganga, and the musical traditions in which he had grown. His response to opportunities abroad also shows that he did not wish to abandon his homeland and settle permanently elsewhere. Option A is correct because it gives a positive, relevant fact supporting the claim. Options B, C, and D are false or opposite: he did not leave India forever, reject the shehnai, or forget the Ganga.

Correct answer: A. Art lifted one above disability and gave cultural pride to the other

Explanation: The governing concept is the transformative power of dedicated art. Evelyn’s hearing impairment created a serious obstacle, but music, adapted learning, and persistent practice enabled her to become an internationally respected percussionist. Bismillah Khan’s mastery of the shehnai raised an instrument once associated mainly with ceremonies to the level of classical concert music and gave it national and cultural prestige. Thus option A correctly joins the two effects without confusing their individual stories. Options B, C, and D are wrong because both artists succeeded through practice, remained socially connected, and used art to enrich rather than diminish their lives and communities.

Correct answer: A. True dedication can elevate both the person and the art

Explanation: The governing idea is dedication leading to excellence and meaningful achievement. Evelyn Glennie faced profound hearing loss, yet she trained patiently, learned to experience vibrations, and developed into a celebrated musician. Bismillah Khan also devoted his life to rigorous practice and brought the shehnai greater respect in Indian classical music. Their stories differ in details, but both show that commitment can raise an individual and, at the same time, elevate the art itself. Option A expresses this shared idea. Options B, C, and D are contrary to the lesson because emotion, struggle, practice, and social connection are all important parts of their journeys.

Correct answer: A. As the result of hard work, guidance, practice, and love

Explanation: The governing concept is that lasting success grows from effort supported by guidance, discipline, and genuine commitment. Evelyn’s achievement was not accidental: Ron Forbes gave her a new way to understand sound, while her own courage and sustained practice developed her talent. Bismillah Khan likewise worked for years, remained devoted to the shehnai, and was nurtured by musical traditions and affection for his art and homeland. Option A is correct because it combines these causes. Options B, C, and D reduce success to money, fame, or luck, whereas the lesson clearly presents achievement as the result of preparation, perseverance, mentorship, and love for music.

Correct answer: B. Determination can overcome obstacles

Explanation: The governing message is resilience: a physical challenge may change the method of pursuing a goal, but it does not have to destroy the goal itself. Evelyn became profoundly deaf during childhood, yet she refused to let that condition define her future. With Ron Forbes’s guidance, careful attention to vibrations, intensive practice, and firm self-belief, she developed into a successful percussionist. Therefore, option B is correct because it states the lesson’s message that determination can overcome obstacles. Option A encourages surrender, option C wrongly excludes deaf people from music, and option D ignores effort, training, and courage.

Correct answer: B. He taught her to identify vibrations with two drums

Explanation: The governing concept is innovative teaching adapted to a learner’s needs. When Ron Forbes recognised Evelyn’s hearing difficulty, he did not treat it as proof that she could not study music. He placed two large drums in the room and encouraged her to notice the vibrations produced by their sound. This practical experiment helped her discover that music could be felt through her body and perceived through different parts of her skin and bones. Option B is correct because it names the specific teaching method. Options A, C, and D are incorrect: Forbes supported her musical education, did not restrict her to singing, and did not keep her away from performance.

Correct answer: B. By the age of twelve

Explanation: The governing concept here is accurate recall of a key biographical detail. Evelyn’s hearing did not disappear immediately at birth or only after she became a performer. Her deafness developed during childhood and had become severe by the time she was twelve. This detail is important because it highlights the challenge she faced while beginning to build her musical identity and explains why she needed a new way to experience sound. Option B is correct. Option A gives the wrong age, while options C and D place the impairment much later and are inconsistent with the narrative of her childhood training.

Correct answer: B. She auditioned and obtained very high marks.

Explanation: The governing idea is that determination and preparation can overcome a serious obstacle. Evelyn Glennie had become profoundly deaf, yet she did not abandon her ambition to study music. To gain admission to the Royal Academy of Music, she appeared for the required audition and performed so successfully that she obtained very high marks. This result demonstrated both her musical ability and the disciplined practice behind it. Therefore, option B is correct. Option A contradicts her determination, option C leaves out the essential audition, and option D is unrelated because she continued to pursue music.

Correct answer: B. A source of strength

Explanation: The governing idea is the transformation of a limitation into an opportunity for growth. Evelyn’s hearing impairment could have become an excuse for giving up, but she chose to work harder and discover another way of experiencing music. She learned to perceive vibrations through different parts of her body and used this understanding to develop as a percussionist. In this sense, her weakness became a source of strength and determination, so option B is correct. Fear and anger do not describe the positive direction of her life, and an excuse would mean surrendering rather than overcoming the difficulty.

Correct answer: B. Practice strengthened and supported her success.

Explanation: The governing concept is that sustained practice converts talent into dependable achievement. Evelyn’s natural musical ability was important, but it could not alone make her a successful performer. She trained continuously, learned to identify vibrations and rhythm in unusual ways, and refined her control over percussion instruments. This repeated effort strengthened her confidence, technique and stage performance. Therefore, option B is correct. Option A wrongly dismisses the value of training; option C reverses the result, since practice brought her closer to music; and option D is too narrow because her effort continued as part of her professional development.

Correct answer: A. Because she showed courage in the face of difficulty.

Explanation: The governing idea is inspirational resilience: a person becomes a model when action and achievement rise above a serious obstacle. Evelyn faced profound hearing loss, but she continued learning music, practised intensely and became a celebrated percussionist. Her achievement showed that disability need not define the limits of talent or ambition. Thus option A is correct. The other choices describe surrender, fear or withdrawal, all of which contradict her conduct. She inspired others not merely because she had a difficulty, but because she responded to it with courage, discipline and persistent effort.

Correct answer: B. Feeling sound through the whole body.

Explanation: The governing concept is that music can be experienced through vibration and bodily awareness, not only through ordinary hearing. Because Evelyn had severe hearing loss, she trained herself to sense sound in different parts of her body. She could feel vibrations through her skin, bones and feet and use them to understand rhythm, pitch and musical expression. Therefore, option B gives the fullest and most accurate meaning. Option A is incomplete because it limits music to the ears, while memorising lyrics or preferring loud sounds has no connection with Evelyn’s explanation of musical listening.

Correct answer: A. She stood barefoot on the stage.

Explanation: The governing concept is the use of physical vibration as an alternative way to experience music. Evelyn stood barefoot on the platform while performing so that vibrations travelled from the stage and floor into her feet and body. These sensations helped her identify rhythm and respond musically even though she could not depend fully on her ears. Therefore, option A is correct. Thick shoes would reduce contact with the surface, while sitting away from the stage would make the vibrations less accessible. Watching rhythm alone also cannot explain how she physically felt the music.

Correct answer: C. Hard work can make the impossible possible.

Explanation: The governing message is that human potential should not be judged only by physical limitations. Evelyn Glennie faced profound hearing loss, yet through patience, innovative listening, regular practice and courage, she became a highly respected percussionist. Her life therefore supports the belief expressed in option C: determined effort can turn an apparently impossible goal into a real achievement. Option A is the opposite of the lesson, option B denies the value of perseverance, and option D unfairly excludes people who face challenges. Her example encourages society to recognise ability, effort and adaptation.

Correct answer: A. On the banks of the Ganga and at Balaji temple

Explanation: The correct answer is A because Bismillah Khan practised the shehnai in places closely connected with his life and devotion in Banaras. He played and practised near the banks of the Ganga and at the Balaji temple, where the sacred atmosphere strengthened his concentration and musical discipline. This detail shows that his art grew from regular practice, cultural surroundings and spiritual dedication rather than from a desire for glamour. Options B, C and D are incorrect because the lesson does not present foreign countries, a desert or a railway station as the principal places of his practice. The governing idea is the connection between music, place and devotion.

Correct answer: B. Varanasi

Explanation: Option B, Varanasi, is correct. Bismillah Khan’s shehnai was inseparably associated with Banaras, now commonly called Varanasi. Through his performances, the city’s musical, cultural and spiritual identity reached audiences in India and around the world. He did not treat the city merely as a place where he happened to work; its temples, Ganga, traditions and atmosphere deeply shaped his music. Kashmir, Jaipur and Madurai are important Indian cultural centres, but this question specifically asks about the place linked with Bismillah Khan in the lesson. The governing concept is cultural association: a great artist can bring international attention to the heritage of his home city.

Correct answer: B. It was the place of his musical devotion and emotional bond

Explanation: Banaras was special to Bismillah Khan because it was deeply connected with both his music and his emotions. It was the place where he practised, performed, and developed his artistic identity. The city’s cultural and spiritual atmosphere became part of his musical life. His attachment was personal and devotional, not simply based on work, money, awards, or trade.

Choice B is correct because it combines the two important ideas: musical dedication and emotional belonging. The other choices reduce Banaras to an unrelated or incomplete role. The lesson shows that he remained strongly attached to the city even after receiving fame elsewhere. Thus Banaras was not merely a location; it was closely tied to his memories, practice, and sense of home.

Correct answer: B. A lifelong spiritual practice and devotion

Explanation: Option B is correct because Bismillah Khan regarded music as a lifelong form of sadhana, or disciplined spiritual practice, and as an expression of devotion. His relationship with the shehnai was deeper than a professional arrangement. Years of riyaz, attachment to Banaras, respect for temples and love of Indian musical tradition show that music shaped his identity and inner life. Money, fame and awards may have followed his achievements, but they were not the central purpose described in the lesson. Options A, C and D reduce music to profit, leisure or competition and therefore miss the governing idea of dedication. The answer is based on his attitude, not merely on the results of his career.

Correct answer: A. Constant practice

Explanation: Option A is correct because Bismillah Khan’s achievement rested on continuous riyaz, discipline and deep dedication to the shehnai. Musical excellence does not arise suddenly; it develops when an artist repeatedly practises technique, listens carefully, corrects weaknesses and remains committed over many years. His close association with teachers, temples and Banaras gave him inspiration, but sustained practice converted that inspiration into mastery. Luck or sudden fame cannot explain the strength and consistency of his performances. Option C is the opposite of the truth, since he devoted his life to music, while option D confuses the public result with the cause of success. The governing principle is that persistent effort builds artistic ability.

Correct answer: A. Deep dedication to art

Explanation: Option A is correct because both Evelyn Glennie and Bismillah Khan achieved distinction through deep dedication to their art. Evelyn overcame severe hearing difficulty by learning to sense musical vibrations and by practising with determination. Bismillah Khan devoted himself to the shehnai through disciplined riyaz, traditional learning and lifelong service to music. Their circumstances and instruments were different, but the governing quality was the same: commitment combined with sustained effort. Options B and D contradict the evidence, since neither person was lazy or avoided practice. Option C is also unsuitable; it does not describe a shared quality and is especially inconsistent with Bismillah Khan’s attachment to India and Banaras. Thus A expresses the meaningful comparison.

Correct answer: B. Because she reached heights in music despite deafness

Explanation: Evelyn Glennie’s achievement is special because she became a highly successful musician despite profound hearing difficulty. Her deafness could have been treated as an insurmountable barrier, yet she learned to perceive music through vibrations and developed extraordinary control as a percussionist. The contrast between the physical obstacle and the height of her achievement makes her story inspiring. Option B states this connection accurately. Option A is false because her success required intense practice and determination. Option C reverses the facts, since she pursued music passionately, and option D is irrelevant because public performance was part of her career. Her example demonstrates that disability need not cancel talent, ambition, or artistic excellence.

Correct answer: A. Shehnai

Explanation: Option A, the shehnai, is correct. Before Bismillah Khan’s major contribution, the shehnai was largely associated with auspicious occasions, temples and weddings rather than with the highest concert platform. Through exceptional skill, sustained riyaz and imaginative performance, he demonstrated that this traditional wind instrument could command respect as a classical solo instrument. His work expanded its status and gave it a distinctive national and international identity. The dholak, harmonium and veena are different instruments and are not the focus of this biography. The governing concept is artistic transformation: a dedicated musician can elevate a familiar traditional instrument and make its musical possibilities widely recognised.

Correct answer: B. Confidence and ability

Explanation: Option B is correct because Evelyn’s successful stage performance demonstrated both confidence and musical ability. Although her hearing impairment created a serious obstacle, she learned to experience music through vibrations in different parts of her body and trained herself with remarkable discipline. Appearing before an audience showed that she did not allow fear or physical difficulty to define her potential. The performance was therefore evidence of preparation, courage and developed skill, not of boredom or inadequate practice. Option A reverses the meaning of the event, while C and D conflict with her enthusiasm and disciplined training. The governing concept is overcoming a limitation through adaptive learning, confidence and sustained effort.

Correct answer: B. He kept a deep bond with India and Banaras

Explanation: Option B is correct because Bismillah Khan’s patriotism appears in his lasting emotional and cultural bond with India, especially with Banaras. Even after receiving international recognition and opportunities to live elsewhere, he remained attached to the Ganga, the temples, the sounds of the city and the traditions that had shaped his music. His love for the shehnai was also a form of respect for India’s musical heritage. Option A contradicts this attachment, while C is false because he continued serving the shehnai throughout his life. Option D is the opposite of his attitude, since he represented and celebrated Indian music before the world. The governing concept is patriotism expressed through loyalty to homeland and culture.

Correct answer: B. They develop her talent through encouragement and proper guidance

Explanation: Option B is correct because Evelyn’s family and teachers responded to her hearing impairment with encouragement, patience and practical guidance rather than discouragement. Her family supported her musical interest, while Ron Forbes helped her discover that she could experience sound through vibrations in her body. This new method enabled her to understand rhythm and pitch in a way suited to her circumstances. Evelyn still had to practise and work hard; support did not replace effort, but it made purposeful effort possible. Options A, C and D are incorrect because they describe opposition to music or practice, whereas the story shows an enabling environment. The governing concept is that sensitive guidance and encouragement can help a learner overcome barriers and develop talent.