ASSEB Class IX English Textbook:Beehive, Chapter 2: The Sound of Music Part I: Evelyn Glennie Listens to Sound without Hearing It

The Sound of Music
Part I: Evelyn Glennie Listens to Sound without Hearing It

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

1. How old was Evelyn when she went to the Royal Academy of Music in London?
a. Sixteen
b. Seventeen
c. Eighteen
d. Eleven

2. Where was Evelyn Glennie originally from?
a. London
b. A Scottish farm
c. France
d. Japan

3. At what age was Evelyn's deafness first noticed by her mother?
a. Six
b. Eight
c. Eleven
d. Seventeen

4. What was Evelyn waiting to play when her mother noticed she hadn't heard her name called?
a. The xylophone
b. The piano
c. The drums
d. The violin

5. Who urged Evelyn’s parents to take her to a specialist?
a. Her mother
b. Her headmistress
c. Ron Forbes
d. James Blades

6. What was the cause of Evelyn's severe hearing impairment?
a. An accident
b. A sudden illness
c. Gradual nerve damage
d. A birth defect

7. Who spotted Evelyn's potential in music when most teachers discouraged her?
a. Isabel Glennie
b. James Blades
c. Ann Richlin
d. Ron Forbes

8. What instruments did Ron Forbes tune to different notes to train Evelyn?
a. Two large drums
b. A piano and a xylophone
c. Two small xylophones
d. A violin and a cello

9. At what age did Evelyn decide to make music her life?
a. Eleven
b. Sixteen
c. Seventeen
d. Eight

10. Where did Evelyn tour with a youth orchestra?
a. United States
b. Japan
c. United Kingdom
d. France

11. How many instruments has Evelyn mastered?
a. Some hundred
b. Some thousand
c. Around fifty
d. Over ten thousand

12. According to Evelyn, who gives her trouble when she is trying to understand speech?
a. People who speak fast
b. Men with bushy beards
c. People with foreign accents
d. Children

13. Besides English, which languages has Evelyn managed to learn?
a. French and basic Japanese
b. German and basic Spanish
c. French and Italian
d. Scottish and Welsh

14. How does Evelyn sense the sound of the xylophone?
a. By leaning against it
b. Through her bare feet
c. By sensing the sound passing up the stick into her fingertips
d. By feeling it in her cheekbones only

15. Why does Evelyn remove her shoes on a wooden platform?
a. To feel more comfortable
b. So the vibrations pass through her bare feet and up her legs
c. Because it is a tradition for percussionists
d. To move around faster

16. Which prestigious award did Evelyn win in 1991?
a. Beethoven Fund Award
b. Grammy Award for Best Soloist
c. Royal Philharmonic Society’s Soloist of the Year Award
d. Royal Academy of Music Top Award

17. Who said, "God may have taken her hearing but he has given her back something extraordinary"?
a. Ron Forbes
b. Isabel Glennie
c. Ann Richlin
d. James Blades

18. Apart from regular concerts, where does Evelyn give free concerts?
a. Schools and universities
b. Prisons and hospitals
c. Orphanages and parks
d. Shopping malls

19. Evelyn is described as a "shining inspiration" for which group of children?
a. Blind children
b. Deaf children
c. Underprivileged children
d. Scottish children

20. What has Evelyn brought to the front of the orchestra?
a. The piano
b. Percussion
c. Woodwinds
d. The xylophone

MCQ Answers:

1. b
2. b
3. b
4. b
5. b
6. c
7. d
8. a
9. b
10. c
11. b
12. b
13. a
14. c
15. b
16. c
17. d
18. b
19. b
20. b

---

Assertion and Reason Questions

1. Assertion (A) Evelyn's parents were advised to send her to a school for the deaf.
Reason (R) It was discovered that her hearing was severely impaired as a result of gradual nerve damage.
(a) Both assertion and reason are true and reason is the correct explanation of assertion.
(b) Both assertion and reason are true but reason is not the correct explanation of assertion.
(c) Assertion is true but reason is false.
(d) Assertion is false but reason is true
(e) Both Assertion and Reason are false

2. Assertion (A) Most of Evelyn's teachers encouraged her to play the xylophone.
Reason (R) She was determined to lead a normal life and pursue her interest in music.
(a) Both assertion and reason are true and reason is the correct explanation of assertion.
(b) Both assertion and reason are true but reason is not the correct explanation of assertion.
(c) Assertion is true but reason is false.
(d) Assertion is false but reason is true
(e) Both Assertion and Reason are false

3. Assertion (A) Evelyn scored one of the highest marks in the history of the Royal Academy of Music.
Reason (R) She could hear the instructions of her teachers clearly using her new hearing aids.
(a) Both assertion and reason are true and reason is the correct explanation of assertion.
(b) Both assertion and reason are true but reason is not the correct explanation of assertion.
(c) Assertion is true but reason is false.
(d) Assertion is false but reason is true
(e) Both Assertion and Reason are false

4. Assertion (A) Evelyn mentions that men with bushy beards give her trouble.
Reason (R) When she watches people speak, she needs to see their whole face, especially the lips and eyes.
(a) Both assertion and reason are true and reason is the correct explanation of assertion.
(b) Both assertion and reason are true but reason is not the correct explanation of assertion.
(c) Assertion is true but reason is false.
(d) Assertion is false but reason is true
(e) Both Assertion and Reason are false

5. Assertion (A) Evelyn removes her shoes when performing on a wooden platform.
Reason (R) This allows the musical vibrations to pass through her bare feet and up her legs.
(a) Both assertion and reason are true and reason is the correct explanation of assertion.
(b) Both assertion and reason are true but reason is not the correct explanation of assertion.
(c) Assertion is true but reason is false.
(d) Assertion is false but reason is true
(e) Both Assertion and Reason are false

6. Assertion (A) Evelyn limits her performances to paid, professional classical concerts only.
Reason (R) She gives high priority to classes for young musicians and performs in prisons and hospitals.
(a) Both assertion and reason are true and reason is the correct explanation of assertion.
(b) Both assertion and reason are true but reason is not the correct explanation of assertion.
(c) Assertion is true but reason is false.
(d) Assertion is false but reason is true
(e) Both Assertion and Reason are false

7. Assertion (A) Evelyn concealed her growing deafness from friends and teachers for a while.
Reason (R) By the time she was eleven, her marks had deteriorated.
(a) Both assertion and reason are true and reason is the correct explanation of assertion.
(b) Both assertion and reason are true but reason is not the correct explanation of assertion.
(c) Assertion is true but reason is false.
(d) Assertion is false but reason is true
(e) Both Assertion and Reason are false

8. Assertion (A) Evelyn's speech is very clear and she speaks with a Scottish lilt.
Reason (R) She could hear normally until she was eleven years old, allowing her to develop clear speech.
(a) Both assertion and reason are true and reason is the correct explanation of assertion.
(b) Both assertion and reason are true but reason is not the correct explanation of assertion.
(c) Assertion is true but reason is false.
(d) Assertion is false but reason is true
(e) Both Assertion and Reason are false

9. Assertion (A) Ann Richlin states that Evelyn is a shining inspiration for deaf children.
Reason (R) Evelyn has demonstrated that handicapped people can achieve greatness and go anywhere they want.
(a) Both assertion and reason are true and reason is the correct explanation of assertion.
(b) Both assertion and reason are true but reason is not the correct explanation of assertion.
(c) Assertion is true but reason is false.
(d) Assertion is false but reason is true
(e) Both Assertion and Reason are false

10. Assertion (A) Evelyn can sense the sound of the xylophone passing into her fingertips.
Reason (R) She does this by placing her bare feet directly on the wooden bars of the xylophone.
(a) Both assertion and reason are true and reason is the correct explanation of assertion.
(b) Both assertion and reason are true but reason is not the correct explanation of assertion.
(c) Assertion is true but reason is false.
(d) Assertion is false but reason is true
(e) Both Assertion and Reason are false

Assertion and Reason Answers with explanations:

1. a
Explanation: Evelyn was advised to attend a deaf school specifically because her hearing was discovered to be severely impaired by nerve damage.

2. d
Explanation: Most of her teachers actually discouraged her from playing the xylophone, not encouraged her. Therefore, the assertion is false. The reason is true, as she was determined to pursue music.

3. c
Explanation: Evelyn did score one of the highest marks at the Royal Academy, making the assertion true. However, she was profoundly deaf and did not hear through hearing aids, making the reason false.

4. a
Explanation: Men with bushy beards give her trouble because she needs to see the whole face, lips, and eyes to understand what is being said.

5. a
Explanation: She removes her shoes on a wooden platform so that she can feel the vibrations pass through her bare feet and up her legs.

6. d
Explanation: Evelyn does not limit her performances; she gives free concerts in prisons and hospitals. Thus, the assertion is false. The reason is true, as she prioritizes classes for young musicians.

7. b
Explanation: She did conceal her deafness, and her marks did deteriorate by age eleven. Both statements are true, but the deterioration of marks is not the *reason* she concealed her deafness.

8. a
Explanation: Evelyn states that her speech is clear because she was able to hear until the age of eleven.

9. a
Explanation: Ann Richlin praises Evelyn as an inspiration for deaf children precisely because she shows them that there is nowhere they cannot go.

10. c
Explanation: The assertion is true; she senses the sound passing up the stick into her fingertips. The reason is false; she doesn't place her feet on the xylophone bars to achieve this.

---

Very Short Questions (1 Mark)

1. What prestigious academy in London did Evelyn attend?
   Answer: She attended the Royal Academy of Music in London.
2. How old was Evelyn when her mother first noticed something was wrong with her hearing?
   Answer: Evelyn was eight years old.
3. What was the medical reason for Evelyn's deafness?
   Answer: Her hearing was severely impaired as a result of gradual nerve damage.
4. Who spotted Evelyn's potential in music?
   Answer: Percussionist Ron Forbes spotted her potential.
5. What did Evelyn decide to do by the time she was sixteen?
   Answer: She decided to make music her life.
6. How many instruments has Evelyn mastered?
   Answer: She has mastered some thousand instruments.
7. Which foreign languages did Evelyn learn?
   Answer: She managed to learn French and master basic Japanese.
8. How does Evelyn sense the sound when she leans against the drums?
   Answer: She can feel the resonances flowing into her body.
9. Which prestigious award was Evelyn presented with in 1991?
   Answer: She was presented with the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Soloist of the Year Award.
10. Who described Evelyn as a "shining inspiration for deaf children"?
    Answer: Ann Richlin of the Beethoven Fund for Deaf Children.

---

Short Questions (2 Marks)

1. Describe Evelyn's feelings on her first day at the Royal Academy of Music.
   Answer: She was a slight seventeen-year-old girl who felt nervous yet excited as she felt the vibrations of the approaching underground train. It was a daunting experience for a teenager fresh from a Scottish farm.
2. How was Evelyn's deafness first discovered by her mother?
   Answer: Her mother, Isabel Glennie, noticed something was wrong when eight-year-old Evelyn was waiting to play the piano. They called her name and she didn't move, making her mother realize she hadn't heard.
3. What advice was given to Evelyn's parents by the specialist?
   Answer: The specialist advised that Evelyn should be fitted with hearing aids and sent to a school for the deaf.
4. How did Evelyn's teachers and Ron Forbes react to her interest in music?
   Answer: Most of the teachers discouraged her from pursuing her interest. However, percussionist Ron Forbes spotted her potential and began training her.
5. What technique did Ron Forbes use to teach Evelyn?
   Answer: He began by tuning two large drums to different notes. He told her not to listen through her ears, but to try to sense the sound in some other way.
6. What were Evelyn's achievements by the end of her three-year course at the Royal Academy?
   Answer: She scored one of the highest marks in the history of the academy. By the end of her three-year course, she had captured most of the top awards and moved from orchestral work to solo performances.
7. Why do men with bushy beards give Evelyn trouble during conversations?
   Answer: Evelyn explains that it is not just watching the lips to understand speech, it is observing the whole face, especially the eyes. Bushy beards obscure the face and make this difficult.
8. How does Evelyn experience the sound of the xylophone?
   Answer: When she plays the xylophone, she can sense the sound passing up the stick into her fingertips.
9. Why does Evelyn perform barefoot on a wooden platform?
   Answer: She removes her shoes so that the musical vibrations can pass through her bare feet and up her legs.
10. Apart from her regular concerts, what other commitments does Evelyn have?
    Answer: She gives free concerts in prisons and hospitals. She also gives high priority to classes for young musicians.

---

Short Questions (3 Marks)

1. Trace the progression and confirmation of Evelyn's deafness.
   Answer: Evelyn’s loss of hearing was gradual. Her mother first noticed a problem when Evelyn was eight and didn't respond to her name being called to play the piano. Evelyn managed to conceal her growing deafness for a while, but by age eleven, her marks deteriorated. Her headmistress urged a specialist visit, where it was confirmed that gradual nerve damage had severely impaired her hearing.
2. Explain Ron Forbes' role in shaping Evelyn's musical journey.
   Answer: When other teachers discouraged her, Ron Forbes spotted her potential. He tuned two large drums to different notes and instructed her to sense the music in ways other than through her ears. He repeated the exercise until Evelyn realized she could feel the higher drum from the waist up and the lower one from the waist down, thus opening her mind and body to sounds.
3. Describe Evelyn's journey with the youth orchestra and her transition to a solo artist.
   Answer: Evelyn toured the United Kingdom with a youth orchestra, and by the age of sixteen, decided to make music her life. She auditioned for the Royal Academy of Music, scoring one of the highest marks in its history. Over her three-year course, she captured most of the top awards and gradually transitioned from orchestral work to solo performances.
4. How does Evelyn account for her clear speech, and what makes her language skills remarkable?
   Answer: Evelyn speaks flawlessly with a Scottish lilt, which she attributes to the fact that she could hear until she was eleven years old. What makes her language skills remarkable is that, despite her profound deafness, she managed to learn French and master basic Japanese, defying expectations.
5. In what specific physical ways does Evelyn feel music?
   Answer: Evelyn explains that music pours in through every part of her body, tingling in her skin, cheekbones, and even her hair. She senses sound passing up the stick into her fingertips when playing the xylophone, feels resonances flowing into her body by leaning against drums, and absorbs vibrations through her bare feet and legs on wooden platforms.
6. What is master percussionist James Blades' assessment of Evelyn?
   Answer: James Blades believes that God may have taken Evelyn's hearing, but gave her back something extraordinary. He notes that what normal people hear, she feels far more deeply than any of them. According to him, this profound feeling is why she expresses music so beautifully.
7. How does Evelyn describe her work ethic, and how does she give back to society?
   Answer: Evelyn confesses that she is something of a "workaholic" and often has to work harder than classical musicians. She gives back to society by taking on a hectic international schedule and performing free concerts in prisons and hospitals. Furthermore, she gives high priority to holding classes for young musicians.
8. What specific impacts has Evelyn had on the orchestra format and on handicapped individuals?
   Answer: Evelyn has brought percussion to the front of the orchestra, successfully demonstrating that it can be very moving. For handicapped individuals, she serves as a massive inspiration; people look at her accomplishments and say, "If she can do it, I can".
9. Why was Evelyn's entry into the Royal Academy of Music considered a significant challenge?
   Answer: It was a significant challenge because she was a slight, seventeen-year-old girl fresh from a Scottish farm entering the prestigious Royal Academy of Music in London, which is daunting enough for any teenager. Moreover, she faced a bigger challenge than most because she was profoundly deaf.
10. How does Evelyn view her own success and the concept of "heroic achievement"?
    Answer: Evelyn won't accept any hint of heroic achievement for her success. She firmly believes in a simple philosophy: "If you work hard and know where you are going, you’ll get there". This determination, combined with hard work, took her to the top as the world’s most sought-after multi-percussionist.

---

Long Questions (4 Marks)

1. Trace Evelyn Glennie's journey from a young girl discovering her hearing loss to becoming a world-renowned musician.
   Answer: Evelyn's journey began with a gradual loss of hearing, first noticed at age eight and confirmed as severe nerve damage by age eleven, leading to advice that she attend a school for the deaf. Refusing to give up, she decided to pursue a normal life and her passion for music. Despite discouragement from most teachers, percussionist Ron Forbes recognized her potential and taught her to feel music through vibrations rather than hearing it. She toured with a youth orchestra, decided to dedicate her life to music at sixteen, and entered the Royal Academy of Music where she scored historically high marks. Her sheer determination and hard work eventually made her the world’s most sought-after multi-percussionist, mastering a thousand instruments and touring internationally.
2. Evaluate the role of Ron Forbes in Evelyn's life. How did his teaching methods differ from others, and what was the result?
   Answer: When most of Evelyn's teachers discouraged her musical ambitions, percussionist Ron Forbes played a pivotal role by spotting her potential. His teaching method completely bypassed traditional auditory listening. Instead of focusing on her disability, he tuned two large drums to different notes and instructed her to "try to sense it some other way". This innovative method led Evelyn to discover she could feel the higher drum from the waist up and the lower drum from the waist down. As a result of Forbes' guidance, Evelyn learned to open her mind and body to sounds and vibrations, which formed the foundation of her extraordinary career as a solo percussionist.
3. "Music pours in through every part of my body." Elaborate on this statement by explaining how Evelyn Glennie experiences sound.
   Answer: Evelyn Glennie compensates for her profound deafness by using her entire body as a sensory receiver for music. She explains that music tingles in her skin, cheekbones, and even in her hair. When she plays instruments like the xylophone, she relies on tactile feedback, sensing the sound passing up the stick into her fingertips. If she plays the drums, she leans against them to feel the resonances flowing directly into her body. Furthermore, when performing on a wooden platform, she deliberately removes her shoes so the vibrations can pass through her bare feet and travel up her legs. This deep, full-body connection allows her to feel music more profoundly than people who simply hear it.
4. Besides her personal musical success, discuss Evelyn Glennie's contributions to society and her role as an inspiration.
   Answer: Evelyn Glennie's success goes far beyond her personal awards and hectic international schedule. She gives back to society extensively by performing free concerts in prisons and hospitals. She also dedicates significant time to teaching, giving high priority to classes for young musicians. Most importantly, she acts as a powerful beacon of hope for handicapped individuals. Ann Richlin notes she is a "shining inspiration for deaf children," showing them there is nowhere they cannot go. By proving that a profoundly deaf person can master music, she inspires handicapped people to believe, "If she can do it, I can," bringing enormous pleasure to millions.
5. "If you work hard and know where you are going, you’ll get there." How does Evelyn’s life exemplify this statement?
   Answer: Evelyn's life is a perfect embodiment of this philosophy. Despite the devastating news at age eleven that she was severely deaf and the subsequent discouragement from her teachers, she possessed an unbreakable determination to lead a normal life. She knew she wanted to play music and worked tirelessly with Ron Forbes to learn how to sense vibrations through her body. She applied this sheer determination to audition for the Royal Academy of Music, scoring one of the highest marks in its history, and capturing top awards over her three-year course. Through relentless hard work—often working harder than classical musicians—she achieved her goal of becoming the world's top multi-percussionist, refusing any hint of heroic achievement and attributing it simply to hard work.
6. Describe the challenges Evelyn faced in her early school years and her reaction to the medical diagnosis of her deafness.
   Answer: Evelyn faced the challenge of a gradual loss of hearing during her early school years. After her mother noticed she couldn't hear her name called at age eight, Evelyn tried to conceal her growing deafness from her friends and teachers. However, the struggle became evident by the time she was eleven, as her academic marks severely deteriorated. This prompted her headmistress to urge a specialist visit, where she was diagnosed with severe nerve damage and told to wear hearing aids and attend a deaf school. Evelyn recalled that "Everything suddenly looked black," showing her initial despair. Yet, her reaction was not to surrender; she immediately determined to not give up, lead a normal life, and pursue music.
7. How does Evelyn manage to communicate flawlessly and learn new languages despite her severe hearing impairment?
   Answer: Evelyn's ability to communicate flawlessly is rooted in her intense observation and the foundation of speech she built before losing her hearing. She speaks clearly with a Scottish lilt because she was able to hear normally until the age of eleven, which allowed her to fully develop her speech patterns. To understand others, she functions effortlessly by watching the speaker's entire face, particularly the eyes, rather than just reading lips. This is why she notes that men with bushy beards give her trouble, as they obscure facial expressions. Her intense focus and dedication even enabled her to inexplicably learn French and master basic Japanese, proving her extraordinary adaptability.
8. Detail Evelyn's accomplishments related to the Royal Academy of Music and her immediate career progression afterward.
   Answer: Evelyn's journey with the Royal Academy of Music began with an audition where she scored one of the highest marks in the history of the prestigious academy. During her three-year course, she demonstrated remarkable talent and dedication, eventually capturing most of the top awards available at the institution. Following this, she gradually transitioned from playing in orchestral settings to focusing on solo performances. Her career rapidly escalated as she mastered some thousand instruments, culminating in her becoming the world’s most sought-after multi-percussionist with a highly demanding and hectic international schedule.
9. Explain the significance of James Blades' remark: "God may have taken her hearing but he has given her back something extraordinary."
   Answer: James Blades, a master percussionist, made this remark to highlight the unique nature of Evelyn's talent. The significance lies in the paradox of her condition: while she lacks the physical sense of hearing—arguably the most critical sense for a musician—she has developed a heightened, extraordinary physical and emotional sensitivity to sound. Blades points out that "What we hear, she feels — far more deeply than any of us". This extraordinary gift of feeling vibrations allows her to connect with the music on a much deeper level than traditional musicians, which is exactly why she is able to express music so beautifully and profoundly to her audiences.
10. Assess the overall legacy Evelyn Glennie is creating in the world of music and for people with disabilities.
    Answer: Evelyn Glennie's legacy is twofold: she has revolutionized the perception of percussion in music and redefined the limits of physical disability. Musically, she has accomplished more than most people twice her age by bringing percussion to the front of the orchestra, proving that these instruments can be deeply moving and expressive as solo performances. For people with disabilities, her legacy is one of boundless inspiration. By refusing to let profound deafness stop her from attending the Royal Academy of Music or winning awards like the Soloist of the Year, she shows deaf children that "there is nowhere that they cannot go". Handicapped individuals look to her success and realize they too can overcome their obstacles, giving enormous pleasure and hope to millions.