Question

Read the following passage carefully and complete the activities:

B1. Arrange the following sentences according to their occurrences in the passage:    (02)

1. She went up the steps that led to the wings.
2. She listened to the unfolding ragas.
3. A daring thought came to her and she hurried home.
4. She sat beside her father in the gallery.

Suddenly a daring thought came to her and as she hurried home she said to herself. ‘Why not? There’s no harm in trying it.

‘It would be nice to go to the concert. I don’t know when we’ll get another opportunity to hear Pandit Ravi Shankar,’ she said to her mother later. And her father agreed to get the tickets.

The next day as Smita and her father were leaving for the concert, her brother smiled and said, ‘Enjoy yourself,’ though the words came out in painful gasps. ‘Lucky you!’

Sitting beside her father in the gallery. Smita heard as in a dream the thundering welcome the audience gave the great master. Then the first notes came over the air and Smita felt as if the gates of a land of enchantment and wonder were opening. Spellbound, she listened to the unfolding ragas, the slow plaintive notes, the fast twinkling ones, but all the while the plan she had decided on the evening before remained firmly in her mind.‘The chance of a lifetime.’She heard Anant’s voice in every beat of the tabla.

The concert came to an end, the audience gave the artists a standing ovation.

A large mustachioed having a long mustache man made a long boring speech. Then came the presentation of bouquets. Then more applause and the curtain came down. The people began to move towards the exits.

Now was the time. Smita wriggled her way through the crowds on the stage. Then she went up the steps that led to the wings, her heart beating loudly. In the wings a small crowd had gathered to talk about the evening concert, to help carry bouquets and teacups and instruments.

B2. Pick out two sentences which indicate Smita was enjoying the concert: (02)

1. ______
2. ______

B3. Match the columns to their correct meanings and rewrite it: (02)

Words/Phrases		Meanings
1.	enchantment	a.	Sounding sad or mournful
2.	a standing ovation	b.	a short quick breath of air
3.	Gasps	c.	a feeling of great pleasure
4.	Plaintive	d.	a period of prolonged applause.

B4. Do as directed: 

1. The concert came to an end; the audience gave the artists a standing ovation.
   (Begin the sentence with No sooner than)      (01)
2. In the wings a small crowd had gathered to talk about the evening concert
   (Pick out the determiners from the given sentence)     (01)

B5. Would you like to see a live concert or would you prefer to see it on Television? Why?  (02)

Answer 1

A1. 

1. A daring thought came to her and she hurried home.
2. She sat beside her father in the gallery.
3. She listened to the unfolding ragas.
4. She went up the steps that led to the wings.

B2.

1. Then the first notes came over the air and Smita felt as if the gates of a land of enchantment and wonder were opening.
2. Spellbound, she listened to the unfolding ragas.

B3.

Words/Phrases		Meanings
1.	enchantment	c.	A feeling of great pleasure
2.	a standing ovation	d.	A period of prolonged applause
3.	Gasps	b.	A short quick breath of air
4.	Plaintive	a.	– Sounding sad or mournful

B4. 

1. No sooner did the concert come to an end than the audience gave the artists a standing ovation.
2. In the wings, a small crowd had gathered to talk about the evening concert.

B5.

Given the opportunity, I would always want to see a live concert compared to seeing its telecast on television. A live concert helps you immerse yourself in music. It helps you find sounds and notes you hadn’t noticed before. Giving you space for a good social gathering has the ability to leave you refreshed and energized. Other than these simple benefits, live music always proves to be an unforgettable experience for listeners. Thus, virtual concerts can never be good enough alternatives to live concerts for me.