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| Neb English Support Class 12 |
Unit 18 Music and Creation Class 12 | Language Development A Life of Sound and Silence | Compulsory English by Suraj Bhatt
Unit 18: Music and Creation [A Life of Sound and Silence]
BEFORE YOU READ
a. Who are these people? Name them.
Answer:
These people are legendary figures in Nepal. All these people are famous music composers and lyricists from Nepal. They are: (from left to right) Nati Kaji, Gopal Yonzan, and Deepak Jungam.
b. Who are your favourite musicians? Why?
Answer:
My favourite musicians are Seturam Shrestha and Shiv Shankar Manandhar because their creativity is quite unique and popular in our country.
WORKING WITH WORDS
A. Find the single words for the following definitions. The words are given in the jumbled letters at the end.
a. A person who hates or distrusts mankind ………. imaseponrth
》misanthrope
b. A sensation of noise, such as a ringing or roaring …….....…. stiniunt
》tinnitus
c. An examination of a body after death to determine the cause of death …...... osyaput
》autopsy
d. A musical composition or movement for five instruments or voices …......... itqneut
》quintet
e. A severe life-threatening illness caused by a bacterium .…........... simetining
》meningitis
f. An object that directs one's attention away from something else .........…. nodsitstarc
》distraction
g. The action or process of becoming impaired or inferior in quality, functioning, or condition ......………… nedotietraroi
》deterioration
h. Failing to perceive something .......……… ntpimepcirepe [wrong alphabets]
》impercipience
i. A hearing disorder that makes it hard to deal with everyday sounds .......………… sihpyraesuc
》hyperacusis
j. A bacterial infection usually spread by sexual contact ........………….. pysslihi
》syphilis
B. Put the musical instruments into different categories as below.
drum
violin
trumpet
harmonica
viola
clarinet
cymbal
conch
tabla
bell
trombone
cello
tambourine
double bass
harp
Answer:
Wind Instruments 》 trumpet, harmonica, clarinet, conch, trombone
Stringed Instruments 》violin, viola, cello, double bass
Percussion Instruments 》drum, tabls, cymbal, bell, tambouine
C. Use a dictionary and find the definition of these genres of music.
rock music, pop music, hip hop, jazz, folk music, classic music, blues, heavy metal, Gospel music, country music, grunge, breakbeat, reggae, disco and dubstep
Answer:
rock music 》a broad genre of popular music, including especially those styles ultimately derived from rock and roll, employing electrical amplification, heavy use of guitars, 4/4 time with strong percussive rhythm on beats two and four (backbeat), and usually themes of bold wildness, rebellion, and sexuality.
pop music 》music intended for or accepted by a wide audience, usually with a commercial basis and distinguished from other genres such as classical music and folk music.
hip hop 》 a rap or hip hop musical piece or album which takes an operatic form.
jazz 》a musical art form rooted in West African cultural and musical expression and in the African American blues tradition, with diverse influences over time, commonly characterized by blue notes, syncopation, swing, call and response, polyrhythms and improvisation.
folk music 》any genre of music originating from the ethnic community of a specific region, often passed down through oral tradition, without recorded songwriters and possessing a clear purpose or social function.
classic music 》classic music generally refers to the formal musical tradition of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions.
blues 》 a musical form, African-American in origin, generally featuring an eight-bar or twelve-bar blues structure and using the blues scale.
heavy metal 》a genre descended from rock music, characterized by massive sound, highly amplified distortion, and overall loudness, often with extended guitar solos, and lyrics that involve violent or fantastic imagery.
Gospel music 》a type of African American religious music based on folk music melodies with the addition of elements of spirituals and jazz.
country music 》 a style of popular music that originated in the folk music of the rural population of the southern and western United States and characterized by string-band instruments and simple melodies.
grunge 》a subgenre of alternative rock, originating from Seattle, Washington, which melds punk and metal.
breakbeat 》a form of syncopated rhythm prominent in much African music.
reggae 》a form of music originating in Jamaica and associated with Rastafarianism, featuring a heavy bass line and percussive rhythm guitar on the offbeat, often with close vocal harmonies.
disco 》a genre of dance music that was popular in the 1970s, characterized by elements of soul music with a strong Latin-American beat and often accompanied by pulsating lights.
dubstep 》a genre of electronic music descended from 2-step garage, characterised by its dark mood, sparse half-step and two-step rhythms, and emphasis on sub-bass.
D. Word stress is an extra force given to one of the syllables of a word. Pronounce the following words with proper stress.
ˈcoffee, hoˈtel, ˈEnglish, canˈteen, ˈholiday, toˈmorrow, vocaˈbulary, ˈphotograph, geˈography, ˈbeautiful, biˈology, responsiˈbility, individuˈality, deˈmocracy
Answer:
ˈcoffee
hoˈtel
ˈEnglish
canˈteen
ˈholiday
toˈmorrow
vocaˈbulary
ˈphotograph
geˈography
ˈbeautiful
biˈology
responsiˈbility
individuˈality
deˈmocracy
COMPREHENSION
A. Put the following events in the life of Beethoven in chronological order.
a. He migrated to Vienna.
b. He even made suicidal attempts.
c. Beethoven was born into a musical family in Bonn, Germany.
d. His deafness got gradually worse: He could hear but not understand.
e. He learned to play the organ, piano, violin, and viola.
f. He died of hepatitis at the age of fifty-six.
g. He lived a life in seclusion.
h. At the age of twenty-seven, he felt the deafness to high-pitched sound.
Answer:
1. c. Beethoven was born into a musical family in Bonn, Germany.
2. e. He learned to play the organ, piano, violin, and viola.
3. a. He migrated to Vienna.
4. h. At the age of twenty-seven, he felt the deafness to high-pitched sound.
5. d. His deafness got gradually worse: He could hear but not understand.
6. g. He lived a life in seclusion.
7. b. He even made suicidal attempts.
8. f. He died of hepatitis at the age of fifty-six.
B. State whether the following statements are True or False.
a. Beethoven became blind in a gradual process over two decades.
》False
b. He became a celebrity musician in his teenage.
》True
c. He did not disclose his hearing problem for a long time.
》True
d. He knew that he misunderstood the speakers and gave up his public performances.
》False
e. He tried to get his deafness treated until his death.
》False
f. Beethoven died in his early fifties.
》False
g. Doctors found the cause of his deafness after his death.
》False
C. Answer the following questions.
a. What does Hellen Keller think about deafness and blindness?
Answer:
Hellen Keller thinks about deafness and blindness in two different ways. According to her, blindness separates people from things, whereas deafness separates people from people.
b. Why does the author compare Beethoven with Milton, Van Gogh and Toulouse-Lautrec?
Answer:
The author compares Beethoven with Milton, Van Gogh and Toulouse-Lautrec because those people have similar types of disabilities as Beethoven.
c. When and how did Beethoven notice him being deaf?
Answer:
Beethoven noticed him being deaf at the age of 27. During that age, he lost his ability to hear high-pitched sounds, an indication of nerve deafness. He noticed that he had some sort of disability, like deafness.
d. What psychological effects did he have when he noticed that he was being deaf?
Answer:
When he noticed that he was deaf, he had the following psychological effects:
▪︎ Deafness led to a miserable life for him, and for two years he avoided social functions because he found it impossible to tell people that he was deaf.
▪︎ Beethoven’s deafness led him to fear, lack of self-esteem, emotional disarray, increasing isolation, self-neglect, and lack of confidence at work.
e. How did he triumph over his suicidal thoughts?
Answer:
He triumphed over his suicidal thoughts with the help of his life's ethics and interest in music. Also, he had read somewhere that a man should not give up his life as he can do many other good deeds in life. These things inspired him to conquer suicidal thoughts.
f. How did he accept his deafness?
Answer:
He finally accepted his deafness, saying that no one could save him from it. He must eventually accept it, as he could not go further.
g. How was his deafness ironically good for the world?
Answer:
His deafness was ironically good for the world in the sense that his deafness resulted in extra creativity within him. It also allowed him to listen to his inner sounds and feelings without any distraction.
h. When did Beethoven give up his musical performances forever?
Answer:
Beethoven gave up his musical performances forever during his mid-forties. During that time, it was some sort of embarrassing faux pas for him.
i. What did Stephen von Breeuning comment on Beethoven’s reactions?
Answer:
In 1804, when Beethoven had problems hearing the wind instruments during a rehearsal for the Eroica, his friend Stephen von Breuning commented that Beethoven had become withdrawn and mistrusted his best friends.
j. How did Beethoven express the conflict in his mind?
Answer:
Beethoven expressed the conflict in his mind by isolating himself from social functions, mistrusting his best friends, and thinking to have suicidal attempts repeatedly in his mind.
CRITICAL THINKING
a. Suicidal thoughts came in Beethoven’s mind several times but he did not commit suicide and kept on composing music. Write a monologue in about 150 words from Beethoven’s perspectives describing his suicidal thoughts and his will to live.
Answer:
It is the worst experience I have ever faced in my life. Why has this happened to me? Why is my sense of hearing becoming weaker every day? I'm not feeling well about myself. Why haven't I been able to hear wind instruments during a rehearsal? My friends have even started mistrusting me. In this situation, I'm feeling quite lonely and helpless. My condition has isolated me from my coworkers and relatives. They think negatively about me. They consider me a deaf guy. The entire efforts of my life to make music alive and make people around the world proud would go in vain. In this situation, I'm experiencing extreme disparity. This state is quite horrible and terrifying for me. I can't stand this situation in my life. In this disparity, I'm thinking of my life a lot. There is no hope within me to get cured. My doctor even seems hopeless at curing my deafness and making me as fine as before. I keep on thinking about this miserable life again and again. Sometimes, I feel like killing myself to get rid of all my tension.
I think it's bad to kill my own life. I must try to conquer these suicidal thoughts. I should think about the ethics of life and my interest in music. People say that a man should not give up his life because he can do many other good things in life. Why do I have those thoughts? I can make everyone think that I am normal, that I am coping, and that I am fine. I think to myself, suicide is not a permanent solution to a temporary problem'. Human life is precious and important.
b. Was it divine inspiration or rigorous practice that made Beethoven one of the world’s greatest musicians? Give the reasons.
Answer:
No, it wasn't divine inspiration but rigorous practice and his belief in music that made Beethoven one of the great composers of the world.
Ludwig van Beethoven, a German composer, was one of the leading musical figures in the transitional period between the classical and romantic eras. He was one of the most renowned musical figures in the world.
Beethoven's music career started when he was a young child. Later on, he suffered from ear blockages and found out that he had lost his hearing. Due to his deafness, he became quite sad and serious. In that suffering too, he didn't give up his passion for his music and continued his creative works further. He kept on composing his best music, even after his deafness. Due to his rigorous practice and musical devotion, his music career reached its height and made him quite popular not only within his country but across the globe.
WRITING
Who is your favourite Nepali musician? Write his/her biography in about 300 words.
Answer:
Shiva Shankar Manandhar
My favourite Nepali musician is Shiva Shankar Manandhar. He was a singer, music composer of Nepali songs and the chief actor in the first Nepali movie, Aama. He was born on February 22, 1932, in Kathmandu.
Singing and composing music for songs of love, tragedy, devotion (hymns), and patriotic songs, he pioneered many styles of modern Nepali music. He has composed music for around 1,200 Nepali songs. He sang about three hundred songs. Shankar received dozens of prestigious national awards for these contributions.
In 1951, Shankar was recruited into the service of the state-owned Radio Nepal by Nepal's eminent playwright Bal Krishna Sama. He was soon tasked with discovering and mentoring new musical talent and overseeing the recording of songs in the studio for radio broadcasts. He, along with his colleague Nati Kazi, created Radio Nepal, an institute for the reproduction of modern Nepali music and songs. All Nepali singers and musicians of the late twentieth century achieved prominence through this institution in Nepal. They included Amber Gurung, Gopal Yonzon, Aruna Lama, and many others.
While working at Radio Nepal, Shiv Shankar composed music for several prominent Nepali singers. These include Tara Devi (singer), Meera Rana, Nirmala Shrestha, Gyanu Rana, Aruna Lama, Kunti Muktan, Ganga Malla, Pushpa Nepali, Narayan Gopal, Prem Dhwaja Pradhan, Yogesh Vaidya, Udit Shrestha Narayan, Dhruba KC, Deep Ratna, Bhakta Raj, Bachha Kailash, Ruby Joshi, and Deepak Bajracharya. He composed music for prominent lyricists like Ram Man Trishit, Kiran Kharel, Bhabuk, Yadav Kharel, Laxman Lohani, and MBB Shah (Mahendra of Nepal). Performing for fifty years, he helped Nepalese music gain popularity in what has been called the "Golden Age.".
Apart from creating popular tunes, he also experimented with innovations in Nepali music. He showed how folk songs with a few simple musical instruments could be enriched with a set of modern, contemporary orchestral instruments. The trend of modernization with the introduction of pop-style songs, which Shankar played a big role in initiating, catalysed the emergence of full-fledged Nepali pop songs in the present day. Although he pioneered change and innovation, he always advocated preserving the unique essence of the Nepali style so that Nepali songs were not influenced by foreign songs and music.Shankar played the lead role of "Lahure Dai" in the first Nepali feature film, Aama (Mother), produced by the Government of Nepal in 1964 (2021 BS). However, he did not pursue an acting career, except for a few cameo appearances in documentaries. Nevertheless, he composed music for several films during the early days of the Nepali film industry. He died on November 14, 2004, in Kathmandu.
Shankar played the lead role of "Lahure Dai" in the first Nepali feature film Aama (Mother) produced by the Government of Nepal in 1964 (2021 BS). However, he did not pursue an acting career except for a few cameo appearances in documentaries. Nevertheless, he composed music for several films during the early days of the Nepali film industry. He died on November 14, 2004, in Kathmandu.
GRAMMAR
Prepositions
A. Study the following sentences and underline the prepositions.
a. Over seventy-three million Americans suffer from deafness.
b. He did not admit to his deafness for another three years.
c. The hearing crisis allowed him to listen to inner sounds without distraction.
B. Fill in the blanks with appropriate prepositions.
a. I was accompanied to the hospital ……………my friend.
》by
b. I have great respect ………………my teachers.
》for
c. The culprit was sentenced………………..death.
》to
d. His arguments are not based………………truth.
》on
e. He has not contributed ……………..the development of our nation.
》to
f. He died …………Corona at the age of thirty-five.
》of
g. The young generation of Nepali people don’t take interest ………politics.
》in
h. Our village was not infected ………..Corona.
》by
i. Why do you sneer ………….me?
》at
C. Fill in the blanks with for, since, until, by or in.
a. The classes will be over ……………….. 5 PM.
》by
b. Karma Sherpa reached the top of Mt. Everest ……….. 8 hours.
》in
c. We had met after five years. So we kept on talking ………… three in the morning.
》until
d. She has been living in America ………………….. she got married.
》since
e. He has been playing video game …………….. ten hours.
》for
f. She practices the Sitar every day …………. five hours.
》for
g. He lived in Jumla ………………….. he passed high school examinations.
》until
h. There is no chance of dry weather even today. It has rained …….. last Saturday.
》since
i. I can type 120 words …………….. a minute.
》in
j. We take an early breakfast. It’s generally ready …….. six in the morning.
》by
SPEAKING
Predicting
A. Work in a group. Take turns and act out the following dialogue.
First Reporter: Hello, Will Smith.
Smith: Hello, Reporter! How are you?
First Reporter: I am good, Sir. What about you?
Smith: Ah, I am fine.
Second Reporter: So, when are we going to see your next picture, sir?
Smith: Soon. I have signed two movies simultaneously. They might be released one after another.
Third Reporter: Can you tell us the releasing dates?
Smith: They will probably appear in coming June and July respectively.
First Reporter: Your fans have been eagerly waiting for your movies.
Smith: Thank you very much. I would also like to thank all my fans for their support.
Second Reporter: Kindly tell us something about your upcoming movies?
Smith: The first is an action plus romantic movie and the second is a drama.
Second Reporter: Wow, that’s interesting.
Smith: Hahaha. Let’s wait for the details.
Third Reporter: And who is the lead actress in your first movie? We would also like to know about her.
Smith: Definitely, Anne Hathaway is the lead actress. She is playing the role of a minister’s daughter.
Three Reporters: That’s great! We are really excited to see your movie. Good Luck.
Smith: Thank you.
Three Reporters: Bye, Mr. Smith.
Smith: Bye.
B. Work in a group of three. Have a similar conversation between a popular singer and the reporters. Ask him/ her about his/her upcoming song.
Answer:
First Reporter: Hello, Sonu Nigam.
Sonu Nigam: Hello, Sir! How are you?
First Reporter: I am good, sir. What about you?
Sonu Nigam: Ah, I am fine.
Second Reporter: So, when are we going to watch and hear your next album, sir?
Sonu Nigam: Soon. I'm working on a new album called "Jaan." It might be released next month.
Third Reporter: Can you tell us the releasing dates?
Sonu Nigam: It will probably be released in the coming month on the 10th.
First Reporter: Your fans have been eagerly waiting for your new album.
Sonu Nigam: Thank you very much. I would also like to thank all my fans for their support.
Second Reporter: Kindly tell us something about your upcoming album.
Sonu Nigam: My album is related to love and romance.
Second Reporter: Wow, that’s interesting.
Sonu Nigam: Hahaha. Let’s wait for the details.
Third Reporter: And who is the actress in your video album? We would also like to know about her.
Sonu Nigam: Definitely, Dipti is the actress. She is playing the role of my beloved in the album.
Three Reporters: That’s great! We are really excited to see your album. Good Luck.
Sonu Nigam: Thank you.
Three Reporters: Bye, Mr. Sonu.
Sonu Nigam: Bye.
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