MAK LABS — Std 10 English 3.2 The Night I Met Einstein

1Complete the following sentences.

(a) The narrator was not happy about the concert because he did not understand classical music and thought he was tone-deaf.
(b) When the narrator turned to look at his neighbour, he saw a very famous face with a shock of white hair and a pipe.
(c) Einstein was surprised to hear that the narrator had never heard of Bach or any of his music.
(d) The narrator's memory has an image of Einstein as a small man with a shock of untidy hair, a pipe in his mouth, and unusually warm eyes.
(e) The greatest act towards human beings is opening up the frontiers of beauty.

2Who said to whom?

Statement	Who	To whom	Effect on the listener
"We are going to listen to a very good pianist."	The hostess	To the guests/narrator	Made the narrator unhappy as he was tone-deaf.
"I do not know anything about Bach."	The narrator	To Albert Einstein	Made Einstein look extremely surprised, as if the narrator had said he never took a bath.
"You are not tone-deaf."	Albert Einstein	To the narrator	Made the narrator feel that while he could hear, it didn't prove anything to him yet.
"Just allow yourself to listen that's all there is to it."	Albert Einstein	To the narrator	Enabled the narrator to genuinely listen to and appreciate Bach's music, allowing him to clap sincerely at the end.

3List all the words from the story related to 'Music'.

Words related to music: concert, pianist, classical music, tone-deaf, piece, Bach, gramophone, tune, songs, sing, lines, playing, words.

4Rewrite the following sentences inserting the appropriate phrases in their proper form.

(a) He got out of bed and came down the living room, to see if the door was closed.
(b) To enjoy the music and relax, he turned on the music and turned off the lights.
(c) Smita gave in to her desire and gave out her favourite toys to the poor.
(d) You should get into Mathematics so that you can work out a problem.

5 AGive two points of difference between Instrumental Music and Vocal Music.

(1) Instrumental music is performed using musical instruments without any singing, whereas Vocal music involves singing using the human voice.
(2) Instrumental music relies on melodies and rhythms created by physical devices (like piano, guitar, flute), whereas Vocal music relies on lyrics (words) and the vocal cords to convey emotions and melodies.

5 BGive points of difference between Light music, Classical music, and Folk music.

Light music	Classical music	Folk music
Simple, catchy, and easy to understand for the general public. Does not require formal training to appreciate.	Highly structured, complex, and follows strict rules (like ragas and talas). Requires formal training to perform and appreciate.	Traditional music originating from the common people of a region. Often passed down orally from generation to generation without strict rules.

6Prepare a word list of occupations in alphabetical order from the letters A upto T. (You may skip 'K' and 'Q')

Actor
Banker
Carpenter
Doctor
Engineer
Farmer
Gardener
Hairdresser
Illustrator
Judge
Lawyer
Mechanic
Nurse
Optician
Pianist
Reporter
Scientist
Teacher

7Rewrite the following in indirect narration.

(a) "You are not tone-deaf", he said to me.
➔ He told me that I was not tone-deaf.
(b) "Could you have done it?", said Einstein.
➔ Einstein asked if I could have done it.
(c) "Sing that back", he ordered me.
➔ He ordered me to sing that back.
(d) He said, "What kind of music do you like?"
➔ He asked what kind of music I liked.
(e) "I'm so sorry, Dr. Einstein", she said.
➔ She told Dr. Einstein that she was very sorry.

8 ADegrees of Comparison — Insert the appropriate expressions for the positive degree.

(1) I am not just as tall as my friend.
(2) They are as helpful as their neighbours.
(3) No other desert in Africa is nearly so big as the Sahara Desert.
(4) Very few animals in the wild are exactly as huge as an elephant.
(5) Some snacks are at least as tasty as a pizza.

8 BChange the Degree of Comparision, as directed and rewrite without changing the meaning.

(1) No one in the class is as brilliant as Tanvi. (Superlative)
➔ Tanvi is the most brilliant student in the class.
(2) A diamond is one of the most precious of all stones. (Comparative)
➔ A diamond is more precious than most other stones.
(3) Her handwriting is better than that of her sister. (Positive)
➔ Her sister's handwriting is not as good as hers.
(4) Jupiter is the largest of all planets. (Comparative)
➔ Jupiter is larger than any other planet.
(5) He is not the greatest of all leaders. (Positive)
➔ Some leaders are at least as great as him.
(6) This painting is better than any other painting in the palace. (Superlative)
➔ This painting is the best painting in the palace.

9Prepare a word chain.

Pianist ➔ tune ➔ end ➔ danger ➔ river ➔ rich ➔ heavy ➔ yellow ➔ wood ➔ dark

10Pick out words that refer to the following:

(1) A musical performance in public: Concert
(2) A lady who invites and looks after guests: Hostess
(3) A device used to play recorded music: Gramophone
(4) One who is poor at deciphering musical notes: Tone-deaf
(5) Boundaries or limits of a field: Frontiers

11, 12, 13 & 14Creative Activities and Projects

Narrating an experience about music, gathering information about personalities (Einstein, Bach, etc.), framing interview questions for a scientist, and compiling a project file on musical instruments are creative and research-based activities. Students should complete these tasks in their notebooks based on their own experiences and library research.

3.2 The Night I Met Einstein

English Workshop