SSLC 10th Standard English (Second Language)
Learning Outcome-Based Assessment (LBA) Question Bank
Prose 5: The Concert — Shanta Rameshwar Rao
The Concert: Question and Answers Click here
The Concert: Grammar points Click here
The Concert - Vocabulary Study Guide Click here
Introduction to the Lesson
"The Concert" by Shanta Rameshwar Rao is an emotional and deeply moving story that explores themes of sibling love, courage, selflessness, and the healing power of art. The narrative revolves around a young, multi-talented boy named Anant, who is suffering from terminal cancer. Despite his exceptional skills as a fast runner, a table-tennis champion, and a budding sitar player, his life is cut short by a cruel disease.
When the great sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar comes to perform in Bombay, Anant's dream of attending the concert is shattered by his bedridden state. However, his sister Smitha displays extraordinary courage and initiative. She approaches the legendary artists after the performance and pours her heart out. Moved by her devotion, Pandit Ravi Shankar and tabla maestro Ustad Allah Rakha graciously visit the modest apartment to play privately for the dying boy. The story beautifully highlights how compassion and music can transcend barriers and bring peace even in the darkest hours.
💡 Click on "Show Answer" under each question to test your knowledge and check solutions!
Section I: Short Answer Questions (2 Marks Each)
Q1. Smitha on seeing the newspaper almost shouted with excitement. Why did she react so?
Show Answer
Answer: Smitha saw the newspaper announcement that Pandit Ravi Shankar, the great sitar maestro, was playing at Shanmukhananda Auditorium the next day. Being an ardent music lover who had always dreamed of seeing and hearing him live, she reacted with intense excitement.
Q2. Why do you think the mother cautioned Smitha?
Show Answer
Answer: Smitha's mother cautioned her because her brother Anant was gravely ill with cancer and was sleeping on the bed. He required undisturbed sleep and complete rest to regain his failing strength.
Q3. What chance did Anant not want to miss? But he missed the chance on that day. Why?
Show Answer
Answer: Anant did not want to miss the chance of seeing and listening to the sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar, calling it 'the chance of a lifetime'. However, he missed it because he was bedridden with terminal cancer and too weak to even sit up or travel.
Q4. Why did Anant's mother have a catch in her throat?
Show Answer
Answer: Anant's mother had a catch in her throat because she knew her son was terminally ill with cancer and did not have many days to live. Seeing his eager attempt to sit up on his elbows at the mention of Pandit Ravi Shankar filled her with overwhelming emotional pain.
Q5. In what way was the truth frightening to Smitha?
Show Answer
Answer: The truth was frightening to Smitha because the doctors had privately admitted that Anant's cancer was incurable and that he had not many days to live. Knowing that her beloved brother was going to die filled her with dread.
Q6. How can you say that Anant was a talented boy?
Show Answer
Answer: Anant was an exceptionally multi-talented boy: he was the fastest runner in his school, the best table-tennis player, and a remarkably gifted sitar practitioner who could already compose his own tunes to the astonishment of his guru.
Q7. Aunt Sushila was a generous lady. How would you justify this statement?
Show Answer
Answer: Aunt Sushila showed great generosity by welcoming Anant and his entire family into her small apartment in Bombay whenever they came for his cancer treatment, always ensuring there was room for them despite space constraints.
Q8. Why had Smitha and her family come to Bombay? Who did they stay with, there?
Show Answer
Answer: Smitha and her family came to Bombay from Gaganpur so that Anant could be treated at the specialized cancer hospital. During their stay in the city, they resided with Aunt Sushila in her apartment.
Q9. ‘They had come with high hopes’. What hopes did Anant's parents have?
Show Answer
Answer: Anant's parents had come to Bombay with high hopes in the miracles of modern science, believing that he would be cured at the cancer hospital, walk and run again, participate in table-tennis tournaments, and become a great sitarist.
Q10. What did the doctors say to Anant's parents? Why?
Show Answer
Answer: The doctors told Anant's parents to take him home, give him the things he liked, and indulge him. They said this because his condition grew worse each day and medical science could no longer offer hope for his recovery.
Q11. How did Anant's family members treat him without ‘voicing their fears’?
Show Answer
Answer: Anant's family members laughed, talked, and surrounded him with everything that made him happy. They fulfilled his every wish and gave him whatever he asked for without ever showing their deep grief or speaking of his impending death.
Q12. Anant expressed his desire of going to the concert. How did his mother pacify him?
Show Answer
Answer: Anant's mother pacified him by gently reassuring him that as soon as he recovered and felt better, she would take him to see Pandit Ravi Shankar, promising that this was not the last time the artist would play in Bombay.
Q13. ‘Smitha's eyes filled with tears’. Were they tears of happiness or sorrow? Give reasons.
Show Answer
Answer: They were tears of deep sorrow. When Anant called the concert 'the chance of a lifetime', Smitha broke down knowing he was terminally ill and would be unable to attend the performance he so passionately desired.
Q14. Why did aunt Sushila suggest a walk in the park to Smitha?
Show Answer
Answer: Aunt Sushila suggested a walk in the park because Smitha was visibly sad, tearful, and choked with grief watching her dying brother miss the concert. Sushila wanted her to get some fresh air and feel better.
Q15. ‘Suddenly a daring thought came to her’. What daring thought came to Smitha?
Show Answer
Answer: While sitting in the park, Smitha conceived the daring idea of attending the concert herself and directly requesting Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Allah Rakha to visit Aunt Sushila's home and play the sitar for her bedridden brother.
Q16. What was the intention of Smitha's going to the concert?
Show Answer
Answer: Smitha went to the concert not merely to enjoy the music, but with the firm intention of personally approaching the sitar maestro after the show to request him to play for her dying brother at home.
Q17. How did Smitha enjoy the concert?
Show Answer
Answer: Smitha was entranced by the concert. As the first notes rose, she felt as if the gates of enchantment and wonder were opening, listening spellbound to the mesmerizing ragas played by Pandit Ravi Shankar and the thrumming tabla of Ustad Allah Rakha.
Q18. Smitha was nervous as she stood before the artists. Illustrate this statement from the lesson.
Show Answer
Answer: Smitha felt her knees go weak and her tongue turn dry as she approached the legendary maestro. Her heart throbbed wildly as she mustered the courage to unfold her brother's tragic story before the artists.
Q19. What did the moustachioed man tell Smitha? How did Pandit Ravi Shankar react to it?
Show Answer
Answer: The large moustachioed organizer curtly told Smitha that Panditji was a very busy man and should not be bothered with such personal requests. Pandit Ravi Shankar, however, motioned the organizer to be quiet and listened compassionately to Smitha.
Q20. Ustad Sahib and Pandit Ravi Shankar agreed to perform for the boy. What made them agree to do so?
Show Answer
Answer: They agreed because they were deeply touched by Smitha's devotion to her dying brother, Anant's passionate love for the sitar, and the poignant request to fulfill a young artist's final wish.
Q21. The neighbours of Aunt Sushila could not believe their eyes. Why do you think they felt like this?
Show Answer
Answer: Aunt Sushila's neighbours were astounded to see world-renowned musical legends like Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Allah Rakha stepping out of a taxi and entering a modest apartment building to play for a sick child.
Q22. How did Smitha fulfill her brother's last wish?
Show Answer
Answer: Smitha fulfilled her brother's wish by attending the concert, bravely approaching Pandit Ravi Shankar after the performance, explaining Anant's terminal condition, and convincing the maestros to come to his bedside and play for him.
Q23. Why did Smitha request Pandit Ravi Shankar to visit her house?
Show Answer
Answer: Smitha requested Pandit Ravi Shankar to visit her house because her brother Anant was dying of cancer and could not travel to the auditorium, but desperately wished to hear the sitar maestro play before he died.
Q24. What admirable qualities do you find in Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Allah Rakha?
Show Answer
Answer: Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Allah Rakha displayed profound humility, compassion, generosity, and genuine love for their art. Despite their world fame and busy schedule, they willingly visited a humble apartment to perform for a dying fan.
Q25. How did Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Allah Rakha keep their promise to Smitha?
Show Answer
Answer: The maestros kept their promise by arriving at Aunt Sushila's apartment the very next morning, setting up their instruments in Anant's room, and performing exquisite ragas softly and lovingly for the dying boy.
Section II: Reference to Context / Extract-Based Questions (3 Marks Each)
Q26. “You’ll wake him up. You know he needs all the sleep and rest he can get”.
Show Answer
Answer:
a) Who is the speaker? Smitha's mother.
b) Who does ‘you’ refer to? Smitha.
c) Who needed rest and why? Anant needed rest because he was severely ill with terminal cancer.
Q27. “We mustn’t miss the chance”
Show Answer
Answer:
a) Who said these words? Anant.
b) What chance did the boy not want to miss? The chance to see and hear Pandit Ravi Shankar play the sitar live.
c) Why would the boy not get a chance in the future? Because he was dying of cancer and had very little time left to live.
Q28. “I must hear him and see him”
Show Answer
Answer:
a) Who is the ‘I’? Anant.
b) Who did the speaker want to see? Pandit Ravi Shankar, the sitar maestro.
c) What did the speaker want to hear? The live sitar concert performed by Pandit Ravi Shankar.
Q29. ‘It’s the chance of a lifetime.’
Show Answer
Answer:
a) Who made this statement? Anant.
b) What was the chance of a lifetime? Attending Pandit Ravi Shankar's sitar performance at Shanmukhananda Auditorium.
c) Why did the speaker say so? He was a passionate student of the sitar and deeply revered Pandit Ravi Shankar as the supreme maestro.
Q30. “They had come with high hopes”
Show Answer
Answer:
a) Who does ‘they’ refer to? Anant and his parents.
b) Where had they come? They had come to Bombay from Gaganpur.
c) What high hopes did they have? They hoped that Anant would be cured of cancer at the hospital and return to a healthy, active life.
Q31. “Take him home. Give him the things he likes, indulge him”
Show Answer
Answer:
a) Who said the above statement? The doctors treating Anant at the cancer hospital.
b) Who does ‘him’ refer to? Anant.
c) Why was this statement made? Anant's cancer was advanced and incurable, and medical treatment could do no more for him.
Q32. “But they did not voice their fears”
Show Answer
Answer:
a) Who does the word ‘they’ stand for? Anant's family members (his parents and sister Smitha).
b) What did Anant's parents fear? They feared that Anant's death was imminent.
c) How did they behave towards him? They put on cheerful faces, surrounded him with affection, and fulfilled all his wishes.
Q33. “The chance of a lifetime,” he was saying.
Show Answer
Answer:
a) Who does ‘he’ refer to? Anant.
b) What was the chance of a lifetime for him? Attending Pandit Ravi Shankar's sitar concert.
c) Why was he feeling so? He was deeply passionate about sitar music, but knew he was terminally ill.
Q34. ‘’This is not the last time they are going to play’’
Show Answer
Answer:
a) Who said this and to whom? Anant's mother said this to Anant.
b) Who was going to play and what? Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Allah Rakha were going to play sitar and tabla.
c) When did the speaker say these words? When Anant expressed his longing to go to the concert despite being bedridden.
Q35. “A walk in the park might make you feel better”
Show Answer
Answer:
a) Who gave this suggestion? Aunt Sushila.
b) Who does ‘you’ refer to? Smitha.
c) Why did the speaker say this? Smitha was crying and feeling extremely distressed over her brother's condition.
Section III: Medium & Long Answer Questions (3 & 4 Marks)
Q36. (3 Marks) In the course of the story whom do you consider to be more worried, Smitha or Anant? Explain.
Show Answer
Answer: Smitha was clearly more worried throughout the story. While Anant suffered physical pain and expressed his innocent desire to hear the sitar, Smitha bore the heartbreaking emotional burden of knowing the secret medical reality—that Anant was terminally ill and going to die soon. Her anxiety was compounded by seeing him miss his dream concert, which drove her to plan and execute her daring rescue mission.
Q37. (3 Marks) Why do you think Smitha and Pandit Ravi Shankar deserve the appreciation?
Show Answer
Answer: Smitha deserves appreciation for her selflessness, courage, and deep devotion to her dying brother. Rather than giving up, she took a bold step to approach legendary artists to fulfill Anant's wish. Pandit Ravi Shankar deserves equal appreciation for his extraordinary empathy, nobility, and humility. Bypassing fame and prestige, he willingly agreed to perform in a modest apartment for a sick child, demonstrating that true art serves humanity.
Q38. (4 Marks) Analyze the character traits of Smitha that enabled her to fulfill her brother's last wish.
Show Answer
Answer: Smitha exhibits profound courage, resourcefulness, initiative, and unconditional love. Despite feeling nervous and standing before towering cultural figures, her determination to bring joy to her dying brother outweighed her fears. Her ability to think constructively during moments of grief—conceiving a plan in the park and speaking persuasively to the maestros—transforms a tragedy into an act of exquisite spiritual fulfillment.
Section IV: Reading Comprehension Passage Analysis (Multiple Choice)
'Sh-sh,' said her mother, pointing to the boy lying on the bed. 'You'll wake him up. You know he needs all the sleep and rest he can get.'
But the boy on the bed was not asleep. 'Pandit Ravi Shankar!' he said. 'The sitar maestro! I must hear him... It's the chance of a lifetime!' He tried to raise himself on his elbows but fell back, exhausted. His eyes shone with excitement.
They had come to Bombay from Gaganpur so that he could be treated at the cancer hospital. Whenever they thought of him, they thought of his many talents. He was the fastest runner in the school and the best table-tennis player. And he had already started learning to play the sitar; they were both learning it. But now, he was struck by this terrible disease.”
1. The Sitar maestro who was going to perform in Bombay was:
A. Ustad Bismillah Khan
B. Pandit Ravi Shankar
C. Pandit Shivkumar Sharma
D. Ustad Allah Rakha
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B. Pandit Ravi Shankar
2. The mother tried to tell the girl to keep quiet ('Sh-sh') as:
A. She did not want to listen to the musical news
B. She was busy doing household chores
C. She wanted her sick son to get enough sleep and rest
D. She was reading an important book
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C. She wanted her sick son to get enough sleep and rest
3. According to Anant, attending the concert was 'the chance of a lifetime' because:
A. Tickets were available for free
B. He wanted to travel around Bombay
C. He was a great admirer of Pandit Ravi Shankar and played sitar himself
D. His school sponsored the trip
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C. He was a great admirer of Pandit Ravi Shankar and played sitar himself
4. Anant's family moved from Gaganpur to Bombay in order to:
A. Buy a new house in the city
B. Get treatment for Anant's cancer at a hospital
C. Attend music concerts every week
D. Admit Anant to a sports school
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B. Get treatment for Anant's cancer at a hospital
5. The statement that is TRUE about Anant's talents before he fell ill is:
A. He was a singer and a cricket player
B. He was a talented sitar player, a fast runner, and a top table-tennis player
C. He was a violinist and a painter
D. He was a writer and footballer
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B. He was a talented sitar player, a fast runner, and a top table-tennis player