Question

The musical accomplishments of composer Ludwig van Beethoven have been all the more

remarkable for the fact that he lost his hearing ability from an early age. He developed the

symptoms of tinnitus, a constant sound of ringing in his ears that made it difficult for him

to hear. He is compared to Mozart for his genius, and is considered the most eminent

musician after Mozart.

For the first thirty years of his life, Beethoven could listen to and play music effortlessly.

As a result, he understood sounds of musical instruments and the pitch of the singing voices.

His deafness was not sudden, but a gradual decline. This slow process of losing his hearing

activated his mind to imagine how his compositions would sound like. When he became

completely deaf, he started to observe the vibrations of the piano. To be able to hear his own

compositions, he sawed off the legs of his piano. The piano touched the floor, and Beethoven

would press his ear to the floor, banging the piano keys to listen to the high notes in his

compositions.

The most significant aspect of Beethoven’s character was that he did not give up. With a

brave heart, he confronted the greatest challenge a musician can face, and continued living

his dream of composing music.

1. How did Beethoven listen to the notes on the piano?

2.Beethoven achieved great heights despite his

_____________________________________.

3. State True or False – Beethoven was born deaf.

4. Find the synonym of the word “achievements” from the passage.

5. Suggest any other suitable Title for the Passage.

6. Form a sentence on your own – challeng​

Answer 1

1) He sawed off the legs of his piano. The piano touched the floor, and Beethoven would press his ear to the floor, banging the piano keys and observing the vibrations.

2) Deafness

3) False

4) Accomplishments

5) Beethoven was a fking deaf genius