Class 10 English - First Flight - Chapter Two Stories about Flying NCERT Solutions | Why was the young seagull afraid to fly?

In the case of a bird flying, it seems a natural act, and a foregone conclusion that it should succeed. In the examples you have given in answer to the previous question, was your success guaranteed, or was it important for you to try, regardless of a possibility of failure?

“The sight of the food maddened him.” What does this suggest? What compelled the young seagull to finally fly?

Have you ever had a similar experience, where your parents encouraged you to do something that you were too scared to try? Discuss this in pairs or groups.

“They were beckoning to him, calling shrilly.” Why did the seagull’s father and mother threaten him and cajole him to fly?

Who do you think helped the narrator to reach safely? Discuss this among yourselves and give reasons for your answer.

Describe the narrator’s experience as he flew the aeroplane into the storm.

“I’ll take the risk”. What is the risk? Why does the narrator take it?

Why does the narrator say, “I landed and was not sorry to walk away from the old Dakota…”?

What made the woman in the Control Centre look at the narrator strangely?

Study the sentences given below.

(a) They looked like black mountains.

(b) Inside the clouds, everything was suddenly black.

(c) In the black clouds near me, I saw another aeroplane.

(d) The strange black aeroplane was there.

The word ‘black’ in sentences (a) and (c) refers to the very darkest colour. But in (b) and (d) (here) it means without light/with no light.

‘Black’ has a variety of meanings in different contexts. For example:

(a) ‘I prefer black tea’ means ‘I prefer tea without milk’.

(b) ‘With increasing pollution the future of the world is black’ means With increasing pollution the future of the world is very depressing/without hope’.

Now, try to guess the meanings of the word ‘black’ in the sentences given below. Check the meanings in the dictionary and find out whether you have guessed right.

Questions.

1. Go and have a bath, your hands and face are absolutely black____ .

2. The taxi-driver gave Ratan a black look as he crossed the road when the traffic light was green____.

3. The bombardment of Hiroshima is one of the blackest crimes against humanity____.

4. Very few people enjoy Harold Pinter’s black comedy____.

5. Sometimes shopkeepers store essential goods____.

6. Villagers had beaten the criminal black and blue____.

Where in the classroom does Wanda sit and why?
 

What was Valli’s favourite pastime?

What ‘experiment’ did Maxwell think Camusfearna would be suitable for?

What did Lencho hope for?

When her son dies, Kisa Gotami goes from house to house. What does she ask for? Does she get it? Why not?

Where did the ceremonies take place ? Can you name any public buildings in India that are made of sandstones?

What does Chubukov at first suspect that Lomov has come for? Is he sincere when he later says “And I’ve always loved you, my angel, as if you were my own son”? Find reasons for your answer from the play.

Do you keep a diary? Given below under ‘A’ are some terms we use to describe a written record of personal experience. Can you match them with their descriptions under ‘B’? (You may
look up the terms in a dictionary if you wish.)
                       A                                                                                                                            B

      (i) Journal                                                                                     – A book with a separate space or page for each day, in which you write down your and                                                                                                                      feelings or what has happened on that day 

      (ii) Diary                                                                                       – A full record of a journey, a period of time, or  an event, written every day
      (iii) Log                                                                                         – A record of a person’s own life and experiences (usually, a famous person)
      (iv) Memoir(s)                                                                               – A written record of events with times and dates, usually official         

Where does Wanda live? What kind of a place do you think it is?
 

What was a source of unending joy for Valli? What was her strongest desire?

When and why do Peggy and Maddie notice Wanda’s absence?
 

Here are some more examples of ‘the’ used with proper names. Try to say what these sentences mean. (You may consult a dictionary if you wish. Look at the entry for ‘the’)

(i) Mr Singh regularly invites the Amitabh Bachchans and the Shah Rukh Khans to his parties.
(ii) Many people think that Madhuri Dixit is the Madhubala of our times.
(iii) History is not only the story of the Alexanders, the Napoleons and the Hitlers, but of ordinary people as well.

Where did the ceremonies take place ? Can you name any public buildings in India that are made of sandstones?

How do you usually understand the idea of ‘selfishness’? Do you agree with Kisa Gotami that she was being ‘selfish in her grief ’?

What did the military generals do ? How did their attitude change and why?

Does Mandela think the oppressor is free? Why/why not?

What does Anne write in her first essay?

What does Valli mean when she says, “I was just agreeing with what you said about things happening without our knowledge.”

Why didn’t Valli want to make friends with the elderly woman?

Are there people like Lencho in the real world? What kind of a person would you say he is? You may select appropriate words from the box to answer the question.

   greedy            naive                   stupid                ungrateful 
   selfish            comical               unquestioning