Chapter – 3

Two Stories about Flying

In this post, we have given the Important Questions of chapter 3 “Two Stories about Flying”. It is the 3rd chapter of the prose of Class 10th English.

Board	CBSE Board, UP Board, JAC Board, HBSE Board, UBSE Board, PSEB Board, RBSE Board
Textbook	NCERT
Class	Class 10
Subject	English First Flight
Chapter no.	Chapter 3
Chapter Name	Two Stories about Flying
Category	Class 10 English Important Questions
Medium	English

Chapter 3 Two Stories about Flying

His First Fight

Answer the Following Questions

Question 1. What happened when the young seagull dived at the fish picked up by his mother?

Answer. When the young sea gull dived at the fish, he fell outwards and downwards with a scream. His monstrous terror seized him and his heart stood still. Soon his wings spread outwards and he could feel the tips of his wings cutting through the air.

Question 2. How did the seagull feel when his belly touched the green sea?

Answer. When the seagull’s belly touched the green sea, he was scared that he would sink. He tried to fly but could not. He was exhausted and weak due to hunger.

Question 3. What did the young seagull do to attract his mother’s attention?

Answer. In order to attract his mother’s attention, the young seagull stood on one leg and pretended to be falling asleep on the brink of the ledge. He closed his eyes and he hid his other leg under his wing, to attract his mother’s attention.

Question 4. The young seagull was afraid of flying. Why?

Answer. The young seagull was afraid of flying as it was a steep fall to the sea, the sea expanse was vast and he thought that his wings would not support him, and he would die. So he avoided to fly and preferred staying back alone on his ledge.

Question 5. What role was played by the family of the seagull to train him in the art of flying?

Answer. To train the young seagull in the art of flying, the entire family helped out. His sister and brothers encouraged him to muster up courage and try to fly. The parents called out in a shrill voice, along with cajoling and scolding him in turn. Then they threatened to let him starve. When all this proved unsuccessful, his mother tempted him by flying close to his ledge with a piece of fish in her mouth. Maddened by hunger, he dived forward to get that piece and fell into space. To save himself, he spread his wings and found that he was able to fly. Thus, the entire family helped him in making him to learn the art of flying. His parents and his brothers and sister had landed on the green surface of water ahead of him. They were calling him to do the same thing. They were flying around him. They were roaring and diving. When he was tired and weak with hunger, he could not rise. Then his family came around him crying and praising him. They offered him scraps of dog-fish because he had made his first flight successfully.

Question 6. Do you think hunger was a good motivation for the young seagull in his first flight?

Answer. Even though his parents motivated him to fly, he denied. They warned him that if he did not fly, he would die of hunger. But he could not move. But whatever parents do, it is for the betterment of their child’s future. So they took a harsh step of starving him for more than 24 hours, which was a good time to teach him lesson to fly and hunt food for himself. It was a wonderful lesson which parents can teach their children to make their future bright. Yes, in this case, hunger was a great motivation for the young seagull. He was cowardly and full of fear. All the efforts of his parents had failed to coax him into flight. For 24 hours, no one went near him and he was almost faint with hunger. Finally, the mother flew near him with a scrap of food in her beak. Unable to resist, he plunged into the air to catch it and fell out. To save himself, he opened his wings, wind rushed to them and he found that he could fly. Then he completely forgot that he had not always been able to fly. Around him was his family, offering him scraps of dog-fish. Hence, hunger proved to be a good motivation for the young sea gull.

Question 7. Overcoming fear is the first step to success. How does this saying stand true in context of the story ‘His First Flight”?

Answer. The story is about a young seagull who is yet to learn to fly. Unlike his younger brothers and sisters he is unable to overcome the fear of falling down to the sea, hence remained sitting on the cliff. His younger siblings despite having shorter wings overcame fear and took a plunge as directed by their parents. The seagull continues to be left in isolation without any sympathy from his parents. No amount of his cries, arising out of starvation, is able to melt his parents hearts. Finally the seagull undergoes a mental transformation which helps him to muster courage. By flapping his wings and overcoming fear he takes a plunge. In the process discovers his ever presented talent to fly which till now was not known to him. Hence the seagull proved that overcoming fear is the important key to success.

Thinking about the Text

Question 1. Why was the young seagull afraid to fly? Do you think all young birds are afraid to make their first flight, or are some birds more timid than others? Do you think a human baby also finds it a challenge to take its first step?

Answer: The young seagull was afraid to fly because it was his first flight and he feared of falling and hurting himself. He thought that his wings would not support him while flying. Yes, it is natural that doing something for the first time is a bit challenging and fearful. All birds must be afraid to make their first flight.

Similarly, a human baby is also afraid of taking the first step and find it challenging when he learns to crawl or stand up without support.’

Question 2. “The sight of the food maddened him.” What does this suggest? What compelled the young seagull to finally fly?

Answer: The young seagull was very hungry. It was this hunger that ultimately compelled it to fly. Its hunger intensified when it saw its mother tearing at a piece of fish that lay at her feet. It cried to her, begging her to get some food. When its mother came towards it with food in her beak, it screamed with joy and anticipation. However, she stopped midway. It wondered why she did not come nearer. Not being able to resist or controfits hunger any longer, it dived at the food in its mother’s beak. At that moment, his hunger overpowered his fear of the great expanse of sea beneath the cliff. Finally, this plunge was followed by the natural reaction of its body, i.e. to fly.

Question 3. They were beckoning to him, calling shrilly.” Why did the seagull’s father and mother threaten him and cajole him to fly?

Answer: Seagull’s parents had tried everything but he was reluctant to fly due to fear of falling down. He looked at his brothers and sister but wouldn’t make any efforts. Thats why the whole family had left him alone and threatened and cojoled him to come but every effort went in vain.

Question 4. 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.

Answer: Yes, I had a similar experience while leaning to ride a bicycle in class VI. In my initial attempts, I fell down everytime and developed a fear of cycling which was difficult to overcome.

No amount of provoking and cajoling could let me try it again, but my father encouraged me to overcome the fear and helped me as he was adamant on my learning cycling. He took me on a mound near village and made me sit and asked me to put my hands on the handle and feet on the paddle. It sped down and I enjoyed it without fear which developed my confidence.

Thus, I overcame my fear of cycling and started riding a cycle after a few practice

Question 5. 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?

Answer: We face some problems in the initial stage while learning new skill. Due to the fear of failure, we hesitate to perform a task or to do something new. In case of the seagull his parents cajoled him to fly. In the example I have given in the answer of previous question, I was cajoled by my father to learn cycling. So, at that stage, I was to learn cycling as it was very important for me to overcome my fear.

Yes, my success was guaranteed because if someone is determined to do something then success is assured. Moreover as said, practice, makes a man perfect.

The Black Aeroplane

Question 1. Why did the pilot decide to fly through the clouds?

Answer. The pilot decided to fly through the clouds because he wanted to reach England desperately and also he could not fly up and over the huge clouds in his old Dakota.

Question 2. Describe the sky when ‘Dakota’ took off from Paris.

Answer. When ‘Dakota’ took off from Paris, the sky was quite clear. The moon was coming up in the east and the stars were shining. There were no clouds in the sky. The climatic condition was ideal.

Question 3. The pilot was lost in the storm. Who rescued him and how?

Answer. The pilot of the black aeroplane, asked the lost pilot to follow him. The black aeroplane was flying in front of him, cutting the clouds and showing him the way. Then he flew down and disappeared. Following him the pilot came out of the clouds.

Question 4. Why did the pilot call the Paris Control Room the first time? Why could he not contact it the second time?

Answer. The pilot called the Paris Control Room to inform the airport authorities about his flight to England. He also wanted to ask for the proper direction. He could not contact it the second time because his radio was dead due to storm.

Question 5. “I’ll take the risk” What is the risk? Why does the pilot of the old Dakota take it?

Answer. The risk was of flying the old Dakota aeroplane into the storm. The pilot took it as he wished to reach home as soon as possible and to be present at the breakfast table with his family in the morning.

Question 6. What difficulties did the narrator face while flying in the storm?

Answer. The difficulties that the narrator faced were that all the instruments of his aeroplane stopped working. He could not see any thing as there were dark clouds all around. The radio became dead and the compass was turning round and round.

Question 7. A pilot is lost in the storm clouds. Does he arrive safe? Who helps him?

Answer. Yes, the pilot arrives safe on the runway. He is helped by another pilot of a mysterious plane. He vanishes soon after the narrator landed on the airport. The pilot of the other plane guided him to a safe landing.

Question 8. What shocked the narrator after landing safely?

Answer. The narrator was shocked to land safely after struggling against the black storm. Besides, he wanted to thank the other pilot who showed him the way, but he too nowhere to be seen. It was a sort of secret help, of which no one was aware.

Question 9. From the beginning to the end of the lesson the black aeroplane is a mystery. How?

Answer. The narrator started his journey with old Dakota – 088. At that time, the sky was clear. But suddenly, he found himself in the midst of black clouds. There was zero visibility, everything was black. He couldn’t find any way to escape. To his shock, the compass and the radio were dead. He was lost in the storm. All of a sudden, the narrator saw a black aeroplane and was helped by the other pilot. For half an hour he was flying behind that plane like an obedient child. There was only enough fuel in the tank to fly for five or ten minutes when suddenly he saw two rows of lights. It was a runway in front of him. He safely landed at the airport. He went to the control centre to ask who the other pilot was. To his horror, his was the only flight that could be seen on the radar. Who was the other pilot on the strange black aeroplane flying in the storm, without lights, remained a mystery till the end.

Question 10. Describe the narrator’s experience as he flew the aeroplane into the storm.

Answer. The narrator was in a hurry to reach England although he had little fuel. He felt home sick and missed his home. So, he took the risk to fly on low fuel. Suddenly, he lost contact with Paris due to cloudy storm. Inside the clouds, every thing was suddenly black. It was impossible for him to see anything outside the aeroplane. His plane jumped and twisted in the air. He looked at the compass and to his surprise, it was moving round and round. It was dead. All the other instruments were dead. He tried the radio but in vain. He was lost in the storm. Just then a black aeroplane appeared. He was helped by the mysterious pilot and was able to land safely. The other aeroplane had no lights on its wings, but the narrator could see it flying next to him. He could see other pilot’s face. He lifted one hand and waved at the narrator and asked him to follow him. Narrator’s fuel was getting over. But the other pilot guided him down and made his safe landing. After that, the pilot and the aeroplane, both disappeared.

Question 11. How did the author come out safely from the black clouds?

Answer. The author took the risk of flying through the black clouds. He couldn’t see anything. The aeroplane jumped and twisted up every now and then. All his instruments had stopped working. The radio and compass were both dead. Suddenly, he saw another plane with no lights on its wings. The other pilot gestured him to follow his plane and turned his aeroplane slowly to the north in front of the author’s Dakota, so that it would be easier for him to follow. The author was glad to follow him like an obedient child. After half an hour, the strange black plane was still guiding the author in the clouds. Suddenly, he saw two long straight lines of lights in front of him. It was a runaway. He was safe and landed safely out of the clouds. After landing, he went to the control room to find who was the other pilot who saved him. He wanted to thank the pilot but the pilot and his aeroplane both had disappeared. It was a mystery.

Question 12. Explain what was crossing the author’s mind when he was flying over Paris. Suddenly what happened?

Answer. It was very early morning when the author was flying his old Dakota aeroplane over Paris. Everything seemed to be in perfect order specially the weather and the nice thought of a delicious breakfast waiting back home, then meeting his family and also the holiday waiting for him. Even the guidelines by the Paris control room and the Dakota’s instruments, fuel tank etc. were in perfect order. But the author’s excitement was short lived as soon as the aeroplane entered into a huge black cloud all the gadgets stopped working. He was completely taken over by fear and worry.

Thinking about the Text

Question 1. “I’ll take the risk”. What is the risk? Why does the narrator take it?

Answer: A huge storm was brewing up and the author was keen to reach his home to spend his holiday with his family. So, he decided to fly through the storm as he did not want to miss the chance to meet his family at breakfast. Thus he took the risk even when the visibility was almost zero in the storm.

Question 2. Describe the narrator’s experience as he flew the airplane into the storm.

Answer: As the pilot (author) entered the storm, his plane started jumping and twisting. He could not see anything outside the plane as it was black. When he looked at compass and other instruments they had stopped to function due to storm. It was a terrible and fearsome experience for him. The fuel tank was almost empty and he could not fly more than ten minutes. Then he saw another black airplane by his side and the pilot of the plane signalled him to follow. It was a surprise for the narrator as the other black plane was having no light. He followed him without any choice and landed safely on the runway.

Question 3. Why does the narrator say, “I landed and was not sorry to walk away from the old Dakota…”?

Answer: Seagull’s parents had tried everything but he was reluctant to fly due to fear of falling down. He looked at his brothers and sister but wouldn’t make any efforts. Thats why the whole family had left him alone and threatened and cojoled him to come but every effort went in vain.

Question 4. What made the woman in the Control Centre look at the narrator strangely?

Answer: The woman in the Control Centre looked at the narrator strangely because the narrator asked him about the black aeroplane and she saw no one except the narrator’s in the sky during the storm. Even the radar showed only the narrator’s plane that night in the sky.

Question 5. Who do you think helped the narrator to reach safely? Discuss this among yourselves and give reasons for your answer.

Answer: It is very difficult to say about the unknown pilot who helped the narrator. But probably it was the narrator himself that helped him to overcome the fear in the storm as no other plane was seen in the radar except the narrator’s Dakota plane. In that fearsome situation, he might have been hallucinating. He himself was a good pilot and brave enough who helped himself land safely.

Thinking about Language

Question 1. 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 airplane.

(d) The strange black airplane 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.

• Go and have a bath, your hands and face are absolutely black____.
• The taxi-driver gave Ratan a black look as he crossed the road when the traffic light was green____.
• The bombardment of Hiroshima is one of the blackest crimes against humanity____.
• Very few people enjoy Harold Pinter’s black comedy____.
• Sometimes shopkeepers store essential goods____.
• Villagers had beaten the criminal black and blue____.

Answers:

• A. The meaning of ‘black ’ in this sentence is that the face and hands are dark because of dust and dirt.
• A. Here, ‘black’ refers to an angry look.
• A. “Here, ‘blackest’ refers to the darkest and cruellest crime against humanity.
• A. Here, ‘black’ refers to dark and gloomy comedy.
• A. The meaning of ‘black’in this sentence is that the shopkeepers sell the described goods ‘at a higher price’.
• A. Here, ‘black’means that the criminal suffered excessive beating at the hands of the villagers.

Question 2. Look at these sentences taken from the lesson you have just read:

(a) I was flying my old Dakota aeroplane.

(b) The young seagull had been afraid to fly with them.

In the first sentence the author was controlling an aircraft in the air. In the second sentence the seagull was afraid to move through the air, using its wings.

Match the phrases given under Column A with their meanings given under Column B:

	A		B
1.	Fly a flag	(a)	Move quickly/suddenly
2.	Fly into rage	(b)	Be successful
3.	Fly along	(c)	Display a flag on a long pole
4.	Fly high	(d)	Escape from a place
5.	Fly the coop	(e)	Become suddenly very angry

Answer: 1. (c), 2. (e), 3. (a), 4. (b), 5. (d).

We hope that Class 10 English (First Flight) Chapter 3 Two Stories about Flying Important Questions helped you. If you have any queries about Class 10 English (First Flight) Chapter 3 Two Stories about Flying Important Questions or about any other notes of Class 10 English, so you can comment below. We will reach you as soon as possible…