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ABK –SSJ Class X
CH-3 TWO STORIES ABOUT FLYING
CLASS X :ENGLISH LITERATURE : FIRST FLIGHT _______________________________________________________________________________________ ABK -SSJ Join our Telegram channel for notes and lectures: https://t.me/ABKSSJ2021 Download our app : https://hodor.page.link/vEwC HIS FIRST FLIGHT 1. Why did the seagull not go with the rest of his family? (CBSE 2002) Ans. The seagull did not go with his family because he had been afraid to fly. He had attempted to flap his wings but he felt certain his wings would not support him above the vast sea. So he stayed on the ledge alone. 2. Describe the seagull's first flight. (CBSE 2012,2023) Ans. The seagull remained alone and hungry for twenty four hours. His mother decided to motivate him by showing a piece of fish but did not feed him. Maddened by hunger, he tried to snatch it by diving. As the seagull fell into space, a terror seized him. The next moment he felt his wings spread outwards as the wind gushed against his breast feathers. He then realized he was gradually soaring. In this way he made his first flight. 3. Why did the young seagull not go with the rest of his family? Why was he afraid to fly? (CBSE 2006) Ans. The young seagull did not go with the rest of his family, though his brothers and sister had already flown away the day before, as he felt afraid to fly with them. Standing alone on the ledge, he had taken a little run forward to its brink and attempted to flap his wings but he had been scared. The great expanse of the sea stretched below seemed as if it was miles down and he felt certain that his wings would never support him, so he bent his head and ran away to the little hole under the ledge where he used to sleep at night. Though he was desperate to join his family, he failed to muster up enough courage and take a plunge. His family's constant encouragement and threatening words could not make him move. 4. Why was the young seagull afraid of flying? What compelled the seagull to finally fly? (CBSE 2009) Or " The sight of the food maddened him". What does this suggest? What compelled the young seagull to finally fly? Or Why was the young seagull afraid of flying with his brothers and sister? Ans. The young seagull was afraid of flying because he felt certain that his wings would not support him above the vast sea. The young seagull had not eaten anything since the previous night and the sight of his mother tearing at a piece of fish that lay at her feet was maddening him, making him almost crazy. He loved to tear food that way and uttered a cackling sound as if begging his mother to bring him some food but she was ignoring him. Maddened by hunger, he dived at the fish his mother baited at him and flew outward and downward into space. He scared again and then flew downwards gradually. He dropped his legs to stand on the sea. Finally his feet sank into the green sea and as his belly touched it he sank no further. He was floating on it and around him his family was praising him.
BLACK AEROPLANE 1. Why did the woman in the control room look at the pilot of Dakota DS 088 strangely? (CBSE 2009,2012) Ans. The woman in the control room looked at the pilot of the Dakota strangely when he was talking about there being another aeroplane. She knew that there was no other aeroplane as she could see only one aeroplane on the radar. 2. 'Everything was going well-it was an easy flight.' Why was the pilot happy? (CBSE 2006) Or Give two reasons why the pilot was happy? Ans. The pilot was flying his aeroplane in a clear sky where he could see the moon coming up in the east, behind him, and the stars were shining above him. He was happy to be alone high up above the sleeping countryside and was dreaming of his holiday and looking forward to being with his family. He thought that he would be home in time for breakfast and devour a good big English breakfast. Everything was going pretty well for him. He was getting fine signals from the Paris Control Room which was giving him the accurate direction on which he was to proceed. His compass and full tank were also up to the mark. So, all in all, it was an easy flight for him. 3.“I’ll take the risk ?What is the risk? Why does the narrator take it ? (CBSE 2023) Ans. The risk was to fly through the black storm clouds. The narrator took the risk because his home was beckoning him. He was dreaming of his holiday and looking forward to be with his family. He also wanted to get home in time to enjoy a good English breakfast. 4. How did the black aeroplane rescue the first pilot? (CBSE 2004) Or How was the pilot of the old Dakota rescued. (CBSE 2004) Or How did the pilot of the black aeroplane help the pilot of the old Dakota to land safely at the airport? (CBSE 2008) Or The pilot is lost in storm clouds? How does he reach safely? (CBSE 2009) Or Who rescued the first pilot of Dakota and how? (CBSE 2015) Ans. He first pilot was stuck in the thick black clouds. The compass, radio and other instruments in his plane were dead. Then in the black clouds quite near to him, suddenly he spotted another aeroplane. Though he could not see the pilot's face, he understood the pilot was signalling with his hand that he (the first pilot) should follow him. He turned his aeroplane slowly towards the black aeroplane and went behind it like an obedient child. After about half an hour he started going down and suddenly they came out of the clouds and the first pilot saw the runway in front of him but the aeroplane that he had followed just disappeared. 5. Describe the flight of the Dakota aeroplane till it landed safely at the airport. (CBSE 2005,2017) Ans. The Dakota aeroplane took off in a clear sky from France for its journey to England. After flying about 150 kilometres it was suddenly inside thick black clouds and everything was black. The compass, radio and all other instruments of the plane were dead. The aeroplane jumped and twisted in the air. Then in the black clouds the pilot saw a black aeroplane. Though he could not see the other pilot's face he understood that the pilot was signalling with his hand to follow him. The pilot followed the other plane like an obedient child. After half an hour the Dakota
aeroplane came out of the clouds and saw two long straight lines of light of the runway in front. But there was no sign of the black aeroplane. 6. The author asked a question at the end of the lesson The Black Aeroplane', "Who was the pilot in the strange black aeroplane?" Answer this question. (CBSE 2006) Ans. It is indeed a mystery as to who the pilot of the strange black aeroplane was. It is quite probable that the pilot was actually a ghost whose plane might have crashed in a storm so he felt it was his moral duty to avert another such disaster. That is the reason the ghost seems to appear out of nowhere just to guide the pilot safely to the airport and once this job is done he just vanishes into thin air and is not seen again. Another probability is that the pilot of the old Dakota had imagined it all in his distress. No definite explanation can be given for this mystery as the story has a supernatural element attached to it which is inexplicable. 7. Do you agree that the story The Black Aeroplane' is a mystery? Justify your answer. (CBSE 2001) Ans. This story is no doubt a mystery because the writer leaves many questions unanswered which not only puzzle us but also mystify us. We all are extremely eager to know as to who the pilot in the strange plane was and if there was actually a plane that had guided the first plane, or its pilot had imagined it all in distress. All this could just be a figment of the imagination of the first pilot or it could actually be a plane whose pilot had probably crashed in a storm and so his ghost had come to ensure that another pilot did not meet a similar fate. This mystery remains unsolved and we are left guessing if there is indeed a supernatural element in the story. All we can do is make our own assumptions and let our own imaginations run wild. 8. Motivation plays an important role in taking risks in life and in succeeding. Do you agree? Discuss with reference to the pilot of the old Dakota and the young seagull. (CBSE 2023) Ans. Motivation enables one not only to take risks in life but also to succeed. The pilot of the old Dakota plane was eager to get home to England and was looking forward to be with his family. So despite seeing the storm clouds across the sky, he took the risk and did not fly back to Paris. Similarly, the young Seagull was able to make his first flight only because of his family's constant encouragement and motivation. The seagull's family continued to beckon him, leaving with no choice except to dive in the air and soar. The pilot and the young Seagull were motivated to take risks and eventually succeeded. Extract Based Questions 9.Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow : (CBSE 2023) Inside the clouds, everything was suddenly black. It was impossible to see anything outside the aeroplane. The old aeroplane jumped and twisted in the air. I looked at the compass. I couldn't believe my eyes the compass was turning round and round and round. It was dead. It would not work. The other instruments were suddenly dead, too. I tried the radio. "Paris Control? Paris Control? Can you hear me?" There was no answer. The radio was dead too. I had no radio, no compass, and I could not see where I was. I was lost in thestorm. (i)As soon as the pilot was inside the cloud................... (a) his ears got blocked. (b) he choked with fear. (c) his vision was obstructed. (d) he was jumping up and down. Ans. (c) his vision was obstructed (ii)The devices in the aeroplane were
(a) malfunctioning. (b) broken completely. (c) giving wrong readings. (d) stopped responding completely............... Ans.(a) malfunctioning / (d) stopped responding completely (iii) The Paris air control did not reply to the pilot's call because______________. Ans. the radio was dead (iv) Select the option that correctly captures the application of the word 'twisted' as used in the extract. (a) Ragini twisted Raghav's wrist. (b) Ragini twisted the story to suit the occasion. (c) Ragini did not appreciate Raghav's twisted bent of mind. (d) Ragini matched the swimmer as he twisted twice in the air before diving into the water. Ans. (d) Ragini matched the swimmer as he twisted twice in the air before diving into the water (v)Fill in the blank with one word only : The narrator’s ________________comes through clearly when he sees the compass turning round and round. Ans.disbelief / helplessness