His First Flight
Gist:
The story is about a young seagull who is afraid to fly. He observes all his siblings take their first flight but he cannot get himself to take the plunge. He feels that his wings will never support him to fly into the sky and so he hesitates each time he runs to the brink of the ledge. However, his mother‘s ingenuity empowers him to soar into the boundless skies with the vast expanse of the sea stretched down beneath him. The lesson explicitly explains his fears and doubts initially and his exhilarated feelings, as he finally soars into the skies with his family beside him.
Extract Based Questions:
1. ‘He stepped slowly out to the brink of the ledge, and standing on one leg with the other leg hidden under his wing; he closed one eye, then the other, and pretended to be falling asleep. Still they took no notice of him.‘
A) What did the young seagull do?
View AnswerAns. The young seagull wanted to catch the attention of the others. So he pretended to fall asleep on the brink of the ledge.
B) What was the seagull afraid of?
View AnswerAns. The seagull was afraid to fly.
C) Why did he close his eyes one at a time?
View AnswerAns. He was pretending to fall asleep.
D) What could his brothers and sister do which he was not able to?
View AnswerAns. They could fly but he was not able to.
2. His father and mother had come around him calling him shrilly, upbraiding him, and threatening to let him starve on the ledge unless he flew away. But for the life of him, he could not move.
A) How did his parents try to make him fly?
View AnswerAns. First, they invited him encouragingly. Then scolded and threatened to leave him alone to starve unless he flew away.
B) What was the effect of their efforts?
View AnswerAns. All their efforts failed but he did not fly.
C) What does the passage convey about the young seagull?
View AnswerAns. He was a coward.
D) How was the young seagull threatened by his parents initially when he did not fly?
View AnswerAns. First his parents encouraged him to fly but later on, they even threatened to let him starve if he did not fly.
Short Answer Questions:
1. Describe the young seagull‘s expression when he saw his mother with food.
View AnswerAns. The young seagull uttered a joyful scream because he thought that his mother was bringing food for him. He tried to come nearer to her as she flew across.
2. How did the young seagull and his family celebrate his first flight?
View AnswerAns. When the young seagull started flying and got over his fear, his family screamed around him out of joy. They praised him and offered him scraps of dog-fish out of delight as he made a successful attempt
Long Answer Questions:
1. How does the author describe the young Seagull‘s fear of flying?
View AnswerAns. The young Seagull was afraid of flying though he wanted very much to fly. When he flapped his wings he became afraid. The sea stretched down beneath. He felt certain that his wings would never support him. So he bent his head and ran away back to the little hole. He could not get himself to fly like his siblings.
2. Do you think hunger was a good motivation for the young Seagull in his flight?
View AnswerAns. The young seagull was greatly afraid of flying — did not dare to come out and fly — had no selfconfidence – Parents, brothers and sister decided to leave him alone – left for twenty four hours — no food to eat — very hungry — parents rebuked — would die of hunger — getting mad with hunger — mother bought a piece of fish — offered him — but was not able to catch it – called out to her – but she did not come any closer – so he dived for it as he was hungry — fell and started going downwards — next moment wings spread outwards — wind rushed through him — started flying high — screamed with joy as he was finally flying — thus made his maiden flight.
Previous Year Questions:
1. Describe the young seagull’s emotions when he flew over the sea.
View AnswersAns. He was no longer afraid to fly. Although he felt a bit dizzy initially. Soon he was soaring upwards and shouting with happiness after his successful first flight.
2. The Oxford Dictionary defines ‘hangry’ as ‘bad-tempered or irritable as a result of hunger. To what extent can the young seagull’s motivation to fly be attributed to being hungry? Support your stance with evidence from the text.
View AnswersAns. The seagull’s family left him alone and he did not eat anything for the whole day. His hunger overpowered his fear and he motivated him to dive towards his mother holding a fish in her beak.
3. “The young seagull was alone on his ledge.” How far do you think this condition was by his choice?
View AnswersAns. His parents cajoled him to take flight with them but he could not muster up the courage and stayed there whereas his family members flew across the sea onto the plateau.
4. If you were the family member of the young seagull, would you also decide not to go near him? Elaborate with reason.
View AnswersAns. Sometimes the parents have to take tough decisions to let the children face the hardships of life. I would have definitely done the same because to overcome risk one has to face risk. The loneliness and extreme hunger overpowered his fear and helped him to take the plunge.
5. The young seagull “failed to muster up the courage to take that plunge”. In what way can the reference to the ‘plunge’ here be both literal and metaphorical? Explain.
View AnswersAns. The literal meaning of plunge is ‘a sudden jump’. Metaphorically ‘plunge’ can be understood as diving deep into something new. So this was applied to him correctly in both the senses. Literally, he had to dive from the hill Cliff and metaphorically he dived into a new act of flying.
6. The ‘fight or flight response’, that is, to stay and face a situation or run from it- is an automatic reaction to an event perceived as stressful or harmful. How would you evaluate the young gull’s response to finding himself off the ledge?
View AnswersAns. When he realised that he dived off the ledge, he was full of terror. His heart stopped breathing momentarily. But soon after he felt his Wings open outwards. He could feel the wind on his chest feathers. He was no more falling headway down the sea. He realised that he could fly like his family.
7. The young seagull’s parents wanted him to fly, like his brothers and sister. How could the young seagull’s newly flying siblings (Brother 1, Brother 2 and Sister) have motivated him? Write a brief conversation between them.
View AnswersAns. Dialogue writing between the seagull and his siblings.
Seagull: I can’t fly, I will fall down into the water.
Brother 1: It’s so easy, just look at me and repeat the same way.
Brother 2: Come running from that end then dive it would be easy.
Seagull: I tried multiple times but I am unable to do.
Sister: Hold my hand and we will take the plunge together.
Brother 1: let’s all hold hands and fly together.
Seagull: No, I can’t fly.
8. A noted author, Richard Bach wrote – “For most gulls, it was not flying that mattered, but eating. For this gull, though, it was not eating that mattered, but flight.” Evaluate this statement with respect to the young seagull.
View AnswersAns. Flying comes naturally in most birds, but here in this story the seagull was reluctant to fly and remained hungry due to his fear. Later on, hunger overpowered the fear and he jumped to grab the insect in his mother’s beak. The fear of flight faded at the sight of his food and compelled him to take his first flight. Thus, it can be said that the argument given in the question does not apply even to this seagull. As it was eating that mattered more for this seagull too.
9. Look at the image of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Abraham Maslow devised a theory of motivation that shows the basic needs at the bottom, and more advanced needs as you move up. It includes the theory that fundamental needs must be met before an individual can be motivated to achieve higher-order needs. Where in this hierarchy of needs, would you locate the young seagull’s first flight? Justify your response.
Ans. As the German proverbs say- ‘Wait is a hard word to the hungry’ and ‘A hungry belly has no ears’. The young gull’s first flight would be located at the bottom of the pyramid under physiological needs. A hungry living being cannot think of anything else except an eatable. It is evident from the story that anyone can put even his life to risk to satisfy the fire in his stomach. Similarly, the seagull did not care about his life and forgot his fear while jumping off the ledge to take hold of the fish in her mother’s beak to satisfy his hunger.
10. Look at the given image of different parenting styles and what they signify. Which of the given parenting styles would you attribute to the young seagull’s parents?
Do you think there was a difference between the mother’s and father’s attitudes? Support your answer with reference to the text.
View AnswersAns. After reading the story ‘His first flight’ we can conclude that the father displayed an UNINVOLVED parenting style as he was not much concerned about the child.
While the mother can be termed as authoritative. On one side she was adamant about making his child learn the art of flying and removing his fear of flying. On the other side, the next day when the young seagull was looking for some food, the mother seemed worried about him and took a fish in her beak to give to the young gull. But she knew that it was the right time to teach him so instead of spoon-feeding she played a trick with him. She halted just a few steps away from the seagull. The sight of food maddened the hungry seagull and he jumped towards her which worked like magic and he could take up his first step towards flying.
Black Aeroplane
Gist:
The Black Aero plane is about a pilot who is flying an old Dakota aeroplane and is happy and to be able to be home with his family in time for breakfast. He is flying from Paris to London. But suddenly he sees some huge black storm clouds that look like black mountains in front of him. He does not have enough fuel to go around the clouds. He takes the risk and flies right into it. Suddenly it is pitch dark and impossible to see anything. The instruments stop working and he has lost contact with Paris Control. Very soon he sees another black aero plane near him and the pilot motions for him to follow and leads the way. Soon he comes out of the clouds and sees two long straight lines of lights in front of him and that was a Runway! He looks back to thank his friend but cannot see the other plane anywhere. After landing he asks the lady at the Control room about the other plane, but she‘s surprised and says that there were no other plane in the skies that night, and his was the only plane flying in the storm. The pilot is puzzled! Who could it have been he wonders.
Extract Based Questions:
1. I knew I could not fly up and over them, and I didn‘t have enough fuel to fly around them to the north or south. “I ought to go back to Paris.” I thought, but I wanted to get home.
A) What does ‘them‘ in the first sentence refer to?
Ans. ‘Them‘ means the big black clouds.
B) Why could he not fly over on either side of storm clouds?
Ans. There was not enough fuel left in the Dakota – aero plane for him to fly around the clouds.
C) Why did he not go back to Paris?
Ans. He wanted to get home and enjoy breakfast with his family.
D) Which country was the pilot of the plane flying towards?
Ans. The Pilot was flying towards England.
2. He turned his aero plane slowly to the north, in front of my Dakota, so that it would be easier for me to follow him. I was very happy to go behind the strange aero plane like an obedient child.
A) Where was the pilot at this time?
Ans. The pilot was inside the black storm cloud
B) Who does ‘He‘ refer to in the first sentence?
Ans. The pilot of the Black aero plane
C) Why did ‘He‖ of the black aero plane bring his plane in front of the Dakota aero plane?
Ans. The pilot was trying to guide the author out of the storm clouds by asking him to follow him.
D) Why did the pilot of the Dakota follow him like an obedient child?
Ans. He was lost and all his instruments had stopped working. He wanted to find a way out of the storm/He wanted to get out of the storm safely.
Short Answer Questions:
1. What did the narrator feel inside the clouds?
Ans. When the narrator entered the clouds, it became impossible to see outside the aero plane. The aero plane jumped and twisted in the air and all the instruments like compass etc. stopped working due to the weather conditions. He could not see anything and he was worried whether the fuel would last till he landed.
2. Why was the woman in the control room shocked when the narrator asked her about another aero plane?
Ans. The woman in the control room was shocked when the narrator asked about another aero plane because there was no such plane flying in the sky that night as she saw none on the radar. It was an extremely stormy night and no one had taken the risk of flying in the storm.
Long Answer Questions:
1. The narrator does not lose hope and follows the pilot in the black aero plane knowing well that he might be taking a huge risk. What qualities does he possess to endure this critical situation bravely?
Ans. The author‘s plane did not have enough fuel. He knew that because of the paucity of fuel, he could not fly up and over the clouds nor he could fly around them to the north or south. But then he decided to take the risk to fly into the clouds because he wanted to go home and wanted to join his family at breakfast. This shows that
he was a family-loving person. He was courageous as he knew that it would be risky to enter the clouds, but he did so nevertheless. Gradually a black aero plane approaches and the pilot signals to him to follow him.
Knowing well that it is a risky move he still continues to follow and to his delight and relief he reaches an airport safely. However he cannot see the other aero plane anywhere and nor can the lady at the Control room help him. His brave act led him to safety. His Faith in himself and perhaps the Almighty enabled him to emerge safely from the grueling situation.
Previous Year Questions:
1. How would you describe the mood of the story, ‘Black Aeroplane’ as it begins?
View AnswersAns. As the story begins the narrator is happy and excited to meet his family in England. The stars are shining in the clear sky so he hopes to reach England before morning in his old Dakota plane.
2. Look at the given image. Briefly evaluate the narrator’s decision to not go back to Paris with reference to the image.
View AnswersAns. The narrator had realised the approaching danger in the form of the storm if he moves forward. Still, he ignored the threat and decided to continue his flight to get an opportunity to meet his family.
3. Do you think that after his experience, the narrator would be able to truly enjoy the English breakfast he had yearned for? Why/ Why not?
View AnswersAns. Though he landed safely and before the time of the breakfast. His mind was full of certain questions about the black Aeroplane and the other pilot. That’s why he would not be able to enjoy his meal fully.
4. What do you think prompted the narrator to act like “an obedient child”?
View AnswersAns. The narrator was surrounded by a storm of clouds, the compass and other important instruments stopped working and the control room could not be reached. So, he had no option left than to follow the black Aeroplane like an obedient child.
5. As a reader, do you feel betrayed or let down in the way the story ends? Validate your opinion.
View AnswersAns. The story ends with huge suspense about the black aeroplane and its pilot. The author should have given a proper ending to the story. Readers are left to make assumptions about the black aeroplane and its pilot who helped the narrator. Yes, I feel betrayed by the story’s last part.
6. Based on your reading, would you call the narrator a family man? Justify your stance.
View AnswersAns. It is evident from the story that the narrator took the risk to meet his family. He was excited to stay with them during the vacations. He was eager to join his family at the breakfast table. This shows him to be a family man.
7. James Lane Allen says, “Adversity reveals character”. What do you learn about the narrator from the experience? Mention any two traits supported by the textual evidence.
View AnswersAns. The stormy night incident proved that the narrator was a brave man who did not care about his life.
He did not panic and managed to keep calm during the toughest time which is a commendable trait for a pilot. Adversity revealed him to be a brave, patient and obedient man.
8. Imagine that the narrator shared his story with friends and family once he got home. One of them, a spiritual leader, decided to incorporate the story as part of his weekly sermon to the congregation. Another friend, a psychologist, worked the story into his next lecture on survival instinct and crisis management.
Do you think the two interpretations of the story would be different? If so, how?
What insights might the narrator get about his mysterious experience, if he were to attend both the sessions?
Ans. A spiritual leader would use the story as an example to tell his disciples that God takes care of his children even in extreme conditions. He would preach that God sent an angel to save the narrator. Thus, we should not lose hope and keep trusting God. However, the psychologist friend would describe the incident in a totally different manner. He might say that ‘God helps those who help themselves- the mysterious plane was the narrator’s soul that drove him out of the storm.
If the narrator happens to listen to both of these workshops he would accept either of the two philosophies as true on the basis of his nature which is not specified in the story. If he is a religious person, he would accept the spiritual friend’s opinion. But, he might like to go with the psychologist’s interpretation if he is a man of logical thinking.
9. In a parallel world, the pilot of the black aeroplane narrates his adventure in a story titled ‘The Old Dakota’. You come across an excerpt from the story, which responds to the ending questions of ‘Black Aeroplane’ and describes the black aeroplane pilot’s decision to fly away after watching the Dakota land. Compose the said excerpt of the story employing relevant details from ‘Black Aeroplane’.
View AnswersAns. Last night I caught up in a black storm. I was struggling to find my way out. I had the latest well-equipped aeroplane but the lights went off. Luckily, I did not lose connection with the control room. When I was trying to find out the right direction, I spotted an old Dakota plane flying amidst the black clouds. I followed it and on coming closer I waved at the other pilot to follow me and he did obediently. Almost half an hour later the runway was visible. I continued forward whereas the Dakota landed there at the airport. I wanted to meet the Dakota pilot to ensure that he was alright but I was in a hurry. I hope he landed safely.
10. A few days after the experience, the narrator sat with his wife and recalled a long conversation he’d had with his young son the day before. The narrator’s son had spoken to him about his close friend, Freddie, and the many ways Freddie helped him. When the narrator suggested inviting Freddie home for lunch, his wife casually said, “Freddie is like your friend in the black aeroplane!”
That night the narrator decided to record his thoughts in his diary to clear his head. As the narrator, write the diary entry.
Ans.
10.00 pm/8th March
Dear diary,
On my last flight from Paris to England I had close contact with death. I thought it was my last flight. But, it was destined differently. When I was about to lose hope a mysterious black aeroplane showed me the right path to escape the storm. I enquired the control room staff about the mysterious plane but nobody confirmed its presence. I owe my life to him. I wish to meet and thank him for saving my life. He is like Freddie, my life saviour. ‘The world is so small. I hope to meet him someday. I wish to learn from him the ways to tackle a storm the way he did. I am grateful to God and the other pilot that I am alive today and living with my family.