Two Stories about Flying - Q&A
I. His First Flight
Thinking about the Text (Page 36)
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 steps?
[cite_start]The young seagull was afraid to fly because he felt certain that his wings would never support him[cite: 631]. [cite_start]The great expanse of sea stretched down beneath, and it was such a long way down — miles down[cite: 630].
Yes, it is natural for young birds to feel some fear, but some are more timid than others. [cite_start]His brothers and sister had shorter wings but flew fearlessly, while he was afraid[cite: 633].
Yes, a human baby also finds it a challenge to take its first steps due to the fear of falling and lack of balance.
2. "The sight of the food maddened him." What does this suggest? What compelled the young seagull to finally fly?
[cite_start]This suggests that the young seagull was extremely hungry[cite: 645, 661].
[cite_start]His hunger compelled him to dive at the fish in his mother's beak[cite: 673]. [cite_start]When he dived, he fell outwards and downwards into space, and his wings spread naturally to save him, thus making him fly[cite: 674, 676].
3. "They were beckoning to him, calling shrilly." Why did the seagull's father and mother threaten him and cajole him to fly?
They threatened and cajoled him because they wanted him to learn how to fly and catch his own food. [cite_start]They knew that if he did not fly, he would starve on the ledge[cite: 638]. Their harshness was necessary to push him to become independent.
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.
(Model Answer) Yes, I remember being scared to ride a bicycle without support wheels. My father encouraged me and held the cycle from behind. I was terrified of falling, but his encouragement helped me overcome my fear, and eventually, I learned to balance and ride on my own.
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?
(Model Answer) In the case of learning to ride a bicycle, success was not guaranteed. There was a real risk of falling and getting hurt. However, it was important to try regardless of the possibility of failure because trying is the only way to learn a new skill and overcome fear.
Writing (Page 36)
Write a short composition on your initial attempts at learning a skill. You could describe the challenges of learning to ride a bicycle or learning to swim. Make it as humorous as possible.
My Swimming Struggle
Learning to swim was not a graceful experience for me. While other kids glided like dolphins, I sank like a stone. My instructor told me to "float," but my body apparently didn't understand the physics of buoyancy. I swallowed so much pool water that I felt like a human aquarium. Every time I tried to kick, I just splashed water into my own eyes. It took weeks before I could move forward without looking like I was fighting for my life against invisible sea monsters.
II. The Black Aeroplane
Thinking about the Text (Page 40)
1. "I'll take the risk." What is the risk? Why does the narrator take it?
[cite_start]The risk is flying the old Dakota aeroplane straight into the huge, black storm clouds despite having limited fuel[cite: 744, 746].
[cite_start]The narrator takes the risk because he desperately wants to get home to England to be with his family and have a good big English breakfast[cite: 740, 745].
2. Describe the narrator's experience as he flew the aeroplane into the storm.
[cite_start]Inside the clouds, everything was suddenly black and it was impossible to see anything[cite: 747]. [cite_start]The old aeroplane jumped and twisted in the air[cite: 748]. [cite_start]The compass turned round and round and was dead, and the radio also stopped working, leaving him lost in the storm[cite: 755, 757].
3. Why does the narrator say, "I landed and was not sorry to walk away from the old Dakota..."?
He says he was "not sorry" because he had just survived a terrifying experience in the storm and was relieved to be safe. [cite_start]He was eager to find the control centre to ask about the other pilot who saved him, so he didn't mind leaving the plane immediately[cite: 774, 775].
4. What made the woman in the control centre look at the narrator strangely?
She looked at him strangely because he asked about "another aeroplane." [cite_start]According to her radar, there were no other aeroplanes flying that night due to the storm; his was the only one[cite: 778].
5. Who do you think helped the narrator to reach safely? Discuss this among yourselves and give reasons for your answer.
It is likely that the "black aeroplane" was a hallucination or a product of the narrator's own imagination caused by fear and stress. [cite_start]There was no other plane on the radar[cite: 778]. It was probably his own experience and subconscious mind that guided him through the storm safely.
Thinking about Language (Page 40 - 41)
I. Guess the meanings of the word 'black' in the sentences given below.
1. Go and have a bath; your hands and face are absolutely black.
Meaning: Dirty with dust or soot.
2. The taxi-driver gave Ratan a black look as he crossed the road when the traffic light was green.
Meaning: An angry or threatening look.
3. The bombardment of Hiroshima is one of the blackest crimes against humanity.
Meaning: Darkest, most evil, or tragic.
4. Very few people enjoy Harold Pinter's black comedy.
Meaning: Comedy that finds humor in tragic or distressing situations (dark humor).
5. Sometimes shopkeepers store essential goods to create false scarcity and then sell these in black.
Meaning: The black market (illegal trade at high prices).
6. Villagers had beaten the criminal black and blue.
Meaning: Badly bruised and injured.
II. Match the phrases given under Column A with their meanings given under Column B:
| Column A | Column B (Meaning) |
|---|---|
| 1. Fly a flag | Display a flag on a long pole |
| 2. Fly into rage | Become suddenly very angry |
| 3. Fly along | Move quickly/suddenly |
| 4. Fly high | Be successful |
| 5. Fly the coop | Escape from a place |
III. Tick the words which have the same or nearly the same meaning as 'fly' (move through air using wings).
(Selected words based on the list in the text)
✓ Swoop
✓ Flit
✓ Flutter
✓ Skim
✓ Hover
✓ Glide
✓ Soar
✓ Flap
Writing (Page 41)
Have you ever been alone or away from home during a thunderstorm? Narrate your experience in a paragraph.
Caught in the Storm
I was walking back from my friend's house when the sky turned a menacing purple. Suddenly, a thunderstorm broke out with a deafening crack of thunder. The wind was so strong that trees were swaying violently. I took shelter under a small shop awning. The rain came down in sheets, blurring everything. I was alone and scared, counting the seconds between the lightning flash and the thunder to guess how far the storm was. When it finally subsided, I ran all the way home, shivering but relieved to see the warm lights of my house.