Two Stories About Flying

 Textual Notes for Class 10 English 

First Flight - Chapter 3 – Two Stories About Flying

I. His First Flight

The story "His First Flight" is about a baby seagull who is scared to fly. When its siblings start flying, the seagull feels afraid and can't do it. Its parents scold it for not trying. The seagull feels bad, especially since even its sister can fly with shorter wings. The family moves to another cliff, but the seagull is hungry and tries to get food. It falls off the cliff, triggering its instinct to fly, and it starts flying. The family is happy that the seagull finally flew.

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?

The young seagull was afraid to fly because it was his first flight, and he feared that he might fall and hurt himself. He thought that his wings would not support him while he attempted to make his first flight.

Yes, it’s natural that doing something for the first time can be scaring and a bit challenging. I think all birds must be afraid to make their first flight.

Same way, a human baby is also afraid and finds it very challenging when it takes its first steps or when it learns to crawl or walk on its own without any support.

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

The young seagull was scared to fly for the first time. His family wanted him to fly but he was too afraid. He stayed on the ledge for more than a day and got very hungry. When he saw his mother with food, he cried for her to bring some to him. But she didn't come close. Hungry and desperate, he dove at the food and fell into the sea. He was scared at first, but then he spread his wings and realized he could fly. Hunger gave him courage, and he flew for the first time happily.

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

The young seagull's parents kept calling him, and he tried hard to fly. But he was scared of falling from the cliff. He watched his siblings fly away, but he was too afraid to try. His family left him alone on the ledge, urging him to fly, but he couldn't overcome his fear.

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.

Learning to ride a bicycle was hard for me when I was in fourth grade. I fell a lot and got scared of cycling. I wanted to give up, but my parents encouraged me to keep trying. My dad held the bike to help me balance, but when he let go, I fell. With practice every day, I got better. Soon, I could ride without his help. It made me feel brave. Now, I ride my bike to school confidently every day.

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?

It's common to face challenges when learning something new. Like the seagull's parents encouraged him to fly, my dad pushed me to learn cycling. Overcoming fear was key for both of us. I succeeded because I stayed focused and determined. As they say, "Practice makes perfect."

Speaking (Page 36)

We have just read about the first flight of a young seagull. Your teacher will now divide the class into groups. Each group will work on one of the following topics. Prepare a presentation with your group members and then present it to the entire class.

1. Progression of Models of Airplanes
2. Progression of Models of Motorcars
3. Birds and Their Wing Span
4. Migratory Birds — Tracing Their Flights

Activity to be done by yourself.

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.

Title: My Bicycle Misadventures

Learning to ride a bicycle was like entering a comedy show filled with bumps and laughter. Every attempt brought new challenges and hilarious moments.

At first, I wobbled and crashed into bushes, resembling a drunken sailor. My feet tangled with the pedals, creating a chaotic dance down the street.

Despite the falls, my bicycle and I persisted, sharing laughs amidst scraped knees. Then, one day, I found my balance and soared down the street like a cycling champion.

So, remember to embrace the chaos, enjoy the journey, and always wear a helmet!

II. The Black Aeroplane

"The Black Aeroplane" by Frederick Forsyth tells the story of a pilot flying to England. He passes Paris and seeks guidance from the control room. Dreaming of a family holiday and English breakfast, he faces a storm. Despite risks, he enters it. Compass and radio fail, but he spots another plane. Following it, he lands safely. Surprisingly, no other plane is reported. The mysterious plane vanishes, leaving the pilot puzzled.

Thinking about the Text (Page 40)

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

The pilot of Dakota DS 088 wanted to go home to England for a holiday with his family. He saw a big storm but flew into it because he didn't want to miss breakfast with his family. It was risky because he couldn't see well.

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

The pilot flew into a big storm, and his plane started jumping and spinning. He couldn't see outside because of the dark clouds. His instruments stopped working due to the bad weather. He was scared. His fuel was running out. Then, he saw another plane without lights. The pilot signaled him to follow. He had no choice but to follow. They landed safely.

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

The pilot was delighted to land safely after being caught in a dense storm of dark clouds and was not sorry to walk away from the old Dakota. He was filled with gratitude for the pilot in the other black aeroplane and desperately wanted to thank him for helping him in such a fearsome situation. He felt sorry that he could not thank his benefactor enough for helping him land on the runway safely.

4. What made the woman in the control centre look at the narrator strangely?

The woman in the control center gave the narrator a strange look when he talked about the black airplane. She said there was only his plane in the sky during the storm, according to the radar.

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

There isn't a clear reason for the mysterious pilot who aided the narrator. It's possible the narrator imagined the help during the storm, as only his plane was seen on radar. Despite the fear, the pilot was brave enough to navigate the storm and land safely.

Thinking about Language (Page 40-41)

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 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.

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 to create false scarcity and then sell these in black. ________________
6. Villagers had beaten the criminal black and blue. ____________

Answer:

1. Go and have a bath; your hands and face are absolutely black. – The ‘black’ in this sentence denotes that the face and hands are dark due to dust and dirt.

2. The taxi-driver gave Ratan a black look as he crossed the road when the traffic light was green. – The ‘black’ in this sentence refers to an angry or annoyed look.

3. The bombardment of Hiroshima is one of the blackest crimes against humanity. – The ‘black’ in this sentence denotes a dark and brutal incident against humanity.

4. Very few people enjoy Harold Pinter’s black comedy. – The ‘black’ in this sentence denotes dark or distressing comedy.

5. Sometimes shopkeepers store essential goods to create false scarcity and then sell these in black. – The ‘black’ in this sentence refers to the hoarding of goods by shopkeepers to sell those goods at a higher price later.

6. Villagers had beaten the criminal black and blue. – The ‘black’ in this sentence denotes that the criminal was beaten and badly bruised by the villagers.

II. 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. Another example is: Children are flying kites. 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         – Move quickly/suddenly

2. Fly into rage – Be successful

3. Fly along         – Display a flag on a long pole

4. Fly high         – Escape from a place

5. Fly the coop – Become suddenly very angry

Answer:

            A                             B

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. We know that the word ‘fly’ (of birds/insects) means to move through air using wings. Tick the words which have the same or nearly the same meaning.

swoop     flit     paddle         flutter

ascend     float     ride         skim

sink             dart     hover         glide

descend     soar     shoot         spring

stay             fall     sail         flap

The words which have the same or nearly the same meaning as ‘fly’ are listed below:

• Swoop
• Flit
• Flutter
• Float
• Skim
• Hover
• Glide
• Soar
• Sail

Writing (Page 41)

Have you ever been alone or away from home during a thunderstorm? Narrate your experience in a paragraph.

Once, when I was camping alone, a big thunderstorm hit. The sky got really dark, and there were loud noises from thunder. Rain poured down hard. Lightning flashes made me feel scared. But I felt safe inside my tent, listening to the rain. After a while, the storm stopped, and I felt amazed by nature's power.