Two Stories About Flying Extra Questions and Answers Class 10 English First Flight

Two Stories About Flying Class 10 Extra Questions & Answers are available here. Class 10 English Two Stories About Flying Part 1 and Part 2 extra questions and answers are prepared by our expert teachers. All these questions are divided into two or three sections. They are short type questions answers, long type question answers and extract based questions. Learning these questions will help you to score excellent marks in the board exams.

Two Stories about Flying (Part-1) Extra Questions and Answers

Very Short Answer Questions Part 1

Very Short Answer Type Questions

1. For how long had the seagull been alone?
Answer: The seagull had been alone for twenty-four hours.

2. Why did the seagull not go with the rest of his family?
Answer: He did not go because he was afraid to fly.

3. Why was the seagull afraid to fly?
Answer: He was afraid to fly because he felt that his wings could not support him.

4. What were the ways the seagull had thought of to join his family?
Answer: He thought of joining his family by jumping and by walking up to them.

5. Why did the seagull dive towards his mother?
Answer: The seagull dove towards his mother because he wanted the fish in his mother’s beak.

6. He stood at the edge of the ledge on one leg and closed his eyes. Why?
Answer: He wanted to get the attention of his family.

7. Who included the seagull’s family except him?
Answer: There were five members in his family except for him-his father, mother. two brothers and a sister.

8. For how long had the seagull been alone?
Answer: He had been alone for the last twenty-four hours.

9. How was the seagull feeling?
Answer: He was feeling very hungry.

10. What sight maddened the young seagull?
Answer: The sight of food maddened him.

Short Answer Type Questions Part 1

1. How did the young seagull’s family celebrate his first flight?

Answer: The young seagull was afraid to fly. Even the encouragement and coaxing didn’t work. But when the seagull had his first flight, he as well as his family was happy, relieved and proud of him to have completed his first flight.

2. Flying is a natural act in birds. Then why was the young seagull ‘exhausted by the strange exercise’?

Answer: The seagull didn’t have the courage to fly. Hence, he used to make excuses for not flying. He felt certain that his wings were too weak to support him. He had no courage to flap his wings and failed to muster up the courage to take the plunge.

3.‘The sight of the food maddened him.’ Who is ‘he’ in these lines? Why was he angry? What does this suggest?

Answer: (i) The young seagull is the ‘he’ in these lines.
(ii) He had not eaten anything for the last 24 hours. He was very hungry, hence was angry.
(iii) His mother went near him with a piece of fish but did not feed him. Maddened by hunger, the young seagull dove to snatch it but the mother flew away. This shows the weakness of the young seagull.

4. What was the young seagull’s experience during his first flight?

Answer: Falling from the ledge, the seagull was terrified, but soon he started soaring and then flying. He forgot that he didn’t always know how to fly. His fear soon turned into confidence, and then into amusement. As he was landing, he was again afraid, but, soon became at ease. It was a memorable first flight.

5. How did the young seagull’s parents treat him initially when he did not fly?

Answer: First, his parents encouraged him, coaxed him then scolded and taunted him for his cowardice. They even threatened to let him starve if he did not fly. But the young seagull could not muster up the courage to fly.

6. Young seagull tried to fly but he could not. Why was he afraid to fly?
Or
Why could the young seagull not fly with his brothers and sisters?

Answer: The young seagull felt certain that his wings were too weak to support him. He had no courage to flap his wings. Even when each one of his brothers and sisters whose wings was much shorter than his, ran to the brink of the ledge, flapped their wings and flew away, he failed to muster up the courage to take that plunge.

7. What did the young seagull do to attract the attention of his mother?
Or
While alone on the ledge, how did the little seagull tried to draw the attention of his family?

Answer: He came slowly up to the brink of the ledge and stood on one leg. He hid the other leg under his wing. He closed one eye and then the other and pretended to be falling asleep. Thus he tried to attract the attention of his mother.

8. When did the seagull’s flight begin? And where did it end?

Answer: The young seagull’s flight started when he dove trying to snatch the piece of fish from his mother’s beak. He fell down but instinctively his wings spread out, he flapped them and started flying. His flight ended after half an hour when he landed on the green sea with his family.

9. Did the seagull think the sea was like land? Pick out the words that suggest this.

Answer: Yes, the seagull thought that the sea was like land. He called it the green (looting. When he had learned how to fly, he flew for some time. Then he came down and stood on the sea surface thinking it to be like land. But his legs sank into the sea. ‘Dropped his legs to stand on’, ‘sank into’ and ‘screamed with fright’ are the words that suggest this.

10. When did the seagull’s flight begin?

Answer: The seagull was very hungry. When he saw his mother bringing food in her beak, he dived towards her. But he fell from the brink of the ledge. He screamed with fear. But his fear lasted only for a moment. The next moment he felt that his wings spread outwards. He was flying now. Now he screamed with joy.

11. Where did the seagull’s flight end?

Answer: The seagull was very happy as he had learned how to fly. He kept flying for some time. His parents, brothers and sister flew around him. Then they landed on the sea surface. The seagull also came down. When he tried to land, his legs sank into the sea. He cried with fear again. But then his belly touched the water. He did not drown. He started floating on the surface of the sea. Thus his first flight ended.

12. When did the seagull get over his fear of the water?

Answer: After flying for some time, the seagull saw that his parents and brothers and sister were sitting on the surface of the sea. He came down and landed on it. But his legs sank into it. He cried with fear. However, his belly touched the surface and he did not drown. Now the seagull got over his fear of the water.

13. Do you sympathise with the seagull? Give reasons.

Answer: Yes, we sympathise with the seagull. He is a very young bird. He has not yet learned how to fly. His parents want that he should fly. They encourage him. But he is afraid of falling. His parents starve him for twenty-four hours. In the end, however, the seagull learns how to fly.

14. How did the seagull express his excitement when he saw his mother bringing food to him?

Answer: The seagull saw his mother bringing food to him. He screamed with joy. He leaned out eagerly. He tapped rock with his feet and tried to get nearer to her as she flew towards him.

15. How did the young seagull’s parents teach him the art of flying

Answer: The seagull’s parents encouraged him to fly. But he was too afraid to fly. Then they kept him hungry for twenty-four hours. Even then the seagull did not fly. Then they thought that experience would teach him. So they made him fall from the ledge. Now when he fell, he felt his wings spread and started flying.

16. Where did the young seagull sit alone? What did he watch from there?

Answer: The young seagull was alone on his ledge. In the whole family, he was the only one who didn’t know how to fly. Only the day before, his two brothers and his sister had flown away with their parents. When he tried to flap his wings, he was seized with fear. Hence, he sat alone on the ledge watching his family flying over the sea.

17. Why didn’t the young seagull take the plunge? What stopped him from doing so?

Answer: The young seagull was the only one in the family who couldn’t fly in the air. His brothers and sister had far shorter wings than his wings but they had already learned the art of flying. He felt certain that his wings would never support him. So he was hesitant and afraid of flapping his wings and go deep in the air.

18. Did upbraiding and threatening of his parents help him in flying?

Answer: The parents of the young seagull did try to teach his young one the art of flying. He wouldn’t simply move from his ledge. They would fly around him encouraging and challenging him to follow them. When he wouldn’t budge, his parents would fly around calling him shrilly. They would upbraid and threaten to let him starve unless he flew away.

19. How were his two brothers and sister different from the young seagull?

Answer: His two brothers and his sister had far shorter wings than he had. But still, they had flown away only the day before. He would watch his parents perfecting them in the art of flying. They were taught how to skim the waves and dive for the fish. The young seagull had seen his older brother catches his first herring and devour it.

20. How did the hungry seagull try to pretend to attract his mother’s attraction?

Answer: The whole family had flown away. Only the young seagull sat alone on the ledge. He had not eaten anything since the previous nightfall. He stepped slowly out to the brink of the ledge. He stood on one leg. He closed his eyes pretending to be falling asleep. But all his tactics failed. Only his mother took notice of him. All others ignored him.

21. What was the mother doing standing on a little high hump on the plateau?

Answer: All others ignored the hungry young seagull. Only his mother was looking at him. She was standing on a little high hump. Now and again, she tore a piece of fish. The fish lay at her feet. Then she scrapped each side of her beak on the rock, The sight of the food maddened the young seagull. He loved to tear the food that way.

22. Why did the young seagull cry “Ga, ga, ga”? Did her mother oblige him?

Answer: When he saw his mother holding a piece of a fish in her beak, the young seagull became almost mad with hunger. He cried “Ga, ga, ga”. He begged her mother to bring him some food. When he saw his mother flying across to him with a piece of fish, he uttered a joyful scream. He started tapping the rock with his feet impatiently. He was almost within the reach of the fish but failed to get at it.

23. What did the young seagull do when he was maddened by hunger? Did hunger motivate him to dive at the fish in the air?

Answer: The young seagull saw his mother flying around him with a piece of fish in her beak. Maddened by hunger, he dived at the fish. With a loud scream, he fell outwards and downwards into space. Then he was seized with fear and his heart stood still. But the fear lasted only for a minute. The very next moment he felt his wings spread outwards. Truly, hunger motivated him to dive at the fish and flap his wings into space.

24. How did the young seagull overcome his fear and soared gradually towards the sea during his first flight?

Answer: The young seagull had taken the final plunge. Maddened by hunger, he dived at the fish which his mother was carrying in her beak. With a loud scream, he fell outwards and downwards. He was seized with fear and his heart stood still. But the fear lasted only for a minute. He overcame it. The next moment he felt his wings spread outwards. Now he was soaring downwards over the blue sea.

25. Describe the seagull’s first flight.

Answer: The young seagull was very hungry. So he dived at the fish that was in his mother’s beak. But he fell into space and became terribly afraid. His heart stood still. He could hear nothing. But it only lasted for a minute. The next moment he felt his wings spread outwards. He began to fly and was no longer afraid.

26. How did his parents, two brothers, and sisters celebrate the first flight of the young seagull?

Answer: The family saw the young seagull making his first flight. When they saw him floating on the ocean, they flew and landed on the water just ahead of him. They were beckoning to him calling shrilly. They were praising and rewarding him by offering scraps of fish to him.

27. What is the message that Liam O′ Flaherty wants to give to the readers through the lesson ‘His first Flight’?

Answer: Success can’t be taken for granted. One has to struggle and finally to win it. The story of the young seagull is the story of overcoming hesitations, doubts, and fears that stand between us and our success. Hunger makes him take the final plunge. This leads him to make his first flight and soar into space.

Long Answer Type Questions Part 1

1. Compare and contrast the young seagull in the beginning and at the end of the lesson. You can use the words given in the following box.

frightened	coward	terrified	desperate	afraid
impatient	confident	joyous	triumphant	amused

Answer: In the beginning, the seagull is a coward. He lacks confidence. The time has come when he should fly. His parents try to teach him how to fly. But he is too afraid to fly. He refuses to fly. His parents leave him alone on the ledge. They threaten him that he would starve. His brothers and sisters make fun of him. They call him a coward. Even then the seagull does not fly. However, he falls from the rock when he tries to get the fish from his mother.

The next moment he flaps his wings and starts flying. Now he is full of confidence. He starts crying with joy. He flies higher and higher. He is no longer afraid. He overcomes his fear of the water also. He finds that he can float on the surface of the seta. His family members praise him and give him pieces of fish to eat. In this way, there is a difference in the behaviour of the seagull at the beginning and end of the story.

2. Describe the methods used by the seagull family to help the young seagull overcome his fear and fly.

Answer: This story is about a young seagull. The time had come when he should fly like his parents and brothers and sister. But he was afraid to fly. His parents tried their best to teach him how to fly. But he refused to fly. They left him alone on his ledge. They threatened him that he would starve. Even then he was too afraid to fly. His brothers and sister made fun of him. They laughed at his cowardice.

At last, his mother thought of a plan. She took a piece of fish in her beak and flew towards him. She came near him but did not land on the ledge. The young seagull was very hungry. He came to the brink of the ledge. In order to get food, he dived at the fish. But he fell from the rock. He became terrified. But it was only for a moment. The next moment, he flapped his wings and started flying. In this way, his mother was able to make him fly.

3. What message does the story ‘His First Flight’ convey?

Answer: This is an imaginary story. The story conveys the message that we learn by taking courage and not by sitting idle. A young seagull is fed lovingly by his parents. But when the time comes for him to fly, he feels afraid. His parents try many tricks to teach him to fly. But he is so afraid that he refuses to fly.

At last, his mother hits upon a plan. She tempts him with food in her beak. But she only flies near his ledge and does not land there. In order to get food, the hungry seagull comes to the edge of the rock and falls from it. At first, he is terrified but then he opens his wings and starts flying. He is happy to note that he did not fall in the sea. In this way, the young seagull makes the first flight of his life when he takes courage.

4. When did the seagull’s flight begin and where did it end?
Or
Describe how the young seagull Or made his maiden flight.

Answer: The seagull was very hungry. When he saw his mother bringing food in her beak, he dived towards her. But he fell from the brink of the ledge. He screamed with fear. But his fear lasted only for a moment. The next moment, he felt that his wings spread outwards. He was flying now. Now he screamed with joy. The seagull was very happy as he had learnt how to fly. He kept flying for some time. His parents, brothers and sister flew around him. Then they landed on the sea surface. The seagull also came down. When he tried to land, his legs sank into the sea. He cried with fear again. But then his belly touched the water. He did not drown. He started floating on the surface of the sea. Thus the seagull made the first flight of his life.

5. What happened after the seagull had learnt how to fly?

Answer: The seagull came to the brink of the ledge in order to get the fish from his mother. But his mother remained in the air. a little away from the ledge. The seagull dived at the fish. But he fell from the rock into space. He cried with fear. But this fear lasted only a moment. The next moment, he flapped his wings. He was surprised to find that he was flying. He screamed with joy. He soared higher and higher. His parents flew around him. They praised him for learning how to fly.

Then his parents, brothers and sister landed on the sea. They beckoned the young seagull to come to them. The seagull dropped his legs and came down on the surface of the sea. He had thought that the surface of the sea was green flooring. But his legs started sinking into the water. He again screamed with fear. However, his belly touched the water and he did not drown. He started floating on the water. His family members were also happy. They gave him pieces of a fish to eat.

6. The young seagull found it difficult to fly for the first time. He felt that his wings would never support him. Was it not in his attitude to accept the challenges? Did he lack courage? Discuss the values that can help people accept challenges in life.

Answer: The young seagull’s brothers and sisters had started flying the previous day. However, he himself was unable to muster the courage to fly. He lacked confidence and felt that his wings wouldn’t support him. However, I do not think that facing challenges was a problem for him. Still, he did lack courage. To accept and successfully face challenges, one must be fearless, determined and have clarity of thought and action. Also, the support of those around us can play a big role, as in the seagull’s case.

7. The mother of young seagull picked up a piece of fish but still did not come nearer to give him. Why did she do so? Did she lack love for her son or she wanted to make him courageous? What values does the mother depict through her act? Write in 100-120 words.

Answer: The young seagull was terribly afraid to fly. His parents encouraged him to make his first flight. But he could not do so. Then, the mother picked up a piece of fish but did not go near to give him. The seagull was extremely hungry. He started crying so that his mother would give him some food. But after coming towards him, the mother stopped opposite to him but almost within his reach. When the seagull dove to get the piece, she swooped upwards. Maddened by hunger, the young seagull spread his wings upwards and started flying. This shows that the mother wanted her son to become courageous. This shows that sometimes parents take such harsh steps for their kids which may appear wrong at that time but later prove to be beneficial for their kids.

8. Was the young seagull same at the beginning and at the end of the lesson? Compare and contrast the two kinds of the same seagull in the lesson.

Answer: No, the young seagull was not the same bird at the beginning and at the end of the lesson. In the beginning, the young seagull used to be all alone on his ledge. His two brothers and his sister had flown away the day before. He had been afraid of flying with them. Whenever he tried to flap his wings, he was seized with fear. He felt certain that his wings would never support him. His father and mother flew around calling him shrilly. They were constantly scolding and taunting him. They were threatening to let him starve on his ledge unless he flew away.

However, the young seagull was more confident and sure of his success in the end. Maddened by hunger, he dived at the fish. After trials and errors, his wings spread outwards. He was soaring gradually downwards forgetting all his hesitations and fears. He could float on the ocean now. His success was welcomed by his family. They were praising him now and their beaks were offering him their scraps of dog-fish.

9. ‘All parental acts are for the betterment of the children.’ It is true. However, one has to make efforts through trials and errors shedding off one’s early hesitations and fears to succeed in any enterprise. Justify this statement by taking points from the lesson ‘His First Flight’.

Answer: There is no doubt about it ‘All parental acts are for the betterment of the children’. It is the ardent wish of every parent that they may teach all skills to their young ones so that they may succeed in life. First of all, they can learn all the things which their parents have taught in life. If the young ones don’t act then they also indulge in scolding, taunts and humiliating them to shed off their hesitations and fears. This is exactly what the parents of the young seagull did. They were successful in teaching the art of flying to his two brothers and sister. They also tried their best to embolden him to take the plunge. Particularly, the mother-seagull went on flying around him with a piece of fish in her beak. It was her attempt to tempt her starving son to dive at the fish. And she succeeded in her aim. The young seagull did dive at the fish and it led to his success in the end.

10. ‘Maddened by hunger, he dived at the fish,’ says the narrator about the young seagull. Do you feel hunger was the main motivating force that made the young seagull take the plunge that taught him how to fly in the air?

Answer: Food is the most essential ingredient that sustains all life — of humans, animals as well as birds. Hunger motivates many of their actions. The young seagull used to sit all alone on his ledge. Whenever he tried to flap his wings to fly, he was seized with fear. He felt certain that his wings would never support him. He had seen his older brother catch his first herring and devour it.

It compounded his helplessness even more. He uttered a joyful scream when he saw his mother holding a piece of fish in her beak and flying quite near him. He wondered why she didn’t come to him and offer that piece of fish to him. Maddened by hunger, he dived at the fish. With a loud scream, he fell outwards and downwards into space. Then a monstrous terror seized him but only for a minute. The next moment he felt his wings spread outwards. He began to soar downwards towards the sea. The fear left him. He began to float on the sea. His admiring family offered him pieces of fish flying around him.

11. Describe the humiliation and taunting that the young seagull faced from his family when he used to sit alone on his ledge without mustering his courage to fly in the air.

Answer: The young seagull used to sit on .the ledge all alone. He used to see his two brothers and sister flying around him. They had learnt flying only the day before. Not that he didn’t try before. He had come to the edge of the ledge and tried to flap his wings. But he became afraid soon. 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. His brothers and sister had far shorter wings than his own. But they succeeded flapping their wings and flew away.

He failed to muster his courage to take the plunge. His father and mother flew around him scolding and taunting him. They also threatened to let him starve on his ledge unless he flew away. The thing that compounded his agony was that his elder brother had caught his first herring and devoured it. His parents circled around his brother raising a proud cackle. On the other hand, the family had walked down the opposite chiff taunting him with his cowardice.

12. Hesitations and fears play necessary parts in human life but we get success in any enterprise only when we overcome our doubts, hesitations and fears. Justify this statement in light of the young seagull’s efforts to muster the courage to fly in the air.

Answer: Nothing in life can be taken for granted. Skills have to be learnt in life with your own efforts. Parents can only help in teaching and encouraging us to learn things. But we have to learn them through our own efforts of trials and errors. Who doesn’t suffer from hesitations and fears in the beginning? It takes time to take the final plunge. So it happened with the young seagull.

In spite of constant encouragements and motivations, he couldn’t muster the courage to fly. He was certain that his wings would not support him. He faced regular taunting and humiliations of his family. They even threatened to let him stare at the ledge unless he flew away. But they say that necessity is the mother of invention. Maddened by hunger, he dived at the fish which his mother was carrying in her beak. He felt his wings spreading outwards. Finally, he soared to come down over the sea. When he floated on the sea, his family celebrated his success by offering pieces of fish to him.

Two Stories about Flying (Part-2) Extra Questions and Answers

Very Short Answer Questions Part 2

Very Short Answer Type Questions

1. Why was the pilot happy? Give two reasons
Answer: He was happy because he was flying up above the sleeping countryside. Secondly, he was going to be with his family.

2. Why did the pilot call the Paris Control Room the first time?
Answer: He called the Paris Control Room to guide him on his way to England.

3. What was the advice of the Paris Control?
Answer: The Paris Control advised him to turn twelve degrees west.

4. How many fuel tanks were there on the plane? How much fuel was left?
Answer: There were two fuel tanks on the plane. There was fuel for five or ten minutes only.

5. What did the pilot encounter 150 kilometres from Paris?
Answer: He encountered big stormy clouds 150 kilometres from Paris.

6. Why did the pilot fly straight into the storm instead of returning to Paris?
Answer: He did not return to Paris because he wanted to get home.

7. Did Paris control hear the pilot the second time he called? Why?
Answer: The Paris Control did not hear him because his radio had gone dead.

8. Which plane was the narrator flying?
Answer: He was flying the old Dakota plane DS088.

9. Which country was the narrator flying his plane over?
Answer: He was flying his plane over France.

10. What type of story is the ‘Black Aeroplane?’
Answer: It is a mysterious story.

Short Answer Type Questions Part 2

1. What happened when the author turned the aeroplane twelve degrees west towards England?

Answer: The author saw the huge storm clouds that looked like black mountains standing in front of him across the sky.

2. Explain the statement: ‘I was very happy to go behind the strange aeroplane like an obedient child.

Answer: The pilot came across huge storm clouds. He could neither go above them nor go around them due to lack of fuel. Then, he saw a black plane without lights on wings, flying near his plane. Its pilot waved and signalled him to follow him. The author did not have much choice but to follow him.

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

Answer: The risk is that of going through the storm in the narrator’s old Dakota aeroplane. He flew through as he did not have fuel to fly around them, and couldn’t fly over them. Also, he wanted to get home for a big English breakfast.

4. Why did the pilot think of going back to Paris?

Answer: The pilot came across huge storm clouds that seemed to him like black mountains. He could neither go above them nor go around them due to lack of fuel. That was when he thought of returning to Paris.

5. Which two options did the pilot of’ the Dakota plane have when he encountered the storm clouds on his way? What did he decide to do? Why?

Answer: The two options he had were: either to go back to Paris or to go through the storm clouds. He decided to go through the storm clouds because he wanted to reach home and spend the holiday with his family.

6. Why could the woman in the control room not help the pilot of Dakota?

Answer: When the pilot of the Dakota plane asked the woman in the control centre about the black aeroplane and its pilot, she could not help him because she had seen no other plane flying that night on the radar.

7. Describe the black clouds from the point of view of the pilot.

Answer: The writer was going from France to England. He was flying his Dakota aeroplane. When he had gone 150 kilometres from France, he saw storm clouds. They were huge. They looked like black mountains standing in front of him across the sky.

8. Recount the experience of the pilot of the Dakota inside the black clouds.

Answer: The pilot found that everything was black inside the clouds. It was impossible to see anything outside the aeroplane. The old aeroplane rolled and jumped in the air. The compass and other instruments stopped working. Suddenly his radio also went dead.

9. How did the black aeroplane rescue the first pilot?

Answer: The pilot of the black aeroplane waved his hand. He gestured the first pilot to follow him. The writer followed him. He followed the black plane for half an hour. Suddenly, his plane was out of the clouds. He could see the lights of the airport and landed his aeroplane. In this way, the black aeroplane rescued the first pilot

10. Was the pilot of the Dakota able to meet the pilot of the black?

Answer: No, he was not able to meet the pilot of the black aeroplane. When he was going to land his plane, he looked behind him. But the black plane was not there. The sky was empty. The woman at the control centre told him that no other planes were flying on that stormy night.

11. Describe the black clouds from the point of view of the pilot.

Answer: The writer was going from France to England. He was flying his Dakota aeroplane. When he had gone 150 kilometres from Paris, he saw storm clouds. They were huge. They looked like black mountains standing in front of him across the sky.

12. Why did the writer feel frightened once again?

Answer: The pilot of the black plane waved to the writer to follow him. The writer flew his plane behind him for half an hour. He found that there was fuel in his aeroplane for five or ten minutes more. So he felt frightened once again.

13. Why was the narrator happy and what was he dreaming of?

Answer: It was a clear and cloudless night. The moon had come up in the east. Stars were shining above. The narrator was happy. He was flying high up above the sleeping countryside. He was dreaming of his holiday and being with his family.

14. Why and when did he call Paris control-room?

Answer: It was one-thirty in the morning. He wanted to call Paris control. He switched on the radio and told that Dakota DS 088 was on his way to England. The narrator got the necessary instruction that he needed. He was asked to turn twelve degrees west towards England.

15. What did he find when he checked the map and the compass?

Answer: The narrator checked the map and the compass. He switched over to his second and last fuel tank. He turned the Dakota twelve degrees west towards England. He thought that he would be in time for breakfast. Everything was going well and it was an easy flight.

16. Why didn’t he return to Paris when he saw the storm clouds?

Answer: Paris was 150 kilometres behind him when he saw the storm clouds. They were huge. They looked like black mountains standing in front of him. He could not fly up and over them as he didn’t have enough fuel. He thought of going back to Paris but changed his idea. He decided to go to England to be in time for breakfast.

17. The narrator had two options before risking himself entering the storm clouds? Why didn’t he choose them?

Answer: Definitely, the narrator had two options before him if he didn’t want to take the risk of entering the storm cloud. He could turn back and go to Paris which was about 150 kilometres behind him. Another option was to fly up and over the dark clouds. But he didn’t choose any of the options. He wanted to be in England to have his breakfast in time. He couldn’t fly around the clouds to the north or south as he didn’t have enough fuel to fly.

18. What did he do when he was inside the clouds?

Answer: The narrator took the risk of entering the black storm clouds. Inside them, everything was suddenly black. Nothing could be seen outside. The old plane jumped and twisted in the air. He couldn’t believe his eyes when his compass was dead. His other instruments didn’t work and were dead too. He tried to contact Paris control on the raids but received no answer.

19. How was the narrator lost in the storm clouds and what did he try to do to come out of them?

Answer: The narrator had entered the storm clouds. Nothing was seen outside. Everything suddenly turned black. The old plane jumped and twirled in the sky. He looked at the compass. It was dead. He tried other instruments but they also refused to work. He tried the radio to contact Paris control but no answer came from there.

20. Who rescued the narrator when he was hopelessly lost in the storm clouds?

Answer: There seemed no hope for the narrator. He was hopelessly lost in the storm clouds. His compass and other instruments were dead. Even Paris control didn’t respond. In such a hopeless situation, the narrator saw another aeroplane flying next to him. It had no light on its winds but he could see the pilot’s face. The pilot came to his help. When he said “Follow me,” the narrator followed him like an obedient child.

21. How and when did the narrator feel that he was safe now?

Answer: When the pilot of another plane came to the narrator’s help, he was extremely happy. When he said “Follow me,” the narrator obeyed him like an obedient child. The strange black aeroplane was still guiding him. The narrator got worried as the old Dakota had petrol enough to fly for five or ten minutes. Suddenly when he was going down, he found himself out of clouds. He saw two long straight lines of lights of the runway. There was an airport where he could land safely.

22. Did the narrator meet the pilot of the black aeroplane? How did he and his aeroplane disappear in the sky?

Answer: No, the narrator didn’t meet his rescuer. When he was out of the storm clouds, he looked back. He found no trace of the aeroplane. Nor did he see the face of the pilot. Only God knows where they disappeared. Even the control room couldn’t record their presence.

23. Why did the narrator want to meet the woman in the control tower? Did he get any information about the mysterious disappearance of the black aeroplane and its pilot?

Answer: The narrator didn’t know how the pilot and the black aeroplane disappeared in the space. He wanted some definite information from the woman in the control room about them. She told him that on that stormy night no plane was in the sky except his old Dakota. So, the narrator didn’t know anything about the mysterious man who helped him to arrive safely without a compass or a radio.

24. What is the message that Frederick want to give to the readers through the lesson ‘The Black Aeroplane’?

Answer: Never say ‘die’ till the end. Never lose hope in the most hopeless situation. No one knows who may come to save you. The narrator was really in such a hopeless situation when he lost contact with Paris control and all his instruments and the compass was dead. Then came the mysterious pilot of the black aeroplane to guide the narrator to safety.

Long Answer Type Questions Part 2

1. The narrator made every possible endeavour to save himself. He did not lose hope in dire situations. What values helped him endure the critical situation bravely? Discuss in 100-120 words.
Or
The narrator knew that he could not fly up due to storm and lack of fuel but still, he continued. What kind of person was he? Was it not in his nature to accept defeat? Discuss the values one should possess to accept failures to be able to move ahead in life in 100-120 words.

Answer: 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 enter his plane in 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 in order to save his fuel.

2. Your friend was the pilot who was flying from Paris to England when he was lost in the storm clouds. Narrate his experience to your family and tell them how he was rescued by a strange black plane and its pilot.

Answer: Last week, my friend, who is a pilot had a mysterious experience.
During his flight from Paris to England, he was lost in the storm clouds. His compass, radio and other instruments had gone dead. He did not know which direction to go. He was lost and panicked (too much frightened).

Then, he saw a strange black aeroplane without lights on wings, flying near his plane. Its pilot lifted one hand, waved and signalled my friend to follow him. He guided my friend through the storm clouds and helped him land safely when my friend looked back to thank the pilot of the black aeroplane, he found neither the pilot nor the aeroplane.
When he asked the control about the strange black plane and its pilot. The reply was, no other plane was seen on the radar except his Dakota. Then who rescued him? There was no answer. It was a mystery.

3. “Everything was going well. It was an easy flight.” What went wrong suddenly?
Or
Describe the flight of the Dakota aeroplane until it landed safely at the airport.

Answer: The flight of old Dakota started in Paris and headed towards England. It was an easy flight, the sky was clear and the weather fine. When it reached 150 km away from Paris, it suddenly confronted huge black storm clouds. He had limited fuel only to take him to England. He could go back to Paris but he decided to take the risk and go through the storm clouds because he wanted to spend the holiday with his family.

In the storm clouds, it was pitch day. His compass, radio and some other instruments stopped working. He could not contact Paris control room to know the direction. Suddenly he saw a black aeroplane. Its pilot guided and brought him safely out of storm clouds. He saw the runway and landed at the airport.

4. The author asks a question at the end, “Who was the pilot on the strange black aeroplane?” Try to answer this question.

Answer: “The Black Aeroplane’ is an interesting story. The writer is a pilot. One day, he was returning from France in his Dakota aeroplane. He was going to England. Suddenly, he saw huge storm clouds on his way. He had not much fuel in his plane. So he could not fly around the clouds. He took a risk and entered the clouds. His compass and other instruments failed. His radio also went out of order. The writer’s life was in danger. Suddenly, he saw a black aeroplane near him. The pilot of the plane gestured him to follow him. The writer followed him and landed his plane safely. But when he looked back, he did not find the black aeroplane anywhere. The woman at the control tower told him that there had been no other plane that night. Then who saved the writer’s life? Who was the pilot of the black aeroplane? The writer had no answer to these questions. Thus it is a mysterious story.

5. Describe the flight of the pilot before he encountered dark clouds.
Or
Describe the flight of the Dakota aeroplane until it landed safely at the airport.

Answer: The writer of this story is a pilot. One night he was flying his old Dakota aeroplane over France. It was a starry night. He was going to England. He hoped to spend his holiday with his family. It was an easy journey and he was in a joyful mood. He looked at his watch. It was one-thirty in the morning. Through his wireless, he contacted the Paris Control. They told him to turn twelve degrees west. He did as he was advised to do. He was 150 kilometres from Paris. Suddenly the writer saw huge black clouds before him. It was not possible to fly up and over the clouds. He had not much fuel with him. So it was not possible to fly around the big mountains of clouds to the right or left. He decided to take the risk and flew his aeroplane straight into the clouds.

6. How was the writer rescued?

Answer: The writer flew his plane into the big dark clouds. As he entered the clouds, everything suddenly went black. He found that his compass had ceased to work. He tried to contact the Paris Control for directions. But he was shocked to find that his radio had also stopped working. Suddenly, the writer saw a black aeroplane near him. He could also sec the pilot in it. The pilot waved the writer to follow him. He followed the black aeroplane like an obedient child. Now it was half an hour since the writer had been follow-, the black aeroplane. He was worried because the fuel in his plane could last only five or ten minutes. But just’ then the black aeroplane started to go down and the writer followed it. Suddenly the writer was out of the doods. He could see the lights of the runway of the airport. The writer landed his Dakota aeroplane. In this, may, he was rescued.

7. Why and when did the narrator say that ‘everything was going well, it was an easy flight’?

Answer: After the old Dakota left Paris 150 kilometres behind, it enjoyed smooth sailing in the air. Everything was going well. The narrator was enjoying rather an easy flight. The moon was coming up in the east and stars were shining in the clear sky. The aeroplane was flying up above the sleeping countryside. It was flying over France back to England. The narrator was dreaming of his holiday and looking forward to being with his family. He contacted Paris control. He was asked to turn 12 degrees west. He looked at his watch. It was only thirty in the morning. It was only after he had left Paris 150 kilometres behind when he faced the terrible storm clouds. Before this, it was really an enjoyable and safe journey.

8. The narrator had two options of avoiding the terrible storm clouds. Why didn’t he use them? Was his decision of flying straight into storm clouds a sound decision? Give a reasoned answer.

Answer: The narrator could see black mountains of clouds all around him. They were storm clouds. He had two options and by using them he could avoid the terrible storm clouds. He could go back to Paris. He had left Paris 150 kilometres behind. He wanted to go back but the temptation of having an early breakfast at home stopped him. He couldn’t fly up and above the storm clouds either. He didn’t have enough fuel to fly around them to the north or south.

It seems that flying back to Paris would have been the best option in those circumstances. He couldn’t fly north and south of the storm as he hadn’t enough fuel in the second tank. His decision of flying straight into the storm clouds was motivated by his having an early English breakfast with his family. It was rather a bold but risky decision. He would have been in deep trouble, had the pilot of the strange black aeroplane not helped him to safety.

9. Describe the appearance of the strange black aeroplane in the most hopeless situation. How did the pilot of the black aeroplane help the narrator to come out of the storm clouds and land safely?

Answer: The narrator was really in deep trouble. The huge mountains of black clouds were around him. The old Dakota aeroplane was jumping and twisting in the air. His compass was dead. The other instruments were dead too. Nothing worked for him. Even his efforts to contact Paris control failed. The radio was dead too. In such a hopeless situation, the sudden appearance of a mysterious black aeroplane was like God’s sent help for him. There were no lights on the wings of that black aeroplane. The narrator could see the pilot’s face. He was saying “Follow me”. The narrator was totally lost. He thought that the pilot was trying to help him. So he followed the black aeroplane like an obedient child. He was frightened as he had fuel enough to last for five or ten minutes. Suddenly, he came out of the clouds. He saw two long straight lines of lights in front of him. It was a runway. “An airport!” he cried. He was out of danger and could land safely. He turned to look for his rescuer in the black aeroplane, but the sky was empty.

10. Who was the rescuer in the strange black aeroplane? Did the lady in the control room help the narrator in knowing anything about the man who helped him to land safely?

Answer: Who saved the narrator when he had lost all contacts on the radio with Paris control? Who was the pilot of the black aeroplane who helped the narrator to land safely without a compass, without the radio and without much fuel? These questions remained unsolved puzzles. Even the lady in the control room couldn’t detect any other plane on the stormy night other than the old Dakota on the radar. The mysterious pilot of the black aeroplane was like God’s help sent to the narrator to land safely. The narrator was in real trouble before the mysterious black aeroplane appeared near him. He was lost among the mountains of black clouds in front of him. To make things worse his compass became dead. The other instruments became dead too. He couldn’t contact Paris control as the radio was dead too. God knows what would have been his condition, had the pilot of the black aeroplane not guided him out of storm clouds to safety.

Self- Assessment Test

Short Answer Type Questions

1. Why was the young seagull afraid to fly?
2. What moral do we get from the story, ‘His First Flight’?
3. What did the pilot mean to know from the woman who was on duty?
4. Why did the pilot feel frightened once again?
5. Describe the black clouds from the point of view of the pilot.

Long Answer Type Questions

1. Describe the flight of the Dakota aeroplane until it landed safely at the airport.
2. Explain the young seagull’s first flight.
3. Write your views on the motherly conduct in the story, ‘His First Flight’.