His First Flight: ncert solution class 10

BEFORE YOU READ

Since the earliest times, human have dreamt of conquering the skies. Here are two stories about flying.

i. A young seagull is afraid to fly. How does he conquer his fear?

Ans: A young seagull experiences a new world in his life. He tries to fly but he fears to fall. He depends on his father and mother for his food which they used to bring for him. His father and mother scold him saying that if he does not fly, he will be starving to death. He wants to get a way out of it. So the seagull conquers his fear and gets ready to fly.

ii. A pilot is lost in storm clouds. Does he arrive safe? Who helps him?

Ans:The pilot is lost in the darkness of a cloudy storm flying the old Dakota over France back to England. As he says, he arrives safe on the runway with the help of another pilot flying a black aeroplane. But it was not actually certified by the woman in the control centre.

A

Thinking about the Text

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?

Ans: The young seagull was afraid to fly because of a frightening and dangerous ledge. He fears to fall from the narrow cliff. As I know,  most of the young birds are afraid to make their first flight, but some of them are really more timid. They are encouraged or scolded to make them fly.

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

Ans: “The sight of the food maddened him” suggests that the seagull was tempted to the food. He wanted to get it at any cost because he was very hungry. His intense hunger finally compelled him to fly.

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

Ans: The seagull’s father and mother wanted him to fly for his food. So they called him scolding and enticed him to fly.

4. Have you ever had a similar experience, where your parent encourage you to do something that you were too scared to try? Discuss this in pairs or groups

Ans: Yes, I had a similar experience when my father was encouraging me to learn swimming. There was a very big pond near my village numerous young boys used to go for swimming every morning. I, too, was very tempted to join them. When I reach the spot, I was afraid of getting into the water because it was very deep. My father persuaded me several times showing some tricks, but I was not ready to listen any of them. After a long effort, my father prepared me to swim, and now I am a skilled swimmer.

5. In the case of a bird flying, it seems a natural act, a forgone conclusion that it should succeed. In the examples you have given in answers to the previous question, was your success guaranteed, or was it important for you to try, or regardless of a possibility of failure?

Ans: When I got ready to learn swimming, I did not know whether I would be a successful swimmer or not. I tried my best with my full effort and endurance. Had I been afraid of failure, I would not have even tried to learn. So one must keep a positive aspect in his mind to get success. So it was important for me to try to learn with a good aspiration.