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His First Flight
By Liam O’ Flaherty
1. Why did the seagull fail to fly?
The seagull was afraid to fly. He felt certain his wings would never support him so he bent his head and ran away back to the little hole under the ledge where he slept at night.
2. What did the parents do when the young seagull failed to fly?
His parents came around calling to him, threatening to let him starve on his ledge unless he flew away.
A ledge is a narrow horizontal surface projecting from a wall, cliff or other surface.
3. What was the first catch of the young seagull’s older brother?
The first catch of the young seagull’s older brother was a herring. Herring is fairly small silvery fish.
4. How did the parents support and encourage the young seagull’s brother and sister?
The parents flew with them trying to perfect them in the art of flying. They taught them how to dive for fish.
5. Cite an instance which shows the pathetic condition of the young bird.
The young sea gull had nothing to eat. He had to bear the heat of the sun. He even gnawed at the dried pieces of the eggshell from which he and his brothers and sisters had hatched. It was like eating a part of himself.
The parents flew with them trying to perfect them in the art of flying. They taught them how to dive for fish.
5. Cite an instance which shows the pathetic condition of the young bird.
The young sea gull had nothing to eat. He had to bear the heat of the sun. He even gnawed at the dried pieces of the eggshell from which he and his brothers and sisters had hatched. It was like eating a part of himself.
6. “The sight of the food maddened him”. What does this suggest? what compelled the young seagull to finally fly?
The young seagull’s hunger got intensified when he saw his mother tearing a piece of dog fish which was lying at her feet. The young seagull begged his mother bird to give some food but his mother flew closer to him and then she flew back, the hunger of the seagull overpowered the fear to fly finally he plunged to get food and began to fly.
7. “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 was afraid to fly as he thought that his wings would not support him. The young seagull’s parents threatened and cajoled him to fly because they wanted him to become self-dependent. They knew that he will not be able to survive if he did not learn to fly.
8. How did the seagull seek the attention of his parents?
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 eye and pretended to be falling asleep. He did not brave to make an attempt to fly but he was feeling very hungry.
9. Why did the young bird utter a joyous scream?
First time he uttered a joyful scream when his mother was bringing food to him. Then next time he uttered a joyful scream and flapped his wings as he was able to fly.
10. Did the mother bird offer any food?
The Mother bird did not offer any food. The mother bird picked up a piece of fish and flew across to him He leaned out eagerly tapping the rock with his feet, trying to get nearer but the mother bird moved a little back, then maddened by hunger he dove at the fish and began to fly.
11. Do you think that the young seagull’s parents were harsh with him? Why?
No, I don’t think the parents were harsh with him. Here the young seagull’s parents trained him to fly for his survival. The mother seagull showed a piece of fish to the hungry young seagull. Maddened by hunger he dived at the fish and began to fly.
12. How did the bird feel when it started flying for the first time?
The bird felt happy. He uttered a joyous scream and flapped his wing. He soared higher. He raised his breast and banked against the wind.
The young seagull’s hunger got intensified when he saw his mother tearing a piece of dog fish which was lying at her feet. The young seagull begged his mother bird to give some food but his mother flew closer to him and then she flew back, the hunger of the seagull overpowered the fear to fly finally he plunged to get food and began to fly.
7. “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 was afraid to fly as he thought that his wings would not support him. The young seagull’s parents threatened and cajoled him to fly because they wanted him to become self-dependent. They knew that he will not be able to survive if he did not learn to fly.
8. How did the seagull seek the attention of his parents?
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 eye and pretended to be falling asleep. He did not brave to make an attempt to fly but he was feeling very hungry.
9. Why did the young bird utter a joyous scream?
First time he uttered a joyful scream when his mother was bringing food to him. Then next time he uttered a joyful scream and flapped his wings as he was able to fly.
10. Did the mother bird offer any food?
The Mother bird did not offer any food. The mother bird picked up a piece of fish and flew across to him He leaned out eagerly tapping the rock with his feet, trying to get nearer but the mother bird moved a little back, then maddened by hunger he dove at the fish and began to fly.
11. Do you think that the young seagull’s parents were harsh with him? Why?
No, I don’t think the parents were harsh with him. Here the young seagull’s parents trained him to fly for his survival. The mother seagull showed a piece of fish to the hungry young seagull. Maddened by hunger he dived at the fish and began to fly.
12. How did the bird feel when it started flying for the first time?
The bird felt happy. He uttered a joyous scream and flapped his wing. He soared higher. He raised his breast and banked against the wind.
Black Aeroplane
By Fredrik Forsyth
1. "I’ll take the risk." What is the risk? Why does the narrator take it?
The narrator was flying his old Dakota aeroplane. But he suddenly found himself surrounded by huge dark and stormy clouds. The risk that confronted him was to fly the aeroplane straight through the storm.
2. Describe the narrator’s experience as he flew the aeroplane into the storm.
As the narrator flew into the storm everything went black. He couldn’t see anything outside the plane windows. The plane jumped and twisted in air. His compass and radio stopped working.
3. Why does the narrator say, “I landed and was not sorry to walk away from the old Dakota...”?
He felt relieved after a terrible experience of flying the old plane in a storm. Moreover, the old Dakota was a rickety Model of a plane he was more than happy to land safely so he says that he was not sorry to walk away from the old Dakota.
4. What made the woman in the control centre look at the narrator strangely?
The woman at the control centre was sure that nobody apart from the narrator was flying at the time. So, when she heard another pilot showing the way to the narrator, she had every reason to disbelieve.
5. Who do you think helped the narrator to reach safely? Discuss this among yourselves and give reasons for your answer.
It was simply the author’s own will and self-confidence that helped him to pass the storm. There was no other plane in the storm as the lady at the control room could see just his plane on the radar.
6. Justify the title “Black Aeroplane”.
The pilot saw a Black Aeroplane that, guided him in the black clouds when his instruments ceased functioning. This Black Aeroplane appears mysteriously and it guides him to safety. The pilot had thought about seeing his family and he was ready to endanger his life in order to see them. The thoughts were clouded by the impending storm.
The narrator was flying his old Dakota aeroplane. But he suddenly found himself surrounded by huge dark and stormy clouds. The risk that confronted him was to fly the aeroplane straight through the storm.
2. Describe the narrator’s experience as he flew the aeroplane into the storm.
As the narrator flew into the storm everything went black. He couldn’t see anything outside the plane windows. The plane jumped and twisted in air. His compass and radio stopped working.
3. Why does the narrator say, “I landed and was not sorry to walk away from the old Dakota...”?
He felt relieved after a terrible experience of flying the old plane in a storm. Moreover, the old Dakota was a rickety Model of a plane he was more than happy to land safely so he says that he was not sorry to walk away from the old Dakota.
4. What made the woman in the control centre look at the narrator strangely?
The woman at the control centre was sure that nobody apart from the narrator was flying at the time. So, when she heard another pilot showing the way to the narrator, she had every reason to disbelieve.
5. Who do you think helped the narrator to reach safely? Discuss this among yourselves and give reasons for your answer.
It was simply the author’s own will and self-confidence that helped him to pass the storm. There was no other plane in the storm as the lady at the control room could see just his plane on the radar.
6. Justify the title “Black Aeroplane”.
The pilot saw a Black Aeroplane that, guided him in the black clouds when his instruments ceased functioning. This Black Aeroplane appears mysteriously and it guides him to safety. The pilot had thought about seeing his family and he was ready to endanger his life in order to see them. The thoughts were clouded by the impending storm.
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