CBSE Class 10 English Two Stories about Flying I His First Flight Assignment Set 02

Short Answer Type Questions

Question. Flying is a natural act in birds. Then why was the young seagull ‘exhausted by the strange exercise’ ? Justify the given statement with reference to baby seagull’s fear.
Answer: The young bird lacked the confidence to take flight. Therefore, he created reasons for remaining on his ledge. He was convinced that his wings were not strong enough to support him. He did not dare to flap his wings and failed to gather the willpower to make the leap.
In simple words: The baby bird was too scared to fly because he thought his wings would fail him, so he kept making excuses to stay on the ground.

Exam Tip: Focus on terms like "lack of confidence" and "fear of falling" to explain why the bird found his initial attempts so physically and mentally exhausting.

Question. The young seagull “failed to muster up courage to take that plunge”. In what way can the reference to the ‘plunge’ here be both literal and metaphorical? Explain.
Answer: The term 'Plunge' signifies leaping or diving instantly. In a literal sense, it represents the actual jump the young bird had to perform to start flying. On a symbolic level, it stands for trusting his family or taking a great leap of faith by believing his wings would hold his weight.
In simple words: Literally, the plunge is the physical jump off the cliff. Metaphorically, it is the big leap of faith he had to take in order to trust his own wings.

Exam Tip: Always analyze both aspects—literal (the physical act of diving) and metaphorical (the psychological act of trusting)—to secure full marks.

Question. Explain how hunger is nature’s strongest motivator in the story, ‘His First Flight’.
Answer: In the narrative, 'His First Flight', the bird was terrified of flying until his extreme starvation forced him to ignore his dread. As his hunger grows, his fear of taking off becomes less important than his intense need for food. Consequently, when his mother holds out a slice of fish, he gathers the willpower to leap off the ledge to grab the meal, which triggers his initial flight.
In simple words: The bird was too scared to fly, but when he got extremely hungry, his need for food became stronger than his fear, making him jump for the fish.

Exam Tip: Highlight the transition where starvation becomes greater than fear, showing how hunger acts as a catalyst for survival.

Question. Validate the given statement with reference to baby seagull’s fear. ‘Fear doesn’t exist anywhere else other than one’s mind.’
Answer: The little seagull was terrified to leap from the cliff even though his brothers and sister had already taken off without any trouble. He hesitated because he believed his wings were too weak to carry him. Since a seagull's wings are naturally designed to help it fly, this anxiety was purely an illusion in his head.
In simple words: The bird's siblings flew easily, showing that flying is natural. His fear of falling was just a thought in his own mind, not a real danger.

Exam Tip: Support your response by contrasting the success of his siblings with his own mental barriers to show how fear can be irrational.

Question. Describe the young seagull’s emotions when he flew over the sea.
Answer: He had completely overcome his terror of flying. Even though he experienced some slight dizziness at first, he was quickly gliding high and screaming with joy after completing his triumphant maiden journey.
In simple words: He was no longer scared. After feeling a little dizzy at first, he felt incredibly happy and started screaming with joy as he flew.

Exam Tip: Incorporate descriptive words like "dizzy initially", "soaring", and "screaming with happiness" to capture his rapid emotional shift.

Question. The Oxford Dictionary defines ‘hangry’ as ‘bad tempered or irritable as a result of hunger. To what extent can the young seagull’s motivation to fly be attributed to being hungry? Support your stance with evidence from the text.
Answer: The young bird was abandoned on the ledge by his family and went without food for an entire day. Ultimately, his extreme starvation defeated his cowardice, driving him to leap toward his mother who was holding a piece of fish in her mouth.
In simple words: Being left without food for 24 hours made him so desperate that he forgot all his fear and jumped towards the fish his mother was holding.

Exam Tip: Reference the text's timeline (twenty-four hours without food) to prove how critical hunger was to his motivation.

Question. “The young seagull was alone on his ledge.” How far do you think this condition was by his choice?
Answer: His mother and father pleaded with him to join them, but he was unable to find the courage and remained behind while his siblings and parents crossed the water to the plateau.
In simple words: He did not choose to be left alone; his family flew away to the other side because he was too terrified to jump with them.

Exam Tip: Explain clearly that his physical isolation was a direct consequence of his psychological fear, rather than a deliberate personal choice.

Question. If you were the family member of the young seagull, would you also decide not to go near him? Elaborate with reason.
Answer: Occasionally, guardians must make difficult choices to help their offspring confront life's challenges. I would certainly have taken the same path because overcoming danger requires dealing with it directly. His isolation and severe starvation ultimately conquered his anxiety, enabling him to leap.
In simple words: Yes, leaving him alone was necessary because tough love and hunger were the only things that could push him to conquer his fear of flying.

Exam Tip: Frame your answer around the concept of self-reliance, explaining how temporary hardship can encourage growth.

Question. The young seagull “failed to muster up the courage to take that plunge”. In what way can the reference to the ‘plunge’ here be both literal and metaphorical? Explain.
Answer: The direct definition of a plunge is 'a sudden jump'. Symbolically, a 'plunge' represents embarking on an entirely fresh venture. Thus, the word fits his situation perfectly in both ways. In a literal sense, he had to leap off the steep cliff, and on a symbolic level, he leaped into the unfamiliar experience of flight.
In simple words: Literally, the plunge was his physical leap from the high cliff. Metaphorically, it was his sudden step into the new and scary world of flying.

Exam Tip: Use clear subheadings or separate sentences for the literal and metaphorical explanations to keep the answer organized.

Question. The ‘fight or flight response’, that is, to stay and face a situation or run from it- is an automatic reaction to an event perceived as stressful or harmful. How would you evaluate the young gull’s response to finding himself off the ledge?
Answer: Once he understood that he had fallen from the cliff, extreme panic gripped him. His heart seemed to stop beating for a second. However, right after that, he noticed his wings spreading out. He could sense the breeze against his chest feathers. He was no longer plunging headfirst into the ocean, realizing instead that he was capable of flying just like his parents and siblings.
In simple words: At first, he was terrified and felt his heart freeze, but then his wings spread out, the wind supported him, and he realized he was actually flying.

Exam Tip: Describe his physical sensations step-by-step to show the transition from panic to control during his automatic response.

Question. What trick did the young seagull’s mother play to make him fly from his ledge?
Answer: The mother bird used a very smart strategy. She positioned herself on a small mound on the flat land and ripped apart a slice of fish. The look of the meal drove him wild. She snatched a portion of the fish and flew toward him, stopping occasionally just out of his reach. Driven crazy by his severe hunger, the young bird finally jumped.
In simple words: His mother showed him a piece of fish but stayed just out of his reach. This drove him so crazy with hunger that he jumped forward to grab it.

Exam Tip: Highlight the mother's clever use of psychological motivation (using hunger to overcome fear).

Question. How was the young seagull treated by his parents initially when he could not muster up the courage to fly from his ledge?
Answer: His parents scolded him and mocked him for his lack of bravery. His siblings were resting lazily on the opposite flat ground. His father busy tidying his feathers, while only his mother kept her eyes on him. She swept past him carrying a portion of fish. Tempted by this, he leaped for the food and tumbled down into the open air.
In simple words: At first, they ignored him, scolded him, and threatened to let him starve. But his mother watched him and eventually used a fish to tempt him into diving.

Exam Tip: Point out how the family's cold treatment was actually a structured effort to make him independent.

Question. What did the young seagull do to attract the attention of his mother ? Or While alone on ledge, how did the little seagull try to draw the attention of his family ?
Answer: He crept quietly to the very edge of the cliff and balanced on a single leg. He tucked his other leg beneath his feathers. Shutting one eye after the other, he acted as though he was drifting off to sleep. In this manner, he attempted to get his mother's focus.
In simple words: He stood on one leg at the edge of the cliff, closed his eyes, and pretended to fall asleep so his family would feel sorry for him and notice him.

Exam Tip: Keep your answer focused on his physical actions—standing on one leg, hiding the other, closing his eyes—as detailed in the text.

Question. When did the seagull’s flight begin? And where did it end ?
Answer: The little bird's journey commenced when he plunged to grab the fish from his mother's mouth. He tumbled downward, but naturally, his wings unfolded, and he began to flap them and rise. This journey concluded about thirty minutes later when he settled down onto the green water alongside his parents and siblings.
In simple words: His flight began when he jumped to grab the fish from his mother and fell. It ended half an hour later when he landed safely on the green sea.

Exam Tip: Ensure you address both parts of the question: the starting point (diving off the ledge) and the ending point (landing on the sea).

Question. When did a monstrous terror seize the young seagull ?
Answer: His mother flew close to him holding a portion of fish. She paused, making the food seem close enough to touch, yet she refused to come closer. Driven by impulse, he lunged for the meal. He plunged out and down into the open sky, screaming in panic as a massive dread gripped him and blocked out all sound.
In simple words: When he jumped to grab the fish and fell off the cliff into the open air, a huge wave of terror hit him and made him freeze in fear.

Exam Tip: Describe how the physical sensation of falling through open space triggered his brief, overwhelming fear.

Question. What was the young seagull’s experience during his first flight ?
Answer: Dropping from the cliff, the young bird felt sheer panic at first, but shortly after, he began to glide and wing his way through the air. He completely forgot his past inability to fly. His anxiety quickly shifted to self-assurance and then to pure delight. Though he felt a brief flash of worry while touching down, he quickly relaxed, making it an unforgettable journey.
In simple words: At first he was terrified as he fell, but soon he began to float and fly. His fear turned into joy, and he even overcame his fear of landing on the water.

Exam Tip: Present the progress of his feelings logically: panic, self-assurance, excitement, and final relief.

Question. How did the mother of the young seagull try to whet and tempt him ?
Answer: Noticing her offspring trapped by his fears, the mother positioned herself on the opposite flat land. She began to shred a fish and rub her beak against the stone. Observing this action highly excited the hungry bird, sparking a deep urge within him to tear and eat food in the exact same way.
In simple words: She stood across from him, tearing up fish and sharpening her beak on a rock. This view made him extremely hungry and desperate to eat.

Exam Tip: Define how the mother's actions "whetted" (stimulated) both his appetite and his urge to practice survival behaviors.

Question. How did there come a change in the seagull ? Or How did the seagull learn flying ?
Answer: The little bird quickly escaped his intense panic. He noticed his wings extending outward as the air swept past his feathers. His wings began to function perfectly. Slowly, he realized he was drifting both down and up, completely free of fear. Flapping his wings once more, he soared high, mastering the skill of flight.
In simple words: His fear vanished as soon as he felt his wings open and the wind lift him. He realized he was floating instead of falling, and began to fly happily.

Exam Tip: Highlight how natural physical instincts overrode his mental fears during the dive.

Question. What was mother seagull’s plan in holding a piece of fish a little away from young seagull’s reach ?
Answer: The mother felt deep concern over her child's lack of courage. Therefore, she kept the food just out of his grasp to provoke and stimulate him. Her clever strategy worked perfectly to push the young bird into taking flight.
In simple words: She wanted to use his extreme hunger to force him to jump. Her plan worked because his desire for the fish made him forget his fear and leap.

Exam Tip: Emphasize that the mother's plan was an act of wise love designed to promote independence.

Question. The sight of the food maddened him.’ Who is ‘he’ in these lines ? Why was he angry ? What does this suggest ?
Answer: The 'he' refers to the little seagull. He had gone without any food for a whole day. His intense hunger made him irritable and upset. When his mother approached him carrying a slice of fish but refused to hand it over, his desperation drove him to leap for it, though she swept away. This highlights how hunger can exploit a physical weakness.
In simple words: The 'he' is the young seagull, who was angry because he hadn't eaten for 24 hours. This shows how his desperate hunger forced him to take a risky jump.

Exam Tip: Make sure to answer all three parts of the question separately: identify 'he', explain his anger, and interpret what it suggests about his hunger.

Long Answer Type Questions

Question. Briefly bring out the contrast between the young seagull’s initial attempts to fly and his first successful flight. Or Compare and contrast the young seagull in the beginning and at the end of the lesson.
Answer: The young bird's early efforts to take flight were characterized by dread and doubt. He feared the massive drop and the risk of plummeting down. Although he flapped his wings weakly, he was unable to leap into the air. His parents' encouragement fell on deaf ears due to his panic. Conversely, his inaugural successful flight was an entirely different matter. His anxiety vanished completely. He could feel the breeze lifting his wings and the warmth of the sun. He glided through the sky with self-assurance and delight, having conquered his dread to fulfill his flight. This deep contrast demonstrates the strength of persistence and resolve. As long as he was ruled by fear, he was paralyzed. However, once he broke through those mental blocks, he unlocked his potential. The story serves as an inspiring lesson that we can all reach our goals, regardless of the challenges, provided we have the bravery to confront our worries and keep pushing forward.
In simple words: At first, he was terrified, weak, and wouldn't jump despite his parents' scolding. By the end, he was soaring confidently and joyfully, proving that overcoming fear lets us achieve anything.

Exam Tip: Structure your response into two distinct parts: his fearful mindset at the beginning and his confident, joyous attitude at the end.

Question. The young seagull’s parents wanted him to fly, like his brothers and sister. How could the young seagull’s newly flying siblings (Brother 1, Brother 2 and Sister) have motivated him? Write a brief conversation between them.
Answer: A short dialogue among the young bird and his siblings:
Seagull: I am unable to fly, I will surely plummet into the ocean.
Brother 1: It is very simple! Just observe my movements and mimic them.
Brother 2: Take a fast run from the back of the ledge and leap; it will feel natural.
Seagull: I have attempted this several times, but I simply cannot do it.
Sister: Grab my wing, and we can make the jump side by side.
Brother 1: Yes, let us hold onto each other and take off as a team!
Seagull: No, I am too terrified to fly.
In simple words: His siblings tried to encourage him by telling him how easy it was, offering running tips, and even proposing to hold hands and fly together, but his fear was too strong.

Exam Tip: Use a clear dialogue script format. Show how each sibling offers a unique way of help (advice, action tip, or hand-holding) to make the conversation realistic.

Question. A noted author, Richard Bach wrote – “For most gulls, it was not flying that mattered, but eating. For this gull, though, it was not eating that mattered, but flight.” Evaluate this statement with respect to the young seagull.
Answer: While flight is instinctive for birds, the seagull in this tale resisted flying and chose to go hungry because of his intense fear. Eventually, his severe starvation defeated his anxiety, prompting him to leap for the food in his mother's mouth. His dread of flying disappeared the moment he saw the meal, which forced him to take off. Therefore, the quote does not quite fit this character, as food and survival were indeed the primary drivers that pushed him to fly.
In simple words: Unlike the bird in the quote who flew for the joy of it, this seagull only flew because he was starving and wanted to eat, meaning food mattered more to him at first.

Exam Tip: Carefully state whether you agree or disagree with the quote, using the bird's hunger as your main evidence.

Question. Look at the image of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Abraham Maslow devised a theory of motivation that shows the basic needs at the bottom, and more advanced needs as you move up. It includes the theory that fundamental needs must be met before an individual can be motivated to achieve higher-order needs. Where in this hierarchy of needs, would you locate the young seagull’s first flight? Justify your response.
Answer: As the old proverbs state, 'Wait is a hard word to the hungry' and 'A hungry belly has no ears'. The bird's initial flight fits at the very base of the hierarchy under basic physical needs. A starving creature is unable to focus on anything besides finding a meal. The narrative clearly shows that an individual will risk survival to satisfy basic hunger. Likewise, the seagull ignored the danger to his life and overcame his terror to snatch the fish from his mother's beak.
In simple words: His flight belongs at the bottom of Maslow's pyramid under basic needs, because his desperate hunger for food was the only thing that forced him to leap and fly.

Exam Tip: Link Maslow's term "physiological needs" directly to the bird's starvation to build a logical argument.

Question. Look at the given image of different parenting styles and what they signify. Which of the given parenting styles would you attribute to the young seagull’s parents?
Answer:

Upon analyzing 'His First Flight', we can deduce that the father exhibited an uninvolved parenting approach, showing little direct concern. Conversely, the mother's method can be classified as authoritative. She was determined to make her offspring master flying and conquer his dread. At the same time, when she noticed him seeking food, she felt concerned and brought a fish. However, realizing he needed to learn, she avoided hand-feeding him and played a clever trick instead. She stopped just out of his grasp, causing his hunger-driven desperation to push him into jumping, which miraculously guided him to his first successful flight.
In simple words: The father was uninvolved, while the mother was authoritative because she balanced her care for him with a strict, clever trick to force him to learn to fly.
Exam Tip: Refer to the table styles ("uninvolved" and "authoritative") and justify each choice using the behaviors of the father and mother.

Extract Based Questions

1. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follows :
A. That was twenty four hours ago. Since then nobody had come near him. The day before, all day long, he had watched his parents flying about with his brothers and sister, perfecting them in the art of flight, teaching them how to skim the waves and how to dive for fish. He had, in fact, seen his elder brother catch his first herring and devour it, standing on a rock, while his parents circled around raising a proud cackle.

(i) Whom does ‘he’ represent in the given extract?
(a) The seagull
(b) The pigeon
(c) The parrot
(d) The pilot
Answer: (a) The seagull
In simple words: In this story, the character referred to as 'he' is the young seagull.

Exam Tip: Look at the context of the story "His First Flight" to quickly identify the main character.

(ii) What were his parents teaching his brothers and sisters?
Answer: His parents were instructing his siblings in flying, gliding over waves, and diving to catch fish.
In simple words: His parents were teaching his brothers and sisters how to fly, glide on the water, and catch fish.

Exam Tip: Mention all three activities described in the text: flying, skimming, and diving.

(iii) What had ‘his’ elder brother done?
Answer: His older brother had successfully caught and eaten his very first fish.
In simple words: His older brother caught his first fish and ate it on a rock.

Exam Tip: State that his brother caught a "herring", which is the specific fish mentioned in the passage.

(iv) Which word would correctly substitute ‘eat quickly’, in the given sentence from the extract? Did the hungry beggar eat quickly all that was given to him?
Answer: The word from the extract is 'devour'.
In simple words: The word 'devour' means to eat something very quickly and greedily.

Exam Tip: Find the action verb in the passage that represents eating to identify "devour".

2. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follows :
He waited a moment in surprise, wondering why she did not come nearer and then, 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 and his heart stood still. He could hear nothing. But it only lasted a minute. The next moment he felt his wings spread outwards.

(i) Who is ‘she’ in the extract? Why did ‘she’ stop midway while giving the fish?
Answer: 'She' represents the seagull's mother. She paused halfway to force the young bird to fly out of hunger.
In simple words: The mother stopped because she wanted her son to jump and fly to get the fish.

Exam Tip: Point out that the mother's pause was a planned strategy to make her son take his first leap.

(ii) The phrase ‘his wings spread outwards’ means _____.
(a) he fell off the cliff
(b) he was drowning
(c) he started flying
(d) he was happy
Answer: (c) he started flying
In simple words: When his wings opened up, it meant he was beginning to fly.

Exam Tip: Focus on the physical consequence of wings spreading out, which is flight.

(iii) Read the following descriptions (a)-(c) and identify which one correctly corresponds to the extract.
(a) A debate is a formal discussion on a particular topic, usually with two or more people presenting different viewpoints and arguments.
(b) An autobiographical account of an event which covers the author’s point of view regarding the event and all other things associated with it.
(c) A narrative from the point of view of an omniscient narrator, who knows everything about the story and the character.
Answer: (c) A narrative from the point of view of an omniscient narrator, who knows everything about the story and the character.
In simple words: The story is told by an all-knowing narrator who describes what the bird is feeling and doing.

Exam Tip: An omniscient narrator is one who knows the inner feelings (like "terror seized him") of characters in a third-person narrative.

(iv) Fill in the blank with ONE WORD only. The Seagull had been feeling _____.
Answer: hungry
In simple words: The bird was feeling very hungry before he made the jump.

Exam Tip: Use the exact word "hungry" or "starved" to match his physical motivation as described in the passage.

3. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follows :
The young seagull was alone on his ledge. His two brothers and his sister had already flown away the day before. He had been afraid to fly with them. Somehow when he had taken a little run forward to the brink of the ledge and attempted to flap his wings, he became afraid. The great expanse of sea stretched down beneath, and it was such a long tins down— miles down.

(i) Choose the correct options to complete the statement. The young seagull was alone on the ledge because _____
1. his two brothers and a sister had learnt flying and had flown away
2. he was afraid to fly like his brothers and sisters.
3. he was waiting for his mother to come.
4. his mother had gone to get fond for him.
(a) 1 and 3
(b) 1 and 2
(c) 3 and 4
(d) 2 and 3
Answer: (b) 1 and 2
In simple words: He was alone because his siblings had already flown away, and he was too scared to join them.

Exam Tip: Combine both the flight of his siblings and his own fear to answer why he remained isolated.

(ii) We know that the siblings of the seagull had learned and mastered flying because _____
Answer: they had already flown away the day before.
In simple words: We know they could fly because they had already left the cliff the day before.

Exam Tip: Reference the timeline ("the day before") as proof of their successful departure.

(iii) The young seagull on taking a run experienced extreme emotions. Choose the best options from the ones given below.
(a) mortification and sadness
(b) desperation and sadness
(c) humiliation and desperation
(d) mortification and desperation
Answer: (d) mortification and desperation
In simple words: He felt deeply embarrassed and hopeless when he tried to run and failed to fly.

Exam Tip: Choose option (d) as it best represents his sense of shame (mortification) and utter fear (desperation).

(iv) The young seagull did make an effort to fly but failed. What was his mental state?
Answer: He was terrified that his wings would not hold him up, which made his efforts weak and caused him to run back to his hole in fear.
In simple words: He was extremely scared and felt that his wings were too weak, which made him give up and run back.

Exam Tip: Describe how his fear of height and lack of self-belief paralyzed his physical effort to take off.

4. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follows :
That was twenty-four hours ago. Since then nobody had come near him. The day before, all day long, he had watched his parents flying about with his brothers and sister, perfecting them in the art of flight, teaching them how to skim the waves and how to dive for fish. He had, in fact, seen his older brother catch his first herring and devour it, standing on a rock, while his parents circled around raising a proud cackle. And all the morning the whole family had walked about on the big plateau midway down the opposite cliff taunting him with his cowardice.

(i) Complete the statement with the best possible option available to you: Nobody had come near the young seagull as his parents were _____
(a) busy circling the sea, enjoying the flight
(b) teaching his siblings, the art of flying
(c) raising cackle sounds, having fun
(d) standing on the rock, eating fish
Answer: (b) teaching his siblings, the art of flying
In simple words: No one came near him because his parents were busy training his brothers and sister.

Exam Tip: Focus on the parents' primary activity, which was perfecting the other birds' flight skills.

(ii) What had the seagull done in the last twenty-four hours? Answer in about 40 words.
Answer: Over the past day, the young bird had stayed completely isolated on his ledge, watching his parents train his siblings. He went without food and was consumed by fear and desperation as his family ignored him.
In simple words: He stayed alone on his cliff, starved, and watched his parents teach his siblings how to fly and catch fish.

Exam Tip: Mention both his physical starvation and his passive observation of his family's flights.

(iii) Fill up the blank in the following sentence. The seagull’s family taunted him because they were _____
Answer: trying their best to encourage and persuade him to fly.
In simple words: They teased him because they wanted to push him to overcome his fear and finally fly.

Exam Tip: Explain that their teasing had a supportive motive, aimed at helping him find his courage.

(iv) Which of the words given in the options cannot be used to replace the underlined word in- He had, in fact, seen his older brother catch his first herring and devour it, standing on a rock,...’?
(a) to gulp
(b) to destroy
(c) to demolish
(d) to wolf down
Answer: (b) to destroy
In simple words: The word 'devour' means to eat quickly, so 'to destroy' is not a suitable synonym.

Exam Tip: Identify the verb that does not fit the action of eating food greedily.

5. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follows :
The sun was now ascending the sky, blazing on his ledge that faced the south. He felt the heat because he had not eaten since the previous nightfall. 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 and pretended to be falling asleep. Still they took no notice of him. He saw his two brothers and his sister lying on the plateau dozing with their heads sunk into their necks. His father was preening the feathers on his white back.

(i) Which one of the options is not even remotely the meaning of the word ‘pretended’ in the extract?
(a) discovered
(b) play-acted
(c) feigned
(d) invented
Answer: (a) discovered
In simple words: Pretending means acting or faking, so 'discovered' is completely different.

Exam Tip: Look for the word that has nothing to do with acting, faking, or fabricating a situation.

(ii) Complete the statement with the best option. The young seagull was very upset as he _____
(a) he was starved.
(b) was not able to train with his brothers and sisters.
(c) was being ignored by his father.
(d) he was feeling very hot.
Answer: (a) he was starved.
In simple words: He felt very upset because he had no food and was starving.

Exam Tip: Focus on his primary distress, which was the physical pain of starvation.

(iii) Why was the entire seagull family ignoring their youngest? Answer in about 40 words.
Answer: The family deliberately ignored their youngest member to force him to overcome his fear. They wanted him to learn independence, so they used scolding, isolation, and hunger to push him into taking flight.
In simple words: They ignored him on purpose to make him face his fears, hoping that hunger and isolation would force him to fly.

Exam Tip: State clearly that their neglect was an act of tough love to encourage self-reliance.

(iv) ‘Preening feathers’ is an action common to birds when they use their beaks to _____
Answer: groom or clean themselves.
In simple words: Preening means when a bird cleans and neatens its feathers using its beak.

Exam Tip: Provide a brief, dictionary-style definition of preening related to bird grooming.