CBSE Class 10 English Two Stories about Flying Important Questions Set 02

Extract Based Questions

Extract 1

(a). What is the profession of the speaker of the above extract?
Answer: The speaker of the given extract is a pilot.

(b). What does the speaker mean to say by ‘the sleeping countryside’?
Answer: It means that it was night time and everybody was fast asleep.

(c). Find the word in the extract which means ‘rural area’.
Answer: The word ‘countryside’ in the extract means rural area.

(d). What does ‘coming up’ mean?
Answer: It means to become visible.

Extract 2

(a). Pick the most appropriate reason why the young seagull felt dizzy.
(a) He hadn’t eaten anything for a day.
(b) He was dizzy with excitement.
(c) He was wary of heights.
(d) He was flying for the first time.
Answer: (d) He was flying for the first time.

(b). How would you describe the screams of the gulls in the given extract?
(a) elation
(b) bewilderment
(c) shock
(d) protection
Answer: (a) elation

(c). The line “he completely forgot that he had not always been able to fly” implies the:
(a) great confidence the young gull had in his skills.
(b) naturalness of the act of flying for the young gull.
(c) satisfaction and joy of flying together as a family.
(d) desire of the young gull to leave his fears behind.
Answer: (b) naturalness of the act of flying for the young gull.

(d). The extract refers to the many movements of the young gull’s brothers and sister. Choose the option that correctly sequences these movements.
(a) The young gull’s brothers and sister flew by tilting their wings, rose high, made darting movements and plunged headfirst.
(b) The young gull’s brothers and sister flew by plunging headfirst, making darting movements, titled their wings and rose high.
(c) The young gull’s brothers and sister flew with darting movements, titled their wings, rose high and plunged headfirst.
(d) The young gull’s brothers and sister flew by rising high, plunging headfirst, making darting movements and tilting their wings.
Answer: (c) The young gull’s brothers and sister flew with darting movements, titled their wings, rose high and plunged headfirst.

(e). Which of the following mirrors the use of the literary device in “shrieking shrilly”?
(a) sparkling saga
(b) singing soft
(c) slippery sloppily
(d) sneeze silently
Answer: (d) sneeze silently

Extract 3

(a). Choose the answer that lists the CORRECT option about the inner feel that the seagull had before flying.
(a) seagull was afraid; seagull lacked courage; seagull could not move his wings
(b) seagull was confident; seagull lacked strength; seagull could not move his wings
(c) seagull got injured; seagull did not try flying; seagull had a weak heart
(d) seagull was very weak; seagull’s wings were heavy; seagull could not move his wings
Answer: (a) seagull was afraid; seagull lacked courage; seagull could not move his wings

(b). Why are the father and mother angry?
(a) Seagull is not eating.
(b) Seagull is not flying.
(c) Seagull is not jumping.
(d) Seagull is not swimming.
Answer: (b) Seagull is not flying.

(c). What are they threatening to do if he doesn’t listen?
(a) Starve him.
(b) Abandon him.
(c) Scold him.
(d) Push him.
Answer: (a) Starve him.

(d). Why is the seagull unable to fly?
(a) He doesn’t like flying.
(b) He is scared.
(c) He doesn’t know how to fly.
(d) His wings are heavy.
Answer: (b) He is scared.

(e). Which of the following expressions is INCORRECT with respect to the word ‘scolding’?
(a) threatening
(b) ledge
(c) rebuke
(d) upbraiding
Answer: (b) ledge

Extract 4

(a). How did the seagull feel when his belly touched the green sea?
(a) He felt excited.
(b) He felt joyous.
(c) He was scared that he would sink.
(d) None of the above
Answer: (c) He was scared that he would sink.

(b). Why was he so scared to dive?
(a) Because it was his last flight.
(b) Because he was sick.
(c) Because he had no legs.
(d) Because it was his first flight.
Answer: (d) Because it was his first flight.

(c). An antonym for the word ‘scrap’ is:
(a) whole
(b) piece
(c) chunk
(d) bits
Answer: (a) whole

(d). A synonym for the word ‘flapping’ is:
(a) calm
(b) still
(c) shake
(d) soothe
Answer: (c) shake

(e). Why did his family praise him?
(a) Because he successfully made his first flight.
(b) Because he caught a fish.
(c) Because he grabbed his own food.
(d) None of the above
Answer: (a) Because he successfully made his first flight.

Extract 5

(a). Who is ‘she’ here?
(a) seagull’s sister
(b) seagull’s brother
(c) seagull’s mother
(d) seagull’s fate
Answer: (c) seagull’s mother

(b). Choose the option that lists the set of statements that are NOT TRUE according to the given extract.
1. Seagull’s mother took advantage to show off her skills.
2. She wanted to punish the seagull.
3. She took time to stare and eat her food.
4. She drove the seagull to lose temper.
5. She edged him to become independent.
6. She was setting goals for him.
7. She was being a strong mother.
(a) 1, 2, 4
(b) 1, 2, 3
(c) 2, 4, 5
(d) 3, 5, 7
Answer: (a) 1, 2, 4

(c). Pick the option that correctly classifies fact/s (F) and opinion/s (O) of the students below.
1. I think the mother seagull was trying to be a bully.
2. The mother seagull showed her son to be courageous.
3. The mother seagull showed the seagull to be self-reliant.
4. She was trying to encourage her son to get into action.
(a) F – 1, 2 and O – 3, 4
(b) F – 2, 3, 4 and O – 1
(c) F – 2, 4 and O – 1, 3
(d) F – 3 and O – 1, 2, 4
Answer: (b) F – 2, 3, 4 and O – 1

(d). Why did the seagull lament?
(a) Because he wanted food.
(b) Because he wanted to tear the fish.
(c) Because he wanted to be with his family.
(d) Because he lost someone dear.
Answer: (a) Because he wanted food.

(e). Where are these lines taken from?
(a) Glimpses of India
(b) Two Stories about Flying
(c) The Sermon at Benaras
(d) The Hundred Dresses-I
Answer: (b) Two Stories about Flying

Extract 6

(a). How did the young seagull learn to fly?
Answer: The young seagull tried to dive at the fish and fell outwards and downwards into the space. His wings spread and the wind helped him in flying.

(b). How long did the young seagull’s fear last?
Answer: The young seagull’s fear lasted for a short while—just after a minute the seagull’s mother wanted him to follow her.

Extract 7

(a). “I’ll take the risk.” What is the risk?
(a) To fly the old Dakota airplane into the storm.
(b) To go back to his home.
(c) To stop the flight.
(d) None of the above
Answer: (a) To fly the old Dakota airplane into the storm.

(b). What difficulties did the narrator face while flying in the storm?
(a) It was pitch dark all around.
(b) All the instruments of his aeroplane stopped working.
(c) Both (a) and (b)
(d) None of the above
Answer: (c) Both (a) and (b)

(c). Where was the pilot headed?
(a) Towards his next stop.
(b) Towards his home.
(c) Towards the airport.
(d) None of the above
Answer: (b) Towards his home.

(d). Why did he take the risk?
(a) To land the airplane.
(b) To save his life.
(c) To go home and have the English breakfast.
(d) None of the above
Answer: (c) To go home and have the English breakfast.

(e). ______________ is the synonym of ‘twisted’
(a) curled
(b) simple
(c) even
(d) straight
Answer: (a) curled

(f). What is the risk? Why does the pilot of the old Dakota take it?
Answer: The risk was of flying the old Dakota airplane into the storm. The pilot took it as he wished to reach home as soon as possible and to be present at the breakfast table.

Extract 8

(a). Who turned his aeroplane towards the north?
(a) The pilot of another plane.
(b) The mysterious pilot.
(c) The co-pilot of the other plane
(d) None of the above
Answer: (b) The mysterious pilot.

(b). What was the narrator’s reaction to see the aeroplane flying towards the north?
(a) Happy to receive guidance
(b) Behaved like an obedient child
(c) Followed the other plane
(d) All of the above
Answer: (d) All of the above

(c). What was strange about the black aeroplane?
(a) It was behaving strangely by changing direction.
(b) The aeroplane seemed to arrive from the east.
(c) The aeroplane was constantly obstructing the Dakota’s path.
(d) The aeroplane did not have light on its wings, only its pilot was visible.
Answer: (d) The aeroplane did not have light on its wings, only its pilot was visible.

(d). Which problem did Dakota face while still inside the storm?
(a) The black aeroplane’s continuous manoeuvres distracted the pilot.
(b) The Dakota faced near collision with the black aeroplane.
(c) The fuel tank of the Dakota was almost empty.
(d) The black storm blinded the Dakota pilot.
Answer: (c) The fuel tank of the Dakota was almost empty.

(e). What was the Dakota pilot’s reaction when he saw the other plane?
(a) No emotion, as it was very normal
(b) Relieved, as he felt it had come to help him.
(c) Baffled, as he was supposed to be all alone in the sky.
(d) Both (a) and (c)
Answer: (b) Relieved, as he felt it had come to help him.

Short Answer Questions

Question 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 step? (NCERT)
Answer: The young seagull was afraid to fly because he thought his wings would not support him. He was very weak. Yes, all young birds are afraid to make their first flight. The same applies to a human baby too.

Question 2. “The sight of the food maddened him.” What does this suggest? What compelled the young seagull to finally fly? (Delhi 2020) (NCERT)
Answer: “The sight of the food maddened him.” This suggests that the young seagull was desperate due to hunger. He had eaten nothing for 24 hours. He was afraid to fly, that is why he did not want to fly. But it was the fear of death due to fall only which made him finally to fly. When he dived and started falling headlong downwards, he screamed and opened his wings.

Question 3. “They were beckoning to him, calling shrilly.” Why did the seagull’s father and mother threaten him and cajole him to fly? (NCERT)
Answer: The young seagull did not want to fly because he felt his wings would not support him. His brothers and sister had already taken their first flight. His parents threatened him to starve. They threatened and cajoled him so that he also might take his first flight. They wanted to remove his fear of flight.

Question 4. How did the seagull’s parents try to make him fly? (CBSE 2019)
Answer: The seagull’s parents cajoled him and mocked him for not being brave enough to fly when all his siblings had managed to do the same. When the young seagull stuck to his fears and refused to fly, they threatened to starve him on the cliff.

Question 5. ‘Family played a vital role in the first flight of the young seagull.’ Justify the statement. (CBSE 2023)
Answer: Of course, the family of seagull played a vital role in the first flight of the young seagull. They taught the young seagull how to fly. The young seagull was afraid to fly. He thought he couldn’t fly. But when he became hungry then he started flying.

Question 6. (i) What were the ways the seagull had thought of to join his family?
(ii) Did he try any one of them?
Answer: (i) The seagull thought of joining his family without having to fly. He ran from one end of the ledge to the other. The ledge ended in a steep fall in precipice. He thought of walking upto them but there was a deep chasm between him and them.
(ii) No, he didn’t try anyone of them.

Question 7. Did the seagull think the sea was like a land? Pick out the words from the text that suggest this.
Answer: Yes, the seagull thought the sea was like a land. He landed on the sea. When his legs sank into it, he screamed with fear and tried to rise again flapping his wings. This clearly indicates that he thought the sea was like a land.

Question 8. (i) When did the seagull’s flight begin?
(ii) Where did it end?
Answer: (i) His flight began when he was falling outwards and downwards into space. His wings spread outwards. Now, he was not falling headlong. He was moving gradually downwards and outwards.
(ii) His flight ended floating on the sea.

Question 9. When did the seagull get over his fear of the water?
Answer: The seagull thought the sea was like a land. When he landed on the sea, his feet sank into it. He was seized with fear. He was too tired to rise again. His belly touched the water and he sank no further. Now, he was floating on the sea. He had got over his fear of the water.

Question 10. Do you sympathise with the seagull? Give reasons.
Answer: Flying is a natural instinct of birds. But the young seagull develops a fright of flight. We sympathise with him because he has to suffer a lot before he gets over his fear of flying. He has to bear the taunts of his family. He has to go without food for twenty-four hours.

Question 11. How did the seagull express his excitement when he saw his mother bringing food for him?
Answer: The seagull was very hungry. When he saw his mother bringing food for him, he was greatly excited. He expressed his excitement by uttering a joyful scream. He leaned out eagerly. He tapped the rock with his feet. He tried to get nearer to her as she flew across.

Question 12. How did the young seagull’s parents teach him the art of flying?
Answer: Birds have a natural instinct to fly. However, some birds, like the young seagull in the story are afraid to fly. Then their parents teach them how to fly. The seagull’s parents fly about with their children curveting and banking and soaring and diving and thus, perfecting them in the art of flying.

Question 13. “I’ll take the risk.” What is the risk? Why does the narrator take it? (NCERT)
Answer: He was in a risky position. There were stormy clouds in front of him and he did not have enough fuel to go around them to reach Paris.
The narrator took the risk because he wanted to reach Paris to celebrate Christmas with his family.

Question 14. Describe the narrator’s experience as he flew his aeroplane into the storm. (NCERT)
Answer: The narrator experienced a frightening experience on a stormy night. He was shocked to see that the compass and other instruments were out of order. His contact with Paris Control Room was also stopped. There were stormy clouds ahead of him and there was no fuel left to move around. Then suddenly, he saw another aeroplane with no lights on its wings but surprisingly he was able to see the face of the pilot who signalled to follow him by waving his hand. He was delighted to see a helping hand. He followed that black aeroplane for about half an hour. Then suddenly he noticed he was near the runway. His happiness knew no bounds when he was on the runway with fuel hardly sufficient for ten minutes.

Question 15. Why does the narrator say, “I landed and was not sorry to walk away from the old Dakota...”? (NCERT)
Answer: He was delighted to land safely out of dark stormy clouds; therefore, he was not sorry to walk away from his plane. He felt bad, when he was not able to thank his guide, his mentor who saved him from frightening situations, but he was so happy after landing that he didn’t feel sorry for not being able to thank the guide pilot.

Question 16. What made the woman in the Control centre look at the narrator strangely? (NCERT)
Answer: The woman in the control room was surprised when the narrator asked about the other aeroplane and its pilot. She said that there was no other aeroplane seen on the radar.

Question 17. Who do you think helped the narrator to reach safely? Discuss this among yourselves and give reasons for your answer. (NCERT)
Answer: As there was no aeroplane other than the narrator’s, it could not be a human help. Though the doubts and curiosity about the strange plane have not been made clear by the narrator, it seems to be his inner voice which guided him to land safely. Otherwise, how could a plane which had no lights on its wings be visible to the narrator and how could he see the face and waving hand of the pilot? Thus, it must be his inner voice only.

Question 18. Why was the pilot happy? Give two reasons.
Answer: The pilot was happy for the following two reasons:
(i) He was alone high up above the sleeping countryside.
(ii) He was dreaming of his holiday and looking forward to being with his family.

Question 19. (i) Why did the pilot call the Paris Control the first time?
(ii) What was the advice of the Paris Control?
Answer: (i) The first time, the pilot called the Paris Control Room to enquire about the location of the plane and the route to be followed.
(ii) The Paris Control advised him to turn twelve degrees west towards England.

Question 20. How many fuel tanks were there in the plane? How much fuel was left?
Answer: There were two fuel tanks in the plane. The pilot had already switched over to second and the last tank so there was enough fuel only to fly back to England.

Question 21. Why was the pilot of Dakota aeroplane frightened again? (CBSE 2020)
Answer: Insufficient fuel to reach the destination / a frightening prospect / fuel to fly for five to ten minutes more