Question Bank — First Flight 3 — Two Stories about Flying

Section A — MCQs (10 questions, 1 mark each)

1. Why did the young seagull feel certain that his wings would never support him?
   a) The sea was too far below
   b) His wings were shorter than his siblings’
   c) He had never seen other birds fly
   d) His parents had forbidden him to fly

2. What finally compelled the young seagull to dive at the fish?
   a) His father’s threat to starve him
   b) Hunger and the sight of food brought by his mother
   c) His siblings taunting him
   d) The heat of the sun on the ledge

3. Assertion (A): The young seagull’s mother flew across to him with a piece of fish but stopped just out of reach.
   Reason (R): She wanted to teach him to fly by making him dive for the food.
   a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
   b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
   c) A is true but R is false.
   d) A is false but R is true.

4. In “The Black Aeroplane”, why did the narrator decide to fly straight into the storm?
   a) He had no choice as fuel was low
   b) He wanted to reach home for breakfast
   c) Paris Control instructed him to do so
   d) The storm looked easy to cross

5. What happened to the instruments inside the storm clouds?
   a) They worked perfectly
   b) The compass and radio stopped working
   c) The fuel tank emptied suddenly
   d) The lights came on automatically

6. Assertion (A): The narrator followed the strange black aeroplane without lights through the storm.
   Reason (R): He believed the pilot of the black aeroplane was trying to help him reach safely.
   a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
   b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
   c) A is true but R is false.
   d) A is false but R is true.

7. What did the woman at the control centre reveal about other aeroplanes that night?
   a) Many planes were flying
   b) Only the narrator’s Dakota was visible on the radar
   c) The black aeroplane had landed earlier
   d) No planes had taken off due to the storm

8. The phrase “his heart stood still” in the seagull story suggests the bird felt:
   a) Extreme joy
   b) Monstrous terror
   c) Sudden hunger
   d) Pride in his family

9. Which word from the text means “scolding”?
   a) Skim
   b) Upbraiding
   c) Preening
   d) Curveting

10. The young seagull’s family offered him scraps of:
    a) Herring
    b) Dog-fish
    c) Mackerel
    d) Sardine

Section B — Reference to Context (3 extracts, 4 marks each)

Extract 1

“He waited a moment in surprise, wondering why she did not come nearer, and then, maddened by hunger, he dived at the fish.”

1. Who is “she” in the extract?
2. Why did the young seagull dive at the fish?
3. Identify the literary device used in “maddened by hunger”.
4. What does the word “maddened” suggest about the seagull’s state of mind?

Extract 2

“Inside the clouds, everything was suddenly black. It was impossible to see anything outside the aeroplane. The old aeroplane jumped and twisted in the air.”

1. Who is the speaker/narrator of this extract?
2. Why had the narrator entered the clouds?
3. Name the literary device in the line “The old aeroplane jumped and twisted in the air”.
4. What immediate problem did the narrator face inside the storm?

Extract 3

“He was floating on it, and around him his family was screaming, praising him and their beaks were offering him scraps of dog-fish. He had made his first flight.”

1. Who is “he” in the extract?
2. What does “he was floating on it” refer to?
3. Identify the literary device in “their beaks were offering him scraps”.
4. How does the family’s reaction show a change in their earlier behaviour?

Section C — Short Answer (5 questions, 3 marks each)

1. Why did the young seagull’s parents threaten and taunt him?
2. Describe the moment when the young seagull felt his wings spread outwards for the first time.
3. Why did the narrator of “The Black Aeroplane” refuse to turn back to Paris?
4. What did the narrator see when he came out of the storm clouds?
5. How did the young seagull’s family react immediately after his first successful flight?

Section D — Long Answer (2 questions, 6 marks each)

1. “Hunger and parental encouragement together helped the young seagull conquer his fear.” Justify this statement with reference to the story “His First Flight”.
2. Who do you think was the pilot of the strange black aeroplane? Give reasons from the story to support your answer.

Section E — Language and Writing (2 questions, 4 marks each)

1. From the unit, match the following words with their meanings (as used in the text):
   a) Upbraiding – i) sharpening
   b) Whet – ii) scolding
   c) Preening – iii) arranging/cleaning feathers
   d) Curveting – iv) leaping like a horse

2. Write a short diary entry (80–100 words) as the young seagull on the evening after his first flight, expressing how you felt when you finally flew and what you learnt about courage.