Class 10 English Chapter 1 Question Answers - First Flight

Short Answer Questions

Q1: What kind of a person was Valli?
Ans: Valli was a curious, keen observer who had strong will power and determination. She was bold and brave. She had immense self confidence and wanted to do everything on her own. She was Innocent, highly sensitive, intelligent and was a very careful planner. Valli’s favorite pastime was to stand in the front doorway of her house and watch the happenings of the street.

Q2: What did Valli do after she got into the bus?
Ans: She got into the bus and she looked at everything very thoroughly. When she looked outside she found her view cut off by the canvas blind that covered the lower part of her window. So she stood upon the seat and peered over the blind.

Q3: Why did Valli want to ride on the bus?
Ans: Valli used to watch the bus on its hourly rounds through her street everyday. The sight of the bus filled with new passengers every time gave her unending joy. She was curious and wished to ride it once. So she wanted to ride on the bus to enjoy it.

Q4: How did Valli plan for her first journey?
Ans: Valli made careful and painstaking plans for her first journey. She saved every penny, cut down on her expenses and resisted all the temptations to save sixty paise for the fare. She gathered the information from the passengers and neighbors. She calculated the time required and chose afternoon, as her mother would take a nap during that time. All this shows that she was a meticulous planner.

Q5: What did Valli see out of the window on her first journey?
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During her journey, Valli absorbed the natural beauty and clapped her hands in happiness on seeing a young cow running very fast. What does this reveal about Valli? (CBSE QUESTION BANK)
OR
How was the view outside the bus when it went through the canal? [CBSE 2015]
Ans: Valli saw nature’s grandeur out of the bus window. She saw the green bank of a canal with the palm trees and mountains in the background and the blue sky. On the other side, she saw a deep ditch and green fields. She saw other vehicles, a young cow running in front of the bus.

Q6: What did Valli find when she entered her house after the ride from the bus?
Ans: Valli entered her house after the ride from the bus. Her mother was awake and talking to one of her aunts. She was from South Street and was a real chatterbox. She would never close her mouth once she started talking.

Q7: How did Valli arrange for her bus fare?
OR
How did Valli save money to travel by bus? [CBSE 2013]
Ans: Valli arranged for her bus fare meticulously for her first journey outside the village. Valli needed sixty paise for the two way fare of the bus. She needed some knowledge and ample time. She saved the money herself, collected the information from the passengers and utilised the time of her mother’s nap for it.

Q8: Why didn’t Valli want to make friends with the elderly woman?
Ans: Valli was a girl of superior nature. She greatly disliked the elderly woman for her big holes in the ears. The earrings were very ugly. She was chewing the betel nut. Its juice could fall at any moment. She was asking irrelevant questions from Valli.

Q9: What was Valli’s favorite pastime?
Ans: Valli was a Tamil girl. She had no playmates. It was her favorite pastime to stand in the doorway of her house. Thus, she was able to watch all that was going on in the street. This became her favourite pastime because she did not have any friends.

Q10: What was a source of unending joy for Valli? What was her strongest desire? 
Ans: Valli was deeply attracted towards the bus. She had the strongest desire to ride in it. It traveled between her village and the nearest town at an interval of an hour. The sight of the bus and passengers had been the source of unending joy for her.

Long Answer Questions
Q11: On and on went her thoughts as she calculated and recalculated, planned and replanned. In which manner did Valli calculate, plan and prepare herself for the ride on the bus?
Ans: For her trip to the town, Valli had carefully, painstakingly, and elaborately planned everything. She had put all of her money into savings. She managed to resist the desire to purchase ice, toys, balloons, and peppermints. In the end, she managed to save sixty paise. She resisted the urge to ride the merry-go-round at the community fair. The next challenge was to sneak out of the house unnoticed by her mother. But she was able to do this without too much difficulty because her mother took a nap every day after lunch from around one to four. During this time, she would travel to the city.

Q12: Never mind ‘she said, “I can get on by myself” “You do not have to help me, said Valli to the conductor. She shows extraordinary courage in making the bus journey all alone. Taking inspiration from Valli’s character, write how ability and courage to take risks are essential to fulfil one’s dreams.
OR
Valli shows extraordinary courage in taking a bus journey all alone. Explain how ability and courage are essential to fulfill one’s dream. (CBSE SQP 2019-20)
OR
Age is not a barrier when it comes to doing something different and great. Which characteristics of Valli help her achieve the wonder of visiting the town at such a tender age? [CBSE 2014]
Ans: It is undeniably true that having the skill and bravery to take chances is necessary to achieve one’s goals. Valli was eight years old. She didn’t go outside at all. She didn’t even take a bus once. Her parents forbade her from leaving the house, but she summoned bravery and boarded a bus to travel. She relished the travel and was aware of the outer world’s realities. She was a little child, yet despite that, she managed to travel without difficulty because she had the guts to take chances.
In other words, we can say that the thing or task that seems to be very hard is actually not so tough. We can do it if we have the ability and courage to take risks. If we do not dare to take risks, we lose opportunities to get better.

Q13: Whenever we want to achieve something, difficulties always come in our way. What did Valli have to do to go and ride in a bus?
OR
Once we decide to achieve something, so many difficulties come in our way but with focused attention we can make that achievement. How did Valli succeed in fulfilling her desire of riding a bus?
Ans: It is true that obstacles do present themselves whenever we seek anything out. Nonetheless, ambition in life is necessary. Perseverance is necessary to achieve goals. Valli wanted to take the bus, but she lacked the funds to do so. The task at hand was to come up with the necessary sum of money, so Valli had diligently saved whatever spare change that came her way while restraining herself from splurging on things like peppermints, toys, balloons, and the like. At the end, she had thirty pence. She also paid close attention to the bus’ timetable and routine. She also listened in on chats regarding people’s travels. Nonetheless, her efforts allowed her to fulfil her goal in the end.

Q14. Compare Valli’s journey to the city with her journey back home. Why was there a change in her mood?
OR
“Valli’s journey to the city is also her introduction into the mystery of life and death.” Elaborate.
OR
Why did Valli not enjoy her bus ride back home?
Ans: The voyage to the city for Valli also serves as her introduction to the enigma of life and death. Valli was travelling to the city when she noticed a cow moving quickly along the middle of the road in front of the bus. She first continued to giggle while having tears in her eyes. We receive happiness and enjoyment from life. Valli admired the setting.
She came upon a dead cow on the road on her way home. Perhaps it had been struck by a fast-moving vehicle. She was aware that it was the same cow that had made her life enjoyable and joyful just a short while earlier. Sadness swept over her, engulfing her. She realised the impact death may have on life. What was once a charming, lovely creature had suddenly lost its allure and liveliness and looked horrifying and terrifying. Valli was plagued by the vision of the dead cow and found it difficult to enjoy the rest of her journey.

Q15: How did Valli plan her bus ride? What did she find out about the bus and how did she save the fare?
Ans: Valli was an eight-year-old Tamil girl. No one played with her. She likes to stand on the front threshold of her house and watch the world go by. She kept an eye on what was going on outside on the street. She yearned for a bus ride more than anything else. She listened in on the conversations taking place between her neighbours and regular bus travellers. She even asked them questions. She was well-informed on the bus, the bus fare, and the travel time. Between her village and the closest town, a bus ran. Her village was six kilometres from the town.
The cost for one way was thirty paise. In order to pay for the two side trips, she had to collect sixty rupees. She had heard this from a well-dressed individual. It took 45 minutes to travel to the town. She would catch the bus in the afternoon at 1 o’clock and arrive in the town at 1:45. She planned to return around 2:45. She saved money despite all of her urges to buy balloons and toys. All the dropped coins that came her way, she gathered. She stayed away from the swing and the merry-go-round at the village fair. She then gathered the necessary funds.

Q16: Find the lines in the text which tell you that Valli was enjoying her ride on the bus.
Ans: The following lines in the text tell us that Valli was enjoying her ride on the bus.
While the bus was moving on a narrow road along the bank of a canal, she saw distant mountains, fields, sky and so on. She went on seeing as far as her eyes could see. She uttered, “Oh, it was all so wonderful.”
The bus rolled on cutting across a bare landscape and was about to gobble up another vehicle. The bus left everything safely and Valli suddenly clapped her hands with glee. There came a cow, it ran faster at the horn and came right before the bus. This scene made her laugh until there were tears in her eyes. The conductor said, “Hey, lady, haven’t you laughed enough? Better save some for tomorrow.”
The bus passed the shopping street. There were displays of clothes and other merchandise! Such big crowds! Struck dumb with wonder, Valli gaped at everything.