Class 10 English Chapter 1 Extract Based Question Answers - First Flight

A:  Read the stanza and answer the questions that follow:
"All night the roots work
to disengage themselves from the cracks
in the veranda floor.
The leaves strain toward the glass
small twigs stiff with exertion
long-cramped boughs shuffling under the roof
like newly discharged patients
half-dazed, moving
to the clinic doors."

Q1. Why are the roots trying to disengage themselves from the floor?
Ans. The trees want to move out into the forest. So the roots are trying to free themselves.

Q2. “long-cramped boughs shuffling under the roof” indicates-
(a) The trees are tired
(b) The trees are restless
(c) there is lack of space for the branches
(d) The trees are energetic
Ans. (c)

Q3. Why are the branches like newly discharged patients?
(a) They are still recovering
(b) They want to go out
(c) they are moving slowly like half dazed patients
(d) None of these
Ans. (c)

Q4. Who is moving towards the clinic doors?
(a) The branches
(b) the roots
(c) the newly discharged patients
(d) All of these
Ans. (c)

Q5. Find a synonym of tired
Ans. Exertion

B: Read the stanza and answer the questions that follow:
"I sit inside, doors open to the veranda
writing long letters
in which I scarcely mention the departure
of the forest from the house.
The night is fresh, the whole moon shines
in a sky still open
the smell of leaves and lichen
still reaches like a voice into the rooms."

Q1. What is the rhyme scheme?
Ans. There is no rhyme, poem is in free verse

Q2. Find a synonym of hardly
Ans. Scarcely

Q3. Which figure of speech is used in the lines-
"I sit inside, doors open to the veranda
writing long letters
in which I scarcely mention the departure
of the forest from the house."
(a) Simile
(b) Metaphor
(c) Alliteration
(d) None of these
Ans. (c)

Q4. The smell of leaves is compared to _________
(a) Room
(b) Voice
(c) trees
(d) roots
Ans. b

C: Read the stanza and answer the questions that follow:
"My head is full of whispers
which tomorrow will be silent.
Listen. The glass is breaking.
The trees are stumbling forward
into the night. Winds rush to meet them.
The moon is broken like a mirror,
its pieces flash now in the crown
of the tallest oak."

Q1. What does the breaking of the glass indicate?
Ans. It indicates that finally the trees have moved out into the forest

Q2. Who meets the trees?
(a) Sky
(b) night
(c) moon
(d) Wind
Ans. d

Q3. _________ is compared to the mirror
(a) Tree
(b) roots
(c) branches
(d) moon
Ans. d

Q4. State true or false
The branches of the tall oak tree break the moon like a mirror
Ans. True

D: Read the stanza and answer the questions that follow:
“The trees inside are moving out into the forest,
the forest that was empty all these days
where no bird could sit
no insect hide
no sun bury its feet in shadow.”

Q1. Which three things cannot happen in a treeless forest?
Ans. A forest is a natural habitat for numerous birds and insects. When forests are cleared no bird can make its nest, nor can insects hide in the bark of the trees and there’s nothing to shade the area from sunlight.

Q2. Why was the forest empty?
Ans. The forests were empty and devoid of trees because they were cut down to create land for cultivation and expansion of cities.

Q3. Which word here means ‘hide from view’ ?
Ans. In the given extract, ‘bury’ means to hide from view.

Q4. Name the poem and the poet
Ans. The poem ‘The Trees’ is written by Adrienne Rich.

E: Read the stanza and answer the questions that follow:
“The forest that was empty all these nights
will be full of trees by morning.
All night the roots work
to disengage themselves from the cracks
in the veranda floor.”

Q1. Why did the birds not do?
​Ans. The birds did not sit on the trees as there were no trees.

Q2. Why was the forest empty?
Ans. The forest was empty because there were no trees. It is so because humans have destroyed the forests for building cities and other uses.

Q3. What does ‘The trees are moving’ refer to?
Ans. The poet imagines that the trees are moving to the empty forest to settle there forever. This will enable the forest to be full of trees.

Q4. What does “no insect can hide” mean ?
Ans. No insect can hide as there are no trees.

F: Read the stanza and answer the questions that follow:
“The leaves strain toward the glass
small twigs stiff with exertion
long-cramped boughs shuffling under the roof
like newly discharged patients
half-dazed, moving
to the clinic doors.”

Q1. Why do the leaves strain towards the glass?
Ans. The leaves strain towards the glass to escape their captivity.

Q2. What are branches compared to?
Ans. Branches here are compared to patients.

Q3. What is the figure of speech in “Like newly discharged patients”?
Ans. Simile

Q4. Which word means the same as ‘leaves’? 
Ans. Twigs

G: Read the stanza and answer the questions that follow:
“I sit inside, doors open to the verandah
Writing long letters
in which I scarcely mention the departure
of the forest from the house.
The night is fresh, the whole moon shines
in a sky still open
the smell of leaves and lichen
still reaches like a voice into the rooms.”

Q1. Find the word from the passage which means ‘hardly’.
Ans. The word is “scarcely”.

Q2. What is she doing?
Ans. She was writing long letters.

Q3. Where are the trees in the poem?
Ans. The trees are inside the house in the poem.

Q4. What do you mean by veranda?
Ans. Veranda means a platform with an open front built on the ground floor of a home.

Q5. What are lichens?
Ans. A lichen, or lichenised fungus, is actually two organisms functioning as a single, stable unit.

H: Read the stanza and answer the questions that follow:
“My head is full of whispers
which tomorrow will be silent.
Listen. The glass is breaking.
The trees are stumbling forward
into the night. Winds rush to meet them.
The moon is broken like a mirror,
its pieces flash now in the crown of the tallest oak.”

Q1. Why would the whispers be silent tomorrow?
Ans. The whispers will be silent because the trees will move outside to the forest.

Q2. Why are the trees stumbling?
Ans. The trees are stumbling because they hurry to move outside after breaking the glass.

Q3. Which word in the stanza means the same as ‘Quiet’?
Ans. The word is ‘Silent’.

Q4. Which poetic device has been used in the sixth line of the stanza?
Ans. Simile has been used using ‘like’ for comparison.

Q5. What is the significance of oak trees?
Ans. The oak is cherished across the world as a symbol of wisdom, strength and endurance.