Class 10 English Chapter 3 Previous Year Questions - Two Stories about Flying

Ans: The parents of the young seagull are strict yet caring. Their shrill calls, scolding, and even the threat of leaving him hungry show that they are determined to make him independent. This “tough love” approach reflects their belief that overcoming fear is necessary for survival.

Ans: The little seagull slept in a small hole under the ledge. This safe and sheltered spot highlights his dependence and reluctance to face the risky challenge of flying.

Ans: The young seagull was terrified that his wings would not support him, and the plunge into the vast sea seemed too dangerous. Even though his siblings with shorter wings had flown away, he lacked the courage to try, preferring the safety of his ledge.

Ans: The correct substitute is “gather.” In this context, it means he was unable to gather or summon enough courage to make the plunge.

Ans: The mother cleverly used temptation to make her young seagull fly. She picked up a piece of fish and flew close to him, staying just out of his reach. Hunger drove him to dive for the food, and this instinctive act made him flap his wings — leading to his first flight.

Ans: The extract is set at night. The narrator mentions it is “one thirty in the morning,” and the moon and stars shining confirm that it is nighttime.

Ans: The writer is deeply connected to his family. His excitement about going home shows that family is a source of happiness and motivation for him.

Ans: The correct word is “favourable.” The clear sky represents ideal and safe weather conditions for flying.

Ans: The calm night sky, with stars twinkling and no clouds in sight, creates a peaceful mood. This makes the narrator feel relaxed and happy, heightening his anticipation to reach home and spend time with his family. The serene setting also contrasts with the upcoming storm, building tension in the story.

Ans: The young seagull’s journey reflects the theme of courage and independence. His fear of falling kept him on the ledge, but hunger pushed him to take the risk. His first flight marks a turning point — he conquers fear and becomes self-reliant, showing that bravery leads to growth.

Ans: The phrase “proud cackle” conveys pride. The family’s cackling represents their happiness and pride in the young seagull’s first successful flight.

Ans: The parents combine encouragement, pressure, and clever strategies to make their young independent. They first demonstrate flying, then scold and threaten him to build courage, and finally use hunger as motivation. This mix of approaches ensures that the young seagull learns to fly on his own.

Ans: The parents scold the young seagull for being afraid and not attempting to fly, but they proudly celebrate his siblings’ successful flights. Their different reactions show frustration with his reluctance but also highlight how much they value courage and independence.

Ans: (B) gobbled
The word “devour” means “gobbled” — to eat eagerly and quickly. It shows how hungrily the seagull ate once he gained confidence.

Ans: Before he started soaring, the seagull was filled with fear and desperation. Hunger pushed him to dive for the fish, even though he expected to fall. To his surprise, his wings supported him, and the fear turned into excitement as he experienced the thrill of flying for the first time.

Ans: The young seagull was afraid to fly because he doubted the strength of his wings and feared falling into the sea. He was left alone because his siblings had already flown away, and his parents wanted him to learn to fly by himself.

Ans: The young seagull’s story shows how motivation helps overcome fear. At first, his fear stopped him from flying, but hunger and his mother’s clever use of food forced him to take the leap. This act of courage led him to discover his ability to fly, proving that encouragement and necessity can lead to success.

Ans: The young seagull in Two Stories About Flying lacks faith in his wings, overcoming fear through his mother’s strategy, while Lencho in A Letter to God has unwavering faith in God, expecting divine help. The seagull’s faith develops through action, leading to independence; Lencho’s blind faith results in disappointment when his expectations aren’t fully met. Both show faith’s role in facing challenges, but the seagull’s is practical, while Lencho’s is spiritual.

Ans: In His First Flight, the seagull’s self-doubt about his wings delays his flight, but hunger overcomes fear, leading to success. In Madam Rides the Bus, Valli’s curiosity about the bus ride drives her to plan and learn, achieving her goal. Fear hinders, while curiosity enables learning and success.

Ans: One acknowledges that both the Seagull and the Pilot wanted to conquer the skies, yet their approaches were quite different. Hunger and survival were the baby seagull's primary motivators to overcome fear and take the first flight. The seagull was desperately looking for food, so it had to take a risk despite its initial hesitation and fear. On the other hand, the pilot faced a different challenge in the form of a storm when he realised that he had gotten lost. He decided to put his trust in a mysterious black aeroplane and follow it like a child. We can learn courage and tenacity from both stories. The pilot took a leap of faith to follow the unknown black aeroplane in the face of difficulty, whereas the seagull flew out of instinctual need.

Ans: The young seagull lacks courage and fears that his wings will not be able to support him. He watches his siblings soar and dive but he is unable to overcome the fear. The family abandons him and it is only when he is starving from hunger that the sight of fish in his mother’s beak excites him and he takes the first flight. He is initially terrified but realizes that he is able to fly and then flies confidently.

Ans: The young seagull was a coward. He lacked courage and feared that he would fall and hit the ground. The wings might not be strong enough to bear his weight. Thus, he was not able to fly.

Ans: The characters who are fearless and determined from two texts are Valli and the pilot. Valli is a young girl but she is quiet fearless. She fulfils her desire of going on a bus ride all by herself. She is not afraid of meeting strangers or going on a trip that is new to her. She is determined to fulfil her desire through her own means. She saves pocket money by resisting temptations and thus, buys the bus tickets. She asks discreet questions from the passengers to know the bus route and timings. She decides the trip timing suitable to her according to the period when her mother takes a nap. She avoids talking to strangers in the bus and dislikes being treated like a child. She guards herself against the friendly bus conductor and refuses his offer of buying her a cold drink. All these qualities assist Valli in fulfilling her desire successfully. The pilot is also determined to reach home and have an English breakfast with his family. Thus he does not think twice and flies straight into the storm clouds. He gets alarmed when the compass and radar stop working but still, he remains fearless. The mysterious black aeroplane is his mind’s product and his mind only guides him towards the runway. 
Both these characters highlight the importance of self-belief, determination and fearlessness in the face of dangerous situations.

Ans: The risk the narrator takes is flying through a huge storm with almost zero visibility. The narrator takes this risk because he is keen to reach his home, spend his holiday with his family, and have an English breakfast.

Ans: As the young seagull dived from the ledge, he initially felt terrified and started falling outwards and downwards. However, his wings spread outwards, and he began to soar and fly. The young seagull's fear transformed into confidence and amusement as he realized he could fly.

Ans: (c)
The passage states that "it was impossible to see anything outside the aeroplane."

Ans: (a)
The compass, radio, and other instruments were not working correctly, indicating a malfunction.

Ans: Radio was dead
The passage clearly states, "The radio was dead too."

Ans: (d)
In the passage, "twisted" refers to the erratic movement of the plane, similar to the twisting movement in a dive.

Ans: Belief
The narrator’s belief is evident as he realizes he has lost navigation control and is lost in the storm.

Ans: The story of the young seagull is a very good example showing how fear can hold you as a prisoner. The seagull is a bird. It is meant to fly. Without flying, it cannot survive. But the young seagull is so scared that it doesn’t want to fly.

Ans: (b)

Ans: The mother seagull used the trick of leaving her young one on the cliff without food, creating a situation where hunger forced the young seagull to fly.

Ans: When the young seagull dived at the fish in his mother's beak, he initially felt terrified, falling downwards and outwards. However, this fear lasted only briefly as he started flying and soaring. His fear transformed into confidence, making the experience transformative.

Ans: (c) let him overcome his fear.

Ans: (c)
The character felt both jealous of his brother’s ability to catch food and hungry seeing the act of devouring the fish. These emotions are conveyed in the context of the story, where the younger sibling observes his brother’s success with mixed feelings.

Ans: (c)
"The Black Aeroplane" is considered a mystery story, as it revolves around the unexplained and mysterious appearance of a black aeroplane that guides the narrator through the storm and then vanishes without a trace.