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1. Then a monstrous terror seized him and his heart stood still. He could hear nothing. But it, only lasted a moment”., What happened after that moment? Based on your reading of the story, ‘His First Flight’, write a, paragraph on the Seagull’s first flight., Answer:, The next moment he felt his wings spreading outward. He felt the wind under his stomach and, against his wings. He could feel the tips of his wings cutting through the air. He was not falling now., He was flying. He was no longer afraid. He just felt a little dizzy. Then he flapped his wings and, soared upwards., He climbed higher. He raised his breast and banked against the wind. He cackled. His mother also, made a sound and flew past him, her wings making a loud noise. Then he saw his brothers and sister, flying around him, soaring and diving. He forgot he was afraid to fly some moments ago. Now he, started diving and soaring making loud noises of joy., 2. In the story, ‘His First Flight’, the writer tells us about the first victory in the life of the young, seagull. The helping hand for the maiden flight was extended by his mother. Have you not, received such support in your life too? Narrate your experience in a paragraph., Answer:, Just like the young seagull was helped by his mother to make his first flight, I too was helped by my, mother to overcome problems and succeed in life. I remember the day when I was in Class 1.1 had, failed in my Arithmetic Test. I got 0. My friends ridiculed me and laughed at me saying that I was an, idiot. I went home crying. I refused to go to school. But my mother raised my spirits by telling me, that everybody makes mistakes and one should not feel dejected because of just one failure. She, told me the story of Robert Bruce who learned the lesson of perseverance from a spider., Bruce who was the King of Scotland was defeated and he ran away to a forest, utterly dejected. One, day he was sitting and thinking about his cruel fate. He saw a spider jumping from one end of a rock, to another rock to weave its web. It failed the first time, the second time and the third time. But it, continued and on the 8th try it succeeded in reaching the other rock., Bruce learned his lesson and he went back, organized his army and defeated his enemies and, became the King once again. My mother taught me arithmetic by showing me practical examples, and soon I became the first in the class scoring 100% marks in arithmetic., Read the following passage and answer the questions., 1. Only his mother was looking at him. She was standing on a little high hump on the plateau,, her white breast thrust forward., , Question 1., Whose mother is referred to in the excerpt? (1), Answer:, The mother referred to in the excerpt is the young seagull’s mother.

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Question 2., What is the implied meaning of the first sentence? (2), Answer:, The implied meaning of the first sentence is that only his mother was concerned about him. His, father and his two brothers and sister had nearly forgotten him as they were busy with their own, things., , Question 3., Write a note on the role of parents towards the well being of their children. (3), Answer:, The parents have a big role towards the well-being of their children. The parents have to make sure, that their young children are capable of fending for themselves as they grow up. In the story we see, how the parents are trying to train their children in the art of flight. They taught them to skim the, waves and to dive for fish., We see how happily the parents made a proud cackle when one of their sons caught his first herring., We even see the parents of the young seagull shouting at him, scolding him and threatening him to, starve when he refused to fly like his brothers and sister., 2. Surely he could reach them without flying if he could only move northwards along the cliff, face. But then, on what could he walk? There was no ledge, and he was not a fly. And above, him, he could see nothing. The precipice was sheer and the top of it was perhaps, farther, away than the sea beneath him., Question 1., What does the word precipice mean? (1), Answer:, cliff, a very steep rock face, Question 2., Why could the seagull not succeed in his attempt? (2), Answer:, The seagull could not succeed in his attempt because he could not fly and there was no ledge to, walk on., Question 3., Can you find any similarity between the experience faced by the seagull and the experience in your, life? (3), Answer:

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Yes, I can find a lot of similarity between the experience faced by the seagull and the experience in, my life. When I was a boy of 3, my mother would keep some delicious thing on a high table. She, wanted me to reach it by climbing on to the chair nearby., I was afraid to climb. But slowly I overcame my fear and I would take the thing placed on the table, without any hesitation. Parents train their children to be courageous and challenge them to do, things to give them confidence., I WILL FLY, Activity – II (Speech), Question 7., Imagine that you get the opportunity to address Class X students before their public examination. On, the basis of Dr Kalam’s message, prepare a speech to motivate and prepare them for the, examination., , Answer:, , My dear students,, You are soon going to appear for the SSLC Examination which is considered to be a big turning point, in your life. Some students get panicky before the examination and spoil their chances to do well., There is no need to fear. The examinations are simply to test your understanding of the things that, you have been taught in the class. Millions of students before you have taken this kind of, examination. So this is nothing new or terrifying., , Be confident. Don’t be nervous. Be optimistic. Be cool, calm and composed. Fear will not help you. It, will only make you forget what you already know. You have been reading your lessons regularly and, doing the assignments. The teachers have been testing your knowledge every now and then. You, already know what type of questions are coming in the examination and the time you have to, answer them. So read the instructions and questions carefully and make a plan to answer them in, the most, appropriate manner., , You have read the story ‘His First Flight’ by Liam O’Flaherty. The seagull was reluctant to take his, first flight. But goaded by his mother, he takes his flight and then he finds it is smooth and he, experiences no problem. In a similar fashion, you go courageously and confidently to take your

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examination and everything is going to be fine. Keep your mind happy with encouraging thoughts., Be, optimistic. You are not the first or the only one going to write this examination., , Life is full of examinations. The people who face them with confidence and courage will succeed in, life. You don’t have to compare yourself with others. Kalam has told you to be unique, to be you., You know you have done your best during the preparation time. Now you simply have to do your, best as you write the examination without being unduly worried about the result. Do your best and, leave the, rest to God., , I wish you all the resounding success in the forthcoming examinations!