Two Stories about Flying — Practice

Question 1

Who is the author of 'His First Flight'?

Accepted Answer

✦ Answer: Liam O'Flaherty.

Question 2

What finally made the young seagull fly?

Accepted Answer

Maddened by hunger, he dived at the fish his mother held, fell off the ledge, spread his wings and began to fly.

✦ Answer: hunger — he dived for food and started flying.

Question 3

What did the woman in the control tower reveal at the end of 'The Black Aeroplane'?

Accepted Answer

That there was no other aeroplane on the radar that night — only the narrator's plane.

✦ Answer: radar showed no other plane in the sky.

Question 4

How did the young seagull's family help him overcome his fear?

Accepted Answer

Step 1 — They had all flown and called/scolded him, urging him to try.

Step 2 — They stopped bringing him food, and his mother flew near him with a piece of fish to tempt him.

Step 3 — Driven by hunger, he finally dived and discovered he could fly.

✦ Answer: by encouraging him and using hunger (withholding/tempting with food) to make him take the plunge.

Question 5

Why did the narrator-pilot decide to follow the black aeroplane?

Accepted Answer

Step 1 — He was lost in the storm with dead instruments, no radio and little fuel.

Step 2 — The black aeroplane's pilot signalled him to follow, and having no other hope, he trusted and followed it to safety.

✦ Answer: he was lost and helpless, so he trusted the mysterious plane's guidance out of the storm.

Question 6

What is the main theme of 'His First Flight'?

Accepted Answer

Step 1 — The story shows a young seagull paralysed by fear of failure.

Step 2 — Necessity (hunger) forces him to act, and he discovers he can fly — teaching self-confidence and the overcoming of fear.

✦ Answer: overcoming fear and gaining self-confidence; we often have abilities we don't believe in until forced to use them.

Question 7

Both stories are about flying but show different kinds of courage. Compare them.

Accepted Answer

Step 1 — In 'His First Flight', the obstacle is INNER — the seagull's own fear. He conquers it through necessity and self-belief, resolving the conflict happily.

Step 2 — In 'The Black Aeroplane', the obstacle is OUTER — a deadly storm and failed instruments. The pilot survives not by his own skill alone but through a mysterious helper, and the story ends in unresolved mystery.

Step 3 — Thus one courage is about believing in oneself; the other is about trusting and being grateful in a crisis.

✦ Answer: seagull = inner courage/self-belief (resolved); pilot = facing outer danger with trust in an unexplained helper (mystery).

Question 8

What can students learn from the young seagull's experience about facing challenges?

Accepted Answer

Step 1 — Fear often holds us back more than the actual difficulty does.

Step 2 — Sometimes we must simply take the first step; ability reveals itself once we try.

Step 3 — Encouragement (and a firm push) from others can help us overcome self-doubt.

Step 4 — Self-confidence and a willingness to act are essential to growth.

✦ Answer: conquer fear by taking the first step; we discover our abilities through action; encouragement and self-belief matter.

Practice — Two Stories about Flying

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