Amity International School, Noida: While His Parents Circled Around Raising A Proud Cackle.'

AMITY INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, NOIDA
Class X (2022-23) - TWO STORIES ABOUT FLYING - I

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Instructions for students:
(i) This handout is a help, meant for you to complete your assignment in your registers.
(ii) The questions have been supported with relevant hints and value points for your help, so that you
may structure your answers appropriately in the registers
(iii) Please maintain the order of questions, as per the handout, while doing your work in the register
and draw a line after every question.
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HIS FIRST FLIGHT- LIAM O’ FLAHERTY.
Summary Statement
The story is about "overcoming fears" in one's life. To achieve our dreams, one must have a strong will and
indomitable courage. In the story, the young seagull successfully took his first step, the first flight of his life only
after his mother helped him in conquering his fears.
Chapter at a Glance
1. This is a story about a young seagull who was afraid of flying. He was not confident enough to leave the comforts
of his home on the cliff and take his first flight.
2. His parents, brothers and sister encouraged, scolded, tempted and taunted him but he still could not gather
enough courage to fly.
3. His family left him alone for twenty four hours. He became weak and cried out in starvation, hoping his mother
would help.
4. His mother flew to him with a piece of fish in her beak but stopped just a little distance away from the young
seagull. Maddened by hunger, the young sea gull dived at the fish, forgetting for a moment that he was afraid to
fly.
5. As the young seagull dived towards the food, he fell off the cliff. He cried and screamed but his wings opened up
automatically. He flapped his wings and discovered his innate potential to fly.
6. He was joined by his family in his first flight. His family praised him for his efforts and offered him scraps of dog
fish.
RTC-1
The day before, all day long, he had watched his parents flying about with his brothers and sister, perfecting them
in the art of flight, teaching them how to skim the waves and how to dive for fish. He had, in fact, seen his older
brother catch his first herring and devour it, standing on a rock, while his parents circled around raising a proud
cackle. And all the morning the whole family had walked about on the big plateau midway down the opposite cliff
taunting him with his cowardice.
1. Based on the given sentence, pick the option that corresponds to what human parents would say.
‘while his parents circled around raising a proud cackle.’
a) Well done! b) Oh no! c) Ready?! d) Really!?
2. Which option lists the image nearest to ‘skim the waves’?
a) image (i) b) image (ii) c) image (iii) d) image (iv)

3. Imagine that the young gull attended a workshop on inspiration and confidence building and received a couple of
pieces of advice. Choose the option that reflects these pieces of advice, most relevant to his situation.
a) (i) and (ii) b) (ii) and (iii) c) (iii) and (iv)d) (i) and (iv)
4. Which of the following feelings did the young gull NOT feel according to the given context?
“…all day long, he had watched his parents flying about with his brothers and sister…”
(i) sad (ii) incompetent (iii) excluded (iv) ungrateful (v) inspired (vi) jealous (vii) anxious
a) i, iii, vi b) ii, v, vii c) ii, iii, vii d) iv, v, vii
5. Select the most appropriate option for the following: devour : guzzle: : nibble : _______
a) chew b) savour c) peck d) gulp
RTC 2
He just felt a bit dizzy. Then he flapped his wings once and he soared upwards. “Ga, ga, ga, Ga, ga, ga, Gaw-col-
ah,” his mother swooped past him, her wings making a loud noise. He answered her with another scream. Then
his father flew over him screaming. He saw his two brothers and his sister flying around him curveting and
banking and soaring and diving. Then he completely forgot that he had not always been able to fly, and
commended himself to dive and soar and curve, shrieking shrilly.
1. How would you describe the screams of the gulls in the given extract?
a) elation b) bewilderment c) shock d) protection.
2. The line “he completely forgot that he had not always been able to fly” implies the
a) great confidence the young gull had in his skills. b) naturalness of the act of flying for the young gull.
c) satisfaction and joy of flying together as a family. d) desire of the young gull to leave his fears behind.
3. The extract refers to the many movements of the young gull’s brothers and sister. Choose the option that
correctly sequences these movements.
a) The young gull’s brothers and sister flew by tilting their wings, rose high, made darting movements and plunged
headfirst.
b) The young gull’s brothers and sister flew by plunging headfirst, making darting movements, titled their wings and
rose high.
c) The young gull’s brothers and sister flew with darting movements, titled their wings, rose high and plunged
headfirst.
d) The young gull’s brothers and sister flew by rising high, plunging headfirst, making darting movements and tilting
their wings.
SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS (40 -50 words)

Q1. “The sight of the food maddened him.” What does this suggest? What compelled the young seagull to finally fly?
Q2. What traits of the young seagull make him a coward? How did he overcome these shortcomings?
LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS, HOTs (100-120 words)

Q3. Motivation played a very important role in helping the young seagull take his first flight. What values does this
story teach you?
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Value Points (The given answers are for your reference in framing an answer. Feel free to add additional relevant
point.)
RTC
1) 1. - a) 2 - c) 3 - c) 4 - d) 5 - c)
2) 1. - a) 2 - b) 3 - c)
A1. The starving young seagull’s hunger intensified when he saw its mother tearing at a piece of fish. His
hunger compelled him to dive towards the food in his mother’s beak. fell off the cliff but learnt to fly.
A2. Fear and lack of confidence….stops one from learning new things. our inherent fears inhibit our
growth- mentally, physically, socially
A3. Yes. His mother motivated him to overcome his fears and take his first flight.
● Importance of independence, self-belief and confidence. One should strive to be self reliant.
● Overcoming fears- When we conquer the fear and venture forth; we realize that we were born with
wings.
● One should face any limitation with courage and try to overcome it.
● Don’t judge a book by its cover. What may seem to be cruel could actually be ‘being cruel to be kind’.
● You're more powerful than you know- You need to realize your innate potential
● Journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Important
(use the value points to frame grammatically correct answers)
Long Answers always have to be in 2-3 paragraphs
Adhere to the word limit.

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AMITY INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, NOIDA

Class X (2022-23) - TWO STORIES ABOUT FLYING - I

2. Which option lists the image nearest to ‘skim the waves’?

a) image (i) b) image (ii) c) image (iii) d) image (iv)

a) i, iii, vi b) ii, v, vii c) ii, iii, vii d) iv, v, vii

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS (40 -50 words)

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS, HOTs (100-120 words)

Adhere to the word limit.

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