Std 10 English chapters › Unit 1
In short: A young seagull is too afraid to fly until hunger makes him dive for a piece of fish, and he discovers that he can fly.
(एक लहान सीगल उडायला घाबरतो; पण भुकेमुळे तो माशाच्या तुकड्यावर झेप घेतो आणि त्याला समजते की तो उडू शकतो.)
- Type: Prose (short story)
- Author: Liam O’Flaherty
- Main characters: A young seagull, his mother, father, brothers and sister
- Unit: 1
1.5 His First Flight: English Workshop Question Answers
Answers to every activity in the Std 10 English Kumarbharati textbook (Maharashtra Board), written by a practising English teacher. Read the lesson in your textbook first, then try each activity here before you check the answer.
Warming up: Idioms about birds and flying
👉 Match each idiom with its meaning, then tap Check my answers.
Answer key
| Idiom | Meaning | Why |
|---|---|---|
| bird's eye view | a view from a high place | Like a bird looking down from the sky. |
| as free as a bird | carefree, with no worries | A bird flies wherever it likes. |
| eagle's eye | the ability to observe things closely | Eagles can spot small things from far away. |
| spread one's wings | to try to do things independently | Like a young bird leaving the nest. |
✍️ Write your own sentence for each idiom, and find more idioms with “fly”, animals and colours.
Show sample sentences and more idioms
- From the top of Sinhagad fort we got a bird’s eye view of the valley.
- After finishing her exam, she will be as free as a bird. (given)
- Our class teacher has an eagle’s eye; she notices every spelling mistake.
- After school, Rohan wants to spread his wings and study in another city.
| Keyword | More idioms (meaning) |
|---|---|
| fly | time flies (time passes quickly), fly off the handle (get angry suddenly), with flying colours (with great success) |
| animals | as busy as a bee (very busy), crocodile tears (false sorrow), let the cat out of the bag (reveal a secret) |
| colours | once in a blue moon (very rarely), green with envy (very jealous), a red-letter day (a very special day), in black and white (in writing) |
Short questions from the lesson (margin questions)
- What did the young seagull feel?
He was afraid to fly. He felt certain that his wings would never support him. - Why did he feel hot?
He had not eaten anything since the previous nightfall, and the sun was shining on him. - What were his parents doing?
They were flying about with his brothers and sister, teaching them to fly, feeding them and calling to him. - What were his brothers and sister doing?
They were lying on the plateau, dozing after their meal. They had already learnt to fly. - What did he forget?
When he finally flew, he forgot that he had not always been able to fly.
Guess the meaning
| Word / phrase | Meaning | मराठी |
|---|---|---|
| muster up courage | gather courage | धैर्य एकवटणे |
| ascending the sky | rising up in the sky | आकाशात वर चढत जाणे |
| cliff | a steep, high rock face, especially at the edge of the sea | कडा |
| cackle | a harsh, noisy cry or laugh | कर्कश आवाज |
| devour | to eat up hungrily | खाऊन टाकणे, फडशा पाडणे |
| herring | a small sea fish | एक लहान सागरी मासा |
| soar | to fly high in the air | उंच भरारी घेणे |
| maddened by hunger | made wild by hunger | भुकेने बेभान झालेला |
| seized | grabbed suddenly; took hold of | पकडले, ग्रासले |
Q1. State whether the statements are True or False
👉 Tap True or False. The reason appears after you answer.
The young seagull was not confident about the ability of his wings.
Answer: True. He felt certain that his wings would never support him.
The young seagull's parents guided and improved his siblings in the art of flying.
Answer: True. They flew about with his brothers and sister, perfecting them in the art of flying.
When the young seagull pretended to be falling asleep, his parents noticed him.
Answer: False. Even then, they took no notice of him.
Flying across the young seagull, the mother dropped a piece of fish into his beak.
Answer: False. The mother stopped just opposite him with the fish, out of reach. Maddened by hunger, he dived at it himself.
Q2. Complete the statements
- The seagull was afraid to fly because he felt certain that his wings would never support him.
- Young birds are afraid to make their first flight because the sea or ground is far below, and they are not sure their wings can hold them up.
- Human beings find it difficult to face great challenges because they are afraid of failure and of the unknown, and they lack self-confidence.
Q3. Make sentences using the words
✍️ Write your own sentence for each word first.
Show sample sentences
- plaintively (sadly): The kitten mewed plaintively at the door.
- beckon (call with a gesture): The teacher beckoned me to come to the front.
- whet (sharpen, increase): The smell of fresh bhakri whetted my appetite.
- monstrous (huge and frightening): A monstrous wave crashed onto the shore.
- curveting (leaping gracefully): The gulls were curveting in the air above the waves.
- soar (fly high): The kite soared high into the sky.
Q4. Fill in the blanks with the correct words
👉 Tap the correct word. Word bank: afraid, plunged, appeared, shrilly, skimmed, devoured, cowardice.
Arun is full of ___.
Answer: cowardice. “Full of” is followed by a noun. “Cowardice” is a noun.
The violin played very ___.
Answer: shrilly. “Shrilly” (in a high, sharp sound) is an adverb that describes how it played.
"Are you really ___ of the dark?"
Answer: afraid. We say “afraid of” something.
The whole village ___ into darkness.
Answer: plunged. “Plunged into darkness” means suddenly became dark.
The lions ___ their prey hungrily.
Answer: devoured. “Devour” means to eat hungrily.
He ___ through the report.
Answer: skimmed. “Skim through” means to read quickly.
One by one, the stars ___ in the sky.
Answer: appeared. Stars appear (become visible) one by one.
Q5. Frame interview questions for an astronaut
✍️ Write 10 to 12 questions under the five headings first.
Show sample questions
- Early life: Where did you grow up, and when did you first dream of going to space?
- Who inspired you as a child?
- Education and training: What did you study at school and college?
- How long was your astronaut training, and what was the hardest part?
- How did you prepare your body and mind for living without gravity?
- The flight: How did you feel at the moment of take-off?
- What was your first view of the Earth from space like?
- What did you eat, and how did you sleep in space?
- Did you face any danger during the mission?
- Future plans: Would you like to go to space again?
- What are your plans for the next few years?
- Message: What is your message for students who want to become astronauts?
Q6. Describe the challenges you faced while learning a new skill
Web points from the textbook: confidence, risk, daring, fear (Learning Bicycle).
✍️ Write your own paragraph first.
Show model paragraph
Learning to Ride a Bicycle
I still remember the summer I learnt to ride a bicycle. At first I was full of fear. Every time my father let go of the seat, I lost my balance and fell. My knees were scraped, and I wanted to give up. Like the young seagull, I did not trust myself. But my father kept saying, “Look ahead, not down.” Slowly, I gathered the daring to pedal a little faster. I knew there was a risk of falling again, but I also knew I could not learn without taking it. One evening, I rode all the way to the end of our lane without anyone holding the seat. My confidence soared. That day I learnt that fear disappears when we keep trying.
Q7. Projects
✍️ Collect your own information first.
Show sample project notes
(a) Careers related to flying:
| Career | Where to train |
|---|---|
| Commercial pilot | Flying schools approved by the DGCA, for example Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi (IGRUA), Raebareli |
| Indian Air Force officer | National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwasla, Pune, after Class 12 |
| Aeronautical engineer | Engineering colleges and IITs offering aeronautical or aerospace engineering |
| Aircraft maintenance engineer | DGCA-approved AME institutes |
| Cabin crew / air hostess | Airline training academies |
| Air traffic controller | Through the Airports Authority of India after a science or engineering degree |
Fees and training duration change every year, so check the current details on each institute’s official website.
(b) Chart of local birds:
| Bird | Information |
|---|---|
| Sparrow | Small brown bird that lives near houses; eats grains and insects. |
| Myna | Brown bird with a yellow beak; can copy sounds. |
| Crow | Black, clever bird; known as nature’s cleaner. |
| Parrot | Green bird with a red, curved beak; eats fruits and seeds. |
| Peacock | India’s national bird; dances with its colourful feathers spread out. |
| Kingfisher | Bright blue bird that dives into water to catch fish. |
Language Study: Question Answers
1. Homophones: game 1
🎯 Tap two words that sound the same but have different spellings and meanings.
Find the homophones of blue, bear, beet, son and to
Answer key
blue – blew · bear – bare · beet – beat · son – sun · to – two / too
2 (A). Homophones from the text: game 2
🎯 Find all 10 pairs.
Find the homophones of the words from the lesson
Answer key
see – sea · wood – would · there – their · scene – seen · won – one · eye – I · peace – piece · threw – through · hence – hens (nearly the same sound) · knot – not
मराठी टीप: Homophones म्हणजे उच्चार सारखा पण स्पेलिंग व अर्थ वेगळा असलेले शब्द (see/sea). Homographs म्हणजे स्पेलिंग सारखे पण अर्थ वेगळा (saw: पाहिले / करवत).
2 (B). Homographs: explain the difference in meaning
| Word | Sentence (a) | Sentence (b) |
|---|---|---|
| saw | He saw his two brothers. → past tense of see | The woodcutter cut the branch with his sharp saw. → a cutting tool |
| wing | The bird injured his wings. → the part of a bird’s body used for flying | He lives in the C wing of the building. → a section of a building |
| land | The aeroplane will land at 9 pm sharp. → to come down to the ground (verb) | He owns 10 acres of land. → ground, property (noun) |
| head | The head of the institution was on leave. → the chief or leader | He bent his head down. → the top part of the body |
3. Identify the tense of the verbs
👉 Choose the tense for each sentence, then tap Check my answers.
Answer key
| Sentence | Tense | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The sun was now ascending the sky. | Past Continuous | was + ascending (-ing form) |
| Still they took no notice of him. | Simple Past | "took" is the past form of "take". |
| She is standing on a little high hump on the plateau. | Present Continuous | is + standing (-ing form) |
| He leaned out eagerly. | Simple Past | "leaned" is the past form of "lean". |
| He just felt dizzy. | Simple Past | "felt" is the past form of "feel". |
Live English: Filling in forms
The textbook asks you to collect and fill in real forms: a railway reservation form, a hospital admission form, a Class 11 admission form, your SSC exam form and a personal particulars form. Here is a sample of how to fill in a personal particulars form neatly.
✍️ Try filling in your own details first.
Show a sample filled form
| Field | Sample entry |
|---|---|
| Full name (in capitals) | PATIL RIYA SUNIL |
| Date of birth | 14/03/2011 |
| Gender | Female |
| Class and division | 10 A |
| Name of school | Shri Shivaji Vidyalaya, Satara |
| Mother’s name | Sunita Patil |
| Address | 12, Gandhi Nagar, Satara 415001 |
| Contact number | (parent’s mobile number) |
| Hobbies | Reading, drawing |
| Signature | (sign here) |
Tips: write in capital letters where asked, use a blue or black pen, do not overwrite, check spellings of names, and never share passwords or bank details on any form.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote 'His First Flight'?
'His First Flight' is written by Liam O'Flaherty, an Irish writer.
Why was the young seagull afraid to fly?
He felt certain that his wings would never support him, and he was afraid of falling into the sea far below.
What finally made the young seagull fly?
His mother stood just opposite him with a piece of fish. Maddened by hunger, he dived at the fish, and as he fell, his wings spread out and he began to fly.
What was the green flooring in 'His First Flight'?
The green flooring was the sea.
What is the message of 'His First Flight'?
We must overcome fear and believe in ourselves. Sometimes a little push from our parents helps us discover what we can really do.
Summary in English
A young seagull is alone on a ledge high above the sea. His brothers and sister have already learned to fly, but he is too afraid to try. His parents scold him and call him, and even threaten to leave him to starve on the ledge, but he still does not dare to jump.
He has eaten nothing since the previous night, and he is very hungry. His mother flies towards him with a piece of fish in her beak and stops just out of his reach. Maddened by hunger, he dives at the fish and falls off the ledge. In his terror he spreads his wings, and suddenly he is flying.
His family flies around him, calling out with joy. He finally lands on the sea, is scared for a moment, then finds that he floats. His family praises him and offers him food. His fear is gone: he has made his first flight.
मराठीत सारांश (Summary in Marathi)
एक लहान सीगल समुद्राच्या वर एका उंच कपारीवर एकटा बसला आहे. त्याचे भाऊ आणि बहीण उडायला शिकले आहेत, पण तो प्रयत्न करायला घाबरतो. आई-वडील त्याला रागावतात, बोलावतात, इतकेच नव्हे तर उपाशी ठेवण्याची धमकीही देतात, तरीही तो उडी मारण्याचे धाडस करत नाही.
आदल्या रात्रीपासून काहीच न खाल्ल्याने तो खूप भुकेला झाला आहे. त्याची आई चोचीत माशाचा तुकडा घेऊन त्याच्याकडे उडत येते आणि त्याच्या आवाक्याबाहेर थोडी थांबते. भुकेने बेभान होऊन तो माशावर झेप घेतो आणि कपारीवरून खाली पडतो. भीतीने तो पंख पसरतो, आणि अचानक तो उडू लागतो.
त्याचे कुटुंब आनंदाने ओरडत त्याच्याभोवती उडते. शेवटी तो समुद्रावर उतरतो; क्षणभर घाबरतो, पण मग तरंगू लागतो. कुटुंब त्याचे कौतुक करते आणि त्याला अन्न देते. त्याची भीती नाहीशी झाली आहे: त्याने पहिले उड्डाण केले आहे.
Theme and Message (मध्यवर्ती कल्पना)
Fear is overcome by action, not by waiting. Sometimes a push from loving parents, and a real need, helps us discover what we are already able to do.
भीतीवर मात वाट पाहून नव्हे तर कृतीतून होते. कधी कधी प्रेमळ आई-वडिलांचा थोडा कठोरपणा आणि खरी गरज आपल्यातील क्षमता आपल्याला दाखवून देते.
Useful Words (शब्दार्थ)
| Word | मराठी अर्थ | Use it in a sentence |
|---|---|---|
| ledge | कपार, खडकाचा पुढे आलेला भाग | The bird sat on a narrow ledge of the cliff. |
| coax | मनधरणी करणे, गोड बोलून तयार करणे | She coaxed the child to eat vegetables. |
| dive | सूर मारणे, झेप घेणे | The eagle dived at the fish. |
| soar | उंच भरारी घेणे | Kites soar high in the sky. |
| starve | उपाशी राहणे | Many animals starve during a drought. |
| cowardice | भ्याडपणा | Running away from a problem is cowardice. |
For the Exam (परीक्षेसाठी)
- Be ready to write about the seagull’s feelings at each stage: fear, hunger, terror, then joy and confidence.
- The story is told in the past tense, and the activities practise tenses, idioms and homophones (words that sound the same, like sea / see). Revise with Lesson 6: Past Tense and practise in the tenses practice set.
Think and Write (विचार करा, लिहा)
- Describe a time you were afraid to try something new. What helped you?
- Were the parents right to be strict with the young seagull? Give your opinion.
- Write the story’s ending from the mother’s point of view in 4 to 5 sentences.
🎮 Practice Games: His First Flight
Extra practice for revision, beyond the textbook activities. Play every game, then check your total score and stars! (उजळणीसाठी खेळ.)
🎬 Story order
Put the young seagull’s story in order.
The first flight
- The young seagull is alone on the ledge, afraid to fly.
- His family scolds him and threatens to let him starve.
- He grows very hungry.
- His mother brings fish and stops just out of reach.
- Maddened by hunger, he dives at the fish.
- He spreads his wings and flies.
- He lands on the sea and finds that he floats.
🔤 Word meanings
🎯 Tap the English word and its Marathi meaning.
English ↔ मराठी
⚡ Quick quiz
👉 Tap the correct answer.
Why was the young seagull alone on the ledge?
Answer: His brothers and sister had already flown.
What finally made him fly?
Answer: Maddened by hunger, he dived at the fish.
What scared him when he landed on the sea?
Answer: Then he found that he floated.
The main message of the story is ___.
Answer: Once he tried, his fear disappeared.
✏️ Homophones
🎯 Tap pairs of words that sound the same.
Homophones
Online test · 15 questions
1.5 His First Flight: Lesson Test
Multiple choice · instant score with answers · certificate for 80% and above · free, no login
शिक्षकांसाठी: धडा शिकवून झाल्यावर ही test वर्गाला पाठवा. प्रत्येक विद्यार्थ्याचे गुण तुम्हाला आपोआप मिळतील.
These are original study notes and answers by englishresources.in to help you revise. Read the chapter in your Balbharati textbook first: these notes do not replace it. Only short phrases from the lesson and the activities are quoted, for reference.