Two Stories about Flying – important questions for Boards 2027

CBSE Class 10 English

1. MCQ · 1 mark

   Why was the young seagull afraid of flying? Choose the correct option: (a) He felt his wings would not support him. (b) The sea was too small. (c) His family had never flown. (d) He did not want food.

   Answer

   (a) He felt his wings would not support him — he feared that his wings would not bear his weight in the air.

2. SA · 2 marks

   What is the central distinction between “His First Flight” and “The Black Aeroplane”?

   Answer

   “His First Flight” is about a young seagull overcoming his fear and learning to fly, while “The Black Aeroplane” is a mystery about a pilot guided through a storm by an unidentified aircraft.

3. LA · 5 marks

   Explain how prefixes can form antonyms. Give one example each using “im-”, “il-” and “in-”, following the patterns “movable—immovable”, “logical—illogical” and “secure—insecure”.

   Answer

   Prefixes are added to the beginnings of words; certain prefixes reverse a word’s meaning and form an antonym, or a word with the opposite meaning. 1. The prefix “im-” can make a word mean the opposite of its original meaning. In “movable—immovable,” “im-” changes “movable” into “not movable.” 2. The prefix “il-” performs the same function before “logical.” “Logical—illogical” shows that “illogical” means not logical or lacking sound reasoning. 3. The prefix “in-” can also reverse a word’s meaning. In “secure—insecure,” “insecure” means not secure or lacking safety and confidence. Thus, “im-”, “il-” and “in-” are negative prefixes that form antonyms by changing the meanings of root words.

4. VVLA · 12 marks

   Write a detailed comparison of “His First Flight” and “The Black Aeroplane”. Explain how the young seagull learns to fly and why the Black Aeroplane story is presented as a mystery. Support your discussion with relevant events from both stories.

   Answer

   1. The two stories differ in their central events: “His First Flight” follows a young seagull’s first attempt at flying, while “The Black Aeroplane” recounts a pilot’s mysterious flight through a storm. One story focuses on overcoming fear; the other leaves the identity of a rescuer unexplained. 2. The young seagull is afraid because he believes his wings will not support him in the air. His brothers and sister have already flown, but their example does not remove his fear or persuade him to leave the ledge. 3. In “The Black Aeroplane”, the narrator is an experienced pilot flying his old Dakota from Paris to England. He hopes to reach home in time for breakfast with his family, but his route brings him face to face with a storm. 4. The seagull’s family tries to make him fly by calling and encouraging him, but he remains on the ledge. His mother eventually flies near him with a piece of fish, then keeps the food just beyond his reach, making hunger stronger than his fear. 5. The Dakota pilot makes a deliberate choice to fly into the storm clouds, which look like huge black mountains. Inside the storm, his compass and radio stop working, and he cannot see where he is going, so he faces real danger. 6. When the young seagull dives towards the fish, he falls at first and becomes terrified. Instinctively, however, he spreads his wings, discovers that they support him, and begins to fly; his family flies around him and celebrates his success. 7. A second aircraft appears beside the Dakota in the storm, and its pilot signals the narrator to follow. The narrator follows the black aeroplane through the clouds, although he cannot contact it by radio or understand how it can navigate in the same conditions. 8. The young seagull’s flight has a clear explanation and outcome: hunger prompts him to take the leap, and his wings enable him to fly. His first success gives him confidence, and he joins his family in the air before returning to them for food. 9. The Dakota pilot eventually emerges from the storm and sees a runway, landing safely as his fuel is nearly exhausted. At the control tower, he asks about the other aircraft, but the staff say that no other plane was flying that night. 10. The seagull’s story resolves the conflict between fear and action by showing how the young bird discovers his own ability. The black aeroplane’s story ends without identifying the pilot or explaining how the aircraft appeared and disappeared, preserving its mystery. 11. The narration also shapes the reader’s experience: the seagull’s actions are described from outside, while the aeroplane story is told by the pilot himself. His first-person account lets readers share his confusion and fear, but offers no independent explanation for the mysterious aircraft. 12. Together, the stories show different kinds of uncertainty and courage. The seagull must trust his wings for the first time, whereas the Dakota pilot must trust a stranger’s signals when his instruments fail; only the seagull’s experience receives a definite explanation.

5. SA · 2 marks

   Why does the conductor refuse to let the woman’s dog travel inside the bus, and where does he insist it must go?

   Answer

   The conductor believed the bus rules forbade dogs inside, so he ordered the woman to remove her Pekinese. He insisted that she carry it on the top of the bus despite the bitterly cold weather.

6. LA · 5 marks

   Using “Ramesh painted the walls” and “The walls were painted by Ramesh”, explain the difference between active and passive voice. Identify the subject in each sentence and explain the function of “by Ramesh”.

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7. SA · 2 marks

   What does the conductor do when the woman refuses to take her dog out, and how do the passengers respond?

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8. LA · 5 marks

   Explain when the “by + agent” phrase can be omitted from a passive sentence. Then write two sentences that begin with a dependent clause, using a comma to set off the clause in each.

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9. SA · 2 marks

   What happens to the passengers as the conductor enforces the rule, and how does the dog react to the commotion?

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10. LA · 5 marks

    Explain a safe sequence for getting the three humans, the big monkey and the two small monkeys across the river. Follow the boat-capacity and rowing rules, and ensure that the number of humans on either bank is never less than the number of monkeys there.

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