UP Board class 10 English chapter 3 – “Two Stories About Flying” solutions are available on this page. It covers all the question answers of this chapter. This solution is aligned with the latest syllabus of 2024-25 session.
Chapter 3 of the UP Board Class 10 English book, Two Stories About Flying, presents two captivating tales about courage and mystery. The first story, “His First Flight,” by Liam O’Flaherty, tells of a young seagull’s fear of flying and how hunger eventually pushes him to take his first flight, overcoming his fears. The second story, “Black Aeroplane,” by Fredrik Forsyth, is a suspenseful narrative about a pilot navigating through a storm with the help of a mysterious plane that seems to vanish without explanation.
UP Board Class 10 English Chapter 3 Solutions
| Subject | English |
| Class | 10th |
| Chapter | Two Stories About Flying |
| Author | Liam O’ Flaherty , Fredrick Forsyth |
| Board | UP Board |
I. His First Flight
Thinking about Text
Page No: 36
1. Why was the young seagull afraid to fly? Do you think all young birds are afraid to make their first flight, or are some birds more timid than others? Do you think a human baby also finds it a challenge to take its first steps?
Answer: The young seagull was afraid to fly because it feared the vast, unknown expanse of the sea below. Just like the seagull, all young birds likely face fear during their first flight, though some may be more timid than others. This fear of the unknown is natural when trying something new for the first time. Similarly, a human baby also faces challenges in taking its first steps, needing both encouragement and the courage to overcome fear.
2. “The sight of the food maddened him.” What does this suggest? What compelled the young seagull to finally fly?
Answer: This suggests that the young seagull was desperate with hunger, which pushed it beyond its fear. The sight of food intensified its hunger, and when its mother dangled food just out of reach, it was driven by desperation to leap. In doing so, the seagull’s natural instincts took over, and it found itself flying. Hunger, more than anything, gave it the final push it needed to conquer its fear.
3. “They were beckoning to him, calling shrilly.” Why did the seagull’s father and mother threaten him and cajole him to fly?
Answer: The young seagull’s parents threatened and coaxed it to fly because they knew it needed to overcome its fear to survive. Despite seeing its siblings fly, the young seagull hesitated. The parents, aware of the danger of remaining grounded, called shrilly and even threatened to let it starve, knowing that fear had to be conquered for the bird to learn this vital skill for survival.
4. Have you ever had a similar experience, where your parents encouraged you to do something that you were too scared to try?
Answer: Yes, there are many instances where parents push their children to overcome fear, like learning to ride a bicycle or swimming. Often, children feel scared to take the first step, but with encouragement, they realize that the task isn’t as frightening as they thought. This kind of support helps build confidence for future challenges.
5. In the case of a bird flying, it seems a natural act, and a foregone conclusion that it should succeed. In the examples you have given in answer to the previous question, was your success guaranteed, or was it important for you to try, regardless of a possibility of failure?
Answer: Success isn’t always guaranteed in such cases, but trying is essential. Just like the bird must attempt flight, we must also try new things despite the fear of failure. Whether it’s learning a new skill or facing a difficult task, the effort to try helps us grow, and even if we fail, we learn valuable lessons that contribute to future success.
II. The Black Aeroplane
Thinking about the Text
Page No: 40
1. “I’ll take the risk.” What is the risk? Why does the narrator take it?
Answer: The risk was flying the aeroplane through dark, stormy clouds with limited visibility and malfunctioning instruments. The narrator took the risk because he was eager to reach Paris to celebrate Christmas with his family, even though it meant endangering himself by flying into a dangerous storm.
2. Describe the narrator’s experience as he flew the aeroplane into the storm.
Answer: As the narrator flew into the storm, the sky turned completely black, and he could see nothing. The plane shook violently and twisted uncontrollably. His compass and other instruments, including the radio, stopped working. Amidst the chaos, he saw another aeroplane whose pilot guided him through the storm. Following this mysterious plane, he eventually landed safely with his last bit of fuel.
3. Why does the narrator say, “I landed and was not sorry to walk away from the old Dakota…”?
Answer: The narrator was immensely relieved to land safely after his harrowing experience flying through the storm. Although he couldn’t thank the mysterious pilot who helped him, he was so grateful for surviving the ordeal that he felt no regret about leaving his plane behind and walking away from it.
4. What made the woman in the control centre look at the narrator strangely?
Answer: The woman at the control centre looked at the narrator strangely because he asked about another plane that had supposedly helped him through the storm. She was surprised because, according to the radar, no other plane was flying in the sky that night except his.
5. Who do you think helped the narrator to reach safely? Discuss this among yourselves and give reasons for your answer.
Answer: It seems likely that the narrator’s own instincts and skills as a pilot helped him through the storm. Since there was no evidence of another plane on the radar, it’s possible he was hallucinating under the stress of the situation. His fear and desire for help may have caused him to imagine the guiding plane, but in reality, it was his own experience that led him to safety.
Thinking about the Language
1. Try to guess the meanings of the word ‘black’ in the sentences given below. Check the meanings in the dictionary and find out whether you have guessed right.
- Go and have a bath; your hands and face are absolutely black ._____________________
- The taxi-driver gave Ratan a black look as he crossed the road when the traffic light was green________________________.
- The bombardment of Hiroshima is one of the blackest crimes against humanity. ________________
- Very few people enjoy Harold Pinter’s black comedy. _______________
- Sometimes shopkeepers store essential goods to create false scarcity and then sell these in black. ____________________
- Villagers had beaten the criminal black and blue. ___________________
Answer
- The meaning of ‘black’ in this sentence is that the face and hands are dark with dust and heat.
- Here, ‘black’ refers to an angry look.
- Here, ‘blackest’ refers to the darkest and cruellest crime against humanity.
- Here, ‘black’ refers to dark and gloomy comedy.
- The meaning of ‘black’ in this sentence is that the shopkeepers sell the described goods ‘at a higher price’.
- Here, ‘black’ means that the criminal suffered excessive beating at the hands of the villagers.
Page No: 41
2.Match the phrases given under Column A with their meanings given under Column B:
Answer
| A | B |
|---|---|
| 1. Fly a flag | Display a flag on a long pole |
| 2. Fly into rage | Become suddenly very angry |
| 3. Fly along | Move quickly/suddenly |
| 4. Fly high | Be successful |
| 5. Fly the coop | Escape from a place |
3. We know that the word ‘fly’ (of birds/insects) means to move through air using wings. Tick the words which have the same or nearly the same meaning.
| swoop | flit | paddle | flutter |
| ascend | float | ride | skim |
| sink | dart | hover | glide |
| descend | soar | shoot | spring |
| stay | fall | sail | flap |
Answer
The words which have the same or nearly the same meaning as ‘fly’ are as follows:
swoop, flit, float, dart, soar, hover, sail skim, glide, flutter
