His First Flight Unit 2 questions answers Class 11 English notes

He had never flapped his wings in the air. He is limited to his hole under the ledge. Then one day, as he was very hungry and his mother brought a little fish. He wanted to eat that fish. 

In an attempt to snatch that fish from his mother’s beak, he fell down and thus he had to open his wings. He could fly. It was his first flight. The fear was now gone.

His First Flight Unit 2 questions answers

Q.1. What is the young seagull afraid of? OR Why the simple act of flying become so difficult for the young seagull?
Ans: The young seagull is afraid of flying over the great expanse of the sea stretched down beneath, and it was such a long way down, miles down. He was sure that his wings would not support him. 

So, he bent his head and ran away back to the little hole under the ledge where he slept at night.

Q.2. What is a seagull? Why was the young seagull unable to fly?
Ans: Seagull is a seabird with white or grey feathers. It hunts fish and lives on dry banks near the seas or rivers. 

The young seagull was unable to fly because of his inner fear of falling. He felt certain that his wings could never support him. 

That is why whenever he attempted his wings to fly, he became afraid and ran back to the little hole under the ledge.

Q.3. Why don’t his parents, his brothers, and sister give him food?
Ans: His parents, brothers, and sister don’t give him food because they want him to make an attempt to fly like them. They want him to fly himself to search for his food. 

They don’t like to see him fearful and a coward. They even taunt him for his cowardice and threat him to let him die of hunger unless he himself makes an attempt to fly.

Q.4. What does his mother do to force him to fly? How does the mother compel /impel the young Seagull to fly?
Ans: His mother picked up a piece of fish and was flying across to him with it. He leaned out eagerly, tapping the rock with his feet, trying to get nearer to her. 

Opening his beak, as he was about to pick up the piece of fish, her mother pulled back away from the abreast of the ledge. He could not hold his balance and fall under the ledge towards the deep wide sea. He had to fly.

Q.5. What does the young seagull feel when he flaps his wings and finds that he is not falling into the sea?
Ans: He flapped his wings once and soared upwards. He uttered a joyous scream and flapped them again. He soared higher. He raised his breast and banked against the wind.

Q.6. What is significant about the bird’s first flight?
Ans: The significance of the bird’s first flight is that the fears are natural before the start of a new task but they are usually self-created and baseless. 

We find that the reality is very different. The bird was not ready to fly just because of self-created fear. He did not know the reality that he had the wings to fly with.

Q.7. What lesson do you learn from this simple story? OR what is the theme of the story?
Ans: The story is an inspirational message for us that success lies in trying. We do not try due to self-created fears and lack of confidence. The story has a theme that we must take the initiative with courage and determination.

Q.8. Why is it difficult to do something for the first time?
Ans: It is difficult to do something the first time because you do not know the consequences. There is always a fear of failure. 

And if the failure would cost your life, you are really reluctant and fearful. So, it takes a lot of courage and determination to do something the first time.

Q.9. What happened when the young seagull fell outward and downward into space?
Ans: As he fell down, he heard the swish of his wings. Then a monstrous terror seized him and his heart stood still. He could hear nothing. But it only lasted a moment. Then he spread his wings and he was flying.

Ans: See the answer

Questions and answers to other Lessons

1. The Blanket
2. A long walk home
3. Lesson 5 It’s country for me
4. The road not taken