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Two Stories about Flying Summary Class 10 English First Flight

Two Stories about Flying Part 1 Summary

His First Flight Summary

‘His First Flight’ written by Liam O’ Flaherty is a story of a young seagull who is afraid of flying. A family of seagulls lived on a ledge. A young seagull is left alone as he is afraid to fly and is one among the slow learners. All that this young seagull needed was motivation. By way of punishment, his family left him alone on the ledge and flew away. They upbraided him, taunted him for cowardice and even threatened to let him starve. He remained hungry for twenty-four hours and was unable to shed off his fright of flight. He cried begging his mother to bring him some food.

She picked up a piece of fish in her beak and flew across him and stood just in front of him. The piece of fish in her beak was almost within the reach of his beak. The young seagull was mad with hunger. He dived at the fish. The next moment he found himself falling outwards and downwards into space. Instinctively, he spread his wings and flapped them. He soared upwards and all his fear is gone. It was a joyous moment for his family. He forgot that he was ever afraid of flying.

Two Stories about Flying Part 2 Summary

The Black Aeroplane Summary

The present story offers a psychological insight into a character under stress. It is an interesting account of the narrator’s encounter with the pilot of a black aeroplane who comes to his rescue in distress. It is a mystery built around the black aeroplane and its pilot.

A pilot was flying an old Dakota aeroplane at lO’clock at night. The stars were shining and there was not a trace of clouds. The sky was clear and the plane was flying over France and going back to England. The pilot was extremely happy. He was lost in the dreams of his holiday and family. Around 1:30 a.m. he called Paris Control Room to enquire about the route and location. The Control Room instructed him to turn twelve degrees west. The pilot checked the map and the compass, switched over to his second and last fuel tank and turned the plane twelve degrees west towards England. He expected to join his family for the breakfast.

When Paris was 150 km behind, the pilot saw the black storm clouds approaching the plane. He could not fly over them. Also he didn’t have enough fuel to fly around them south or north. Initially, he thought of going back to Paris but his strong urge to meet his family members led him straight into the storm. It was absolutely dark inside the clouds. The plane was jumping and twisting in the air. All the instruments had stopped working. The pilot lost his contact with the ground staff because his compass and radio had stopped functioning.

Suddenly he saw another aeroplane quite near him. That strange black aeroplane had no lights on its wings. The pilot of the black aeroplane asked him to follow him. The pilot flew in the clouds for half an hour. He had only fuel left to fly another fifteen minutes. The pilot was frightened. Suddenly the black aeroplane descended and the pilot followed him. Finally, the black aeroplane guided him to an airport for landing. The pilot was thrilled to see the runway but when he turned his head to thank the pilot of the black aeroplane he couldn’t see him anywhere.

After landing, the pilot immediately rushed to the Control Centre and enquired about the black aeroplane which guided him all the way to the airport. The woman on duty at the Control Centre told him that no other plane was seen flying that night. She had seen only his plane on the radar. The pilot was surprised to hear all this and kept on wondering who had helped him to arrive and land safely without a compass or a radio and without any more fuel left in his tank. He kept thinking abgut that strange black aeroplane and its mysterious pilot.

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The Black Aeroplane Summary in English by Frederick Forsyth

The Black Aeroplane by Frederick Forsyth About the Author

The Black Aeroplane Summary in English

The present story offers a psychological insight into a character under stress. It is an interesting account of the narrator’s encounter with the pilot of a black aeroplane who comes to his rescue in distress. It is a mystery built around the black aeroplane and its pilot.

A pilot was flying an old Dakota aeroplane at lO’clock at night. The stars were shining and there was not a trace of clouds. The sky was clear and the plane was flying over France and going back to England. The pilot was extremely happy. He was lost in the dreams of his holiday and family. Around 1:30 a.m. he called Paris Control Room to enquire about the route and location. The Control Room instructed him to turn twelve degrees west. The pilot checked the map and the compass, switched over to his second and last fuel tank and turned the plane twelve degrees west towards England. He expected to join his family for the breakfast.

When Paris was 150 km behind, the pilot saw the black storm clouds approaching the plane. He could not fly over them. Also he didn’t have enough fuel to fly around them south or north. Initially, he thought of going back to Paris but his strong urge to meet his family members led him straight into the storm. It was absolutely dark inside the clouds. The plane was jumping and twisting in the air. All the instruments had stopped working. The pilot lost his contact with the ground staff because his compass and radio had stopped functioning.

Suddenly he saw another aeroplane quite near him. That strange black aeroplane had no lights on its wings. The pilot of the black aeroplane asked him to follow him. The pilot flew in the clouds for half an hour. He had only fuel left to fly another fifteen minutes. The pilot was frightened. Suddenly the black aeroplane descended and the pilot followed him. Finally, the black aeroplane guided him to an airport for landing. The pilot was thrilled to see the runway but when he turned his head to thank the pilot of the black aeroplane he couldn’t see him anywhere.

After landing, the pilot immediately rushed to the Control Centre and enquired about the black aeroplane which guided him all the way to the airport. The woman on duty at the Control Centre told him that no other plane was seen flying that night. She had seen only his plane on the radar. The pilot was surprised to hear all this and kept on wondering who had helped him to arrive and land safely without a compass or a radio and without any more fuel left in his tank. He kept thinking abgut that strange black aeroplane and its mysterious pilot.

The Black Aeroplane Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Why was the pilot happy? Give two reasons.
Answer:
The pilot was happy for the following two reasons:
(i) He was alone high up above the sleeping countryside.
(ii) He was dreaming of his holiday and looking forward to being with his family.

Question 2.
(i) Why did the pilot call the Paris Control the first time?
(ii) What was the advice of the Paris Control?
Answer:
(i) The first time, the pilot called the Paris Control Room to enquire about the location of the plane and the route to be followed.
(ii) The Paris Control advised him to turn twelve degrees west towards England.

Question 3.
How many fuel tanks were there in the plane? How much fuel was left?
Answer:
There were two fuel tanks in the plane. The pilot had already switched over to second and the last tank so there was enough fuel only to fly back to England.

Question 4.
What did the pilot encounter while 150 km away from Paris?
Answer:
The pilot encounterd black stormy clouds, 150 kilometres away from Paris.

Question 5.
Why did the pilot fly straight into the storm instead of returning to Paris?
Answer:
The pilot had a strong desire to get back home and have breakfast with his family. That is why, pilot took the risk and flew straight into the storm instead of going back to Paris.

Question 6.
Did the Paris Control hear the pilot, the second time he called? Why?
Answer:
No, because when the pilot tried to contact the Paris Control Room, he failed to do so as his radio was dead.

Question 7.
Describe the black clouds from the point of view of the pilot.
Answer:
When Paris was about 150 kilometres behind me, I saw the black clouds in front of me. They were huge clouds looked like black mountains standing in front of me across the sky. They were stormy and I could not fly up and over them.

Question 8.
How did the black aeroplane rescue the first pilot?
Answer:
The pilot of the black aeroplane guided the first pilot and helped him arrive safely at the airport.

Question 9.
Was the pilot of the Dakota able to meet the pilot of the black aeroplane?
Answer:
No, the pilot of the Dakota could not meet the pilot of the black aeroplane. TheTirst pilot even went to the Control Room to find who the other pilot was, but he could not find him. The black aeroplane disappeared without being seen by anyone even on the ‘radar’.

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His First Flight Summary in English by Liam O’Flaherty

His First Flight by Liam O’Flaherty About the Author

His First Flight Summary in English

‘His First Flight’ written by Liam O’ Flaherty is a story of a young seagull who is afraid of flying. A family of seagulls lived on a ledge. A young seagull is left alone as he is afraid to fly and is one among the slow learners. All that this young seagull needed was motivation. By way of punishment, his family left him alone on the ledge and flew away. They upbraided him, taunted him for cowardice and even threatened to let him starve. He remained hungry for twenty-four hours and was unable to shed off his fright of flight. He cried begging his mother to bring him some food.

She picked up a piece of fish in her beak and flew across him and stood just in front of him. The piece of fish in her beak was almost within the reach of his beak. The young seagull was mad with hunger. He dived at the fish. The next moment he found himself falling outwards and downwards into space. Instinctively, he spread his wings and flapped them. He soared upwards and all his fear is gone. It was a joyous moment for his family. He forgot that he was ever afraid of flying.

His First Flight Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
For how long had the seagull been alone?
Answer:
The seagull had been alone for twenty-four hours.

Question 2.
Why did the seagull not go with the rest of his family?
Answer:
The seagull did not go with the rest of his family because he was afraid to fly.

Question 3.
(i) What were the ways the seagull had thought of to join his family?
(ii) Did he try any one of them?
Answer:
(i) The seagull thought of joining his family without having to fly. He ran from one end of the ledge to the other. The ledge ended in a steep fall in precipice. He thought of walking upto them but there was a deep chasm between him and them.
(ii) No, he didn’t try anyone of them.

Question 4.
Did the seagull think the sea was like a land? Pick out the words from the text that suggest this.
Answer:
Yes, the seagull thought the sea was like a land. He landed on the sea. When his legs sank into it, he screamed with fear and tried to rise again flapping his wings. This clearly indicates that he thought the sea was like a land.

Question 5.
(i) When did the seagull’s flight begin?
(ii) Where did it end?
Answer:
(i) His flight began when he was falling outwards and downwards into space. His wings spread outwards. Now, he was not falling headlong. He was moving gradually downwards and outwards.
(ii) His flight ended floating on the sea.

Question 6.
When did the seagull get over his fear of the water?
Answer:
The seagull thought the sea was like a land. When he landed on the sea, his feet sank into it. He was seized with fear. He was too tired to rise again. His belly touched the water and he sank no further. Now, he was floating on the sea. He had got over his fear of the water.

Question 7.
Do you sympathise with the seagull? Give reasons.
Answer:
Flying is a natural instinct of birds. But the young seagull develops a fright of flight. We sympathise with him because he has to suffer a lot before he gets over his fear of flying. He has to bear the taunts of his family. He has to go without food for twenty-four hours.

Question 8.
How did the seagull express his excitement when he saw his mother bringing food for him?
Answer:
The seagull was very hungry. When he saw his mother bringing food for him, he was greatly excited. He expressed his excitement by uttering a joyful scream. He leaned out eagerly. He tapped the rock with his feet. He tried to get nearer to her as she flew across. ‘

Question 9.
How did the young seagull’s parents teach him the art of flying?
Answer:
Birds have a natural instinct to fly. However, some birds, like the young seagull in the story are afraid to fly. Then their parents teach them how to fly. The seagull’s parents fly about with their children curveting and banking and soaring and diving and thus, perfecting them in the art of flying.

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Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom Summary in English by Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela About the Author

Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom Summary in English

Nelson Mandela, the first black President of South Africa, fought for the freedom of his people. In his autobiography, he describes in detail the pains he had to suffer from the time when he was young. He was discriminated against by the whites along with other black people. He was an enthusiastic young boy who considered staying away from his home to get freedom. He wanted to marry the person of his choice. But gradually he realised that freedom is more meaningful. He decided to bring freedom for his own people. On 10 May 1994 he was able to materialise his dreams long cherished by the black people who sacrificed their lives to give dignity to their coming generations.

He gives two contradictory pictures of his country: one, in which the black people were tortured and had to suffer quietly; second, when the blacks will be free to live a life of their own. In this extract, Mandela speaks about a historic occasion, ‘The Inauguration’.

Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
When did Nelson Mandela become the President?
Answer:
Nelson Mandela became the President of South Africa on 10 May 1994.

Question 2.
Where did the inauguration ceremony take place?
Answer:
The inauguration ceremony took place at Union Buildings amphitheatre in Pretoria.

Question 3.
What was the pledge taken by Nelson Mandela?
Answer:
To liberate all the black people from the continuing bondages of poverty, deprivation, suffering and racial discrimination.

Question 4.
Which colours were used in the new flag of South Africa?
Answer:
Black, red, green, blue and gold.

Question 5.
What were the two anthems sung on ‘that day’?
Answer:
‘Nikosi Sikelel Africa’ and ‘Die stem’.

Question 6.
Which party did Nelson Mandela join?
Answer:
Nelson Mandela joined African National Congress.

Question 7.
Nelson Mandela joined the African National Congress as a young man. It transformed his life. What made him join it? What does it show about his character?
Answer:
Nelson Mandela joined the African National Congress because even the basic freedom was not available to blacks. They could not live as human beings. They were punished and isolated from the society. He brought a transformation by achieving freedom for his people to live their lives with dignity and self-respect.

Nelson Mandela was a simple law abiding person but his people were not happy in a slave society. They were not given the basic rights of a citizen. They had to endure much pain and endure racial discrimination. They were not free on their own land. All these sufferings ignited the fire in Mandela. He left his home and began living like a monk. He taught boldly and fearlessly. Adherence to patriotism, self-respect and dignity transformed him completely. It shows that Mandela had a strong character. He was determined in his action. He had sympathy and compassion for his people.

Question 8.
Man is a social animal. He has some obligations to society. What twin obligations does Mandela mention? How can one fulfill these obligations?
Answer:
Man is a social animal and has some social obligations to society. Nelson Mandela understood the importance of being social. Mandela talks about twin obligations—obligation to his family, to his parents, to his wife and children. This is the first and the most important obligation that every man has to fulfil in his life. Another obligation is to his people, to his community and to his nation. He emphasises that in a civil society, each one of us should fulfil these obligations. It is the responsibility of the government to provide an atmosphere where a person can fulfil these obligations.

But in a country like South Africa, it was not possible to fulfil these obligations because of discrimination. It was an era of oppression and torture for the black Africans in their own country. They were not allowed even the basic freedom of living a dignified life.

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A Letter to God Summary in English by Gregorio Lopez y Fuentes

A Letter to God by Gregorio Lopez y Fuentes About the Author

A Letter to God Summary in Enlgish

‘A Letter to God’ is a story of a farmer’s extreme faith in God. The writer G.L. Fuentes has tried to depict the faith of a poor and simple farmer in God in an impressive manner. Lencho was an honest and hardwork¬ing farmer. He was shocked to notice that his crop was ruined in a hailstorm. He turned to God for getting some help. He wrote a letter to God. On Sunday, he posted the letter. When an employee of the post office chanced to see the letter addressed to God, he made fun of the man who had written that letter but his boss, the postmaster was a serious man and did not take the letter lightly. He was impressed by the extreme faith of the man and wished to have the same faith. He decided to answer the letter.

He collected money from his employees to give in charity to the needy farmer. He was able to collect only seventy pesos and thought that the farmer would be glad to receive the money. But to his utter disappointment, the postmaster was shocked to notice that it had made Lencho angry, who wrote another letter to God but with a warning not to send the money by post as he considered the postal employees ‘a bunch of crooks’ who had stolen thirty pesos from the hundred pesos sent by Him.

A Letter to God Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
(i) Where was ‘the house’ located?
(ii) Why do you think it is called ‘the’ house and not ‘a’ house?
Answer:
(i) The house was located on the top of a low hill.
(ii) It is called ‘the house’ because it is the only house on the top of the hill.

Question 2.
Why did Lencho keep gazing at the sky?
Answer:
Lencho knew that his fields needed water immediately. He was eagerly waiting for the rain, therefore he gazed at the sky.

Question 3.
“Now we’re really going to get some water, woman.” Is Lencho sure that it is going to rain? Give a reason for your answer.
Answer:
Lencho was sure that it was going to rain because he kept watching the sky throughout the day. Through his experience, he knew that the clouds would certainly bring rain.

Question 4.
(i) How did Lencho feel when it started raining?
(ii) What was the effect of the rain on the crops?
Answer:
(i) Lencho was excited when he came out of his house to have the pleasure of feeling the rain on his body. He compared the raindrops with coins, as he knew that a good rain would mean a good crop and a good crop would mean a lot of money.
(ii) The rain brought with it destruction. There was hailstorm for about an hour and it covered the field. The corn was totally destroyed.

Question 5.
What are the raindrops compared to and why?
Answer:
Raindrops are compared to coins. He compares big raindrops to ten-cent coins and smaller ones to five-cent coins. He knew that the raindrops would certainly be helpful in giving him rich harvest. Naturally, it would make him get more money.

Question 6.
Lencho had only ‘one hope’. What was it?
Answer:
Lencho was a God-fearing man and had a firm faith in the benevolence of God, who he thought would certainly help him. God was his only hope.

Question 7.
Did the letter reach God? Why did the postmaster send a reply to Lencho?
Answer:
The letter did not reach God but it certainly reached the postmaster who was a God-fearing and kind-hearted man. He decided to send a reply to Lencho as he was moved by the firm faith of a farmer in God, and he did not want to disappoint him.

Question 8.
Lencho describes the post office employees as ‘a bunch of crooks’.
(i) Were they ‘a bunch of crooks’?
(ii) How would you describe them?
Answer:
(i) The post office employees were really very good people who tried to help a poor farmer. They were not a bunch of crooks.
(ii) They can be described as kind-hearted, generous, helpful and God-fearing men.