1.5 His First Flight
Warming up!
Chit – Chat
- Form Groups of 5. Remember your past days and share with your friends about memories of your first day at school or your first attempt at cooking. What role did your parents, siblings play to help to overcome your fear?
Ans – My First Day at School –
My father transferred me in J. M. Highschool, which is big one in 5th std. At very first day, I was very much frightened. I didn’t know anyone in that school. I was not willing to go there. My mother came with me to the school. She met my principal, new class teacher and also some students of 5th std. In this way, my fear of first day at school was decreased.
My First Attempt at Cooking –
It was the day, when my parents were out of home for some reason. Incidentally, my uncle and aunty dropped in that day. It was evering time, So I decided to give them tea. But I didn’t know the recipe, so my aunty helped me to prepare it. It was my first attempt in the kitchen which led into my hobby of cooking.
MARGIN QUESTIONS
1) What did the young seagull feel?
Ans: The young seagull felt afraid to fly as he thought his wings
would never support him.
2) Guess the meaning of:
Muster up courage: To try and be courageous and not afraid.
Ascending the sky: To fly high or going up in the sky.
3) Why did the young seagull feel hot?
Ans: The young seagull felt hot because the sun was now
ascending the sky, blazing on his ledge and he had not eaten
since the previous nightfall.
4) What were the young seagull’s parents doing?
Ans: The young seagull’s father was preening the feathers on his
white back and his mother was looking at him from the
plateau.
5) Guess the meaning of:
Soar: Go up
Maddened by hunger: Being extremely hungry
Seized: Detained or stopped.
6) What were the young seagull’s brothers and sister doing?
Ans: The young seagull’s two brothers and sister were lying on
the plateau dozing with their heads sunk into their necks.
7) What did he forget?
Ans: He forgot that he had not always been able to fly.
ENGLISH WORKSHOP
1. State whether the following statements are true or false.
a) The young seagull was not confident about the ability of his
wings. True
b) The young seagull’s parents guided and improved his siblings
in the art of flying. True
c) When the young seagull pretended to be falling asleep, his
parents noticed him. False
d) Flying across the young seagull, the mother dropped a piece
of fish into his beak. False
2. Complete the following statements.
a) The seagull is afraid to fly because he felt certain that his wings
would never support him and the great expanse of sea was
such a long way down.
b) Young birds are afraid to make their first flight because they
have never flown before and are not sure if their wings will
support them.
c) Human beings find it difficult to face great challenges
because they are often afraid and nervous about the unknown.
3. Read the following words carefully and make meaningful
sentences of your own and write in your notebook.
Ans:
i)Plaintively – The child looked at his mother plaintively.
ii)Monstrous – There was a monstrous storm on the island.
iii)Beckon – She beckoned the children to follow her.
iv)Curveting – The crow kept curveting around the house.
v)Whet – The birds whet their beak against the rock.
vi)Soar – The plane quickly soared in the sky.
4. Read the following words carefully and fill in the blanks by
choosing appropriate word given in brackets.
(afraid, plunged, appeared, shrilly, skimmed, devoured,
cowardice)
a) Arun is full of cowardice.
b) The violin played very shrilly and merrily.
c) Ravi said, “Are you really afraid of the dark?”
d) The whole village plunged into darkness.
e) The lions devoured their prey, hungrily.
f) He skimmed through the report.
g) One by one, the stars appeared in the sky.
5. Read about the space mission of Sunita Williams. Imagine you
are going to interview her. Frame 10 to 12 interview relevant
questions regarding-
1. her early life, training
2. education
3. her actual flight into space
4. future plans
5. her message to viewers.
Warm and hearty welcome to you, Sunita.
(1) Let us start with your early stages of life. What made you
become fond of space and its studies?
(2) How depth was your training in childhood to become an
astronaut?
(3) Please tell us about your education. Where did you pursue
your higher studies?
(4) Which subject is your favourite in childhood?
(5) What kindled your inspiration to become a space woman?
(6) How was it actually feeling like to be in space?
(7) How did you manage the required oxygen for breathing in
space?
(8) Could you please narrate how is the communication with
the people on earth after reaching the space?
(9) How did you prepare your health for a space travel?
(10) When is your next mission to space and what is the theme
for research?
(11) Apart from special research, what are you other plans for
future?
(12) One final question: What is your motivational message to
the young researchers and engineers?
6. Describe in your notebook the challenges you faced while
learning to ride a bicycle/swimming or any skill. Take hints from
the web to complete your write – up.
Ans – How I learned to ride a bicycle
I can still remember it as if it happened yesterday. I must have been seven or eight years old when I rode my first bicycle.
Learning how to ride a bicycle can be exciting as well as painful. But I found it really exciting indeed. It was my sister who taught me how to ride the bicycle. It was a bright warm day and the perfect summer day. We both went to the park, where there was nobody in the park. She brought her bicycle and told me to sit on it. Then she advised me to pedal slowly while holding the bicycle and running along, holding the rear of the seat. I was so frightened that the handle shook and the bicycle trembled. But she reassured me by saying that it was the word of a sister and I could trust it. Thus my confidence boosted and I took the daring to ride a bicycle. After some efforts, I succeeded to ride it smoothly, Though my dream came true, it was painful, for I fell several times and received some cuts on my hands and legs. But it is one of my most memorable childhood experiences, I think.
This event not only represents freedom for me, but it also helped me to establish the foundation on which I base my existence. Learning to ride a bicycle demonstrated a new way to have fun, and also illustrated how Will power and perseverance help to overcome challenges through out life. Because according to Albert Einstein – “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.”