Chapter 8 – His First Flight Solutions

Content Structure

  • 1. About the author – Liam O’ Flaherty
  • 2. Theme of the His first flight
  • 3. Summary of the His first flight
  • 4. Word meanings
  • 5. Exercise Solutions
    • Exercise – 1
    • Exercise – 2
    • Exercise – 3
  • 6. Grammar in use
    • Exercise – 4
    • Exercise – 5
  • 7. Composition
    • Exercise – 6
    • Exercise – 7
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1. His First Flight – Liam O’ Flaherty

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Liam O’Flaherty was an Irish writer known for his powerful short stories and novels. He was born on 28th August 1896, in Inishmore, one of the Aran Islands. He wrote in both English and Irish. His experience as a soldier in World War I was a source of inspiration for many people. He often explored themes like fear, struggle, and human courage. His famous story “His First Flight” tells the tale of a young seagull learning to fly, symbolizing the journey from fear to confidence. His writing was known for its emotional depth and realistic portrayal of life. He died on 7th September 1984.

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2. Theme of the His first flight

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  • The title of the story “His First Flight” symbolizes courage and confidence in overcoming life’s difficult challenges.
  • The young seagull’s family didn’t help him directly because they wanted him to learn on his own and become brave.
  • The story teaches us that to succeed in life we must believe in ourselves and have the courage to face our fears.
  • The young seagull’s family tried to help him fly but he was always too scared and didn’t believe in himself. This shows that when people don’t feel the need or pressure.
  • He was hungry so he finally found the courage to fly which teaches us that others can support and encourage us but we have to face our fears and take the first step ourselves.

3. Summary of the His first flight

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“His First Flight” is a short story written by Liam O’Flaherty that shows the journey of a young seagull learning to fly. At the beginning of the story the seagull stands alone on a ledge feeling sad because his two brothers and sister had already flown away the day before but he is still afraid to fly. Although his wings are longer than theirs, he lacks confidence in himself. He runs to the edge and looks down at the vast sea below, trying to overcome his fear. His parents try to make him fly. They scold him and warn that if he doesn’t fly, he will remain hungry and never learn to find food. For the past twenty-four hours, he has been alone, watching his family flying in the sky. He sees his brother catch a fish from the sea, and their parents proudly circle around him. The next morning, the young seagull feels very hungry. He notices his mother sitting on a rock nearby with a piece of fish in her beak. He cries out for food, and she flies toward him. But just as she comes near she stops in midair, holding the fish just out of his reach. Driven by hunger, he jumps forward to grab it and without realizing it, he starts flying. At first, he is terrified as he falls through the air but then he feels the wind under his wings. He discovers that he can fly, and his fear fades as he soars, glides and flaps his wings. He is finally flying, just like his siblings so his family flies around him happily, cheering him on. Later, he flies down toward the sea. He feels afraid again, but he lands safely and floats on the water. His family praises him and gives him food. This story shows that fear is natural but we have to face it in order to grow and succeed. The young seagull’s first flight is a powerful symbol of courage, confidence, and growing up.

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4. Word meanings

 WordMeanings
1.LedgeA flat step on the side of a cliff or wall
2.Flown awayFlew off to another place
3.BrinkThe very edge of something
4.ExpanseA huge wide open space
5.StretchedPulled out to make it longer
6.BeneathUnder
7.ShrillyA very loud, high sound
8.DiveJump in
9.HerringA small silver-colored sea fish
10.BlazingVery bright
11.ScrapSmall piece
12.TrottedRan or walked quickly with short steps
13.Sheer fallSteep drop
14.NorthwardsTowards the north direction
15.CliffSteep rock
16.PlateauA flat high land above the ground
17.DozingLight sleep
18.SunkWent down below the surface of water
19.PreeningCleaning feathers
20.HumpA rounded lump or raised part
21.MadddenedMade very angry or crazy
22.ScreamedCried loudly
23.UtteredSpoke
24.HaltedStopped suddenly
25.RushedRan fast
26.SoaringFlying high
27.FlappedMoved wings up and down
28.CrowedThe loud cry of a rooster
29.AmusedlyFinding something funny
30.BeckoningCalling

5. Exercise solutions

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Exercise – 1

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Tick the correct answer from the given alternatives:

1. At night the seagull slept in a little
(a) Nest
(b) Hole
(c) Turret
(d) Burrow

Ans: (b) Hole

2. The ledge faced the
(a) North
(b) South
(c) East
(d) West

Ans: (a) North

3. The colour of the seagull’s body was
(a) Red
(b) Black
(c) Blue
(d) Grey

Ans: (d) Grey

4. The two brother and sisters of the seagull were lying on the
(a) Plain
(b) Plateau
(c) Valley
(d) Hill

Ans: (b) Plateau

5. The mother seagull had picked up a piece of
(a) Meat
(b) Insect
(c) Fish
(d) Straw

Ans: (c) Fish

Exercise – 2

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Answer the following questions within fifteen words:

1. What was the first catch of the seagull’s older brother?
Ans: The first catch of the seagull’s older brother was a herring.

2. Why did the seagull feel the heat?
Ans: The seagull felt the heat because he had not eaten anything since the previous night.

3. Why did the seagull dive at the fish?
Ans: The seagull dived at the fish because he was extremely hungry.

4. What happened when the seagull soared upwards?
Ans: As the seagull soared upwards, he felt the tips of his wings cutting smoothly through the air.

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Exercise – 3

Answer the following questions within twenty-five words

1. Why was the seagull afraid when he ran forward to the brink of the ledge?
Ans: The seagull was afraid at the brink of the ledge because he feared falling into the vast sea below.

2. What were the seagull’s two brothers and sister doing on the plateau?
Ans: The seagull’s two brothers and sister were dozing, lying on the plateau, with their heads hidden under their wings.

3. What happened after the seagull’s feet sank into the sea?
Ans: The seagull’s feet sank into the sea, but he floated safely on the surface.

6. Grammar in use:

Exercise – 4

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NounVerb AdjectiveAdverb
BeautyBeautifyBeautifulBeautifully
DangerEndangerDangerousDangerously
CareCareCarefulCarefully
StrengthStrengthenStrongStrongly

Exercise – 5

Rewrite the sentences changing the form of the underlined words as directed:

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1. He is known for his honesty. (Change into adjective form)
Ans: He is known as an honest man.

2. She spoke with kindness. (Change into adverb form)
Ans: She spoke kindly.

3. The sun shone brightly. (Change into noun form)
Ans: The sun shone with brightness.

4. She gave a wise judgement. (Change into a verb form)
Ans: She judged wisely.

7. Composition

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Exercise – 6

Write a paragraph within 100 words on the water cycle, using the following flow-chart:

Water evaporates from water bodies – rises as vapour – gets heavier – condenses, forms clouds – falls to earth as rain

Paragraph on the Water Cycle

The water cycle is a continuous process in nature. Water from rivers, lakes, seas, and oceans evaporates due to the sun’s heat. This vapour rises high into the sky, where it cools and condenses to form clouds. When the clouds become heavy, the water falls back to the earth as rain. This rain fills rivers, lakes, and seas again, and the process repeats. The water cycle is important because it maintains the balance of water on earth and provides fresh water for plants, animals, and humans. Thus, it is a never-ending natural cycle.

Exercise – 7

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Write a summary of the following passage within 100 words:

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Communication is part of our everyday life. We greet one another, smile or frown, depending on our moods. Animal too, communicate. Just like as interaction amoung animals can be bothe verbal and non-verbal. Singing is one way in which birds can interact with one another. Male blackbirds often use their melodious song to catch the attention of other blackbirds. These songs are usally rich in notes, encoding various kinds of massages. Songs are also use to keep off other birds from their territory, usually a place where they dwell. Large mammals in the oceans sing too according the adventurous sailors. Enormous whale groan and grunt while smaller dolphins and porpoises whistle and click. These sounds are suprisingly received by other mates as fer as several hundred kilometers away. Besides singing, body language also forms a large part of animals’ communication mode. Dominant hyenas exhibit their power by rising the fur hackles on their necks and shoulders, while the submissive ones normally surrender to the powerful parties by crounching their head low and curling their lips a little, revealing their teeth in friendly smile. Insects such as wasps armed with poisonous bites or sings usually have brightly painted bodies to remind other predators of their power.

Ans:

Summary of the passage

Communication is an important part of daily life for both humans and animals. Animals communicate through sounds, songs, and body language. Birds like blackbirds sing to attract others or protect their territory. Whales, dolphins, and porpoises also use sounds to communicate across long distances in the ocean. Body language plays a major role too. For example, hyenas show power by raising their fur, while submissive ones lower their heads. Insects like wasps display bright colors to warn predators. Thus, animals use singing, sounds, colors, and gestures to share messages and protect themselves in nature.

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