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InterviewSolution
This section includes InterviewSolutions, each offering curated multiple-choice questions to sharpen your knowledge and support exam preparation. Choose a topic below to get started.
| 1. |
Match the following. What is a must(i)as marriage gifts?cakes and bolinhas(ii)for a party or a feast?sweet bread called bol(iii)for a daughter’s engagement?bread(iv)for Christmas?sandwiches |
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| 2. |
When would the baker come everyday? Why did the children run to meet him? |
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Answer» The baker would come twice every day, once when he set out in the morning on his selling round, and then again, when he returned after emptying his huge basket. The children ran to meet him not because of their love of the loaf, but because they actually longed for the bread-bangles which sometimes, was a sweet bread of special make. |
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| 3. |
What are the elders in Goa nostalgic about? |
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Answer» The elders in Goa were nostalgic about the good old Portuguese days, the Portuguese, and their famous loaves of bread. |
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| 4. |
What is the baker called? |
| Answer» The baker is called a pader. | |
| 5. |
Is bread-making still popular in Goa? How do you know? |
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Answer» Yes, bread-making is still popular in Goa. The author has described about the existence of time-old furnaces and their still burning fire. The Goan society is still having moulders, bread mixers and bakers. |
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| 6. |
What does a ‘jackfruit-like appearance’ mean? |
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Answer» A ‘jackfruit-like appearance’ means a plump physique. Such a physique was linked to the bakers because they never starved. Baking was apparently a profitable profession. The baker, his family, and his servants always looked happy and prosperous and had a ‘jackfruitlike appearance’. |
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| 7. |
Complete the following phrases from the text. For each phrase, can you find at least one other word that would fit into the blank?(i) tales of _______________(ii) coastal _______________(iii) a piece of ______________(iv) evergreen ______________(v) _____________ plantations(vi) _____________bridge(vii) wild __________________You may add your own examples to this list. |
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Answer» From the text (i) tales of valour (ii) coastal town (iii) a piece of heaven (iv) evergreen rainforests (v) coffee plantations (vi) rope bridge (vii) wild elephants Other than the text (i) tales of morality (ii) coastal food (iii) a piece of cake (iv) evergreen hero (v) crop plantations (vi) sturdy bridge (vii) wild beasts |
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| 8. |
Think of suitable −ing or −ed adjectives to answer the following questions.How would you describe: (i) a good detective serial on television?(ii) a debate on your favorite topic ‘Homework Should Be Banned’?(iii) how you feel when you stay indoors due to incessant rain?(iv) how you feel when you open a present?(v) how you feel when you watch your favorite program on television?(vi) the look on your mother’s face as you waited in a queue?(vii) how you feel when tracking a tiger in a tiger reserve forest?(viii) the story you have recently read, or a film you have seen? |
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Answer» (i) Interesting (ii) Exciting (iii) Bored (iv) Excited (v) Interested (vi) Tired (vii) Thrilled (viii) Boring |
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| 9. |
Now fill in the blanks in the sentences given below by combining the verb given in brackets with one of the words from the box as appropriate.overbythroughoutupdown(i) The Army attempted unsuccessfully to ___________ the government. (throw)(ii) Scientists are on the brink of a major ___________in cancer research. (break)(iii) The State Government plans to build a ______________for Bhubaneswar to speed up traffic on the main highway. (pass)(iv) Gautama’s ____________on life changed when he realized that the world is full of sorrow. (look)(v) Rakesh seemed unusually _______________ after the game. (cast) |
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Answer» (i) The Army attempted unsuccessfully to overthrow the Government. (ii) Scientists are on the brink of a major breakthrough in cancer research. (iii) The State Government plans to build a by-pass for Bhubaneswar to speed up traffic on the main highway. (iv) Gautama’s outlook on life changed when he realized that the world is full of sorrow. (v) Rakesh seemed unusually down cast after the game. |
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| 10. |
Which of these statements are correct?(i) The pader was an important person in the village in old times.(ii) Paders still exist in Goan villages.(iii) The paders went away with the Portuguese.(iv) The paders continue to wear a single-piece long frock.(v) Bread and cakes were an integral part of Goan life in the old days.(vi) Traditional bread-baking is still a very profitable business.(vii) Paders and their families starve in the present times. |
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Answer» (i) Correct (ii) Correct (iii) Incorrect. The paders still exist in Goan villages. (iv) Incorrect. The paders wear shirts, and trousers that are shorter than full-length ones and longer than half pants. (v) Incorrect. Bread and cakes are still an integral part of Goan life. (vi) Correct (vii) Incorrect. Baking is still a very profitable business in Goa. |
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| 11. |
Why do you think Wanda’s family moved to a different city? Do you think life there was going to be different for their family? |
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Answer» Wanda's family moved to different city because her father felt hurt when the children teased Wanda.He had an opinion that bigger cities have cosmopolitan population and they are attuned to seeing people from different cultures and races and have a better sense of cultural sensibilities.He hoped to have a better life in big city. |
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| 12. |
How does Maddie feel after listening to the note from Wanda’s father? |
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Answer» After listening to the note from Wanda’s father, Maddie has a very sick and guilty feeling in the bottom of her stomach. She could not concentrate when she tried to prepare her lessons. She had not at all enjoyed listening to Peggy ask Wanda how many dresses she had in her closet.She felt bad on being a mute spectator and treated her behavior as of a coward. |
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| 13. |
Why does Wanda’s house remind Maddie of Wanda’s blue dress? |
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Answer» Wanda’s blue dress was old, faded but used to be neat and clean. Similarly her house was small and makeshift but clean. Wanda was a poor girl but she was sober and probably more mature than other kids of her age. May be her hardships had taught her great lessons in the life, which is evident in the way she used to keep her dress or her house. |
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| 14. |
Colors are used to describe feelings, moods and emotions. Match the following ‘color expressions’ with a suggested paraphrase.(i)the Monday morning bluesfeel embarrassed / angry / ashamed(ii)go red in the facefeel very sick, as if about to vomit(iii)look greensadness or depression after a weekend of fun(iv)the red carpetthe sign or permission to begin an action(v)blue-bloodeda sign of surrender or acceptance of defeat; a wish to stop fighting(vi)a green beltin an unlawful act; while doing something wrong(vii)a black guarda photographic print of building plans; a detailed plan or scheme(viii)a grey arealand around a town or city where construction is prohibited by law(ix)a white flagan area of a subject or a situation where matters are not very clear(x)a blue printa dishonest person with no sense of right or wrong(xi)red-handeda special welcome(xii)the green lightof noble birth or from a royal family |
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| 15. |
What did the girls write to Wanda? |
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Answer» The girls actually wanted to write a letter stating their true feelings and that they felt sorry for making fun of her but landed up writing a formal letter telling her that she had won the contest. They also wrote how pretty her drawings were. They asked her if she liked the place where she was living and if she liked her new teacher. They wanted to say that they were sorry.However, they could not gather the courage to write what they actually felt and ended up just writing a friendly letter. They signed it with lots of X’s for love. |
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| 16. |
What are Maddie’s thoughts as they go to Boggins Heights? |
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Answer» Maddie is feeling bad about Wanda and herself. She is feeling very sad for not even getting a chance to say sorry to Wanda.She is also thinking to tell her that the whole school thought how wonderful she was and that she must not leave the school because of their behavior. |
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| 17. |
Do you think Wanda really thought the girls were teasing her? Why or why not? |
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Answer» Yes, Wanda knew that girls were teasing her .She appears to be a smart enough to understand her surroundings well. She knew that the children intended to make fun of her poverty and laughed at her .Though she seems mentally conditioned but this could have been the reason for her exaggerating everything whenever she answered their questions. |
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| 18. |
Why do you think Wanda gave Maddie and Peggy the drawings of the dresses? Why are they surprised? |
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Answer» Maddie and Peggy wrote a friendly letter to Wanda but she did not reply for a long time.Wanda requested Mrs Mason to give two of her drawing to Maddie and Peggy ,perhaps this way she wanted to show both of them that she has forgiven and forgotten their behavior. They both were surprised because they always made fun of here dresses and insulted her, but she had gifted them with those beautiful designs. |
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| 19. |
What excuses does Peggy think up for her behavior? Why? |
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Answer» Peggy thinks of different excuses for her behavior. She was satisfied that she never called Wanda a foreigner or made fun of her name. Peggy thinks that she was the inspiration behind Wanda's drawings.Had she not asked Wanda about how many dresses she had,she would not have drawn so beautifully.Peggy realized that she had made a mistake of making fun of Wanda but she did not want to confess openly .So she tried making such excuses. |
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| 20. |
What adjectives can we use to describe Peggy, Wanda and Maddie? You can choose adjectives from the list above. You can also add some of your own.1. Peggy ______________2. Wanda ______________3. Maddie ______________ |
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Answer» 1. Peggy: sarcastic, cheerful, contented 2. Wanda: kind, timid, introvert, generous, talented, lonely, creative 3. Maddie: kind, timid, sensitive, miserable, understanding |
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| 21. |
What important decision did Maddie make? Why did she have to think hard to do so? |
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Answer» The important decision that Maddie made was that she would never stand by and be a mute spectator of racial discrimination.Earlier, she was torn between her loyalty to Peggy and her sense of right and wrong.But now, she had mustered the courage to fight for injustice,even if she loses her dear friend Peggy. She knew she could not make things right with Wanda. However, she had decided that in future, she would never make anybody else unhappy again.She was disappointed that she could not find Wanda at her home. She could not sleep that night. She thought about Wanda, her faded blue dress, and the little house she lived in. She also thought about the hundred glowing pictures, which were all lined up in the classroom. She was feeling guilty of not having said anything when everybody else was teasing Wanda. It was her guilt that made her think very hard and arrive at the important decision. |
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| 22. |
Peggy says, “I never thought she had the sense to know we were making fun of her anyway. I thought she was too dumb. And gee, look how she can draw!” What led Peggy to believe that Wanda was dumb? Did she change her opinion later? |
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Answer» Peggy believed that Wanda was dumb as she could not understand why Wanda said she had a hundred dresses, even when everybody knew that she was poor.Wanda’s unusual behavior led Peggy to believe that Wanda was dumb. Wanda never reacted to all the pranks and misbehavior which she had to suffer every day. She knew everybody was laughing at her. Even then, she kept giving the same answer. Peggy changed her opinion later when she saw the hundred dresses Wanda had talked about. She saw the drawings and was highly impressed by their beauty. She realized that Wanda was a very good artist. |
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| 23. |
What is the story about the Kodavu people’s descent? |
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Answer» It is believed that Kodavu people are of Arabic origin. It is said that some of Alexander’s army men moved to south and settled there. Their costume, martial practices and marriage rituals also point to the fact that they are from Arabic origin. |
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| 24. |
What group of animals do otters belong to? |
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Answer» Otters belong to a comparatively small group of animals called Mustelines, shared by the badger, mongoose, weasel, stoat, mink and others. |
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| 25. |
What are some of the things we come to know about otters from this text? |
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Answer» Otters belong to a comparatively small group of animals called Mustelines, shared by the badger, mongoose, weasel, mink and others. Maxwell’s otter was of a race previously unknown to science and was at length named by zoologists Lutrogale perspicillata maxwelli or Maxwell’s otter. They are often tamed by the Arabs. It is a characteristic of the otters that every drop of water must be spread around the place.For them, water must be kept on the move because they love to be in water. Otters love playing various games, especially with a ball. |
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| 26. |
What happened when Maxwell took Mijbil to the bathroom? What did it do two days after that? |
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Answer» Otters live in water and it is their favorite playground. When Maxwell took Mijbil to the bathroom, it went wild with joy in the water for half an hour. It was plunging and rolling in it, shooting up and down the length of the bathtub underwater.Two days after that, it was confident enough to go to the bathroom on its on. By the time he got there, Mijbil was up on the end of the bathtub and fumbling at the chromium taps with its paws. In less than a minute, it had turned the tap far enough to produce some water and after a moment, achieved the full flow. |
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| 27. |
Why does Maxwell say the air hostess was “the very queen of her kind”? |
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Answer» Maxwell said that the air hostess was “the very queen of her kind” because she was extremely friendly and helpful. He took her into confidence about the incident with the box. She ,very generously, suggested him to put the otter on his knees. Hearing this, Maxwell developed a profound admiration for her as she understood the pain of both, the otter and its owner. |
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| 28. |
How did Mandela’s understanding of freedom change with age and experience? |
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Answer» With age ,Nelson Mandela realized that he had a lot of responsibilities towards his people, his community and his country. As a boy, Mandela did not have a hunger for freedom because he thought that he was born free. He believed that as long as he obeyed his father and abided by the customs of his tribe, he was free in every possible manner. He had certain needs as a teenager and then certain needs as a young man.He slowly understands that it is not just his freedom that is being curtailed, but the freedom of all blacks. It is after attaining this understanding that he develops a hunger for the freedom of his people. Thus , age and experience made his perspective more wide. |
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| 29. |
How did Mandela’s ‘hunger for freedom’ change his life? |
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Answer» Mandela realized in his youth that it was not just his freedom that was being curtailed, but the freedom of all blacks. The hunger for his own freedom gradually turned into hunger for the freedom of his people. This desire of a non-racial society transformed him into a virtuous and self-sacrificing man. Thus, he joined the African National Congress and this changed the fearful man to a fearless rebel. He sacrificed the comforts of a settled family life to fight for a greater cause. Being deprived of the basic rights of a human being, Mandela discerned that he is a victim of racial discrimation. His discontentment kindled hunger for his freedom. Soon, he observed that he is not alone but the people of his race are victimized by this quagmire. This made him restless and inflamed his passion for fight against the oppression. Eventually, he joined the African National Congress. His hunger for freedom was now everybody's hunger for freedom. This desire for freedom changed him into a bold and courageous man. I turned him into a criminal and a monk. |
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| 30. |
There are nouns in the text (formation,government) which are formed from the corresponding verbs (form,govern) by suffixing − (ation or ment.) There may be change in the spelling of some verb − noun pairs: such as rebel, rebellion; constitute, constitution.NounVerbrebellionrebelconstitutionconstitute........................................ |
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| 31. |
Why didn’t the young seagull take the plunge? What stopped him from doing so? |
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Answer» The young seagull was the only one in the family who couldn’t fly in the air. His brothers and sister had far shorter wings than his wings but they had already learnt the art of flying. He felt certain that his wings would never support him. So he was hesitant and afraid of flapping his wings and go deep in the air. |
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| 32. |
Did upbraiding and threatening of his parents help him in flying? |
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Answer» The parents of the young seagull did try to teach his young one the art of flying. He wouldn’t simply move from his ledge. They would fly around him encouraging and challenging him to follow them. When he wouldn’t budge, his parents would fly around calling to him shrilly. They would upbraid and threaten to let him starve unless he flew away. |
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| 33. |
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 as answer to the previous question, was your success guaranteed or was it important for you to try, regardless of a possibility of failure? |
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Answer» In the case of a bird flying, it seems a natural act. Actually, it is not so. Every young bird has to learn how to fly. After constant efforts, he becomes perfect in flying. Even in my case, success was not a foregone conclusion. Constant encouragement by my parents and my own practice made me a perfect cyclist. |
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| 34. |
How did the bird try to reach its parents without having to fly? |
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Answer» The young bird trotted back and forth from one end of the ledge to the other with his long grey legs stepping daintily, trying to find some means of reaching his parents without having to fly. |
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| 35. |
Give an instance that shows the pathetic condition of the young bird. |
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Answer» The young bird, starving for a day, finds a dried piece of mackerel’s tail at the far end of his ledge. He searches in vain the area where he was hatched and gnaws at the dried pieces of eggshell. He is in a pathetic state calling plaintively when he isn’t unable to reach his mother tearing at a piece of fish. |
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| 36. |
Do you think that the young seagull’s parents were harsh to him? Why? |
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Answer» No, the young seagull’s parents weren’t harsh to him. They were just teaching him a lifetime learning experience which is vital for his survival. |
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| 37. |
How did the parents support and encourage the young seagull’s brothers and sister? |
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Answer» The young seagull’s parents flew about with his brothers and sister perfecting them in the art of flight. They taught them how to skim the waves and how to dive for fish. When his older brother caught his first herring and devoured it, his parents circled around raising a proud cackle. |
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| 38. |
How did the young seagull overcome his fear and soared gradually towards the sea during his first flight? |
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Answer» The young seagull had taken the final plunge. Maddened by hunger, he dived at the fish which his mother was carrying in her beak. With a loud scream he fell outwards and downwards. He was seized with fear and his heart stood still. But the fear lasted only for a minute. He overcame it. The next moment he felt his wings spread outwards. Now he was soaring downwards over the blue sea. |
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| 39. |
How did his parents, two brothers and sister celebrate the first flight of the young seagull? |
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Answer» The family saw the young seagull making his first flight. When they saw him floating on the ocean, they flew and landed on the water just ahead of him. They were beckoning to him calling shrilly. They were praising and rewarding him by offering scraps of fish to him. |
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| 40. |
What happened to the young seagull when it landed on the green sea? |
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Answer» When the young seagull landed on the green sea, he completely forgot that he had not always been able to fly and shrieked shrilly, turning his beak sideways and crowed amusedly. He screamed with fright when he dropped his legs to stand on the green sea and sank into it. |
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| 41. |
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? |
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Answer» Yes, all young birds are afraid to make their first flight. It is quite possible that some of them may be more timid than the others. A human baby also finds it a challenge to take the first step. Only after trials and errors of many months, the baby learns to take its first step. |
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| 42. |
Why was the young seagull afraid to fly? |
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Answer» The young seagull hesitated and feared to fly. He thought that his wings would not support him. |
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| 43. |
Change the parts of speech of the given words in the chart.NounVerbAdjectiveAdvervexhaustionWidenmadPerfectly |
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| 44. |
What did the young seagull manage to find in his search for food on the ledge? |
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Answer» The young seagull managed to find a dried piece of mackerel’s tail at the far end of his ledge. |
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| 45. |
Use the following words to construct meaningful sentences on your own.1. coward2. gradual3. praise4. courageous5. starvation |
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Answer» 1. coward – I hate to be a coward for I have always been a bold person. 2. gradual – There is a gradual increase in the water level at Mettur dam. 3. praise – Sylvia is worthy of all the praise and honour. 4. courageous – I hope to be courageous at all circumstances. 5. starvation – People in Somalia die of starvation almost every day. |
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| 46. |
Choose the most appropriate antonym of the underlined word. 1. The sun was now ascending the sky. (a) soaring (b) rising (c) mounting (d) downhill2. He ran a little forward to the brink of the ledge. (a) centre (b) brim (c) threshold (d) bridge3. He waited a moment in surprise. (a) weighted (b) sat (c) began (d) astonished4. He felt the heat because he had not eaten since the previous nightfall. (a) warmness (b) coldness (c) seat (d) heart5. He searched among the rough, dirt-caked straw nest. (a) coarse(b) smooth (c) bumpy (d) blunt6. He failed to muster up courage to take that plunge. (a) dive (b) climb (c) fall (d) plume7. Between them, there was a deep, wide crack. (a) cavernous(b) dip(c) narrow (d) shallow8. Maddened by hunger, he dived at the fish. (a) surfeit (b) famine (c) appetite (d) heat9. He even gnawed at the dried pieces of eggshell. (a) parched (b) dehydrated (c) fresh (d) new other.10. He then trotted back and forth from one end of the ledge to the (a) scurried (b) sauntered (c) tracked (d) rolled11. As he passed beneath her, he heard the swish of her wings. (a) underneath (b) below (c) above (d) finit12. The next moment, he felt his wings spread outwards.(a) centrifugally (b) inwards(c) beautifully (d) aloft13. He flapped his wings and soared upwards. (a) downwards(b) inwards (c) outwards (d) lethargically14. The precipice was sheer. (a) steep (b) gentle (c) effervescence (d) recap15. The wind rushed against his breast feathers. (a) gushed(b) relaxed (c) flushed (d) plumes16. He completely forgot his inability to fly. (a) overlooked (b) remembered (c) ignored (d) disregarded17. His parents had landed in front of him. (a) visible (b) detectable (c) behind (d) anterior18. They were beckoning to him, calling shrilly. (a) summoning (b) signaling (c) dismissing (d) requesting19. He was tired and weak with hunger. (a) scrawny (b) puny (c) week(d) view20. Hqwas floating on it. (a) flowing(b) fluctuating (c) flinging (d) strong21. His family was screaming and praising him. (a) diluting (b) adulation (c) exaltation (d) fixed22. She was standing on a little high hump on the plateau. (a) mountain(b) dip (c) hollow (d) highland23. He scraped his beak now and again to whet it! (a) rubbed (b) blunt (c) wet (d) sharpened24. The great expanse of sea stretched down a long way down. (a) short(b) lengthy (c) straight (d) vision25. He felt certain that his wings would never support him. (a) nearer (b) forever (c) surely (d) always |
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Answer» 1. (d) downhill 2. (a) centre 3. (c) began 4. (b) coldness 5. (b) smooth 6. (b) climb 7. (d) shallow 8. (a) surfeit 9. (c) fresh 10. (b) sauntered 11. (c) above 12. (b) inwards 13. (a) downwards 14. (b) gentle 15. (b) relaxed 16. (b) remembered 17. (c) behind 18. (c) dismissing 19. (d) view 20. (d) strong 21. (d) fixed 22. (c) hollow 23. (b) blunt 24. (a) short 25. (d) always |
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| 47. |
Choose the most appropriate synonym of the underlined word.1. The young seagull was alone on his ledge. (a) sill (b) window (c) nest (d) lift2. The great expanse of sea stretched a long way down. (a) express (b) expense (c) stretch (d) vision3. He felt certain that his wings would never support him. (a) curtain(b) screen (c) sure (d) unsure4. His brothers and his little sister ran to the brink. (a) bark (b) sea (c) water (d) edge5. He failed to muster up courage to take that plunge. (a) dust (b) gather (c) strength (d) marvel6. He saw his brothers and sister perfecting in the art of flight. (a) achieving (b) trying (c) finishing (d) balancing7. He saw his older brother devour his first catch. (a) consume (b) devein (c) divide (d) smell8. His parents circled around raising a proud cackle. (a) cough (b) screech (c) walk (d) tackle9. The whole family walked about on the big plateau. (a) highland (b) pinnacle (c) lake (d) valley10. All his siblings laughed at his cowardice.(a) weakness (b) craze(c) cooperation (d) awkwardness11. He even gnawed at the dried pieces of eggshell. (a) gasped (b) annoyed (c) chewed (d) devoured12. He then trotted back and forth from one end of the ledge to the other. (a) trailed (b) scurried (c) jolted (d) rolled13. His long gray legs stepped daintily to reach his parents. (a) elegantly (b) drearily (c) dancing (d) lethargically14. The ledge ended in a sheer fall of precipice with the sea beneath.(a) steep (b) gentle (c) clean (d) distant15. The precipice was sheer. (a) cliff (b) precipitation (c) effervescence (d) recap16. His father was preening the feathers on his white back. (a) picking (b) cleaning (c) screening(d) wilting17. She was standing on a little high hump on the plateau. (a) mound (b) dip(c) hollow (d) table18. Her white breast thrust forward. (a) shove (b) burst (c) backward (d) thirsted19. The sight of the food maddened him. (a) light (b) bring (c) blight (d) view20. He scraped his beak now and again to whet it! (a) rubbed (b) screened (c) wet (d) sharpened21. He uttered a low cackle. (a) expressed (b) screamed (c) mocked (d) udder22. She screamed back mockingly. (a) admiringly (b) scornfully (e) meekly (d) brightly23. He kept calling plaintively. (a) plainly (b) blatantly (c) sadly (d) palpably24. She was just opposite to him, abreast of the ledge. (a) well-informed (b) tuned (c) approved (d) disapproved25. His mother had swooped upwards. (a) swung (b) leapt (c) fell (d) danced |
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Answer» 1. (a) sill 2. (c) stretch 3. (c) sure 4. (d) edge 5. (b) gather 6. (a) achieving 7. (a) consume 8. (b) screech 9. (a) highland 10. (a) weakness 11. (c) chewed 12. (b) scurried 13. (a) elegantly 14. (a) steep 15. (a) cliff 16. (b) cleaning 17. (a) mound 18. (a) shove 19. (d) view 20. (a) rubbed 21. (a) expressed 22. (b) scornfully 23. (c) sadly 24. (a) well-informed 25. (b) leapt |
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| 48. |
Describe the humiliation and taunting that the young seagull faced from his family when he used to sit alone on his ledge without mustering his courage to fly in the air. |
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Answer» The young seagull used to sit on ledge all alone. He used to see his two brothers and sister flying around him. They had learnt flying only the day before. Not that he didn’t try before. He had come to the edge of the ledge and tried to flap his wings. But he became afraid soon. He felt certain that his wings would never support him. So he bent his head and ran away to the little hole under the ledge. His brothers and sister had far shorter wings than his own. But they succeeded flapping their wings and flew away. He failed to muster his courage to take the plunge. His father and mother flew around him scolding and taunting him. They also threatened to let him starve on his ledge unless he flew away. The thing that compounded his agony was that his elder brother had caught his first herring and devoured it. His parents circled around his brother raising a proud cackle. On the other hand, the family had walked down the opposite cliff taunting him with his cowardice. “There is no humiliation more abusive than hunger.” |
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| 49. |
Yes the young seagull same at the beginning and at the end of the lesson? Compare and contrast the two kinds of the same seagull in the lesson. |
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Answer» No, the young seagull was not the same bird at the beginning and at the end of the lesson. In the beginning, the young seagull used to be all alone on his ledge. His two brothers and his sister had flown away the day before. He had been afraid of flying with them. Whenever he tried to flap his wings, he was seized with fear. He felt certain that his wings would never support him. His father and mother flew around calling to him shrilly. They were constantly scolding and taunting him. They were threatening to let him starve on his ledge unless he flew away. However, the young seagull was more confident and sure of his success in the end. Maddened by hunger, he dived at the fish. After trials and errors, his wings spread outwards. He was soaring gradually downwards forgetting all his hesitations and fears. He could float on the ocean now. His success was welcomed by his family. They were praising him now and their beaks were offering him their scraps of dogfish. “Positivity, confidence and persistence are key in life – so never give up in life.” |
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‘All parental acts are for the betterment of the children.’ It is true. However, one has to make efforts through trials and errors shedding off one’s early hesitations and fears to succeed in any enterprise. Justify this statement by taking points from the lesson, ‘His First Flight’. |
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Answer» There is no doubt about it. All parental acts are for the betterment of the children. It is the ardent wish of every parent that they may teach all skills to their young ones so that they may succeed in life. First of all, they can learn all things which their parents have taught in life. If the young ones don’t act then they also indulge in scolding, taunting and humiliating them to shed off their hesitations and fears. This is exactly what the parents of the young seagull did. They were successful in teaching the art of flying to his two brothers and sister. They also tried their best to embolden him to take the plunge. Particularly, the mother- seagull went on flying around him with a piece of fish in her beak. It was her attempt – to tempt her starving son to dive at the fish. And she succeeded in her aim. The young seagull did dive at the fish and it led to his success in the end. “Parenting is not about meeting the needs of the offspring – but preparing them to stand on their own legs” |
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