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Thinking about the Text

 
Question 1: His First Flight Thinking about the Text

1. Why was the young seagull afraid to fly? 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?

2. "The sight of the food maddened him." What does this suggest? What compelled the young seagull to finally fly?

3. "They were beckoning to him, calling shrilly." Why did the seagull's father and mother threaten him and cajole him to fly?

4. Have you ever had a similar experience, where your parents encouraged you to do something?

That you were too scared to try? Discuss this in pairs or groups.

5. 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 in Answer to the previous Question, was your success guaranteed, or was it important for you to try, regardless of a possibility of failure?

Answer 1:

1. The young seagull was all alone on the ledge and afraid to fly because it was its first flight. Doing something for the first time is a challenging task in itself for anyone. Therefore, all young birds must be afraid to make their first flights the same way a human baby would finds it challenging to take its first step.

2.     The young seagull was very hungry. The hunger ultimately compelled the young seagull to make its first flight. He saw its mother tearing at a piece of fish that lay at her feet and its hunger only intensified. It cried to its mother, begging her to get some food. Whenever its mother came towards it with some food in her beak, the young seagull screamed with joy and anticipation, but she stopped midway. The young seagull wondered why she did not come nearer. Unable to resist or control its hunger any longer, it dived at the food in its mother’s beak. For that moment, his hunger ha d overpowered the fear of the great expanse of sea beneath the cliff. Finally, this plunge was followed by the natural reaction of its body, which was to fly.

3.     The young seagull was frightened. It was afraid to fly. Even though it saw its parents helping and teaching its brothers and sisters flying, it could never gather enough courage to make the first flight. This was the reason why its father and mother were calling to it shrilly and scolding it. They threatened to let it starve on its ledge if it did not fly. They did so because they wanted it to leave its fear behind and learn the art of flying.

4. One feels scared in learning any adventurous activity. It is because one has never come across such thing earlier. In learning one requires skill. During my childhood, I was much afraid to swim in the river. Though my elder brother tried to encourage me time and again. We both went to the river and he taught me how to move the legs and push the water through the hands by keeping mouth above the water level. In the beginning, I failed to do but gradually after day's practice I became perfect in it.

5. A bird flying is natural as well as taught to the young ones by their parents or their elder ones. So, one has to learn it through some of the properties which m ay breed in them naturally. Without any attempt and learning, nothing comes automatically. But it can be concluded that it should succeed. Our success was never guaranteed until to try again and again. In some cases, all results may not be favorable. But it is always essential to practice, try and put every efforts to get success.