WBBSE Solutions For Class 9 English Reading Skill Lesson 8 His First Flight

Lesson 8 His First Flight Word Meanings

Section-1: (the young seagull……….. Circled around proudly.)

1. Young (ইয়ং)- little
2. Seagull (সীগাল)- a species of bird that lives near the sea and has short legs, long wings, and white and grey feathers
3. Ledge সংকীর্ণ শৈলশিরা-a flat rock surface sticking out from a cliff
4. Brink (ব্রিংক)-edge
5. Expanse (এক্সপ্যান্স)- wide and open area
6. Stretched (স্ট্রেচড)-extended
7. Support (সাপোর্ট)- (here) to bear his weight
8. Shrilly (পলি)- in a high-pitched tone
9. Art of flight (আর্ট অফ ফ্লাইট)-technique of flying
10. Dive (ডাইভ)- plunge into the water
11. Herring (হেরিং)- the name of a type of sea fish
12. Proudly (প্রাউডলি) -boastfully

Section – 2 : (the sun was now………. Food maddened him. )

Read And Learn More WBBSE Class 9 English Reading Skill

1. Ascending (অ্যাসেনডিং)- rising
2. Blazing (ব্লেজিং)-shinning brightly
3. Previous (প্রিভিয়াস্)- one that happend before
4. Nightfall (নাইটফল)-the time in the evening when it becomes dark
5. Scarp (স্ক্যাপ)- bit,small piece
6. Trotted (ট্রটেড)- to move about
7. Sheer (শিয়্যার)- absolute, utter, nothing but
8. Cliff-the steep rock -face
9. Brink (ব্রিংক)- edge
10. Pretended (প্রিটেনে-feighed
11. Plateau (প্ল্যাটু)মালভূমি- a table land
12. Preening (প্রীনিং)পালক গোছানো- composing and arranging
13. Hump (হাম্প)- a raised portion of land
14. Maddened (ম্যাডেনড্- turned crazy

Section 3: (“Ge, ga, ga”, he cried……made his first flight.)

1. Screamed (স্কিমড্)- cried out
2. Uttered (আটারড)- gave voice to
3. Within reach (উইদিন রিচ্ )-very near
4. Wondering (ওয়ান্ডারিং)- feeling suprised
5. Space (স্পেস)- an empty or open place
6. Seized (সিজয়)- overwhelmed
7. Soaring (রিং)- flying
8. Flapped (ফ্ল্যাপড)- moved the wings
9. Still বিস্মিত হয়েউন্মুক্ত বা ফাঁকা জায়গা- very near
10. Wondering- feeling surprised
11. Space- an empty or open place overwhelmed
12. Seized- overwhelmed
13. Soring – flying up
14. Flapped- moved the wings
15. Crowd- made a bird’s call
16. Amusedly- cheerfully
17. Beckoning – calling by signals
18. Belly – abdomen
19. Flight-flying

Summary (সারাংশ): The story is about a young seagull’s fear of flying lest his wings should fail to support him, and his ultimate success of making his first flight after a series of encouragement, coaxing, and enticement from his parents and siblings.

While his two brothers learned the art of flying and fishing with their parents, he did not have the courage to fly like them. While his brothers and sister were flying and eating, he remained within his hole and suffered from starvation. He had to depend on others for food.

Once his mother picked up a piece of fish and flew very close to him.

He felt excited and moved forward. But surprisingly she halted at a distance almost within the reach of his beak.

Maddened by hunger, the young seagull dived at the fish and began to fall downwards.

Flapping his wings he started soaring upwards and uttered a joyous scream. His near and dear ones were also flying close by, and when they saw him flying, they also responded by expressing joy.

Ultimately the young seagull landed on the sea and began floating when his belly touched the water. His entire family started screaming and praising him for making his first flight.”

Tick the correct answer from the given alternatives:

Question 1. At night the seagull slept in a little-

1. Nest
2. Hole
3. Turret
4. Burrow

Answer: 1. Nest

Question 2. The ledge faced the-

1. North
2. South
3. East
4. West

Answer: 2. South

Question 3. The color of the seagull’s body was-

1. Red
2. Black
3. Blue
4. Grey

Answer: 4. Blue

Question 4. The two brothers and the sister of the seagull were lying on the

1. Plain
2. Plateau
3. Valley
4. Hill

Answer: 2. Plateau

Question 5. The mother seagull had picked up a piece of-

1. Meat
2. Insect
3. Fish
4. Straw

Answer: 3. Fish

Answer the following questions within fifteen words:

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

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

Question 3. Why did the seagull dive at the fish?
Answer: Maddened by hunger, the seagull dived at the fish which was almost within his reach.

Question 4. What happened when the seagull soared upwards?
Answer: When the seagull soared upwards, he uttered a joyous scream and saw his father, mother, and his two brothers and sister also soaring up with him.

Answer the following questions within twenty-five words:

Question 1. Why was the seagull afraid when he ran forward to the brink of the ledge?
Answer: When the seagull ran forward to the brink of the edge, he saw the vast expanse of the sea stretched miles down beneath. He was afraid knowing sure that his wings would never support him to fly.

Question 2. What were the seagull’s two brothers and sister doing on the plateau?
Answer: He saw his two brothers and his sister lying on the plateau. They were dozing, with their heads sunk into their wings.

Question 3. What happened after the seagull’s feet sank into the sea?
Answer: After the seagull’s feet sank into the sea, his belly touched the sea water and he sank no further. He was floating on water, and his family started rejoicing on his first flight.

Change the parts of speech of the given words in the chart:

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

Question 1. He is known for his honesty. (Change into adjective form)
Answer: He is known as an honest person.

Question 2. She spoke with kindness. (Change into adverb form)
Answer: He spoke kindly.

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

Question 4. She gave a wise judgment. (Change into verb form)
Answer: He judged wisely.

Lesson 8 His First Flight Examples Worked Out

1. The young seagull was alone on his ledge. His two brothers and his sister had already flown away the day before. He had been afraid to fly with them.

When he had run forward to the brink of the ledge he became afraid. The great expanse of the sea stretched down beneath, and it was miles down.

He felt certain that his wings would never support him. So he bent his head and ran away back to the little hole where he slept at night.

His father and mother had come around calling to him shrilly. But for the life of him he could not move.

That was twenty-four hours ago. Since then nobody had come near him.

The day before, he had watched his parents flying about with his brothers and sister.

They were teaching them the art of flight and how to dive for fish.

He had seen his older brother catch his first herring, while his parents circled around proudly.

Read the above text and answer the following questions.

Tick the correct answer from the given alternatives:

Question 1. The seagull was on his ledge-

1. With his brother
2. Alone
3. With his parents
4. With his sister

Answer: 2. With his brother

Question 2. The young seagull had-

1. Only one brother
2. Only a sister
3. Two brothers and a sister
4. Two sisters and one brother

Answer: 3. Two brothers and a sister

Question 3. The young seagull was afraid to fly because-

1. He was ill
2. He was all alone
3. He felt his wings would not be able to support him,
4. The sea was miles below the ledge

Answer: He felt his wings would not be able to support him,

Question 4. His brothers and sisters had flown away-

1. Two days ago
2. The previous day
3. A week ago
4. Long ago

Answer: 2. The previous day

Question 5. Nobody had come near the young seagull for-

1. Twenty-four days
2. Twenty-four hours
3. Two days
4. Twenty hours

Answer: 2. Twenty-four hours

Question 6. The seagull’s parents taught their children-

1. The dangers of flying
2. The safety precautions to be taken during flying
3. The pleasures of flying
4. The art of flying and diving for fish

Answer: 4. The art of flying and diving for fish

Answer the following questions within fifteen words:

Question 1. What was the young seagull afraid of?
Answer: The young seagull was afraid of flying with his two brothers and his sister.

Question 2. Why did he run away back to the hole?
Answer: The ran away back to the hole being certain that his wings would never support him if he tried to fly.

Question 3. What did the young seagull observe when he came forward to the brink of the ledge?
Answer: Coming to the brink of the ledge he observed the vast expanse of the sea stretched miles below.

Question 4. What did the older brother catch?
Answer: His older brother caught a herring fish.

Question 5. Why did the seagull’s parents feel proud?
Answer: The seagull’s parents felt proud because their older son had caught a herring.

Answer the following questions within twenty-five words:

Question 1. Why was the young seagull afraid to fly along with his two brothers and sister?
Answer: The young seagull was afraid to fly with his two brothers and his sister because he knew that he would get no support from his wings in trying to fly.

Question 2. What were the seagull’s parents doing the day before?
Answer: The day before, the seagull’s parents were flying about with their two sons and daughter. They were busy teaching them the art of flying and catching fish.

Question 3. What made the parents feel proud of and how did they express their delight?
Answer: The parents felt proud of their older son for catching his first herring. They expressed delight by circling around him.

2. With a loud scream he fell outwards and downwards into space. Then terror seized him and his heart stood still. But it only lasted a moment.

The next moment he felt his wings spread outwards. The wind rushed against his breast feathers, then under the stomach and against his wings.

He could feel the tips of his wings cutting through the air. He was not falling headlong now.

He was soaring gradually downwards and outwards. He was no longer afraid. Then he flapped his wings once and he soared upwards. He uttered a joyous scream and flapped them again.

He soared higher. His mother flew past him, her wings making a loud noise.

He answered her with another scream. Then his father flew over him, screaming. Then he saw his two brothers and his sister flying around him.

He saw a vast green sea beneath him, and he turned his beak sideways and crowed amusedly.

His parents and his brothers and sister had landed on this green floor in front of him.

They were beckoning to him, calling shrilly. He dropped his legs to stand on the green sea.

His feet sank into the sea, and then his belly touched it and he sank no further.

He was floating on it. And around him his family was screaming, praising him.

He had made his first flight.

Read the above text and answer the following questions.

Tick the correct answer from the given alternatives:

Question 1. While falling downwards into space, initially the seagull was seized by-

1. Excitement
2. Curiosity
3. Terror
4. Joy

Answer: 3. Terror

Question 2. The panic of falling lasted for-

1. A moment
2. An hour
3. A few minutes
4. A long time

Answer: 1. A moment

Question 3. While falling the seagull could feel-

1. Strong wind carrying him downwards
2. The tips of his wings cut through the air
3. His wings failed to support him
4. Himself falling headlong

Answer: 2. The tips of his wings cut through the air

Question 4. The flapping of wings helped the seagull to-

1. Fall headlong
2. Soar outwards
3. Soar upwards
4. Float steady

Answer: 3. Soar upwards

Question 5. While flying the seagull first saw his-

1. Mother
2. Father
3. Sister
4. Two brothers

Answer: 1. Mother

Question 6. The green floor means the

1. Green forests
2. The grassy land
3. The sea
4. Parrots

Answer: 3. The sea

Question 7. All his family members called him in a voice that was-

1. Shrill
2. Very loud
3. Harsh
4. Very feeble

Answer: 1. Shrill

Question 8. The seagull did not sink further when-

1. His feet touched the sea
2. His wings touched the sea
3. His tail dipped into the sea
4. His belly touched the sea

Answer: 4. His belly touched the sea

Question 9. The seagull finally made his first-

1. Sea voyage
2. Flying in the air
3. Swimming
4. Catching a fish

Answer: 2. Flying in the air

Answer the following questions within fifteen words:

Question 1. How did the young seagull feel immediately after jumping downwards into space?
Answer: Immediately upon jumping downward into space, a terror seized him and his heart stood still.

Question 2. When did the seagull feel no longer afraid?
Answer: When the seagull felt the tips of his wings cutting through the air, he became sure that he was flying and would not fall headlong now. He then felt no longer afraid.

Question 3. When did the seagull utter a joyous scream?
Answer: When the seagull started soaring upwards by flapping his wings, he became very confident about flying and uttered a joyous scream.

Question 4. What did the seagull see beneath him?
Answer: The seagull saw a vast green sea beneath him that looked like a green floor.

Question 5. Who was flying over the young seagull?
Answer: The seagull’s father was flying over him.

Question 6. What did the seagull’s parents and his brothers and sister do when they landed on the green sea in front of him?
Answer: They all beckoned. to him, calling him shrilly in great delight.

Question 7. How did the seagull finally float on the sea?
Answer: The seagull dropped his legs on the seawater. His feet sank into the sea. His belly then touched the water and he started floating without sinking further.

Question 8. How did his family members greet him when the seagull made his first flight?
Answer: When the seagull made his first flight successfully, his family members greeted him by screaming and praising him.

Answer the following questions within twenty-five words:

Question 1. What happened when the seagull jumped into space?
Answer: As the seagull fell into space, he was seized with terror and his heart stood still. But that was for only a moment. Next moment his wings spread outwards and he felt that he could fly.

Question 2. How did the seagull start flying?
Answer: Soon after jumping into space, the seagull’s wings spread outwards, and the wind rushed against his breast feathers and then under the stomach and against his wings. Instead of falling headlong, he started soaring upwards.

Question 3. What did the seagull find his near ones doing when he soared upwards?
Answer: The seagull soared upwards, he saw his mother flying past him, her wings making a loud noise. His father flew over him screaming and his two brothers and his sister were flying around him.

Question 4. What message does the author convey in the story?
Answer: The author conveys the message that fear and hesitation must be conquered if we want to achieve anything of significance, like the young seagull who had to have confidence in himself and be brave in order to fly.