Exercise 1
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 [ ]
(2) The ledge faced the –
(a) north [ ✓ ]
(b) south[ ]
(c) east [ ]
(d) west [ ]
(3) The colour of the seagull’s body was –
(a) red [ ]
(b) black [ ]
(c) blue [ ]
(d) grey [ ✓ ]
(4) The two brothers and sisters of the seagull were lying on the –
(a) plain [ ]
(b) plateau [ ✓ ]
(c) valley [ ]
(d) hill [ ]
(5) The mother seagull had picked up a piece of –
(a) meat [ ]
(b) insect [ ]
(c) fish [ ✓ ]
(d) straw [ ]
Exercise 2
Answer the following questions within fifteen words:
(a) What was the first catch of the seagull’s older brother?
Ans. The first catch of the seagull’s older brother was a herring.
(b) Why did the seagull feel the heat?
Ans. The seagull felt the heat because he had not eaten anything since the previous nightfall.
(c) Why did the seagull dive at the fish?
Ans. The seagull dived at the fish because his mother with a fish did not come closer to him.
(d) What happened when the seagull soared upwards?
Ans. When the seagull soared upwards, he was no longer afraid. He uttered a joyous scream and flapped his wings again.
Read more about:‘His First Flight’ by Liam O’Flaherty – Questions and Answers(S.A.Q.), Class 10, CBSE
Exercise 3
Answer the following questions within twenty-five words:
(a) Why was the seagull afraid when he ran forward to the brink of the ledge?
Ans. The great expanse of the sea stretched down beneath made the seagull afraid when he ran forward to the brink of the ledge.
(b) What were the seagull’s two brothers and sister doing on the plateau?
Ans. The seagull’s two brothers and sister were lying on the plateau. They were dozing with their heads sunk into their wings.
(c) What happened after the seagull’s feet sank into the sea?
Ans. After the seagull’s feet sank into the sea and his belly touched it, he sank no further. He was floating on it.
Grammar in use:
Read the following sets of sentences:
Set 1
(a) He uttered a joyful scream. (adjective)
(b) He screamed with joy. (noun)
(c) He screamed joyfully. (adverb)
Set 2
(a) He pretended to be falling asleep. (verb)
(b) He made a pretension of falling asleep. (noun)
(c) He made a pretentious posture of falling asleep. (adjective)
Exercise 4
Change the parts of speech of the given words in the chart:
| Noun | Verb | Adjective | Adverb |
| beauty | beautify | beautiful | beautifully |
| dander | endanger | dangerous | dangerously |
| care | care | careful | carefully |
| strength | strengthen | strong | strongly |
Exercise 5
Rewrite the sentences changing the form of the underlined words as directed:
(1) He is known for his honesty. (change into an adjective form)
Ans. He is known to be honest.
(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 judgment. (change into verb form)
Ans. She judged wisely.
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]
Exercise 7
Write a summary of the following passage within 100 words:
Communication is part of our everyday life. We greet one another, smile or frown, depending on our moods. Animals too, communicate. Just like us, interaction among animals can be both verbal and non-verbal. Singing is one way in which birds can interact with one another. Male blackbirds often use their melodious songs to catch the attention of other blackbirds. These songs are usually rich in notes, encoding various kinds of messages. Songs are also used to keep off other birds from their territory, usually a place where they dwell. Large mammals in the oceans sing too, according to adventurous sailors.
Enormous whales groan and grunt while smaller dolphins and porpoises whistle and click. These sounds are surprisingly received by other mates as far as several hundred kilometres away. Besides singing, body language also forms a large part of animals’ communication modes. Dominant hyenas exhibit their power by raising the fur hackles on their necks and shoulders, while the submissive ones normally surrender to the powerful parties by crouching their head low and curling their lips a little, revealing their teeth in a friendly smile. Insects such as wasps armed with poisonous bites or stings usually have brightly painted bodies to remind other predators of their power. (206 words)
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