1. At night the seagull slept in a little ---- b) hole.

2. The ledge faced the----b) south.

3. The colour of the seagull's body was---- d) grey.

4. The two brothers and sisters of the seagull were lying on the---- b) plateau.

5. The mother seagull had picked up a piece of---- c) fish.

Ans. The first catch of the seagull's older brother was a herring, a kind of sea fish.

Ans. The seagull felt the heat because he had not eaten anything since the previous nightfall.

Ans. The seagull dived at the fish because he was very much hungry as he had not eaten anything for a long time and also the sight of the food maddened him.

Ans. When the seagull soared upwards, he felt that he was no longer afraid and also saw that the tips of his wings cutting through the air.

Ans. The seagull was afraid when he ran forward to the brink of the ledge because the great expanse of the sea stretched down beneath and it was miles down and he felt that if he would try to fly, his wings would not support him.

Ans. The seagull's two brothers and sister are lying on the plateau. They were dozing, with their heads sink into their wings.

Ans. When the seagull's feet sank into the sea, he was no longer afraid then, rather he was playing with it. His belly touched the water and he was floating on it. His family was screaming and praising him.

Exercise 4:

 1.beauty--- beautify--- beautiful--- beautifully

2.danger--- endanger--- dangerous--- dangerously

3. care--- care--- careful/ caring--- carefully

4.strength--- strengthen--- strong--- strongly

1. He is known for his honesty.( Change into adjective form)

= He is known because he is honest.

2. She spoke with kindness.(change into adverb form)

= She spoke kindly.

3. The sun shine brightly.(change into noun form)

= The sun shone with its brightness.

4. She gave a wise judgement. (Change into verb form)

=She judged wisely.

First Flight

Liam O' Flaherty

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?

Ans:-  The young Seagull was afraid to fly because it was his life's first flight. He was also frightened about the vastness of the sea beneath his ledge. 

       It is an usual act for all the young birds because doing something for the first time is challenging. 

     Yes, 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? 

Ans:- The young seagull was very hungry. It was this hunger that forced the young bird to fly. When the young seagull saw his mother tearing at a piece of fish that lay at her feet. It called to his mother, begging her to bring him some food.

       Atlast the extreme hunger and the scene of food maddened the young bird and forced him to fly.

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

Ans:- The young seagull was very much frightened about flying first time. Even when he saw his brothers and sisters flying, catching their first fish and its parents helping and teaching them, it could not collect enough courage to make that first flight. So, his father and mother were calling him shrilly and scolding him. They also threatening to let him starve on his ledge unless he flew away. They did it because they also wanted to remove the fear of the bird and learn to fly.

Extra Questions and Answers :- 

1) What happened when the seagull soared upwards? 
Ans:- Soaring upwards, the young seagull developed confidence. He could feel the tips of his wings cutting through the air. He flapped his wings.
2) Why was the seagull afraid when he ran forward to the brink of the ledge? 
Ans:- The wings would never support him. This made the seagull more fearful about flying across the vast sea that stretched down beneath, when he ran forward to the brink of the ledge.
3) What happened after the seagull's feet sank into the sea? 
Ans:- Though the seagull's feet sank into the sea, he sank no further. His belly touched the surface of the sea and he kept floating on it with his family screaming and praising around him.
4) What did the young seagull do to attract his mother's attention?
Ans:- The seagull stood on the brink of the ledge on one leg with the other leg hidden under his wing. He closed each eye alternatively and pretended to be falling asleep.
5) How did the young seagull's parent treat him initially when he did not fly?
Ans:- Initially when the seagull was afraid to fly his parents used to call himm shrilly. They scolded him, threatened him and taunted him as cowar.
6) What lesson do you learn from this simple story? 
Ans:- This story gives us a great lesson that any task is not so much difficult. But we have to take the risk and initiative and try our level best.
7) Why is it difficult to do something for the first time?
Ans:- It is very difficult to do something for the first time because one is not familiar with the task and has not gone through such experience.
8) How did he float on the green sea? 
Ans:- He dropped his legs. His feet sank into the sea and then his belly touched it and he started floating on it.