Class 10 English Chapter 7 The Black Aeroplane

 

TEXTUAL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

1. “I’ll take the risk” What is the risk? Why does the narrator take it? 

Ans: The ‘risk’ is flying the old Dakota plane into the strongest. 

The narrator took the risk because he wanted to get home and have his breakfast. 

2. Describe the narrator’s experience as he flew the aeroplane into the storm. 

Ans: The narrator was flying his old Dakota aeroplane at ease. But suddenly black clouds appeared in the sky. He flew straight into the stormy clouds and could see nothing. Suddenly the radio and the compass went dead. He was completely lost in the storm. But he saw another plane that had no lights. The pilot of that plane guided the narrator to the airport. He safely landed but was astonished to see that the plane was gone. 

3. Why does the narrator say, “I landed and was not sorry to walk away from the old Dakota…… “?

Ans: The narrator says that he was not sorry because he lost nothing. His life and his plane were in severe danger but he landed his plane and safely cane out of it. One mysterious plane had helped him. 

4. What made the woman in the control centre look at the narrator strangely? 

Ans: The narrator asked the woman in the control centre about the there plane that guided him through the storm safely. But no plane was seen in the sky intact. The woman saw only the Dakota in the radar. So such a question made the woman strange. 

5. Who do you think helped the narrator to reach safely? Discuss this among yourselves and give reasons for your answer.

Ans: In fact it is a kind of supernatural thing that appeared before the narrator and helped him to land safely. Because the narrator was in severe danger to his life. The mysterious plane seemed to know everything. And it is only possible for some supernatural power to know the problem and help to overcome it. 

Thinking about language

1. Study the sentences given below. 

(a)  They looked like black mountains. 

(b)  Inside the clouds, everything was suddenly black. 

(c)  In the black clouds near me, I saw another aeroplane. 

(d)  The strange black aeroplanes was there. 

The word ‘black’ in sentences (a) and (c)  refers to the very darkest colour. But in (b)  and (d)  (here) it means without light/with no light. ‘Black’ has a variety of meaning in different contexts. For example :

(a) ‘ I prefer black tea’ means ‘I prefer tea without milk’. 

(b)  ‘With increasing pollution the future of the world in black’ means ‘with increasing pollution the future the world is very depressing without hope’. 

Now try to  guess the meaning of the word ‘black’ in the sentences given below. Check the meanings in the dictionary and find out whether you have guessed right. 

1. Go and have a bath; your hands and face are absolutely black. ————

2. The taxi-driver gave Ratan a black look as he crossed the road when the traffic light was green. ————

3. The bombardment of Hiroshima is one of the blackest crimes against humanity. ———–

4. Very few people enjoy Harold Pinter’s black comedy.——–

5. Sometimes shopkeepers store essential goods to create false scarcity and then sell these in black. ———

6. Village had beaten the criminal black and blue. ——

Ans: 1.  black in colour; dirty. 

2. Angry look.

3. The most heinous crime. 

4. Comedy with a tragic elements or basic pessimism. 

5. Unlawful selling of goods especially for the purpose of making maximum profit. 

6. Black and blue means covered with bruises. 

2. Look at these sentences taken from the lesson you have just read:

(a)  I was flying old Dakota aeroplane. 

(b)  The young seagull had been afraid to fly with them. In the first sentence the author was controlling an aircraft in the air. Another example is :

Children are flying kites. In the second sentence the seagull was afraid to move through the air, using its wings. 

Match the phrases Given under Column A with their meanings given under Column B. 

A	B
1. Fly a flag	-move quickly /suddenly.
2. Fly into rages	– Be successful.
3. Fly along	– Display a flag on a long people.
4. Fly high	– Escape from a place.
5. Fly the coop	– Become suddenly very angry.

Ans: 1. Fly a flag – Display a flag on a long pole. 

2. Fly into rage- Become suddenly very angry. 

3. Fly along – Move quickly, suddenly. 

4. Fly high – Be successful. 

5. Fly the coop – Escape from a place. 

3. We know that the word ‘fly’s  (of birds/insects)means to move through air using wings. Tick the words which have the same or nearly the same meaning. 

Swoop               flit                paddle              Flutter   

Ascend              float             ride                   skim  

Sink                   dart              hover                glide  

Descend            soar             shoot                spring  

Stay                   fail                sail                   flap 

Ans: The following are the words that have same or nearly meaning of ‘move through air using wings’. 

Swoop                flit                 flutter               ascend  

Hover                 glide              soar                 sail  

Flap

Writing

Have you ever been alone or away from home during a thunderstorm? Narrate your experience in a paragraph. 

Caught in a Thunderstorm 

Last year I went to my uncle’s house during summer vacation. I had a nice time enjoying natural beauty there. In the afternoons I played with the village boys in the open. One days as we all were playing the sky suddenly grew dark. There was lighting accompanied by a storm. We were terror-stricken. We ran fast. After an hour of heavy shower the thunderstorm ceased. 

Comprehension Questions and Answers : 

Q:- Read the passage carefully and answer the question by choosing the appropriate options given below:-

1. The moon was coming up in the east, behind me, and stars were shining in the clear sky above me. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky. I was happy to be alone high up above the sleeping countryside. I was flying my old Dakota aeroplane over France back to England. I was dreaming of my holiday and looking forward to being with my family. I looked at my watch: one thirty in the morning. 

Question :-

1. What indicates that the weather was good? 

a)  Shining stars.

b) Rising moon.

c)  Cloudless sky.  

d)  All these.

Ans: d)  All these.

2. He was flying –

a)  To France. 

b)  Back to England. 

c)  Over England.

d) From France. 

Ans: b)  Back to England.

3. What was he dreaming –

a)  Of landing. 

b)  Of flying smoothly. 

c)  Of holiday with his family. 

d)  To be with his family. 

Ans: c)  Of holiday with his family.

4. In his plane he was –

a) Alone.    

b) With his family. 

c)  With a co-pilot.    

d) With his friend 

Ans: a) Alone. 

2. Inside the clouds, everything was suddenly black. It was impossible to see anything outside the aeroplane. The old aeroplane jumped and twisted in the air. I looked at the compass. I couldn’t believe my eyes : the compass was turning round and round. It was dead. It would not work! The other instruments were suddenly dead, too. I tried the radio. 

“Paris Control? Paris Control? Can you hear me?”

Question :-

1. The pilot could not see anything outside because –

a)  Of thick clouds.    

b) Of strom.

c)  Everything was suddenly black. 

d) Of heavy rainfall. 

Ans: c)  Everything was suddenly black.

2. The pilot looked at the compass-

a)  To know his position. 

b)  To see the direction. 

c)  To measure the clouds. 

d)  To see the direction of the clouds. 

Ans: a)  To know his position.

3. The compass turned round and round means-

a)  It was busy working.  

b)  It would work.     

c) It was dead.   

d)  It would never work. 

Ans: c) It was dead.

4. The word ‘twisted’ means-

a)  Jumped.     

b) Bent. 

c)  Moved up.    

d) Moved right and left. 

Ans: d) Moved right and left. 

3. Suddenly I came out of the clouds and saw two long straight lines of lights in front of me. It was a runway! An airport! I was safe! I turned to look for my friend in the black aeroplane, but the sky was empty. There was nothing there. The black aeroplane was gone. I could not see it anywhere. 

I landed and was not sorry to walk away from the old Dakota near the control tower. I went and asked a woman in the control centre where I was and who the other pilot was. I wanted to say “Thank you.”

Question

1. When did the author see a run way? 

a)  When he saw the control tower.

b)  When he saw the black aeroplane landing. 

c)  When he came out of the clouds. 

d)  When there were lights. 

Ans: c)  When he came out of the clouds.

2. What did the author do when he saw the airport? 

a)  He shouted with joy. 

b)  He was looking for the black plane. 

c)  He landed. 

d)  Looked at the sky. 

Ans: c)  He landed.

3. What did he do after landing? 

a)  He went to the control centre. 

b)  He searched the other pilot. 

c)  He met a woman. 

d)  He asked the woman about the black aeroplane. 

Ans: a)  He went to the control centre.

4. ‘Suddenly ‘ means-

a)  Instantly.   

b)  At once.

c)  At that moment.

d) All in a sudden. 

Ans: d) All in a sudden. 

Short Answer Type Questions

1. What was the author thinking as he was flying over France to England? 

Ans: The author was flying his old Dakota over France to England. The sky was cloudless. He was thinking of his holiday and his being with the family. He also thought of a good English break fast at home. 

2. What happened when the author turned west towards England? 

Ans: The author turned twelve degrees west towards England and he saw storm clouds that looked likes black mountains. They were huge and stood in front of him across the sky. He could not fly over them because he did not have enough fuel. 

3. How did the author feel when he was inside the clouds? 

Ans: When the author was inside the clouds he could see nothing outside because everything became black. His plane jumped and twisted in the air. The compass and all the other instruments were dead. He was completely helpless. He was lost in the storm. 

4. What happened when the author was lost in the storm? 

Ans: As soon as the author was lost in the storm he saw another plane near him. It had no lights. But he could see the pilot who lifted one hand and waved and asked to follow him.

5. What did the author do after safe landing? 

Ans: Finally, the author succeeded to land his plane safely in an airport. He walked to the control center. There he asked a woman where he was and who the other pilot was. He wanted to thank the pilot. 

6. What was the reply of the woman in the control centre? 

Ans: The woman in the control centre was extremely astonished at the words of the author. She clearly said that there was no other plane up in that storm. The author’s plane was the only one seen on the radar. 

Long Answer Type Question

1. Briefly describe the author’s journey in his Dakota. 

Ans: On a clear night the author was flying his old Dakota over France back to England. Suddenly black stormy clouds appeared before him. He was lost as he flew into the storm. He could see nothing outside. Suddenly he saw another plane. The pilot cane into his aid. He asked the author to follow him. 

After half-an-hour the author came out of the clouds and safely landed. But he was strangely surprised to see that the other plane was gone. The woman in the control center said that there was no other plane in the storm. 

2. How did the author succeed to come out safely from the black clouds? 

Ans: The pilot of the other plane came into the author’s aid. He asked the author to follow him. The author followed the plane in the storm. After half an hour the strange plane was still in front of the author’s plane in the clouds. Then it started to go down and the author followed him. Suddenly the author came out of the clouds. He saw an airport and landed safely.