Class 10 English - First Flight - Chapter Madam Rides the Bus NCERT Solutions | Why does the conductor call Valli &lsquo

Why didn’t Valli want to make friends with the elderly woman?

Have you made a journey that was unforgettable in some way? What made it memorable?

Are you concerned about traffic and road safety? What are your concerns? How would you make road travel safer and more enjoyable?

Have you ever planned something entirely on your own, without taking grown- ups into your confidence? What did you plan, and how? Did you carry out your plan?

The author describes the things that Valli sees from an eight-year-old’s point of view. Can you find evidence from the text for this statement?

Why does Valli stand up on the seat? What does she see now?

How did Valli save up money for her first journey? Was it easy for her?

What kind of a person is Valli? To answer this question, pick out the following sentences from the text and fill in the blanks. The words you fill in are the clues to your answer.

What was a source of unending joy for Valli? What was her strongest desire?

How did Valli plan her bus ride? What did she find out about the bus, and how did she save up the fare?

Where in the classroom does Wanda sit and why?
 

What ‘experiment’ did Maxwell think Camusfearna would be suitable for?

What did Lencho hope for?

When her son dies, Kisa Gotami goes from house to house. What does she ask for? Does she get it? Why not?

Where did the ceremonies take place ? Can you name any public buildings in India that are made of sandstones?

What does Chubukov at first suspect that Lomov has come for? Is he sincere when he later says “And I’ve always loved you, my angel, as if you were my own son”? Find reasons for your answer from the play.

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?

Do you keep a diary? Given below under ‘A’ are some terms we use to describe a written record of personal experience. Can you match them with their descriptions under ‘B’? (You may
look up the terms in a dictionary if you wish.)
                       A                                                                                                                            B

      (i) Journal                                                                                     – A book with a separate space or page for each day, in which you write down your and                                                                                                                      feelings or what has happened on that day 

      (ii) Diary                                                                                       – A full record of a journey, a period of time, or  an event, written every day
      (iii) Log                                                                                         – A record of a person’s own life and experiences (usually, a famous person)
      (iv) Memoir(s)                                                                               – A written record of events with times and dates, usually official         

Where does Wanda live? What kind of a place do you think it is?
 

Why does he go to Basra? How long does he wait there, and why?

Who or what did Lencho have faith in? What did he do?

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

What does Kisa Gotami understand the second time that she failed to understand the first time? Was this what the Buddha wanted her to understand?

Why didn’t Maddie ask Peggie to stop teasing Wanda? What was she afraid of?
 

What “twin obligations” does Mandela mention?

What made Mr Keesing allow Anne to talk in class?

What does courage mean to Mandela?

What ideals does Nelson Mandela set for the future of South Africa?

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 aeroplane 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 meanings 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 is black’ means With increasing pollution the future of the world is very depressing/without hope’.

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

Questions.

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____.

6. Villagers had beaten the criminal black and blue____.

Tick the right answer. In the beginning, the otter was

• aloof and indifferent
• friendly
• hostile