Class 10 English - First Flight - Chapter The Proposal NCERT Solutions | What does Chubukov at first suspect that

Chubukov says of Natalya: “... as if she won’t consent! She’s in love; egad, she’s like a lovesick cat...” Would you agree? Find reasons for your answer.

(i) Find all the words and expressions in the play that the characters use to speak about each other, and the accusations and insults they hurl at each other. (For example, Lomov in the end calls Chubukov an intriguer; but earlier, Chubukov has himself called Lomov a “malicious, doublefaced intriguer.” Again, Lomov begins by describing Natalya as “an excellent housekeeper, not bad-looking, well-educated.”)
(ii) Then think of five adjectives or adjectival expressions of your own to describe each character in the play.
(iii) Can you now imagine what these characters will quarrel about next?

You must have noticed that when we report someone’s exact words, we have to make some changes in the sentence structure. In the following sentences fill in the blanks to list the changes that have occurred in the above pairs of sentences. One has been done for you. Questions.

1.To report a question, we use the reporting verb asked (as in sentence set 1).

2.To report a declaration, we use the reporting verb 

3.The adverb of place here changes to _____

4.When the verb in the direct speech is in the present tense, the verb in reported speech is in the tense (as in sentence set 3).

5.If the Verb in direct speech is in the present continuous tense, the verb in reported speech changes to ____ tense. For example, ____ changes to was getting.

6.When the sentence in direct speech contains a word denoting respect, we add the adverb ____ in the reporting clause (as in sentence set 1)

7.The pronouns I, me, our and mine, which are used in the first person in direct speech, change to third person pronouns to such as _____ or ____ in reported speech.

This play has been translated into English from the Russian original. Are there any expressions or ways of speaking that strike you as more Russian than English? For example, would an adult man be addressed by an older man as my darling or my treasure in an English play?

Read through the play carefully, and find expressions that you think are not used in contemporary English, and contrast these with idiomatic modern English expressions that also occur in the play.

Where in the classroom does Wanda sit and why?
 

What was Valli’s favourite pastime?

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?

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?
 

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

Why didn’t Valli want to go to the stall and have a drink? What does this tell you about her?

There are two kinds of conflict in the story: between humans and nature, and between humans themselves. How are these conflicts illustrated?

Who does Lencho have complete faith in? Which sentences in the story tell you this?

How does Mandela describe the systems of government in his country

(i) in the first decade, and
(ii) in the final decade of the twentieth century?

Why did such a large number of international leaders attend the inauguration ? What did it signify the triumph of?

Why does Valli refuse to look out of the window on her way back?

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

What did Lencho hope for?

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

• aloof and indifferent
• friendly
• hostile

 Read the story and find the sentences where Maxwell describes his pet otter. Then choose and arrange your sentences to illustrate those statements below that you think are true.

Maxwell’s description

(i) makes Mij seem almost human, like a small boy.
(ii) shows that he is often irritated with what Mij does.
(iii) shows that he is often surprised by what Mij does.
(iv) of Mij’s antics is comical.
(v) shows that he observes the antics of Mij very carefully.
(vi) shows that he thinks Mij is a very ordinary otter.
(vii) shows that he thinks the otter is very unusual.