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Read the following extract and… (English 2025 2/2/1 Q6a)

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EnglishCBSE Class 10 · Board exam 2025, set 2/2/1 · 5 marks · Reading comprehension

CBSE Class 10 English 2025: question 6(a)

Set in the CBSE Class 10 board exam of 2025, paper 2/2/1, section C, question 6(a), for 5 marks. Try it first; the hints and our step-by-step solution are below.

Q6(a) · 5 marks · Reading comprehensionCompetency-basedTwo Stories about Flying

Read the following extract and answer the questions.

He felt certain that his wings would never support him; so he bent his head and ran away back to the little hole under the ledge where he slept at night. Even when each of his brothers and his little sister, whose wings were far shorter than his own, ran to the brink, flapped their wings, and flew away, he failed to muster up courage to take that plunge which appeared to him so desperate. His father and mother had come around calling to him shrilly, upbraiding him, threatening to let him starve on his ledge unless he flew away. But for the life of him he could not move.

(Two Stories about Flying – His First Flight)

  1. (i)

    State any one inference about the parents of the baby seagull from the given statement.

    "His father and mother had come around calling to him shrilly, upbraiding him, threatening to let him starve on his ledge unless he flew away."

    1 mark
  2. (ii)

    Where did the little seagull sleep at night?

    1 mark
  3. (iii)

    Which factors contributed to the young seagull's reluctance to fly despite the encouragement and threats from his parents? Elaborate in about 40 words, with reference to the extract.

    2 marks
  4. (iv)

    Which phrase or word would correctly substitute 'muster up' in the given sentence from the extract?

    He failed to 'muster up' courage to take that plunge which appeared to him so desperate.

    1. (A)review
    2. (B)resolve
    3. (C)distribute
    4. (D)gather
    1 mark

Source: official question paper from cbse.gov.in (PDF). See it in the full 2025 board paper, set 2/2/1.

Hints

Open one hint at a time and try again before the next.

Hint 1

Look at the verbs describing how the parents call to him.

Hint 2

The sleeping place is stated early in the extract.

Hint 3

For (iv), think of what you do with courage when you 'muster' it.

Step-by-step solution

Each step shows the marks it earns, as an examiner would award them. Checked by an independent re-solve from the question paper.

  1. (i) The parents are concerned about him and want him to become independent. Their tough love pushes him to fly (any one inference).

    1 mark

  2. (ii) He slept in a little hole under the ledge.

    1 mark

  3. (iii) He feared his wings would not support him and was afraid of the height. He saw his siblings fly despite shorter wings, yet could not find the courage. The parents' shrill calls and threats added pressure to his fear.

    2 marks

  4. (iv) Option (D): gather. 'Muster up courage' means to gather courage.

    1 mark

Answer: (i) parents are concerned and use tough love; (ii) in a hole under the ledge; (iii) fear of wings failing and heights, plus pressure from parents; (iv) D (gather)

Where the marks are

  • (i) one valid inference (1 mark)
  • (ii) hole under the ledge (1 mark)
  • (iii) two factors with reference to the extract (2 marks)
  • (iv) D (1 mark)

Revise the chapter

Practise this chapterBoard-style questions from Two Stories about Flying, one at a time, marked against the answer key and marking points.Back to the full paper2025 board paper, set 2/2/1: every question, by section.

The question is transcribed from the official paper; figures are described in words. The solution, hints and chapter tag are ours. Spotted an error? Write tosupport@questionbuddy.in.