Question

Read the given extract and answer question given below.

With a loud scream he fell outwards and given downwards into space. Then a monstrous terror seized him and his heart stood still. He could hear nothing. But it only lasted a minute. The next moment he felt his wings spread outwards. The wind rushed against his breast feathers, then under his stomach, and against his wings. He could feel the tips of his wings cutting through the air. He was not falling headlong now. He was soaring gradually downwards and outwards. (His First Flight)

1. What effect does the experience, as described in the lines below, have on the baby seagull?
   With a loud scream he fell outwards and downwards into space. Then a monstrous terror seized him and his heart stood still.
   Choose the most suitable option.    (1)
   1. exhilarates
   2. overwhelms
   3. energises
   4. confuses
2. How does the author's use of descriptive language enhance the narrative technique in the paragraph?   (2)
3. Fill in the blank with the correct word from the bracket.   (1)
   The use of the word ‘rushed’ adds to a sense of ______ (speed/relief), in the extract.
   
4. How does the seagull's feelings towards the end of the extract contrast with the initial feeling of terror?   (1)

Answer 1

1. Overwhelms
2. The author's descriptive language clearly portrays the baby seagull's intense emotional journey and physical sensations during its first flight—' monstrous terror’ and ‘wind rushed against his breast feathers’—helping the reader sense the seagull's experience. This enhances the narrative's emotional impact and makes it real.
3. The use of the word ‘rushed’ adds to a sense of speed, in the extract.
4. The seagull's initial feeling of terror contrasts sharply with the sense of exhilaration/freedom/empowerment/excitement as it learns to fly and soars.