First Flight, an NCERT Book for Class 10 English is given to free download in PDF form. Moreover, you can also read online Class 10 NCERT English Book The First Flight.
First Flight, a textbook in English for Class X, is based on the new syllabus in English. The English curriculum lays emphasis on providing a variety of rich, comprehensible inputs to learners to enable their engagement in learning; and on recognizing the multilingualism of everyday experience in India. Above all the textbook aims at helping the learner to read for meaning in context, thus providing a bank of language to serve as a base for communication in English.
Here, is the overview of Class 10 NCERT English book First Flight syllabus:
- Chapter 1. A Letter to God
- Chapter 2. Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
- Chapter 3. Two Stories about Flying
- Chapter 4. From the Diary of Anne Frank
- Chapter 5. The Hundred Dresses–I
- Chapter 6. The Hundred Dresses–II
- Chapter 7. Glimpses of India
- Chapter 8. Mijbil the Otter
- Chapter 9. Madam Rides the Bus
- Chapter 10. The Sermon at Benares
- Chapter 11. The ProposalÂ
Below given are the chapter-wise details of First Flight NCERT Class 10 English Book.
Chapter 1 – A Letter to God
Written by G.L. Fuentes, The story, “A Letter to God” by G.L. Fuentes, this story depicts the unwavering faith of a farmer named Lencho in God. He was an honest farmer. His crops got destroyed due to hailstorm thus he wrote a letter to God to send him money. He knew that when someone in trouble then God will help. The postmaster saw the letter and decided to help him. He collected some money and put it in the envelope. When Lencho came to the post office, the office people gave him the envelope. This story is all about his faith and how the postman helped him anonymously by collecting money in the name of God.
Chapter 2 – Nelson Mandela – Long Walk to Freedom
The chapter is all about Nelson Mandela, the first black President of South Africa. It begins with the description of the speeches and the inaugural ceremony of the newly elected president. Thereafter, the chapter takes you to the first decade of the twentieth century when the white supremacy introduced the system that made the life of the dark-skinned population as hell. It describes how Nelson Mandela and other black people have struggled at that time and how he joined the African National Congress and fought for his rights.
Chapter 3 – Two Stories about Flying
This chapter includes two parts namely His First Flight and Black Aeroplane. Both stories are related to the experiences of flying and are completely unique. The first one is written by Liam O’Flaherty and is about a young seagull who is afraid of flying. Here students will find why does he afraid and how does he conquer his fear. The second part is written by Frederick Forsyth where you’ll read the story of the pilot who got stuck in the storm clouds. The story tells the incident that happens on the way and how he escapes death miraculously.
Chapter 4 – From the Diary of Anne Frank
The chapter is about the content written in the diary of Anne Frank. Anne gave an introduction of her family in the ‘diary’ because it was hard to make others realize that a 13 years old teenager could write about her loneliness. Kitty was an ‘outsider’ who was gifted by her parents on her 13th birthday but she considered it her best friend and treated it as an insider. She immediately needs a true friend with whom she can share her feelings and thus she decides to write a diary. Unlike others, she doesn’t mention facts in the diary rather, she describes her background, her family, her early childhood, and her schooling. She decides to name her diary as a kitty. She decides to mention his math professor who gave her punishments in the form of essays on weird topics.
Chapter 5 – The Hundred Dresses – 1
This story is about a poor girl, Wanda Patronski, who goes to school with other American Children in an American Town. This chapter describes how this poor girl is judged by her classmates. Her classmates find her completely different in many ways. This story is based on the true experiences of the author about the girl who is teased by her classmates. She is always quiet and always wears the same faded blue dress to the school every day, although she claims to have a hundred dresses. This story is told from the perspective of one of Wanda’s classmates, Maddie.
Chapter 6 – The Hundred Dresses – 2
The story begins with the letter from Wanda’s father informing about their moving to a big city where no one would tease Wanda for their appearance and funny name. After knowing about the letter, the whole class realized their rude and derogatory attitude towards Wanda. Maddie and Peggy were regretting hard and she couldn’t concentrate on her studies. Both of them went to Wanda’s residence but that time they had already left. On Christmas, the teacher received another letter from Wanda informing that she had new dresses and thus the old one should be gifted to Maddie and Peggy.
Chapter 7 – Glimpses of India
This chapter comprises three parts namely A Baker from Goa, Coorg, and Tea from Assam. All three parts are beautifully narrated. The first one is written by Lucie Rodrigues and is a pen-portrait of Goan village baker. Written by Lokesh Abrol, the second part is about Coorg which is a coffee town and is famous for its rainforests and spices. The third part describes the story of Pranjol, a youngster from Assam, whose father is a manager of tea-garden in Upper Assam. He has invited his friend Rajvir and explained to him about tea gardens. It is written by Arup Kumar Datta.
Chapter 8 – Mijbil the Otter
The story is all about the author who loves pets but when his dog Jonnie died, he was too sad to think of keeping a dog again. He traveled to Southern Iraq and thought of having an Otter. He went to Basra to get an Otter and there he found Mijbil. Here, students will get to read what happened when the writer found Mijbil, how the narrator brought Mijbil to his place, was Mijbil comfortable with him, etc.
Chapter 9 – Madam Rides the Bus
This is a sensitive and heart-touching story of an eight years old girl’s first bus journey into the world outside her village. Valli tried to understand the mystery of life and death at a very tender age. The outside world for Valli was quite charming and this she decided to go to the town all by herself. She herself paid the bus fare and enjoyed the journey and she was trying to understand the meaning of life and death in her own terms. She returned home in time and none of the family members could know about her journey.
Chapter 10 – The Sermon at Benares
Written by Bretty Renshaw, this chapter covers the complete journey of Gautam Buddha (Siddhartha) right from the patrician hood to his sainted life. Students here will realize why Siddhartha gave up all the worldly pleasures and sought-after enlightenment. He wandered for seven years and at last attained salvation beneath a tree at Bodhgaya. Due to the presence of the Ganga river, his first sermon was delivered at Benares as this place was considered the holiest. This chapter describes how someone can attain peace of mind and the way one will put off the arrow of lamentation, complaint, and grief.
Chapter 11 – The Proposal
This story is written by Russian story author and writer Anton Chekhov. it’s a one-act play that was originally titled ” The Marriage Proposal”. it’s regarding the tendency of rich families to seek ties with different wealthy families. Ivan Lomov, a rich neighbor of Stepan Chubukov, additionally too came to hunt the hand of Chubukov’s girl Natalya. All 3 were argumentative individuals. Here students can get to browse what happened to the marriage proposal amidst their quarrel.