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Chapter 7 of the UP Board Class 9 English Beehive book – “Reach for the Top,” tells the inspiring story of Santosh Yadav. She was a girl from a village in Haryana who became a famous mountain climber. The chapter shows how Santosh faced many challenges growing up. The story tells us about her amazing achievement of climbing Mount Everest twice.
UP Board Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 7 Solutions
Subject | English (Beehive) |
Class | 9th |
Chapter | 7. Reach for the Top |
Author | Anonymous |
Board | UP Board |
Part I : Santosh Yadav
Thinking about the Text
I. Answer these questions in one or two sentences each. (The paragraph numbers within brackets provide clues to the answers.)
1 . Why was the ‘holy man’ who gave Santosh’s mother his blessings surprised? (1)
Ans. The ‘holy man’ was surprised because Santosh’s family wanted a girl child, which was uncommon at that time. He had assumed they wanted a son, as was typical in their society.
2 . Give an example to show that even as a young girl Santosh was not ready to accept anything unreasonable. (2)
Ans. As a young girl, Santosh preferred wearing shorts instead of traditional dresses like other village girls. This shows she wasn’t afraid to challenge social norms and make her own choices, even at a young age.
3 . Why was Santosh sent to the local school? (3)
Ans. Santosh was sent to the local village school because it was the family’s custom. This was the usual practice for children in her community at that time.
4 . When did she leave home for Delhi, and why? (4)
Ans. Santosh left home for Delhi when she turned sixteen. She wanted to pursue higher education in the city, which offered better opportunities than her village.
5 . Why did Santosh’s parents agree to pay for her schooling in Delhi? What mental qualities of Santosh are brought into light by this incident? (4)
Ans. Santosh’s parents agreed to pay for her schooling in Delhi after she said she would work part-time to pay for it herself. This shows Santosh’s determination and independence. She was willing to work hard for her goals and wasn’t easily discouraged.
II. Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (about 30 words)
1 . How did Santosh begin to climb mountains?
Ans. Santosh began climbing mountains out of curiosity. From her hostel room in Jaipur, she saw people going up the Aravalli Hills. When she investigated, she found they were mountaineers. She asked to join them, and they agreed. This experience sparked her interest in mountain climbing.
2 . What incidents during the Everest expedition show Santosh’s concern for her team-mates?
Ans. During the Everest expedition, Santosh showed concern for her teammates by sharing her oxygen cylinder with them. Although she couldn’t save one teammate, her quick thinking and willingness to share resources helped save another. This demonstrates her selflessness and team spirit in a dangerous situation.
3 . What shows her concern for the environment?
Ans. Santosh’s concern for the environment is evident from her efforts to clean up Mount Everest. She collected and brought down 500 kilograms of garbage from the mountain. This action shows her commitment to preserving nature and leaving no trace, even in extreme conditions.
4 . How does she describe her feelings at the summit of the Everest?
Ans. At the summit of Everest, Santosh felt overwhelmed by the moment’s significance. She described her feelings as indescribable and said it took time to fully grasp what she had achieved. Unfurling the Indian flag at the top was a spiritual and proud moment for her as an Indian.
5 . Santosh Yadav got into the record books both times she scaled Mt Everest. What were the reasons for this?
Ans. Santosh Yadav set records both times she climbed Mount Everest. On her first climb, she became the youngest woman in the world to reach the summit. On her second climb, she became the only woman to have scaled Everest twice. These achievements put her in the record books and highlighted her exceptional mountaineering skills.
III. Complete the following statements
Ans.
- From her room in Kasturba Hostel, Santosh used to watch villagers going up the hill and suddenly vanish after a while.
- When she finished college, Santosh had to write a letter of apology to her father because she had got herself enrolled at Uttarkashi’s Nehru Institute of Mountaineering without his permission.
- During the Everest expedition, her seniors in the team admired her climbing skills, physical fitness and mental strength while her concern for others and desire to work together with them endeared her to fellow climbers.
IV. Pick out words from the text that mean the same as the following words or expressions.
Ans.
- took to be true without proof (1): Assumed
- based on reason; sensible; reasonable (2): Rational
- the usual way of doing things (3): Custom
- a strong desire arising from within (5): Urge
- the power to endure, without falling ill (7): Resistance.
Part II : Maria Sharapova
Thinking about the Text
1 . Working in small groups of 4−5 students, go back over the two passages on Santosh Yadav and Maria Sharapova and complete the table given below with relevant phrases or sentences.
Points of Comparison/Contrast | Santosh Yadav | Maria Sharapova |
---|---|---|
1. Their humble beginning | Santosh was born in a small village called Joniyawas in Haryana’s Rewari District. | Maria hails from Siberia, where she spent her early years. |
2. Their parents’ approach | Santosh faced the traditional family expectations, where girls were encouraged to marry young and attend local schools. At sixteen, many girls in her village were married, and she too was pressured, but she stood firm on her decision to continue studying. Initially, her parents were hesitant to support her education but gradually accepted her determination. | Maria’s parents decided to send her to the United States for tennis training. Her father accompanied her to Florida, where her career in tennis took off. Her father worked tirelessly to support her training and dreams. |
3. . Their will power and strong desire to succeed | Santosh had a deep desire to study further. She took matters into her own hands, moving to Delhi for better educational opportunities. She worked hard and saved up to join Uttarkashi’s Nehru Institute of Mountaineering to follow her passion for climbing. She dedicated herself fully to the training and pursuit of mountaineering. | Maria turned challenges into motivation, becoming even more focused and mentally tough. Her strong drive to succeed and willingness to sacrifice kept her going. She committed to working hard with a clear goal of becoming the world’s best |
4. Evidence of their mental toughness | Santosh lived by her own values, never giving in to societal pressures. She believed in choosing the right path for herself, which eventually led others around her to adapt. To support her education, she found ways to earn money while studying. Her perseverance showed as she took on expeditions annually. Her resilience and strength impressed those who worked with her. | Maria learned to be self-reliant and never gave up, knowing what she wanted in life. She remained steadfast in pursuing her goals, despite the obstacles and difficulties she faced. |
5. Their patriotism | When Santosh reached the summit of the world’s highest peak, she proudly raised the Indian flag, feeling an immense sense of pride and fulfillment. | Maria, though having spent significant time in the U.S., has always identified as Russian and remained committed to representing Russia in international competitions like the Olympics. |
Thinking about the Language
I. Identify the two parts in the sentences below by underlining the part that gives us the information in brackets.
- Where other girls wore traditional Indian dresses, Santosh preferred shorts.
(Contrasts her dress with that of others) - She left home and got herself enrolled in a school in Delhi. (Tells us what happened after the first action.)
- She decided to fight the system when the right moment arrived. (Tells us when she was going to fight the system.)
- Little Maria had not yet celebrated her tenth birthday when she was packed off to train in the United States. (Tells us when Maria was sent to the U.S.)
Ans.
- Where other girls wore traditional Indian dresses, Santosh preferred shorts.
- She left home and got herself enrolled in a school in Delhi.
- She decided to fight the system when the right moment arrived.
- Little Maria had not yet celebrated her tenth birthday when she was packed off to train in the United States.
II. Now rewrite the pairs of sentences given below as one sentence
- Grandfather told me about the old days. All books were printed on paper then.
- What do you do after you finish the book? Perhaps you just throw it away.
- He gave the little girl an apple. He took the computer apart.
- You have nothing. That makes you very determined.
- I never thought of quitting. I knew what I wanted.
Ans.
- Grandfather told me about the old days when all books were printed on paper.
- After finishing the book, perhaps you just throw it away.
- After giving the little girl an apple, he took the computer apart.
- Having nothing makes you very determined.
- I never thought of quitting as I knew what I wanted.