NCERT Solutions 09th English Chapter 8 Reach for the Top

1. Why was the ‘holy man’ who gave Santosh’s mother his blessings surprised? (1)
Answer:
The ‘holy man’ was surprised because he had assumed that Santosh’s mother wanted a
son. However, the unborn child's grandmother told him that they did not want a son.
2. Give an example to show that even as a young girl Santosh was not ready to accept anything unreasonable. (2)
Answer:
Santosh always lived life on her own terms. Unlike the other girls in the village who wore traditional dresses, she liked to wear shorts. This shows her rebellious attitude.
3. Why was Santosh sent to the local school? (3)
Answer:
Santosh was sent to the local village school due to the prevailing custom in the family.
4. When did she leave home for Delhi, and why? (4)
Answer:
When she turned sixteen left home for Delhi because she wanted to pursue higher education there.
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)
Answer:
When Santosh's parents refused to pay for her schooling in Delhi, she informed them of her plans to do a part-time job and pay her school fees. Then, her parents agreed to pay for her schooling in Delhi.
This shows that Santosh was a mentally-strong girl. She was full of self-determination.
II. Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (about 30 words).
1. How did Santosh begin to climb mountains?
Answer:
While she was staying at her hostel in Jaipur, from her room she used to watch people going up the Aravalli Hills and vanishing after a while. She became curious about this. On investigating, she found that they all were mountaineers. She asked if she could join them. On her request they agreed to let her join them in mountain climbing. This was how she began climbing mountains.
2. What incidents during the Everest expedition show Santosh’s concern for her team-mates?
Answer:
During her Everest expedition she showed immense concern for her team-mates. She shared her oxygen cylinder with her team-mates. Though she was unsuccessful in saving the life of one of them, another one could be saved because of her help.
3. What shows her concern for the environment?
Answer:
Her concern for the environment is evident from the fact that she collected and brought down 500 kilograms of garbage from the Everest.
4. How does she describe her feelings at the summit of the Everest?
Answer:
She said that it took some time for the enormity of the moment to sink in. She asserted that her feeling was indescribable. Unfurling the Indian flag on the top of the world was a spiritual moment for her and she felt proud as an Indian.
5. Santosh Yadav got into the record books both times she scaled Mt Everest. What were the reasons for this?
Answer:
When Santosh Yadav first scaled Mt Everest, she became the youngest woman in the world to achieve this goal. When she scaled the Everest the second time, she became the only woman to have scaled it twice.
III. Complete the following statements.
1. From her room in Kasturba Hostel, Santosh used to _________
2. When she finished college, Santosh had to write a letter of apology to her father because _________
3. During the Everest expedition, her seniors in the team admired her _________ while _________endeared her to fellow climbers.
Answer:
1. From her room in Kasturba Hostel, Santosh used to watch villagers going up the hill and suddenly vanish after a while.
2. 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.
3. 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. (Look in the paragraphs indicated.)
1. took to be true without proof (1): _________
2. based on reason; sensible; reasonable (2): _________
3. the usual way of doing things (3): _________
4. a strong desire arising from within (5): _________
5. the power to endure, without falling ill (7): _________
Answer:
1. took to be true without proof (1): Assumed
2. based on reason; sensible; reasonable (2): Rational
3. the usual way of doing things (3): Custom
4. a strong desire arising from within (5): Urge
5. the power to endure, without falling ill (7): Resistance