Chapter 8 Reach for the Top | Class 9th Beehive Most Important Questions english

Reach for the Top Class 9 Important Questions

Part 1 Santosh Yadav
Short Answer Type Questions

1. How was Santosh different from other girls in her village?

Answer: Santosh was different from other girls in her village. She was not contended with the traditional way of life. She had begun living a life on her own terms from the very beginning. She did not wear traditional Indian dresses meant for village girls.

2. What decision Santosh had to take when she turned sixteen?

Answer: When Santosh turned sixteen, it was time for her to get married like other village girls. Most of the girls of her village got married when they turned sixteen. Her parents also pressed her for marriage. But Santosh refused to get married at an early age. She decided to continue her education.

3. What did her seniors think about Santosh’s ability as a climber?

Answer: Santosh was always appreciated by her seniors for her abilities and leadership qualities. They found her climbing skills, physical fitness and mental strength admirable. Her helping nature brought her very close to her fellow climbers.

4. How did Santosh save the life of a fellow climber, Mohan Singh?

Answer: During one of her expeditions to Mount Everest, she saved the life of her fellow climber Mohan Singh who was short of oxygen. When Santosh noticed him dying, she shared her oxygen with him and saved his life.

5. What difficulties did Santosh face in her childhood?

Answer: Though Santosh was born in a rich family who could easily send their children to the best schools, Santosh was sent to the local village school. She was not provided with the proper facilities to achieve success.

6. What shows Santosh’s concern for environment

Answer: Santosh had set the record as the only woman to climb Everest twice. She was also an ardent lover of environment and wanted to work for the betterment of it. Her concern for the environment can be seen when she brought 500 kg of garbage from the Himalayas.

Long Answer Type Questions

1. Determination and correct choice of path always lead to success. Do you agree? Elaborate with reference to the success story of Santosh Yadav.

Answer: Santosh Yadav was quite determined to choose her correct path. Born in a traditional family, she had to face many difficulties and opposition from her own family. Her parents wanted her to get married at the age of sixteen. She firmly opposed it and warned that she would never get married unless she got proper education.

She went to Delhi and got herself enrolled without her father’s permission. She decided to work part-time to meet her educational expenses. She went to Jaipur and joined the Mountaineering Institute. Her firm determination and hard work put her on the top of the world. She proved that nothing is impossible in this world if we are determined.

2. What inspired Santosh Yadav to be a climber? How does her life inspire you?

Answer: Santosh Yadav was different from the girls of her age. She was determined to choose her own way of life. She joined Maharani College at Jaipur. Her room in the hostel faced the Aravalli Hills. One day, she saw some villagers climbing the hills. She was fascinated to see them. She decided to climb the hills.

She went there and met some climbers. Seeing her mental toughness and strong determination, the climbers encouraged her to take climbing seriously. She polished her climbing skills at Nehru School of Mountaineering rapidly and conquered the Mount Everest twice.

She is an insipiration for all the ambitious girls. Her mental toughness, strong determination and willpower inspire us to undertake any task that we dream of, for nothing is impossible if one is determined and clear about one’s aim like Santosh.

3. Both Santosh Yadav and Maria Sharapova reached the top of the world in their respective fields. How are they alike and different? Out of the two whom would you make your role model and why?

Answer: Both Santosh Yadav and Maria Sharapova started from scratch. They faced opposition right from the beginning. But their strong determination, hard work and mental toughness helped them to fulfil their dreams.

Their background and monetary status differed. Maria Sharapova, unlike Santosh Yadav, did get the parental support in studies or career. Both are role models for me. Both reached the top in different situations. Both of them are fighters, determined and inspiring.

However, being an Indian, Santosh had to face both social and economic problems. She did not get the professional and economic support from her parents as Maria got. So if I have to choose one, I would choose Santosh Yadav as my role model.

4. Santosh Yadav saved the life of one of her fellows on expedition. It is an example of team spirit. What would you do under such a condition?

Answer: Santosh Yadav was on her expedition when one of the six members, Mohan Singh, exhausted his oxygen cylinder. All the team members were worried about Mohan Singh as there was no extra source of oxygen. It was a question of life and death for them.

Santosh Yadav could not see a team member dying like that. She had a sense of sacrifice and team spirit. Like a true Indian and a proud daughter of the country she decided to help her fellow climber, Mohan Singh. She risked her life and gave her share of oxygen to Mohan Singh.

She could never forget that moment, which sparkles in his eyes. Yes, it was the real team spirit that every sportsman must display. I would also have done the same in such a situation.

5. Do you think, that if girls like Santosh are allowed to go to school in village, it will improve our society? Justify.

Answer: Yes, I agree that if girls like Santosh Yadav are allowed to go to school in villages, it will bring a change in our society. Girls are talented and if they get an opportunity, they can excel in all the fields. An educated girl can educate the entire family and can enhance the moral of the society.

Gender bias is rooted deeply in our society. In the story, Santosh Yadav was not allowed to go out of her village school for higher education. She fought against the traditional system. Truly, Santosh is the role model to all village girls in India. In fact, the village girls are doing well in all fields. They have shown that they are not lagging behind in any field. So, they should be given equal chances to grow.

6. According to you, what are the social customs that do not allow the girls to get proper education? Should we revolt against the old social system? Why/Why not?

Answer: There are many social customs like early marriage, looking after household chores, social insecurity, etc. which do not allow the girls to get proper education in rural areas. Girls are expected to lead a traditional way of life. Revolt against the social customs and age-old tradition will bring unrest in society. If we revolt against any system, we pay a heavy cost. But it does not mean that we should continue to be victims of the system.

We need education and awareness. We need to change the mindset of people. We need to lead the battle. Mere modernity and westernization will not bring desirable changes. A remarkable change has come in our society. Now, girls are excelling in all the fields. So, ‘revolt’ is not a solution, reform is the need of the hour.

7. Like Santosh Yadav, your parents want you to settle like other girls in your society. But you are an ambitious girl and want to do something more in life. We see that some of the girls revolt against their parents and fall in bad company. They are misled and exploited. What will you do in such a situation? Elaborate.

Answer: It is true that most of the girls in our society do not get an opportunity to grow in their lives. They are confined to the four walls of their houses. There are many examples of ambitious girls who broke away from their families and tried to lead their own life. But how many of them succeeded is a pertinent question. Most of them fell in bad hands and got exploited.

They turned out to be depressed, desolute and isolated in their prime lives. We cannot have a satisfied and happy life without the support of family and society. Being an ambitious girl one should try to win over the family, seek their support and assure them of protection of values of family. I will not revolt against my family. I will take my parents into confidence before taking any step. I am sure our parents always think of our well-being.

Part 2 Maria Sharapova
Short Answer Type Questions

1. What is the most significant achievement of Maria Sharapova so far?

Answer: Maria Sharapova’s first major achievement was to win the women’s singles crown at Wimbledon in the year 2004. Another significant achievement of Maria was on 22 August 2005 when she reached the number one position in the world women tennis.

2. How did Maria’s father contribute to the success of Maria?

Answer: Maria was a Russian girl. Her father Yuri contributed significantly in shaping her future. He managed her training in the United States. He took her from Russia to Florida, the United States. He worked hard to earn money to make Maria continue her training.

3. How was Maria treated by her fellow students at Florida?

Answer: Maria was the youngest trainee. She was just nine years old. She would go to her bed at 8 p.m. but her seniors would return at 11 p.m. They used to wake her up and force her to do their work. She had to clean the room for them. She was insulted by them.

4. How did Maria react to humiliation and insults she faced during her training at Florida, the United States?

Answer: Maria was the youngest trainee. She was frequently ill-treated and humiliated by her seniors. But she was never depressed. She became more determined and mentally tough. She learnt how to adjust herself in an adverse situation.

5. What was the secret of Maria’s success?

Answer: Strong determination and mental toughness were the secret of Maria’s success. She was highly competitive and worked hard at whatever she did. She was never depressed. All her adverse conditions made her more alert and mentally sound.

6. What shows that Maria was proud of being a Russian?

Answer: Maria Sharapova is a Russian. She spent most of her time in the United States. She speaks with a pronounced American accent but she feels proud of being a Russian. She declared that she was ready to represent Russia in Olympics.

7. What are, other than tennis, Maria’s likings?

Answer: Maria Sharapova spent most of her time in playing tennis. But she has some other likings too. Her hobbies are fashion, singing and dancing. She is fond of wearing pretty evening gowns. She likes pancakes with chocolate spread and fizzy orange drinks.

8. Can Maria Sharapova be considered as a patriot? Substantiate your answer with examples.

Answer: Maria Sharapova was a patriot. She says that though America has played a major role in her life yet she is proud to be a Russian. She says that she holds the Russian citizenship and her blood is totally Russian. She is ready to play the Olympics for Russia if they would invite her to play.

9. Why did Maria Sharapova feel so lonely while getting her tennis training in the US?

Answer: She felt lonely because her mother was compelled to stay back in Siberia because of visa restrictions thereby had to bear two years of separation from her mother. Her father had to work hard to pay for her tennis training.

10. What motivated Maria to keep going?

Answer: Maria’s determination, mental toughness and her hunger for success to prove herself to the world motivated her to keep going.

11. How did the senior tennis players bully young Maria?

Answer: As Maria was quite young, she used to go to bed early. The senior tennis players came late in the night and would wake her up asking her to clean up the room for them. This made her more determined and mentally tough.

12. What does Maria say about her Russian origin?

Answer: Maria Sharapova says that though America has played a major role in her life yet she is proud to be a Russian. She says that she still holds the Russian citizenship and her blood is totally Russian. She is ready to play the Olympics for Russia if they would invite her to play.

Long Answer Type Questions

1. Describe Maria Sharapova’s rapid ascent to number one position in tennis. What do you learn from her life?

Answer: Maria Sharapova is a Russian. She belonged to a poor family of Siberia. She was just nine years old when her father took her to Florida for training in tennis. Her mother could not come with her because of some visa problems. She was alone. She shared her room with other pupils who were older to her. She was the only non-American student and had to bear the insults and humiliations.

She was never depressed but all the more determined. Her mental toughness and physical strength helped her reach the top at the age of eighteen. Maria Sharapova is an inspiring personality. She teaches us that success comes with sacrifices and hard work. If one is ready to sacrifice the luxuries of life in the beginning, one is sure to reap the fruit of hard work. Had she not sacrificed the pleasure of living with her family, she would not have succeeded in her life.

2. It is the attitude towards goal and not the money that matters. Do you agree? How did Sharapova prove it?

Answer: Maria Sharapova reached the number one position in women’s tennis at the age of eighteen. She won fame and riches through tennis. She became the teenagers’ idol. She wears gaudy and fantastic clothes. Like other teenagers, she loves fashion, dancing and singing. But she is not complacent. She thinks tennis as both a business and a sport.

Monetary gains motivate her but she considers being number one in the world more important than anything else. Success has not made her arrogant. She is a true patriot. She is still working hard to retain her position. One learns from her life that success should not make one arrogant if one wants to remain on the top. Winning a trophy or title is important but more important is to win people.

3. One has to sacrifice something to achieve something good in life. Do you agree? Justify with reference to Maria Sharapova. If you have to live alone in a boarding school, would you accept it?

Answer: Yes, without sacrifice one can never achieve good things in life. Maria Sharapova is an example of it. She had to sacrifice her childhood luxuries in order to become a tennis star. She remained all alone at the age of nine as her mother could not accompany her. If she had not sacrificed her childhood, she would not have become a star. Maria Sharapova left her home at a tender age to achieve her goal in life.

Yes, I will accept the challenge of living away from the family like Maria for a good cause. One cannot achieve success without sacrifice. If we crave for luxuries during our student life, we can’t afford it when we are grown up. If one dreams to live a successful life one has to work hard, sacrifice luxuries during one’s student life, i.e. to live in a boarding house for higher studies.

4. Determination is necessary for success. Do you agree? Justify with reference to the life of Sharapova.

Answer: Determination is necessary for success. Maria Sharapova was only nine years old when she had to live alone in the United States. She was the youngest player and was constantly humiliated by fellow players. But Maria never gave up. Her strong determination made her mentally tough.

If Maria had not been determined, she would have left the training camp when she was humiliated by her follow players. It was only her determination that supported her. She never gave up due to any pressure. She managed everything at her own. It is the determination that leads one to success.

5. And that something in her lifted her on Monday: 22 August 2005 to the world number one position in women tennis. What do you think, was that something in Maria due to which she reached the top?

Answer: Maria Sharapova became the number one in women’s tennis on 22 August 2005. It was not an easy journey for her. She had a life full of struggles and sacrifices. She suffered from insults and humiliation from her fellow players. But all this made her mentally tough.

She became more determined and stronger. This mental toughness and strong determination is that something which lifted her on Monday, 22 August 2005 to the world number one position in women’s tennis. It proves that those who are determined with a clear vision, are destined to succeed in their life.

6. Do you think, despite living in the United States, Maria Sharapova is a Russian at heart? If you were in place of Maria, would you have accepted the citizenship of the United States?

Answer: Maria left her country Russia at the age of nine years. She spent her prime time in the United States. She speaks English with a pronounced American accent. She admits that the United States is a big part of her life. She likes American food, clothes and lifestyle but she is proud to display her Russian identity.

Her blood is totally Russian. Her ambition to represent Russia in Olympics shows that she loves her country. In my opinion, Maria Sharapova, despite living in the United States, is Russian at heart. If I had been in place of Maria, I would have also taken the same decision. I am proud to be an Indian.

7. “The other tennis pupils would come in at 11 p.m. and wake me up and order me to tidy up the room and clean it.” This treatment of Maria by her seniors was like bullying the junior mates. How would you treat your junior mates if you were in the same situation?

Answer: Maria was in Florida. She shared her room with other pupils who were older than her. They ordered her to clean the room at midnight. She was the only non-American student and had to bear the insults and humiliations. This treatment by the seniors was, no doubt, a kind of bullying. It is something that we all should condemn. It is an attack on one’s self-respect.

We should never forget that we were also junior to someone. Being senior means having more responsibility towards our juniors. We should win over our juniors by helping them and not by bullying them. Love begets love. Affection begets affection. We should always remember it and condemn the act of bullying or any kind of ragging. I will treat my juniors with love, care and affection.