I. Answer these questions in one or two sentences each.
1. Why was the ‘holy man’ who gave Santosh’s mother his blessings surprised?
The ‘holy man’ was surprised because Santosh’s grandmother said they did not want a son, which was unusual in a society that valued sons more than daughters.
2. Give an example to show that even as a young girl Santosh was not ready to accept anything unreasonable.
As a young girl, Santosh preferred wearing shorts instead of traditional dresses, showing her determination to live life on her own terms.
3. Why was Santosh sent to the local school?
Santosh was sent to the local school because her family followed the traditional custom of not sending girls to the best schools, even though they could afford it.
4. When did she leave home for Delhi, and why?
Santosh left home for Delhi at sixteen to get a proper education and avoid early marriage.
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?
Santosh’s parents agreed to pay for her schooling when she threatened to work part-time to fund her education. This incident shows her determination, self-reliance, and strong will to pursue her goals.
II. Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (about 30 words).
1. How did Santosh begin to climb mountains?
Santosh began climbing mountains when she saw mountaineers near her college hostel in Jaipur and decided to join them out of curiosity and interest.
2. What incidents during the Everest expedition show Santosh’s concern for her teammates?
Santosh showed her concern for her teammates by caring for a climber who was dying and saving another climber, Mohan Singh, by sharing her oxygen with him.
3. What shows her concern for the environment?
Santosh’s concern for the environment is shown by her efforts to collect and bring down 500 kilograms of garbage from the Himalayas.
4. How does she describe her feelings at the summit of Everest?
Santosh described her feelings at the summit of Everest as indescribable, feeling a deep sense of pride and spirituality while unfurling the Indian flag at the top of the world.
5. Santosh Yadav got into the record books both times she scaled Mt Everest. What were the reasons for this?
Santosh Yadav got into the record books for being the youngest woman to scale Everest at barely twenty years old and for being the only woman to have scaled it twice.
III. Complete the following statements.
1. From her room in Kasturba Hostel, Santosh used to watch villagers from her room going up the hill and suddenly vanishing after a while.
2. When she finished college, Santosh had to write a letter of apology to her father because she got herself enrolled at Uttarkashi 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 teamwork endeared her to fellow climbers.
IV. Pick out words from the text that mean the same as the following words or expressions.
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): endurance
“Reach for the Top” – Part II: Maria Sharapova
Thinking about the Text
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 | Born in a small village of Joniyawas in Haryana | Born in Siberia |
| 2. Their parents’ approach | Parents were affluent but followed traditional customs | Parents supported her training, father moved with her to the U.S. |
| 3. Their willpower and strong desire to succeed | Determined to pursue education and mountaineering despite societal pressures | Determined to succeed in tennis despite loneliness and hardships |
| 4. Evidence of their mental toughness | Left home for education, saved a fellow climber’s life | Endured separation from mother, faced humiliation and insults in training |
| 5. Their patriotism | Felt proud to unfurl the Indian flag on Everest | Proudly identifies as Russian, represents Russia in international events |
Thinking about Language Look at the following sentences. They each have two clauses, or two parts each with their own subject and verb or verb phrase. Often, one part (italicised) tells us when or why something happened.
• I reached the market when most of the shops had closed. (Tells us when I reached.)
• When Rahul Dravid walked back towards the pavilion, everyone stood up. (Tells us when everyone stood up.)
• The telephone rang and Ganga picked it up. (Tells us what happened next.)
• Gunjan has been with us ever since the school began. (Tells us for how long he has been with us.)
I. Identify the two parts in the sentences below by underlining the part that gives us the information in brackets, as shown above.
1. Where other girls wore traditional Indian dresses, Santosh preferred shorts. (Contrasts her dress with that of others)
2. She left home and got herself enrolled in a school in Delhi. (Tells us what happened after the first action)
3. She decided to fight the system when the right moment arrived. (Tells us when she was going to fight the system)
4. 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.)
II. Now rewrite the pairs of sentences given below as one sentence.
1. Grandfather told me about the old days when all books were printed on paper.
2. What do you do after you finish the book? Perhaps you just throw it away.
3. He gave the little girl an apple while taking the computer apart.
4. Having nothing makes you very determined.
5. I never thought of quitting because I knew what I wanted.
Dictation
Do it yourself
Speaking Speaking Imagine that you are Santosh Yadav, or Maria Sharapova. You have been invited to speak at an All India Girls’ Athletic Meet, as chief guest. Prepare a short speech to motivate the girls to think and dream big and make an effort to fulfil their dreams, not allowing difficulties or defeat to discourage them. The following words and phrases may help you. • self confident/confidence/sure of yourself • self assured/assurance/belief in yourself • morale/boost morale/raise morale • giving somebody a boost/fillip/lift • demoralising/unsure of yourself/insecure/lack confidence
Speaking
Imagine that you are Santosh Yadav, or Maria Sharapova. You have been invited to speak at an All India Girls’ Athletic Meet, as chief guest. Prepare a short speech to motivate the girls to think and dream big and make an effort to fulfil their dreams, not allowing difficulties or defeat to discourage them. The following words and phrases may help you.
Speech as Santosh Yadav
“Dear athletes,
It is an honor to be here with you today. I want to share with you the importance of believing in yourself and pursuing your dreams, no matter the obstacles. From a young age, I knew I wanted more than what tradition expected of me. My journey from a small village in Haryana to the top of Mount Everest was filled with challenges. But it was my self-confidence and determination that kept me going.
Remember, it is not where you start but where you aim to go. Be self-assured and believe in yourself. Boost your morale even when things get tough. Difficulties are just stepping stones to your success. Keep your dreams alive, work hard, and never
4o
Top of Form
Speech as Maria Sharapova
“Hello athletes,
It’s wonderful to see so many passionate and determined young women here today. I want to tell you about the power of dreaming big and working tirelessly to achieve your goals. Moving from Russia to the U.S. at a young age to pursue my tennis dreams was not easy. There were times of loneliness and immense pressure, but I never let those challenges deter me.
Be proud of who you are and where you come from. Strive to be the best version of yourself every day. Face obstacles with determination, and always keep your morale high. Your journey may be tough, but your dreams are worth every effort.
Thank you.”
I. The roll of honour of women who enjoyed life at the summit since everybody’s favourite player, Chris Evert, took her place in 1975. Name Ranked on Weeks as No. 1 Maria Sharapova (Russia) 22 August 2005 1 Lindsay Davenport (U.S.) October 2004 82 Amelie Mauresmo (France) 13 September 2004 5 Justine Henin-Hardenne (Belgium) 20 October 2003 45 Kim Clijsters (Belgium) 11 August 2003 12 Serena Williams (U.S.) 8 July 2002 57 Venus Williams (U.S.) 25 February 2002 11 Jennifer Capriati (U.S.) 15 October 2001 17 Lindsay Davenport (U.S.) 12 October 1998 82 Martina Hingis (Switzerland) 31 March 1997 209 Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario (Spain) 6 February 1995 12 Monica Seles (U.S.) 11 March 1991 178 Steffi Graf (Germany) 17 August 1987 377 Tracy Austin (U.S.) 7 April 1980 22 Martina Navratilova (U.S.) 10 July 1978 331 Chris Evert (U.S.) 3 November 1975 362
| Name | Ranked on | Weeks as No. 1 |
| Maria Sharapova (Russia) | 22 August 2005 | 1 |
| Lindsay Davenport (U.S.) | October 2004 | 82 |
| Amelie Mauresmo (France) | 13 September 2004 | 5 |
| Justine Henin-Hardenne (Belgium) | 20 October 2003 | 45 |
| Kim Clijsters (Belgium) | 11 August 2003 | 12 |
| Serena Williams (U.S.) | 8 July 2002 | 57 |
| Venus Williams (U.S.) | 25 February 2002 | 11 |
| Jennifer Capriati (U.S.) | 15 October 2001 | 17 |
| Lindsay Davenport (U.S.) | 12 October 1998 | 82 |
| Martina Hingis (Switzerland) | 31 March 1997 | 209 |
| Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario (Spain) | 6 February 1995 | 12 |
| Monica Seles (U.S.) | 11 March 1991 | 178 |
| Steffi Graf (Germany) | 17 August 1987 | 377 |
| Tracy Austin (U.S.) | 7 April 1980 | 22 |
| Martina Navratilova (U.S.) | 10 July 1978 | 331 |
| Chris Evert (U.S.) | 3 November 1975 | 362 |
he following table lists women who have enjoyed the top spot in women’s tennis, including the dates they were ranked as number one and the number of weeks they held that position:
II. Which of these words would you use to describe Santosh Yadav? Find reasons in the text to support your choices, and write a couple of paragraphs describing Santosh’s character. contented determined resourceful polite adventurous considerate weak-willed fearful independent pessimistic patient persevering
I. Describing Santosh Yadav
Determined and Resourceful
Santosh Yadav is a person of remarkable determination and resourcefulness. From a young age, she exhibited a strong will to pursue her own path, defying societal norms that restricted girls from seeking higher education and participating in adventurous activities. Her determination is evident in her decision to leave home for Delhi at the age of sixteen to seek a better education, even though it meant going against her parents’ wishes. She also showed resourcefulness by finding ways to fund her education, threatening to work part-time if her parents did not support her. This strong desire to succeed and her ability to find solutions to obstacles in her path highlight her resourcefulness.
Adventurous and Persevering
Santosh Yadav is also an adventurous and persevering individual. Her passion for mountaineering began when she was intrigued by mountaineers she saw near her college hostel. Despite the inherent dangers of climbing, she pursued this interest with zeal, eventually becoming the youngest woman to scale Mount Everest at the age of twenty. Her perseverance is highlighted by her decision to scale Everest a second time, a feat that earned her a place in the record books. Throughout her expeditions, she demonstrated great physical and mental strength, caring for her teammates and overcoming numerous challenges, including life-threatening situations. Her adventurous spirit and perseverance are key aspects of her character that have enabled her to achieve extraordinary success.