Part I Santosh Yadav

Reach for the Top

Short Answer Type

Q1. 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.

Q2. 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.

Q3. 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.

Q4. 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.

Reach for the Top Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Q1. 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.

Q2. 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.

Q3. 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.

Q4. 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.

Q5. 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.

Part II Maria Sharapova

Reach for the Top

Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

Q1. 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.

Q2. 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.

Q3. 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.

Q4. 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.

Q5. 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.

Q6. What shows that Maria was proud of being a Russian?

Q7. 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.

Reach for the Top Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 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.

Q2. 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.

Q3. 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.

On Killing a Tree

Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

Question 1. What is the effect of hacking and chopping on a tree?

Answer: A tree cannot be killed by a simple knife attack. Hacking and chopping of a tree make the bark
bleed. It is soon healed and then it grows to its former size. It cannot be killed by these actions alone.

Question 2. What happens to the tree after its bark will heal?

Answer: The wounds of the tree get healed. New green twigs tise from close to the ground. The small
boughs will grow to their former size. And the tree is again alive. This is the way of the nature.

Question [Link] do the roots look like when these are pulled out?

Answer: The real strength of the tree lies in its roots. The roots are the most sensitive part of the tree.
When these are pulled out, they are white and wet. But soon, these start to wither and become dried.

Question 4. “Consuming the earth, rising out of it.” Explain.

Answer: The poet conveys that a tree grows stronger in the earth. It feeds on the earth rising out of it. It
gets its strength from it. It is not easy to kill the tree by a simple jab of the knife. It is securly attached in
the soil.

Question 5. “So hack and chop. But this alone won’t do it.” What does hack and chop do to a tree?

Answer: The poet says that it is not an easy task to kill a tree. A simple jab of the knife will not do any
harm. It does not cause much pain to it. It only wounds the bark and does not kill the tree. It will grow
again.

Question 6. “Which, if unchecked, will expand again to former size”. What will expand to its former size?

Answer: The poet says that chopping of a tree does not kill it. It only bleeds the branches. They soon
heal up and rise again. If the miniature boughs are left unchecked, they soon expand and become a huge
tree.

Question 7. What are the two important stages for killing a tree?
Answer: There are two stages of killing a tree. First, the tree should be pulled out entirely along with its
roots. Its roots are to be exposed to the sun and the air. Secondly, the roots are to be scorched in the
sun. When the roots are scorched, these turn brown, hard and withered. The tree is finally killed.

Question 8. How does the poet create the feelings of sadness in the poem ‘On Killing A Tree’?

Answer: The poet creates the feeling of sadness by using words like killing, jabbing, bleeding, uprooting,
etc. The ‘bleeding bark’ conveys the pain of a tree. ‘No so much pain will do it’, ‘the bleeding bark will
heal’ are the phrases that create the feeling of sadness among the readers.

Question 9. What does the killing of a tree symbolize?

Answer: The killing of a tree symbolizes the killing of a habit. Like a tree, habit grows stronger with the
passing years. Jt can’t be given up in one stroke. It takes much time to give up a habit. It has to be given
up with strong determination.

Question 10. “The strength of the tree exposed.” Explain.

Answer: Roots are the strength of the tree. So long as the roots are safe, the tree is safe. It cannot be
killed. Once the roots are pulled out and exposed to the sun and the air, they wither and the tree is
finally killed.

Question 11. ‘And then it is done,’ what does this mean?

Answer: The tree is killed by uprooting. Its roots have to be pulled out of the earth and exposed to the
sun and the air. The roots get twisted and wither in the scorching heat. It finally kills the tree. It means if
we find the core of the problem, we may be able to solve it.