Reach for the Top Part 1 Santosh Yadav Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 8 Summary, Question Answers and Notes

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Chapter at a Glance

Summary of Part 1

Santosh Yadav was born in a village in Haryana as the only girl among six children. Before her birth, a holy man blessed her mother, assuming that she wanted a son. He was surprised when the child's grandmother told him that they did not want another boy. From the beginning, Santosh lived life on her own terms. While other girls wore traditional Indian dresses, she preferred shorts. She refused to accept anything that she thought was unreasonable.

Although her family could afford the best schools, she was sent to the local village school, because that was the custom. When she was sixteen, her family wanted her to marry. Santosh threatened that she would never marry if she was not allowed to get a proper education. She left home and enrolled herself in a school in Delhi. When her parents refused to pay her fees, she calmly told them that she would work part-time to pay for her education. Moved by her firmness, they agreed to pay.

At her hostel in Delhi, she often saw people going up the Aravalli hills and vanishing from sight. She found out that they were mountaineers and soon joined them. Later she enrolled at the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering in Uttarkashi without her father's permission and had to write him a letter of apology. In May 1992 she climbed Mount Everest and became the youngest woman in the world to do so. In May 1993 she climbed it again, as a member of an Indo-Tibetan Border Police team, and became the only woman to have scaled it twice. During the expedition she tried to save a dying climber, and she saved another climber, Mohan Singh, by sharing her oxygen with him. She also brought down 500 kilograms of garbage from the Himalayas. At the summit she unfurled the Indian flag and felt proud to be an Indian.

Santosh's Journey at a Glance

NCERT Textbook Questions with Answers

Before You Read

Q. Make a list of three to five persons you idolise, from sports, medicine, media, or art and culture. Ans. This is a personal task. A sample list: Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam (science), Mary Kom (boxing), Sachin Tendulkar (cricket), Lata Mangeshkar (music) and Kalpana Chawla (space).

Thinking about the Text I: One or Two Sentences

Q1. Why was the "holy man" who gave Santosh's mother his blessings surprised? Ans. He had assumed that Santosh's mother wanted a son. He was surprised when the child's grandmother told him that they did not want a son.

Q2. Give an example to show that even as a young girl Santosh was not ready to accept anything unreasonable. Ans. Santosh lived life on her own terms from the start. Where other girls wore traditional Indian dresses, she preferred shorts.

Q3. Why was Santosh sent to the local school? Ans. Her family could afford the best schools, but according to the custom in the family, she was sent to the local village school.

Q4. When did she leave home for Delhi, and why? Ans. She left home at sixteen, when she was under pressure to marry. She wanted to get a proper education, so she went to Delhi and enrolled in a school.

Q5. 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? Ans. When her parents refused to pay, Santosh politely told them that she would work part-time to pay her school fees. Her firm decision made them agree. The incident shows her determination, independence, self-confidence and willingness to work hard.

Thinking about the Text II: A Short Paragraph (About 30 Words)

Q1. How did Santosh begin to climb mountains? Ans. From her room in Kasturba Hostel, she watched people going up the Aravalli hills and vanishing after a while. She found out that they were mountaineers and began to accompany them.

Q2. What incidents during the Everest expedition show Santosh's concern for her team-mates? Ans. She tried to help a dying climber but could not save him. She saved another climber, Mohan Singh, by sharing her own oxygen with him.

Q3. What shows her concern for the environment? Ans. Santosh was a strong environmentalist. She collected and brought down 500 kilograms of garbage from the Himalayas.

Q4. How does she describe her feelings at the summit of the Everest? Ans. She says that the feeling was indescribable. Unfurling the Indian flag on top of the world was a spiritual moment, and she felt proud to be an Indian.

Q5. Santosh Yadav got into the record books both times she scaled Mt Everest. What were the reasons for this? Ans. The first time, she became the youngest woman in the world to climb Everest. The second time, she became the only woman to have scaled it twice.

Thinking about the Text III: Complete the Statements

Ans. (1) From her room in Kasturba Hostel, Santosh used to watch villagers 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 had enrolled at the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering in 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 her desire to work together with them endeared her to fellow climbers.

Thinking about the Text IV: Pick Out Words from the Text

Extra Questions and Answers

Very Short Answer Type (1 Mark)

Q1. Who was Santosh Yadav? Ans. An Indian mountaineer who climbed Mt Everest twice. Q2. What did Santosh wear as a child instead of traditional dresses? Ans. Shorts. Q3. At what age was she pressed to marry? Ans. At sixteen. Q4. Which hills did she watch from her hostel? Ans. The Aravalli hills. Q5. Whom did she save by sharing oxygen? Ans. Mohan Singh. Q6. How much garbage did she bring down? Ans. 500 kilograms.

Short Answer Type (30 to 40 Words)

Q1. Why did Santosh have to apologise to her father? Ans. She had enrolled at the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering in Uttarkashi without his permission, so she wrote a letter of apology when she finished college.

Q2. How did Santosh fight social pressure? Ans. She refused early marriage and threatened never to marry without an education. She left home for Delhi and offered to pay her own fees by working part-time.

Q3. Why did fellow climbers like Santosh? Ans. Her seniors admired her climbing skill, fitness and mental strength, while her concern for team-mates and her willingness to work together endeared her to all.

Q4. What did Santosh do at the summit? Ans. She unfurled the Indian flag on top of the world. She felt that the moment was spiritual and was proud to be an Indian.

Long Answer Type (100 to 120 Words)

Q1. Write a character sketch of Santosh Yadav. Ans. Santosh Yadav was independent, determined and courageous. As a girl, she refused to follow customs that seemed unreasonable, and she chose shorts over traditional dresses. She fought for her education by threatening not to marry and by offering to earn her own fees. She was adventurous, since she followed mountaineers into the hills and trained without her father's permission. On Everest she showed kindness by helping other climbers and responsibility by clearing garbage. Her fitness, skill and mental strength made her a record-setting mountaineer. She is a role model for young girls.

Q2. What lessons can we learn from Santosh Yadav's life? Ans. Santosh's life teaches us that a firm will can overcome social barriers. She did not let customs or family pressure stop her education, and she spoke up politely but firmly. Her mountaineering shows that hard work, fitness and courage can lead to great achievements. Her actions on Everest teach us to care for others and for nature even in difficult situations. Above all, she shows that girls can achieve as much as boys when they are given a chance.

Important Words and Meanings

Themes and Quick Revision

Themes: The story highlights girls' right to education, courage in the face of social pressure, teamwork and concern for others, and respect for the environment.

Conclusion: Santosh Yadav's story proves that the sky is the limit for those who dare. For exams, remember the five points on her childhood, the reasons for her records, the three completed statements and the five vocabulary words. Part 2 on Maria Sharapova, with the comparison table and the language exercises, comes next.