Question 1:
Why was the holy man who gave Santosh’s mother his blessings surprised ?
Answer:
In those days, the birth of a daughter was considered a curse. The holy man was surprised when he saw that the family wanted a daughter, not a son.
Question 2:
Give an example to show that even as a young girl, Santosh was not ready to accept anything unreasonable.
Answer:
The other girls in the village wore traditional Indian dresses. But Santosh loved to wear shorts. She found nothing wrong in it.
Question 3:
Why was Santosh sent to the local school ?
Answer:
It was the family custom in those days. Girls were not sent away from home.
Question 4:
When did she leave home for Delhi, and why ?
Answer:
She left home when she was sixteen. She had completed her studies in the village school and wanted to join a school in Delhi.
Question 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 ?
Answer:
Santosh’s parents had refused to pay for her education in Delhi. Santosh told her parents politely that she would do part-time work to pay her school fees. At this, the parents agreed to pay for her schooling. This incident shows that Santosh was a girl of iron determination.
Question 6:
How did Santosh begin to climb mountains ?
Answer:
Santosh had joined Maharani College in Jaipur. She was living in Kasturba Hostel. This hostel faced the Aravali Hills. Once Santosh met some mountaineers there. They encouraged her to take to climbing. Santosh saved some money. She joined a course at Uttarkashi Nehru Institute of Mountaineering. After doing this course, Santosh went on a climbing expedition every year.
Question 7:
What incidents during the Everest expedition show Santosh’s concern for her team-mates ?
Answer:
One of the climbers lay dying at the South Col. Santosh gave him special care. She did all she could. Unfortunately, she could not save him. There was another climber named Mohan Singh. He, too, would have died. But Santosh saved him by sharing her oxygen with him.
Question 8:
What shows Santosh’s concern for the environment ?
Answer:
Santosh has great concern for the environment. Once she collected 500 kilograms of garbage from the Himalayas. She brought it down to save the beauty of the Himalayas.
Question 9:
How does Santosh describe her feelings at the summit of the Everest ?
Answer:
She felt herself on the top of the world. It was for her a spiritual moment. She unfurled the Indian flag. She held it aloft. She felt proud as an Indian.
Question 10:
Santosh Yadav got into the record books both times she conquered Mt. Everest. What were the reasons for this ?
Answer:
The first time, she was the youngest woman to conquer Mt. Everest. The second time, she was the only woman to do it twice.
Question 11:
Write in brief a character-sketch of Santosh Yadav.
Answer:
Santosh was born in a small village of Haryana. Even in her childhood, she loved to live on her own way. Her parents sent her to the village school. When she was sixteen, her parents wanted to have her married. But Santosh firmly refused to marry. She said she would never marry if she was not given proper education. She went to Delhi and joined a school. Then she joined Maharani College in Jaipur. She decided to become a mountaineer. She worked very hard for it. She became the first woman to conquer Mt. Everest twice. She always helped her team-mates. Everyone liked her for it. She was awarded the Padmashri for her achievements. She is also a true environmentalist.
Question 12:
The Everest expedition shows Santosh’s concern for her team-mates and for the environment. Elaborate.
Answer:
One of the climbers lay dying at the South Col. Santosh gave him special care. She did all
she could.
Unfortunately, she could not save him. There was another climber named Mohan Singh. He, too,
would
have died. But Santosh saved him by sharing her oxygen with him.
Santosh has great concern for the environment. Once she collected 500 kilograms of garbage
from the
Himalayas. She brought it down to save the beauty of the Himalayas.
Question 13:
Complete the following statements.
- From her room in Kasturba Hostel, Santosh used to .........................
- When she finished college, Santosh had to write a letter of apology to her father because ................................................
- During the Everest expedition, her seniors in the team admired ....................................... while ...................................
Answer:
- assumed
- rational
- prevailing
- urge
- endurance
Question 14:
Why was Maria sent to the United States ?
Answer:
She was sent to train in tennis.
Question 15:
Why didn’t Maria’s mother go with her ?
Answer:
She couldn’t go because of visa restrictions.
Question 16:
What are Maria’s hobbies ? What does she like ?
Answer:
Her hobbies are fashion, singing and dancing. She likes pancakes, chocolate and fizzy orange drinks.
Question 17:
What motivates Maria to keep going ?
Answer:
It is her desire to remain number one in the world.
Question 18:
Draw a comparison between Maria Sharapova and Santosh Yadav.
Answer:
Both Maria and Santosh worked very hard in their life.
Both of them were girls with iron determination. They sacrificed all comforts and pleasures
of life to achieve
their aim. Both of them were able to realise their dreams. They reached the top of the
world. Maria
became number one in the world of tennis. Santosh became the first woman to conquer Mt.
Everest
twice. Their lives prove that nothing is impossible for one who has strong determination and
works
hard to reach his or her goal.
Question 19:
How did Maria Sharapova learn tennis excellence would only come at a price ?
Answer:
Maria Sharapova rightly thought that tennis excellence would only come at a price. To gain this excellence, she had to endure a long separation from her mother. She had to live alone in an unfamiliar place. She also had to put up with the rough treatment from other tennis learners.
Question 20:
Can a ‘simple jab of the knife’ kill a tree ? Why not ?
Answer:
A simple jab of the knife can’t kill a tree. A tree can’t be killed unless it is uprooted completely and left to die in the sun.