NCERT English Beehive Class 9 Chapter 8 - Reach for the Top (Part I Santosh Yadav)

Chapter 8 - Reach for the Top

Part I Santosh Yadav
Question and Answers
Question 1: Why was the ‘holy man’ who gave Santosh’s mother his blessings surprised?
Answer: Listening to Santosh’s grandmother’s wish to have a daughter instead of a son surprised the holy man. However, he gave the requested blessings.

Question 2: Give an example to show that even as a young girl Santosh was not ready to accept anything unreasonable.
Answer: Santosh was never content with her place in a traditional way of life. She lived life on her own terms. Santosh’s statement, “From the very beginning I was quite determined that if I choose a correct and rational path the others around me had to change not me”, very clearly states that she was not ready to accept anything that was unreasonable. She wore shorts instead of traditional attire, went to study in Delhi when girls of her age in her village got married. When her parents refused to pay for her education, she got them to agree by informing her plans to earn money by working part-time to pay her school fees. She chose the path of excellence through education, rational thinking and hard work. She achieved unparalleled success as a woman mountaineer.

Question 3: Why was Santosh sent to a local school?
Answer: In line with the prevailing custom in the family, Santosh was sent to a local village school though her parents were affluent landowners.

Question 4: When did she leave home for Delhi and why?
Answer: As marriage seemed inevitable for the girls of her age in her village, Santosh was also under pressure. Marriage was the last thing on her mind and she threatened her parents that she would never marry if she didn’t get a proper education. She left home and got herself enrolled in a school in Delhi.

Question 5: Why did Santosh’s parents agree for paying her schooling in Delhi? What mental qualities of Santosh are brought into light by this incident?
Answer: When Santosh enrolled herself in a school in Delhi, her parents refused to pay for her education. She politely informed them of her plans to earn money by working part-time to pay her school fees. Her parents then agreed to pay for her education. Her parents realised that their daughter was independent, had a strong will-power and firmed self-belief. She could take her decisions, and also stand by them. They saw her strong sense of conviction and her passion for education. So, they agreed to pay for her schooling in Delhi.

Question 6: How did Santosh begin to climb mountains?
Answer: Santosh was residing in Kasturba hostel in Jaipur. It was located amidst the Aravalli Hills. She used to watch the villagers going up the hills and suddenly vanishing. Out of curiosity, she joined them and found that they were mountaineers. She joined them and was motivated to take up climbing.

Question 7: What incidents during the Everest expedition show Santosh’s concern towards team-mates?
Answer: In the year 1992, during the Everest Mission, Santosh provided special care to a climber who lay dying at the South Col. Though she was unsuccessful, she continued with her helping nature. However, she saved the life of another climber, Mohan Singh. Santosh shared her oxygen with him and saved his life. These incidents show her concern for her team-mates.

Question 8: What shows her concern for the environment?
Answer: Santosh, a fervent environmentalist collected and brought down 500 kilogram of garbage from the Himalayas. This reflects her concern for the environment.

Question 9: How does she describe her feelings at the summit of the Everest?
Answer: Santosh was overwhelmed with emotions of promotion and bliss. She asserted her feelings regarding the Everest were indescribable. She realised that she had achieved something great; as if it was a great experience. She was delighted at that moment, when she unfurled the Indian tricolour and felt a surge of pride as an Indian, and it was truly a spiritual moment.

Question 10: Santosh Yadav got in the record books both times she scaled Mt. Everest. Which one was it? Explain.
Answer: Equipped with an iron will, physical endurance and an amazing toughness, Santosh Yadav proved herself repeatedly. The culmination of her hard work paved the way for her remarkable achievement, earning her the title of ‘the youngest woman in the world to scale the Mount Everest’ and the second time she scaled it, setting a record as “the only woman to have scaled the Mount Everest twice” and securing herself, and India, a unique place in the record of mountaineering.