NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 8 Reach for the Top

NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 8 Reach for the Top are given below. This chapter contains many questions that are essential for exams. Our expert teachers answered all the questions with a detailed explanation that help students to complete their assignments and homework. We have also provided NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Chapter 8 Reach for the Top in PDF format so that you can download them for offline use.

Reach for the Top NCERT Questions and Answers

Thinking about the Text

I. Answer these questions in one or two sentences each. (The paragraph numbers within brackets provide clues to the answers.) 

Question 1. Why was the ‘holy man’ who gave Santosh’s mother his blessings surprised? (1)

Answer: The ‘holy man’ was surprised because he had assumed that Santosh’s mother wanted a son. But grandmother told him that they did not want a son.  

Question 2. Give an example to show that even as a young girl Santosh was not ready to accept anything unreasonable. (2)

Answer: Santosh always lived life on her own terms. Unlike the other girls in the village who wore traditional dresses, she liked to wear shorts. This shows her rebellious attitude.

Question 3. Why was Santosh sent to the local school? (3)

Answer: Even though Santosh’s parents could afford to send their children to the best schools, she was sent to the local village school due to the prevailing custom in the family.

Question 4. When did she leave home for Delhi, and why? (4)

Answer: She left home for Delhi when she was sixteen because she wanted to get a proper education.

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? (4)

Answer: When Santosh’s parents refused to pay for her schooling in Delhi, she informed them of her plans to do a part-time job and pay her school fees. Then, her parents agreed to pay for her schooling in Delhi. This shows that Santosh was a mentally-strong girl. She was full of self-determination.  

II. Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (about 30 words). 

Question 1. How did Santosh begin to climb mountains?

Answer: From her room in Kasturba Hostel, she watched people going up the Aravalli Hills and vanishing after a while. On investigating, she found nobody except a few mountaineers, and she asked if she could join them. They agreed and even motivated her to take to climbing and so she later accompanied them on their climbing expedition. This was how she began climbing mountains. 

Question 2. What incidents during the Everest expedition show Santosh’s concern for her team-mates?

Answer: During her Everest expedition she showed immense concern for her team-mates. She shared her oxygen cylinder with her team-mates. Though she was unsuccessful in saving the life of one of them, another one could be saved because of her help.

Question 3. What shows her concern for the environment?

Answer: Santosh collected and brought down 500 kilograms of garbage from the Himalayas on her way back from the 1992 Everest expedition. This shows her concern for the environment.

Question 4. How does she describe her feelings at the summit of the Everest?

Answer: Santosh asserted that her feeling at the summit of the Everest was “indescribable”. Unfurling the Indian flag on the top of the world was a spiritual moment for her and she felt proud as an Indian.  

Question 5. Santosh Yadav got into the record books both times she scaled Mt Everest. What were the reasons for this?

Answer: When Santosh Yadav first scaled Mt Everest, she became the youngest woman in the world to achieve the feat. When she scaled the Everest the second time, she became the only woman to have scaled it twice. 

III. Complete the following statements.  

1. From her room in Kasturba Hostel, Santosh used to _________________.

2. When she finished college, Santosh had to write a letter of apology to her father because _________________.

3. During the Everest expedition, her seniors in the team admired her _________________ while _________________ endeared her to fellow climbers.

Answer: 1. From her room in Kasturba Hostel, Santosh used to watch villagers going up the hill and suddenly vanish after a while.

2. When she finished college, Santosh had to write a letter of apology to her father because she had got herself enrolled at Uttarkashi’s Nehru Institute of Mountaineering 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 desire to work together with them endeared her to fellow climbers.

IV. Pick out words from the text that mean the same as the following words or expressions. (Look in the paragraphs indicated.) 

1. took to be true without proof (1):

2. based on reason; sensible; reasonable (2):

3. the usual way of doing things (3):

4. a strong desire arising from within (5):

5. the power to endure, without falling ill (7):

Answer: 1. took to be true without proof: assumed

2. based on reason; sensible; reasonable: rational

3. the usual way of doing things: custom

4. a strong desire arising from within: urge

5. the power to endure, without falling ill: resistance

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.

Answer:

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.)

Answer: 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. All books were printed on paper then.

2. What do you do after you finish the book? Perhaps you just throw it away.

3. He gave the little girl an apple. He took the computer apart.

4. You have nothing. That makes you very determined.

5. I never thought of quitting. I knew what I wanted.

Answer:

1. Grandfather told me about the old days when all books were printed on paper.

2. After you finish the book, perhaps you just throw it away.

3. He gave the little girl an apple and took the computer apart.

4. When you have nothing, that makes you very determined.

5. I never thought of quitting as I knew what I wanted.

Dictation

Read the passage once. Then close your books. Your teacher will dictate the story to you. Write it down with the correct punctuation and paragraphing.

The Raincoat

After four years of drought in a small town in the Northeast, the Vicar gathered everyone together for a pilgrimage to the mountain, where they would pray together and ask for the rain to return.

The priest noticed a boy in the group wearing a raincoat.

“Have you gone mad?” he asked. “It hasn’t rained in this region for five years, the heat will kill you climbing the mountain.”

“I have a cold, father. If we are going to ask God for rain, can you imagine the way back from the mountain? It’s going to be such a downpour that I need to be prepared.”

At that moment a great crash was heard in the sky and the first drops began to fall. A boy’s faith was enough to bring about a miracle that not even those most prepared truly believed in.

(translated by JAMES MULHOLLAND)

Answer: Do it yourself.

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

Answer:

Good Morning Girls!

It is an honor to address you all from this stage. You definitely have sheer will and determination. That is what has brought you this far. As you proceed with the same passion, I want to iterate that everything you have and all that you will achieve in life will solely depend on your confidence. Believe in yourself and your dreams. Do whatever it takes to accomplish your goals. Never ever doubt your skills. Never let the difficulties discourage you. Never lose trust on yourself just because you had to face a defeat. Whenever you fail, remember to rise and chase your passion.

Thank you.

Writing

Working in pairs, go through the table below that gives you information about the top women tennis players since 1975. Write a short article for your school magazine comparing and contrasting the players in terms of their duration at the top. Mention some qualities that you think may be responsible for their brief or long stay at the top spot.

Top-Ranked Women Players

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.

Answer: Do it yourself.

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

Answer: Santosh Yadav is determined and polite. She is adventurous as she gets fascinated by the mountaineers climbing the Everest and approaches them to ask if she could join them. She is a considerate person who helps her fellow climbers in their journey. She has determination and strong will to achieve her goals. She is a patriot and says that the feeling of watching the Indian flag on top of the world is an indescribable feeling.