NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English (Beehive) Chapter 7 Reach for the Top

NCERT
SOLUTIONS
CLASS - 9TH

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Book - Beehive Ncert Solutions | Chapter-8 English-1

Class : 9th
Subject : English-1
Chapter : 8
Chapter Name : Reach for the Top

Q1 Think for a while and make a list of three to ve persons you idolise, or admire very much for
their achievements. Your idols may be from any sphere of life — sports, medicine, media, or art
and culture.

Answer. DIY

Page : 99 , Block Name : Before You Read

QI. Answer these questions in one or two sentences each. (The paragraph numbers within
brackets provide clues to the answers.)
1. Why was the ‘holy man’ who gave Santosh’s mother his blessings surprised? (1)
2. Give an example to show that even as a young girl Santosh was not ready to accept anything
unreasonable. (2)
3. Why was Santosh sent to the local school? (3)
4. When did she leave home for Delhi, and why? (4)
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. 1. The 'holy man' was surprised because he had assumed that Santosh's mother wanted
a son. However, the unborn child's grandmother told him that they did not want a son.
2. Santosh began living life on her own terms from the start. Where other girls wore traditional
Indian dresses, Santosh preferred shorts.
3. 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.
4. When she turned sixteen and was under pressure to get married, Santosh threatened her
parents that she would never marry if she did not get a proper education. Therefore, she left
home and got herself enrolled in a school in Delhi.
5. When Santosh's 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. Then, her parents agreed to pay
for her schooling in Delhi. This shows that Santosh was a mentally-strong girl and was ready to
work very hard to get herself properly educated.

Page : 102 , Block Name : Thinking about the Text

QII 1. How did Santosh begin to climb mountains?
2. What incidents during the Everest expedition show Santosh’s concern for her team-mates?

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Book - Beehive Ncert Solutions | Chapter-8 English-1

3. What shows her concern for the environment?
4. How does she describe her feelings at the summit of the Everest?
5. Santosh Yadav got into the record books both times she scaled Mt Everest. What were the
reasons for this?

Answer. 1. From her room in Kasturba Hostel, she watched people going up the Aravalli Hills and
vanishing after a while. On investigating, she found certain mountaineers, whom she later
accompanied in their climbing expedition. This was how she began climbing mountains.
2. During the Everest mission, Santosh helped a dying climber, but she was unsuccessful in
saving him. However, she managed to save another climber, Mohan Singh, by sharing her oxygen
with him. These incidents show her concern for her team-mates.
3. Santosh was a fervent environmentalist. She collected and brought down 500 kilograms of
garbage from the Himalayas.
4. Santosh says that the feeling at the summit of the Everest was indescribable. Unfurling the
Indian ag on the top of the world was a spiritual moment for her. She felt proud as an Indian.
5. When Santosh Yadav rst scaled Mt Everest, she became the youngest woman in the world to
achieve the feat. On repeating this feat, she became the only woman to have scaled the Everest
twice.

Page : 103 , Block Name : Thinking about the Text

QIII Complete the following statements.
1. From her room in Kasturba Hostel, Santosh used to________________
2. When she nished 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 vanishing after a while.
2. When she nished college, Santosh had to write a letter of apology to her father because she
had got herself enrolled at Uttarkashi Nehru Institute of Mountaineering without his permission.

3. During the Everest expedition, her seniors in the team admired her climbing skills, physical
tness and mental strength while her concern for others and desire to work together with them
endeared her to fellow climbers.

Page : 103 , Block Name : Thinking about the Text

QIV 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): _________________

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Book - Beehive Ncert Solutions | Chapter-8 English-1

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

Answer. 1. took to be true without proof (1): Assumed
2. based on reason; sensible; reasonable (2): Rational
3. the usual way of doing things (3): Custom
4. a strong desire arising from within (5): Urge
5. the power to endure, without falling ill (7): Resistance

Page : 103 , Block Name : Thinking about the Text

Q1 A Russian girl, Maria Sharapova, reached the summit of women’s tennis when she was barely
eighteen. As you read about her, see if you can draw a comparison between her and Santosh
Yadav.

Answer. DIY

Page : 104 , Block Name : Before You Read

Q2

Answer.

Page : 104 , Block Name : Before You Read

Q3 As you read, look for the answers to these questions.
(i) Why was Maria sent to the United States?

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(ii) Why didn’t her mother go with her?
(iii) What are her hobbies? What does she like?
(iv) What motivates her to keep going?

Answer. (i) Maria was sent to the United States for her tennis training. That trip to Florida with
her father launched her on the path to success and stardom.
(ii) Her mother could not go with her because of visa restrictions.
(iii) Her hobbies are fashion, singing and dancing. She likes reading the novels of Arthur Conan
Doyle. On the one hand, she is fond of sophisticated evening gowns and on the other, of
pancakes with chocolate spread and zzy orange drinks.
(iv) Apart from money, the motivation to become the number one in the world keeps her going.

Page : 104 , Block Name : Before you Read

Q1 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.

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Page : 104 , Block Name : Thinking about the Text

QI Identify the two parts in the sentences below by underlining the part that gives us the
information in brackets, as shown above.

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Book - Beehive Ncert Solutions | Chapter-8 English-1

1. Where other girls wore traditional Indian dresses, Santosh preferred shorts. (Contrasts her
dress with that of others) 2018-19 108 / Beehive
2. She left home and got herself enrolled in a school in Delhi.(Tells us what happened after the
rst action.)
3. She decided to ght the system when the right moment arrived.(Tells us when she was going
to ght 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.
2. She left home and got herself enrolled in a school in Delhi.
3. She decided to ght the system when the right moment arrived.
4. Little Maria had not yet celebrated her tenth birthday when she was packed off to train in the
United States.

Page : 107 , Block Name : Thinking about Language

QII 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 nish 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 nishing the book, perhaps you just throw it away.
3. He gave the little girl an apple and took the computer apart.
4. Having nothing makes you very determined.
5. I never thought of quitting as I knew what I wanted.

Page : 107 , Block Name : Thinking about Language

QI 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

The roll of honour of women who enjoyed life at the summit since everybody’s favourite player,
Chris Evert, took her place in 1975.

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Answer. DIY

Page : 109 , Block Name : Writing

QII 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.

Answer.

Page : 109 , Block Name : Writing

Q1 Can a “simple jab of the knife” kill a tree? Why not?

Answer. No, a simple jab of knife does not have the ability to kill the tree. It has to go through
various processes. If its root is not removed from the earth, it will sprout again.

Page : 111 , Block Name : Thinking About The Poem

Q2 How has the tree grown to its full size? List the words suggestive of its life and activity.

Answer. The tree consumes the earth, and rises out it feeding upon its crust. It absorbs years of
sunlight, air and water.

Page : 111 , Block Name : Thinking About The Poem

Q3 What is the meaning of “bleeding bark”? What makes it bleed?

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Book - Beehive Ncert Solutions | Chapter-8 English-1

Answer. 'Bleeding bark' means the twigs which are cut mercilessly. They leave a liquid substance.
If any part of the human body is cut, it starts bleeding. In the same way the liquid substance
comes out from the branch of a tree. The human beings' axe makes it bleed

Page : 111 , Block Name : Thinking About The Poem

Q4 The poet says “No” in the beginning of the third stanza. What does he mean by this?

Answer. 'No' is used to emphasize the perspective that chopping or hacking will not be suf cient
for killing a tree.

Page : 111 , Block Name : Thinking About The Poem

Q5 What is the meaning of “anchoring earth” and “earth cave”?

Answer. It means that the earth protects it like a mother. 'Earth Cave' implies a hole inside it.
The tree allows its roots to spread underneath. The earth protects it and fosters t It provides all
the essential ingredients to the tree.

Page : 111 , Block Name : Thinking About The Poem

Q6 What does he mean by “the strength of the tree exposed”?

Answer. The stem/root is the strength of a tree. When the tree is pulled out, its strength is
exposed.

Page : 111 , Block Name : Thinking About The Poem

Q7 What nally kills the tree?

Answer. Pulling out the tree from the mother earth and scorching and choking it in the sun and
air kill the tree. It becomes brown, dry and gets hard. Eventually it dies.

Page : 111 , Block Name : Thinking About The Poem

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