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Part #1 Santosh Yadav

I. Answer the following Questions briefly:
1. Why was the ‘holy man’ who gave Santosh’s mother his blessings surprised?
A. The holy man who blessed Santosh’s mother was surprised because Santosh’s
grandmother said that they did not want a son. As she already had five sons, they only
wanted to be blessed with a gifted child. The holy man was surprised because every
mother wanted to give birth to a son, contrary to Santosh’s mother.
Q2. Give an example to show that even as a young girl Santosh was not ready to
accept anything unreasonable.
A. Santosh was not always content with her place in a traditional way of life. She
began living life on her own terms from the start. Where other girls wore traditional
Indian dresses, Santosh preferred shorts.
Q3. Why was Santosh sent to the local school?
A. Although her parents were wealthy and could send her to a good school in the city
of Delhi, they sent her to the village school because they followed the traditions.
Q4. When did she leave home for Delhi, and why?
A. At the age of sixteen, Santosh left for Delhi and got admission in a school there.
She wanted to get good education before getting married. Although her parents did
not support her initially, they heeded to her determination and accepted her decision.
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?
A. Initially, Santosh’s parents refused to support her financially. She accepted this and
decided to work part - time to pay her school fee. Then, her parents softened and
consented to support her. This shows she was determined and did what she thought
was right and that others had to change their path accordingly.
II. Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (about 30 words).
Q1. How did Santosh begin to climb mountains?
Ans. When Santosh joined the Maharani College at Jaipur, she resided at the Kasturba
hostel. It was located near the Aravalli hills. Every day she saw the villagers climb the
hills and disappear behind them. She grew inquisitive and finally, one day
joined a group of mountaineers to unfold the mystery. This way she started climbing
mountains.
Q2. What incidents during the Everest expedition show Santosh’s concern for her
team-mates?
Ans. Santosh tried to save a fellow climber but was unsuccessful at it. Later, she was
successful in saving the life of a fellow climber named Mohan Singh by sharing her
oxygen cylinder with him.
Q3. What shows her concern for the environment?
Ans. She brought down five hundred kilograms of garbage from the Himalayas. This
shows her concern for the environment.
Q4. How does she describe her feelings at the summit of the Everest?
Ans. Santosh was full of happiness and pride when she was literally on top of the world.
As she unfurled the Indian flag, she felt proud of being an Indian. It was a spiritual
moment for her.
Q5. Santosh Yadav got into the record books both times she scaled Mt Everest. What
were the reasons for this?
Ans. The first time when Santosh climbed the Everest, she became the youngest woman
to scale the Everest. When she climbed it the second time, she became the first woman in
the world to have climbed the Everest twice.
Part #2 Maria Sharapova
Q1.What is the most significant achievement of Maria Sharapova so far?
Ans. Maria Sharapova’s first major achievement was to win the women’s singles crown
at Wimbledon in the year 2004. Another significant achievement of Maria was on 22
August 2005 when she reached the number one position in the world women tennis.
Q2.How did Maria’s father contribute to the success of Maria?
Ans. Maria was a Russian girl. Her father Yuri contributed significantly in shaping her
future. He managed her training in the United States. He took her from Russia to Florida,
the United States. He worked hard to earn money to make Maria continue her training.
Q3.How was Maria treated by her fellow students at Florida?
Ans. Maria was the youngest trainee. She was just nine years old. She would go to her
bed at 8 p.m.but her seniors would return at 11 p.m. They used to wake her up and forced
her to do their work. She had to clean the room for them. She was insulted by them.

Q 4.How did Maria react to humiliation and insults she faced during her training at
Florida, the United States?
Ans. Maria was the youngest trainee. She was frequently ill-treated and humiliated by her
seniors. But she was never depressed. She became more determined and mentally tough.
She learnt how to adjust herself in an adverse situation.
Q 5.What was the secret of Maria’s success?
Ans. Strong determination and mental toughness were the secret of Maria’s success. She
was highly competitive and worked hard at whatever she did. She was never depressed.
All her adverse conditions made her more alert and mentally sound.
Q6.What shows that Maria was proud of being a Russian?
Ans. Maria Sharapova is a Russian. She spent most of her time in the United States. She
speaks with a pronounced American accent but she feels proud of being a Russian. She
declared that she was ready to represent Russia in Olympics.
Q7.What are, other than tennis, Maria’s likings?
Ans. Maria Sharapova spent most of her time in playing tennis. But she has some other
likings too. Her hobbies are fashion, singing and dancing. She is fond of wearing pretty
evening gowns. She likes pancakes with chocolate spread and fizzy orange drinks.
II. Long Answer Questions:
1. Describe Maria Sharapova’s rapid ascent to number one position in tennis. What do
you learn from her life?
Ans. Maria Sharapova is a Russian. She belonged to a poor family of Siberia. She was
just nine years old when her father took her to Florida for training in tennis. Her mother
could not come with her because of some visa problems. She was alone. She shared her
room with other pupils who were older to her. She was the only non-American student
and had to bear the insults and humiliations.
She was never depressed but all the more determined. Her mental toughness and physical
strength helped her reach the top at the age of eighteen. Maria Sharapova is an inspiring
personality. She teaches us that success comes with sacrifices and hard work. If one is
ready to sacrifice the luxuries of life in the beginning, one is sure to reap the fruit of hard
work. Had she not sacrificed the pleasure of living with her family, she would not have
succeeded in her life.

Q2. It is the attitude towards goal and not the money that matters. Do you agree? How
did Sharapova prove it?
Ans. Maria Sharapova reached the number one position in women’s tennis at the age of
eighteen. She won fame and riches through tennis. She became the teenagers’ idol. She
wears gaudy and fantastic clothes. Like other teenagers, she loves fashion, dancing and
singing. But she is not complacent. She thinks tennis as both a business and a sport.
Monetary gains motivate her but she considers being number one in the world more
important than anything else. Success has not made her arrogant. She is a true patriot. She
is still working hard to retain her position. One learns from her life that success should
not make one arrogant if one wants to remain on the top. Winning a trophy or title is
important but more important is to win people.