Passage – “Because I was so young, I used to go to bed at 8 p.m.

The other tennis pupils

would come in at 11 p.m. and wake me up and order me to tidy up the room and clean it.

Explanation for the Above Passage – Maria was very young and so, she would go to sleep
at 8 pm. The other students would return at 11 and would wake her up, ordering her to clean
the room.

Passage – “Instead of letting that depress me, I became more quietly determined and
mentally tough. I learnt how to take care of myself. I never thought of quitting because I
knew what I wanted. When you come from nothing and you have nothing, then it makes you
very hungry and determined . .. I would have put up with much more humiliation and insults
than that to steadfastly pursue my dream.”

Word Meaning:

Depress: sadden
Quitting: leaving
Pursue: follow

Explanation for the Above Passage – Maria did not get depressed by all this. Instead she
became determined and mentally tough. She took care of herself. She never thought of
leaving the training because she was determined to achieve her aim. When a person has
nothing, he craves and becomes determined to get it. She says that she would have borne
greater humiliation and insults also in order to achieve her dream.

Passage – There is something disarming about Maria Sharapova, something at odds with
her ready smile and glamorous attire. And that something in her lifted her on Monday, 22
August 2005 to the world number one position in women’s tennis. All this happened in
almost no time. Poised beyond her years, the Siberian born teenager took just four years as
a professional to reach the pinnacle.

Word Meaning:

Disarming: likeable
At odds with: in conflict with
Poised: calm, elegant
Pinnacle: the most successful point

Explanation for the Above Passage – There is some quality in contrast to Maria Sharapova’s
smile and glamour, which makes her likeable. It is this quality that helped her achieve
success as she attained world number one position in women’s tennis on Monday, 22
August 2005. Maria’s calmness and elegance is beyond her age. She was born in Siberia,
Russia and as a teenager, she took only four years of training to become the top seeded
woman tennis player.

Passage – However, the rapid ascent in a fiercely competitive world began nine years before
with a level of sacrifice few children would be prepared to endure. Little Maria had not yet
celebrated her tenth birthday when she was packed off to train in the United States. That trip
to Florida with her father Yuri launched her on the path to success and stardom. But it also
required a heart-wrenching two-year separation from her mother Yelena. The latter was
compelled to stay back in Siberia because of visa restrictions. The nine-year-old girl had
already learnt an important lesson in life — that tennis excellence would only come at a
price.

Word Meaning:

Rapid: fast
Ascent: growth
Endure: suffer patiently
Heart – wrenching: extremely sad

Explanation for the Above Passage – The fast growth of her career started nine years ago
when she made a big sacrifice which can be made by very few children of that young age.
She had not even turned ten when she was sent to Florida, USA with her father for training
in tennis. She was extremely sad as she had to spend two years’ separation from her mother
Yelena. Maria’s mother was forced to stay back in Siberia because she did not have the
permit to travel to the US. At the tender age of nine, Maria learned that in order to excel at
tennis, she would have to make many sacrifices.

Passage – “I used to be so lonely,” Maria Sharapova recalls. “I missed my mother terribly.

My father was working as much as he could to keep my tennis training going. So, he couldn’t
see me either.

Explanation for the Above Passage – Maria recollects that she used to remain alone and
missed her mother a lot. Her father worked hard to fetch money for her needs and so, he
also could not meet her.