Reach for the Top Part-I- Comprehension

REACH FOR THE TOP

By- Santosh Yadav

 IMPORTANT PASSAGES FOR COMPREHENSION

Read the following passages and answer the questions given at the end of each :

PASSAGE 1

The only woman in the world who has Scaled Mt Everest twice was born in a society where the birth of a son was regarded as a blessing, and a daughter, though not considered a curse, was not generally welcome. When her mother was expecting Santosh, a travelling ‘holy man’, giving her his blessing, assumed that she wanted a son. But, to everyone’s surprise, the unborn child’s grandmother, who was standing dose by, told him that they did not want a son. The ‘holy man’ was also surprised! Nevertheless, he gave the requested blessing… and as Destiny would have it, the blessing seemed to work. Santosh was born the sixth child in a family with five sons, a sister to five brothers. She was born in the small village of Joniyawas in Haryana.

Questions :
(i)  Name the woman who had Scaled Mt Everest twice.
(ii)   In what sort of society was she born?
(iii)  What blessing did the holy man give?
(iv)  How many brothers did Santosh have?
(v)   Where was Santosh born?

Answers :
 (i)  Santosh Yaday.
(ii)  She was born in a society where the birth of a son was regarded as a blessing.
(iii)  The holy man gave the blessing of the birth of a boy.
(iv)  She had five brothers.
 (v)  She was born at Joniyawas village in Haryana.

PASSAGE 2

 Santosh’s parents were affluent landowners who could afford to send their children to the best schools, even to the country’s capital Delhi, which was quite close by. But, in line with the prevailing custom in the family, Santosh had to make do with the local village school. So, she decided to fight the system in her own quiet way when the right moment arrived. And the right moment came when she turned sixteen. At sixteen, most of the girls in her village used to get married. Santosh was also under pressure from her parents to do the same.

Questions :
(i)   What was the profession of Santosh’s father?
(ii)  Where did Santosh get his elementary education?
(iii)  Why was she not sent to a good school?
(iv)  When did the right time come for her fight with the system?
 (v)  What pressure did her parents put on Santosh?

Answers :
(i)  Her father was an affluent farmer.
(ii) She got her elementary education in the local school in the village.
(iii) She was not sent to a good school following the tradition of the family.
(iv)  That time came when she turned of sixteen.
(v)  They put pressure on her to go for the marriage.

PASSAGE 3

 A marriage as early as that was the last thing on her mind. She threatened her parents that she would never marry if she did not get a proper education. She left home and got herself enrolled in a school in Dell When 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.

Questions :
(i)  How did Santosh consider a marriage?
(ii) What did she threaten to her parents?
(iii)  Why did she leave home?
(iv)  Why did her parents refuse to pay for her education in Delhi?
(v)   What was Santosh’s plan to make arrangement for her fee?

Answers :
(i) She considered marriage the least important thing in her life.
(ii) She threatened her parents not to marry forever if she did not get a good education.
(iii)  She left home to get an education in Delhi.
(iv) Her parents refused to pay for her education in Delhi because they did not want their daughter should live away from home.
(v) She planned to do para t time job to pay her school fee.

PASSAGE 4

 Then there was no looking back for this determined young girl. She saved money and enrolled in a course at
Uttarkashi’s Nehru Institute of Mountaineering. “My college semester in Jaipur was to end in April but it ended on the 19th of May. And I was supposed to be in Uttarkashi on the 21st. So, I did not go back home; instead, I headed straight for the training. I had to write a letter of apology to my father without whose permission I had got myself enrolled at Uttarkashi.”

 Questions :
(i)  Who is the girl mentioned in this passage?
(ii)  Where did she enrol herself for mountaineering training?
(iii) Where was she studying in college?
(iv) Why did she write an apology letter to her father?
(v)  In which state of India is Uttarkashi?

Answers :
(i)   Santosh Yaday.
(ii)  In Uttarkashi’s Nehru Institute of Mountaineering.
(iii)  She was studying in college in Jaipur.
(iv)  She wrote an apology letter to her father because she had got herself enrolled in a mountaineering institute without his permission.
(v)  Uttranchal State.

PASSAGE FOR PRACTICE

PASSAGE 5

Thereafter, Santosh went on an expedition every year. Her climbing skills matured rapidly. Also, she developed a remarkable resistance to cold and altitude. Equipped with an iron will, physical endurance and an amazing mental toughness, she proved herself repeatedly. The culmination of her hard work and sincerity came in 1992, just four years after she had shyly asked the Aravalli mountaineers if she could join them. At barely twenty years of age Santosh Yadav conquered Mt Everest, becoming the youngest woman in the world to achieve the feat. If her climbing skills, physical fitness, and mental strength impressed her seniors, her concern for others and desire to work together with them found her a special place in the hearts of fellow climbers.

Questions :
(i)  On what expedition did Santosh go every year?
(ii)  When did she go on her first expedition to Mt Everest?
(iii)  At what age did she conquer Mt Everest?
(iv)  How did she impress his seniors?
(v)   How did her fellow climbers treat her?

Want to Read More Check Below:-

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Reach for the Top Part-I- Introduction

Reach for the Top Part-I- Theme , Title & Message

Reach for the Top Part-I- Characters

Reach for the Top Part-I- Important Word-Meanings of difficult words & Vocabulary

Reach for the Top Part-I- Short & Detailed Summary

Reach for the Top Part-I- Summary in Hindi – Full Text

Reach for the Top Part-I- Value Points of the Chapter

Reach for the Top Part-I- Extract Based comprehension test Questions

Reach for the Top Part-I- Important Extra Questions- Very Short Answer Type

Reach for the Top Part-I- Important Extra Questions Short Answer Type

Reach for the Top Part-I- Important Extra Questions Long Answer Type

Reach for the Top Part-I- Quick Review of the Chapter

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