Reach for the Top Class 9 Worksheet English Chapter 1

Q.1. Read the following passages and answer the questions:

Santosh’s parents were affluent landowners who could afford to send their children to the best schools, even to the country’s capital, New 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.

(i) Why was Santosh sent to the local village school despite being from an affluent family?

Santosh was sent to the local village school despite being from an affluent family because it was the prevailing custom not to send girls out of the village.

(ii) Why was Santosh waiting to turn sixteen?

Santosh was waiting to turn sixteen, because she had decided to fight the system in her own quiet way when the right moment arrived.

(iii) What was the normal custom of the society?

The normal custom of the society was to marry a girl child when she turned sixteen.

(iv) What was the pressure of parents on Santosh?

Parents pressurized Santosh to get married on the turn of sixteen but she was adamant to study further and thus refused to get married.

Q.2. What did the holy man assume, the family would ask as a blessing?

The holy man assumed that the family would ask for the birth of a boy as a blessing. But the grandmother who was standing next to the pregnant woman asked the holy man to bless her to give birth to a girl child.

Q.3. How was Santosh’s upbringing?

Santosh was brought up in the same manner as the other girls of the society. Though they were affluent, they made her study in the village school and wanted her to marry at the turn of sixteen.

Q.4. What reason did Santosh give her parents to avoid getting married at the age of sixteen?

Santosh vehemently refused to get married at the age of sixteen and told her parents that she wanted to study further. If they forced her and did not allow her for further education, she would never get married in life.

Q.5. Do you think that Santosh had a nature in accordance with her name?

No, Santosh didn’t have a nature in accordance with her name. Santosh means contentment. But she was not contented right from her childhood. She went against the norms of the society and wore shorts whereas other girls wore traditional dresses. She resented when she was admitted to village school. She rebelled when she was asked to get married at sixteen and told that she would never get married if not allowed to study further. She took admission in Delhi and completed her high school. She then joined Maharani College against her parents wishes. She got herself admitted to Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, Uttarkashi without informing her parents.

Q.6. Read the following passages and answer the questions:
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 close 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.

(i) What are the records that Santosh has made while scaling the Mt. Everest.

Santosh became only woman in the world who has scaled Mt. Everest twice. She also became the youngest woman to scale it.

(ii) In which society was Santosh born?

Santosh was born in a society where birth of a daughter, if not considered a curse, is not welcomed.

(iii) Why was the holy man surprised?

The requested blessing that worked was that Santosh’s mother should bear a girl child and not a boy. The blessing worked and Santosh was born in the family.

(iv) What was the requested blessing that worked?

The requested blessing that worked was that Santosh’s mother should bear a girl child and not a boy. The blessing worked and Santosh was born in the family.

Q.7. What is the normal custom of the society about the birth of a girl child?

The birth of a girl child was considered a curse. Only the boys were welcomed in the society. However, Santosh’s family didn’t consider it a curse as was the normal custom of the society.

Q.8. Why did the grandmother ask for a different blessing than one would normally ask for?

The grandmother asked for a different blessing than one would normally ask for because she already had five grandsons and didn’t want another grandson, so she asked for a girl child.

Q.9. How did Santosh think of becoming a mountaineer?

Santosh joined Maharani College in Jaipur and was staying in Kasturba Hostel. The hostel faced the Aravalli Hills. She used to see people climbing and disappearing. She tried to find out personally and met the mountaineers there who encouraged her to become a mountaineer.

Q.10. How did Santosh manage to pursue her mountaineering career?

Santosh, after meeting the mountaineers on the Aravalli hills who encouraged her to take mountaineering as a career, she got herself enrolled in Nehru Institute of Mountaineering without informing her parents. She had to join the institute on 21st May after her final exams in the college. The exams were to get over by April end. However, they got over only on 19th May. She straightway went to Uttarkashi. She wrote a letter of apology to her father as she had joined the Institute without his permission.