Updated on 28/06/2026
*7. Reach for the Top* Part-I
*1. Who is the writer of the chapter ‘Reach for the Top’?*
Ans. Santosh Yadav
*2. The woman who had scaled Mt Everest twice?*
Ans. Santosh Yadav
*3. How many brothers did Santosh have?*
Ans. Five brothers
*4. Where was Santosh born?*
Ans. Joniyawas village of Rewari District in Haryana
*5. What did Santosh Yadav prefer to wear?*
Ans."While other girls wore traditional Indian dresses, Santosh preferred shorts."
*6. Why did she leave home?*
Ans. To get education in Delhi
*7. Why did Santosh Yadav refuse to marry?*
Ans. To get proper education
*8. Where did she take admission after high school education?*
Ans. Jaipur
*9. Where did she enroll herself for mountaineering training?*
Ans. Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, Uttarkashi.
*10. When did Santosh Yadav scale Mt. Everest for the first time?*
Ans. In 1992
Part-II
*11. To which sport is Maria Sharapova attached?*
Ans. Lawn tennis
*12. To which country Maria Sharapova belongs?*
Ans. To Siberia (Russia)
*13. Who was Maria Sharapova during her trip to Florida?*
Ans. Her father, Yuri
*14. When did Maria Sharapova win the Wimbledon’s women singles final?*
Ans. In 2004
*15. When did she win the world’s number one position?*
Ans. On 22 August, 2005
*16. How many years did Maria take to reach the top?*
Ans. Four years
*17. At what age was she sent to the United States?*
Ans. She was not even nine years old.
*18. What is the name of her father?*
Ans. Yuri
*19. How long did she stay in the U.S.A.?*
Ans. For two years she had to live apart from her mother
*20. How did Maria’s seniors treat her at the training academy?*
Ans. They woke her up at 11:00 PM and ordered her to clean the room.
Textual Questions
1. Why was the ‘holy man’ who gave Santosh’s mother his blessings surprised?
Ans. The 'holy man' who gave Santosh's mother his blessings was surprised because her grandmother sought blessings for a daughter. In this society most of the people want to bless a son.
2. Why was Santosh sent to the local school?
Ans. Even though Santosh's parents could afford to send their children to the best schools. But she was sent to the local village school due to the prevailing custom in the family.
3. How did Santosh begin to climb mountains?
Ans. While she was staying at her hostel in Jaipur, from her room she used to watch people going up the Aravalli Hills and vanishing after a while. This was how she began climbing mountains.
4. When did she leave home for Delhi, and why?
Ans. When Santosh became sixteen, her parents put pressure on her to get married. But she wanted to study. So she left home and enrolled in a school in Delhi.
5. What shows her concern for the environment?
Ans. Santosh has great concern for the environment. She collected and brought down 500 kg of garbage from the Himalayas.
6. Why did Sharapova leave Siberia for the U.S.A.?
Ans. At the age of nine years, Maria Sharapova left Siberia for Florida. She went there to attend a training camp for women's tennis. She undertook hard training for two years. Her father, Yuri, also went with her.
7. What does Maria Sharapova say about her Russian nationality?
Ans. Maria Sharapova speaks with an American accent. She spent most time in America. But she says she is Russian. She will play the Olympics for Russia.
8. What quality of Maria had lifted her to the top of the world?
Ans. Her determination, her hunger for success, her willingness to work hard, her readiness to endure challenges, and her sacrifices have lifted her to the top of the world.
*9. How did Maria’s co-pupils (senior tennis players) treat her at the Florida training academy?
Ans. They used to wake her up at 11:00 PM and order her to clean and tidy up the entire room. Instead of getting depressed, this bullying made Maria more determined and mentally tough.
Long-Answer
*1. Write a brief character sketch of Santosh Yadav.*
Ans. Santosh was a very daring and strong hearted girl. She was born in the small village of Joniyawas in Haryana. She always used to live her life on her own terms. She was eager to get an education rather than getting married like others of her age. Even though her parents refused to support her dreams and finance her, they had to back down against her strong will. In opposition to her parents, she enrolled herself in a school in Delhi. When she was staying at her hostel in Jaipur, from her room she used to watch people going up the Aravalli Hills. She enrolled herself in a course of mountaineering. She scaled Mount Everest twice.
*2. Compare and contrast Santosh Yadav and Maria Sharapova.*
Ans. Santosh Yadav and Maria Sharapova are two famous personalities. Santosh Yadav scaled Mount Everest twice. Maria Sharapova got the number one position in the world women's tennis. They had a clear vision of their life. They wanted to do something different in their life. To attain success in life, they both had to work hard. They sacrificed all comforts and pleasures to achieve their aim. Maria Sharapova left Siberia for Florida at the age of nine. She undertook hard training for two years. She lived there without her mother. While Santosh left home and got herself enrolled in a school in Delhi because she wanted to study.