Chapter 14 – Reach for the Top Solutions
Question - 1 : - Why was the ‘holy man’ who gave Santosh’s mother his blessings surprised? (1)
Answer - 1 : - The ‘holy man’ who gave Santosh’s mother his blessings was surprised because Santosh’s grandmother sought that Santosh’s mother be blessed with a daughter. This was quite astonishing for the holy man because people mostly seek blessings for having a son.
Question - 2 : - Give an example to show that even as a young girl Santosh was not ready to accept anything unreasonable. (2)
Answer - 2 : -
Even as a young girl, Santosh was not ready to accept anything unreasonable. She was not content with her place in traditional way of life and began living life on her own terms from the start. While other girls wore traditional Indian dresses, Santosh used to wear shorts.
Question - 3 : - Why was Santosh sent to the local school?
Answer - 3 : - Although Santosh’s parents were rich landowners and could have sent her to the best schools, Santosh was sent to the local school because of the prevailing custom in the family.
Question - 4 : - When did she leave home for Delhi, and why?
Answer - 4 : - She left home for Delhi when she was sixteen because she wanted to get a proper education.
Question - 5 : - 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?
Answer - 5 : -
Santosh’s parents agreed to pay for her schooling in Delhi when she informed them about her plans to earn money by working part time to pay for her education.
By this incident, we get to know that Santosh had a very clear goal of getting properly educated no matter what.
Question - 6 : - How did Santosh begin to climb mountains?
Answer - 6 : - Kasturba Hostel where Santosh used to stay during her college days, faced Aravalli Hills. She used to watch the villagers go up the hill and vanish after a while. She decided to check out the mountains herself. She asked the villagers if she could join them to which they agreed. Then, Santosh began to climb mountains.
Question - 7 : - What incidents during the Everest expedition show Santosh’s concern for her team-mates?
Answer - 7 : - During Everest expedition in 1992, Santosh provided special care to a climber who was dying at the South Col. She could not save him but she managed to save another climber, Mohan Singh, by sharing her oxygen with him.
Question - 8 : - What shows her concern for the environment?
Answer - 8 : - Santosh collected and brought down 500 kilograms of garbage from the Himalayas on her way back from the 1992 Everest expedition. This shows her concern for the environment.
Question - 9 : - How does she describe her feelings at the summit of the Everest?
Answer - 9 : -
She says that it took her some time for the enormity of the moment to sink in. She unfurled the Indian tricolor and held it aloft on the roof of the world.
She tells that the feeling is indescribable to watch the Indian flag flying on top of the world. She felt proud as an Indian.
Question - 10 : - Santosh Yadav got into the record books both times she scaled Mt Everest. What were the reasons for this?
Answer - 10 : - Santosh Yadav got into the record books both times she scaled Mt Everest. The first time she climbed Mt Everest, she got the record of the youngest woman in the world to achieve the feat. The second time she climbed Mt Everest, she became the only woman to climb the Everest twice.