Reach for the Top- Part 1: Santosh Yadav - Reading Comprehension

AP/ NCERT Board-Based Reading Comprehension Passages Grade 9 Beehive 
Chapter 7 Reach for the Top- Part 1: Santosh Yadav

Reading Comprehension 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 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. 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 of Rewari District in Haryana.

1. In the passage, the birth of a son in the society is regarded as:

   a) A curse

   b) A blessing

   c) Unimportant

   d) Unwelcome

2. Who gave the blessing assuming that the mother wanted a son?

   a) Santosh's mother

   b) Santosh's grandmother

   c) The holy man

   d) Santosh's father

3. Santosh was born as the __________ child in her family.

   a) First

   b) Second

   c) Third

   d) Sixth

4. Where was Santosh born?

   a) New Delhi, India

   b) Mumbai, India

   c) Joniyawas, Rewari District, Haryana

   d) A small village in Rajasthan

5. Santosh was the sister to how many brothers?

   a) Three

   b) Four

   c) Five

   d) Six

Reading Comprehension 2

The girl was given the name ‘Santosh’, which means contentment. But Santosh was not always content with her place in a traditional way of life. She began living life on her own terms from the start. Where other girls wore traditional Indian dresses, Santosh preferred shorts. Looking back, she says now, “From the very beginning I was quite determined that if I chose a correct and a rational path, the others around me had to change, not me.”

1. What does the name 'Santosh' mean?

   a) Happiness

   b) Determination

   c) Contentment

   d) Tradition

2. How did Santosh prefer to dress compared to other girls?

   a) Traditional Indian dresses

   b) Western-style dresses

   c) Sarees

   d) Kurtas

3. How did Santosh approach life from the beginning?

   a) She followed traditional norms and values.

   b) She challenged societal expectations and norms.

   c) She embraced her cultural traditions.

   d) She preferred to conform to others' expectations.

4. According to Santosh, who should change if she chose a correct and rational path?

   a) Herself

   b) Her family

   c) The society around her

   d) Her friends

5. How would Santosh describe her attitude towards life?

   a) Carefree and easygoing

   b) Traditional and conservative

   c) Determined and independent

   d) Reserved and introverted

Reading Comprehension 3

 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.

1. Why did Santosh have to attend the local village school?

   a) Her parents couldn't afford to send her to a better school.

   b) It was due to the  tradition in the family.

   c) The village school was closer to their home.

   d) Santosh preferred the local village school over other options.

2. When did Santosh decide to challenge the system?

   a) When she turned twelve

   b) When she turned sixteen

   c) When she finished high school

   d) When she moved to New Delhi

3. What pressure did Santosh face from her parents?

   a) Pressure to excel academically

   b) Pressure to pursue a career in a specific field

   c) Pressure to get married

   d) Pressure to travel abroad for higher education

4. What was the prevailing custom in the village when girls turned sixteen?

   a) They would attend college

   b) They would start working

   c) They would pursue further education

   d) They would get married

5. How did Santosh plan to fight against the system?

   a) By attending a better school in New Delhi

   b) By convincing her parents to let her continue her education

   c) By challenging societal norms and expectations

   d) By finding a job and becoming financially independent

Reading Comprehension 4

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 Delhi. 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.

1. What was the last thing on Santosh's mind when she turned sixteen?

   a) Getting a proper education

   b) Getting married

   c) Traveling to another country

   d) Finding a part-time job

2. How did Santosh convince her parents to support her education?

   a) She threatened to leave home if they didn't pay for her education.

   b) She promised to find a part-time job to pay her school fees.

   c) She enrolled herself in a school without informing them.

   d) She negotiated with them and compromised on her education.

3. Where did Santosh go to pursue her education?

   a) New Delhi

   b) Her hometown village

   c) Another city in Haryana

   d) A foreign country

4. How did Santosh plan to finance her education?

   a) By getting a scholarship

   b) By taking a loan

   c) By working part-time

   d) By relying on her parents' financial support

5. What was the outcome of Santosh's conversation with her parents about her education?

   a) Her parents agreed to pay for her education.

   b) Santosh decided to drop out of school.

   c) Santosh started working full-time instead of pursuing education.

   d) Her parents disowned her.

Reading Comprehension 5

 Wishing always to study “a bit more” and with her father slowly getting used to her urge for more education, Santosh passed the high school examinations and went to Jaipur. She joined Maharani College and got a room in Kasturba Hostel. Santosh remembers, “Kasturba Hostel faced the Aravalli Hills. I used to watch villagers from my room, going up the hill and suddenly vanishing after a while. One day I decided to check it out myself. I found nobody except a few mountaineers. I asked if I could join them. To my pleasant surprise, they answered in the affirmative and motivated me to take to climbing.”

1. Where did Santosh go to pursue her higher education?

   a) New Delhi

   b) Jaipur

   c) Haryana

   d) Rewari

2. Where did Santosh stay while studying in Jaipur?

   a) Her family home

   b) Kasturba Hostel

   c) A rented apartment

   d) Maharani College

3. What did Santosh observe from her room at Kasturba Hostel?

   a) Aravalli Hills

   b) Village festivals

   c) City skyline

   d) College campus

4. What motivated Santosh to take up climbing?

   a) Her friends from college

   b) Her father's encouragement

   c) Watching mountaineers near the hills

   d) A book she read about climbing

5. How did the mountaineers respond when Santosh asked if she could join them?

   a) They ignored her request.

   b) They refused to let her join.

   c) They invited her to join them.

   d) They advised her to find a different hobby.

Reading Comprehension 6

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 nineteenth of May. And I was supposed to be in Uttarkashi on the twenty-first. 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.”

1. Where did Santosh enroll for a mountaineering course?

   a) New Delhi

   b) Jaipur

   c) Uttarkashi

   d) Haryana

2. How did Santosh manage to attend the mountaineering training without going back home?

   a) She took a leave of absence from her college.

   b) Without a word to her father, she directly attended the training as she had no time.

   c) She  skipped her college semester in Jaipur.

   d) She finished her college semester early.

3. What did Santosh  do before attending the training in Uttarkashi?

   a) Saved money

   b) Applied to join a mountaineering course

   c) Wrote a letter of apology to her father

   d) All the above

4. Which institute did Santosh join for mountaineering training?

   a) Nehru Institute of Mountaineering

   b) Indian Mountaineering Foundation

   c) Himalayan Mountaineering Institute

   d) Mount Everest Training Academy

5. When was Santosh supposed to be in Uttarkashi for the training?

   a) April 19th

   b) May 21st

   c) April 21st

   d) May 19th

Reading Comprehension 7

Thereafter, Santosh went on an expedition every year. Her climbing skills matured rapidly. Also, she developed a remarkable resistance to cold and the 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 scaled 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.

1. How often did Santosh go on expeditions?

   a) Once every two years

   b) Once every three years

   c) Once every year

   d) Once every four years

2. What did Santosh develop through her climbing experiences?

   a) Fear of heights and cold

   b) A sense of adventure and curiosity

   c) Resistance to cold and altitude

   d) Compassion and empathy

3. What made Santosh stand out among her fellow climbers?

   a) Her young age

   b) Her physical endurance

   c) Her mental toughness

   d) Her concern for others and teamwork

4. When did Santosh Yadav scale Mt Everest?

   a) 1990

   b) 1992

   c) 1994

   d) 1996

5. What title did Santosh Yadav achieve after scaling Mt Everest?

   a) Youngest woman climber

   b) Fastest climber

   c) Strongest climber

   d) Most experienced climber

Reading Comprehension 8

During the 1992 Everest mission, Santosh Yadav provided special care to a climber who lay dying at the South Col. She was unfortunately unsuccessful in saving him. However, she managed to save another climber, Mohan Singh, who would have met with the same fate had she not shared her oxygen with him.

 

Within twelve months, Santosh found herself a member of an Indo-Nepalese Women’s Expedition that invited her to join them. She then scaled the Everest a second time, thus setting a record as the only woman to have scaled the Everest twice, and securing for herself and India a unique place in the annals of mountaineering. In recognition of her achievements, the Indian government bestowed upon her one of the nation’s top honours, the Padmashri.

1. What act of compassion did Santosh Yadav demonstrate during the 1992 Everest mission?

   a) Providing medical assistance to a climber

   b) Sharing her oxygen with a dying climber

   c) Leading a rescue team to save stranded climbers

   d) Providing emotional support to fellow climbers

2. How many times did Santosh Yadav scale Mt Everest?

   a) Once

   b) Twice

   c) Three times

   d) Four times

3. What record did Santosh Yadav set with her second ascent of Mt Everest?

   a) Fastest ascent of Mt Everest

   b) Youngest climber to scale Mt Everest twice

   c) Most successful female mountaineer

   d) Only Indian climber to reach the summit twice

4. What honor did the Indian government bestow upon Santosh Yadav?

   a) Bharat Ratna

   b) Padma Vibhushan

   c) Padma Shri

   d) Padma Bhushan

5. What unique place did Santosh Yadav secure for herself and India?

   a) A place in the Guinness World Records

   b) A place in the history of women climbers

   c) A place in the Everest Hall of Fame

   d) A place in the annals of mountaineering

Reading Comprehension 9

Describing her feelings when she was literally ‘on top of the world’, Santosh has said, “It took some time for the enormity of the moment to sink in... Then I unfurled the Indian tricolour and held it aloft on the roof of the world. The feeling is indescribable. The Indian flag was flying on top of the world. It was truly a spiritual moment. I felt proud as an Indian.” Also a fervent environmentalist, Santosh collected and brought down 500 kilograms of garbage from the Himalayas.

1. What did Santosh Yadav do when she reached the summit of Mt Everest?

   a) Unfurled the Indian tricolour

   b) Collected garbage

   c) Took photographs

   d) Wrote a journal entry

2. How did Santosh Yadav feel when she reached the top of the world?

   a) Confused and disoriented

   b) Overwhelmed and proud

   c) Indifferent and unmoved

   d) Disappointed and regretful

3. What did Santosh Yadav do to demonstrate her pride as an Indian?

   a) Played the national anthem

   b) Waved the Indian flag

   c) Sang patriotic songs

   d) Gave a speech

4. Besides being a mountaineer, what else is Santosh Yadav known for?

   a) Writing books about her expeditions

   b) Advocating for environmental conservation

   c) Promoting tourism in the Himalayas

   d) Establishing a mountaineering academy

5. How much garbage did Santosh Yadav collect and bring down from the Himalayas?

   a) 100 kilograms

   b) 200 kilograms

   c) 300 kilograms

   d) 500 kilograms