Reach for the Top (8.1)

Which of these words would you use to describe Santosh Yadav? Find reasons in the text to support your choices, and write a couple of paragraphs describing Santosh's character.

Working in pairs, go through the table below that gives you information about the top women tennis players since 1975. Write a short article for your school magazine comparing and contrasting the players in terms of their duration at the top. Mention some qualities that you think may be responsible for their brief or long stay at the top spot.

Top-Ranked Women Players

I. The roll of honour of women who enjoyed life at the summit since everybody's favourite player, Chris Evert, took her place in 1975.

Now rewrite the pairs of sentences given below as one sentence.

1. Grandfather told me about the old days. All books were printed on paper then.

2. What do you do after you finish the book? Perhaps you just throw it away.

3. He gave the little girl an apple. He took the computer apart.

4. You have nothing. That makes you very determined.

5. I never thought of quitting. I knew what I wanted.

Imagine that you are Santosh Yadav, or Maria Sharapova. You have been invited to speak at an All India Girls' Athletic Meet, as chief guest. Prepare a short speech to motivate the girls to think and dream big and make an effort to fulfil their dreams, not allowing difficulties or defeat to discourage them. The following words and phrases may help you.

• self confident/confidence/sure of yourself

• self assured/assurance/belief in yourself

• morale/boost morale/raise morale

• giving somebody a boost/fillip/lift

• demoralising/unsure of yourself/insecure/lack confidence

Look at the following sentences. They each have two clauses, or two parts each with their own subject and verb or verb phrase. Often, one part (italicised) tells us when or why something happened.

• I reached the market when most of the shops had closed. (Tells us when I reached.)

• When Rahul Dravid walked back towards the pavilion, everyone stood up. (Tells us when everyone stood up.)

• The telephone rang and Ganga picked it up. (Tells us what happened next.)

• Gunjan has been with us ever since the school began. (Tells us for how long he has been with us.)

I. Identify the two parts in the sentences below by underlining the part that gives us the information in brackets.

1. Where other girls wore traditional Indian dresses, Santosh preferred shorts.

(Contrasts her dress with that of others)

2. She left home and got herself enrolled in a school in Delhi. (Tells us what happened after the first action.)

3. She decided to fight the system when the right moment arrived. (Tells us when she was going to fight the system.)

4. Little Maria had not yet celebrated her tenth birthday when she was packed off to train in the United States. (Tells us when Maria was sent to the U.S.)

Working in small groups of 4-5 students, go back over the two passages on Santosh Yadav and Maria Sharapova and complete the table given below with relevant phrases or sentences.

A Russian girl, Maria Sharapova, reached the summit of women's tennis when she was barely eighteen. As you read about her, see if you can draw a comparison between her and Santosh Yadav.

1. Match the following.

Pick out words from the text that mean the same as the following words or expressions. (Look in the paragraphs indicated.)

1. took to be true without proof (1): _________

2. based on reason; sensible; reasonable (2): _________

3. the usual way of doing things (3): _________

4. a strong desire arising from within (5): _________

5. the power to endure, without falling ill (7): _________

Complete the following statements.

1. From her room in Kasturba Hostel, Santosh used to _________

2. When she finished college, Santosh had to write a letter of apology to her father because _________

3. During the Everest expedition, her seniors in the team admired her _________ while _________endeared her to fellow climbers.

Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (about 30 words).

1. How did Santosh begin to climb mountains?

2. What incidents during the Everest expedition show Santosh's concern for her team-mates?

3. What shows her concern for the environment?

4. How does she describe her feelings at the summit of the Everest?

5. Santosh Yadav got into the record books both times she scaled Mt Everest. What were the reasons for this?

Answer these questions in one or two sentences each. (The paragraph numbers within brackets provide clues to the answers.)

1. Why was the 'holy man' who gave Santosh's mother his blessings surprised? (1)

2. Give an example to show that even as a young girl Santosh was not ready to accept anything unreasonable. (2)

3. Why was Santosh sent to the local school? (3)

4. When did she leave home for Delhi, and why? (4)

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? (4)