Bright Tutorials Bright Tutorials
CBSE Class 9 English Question 20 of 21

Reach for the Top — Question 20

Back to all questions
20
Question
The roll of honour of women who enjoyed life at the summit since everybody’s favourite player, Chris Evert, took her place in 1975. Name Ranked on Weeks as No. 1 Maria Sharapova (Russia) 22 August 2005 1 Lindsay Davenport (U.S.) October 2004 82 Amelie Mauresmo (France) 13 September 2004 5 Justine Henin-Hardenne (Belgium) 20 October 2003 45 Kim Clijsters (Belgium) 11 August 2003 12 Serena Williams (U.S.) 8 July 2002 57 Venus Williams (U.S.) 25 February 2002 11 Jennifer Capriati (U.S.) 15 October
Answer

The long list of the women who topped the tennis arena. Different women enjoyed life being at the top for different durations. For example, Staff! Graf of Germany enjoyed the topmost rank for the longest duration of 377 weeks. She was followed by Chris Evert of the US who enjoyed this rank for 362 weeks. Martina Navratilova of the US enjoyed it for 33 weeks. It was Martina Hingis of Switzerland who had it for 209 weeks. Monica Seles of the US also enjoyed it for 178 weeks. After that Serena William and Lindsay Davenport of the US also remained world number one for 57 and 82 weeks respectively. Maria Sharapova of Russia enjoyed this rank for 1 week. All these women worked day and night to achieve the pinnacle. They sharpened their playing skills with determination. They had physical fitness and mental strength to succeed. They had talent, mental toughness and readiness to sacrifice. These qualities played an important role in their world achievements.
The above answer is only a sample provided to the students. We suggest students to answer these questions using their own creativity.

Overview: Reach for the Top

Part I: Santosh Yadav, from a small Haryana village, defied social norms that expected her to marry young. She chose education, joined a mountaineering institute, and became the youngest woman to climb Everest — and the only woman to do it twice. She also collected 500 kg of garbage from the Himalayas. Part II: Maria Sharapova, sent from Siberia to the USA at age 9, endured years of loneliness, homesickness, and bullying before winning Wimbledon at 17.

Key Points

  • Part I: Santosh Yadav from Joniyawas village, Haryana
  • Defied social norms — chose education over early marriage
  • Joined Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, Uttarkashi
  • Youngest woman to climb Mount Everest
  • Only woman to scale Everest twice
  • Collected 500 kg garbage from Himalayas — environmentally conscious
  • Part II: Maria Sharapova — born in Siberia, Russia
  • Sent to USA at age 9 for tennis training
  • Endured loneliness, homesickness, bullying by older girls
  • Won Wimbledon at age 17
  • Both stories celebrate determination and breaking barriers

Frequently Asked Questions

How did Santosh Yadav break social barriers?
In Haryana, girls were expected to marry young and stay home. Santosh refused. She left home to get educated in Delhi, joined a mountaineering institute, and became the youngest woman to climb Everest. Her determination was stronger than social pressure.
What sacrifices did Maria Sharapova make?
Maria was sent to the USA at age 9, separated from her mother for two years. She was bullied by older girls at the training academy. She endured loneliness and homesickness but never gave up, eventually winning Wimbledon at 17.

Common Mistakes

  • Not reading the text carefully before attempting questions.
  • Giving vague answers without specific textual references.
  • Confusing characters, events, or themes from different chapters.
  • Writing too much for short-answer questions (should be 30-40 words).

Scoring Tips

  • For extract-based MCQs: read the passage carefully; eliminate wrong options systematically.
  • For short answers: be concise (30-40 words), use key vocabulary from the text.
  • For long answers: structure with introduction, body, conclusion. Quote from the text.
  • Always identify the chapter/poem name and author when answering.