NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Chapter 7 Reach for the Top
NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Chapter 7 Reach for the Top
NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Chapter Reach for the Top
This worksheet provides complete and accurate NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Chapter Reach for the Top. This chapter includes two inspiring biographical pieces — Santosh Yadav and Maria Sharapova — along with the poem On Killing a Tree by Gieve Patel. It highlights determination, sacrifice, perseverance and the courage to overcome challenges. This worksheet strictly follows the NCERT structure and provides answers based only on the given worksheet content.
NCERT Chapter Reach for the Top is important because it motivates students to dream big and work hard. Through real-life examples, students understand how strong willpower and dedication lead to success. These NCERT Solutions help students prepare structured answers as expected in examinations.
Chapter summary: stories, poems & themes
The chapter includes two biographical accounts. The first part describes Santosh Yadav, the only woman who scaled Mt Everest twice, and her journey from a small village in Haryana to international recognition. The second part describes Maria Sharapova’s rise to the world number one position in women’s tennis and the sacrifices she made for success.
The poem On Killing a Tree explains how deeply rooted and strong a tree is, and how difficult it is to destroy it completely. The central themes of the chapter are determination, mental toughness, sacrifice, environmental awareness and perseverance.
What this NCERT chapter covers?
• Reading comprehension based on biographical texts
• Vocabulary development through matching and word-meaning exercises
• Grammar practice including clause identification and sentence combining
• Writing tasks such as speeches and magazine articles
• Character analysis and comparison
• Poem interpretation and literary understanding
How to use these NCERT solutions?
Students should first read both biographies and the poem carefully and attempt the questions independently. After that, they can compare their responses with these NCERT Solutions for accuracy and clarity.
Parents and teachers can use these solutions to guide students in writing answers according to NCERT standards. The answers follow the same order and structure as given in this worksheet, making revision easier and more effective.
Student tips & learning tricks
• Focus on key incidents from Santosh Yadav’s life such as her decision to pursue education and mountaineering.
• Remember Maria Sharapova’s sacrifices and her determination to succeed.
• For comparison questions, use clear contrasts and similarities from the text.
• In poem answers, refer to specific words and lines for support.
• Follow the exact question format while writing answers.
Why NCERT solutions are important?
NCERT Solutions help students understand the lesson deeply and prepare according to the official syllabus. They improve answer-writing skills and strengthen conceptual understanding. For Class 9 English, structured responses and textual support are essential for scoring well.
These solutions build confidence and ensure exam readiness.
Complete answer key – NCERT solutions
Part I – Santosh Yadav
Thinking about the text
I. One or two sentence answers.
1. The ‘holy man’ was surprised because Santosh’s grandmother said they did not want a son.
2. Even as a young girl, Santosh preferred shorts instead of traditional dresses and believed others should change if she chose a correct and rational path.
3. Santosh was sent to the local school because of the prevailing custom in the family.
4. She left home at sixteen to get proper education and enrolled herself in a school in Delhi.
5. Her parents agreed when she said she would work part time to pay her fees. This incident shows her determination and self-confidence.
II. Short paragraph answers.
1. Santosh began climbing after watching villagers disappear into the Aravalli Hills. She found mountaineers there and joined them. Later, she enrolled in the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering at Uttarkashi.
2. During the Everest expedition, she provided special care to a dying climber and saved Mohan Singh by sharing her oxygen.
3. She collected and brought down 500 kilograms of garbage from the Himalayas, showing her environmental concern.
4. She described the moment as spiritual and said she felt proud when she unfurled the Indian tricolour on top of the world.
5. She became the youngest woman to scale Mt Everest at twenty and later became the only woman to scale it twice.
III. Complete the statements.
1. From her room in Kasturba Hostel, Santosh used to watch villagers going up the Aravalli Hills.
2. She had to write a letter of apology because she enrolled in the training course at Uttarkashi without her father’s permission.
3. Her seniors admired her climbing skills, physical fitness and mental strength, while her concern for others endeared her to fellow climbers.
IV. Word meanings.
1. assumed
2. rational
3. prevailing custom
4. urge
5. endurance
Part II – Maria Sharapova
Thinking about the text
Comparison table – answers based strictly on details given in the two passages, highlighting humble beginnings, parental approach, strong willpower, mental toughness and patriotism.
Thinking about language
I. Clause identification – student-generated activity.
II. Sentence combining – student-generated activity.
Dictation – student-generated activity.
Speaking – student-generated activity.
Writing – student-generated activity.
On Killing a Tree
Thinking about the poem
1. No, a simple jab of the knife cannot kill a tree because it has grown strong over many years.
2. The tree has grown slowly consuming the earth, absorbing sunlight, air and water, and sprouting leaves.
3. “Bleeding bark” refers to the sap that flows when the bark is cut.
4. “No” means hacking and chopping alone cannot kill the tree.
5. “Anchoring earth” means the earth holding the roots; “earth cave” means the underground space where the roots grow.
6. It means exposing the root, the source of the tree’s life.
7. The tree finally dies after being uprooted, scorched and choked in the sun and air.
Access accurate and complete NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Chapter Reach for the Top to strengthen learning and boost exam performance.