Reach for the top
What motivated Santosh Yadav to leave her village and pursue studies in Delhi?
She wanted independence and equal opportunities, rejecting early marriage and traditional expectations.
This element of nature is shared by all humans — the poet uses it to show universality and equality.
Same sun, air and water
Q1. What was Iswaran’s main duty while working for Mahendra?
Answer: Iswaran’s main duty was to look after Mahendra by cooking food, doing household chores, and generally managing his daily needs.
1️⃣ Teacher: Where is your notebook?
→ The teacher asked me __________________________________.
1️⃣ The teacher asked me where my notebook was.
The players ___________ practicing since 6 a.m.
(has been / have been / had been)
Q2. Why was Maria Sharapova sent to the United States as a young girl?
Answer: Maria Sharapova was sent to the United States to receive advanced tennis training and better coaching facilities so that she could develop into a top-level player.
What does the poet suggest when he says that others’ bodies are “like ours”?
The poet suggests that people from other countries are physically just like us and that there is no real difference between “them” and “us” as human beings.
Q2. Why did Mahendra never feel completely lonely, even though he lived in remote places?
Answer: Mahendra never felt completely lonely because Iswaran kept him entertained with lively stories and constant conversation, which filled the silence of their isolated surroundings.
2️⃣ Rohan: I can finish my work by evening.
→ Rohan said that ________________________________________.
2️⃣ Rohan said that he could finish his work by evening.
Each student and teacher _________ responsible for safety.
(is / are)
OR
Lara, together with friends, _____________yoga every day.
(practices, practice)
is/ practices
Which personality traits helped Santosh become the first woman to climb Everest twice?
Determination, courage, discipline, and a strong will to challenge societal norms and physical hardships. These helped her to refuse early marriage, choosing to continue her education, and later taking up mountaineering, which was unusual for girls in her conservative village.
How does the poem show that war affects everyone, not just the so-called “enemy”?
The poem shows that war affects everyone by suggesting that when we hate or harm others, we are actually harming people who live, work, and suffer just as we do, so the pain of war ultimately returns to us.
Illustrate that Iswaran's storytelling are entertaining and exaggerative.
The huge ghostly creature / elephant episode/tree on the highway
used dramatic pauses and gestures, vivid details, changes in tone, which created suspense and kept the listener eager to hear what would happen next.
3️⃣ Mother: Don’t talk during the movie.
→ Mother told us _________________________________________.
3️⃣ Mother told us not to talk during the movie.
If you had come earlier, we __________ finished the work.
(could have / must have / will have)
could have
Maria Sharapova’s attitude towards hardship contributed to her success. Discuss. (give any 2 value points)
Maria Sharapova accepted hardships—such as long hours of practice and separation from her family, especially mother—as necessary steps towards her goal, and this willingness to endure struggle strengthened her focus and determination to succeed.
Q4. What human-made divisions does the poem ask us to question and reject?
Divisions such as national borders, racial, communal, religion, class, caste differences, and labels like “foreign” or “strange,
Q4. How did Iswaran’s stories affect Mahendra’s behaviour or feelings at night?
Answer: Iswaran’s ghost stories made Mahendra feel nervous and uneasy at night, and he sometimes imagined that the supernatural events described by Iswaran were actually happening around him.
Too anxious to fall asleep or look out of his window.
4️⃣ Friend: Why didn’t you reply to my message?
→ My friend asked me ____________________________________.
4️⃣ My friend asked me why I hadn’t replied to his message.
Identify and correct the error:
A group of dancers are practising in the auditorium.
OR
Either the cat or the dog sleep in the bed
is/sleeps
Q5. In what way do the backgrounds and struggles of both Maria Sharapova and Santosh Yadav shape their achievements?
Give an introduction
Para 1: On Santosh Yadav (Conservative background, Family resistance,Self-determined, Everest twice, Courage)
Para 2 : On Maria Sharapova (Separation from family, Hard training, bullying, mental toughness, World No. 1, Sacrificed the 'normal' life)
Conclusion:Highlight common points
Both overcame hardships from a young age
Their struggles built confidence, discipline, and perseverance
Their achievements reflect courage, grit, and focus on goals
Family sacrifices contributed to their success
Success rooted in passion and strong determination
Why does the poet emphasize “war’s long winter starved”?
The metaphor reveals how war causes universal suffering, depriving even supposed “enemies” of food, warmth, and life—emphasizing that war harms humanity as a whole.
Q5. What do Iswaran’s exaggerated and imaginative stories suggest about the power of narration?
Iswaran’s exaggerated and imaginative stories suggest that narration has the power to shape people’s emotions and perceptions; even when listeners know a story may be untrue, a skilled storyteller can make them feel fear, excitement, or curiosity as if the events are real.
5️⃣ Nurse: Take this medicine twice a day.
→ The nurse instructed the patient _________________________
5️⃣ The nurse instructed the patient to take that medicine twice a day.
FIRE EXIT
Blocking this area ________ lead to punishment.
(will / would)
will