By Ruchika Gupta
NCERT Class 9 English Beehive Book Chapter 7 Part 2 by Maria Shararpova Reach for the Top Summary, Explanation and Question Answers
Reach for the Top Part 2 Class 9 English Chapter 7
Part 2 Maria Sharapova
- Introduction
- See Video Explanation Reach for the Top Maria Sharapova Part 2
- Summary
- Summary in Hindi
- Lesson and Explanation
- Grammar Exercises
- Reach for the Top Maria Sharapova Part 2 Class 9 MCQ Question Answers
- Reach for the Top Part 2 Class 9 Important Question Answers
- Class 9 English Beehive Book word meaning
Reach for the Top Part 2 by Maria Sharapova – CBSE Class 9 English Beehive Book Lesson 7 Reach for the Top Summary Part 2 and Detailed explanation of the lesson along with meanings of difficult words followed by a Summary of the lesson. All the exercises and questions given at the back of the lesson have been covered. Also, Take Free Online Test for Class 9 Click Here
Reach for the Top Maria Sharapova Introduction
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.
Maria Sharapova’s story of success as she became the top-seeded woman tennis player in the world motivates us. She overcame all the hurdles and bore humiliation too in order to achieve her dream. Maria’s hunger for success and her competitive spirit kept her going.
Reach for the Top Maria Sharapova Class 9 Video Explanation
Click Here for Reach for the Top MCQs
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Reach for the Top Part 2 Summary
Reach for the Top Summary – This write up about Maria Sharapova inspires us to remain determined and make sacrifices in order to fulfil our dreams. On 22 August 2005, Maria became the top seeded player in the world women’s tennis player rankings. She made great sacrifices to achieve her goal.
At the tender age of nine, she left her home in Siberia, Russia to get training in tennis. She went to Florida in USA with her father. Maria suffered a painful separation from her mother for a period of two years. She could not see her father too as he remained busy working, arranging funds for all her needs. She was bullied by her seniors and being a foreigner, she had to suffer all that patiently. Maria did not feel depressed, rather she was prepared for greater insults too in order to achieve her aim.
Her mantra for success is to work hard and face the toughest competition. Although she was trained in the US, she considers herself to be a Russian and is wiling to represent Russia at the Olympics too.
Her favourite hobbies are fashion, singing and dancing. She loves reading novels written by Arthur Conan Doyle. Her love for fashionable evening gowns is in contrast to her liking for pancakes with chocolate spread and orange flavoured aerated drinks. The monetary gains and the fame incurred by Maria are well deserved.
Reach for the Top Part 2 Summary in Hindi
मारिया शारापोवा के बारे में यह लेख हमें अपने सपनों को पूरा करने के लिए दृढ़ संकल्प और बलिदान करने के लिए प्रेरित करता है। 22 अगस्त 2005 को, मारिया विश्व महिला टेनिस खिलाड़ी रैंकिंग में शीर्ष वरीयता प्राप्त खिलाड़ी बन गईं। उसने अपने लक्ष्य को प्राप्त करने के लिए बहुत बलिदान दिए।
नौ साल की छोटी उम्र में, उसने टेनिस में प्रशिक्षण प्राप्त करने के लिए रूस के साइबेरिया में अपना घर छोड़ दिया। वह अपने पिता के साथ अमेरिका के फ्लोरिडा चली गईं। मारिया को दो साल की अवधि के लिए अपनी मां से दर्दनाक जुदाई का सामना करना पड़ा।
वह अपने पिता को भी नहीं देख सकती थी क्योंकि वह उसकी सभी जरूरतों के लिए धन की व्यवस्था करने के लिए काम में व्यस्त रहते थे। उसके सीनियर उसे धमकाया करते थे और एक विदेशी होने के नाते, उसे वह सब धैर्यपूर्वक सहना पड़ा था । मारिया इससे उदास नहीं हुई, बल्कि अपने लक्ष्य को प्राप्त करने के लिए और अधिक अपमान के लिए भी तैयार थी।
सफलता का उनका मंत्र कड़ी मेहनत करना और सबसे कठिन प्रतिस्पर्धा का सामना करना है। हालाँकि उसे अमेरिका में प्रशिक्षित किया गया था, वह खुद को रूसी मानती है और ओलंपिक में भी रूस का प्रतिनिधित्व करने के लिए इच्छुक है।
Reach for the Top Maria Sharapova Explanation
Passage – There is something disarming about Maria Sharapova, something at odds with her ready smile and glamorous attire. And that something in her lifted her on Monday, 22 August 2005 to the world number one position in women’s tennis. All this happened in almost no time. Poised beyond her years, the Siberian born teenager took just four years as a professional to reach the pinnacle.
Word Meaning:
Disarming: likeable
At odds with: in conflict with
Poised: calm, elegant
Pinnacle: the most successful point
Explanation for the Above Passage – There is some quality in contrast to Maria Sharapova’s smile and glamour, which makes her likeable. It is this quality that helped her achieve success as she attained world number one position in women’s tennis on Monday, 22 August 2005. Maria’s calmness and elegance is beyond her age. She was born in Siberia, Russia and as a teenager, she took only four years of training to become the top seeded woman tennis player.
Passage – However, the rapid ascent in a fiercely competitive world began nine years before with a level of sacrifice few children would be prepared to endure. Little Maria had not yet celebrated her tenth birthday when she was packed off to train in the United States. That trip to Florida with her father Yuri launched her on the path to success and stardom. But it also required a heart-wrenching two-year separation from her mother Yelena. The latter was compelled to stay back in Siberia because of visa restrictions. The nine-year-old girl had already learnt an important lesson in life — that tennis excellence would only come at a price.
Word Meaning:
Rapid: fast
Ascent: growth
Endure: suffer patiently
Heart – wrenching: extremely sad
Explanation for the Above Passage – The fast growth of her career started nine years ago when she made a big sacrifice which can be made by very few children of that young age. She had not even turned ten when she was sent to Florida, USA with her father for training in tennis. She was extremely sad as she had to spend two years’ separation from her mother Yelena. Maria’s mother was forced to stay back in Siberia because she did not have the permit to travel to the US. At the tender age of nine, Maria learned that in order to excel at tennis, she would have to make many sacrifices.
Passage – “I used to be so lonely,” Maria Sharapova recalls. “I missed my mother terribly. My father was working as much as he could to keep my tennis training going. So, he couldn’t see me either.
Explanation for the Above Passage – Maria recollects that she used to remain alone and missed her mother a lot. Her father worked hard to fetch money for her needs and so, he also could not meet her.
Passage – “Because I was so young, I used to go to bed at 8 p.m. The other tennis pupils would come in at 11 p.m. and wake me up and order me to tidy up the room and clean it.
Explanation for the Above Passage – Maria was very young and so, she would go to sleep at 8 pm. The other students would return at 11 and would wake her up, ordering her to clean the room.
Passage – “Instead of letting that depress me, I became more quietly determined and mentally tough. I learnt how to take care of myself. I never thought of quitting because I knew what I wanted. When you come from nothing and you have nothing, then it makes you very hungry and determined . .. I would have put up with much more humiliation and insults than that to steadfastly pursue my dream.”
Word Meaning:
Depress: sadden
Quitting: leaving
Pursue: follow
Explanation for the Above Passage – Maria did not get depressed by all this. Instead she became determined and mentally tough. She took care of herself. She never thought of leaving the training because she was determined to achieve her aim. When a person has nothing, he craves and becomes determined to get it. She says that she would have borne greater humiliation and insults also in order to achieve her dream.
Important Links
Passage – That toughness runs through Maria even today. It was the key to her bagging the women’s singles crown at Wimbledon in 2004 and to her meteoric rise to the world number one spot the following year.
Word Meaning:
Bagging: winning
Meteoric: very rapid
Explanation for the Above Passage – Maria retains her determination till present day. This determination led her to grab the women’s singles trophy at the Wimbledon Championship in 2004, followed by the rapid climb to the top position in 2005.
Passage – While her journey from the frozen plains of Siberia to the summit of women’s tennis has touched the hearts of tennis fans, for the youngster herself there appears to be no room for sentiment. The straight looks and the answers she gives when asked about her ambition make it amply clear that she considers the sacrifices were worth it. “I am very, very competitive. I work hard at what I do. It’s my job.” This is her mantra for success.
Sentiment: emotional feeling
Word Meaning:
Ambition: goal, aim
Amply: plentifully
Explanation for the Above Passage – Tennis fans feel emotional to know about Maria’s journey from the frozen region of Siberia but she is not moved by it. She gives straight answers when questioned about her aims which imply that she accepts that the hurdles and challenges she faced were worth the result that she got. She adds that she is competitive and works hard as she considers it to be a part of her work. This is Maria’s secret for success.
Passage – Though Maria Sharapova speaks with a pronounced American accent, she proudly parades her Russian nationality. Clearing all doubts, she says, “I’m Russian. It’s true that the U.S. is a big part of my life. But I have Russian citizenship. My blood is totally Russian. I will play the Olympics for Russia if they want me.”
Word Meaning:
Parades: displays
Explanation for the Above Passage – Maria’s speech has an American accent but she is proud to be a Russian. She says that USA is a big part of her life because she trained there but in the core of her heart, she is a Russian. She holds the citizenship of Russia, her ancestors are Russians and she is willing to represent Russia at the Olympics too.
Passage – Like any number of teenaged sensations, Maria Sharapova lists fashion, singing and dancing as her hobbies. She loves reading the novels of Arthur Conan Doyle. Her fondness for sophisticated evening gowns appears at odds with her love of pancakes with chocolate spread and fizzy orange drinks.
Word Meaning:
Sophisticated: fashionable
At odds with: in disagreement with
Fizzy: aerated
Explanation for the Above Passage – Like other teenagers her age, Maria’s favourite pastimes are fashion, singing and dancing. She likes to read novels written by Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes. She likes to wear fashionable evening gowns. Looking at her fit body, it is unbelievable that she likes to eat pancakes with chocolate spread and drinks aerated orange flavoured drinks.
Passage – Maria Sharapova cannot be pigeon-holed or categorised. Her talent, unwavering desire to succeed and readiness to sacrifice have lifted her to the top of the world. Few would grudge her the riches she is now reaping. This is what she has to say about her monetary gains from tennis: “Of course, money is a motivation. Tennis is a business and a sport, but the most important thing is to become number one in the world. That’s the dream that kept me going.”
Word Meaning:
Pigeon-holed: classified, categorized
Unwavering: steady, firm
Grudge: oppose, mind
Explanation for the Above Passage – Maria cannot be put into a particular category. Her talent, urge to succeed and sacrificing nature helped her reach the top position in women’s tennis. No one will oppose the benefits that she is getting now because she made many sacrifices to get them. She says that money does motivate her to work hard. Tennis is both a sport and a business but the most important aspect for her was to reach the top spot in women’s tennis. It was this dream that kept her working further.
Important Videos Links
Grammar Exercises
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.
Points of Comparison/Contrast |
Santosh Yadav |
Maria Sharapova |
1. Their humble beginning |
||
2. Their parents’ approach |
||
3. Their will power and strong desire to succeed |
||
4. Evidence of their mental toughness |
||
5. Their patriotism |
A.
Points of Comparison/Contrast |
Santosh Yadav |
Maria Sharapova |
1. Their humble beginning |
She was born in the small village of Joniya was of Rewari District in Haryana. |
She was born in the frozen plains of Siberia |
2. Their parents’ approach |
Her parents disapproved her wish to study at a school in Delhi, however, later they accepted it. |
Her father worked hard to arrange funds for her training. |
3. Their will power and strong desire to succeed |
Then there was no looking back for this determined young girl. |
When you come from nothing and you have nothing, then it makes you very hungry and determined |
4. Evidence of their mental toughness |
Equipped with an iron will, physical endurance and an amazing mental toughness, she proved herself repeatedly. |
Instead of letting that depress me, I became more quietly determined and mentally tough. I learnt how to take care of myself. |
5. Their patriotism |
I felt proud as an Indian |
Though Maria Sharapova speaks with a pronounced American accent, she proudly parades her Russian nationality. |
Also See:
- CBSE Class 9 English Important Questions
- Class 9 English Lesson Explanation
- Class 9 English MCQ Questions with Answers
- Class 9 English Beehive Chapter Wise word meaning
Class 9 English Chapter-wise Explanation
