Class 9 English Beehive


Reach for The Top

NCERT Solution

Part 1

Answer these questions in one or two sentences each

Question 1: Why was the ‘holy man’ who gave Santosh’s mother his blessings surprised?

Answer: The part of India where Santosh was born has a negative bias against girl child. So the holy man was surprised because Santosh’s grandmother wished for a girl child.

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

Answer: Santosh liked to wear shorts instead of traditional dress prevalent in her village. This shows her rebellious attitude and shows that since early age she had a mind of her own.

Question 3: Why was Santosh sent to the local school?

Answer: It is customary to send a girl child to local school because the aim is to make them literate enough to enable them to read and write. The purpose is not education but literacy.

Question 4: When did she leave home for Delhi, and why?

Answer: When she turned 16 she wanted to pursue higher education so she left for Delhi.

Question 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?

Answer: Santosh threatened to work part time to manage her school fees. On hearing this her parents agreed to pay for her schooling in Delhi. This incidence shows her level of determination towards her goal.