The Summit Within – Questions and Answers
Comprehension Check
Q1. Standing on Everest, the writer was
(i) overjoyed.
(ii) very sad.
(iii) jubilant and sad.
Choose the right item.
Ans. (iii) jubilant and sad.
Q2. The emotion that gripped him was one of
(i) victory over hurdles.
(ii) humility and a sense of smallness.
(iii) greatness and self importance.
(iv) joy of discovery.
Choose the right item.
Ans. (ii) humility and a sense of smallness.
Q3. “The summit of the mind” refers to
(i) great intellectual achievements.
(ii) the process of maturing mentally and spiritually.
(iii) overcoming personal ambition for common welfare.
(iv) living in the world of thought and imagination.
(v) the triumph of mind over worldly pleasures for a noble cause.
(vi) a fuller knowledge of oneself.
Mark the item(s) not relevant.
Ans. (vi) a fuller knowledge of oneself. (Other options are not relevant.)
1. Working with the Text
(i). What are the three qualities that played a major role in the author’s climb?
Ans. Endurance, persistence, and willpower.
(ii). Why is adventure, which is risky, also pleasurable?
Ans. Because it offers a sense of achievement, thrill, and satisfaction after overcoming challenges.
(iii). What was it about Mount Everest that the author found irresistible?
Ans. Its height, majesty, the challenge it posed, and the fact that it had defied many earlier attempts.
(iv). One does not do it (climb a high peak) for fame alone. What does one do it for, really?
Ans. For the joy of having done something difficult, the sense of victory, and the fulfilment it brings.
(v). “He becomes conscious in a special manner of his own smallness in this large universe.” This awareness defines an emotion mentioned in the first paragraph. Which is the emotion?
Ans. Humility.
(vi). What were the “symbols of reverence” left by members of the team on Everest?
Ans. A picture of Guru Nanak (H.P.S. Ahluwalia), a picture of Goddess Durga (Rawat), a relic of the Buddha (Phu Dorji), and a cross buried by Edmund Hillary.
(vii). What, according to the writer, did his experience as an Everester teach him?
Ans. It taught him to face life’s challenges resolutely and that the conquest of the inner self is as important as the conquest of physical mountains.
2. Working with the Text – Sentences
(ii). Man takes delight in overcoming obstacles.
Ans. The struggle of climbing a mountain gives joy as man enjoys defeating challenges.
(iii). Mountains are nature at its best.
Ans. They are beautiful, majestic, and a source of inspiration.
(iv). The going was difficult but the after-effects were satisfying.
Ans. The climb to the summit is tough but the view and experience make it worthwhile.
(v). The physical conquest of a mountain is really a spiritual experience.
Ans. Climbing mountains makes a person humble, reflective, and spiritually enriched.
Working with Language
Q1. Fill in the blanks in the following dialogues choosing suitable phrases
from those given in the box.
(i) Teacher: You were away from school without permission. Go to the
principal ________________ and submit your explanation.
Pupil: Yes, Madam. But would you help me write it first?
(ii) Arun: Are you unwell?
Ila: No, not ________________ Why do you ask?
Arun: If you were unwell, I would send you to my uncle.
He is a doctor.
(iii) Mary: Almost every Indian film has an episode of love ________________.
David: Is that what makes them so popular in foreign countries?
(iv) Asif: You look depressed. Why are your spirits ________________ today?
(Use such in the phrase)
Ashok: I have to write ten sentences using words that I never heard
before.
(v) Shieba: Your big moment is close ________________.
Jyoti: How should I welcome it?
Shieba: Get up and receive the trophy.
Answer:
(i) at once
(ii) at all
(iii) at first sight
(iv) at such a low ebb
(v) at hand
Q2. Write the noun forms of the following words adding -ance or -ence to each.
(i) endure ________________ (ii) persist ________________
(iii) signify ________________ (iv) confide ________________
(v) maintain ________________ (vi) abhor ________________
Answer:
(i) endurance
(ii) persistence
(iii) significance
(iv) confidence
(v) maintenance
(vi) abhorrence
Q3(i). Match words under A with their meanings under B.
- remote → far away from
- means → method(s)
- dominant → most prominent
- formidable → difficult to overcome
- overwhelmed → be overcome/overpowered
Q3(ii). Fill in the blanks in the sentences below with appropriate words from
under A.
(a) There were ________________ obstacles on the way, but we reached
our destination safely.
(b) We have no ________________ of finding out what happened there.
(c) Why he lives in a house ________________ from any town or village
is more than I can tell.
(d) ________________ by gratitude, we bowed to the speaker for his
valuable advice.
(e) The old castle stands in a ___________ position above the sleepy town.
Answer:
(a) formidable
(b) means
(c) remote
(d) overwhelmed
(e) dominant
Writing
Q. Write a composition describing a visit to the hills or a beautiful and inspiring place.
Ans. Last summer, I visited the hills of Himachal Pradesh. As our car climbed the winding roads, cool breezes greeted us. Snow-capped peaks sparkled in the sunlight, and pine trees covered the slopes. At the top, I felt a deep sense of peace, as though nature was embracing me. The quietness, broken only by birdsong, made me reflect on the beauty of creation. Standing there, I realised why mountains are called “a means of communion with God.” The experience filled me with gratitude and humility, and I returned home feeling refreshed in body and spirit.
