NCERT Class -9 — Reach for the Top Part 2 .. Maria Sharapova

                                                                         Part 2

                                   Maria Sharapova

Initial exercise of matching meanings ..

1. Something disarming … Something that makes you feel friendly, taking away your suspiciousness
2. Glamorous attire .. Attractive and exciting clothes
3. In almost no time … Quickly, almost immediately
4. Poised beyond her years .. More calm, confident, and in control than people of her age usually are
5. Packed off.. ..Sent off
6. Launched .. Started
7. Heart wrenching .. Causing strong feelings of sadness

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Paragraph 1 ..Maria Sharapova became the No.1 tennis player of the world on Monday, 22 August 2005. Her rise to such fame was unimaginably quick. After her success, she faced the admirers with a soft, unassuming smile and the luxurious clothes she wore. Behind such a façade, she concealed the grueling training journey that virtually ripped her apart both physically and emotionally, but failed to break her determination to climb to the top at the earliest. In just four years, this modest Siberian girl smashed all barriers on her path to be crowned as the topmost woman tennis player of the world.

Paragraph 2 .. Maria was not reached the age of ten, when she was sent to Florida in the United States for being coached in tennis. Father Yuri accompanied her in this journey that would in later years prove to be so fateful, and so astonishingly successful. The demanding training scarred her body and mind, but resulted in Maria making long strides in the game of tennis. In the world stage, the game had already become mercilessly competitive for players aspiring to rise to the top. Maria picked up the gauntlet and honed her tennis skills with aplomb. Her mother Yelena was left behind in Siberia as she failed to get a visa to accompany Maria to the U.S. For two long years, Maria couldn’t see her mother. The pangs of separation was insufferable for the very young Maria. Melancholy bit the nine-year-old’s soul always, but she never wavered from her skill-building journey.

Paragraph 3 .. Separation from her mother was vdery painful for the young Maia. To add to her woes, her father used to be away from her for long hours as he had to do xsome work to earn money for their upkeep.

Paragraph 4. Her room mates often caused some difficulties for her. She used to fall asleep at about 8pm. The room mates often came in around 11pm. They woke her up demanding that she did up the room. It was quite unsettling, but she remained unruffled by such rough behaviour.

Paragraph 5 .. The boorish behaviour of her roommates was hurtful no doubt, but it brought more energy and more resolve to Maria’s mind. She felt the right way to counter such bad manners was to cling to her lofty tennis aspiration with added zeal. Her beginning was humble, but her dreams were skyhigh. She felt the right response to such adverse experience was to erase these feelings through more focus on her tennis skill-building.

Paragraph 6 .. The unpleasantness associated with her interaction with the room mates had made her tough instead of unnerving her. That toughness helped her to the women’s singles crown at Wimbledon in 2004 and to her meteoric rise to the world number one spot the following year. She retained this trait well after her highly successful career.

Paragraph 7 .. Maria Sharapova has become a role model for tennis enthusiasts the world over. The way she made her way to the top from her humble home in Siberia in such quick time baffles her fans as much as it inspires them. Despite the publicity and high-pitch felicitation pouring in after her mind-boggling success, she remains the same tough and determined tennis player. She spells out her approach to the game in very simple words.

Paragraph 8 ,, She speakes English with an American accent, but she unequivocally asserts her Russian origin and her unwavering loyalty to her country. She would gladly represent Russia, if selected.

Paragraph  9 .. Characteristic of her young age, she loves singing, dancing, and wearing bespoke and glamorous clothes. She loves reading novels of Sir Arthur Canon Doyle. Her food preferences are, however, very spartan. She loves to eat pancakes with chocolate spread and fizzy orange drinks.

Paragraph 10 .. Maria Sharapova makes no bones about her love for riches, but she affirms that the lure for reaching the top slot in tennis has driven her along her success route, not the greed for mobey. She is an unusual player who can not be caatagorised.

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Thinking about the Text …

Their humble beginning .. Santosh Yadav came from a well-to-do family. Maria Sharapova came from an ordinary family.

Their parents approach .. Santosh’s parents were not supportive of her cherished profession. Sharapova’s parents were deeply supportive of her ambition.

Their will power and strong desire to succeed,,, In this respect, both Santosh and Sharapova are identical.

Evidence of their mental toughness … Santosh accompanied a group of unknown mountaineers to climb the Aravakki Hills. Later, she enrolled in the Delhi college to be able to receive quality education, She offered to work part time to earn money for her fees. Sharapova tolerated the rough behaviour of her room mates with equanimity, and instead of feeling discouraged, she summoned more mental energy to excel in tennis,

Their patriotism .. Both were staunch patriots and asserted it in both words and action,

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Thinking about Language

I. Identify the two parts in the sentences below by underlining the part that gives us the information in brackets, as shown above.

1. Where other girls wore traditional Indian dresses, Santosh preferred shorts. (Contrasts her dress with that of others)

Ans .. Unlike other girls who wore traditional female clothes, Santosh wore short generally worn by boys.

2. She left home and got herself enrolled in a school in Delhi.(Tells us what happened after the first action.)

Ans .. She left home and got herself admitted in a Delhi school.

3. She decided to fight the system when the right moment arrived.(Tells us when she was going to fight the system.)

Ans .. She waited for the right time to start her fight against the existing system.

4. Little Maria had not yet celebrated her tenth birthday when she was packed off to train in the United States. (Tells us when Maria was sent to the U.S.)

Ans.. Maria was 9 years in age, when she had to go to the U.S.

II. Now rewrite the pairs of sentences given below as one sentence.

1. Grandfather told me about the old days. All books were printed on paper then.

Ans .. Grandfather told me about the old days when all books were printed on paper.

2. What do you do after you finish the book? Perhaps you just throw it away.

Ans .. State if you just throw away the book after finishing it.

3. He gave the little girl an apple. He took the computer apart.

Ans . By giving the little girl an apple,he took the computer apart.

4. You have nothing. That makes you very determined.

Ans . The fact that you are nothing makes you vexry determined.

5. I never thought of quitting. I knew what I wanted.

Ans .. I never thought of quitting because I knew what I wanted.

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