Conquering the Summit Questions & Answers | Class 7 English | CBSE NCERT

(b) — her journey from a devastating accident to the highest peak in the world stands as a beacon of hope and resilience.

(a) — in 2011, at the age of 24, she was a national-level volleyball player when she faced a life-altering event.

(a) — ‘beacon’ means a source of inspiration or encouragement, like a lighthouse guiding others.

volleyball

As a young sportsperson, she expected challenges on the field, but losing a leg in an accident was a blow of a completely different kind. Nothing in her experience had prepared her for such a life-altering event.

They suggest that Arunima’s achievement was won not by luck or physical strength alone, but by the qualities of her mind and character — her refusal to give up, her bravery and her devotion to her goal.

(b) — lying with one leg amputated, she vowed both to walk again with a prosthetic leg and to climb Mount Everest.

(b) — in 2013 she scaled Everest, becoming the first Indian female amputee to achieve this feat.

(c) — the text states that the Padma Shri is the fourth highest civilian award in India.

a prosthetic leg

Climbing Mount Everest tests even the fittest mountaineers. For a person who had lost a leg and could not yet even walk, promising to climb the world’s highest peak seemed beyond belief.

She received the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award and the National Award for Best Female Mountaineer.

(a) — she hails from Ambedkar Nagar, a small district in Uttar Pradesh.

(b) — her father was an army engineer, and her mother worked as a health supervisor.

(b) — a job in the paramilitary forces would allow her to continue her passion for sports while having a regular income.

False — even after her law degree she planned a career in the paramilitary forces so that she could continue her passion for sports.

Sports were a significant part of her life because her family had a natural inclination towards athletics. This environment encouraged her athletic talent from an early age.

A sportsperson’s career can be uncertain, but a regular income gives security. By choosing the paramilitary forces, she could follow her passion for sports and at the same time support herself — a practical and balanced decision.

(a) — the accident took place on the fateful night of 11 April 2011.

(c) — during her recovery, she was inspired by an article about Mount Everest.

(a) — ‘harrowing’ describes the extremely painful and distressing hours after the accident.

physiotherapy

It means that even in the most painful and hopeless hours after the accident, she fought to survive when she herself had not imagined she would live through the night. Her determination to live was remarkable.

It was ‘profound’ because it was a deep, life-changing decision — made in her weakest moment, it set the direction of her entire life: to conquer the highest peak in the world.

(a) — she completed a basic mountaineering course at the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering in Uttarkashi.

(c) — after the basic course, she trained rigorously for eighteen months.

(b) — Bachendri Pal, the first Indian woman to summit Everest, was approached by Arunima to guide her endeavour.

rigorous (severe) training

She meant that Arunima’s greatest mountain was not the real Everest but her own pain, fear and disability. By deciding to climb Everest with a prosthetic leg, she had already conquered the inner challenge — the actual climb would only show the world what she had already achieved.

Coming from the first Indian woman to summit Everest, these words gave Arunima confidence at the moment she needed it most. They told her that her true victory had already begun, which would have strengthened her self-belief during her eighteen months of hard training.

(b) — she reached the summit on 21 May 2013.

(a) — she reached the summit after 52 exhausting days of climbing.

(b) — she displayed the Indian flag at the summit and left behind a photograph of her idol, Swami Vivekananda.

Swami Vivekananda

She felt pride because she had raised her country’s flag on the highest point on Earth; relief because the exhausting 52-day struggle was over; and achievement because she had fulfilled the vow made from her hospital bed despite her disability.

His teachings had inspired her throughout her journey, so leaving his photograph at the top was her way of honouring and thanking her idol. It was as if her mentor and guide had climbed the summit with her in spirit.

(a) — by July 2016 she had summited peaks across six continents, including Everest in Asia.

(b) — in January 2019, she climbed the seventh peak on Antarctica, Mount Vinson.

(b) — she became the world’s first female amputee to climb Mount Vinson, completing the Seven Summits.

continents

It shows that Everest was not the end of her ambition but the beginning. Climbing the highest peak on every continent — including icy Antarctica — proves her extraordinary willpower, fitness and refusal to stop at one achievement.

Each of the seven peaks is the highest mountain of a continent, and together they demand years of training, huge expense and every kind of extreme weather. Doing all this with a prosthetic leg, after doctors had struggled to save her life, makes her record almost without parallel.

(b) — her story is as much about the strength of her mind as about her body.

(a) — ‘fortitude’ is the courage and strength of mind to bear hardship over a long time.

(a) — her message is simple yet profound: never give up, work hard, and keep working on your goal.

work hard

She tells us that success is not possible without persistence and effort. We should fix our goal firmly in our minds and keep working towards it, refusing to quit even when challenges and setbacks come our way.

A positive mindset turns problems into challenges to be solved instead of reasons to quit. It keeps hope alive, helps a person see possibilities beyond the present pain, and supplies the mental strength to continue — exactly what carried Arunima from a hospital bed to the top of Everest.

(b) — her autobiography is titled Born Again on the Mountain: A Story of Losing Everything and Finding It Back.

(a) — she was conferred the honorary doctorate by the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK.

(b) — she says failure is not falling short of a goal; it is not having goals worthy enough.

testament

Arunima means that missing a target is not real failure, because one can always try again. Real failure lies in living without a high, worthy aim — a person with a great goal is already on the path to winning.

Her story proves that the human spirit can rise above even the worst disaster. Losing a leg did not stop her from conquering the world’s highest mountain — her life itself is the evidence (testament) of what determination can achieve.

Arunima Sinha is an Indian mountaineer and former national-level volleyball player. After losing a leg in a train accident in 2011, she became the first Indian female amputee to climb Mount Everest in 2013.

She met with a train accident. The hours that followed were harrowing, and she never imagined she would survive that night — but she did, displaying an extraordinary will to live.

She vowed not only to walk again with a prosthetic leg but to scale Mount Everest. Many would have deemed this impossible, but she fulfilled it in 2013.

She reached the summit on 21 May 2013, after 52 exhausting days of climbing. With this feat, she became the first Indian female amputee to climb Mount Everest.

In 2015, she was awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award in India. She also received the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award, the National Award for Best Female Mountaineer, and an honorary doctorate from the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow.

She hails from Ambedkar Nagar, a small district in Uttar Pradesh. Her father was an army engineer and her mother a health supervisor, and the family had a natural inclination towards athletics.

She decided to pursue a job in the paramilitary forces. This would allow her to continue her passion for sports while having a regular income.

During her recovery, after receiving a prosthetic leg and undergoing physiotherapy, she was inspired by an article about Mount Everest and resolved to conquer the highest peak in the world.

She completed a basic mountaineering course at the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering in Uttarkashi, followed by eighteen months of rigorous training, and sought the guidance of Bachendri Pal.

Bachendri Pal is the first Indian woman to summit Everest. She guided Arunima in her endeavour and instilled confidence in her at a crucial time.

She said, "My child, you decided to climb Mount Everest in these situations with a prosthetic leg—you have conquered the Everest within you; the world will realise it later."

She felt a surge of emotions — pride, relief, and an overwhelming sense of achievement after 52 exhausting days of climbing.

She displayed the Indian flag at the summit, and she left behind a photograph of her idol, Swami Vivekananda, whose teachings had inspired her throughout her journey.

The Seven Summits are the highest peaks of the seven continents. By July 2016, Arunima had climbed peaks on six continents; in January 2019, she climbed Mount Vinson in Antarctica, completing the Seven Summits as the world’s first female amputee to do so.

Her message is simple yet profound: "Never give up and work hard. Always remember your goal and work on it."

Her autobiography is titled Born Again on the Mountain: A Story of Losing Everything and Finding It Back.

She says failure is not when we fall short of achieving our goals; it is when we don’t have goals worthy enough. She adds: never forget your goal, respect it, work hard, and you will be the winner.

The University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK, conferred on her an honorary doctorate. The title ‘Dr. Arunima Sinha’ shows the respect her achievement and life story have earned worldwide.

Her journey from a devastating accident to the highest peak in the world inspires others to believe that setbacks can be overcome. Her story gives hope to every person facing hardship.

Beyond climbing mountains, her courage, speeches, autobiography and message of never giving up have inspired millions. She encourages people everywhere to reach their own summits, whatever their difficulties.

Arunima was born in Ambedkar Nagar, a small district of Uttar Pradesh, into a family inclined towards athletics — her father was an army engineer and her mother a health supervisor. She grew into a national-level volleyball player. After her post-graduation, she completed a law degree and planned to join the paramilitary forces, which would let her continue her passion for sports while earning a regular income. In short, she was a talented and ambitious young sportsperson with a promising future.

On the fateful night of 11 April 2011, Arunima met with a train accident. The hours that followed were harrowing — she never imagined she would survive the night, but she did, displaying an extraordinary will to live. As a result of the accident, one of her legs had to be amputated. During her recovery, she received a prosthetic leg and underwent physiotherapy. It was in this difficult period that she made the profound decision to conquer Mount Everest.

Her preparation was systematic and demanding. She completed a basic mountaineering course at the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering in Uttarkashi, and then underwent eighteen months of rigorous training. Realising she needed expert guidance, she approached Bachendri Pal, the first Indian woman to summit Everest, who agreed to guide her and instilled confidence in her. This careful preparation bore fruit on 21 May 2013, when she reached the summit after 52 exhausting days.

On 21 May 2013, after 52 exhausting days, Arunima reached the summit of Mount Everest — the top of the world. A surge of emotions swept over her: pride, relief and an overwhelming sense of achievement. She displayed the Indian flag at the summit to honour her country. She also left behind a photograph of her idol, Swami Vivekananda, whose teachings had inspired her throughout her journey, making the moment both national and deeply personal.

Bachendri Pal told Arunima, "you have conquered the Everest within you; the world will realise it later." The words carry deep meaning. The real mountain before Arunima was her own devastating loss — pain, despair and disability. By deciding to climb Everest with a prosthetic leg, she had already defeated this inner mountain. Bachendri Pal, herself the first Indian woman on Everest, thus certified that the hardest battle was already won, and gave Arunima the confidence to win the outer one too.

Everest was only the beginning. By July 2016, she had summited peaks in Europe, Africa, Australia, South America, North America and Asia — including Everest itself. In January 2019, she climbed Mount Vinson in Antarctica, the seventh and final peak, becoming the world’s first female amputee to do so. With this, her goal of completing the Seven Summits — the highest peaks of all seven continents — was achieved.

The text gives ample evidence. From a hospital bed, with one leg amputated, she vowed to walk again and climb Everest — and did so by 2013. She overcame eighteen months of rigorous training, 52 exhausting days of climbing, and "numerous challenges and setbacks". She then completed the Seven Summits, including Mount Vinson in Antarctica, as the world’s first female amputee. Her message — "Never give up and work hard" — and her autobiography continue to inspire people to rise above their own adversities.

Arunima believes that failure is not falling short of a goal, because one can always try again. Real failure is not having goals worthy enough — living without a high aim is the true defeat. Success, in her view, comes from respecting one’s goal, remembering it always, and working hard towards it. Her own life proves this philosophy: a worthy goal — Everest — turned a hospital tragedy into a historic triumph.

The title fits her life exactly. In the accident, she ‘lost everything’ — her leg, her dreams of a sports career, and, as a national-level volleyball player, the ordinary life she had planned. On the mountain, she was ‘born again’: she found a new identity, a new purpose and a greatness she had never imagined. The title therefore captures both the tragedy and the rebirth that her journey to the top of the world represents.

I would like to develop her determination — she trained for eighteen months and climbed for 52 exhausting days without quitting. I would like to have her positive mindset, which turned a hospital bed into the starting point of a great dream. I would also like to learn her goal-focus: her advice to "always remember your goal and work on it" can help any student convert wishes into achievements. Finally, her gratitude — honouring her idol Swami Vivekananda at the summit — reminds me to stay humble even in success.

Arunima Sinha embodies courage, determination and hope. A national-level volleyball player from Ambedkar Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, she came from a modest family — her father an army engineer, her mother a health supervisor. Her life changed on 11 April 2011, when a train accident led to the amputation of one leg. Yet, lying in her hospital bed, she made a vow "that many would deem impossible: not only to walk again with a prosthetic leg but to scale Mount Everest". Her determination was matched by discipline: she completed a basic mountaineering course at the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering in Uttarkashi and endured eighteen months of rigorous training. She was humble enough to seek guidance from Bachendri Pal, and grateful enough to honour her idol, Swami Vivekananda, at the summit. Her ambition did not stop at Everest — by January 2019 she had completed the Seven Summits, becoming the world’s first female amputee to climb Mount Vinson. Today, as a Padma Shri awardee, an honorary doctor, an author and a speaker, she spreads her simple message: "Never give up and work hard. Always remember your goal and work on it." Her character proves that the human will can outclimb any mountain.

The central theme of the chapter is the triumph of the human will over adversity. The text announces it in its very first line: the story "narrates the triumph of will, courage, determination, and dedication". Arunima loses her leg in a train accident, but from the depths of that tragedy she sets herself the highest goal a mountaineer can imagine. The chapter shows that her success is not merely physical — it is "not just about physical endurance but also about mental fortitude and the power of a positive mind set". A second theme is the worthiness of goals: Arunima insists that "Failure is not when we fall short of achieving our goals. It is when we don’t have goals worthy enough." The message for readers is clear: setbacks are not the end of life’s journey; with a worthy goal, hard work and a positive mind, anyone can rise from a hospital bed to the top of the world. Her story stands, in the author’s words, as "a beacon of hope and resilience" for everyone facing their own mountains.

Arunima’s life teaches many enduring values. First, determination: from her hospital bed she vowed to scale Everest, and in 2013, "after 52 exhausting days", she stood on the summit. Second, hard work: she completed a basic mountaineering course at Uttarkashi and then put herself through "eighteen months of rigorous training" — success was earned, not wished for. Third, courage over fear: though she "never imagined she would survive that night" of the accident, she survived with "an extraordinary will to live" and went on to face the world’s deadliest mountain. Fourth, humility and gratitude: she approached Bachendri Pal for guidance, and at the summit left behind a photograph of Swami Vivekananda, "whose teachings had inspired her throughout her journey". Fifth, patriotism: she "displayed the Indian flag at the summit". Finally, generosity of spirit: her message — "Never forget your goal, respect it, work hard, and you will be the winner" — shares her hard-won wisdom with the world, inspiring others "to reach their own summits".

Arunima’s message — "Never give up and work hard. Always remember your goal and work on it." — is a complete guide for handling setbacks. When a student fails an examination or loses a competition, the failure feels final; Arunima’s story teaches that it is not. Her own setback — losing a leg — was far greater than any exam failure, yet she treated it as the beginning of a new dream rather than the end of everything. Her definition of failure is itself a lesson: "Failure is not when we fall short of achieving our goals. It is when we don’t have goals worthy enough." So a student should first set a worthy goal, then work for it patiently, as she trained for eighteen months before her climb. Her respect for a mentor (Bachendri Pal) and her idol (Swami Vivekananda) shows the value of learning from those who have gone before. Above all, her "positive mind set" teaches us to see problems as challenges. If a girl who could not walk could reach the top of Everest, a student who has failed a test can certainly rise to top of the class.

The statement is true in both its parts, and the second follows from the first. Arunima’s conquests are historic: she became the first Indian female amputee to climb Mount Everest in 2013, and by January 2019, with Mount Vinson in Antarctica, she had completed the Seven Summits as the world’s first female amputee to do so. But her influence reaches far beyond mountaineering records. Her autobiography, Born Again on the Mountain, "records her incredible journey" and has inspired readers everywhere as "a story of triumph over adversity". Nations and institutions have honoured her — the Padma Shri in 2015, the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award, the National Award for Best Female Mountaineer, and an honorary doctorate from the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow. Her spoken message, "Never forget your goal, respect it, work hard, and you will be the winner", has become a source of strength for millions. She thus wins hearts not by the height of her climbs but by the height of her spirit, "inspiring them to reach their own summits".

The chapter shows that even the strongest will needs guidance and inspiration. When Arunima decided to climb Everest with a prosthetic leg, she did not attempt it alone; she approached Bachendri Pal, the first Indian woman to summit Everest, to guide her endeavour. At the most critical moment, Bachendri Pal "instilled confidence in Arunima" with the words, "you have conquered the Everest within you; the world will realise it later." This recognition from an expert transformed Arunima’s self-doubt into self-belief — the mentor’s role is to see the summit within us before we can see it ourselves. Equally important were Arunima’s ideals. She carried to the top of Everest a photograph of her idol, Swami Vivekananda, "whose teachings had inspired her throughout her journey". His ideals of fearlessness, strength and service were her invisible companions through eighteen months of training and 52 exhausting days of climbing. Together, the mentor and the ideal show that great achievements are never solitary: they are built on the wisdom of those who guide us and the values we choose to follow.

(A model imaginative answer, written as Arunima.) Dear Diary, today I stood on top of the world. Fifty-two exhausting days — and two years of pain, doubt and effort — ended at this one shining moment at the summit of Mount Everest. My legs — my prosthetic leg — trembled as much from feeling as from fatigue. A surge of emotions overwhelmed me: pride, when I unfurled the Indian flag against the endless blue sky; relief, that every one of those 52 punishing days had finally borne fruit; and an overwhelming sense of achievement, as I remembered the hospital bed where this vow was born. I thought of the night of 11 April 2011, when I had not imagined I would live till morning — and here I was, higher than any bird, above the clouds themselves. With a prayer of thanks, I took out the photograph of my idol, Swami Vivekananda, whose teachings had carried me up every slope, and left it here at the top of the world, so that a part of him would always remain above the clouds. I remembered Bachendri Pal’s words: "you have conquered the Everest within you; the world will realise it later." The world realised it today. The wind roared around me, but inside there was perfect stillness. I had lost a leg, but on this mountain, I found myself. I was not born again merely to climb Everest — I was born again to show every struggling person that no summit is beyond a determined heart.