Question

Read the following passage and do the activities:

A1. Complete the following:     [2]

1. Neeraj Chopra topped the qualifying ______.
2. “My goal was always ______.”
3. Indian Javelin thrower Jaiveer Choudhary recognised his potential ______.
4. He shot to fame after winning the gold medal at ______.

Heading into the Tokyo Olympics, Neeraj Chopra was, at best, a dark horse in the men’s javelin competition which featured a strong field consisting of overwhelming favourite Johannes Vetter, reigning world champion Anderson Peters, London 2012 gold medallist Keshorn Walcott, among others. Come the main event, though, the Indian stepped up in a major way. Neeraj Chopra topped the qualifying round with an 86.65 m throw, finishing above Vetter’s 85.64 m. The challenge from Vetter to Neeraj Chopra in the final never materialised; The German struggled and failed to make it into the final eight, as Chopra led the field from start to finish. While his first throw measuring 87.03 m put him on the perch, Neeraj Chopra consolidated his spot with an 87.58 m second attempt - a throw that eventually proved enough to win him the historic gold medal. “My goal was always the Tokyo Olympics. I put in the hard work and trusted the process since every single effort counts when it comes to success at the highest level,” Neeraj Chopra said after his win. The win was the culmination of a remarkable, yet short, journey which began with a 13-year-old obese kid taking up sports to lose weight and gain confidence. Neeraj Chopra soon took to javelin throw after watching the sport at the Shivaji Stadium in Panipat. With the ability to throw over 40 m with no training, his talent for the discipline was obvious. Indian javelin thrower Jaiveer Choudhary recognised his potential and took Neeraj Chopra under his wings. With proper coaching, there was no turning back for the Haryana lad. Neeraj Chopra dominated the national scene at the youth level and won multiple international accolades. He shot to fame after winning the gold medal at the 2016 IAAF World U20 Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland. His winning throw of 86.48m at Poland still stands as the under-20 javelin throw record and made him the first Indian track and field athlete to become a world champion at any level and hold a world record. With the qualifying cut off for Rio 2016 men’s javelin throw set at 83.00 m, the attempt would also have qualified Neeraj Chopra for his maiden Olympics but unfortunately, it came a week after the qualification window had shut. Before that, injuries had hampered Neeraj Chopra’s Rio qualification campaign.

A2. How did Neeraj Chopra win the historic gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics?     [2]

A3. Form noun forms of:     [2]

1. Reigning
2. Dominated
3. Qualifying
4. Recognized

A4. Do as directed:     [2]

1. The win was the culmination of a remarkable, yet short, journey which began with a 13-year-old obese kid taking up sports to lose weight and gain confidence. 
   (Use not only......but also)
2. Injuries had hampered Neeraj Chopra’s Rio Qualification campaign
   (Add a question tag)

A5. Do you think only hard work leads to success? Why?     [2]

Answer 1

A1.

1. Neeraj Chopra topped the qualifying round.
2. “My goal was always the Tokyo Olympics.”
3. Indian Javelin thrower Jaiveer Choudhary recognised his potential and took Neeraj Chopra under his wings.
4. He shot to fame after winning the gold medal at the 2016 IAAF World U20 Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland.

A2. Neeraj Chopra won the gold medal by leading the competition from start to finish. In the final, his first throw measured 87.03 m, placing him in the lead. He then consolidated his position with a second attempt of 87.58 m, which proved sufficient to secure the historic gold medal.

A3. 

1. Reign
2. Domination
3. Qualification
4. Recognition

A4.

1. The win was the culmination of a journey which was not only remarkable but also short, and which began with a 13-year-old obese kid taking up sports to lose weight and gain confidence.
2. Injuries had hampered Neeraj Chopra’s Rio Qualification campaign, hadn’t they?

A5. Hard work is essential, but it is not the only factor for success. Success is a combination of hard work, smart strategy, and opportunity. While effort provides the momentum, one also needs:

• Proper Guidance: Mentorship and coaching to channel energy effectively.
• Resilience: The ability to learn from failures and adapt.
• Passion: Genuine interest that makes hard work sustainable.