4th Grade Reading Comprehension (Set 4) - Mount Everest

_____On May 16, 1975, Junko Tabei became the first woman to reach the top of Mount Everest. She began her trip with fourteen other Japanese women who also enjoy mountain climbing.
_____The climb was not an easy one. As the women went up, the weather grew colder. Ten women were hurt when tons of snow broke loose from the side of the mountain and crashed down on them. The rest of the team kept going but only Junko Tabei reached the very top. Fifteen years of climbing the mountains of Japan had helped her make it.
_____At the time she climbed Mount Everest, Junko Tabei stood four feet eleven inches tall and weighed ninety-four pounds.
_____To get an idea of just how amazing Junko Tabei’s achievement really was, consider these facts. Mt. Everest, 29,028 feet, is the highest mountain PEAK in the world. As of June 1982, only 122 climbers – including four women – had managed to reach the top. Many tried and didn’t reach the top, and some died in the attempt.