Read the following passage and answer the questions given below: An amateur…
2018
Read the following passage and answer the questions given below:
An amateur rugby player, who was forced to eat the body parts of his dead teammates when the plane carrying his Old Christians club to Chile crashed in 1972, Gustavo Carlos Zerbino has motivated mercurial Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez to keep him from biting his opponents. Gustavo Carlos Zerbino, was once Uruguay’s mental conditioning coach. He gave a motivational talk to Uruguay’s squad before its departure for Moscow. He spoke particularly to Suarez whose 2014 world cup had ended in ignominy after he was handed a four month ban for biting Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini during the team’s last group game.
“Those were moments of indiscretion by a very emotional player. The Suarez that we see now is in control of his emotions.....He is an excellent player and human being. ........I told him to focus on how he plays and not what others do on the field. I told the players that to have extraordinary results you have to do extraordinary things. You have to want the cup, believe in it and do everything in your power to claim it,” Zerbino said.
The plane crash in October 1972 had left Zerbino and 25 others stranded in the Andes for 72 days at 15,000 ft with temperature as low as -35 degree centigrade with low oxygen and no water or food. A second year medical student then, he convinced others to eat the dead bodies to survive. After two months three survivors were able to trek miles through the snow to raise help. Only 16 survived and the story told in the 1993 film ‘Alive’.
“If I could beat the most outrageous misfortune, the team could surely overcome the challenges that other teams throw at them and come out trumps,” Zerbino, who had worked with the national team for the last 12 years, told the Uruguayan squad.
Why is the 1972 air crash mentioned in this write-up?
a. Zerboni is one of the few lucky survivors of the 1972 air crash in the Andes.
b. The 1993 film ‘Alive’ is based on this incident.
c. It underscores the determination and courage of Gustavo Zerboni.
d. To highlight Zerboni’s practical considerations as a medical student in a desperate situation.
e. To prove how strong the survival instinct is in all of us when there are hardly any options.
f. To bring out Zerboni’s mental strength even when he was just a medical student.
- A.
a, b, c, d
- B.
b, c, e, f
- C.
a, c, d, f
- D.
f, e, a, b
Attempted by 11 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
The 1972 air crash is mentioned to establish Gustavo Carlos Zerbino's credibility, highlight his mental strength, and demonstrate his determination and practical decision-making in extreme circumstances.
Correct Option
Option C: a, c, d, f
Detailed Explanation
Statement a: The passage establishes Zerbino as a survivor of the 1972 Andes air crash.
Statement c: His survival story underscores the determination and courage he uses to motivate the team.
Statement d: As a medical student at the time, his difficult decision to consume body parts highlights his practical considerations in a desperate situation.
Statement f: It demonstrates his mental strength even as a young student, which is highly relevant to his current role as a mental conditioning coach.