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.
What is the purpose of this write-up?
- A.
To highlight the qualities of G. C. Zerbino and his role in inspiring the Uruguayan team in the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
- B.
To bring out the meaning of teamwork as opposed to individual excellence.
- C.
To show how mental conditioning coaches help individuals attain peak performance.
- D.
To list the strength and weaknesses of Uruguayan players playing in the world cup 2018.
Attempted by 3 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
The passage describes Gustavo Carlos Zerbino's harrowing survival experience during the 1972 Andes plane crash and his subsequent role as a mental conditioning coach for the Uruguayan national team. It details how he used his story of overcoming extreme misfortune to motivate Luis Suarez, specifically addressing past disciplinary issues like the biting incident. The primary purpose is to illustrate Zerbino's inspirational impact on the team through his personal resilience and coaching.