Question

110 Percent is Too Much to Give 1 expect every member of this team to give 110 percent," said our new men's track coach "110 percent of practice, 110 percent at every meet, 110 percent in every race "While ! knew no one could give more than 100 percent, the message that our coach expected our best effort all the time came through clearly I tried to live up to his expectations, but by the and of the season, I was exhausted from training so hard all the time. Sul, I was determined to do well that day in the district relay race. When I got the baton for the anchor leg, I began running as hard as I could and easily took the lead. The runner to my left was more relaxed. He kept up with me but didn't try to pass. As we neared the finish line, his kick became more powerful, and he started to pass me. I tried to speed up, but f was already going as fast as I could, and my legs were getting tired. The other runner, however, seemed to have plenty of energy left. As I crossed the finish line behind him. I heard him say to his coach through heavy breaths, "You were right, Coach, pacing yourself is the key to victory!" 1. What is the central idea of this passage? Support your response with evidence from the excerpt. 2. How does the title summarize the lesson the writer learned? 3. How are the coach's words to the team in the first sentence an appeal to ethos?​

Answer 1

1. The central idea of this passage is that while the coach's message of giving 110 percent effort all the time may be inspiring, it is not always practical or effective. The writer tried to live up to the coach's expectations but ended up exhausted by the end of the season. In the district relay race, the writer was overtaken by a runner who had paced himself, demonstrating that pacing oneself is key to victory.

2. The title "110 Percent is Too Much to Give" summarizes the lesson that the writer learned, which is that giving maximum effort all the time is not always sustainable or effective. The writer tried to give 110 percent but ultimately learned that pacing oneself is important for achieving success.

3. The coach's words to the team in the first sentence are an appeal to ethos because he is positioning himself as an authority figure who knows what it takes to succeed. By setting high expectations and demanding maximum effort, he is trying to inspire his team to perform at their best. However, as the rest of the passage shows, there can be downsides to this approach if it leads to exhaustion and burnout.