Question

losing is good for you
ashley merryman
2013
ashley merryman discusses her concerns with participation trophies.
question 12
part a: which of the following identifies the central idea of the text?
a participation trophies do not encourage kids to keep improving.
b extracurricular activities help kids develop mentally and emotionally.
c kids are less interested in trophies if they have already received one.
d kids perform better when they receive praise for their natural abilities.

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze the options in the context of the text "Losing is good for you" (focused on participation trophies and their effects). Option A says participation trophies don't encourage improvement, which aligns with the idea that losing (not always getting a trophy) is good as it pushes improvement. Option B states extracurriculars help mental/emotional development (not against participation trophies). Option C says kids are less interested if they have a trophy (not central to the "losing is good" idea). Option D says kids perform better with praise for natural abilities (not about participation trophies' impact on improvement). So the central idea - opposing participation trophies that don't encourage improvement - is identified by A.

Answer:

A. Participation trophies do not encourage kids to keep improving.