Question

the seventieth - ranked wrestler in japan, meanwhile, earns only $15,000 a year. life isn’t very sweet outside the elite. low - ranked wrestlers must tend to their superiors, preparing their meals and cleaning their quarters and even soaping up their hardest - to - reach body parts. so ranking is everything.
a wrestler’s ranking is based on his performance in the elite tournaments that are held six times a year. each wrestler has fifteen bouts per tournament, one per day over fifteen consecutive days. if he finishes the tournament with a winning record (eight victories or better), his ranking will rise. if he has a losing record, his ranking falls. if it falls far enough, he is booted from the elite rank entirely. the eighth victory in any tournament is therefore critical, the difference between promotion and demotion; it is roughly four times as valuable in the rankings as the typical victory.
based on the excerpt, which statement provides the best example of incentive for a sumo wrestler to cheat?
○ sumo wrestling is revered in a way that american sports can never be.
○ a sumo wrestler near the top of the elite pyramid may earn millions of dollars.
○ sumo wrestling has fifteen bouts in each elite tournament.
○ a sumo wrestler must participate in elite tournaments six times a year.

Explanation:

An incentive to cheat would be a significant reward tied to performance that a wrestler might want to secure through unfair means. The large earnings for top-ranked wrestlers create a strong motivation to maintain or reach that status, even by cheating, since the financial gap between top and low-ranked wrestlers is extreme. The other options do not present a reward or pressure that would drive cheating: reverence of the sport is a cultural point, the number of bouts per tournament and annual tournaments are just structural details of the sport.

Answer:

B. A sumo wrestler near the top of the elite pyramid may earn millions of dollars.