Question

4 Every contest is run slightly differently than the others. A few invitationals select only elite or specialty teams. You must receive an invitation to compete. However, most contests allow any team to qualify by sending a video and an application.

5 Entry divisions, rules, and judging systems vary.

6 Entry fees range from a few dollars per cheerleader to hundreds—no travel, hotel, food, or other costs included. Often, teams raise money with car washes, goodie sales, and special events to cover the expenses.

7 The rewards for winning change from year to year, and from event to event, too. At some contests, all competitors receive a trophy or a T-shirt for participating. Other competitions hand out trophies only to the top finishers. Winners might take home medals, gift certificates, and other prizes. Cheerleading companies might give away items to encourage you to buy their products, too.

8 Cheering in front of your school’s fans takes guts. Cheering for just a few judges—that takes steel nerves.

The author uses an advantage-and-disadvantage organizational structure in paragraphs 4 through 8 of the article from Competitive Cheerleading most likely to —
A
show the benefits of purchasing cheerleading products
B
describe the strategies cheerleaders use to win
C
explain that it is worth participating in contests despite challenges
D
present reasons why more contests should be created

Answer 1

C

Paragraphs 4–8 pair positives (prizes, opportunities to compete) with negatives (invitation rules, fees, nerves), which supports the idea that contests have drawbacks but are still worthwhile to enter.