Question

One sunny day a few years ago, I was out riding my road bike with my Aunt Natalia, a tri-athlete, and some
were riding in a single line at a fast pace on a country road with a nice wide shoulder. Every couple minutes the lea
and drop to the back of the line. Slowly and inevitably, I was working my way from the back to the front of the spee
turn came to take the front of the line, I didn't want to slow the pace and seem like a weakling. I dropped my head a
my legs spinning fast. The effort on the front of the line seemed twice as hard as it had in the back. I knew I only ne
about a minute, but my legs felt drained immediately, and I began gasping in the humid air.
Suddenly from behind I heard, "Glass!"
I looked up and sure enough several broken bottles littered the road ahead. I stared helplessly as my tire he
of amber. I couldn't take my eyes from the danger ahead. I felt a slight bump and heard the horrible sound of air re
tire. The next thing I knew I was in the grass off the shoulder of the road, legs tangled in the frame of my bike.
That afternoon I learned a valuable lesson about bike riding and about life. No, I didn't learn to "Look where
certainly that may have helped me that day if I had seen the glass soon enough. In fact, what I learned was somethi
"Look where you are going."
After Natalia had made sure that I wasn't hurt in any significant way, she asked me what had happened. I e>
looked up all I could see was the piece of bottle ahead of my tire.

Which best describes the purpose of the entire speech?

1. to persuade listeners not to litter

2. to share a sports story with listeners

3. to inform listeners how tri-athletes train

4. to reflect on a life lesson with listeners

Answer 1

4. to reflect on a life lesson with listeners

The anecdote ends with the narrator stating they learned a valuable lesson — "Look where you are going" — and the story is told to illustrate that life lesson, not to teach training, persuade about littering, or just recount sports details.