The incentive scheme that rules sumo is intricate and extraordinarily powerful. Each wrestler maintains a ranking that affects e
very slice of life; how much money he makes, how large an entourage he carries, how much he gets to eat, sleep, and otherwise take advantage of his success. The sixty-six highest-ranked wrestlers in Japan, comprising the makuuchi and juryo divisions, make up the sumo elite. A wrestler near the top of this elite pyramid may earn millions and is treated like royalty. Any wrestler in the top forty earns at least $170,000 a year. 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 of the following statements best summarizes the incentive system that ranks sumo wrestlers?
The incentive system penalizes elite sumo wrestlers.
The incentive system rewards elite sumo wrestlers.
The incentive system treats all sumo wrestlers equally.
The incentive system treats all sumo wrestlers like royalty.
The incentive system rewards elite sumo wrestlers is the correct answer.
Explanation:
As seen in the explanation, sumo wrestlers are rewarded if they are part of the elite. The speaker mentions many examples, such as the money a sumo wrestler can earn per year if he is in the top forty ($170,000 a year) compared to how much one that is not part of this group earns ($15,000 a year.) It is also mentioned that "life isn't very sweet outside the elite," meaning that the system penalizes those ones who are not part of this group.
