Exemplar basically means a typical example, or model, of a concept or role. However the meaning can be extended to mean he best example of a concept or role. For instance, someone might say that you are an exemplar student, which can mean that you are a great example, or model, of a student.
For the answer to the question above, before the competition makes sure she knows her content and topic if she finds it hard tell her to write small notes on it to expand and talk about in more detail or research it the night before the debate.
The central idea of the passage mentioned is the differences the Pilgrims had with the Church of England. It is how it is mentioned in the passage that their Englishmen forefathers where so religious that they devote their life unto the Lord if anything would have happened to them. The pilgrims in turn told that when the Lord heard them, He just looked over their adversity but did not specifically say if the Lord has ever helped them. It showed that the Pilgrims where furious about the loyalty to the Englishmen forefathers that they in turn do not want to believe what they believed in before. That they can do it without turning themselves to the traditional way of thinking.
