Read the opening paragraphs of Perfectly Imperfect by Donna Bozzone. Then, use the questions to identify the author’s position and distinguish it from what most people think.
Perfectly Imperfect
The artist Leonardo da Vinci, perhaps best known for painting the Mona Lisa, produced a drawing called the Vitruvian Man. In it, da Vinci depicted his idea of the perfectly sized and proportioned male body. But is this really what a perfect body looks like? And if it’s perfect, does that make every other type of body flawed? Or maybe those are the wrong questions and the idea of a “perfect” body is actually what’s flawed.
Consider Michael Phelps. The winningest swimmer of all time, Phelps earned 28 Olympic medals. His body does not look like the Vitruvian Man. In fact, Phelps’ body is quite unusual. The best swimmers tend to have long torsos and short legs. Phelps is 6 feet 4 inches, but his torso is as long as what you would expect to see in a man who is 6 feet 8 inches tall. His legs are the length typical of a man who is 5 feet 10 inches. Phelps has long arms too. Like the Vitruvian Man, most people have a wingspan roughly the same as their height. Phelps’ wingspan is 6 feet 7 inches, three inches longer than his height.
Question 1
What does Donna Bozzone think about the topic of the “perfect” human body?
There is no such thing as a perfect human body in real life.
Descriptions of the perfect body have changed over the centuries.
The perfect body is an ideal that can be achieved with lots of work.
D. Most people want to have a perfect body, even though it’s impossible.
Answer
Question 2
Bozzone’s position differs from what most people think. Unlike most people, Bozzone believes that—
there is an ideal body type.
the perfect body is imperfect.
humans shouldn’t try for perfection.
only those with perfect bodies can survive.
Answer
Question 3
What evidence does Bozzone use to support her position?
Leonardo da Vinci’s drawing, the Vitruvian Man, illustrates the ideal human body.
Michael Phelps’s body is imperfect, but he is the “winningest” swimmer of all time.
Answer
Question 4
How does this evidence help make the author’s position unique?
It shows that even an imperfect body can be very successful.
It suggests what every person’s body is meant to look like.
Answer
Tell your Learning Coach how you reached your answers.
Question 1: The evidence from the opening paragraphs suggests that Donna Bozzone believes that there is no such thing as a perfect human body in real life. This is indicated by her questioning whether the Vitruvian Man's depiction of the perfect body is accurate, and if the idea of a "perfect" body is flawed.
Question 2: Bozzone's position differs from what most people think as she believes that the perfect body is imperfect. This is shown by her highlighting Michael Phelps as an example of a successful athlete with an unusual body type, which contradicts the idea of the perfect body.
Question 3: Bozzone uses two pieces of evidence to support her position. The first is Leonardo da Vinci's drawing, the Vitruvian Man, which she questions as an accurate representation of the perfect body. The second is the example of Michael Phelps, who has a body type that deviates from the traditional idea of the perfect body, yet has achieved great success as a swimmer.
Question 4: The evidence provided helps make the author's position unique by showing that even an imperfect body, like Michael Phelps', can still be incredibly successful. This challenges the conventional belief that only those with a perfect body can achieve greatness. Additionally, the evidence suggests that there is no universal standard for what every person's body is meant to look like, further supporting the idea that the perfect body is imperfect.