Question

the english physicist and mathematician sir isaac newton discovered three basic laws of motion. the first law says that objects at rest and objects in motion will remain at rest or in motion, unless they are acted upon by an “unbalanced force.” the second law says that when a force acts on a mass, acceleration is produced. the greater an objects mass is, the more force is needed to accelerate it.
newtons laws of motion have become known throughout the world, including his third law of motion. it reads: “for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” a simpler way of saying this might be: “when you push an object, it pushes back.” for every force, in other words, there is a reaction force equal in size.
there are many ways to describe how the third law of motion works in the world of sports. one of the more interesting examples is the way that lebron james dunks a basketball.
in order for lebron james to score a slam-dunk, he must
7 choose the answer that best completes the sentence below.
________ lebron james has an impressive vertical leap of 44 inches, michael jordan holds the record with a vertical leap of 48 inches.
a in contrast
b for example
c although
d initially
8 according to the passage, in order for lebron james to score a slam-dunk, what must he exert?

Explanation:

For question 7: The sentence contrasts LeBron James' 44-inch vertical leap with Michael Jordan's higher 48-inch record, so "In contrast" is the correct connecting phrase. "For example" would introduce an illustration, "Although" sets up a dependent clause contrast, and "Initially" refers to time, none of which fit the direct comparison of two distinct values.
For question 8: Based on Newton's Third Law of Motion (stated in the passage: "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction"), to jump upward for a slam-dunk, LeBron must exert a downward force (action) on the ground, which creates an upward reaction force that lifts him.

Answer:

1. A. In contrast
2. A downward force on the ground (which will produce an equal and opposite upward reaction force to lift him for the slam-dunk)