Question

read the excerpt and choose the best answer from each drop - down menu.
as they lined up, the faces of the seven us team members—amanda borden, amy chow, dominique dawes, shannon miller, dominique moceanu, jaycie phelps, and kerri strug—projected concentration, confidence, and strength. in their american flag leotards, they were my supergirls. all they were missing were capes.
the underlined figure of speech is
the reader can infer that
options for the first drop - down: a euphemism., an oxymoron., a hyperbole., a metaphor.

Explanation:

1. For the first blank: A metaphor directly compares two unrelated things without using "like" or "as". Here, the gymnast team is called "Supergirls" to equate them to heroic, extraordinary figures, which fits the definition of a metaphor. A euphemism softens an uncomfortable term, an oxymoron combines contradictory words, and a hyperbole is extreme exaggeration, none of which apply here.
2. For the second blank (inferred meaning): By calling the gymnasts "Supergirls," the narrator conveys that they view the team as exceptionally skilled, brave, and inspiring—embodying the heroic qualities associated with the term "Supergirl."

Answer:

The underlined figure of speech is: a metaphor.
The reader can infer that: the narrator admires the gymnasts' exceptional skill and strength, seeing them as heroic, inspiring figures.