The Sports Gene

Which of the following inferences about Carlos Mattis is best supported by the following passage?

"Carlos Mattis, Lindenwood’s top high jumper, had enough of Thomas’ lip and bet him that he could not clear 6’6” in a high jump competition."

• Mattis became Lindenwood’s top high jumper because he liked to challenge people.

• Mattis thought that Thomas’ lack of experience would prevent him from succeeding at the high jump.

• Mattis was so angry that he was ready to fight Thomas over his boasting.

• Mattis did not believe that basketball stars made great track athletes.

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Based on the excerpt, what is most likely the significance of the book’s title, The Sports Gene?

• Epstein is studying why some people like to play sports and others do not.

• Having an incredibly long Achilles tendon is a weakness when it comes to playing sports.

• Epstein is showing that having a specific gift like a long Achilles tendon can be as valuable in sports as hours of practice.

• Understanding the genetic makeup of kangaroos will reveal what makes many of the most successful athletes so exceptional.

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Which of the following words best replaces prowess as it is used in the following passage?

"On January 19, 2006, [Donald] Thomas was sitting in the cafeteria at Lindenwood University in Saint Charles, Missouri, boasting about his slam dunking prowess with a few guys from the track team."

• fear

• robot

• ability

• trophy

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Which detail most strongly supports the idea that a longer Achilles tendon might lead a person to have greater high-jumping abilities?

• Kangaroos have longer tendons that lead them to bouncing instead of walking.

• Donald Thomas had his long Achilles tendons studied by a neuromuscular scientist.

• Donald Thomas has not improved his high-jumping after doing it for six years.

• Neither Ishikawa nor Hunter think that the sole secret of a person’s jumping success is in their Achilles tendons.

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The author suggests that Thomas’ high-jumps were remarkable mainly by fill in the blank____________.

• portraying Thomas as boastful before the first jumps

• explaining that Mattis set the bar before Thomas arrived for the jumps

• entioning that this was taking place in a college in Missouri

• pointing out that Thomas had very poor technique when he first tried high jumping

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Which of the following inferences about the jumping success of Stefan Holm is best supported by the last third of the excerpt?

• Holm was a great high jumper because, like Donald Thomas, he had an exceptionally long Achilles tendon.

• Holm had a stiffer Achilles tendon that helped him jump to greater heights.

• Thomas passed Holm because Holm could not improve the height of his jumps after years of practice.

• Holm became an Olympic champion because of his hard work.

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Which of the following inferences about the jumping success of Stefan Holm is best supported by the last third of the excerpt?

• Holm was a great high jumper because, like Donald Thomas, he had an exceptionally long Achilles tendon.

• Holm had a stiffer Achilles tendon that helped him jump to greater heights.

• Thomas passed Holm because Holm could not improve the height of his jumps after years of practice.

• Holm became an Olympic champion because of his hard work

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