Question

text 1
in 1948, a german - british neurologist named ludwig guttmann established the stoke mandeville games. guttmann organized the games so that his patients, who were wounded war veterans, could experience an exciting competition similar to the olympics that were happening in london that same year. at the games, all the veterans competed in wheelchairs due to their spinal cord injuries. guttmann’s games gained in popularity and would later come to be known as the paralympic games.

text 2
the paralympic games feature many of the same sports as the olympic games—skiing, cycling, archery, swimming, and more—but the sports are modified for athletes with a variety of disabilities. one of the most popular events is wheelchair racing. most athletes use custom - made racing wheelchairs that have three wheels—one in front and two in back—for greater speed. racers must have great upper body strength to roll their wheelchairs fast enough to compete in this kind of race.

which sentence best combines the main, or central, ideas of both texts?
athletes in the paralympics must have great upper body strength and special equipment that helps them compete.
the paralympics started as a sports competition for wounded veterans, but they now include athletes with many different disabilities competing in a range of sports.

Explanation:

Text 1 explains the origin of the Paralympic Games (started as Stoke Mandeville Games for wounded war veterans by Ludwig Guttmann). Text 2 describes that now the Paralympic Games include various sports modified for athletes with different disabilities. The second option combines both origins (for wounded veterans) and current state (athletes with many disabilities in various sports). The first option only focuses on athletes' requirements in Paralympics, not the origin, so it doesn't combine both texts' main ideas.

Answer:

The Paralympics started as a sports competition for wounded veterans, but they now include athletes with many different disabilities competing in a range of sports.