Question

which of the following inferences most likely explains why the pitcher’s rubber was moved from 50 to 60 feet and six inches away from home plate?
a. it was moved to give the hitter more time to react to the ball.
b. it was moved to give the hitter less time to react to the ball.
c. it was moved to help hitters gain more horsepower behind their hits.
d. it was moved to help hitters relax before they hit the ball.
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ca-eld: eld.pi.7.6.a.br, eld.pi.7.6.a.em, eld.pi.7.6.a.ex, eld.pi.7.6.b.br, eld.pi.7.6.b.em, eld.pi.7.6.b.ex
question #4
instructions for student
read the question carefully and select the best answer.
which statement from the passage most strongly supports the correct answer to the previous question?
a. “adair reported on his analysis of the art of hitting big league pitching at the american association for the advancement of science meeting this weekend.”
b. “adair said the swing involves moving a 2-pound bat at more than 80 mph and delivering up to nine horsepower of energy to the ball.”
c. “the physicist said the batter not only must gauge where to put the bat, but also precisely time the swing so that baseball and bat arrive at the same place, at the same time.”
d. “a randy johnson-style pitcher in the 1880s could have delivered the ball to the plate from 50 feet in just 305 milliseconds,’ adair said. ‘the batter might as well just close his eyes and swing after he sees the ball released,’”

Explanation:

First Question (Inference about Pitcher's Rubber Movement)

To determine why the pitcher’s rubber was moved, we analyze each option:

• Option A: Moving the rubber farther (from 50 to 60.5 feet) increases the distance the ball travels to the hitter. This gives the hitter more time to react, as the ball takes longer to reach home plate.
• Option B: A longer distance would give more, not less, reaction time. Eliminate.
• Option C: The pitcher’s rubber movement doesn’t directly affect the hitter’s horsepower (which relates to the swing, not the rubber’s position). Eliminate.
• Option D: The rubber’s position has no logical connection to helping hitters relax. Eliminate.

We need a statement supporting that the rubber was moved to give the hitter more time to react.

• Option A: Only mentions a report, not reaction time. Eliminate.
• Option B: Discusses the swing’s energy, not reaction time. Eliminate.
• Option C: Mentions timing the swing but doesn’t connect to the rubber’s movement for more reaction time. Eliminate.
• Option D: States that from 50 feet, the ball reached the plate too quickly (hitter “might as well close his eyes”), implying moving the rubber farther (to 60.5 feet) would increase reaction time (since the ball takes longer to travel), supporting the previous answer.

Answer:

A. It was moved to give the hitter more time to react to the ball.

Second Question (Supporting Statement for Previous Answer)