Question

read this excerpt from \heads up on sports safety.\

your neck can also get hurt while playing football, so many helmet designers are using materials that prevent neck injuries. one common injury is whiplash, which is a sudden hit to the head that moves the neck very quickly. neck padding can help, but materials that prevent the head from turning can decrease athletic performance. one alternative is to use a thermoplastic material that responds differently to different kinds of pressure. this material is soft when moved or pressed slowly but stiffens into a hard version of its shape when hit quickly. it has been used in bulletproof vests for at least a decade.

one problem and its solution presented in this article is

• the possibility of whiplash and the use of thermoplastic material to prevent the neck from turning very quickly.
• the efforts made by helmet designers to find new protective materials and the use of thermoplastic material to prevent neck injuries.
• the fact that neck injuries can be hard to avoid and the occurrence of whiplash when the head moves quickly.
• the probability of head injuries in sports and the use of bulletproof vests by athletes to stay safe.

Explanation:

Identify the problem stated in the text

The text states that "Your neck can also get hurt while playing football... One common injury is whiplash, which is a sudden hit to the head that moves the neck very quickly." It also notes that "materials that prevent the head from turning can decrease athletic performance." Thus, the problem is neck injuries (like whiplash) and the challenge of preventing them without hurting performance.

Identify the solution stated in the text

The text states: "One alternative is to use a thermoplastic material that responds differently to different kinds of pressure. This material is soft when moved or pressed slowly but stiffens into a hard version of its shape when hit quickly." Thus, the solution is using thermoplastic material to prevent neck injuries.

Evaluate the given options

• Option 1 suggests whiplash is the problem and thermoplastic prevents the neck from turning very quickly. However, the text says the material stiffens when hit quickly, but doesn't say it prevents the neck from turning very quickly (it is neck padding that prevents turning, which decreases performance).
• Option 2 states the problem is the efforts by designers to find new materials, and the solution is using thermoplastic material to prevent neck injuries. This matches the text's focus on designers seeking materials to prevent neck injuries and finding thermoplastic as the solution.
• Option 3 lists two problems/facts rather than a problem and its solution.
• Option 4 mentions bulletproof vests, which are only cited as an example of where the material has been used, not a solution for athletes.

Answer:

• the possibility of whiplash and the use of thermoplastic material to prevent the neck from turning very quickly.
• the efforts made by helmet designers to find new protective materials and the use of thermoplastic material to prevent neck injuries. (Correct answer)
• the fact that neck injuries can be hard to avoid and the occurrence of whiplash when the head moves quickly.
• the probability of head injuries in sports and the use of bulletproof vests by athletes to stay safe.