Obstacle Course Races: A Unique Challenge and Growing Popularity

Part A Which of the following best describes a central idea of the passage?

Answer choices for the above question:

1. Obstacle Course Races offer athletes a unique challenge and are growing in popularity.
2. Obstacle Course Races are threatening to replace marathons as elite athletes continue to seek them out.
3. Obstacle Course Races break up the monotony of running with obstacles that competitors must complete.
4. Obstacle Course Races draw groups of athletes who are looking to compete together in a fun and friendly way.

Part B Which sentence from the text provides the strongest support for the central idea identified in Part A?

Answer choices for the above question:

1. “Obstacle Course Races (OCRs), sometimes also called ‘mud runs,’ have begun to attract serious, elite athletes as well as weekend adventurers.” (paragraph 1)
2. “Unlike in a traditional marathon or foot race, the distance covered in an OCR is broken up by obstacles.” (paragraph 2)
3. “Many of the races prey on standard fears: heights, pits, water, and claustrophobic crawl spaces.” (paragraph 3)
4. “Undeniably, team camaraderie is a big draw in this sport.” (paragraph 4)

Final answer:

The central idea might be that Obstacle Course Races (OCRs) offer a unique challenge and are growing in popularity. The sentence that best supports this idea is likely the one that mentions both serious athletes and weekend adventurers being attracted to OCRs.

Explanation:

For Part A, given the information provided without an actual passage, one can infer that the central idea might be that 'Obstacle Course Races offer athletes a unique challenge and are growing in popularity'. It seems to encompass all aspects of the various answer choices while focusing on the unique aspects of the races and their rising popularity. For Part B, without the context of the full passage, the sentence that provides the strongest support for the above central idea would possibly be: “Obstacle Course Races (OCRs), sometimes also called ‘mud runs,’ have begun to attract serious, elite athletes as well as weekend adventurers” (paragraph 1). This sentence touches on the aspect of OCRs' unique challenge by mentioning the participation of both serious, elite athletes and weekend adventurers. It also hints at the growing popularity of the races.