This question is missing the excerpt. I have found the complete question online. Since the options are the same, I will omit them:
Read the excerpt from A Black Hole is NOT a Hole.
However, near a black hole, gases and dust and stars encounter its tug. Some things may be hurtling by so fast they won't get pulled into the black hole. Other things may not be as swift. They will be drawn in.
Closer and closer, the tugging force gets stronger and stronger. Close enough, the black hole no longer acts like a whirlpool.
With a whirlpool, there's always a fast-enough fish—or a fast-enough something—that moves so quickly it won't be pulled all the way into the center.
Not so with a black hole! Within a certain distance the black hole's power is so strong, nothing is fast enough to zip away.
What is being compared or contrasted in this excerpt?
Answer:
The excerpt presents:
D. A contrast between the power of a black hole and the power of a whirlpool is being made.
Explanation:
First, we can see the excerpt is mentioning the characteristics of a black hole and of a whirlpool. With this in mind, we can eliminate options A and B, which mention "the power of a star" instead of "the power of a black hole."
Second, we need to decide whether the author is comparing or contrasting. <u>Comparing means looking for similarities. Contrasting means looking for differences.</u> Let's take a look at the lines below:
<em>"With a whirlpool, there's always a fast-enough fish—or a fast-enough something—that moves so quickly it won't be pulled all the way into the center. </em>
<em>Not so with a black hole! Within a certain distance the black hole's power is so strong, nothing is fast enough to zip away."</em>
The author is clearly contrasting the two. <u>The difference between them is being explained here: it is possible to escape a whirlpool, but it isn't possible to escape a black hole.</u> Therefore, letter D is the correct one.
