Extract:
An Old Form of Running Is New Again
Barefoot running is a rapidly growing movement that encourages people to leave their shoes at home and take to the streets in only their bare feet. Barefoot running advocates are quick to point out that while shoe technology has advanced significantly since the advent of the modern running shoe, there has been little decline in the number of injuries that occur from running.
Humankind has been running for millions of years, and modern running shoes have existed for less than 50 years. By wearing larger shoes with excessive cushioning we are changing the biomechanics of how we run, thereby increasing the likelihood for injury. Early humans ran with a “forefoot strike,” landing closer to the balls of their feet and using their foot’s natural arch as a spring to store and release energy. Modern shoe designs encourage a “heel strike,” landing on the heel and rolling forward to the toe. Barefoot running advocates believe “heel striking” replaces your reliance on the natural mechanics of your feet with the cushioning provided by your shoes, and that this is what causes many of the injuries affecting runners today.
Critics assert that while our feet may have been designed for barefoot running, our road surfaces were not. Concrete and asphalt are much firmer than any surface where our human ancestors would have been running. Broken glass and debris also may make barefoot running a significant challenge.
There is little consensus when it comes to the safety and effectiveness of barefoot running, but even the most skeptical of podiatrists will agree that wearing heavily padded shoes too often can result in a weaker foot and leg structure. Spend some extra time walking barefoot around your house; aside from building up the muscles and tendons that strengthen your feet, you may just find yourself tempted to go for a run.
What is the meaning of the word consensus as it is used in the last paragraph?
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A
Investigation
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B
Purpose
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C
Trepidation
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D
Unanimity
Consensus means unanimity, complete agreement among experts that is notably absent regarding barefoot running's safety and effectiveness.
A) Investigation
Investigation refers to systematic research, unrelated to agreement levels. The passage discusses disagreement among experts, not lack of research.
B) Purpose
Purpose means intention or objective, unrelated to shared opinion. The sentence concerns expert agreement, not goals or aims.
C) Trepidation
Trepidation means fear or anxiety, emotional state rather than agreement level. While some may fear barefoot running, "consensus" specifically addresses shared judgment, not shared emotion.
D) Unanimity
Unanimity means complete agreement, precisely what "little consensus" indicates is lacking. The phrase acknowledges divided expert opinion on barefoot running's safety, with even skeptical podiatrists agreeing only on the negative effects of excessive shoe padding.
Conclusion
Contextual analysis reveals "consensus" operates as a measure of expert agreement. "Little consensus" explicitly indicates disagreement, making unanimity the accurate definitional opposite that clarifies the term's meaning within this medical controversy context.