Read the passage. Then answer the question that follows.

Simple Machines

Most of us don’t go through our daily lives thinking about all the simple machines that we use, but they are everywhere. Without things like the lever, the wheel and axle, the pulley, the inclined plane, the wedge, and the screw, our lives would be much more complicated. Although simple machines have few parts, their function is to help maximize human strength and motion by using less force. As a result, there are six simple machines that make our lives easier.

Simple machines were created to make everyday tasks faster and less frustrating. Just think about how hard it would be to raise a flag without a pulley or how difficult loading a lawnmower on a trailer would be without the assistance of an inclined plane. Simple machines make jobs lighter.

Did you know that simple machines are used for fun activities too? Teeter-totters that allows children to move smoothly up and down use simple machines. Or picture the wheel and axle movement of your parents’ steering wheel as you ride to and from the baseball field, the park, or a friend’s birthday party.

These simple machines are also used to make some careers and basic tasks easier. An artist’s job is made easier through the use of a wedge and chisel. They are able to use these simple machines when sculpting an image out of wood or clay. Additionally, a construction worker might use a simple machine called a lever to drive nails into wood. Yes, to us this would be known as a hammer, but levers are nothing more than tools that aid in lifting or moving loads. A screw is an inclined plane that is wrapped around a pole to help hold objects together. This can be seen during the motion of turning a key in a lock.

The world around us uses these simple machines everywhere. Our lives are overflowing with uses for them. Next time, you walk through your home or enjoy a day at the park, take a moment to notice just how much these simple machines help us in our daily.

What does the underlined word in the sentence from the passage MOST LIKELY mean?

Just think about how hard it would be to raise a flag without a pulley or how difficult loading a lawnmower on a trailer would be without the assistance of an inclined plane.