In three consecutive positive even integers, the product of the first and third is 480. What is the middle even integer?

Correct answer: 22

The question is made unambiguous by specifying positive even integers. Let the middle integer be x. Then the consecutive even integers are x-2, x, and x+2. The product condition gives (x-2)(x+2)=480, so x^2-4=480 and x^2=484. Thus x=22 or x=-22 algebraically, but positivity excludes -22. Therefore the middle integer is 22, making option A correct. A quick check gives the sequence 20, 22, 24, and 20×24=480. Option B is the first integer rather than the middle one, option C is the third integer, and option D does not produce the required product with its neighboring even integers. The quadratic setup also demonstrates the symmetric structure around the middle term.