problem: If the parabola $y_1 = x^2 + 2x + 7$ and the line $y_2 = 6x + b$ intersect at only one point, what is the value of $b$?
solution: If the curves $y_1$ and $y_2$ intersect at only one point, then there should be only one solution to the equation $x^2 + 2x + 7 = 6x + b$. To find $b$, we first rearrange the equation to get $x^2 -4x + (7-b) = 0$. This equation has only one solution if and only if the discriminant of $x^2 - 4x + (7 - b) = 0$. Thus, we need  \begin{align*}
  16 - 4(7-b) &= 0 \quad \Rightarrow \\
  4b &= 12 \quad \Rightarrow \\
  b &= \boxed{3}.
  \end{align*}