Direction: Read the passage carefully and answer the following questions given below. It's no secret that Mount Everest , the jewel in Nepal's Himalayan crown, is the world's premier mountain. It's one of those facts embedded in childhood, like knowing that Neil Armstrong was the first person to walk on the moon or that blue whales are the largest animals ever to have lived. You may be surprised to hear, then, that other peaks could conceivably be considered Earth's tallest; it just depends how you measure them. So, judging by different parameters — including tallest by altitude, tallest from base to top and tallest based on being the farthest point from Earth's center — what is the tallest mountain in the world? "In order to have comparability in measurements, it is necessary to have a consistent baseline," Martin Price, a professor and founding director of the Centre for Mountain Studies at the University of Highlands and Islands in Scotland. "Historically, and even now, elevation is usually given as height above mean sea level," said Price. “However, this has to be with reference to a standard mean sea level, which has to be defined. Sea levels are different in different parts of the world, and they're changing due to climate change ." As a result, " elevation is now measured in relation to the mathematically defined geoid of the Earth," he said. The geoid is, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration "a model of global mean sea level that is used to measure precise surface elevations." This average is used to ascertain the height of mountains, a process that sometimes requires an aero plane to fly "back and forth over a mountain in a series of parallel lines to measure how much gravity pulls down on its peak," according to GIM International. These measurements, in conjunction with GPS readings, provide incredibly accurate elevation readings. "In order to have comparability in measurements, it is necessary to have a consistent baseline," Martin Price, a professor and founding director of the Centre for Mountain Studies at the University of Highlands and Islands in Scotland. So, all mountains are measured from sea level, predominantly for convenience and consistency, but what if measurements were simply taken from base to peak? Would Everest still top the charts? The answer is a mountainous "no." That honor would go to Mauna Kea, an inactive volcano in Hawaii. Should we, therefore, regard Mauna Kea as the tallest mountain on Earth? "It all depends on the perspective you take," Price said. "If there were no oceans on our planet, there would be no debate! You could draw comparisons to the highest mountains on other bodies in our solar system, which have no oceans."
Choose the correct synonym for the word ‘parameters’.
All of these.
Parameters: Measurement Criteria
The question asks us to find a synonym for the word 'parameters' as used in the passage. The passage discusses different ways to measure the height of mountains, like Mount Everest, and how these measurement methods are referred to as parameters.
Essentially, parameters are the specific standards or characteristics used as a basis for comparison or measurement. The text uses them to explain that depending on which parameter you choose (e.g., altitude versus base-to-peak height), the answer to 'what is the tallest mountain' can change.
Mount Everest Measurement Parameters
The passage details several ways mountains are measured, which act as different parameters:
- Altitude: Measured from sea level (or more accurately, the geoid).
- Base to Top: The total vertical distance from the mountain's base to its summit.
- Farthest Point from Earth's Center: Considering the planet's shape.
These varying parameters show that the 'tallest' mountain isn't always a simple answer.
Synonym Analysis for Parameters
We need to find a word that means a standard, rule, or condition used for measurement or judgment. Let's look at the options:
- Criterion: A principle or standard by which something may be judged or decided. This aligns perfectly with how parameters are used for measuring and comparing mountain heights.
- Guideline: A general rule or principle. In the context of measurement methods, a guideline sets out how something should be done or measured.
- Constant: A fixed or unchanging value. While a specific measurement parameter might be fixed for a particular calculation, the term 'constant' itself doesn't fully capture the idea of a variable standard of measurement as 'parameters' does here. However, in some mathematical contexts, a parameter is a value that is held constant during a specific calculation but can change between calculations.
- Specification: A detailed description of requirements. Each measurement method provides a detailed specification for how height is to be determined.
Selecting the Best Parameters Synonym
The word 'parameters' in the passage refers to the different standards or methods used to determine the tallest mountain. 'Criterion' and 'specification' are very strong synonyms in this context. 'Guideline' can also be considered relevant as measurement methods often act as guidelines.
Given these relationships and the provided options, 'All of these' is identified as the correct choice, suggesting that 'criterion', 'guideline', and 'specification' are all considered appropriate synonyms for 'parameters' in this specific context.
Important Questions from Reading Comprehension
Why, according to the writer can't people be motivated to use a resource prudently?
1. They feel that others may overuse the resource
2. It is possible to substitute the resource
3. Abundance of the resource availability
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
When do people use resources exhaustively?
The self-interest of people affects the use of renewable resources
People rooted in a locality
Which among the following is closest in meaning with the word 'deplete'?
