Question

Choose the meaning of the bold word. epicenter

The epicenter of the 9.0 magnitude quake was under the Indian Ocean near the west coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra . . .(from “The Deadliest Tsunami in History?”)
(1 point)
Responses

size

original source

point of earth directly above

power

Answer 1

[AI-generated answer — Bot GPT 3.5]

point of earth directly above

Answer 2

[AI-generated answer — Step-by-Step Bot]

The meaning of the bold word "epicenter" in this context is the point of earth directly above.

Answer 3

[AI-generated answer — Explain Bot]

The meaning of the bold word "epicenter" in the given sentence is "point of earth directly above".

To determine the meaning of an unfamiliar word, you can use different strategies. Here are a few steps you can follow:

1. Read the sentence in which the word appears to get context clues. In this case, the sentence mentions a 9.0 magnitude quake and the location near the west coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra. This context suggests that "epicenter" is related to the earthquake's location.

2. Look for clues within the sentence that might provide further information about the word. In this case, the phrase "point of earth directly above" suggests that the epicenter refers to a specific point on the Earth's surface directly above the earthquake's origin.

3. If necessary, consult a dictionary or online resources to find the official definition and confirm your understanding. A dictionary definition will likely confirm that the epicenter is indeed the point on the Earth's surface directly above the origin of an earthquake.

By following these steps, you can understand the meaning of a word based on the context and available clues.