Words in Context

SAT Reading and Writing· difficulty 4/5

Although the engineer was reluctant to embrace any single explanation, the data left her with little choice. The tower's deflection in high wind, she concluded, was a function of the foundation's depth, not of the steel above.

As used in the text, what does the word "function" most nearly mean?

  • A

    quantity that depends on another

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  • B

    purpose

  • C

    social gathering

  • D

    religious ceremony

Explanation

The engineer concludes that deflection depends on foundation depth — the mathematical sense of "function" (a dependent variable), not "purpose," "ceremony," or "party."

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