Question

reader - tidal waves
mike hulling, ph.d, allison smith & sara stopkert, m.ed.

1. look at the sentence below from the text. what is the best definition of

the underlined word?
‘this vertical displacement of the sea floor caused the water above it to
be lifted. this lifting displaced the nearby water, which started the
wave.’
a. inactive
b. shifting
c. over
d. underneath

Explanation:

To find the definition of "displacement", we analyze the context. The sea floor's vertical displacement causes water to be lifted and nearby water to shift. Option A "Inactive" is incorrect as displacement implies movement. Option C "Over" and D "Underneath" are prepositions related to position, not movement. Option B "Shifting" matches the idea of the sea floor moving (displacing) and causing water movement.

Answer:

B. Shifting