Question

the first satellite picture of earth came from nasas explorer 6 in 1959. tiros - 1 followed in 1960 with the first tv picture of earth from space. these pictures did not show much detail. but they did show the potential satellites had to change how people view earth and space.
as used in this excerpt, what does the word \potential\ most closely mean?
a surprising despair
b unlikelihood
c likely possibility
d quick hesitation

Explanation:

To determine the meaning of "potential" in the excerpt, we analyze the context. The satellite pictures, though lacking detail, showed what satellites could do (change how people view Earth/space). Let's analyze each option:

• Option A: "surprising despair" is negative and unrelated to the idea of what satellites can achieve. Eliminate.
• Option B: "unlikelihood" means something is not likely to happen, which contradicts the idea of satellites having a capability to change views. Eliminate.
• Option C: "likely possibility" fits as the pictures showed that satellites had the capacity (possibility) to change perspectives, even with initial limitations.
• Option D: "quick hesitation" has nothing to do with the satellite's ability or the context. Eliminate.

Answer:

C. likely possibility