Question

instructions
read the following passage and then choose the best answer to the question. answer the question on the basis of what is stated or implied in the passage.

passage
most maps from the 18th century have precise latitudes but distorted longitudes. the reason is that map - makers, who needed to know the exact time in order to measure longitude, were forced to depend on notoriously unreliable shipboard clocks. sea captains, who needed longitude calculations in order to navigate their ships in open water, were also dependent on these inaccurate clocks. pendulum clocks might have been the solution, as they were the best timekeepers on land, but the rolling of a ship at sea made gravity - based pendulums useless.

question
in context, “notoriously” (sentence 2) is closest in meaning to

• famously bad
• totally evil
• unpredictably
• mysteriously

Explanation:

To determine the meaning of "notoriously" in the context, we analyze the passage. The passage talks about shipboard clocks being unreliable, and "notoriously" here emphasizes that their unreliability was well - known. "Famously bad" captures this idea as it implies that the clocks were known for being bad (unreliable). "Totally evil" is incorrect as it has a moral connotation which is not relevant here. "Unpredictably" focuses on the lack of predictability, but the passage is more about the well - known nature of their unreliability. "Mysteriously" implies something unknown or secret, which does not fit the context of the clocks' known unreliability.

Answer:

A. famously bad