Question

read the excerpt from \ships chronometer from hms beagle.\ as a maritime nation, the british were concerned with one problem in particular: they could make clocks that kept very good time as long as they stayed perfectly still but not when they were shaken about, and particularly not on board a rolling ship. if you wanted to sail, it was impossible to keep a precise record of time. based on the context clues, what is the meaning of the word maritime in the passage?

bordering the sea; nautical

over - scheduled

characterized by calm; restful

accurate or specific

Explanation:

To determine the meaning of "maritime", we analyze the context. The passage talks about the British as a nation concerned with ships (like the HMS Beagle) and sailing. The key context clues are references to ships ("on board a rolling ship", "sail") and sea - related activities.

• The option "over - scheduled" has nothing to do with sea or ships, so it's incorrect.
• "Characterized by calm; restful" doesn't relate to the sea - faring context here, so it's wrong.
• "Accurate or specific" also doesn't fit the context of a nation related to ships and sailing.
• "Bordering the sea; nautical" fits perfectly as the passage is about a nation involved in sea - related (nautical) activities like sailing and ship - based timekeeping.

Answer:

A. bordering the sea; nautical