Question

when nasa sent astronauts to the moons surface on the apollo 17 spacecraft in 1972, the crew retrieved samples of materials from the moons surface for further study on earth. while some of these samples were explored promptly, others sat in storage for decades as the agency waited until more sophisticated technology was available to analyze their contents.
as it is used in the text, the word \sophisticated\ most nearly means which of the following?
a worldly
b knowledgeable
c advanced
d elaborate

Explanation:

To determine the meaning of "sophisticated" in the context of analyzing moon samples, we analyze each option:

• Option A ("worldly") refers to knowledge of the world, not technology, so it's incorrect.
• Option B ("knowledgeable") describes a person's knowledge, not technology, so it's incorrect.
• Option C ("advanced") fits as "sophisticated technology" here means technology that is advanced or developed enough for analysis, matching the context of waiting for better tech to study samples.
• Option D ("elaborate") means detailed or complex in design, but "advanced" better captures the technological capability here.

Answer:

C. advanced