"Most Accurate Measurement" Article

Which section from the article BEST explains why Mount Everest's height might have changed since the last measurement?

• Introduction [paragraphs 1-5]

• "Patriotism And Science Are Driving The Project"

• "Two Measuring Methods Are Being Used"

• "Processing The Data Will Take Months"

Select the paragraph from the section "Processing The Data Will Take Months" that explains how scientists will use the information gathered to calculate Everest's true height. (NOTE: You will explain your response in the next question.)

• The data collection will be completed by next month, and then they will begin the data processing. It will consist of a closed group of six people sitting in a room equipped with high- speed computers and specialized software. They will be checking and rechecking figures for three to four months.

• Pearson said they have all the information they need to get an accurate height and called Nepal's efforts incredible.

• Dangol is already looking forward to 2020 when Nepal plans to release Everest's new height. It will include both the new rock height and the snow height down to the centimeter.

• Even losing a part of his toe did not decrease Gautam's pride in his work. "We are so happy because we finished our difficult task," he said. "I was ready to take [a] risk for the nation."

An objective summary does not include any opinions or judgements about the text. It is brief, and it includes only the biggest highlights of the main idea.

Which statement would be MOST important to include in an objective summary of the article?

• Mount Everest was named after a surveyor of India but it is known to people in Nepal as "Sagarmatha."

• The last time Mount Everest was measured was by an Indian team that used trigonometry in the 1950s.

• Mount Everest has been measured mainly by foreigners since it was named the tallest mountain in the world.

• Nepal is sending its first team to measure Mount Everest using a traditional method and a new method.

Read the following paragraphs from the introduction [paragraphs 1-5].

When Khim Lal Gautam reached the top of Mount Everest at 3 A.M. on May 22, it was dark, windy and deathly cold. With him, Gautam carried a radar and a satellite navigation device.

Gautam had a serious case of frostbite and at the end of the trip, he lost part of his toe. Another team member almost died of a lack of oxygen while descending.

How is the central idea developed in these two paragraphs?

• They both illustrate how the Nepal team overcame the problems they experienced while measuring Everest.

• They both illustrate the old and new techniques that the Nepal team used to get Everest's measurements.

• They both demonstrate how challenging and dangerous it was for the Nepal team to get Everest's measurements.

• They both demonstrate that there is a sense of national pride around Nepal doing Everest's measurement.

In composing this article, the Washington Post writer decided to consult, name, quote, and/or paraphrase a variety of other people. 

Which two of these people add the most important information to the article, and why?  (What exactly do they add that the author couldn't have communicated on his/her own?)

Please be sure to incorporate TWO different examples from the article in a paragraph-long response.