NASA's DART mission successfully demonstrated that a spacecraft could alter an asteroid's trajectory by deliberately crashing into it. The impact was modest in cosmic terms—the asteroid's orbit changed by only a few minutes—but it proved that humanity could potentially deflect dangerous objects heading toward Earth.
As used in the text, what does the word "modest" most nearly mean?
humble
expensive
small
dangerous
Correct Answer: C
Choice C is the best answer. The word "modest" describes the scale of the impact's effect on the asteroid.
- Context clues: The clarification "the asteroid's orbit changed by only a few minutes" indicates a limited or small change.
- Meaning: In this context, "small" captures the sense that the orbital change was minor in magnitude.
- Verify: Describing the impact as "small in cosmic terms" fits the idea of a few-minute orbital change.
💡 Strategy: Clarifying phrases after dashes often directly explain difficult vocabulary.
Choice A is incorrect because "humble" typically describes personality, not magnitude of physical effects. Choice B is incorrect because "expensive" refers to cost, not size or scale. Choice D is incorrect because "dangerous" contradicts the successful nature of the mission.