calculate

 calculate

= to figure something out by using numbers, a method, or reasoning

Mark will calculate the cost before buying a sports car.

Mark can calculate his weekly running time for training.

Mark needs to calculate fuel expenses for his sports car trips.

Susan needs to calculate the cost of a new sports outfit.

Susan will calculate how long it takes to reach campus by bus.

Some synonyms and antonyms for "calculate":

Synonyms:

compute

determine

figure out

evaluate

Antonyms:

guess

estimate

improvise

ignore

Question: Which means “calculate” in the sentence?

A) Guess the answer quickly.

B) Compute the answer using a method.

C) Forget the numbers and stop.

D) Change the topic to something else.

The Ultimate Commute

Susan had a very important presentation at the university. Because the campus was miles away, Susan calculated how long it takes to reach campus by bus down to the exact minute. She felt fully prepared for her big morning.

Ten minutes into the ride, the bus slammed to a halt. A massive traffic jam blocked the road completely. Panicking, she called her uncle Mark, a successful businessman. Unfortunately, Mark could not rescue her because he was already at the university discussing an important deal with his professor clients.

Susan felt frustrated, but she was ready for anything. She quickly packed her laptop and mobile phone into a waterproof plastic bag and zipped it inside her sturdy backpack. Then, she unzipped her gym bag and swapped her heels for professional carbon-fibre running shoes built for speed. Without a second thought, she hopped off the bus and sprinted toward the campus.

The route was nearly twenty kilometers long, but Susan was an athlete who could handle the challenge. After running for about ten kilometers, she stopped to catch her breath and began to ponder. 'It will be much faster to go to the campus if swimming across the harbour,' she thought.

She weighed her options carefully. Should she keep running, or take a shortcut through the water? Impulsively, she chose to swim.

After an exhausting run and a freezing swim across the harbour, Susan finally arrived at the campus gates. She was dripping wet from head to toe, and a confused yellow rubber duck from the harbour was somehow stuck to her backpack. Despite smelling faintly of seaweed, Susan delivered her presentation with absolute perfection. Her professors were so impressed by her dedication that they praised her endlessly, proving that a little creativity goes a long way.

 

Questions 

Why did Susan decide to get off the bus and change her shoes?

A) She wanted to meet her uncle Mark for a quick business meeting.

B) A massive traffic jam delayed the bus, so she decided to run the rest of the way to her university presentation.

C) She forgot her laptop and had to run all the way back to her apartment.

D) Her carbon-fibre running shoes were much more comfortable for sitting on public transportation.

 

Based on the provided definition ("to figure something out by using numbers, a method, or reasoning"), which sentence uses the word calculate correctly?

A) Susan tried to calculate the heavy traffic jam by yelling at the bus driver.

B) Susan used math and reasoning to calculate how long the bus ride would take.

C) Susan forgot to calculate her waterproof plastic bag before jumping into the harbour.

D) Susan calculated her presentation by speaking very loudly to her professors.