The business had been in operation for five years.
Which of the following defines "operation" as used in the sentence above?

Question

The business had been in operation for five years. 
Which of the following defines "operation" as used in the sentence above?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

From the context of the sentence, where we learn that the business has been around for five years, we can guess here that operation means "working in a normal way."
Cutting the body for a medical procedure is incorrect. One of the meanings of operation is "cutting the body for a medical procedure." (e.g. The doctor performed a heart operation on the patient.) However, from the context of the target sentence, we can infer that the word is not used that way here.
Controlling a machine or piece of equipment is incorrect. One of the meanings of operation is "controlling a machine or piece of equipment." (e.g. Operation of this machine requires training.) However, from the context of the target sentence, we can infer that the word is not used that way here.
Having a noticeable effect upon is incorrect. When placed in the context of the target sentence, this answer choice does not make sense.

The Business Had Been in Operation for Five Years