Since Roger Bannister broke the 4-minute mile on May 6, 1954, the record has been lowered by over sixteen seconds. The table below shows the year in which each new world record for the one-mile run was set and the times (in min:sec) of those records.

a) Is the time a function of the year?

A. YES
B. NO

b) Is the year a function of the time?

A. YES
B. NO

Let $y(r)$ be the year in which the world record, $r$, was set.

c) Which of the following statements best describes the meaning of the expression $y(\mbox{3:47.33}) = 1981$?

A. The record was lowered by almost 4 seconds in 1981
B. A record of 3:47.33 was set in 1981
C. 1981 people ran the mile under a time of 3:47.33
D. Just after 3:47 PM the record was set in 1981
E. None of the above

d) Evaluate $y( \mbox{3:54.5} ) =$