Final answer:
Surveyors today typically describe distances in meters, which is true. Meters serve as the fundamental unit of length in the SI system and are used for precise, smaller-scale measurements, while kilometers or miles are more practical for expressing longer human-traveled distances.
Step-by-step explanation:
True, surveyors today typically describe distances in meters. The meter is the standard unit of length in the International System of Units (SI), which is the modern form of the metric system, and it is widely used in surveying and many other scientific applications.
While a meter is the fundamental unit of length, longer distances especially those traveled by humans are often described in kilometers or miles. This is practical due to the larger magnitude of these distances which makes kilometers or miles more convenient for daily use when compared to meters. For example, the distance one might travel by walking around a block or running on a track is more easily expressed in kilometers rather than meters.
Additionally, meters are more commonly used for measuring objects or distances that are closer together. For instance, the lengths of houses or swimming pools are often measured in meters because these measurements are on a smaller scale and meters provide a precise unit for such purposes.