1. The problem asks to represent Maya's monthly internet cost as a function of connection time. 2. The total monthly cost consists of a fixed monthly access fee plus a variable connection fee based on hours used. 3. Let $x$ represent the number of hours connected in a month. 4. The fixed monthly access fee is $11.95$. 5. The connection fee is $0.50$ per hour, so for $x$ hours, the connection fee is $0.50x$. 6. Therefore, the total monthly cost function $C(x)$ is given by: $$C(x) = 11.95 + 0.50x$$ 7. This function shows that the total cost increases linearly with the number of hours connected. Final answer: $$C(x) = 11.95 + 0.50x$$