Part I: Interpreting linear functions

1. The expression 1.08s+1.02b predict the end of year value of a financial

portfolio where s is the value of stocks and b is the value of bonds in the
portfolio at the beginning of the year. What is the predicted end-of-year value
of a portfolio that begins the year with $200 in the stocks and $100 in bonds?

2. A researcher wants to conduct a survey to gauge United States (U.S.)

voters’ opinions about the U.S. Congress. Which of the following should NOT
be a component of this survey?
A. The researcher collects data from the survey takers.
B. The researcher analyzed data from the survey takers.
C. The researcher distributes the survey to 10,1000 randomly selected
U.S. citizens aged 18 and older.
D. The researcher distributes the survey to 10,000 residents of a
Washington D.C. neighborhood.

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3. A scientist wants to collect data about the effects of gravity on the growth
of soybean plants. To test her hypothesis that soybeans grow better in a zero-
gravity setting, she randomly assigns the plants into one of two groups. The
first group is grown in typical soybean growing conditions in a greenhouse
on earth, and the second group is grown in a zero-gravity, yet otherwise
identical greenhouse in a space station. Which of the following is the best
description of the research design for this study?
A. Controlled experiment
B. Observational study
C. Sample survey
D. None of the above

4. A researcher representing a city government wants to measure public

opinion about recycling by asking 1,000 randomly selected residents a series
of questions on the subject. Which of the following is the best description of
the research design for this study?
A. Observational study
B. Sample survey
C. Controlled experiment
D. None of the above

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5. In order to determine whether children who have just watched cartoons
will perform better on cognitive tasks than children who have not just
watched cartoons, researchers randomly divided 60 preschoolers into three
groups. For nine minutes, one group watched a rapid-paced cartoon, % one
group watched a slower-paced educational program, and one group colored.
They then administered standardized tests to determine the immediate
impact of the children’s previous nine minutes of activity. Which of the
following is the best description of this type of research design?
A. An observational study, a study in which investigators observe
subjects and measure variables of interest without assigning
treatments to the subjects.
B. A controlled experiment, a study in which an investigator
separates subjects into a control group that does not receive a
treatment and an experimental group that receives a treatment,
and then observes the effect of the treatment on the experimental
group.
C. A sample survey, a study that obtains data from a subset of a
population, usually through a questionnaire or interview, in order
to estimate population attributes.
D. None of the above

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6. A player at point A passes a ball to a player at point B. What is the
distance, in yards, between point A and point B? (Round your answer to the
nearest tenth of a yard.)

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7. Wanahton’s rectangular baking sheet is 9 inches (in) by 13 in. To the
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nearest inch, what is the longest breadstick Wanahton could bake on his
baking sheet?
A. 13 in
B. 16 in
C. 124 in
D. 259 in

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8.

Due to weather, a barge captain decides to reach her destination in two legs:
one due north andone due west. On a direct route, her destination is about
1,830 miles (mi) away; see the figure above. If after traveling 605 mi due
north the captain determines it is time to head due west, how many more
miles are left in the trip? (Round your answer to the nearest mile.)

9. Abby is buying a widescreen TV that she will hang on the wall between
two windows. The windows are 36 inches apart, and wide screen TVs are
approximately twice as wide as they are tall. Of the following, which is the
longest that the diagonal of a widescreen TV can measure and still fit
between the windows?
A. 32 inches
B. 42 inches
C. 55 inches
D. 60 inches

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10. Bilal was assembling a set of bunkbeds and wanted to make sure the
support posts were perpendicular to the floor. He measured that the posts
were 165 centimeters (cm) tall and 220 cm apart. How long should the
diagonal measurement be if the support posts are perpendicular to the floor?
A. 75cm
B. 130cm
C. 275cm
D. 385cm

11. P( x) = 2 x3 − 18 x
Given the polynomial function P defined above, what are its zeros?
A. {-9, -6, 2, 3}
B. {-9, 0, 2}
C. {-3.3}
D. {-3,0,3}

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12.

Which of the following functions could represent the graph at left in the xy-
plane, where y = P(x)?
A. P( x) = x 2 + 6 x + 8
B. P( x) = x3 + 6 x 2 + 8 x
C. P( x) = x 2 − 6 x + 8
D. P( x) = x3 − 6 x 2 + 8 x

13. A polynomial has zeros at -9, 2, and 0. Which of the following could be
the polynomial?
A. x2 − 7 x − 18

B. x3 + 7 x2 − 18 x

C. x3 + 8x2 − 11x − 18
D. x3 + 6 x2 − 5x + 18

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14. ( x − 7)( x + 5)(2 x − 3)
Given the polynomial above, what are its zeros?
A. {-7,5, -3}
B. {7, -5, 3}
3
C. {-7, 5, − }
2
3
D. {7, -5, }
2

15. 2( x + 55)( x − 17)

Given the polynomial above, what are its zeros?
A. x = -55 and x = 17
B. x = -55, x = 2 and x = 17
C. x = -17 and x = 55
D. x = -17, x = 2 and x = 55

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16. 0.2B + 0.1S = C
Rhia is using the above equation to investigate the carbon footprint, C, in
kilograms of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, for her morning commute,
during which S miles are by subway and Bmiles are by bus. How many
kilograms of CO2 per mile does the bus portion contribute to Rhia’s carbon
footprint?

17. V = 2.5(6.4 – t)
Salma is filling her water jugs with spring water at the supermarket.
The above equation gives the empty space in her jugs, V, in US gallons, after
t minutes at a constant fill rate. How many minutes will it take to fill the
jugs?

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18. T = 0.25q + 87
Manon's statistics professor puts a bonus question on every test, which adds
0.25 points to a student's overall grade at the end of the term. The above
equation gives Manon's current overall grade, T, after taking into account q
extra credit questions answered correctly. What does the 87 mean in this
equation?
A. Manon must get an 87 or above to pass.
B. Manon's average is an 87 before adding the extra credit.
C. After adding in her extra credit, Manon’s average is an 87.
D. Manon's professor gave 87 opportunities for extra credit this term.

19. T = 10m + 40
Tim decides to cook a steak. The interior temperature, T, of the steak, in
degrees Fahrenheit ( o F ), after cooking for m minutes is given in the equation
above. What does the 10 mean in the equation?
A. The interior temperature is 10 o F when Tim starts cooking the
steak.
B. The interior temperature of the steak increases by 10 o F for
every minute it is cooked.
C. The interior temperature of the steak decreases by 10 o F for
every minute it is cooked.
D. The interior temperature of the steak will increase a total of 10
o
F while being cooked.

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20. 5.5B + 4R = 28
The above equation models the cost if Amit picks B pounds of blueberries
and R pounds of raspberries at a farm where blueberries cost $ 5.50 per pound
and raspberries cost $ 4.00 per pound. According to the equation, how much
does Amit spend in total on both types of berries?
A. $9.50
B. $22.00
C. $28.00
D. $56.00

m
21. g = 15 −
32
If Vera starts with a full tank of gas, the number of gallons of gas, g, left in
the tank after driving m mile is given by the equation above. When full, how
many gallons of gas does Vera’s tank hold?
A. 15 gallons
B. 17 gallons
C. 30 gallons
D. 32 gallons

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22. Officials project that between 2010 and 2050, the Sub-Saharan African
population will drastically change. The model below gives the projection of
the population, P, in thousands, with respect to time, t (provided that 2010
is when t = 0).
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P = 175 + t
2

A. In 2010, the population of Sub-Saharan African was 175

thousand.
B. In 2050, the population of Sub-Saharan African will be 175
thousand.
C. Between 2010 and 2050, the population of Sub-Saharan African
will increase by 175 % thousand.
D. Between 2010 and 2050, the population of Sub-Saharan African
will decrease by 175 thousand.

23. S = 537.5 – 1.25p

An artist is carving chess pieces from a large piece of marble. After carving
p chess pieces, there are S pounds of uncarved marble left. As the number of
chess pieces carved increases, what happens to the weight of the uncarved
marble?
A. There are 125 pounds left.
B. There are 537.5 pounds left.
C. The weight decreases.
D. The weight increases.

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 1
24. W = − m + 16
2
Henry’s water bottle is leaking at a constant rate. The amount of water, W,
in ounces, that is left in the water bottle after leaking for m minutes is given
1
by the equation above. What does the − mean in the equation?
2
A. The water bottle loses 2 ounces of water per minute.
1
B. The water bottle loses an ounces of water per minute.
2
1
C. The water bottle has an ounces of water in it at the start.
2
1
D. of the water has leaked from the water bottle in one minute.
2

25. P = 23 + 10(h – 1)
People start waiting in the line for the release of the newest cell phone at 5
a.m. The equation below gives the number of people, P, in line between the
hours, h, of 6 a.m. and 11 a.m., when the doors open. Assume that 6 a.m. is
when time ℎ = 1. What does the 23 mean in the equation above?
A. There are 23 people in line at 6 a.m.
B. After 10 hours, a total of 23 people will be in line.
C. Every hour between 5 a.m. and 11 a.m., 23 more people get in
line.
D. Every hour between 6 a.m. and 11 a.m., 23 more people get in
line.

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26. S = 40,000 + 500c
Caden started a new job selling dental chairs. He earns a base salary plus a
commission for every chair he sells. The equation above gives Caden's annual
salary, S, in dollars, after selling c dental chairs. Based on the equation above,
what is Caden's base salary?
A. $39,500
B. $40,000
C. $40,500
D. $50,000

27.Anthropologists have noticed that they can predict the height of a human
being based on the length of their femur. The relationship between the
person’s height, H, in centimeters, and length of the femur, f, in centimeters,
can be modeled by the equation below.
H = 2.72f + 42.12
A. 1 centimeter
B. 2.72 centimeters
C. 27.2 centimeters
D. 42.12 centimeters

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28. d = 1.06(212 – t)
A spacecraft heading for Pluto will take pictures of several other planets on
its way. The above equation gives the distance, d, in millions of kilometers,
of the craft from its first photo opportunity with Mars in terms of the time,
t, in days. What is the meaning of the 212 in this equation?
A. The spacecraft travels 212 kilometers per day.
B. It will take the spacecraft 212 days to reach the Mars photo
opportunity.
C. The spacecraft begins its journey 212 kilometers from the Mars
photo opportunity.
D. After 212 days, the spacecraft will be within 1.06 kilometers of
the Mars photo opportunity.

29. 35A + 28P = 250

Vera is hiring entertainers for her charity event. She is using the equation
above to determine the number of hours, A and P, to hire a caricature artist
and a face painter for, respectively, with a total budgeted cost of $250.
The caricature artist charges $35 per hour and the face painter charges $28
per hour. What is the meaning of the 35A in this equation?
A. The caricature artist charges 35A dollars per hour.
B. The caricature artist works for a minimum of 35A hours in a
week.
C. For the first 35 hours each week, the caricature artist makes A
dollars.
D. The caricature artist charges a total of 35A dollars for A hours
worked.

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30. P = 100h – 2,000
It costs $2,000 a month for Mia to rent space to run her law firm. She charges
$100 per hour for legal advice. The equation above gives Mia’s profit, P, per
month, after working h hour. How many hours does Mia have to work before
she starts to make money each month?
A. 20 hours
B. 80 hours
C. 100 hours
D. 200 hours

31. C = 1.5b + 67.5

The total cost, C, in dollars, to produce b books is given by the equation
below. What is the meaning of 1.5 in the equation?
A. 1.5 books will cost $67.50 to produce.
B. It costs an extra $1.50 for each book produced.
C. If you produce one book, you total cost will be $1.50
D. There is a flat fee of $1.50 to produce any number of books.

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32. B = 0.55A
Jing is making homemade peanut butter. The equation above shows the
amount of peanut butter yielded, B, in cups, for A cups of peanuts. What
percentage of the volume of peanuts is lost when processing them into peanut
butter?
A. 0.55%
B. 0.45%
C. 55%
D. 45%

33. P = 0.7c
A store is having a sale on every item purchased. Irina decides to take
advantage of the sale and purchases a sweater. The equation that gives the
after-sale price, P, of Irina’s sweater with an original cost, c, is shown above.
What percent off the original cost did Original cost did Irina save?
A. 3%
B. 7%
C. 30%
D. 70%

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34. T = 1200 – 0.06c
A print shop copies and prints documents in large volume for its customers.
For a particular copy machine, the equation above gives the amount of toner,
T, in grams, left after making c copies. How many grams of toner are used
per copy?

35. 1.6B + 3.5W = 22

Antoine bikes part of the way on a 22-mile trail and walks the rest of the
way. If he spends B hours biking and W hours walking, the trip is modeled
by the equation shown above. What is the meaning of the 16B in the
equation?
A. Antoine travels a total of 16B miles.
B. Antoine bikes for a total of 16B miles.
C. Antoine bikes for 16B miles before starting his walk.
D. Antoine rides his bike at an average speed of 16B mile per hour.

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36. 0.30P + 0.25G = 57
A homeowner uses G hour of natural gas heat and P hours of heat from a
pellet stove to heat her house one month, with a total of 57 therms of output.
How many therms per hour does the pellet stove output?

37. C = 40(5 – s)
After Hiro's family photo shoot the photographer sells the printed photos by
the sheet. Hiro has a $200 credit from a prior session, and the above equation
gives the total credit left, C, in dollars, if he buys s sheets. How many sheets
can Hiro purchase with his credit?
A. 5 sheets
B. 8 sheets
C. 35 sheets
D. 200 sheets

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38. C = 1.5b + 67.5
The total cost, C, in dollars, to produce b books is given by the equation
below. What is the meaning of 1.5 in the equation?
A. 1.5 books will cost $67.50 to produce.
B. It costs an extra $1.50 for each book produced.
C. If you produce one book, you total cost will be $1.50.
D. There is a flat fee of $1.50 to produce any number of bool.

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