Question 1

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
Both nations claims sovereignty over the islands.
A)Both nations claims sovereignty
B)Both nations claim sovereignty
C)Both nations claimed sovereignty
D)Both nations will claim sovereignty

Accepted Answer

The verb should agree with the subject. The plural noun "nations" agrees with "claim." The past tense and future tense forms of the verb are inappropriate with this sentence.

Question 2

Which course of action most improves the following sentence?
Tom Brady is one of the NFL quarterbacks who has won more than one Super Bowl.
A)Insert a comma after quarterbacks.
B)Lowercase Super Bowl.
C)Change has to have.
D)Fix the parallel structure.

Accepted Answer

The sentence is most improved by substituting have for has. Think of it this way; Tom Brady is a member of a group, the group of quarterbacks who have won more than one Super Bowl.

Question 3

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
If two or more nations which disagree on water rights or building projects, conflicts can emerge.
A)If two or more nations which disagree
B)If two or more nations, which disagree
C)If two or more nations disagree
D)If two or more nations that disagree

Accepted Answer

Although the pronouns "which" and "that" can represent "two or more nations," they are unnecessary to convey the intended meaning of the sentence. Setting aside "which" clarifies the sentence's meaning.

Question 4

Global Positioning System Imagine finding yourself lost on a hiking trail in the Appalachian Mountains. How do you get back to where you started your (1) excursion? Nowadays, if you have a smart phone, you can open up a Global Position System (GPS) app, and discover your (2) approximate location. But how does GPS actually work? What is some of the technology that goes into tracking your whereabouts through a cell phone?
The GPS is a satellite-based system established by the United States' government. It is used both for determining the locations of new points of reference on the ground and for finding someone's position relative to a map. When, for example, a hiker turns on a GPS (3) receiver (a smart phone or a car device), the receiver accesses at least four satellites that collect coded data. This information is then used to determine the receiver's approximate location on Earth.
The GPS was developed in the U.S. in the early 70's to (4) overcome the limitations of previous navigation systems. However, the U.S. isn't the only country that maintains a worldwide system like the GPS. Russia has developed its own system known as the Russian Global Navigation Satellite System or GLONASS. China is developing the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System or BDS. The European Union is in the process of establishing what they have termed Galileo, after the Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei. India is also taking part in GPS market with its Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System or IRNSS.
So, no matter who is developing these systems, one thing is for sure; we can feel safe knowing that even if we get lost in the Himalayas, somewhere there are satellites controlled by some government that will help us find our way back to a more (5) familiar place.
According to the passage, why was GPS developed?
A)To outdo the navigation systems of other countries.
B)To discover approximate locations of people who are lost.
C)To overcome the limitations of previous systems.
D)To avoid getting lost in the Himalayas.

Accepted Answer

GPS was developed to overcome the limitations of previous systems. Although the other options are possibilities of the uses of GPS, they are not the best options for defining the reason GPS was developed.

Question 5

In which of the following scenarios would a pie chart be the most effective way to display data?
A)In a PTA newsletter showing the effect study time has on standardized test scores
B)In a news magazine story about the correlation between caffeine consumption and
C)In a manager's presentation about how he wants to allocate the next year's budget
D)In a White House press release demonstrating how the budget deficit has increased over

Accepted Answer

Pie charts are best used in situations where there is a finite value that is being divided into portions, such as a manager's presentation about how he wants to appropriate the next year's budget. The budget is a set amount; even if the exact dollar amount is not known, a budget is, in general, a whole. Each area of the company that receives a portion of the budget is represented by a wedge of the pie chart.

Question 6

The test scores for eight students are 97, 94, 98, 97, 89, 92, 68 and 96. What would the seventh score be considered?
A)Outlier
B)Mean
C)Mode
D)Standard deviation

Accepted Answer

A piece of data that is atypical or significantly different from the rest of its data set is called an outlier. While true outliers are often easy to spot with critical thinking skills alone, there is also a mathematical precept for assessing these anomalies. Generally, a number that is two or more standard deviations from the mean is considered an outlier. In some cases, outliers can skew data significantly, which is why identifying them is critical. Occasionally, an outlier can be removed justifiably from a data set to improve the data's reliability.

Question 7

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
After the division of Vietnam, the United States supports South Vietnam.
A)supports
B)supported
C)support
D)will support

Accepted Answer

"Support" and "supports" represent the present tense, meaning an action is currently happening. "Will support" implies an action that will happen in the future. Since the Vietnam War already occurred, the past tense form - "supported" - is the best verb to use in the sentence.

Question 8

What is the median for the following set of numbers? $3.27, $9.42, $6.15, $5.25, $7.62, $4.86, $2.94, $1.16
A)$6.15
B)$4.07
C)$5.45
D)$5.70

Accepted Answer

The median or the middle number when the numbers are in ascending order ($1.16, $2.94, $3.27, $4.86, $5.25, $6.15, $7.62, $9.42) for the set above is $5.70. Whenever there is an even number of entries in a set, putting two numbers in the middle of the ordered entries, those two numbers are averaged to find the median. The mean is about $4.07. There is no mode because each number occurs only one time in the set.

Question 9

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
The United States sent troops in 1965 to contain the spread of communism into South Vietnam and prevent the collapse of the government.
A)The United States sent troops in 1965 to contain the spread of communism into South Vietnam and prevent the collapse of the government.
B)The United States sent troops in 1965, to contain the spread of communism into South Vietnam, and prevent the collapse of the government.
C)The United States sent troops to South Vietnam in 1965 to contain the spread of communism and prevent the collapse of the government.
D)The United States sent troops to contain the spread of communism into South Vietnam and prevent the collapse of the government in 1965.

Accepted Answer

In the original sentence, it is unclear where the United States sent troops. Inserting "to South Vietnam" after "troops," properly conveys when, where, and why the United States sent troops to South Vietnam.

Question 10

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
China calls the islands Diaoyu; in Japan, they are known as Senkaku.
A)Diaoyu; in Japan
B)Diaoyu. in Japan
C)Diaoyu, in Japan
D)Diaoyu: in Japan

Accepted Answer

Semicolons can separate two independent clauses - clauses that can stand alone as sentences - that are not joined by a coordinating conjunction. A period can also separate two independent clauses, but the first letter in the following sentence should be capitalized. A comma or colon is inappropriate for this sentence.

Question 11

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
Unemployment and social unrest have undermined the government's position also.
A)have undermined the government's position also.
B)undermined the government's position also.
C)have undermined the government's position.
D)have also undermined the government's position.

Accepted Answer

In the original sentence, "also" is not in the proper position. Since "also" indicates that there are other ways the government's position has been undermined, the best position for the adverb is before the verb it modifies.

Question 12

Which section of the following passage needs to be edited for incorrect spelling, incorrect grammar, inappropriate word choice or wordiness?
A)Looking out the window,
B)Suzanne saw that it was a
C)cold, wet, miserable, day and
D)decided to stay home.

Accepted Answer

The comma after miserable should be removed. It is necessary to separate multiple adjectives with commas, but placing a comma between an adjective and the noun it modifies is incorrect. This typo is surprisingly common when many adjectives are used.

Question 13

If the United States spends $1 billion a year on foreign aid and, of that money, 55% contributes to human rights improvements, 25% contributes to HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention, and 5% contributes to infrastructure improvements, how much money of the foreign aid budget is left to spend on food and water?
A)$150 billion
B)$150,000
C)$1.5 million
D)$150 million

Accepted Answer

If 85% of a $1 billion foreign aid budget is spent on non-food costs, the remaining 15% that is spent on food is $150 million. The majority of the United States' foreign aid budget does in fact contribute to improvements in human rights efforts in individual countries more than it does to food.

Question 14

Which of the following polling methods is most likely to yield accurate or honest results on personal health topics?
A)A face-to-face, free response survey outside of post offices
B)Online polls for which users must register an active email address, limiting each user to one poll submission
C)By going door-to-door to ask people multiple-choice questions
D)By organizing polling groups in which groups answer and discuss questions together

Accepted Answer

Indirect response-gathering methods, like online polls, generally receive the most honest responses. Where online polls, as well as mail-in surveys, mobile text polls, etc., fall short on overall validity is in the administrator's ability to guarantee that each voter participates only once. This is a much bigger liability for political polls or pop culture polls, where there is a degree of competition involved. However, responses that a participant gives in private are generally the most honest answers, particularly if the subject is an intimate topic, like health.

Question 15

A natural disaster cut a town off from its water supply. People must consume two quarts of clean water per day to survive. If an agency is going to deliver a three-day supply of clean water for each person and there are 32,684 people in the town, how many gallons of water must the agency transport there?
A)49,026 gallons
B)65,368 gallons
C)98,052 gallons
D)16,342 gallons

Accepted Answer

Two quarts are equal to one half-gallon; each of the 32,684 people should receive one and one half-gallons of clean water, which is 49,026 gallons of water total. The problem can also be solved by ignoring the unit of volume until the end. If each person requires two units of water per day for three days, each person should receive six units of water. Six units for each of 32,684 people equals 196,104 units. Divide the amount by four, since a quart (the original unit) is one fourth of a gallon. The agency must transport 196,104 quarts which is 49,026 gallons.

Question 16

The Coral Reefs of the Caribbean Visualize being submerged in the most (1) absolute silence to contemplate the majestic coral reefs. In the Caribbean Sea there are more than 16 thousand square miles (26 thousand square kilometers) of reefs, also known as "tropical rainforests of the sea" because of their immense biodiversity. Their extravagant, intense colors provide the ideal ecosystem for the over four thousand species of fish and thousands of species of plants that are found there.
Our lives, too, depend on these (2) formations: the coral reefs of the Caribbean protect the coasts of Florida and the Caribbean nations from hurricanes. Their enormous structures weaken the force of the storms before they arrive to the coasts, acting as natural barriers. They also protect beaches from erosion and are a refuge for many species of (3) endangered animals.
In the far eastern periphery of Cuba, the María la Gorda reef stands out from the others. In this highly protected zone, there are more than 20 species of corals that form (4) subterranean "mountain ranges", caves, and tunnels.
Unfortunately, the reefs in the Caribbean are in danger due to acts of destruction. Coastal construction and water pollution cause the water to cloud, which in turn takes away the light that the coral needs to survive. Other enemies to the coral are uncontrolled fishing, (5) excessive tourism, and the collecting of coral by scuba divers. Some experts say that 70% of the coral will disappear in some 40 years. If you are lucky enough to visit these coral reefs, please protect them. Their future depends on us.
The word "endangered", bolded after the (3) in the second paragraph, can best be defined as
A)Susceptible to threat
B)Vulnerable to menace
C)Protected
D)Both A and B

Accepted Answer

The word "endangered" on the last line of paragraph 2 can best be defined as both susceptible to threat and vulnerable to menace. Answer C is the opposite of endangered.

Question 17

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A.
Its conflict has escalated in recent times, with citizens from both nations protesting and raising flags on different islands.
A)Its
B)It's
C)There
D)Their

Accepted Answer

The conflict is between China and Japan, so a plural possessive pronoun is needed to properly complete the sentence. "It's" is a contraction of "it is." "There" is a not a possessive pronoun. "Their" is a plural possessive pronoun.

Question 18

Which section of the following passage needs to be edited for incorrect spelling, incorrect grammar, inappropriate word choice or wordiness?
A)In the US Senate, a simple majority
B)of senators are able to pass a bill,
C)but a supermajority is necessary
D)to end a filibuster.

Accepted Answer

Are should be changed to is. The subject of the sentence is majority, which is treated as singular because it is acting as a single entity to pass the bill.

Question 19

A variable that affects the data collected but is not accounted for or demonstrated in the statistical measure of the data is a:
A)Stealth variable
B)Lurking variable
C)Independent variable
D)Dependent variable

Accepted Answer

A lurking variable is information directly related to the independent and dependent variables in statistical analysis, that has an effect on the data being analyzed, but is not accounted for in the analysis. Lurking variables that are not accounted for in data analysis can cause the resulting predictions to be inaccurate or incomplete. Lurking variables can also be called confounding variables.

Question 20

The Coral Reefs of the Caribbean Visualize being submerged in the most (1) absolute silence to contemplate the majestic coral reefs. In the Caribbean Sea there are more than 16 thousand square miles (26 thousand square kilometers) of reefs, also known as "tropical rainforests of the sea" because of their immense biodiversity. Their extravagant, intense colors provide the ideal ecosystem for the over four thousand species of fish and thousands of species of plants that are found there.
Our lives, too, depend on these (2) formations: the coral reefs of the Caribbean protect the coasts of Florida and the Caribbean nations from hurricanes. Their enormous structures weaken the force of the storms before they arrive to the coasts, acting as natural barriers. They also protect beaches from erosion and are a refuge for many species of (3) endangered animals.
In the far eastern periphery of Cuba, the María la Gorda reef stands out from the others. In this highly protected zone, there are more than 20 species of corals that form (4) subterranean "mountain ranges", caves, and tunnels.
Unfortunately, the reefs in the Caribbean are in danger due to acts of destruction. Coastal construction and water pollution cause the water to cloud, which in turn takes away the light that the coral needs to survive. Other enemies to the coral are uncontrolled fishing, (5) excessive tourism, and the collecting of coral by scuba divers. Some experts say that 70% of the coral will disappear in some 40 years. If you are lucky enough to visit these coral reefs, please protect them. Their future depends on us.
According to the author, which of the following is a reason that our livelihood depends on coral reefs?
A)They do not protect our coasts from storms.
B)They act as natural barriers to strengthen the force of hurricanes.
C)They protect our beaches from erosion.
D)Their enormous structures expose endangered animals to threat.

Accepted Answer

According to the author, a reason that our livelihood depends on coral reefs is because they protect our beaches from erosion. Answer A is false, because they DO protect our coasts from storms. They act as natural barriers to WEAKEN, NOT strengthen, the force of hurricanes. Their enormous structures play the role of refuge for endangered animals NOT expose them to threat.

Quiz 2: Accuplacer

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. Both nations claims sovereignty over the islands.

Which course of action most improves the following sentence? Tom Brady is one of the NFL quarterbacks who has won more than one Super Bowl.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. If two or more nations which disagree on water rights or building projects, conflicts can emerge.

In which of the following scenarios would a pie chart be the most effective way to display data?

The test scores for eight students are 97, 94, 98, 97, 89, 92, 68 and 96. What would the seventh score be considered?

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. After the division of Vietnam, the United States supports South Vietnam.

What is the median for the following set of numbers? $3.27, $9.42, $6.15, $5.25, $7.62, $4.86, $2.94, $1.16

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. The United States sent troops in 1965 to contain the spread of communism into South Vietnam and prevent the collapse of the government.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. China calls the islands Diaoyu; in Japan, they are known as Senkaku.

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. Unemployment and social unrest have undermined the government's position also.

Which section of the following passage needs to be edited for incorrect spelling, incorrect grammar, inappropriate word choice or wordiness?

Which of the following polling methods is most likely to yield accurate or honest results on personal health topics?

Choose the answer which best rewords the italicized portion. If you think the original wording is best, choose option A. Its conflict has escalated in recent times, with citizens from both nations protesting and raising flags on different islands.

Which section of the following passage needs to be edited for incorrect spelling, incorrect grammar, inappropriate word choice or wordiness?

A variable that affects the data collected but is not accounted for or demonstrated in the statistical measure of the data is a: