All practice questions

A team of plant biochemists investigated the effect of a novel synthetic compound, Inhibitor-X, on the light-dependent reduction of dichlorophenolindophenol (DCPIP) by isolated spinach chloroplasts. In this reaction, DCPIP changes from blue to colorless as it receives electrons from the photosynthetic electron transport chain. All four reaction tubes contained equal volumes of chloroplast suspension, reaction buffer, and DCPIP solution.

The experimental conditions for each tube are summarized in the table below:

Which of the following reaction tubes serves as the baseline control group to determine the maximum rate of light-driven DCPIP reduction in the absence of the inhibitor?

A solar power microgrid generates electricity at a constant rate of $p$ kilowatts for each hour of active operation. On a day with $h$ total hours of daylight, cloud coverage reduces operation such that the microgrid operates at full capacity for $3$ hours less than half the total daylight hours. Which of the following equations represents the total electricity $E$, in kilowatt-hours, generated by the microgrid on that day?

Read the following passage carefully:

Long before paleontologist Hermann von Meyer formally named the fossil Archaeopteryx in 1861, quarry workers in Solnhofen, Germany, had unearthed an isolated feather impression in limestone during the summer of 1860. Intrigued by the specimen's unique structural features, von Meyer examined the feather impression in early 1861 and published a preliminary description. Months later, in late 1861, a near-complete fossilized skeleton exhibiting both avian feathers and reptilian skeletal structures was discovered in a neighboring quarry. Before London's Natural History Museum acquired this complete specimen in 1862, physician Karl Häberlein temporarily stored the skeleton in his medical clinic while negotiating its sale.

Based on the passage, place the following events in chronological order from earliest to latest:

A bookshelf contains $4$ mystery novels, $6$ science fiction novels, and $5$ biography books. If one book is chosen at random from the bookshelf, what is the probability that the chosen book is NOT a science fiction novel?

In the sentence below, a portion is underlined.

During the meticulous restoration of a Renaissance tapestry, textile conservators uncovered a vibrant, intricate, weave hidden beneath a layer of coarse backing cloth.

Which of the following choices best replaces the underlined portion to adhere to standard conventions of punctuation?

On a standard number line, point $m$ is located at coordinate $-9$, and point $n$ is located to the right of point $m$. If the distance between point $m$ and point $n$ is given by the expression $|3k - 6|$ where $k = -4$, what is the coordinate of point $n$?

A team of biomechanical engineers conducted an experiment to evaluate the impact attenuation of 3D-printed lattice structures used in protective athletic gear. In four separate trials, the engineers varied the strut angle of the elastomer lattice ($30^\circ$, $45^\circ$, $60^\circ$, and $75^\circ$) while holding the lattice density ($0.25\text{ g/cm}^3$), polymer resin formulation, and drop impact height ($2.0\text{ m}$) constant. In each trial, a drop tower released a mass onto the lattice sample, and the peak acceleration (measured in $g$) transmitted to an underlying sensor was recorded.

Match each experimental component from the investigation to its corresponding variable classification.

Read the following passage adapted from an essay on twentieth-century natural history:

On December 22, 1938, Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer, curator of the small East London Museum in South Africa, received a telephone call from the manager of a local shipping line. Captain Hendrik Goosen had just docked the trawler *Nerine* after a fishing run off the mouth of the Chalumna River. Goosen frequently allowed Courtenay-Latimer to search through the trawler's haul for unusual marine specimens.

Upon inspecting the deck of the *Nerine*, Courtenay-Latimer noticed a strange blue fin protruding from beneath a pile of sharks. Uncovering the creature, she found a five-foot-long, 127-pound fish covered in thick, armor-like scales with pale blue spots. Recognizing its potential scientific significance, she attempted to contact J.L.B. Smith, an organic chemistry professor and self-taught ichthyologist at Rhodes University in Grahamstown. However, Smith was away in Knysna for the Christmas holidays and could not be reached.

Faced with the fish's rapid deterioration in the summer heat, Courtenay-Latimer transported the specimen to a local taxidermist, Robert Center, directing him to preserve its skin and skeleton. Regrettably, Center discarded the internal organs before Smith could examine them. When Smith finally arrived in East London on February 16, 1939, he immediately identified the specimen as a coelacanth—a member of an ancient order of lobe-finned fish previously believed to have gone extinct at the end of the Cretaceous period, 66 million years ago.

According to the passage, what specific circumstance prevented J.L.B. Smith from examining the fish immediately after its discovery?

Read the passage and select the choice that best corrects the underlined portion.

Ancient Roman harbour structures built with pozzolanic concrete have endured two millennia of severe ocean wave action. Modern material scientists recently discovered the secret to this remarkable durability, microscopic lime clasts embedded within the mortar react dynamically with seawater to continuously seal emerging structural cracks.

Which choice best corrects the underlined portion, 'durability, microscopic lime clasts'?

A quality control engineer measured the lengths of precision bolts manufactured across five production lines. The table below shows the number of bolts tested from each line and the mean length, in millimeters, of the bolts from that line.

If the overall mean length of all the bolts tested across all five lines is $25.1$ millimeters, what is the value of $x$, the number of bolts tested from Line 5?

To anticipate explosive eruptions, volcanologists constantly measure subterranean movements using tiltmeters and seismic sensors. When magma shifts beneath a volcano, it deforms the surrounding rock and generates small, continuous earthquakes known as harmonic tremors. Analyzing these minute vibrations allows researchers to gauge the changing pressure within the magma chamber prior to an impending event.

Which choice best maintains the precise meaning of the sentence and fits the formal, academic tone of the passage?

An environmental scientist measured the dissolved oxygen concentration, in milligrams per liter ($\text{mg/L}$), at $6$ different monitoring locations along a river. The recorded concentrations for $5$ of the locations were $6.4$, $7.2$, $5.8$, $8.0$, and $7.6$. If the mean dissolved oxygen concentration for all $6$ locations was exactly $7.1\text{ mg/L}$, what was the dissolved oxygen concentration recorded at the $6\text{th}$ location?

A municipal water treatment facility mixes three treatment chemicals—coagulant, disinfectant, and pH adjuster—in the ratio $3 : 5 : 4$ by volume. If the facility uses $120$ gallons of pH adjuster during a single shift, what is the total volume, in gallons, of all three chemicals combined used during that shift?

A kite string of length $50$ meters is attached to a stake anchored in level ground at point $K$. The kite is flying at point $H$, directly above a landmark $L$ on the ground, forming right triangle $KLH$ with the right angle at $L$. If the angle of elevation from the stake to the kite is $\theta$, such that $\cos(\theta) = \frac{24}{25}$, what is the vertical height, in meters, of the kite above the ground?

A community library received a bulk shipment of $b$ new books. The head librarian distributed the entire shipment equally among 7 reading rooms, resulting in each room receiving exactly 24 books. Which of the following equations can be solved to find $b$, the total number of books in the shipment?

A circular grinding wheel has a radius of $9$ inches. A section of the wheel bounded by a central angle of $140^\circ$ is coated with a coarse abrasive layer. What is the area, in square inches, of the remaining non-coated section of the grinding wheel?

Ethnomusicologists studying pre-Columbian artifacts recently analyzed double-chambered vessel whistles crafted by Maya artisans. When filled with water and tilted, these hydraulic ceramic instruments generate haunting acoustic vibrations, moreover, the internal chambers alter air pressure automatically to produce birdlike calls. Researchers hypothesize that ancient priests used these acoustic phenomena during ritual ceremonies to simulate sounds of the natural world.

Which of the following choices best corrects the underlined portion in the passage?

On a temperature monitor scale represented as a horizontal number line, sensor $A$ is positioned at coordinate $-18$ and sensor $B$ is positioned at coordinate $14$. A relay station $C$ is located on the line segment between sensor $A$ and sensor $B$ such that the distance from sensor $A$ to relay station $C$ is $\frac{3}{4}$ of the total distance between sensor $A$ and sensor $B$. What is the absolute value of the coordinate of relay station $C$?

In the sentence below, a portion is underlined.

While cataloging organic specimens in the subterranean cavern, speleologists recorded ambient temperature, gathered mineral runoff samples, and they analyzed structural stability.

Which of the following options best revises the underlined portion to maintain correct punctuation and sentence structure?

A weather station recorded the daily high temperatures, in degrees Fahrenheit, for the first 10 days of a month. The mean high temperature for these 10 days was $72^\circ\text{F}$. When the high temperatures for 2 additional days were included in the dataset, the mean high temperature for all 12 days increased to $74^\circ\text{F}$. If the high temperature on the 12th day was $6^\circ\text{F}$ higher than the high temperature on the 11th day, what was the high temperature, in degrees Fahrenheit, on the 12th day?