Is the May 4th Question too easy? Judiethcarol&Rocketcat c
www.coolrocketschool.org
Maybe it’s so easy for you because you have been practicing Rocketcat’s RACECAR strategy. If this is true, we’re thinking you barely saw the checkered flag go down because you were finished less than a car length from the starting line.
Read from the top right corner to through the directions and to the blank. Fill in a simple word from your personal ‘bank’ and look for the word like that one in the answers.
1 Speed through title and directions.
2 Drive to the blank and drop a marker word to hold the spot.
3 Find the match to the marker word. Back up fast to pop the winning word in the blank to test it. Realize that you have already eliminated a couple of other possibilities. Mark your answer sheet. Speed on down the road!
You win. You are right. You do not even need to go backwards to eliminate a wrong answer or two, as the answer is far enough down the list. You have already eliminated enough. Mark the answer when you find it, and drive on—patent Rocket Racecar style. The palindrome, Racecar, reminds you to check backwards to eliminate at least one or two wrong answers. But, unless the answer is A, which this one is not, you’ve been there, done that.
Here is how it goes today. Remember that you read the title and the directions to put your mind in the correct gear to drive smoothly.
Critical Reading Sentence Completion ‘Critical’ reading means that you are reading to detect meaning, tone, theme—A ‘critic’ notices everything. Consider this Hardy Boy or Nancy Drew reading.
Critical Reading >Sentence Completion
Choose the word or set of words that, when inserted in the sentence, BEST fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.
(Nancy Drew Note: We need a word to make the sentence whole and complete.)
Those scholars who believe that the true author of the poem died in 1812
(Make a video in your mind of teachers with graduation style hats on sitting around talking about who REALLY wrote a certain poem. See ‘POET DIED IN 1812’ on their whiteboard.)
(They) consider the authenticity of this particular manuscript ______(Nancy Drew: They think it is NOT TRUE) because it includes references to events that occurred in 1818.
Write on their whiteboard: Poem talks about 1818 stuff.
Do you see this little scenario? The scholars say the poet died in 1812, but the poem has some things in it about what happened in 1818—after the death of the poet. Something is NOT RIGHT!
Look at the possibilities. You are looking for a word that means ‘not right’ or ‘not true’?
A.Ageless (Huh? That is not the right kind of meaning.) NO.
B.tenuous NO
C. Suspect --YEP—It is suspicious or ‘suspect’—That word even fits our ‘Nancy Drew/Hardy Boy’ scenario.
JUST MARK THE ANSWER SHEET AND MOVE ON. YOU HAVE ALREADY ELIMINATED TWO INCORRECT ANSWERS!!!! Speed on down the Road!
D. Unique
E. Legitimate
If you did this in Rocketcat’s style, you were finished in less than a minute. Included in your point win is the checking and eliminating of at least two other answers. You have your point, checked your point, and take your extra time to another type of question. GOOD RACE! judiethcarol@rocketcatc.May2010
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Monday, May 3, 2010
Way To Plug In Mini Version to Solve Math SAT Visually for June 5
MATH PLUG IN—A STRATEGY WHEN YOU NEED TO ‘SEE’ BETTER ON SAT for June 5
First, you need to know that if you look at the explanation on the collegeboard site, you may learn how to solve this particular kind of problem—and many others like it. It is worthwhile to look at the explanation on the www.collegeboard.com site, as that explanation displays how to work that problem.
Our strategy today is using this problem to ‘plug in’ your own figures and to make a mini-version of a problem that you do not know how to solve. This is a strategy to make your best educated guess when you do not know how to do the problem. This strategy, too, will work in many instances. Think of it as ‘plugging in’ a mini-version of the problem in much the same way that you solve fill in the blank language arts questions by filling in a simple word that does fit—and looking for that type of word in the choices.
Here on a math problem, you fill in a simple version, in ratio, if possible, and try out those features within the context of that mini-problem to see the answer to the maxi problem.
Rocketcat guessed at today’s answer by plugging in a ‘sample’ version of the question to see how the question looked. Remember Rocketcat is a visual learner. In fact, he is deaf, so every visual way of ‘seeing’ the answer is a strategy for Rocketcat. Jot this down, as you go.
Look at what he did to guess correctly. He created a mini-version of the problem and eliminated answers until he had a solid guess. He was correct, but his way of doing this problem is fraught with peril. So use this type of reasoning ONLY if you do not understand the clearest way to answer the problem already.
Now, look: Here is the Rocketcat strategy for a problem that he does not ‘see’ clearly. Draw a simplified version.
The original problem:
Mathematics>standard multiple choice.
Read the following SAT question, and then click on a button to select your answer:
A list of 100 integers has the property that the average (arithmetic mean), a, of the integers is greater than the median, m, of the integers. Which of the following must be true?
I.More of these integers are greater than a than are less than a.
II. More of these integers are greater than m than are less than m.
III. More of these integers are less than m than are greater than m.
(A) None.
(B) I only
(C) I and II
(D) I and III
Always, begin at the top left corner and read right to left, all the way through, visualizing the problem to put your mind into any ‘reminder’ areas available.
Rocket did this and this was hard to ‘see,’ so he plugged in some integers from 1 to 10, an exact ratio to the original problem with 100 integers. He is not told in the original problem the range or order of the integers. But look at what happens when he plugs in 1-10
1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8+9+10=55 Okay, now, which is “a” (the mean or average). Divide 55 by 10 (the total of the integers divided by the number of integers = the mean, or average=5.5 for our pretend problem.
Rocket looks at how this looks for this set of 10 integers. The average is 5.5 AND the median is 5.5. So a is 5.5 and m is 5.5.
He looks at I,II, and III in relation to this pretend problem with the same structure as the question
I.More of these integers are greater than a than are less than a.
More of these integers (1-10) are greater than a(5.5) than are less than a (5.5)?
NO. There are 5 integers greater than 5.5 and 5 less than 5.5.
6,7,8,9, 10 are greater and 1,2,3,4,5 are less than a (5.5)
II. More of these integers are greater than m than are less than m.
More of these integers are greater than m (5.5) than are less than m (5.5) NOPE. It’s the same amount as a, and we showed in I that 5 are less and 5 are more.
III. More of these integers are less than m than are greater than m.
More of these integers are less than m than are greater than m. NO. Same reason as before.
Rocketcat knows that his ‘plug-in’ problem may not be parallel in every way to the original problem because it is his version of the problem. But he has ‘solved’ his version. NONE of the statements fit his made up ‘plug-in’ problem. So he chooses A. NONE.
This is the correct answer.
Strategy: If you do not know how to solve a math problem, plug in your own numbers, in a correct ratio if possible. Make your version as simple as possible and label everything to see it visually.
Take the answer that works in your sample problem as the correct answer and mark it. At this point, you have narrowed the ‘guessing’ enough to offset any penalty for a n incorrect answer.
Today, the plug in and simplified visual version resulted in the correct answer for Rocketcat&judiethcarolc.May2010
First, you need to know that if you look at the explanation on the collegeboard site, you may learn how to solve this particular kind of problem—and many others like it. It is worthwhile to look at the explanation on the www.collegeboard.com site, as that explanation displays how to work that problem.
Our strategy today is using this problem to ‘plug in’ your own figures and to make a mini-version of a problem that you do not know how to solve. This is a strategy to make your best educated guess when you do not know how to do the problem. This strategy, too, will work in many instances. Think of it as ‘plugging in’ a mini-version of the problem in much the same way that you solve fill in the blank language arts questions by filling in a simple word that does fit—and looking for that type of word in the choices.
Here on a math problem, you fill in a simple version, in ratio, if possible, and try out those features within the context of that mini-problem to see the answer to the maxi problem.
Rocketcat guessed at today’s answer by plugging in a ‘sample’ version of the question to see how the question looked. Remember Rocketcat is a visual learner. In fact, he is deaf, so every visual way of ‘seeing’ the answer is a strategy for Rocketcat. Jot this down, as you go.
Look at what he did to guess correctly. He created a mini-version of the problem and eliminated answers until he had a solid guess. He was correct, but his way of doing this problem is fraught with peril. So use this type of reasoning ONLY if you do not understand the clearest way to answer the problem already.
Now, look: Here is the Rocketcat strategy for a problem that he does not ‘see’ clearly. Draw a simplified version.
The original problem:
Mathematics>standard multiple choice.
Read the following SAT question, and then click on a button to select your answer:
A list of 100 integers has the property that the average (arithmetic mean), a, of the integers is greater than the median, m, of the integers. Which of the following must be true?
I.More of these integers are greater than a than are less than a.
II. More of these integers are greater than m than are less than m.
III. More of these integers are less than m than are greater than m.
(A) None.
(B) I only
(C) I and II
(D) I and III
Always, begin at the top left corner and read right to left, all the way through, visualizing the problem to put your mind into any ‘reminder’ areas available.
Rocket did this and this was hard to ‘see,’ so he plugged in some integers from 1 to 10, an exact ratio to the original problem with 100 integers. He is not told in the original problem the range or order of the integers. But look at what happens when he plugs in 1-10
1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8+9+10=55 Okay, now, which is “a” (the mean or average). Divide 55 by 10 (the total of the integers divided by the number of integers = the mean, or average=5.5 for our pretend problem.
Rocket looks at how this looks for this set of 10 integers. The average is 5.5 AND the median is 5.5. So a is 5.5 and m is 5.5.
He looks at I,II, and III in relation to this pretend problem with the same structure as the question
I.More of these integers are greater than a than are less than a.
More of these integers (1-10) are greater than a(5.5) than are less than a (5.5)?
NO. There are 5 integers greater than 5.5 and 5 less than 5.5.
6,7,8,9, 10 are greater and 1,2,3,4,5 are less than a (5.5)
II. More of these integers are greater than m than are less than m.
More of these integers are greater than m (5.5) than are less than m (5.5) NOPE. It’s the same amount as a, and we showed in I that 5 are less and 5 are more.
III. More of these integers are less than m than are greater than m.
More of these integers are less than m than are greater than m. NO. Same reason as before.
Rocketcat knows that his ‘plug-in’ problem may not be parallel in every way to the original problem because it is his version of the problem. But he has ‘solved’ his version. NONE of the statements fit his made up ‘plug-in’ problem. So he chooses A. NONE.
This is the correct answer.
Strategy: If you do not know how to solve a math problem, plug in your own numbers, in a correct ratio if possible. Make your version as simple as possible and label everything to see it visually.
Take the answer that works in your sample problem as the correct answer and mark it. At this point, you have narrowed the ‘guessing’ enough to offset any penalty for a n incorrect answer.
Today, the plug in and simplified visual version resulted in the correct answer for Rocketcat&judiethcarolc.May2010
JUNE 5 Win All SAT Points on RACECAR STYLE QUESTIONS
The question for May 2nd is the fastest style of Rocketcat’s RACECAR strategy type questions. It is so classic that the correct answer is not only obvious within 30 seconds, it is checked without taking the RACECAR speedy checking strategy of eliminating at least one other answer.
Using the patent Rocketcat Racecar strategy to solve this question on the Scholastic Aptitude Test, Rocket read the title, the directions, the question, and the answers—and marked the answer sheet correctly in under 45 seconds.
Remember, looking at how to do this will take longer than actually doing it once you know what you are doing.
To speed through to the answer correctly in Rocketcat Racecar Strategy style:
1 Begin at the top left of the question. This is your starting line when the checkered flag goes down. Read left to right to speed your brain into the path for this type of question:
We are driving to IMPROVE THE SENTENCE. Rocket knows this means that we will be looking for predictable structure errors to correct.
2. Continue through the directions to remind (re-again, mind-put into mind) your fast driving mind what to do as you pass the underlined portions—and what to do if there are no predictable errors. The first option below is the same as the sentence.
If there is any error, the answer is NOT A. In this type of correction (not in EVERY type of correction—just this type), if there is no correction, the answer is A.
3. Read the sentence looking for a predictable error on the SAT (run-on sentence, sentence fragment, disagreeing subject-verb….)
4. Notice that the sentence is incomplete. There is no verb. This is a sentence fragment.
5. Look below—past A because there IS an error—to find if B. will correct the sentence to make it whole.
B. does NOT correct the sentence to make a complete sentence.
C. does NOT correct the sentence to make a complete sentence.
DRIVE FORWARD QUICKLY TRYING EACH COMPLETION TO REPLACE THE UNDERLINED PORTION TO MAKE THE SENTENCE INTO A WHOLE SENTENCE.
D. does NOT correct the sentence to make a complete sentence.
E. DOES correct the sentence to make a complete sentence! MARK YOUR ANSWER SHEET the way to the last one. You do not have to speed backwards (RACECAR, a palindrome, is the same backwards as forwards), as you have already eliminated the other answers.
Speed forward with confidence that you got this point so quickly and accurately!
Be sure that you are on the correct number of the answer sheet and that you fill in the E. cleanly!
Here is how it looks:
WRITING>IMPROVING SENTENCES
Part of the following sentence is underlined; beneath the sentence are five ways of phrasing the underlined material. Select the option that produces the best sentence. If you think the original phrasing produces a better sentence than any of the alternatives, select choice A.
The North American continent first colonized by people from Siberia crossing the now sunken land bridge between Siberia and Alaska about 15,000 years ago.
A. The North American continent first colonized by people from Siberia crossing
NO. Keep going. You don’t have to read this one because you know there is an error, and the error will complete the sentence. THIS ONE IS THE WAY IT IS NOW, so skip it!
B. Try this one in the place of the underlined portion of the sentence. Know what you want it to do: You need a verb to get a complete sentence.
NO.
C-Try this one in the place of the underlined portion of the sentence. Know what you want it to do. You need a verb in the sentence to make a complete sentence.
NO.
C. Try this one in the place of the underlined portion of the sentence. Know what you want it to do. You need a verb to make a complete sentence. NO.
D. Try this one in the place of the underlined portion of the sentence. Know what you want it to do. You need a verb to make a complete sentence. NO.
E. This one has to work. Look for the way it IS working that none of the others above were able to do. You have a sentence fragment in the original. You need a VERB.
Test this one. It HAS to have a verb.
The North American continent WAS first colonized by people from Siberia, who crossed the now sunken land bridge between Siberia and Alaska about 15,000 years ago.
THERE IT IS! WE NEED ‘WAS’ to make the sentence complete. MARK IT IN THE CORRECT PLACE ON YOUR ANSWER SHEET AND USE THIS REMAINING TIME SOMEWHERE ELSE. YOU HAVE ALREADY CHECKED THIS BY ELIMINATING EVERY OTHER ONE BEFORE E. Remember if one of the last answers is the correct one, you have already ‘checked’ your answer by eliminating some of the answers before it. In this case, you have eliminated EVERY OTHER ANSWER AS INCORRECT. Speed on!judiethcarol&RocketcatMay2010
Using the patent Rocketcat Racecar strategy to solve this question on the Scholastic Aptitude Test, Rocket read the title, the directions, the question, and the answers—and marked the answer sheet correctly in under 45 seconds.
Remember, looking at how to do this will take longer than actually doing it once you know what you are doing.
To speed through to the answer correctly in Rocketcat Racecar Strategy style:
1 Begin at the top left of the question. This is your starting line when the checkered flag goes down. Read left to right to speed your brain into the path for this type of question:
We are driving to IMPROVE THE SENTENCE. Rocket knows this means that we will be looking for predictable structure errors to correct.
2. Continue through the directions to remind (re-again, mind-put into mind) your fast driving mind what to do as you pass the underlined portions—and what to do if there are no predictable errors. The first option below is the same as the sentence.
If there is any error, the answer is NOT A. In this type of correction (not in EVERY type of correction—just this type), if there is no correction, the answer is A.
3. Read the sentence looking for a predictable error on the SAT (run-on sentence, sentence fragment, disagreeing subject-verb….)
4. Notice that the sentence is incomplete. There is no verb. This is a sentence fragment.
5. Look below—past A because there IS an error—to find if B. will correct the sentence to make it whole.
B. does NOT correct the sentence to make a complete sentence.
C. does NOT correct the sentence to make a complete sentence.
DRIVE FORWARD QUICKLY TRYING EACH COMPLETION TO REPLACE THE UNDERLINED PORTION TO MAKE THE SENTENCE INTO A WHOLE SENTENCE.
D. does NOT correct the sentence to make a complete sentence.
E. DOES correct the sentence to make a complete sentence! MARK YOUR ANSWER SHEET the way to the last one. You do not have to speed backwards (RACECAR, a palindrome, is the same backwards as forwards), as you have already eliminated the other answers.
Speed forward with confidence that you got this point so quickly and accurately!
Be sure that you are on the correct number of the answer sheet and that you fill in the E. cleanly!
Here is how it looks:
WRITING>IMPROVING SENTENCES
Part of the following sentence is underlined; beneath the sentence are five ways of phrasing the underlined material. Select the option that produces the best sentence. If you think the original phrasing produces a better sentence than any of the alternatives, select choice A.
The North American continent first colonized by people from Siberia crossing the now sunken land bridge between Siberia and Alaska about 15,000 years ago.
A. The North American continent first colonized by people from Siberia crossing
NO. Keep going. You don’t have to read this one because you know there is an error, and the error will complete the sentence. THIS ONE IS THE WAY IT IS NOW, so skip it!
B. Try this one in the place of the underlined portion of the sentence. Know what you want it to do: You need a verb to get a complete sentence.
NO.
C-Try this one in the place of the underlined portion of the sentence. Know what you want it to do. You need a verb in the sentence to make a complete sentence.
NO.
C. Try this one in the place of the underlined portion of the sentence. Know what you want it to do. You need a verb to make a complete sentence. NO.
D. Try this one in the place of the underlined portion of the sentence. Know what you want it to do. You need a verb to make a complete sentence. NO.
E. This one has to work. Look for the way it IS working that none of the others above were able to do. You have a sentence fragment in the original. You need a VERB.
Test this one. It HAS to have a verb.
The North American continent WAS first colonized by people from Siberia, who crossed the now sunken land bridge between Siberia and Alaska about 15,000 years ago.
THERE IT IS! WE NEED ‘WAS’ to make the sentence complete. MARK IT IN THE CORRECT PLACE ON YOUR ANSWER SHEET AND USE THIS REMAINING TIME SOMEWHERE ELSE. YOU HAVE ALREADY CHECKED THIS BY ELIMINATING EVERY OTHER ONE BEFORE E. Remember if one of the last answers is the correct one, you have already ‘checked’ your answer by eliminating some of the answers before it. In this case, you have eliminated EVERY OTHER ANSWER AS INCORRECT. Speed on!judiethcarol&RocketcatMay2010
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