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RC Practice Test - 6 - CAT MCQ


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16 Questions MCQ Test Verbal Ability (VA) & Reading Comprehension (RC) - RC Practice Test - 6

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RC Practice Test - 6 - Question 1

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:

On 19 November 1990, Boris Yeltsin gave a speech in Kyiv to announce that, after more than 300 years of rule by the Russian tsars and the Soviet ‘totalitarian regime’ in Moscow, Ukraine was free at last. Russia, he said, did not want any special role in dictating Ukraine’s future, nor did it aim to be at the centre of any future empire. Five months earlier, in June 1990, inspired by independence movements in the Baltics and the Caucasus, Yeltsin had passed a declaration of Russian sovereignty that served as a model for those of several other Soviet republics, including Ukraine. While they stopped short of demanding full separation, such statements asserted that the USSR would have only as much power as its republics were willing to give.

Russian imperial ambitions can appear to be age-old and constant. Even relatively sophisticated media often present a Kremlin drive to dominate its neighbours that seems to have passed from the tsars to Stalin, and from Stalin to Putin. So it is worth remembering that, not long ago, Russia turned away from empire. In fact, in 1990-91, it was Russian secessionism – together with separatist movements in the republics – that brought down the USSR. To defeat the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev’s attempt at preserving the union, Yeltsin fused the concerns of Russia’s liberal democrats and conservative nationalists into an awkward alliance. Like Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again or Boris Johnson’s Brexit, Yeltsin insisted that Russians, the Soviet Union’s dominant group, were oppressed. He called for separation from burdensome others to bring Russian renewal.

The roots of nationalist discontent lay in Russia’s peculiar status within the Soviet Union. After the Bolsheviks took control over much of the tsarist empire’s former territory, Lenin declared ‘war to the death on Great Russian chauvinism’ and proposed to uplift the ‘oppressed nations’ on its peripheries. To combat imperial inequality, Lenin called for unity, creating a federation of republics divided by nationality. The republics forfeited political sovereignty in exchange for territorial integrity, educational and cultural institutions in their own languages, and the elevation of the local ‘titular’ nationality into positions of power. Soviet policy, following Lenin, conceived of the republics as homelands for their respective nationalities (with autonomous regions and districts for smaller nationalities nested within them). The exception was the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, or RSFSR, which remained an administrative territory not associated with any ethnic or historic ‘Russia’.

Russia was the only Soviet republic that did not have its own Communist Party, capital, or Academy of Sciences. These omissions contributed to the uneasy overlap of ‘Russian’ and ‘Soviet’.

Q. Which one of the following is not a valid inference from the passage?

Detailed Solution for RC Practice Test - 6 - Question 1

Option A: This statement can be inferred from the passage. It mentions that "in 1990-91, it was Russian secessionism – together with separatist movements in the republics – that brought down the USSR." Hence, this option is a valid inference from the passage.
Option B: This statement can also be inferred from the passage. It is mentioned that "Lenin declared ‘war to the death on Great Russian chauvinism’ and proposed to uplift the ‘oppressed nations’ on its peripheries." Further, "to combat imperial inequality, Lenin called for unity, creating a federation of republics divided by nationality." Thus, this option is a valid inference from the passage.
Option C: This statement is in direct contradiction with the passage. The passage states that "The exception was the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, or RSFSR, which remained an administrative territory not associated with any ethnic or historic ‘Russia’." This means that the RSFSR was not explicitly associated with a specific ethnic or historic 'Russia.' Hence, this option is Alien (A) according to the BANE Theory and is not a valid inference from the passage.
Option D: This statement can be inferred from the passage, as it mentions that "Yeltsin had passed a declaration of Russian sovereignty that served as a model for those of several other Soviet republics, including Ukraine." Thus, this option is a valid inference from the passage.
Using the BANE Theory, we can choose option C as the correct answer since it is Alien to the passage.

RC Practice Test - 6 - Question 2

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:

On 19 November 1990, Boris Yeltsin gave a speech in Kyiv to announce that, after more than 300 years of rule by the Russian tsars and the Soviet ‘totalitarian regime’ in Moscow, Ukraine was free at last. Russia, he said, did not want any special role in dictating Ukraine’s future, nor did it aim to be at the centre of any future empire. Five months earlier, in June 1990, inspired by independence movements in the Baltics and the Caucasus, Yeltsin had passed a declaration of Russian sovereignty that served as a model for those of several other Soviet republics, including Ukraine. While they stopped short of demanding full separation, such statements asserted that the USSR would have only as much power as its republics were willing to give.

Russian imperial ambitions can appear to be age-old and constant. Even relatively sophisticated media often present a Kremlin drive to dominate its neighbours that seems to have passed from the tsars to Stalin, and from Stalin to Putin. So it is worth remembering that, not long ago, Russia turned away from empire. In fact, in 1990-91, it was Russian secessionism – together with separatist movements in the republics – that brought down the USSR. To defeat the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev’s attempt at preserving the union, Yeltsin fused the concerns of Russia’s liberal democrats and conservative nationalists into an awkward alliance. Like Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again or Boris Johnson’s Brexit, Yeltsin insisted that Russians, the Soviet Union’s dominant group, were oppressed. He called for separation from burdensome others to bring Russian renewal.

The roots of nationalist discontent lay in Russia’s peculiar status within the Soviet Union. After the Bolsheviks took control over much of the tsarist empire’s former territory, Lenin declared ‘war to the death on Great Russian chauvinism’ and proposed to uplift the ‘oppressed nations’ on its peripheries. To combat imperial inequality, Lenin called for unity, creating a federation of republics divided by nationality. The republics forfeited political sovereignty in exchange for territorial integrity, educational and cultural institutions in their own languages, and the elevation of the local ‘titular’ nationality into positions of power. Soviet policy, following Lenin, conceived of the republics as homelands for their respective nationalities (with autonomous regions and districts for smaller nationalities nested within them). The exception was the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, or RSFSR, which remained an administrative territory not associated with any ethnic or historic ‘Russia’.

Russia was the only Soviet republic that did not have its own Communist Party, capital, or Academy of Sciences. These omissions contributed to the uneasy overlap of ‘Russian’ and ‘Soviet’.

Q. Which one of the following, if true, would not undermine the effectiveness of Lenin's approach to combat imperial inequality?

Detailed Solution for RC Practice Test - 6 - Question 2

Option A: This statement, if true, would undermine Lenin's approach as it would suggest that his method for combating imperial inequality led to greater ethnic divisions and tensions. This option is Broad according to the BANE Theory, and can be eliminated.
Option B: This statement, if true, would not undermine Lenin's approach as it would suggest that the creation of a federation of republics divided by nationality fostered cooperation and understanding between different ethnic groups, which was one of his goals. Hence, this option is the correct answer.
Option C: This statement, if true, would undermine Lenin's approach as it would suggest that the policy of elevating the local 'titular' nationality into positions of power caused resentment among non-titular nationalities, which would not help combat imperial inequality. This option is Narrow according to the BANE Theory, and can be eliminated.
Option D: This statement, if true, would undermine Lenin's approach as it would suggest that the RSFSR became a symbol of Russian dominance within the Soviet Union, despite his efforts to combat imperial inequality. This option is Extreme according to the BANE Theory, and can be eliminated.
Using the BANE Theory, we can eliminate options A, C, and D as they are Broad, Narrow, and Extreme, respectively. Therefore, the correct answer is: B) The creation of a federation of republics divided by nationality fostered cooperation and understanding between different ethnic groups.

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RC Practice Test - 6 - Question 3

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:

On 19 November 1990, Boris Yeltsin gave a speech in Kyiv to announce that, after more than 300 years of rule by the Russian tsars and the Soviet ‘totalitarian regime’ in Moscow, Ukraine was free at last. Russia, he said, did not want any special role in dictating Ukraine’s future, nor did it aim to be at the centre of any future empire. Five months earlier, in June 1990, inspired by independence movements in the Baltics and the Caucasus, Yeltsin had passed a declaration of Russian sovereignty that served as a model for those of several other Soviet republics, including Ukraine. While they stopped short of demanding full separation, such statements asserted that the USSR would have only as much power as its republics were willing to give.

Russian imperial ambitions can appear to be age-old and constant. Even relatively sophisticated media often present a Kremlin drive to dominate its neighbours that seems to have passed from the tsars to Stalin, and from Stalin to Putin. So it is worth remembering that, not long ago, Russia turned away from empire. In fact, in 1990-91, it was Russian secessionism – together with separatist movements in the republics – that brought down the USSR. To defeat the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev’s attempt at preserving the union, Yeltsin fused the concerns of Russia’s liberal democrats and conservative nationalists into an awkward alliance. Like Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again or Boris Johnson’s Brexit, Yeltsin insisted that Russians, the Soviet Union’s dominant group, were oppressed. He called for separation from burdensome others to bring Russian renewal.

The roots of nationalist discontent lay in Russia’s peculiar status within the Soviet Union. After the Bolsheviks took control over much of the tsarist empire’s former territory, Lenin declared ‘war to the death on Great Russian chauvinism’ and proposed to uplift the ‘oppressed nations’ on its peripheries. To combat imperial inequality, Lenin called for unity, creating a federation of republics divided by nationality. The republics forfeited political sovereignty in exchange for territorial integrity, educational and cultural institutions in their own languages, and the elevation of the local ‘titular’ nationality into positions of power. Soviet policy, following Lenin, conceived of the republics as homelands for their respective nationalities (with autonomous regions and districts for smaller nationalities nested within them). The exception was the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, or RSFSR, which remained an administrative territory not associated with any ethnic or historic ‘Russia’.

Russia was the only Soviet republic that did not have its own Communist Party, capital, or Academy of Sciences. These omissions contributed to the uneasy overlap of ‘Russian’ and ‘Soviet’.

Q. The author would support none of the following statements about the Soviet Union and its dissolution EXCEPT that:

Detailed Solution for RC Practice Test - 6 - Question 3

Option A: This statement is not supported by the passage, as it mentions "it was Russian secessionism – together with separatist movements in the republics – that brought down the USSR." Thus, it was internal factors that played a significant role in the dissolution of the Soviet Union. This option is Alien according to the BANE Theory and can be eliminated.
Option B: This statement is supported by the passage, which states that "to defeat the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev’s attempt at preserving the union, Yeltsin fused the concerns of Russia’s liberal democrats and conservative nationalists into an awkward alliance." Yeltsin's call for separation was a key factor in the eventual collapse of the Soviet Union. Hence, this is the correct answer.
Option C: This statement is not supported by the passage, as it mentions the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR) as an exception to the policy of preserving unique cultural identities, remaining "an administrative territory not associated with any ethnic or historic ‘Russia’." Moreover, it describes the "uneasy overlap of ‘Russian’ and ‘Soviet’." This option is Narrow according to the BANE Theory and can be eliminated.
Option D: This statement is not supported by the passage, as it does not claim that Lenin's approach was entirely successful in eliminating imperial inequality. The passage highlights the "roots of nationalist discontent" and the "uneasy overlap of ‘Russian’ and ‘Soviet’." This option is Extreme according to the BANE Theory and can be eliminated.
Using the BANE Theory, we can eliminate options A, C, and D as they are Alien, Narrow, and Extreme, respectively. Therefore, the correct answer is: B) Yeltsin's call for separation was a key factor in the eventual collapse of the Soviet Union.

RC Practice Test - 6 - Question 4

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:

On 19 November 1990, Boris Yeltsin gave a speech in Kyiv to announce that, after more than 300 years of rule by the Russian tsars and the Soviet ‘totalitarian regime’ in Moscow, Ukraine was free at last. Russia, he said, did not want any special role in dictating Ukraine’s future, nor did it aim to be at the centre of any future empire. Five months earlier, in June 1990, inspired by independence movements in the Baltics and the Caucasus, Yeltsin had passed a declaration of Russian sovereignty that served as a model for those of several other Soviet republics, including Ukraine. While they stopped short of demanding full separation, such statements asserted that the USSR would have only as much power as its republics were willing to give.

Russian imperial ambitions can appear to be age-old and constant. Even relatively sophisticated media often present a Kremlin drive to dominate its neighbours that seems to have passed from the tsars to Stalin, and from Stalin to Putin. So it is worth remembering that, not long ago, Russia turned away from empire. In fact, in 1990-91, it was Russian secessionism – together with separatist movements in the republics – that brought down the USSR. To defeat the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev’s attempt at preserving the union, Yeltsin fused the concerns of Russia’s liberal democrats and conservative nationalists into an awkward alliance. Like Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again or Boris Johnson’s Brexit, Yeltsin insisted that Russians, the Soviet Union’s dominant group, were oppressed. He called for separation from burdensome others to bring Russian renewal.

The roots of nationalist discontent lay in Russia’s peculiar status within the Soviet Union. After the Bolsheviks took control over much of the tsarist empire’s former territory, Lenin declared ‘war to the death on Great Russian chauvinism’ and proposed to uplift the ‘oppressed nations’ on its peripheries. To combat imperial inequality, Lenin called for unity, creating a federation of republics divided by nationality. The republics forfeited political sovereignty in exchange for territorial integrity, educational and cultural institutions in their own languages, and the elevation of the local ‘titular’ nationality into positions of power. Soviet policy, following Lenin, conceived of the republics as homelands for their respective nationalities (with autonomous regions and districts for smaller nationalities nested within them). The exception was the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, or RSFSR, which remained an administrative territory not associated with any ethnic or historic ‘Russia’.

Russia was the only Soviet republic that did not have its own Communist Party, capital, or Academy of Sciences. These omissions contributed to the uneasy overlap of ‘Russian’ and ‘Soviet’.

Q. Had the passage continued, what would the author have logically discussed next?
1. The specific implications of Yeltsin's policies on post-Soviet Russia.
2. A comparison of Russian secessionism with other historical secessionist movements.
3. The role of the Communist Party in shaping Russian identity.
4. The impact of the uneasy overlap between 'Russian' and 'Soviet' on modern Russia's political landscape.

Detailed Solution for RC Practice Test - 6 - Question 4

Option 1: This option is relevant to the passage since it discusses Yeltsin's actions and their influence on Russian sovereignty. It is a logical extension of the discussion, and according to the BANE Theory, this option is correct.
Option 2: Comparing Russian secessionism to other historical secessionist movements could be an interesting discussion, but it is not directly related to the passage's focus on Russian history and identity. This option is Alien according to the BANE Theory and can be eliminated.
Option 3: Although the passage mentions the Communist Party, it does not focus on the role of the party in shaping Russian identity. This option is Alien according to the BANE Theory and can be eliminated.
Option 4: The last line of the passage refers to the "uneasy overlap of 'Russian' and 'Soviet'," which implies that the author might discuss the impact of this overlap on modern Russia's political landscape. According to the BANE Theory, this option is correct.
Using the BANE Theory, we can narrow down the possible answers to Options 1 and 4, as both are relevant to the passage and logical extensions of the discussion. Options 2 and 3 can be eliminated since they are considered Alien and not directly related to the passage's focus.

RC Practice Test - 6 - Question 5

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:
Imagine a vast circular chamber, with walls covered in a towering painted map of planet Earth. Picture this hall ‘like a theater, except that the circles and galleries go right round through the space usually occupied by the stage’. Enormous rings of tiered seating circle its outer walls. Imagine that working in these seats are 64,000 ‘computers’ – humans doing calculations – each preparing a different weather forecast for their designated geography.
And in the middle of the hall, on a large pulpit at the top of a tall multistorey pillar, stands the ‘man in charge’, who coordinates the scattered weather calculations from his computers into a global forecast like a ‘conductor of an orchestra’. This ‘forecast factory’ was the dream of the 20th-century English mathematician and meteorologist Lewis Fry Richardson. Following hundreds of pages of equations, velocities and data in his prosaically titled book Weather Prediction by Numerical Process (1922), he asks the reader to indulge him: ‘After so much hard reasoning, may one play with a fantasy?’ For Richardson, one of the main limitations on weather forecasting was a lack of computational capacity. But through the fantasy he could ignore practical problems and bring an entire planet into focus.
His ‘factory’ saw once-scattered local observations merging into a coherent planetary system: calculable, predictable, overseen and singular. Richardson died in 1953, the year IBM released the first mass-produced electronic computer. Though his factory never materialized exactly as he imagined it, his dream of a calculable planet now seems prophetic. By the 1960s, numerical calculation of global weather conditions had become a standardized way of recording changes in the atmosphere. Clouds and numbers seemed to crowd the sky. Since the 1960s, the scope of what Richardson called weather prediction has expanded dramatically: climate models now stretch into the deep past and future, encompassing the entirety of the Earth system rather than just the atmosphere. What is startling about this is not that our technical abilities have exceeded Richardson’s wildest dreams but the unexpected repercussions of the modern ‘forecast factory’. The calculable, predictable, overseen and singular Earth has revealed not only aeons of global weather, but a new kind of planet – and, with it, a new mode of governance. The planet, I argue, has appeared as a new kind of political object. I’m not talking about the Sun-orbiting body of the Copernican revolution, or the body that the first astronauts looked back upon in the 1960s: Buckminster Fuller’s ‘Spaceship Earth’, or Carl Sagan’s ‘lonely speck’. Those are the planets of the past millennium. I’m talking about the ‘planet’ inside ‘planetary crisis’: a planet that emerges from the realization that anthropogenic impacts are not isolated to particular areas, but integrated parts of a complex web of intersecting processes that unfold over vastly disparate timescales and across different geographies. This is the planet of the Anthropocene, of our ‘planetary emergency’ as the UN secretary-general António Guterres called it in 2020. The so-called planetary turn marks a new way of thinking about our relationship to the environment. It also signals the emergence of a distinct governable object, which suggests that the prime political object of the 21st century is no longer the state, it’s the planet.

Q. In the context of the passage, all of the following statements are true EXCEPT:

Detailed Solution for RC Practice Test - 6 - Question 5

(A) This statement is true, as Richardson's idea of the "forecast factory" led to the development of numerical weather prediction, which is now a standardized way of recording atmospheric changes.
(B) This statement is also true, as the passage explains that the calculable planet concept has led to the realization that human impacts are part of a complex web of processes, indicating the interconnectedness of these effects.
(C) This statement is true, as the passage argues that the emergence of the Anthropocene and the concept of a "planetary emergency" have shifted the focus from the state to the planet as the primary political object.
(D) This is the only statement that is false. While it is true that the first mass-produced electronic computer was released by IBM in 1953, Richardson did live to see it, as he died in the same year. The passage states that Richardson died in 1953, but it does not state that he did not live to see the release of the first mass-produced electronic computer. This statement is false because it suggests that Richardson did not live to see the release of the first mass-produced electronic computer, while in reality, he passed away in the same year as its release, making it possible that he was aware of it before his death.
Hence, option D is the correct answer.

RC Practice Test - 6 - Question 6

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:
Imagine a vast circular chamber, with walls covered in a towering painted map of planet Earth. Picture this hall ‘like a theater, except that the circles and galleries go right round through the space usually occupied by the stage’. Enormous rings of tiered seating circle its outer walls. Imagine that working in these seats are 64,000 ‘computers’ – humans doing calculations – each preparing a different weather forecast for their designated geography.
And in the middle of the hall, on a large pulpit at the top of a tall multistorey pillar, stands the ‘man in charge’, who coordinates the scattered weather calculations from his computers into a global forecast like a ‘conductor of an orchestra’. This ‘forecast factory’ was the dream of the 20th-century English mathematician and meteorologist Lewis Fry Richardson. Following hundreds of pages of equations, velocities and data in his prosaically titled book Weather Prediction by Numerical Process (1922), he asks the reader to indulge him: ‘After so much hard reasoning, may one play with a fantasy?’ For Richardson, one of the main limitations on weather forecasting was a lack of computational capacity. But through the fantasy he could ignore practical problems and bring an entire planet into focus.
His ‘factory’ saw once-scattered local observations merging into a coherent planetary system: calculable, predictable, overseen and singular. Richardson died in 1953, the year IBM released the first mass-produced electronic computer. Though his factory never materialized exactly as he imagined it, his dream of a calculable planet now seems prophetic. By the 1960s, numerical calculation of global weather conditions had become a standardized way of recording changes in the atmosphere. Clouds and numbers seemed to crowd the sky. Since the 1960s, the scope of what Richardson called weather prediction has expanded dramatically: climate models now stretch into the deep past and future, encompassing the entirety of the Earth system rather than just the atmosphere. What is startling about this is not that our technical abilities have exceeded Richardson’s wildest dreams but the unexpected repercussions of the modern ‘forecast factory’. The calculable, predictable, overseen and singular Earth has revealed not only aeons of global weather, but a new kind of planet – and, with it, a new mode of governance. The planet, I argue, has appeared as a new kind of political object. I’m not talking about the Sun-orbiting body of the Copernican revolution, or the body that the first astronauts looked back upon in the 1960s: Buckminster Fuller’s ‘Spaceship Earth’, or Carl Sagan’s ‘lonely speck’. Those are the planets of the past millennium. I’m talking about the ‘planet’ inside ‘planetary crisis’: a planet that emerges from the realization that anthropogenic impacts are not isolated to particular areas, but integrated parts of a complex web of intersecting processes that unfold over vastly disparate timescales and across different geographies. This is the planet of the Anthropocene, of our ‘planetary emergency’ as the UN secretary-general António Guterres called it in 2020. The so-called planetary turn marks a new way of thinking about our relationship to the environment. It also signals the emergence of a distinct governable object, which suggests that the prime political object of the 21st century is no longer the state, it’s the planet.

Q. Which one of the following statements best reflects the main argument of the third paragraph of the passage?

Detailed Solution for RC Practice Test - 6 - Question 6

(A) The development of electronic computers surpassed Richardson's expectations.
This option is too narrow. Although electronic computers exceeded Richardson's expectations, the paragraph focuses more on the repercussions of the modern 'forecast factory' and the expansion of weather prediction.
(B) The modern 'forecast factory' has had unforeseen consequences on our understanding of the planet.
This option is correct, as it captures the main argument of the paragraph, which highlights the unexpected repercussions of the modern 'forecast factory' and the emergence of a new kind of planet and governance.
(C) The primary focus of weather prediction remains on atmospheric conditions.
This option is alien and incorrect. The paragraph emphasizes the expansion of climate models beyond atmospheric conditions, encompassing the entirety of the Earth system.
(D) Richardson's dream was entirely fulfilled with the advent of electronic computers.
This option is extreme and incorrect. The paragraph states that Richardson's factory never materialized exactly as he imagined it, but his dream of a calculable planet seems prophetic.
Hence, the correct answer is option B, as it best reflects the main argument of the third paragraph of the passage.

RC Practice Test - 6 - Question 7

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:
Imagine a vast circular chamber, with walls covered in a towering painted map of planet Earth. Picture this hall ‘like a theater, except that the circles and galleries go right round through the space usually occupied by the stage’. Enormous rings of tiered seating circle its outer walls. Imagine that working in these seats are 64,000 ‘computers’ – humans doing calculations – each preparing a different weather forecast for their designated geography.
And in the middle of the hall, on a large pulpit at the top of a tall multistorey pillar, stands the ‘man in charge’, who coordinates the scattered weather calculations from his computers into a global forecast like a ‘conductor of an orchestra’. This ‘forecast factory’ was the dream of the 20th-century English mathematician and meteorologist Lewis Fry Richardson. Following hundreds of pages of equations, velocities and data in his prosaically titled book Weather Prediction by Numerical Process (1922), he asks the reader to indulge him: ‘After so much hard reasoning, may one play with a fantasy?’ For Richardson, one of the main limitations on weather forecasting was a lack of computational capacity. But through the fantasy he could ignore practical problems and bring an entire planet into focus.
His ‘factory’ saw once-scattered local observations merging into a coherent planetary system: calculable, predictable, overseen and singular. Richardson died in 1953, the year IBM released the first mass-produced electronic computer. Though his factory never materialized exactly as he imagined it, his dream of a calculable planet now seems prophetic. By the 1960s, numerical calculation of global weather conditions had become a standardized way of recording changes in the atmosphere. Clouds and numbers seemed to crowd the sky. Since the 1960s, the scope of what Richardson called weather prediction has expanded dramatically: climate models now stretch into the deep past and future, encompassing the entirety of the Earth system rather than just the atmosphere. What is startling about this is not that our technical abilities have exceeded Richardson’s wildest dreams but the unexpected repercussions of the modern ‘forecast factory’. The calculable, predictable, overseen and singular Earth has revealed not only aeons of global weather, but a new kind of planet – and, with it, a new mode of governance. The planet, I argue, has appeared as a new kind of political object. I’m not talking about the Sun-orbiting body of the Copernican revolution, or the body that the first astronauts looked back upon in the 1960s: Buckminster Fuller’s ‘Spaceship Earth’, or Carl Sagan’s ‘lonely speck’. Those are the planets of the past millennium. I’m talking about the ‘planet’ inside ‘planetary crisis’: a planet that emerges from the realization that anthropogenic impacts are not isolated to particular areas, but integrated parts of a complex web of intersecting processes that unfold over vastly disparate timescales and across different geographies. This is the planet of the Anthropocene, of our ‘planetary emergency’ as the UN secretary-general António Guterres called it in 2020. The so-called planetary turn marks a new way of thinking about our relationship to the environment. It also signals the emergence of a distinct governable object, which suggests that the prime political object of the 21st century is no longer the state, it’s the planet.

Q. The author lists all of the following as reasons for the emergence of the new kind of planet EXCEPT:

Detailed Solution for RC Practice Test - 6 - Question 7

(A) The development of advanced climate models
This option is a reason mentioned in the passage for the emergence of the new kind of planet. It is stated that "climate models now stretch into the deep past and future, encompassing the entirety of the Earth system rather than just the atmosphere."
(B) The realization of anthropogenic impacts on the environment
This option is another reason mentioned in the passage for the emergence of the new kind of planet. The author talks about a planet that "emerges from the realization that anthropogenic impacts are not isolated to particular areas, but integrated parts of a complex web of intersecting processes."
(C) The influence of the Copernican revolution
This option is correct, as it is not mentioned as a reason for the emergence of the new kind of planet in the passage. The author states that they are not talking about "the Sun-orbiting body of the Copernican revolution" but rather a different kind of planet.
(D) The expansion of weather prediction beyond the atmosphere
This option is mentioned in the passage as a reason for the emergence of the new kind of planet. The author explains that since the 1960s, the scope of weather prediction has expanded dramatically, encompassing the entirety of the Earth system rather than just the atmosphere, which contributes to the emergence of the new kind of planet.
Based on the BANE Theory analysis, Option C is the correct answer, as it is the only one that is alien to the reasons mentioned in the passage for the emergence of the new kind of planet.

RC Practice Test - 6 - Question 8

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:
Imagine a vast circular chamber, with walls covered in a towering painted map of planet Earth. Picture this hall ‘like a theater, except that the circles and galleries go right round through the space usually occupied by the stage’. Enormous rings of tiered seating circle its outer walls. Imagine that working in these seats are 64,000 ‘computers’ – humans doing calculations – each preparing a different weather forecast for their designated geography. 
And in the middle of the hall, on a large pulpit at the top of a tall multistorey pillar, stands the ‘man in charge’, who coordinates the scattered weather calculations from his computers into a global forecast like a ‘conductor of an orchestra’. This ‘forecast factory’ was the dream of the 20th-century English mathematician and meteorologist Lewis Fry Richardson. Following hundreds of pages of equations, velocities and data in his prosaically titled book Weather Prediction by Numerical Process (1922), he asks the reader to indulge him: ‘After so much hard reasoning, may one play with a fantasy?’ For Richardson, one of the main limitations on weather forecasting was a lack of computational capacity. But through the fantasy he could ignore practical problems and bring an entire planet into focus. 
His ‘factory’ saw once-scattered local observations merging into a coherent planetary system: calculable, predictable, overseen and singular. Richardson died in 1953, the year IBM released the first mass-produced electronic computer. Though his factory never materialized exactly as he imagined it, his dream of a calculable planet now seems prophetic. By the 1960s, numerical calculation of global weather conditions had become a standardized way of recording changes in the atmosphere. Clouds and numbers seemed to crowd the sky. Since the 1960s, the scope of what Richardson called weather prediction has expanded dramatically: climate models now stretch into the deep past and future, encompassing the entirety of the Earth system rather than just the atmosphere. What is startling about this is not that our technical abilities have exceeded Richardson’s wildest dreams but the unexpected repercussions of the modern ‘forecast factory’. The calculable, predictable, overseen and singular Earth has revealed not only aeons of global weather, but a new kind of planet – and, with it, a new mode of governance. The planet, I argue, has appeared as a new kind of political object. I’m not talking about the Sun-orbiting body of the Copernican revolution, or the body that the first astronauts looked back upon in the 1960s: Buckminster Fuller’s ‘Spaceship Earth’, or Carl Sagan’s ‘lonely speck’. Those are the planets of the past millennium. I’m talking about the ‘planet’ inside ‘planetary crisis’: a planet that emerges from the realization that anthropogenic impacts are not isolated to particular areas, but integrated parts of a complex web of intersecting processes that unfold over vastly disparate timescales and across different geographies. This is the planet of the Anthropocene, of our ‘planetary emergency’ as the UN secretary-general António Guterres called it in 2020. The so-called planetary turn marks a new way of thinking about our relationship to the environment. It also signals the emergence of a distinct governable object, which suggests that the prime political object of the 21st century is no longer the state, it’s the planet.

Q. The central theme of the passage is about the choice between:

Detailed Solution for RC Practice Test - 6 - Question 8

Option A: The evolution of weather forecasting and the emergence of a new political object. This option relates to the passage's discussion of Richardson's forecast factory and how the modern understanding of the planet has changed, resulting in a new political object. It captures the central theme of the passage, making it a strong contender.
Option B: The role of computational capacity in Richardson's forecast factory and the Anthropocene era. While this option touches on some aspects of the passage, such as the importance of computational capacity in Richardson's ideas and the Anthropocene era, it doesn't encompass the full theme, making it a weaker choice.
Option C: The transition from human computers to electronic computers in weather prediction. This option focuses only on one aspect of the passage, the evolution of computation technology, and ignores the broader themes related to the planet and its changing role as a political object. This option can be easily eliminated.
Option D: The challenges of weather prediction and the Copernican revolution. This option introduces the Copernican revolution, which is not directly related to the passage's central theme. It can be eliminated as it does not fully capture the central theme of the passage.
After analyzing the options, we can conclude that Option A, "The evolution of weather forecasting and the emergence of a new political object," best represents the central theme of the passage. It captures the progression of weather forecasting from Richardson's forecast factory to the modern understanding of the planet and the political implications arising from this new perspective.

RC Practice Test - 6 - Question 9

Direction: Read the following passage and answer the question that follows:
There are several key difficulties surrounding the topic of percentages. Research has shown that there has been one difficulty which is more common than others; the meaning of the terms ‘of’ and ‘out of’. Hansen (2011) states that both terms represent an operator which needs explaining. Teachers need to address these before the topic is introduced to stop any confusion. ‘Of’ represents the multiplication operator, for example: 60% of 70 means 0.6 multiplied by 70; ‘out of’ represents the division operator, for example 30 out of 50 means 30 divided by 50. The teaching of these terms needs to be clear prior to teaching, so that children are confident in what these terms represent.

Killen and Hindhaugh (2018) believe that once children understand that 1/10 is equal to 10% they will be able to use their knowledge of fractions to determine other multiples of 10. For example; Find 40% of 200. If children are aware that 10% is 20, then it will become obvious to them that 40% must be 80. This method enlightens many other practical ways to find other percentages of a quantity. Once children know 10%, they may also start finding half percent’s, such as; 5% or 25%. However, Killen and Hindhaugh (2018) state that a difficulty could occur when they are asking for a percentage of a quantity. If children are being asked to find the percentage, they may believe that the answer is always in percent. For example; find 60% of £480. Children may be capable of calculating the answer of 288 but instead of writing down £288, they may write down 288%. Teachers will need to explain this issue and address to children that once calculating the answer, it must be in the same units as the given quantity.

Hansen also comments that the key to succession in the understanding of percentages is the relationship and understanding the children have with fractions and decimals. For example: they should be aware that 50% is equivalent to ½ and 0.5, and 25% is equivalent to ¼ and 0.25. Teaching these topics in isolation of each other should be strictly avoided as this may destroy a child’s deep mathematical understanding. Killen and Hindhaugh agree with this as they noted that children need to continually link decimals, fractions and percentages to their knowledge of the number system and operations that they are familiar with. Reys, et al (2010) believes however that percentages are more closely linked with ratios and proportions in mathematics and how important it is for teachers to teach these other topics to a high level. This is to later reduce the amount of errors a child has over percentages. However, these theorists also agree that understanding percentages requires no more new skills or concepts beyond those used in identifying fractions, decimals, ratios and proportions. Reys, et al states that an effective way of starting these topics is to explore children’s basic knowledge of what percentage means to them.

Barmby et al noted that a misconception occurs whenever a learner’s outlook of a task does not connect to the accepted meaning of the overall concept. Ryan and Williams state that it is more damaging for children to have misconceptions of mathematical concepts than difficulties calculating them. Killen and Hindhaugh begin to talk how the use of rules and recipes are commonly used more so by teachers that are not fully confident with percentages. The main point of the argument is that if children are taught these rules linked to percentages, misconceptions can occur. This could be caused if the child forgets or misapplies the rule to their working out.
This method is not the most reliable for children but can be a quick alternative for teachers to teach their class, if they are not fully confident in the topic themselves. This links to one of the most common misconceptions in the primary classroom. Killen and Hindhaugh state that it is the teacher’s responsibility for their children’s successes in that subject area. If the teaching is effective, then the child will become more confident and develop more links revolving around the topic of percentages. This will result in the child having a high level of understanding. However, if the teaching is not up to standard the child may lose confidence in themselves and end up being confused with the simplest of questions.

Q. It can be inferred from the passage that the author is not likely to support the view that

Detailed Solution for RC Practice Test - 6 - Question 9

Option (a): The passage explicitly states that "Teaching these topics in isolation of each other should be strictly avoided as this may destroy a child’s deep mathematical understanding." Therefore, this option is Alien and can be eliminated.
Option (b): The passage suggests that "This method [rules and recipes] is not the most reliable to children but can be a quick alternative for teachers to teach their class, if they are not fully confident in the topic themselves." This option is not too extreme, but it does mention that it is not the most reliable way. Thus, this option is not the correct answer, but it is not easily eliminated.
Option (c): The passage states, "However, these theorists also agree that understanding percentages 
requires no more new skills or concepts beyond those used in identifying fractions, decimals, ratios and proportions." This option is the opposite of what is mentioned in the passage, making it the correct answer. It is an Extreme option.
Option (d): The passage indicates that "If the teaching is effective, then the child will become more confident and develop more links revolving the topic of percentages. This will result in the child having a high level of understanding." This option is in line with the passage's content and is not easily eliminated.
Using the BANE Theory, we can eliminate option A for being Alien, and option D for being in line with the passage's content. Option B is not easily eliminated, but option C is the correct answer because it is an Extreme option that contradicts the passage's content.

RC Practice Test - 6 - Question 10

Direction: Read the following passage and answer the question that follows:
There are several key difficulties surrounding the topic of percentages. Research has shown that there has been one difficulty which is more common than others; the meaning of the terms ‘of’ and ‘out of’. Hansen (2011) states that both terms represent an operator which needs explaining. Teachers need to address these before the topic is introduced to stop any confusion. ‘Of’ represents the multiplication operator, for example: 60% of 70 means 0.6 multiplied by 70; ‘out of’ represents the division operator, for example 30 out of 50 means 30 divided by 50. The teaching of these terms needs to be clear prior to teaching, so that children are confident in what these terms represent.

Killen and Hindhaugh (2018) believe that once children understand that 1/10 is equal to 10% they will be able to use their knowledge of fractions to determine other multiples of 10. For example; Find 40% of 200. If children are aware that 10% is 20, then it will become obvious to them that 40% must be 80. This method enlightens many other practical ways to find other percentages of a quantity. Once children know 10%, they may also start finding half percent’s, such as; 5% or 25%. However, Killen and Hindhaugh (2018) state that a difficulty could occur when they are asking for a percentage of a quantity. If children are being asked to find the percentage, they may believe that the answer is always in percent. For example; find 60% of £480. Children may be capable of calculating the answer of 288 but instead of writing down £288, they may write down 288%. Teachers will need to explain this issue and address to children that once calculating the answer, it must be in the same units as the given quantity.

Hansen also comments that the key to succession in the understanding of percentages is the relationship and understanding the children have with fractions and decimals. For example: they should be aware that 50% is equivalent to ½ and 0.5, and 25% is equivalent to ¼ and 0.25. Teaching these topics in isolation of each other should be strictly avoided as this may destroy a child’s deep mathematical understanding. Killen and Hindhaugh agree with this as they noted that children need to continually link decimals, fractions and percentages to their knowledge of the number system and operations that they are familiar with. Reys, et al (2010) believes however that percentages are more closely linked with ratios and proportions in mathematics and how important it is for teachers to teach these other topics to a high level. This is to later reduce the amount of errors a child has over percentages. However, these theorists also agree that understanding percentages requires no more new skills or concepts beyond those used in identifying fractions, decimals, ratios and proportions. Reys, et al states that an effective way of starting these topics is to explore children’s basic knowledge of what percentage means to them.

Barmby et al noted that a misconception occurs whenever a learner’s outlook of a task does not connect to the accepted meaning of the overall concept. Ryan and Williams state that it is more damaging for children to have misconceptions of mathematical concepts than difficulties calculating them. Killen and Hindhaugh begin to talk how the use of rules and recipes are commonly used more so by teachers that are not fully confident with percentages. The main point of the argument is that if children are taught these rules linked to percentages, misconceptions can occur. This could be caused if the child forgets or misapplies the rule to their working out.
This method is not the most reliable for children but can be a quick alternative for teachers to teach their class, if they are not fully confident in the topic themselves. This links to one of the most common misconceptions in the primary classroom. Killen and Hindhaugh state that it is the teacher’s responsibility for their children’s successes in that subject area. If the teaching is effective, then the child will become more confident and develop more links revolving around the topic of percentages. This will result in the child having a high level of understanding. However, if the teaching is not up to standard the child may lose confidence in themselves and end up being confused with the simplest of questions.

Q. Which one of the following is not a valid inference from the passage?

Detailed Solution for RC Practice Test - 6 - Question 10

Using the BANE theory, we can eliminate options as follows:
(a) A strong understanding of fractions, decimals, ratios, and proportions is necessary for mastering percentages.
This statement can be inferred from the passage as it discusses the importance of linking decimals, fractions, and percentages to children's knowledge of the number system and operations. It also mentions that percentages are closely linked with ratios and proportions in mathematics. Thus, this option is neither Broad, Alien, Narrow, nor Extreme.
(b) Misconceptions in mathematical concepts can be more damaging for children than difficulties in calculations.
This statement can be inferred from the passage as Ryan and Williams (2007) are quoted, stating that it is more damaging for children to have misconceptions of mathematical concepts than difficulties calculating them. Thus, this option is neither Broad, Alien, Narrow, nor Extreme.
(c) Teaching percentages in isolation can improve a child's mathematical understanding.
This statement is Alien and Extreme compared to the passage. The passage explicitly mentions that teaching these topics in isolation should be strictly avoided as it may destroy a child's deep mathematical understanding. Hence, this option is not a valid inference from the passage.
(d) Teachers who are not confident in teaching percentages may rely on rules and recipes, which can lead to misconceptions.
This statement can be inferred from the passage as it discusses how teachers who are not fully confident with percentages may use rules and recipes, which can lead to misconceptions if the child forgets or misapplies the rule. Thus, this option is neither Broad, Alien, Narrow, nor Extreme.
Answer: (c) Teaching percentages in isolation can improve a child's mathematical understanding.
Option C is not a valid inference from the passage, as it contradicts the idea that teaching percentages, fractions, and decimals in isolation should be avoided. The passage emphasizes the importance of linking these topics to develop a deep mathematical understanding in children.

RC Practice Test - 6 - Question 11

Direction: Read the following passage and answer the question that follows:
There are several key difficulties surrounding the topic of percentages. Research has shown that there has been one difficulty which is more common than others; the meaning of the terms ‘of’ and ‘out of’. Hansen (2011) states that both terms represent an operator which needs explaining. Teachers need to address these before the topic is introduced to stop any confusion. ‘Of’ represents the multiplication operator, for example: 60% of 70 means 0.6 multiplied by 70; ‘out of’ represents the division operator, for example 30 out of 50 means 30 divided by 50. The teaching of these terms needs to be clear prior to teaching, so that children are confident in what these terms represent.

Killen and Hindhaugh (2018) believe that once children understand that 1/10 is equal to 10% they will be able to use their knowledge of fractions to determine other multiples of 10. For example; Find 40% of 200. If children are aware that 10% is 20, then it will become obvious to them that 40% must be 80. This method enlightens many other practical ways to find other percentages of a quantity. Once children know 10%, they may also start finding half percent’s, such as; 5% or 25%. However, Killen and Hindhaugh (2018) state that a difficulty could occur when they are asking for a percentage of a quantity. If children are being asked to find the percentage, they may believe that the answer is always in percent. For example; find 60% of £480. Children may be capable of calculating the answer of 288 but instead of writing down £288, they may write down 288%. Teachers will need to explain this issue and address to children that once calculating the answer, it must be in the same units as the given quantity.

Hansen also comments that the key to succession in the understanding of percentages is the relationship and understanding the children have with fractions and decimals. For example: they should be aware that 50% is equivalent to ½ and 0.5, and 25% is equivalent to ¼ and 0.25. Teaching these topics in isolation of each other should be strictly avoided as this may destroy a child’s deep mathematical understanding. Killen and Hindhaugh agree with this as they noted that children need to continually link decimals, fractions and percentages to their knowledge of the number system and operations that they are familiar with. Reys, et al (2010) believes however that percentages are more closely linked with ratios and proportions in mathematics and how important it is for teachers to teach these other topics to a high level. This is to later reduce the amount of errors a child has over percentages. However, these theorists also agree that understanding percentages requires no more new skills or concepts beyond those used in identifying fractions, decimals, ratios and proportions. Reys, et al states that an effective way of starting these topics is to explore children’s basic knowledge of what percentage means to them.

Barmby et al noted that a misconception occurs whenever a learner’s outlook of a task does not connect to the accepted meaning of the overall concept. Ryan and Williams state that it is more damaging for children to have misconceptions of mathematical concepts than difficulties calculating them. Killen and Hindhaugh begin to talk how the use of rules and recipes are commonly used more so by teachers that are not fully confident with percentages. The main point of the argument is that if children are taught these rules linked to percentages, misconceptions can occur. This could be caused if the child forgets or misapplies the rule to their working out.
This method is not the most reliable for children but can be a quick alternative for teachers to teach their class, if they are not fully confident in the topic themselves. This links to one of the most common misconceptions in the primary classroom. Killen and Hindhaugh state that it is the teacher’s responsibility for their children’s successes in that subject area. If the teaching is effective, then the child will become more confident and develop more links revolving around the topic of percentages. This will result in the child having a high level of understanding. However, if the teaching is not up to standard the child may lose confidence in themselves and end up being confused with the simplest of questions.

Q. Which of the following statements best describes the relationship between percentages, fractions, decimals, ratios, and proportions according to the passage? 

Detailed Solution for RC Practice Test - 6 - Question 11

(a) This option is too narrow. The passage mentions the importance of understanding the relationship between percentages, fractions, and decimals but also includes ratios and proportions as being related, as stated by Reys et al. (2010).
(b) This option correctly captures the relationship between percentages, fractions, decimals, ratios, and proportions as described in the passage. Reys et al. (2010) believe that percentages are more closely linked with ratios and proportions, and understanding percentages requires no new skills beyond those used in identifying fractions, decimals, ratios, and proportions.
(c) This option is alien to the passage. The passage emphasizes the importance of understanding the 
relationship between percentages, fractions, decimals, ratios, and proportions and does not suggest that they are unrelated.
(d) This option is too extreme. The passage explicitly states that understanding percentages requires no new skills beyond those used in identifying fractions, decimals, ratios, and proportions, as mentioned by Reys et al. (2010).
Option (a) and (d) can be eliminated using the BANE Theory, as they are too narrow and too extreme, respectively. Option (c) is alien to the passage and can also be eliminated. Option (b) is the most accurate representation of the passage's viewpoint on the relationship between percentages, fractions, decimals, ratios, and proportions

RC Practice Test - 6 - Question 12

Direction: Read the following passage and answer the question that follows:
There are several key difficulties surrounding the topic of percentages. Research has shown that there has been one difficulty which is more common than others; the meaning of the terms ‘of’ and ‘out of’. Hansen (2011) states that both terms represent an operator which needs explaining. Teachers need to address these before the topic is introduced to stop any confusion. ‘Of’ represents the multiplication operator, for example: 60% of 70 means 0.6 multiplied by 70; ‘out of’ represents the division operator, for example 30 out of 50 means 30 divided by 50. The teaching of these terms needs to be clear prior to teaching, so that children are confident in what these terms represent.

Killen and Hindhaugh (2018) believe that once children understand that 1/10 is equal to 10% they will be able to use their knowledge of fractions to determine other multiples of 10. For example; Find 40% of 200. If children are aware that 10% is 20, then it will become obvious to them that 40% must be 80. This method enlightens many other practical ways to find other percentages of a quantity. Once children know 10%, they may also start finding half percent’s, such as; 5% or 25%. However, Killen and Hindhaugh (2018) state that a difficulty could occur when they are asking for a percentage of a quantity. If children are being asked to find the percentage, they may believe that the answer is always in percent. For example; find 60% of £480. Children may be capable of calculating the answer of 288 but instead of writing down £288, they may write down 288%. Teachers will need to explain this issue and address to children that once calculating the answer, it must be in the same units as the given quantity.

Hansen also comments that the key to succession in the understanding of percentages is the relationship and understanding the children have with fractions and decimals. For example: they should be aware that 50% is equivalent to ½ and 0.5, and 25% is equivalent to ¼ and 0.25. Teaching these topics in isolation of each other should be strictly avoided as this may destroy a child’s deep mathematical understanding. Killen and Hindhaugh agree with this as they noted that children need to continually link decimals, fractions and percentages to their knowledge of the number system and operations that they are familiar with. Reys, et al (2010) believes however that percentages are more closely linked with ratios and proportions in mathematics and how important it is for teachers to teach these other topics to a high level. This is to later reduce the amount of errors a child has over percentages. However, these theorists also agree that understanding percentages requires no more new skills or concepts beyond those used in identifying fractions, decimals, ratios and proportions. Reys, et al states that an effective way of starting these topics is to explore children’s basic knowledge of what percentage means to them.

Barmby et al noted that a misconception occurs whenever a learner’s outlook of a task does not connect to the accepted meaning of the overall concept. Ryan and Williams state that it is more damaging for children to have misconceptions of mathematical concepts than difficulties calculating them. Killen and Hindhaugh begin to talk how the use of rules and recipes are commonly used more so by teachers that are not fully confident with percentages. The main point of the argument is that if children are taught these rules linked to percentages, misconceptions can occur. This could be caused if the child forgets or misapplies the rule to their working out.
This method is not the most reliable for children but can be a quick alternative for teachers to teach their class, if they are not fully confident in the topic themselves. This links to one of the most common misconceptions in the primary classroom. Killen and Hindhaugh state that it is the teacher’s responsibility for their children’s successes in that subject area. If the teaching is effective, then the child will become more confident and develop more links revolving around the topic of percentages. This will result in the child having a high level of understanding. However, if the teaching is not up to standard the child may lose confidence in themselves and end up being confused with the simplest of questions.

Q. Which one of the following statements best reflects the main argument of the fourth paragraph of the passage?     

Detailed Solution for RC Practice Test - 6 - Question 12

The main argument of the fourth paragraph is about misconceptions that can occur due to the use of rules and recipes in teaching percentages, especially by teachers who are not fully confident with the topic. The paragraph also states that effective teaching can lead to better understanding and confidence in children.
(a) Misconceptions in mathematics are more damaging than difficulties in calculation - This statement is Alien to the main argument of the fourth paragraph, as it is a statement made in the third paragraph, not the fourth.
(b) Effective teaching of percentages is the sole responsibility of the teacher - This statement is too Extreme. The paragraph does mention that it is the teacher's responsibility for children's success in the subject area. However, it does not state that it is the sole responsibility of the teacher.
(c) The use of rules and recipes in teaching percentages can lead to misconceptions and is not a reliable method - This statement closely reflects the main argument of the fourth paragraph. The paragraph discusses how using rules and recipes can cause misconceptions if children forget or misapply them and that this method is not the most reliable for children.
(d) Teaching percentages in isolation can hinder children's deep mathematical understanding - This statement is Alien to the main argument of the fourth paragraph, as it is a statement made in the second paragraph, not the fourth.
Hence, the correct answer is option C: The use of rules and recipes in teaching percentages can lead to misconceptions and is not a reliable method.

RC Practice Test - 6 - Question 13

Direction: Read the following passage and answer the question that follows:
There are several key difficulties surrounding the topic of percentages. Research has shown that there has been one difficulty which is more common than others; the meaning of the terms ‘of’ and ‘out of’. Hansen (2011) states that both terms represent an operator which needs explaining. Teachers need to address these before the topic is introduced to stop any confusion. ‘Of’ represents the multiplication operator, for example: 60% of 70 means 0.6 multiplied by 70; ‘out of’ represents the division operator, for example 30 out of 50 means 30 divided by 50. The teaching of these terms needs to be clear prior to teaching, so that children are confident in what these terms represent.

Killen and Hindhaugh (2018) believe that once children understand that 1/10 is equal to 10% they will be able to use their knowledge of fractions to determine other multiples of 10. For example; Find 40% of 200. If children are aware that 10% is 20, then it will become obvious to them that 40% must be 80. This method enlightens many other practical ways to find other percentages of a quantity. Once children know 10%, they may also start finding half percent’s, such as; 5% or 25%. However, Killen and Hindhaugh (2018) state that a difficulty could occur when they are asking for a percentage of a quantity. If children are being asked to find the percentage, they may believe that the answer is always in percent. For example; find 60% of £480. Children may be capable of calculating the answer of 288 but instead of writing down £288, they may write down 288%. Teachers will need to explain this issue and address to children that once calculating the answer, it must be in the same units as the given quantity.

Hansen also comments that the key to succession in the understanding of percentages is the relationship and understanding the children have with fractions and decimals. For example: they should be aware that 50% is equivalent to ½ and 0.5, and 25% is equivalent to ¼ and 0.25. Teaching these topics in isolation of each other should be strictly avoided as this may destroy a child’s deep mathematical understanding. Killen and Hindhaugh agree with this as they noted that children need to continually link decimals, fractions and percentages to their knowledge of the number system and operations that they are familiar with. Reys, et al (2010) believes however that percentages are more closely linked with ratios and proportions in mathematics and how important it is for teachers to teach these other topics to a high level. This is to later reduce the amount of errors a child has over percentages. However, these theorists also agree that understanding percentages requires no more new skills or concepts beyond those used in identifying fractions, decimals, ratios and proportions. Reys, et al states that an effective way of starting these topics is to explore children’s basic knowledge of what percentage means to them.

Barmby et al noted that a misconception occurs whenever a learner’s outlook of a task does not connect to the accepted meaning of the overall concept. Ryan and Williams state that it is more damaging for children to have misconceptions of mathematical concepts than difficulties calculating them. Killen and Hindhaugh begin to talk how the use of rules and recipes are commonly used more so by teachers that are not fully confident with percentages. The main point of the argument is that if children are taught these rules linked to percentages, misconceptions can occur. This could be caused if the child forgets or misapplies the rule to their working out.
This method is not the most reliable for children but can be a quick alternative for teachers to teach their class, if they are not fully confident in the topic themselves. This links to one of the most common misconceptions in the primary classroom. Killen and Hindhaugh state that it is the teacher’s responsibility for their children’s successes in that subject area. If the teaching is effective, then the child will become more confident and develop more links revolving around the topic of percentages. This will result in the child having a high level of understanding. However, if the teaching is not up to standard the child may lose confidence in themselves and end up being confused with the simplest of questions.

Q. On the basis of the information in the passage, all of the following are potential problems children might face when learning percentages EXCEPT that they:

Detailed Solution for RC Practice Test - 6 - Question 13

The correct answer is (d). The passage identifies several potential difficulties children might encounter when learning percentages, such as misunderstanding the terms 'of' and 'out of', struggling to comprehend the percentage of a quantity, and finding it challenging to make the linkage between percentages and fractions or decimals. However, the passage does not suggest that children might prefer to learn percentages in isolation of fractions and decimals. Instead, it warns against teaching these topics in isolation to maintain a child’s deep mathematical understanding.
Analyzing the incorrect options: Option (a) is suggested in the first paragraph: "Research has shown that there has been one difficulty which is more common than others; the meaning of the terms ‘of’ and ‘out of’."
Option (b) is found in the second paragraph: "Killen and Hindhaugh (2018) state that a difficulty could occur when they are asking for a percentage of a quantity."
Option (c) is discussed in the third paragraph: "Hansen also comments that the key to succession in the understanding of percentages is the relationship and understanding the children have with fractions and decimals."
While options (a), (b), and (c) are potential difficulties presented in the passage, option (d) is not, hence, making it the correct answer.

RC Practice Test - 6 - Question 14

Direction: Read the following passage and answer the question that follows:

In case that the pregnant woman is in early pregnancy or obese, she can undergo transvaginal sonography, which a probe is placed in the woman’s vagina. Sometimes the test is also carried out if the pregnant woman has got abnormal vaginal bleeding or pelvic pain. This type of sonography has the similar principle as the ultrasonography mentioned above. Some mothers may want to see the heartbeat of their babies, they can carry out the Doppler sonography. It has basically the same principle as the ultrasonography except the ultrasound is further enhanced by Doppler Effect. Generally the fetus’s heartbeat can be detected after 7 weeks of gestation, thus the blood flow of the fetus can be detected as well.
The blood flows in a circulation in the body of the fetus, the Doppler sonography can thus detect the change in directions of blood flow by Doppler effect and see if the circulation is normal or not. This can be done by measuring the change in the frequency received in the transceiver. In fact there are a few more types of prenatal checkup, such as amniocentesis and chronic villus sampling. Nonetheless, the ultrasonography is the safest way for diagnosis. The ultrasonography only involves a transducer placing outside the mother’s abdomen, while amniocentesis and chronic villus sampling require mechanical penetration and sampling inside the mother’s uterus or abdomen, this increases the risk of miscarriage during the tests.
Despite this fact, ultrasonography can only give an early diagnosis of the mothers and fetuses, it cannot treat anomalies or genetic diseases. According to the test conducted by RADIUS study group in 1993, researchers found that obtaining sonography has no significantly negative effect on reducing perinatal morbidity or mortality among the fetuses or the mothers. Moreover, the detection of anomalies actually did not alter the outcome of newborn babies. Therefore it is important to acknowledge that ultrasonography is just a test whether the fetuses are healthy, but not a treatment to anomalies. X-ray is an electromagnetic wave with a wavelength ranged from 0.01 to 10 nanometers (0.01 – 10 x 10 – 9m). It has a speed of 3 × 108 ms-1 in vacuum. In fact, X-ray is commonly used in medical treatments, such as radiation therapy of cancer and medical imaging technology.
X-ray is produced in an X-ray tube. In the X-ray tube, electrons are accelerated by applying a high voltage. Electrons then collide with a metal, and the sudden deceleration of electrons results in the emission of X-ray. X-ray has high ionizing power, thus there are many people worrying about the harmful effects of having an X-ray diagnosis, especially pregnant women. It is true that a very high dose of radiation from X-ray may result in radiation sickness. Prolonged and continuous exposure to X-ray also increases the risk of cancer development, and in pregnant women, there may also be a risk for the fetus to develop childhood cancer or even miscarriage. Nevertheless, it seems that the harmful effects of exposing to X-ray are exaggerated. The serious harmful effects mentioned above are just the results of high dosage in a short period of time.
There are different kinds of X-rays, one type is used in scanning or diagnosis, one type is used in treating cancer. The energy stored in different types of X-rays is different. For normal X-ray scanning, the dosage is extremely small. The absorbed dose of X-ray is measured in rad, which 1 rad = 10 × 10–3 J kg–1 = 10 – 2 J kg-1. If a pregnant woman is having a chest X-ray, the estimated fetal dose is around 60 millirads, the dose is around 290 millirads for an abdominal X-ray. This is quite a low value, as the dose from the radiation from outer space is around 90-100 millirads. In fact, the risk of the fetus having eye abnormalities or mental retardation increases only when the dosage exceeds 10 rads, therefore it is very rare that pregnant women suffer from harmful effects by the X-ray radiation. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, generally X-rays are safe even for pregnant women, and according to radiologists, no single diagnostic x-ray has a radiation dose significant enough to cause adverse effects in a developing embryo or fetus.

Q. Based on the passage, what is the main idea conveyed about prenatal checkups and X-ray use for pregnant women?

Detailed Solution for RC Practice Test - 6 - Question 14

(a) Ultrasonography and X-ray are the only prenatal checkups available for pregnant women.
This choice is too narrow. The passage mentions other types of prenatal checkups, such as amniocentesis and chronic villus sampling. These additional methods show that there are more options than just ultrasonography and X-rays for prenatal checkups.
(b) The risks of X-ray exposure during pregnancy are exaggerated and ultrasonography is the safest diagnostic method.
This choice closely aligns with the main idea of the passage. The passage explains that ultrasonography is the safest diagnostic method for pregnant women, as it is non-invasive and does not expose them to radiation. Additionally, the passage highlights that the risks associated with X-ray exposure during pregnancy are often exaggerated, as the dosages used in normal X-ray scans are low and generally safe for both the mother and the fetus.
(c) Prenatal checkups can both diagnose and treat anomalies in fetuses.
This choice is alien. The passage specifically states that ultrasonography can only give an early diagnosis, but it cannot treat anomalies or genetic diseases. The passage does not suggest that prenatal checkups can treat any fetal conditions.
(d) X-ray exposure during pregnancy is completely safe and no precautions are necessary.
This choice is extreme. While the passage explains that the risks of X-ray exposure during pregnancy are often exaggerated and that normal X-ray scans use low dosages that are generally safe, it does not imply that no precautions are necessary. The passage acknowledges that very high doses of radiation from X-ray can cause problems for both the mother and the fetus.
In summary, option (b) is the best answer as it captures the main idea of the passage regarding the safety of ultrasonography and the exaggerated risks of X-ray exposure during pregnancy. The other options can be eliminated based on the BANE Theory, as they are either too narrow (a), alien (c), or extreme (d).

RC Practice Test - 6 - Question 15

Direction: Read the following passage and answer the question that follows:

In case that the pregnant woman is in early pregnancy or obese, she can undergo transvaginal sonography, which a probe is placed in the woman’s vagina. Sometimes the test is also carried out if the pregnant woman has got abnormal vaginal bleeding or pelvic pain. This type of sonography has the similar principle as the ultrasonography mentioned above. Some mothers may want to see the heartbeat of their babies, they can carry out the Doppler sonography. It has basically the same principle as the ultrasonography except the ultrasound is further enhanced by Doppler Effect. Generally the fetus’s heartbeat can be detected after 7 weeks of gestation, thus the blood flow of the fetus can be detected as well.
The blood flows in a circulation in the body of the fetus, the Doppler sonography can thus detect the change in directions of blood flow by Doppler effect and see if the circulation is normal or not. This can be done by measuring the change in the frequency received in the transceiver. In fact there are a few more types of prenatal checkup, such as amniocentesis and chronic villus sampling. Nonetheless, the ultrasonography is the safest way for diagnosis. The ultrasonography only involves a transducer placing outside the mother’s abdomen, while amniocentesis and chronic villus sampling require mechanical penetration and sampling inside the mother’s uterus or abdomen, this increases the risk of miscarriage during the tests.
Despite this fact, ultrasonography can only give an early diagnosis of the mothers and fetuses, it cannot treat anomalies or genetic diseases. According to the test conducted by RADIUS study group in 1993, researchers found that obtaining sonography has no significantly negative effect on reducing perinatal morbidity or mortality among the fetuses or the mothers. Moreover, the detection of anomalies actually did not alter the outcome of newborn babies. Therefore it is important to acknowledge that ultrasonography is just a test whether the fetuses are healthy, but not a treatment to anomalies. X-ray is an electromagnetic wave with a wavelength ranged from 0.01 to 10 nanometers (0.01 – 10 x 10 – 9m). It has a speed of 3 × 108 ms-1 in vacuum. In fact, X-ray is commonly used in medical treatments, such as radiation therapy of cancer and medical imaging technology.
X-ray is produced in an X-ray tube. In the X-ray tube, electrons are accelerated by applying a high voltage. Electrons then collide with a metal, and the sudden deceleration of electrons results in the emission of X-ray. X-ray has high ionizing power, thus there are many people worrying about the harmful effects of having an X-ray diagnosis, especially pregnant women. It is true that a very high dose of radiation from X-ray may result in radiation sickness. Prolonged and continuous exposure to X-ray also increases the risk of cancer development, and in pregnant women, there may also be a risk for the fetus to develop childhood cancer or even miscarriage. Nevertheless, it seems that the harmful effects of exposing to X-ray are exaggerated. The serious harmful effects mentioned above are just the results of high dosage in a short period of time.
There are different kinds of X-rays, one type is used in scanning or diagnosis, one type is used in treating cancer. The energy stored in different types of X-rays is different. For normal X-ray scanning, the dosage is extremely small. The absorbed dose of X-ray is measured in rad, which 1 rad = 10 × 10–3 J kg–1 = 10 – 2 J kg-1. If a pregnant woman is having a chest X-ray, the estimated fetal dose is around 60 millirads, the dose is around 290 millirads for an abdominal X-ray. This is quite a low value, as the dose from the radiation from outer space is around 90-100 millirads. In fact, the risk of the fetus having eye abnormalities or mental retardation increases only when the dosage exceeds 10 rads, therefore it is very rare that pregnant women suffer from harmful effects by the X-ray radiation. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, generally X-rays are safe even for pregnant women, and according to radiologists, no single diagnostic x-ray has a radiation dose significant enough to cause adverse effects in a developing embryo or fetus.

Q. The author of this passage is LEAST likely to support the view that

Detailed Solution for RC Practice Test - 6 - Question 15

Understanding the question: The question is asking us to identify a view that the author of the passage is least likely to support or agree with. The focus of the passage is primarily on the effects and uses of different medical imaging techniques like X-ray, ultrasonography, and Doppler sonography, especially when used during pregnancy.
Let's analyze each option:
(a) High dosage of radiation from X-ray in a short period is benign to pregnant women and their fetus.
The passage in paragraph four clearly states that a very high dose of radiation from X-ray can lead to radiation sickness and in pregnant women, there may also be a risk for the fetus to develop childhood cancer or even miscarriage. This implies that the author would not support the view that a high dosage of radiation from an X-ray in a short period is harmless to pregnant women and their fetuses.
(b) Amniocentesis and chronic villus sampling pose risk of miscarriage during the tests.
The second paragraph of the passage directly supports this statement as it mentions that these methods require mechanical penetration and sampling inside the mother’s uterus or abdomen, thus increasing the risk of miscarriage during the tests. So, the author would agree with this view.
(c) Doppler sonography is capable of detecting the heartbeat of a fetus.
The passage in the first paragraph mentions that the Doppler sonography can be used by mothers who want to see the heartbeat of their babies, thus the author would support this view.
(d) Ultrasonography cannot treat anomalies or genetic diseases in fetuses.
In the second paragraph, the author explicitly states that ultrasonography can only give an early diagnosis of the mothers and fetuses, it cannot treat anomalies or genetic diseases. Thus, the author would agree with this statement.
In conclusion, option (a) is the correct answer as it is the view that the author is least likely to support according to the information in the passage.

RC Practice Test - 6 - Question 16

Direction: Read the following passage and answer the question that follows:

In case that the pregnant woman is in early pregnancy or obese, she can undergo transvaginal sonography, which a probe is placed in the woman’s vagina. Sometimes the test is also carried out if the pregnant woman has got abnormal vaginal bleeding or pelvic pain. This type of sonography has the similar principle as the ultrasonography mentioned above. Some mothers may want to see the heartbeat of their babies, they can carry out the Doppler sonography. It has basically the same principle as the ultrasonography except the ultrasound is further enhanced by Doppler Effect. Generally the fetus’s heartbeat can be detected after 7 weeks of gestation, thus the blood flow of the fetus can be detected as well.
The blood flows in a circulation in the body of the fetus, the Doppler sonography can thus detect the change in directions of blood flow by Doppler effect and see if the circulation is normal or not. This can be done by measuring the change in the frequency received in the transceiver. In fact there are a few more types of prenatal checkup, such as amniocentesis and chronic villus sampling. Nonetheless, the ultrasonography is the safest way for diagnosis. The ultrasonography only involves a transducer placing outside the mother’s abdomen, while amniocentesis and chronic villus sampling require mechanical penetration and sampling inside the mother’s uterus or abdomen, this increases the risk of miscarriage during the tests.
Despite this fact, ultrasonography can only give an early diagnosis of the mothers and fetuses, it cannot treat anomalies or genetic diseases. According to the test conducted by RADIUS study group in 1993, researchers found that obtaining sonography has no significantly negative effect on reducing perinatal morbidity or mortality among the fetuses or the mothers. Moreover, the detection of anomalies actually did not alter the outcome of newborn babies. Therefore it is important to acknowledge that ultrasonography is just a test whether the fetuses are healthy, but not a treatment to anomalies. X-ray is an electromagnetic wave with a wavelength ranged from 0.01 to 10 nanometers (0.01 – 10 x 10 – 9m). It has a speed of 3 × 108 ms-1 in vacuum. In fact, X-ray is commonly used in medical treatments, such as radiation therapy of cancer and medical imaging technology.
X-ray is produced in an X-ray tube. In the X-ray tube, electrons are accelerated by applying a high voltage. Electrons then collide with a metal, and the sudden deceleration of electrons results in the emission of X-ray. X-ray has high ionizing power, thus there are many people worrying about the harmful effects of having an X-ray diagnosis, especially pregnant women. It is true that a very high dose of radiation from X-ray may result in radiation sickness. Prolonged and continuous exposure to X-ray also increases the risk of cancer development, and in pregnant women, there may also be a risk for the fetus to develop childhood cancer or even miscarriage. Nevertheless, it seems that the harmful effects of exposing to X-ray are exaggerated. The serious harmful effects mentioned above are just the results of high dosage in a short period of time.
There are different kinds of X-rays, one type is used in scanning or diagnosis, one type is used in treating cancer. The energy stored in different types of X-rays is different. For normal X-ray scanning, the dosage is extremely small. The absorbed dose of X-ray is measured in rad, which 1 rad = 10 × 10–3 J kg–1 = 10 – 2 J kg-1. If a pregnant woman is having a chest X-ray, the estimated fetal dose is around 60 millirads, the dose is around 290 millirads for an abdominal X-ray. This is quite a low value, as the dose from the radiation from outer space is around 90-100 millirads. In fact, the risk of the fetus having eye abnormalities or mental retardation increases only when the dosage exceeds 10 rads, therefore it is very rare that pregnant women suffer from harmful effects by the X-ray radiation. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, generally X-rays are safe even for pregnant women, and according to radiologists, no single diagnostic x-ray has a radiation dose significant enough to cause adverse effects in a developing embryo or fetus.

Q. Which of the following best describes the primary difference between ultrasonography and Doppler sonography in prenatal checkups?

Detailed Solution for RC Practice Test - 6 - Question 16

Using the BANE Theory, we can eliminate options A, B, and C for the following reasons:
(a) Broad - The passage mentions that ultrasonography is a non-invasive procedure involving a transducer placed outside the mother's abdomen. It also states that transvaginal sonography, a type of ultrasonography, involves placing a probe inside the woman's vagina. Doppler sonography is based on the same principle as ultrasonography, implying that it is also non-invasive. This option is too broad and imprecise to describe the primary difference between the two types of sonography.
(b) Alien - The passage does not mention the use of X-rays in Doppler sonography. In fact, the passage discusses X-rays separately from ultrasonography and Doppler sonography. Therefore, this option is alien and unrelated to the primary difference between ultrasonography and Doppler sonography.
(c) Narrow - The passage states that the heartbeat of the fetus can be detected using Doppler sonography, but it does not mention that ultrasonography cannot detect the heartbeat. In fact, ultrasonography can detect various aspects of fetal development. This option is too narrow and does not accurately describe the primary difference between ultrasonography and Doppler sonography.
(d) This option correctly identifies the primary difference between ultrasonography and Doppler sonography. While both types of sonography use ultrasound waves to create images of the fetus, Doppler sonography further enhances the ultrasound with the Doppler effect. This allows for the detection of changes in the direction of blood flow and the assessment of the fetus's circulation.

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