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MTEL General Curriculum Mathematics Practice
Question 1 |
In March of 2012, 1 dollar was worth the same as 0.761 Euros, and 1 dollar was also worth the same as 83.03 Japanese Yen. Which of the expressions below gives the number of Yen that are worth 1 Euro?
\( \large {83}.0{3}\cdot 0.{761}\) Hint: This equation gives less than the number of yen per dollar, but 1 Euro is worth more than 1 dollar. | |
\( \large \dfrac{0.{761}}{{83}.0{3}}\) Hint: Number is way too small. | |
\( \large \dfrac{{83}.0{3}}{0.{761}}\) Hint: One strategy here is to use easier numbers, say 1 dollar = .5 Euros and 100 yen, then 1 Euro would be 200 Yen (change the numbers in the equations and see what works). Another is to use dimensional analysis: we want # yen per Euro, or yen/Euro = yen/dollar \(\times\) dollar/Euro = \(83.03 \times \dfrac {1}{0.761}\) | |
\( \large \dfrac{1}{0.{761}}\cdot \dfrac{1}{{83}.0{3}}\) Hint: Number is way too small. |
Question 2 |
The polygon depicted below is drawn on dot paper, with the dots spaced 1 unit apart. What is the perimeter of the polygon?

\( \large 18+\sqrt{2} \text{ units}\) Hint: Be careful with the Pythagorean Theorem. | |
\( \large 18+2\sqrt{2}\text{ units}\) Hint: There are 13 horizontal or vertical 1 unit segments. The longer diagonal is the hypotenuse of a 3-4-5 right triangle, so its length is 5 units. The shorter diagonal is the hypotenuse of a 45-45-90 right triangle with side 2, so its hypotenuse has length \(2 \sqrt{2}\). | |
\( \large 18 \text{ units}
\) Hint: Use the Pythagorean Theorem to find the lengths of the diagonal segments. | |
\( \large 20 \text{ units}\) Hint: Use the Pythagorean Theorem to find the lengths of the diagonal segments. |
Question 3 |
Use the expression below to answer the question that follows.
\( \large 3\times {{10}^{4}}+2.2\times {{10}^{2}}\)
Which of the following is closest to the expression above?
Five millionHint: Pay attention to the exponents. Adding 3 and 2 doesn't work because they have different place values. | |
Fifty thousandHint: Pay attention to the exponents. Adding 3 and 2 doesn't work because they have different place values. | |
Three millionHint: Don't add the exponents. | |
Thirty thousandHint: \( 3\times {{10}^{4}} = 30,000;\) the other term is much smaller and doesn't change the estimate. |
Question 4 |
Which of the following is closest to the height of a college student in centimeters?
1.6 cmHint: This is more the height of a Lego toy college student -- less than an inch! | |
16 cmHint: Less than knee high on most college students. | |
160 cmHint: Remember, a meter stick (a little bigger than a yard stick) is 100 cm. Also good to know is that 4 inches is approximately 10 cm. | |
1600 cmHint: This college student might be taller than some campus buildings! |
Question 5 |
AHint: \(\frac{34}{135} \approx \frac{1}{4}\) and \( \frac{53}{86} \approx \frac {2}{3}\). \(\frac {1}{4}\) of \(\frac {2}{3}\) is small and closest to A. | |
BHint: Estimate with simpler fractions. | |
CHint: Estimate with simpler fractions. | |
DHint: Estimate with simpler fractions. |
Question 6 |
What is the least common multiple of 540 and 216?
\( \large{{2}^{5}}\cdot {{3}^{6}}\cdot 5\) Hint: This is the product of the numbers, not the LCM. | |
\( \large{{2}^{3}}\cdot {{3}^{3}}\cdot 5\) Hint: One way to solve this is to factor both numbers: \(540=2^2 \cdot 3^3 \cdot 5\) and \(216=2^3 \cdot 3^3\). Then for each prime that's a factor of either number, use the largest exponent that appears in one of the factorizations. You can also take the product of the two numbers divided by their GCD. | |
\( \large{{2}^{2}}\cdot {{3}^{3}}\cdot 5\) Hint: 216 is a multiple of 8. | |
\( \large{{2}^{2}}\cdot {{3}^{2}}\cdot {{5}^{2}}\) Hint: Not a multiple of 216 and not a multiple of 540. |
Question 7 |
What set of transformations will transform the leftmost image into the rightmost image?
A 90 degree clockwise rotation about (2,1) followed by a translation of two units to the right.Hint: Part of the figure would move below the x-axis with these transformations. | |
A translation 3 units up, followed by a reflection about the line y=x.Hint: See what happens to the point (5,1) under this set of transformations. | |
A 90 degree clockwise rotation about (5,1), followed by a translation of 2 units up. | |
A 90 degree clockwise rotation about (2,1) followed by a translation of 2 units to the right.Hint: See what happens to the point (3,3) under this set of transformations. |
Question 8 |
How many lines of reflective symmetry and how many centers of rotational symmetry does the parallelogram depicted below have?
4 lines of reflective symmetry, 1 center of rotational symmetry.Hint: Try cutting out a shape like this one from paper, and fold where you think the lines of reflective symmetry are (or put a mirror there). Do things line up as you thought they would? | |
2 lines of reflective symmetry, 1 center of rotational symmetry.Hint: Try cutting out a shape like this one from paper, and fold where you think the lines of reflective symmetry are (or put a mirror there). Do things line up as you thought they would? | |
0 lines of reflective symmetry, 1 center of rotational symmetry.Hint: The intersection of the diagonals is a center of rotational symmetry. There are no lines of reflective symmetry, although many people get confused about this fact (best to play with hands on examples to get a feel). Just fyi, the letter S also has rotational, but not reflective symmetry, and it's one that kids often write backwards. | |
2 lines of reflective symmetry, 0 centers of rotational symmetry.Hint: Try cutting out a shape like this one from paper. Trace onto another sheet of paper. See if there's a way to rotate the cut out shape (less than a complete turn) so that it fits within the outlines again. |
Question 9 |
The pattern below consists of a row of black squares surrounded by white squares.
How many white squares would surround a row of 157 black squares?
314Hint: Try your procedure on a smaller number that you can count to see where you made a mistake. | |
317Hint: Are there ever an odd number of white squares? | |
320Hint: One way to see this is that there are 6 tiles on the left and right ends, and the rest of the white tiles are twice the number of black tiles (there are many other ways to look at it too). | |
322Hint: Try your procedure on a smaller number that you can count to see where you made a mistake. |
Question 10 |
A solution requires 4 ml of saline for every 7 ml of medicine. How much saline would be required for 50 ml of medicine?
\( \large 28 \dfrac{4}{7}\) ml Hint: 49 ml of medicine requires 28 ml of saline. The extra ml of saline requires 4 ml saline/ 7 ml medicine = 4/7 ml saline per 1 ml medicine. | |
\( \large 28 \dfrac{1}{4}\) ml Hint: 49 ml of medicine requires 28 ml of saline. How much saline does the extra ml require? | |
\( \large 28 \dfrac{1}{7}\) ml Hint: 49 ml of medicine requires 28 ml of saline. How much saline does the extra ml require? | |
\( \large 87.5\) ml Hint: 49 ml of medicine requires 28 ml of saline. How much saline does the extra ml require? |
Question 11 |
What is the length of side \(\overline{BD}\) in the triangle below, where \(\angle DBA\) is a right angle?

\( \large 1\) Hint: Use the Pythagorean Theorem. | |
\( \large \sqrt{5}\) Hint: \(2^2+e^2=3^2\) or \(4+e^2=9;e^2=5; e=\sqrt{5}\). | |
\( \large \sqrt{13}\) Hint: e is not the hypotenuse. | |
\( \large 5\) Hint: Use the Pythagorean Theorem. |
Question 12 |
Which of the following is equivalent to
\( \large A-B+C\div D\times E\)?
\( \large A-B-\dfrac{C}{DE}
\) Hint: In the order of operations, multiplication and division have the same priority, so do them left to right; same with addition and subtraction. | |
\( \large A-B+\dfrac{CE}{D}\) Hint: In practice, you're better off using parentheses than writing an expression like the one in the question. The PEMDAS acronym that many people memorize is misleading. Multiplication and division have equal priority and are done left to right. They have higher priority than addition and subtraction. Addition and subtraction also have equal priority and are done left to right. | |
\( \large \dfrac{AE-BE+CE}{D}\) Hint: Use order of operations, don't just compute left to right. | |
\( \large A-B+\dfrac{C}{DE}\) Hint: In the order of operations, multiplication and division have the same priority, so do them left to right |
Question 13 |
How many factors does 80 have?
\( \large8\) Hint: Don't forget 1 and 80. | |
\( \large9\) Hint: Only perfect squares have an odd number of factors -- otherwise factors come in pairs. | |
\( \large10\) Hint: 1,2,4,5,8,10,16,20,40,80 | |
\( \large12\) Hint: Did you count a number twice? Include a number that isn't a factor? |
Question 14 |
Exactly one of the numbers below is a prime number. Which one is it?
\( \large511 \) Hint: Divisible by 7. | |
\( \large517\) Hint: Divisible by 11. | |
\( \large519\) Hint: Divisible by 3. | |
\( \large521\) |
Question 15 |
The Americans with Disabilties Act (ADA) regulations state that the maximum slope for a wheelchair ramp in new construction is 1:12, although slopes between 1:16 and 1:20 are preferred. The maximum rise for any run is 30 inches. The graph below shows the rise and runs of four different wheelchair ramps. Which ramp is in compliance with the ADA regulations for new construction?

AHint: Rise is more than 30 inches. | |
BHint: Run is almost 24 feet, so rise can be almost 2 feet. | |
CHint: Run is 12 feet, so rise can be at most 1 foot. | |
DHint: Slope is 1:10 -- too steep. |
Question 16 |
Elena is going to use a calculator to check whether or not 267 is prime. She will pick certain divisors, and then find 267 divided by each, and see if she gets a whole number. If she never gets a whole number, then she's found a prime. Which numbers does Elena NEED to check before she can stop checking and be sure she has a prime?
All natural numbers from 2 to 266.Hint: She only needs to check primes -- checking the prime factors of any composite is enough to look for divisors. As a test taking strategy, the other three choices involve primes, so worth thinking about. | |
All primes from 2 to 266 .Hint: Remember, factors come in pairs (except for square root factors), so she would first find the smaller of the pair and wouldn't need to check the larger. | |
All primes from 2 to 133 .Hint: She doesn't need to check this high. Factors come in pairs, and something over 100 is going to be paired with something less than 3, so she will find that earlier. | |
All primes from \( \large 2\) to \( \large \sqrt{267}\).Hint: \(\sqrt{267} \times \sqrt{267}=267\). Any other pair of factors will have one factor less than \( \sqrt{267}\) and one greater, so she only needs to check up to \( \sqrt{267}\). |
Question 17 |
The picture below shows identical circles drawn on a piece of paper. The rectangle represents an index card that is blocking your view of \( \dfrac{3}{5}\) of the circles on the paper. How many circles are covered by the rectangle?

4Hint: The card blocks more than half of the circles, so this number is too small. | |
5Hint: The card blocks more than half of the circles, so this number is too small. | |
8Hint: The card blocks more than half of the circles, so this number is too small. | |
12Hint: 2/5 of the circles or 8 circles are showing. Thus 4 circles represent 1/5 of the circles, and \(4 \times 5=20\) circles represent 5/5 or all the circles. Thus 12 circles are hidden. |
Question 18 |
Taxicab fares in Boston (Spring 2012) are $2.60 for the first \(\dfrac{1}{7}\) of a mile or less and $0.40 for each \(\dfrac{1}{7}\) of a mile after that.
Let d represent the distance a passenger travels in miles (with \(d>\dfrac{1}{7}\)). Which of the following expressions represents the total fare?
\( \large \$2.60+\$0.40d\) Hint: It's 40 cents for 1/7 of a mile, not per mile. | |
\( \large \$2.60+\$0.40\dfrac{d}{7}\) Hint: According to this equation, going 7 miles would cost $3; does that make sense? | |
\( \large \$2.20+\$2.80d\) Hint: You can think of the fare as $2.20 to enter the cab, and then $0.40 for each 1/7 of a mile, including the first 1/7 of a mile (or $2.80 per mile).
Alternatively, you pay $2.60 for the first 1/7 of a mile, and then $2.80 per mile for d-1/7 miles. The total is 2.60+2.80(d-1/7) = 2.60+ 2.80d -.40 = 2.20+2.80d. | |
\( \large \$2.60+\$2.80d\) Hint: Don't count the first 1/7 of a mile twice. |
Question 19 |
Use the expression below to answer the question that follows:
\( \large \dfrac{\left( 7,154 \right)\times \left( 896 \right)}{216}\)
Which of the following is the best estimate of the expression above?
2,000Hint: The answer is bigger than 7,000. | |
20,000Hint: Estimate 896/216 first. | |
3,000Hint: The answer is bigger than 7,000. | |
30,000Hint: \( \dfrac{896}{216} \approx 4\) and \(7154 \times 4\) is over 28,000, so this answer is closest. |
Question 20 |
Which of the lines depicted below is a graph of \( \large y=2x-5\)?

aHint: The slope of line a is negative. | |
bHint: Wrong slope and wrong intercept. | |
cHint: The intercept of line c is positive. | |
dHint: Slope is 2 -- for every increase of 1 in x, y increases by 2. Intercept is -5 -- the point (0,-5) is on the line. |
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