35. An insurance policy pays 80% of the first $20,000 of a certain patient’s medical expenses, 60% of the next $40,000, and 40% of the $40,000 after that. If the patient’s total medical bill is $92,000, how much will the policy pay? a. $36,800 b. $49,600 c. $52,800 d. $73,600 e. $80,000 36. If you take recyclables to whichever recycler will pay the most, what is the greatest amount of money you could get for 2,200 pounds of alu- minum, 1,400 pounds of cardboard, 3,100 pounds of glass, and 900 pounds of plastic? Re- Alum- Card- cycler inum board Glass Plastic X .06/pound .03/pound .08/pound .02/pound Y .07/pound .04/pound .07/pound .03/pound a. $409 b. $440 c. $447 d. $454 e. $485 37. Water is coming into a tank three times as fast as it is going out. After one hour, the tank contains 11,400 gallons of water. How fast is the water coming in? a. 2,850 gallons/hour b. 3,800 gallons/hour c. 5,700 gallons/hour d. 11,400 gallons/hour e. 17,100 gallons/hour 38. A train must travel 3,450 miles in six days. How many miles must it travel each day? a. 525 b. 550 c. 600 d. 575 e. 500 39. What is another name for 20,706? a. 200 + 70 + 6 b. 2000 + 700 + 6 c. 20,000 + 70 + 6 d. 20,000 + 700 + 6 e. 20,000 + 700 + 60 40. A dormitory now houses 30 men and allows 42 square feet of space per man. If five more men are put into this dormitory, how much less space will each man have? a. 5 square feet b. 6 square feet c. 7 square feet d. 8 square feet e. 9 square feet 41. Ron is half as old as Sam, who is three times as old as Ted. The sum of their ages is 55. How old is Ron? a. 5 b. 8 c. 10 d. 15 e. 30 –CBEST PRACTICE EXAM 2– 218 42. A firefighter checks the gauge on a cylinder that normally contains 45 cubic feet of air and finds that the cylinder has only 10 cubic feet of air. The gauge indicates that the cylinder is a. ᎏ 1 5 ᎏ full. b. ᎏ 1 4 ᎏ full. c. ᎏ 2 9 ᎏ full. d. ᎏ 1 3 ᎏ full. e. ᎏ 4 5 ᎏ full. 43. A gardener on a large estate determines that the length of garden hose needed to reach from the water spigot to a particular patch of prize- winning dragonsnaps is 175 feet. If the available garden hoses are 45 feet long, how many sections of hose, when connected together, will it take to reach the dragonsnaps? a. 2 b. 3 c. 4 d. 5 e. 6 44. To lower a fever of 105 degrees, ice packs are applied for 1 minute and then removed for 5 minutes before being applied again. Each appli- cation lowers the fever by half a degree. How long will it take to lower the fever to 99 degrees? a. 36 minutes b. 1 hour c. 1 hour and 12 minutes d. 1 hour and 15 minutes e. 1 hour and 30 minutes 45. Each sprinkler head in an sprinkler system sprays water at an average of 16 gallons per minute. If 5 sprinkler heads are flowing at the same time, how many gallons of water will be released in 10 minutes? a. 80 b. 160 c. 320 d. 800 e. 1650 46. Which of these is equivalent to 35°C? (F = ᎏ 9 5 ᎏ C + 32) a. 105 degrees F b. 95 degrees F c. 63 degrees F d. 19 degrees F e. 5.4 degrees F 47. What is the volume of a pyramid that has a rect- angular base 5 feet by 3 feet and a height of 8 feet? (V = ᎏ 1 3 ᎏ lwh) a. 16 feet b. 30 feet c. 40 feet d. 80 feet e. 120 feet 48. How many feet of ribbon will a theatrical com- pany need to tie off a performance area that is 34 feet long and 20 feet wide? a. 54 b. 68 c. 88 d. 108 e. 680 –CBEST PRACTICE EXAM 2– 219 49. About how many liters of water will a 5-gallon container hold? (1 liter = 1.06 quarts) a. 5 b. 11 c. 19 d. 20 e. 21 50. Nationwide, in one year there were about 21,500 residential fires associated with furniture. Of these, 11,350 were caused by smoking materials. About what percent of the residential fires were smoking-related? a. 47% b. 49% c. 50% d. 51% e. 53% Section 3: Essay Writing Carefully read the two essay-writing topics that fol- low. Plan and write two essays, one on each topic. Be sure to address all points in the topic. Allow about 30 minutes for each essay. Topic 1 In a review of Don DeLillo’s novel White Noise, Jayne Anne Phillips writes that the characters are people “sleepwalking through a world where ‘Coke is It!’ and the TV is always on.” On the other hand, television is said to have brought the world to people who would not have seen much of it otherwise, that it has made possible a “global village.” Write an essay in which you express your opinion of the effect of television on indi- viduals or on nations. Include specific detail from per- sonal experience to back up your assertions. Topic 2 Some people say that writing can’t be taught. Educa- tors debate the subject every day, while the teachers in the trenches keep trying. Write an essay in which you express your opinion about the matter.You may discuss any kind of writing, from basic composition to fiction. Be sure to back up your opinion with concrete examples and specific detail. –CBEST PRACTICE EXAM 2– 220 Section 1: Reading Comprehension 1. a. Choice a is the best choice because it is the most complete statement of the material. Choices c and d focus on small details of the passage; choice b is not discussed in the passage. The passage is informative, not persuasive, so choice e is incorrect. 2. b. In the context of the paragraph, this is the only possible choice. Choice a can be ruled out because there is no evidence that Hershey became edu- cated. It is true that Hershey was a talented person (choice b), but was talented is not the same as hav- ing found something. Choice d is wrong because there is no evidence in paragraph 1 that Hershey called on anyone to help him. The passage talks about Hershey’s hard work, but does not say he was lucky (choice e). 3. b. Because the passage states that Hershey returned to the village where he had been born to open his plant, and the passage also states that he was born near Derry Church, this statement must be accurate. The other choices cannot be sup- ported. Although the writer mentions the popu- larity of chocolate internationally, you cannot assume that it is popular in every country (choice a), nor is there any indication that Milton Her- shey was the first person to manufacture choc- olate in the U.S. (choice c). Choice d is not discussed in the passage at all. The passage states that Hershey did not succeed in his candy-making ventures in other cities (choice e). 4. b. This is the best choice because the passage clearly shows Hershey’s determination to be suc- cessful in the candy business. Although he had some failures, he could not be described as defec- tive (choice a). There is nothing to indicate that he was carefree (choice c), cautious (choice d), or greedy (choice e). 5. c. The third paragraph states that Hershey first used chocolate for coating his caramels. Choice a can be ruled out because he didn’t make cocoa or baking chocolate until a year after he began pro- ducing chocolate. Choice b is not in the passage. Choice d is incorrect because he purchased the chocolate-making equipment at the Exposition. Choice e is incorrect because Hershey did not try to start a town. 6. d. This question tests your ability to use context clues to determine the intended meaning of a word. In paragraph 3, the passage says The Her- shey Chocolate company was born in 1894 as a sub- sidiary of the Lancaster Caramel Company. This indicates that a subsidiary company is one con- trolled by another company, choice d. Choices a , b, and e are illogical. Since the passage contains no discussion of whether any of Hershey’s compa- nies were incorporated, choice c can be ruled out. 7. d. This is an inference taken from paragraphs 3 and 4. Paragraph 3 indicates that Hershey’s caramel company was in Lancaster and the chocolate company was a subsidiary. Paragraph 4 states that Hershey moved his plant in 1905, eleven years after he first got into the chocolate business. From these two facts, it is reasonable to conclude that the first chocolate business was in Lancaster. 8. a. This is the only choice that can be supported by the paragraph. Although tourists and caramel are mentioned in the passage (choices b and e), this is not the main purpose of the paragraph. There is a theme park in Hershey (choice c), but the chocolate factory still exists. Choice d can be ruled out because this information was given in paragraph 4. –CBEST PRACTICE EXAM 2– 221 Answers and Explanations 9. c. This choice most nearly encompasses the pas- sage and is reflected in the final sentence. Choice b is wrong because the passage holds out hope that we can conserve and sustain the ecology of an area. Choices a, d, and e are implied in the passage but are too narrow to be the main idea. 10. b. This is the only choice that reflects the idea of interaction among all members of the group mentioned in the first sentence. The other choices are only physical settings. 11. c. The directions indicate that the city prefers, but does not require, use of the new container. In addition, it appears the city only charges residents for additional containers. 12. d. The directions state the city would like house- holds to use the new containers as their primary containers; this means other containers are allowed. 13. a. The final sentence states that Nature will not mind drowning a man or a woman, and sentence 4 speaks of Edwards’ approval of God’s arbitrary will; neither Nature nor God, as described in the passage, would notice the fall of a sparrow. Choice b is incorrect because Edwards has a delightful conviction in God’s sovereignty (authority or power), which indicates that he believes God’s judgment, no matter how arbitrary, is wise. Choices c and d are incorrect because Emerson speaks of Nature’s intention as harmony and joy. Choice e is incorrect; both Emerson and Edwards believe God makes decisions about individuals based on the need of nature as a whole. 14. e. This choice says how the reflections of Emer- son and Edwards are alike (that is, their accept- ance of the arbitrary nature of Nature and God) and also speaks of the irony of the similarity between Emerson and Edwards, which is men- tioned in the passage. Choice a is true, but is too general, since it does not say exactly how the two philosophers are alike. Choices b, c, and d are incorrect because they emphasize differences between the two world views, whereas the passage emphasizes similarities. 15. d. To be elected means to be chosen, and the pas- sage speaks of God’s choosing according to his divine and arbitrary will, whom he would to eter- nal life (i.e., to salvation). Being rejected is the opposite of being chosen or elected, so someone rejected would be damned (choice c). The other choices do not reflect an element of choice. 16. c. The word horrible most definitely contrasts to the words exceedingly pleasant, bright, and sweet, and the words formerly and however indicate that the sentence is describing a contrast. The other choices do not necessarily point to a contrast. 17. e. Although the people in the other choices might read this passage, it is not directed toward travelers, scholars, or readers (choices a , b, and c), nor is there anything in it about operating a loom (choice d). The last sentence indicates that the passage is directed toward interior decorators. 18. b. The blank is followed by a discussion of the shortcomings of the RDA approach. Choice a is incorrect because it does not lead into the discus- sion that follows regarding the RDA approach’s shortcomings. Choice c is incorrect because it is contradicted by the final sentence of the passage, which states that the RDA approach remains a useful guide. Choice d is incorrect because its slangy style is inconsistent with the style used in the rest of the passage. Choice e is incorrect because it does not lead into the discussion which follows, and there is nothing in the passage to indicate the RDA is changing. 19. b. Choice b is indicated by the final sentence, which indicates that the RDA approach is useful, but has limitations, implying that a supplemental guide would be a good thing. Choice a is contra- –CBEST PRACTICE EXAM 2– 222 dicted by the final sentence of the passage. Choice c is incorrect because the passage says the RDA approach is a useful guide, but does NOT say it is the best guide to good nutrition. Choice d is con- tradicted by the next-to-last sentence of the pas- sage. The passage states that the RDA approach is frequently used, which indicates it is not too com- plicated, as stated in choice e. 20. b. Choice b best reflects the writing style of the passage, which is for a general audience. Choices a and c are too informal; choice d uses jargon and choice e seems to talk down to the audience. 21. a. Either a or b are possible definitions of specu- lation, however, the passage suggests that in this case the author is referring to a theory—choice a. The other choices are vaguely similar, but are not accurate, based on the passage as a whole. 22. d. This passage is written in a style directed to a general audience; therefore, choices a, b, and e are not correct, as they are aimed toward specialized audiences. Nor is this passage in the style of a per- sonal essay (choice c), which would contain impressions and conclusions. The articles in gen- eral circulation magazines are aimed toward wide audiences, as is this passage. 23. d. The title Sights and History on Dublin’s O’Con- nell Street touches on all the specific subjects of the passage—the sights to see on this particular street and the history connected to them. Answers a and e are too general about the place described, which is a particular street in Dublin, not the whole city. Answers b and c are too specific in that they cover only the material in the first paragraph. 24. a. This choice sticks to the subject, Daniel O’Connell, announced in the sentence before it, and provides a transition to the sentence follow- ing it, a description of O’Connell’s monument, by providing information about the location of the statue. Answer e provides similar content but includes a grammatical shift in subject; the shift to “we” is jarring. Answers b and c swerve off topic, and answer d essentially repeats informa- tion given elsewhere in the paragraph. 25. c. The hidden or key resource mentioned in the passage is the fine distinction between the defini- tion of street and boulevard, which is used to win the argument with or get the better of tourists. Answers a, b , and e do not make sense; answer d is incorrect because there is no real fraud used in the argument in the passage. 26. d. The author offers an example of Dublin wit and mentions the unhurried pace of Dublin crowds. Choice a interprets the adjective unhur- ried in too pejorative a manner for the tone of the passage. Answers b and c similarly interpret the playful joke on French tourists too negatively. There is no specific information in the passage to support the view of answer e. 27. b. The context of the passage indicates that the sentences in question are pointing out an unfore- seen consequence (however) and the current sit- uation (now). The other choices would result in meanings that do not fit with the flow of infor- mation in the rest of the passage. 28. e. Choices a, b, c, and d are not supported by information in the passage. Thus, the best choice is e. 29. d. Choices a, c, and e are possible definitions of ushered, but do not fit in the context of the pas- sage. Choice b is an incorrect definition. Heralded, choice d, is the best definition in the context. 30. a. The passage explicitly states that Charle- magne was crowned emperor in 800 and died in 814—a period of 14 years. Therefore, b, c, d, and e are mathematically incorrect. 31. b. Although all of the choices are possible defi- nitions of culture, the passage is speaking of a –CBEST PRACTICE EXAM 2– 223 . 600 d. 575 e. 500 39. What is another name for 20 ,70 6? a. 200 + 70 + 6 b. 2000 + 70 0 + 6 c. 20,000 + 70 + 6 d. 20,000 + 70 0 + 6 e. 20,000 + 70 0 + 60 40. A dormitory now houses 30 men and allows. Glass Plastic X .06/pound .03/pound .08/pound .02/pound Y . 07/ pound .04/pound . 07/ pound .03/pound a. $409 b. $440 c. $4 47 d. $454 e. $485 37. Water is coming into a tank three times as fast as it. gallons/hour c. 5 ,70 0 gallons/hour d. 11,400 gallons/hour e. 17, 100 gallons/hour 38. A train must travel 3,450 miles in six days. How many miles must it travel each day? a. 525 b. 550 c. 600 d. 575 e. 500 39.