34. e. Choice e covers the most important ideas in the two paragraphs. All the other choices choose more minor details from the paragraphs as the main subjects. 35. e. Choice e includes both the informational con- tent and light tone of the passage. Choices a and b describe too scientific an aim for the content and tone. Choice c does not include the informa- tional content of the passage. Choice d assumes a particular audience for the passage which is nei- ther named nor implied in any of the passage’s content. 36. c. Any of the choices may be a definition of back- ground; however, the context of the passage indi- cates that the word refers to the education and training of the proposed author—that is, the author’s ability to write the book. 37. d. See the second sentence of the second para- graph. Compaction may well reduce transporta- tion costs (choice a) according to the first sentence of the second paragraph. That it reduces the volume of waste (choice b) is an advantage, not a disadvantage. Compaction is not designed to eliminate organic matter, so confirming that it has been eliminated (choice c) is not an issue. Compaction is done on-site (refuting choice e), as asserted in the first paragraph. 38. b. See sentence four of the second paragraph. The effects of sterilization of waste (choice a) is not included in the passage. Oxydizing (choice c) is simply a part of the process of hydropulping. Processing (choice d) is the general category that includes all the methods of disposing of medical wastes. While compacting (choice e) does change the volume of the waste, it is not appropriate for eliminating hazardous materials. 39.a. See the last sentence of the third paragraph, which states that incineration is the preferred method for on-site treatment. The other choices take place off-site. 40.a. The first sentence states that off-site disposal is appropriate for hospitals with less than 150 beds, which implies fewer patients. Choices b, c, and d are mentioned with regard to both off-site and on-site disposal. The first sentence of the passage indicates that all the waste discussed in the pas- sage is regulated (choice e). 41.a. To depict the Sami, the author uses words that point to their gentleness, which is an admirable quality: They move quietly, display courtesy to the spirits of the wilderness, and were known as peaceful retreaters. There is nothing pitying, con- temptuous, or patronizing in the language, and nothing in the passage indicates that the author is perplexed—the description of the Sami is clear and to the point. 42. d. The correct answer is implied by the statement in the third sentence that carefully managed e- mail results in effective communication. Choice a is wrong because the opposite is true. Choice b is wrong because even though e-mail is more wide- spread, it has not necessarily changed considerably. Choices c and e are not indicated in the paragraph. 43. b. This choice is correct because the third sen- tence states that telecommuters produce 20% more than their on-location counterparts. Choice a is not mentioned in the paragraph. Choice c is wrong because more productivity does not nec- essarily mean better quality. Choices d is not men- tioned, and choice e is refuted in the final sentence. 44. d. The last two sentences point to the need for precautions when sending a fax. There is no indi- cation in the paragraph that choice a is true. Choice b is incorrect because the paragraph indi- cates that, with caution, confidential faxes can be –CBEST PRACTICE EXAM 1– 183 sent. Choice c is not mentioned. Choice d is vague because it does not define timely; at any rate, a phone call will arrive more quickly than a fax. 45.a. The answer is stated in the first sentence. Choices b, d, and e are not mentioned in the para- graph. Choice c is attractive, but it is incorrect because the paragraph is talking about more responsibility and independence, not necessarily more work. 46. b. See the first sentence of the third paragraph, which asserts that states should mandate genetic testing only if there is strong evidence that a new- born would benefit from effective treatment at the earliest possible age. 47. b. See the last sentence of the third paragraph, which states that effective treatment can be started in a few hundred infants. 48. e. The first paragraph says that the report addressed concerns about protecting confidential- ity. 49. c. The last sentence of the second paragraph states that careful pilot studies . . . need to be done first. 50. d. See the third paragraph: Newborn screening is the most common type of genetic screening today. Section 2: Mathematics 1. e. Because Linda pays with a check only if an item costs more than $30, the item must have cost more than $25. 2. d. The hundredth is the second digit to the right of the decimal point. Because the third decimal is 6, the second is rounded up to 4. 3. e. Find the answer using the following equa- tions: ᎏ 1 3 ᎏ = 0.333; ᎏ 1 4 ᎏ = 0.25; ᎏ 2 7 ᎏ = 0.286. ᎏ 2 7 ᎏ is between the other two fractions. 4. c. 3% is equal to 0.03, so multiply 2,500 times 0.03 and then add the result to 2,500, for a total of 2,575. 5. e. From the line chart, 1995 is represented by the line with squares at each month. In December 1995, there was 10 inches of rainfall, the most that year. 6. c. The mean is the sum of the values divided by the number of values. Add 8 + 6 + 4 = 18 inches, and then divide by 3 to get 6 inches. 7.a.If the gas station is 43 ᎏ 1 3 ᎏ miles from their house, and their relatives live 75 miles away, the numbers are subtracted. 75 – 43 ᎏ 1 3 ᎏ = 31 ᎏ 2 3 ᎏ . 8. d. If 2 of 5 cars are foreign, 3 of 5 are domestic. ᎏ 3 5 ᎏ (60 cars) = 36 cars. 9. e. 13% had not read books; therefore, 87% had. 87% is equal to 0.87. 0.87 × 2,500 = 2175 people. 10. c. To estimate quickly, the numbers can be rounded to 36,000 and 16,500. 36,000 students minus 16,500 male students is equal to 19,500 female students. 19,500 women minus 16,500 men is equal to 3,000 more women than men. 11. d. The area is width times length, in this case, 5 times 7, or 35 square feet. 12. e. 4% is equal to 0.04. 500 × 0.04 = 20. 13.a. Rounding to close numbers helps. This is approximately 100,000 divided by 500,000, which is 0.20 or ᎏ 1 5 ᎏ . 14. b. 2 ᎏ 1 2 ᎏ = 2.5. 1 ᎏ 1 4 ᎏ = 1.25. 2.5 × 1.25 = 3.125 or 3 ᎏ 8 1 ᎏ . 15.a. Multiply the percentages by one another (30% = 0.30; 15% = 0.15). 0.30 × 0.15 = 0.045 or 4.5%. 16. d. If 20% are not eating the special, 80% are. 80% = 40 people. 40 divided by 0.80 = 50 people total. 17. c. To find the answer, work this equation: ($2.24 – $2.08) × 2 = $0.32. 18. b. 54 divided by 6 is 9. 19.a. 24 history books at $20 each are $480. 20 math books at $30 each are $600. 15 science books at $25 each are $375. $480 + $600 + 375 = $1455. –CBEST PRACTICE EXAM 1– 184 20. d. Between 10:42 and 12:42, two hours have elapsed. From 12:42 to 1:00, another 18 minutes have elapsed (60 – 42 = 18). Then from 1:00 to 1:19, there is another 19 minutes. 2 hours + 18 minutes + 19 minutes = 2 hours, 37 minutes. 21. e. Division is used to arrive at a decimal, which can then be rounded to the nearest hundredth and converted to a percentage: 11,350 divided by 21,500 = 0.5279. 0.5279 rounded to the nearest hundredth is 0.53, or 53%. 22. b. This uses two algebraic equations to solve for the age. Jerry (J) and his grandfather (G) have a sum of ages of 110 years. Therefore, J + G = 110. Jerry was one-third as young as his grandfather 15 years ago. Therefore, J – 15 = ᎏ 1 3 ᎏ (G – 15). Solve the first equation for J: J = 110 – G. Now substitute this value of J into the second equation: 110 – G – 15 = ᎏ 1 3 ᎏ (G – 15). Solve for G: 95 – G = ᎏ 1 3 ᎏ G –5; 100 = ᎏ 4 3 ᎏ G; G = 75. 23. b. ᎏ 1 3 ᎏ x + 3 = 8. In order to solve the equation, all numbers need to be on one side and all x values on the other. Therefore, ᎏ 1 3 ᎏ x = 5; x = 15. 24. c. In order to find the perimeter, the hypotenuse of the triangle must be found. This comes from recognizing that the triangle is a 5-12-13 triangle, or by using the Pythagorean theorem. 5 + 12 + 13 = 30. 25. c. If angle 1 is 30 degrees, angle 3 must be 60 degrees by right triangle geometry. Because the two lines are parallel, angles 3 and 4 must be con- gruent. Therefore, to find angle 5, angle 4 must be subtracted from 180 degrees. This is 120 degrees. 26. d. Because the radius of the hemisphere is 3, and it is the same as half the base of the triangle, the base must be 6. Therefore, the area of the triangle is ᎏ 1 2 ᎏ bh = 12. The area of the circle is πr 2 which is equal to 9π. Therefore, the half-circle’s area is ᎏ 9 2 π ᎏ . Adding gives ᎏ 9 2 π ᎏ + 12. 27. c. The speed of the train is 60 miles per hour, obtained from the table. Therefore, the distance from Chicago would be equal to 60t.However,as the train moves on, the distance decreases from Los Angeles, so there must be a function of –60t in the equation. At time t = 0, the distance is 2,000 miles, so the function is 2,000 – 60t. 28. e. The cost for 25 hours for both providers must be found. For A, the base charge is $20, plus 7.5 hours at $1 per hour. This is $27.50. For B, the base charge is $20, plus 5 hours at $1.50. This is also $27.50. Therefore, they will cost the same. 29.a. The amount of water held in each container must be found. The rectangular box starts with 16 square inches times 9 inches = 144 cubic inches of water. The cylindrical container can hold 3.14(4)(9) cubic inches of water, which is approx- imately 113 cubic inches. Therefore, the container will overflow. 30. d. This problem can be solved using only state- ments I and III. Since the cousin who fishes is female, either Lucy or Samantha likes to fish. Statement III eliminates Samantha, which leaves Lucy. 31. b. The dimensions of triangle MNO are double those of triangle RST. Line segment RT is 5 cm; therefore line segment MO is 10 cm. 32. e. The farther to the right the digits go, the smaller the number. 33.a. The expression 5n means 5 times n. The addi- tion sign before the 7 indicates the phrase more than. 34. b. Angles 1 and 4 are the only ones NOT adja- cent to each other. 35. d. Substitute 3 for x in the expression 5 + 4x to determine that y equals 17. 36. b. The formula for finding the area of a circle is A = πr 2 . First, square the radius: 13 times 13 –CBEST PRACTICE EXAM 1– 185 equals 169. Then multiply by the approximate value of π, 3.14, to get 530.66. 37. c. DE is 2.5 times greater than AB; therefore, EF is 7.5 and DF is 10. Add the three numbers together to arrive at the perimeter. 38. e. This is the only choice that includes a 90 degree angle. 39. b. The square root of 12 is the same as the square root of 4 times 3, which is the same as the square root of 4 times the square root of 3. The square root of 4 is 2. So 3 times the square root of 12 is the same as 3 times 2 times the square root of 3, or 6 times the square root of 3. 40. b. Use the formula beginning with the operation in parentheses: 98 minus 32 equals 66. Then mul- tiply 66 by ᎏ 5 9 ᎏ , first multiplying 66 by 5 to get 330. 330 divided by 9 is 36.66667, which is rounded up to 36.7. 41. c. The ratio of 105,000: 3 is equal to the ratio of x :4,or ᎏ 105 3 ,000 ᎏ = ᎏ 4 x ᎏ ,where x is the population served by four schools. Solve for x by multiplying 4 times 105,000 and then dividing by 3 to get 140,000. 42. b. 1 ᎏ 1 2 ᎏ cups equals ᎏ 3 2 ᎏ cups. The ratio is 6 people to 4 people, which is equal to the ratio of x to ᎏ 3 2 ᎏ .By cross multiplying, we get 6( ᎏ 3 2 ᎏ ) equals 4x, or 9 equals 4x. Dividing both sides by 9, we get ᎏ 9 4 ᎏ ,or 2 ᎏ 1 4 ᎏ cups. 43.a. The distance between Plattville and Quincy is the hypotenuse of a right triangle with sides of length 80 and 60. The length of the hypotenuse equals the square root of (80 2 plus 60 2 ), which equals the square root of (6400 plus 3600), which equals the square root of 10,000, which equals 100 miles. 44. c. You can find the price per ounce of each brand, as follows: Brand W X Y Z Price in cents per ounce: ᎏ 2 6 1 ᎏ = 3.5 ᎏ 4 1 8 5 ᎏ = 3.2 ᎏ 5 2 6 0 ᎏ = 2.8 ᎏ 9 3 6 2 ᎏ = 3.0 It is then easy to see that Brand Y, at 2.8 cents per ounce, is the least expensive. 45.a. 2,052 miles divided by 6 days equals 342 miles per day. 342 miles divided by 2 stops equals 171 miles. 46. e. There is not enough information to solve this problem. The price of one piece of silverware is needed to find the solution. 47. d. First find the total price of the pencils: (24 pencils)($0.05) equals $1.20. Then find the total price of the paper: (3.5 reams)($7.50 per ream) equals $26.25. Next, add the two totals together: $1.20 and $26.25 equals $27.45. 48.a. 157 is rounded to 200; 817 is rounded to 800. 200 times 800 equals 160,000. 49. d. It is important to remember to include all three telephone sets ($375 total), both computers ($2,600 total), and both monitors ($1,900 total) in the total value for the correct answer of $5525. 50.a. Substituting known quantities into the for- mula yields 20 = ᎏ 6 x 4 2 .8 ᎏ . Next, you must multiply through by x 2 to get 20x 2 = 64.8 and then divide through by 20 to get x 2 = 3.24. Now take the square root of both sides to get x = 1.8. Section 3: Essay Writing Following are the criteria for scoring CBEST essays. A “4” essay is a coherent writing sample that addresses the assigned topic and is aimed at a specific audience. Additionally, it has the following character- istics: ■ A main idea and/or a central point of view that is focused; its reasoning is sound –CBEST PRACTICE EXAM 1– 186 ■ Points of discussion that are clear and arranged logically ■ Assertions that are supported with specific, rele- vant detail ■ Word choice and usage that is accurate and precise ■ Sentences that have complexity and variety, with clear syntax; paragraphs that are coherent (minor mechanical flaws are acceptable) ■ Style and language that are appropriate to the assigned audience and purpose A “3” essay is an adequate writing sample that generally addresses the assigned topic, but may neglect or only vaguely address one of the assigned tasks; it is aimed at a specific audience. Generally, it has the fol- lowing additional characteristics: ■ A main idea and/or a central point of view and adequate reasoning ■ Organization of ideas that is effective; the mean- ing of the ideas is clear ■ Generalizations that are adequately, though unevenly, supported ■ Word choice and language usage that are ade- quate; mistakes exist but these do not interfere with meaning ■ Some errors in sentence and paragraph structure, but not so many as to be confusing ■ Word choice and style that are appropriate to a given audience A “2” essay is an incompletely formed writing sample that attempts to address the topic and to com- municate a message to the assigned audience but is generally incomplete or inappropriate. It has the fol- lowing additional characteristics: ■ A main point, but one which loses focus; reason- ing that is simplistic ■ Ineffective organization that causes the response to lack clarity ■ Generalizations that are only partially supported; supporting details that are irrelevant or unclear ■ Imprecise language usage; word choice that dis- tracts the reader ■ Mechanical errors; errors in syntax; errors in paragraphing ■ Style that is monotonous or choppy A “1” essay is an inadequately formed writing sample that only marginally addresses the topic and fails to communicate its message to, or is inappropri- ate to, a specific audience. Additionally, it has the fol- lowing characteristics: ■ General incoherence and inadequate focus, lack of a main idea or consistent point of view; illogi- cal reasoning ■ Ineffective organization and unclear meaning throughout ■ Unsupported generalizations and assertions; details that are irrelevant and presented in a con- fusing manner ■ Language use that is imprecise, with serious and distracting errors ■ Many serious errors in mechanics, sentence syn- tax, and paragraphing Following are examples of scored essays for Top- ics 1 and 2. (There are some deliberate errors in all the essays, so that you can tell how much latitude you have.) TOPIC 1 Pass—Score = 4 Courage and cowardice seem like absolutes. We are often quick to label other people, or ourselves, either “brave” or “timid,”“courageous,” or “cowardly.” How- ever, one bright afternoon on a river deep in the –CBEST PRACTICE EXAM 1– 187 wilds of the Ozark mountains, I learned that these qualities are as changable as mercury. During a cross-country drive, my friend Nina and I decided to stop at a campsite in Missouri and spend the afternoon on a float trip down Big Piney River, 14 miles through the wilderness. We rented a canoe and paddled happily off. Things went fine—for the first seven or eight miles. We gazed at the overhanging bluffs, commented on the wonderful variety of trees (it was spring, and the dogwood was in bloom), and marveled at the clar- ity of the water. Then, in approaching a bend in the river (which we later learned was called “Devil’s Elbow”) the current suddenly swept us in toward the bank, underneath the low-hanging branches of a weeping willow. The canoe tipped over and I was pulled under, my foot caught for just a few seconds on the submerged roots of the willow. Just as I surfaced, taking my first frantic gulp of air, I saw the canoe sweeping out, upright again, but empty, and Nina fran- tically swimming after it. I knew I should help but I was petrified and hung my head in shame as I let my friend brave the treach- erous rapids and haul the canoe back onto the gravel bar, while I stood by cravenly. Then came the scream. Startled, I glanced up to see Nina, both hands over her eyes, dash off the gravel bar and back into the water. I gazed down into the canoe to see, coiled in the bottom of it, the unmis- takeable, black-and-brown, checkerboard-pattered form of a copperhead snake. It had evidently been sunning itself peacefully on the weeping willow branch when we passed by underneath. I don’t know exactly why, but the supposedly inborn terror of snakes is something that has passed me by completely. I actually find them rather charm- ing in a scaly sort of way. Nina was still screaming,“Kill it!” But I was calm in a way that must have seemed smug. “We’re in its home, it’s not in ours,” I informed her. And gently I prodded it with the oar until it reared up, slithered over the side of the canoe, and raced away—terrified, itself—into the underbrush. Later that night, in our cozy, safe motel room, we agreed that we each had cold chills thinking about what might have happened. Still, I learned something important from the ordeal. I know that, had we encountered only the rapids, I might have come away ashamed, labeling myself a coward, and had we encountered only the snake, Nina might have done the same. And I also know that neither of us will ever again be quite so apt to brand another person as lacking courage. Because we will always know that, just around the corner, may be the snake or the bend in the river or the figure in the shadows or something else as yet unanticipated, that will cause our own blood to freeze. Marginal Pass—Score = 3 Courage can be shown in many ways and by many kinds of people. One does not have to be rich, or edu- cated, or even an adult to show true courage. For example, a very heartbreaking thing hap- pened in our family. It turned out all right but at the time it almost made us lose our faith. However, it also taught us a lesson regarding courage. In spite of his father’s and my repeated warnings, my son Matt went ice-fishing with some friends and fell through the ice into the fridgid water beneath. He is prone to do things that are dangerous no matter how many times he’s told. Fortunately there were grown-ups near and they were able to throw him a life line and pull him to safety. However, when they got him onto shore they discovered he was unconsious. There were vital signs but they were weak, the paramedics pronounced him in grave danger. He is his little sisters (Nan’s) hero. He is 16 and she is 13, just at the age where she admires everything –CBEST PRACTICE EXAM 1– 188 . of ages of 110 years. Therefore, J + G = 110. Jerry was one-third as young as his grandfather 15 years ago. Therefore, J – 15 = ᎏ 1 3 ᎏ (G – 15). Solve the first equation for J: J = 110 – G. Now. 36.7. 41. c. The ratio of 105 ,000: 3 is equal to the ratio of x :4,or ᎏ 105 3 ,000 ᎏ = ᎏ 4 x ᎏ ,where x is the population served by four schools. Solve for x by multiplying 4 times 105 ,000 and then. take the square root of both sides to get x = 1.8. Section 3: Essay Writing Following are the criteria for scoring CBEST essays. A “4” essay is a coherent writing sample that addresses the assigned