October Meetings

Wednesday October 15, 2008
Grade 11 Class of 2010 1st period 7:50
Class of 2009 12:15


We'll be meeting first period in the cafeteria with the 11th graders--checking out Princeton Review's highly graphic "Road Map to College" handout and ramping students up for daily PSAT/SAT training that will be complemented by weekly check-ins with a tutor from our program. It's shaping up for us to have a great ratio of mentors to students in this group so that there will be a lot of opportunity for individual consultation.

With the seniors during 5th period, we'll be meeting in the library so that we can go online with them to set up accounts for the common application and individual colleges and to make a master list/calendar of all the deadlines that are coming up for testing and admission. We will want to revisit the topic of "time management" again--as students are juggling school work, after school activities, and jobs--as well as their daunting--and all too easy to procrastinate on--college planning duties...

SAT ? of the Day 10/13/08

Sunday's answer:
Correct Answer: E

Here's Why:
If a formula gives the nth term of the sequence for all positive integers n, it must give the nth term of the sequence for n = 1, 2, 3, and 4. If n = 1, then 2n = 2 and n2 + 1 = 2, but the first term of the sequence is 3, so the general formula cannot be 2n or n2 + 1. Also, if n = 3, then 2n + 1 = 7 and 3n = 9, but the third term of the sequence is 11, so the general formula cannot be 2n + 1 or 3n. However, for n = 1, 2, 3, and 4, the values of n2 + 2 are 3, 6, 11, and 18, respectively. Therefore, the general formula for this sequence could be n2 + 2.

Difficulty: Medium
Question Type: Standard Multiple Choice
(Mathematics)

Today's ?

The following sentence contains either a single error or no error at all. If the sentence contains an error, select the one underlined part that must be changed to make the sentence correct. If the sentence contains no error, select choice E.

From its modest beginnings	as	a series of brief
	A

vignettes to	its establishment as	the
	B

longest-running prime-time animated series on

television, The Simpsons	transformed	the way
	C

both the	audiences and television programmers
D

view the animated sitcom.	No error
	E

1. (A)


2. (B)


3. (C)


4. (D)


5. (E)

SAT ? of the Day 10/12/08

Friday's answer: (D)
Here's Why:
The jellyfish is presented as seeming the opposite of harmful. Only “harmless” fits the logic required by “but.”

Difficulty: Easy
Question Type: Sentence Completions
(Critical Reading)

Today's ?:

Read the following SAT test question, then click on a button to select your answer.

3, 6, 11, 18, ...

The first four terms of a sequence are shown above. Which of the following could be the formula that gives the nth term of this sequence for all positive
integers n?

1. 2n


2. 2n + 1


3. 3n


4. n² + 1


5. n² + 2

SAT ? of the Day 10/10/08

Yesterday's Answer:

The error in this sentence occurs at (C), where there is a missing relative pronoun. The relative pronoun “that” should be used (“that surrounds”) to introduce the information about “the icy continent.”

Question Type: Identifying Sentence Errors
(Writing)

Today's ?

Choose the word or set of words that, when inserted in the sentence, best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.

The jellyfish’s slow pulsing action propels it in a graceful, seemingly ------- drift, but its tentacles contain a poison potent enough to stun a swimming human.

1. sinister


2. rhythmic


3. murky


4. harmless


5. patient

SAT ? of the Day 10/9/08

Yesterday's answer (B)
To be firmly convinced of something, whether it is true or not, is to be certain, or to possess “certitude.”

Difficulty: Medium
Question Type: Sentence Completions
(Critical Reading)

Today's ?

The following sentence contains either a single error or no error at all. If the sentence contains an error, select the one underlined part that must be changed to make the sentence correct. If the sentence contains no error, select choice E.

Larger	in area	than Europe,	the icy
	A	B

continent	surrounds	the South Pole
	C

is called	Antarctica.	No error
D		E

1. (A)


2. (B)


3. (C)


4. (D)


5. (E)

SAT ? of the Day 10/8/08

Yesterday's Answer
Correct Answer: A

Here's Why:
In order to find the value of x, you should first determine the measure of the angle that is located at point O in the right triangle. To determine this angle, you must calculate what fraction of the circle’s area is unshaded. The radius r of the circle is 5 and its area isr2, or 25. The area of the shaded region is 20, so the area of the unshaded region must be 5. Therefore, the fraction of the circle’s area that is unshaded is
, or . A circle contains a total of 360 degrees of arc, which means that of 360 degrees, or 72 degrees, is the measure of the angle at point O in the unshaded region. Since you now know that two of the three angles in the triangle measure 72 degrees and 90 degrees and that the sum of the measures of the three angles is always 180 degrees, the third angle must measure 18 degrees. Therefore, x = 18.

Difficulty: Hard
Question Type: Standard Multiple Choice
(Mathematics)
Today's ?

Choose the word or set of words that, when inserted in the sentence, best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.

The test of truth is not ------- , for we have often felt firmly convinced of many things that were not so.

1. implication


2. certitude


3. originality


4. impartiality


5. moderation

SAT ? of the Day 10/7/08

Yesterday's answer:
Choice (D) is correct. It avoids the errors of the original by eliminating the extra subject, "each," and by avoiding subject-verb disagreement.

Question Type: Improving Sentences
(Writing)
Today's ?

Read the following SAT test question, then click on a button to select your answer.

Note: Figure not drawn to scale.

The circle shown above has center O and a radius of length 5. If the area of the shaded region is 20, what is the value of x?

1. 18


2. 36


3. 45


4. 54


5. 72

Hint
You can figure out the area of the whole circle, since you know that the radius is 5. From the area of the whole circle and the area of the shaded part, it is possible to find the measure of the angle that has its vertex at point O and is in the right triangle. Once you find that angle measure, you can find the value of x.