MS Sample Set 5, Round 15 from NSB
In 1849, bones of a beluga whale were discovered in Vermont buried nearly 10 feet below the surface and over 150 miles from the nearest ocean. During which of the following time frames would the whale most likely have died? W) 6,000 to 7,000 years ago X) 11,000 to 12,000 years ago Y) 17,000 to 18,000 years ago Z) 23,000 to 24,000 years ago
W: W) 6,000 to 7,000 years ago
X: X) 11,000 to 12,000 years ago
Y: Y) 17,000 to 18,000 years ago
Z: Z) 23,000 to 24,000 years ago
Answer: X) X) 11,000 to 12,000 years ago
By name or number, list the following four fossils in chronological order from earliest to most recent according to their first occurrence in geological history: 1) bird; 2) trilobite; 3) dinosaur; 4) eurypterid.
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Which of the following processes could NOT take place in the active site of an enzyme? W) Phosphorylation X) Hydrolysis Y) Dehydration synthesis Z) Glycolysis
W: W) Phosphorylation
X: X) Hydrolysis
Y: Y) Dehydration synthesis
Z: Z) Glycolysis
Answer: Z) Z) Glycolysis
Providing your answer to the nearest integer, what is the heat of fusion, in joules per gram, of water?
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Which of the following seas of the Arctic Ocean has observed the greatest loss of ice since 1990? W) Greenland X) Laptev Y) Labrador Z) Chukchi
W: W) Greenland
X: X) Laptev
Y: Y) Labrador
Z: Z) Chukchi
Answer: Z) Z) Chukchi
Which of the following sets of two locations have the most similar latitudes? W) New York City, New York and London, England X) Tampa, Florida and Kathmandu, Nepal Y) Death Valley, California and Boston, Massachusetts Z) Sydney, Australia and Lima, Peru
W: W) New York City, New York and London, England
X: X) Tampa, Florida and Kathmandu, Nepal
Y: Y) Death Valley, California and Boston, Massachusetts
Z: Z) Sydney, Australia and Lima, Peru
Answer: X) X) Tampa, Florida and Kathmandu, Nepal
Which of the following is the most efficient type of solar cell? W) Multijunction X) Single-junction Y) Crystalline silicon Z) Thin-film
W: W) Multijunction
X: X) Single-junction
Y: Y) Crystalline silicon
Z: Z) Thin-film
Answer: W) W) Multijunction
In which state is the world’s largest onshore wind farm?
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Indicate which of the following is most efficient for water and mineral transport in plants? W) Tracheids X) Sclerids Y) Sieve tube elements Z) Vessel elements
W: W) Tracheids
X: X) Sclerids
Y: Y) Sieve tube elements
Z: Z) Vessel elements
Answer: Z) Z) Vessel elements
What term is used to describe a form of reproduction in which growth and development of embryos occurs without fertilization by the male?
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What is the sum of the interior angles, in degrees, of a regular octadecagon?
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How many different permutations consisting of 3 letters, each ending in the letter T, can be formed from the seven letters of the word MASTERS?
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Which of the following is responsible for speeding up the transmission of action potentials across axons? W) Glia X) Synapse Y) Dendrites Z) Myelin
W: W) Glia
X: X) Synapse
Y: Y) Dendrites
Z: Z) Myelin
Answer: Z) Z) Myelin
A gardener is trying to graft two fruit trees together. Which type of hormone should she use to form callus tissue to connect the plants?
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What is the term for a compound that is often used as an odorant to assist in the detection of natural gas?
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By name or number, identify all of the following four organisms that can live near a cold seep: 1) bacteria; 2) Bathymodiolus; 3) tubeworms; 4) corals.
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Which of the following is NOT an acid-base conjugate pair? W) H3O+ and H2O X) NH4+ and NH3 Y) H2SO4 and OH− Z) H2CO3 and HCO3−
W: W) H3O+ and H2O
X: X) NH4+ and NH3
Y: Y) H2SO4 and OH−
Z: Z) H2CO3 and HCO3−
Answer: Y) Y) H2SO4 and OH−
Using proper chemical nomenclature, indicating the charge of each ion, what is the balanced net ionic equation for the reaction between barium chloride and potassium phosphate?
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Hormones released by the posterior pituitary control numerous emotions, drives, and autonomic functions. In which of the following locations are those hormones actually produced? W) Thalamus X) Hypothalamus Y) Anterior pituitary Z) Amygdaloid body
W: W) Thalamus
X: X) Hypothalamus
Y: Y) Anterior pituitary
Z: Z) Amygdaloid body
Answer: X) X) Hypothalamus
What is the genus name of the leatherback sea turtle?
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What are the coordinates of the x-intercept of the line: $$5y = 4x - 20$$?
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Find the minimum possible value of $$y = |x - 3| - |x - 5|$$, where $$x$$ is a real number.
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Which of the following elements is NOT in group 8 of the periodic table? W) Iron X) Osmium Y) Meitnerium Z) Hassium
W: W) Iron
X: X) Osmium
Y: Y) Meitnerium
Z: Z) Hassium
Answer: Y) Y) Meitnerium
John scores 1.75 standard deviations below the mean on an exam. If the average score is 50, and 42 is exactly one standard deviation below the mean on a normal distribution, then what was John’s score on this exam?
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What product of airplane travel cools Earth’s climate by reflecting incoming solar radiation?
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By name or number, identify all of the following three clay minerals that are important in brick making: 1) kaolinite; 2) illite; 3) montmorillonite.
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Which of the following elements is NOT a lanthanide? W) Europium X) Terbium Y) Thulium Z) Curium
W: W) Europium
X: X) Terbium
Y: Y) Thulium
Z: Z) Curium
Answer: Z) Z) Curium
Which of the following organisms has the highest salinity tolerance? W) Water stargrass X) Horned podweed Y) Hydrilla Z) Wild celery
W: W) Water stargrass
X: X) Horned podweed
Y: Y) Hydrilla
Z: Z) Wild celery
Answer: X) X) Horned podweed
Which of the following is the longest snake alive today? W) Burmese python X) Reticulated python Y) Yellow anaconda Z) Green anaconda
W: W) Burmese python
X: X) Reticulated python
Y: Y) Yellow anaconda
Z: Z) Green anaconda
Answer: X) X) Reticulated python
Nitrate, carbonate, or sulfate may be used as exogenous electron acceptors in which energy-creating process?
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Which of the following ocean layers receives the least amount of natural light? W) Epipelagic X) Bathypelagic Y) Hadal Zone Z) Mesopelagic
W: W) Epipelagic
X: X) Bathypelagic
Y: Y) Hadal Zone
Z: Z) Mesopelagic
Answer: Y) Y) Hadal Zone
What is the common name of the only mammal to have large keratin scales covering its skin?
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What is the largest possible radius, in units, of a circle contained in the interior of the ellipse $$4x^2 + 9y^2 = 36$$?
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For what positive integers $$a$$ is it true that $$a - 7$$ divides $$a$$?
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A bob of mass $$m$$ is attached to a string, forming a pendulum. If the bob is replaced with one of mass $$4m$$, what effect does it have on the period of the pendulum? W) It quarters the period X) It halves the period Y) There is no effect on the period Z) It doubles the period
W: W) It quarters the period
X: X) It halves the period
Y: Y) There is no effect on the period
Z: Z) It doubles the period
Answer: Y) Y) There is no effect on the period
How much energy, in joules, is used by a football player if he pushes a blocking sled for two minutes while generating 40 watts of power?
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Photosynthesis has both light and dark reactions. Which of the following occurs without the presence of light? W) Water is split to produce oxygen X) Carbon dioxide is transformed to sugar Y) NADP+ is converted to NADPH Z) ADP is converted to ATP
W: W) Water is split to produce oxygen
X: X) Carbon dioxide is transformed to sugar
Y: Y) NADP+ is converted to NADPH
Z: Z) ADP is converted to ATP
Answer: X) X) Carbon dioxide is transformed to sugar
Cholesterol is responsible for altering membrane fluidity. In which of the following conditions would the presence of cholesterol have the greatest effect on the fluidity of the cell membrane? W) When cholesterol levels increase and the membrane is at a low temperature X) When cholesterol levels increase and the membrane is at a moderate temperature Y) When cholesterol levels decrease and the membrane is at a low temperature Z) Cholesterol has the same effect, regardless of the temperature
W: W) When cholesterol levels increase and the membrane is at a low temperature
X: X) When cholesterol levels increase and the membrane is at a moderate temperature
Y: Y) When cholesterol levels decrease and the membrane is at a low temperature
Z: Z) Cholesterol has the same effect, regardless of the temperature
Answer: W) W) When cholesterol levels increase and the membrane is at a low temperature
A reaction is currently at equilibrium. Which of the following will NOT happen when a catalyst is added to the reaction? W) The forward reaction will proceed at a faster rate X) The reverse reaction will proceed at a faster rate Y) The rate constant will change Z) The equilibrium constant will change
W: W) The forward reaction will proceed at a faster rate
X: X) The reverse reaction will proceed at a faster rate
Y: Y) The rate constant will change
Z: Z) The equilibrium constant will change
Answer: Z) Z) The equilibrium constant will change
Based on a typical soil profile, what soil horizon is primarily composed of organic matter?
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Lighter gases diffuse more quickly than heavier gases. Mathematically, this is expressed by which of the following laws? W) Avogadro’s X) Boyle’s Y) Graham’s Z) Charles’s
W: W) Avogadro’s
X: X) Boyle’s
Y: Y) Graham’s
Z: Z) Charles’s
Answer: Y) Y) Graham’s
What is the name of a high-frequency air core transformer that can take the output of a 120-volt AC to several kilovolt transformer and driver circuit, and step it up to hundreds of kilovolts?
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The salinity of ocean water is often determined from its conductivity, measured against the conductivity of which of the following substances dissolved in water? W) Potassium chloride X) Sodium chloride Y) Sodium sulfate Z) Magnesium sulfate
W: W) Potassium chloride
X: X) Sodium chloride
Y: Y) Sodium sulfate
Z: Z) Magnesium sulfate
Answer: W) W) Potassium chloride
What are the three primary ions that contribute to seawater’s salinity?
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A one-story building has floor dimensions of 400 feet by 100 feet. If a square patio with sides of 28 feet occupies the center of the building, which of the following is the area in square feet that remains for offices? W) 36,216 X) 37,216 Y) 38,216 Z) 39,216
W: W) 36,216
X: X) 37,216
Y: Y) 38,216
Z: Z) 39,216
Answer: Z) Z) 39,216
What are the coordinates of the foci of the hyperbola $$\frac{(x - 3)^2}{64} - \frac{(y + 2)^2}{36} = 1$$?
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Which of the following processes could be used to control fission reactions in a nuclear power plant? W) Cooling the fuel rods with water X) Placing gallium control rods between the fuel rods to absorb neutrons Y) Placing cadmium control rods between the fuel rods to absorb neutrons Z) Placing uranium-235 control rods between the fuel rods to absorb neutrons
W: W) Cooling the fuel rods with water
X: X) Placing gallium control rods between the fuel rods to absorb neutrons
Y: Y) Placing cadmium control rods between the fuel rods to absorb neutrons
Z: Z) Placing uranium-235 control rods between the fuel rods to absorb neutrons
Answer: Y) Y) Placing cadmium control rods between the fuel rods to absorb neutrons
In the formation of lightning, what is the term for a channel of positively charged air, originating from ground-connected objects, which responds to a strong electric field by reaching out to the clouds?
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What quadrant is not passed through by the line $$5x + 3y = 15$$?
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The linear function $$f(x)$$ contains the points $$(-1, 7)$$ and $$(4, 3)$$. What is $$f(10)$$ in simplest form?
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