Session 2

Learning Objectives
After this lesson, you will be able to:

• Identify keywords that promote active reading

• Create short, accurate margin notes

• Summarize the big picture of the passage

p. 158
Prepare
Learning to recognize structural keywords will help you read for the outline
of a passage and avoid getting bogged down in details.

Type of Keyword Examples

fortunately, disappointing, I suggest, it seems likely

Opinion and Emphasis
especially, crucial, important, above all
moreover, in addition, also, further
Connection and Contrast but, yet, despite, on the other hand

thus, therefore, because

Evidence and Example
for example, this shows, to illustrate

Jordan is planning to attend College X because he got a high SAT score.

Jordan is planning to attend College X even though he got a high SAT score. p. 158
Reading Passage
Passage 1
Questions 1-5 refer to the following passage.
The following passage is adapted from “America’s
Health Crisis and the Easterlin Paradox” by Jeffrey
D. Sachs. It first appeared as chapter 7 of the United
Nations World Happiness Report 2018.
In 2011, the United Nations invited member
countries to begin collecting data that could
be used to inform public-policy decisions. For
example, after a country instituted a national
(5) health plan, social support program, or other
legislation that would affect most of its citizens,
the impact of the new program on the happiness
of the nation's population could be evaluated.
The first United Nations World Happiness Report
(10) was issued in 2012, and it provided data on the
happiness of the citizens in almost every
country of the world.
How can human happiness be measured?
The researchers who prepare the UN report
(15) ask respondents to imagine a ladder, and to
choose the step on the ladder that best
matches their current lives. The best possible
life for them scores 10, and the worst possible
life for them scores 0. These self-reported data
(20) are then correlated with several other factors,
such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP),
healthy life expectancy, social support,
freedom to make choices, and perceptions of
corruption.
p. 159
Reading Passage
Passage 1
(25) Each of the annual reports released
provides a trove of data, and one of the most
interesting findings is the Easterlin paradox.
Most would think that people in more
wealthy countries would be happier, but this
(30) has not been the case. Richard Easterlin
suggests that a certain level of economic
development is necessary to eliminate
poverty, hunger, and disease. However, once
basic needs are met, Easterlin believes that
(35) incremental gains in economic measures do
not deliver equal gains in citizen happiness.
From the first report issued in 2012 until
today, data in the UN World Happiness
Report support his view. Per capita economic
(40) measures such as Gross National Product
(GNP), GDP, and income are not reliable
predictors of national happiness.
The implications for the developed
nations of the world are clear. Rather than
(45) continuing to pursue increasing wealth,
public policies should be directed to
improving conditions that contribute to
happiness. John Helliwell has identified
five major variables other than per capita
(50) income that help to account for cross-
country happiness. These are population
health, the strength of social support
networks, personal freedom, social trust,
and generosity. For example, the United
(55) States, perhaps the most dramatic case of
the Easterlin paradox, suffers from several
health crises. If public policies were directed
p. 159
Reading Passage
Passage 1

to improve the health of Americans by

addressing obesity, substance abuse, and
(60) depression, there could be significant
improvement in national happiness.

Happiness is such an easily understood,

universal human need that the founders of
the United States included it in the
(65) Declaration of Independence. It is time for
the United States, and other wealthy
countries, to use some measure of the
happiness of the population, not just an
economic indicator, to evaluate national
(70) progress and development.

p. 159
Reading Questions
Question 1

1. The primary purpose of the passage is to

(A) analyze the effectiveness of a statistical report.

(B) argue for the implementation of strategies to

advance a new goal.

(C) criticize the method used to collect the data

for a study.

(D) compare the differing results from several

research projects.

p. 159
Reading Questions
Question 2

2. What does the author suggest about the "Easterlin

paradox”?

(A) Data from the UN World Happiness Reports

indicate it may be flawed.

(B) Studies have continued to verify its validity.

(C) The later research of John Helliwell criticized

and corrected it.

(D) The United States was the first country where

it was identified.

p. 160
Reading Questions
Question 3

3. Which choice provides the best evidence for the

answer to the previous question?

(A) Lines 28–30 ("Most . . . case“)

(B) Lines 33–36 ("However . . . happiness")

(C) Lines 37–39 ("From . . . view")

(D) Lines 48–51 ("John Helliwell . . . happiness")

p. 160
Reading Questions
Question 4

4. According to Helliwell, which of the following

variables contributes to improved happiness?

(A) A national health plan

(B) Frayed social support networks

(C) Excessive wealth

(D) Personal freedom

p. 160
Reading Questions
Question 5

5. The main purpose of the final paragraph is to

(A) illustrate the importance of a historical

document.

(B) provide support for gathering additional

economic data.

(C) recommend the inclusion of a new indicator in

evaluating national progress.

(D) promote the development of new standards for

measuring happiness.

p. 160
Reading Passage
Passage 2

Questions 6-10 refer to the following passage.

This passage is adapted from an article on advances in

wastewater treatment technologies published in a
journal on water quality and safety.

Modern wastewater treatment plants
use a variety of technologies to make sure
that the water supply is safe. This important
task can be distilled into four main parts:
(5) 1) kill pathogens, 2) reduce organic material,
3) remove nitrogen and phosphorus, and 4)
remove toxic waste. Achieving each of these
four goals requires different chemical and
natural processes to work together. In
(10) addition, new technologies promise to make
it more economical to reach these goals.
(15) One long-standing technology still used
today is sand filtration. This process reduces
the concentration of protozoa in the water,
and when combined with settlement, it leads
to bacteria and virus death as well. A second
(20) important approach to pathogen removal is
disinfection. Wastewater treatment facilities
are testing promising, environmentally friendly
approaches such as advanced oxidation
processes using UV radiation and hydrogen
(25) peroxide.

The task of killing pathogens, including

viruses, bacteria, and protozoa, is
p. 161
necessary to prevent the spread of disease.
Reading Passage
Passage 2

Although most of the bacteria need

be removed, some bacteria are useful for the
treatment process. The activated sludge
(45) filter with bacteria where the oxygen is
process uses bacteria and protozoa to reduce
metabolized, and the resultant nitrogen gas
(30) the organic matter in the wastewater. First,
is trapped by the filter media. Solid phosphorus
oxygen is directly injected into the wastewater;
and dissolved phosphorus can also be filtered
then aerobic micro organisms, which can
out. Dissolved phosphorus just requires the
digest organic matter, are added to the mixture.
(50) extra step of adding a metal salt to the water
Finally, the micro-organisms clump together
to turn the phosphorus into a precipitate
(35) and settle to the bottom of the tank, while
before filtering.
the treated water rises to the surface.
Toxic waste comes from many different
The bacteria from the activated sludge
locations: factories, farms, automotive garages,
help to remove excess phosphorus and
(55) hospitals, laboratories, and other facilities.
excess nitrogen, from sources like farm
The wastewater from these locations often
(40) runoff and fertilizer, through the
contains solids, oil, bacteria, and other
nitrification/denitrification process. During
substances that must be removed before the
nitrification/denitrification, ammonia is first
oxidized into nitrates by the bacteria. The
nitrate-rich water is then passed through a
p. 161
Reading Passage
Passage 2
water is released into the environment.
(60) Specifically, the removal of oil requires
lowering the pH of the wastewater; this frees
the oil from its emulsion so that it can be
skimmed from the surface. Environmental
regulations require that industrial wastewater
(65) be sent to wastewater treatment plants
equipped to handle these procedures, which
is why many large industrial facilities, like
oil refineries and chemical plants, choose
to capture, process, and reuse their wastewater.
(70) The move toward efficiency and economy
in wastewater treatment has led to some
interesting advancements. One example is
the microbial fuel cell (MFC). While the
bacteria break down the organic matter in
(75) the wastewater, the MFC collects the electrons
that the bacteria release and stores the energy
as electricity. Using the stored electricity
reduces the amount of electricity required
to power the system, and optimizing the
(80) environment for the bacteria to consume
organic material reduces the amount of
activated sludge needed to treat the water.
Another innovative wastewater treatment
technology is the Membrane Aerated Biofilm
(85) Reactor (MABR), which could theoretically
result in 95% energy savings and 50% reduction
in sludge. Instead of the energy-consuming
process of forcing air into the sludge, the
MABR system passively circulates oxygen.
(90) The system is also able to perform
nitrification/denitrification in a single step,
unlike the current two-step process. As the
p. 161
Reading Passage
Passage 2

need for safe, treated wastewater only

continues to increase in the future, it will be
(95) important for these new technologies to be
refined and implemented on a large scale.

p. 161
Reading Questions
Question 6

6. The main purpose of the passage is to

(A) promote the use of new technology to improve

the energy efficiency of the wastewater
treatment process.

(B) give details about several steps in the wastewater

treatment process.

(C) show how the activated sludge process is

helpful in multiple aspects of the wastewater
treatment process.

(D) provide a step-by-step overview of the wastewater

treatment process from start to finish.

p. 161
Reading Questions
Question 7

7. According to the passage, which of the following steps

occurs during the nitrification/denitrification process?

(A) Sand filtration is used to filter out the excess

nitrogen.

(B) Oxygen is directly injected into the

wastewater.

(C) Bacteria turn ammonia into nitrates.

(D) The pH of the water is lowered.

p. 161
Reading Questions
Question 8

8. Which choice provides the best evidence for the

answer to the previous question?

(A) Lines 15–16 (“One long-standing . . .

filtration”)

(B) Lines 30–33 (“First, oxygen . . . mixture”)

(C) Lines 41–43 (“During nitrification . . .

bacteria”)

(D) Lines 60–63 ("Specifically, . . . surface”)

p. 161
Reading Questions
Question 9

9. According to the passage, environmental regula-

tions regarding toxic waste have motivated some
industrial facilities to

(A) treat and reuse their own wastewater.

(B) use water with a lower pH.

(C) skim toxins from the surface of the water.

(D) refuse to accept wastewater from certain

locations.

p. 161
Reading Questions
Question 10

10. The central idea of the final paragraph is to

(A) argue for an immediate switch to newer

wastewater treatment technology.

(B) provide options for reducing the amount of

activated sludge needed for wastewater
treatment.

(C) highlight the energy-saving potential of MFCs.

(D) explain wastewater treatment technologies that

might be used more widely in the future.

p. 161
Learning Objective
After this lesson, you will be able to:

• Translate word problems into equations

p. 24
Word Problems

English Math

equals, is, equivalent to, was, will be, has, costs,

=
adds up to, the same as, as much as

times, of, multiplied by, product of, twice, double ×

divided by, out of, ratio ÷

plus, more than, added to, sum, combined,

+
increased by

minus, subtracted from, smaller than, less than,

fewer, decreased by, difference between, –
discount

a number, how much, how many, what x, n, etc.

p. 24
Translation Exercises
Translate into math:

• 5x is 6 more than 12y

• After a 20% discount, an item costs $12.

• The number of apples is 4 less than twice the number of pears.

p. 24
Question 1
Question 1

1. Jimena is ordering parts for her car from an Internet auto supply site. The site does not
charge to ship the first 3 parts, but it charges $0.55 to ship each part thereafter. If Jimena
expects to purchase p parts, where p is greater than 3, which of the following expressions
represents the shipping charges Jimena will have to pay?

(A) 0.55p

(B) 0.55(p – 3)

(C) 0.55(p + 3)

(D) 0.55p – 3

p. 25
Question 2
Question 2

2. Scott estimates his weekly car expenses using the expression 2.85mg + 18, where m is the
number of miles he expects to drive this week, and g is the number of gallons of gas that his car
uses to travel 1 mile. Which of the following terms in the expression will change if the price per
gallon of gas increases?

(A) 2.85

(B) m

(C) g

(D) 18

p. 25
Question 3
Question 3

3. Two veterinarians are trying to help clients manage the medical expenses of their pets by
providing two different types of prepaid pet care. The first provides an annual package that costs
$245 for one year with an unlimited number of office visits. The second veterinarian charges a
$75 enrollment fee, includes two free office visits, and then charges an additional $85 per office
visit after the first two. How many office visits would a pet owner have to make to the second
veterinarian to pay the same cost as the first veterinarian’s annual plan?

(A) 2

(B) 3

(C) 4

(D) 5

p. 25
Question 4
Question 4

4. Lubna has a small business making and selling jewelry. She makes two types of jewelry:
beaded and silver. She sells her beaded pieces at a beading show for $12.50 each, and her
silver pieces at a silver show for $14 each. She pays $80 for her booth at the beading show
and $125 for her booth at the silver show. Lubna’s profit is her total sales minus her expenses
for the booths. If Lubna sold an equal number of beaded and silver pieces of jewelry, and
made the same profit from each type of jewelry, how many total pieces of jewelry did Lubna make?

p. 25
Learning Objectives
After this lesson, you will be able to:

• Calculate the slope of a line given two points

• Write the equation of a line in slope-intercept form

• Discern whether the slope of a line is positive, negative, zero, or undefined based
on its graph

• Describe the slopes of parallel and perpendicular lines

p. 26
Slope
The Slope-Intercept Form of a Line

p.26
Slope Intercept
The Slope-Intercept Form of a Line

p.26
Question 1
Question 1

1. What is the equation of the line that passes through the points (–3, 6) and (2, 1) ?

(A) y = –x – 3

(B) y = –x + 3

(C) y=x–3

(D) y=x+3

p.27
Question 2
Question 2
æ3 ö æ1 ö
2. Line A passes through the coordinate points ç ,-2÷ and ç ,0÷ .
è4 ø è4 ø
Which of the following lines will line A never intersect?

(A) 10 (C) 10

-10 10 -10 10

-10 -10

(B) 10 (D) 10

-10 10 -10 10

p.27
-10 -10
Question 3
Question 3

3.

2
(A) y = - x-2
3

2
(B) y = - x+2
3

3
(C) y= x-2
2

2
(D) y= x+2
3

p.28
Question 4
Question 4

4. An orchard charges a flat fee for admission to pick apples, plus an additional charge for
each pound of apples picked. The graph shows the relationship between the weight of
the apples and the total cost charged by the orchard. Based on the graph, how much
would it cost, in dollars, to be admitted to the orchard and purchase 18 pounds of
apples?

(A) $8.00

(B) $17.50

(C) $25.00

(D) $35.50

p.28
Learning Objectives
After this lesson, you will be able to:

• Solve systems of linear equations by substitution

• Solve systems of linear equations by combination

p.34
Systems Of Linear Equations
To solve a system of two linear equations by substitution:

• Isolate a variable (ideally, one whose coefficient is 1) in one of the equations.

• Substitute the result into the other equation.

p.34
Question 1
Question 1

1. If (a, b) is a solution to the system of equations, then what is the value of b ?

ì 2a + 3b + 6 = 11a
í
ïî 3a + b = 7

(A) 1

3
(B)
2

(C) 5
2

(D) 4

p.35
Question 2
Question 2

2. Aleya is selling tickets to a family fun park. The park sells child tickets for $8 and adult tickets
for $12 each. If Aleya sold 136 tickets for a total of $1400, how many adult tickets did she sell?

(A) 48

(B) 58

(C) 78

(D) 88

p.35
Systems Of Linear Equations
To solve a system of two linear equations by combination:

• Make sure that the coefficients for one variable have the same absolute
value.

• Add or subtract the equations as appropriate to eliminate one variable.

p.34
Question 3
Question 3

3.

(A) –25

(B) –9

(C) 9

(D) 25

p.35
Question 4
Question 4

4. An equipment manager for a sports team is purchasing pads and guards. The pads cost
$15 each and the guards cost $6 each. The manager can only purchase as many items as
she has storage cubicles. If the manager spends $207 and has 18 storage cubicles, how
many pads can she buy?

(A) 7

(B) 9

(C) 11

(D) 13

p.35
Learning Objective
After this lesson, you will be able to:

• Determine the number of possible solutions for a system of equations,

if any

p.36
Number of Possible Solutions
A system of two linear equations can have:

• No solution, if the lines are parallel

• One solution, if the lines intersect

• Infinitely many solutions, if both equations describe the same line

No Solution One Solution Infinitely Many Solutions

p.36
Question 1
Question 1

1. The system of equations has one solution. What is the value of x ?

ì y + 5 = 3x
í
îx = y - 3

p.37
Question 2
Question 2

2. If the system of equations has an infinite number of solutions, what is the value of k ?
ì k = 3x - 4 y
ï
í 3
ïî y = x+4
4

(A) –16

(B) –4

(C) 12

(D) 16

p.37
Question 3
Question 3

3. If the graphs of the lines in the system of equations intersect at (4, 19), what is the value of
h + 2k ?
ì y = hx - 1
í
î y = kx + 7
(A) 3

(B) 5

(C) 11

(D) 13

p.37
Question 4
Question 4

4. How many solutions are there to the system of equations shown?

ìï y = 4x + 3
í
12x = 3( y - 1)
îï

(A) Zero

(B) One

(C) Two

(D) Infinitely many

p.37