Monday Mail-Bag: Advice on Big Picture Issues That Impact GMAT Test Takers…This series of emails and PMs focuses on situations that many Test Takers face during their studies. The names of the original posters have been changed to protect their identities.
‘Re-writing’ DS Questions Can Provide the Key to Solving ThemHi Rich,
I’ve having trouble understanding certain coordinate geometry questions. How am I supposed to solve these types of questions?
A line is graphed on a coordinate plane. How many times less is the distance between the y-intercept and the x-axis than the distance between the x-intercept and the y-axis?
1.The slope of the line is -9/13.
2.The y-intercept is located at (0, 26).
Wilhelm
Hi Wilhelm,
This DS question looks far more complex than it is. The "secret" behind it is in understanding what the question is "really" asking you to figure out.
Here, we're asked how many times less is (the distance from the y-intercept to the x-axis) and (the distance from the x-intercept to the y-axis)?
These two calculations can be rewritten as (distance from y-intercept to point 0,0) and (distance from x-intercept to point 0,0)….
Conceptually, this relationship is referred to as "change in Y over change in X", otherwise known as SLOPE.
This DS question is asking what the slope of the line is…
Fact 1: Slope of the line is -9/13
This answers the question.
Fact 1 is SUFFICIENT
Fact 2: The Y-intercept is (0,26)
Without the X-intercept, we have no way of figuring out the slope.
Fact 2 is INSUFFICIENT
Final Answer: A
Free ‘Math’ Help OnlineDear Rich,
I am 37 years old and have not taken a math class in almost 20 years. Needless to say I am having trouble answering many problems from the
OG. Geometry, Algebra, fractions, decimals are all gone, lost somewhere in the back of my mind. Please advise what books, websites, etc. I need to use to improve in math.
Xerxes
Hi Xerxes,
If you're primarily interested in straight-forward "math help", then I'd suggest that you visit Khan Academy (
https://www.khanacademy.org). It's a big website, so you'll have to search around for what you're looking for, but it's very friendly and FREE. The first subjects you'll probably want to revisit are algebra 1, arithmetic and geometry. Afterwards, you can nitpick for whatever additional categories you'd like to get some practice on.
Fill-in-the-blank Inference CR QuestionsRich,
I’m having trouble with type of fill in CR questions. What’s the best way to answer them?
When people engage in activities that help others, their brain releases endorphins, the brain’s natural opiates, which induce in people a feeling of well-being. It has been suggested that regular release of endorphins increases people’s longevity.
And a statistic on adults who regularly engage in volunteer work helping others shows that they live longer, on average, than adults who do not volunteer. However, that statistic would be what we would expect even if volunteering does not boost longevity, because ________________________
Which of the following most logically completes the argument?
A. In the communities studied, women were much more likely to do regular volunteer work than men were, and women tend to live longer than men do.
B. The number of young adults who do regular volunteer work is on the increase
C. The feelings of well-being induced by endorphins can, at least for a time, mask the symptoms of various conditions and diseases, provided the symptoms are mild.
D. It is rare for a person to keep up a regular schedule of volunteer work throughout his or her life.
E. Some people find that keeping a commitment to do regular volunteer work becomes a source of stress in their lives.
Yayo
Hi Yayo,
This CR question is an example of a "fill in the blank" inference question. After reading through the prompt, you'll need to pick the answer that matches the given information and logically completes the last sentence.
The Facts:
-When people who help others, their brains release endorphins.
-The regular release of Endorphins has been linked to increased longevity (the length of their lives)
-Statistics show that people who regularly engage in volunteer work live longer than those who do not volunteer.
-HOWEVER, people who regularly volunteer would be expected to live longer BECAUSE….
The keyword "however" implies some type of contrast and the keyword "because" is used to present evidence. So we need an answer that explains why people who volunteer would probably live longer anyway (and that it's not the volunteering/endorphins that are lengthening their lives).
The only answer that describes the given subject and offers another reason for living longer is A.
GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich