WHY WAS A COIN PRODUCED IN 1828 WITH ONLY TWELVE STARS

35. Why was a coin produced in 1828 with only twelve stars?

A. There were twelve states at the time.

B. There was a change in design policy.

C. Tennessee had left the Union.

D. The mint made a mistake.

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate

the correct answer to each of the questions from 36. to 42

Learning does not just mean studying from a textbook and copying it down come test time — it refers

to drawing meaning from your work and seeing how it’s important and connected to a broader concept

or idea.

Though for many students “learning” may consist of memorizing formulas, dates, and facts, they often

miss the bigger picture. If you spend all of your efforts on memorizing and none of your efforts on

understanding what you are actually doing, by the time the next test rolls around, the information

stored in your short term memory may be completely forgotten.

As an example, take two students, Julie and Brian. Both students are in high school, getting ready for

an upcoming mathematics test. Julie memorizes the way that you solve each problem, all of the

formulas, and knows exactly what steps she needs to do to solve any of the example questions. Brian

also memorizes the formulas but concentrates on the why — and understands why the examples are

done the way

that

they are, comprehending the methods and connecting any relevant prior knowledge

to each question at hand. Both might

ace

the test, but come exam time, Julie will have to memorize the

concepts all over again — and one slight

twist

in the question may throw her off. Brian, however,

understanding the concepts behind his steps, will be much better off come any challenging question,

and practicing questions will come more naturally to him.

That being said, not all students must be categorized into being a Julie or a Brian — instead, they may

fit in between the two. The important take-away is understanding how important asking “why?” really

is. In the midst of stress or a heavy workload, this question is often forgotten — yet it is the key to

lifelong learning. Practicing the art of asking “why” not only enriches one’s curiosity, but it feeds your

desire to learn beyond the textbook.

(Adapted from https://medium.com/)