ACCORDING TO THE PASSAGE, INTEREST AMONG PHOTOGRAPHERS INABOUT NUMB...

8. According to the passage, interest among photographers inabout numbers and figures are used in the quantitative section.each of photography’s two ideals can best be described asNumbers and Units of Measurement(A) rapidly changingAll numbers used are real numbers.(B) cyclically recurringNumbers are to be used as exact numbers, even though in(C) steadily growingsome contexts they are likely to have been rounded. For ex-(D) unimportant to the viewers of photographsample, if a question states that “30 percent of the company’s(E) unrelated to changes in technologyprofit was from health products,” then 30% is to be used as anexact percent; it is not to be used as a rounded number obtainedThis question requires one to look for comments in the passagefrom, say, 29% or 30.1%.about the nature of photographers’ interest in the two ideals of pho-An integer that is given as the number of objects in a real-lifetography. While the whole passage is, in a sense, about the responseor pure-math setting is to be taken as the total number of theseof photographers to these ideals, there are elements in the passageobjects. For example, if a question states that “a bag containsthat comment specifically on this issue. Lines 20-22 tell us that the50 marbles, and 23 of the marbles are red,” then 50 is to betwo ideals alternate in terms of their perceived relevance and value,taken as the total number of marbles in the bag and 23 is to bethat each ideal has periods of popularity and of neglect. These linestaken as the total number of red marbles in the bag, so that thesupport (B). Lines 23-25 tell us that the two ideals affect attitudesother 27 marbles are not red.toward “photography’s means,” that is, the technology of the cam-Questions may involve units of measurement such as Englishera; (E), therefore, cannot be the best answer. In lines 46-49, atti-units or metric units. If an answer to a question requires con-tudes toward photographic means (which result from the two ideals)verting one unit of measurement to another, then the relation-are said to alternate over time; these lines provide further supportship between the units is provided, unless the relationship is afor (B). (A) can be eliminated because, although the passage tells uscommon one, such as minutes to hours, or centimeters tothat the interest of photographers in each of the ideals fluctuatesmeters.over time, it nowhere indicates that this fluctuation or change isFiguresrapid. Nor does the passage say anywhere that interest in these ide-Geometric figures that accompany questions provide infor-als is growing; the passage does state that the powers of the cameramation useful in answering the questions. However, unless aare steadily growing (line 28), but this does not mean that interest innote states that a geometric figure is drawn to scale, you shouldthe two ideals is growing. Thus (C) can be eliminated. (D) can besolve these problems not by estimating sizes by sight or byeliminated because the passage nowhere states that reactions to themeasurement, but by reasoning about geometry.ideals are either important or unimportant to viewers’ concerns.Geometric figures consist of points, lines (or line segments),Thus (B) is the best answer.curves (such as circles), angles, regions, etc., and labels thatidentify these objects or their sizes. (Note that geometric fig-ures may appear somewhat jagged on a computer screen.)Geometric figures are assumed to lie in a plane unless other-wise indicated.Points are indicated by a dot, a label, or the intersection oftwo or more lines or curves.Points on a line or curve are assumed to be in the ordershown; points that are on opposite sides of a line or curve areassumed to be oriented as shown.ARITHMETICLines shown as straight are assumed to be straight (thoughthey may look jagged on a computer screen). When curves areQuestions that test arithmetic include those involving theshown, they are assumed to be not straight.following topics: arithmetic operations (addition, subtraction,Angle measures are assumed to be positive and less than ormultiplication, division, and powers) on real numbers, opera-equal to 360 degrees.tions on radical expressions, the number line, estimation, per-To illustrate some of these conventions, consider the follow-cent, absolute value, properties of integers (for example, divis-ing geometric figures.ibility, factoring, prime numbers, and odd and even integers).

B

S

Some facts about arithmetic that may be helpful

10

T

For any two numbers on the number line, the number on the left

F

E

R

35

C

is less than the number on the right; for example, 4 is to the left of

A

D