CHAPTER 8
A student cuts five pieces of string having the following lengths in inches: 2.9,
9.5, 5.7, 4.2, 7.6 Then the students showed the pieces to another student one at
a time, asking the subject to estimate the length to the nearest tenth of an inch
by eye. The error made by the subject is measured value minus true value and
Question
can be either positive or negative.
What will be the results obtained from the subject, if the subject has a bias of
0.5 inch too long and is perfectly reliable?
A.
3.4, 10.0, 6.2, 4.7, 8.1
Answer B.
3.4, 10.1, 6.3, 4.6, 8.6
C.
2.4, 9.0, 5.2, 3.7, 7.1
You want to measure your resting pulse rate. You count the number of beats in
6 seconds and multiply by 10 to get beats per minute.
Question
Which of the following statements is correct about this method of measuring
pulse rate?
A.
The method produces accurate results.
Answer B.
The method is not highly reliable.
C.
The method is not valid.
Question
Customers returned 36 coats to Sears this holiday season, and only 12 to La
Boutique Classique next door. Sears sold 1200 coats this season, while La
Boutique sold 200.
Which of the following statements is correct with reference to the given
scenario?
A.
Sears’s coat customers were less satisfied than those of La Boutique because
Sears had a higher number of returns.
B.
Answer
Sears’s coat customers were less satisfied than those of La Boutique because
Sears had a higher rate of return.
C.
Sears’s coat customers were more satisfied than those of La Boutique because
Sears had a lower rate of return.
Twice a year, the National Crime Victimization Survey asks a random sample
of about 49,000 households whether they have been victims of crime and, if so,
the details. In all, nearly 100,000 people answer these questions. If other people
in a household are in the room when one person is answering questions, the
Question
measurement of sensitive questions could be seriously biased.
Which of the following statements correctly indicates the result of the survey
for crimes like rape and sexual assault?
A.
The survey will over-report the amount of crimes like rape and sexual assault.
Answer
B.
The survey will underreport the amount of crimes like rape and sexual assault.
C.
The survey will produce almost accurate results for crimes like rape and sexual
assault.
Question
We could measure the extent of unemployment by a count (the number of
people who are unemployed) or by giving a rate (the percentage of the labor
force that is unemployed). The number of people in the labor force grew from
107 million in 1980, to 126 million in 1990, to 143 million in 2000, to 154
million at the end of 2007.
True or false:
The count of unemployed people is not a valid measure of the extent of
unemployment.
True
False
Answer
The law requires that tests given to job applicants must be shown to be directly
job related. The Department of Labor believes that an employment test called
the General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB) is valid for a broad range of jobs.
As in the case of the SAT, the average GATB scores for blacks and Hispanics
Question are lower than the average score for whites. One relevant question is whether
requiring job applicants to take the GATB is needlessly discriminatory.
How would you establish whether the scores on the GATB predict future job
performance?
A.
Answer
Give the GATB to a large number of job applicants for a broad range of jobs.
After some time, rate each applicant’s actual performance by asking their
supervisors to provide objective ratings for their workers. Examine the
relationship between GATB scores and later job ratings.
B.
Give the GATB to a large number of job applicants for a broad range of jobs.
After some time, tell the supervisors about the workers’ GATB score and ask
them to rate the workers. Finally, examine the relationship between GATB
scores and later job ratings.
C.
Give the GATB to a large number of job applicants for a broad range of jobs.
After some time, rate each applicant’s actual performance by asking their
supervisors to provide subjective ratings for their workers. Examine the
relationship between GATB scores and later job ratings.
Question
You want to measure the "physical fitness" of college students. Identfy the
example of a valid way to measure fitness.
A.
Students' height
Answer B.
Distance a student can run in some fixed length of time
C.
Students' weight
Intelligence means something like “general problem-solving ability.” A
researcher used the following questions for measuring the intelligence of a
group of people:
Question
Who wrote “The Star-Spangled Banner"?
Who won the last soccer World Cup?
True or false:
It is not valid to measure intelligence by a test that asks such questions.
Answer
Question
True
False
You are writing an article for a consumer magazine based on a survey that
asked about satisfaction with inexpensive earphones for the iPod. Of 1317
readers who owned the Apple iPod earphones and reported, 237 gave it an
outstanding rating. Only 25 outstanding ratings were given by the 43 readers
who owned Sennheiser sports earphones.
Which of the following is an appropriate variable to measure and compare the
satisfaction of the two earphones?
A.
Count of outstanding ratings
Answer B.
Rate of outstanding ratings
C.
Total number of readers who owned an earphone and reported
Question
A friend tells you, “In the 7:30 a.m. lecture for Statistics, 9 students failed.
However, 20 students failed in the 1:30 p.m. class. The 1:30 p.m. professor is a
tougher grader than the 7:30 a.m. teacher."
Which of the following information will you require to conclude if 1:30 p.m.
professor is a tougher grader than 7:30 a.m. professor?
A.
Class size
Answer B.
Qualification of both professors
C.
Age of both professors
CHAPTER 10
A news article says: "More people were working in America in June than in
Question any month since the end of 1990. If that's not what you thought you read in the
papers last week, don't worry. It isn't. The report that employment plunged in
June, with non-farm payrolls declining by 117,000, helped to persuade the
Federal Reserve to cut interest rates yet again. In reality, however, there were
457,000 more people employed in June than in May."
Identify the reason for the difference between the fact that employment went
up by 457,000 and the official version that employment went down by
117,000.
A.
The official report is adjusted for the employees who are going to be fired
during summer.
Answer B.
The official report is adjusted for the expected seasonal variation due to high
school and college students entering the work force.
C.
The official report does not include the women employed in June.
Question
The 2008 Statistical Abstract of the United States reports FBI data on murders
for 2005. In that year, 50.5% of all murders were committed with handguns,
17.3% with other firearms, 12.8% with knives, 6.0% with a part of the body
(usually the hands or feet), and 4.1% with blunt objects.
Complete the following statement by choosing an appropriate option:
To make a graph to display the given data, you need an “other methods”
category to _____.
A.
display the data effectively.
B.
Answer include information about different kinds of weapons.
C.
have the total as 100%.
The following figure shows a graph taken from an investment
advertisement that promises to pay a higher interest rate than
bank accounts and other competing investment firms.
Question
A.
The cones representing the interest rates are scaled both horizontally and
vertically, which is problematic.
Answer
B.
The values represented in the graph are not correct.
C.
The percentages can be displayed only through a pie chart.
The following pictogram is used to compare the value of exports, in billions of
dollars, in 2002 from the world's leading exporters.
Question
Which graph can be used to represent the given data accurately?
A.
Bar graph
Answer B.
Line graph
C.
Pie chart
Women were allowed to enter the Boston Marathon in 1972. The time (in
minutes, rounded to the nearest minute) for each winning woman from 1972 to
2007 is shown:
Question
The following figure shows the line graph displaying the winning times:
Complete the following statement by choosing an appropriate option: The
times taken by winners have decreased rapidly from ____.
A.
1977 to mid-1980s
Answer B.
1972 to mid-1980s
C.
1979 to mid-1980s
Consumers are turning to trucks, SUVs, and minivans in place of passenger
cars. The following is the data on sales of new cars and trucks in the United
States (The definition of “truck” includes SUVs and minivans):
Question
Two line graphs are plotted on the same axes to compare the change in car and
truck sales over time. Which of the following statements correctly describes the
trend displayed by the graph?
A.
Before 1999, the number of trucks was greater than the number of cars.
Answer B.
Before 1999, the number of cars was greater than the number of trucks.
C.
Before 1999, the numbers of cars and trucks were equal.
Some plots against time show cycles of up-and down movements. The
following figure displays a line graph of the average number of sunspots on the
sun's visible face for each month from 1900 to 2007:
Question
Identify the statement that correctly describes the overall trend in the number
of sunspots.
A.
The peaks are higher after every 20 years.
Answer
B.
The peaks are higher at the middle of the 1900s and at the end of the 1900s.
C.
The peaks are highest at the beginning years of the century, that is, in 1900 and
2000.
The following graph was appeared in the Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader in
October 5, 1975.
Question
Identify the reason why this graph is an incorrect representation of data?
A.
The time scale on the horizontal axis is erratic.
Answer B.
The vertical axis should display British pounds.
C.
The value of a currency cannot be plotted on a graph.
CHAPTER 11
The percentages of the population who are of Asian origin in each state east of
the Mississippi river in 2006 are displayed in the table.
State Percent State Percent State Percent
Alabama 1.0 Connecticut 3.3 Delaware 2.9
Florida 2.2 Georgia 2.7 Illinois 4.2
Question Indiana 1.3 Kentucky 0.9 Maine 0.9
Maryland 4.9 Massachusetts 4.8 Michigan 2.3
Mississippi 0.8 New Hampshire 2.0 New Jersey 7.5
New York 6.9 North Carolina 1.8 Ohio 1.5
Pennsylvania 2.3 Rhode Island 2.8 South Carolina 1.1
Tennessee 1.3 Vermont 0.9 Virginia 4.8
West Virginia 0.6 Wisconsin 2.0
In addition, the stemplot of the distribution is given.
Identify the correct shape of the distribution of the percentages of the
population who are of Asian origin in each state east of the Mississippi river.
A.
Roughly symmetric
B.
Answer Skewed to the left
C.
Skewed to the right
Refer to the histogram that shows the salaries of the players of the New York
Yankees baseball team as of the opening day of the 2007 season.
Question
Identify the shape of the distribution.
A.
skewed to the right
Answer B.
symmetric
C.
skewed to the left
The total return on a stock is the change in its market price plus any dividend
payments made. The total return is usually expressed as a percentage of the
beginning price.
Question
The given histogram depicts the distribution of total returns for all 1528
common stocks listed in the New York Stock Exchange in one year:
A return less than zero means that owners of the stock lost money. About what
percent of all stocks lost money?
A.
49
B.
29
Answer
C.
23
D.
11
The stemplot of the percentage of residents aged under 18 in 50 states in 2006
Question is displayed.
The stems are whole percents, and the leaves are tenths of a percent.
Utah has the largest percentage of young adults. Which of the following
options correctly identifies the shape, center and spread of the distribution,
ignoring Utah?
A.
Without Utah, the distribution is right-skewed, centered at about 24.0%, spread
from 21.2% to 27.6%.
B.
Answer
Without Utah, the distribution is roughly symmetric, centered at about 24.2%,
spread from 21.2% to 30.0%.
C.
Without Utah, the distribution is roughly symmetric, centered at about 24.2%
and spread from 21.2% to 27.6%.
The given histogram depicts the percentages of residents aged 85 and older in
Question 50 states in 2006.
Identify the center of the distribution.
A.
Around 1.8 to 2.0
Answer B.
Around 1.6 to 1.8
C.
Around 1.4 to 1.6
Suppose that you and your friends emptied your pockets of coins and recorded
Question the year marked on each coin. The distribution is left-skewed. Identify the most
obvious reason for a left-skewed distribution.
A.
Older coins are more in number
Answer
B.
Newer coins are more common than older coins
C.
The number of older and newer coins is the same.
The total return on a stock is the change in its market price plus any dividend
payments made. The total return is usually expressed as a percentage of the
beginning price.
The given histogram depicts the distribution of total returns for all 1528
common stocks listed in the New York Stock Exchange in one year:
Question
Which of the following statements is correct with reference to the smallest and
highest returns?
A.
The smallest return was between -70 percent and -60 percent, and the highest
return was between 80 percent and 100 percent.
Answer
B.
The smallest return was between -70 percent and -60 percent and the highest
return was between 100 percent and 110 percent.
C.
The smallest return was between –40 percent and -60 percent, and the highest
return was between 100 percent and 110 percent.
The total return on a stock is the change in its market price plus any dividend
payments made. The total return is usually expressed as a percentage of the
beginning price.
The given histogram depicts the distribution of total returns for all 1528
common stocks listed in the New York Stock Exchange in one year:
Question
True or false:
The distribution is roughly symmetric.
Answer
True
False
CHAPTER 12
The following is the data on the percentages of words of 1 to 15 letters
used in articles in Popular Science magazine:
Question
Length
Percent
1
3.6
2
14.8
3
18.7
4
16.0
5
12.5
6
8.2
7
8.1
8
5.9
9
4.4
10
3.6
11
2.1
12
0.9
13
0.6
14
0.4
15
0.2
Identify the correct five-number summary of the distribution of word
lengths from the given data.
A.
Min = 1, Q1 = 3, M = 4, Q3 = 7, Max = 15
Answer B.
Min = 1, Q1 = 2, M = 5, Q3 = 9, Max = 14
C.
Min = 2, Q1 = 3, M = 5, Q3 = 8, Max = 15
Middletown is considering imposing an income tax on citizens. The city
government wants to know the average income of citizens so that it can
estimate the total tax base.
Question
True or false:
The median is a more appropriate measure of center than the mean if the
goal is estimating the total tax base.
Answer
Question
True
False
In a study of the standard of living of typical families in Middletown, a
sociologist estimates the average family income in that city.
True or false:
The median is an appropriate measure of center in the given scenario.
True
False
Answer
Consider the following data set:
4 0 1 4 3 6
Question The mean for this data set is 3, and the standard deviation is 2.19.
Identify the statement that correctly states the change in the mean and
standard deviation if 10 is added to each number in the given data set.
A.
Both the mean and standard deviation remain the same.
B.
Answer The mean increases by 10, and the standard deviation remains the same.
C.
The mean remains the same, and the standard deviation increases by 10.
D.
Both the mean and standard deviation increase by 10.
6. Consumer Reports magazine presented the following
data on the number of calories in a hot dog for each
of 17 brands of meat hot dogs:
Question
173 191 182 190 172 147 146 139 175 136 179 153
107 195 135 140 138
Fill in the blanks as the data for the five-number
summary:
Min = [min]
Q1 = [Q1]
M = [Median]
Q3 = [Q3]
Max = [Max]
Evaluation
Method
Exact Match
Evaluation
Method
Exact Match
Exact Match
Evaluation
Method
Exact Match
Evaluation
Method
Exact Match
Exact Match
Evaluation
Method
Exact Match
Answers for: min
Case Sensitivity
Answers for: Q1
Case Sensitivity
Answers for: Median
Case Sensitivity
Answers for: Q3
Case Sensitivity
Answers for: Max
Case Sensitivity
107
138.5
138 1/2
153
180.5
180 1/2
195
Colleges announce an average SAT score for their entering freshmen.
Usually a college would like this average to be as high as possible. A New
York Times article noted, “Private colleges that buy lots of top students
Question with merit scholarships prefer the mean, while open-enrollment public
institutions like medians.”
Which of the following statements correctly explains these preferences?
A.
The relatively small number of top students does not affect the mean. The
typical score, or the median, decreases by the presence of these students.
Answer
B.
The relatively small number of top students puts the mean above the
median. The typical score, or the median, is not affected by the presence
or absence of these students.
C.
The relatively small number of top students puts the mean below the
median. The typical score, or the median, increases by the presence of
these students.
A school system employs teachers for salaries between $30,000 and
$60,000. The teachers’ union and school board are negotiating the form of
next year’s increase in the salary schedule. Suppose that the teachers
receive a 5 percent raise each. The amount of the raise will vary from
Question $1500 to $3000, depending on present salary.
Which of the following statements correctly identifies the effect of the 5
percent across-the-board raise on the spread of the distribution as
measured by the distance between quartiles?
A.
The spread of the distribution as measured by the distance between
quartiles will remain the same.
B.
Answer The spread of the distribution as measured by the distance between
quartiles will decrease.
C.
The spread of the distribution as measured by the distance between
quartiles will increase.
Refer to the histogram that displays the average scores on the SAT
Question Mathematics exam for students in the 50 states and the District of
Columbia in 2004:
True or false: A single measure of center, such as the mean or the
median, is appropriate in describing the distribution.
Answer
True
False
Here are the numbers of legal immigrants (in thousands) who settled in each
state east of the Mississippi River from 2000 to 2005:
Quest
ion
State
Number of
Immigrants (in
thousands)
State
Number of
Immigrants (in
thousands)
State
Alabama
46.0
Connecticut
94.4
Delaware
Florida
727.9
Georgia
253.5
Illinois
Indiana
83.0
Kentucky
34.9
Maine
Maryland
182.9
Massachusetts
213.6
Michigan
Mississippi
14.5
New
Hampshire
18.8
New
Jersey
New York
692.8
North Carolina
195.6
Ohio
Pennsylvania
152.7
Rhode Island
26.5
South
Carolina
Tennessee
83.7
Vermont
4.2
Virginia
West
Virginia
3.6
Wisconsin
60.8
N
Imm
th
True or False: The mean and standard deviation are more suitable numerical
summaries than the five-number summary.
Answ
er
True
False
You understand the three kinds of graphs to display the distributions of
quantitative variables: histograms, stemplots, and boxplots.
Question
Match each type of graph with the situation in which it is most appropriate.
Question
Items
A. - A.
Match
Histogram
Answer
B. - B.
Stemplot
C. - C.
Boxplot
Answer Items
A.
Small or large data sets, where only relative frequency
is known
B.
Small data sets
C.
Distributions that are unimodal
The median income of the U.S. households in 2006 was $48,201.
Question
Identify the statement that correctly describes the meaning of the median
income with reference to the scenario.
A.
75% of all households made more than $48,201 and 25% made less.
Answer
B.
25% of all households made more than $48,201 and 75% made less.
C.
All households made an average income of $48,201.
D.
Half of all households made more than $48,201 and the other half made
less.
Refer to the histogram of the number of minority students, black, Hispanic,
Native American, who earned doctorate degrees in engineering from 152
universities during 2000 to 2002.
Question
The classes for the histogram are 1–5, 6–10, and so on.
Even without the actual data, you can use the position of the values of the
five-number summary and the histogram to give the five-number summary
approximately.
About how many minority engineering PhD’s must a university graduate to
be in the top quarter?
A.
Answer 6
B.
8
C.
4