TASC Japanese cheat sheet

Main idea = the claim the whole passage supports; a detail supports it but cannot cover the whole text.

Inference must follow from stated evidence; if the passage never implies it, the choice is wrong even if true in real life.

Tone words: critical, neutral, admiring, skeptical, nostalgic - match the author's word choices, not the topic.

Sequence questions: locate transition words (first, then, however, finally) to order events by the passage, not by memory.

Vocabulary in context: substitute each option into the sentence and keep only the one preserving the surrounding logic.

Comparison passages: identify where the two authors agree before choosing a choice that names only one author's view.

Eliminate distractors that use absolute words (all, never, only) when the passage uses hedged language (often, some, may).

Author's purpose verbs: to explain, to persuade, to describe, to compare - purpose is the verb, main idea is the content.

Subject-verb agreement: ignore prepositional phrases between subject and verb; the head noun decides singular or plural.

Comma splice fix: join two independent clauses with a period, semicolon, or comma plus coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS).

Pronoun reference: a pronoun must point to exactly one clear noun; ambiguous it/they is an error.

Parallel structure: items in a list or after correlatives (either/or, not only/but also) must share the same grammatical form.

Modifier placement: an introductory descriptive phrase must modify the subject of the main clause, not a nearby object.

Verb tense: keep one time frame unless a time marker (before, by then, since) requires a shift.

Apostrophes: it's = it is; its = possessive; plural nouns take s, possessives take 's (students' for plural possessive).

Essay structure: thesis states a position, each body paragraph has one claim plus evidence, conclusion restates without new arguments.

Percent change = (new − old) ÷ old × 100; a 20% discount means multiply price by 0.80.

Slope = (y₂ − y₁)/(x₂ − x₁); parallel lines share slope, perpendicular slopes are negative reciprocals.

Linear form y = mx + b: m is rate of change, b is starting value; set two equations equal to find an intersection.

Area formulas: rectangle lw, triangle ½bh, circle πr², trapezoid ½(b₁+b₂)h; volume of a prism = base area × height.

Pythagorean theorem a² + b² = c² applies only to right triangles; c is the hypotenuse.

Probability = favorable outcomes ÷ total outcomes; independent events multiply, mutually exclusive events add.

Mean = sum ÷ count; median = middle value of an ordered list; mode = most frequent value.

Order of operations: parentheses, exponents, multiply/divide left to right, then add/subtract left to right.

Cell theory: all living things are made of cells, cells arise from existing cells, and the cell is the basic unit of life.

Photosynthesis converts CO₂ and water into glucose and oxygen using light energy in chloroplasts; respiration reverses it in mitochondria.

Newton's laws: inertia (no net force = no change in motion), F = ma, and every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

Atomic structure: protons define the element, neutrons change the isotope, electrons determine charge and bonding.

States of matter change with energy: solid to liquid to gas adds heat; gas to liquid to solid removes heat.

Food chains transfer energy from producers to consumers; only about 10% of energy passes to the next trophic level.

Plate tectonics: divergent boundaries build new crust, convergent boundaries form mountains or subduction zones, transform boundaries cause earthquakes.

Density = mass ÷ volume; an object floats in a fluid when its density is lower than the fluid's.

Three branches: legislative makes laws, executive enforces laws, judicial interprets laws; checks and balances limit each branch.

Bill of Rights: first ten amendments protect speech, religion, assembly, due process, and fair trial rights.

Federalism divides power between national and state governments; the Tenth Amendment reserves unlisted powers to states.

Causes of the Civil War include slavery's expansion, states' rights disputes, and economic differences between North and South.

Push-pull migration: push factors (war, famine) drive people out; pull factors (jobs, safety) attract them.

Supply and demand: rising price reduces quantity demanded and increases quantity supplied, moving toward equilibrium.

Primary vs. secondary sources: primary is created at the time by a participant; secondary interprets primary evidence later.

Map skills: latitude runs east-west measuring north-south position; longitude runs north-south measuring east-west position.