Tubman University Placement Exam flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Main idea

The central point that the entire passage supports. It is broader than any single detail and is often stated in the first or last sentence of a paragraph.

Inference

A conclusion drawn from evidence in the text plus logical reasoning. A valid inference must be forced by the passage and cannot require outside information.

Context clue

Surrounding words that reveal an unfamiliar word's meaning, such as a definition, contrast, example, or cause-effect signal within the same sentence or paragraph.

Author's tone

The attitude the writer expresses toward the subject, conveyed through word choice. Common tones include neutral, critical, sympathetic, humorous, and sarcastic.

Fact versus opinion

A fact can be verified by evidence; an opinion expresses a judgment or value, often signaled by words such as best, should, beautiful, or unfair.

Order of operations

The sequence for evaluating expressions: parentheses, exponents, multiplication and division from left to right, then addition and subtraction from left to right.

Percent change

The difference between a new and old value divided by the old value, multiplied by 100. A drop from 50 to 40 is a 20 percent decrease.

Slope formula

Slope equals the change in y divided by the change in x between two points: m = (y2 − y1)/(x2 − x1). It measures steepness of a line.

Pythagorean theorem

In a right triangle, the square of the hypotenuse equals the sum of the squares of the other two sides: a squared plus b squared equals c squared.

Mean, median, mode

Mean is the sum divided by the count; median is the middle value of an ordered list; mode is the most frequent value. Each describes central tendency differently.

Simple interest formula

Interest equals principal times annual rate times time in years (I = Prt). For 500 at 4 percent for 2 years, interest is 40.

Cell theory

Three principles: all living organisms consist of cells, the cell is the basic unit of life, and new cells arise from existing cells through division.

Photosynthesis equation

Six carbon dioxide molecules plus six water molecules, using light energy, produce one glucose molecule and six oxygen molecules inside chloroplasts.

Newton's second law

Force equals mass times acceleration (F = ma). A larger force produces greater acceleration, and a heavier mass accelerates less under the same force.

Atomic number

The number of protons in an atom's nucleus. It identifies the element; in a neutral atom it also equals the number of electrons.

Food chain order

Energy flows from producer to primary consumer to secondary consumer to decomposer. Only about ten percent of energy passes to each higher level.

Water cycle stages

Evaporation and transpiration lift water vapor, condensation forms clouds, precipitation returns water to land, and runoff or collection gathers it in bodies of water.

Density rule

Density equals mass divided by volume. An object with greater density than the surrounding fluid sinks; one with lower density floats.

Liberian independence

Liberia declared independence on 26 July 1847, after freed African Americans settled the coast beginning in 1822 under the American Colonization Society.

Liberia's borders

Liberia lies on the West African coast and borders Sierra Leone to the northwest, Guinea to the north, and Côte d'Ivoire to the east. Its capital is Monrovia.

Separation of powers

Government divided into executive, legislative, and judicial branches that make, enforce, and interpret laws, each limiting the others through checks and balances.

Latitude versus longitude

Latitude lines run east-west and measure distance north or south of the Equator. Longitude lines run north-south and measure distance east or west of the Prime Meridian.

ECOWAS

The Economic Community of West African States, founded in 1975 with headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria, promotes regional economic integration among West African nations.

Sentence fragment

An incomplete sentence missing a subject, a verb, or a complete thought, such as a dependent clause standing alone without a main clause.

Run-on sentence

Two or more independent clauses joined without correct punctuation or a conjunction. It is fixed with a period, semicolon, or coordinating conjunction.

Subject-verb agreement

A singular subject takes a singular verb and a plural subject takes a plural verb. Phrases between them do not change the verb's number.

Active voice

The sentence structure in which the subject performs the action, as in the committee approved the plan. It is usually clearer and more direct.

Thesis statement

A single sentence in the introduction that states the essay's central claim and previews the supporting points developed in the body paragraphs.

Ratio and proportion

A ratio compares two quantities; a proportion states two ratios are equal. Cross-multiplying the proportion a/b = c/d gives ad = bc.

Combined work rate

If workers finish a job in a and b hours alone, their combined rate is 1/a + 1/b per hour, and the time together is the reciprocal of that sum.

Probability of independent events

For independent events, the probability both occur equals the product of their individual probabilities. Two coin flips landing heads give one quarter.

Combinations versus permutations

Combinations count unordered selections using n factorial divided by r factorial times (n minus r) factorial. Permutations count ordered arrangements and divide by (n minus r) factorial only.