Choice B is the best answer. In lines 27-39, the narrator states that he is “intent” on traveling to the North Pole but acknowledges that the journey is absurd: “Who wants the North Pole! What good is it! Can you eat it? Will it carry you from Gothenburg to Malmö like a railway?” By asking these questions, the narrator recognizes that the North Pole has no practical value. Still, the narrator admits that finding the North Pole is necessary, as it “must nevertheless be sought for.” Choices A, C, and D are incorrect because the narrator does not view his expedition to the North Pole as immoral, socially beneficial, or scientifically important.

Choice B is correct. Because Nick surveyed a random sample of the fresh- man class, his sample was representative of the entire freshman class. Thus, the percent of students in the entire freshman class expected to prefer the Fall Festival in October is appropriately estimated by the percent of students who preferred it in the sample, 25.6%. Thus, of the 225 students in the fresh- man class, approximately 225 × 0.256 = 57.6 students would be expected to prefer having the Fall Festival in October. Of the choices given, this is closest to 60. Choices A, C, and D are incorrect. These choices may be the result of misap- plying the concept of percent or of calculation errors.

Choice D is correct. Adding the two equations side by side eliminates y and yields x = 6, as shown.      y x y x If (x, y) is a solution to the system, then (x, y) satisfies both equations in the system and any equation derived from them. Therefore, x = 6. Choices A, B, and C are incorrect and may be the result of errors when solving the system.

Choice A is correct. The equation can be rewritten as 1  b c a , or equivalently 1 .  b c a Since a < 0 and b > 0, it follows that  b a , and so 1 − c < 0, or equivalently c > 1. Choice B is incorrect. If c = 1, then a − b = a, or b = 0. But it is given that b > 0, so c = 1 cannot be true. Choice C is incorrect. If c = −1, then a − b = −a, or 2a = b. But this equation contradicts the premise that a < 0 and b > 0, so c = −1 cannot be true. Choice D is incorrect. For example, if c = −2, then a − b = −2a, or 3a = b. But this contradicts the fact that a and b have opposite signs, so c < −1 cannot be true.

Choice D is correct. According to the given information, multiplying a tree species’ growth factor by the tree’s diameter is a method to approximate the age of the tree. Multiplying the growth factor, 4.0, of the American elm given in the table by the given diameter of 12 inches yields an approximate age of 48 years. Choices A, B, and C are incorrect because they do not result from multiplying the given diameter of an American elm tree with that tree species’ growth factor..

Choice D is the best answer. In lines 1-9, Burke explains that people have “consecrated the state” to “avoid . . . the evils of inconstancy and versatility,” and that people should examine “the faults of the state . . . with pious awe and trembling solitude.” Burke then explains that society is taught to “look with horror on those children of their country who want to hack that aged parent in pieces” (lines 10-12). Burke is arguing that children want to revise the state, or “this aged parent,” by amending its faults. In this context, “state” refers to a political entity, or government, that attempts to protect its citizens from “the evils of inconstancy and versatility.” Choices A, B, and C are incorrect because in this context, “state” does not mean style of living, position in life, or temporary condition.

Choice D is the best answer. Paine concludes Passage 2 with the argument that because social issues change over time, the living should not try to adhere to decisions made by former generations (lines 73-80). Burke, how- ever, states that living citizens exist within a “universal kingdom” (line 35) comprised of the living, the dead, and those who are not yet born. Burke argues that the living do not have the right to change their government based on “their speculations of a contingent improvement” (lines 36-37). Therefore, Burke would disapprove of Paine’s concluding argument, as he believes the living do not have sufficient justification for changing the exist- ing governmental structure. Choices A, B, and C are incorrect because they do not accurately describe how Burke would likely have responded to Paine’s remarks in the final para- graph of Passage 2.

Choice D is the best answer. In lines 71-75, the author explains how Lavigne’s team proved that Quilotoa’s eruption did not cause the Little Ice Age: “But when Lavigne’s team examined shards of volcanic glass from this vol- cano, they found that they didn’t match the chemical composition of the glass found in polar ice cores, whereas the Samalas glass is a much closer match.” These findings show that Samalas, not Quilotoa, was responsible for the onset of the Little Ice Age. Choices A, B, and C are incorrect because they focus on the difficulty of identifying the volcano responsible for the Little Ice Age, the magnitude of the volcanic eruption, and the researchers’ experiment.

Choice D is the best answer. Figure 2 shows that in 2009, the US average electricity cost per megawatt- hour (MWh) was $120. Of the projected 2017 energy costs for fuels listed in figure 1, the one closest to the 2009 US average electricity cost 120 dollars per megawatt-hour is the projected cost of advanced nuclear energy, estimated at just below 125 dollars per megawatt-hour. Choices A, B, and C are incorrect because figure 1 shows the projected energy costs of natural gas, wind (onshore), and conventional coal as just below 75 dollars per megawatt-hour, 100 dollars per megawatt-hour, and approximately 105 dollars per megawatt-hour, respectively. None of these costs is as close to the 2009 US average electricity cost of 120 dollars per megawatt-hour as the projected 2017 cost of advanced nuclear energy, which is just below 125 dollars per megawatt-hour.