BMAT Thread 2010

Need assistance on these questions:

1) Tom and Suki are brother and sister and go to the same school which is 2km from their home. Suki leaves each morning 10 minutes before Tom and walks. Tom cycles to school by the same route at four times Suki’s walking speed and arrives there 5 minutes before her.

How far from home is Suki when Tom leaves?

A) ½ km
B) 2/3 km
C) 1 km
D) 1 1/3 km
E) 1 ½ km


2) Annie, Barbara, Colin and David all attend regular clinics where they are encouraged to lose weight.

At the beginning of the year, they weighed 65, 80, 75 and 70kg respectively. During the year, all had a change in weight of more than 5kg. Colin lost more than either Barbara or Annie, David actually put on weight.

Which of the following is not a possible increasing order of their weights at the end of the year?

A) ABCD
B) CABD
C) CBAD
D) ACBD

3) A doctor’s surgery last from 9am to 11am. The appointments system allows her 5 minutes per patient. 20 minutes is kept free at the end of the surgery for emergency appointments. On a particular morning the doctor arrives late. 20 patients have been booked for appointments, but 2 do not attend. 1 patient takes 12 minutes to see, but the rest are given the normal 5 minutes. An urgent phone call takes 8 minutes. Surgery was completed at 11am despite a 5 minute emergency appointment.

By how many minutes was the doctor late?

Excuse any typos for question 3, was difficult to make out what the words were.

I just need help on a few points in Section 2 Biology Specfication - Cant find them in the CGP books

Reproduction
f) about the physical and emotional changes that take place during adolescence
g) about the human reproductive system, including the menstrual cycle and fertilisation
h) how the fetus develops in the uterus, including the role of the placenta

Adaptation and competition
a) how the distribution and relative abundance of organisms in habitats can be explained using ideas of interdependence, adaptation, competition and predation
b) how the impact of humans on the environment depends on social and economic factors, including population size, industrial processes and levels of consumption and waste

Energy and nutrient transfer
f) the role of microbes and other organisms in the decomposition of organic materials and in the cycling of carbon and nitrogen

Nutrition
a) the processes of digestion, including the function of organs and the role of enzymes, stomach acid and biles

Adaptation and competition
b) that habitats support a diversity of plants and animals that are interdependent
c) how some organisms are adapted to survive daily and seasonal changes in their habitats
d) how predation and competition for resources affect the size of populations [for example, bacteria, growth of vegetation]

Feeding relationships
e) about food webs composed of several food chains, and how food chains can be quantified using pyramids of numbers
f) how toxic materials can accumulate in food chains

---------------------------------

If someone can help me understand all those points, i will upload another Section 2 BMAT 2004 paper later :P

Thanks

1) Say v is Suki's speed. Call t the time that Suki takes to get to the school. The time taken for Tom is therefore t-0.25 (in hrs, he leaves 10 minutes later and gets there 5 minutes earlier). Tom's speed is 4v. We can set up two simultaeneous equations.

2 = (v)(t)
2 = (4v)(t - 0.25)

vt = (4v)(t-0.25)

t = 4t - 1

3t = 1 therefore t = 1/3 hrs

2/(1/3) = v = 6km/h

After 10 minutes (1/6 hrs)

s = vt = 6 x 1/6 = 1km. C.

2) A=65
B=80
C=75
D=70

If C lost more than B then C has to be less than B since he started out less. Immediately we can see (a) is wrong since it orders C after B. A is the correct choice.

3) 9:10 I believe, but I'm not sure. So 10 minutes late.

1) Say v is Suki's speed. Call t the time that Suki takes to get to the school. The time taken for Tom is therefore t-0.25 (in hrs, he leaves 10 minutes later and gets there 5 minutes earlier). Tom's speed is 4v. We can set up two simultaeneous equations.

2 = (v)(t)
2 = (4v)(t - 0.25)

vt = (4v)(t-0.25)

t = 4t - 1

3t = 1 therefore t = 1/3 hrs

2/(1/3) = v = 6km/h

After 10 minutes (1/6 hrs)

s = vt = 6 x 1/6 = 1km. C.

2) A=65
B=80
C=75
D=70

If C lost more than B then C has to be less than B since he started out less. Immediately we can see (a) is wrong since it orders C after B. A is the correct choice.

3) 9:10 I believe, but I'm not sure. So 10 minutes late.

10 minutes late is correct, I think. I got the same. 18 patients, 5 mins each = 90 mins. One takes 7 minutes longer, so 97. Emergency phone call 8 mins makes 105, and emergency surgery 5 mins get's 110. 2 hours is 120 mins, so 120-110 = 10 minutes to spare, ie. late by 10 mins, hence arrived at 9:10.

Good job! You got them all :P very clear and concise working out for the first 2 as well. I'll be damned if you don't get in

It is not every question that deserves an answer - Pubilius Syrus.
- What does the author mean by the above statement?
- Can you give examples of questions that some may believe do not deserve an aswer, but that you believe should?
- What criteria would you use to determine which question should be answered?

Pubilius Syrus' statement can be interpreted to suggest that an answer need not necessarily always follow a question. With the exception of rhetorical questions, the quote could be a reference to questions that are irrelevant or those with which an answer has little to offer. This essay intends to analyse examples where the statement holds true and where it is controversial, in order to be able to conclude what exactly determines a question's right for a response.

Differential diagnosis may involve a doctor taking a history to reach a correct diagnosis, through questioning the patient. The questions a doctor poses may seem entirely relevant to the doctor, but a patient may feel otherwise. One case study from the book 'Diagnosis' by Lisa Sanders clearly demonstrates such a difference. Ms. Rodgers was suffering from a rare condition in which she became nauseous as soon as she would leave hospital, despite receiving no medical treatment by any doctor. Dr. Hsia believed this may be due to continuing smoking marijuana when she left the hospital, and when she posed this question, Ms. Rodgers was infuriated. She felt it to be irrelevant since marijuana is often used to treat nausea. This example shows how views upon a 'right for a response' can differ between two parties due to differences in understanding, circumstance and the given situation.

NASA have often been criticised for the large amount of money that is used for, what much of the public may consider, irrelevant missions. For example, spending billions on a satellite to witness the manner in which two galaxies collide may seen unecessary since such information would serve us little purpose. In such a case, the controversy arises due to what is required for an answer to be gained.

Without a doubt, the context is probably the most important factor when determining whether Syrus' statement holds true or not. Using just these two examples, we can begin to consider the various critera that determine whether a given question deserves a response. This includes the effect the answer may have, whether an answer serves to provide any meaningful response and how one expects to arrive at the answer.

I just need help on a few points in Section 2 Biology Specfication - Cant find them in the CGP books

Reproduction
f) about the physical and emotional changes that take place during adolescence
g) about the human reproductive system, including the menstrual cycle and fertilisation
h) how the fetus develops in the uterus, including the role of the placenta

Adaptation and competition
a) how the distribution and relative abundance of organisms in habitats can be explained using ideas of interdependence, adaptation, competition and predation
b) how the impact of humans on the environment depends on social and economic factors, including population size, industrial processes and levels of consumption and waste

Energy and nutrient transfer
f) the role of microbes and other organisms in the decomposition of organic materials and in the cycling of carbon and nitrogen

Nutrition
a) the processes of digestion, including the function of organs and the role of enzymes, stomach acid and biles

Adaptation and competition
b) that habitats support a diversity of plants and animals that are interdependent
c) how some organisms are adapted to survive daily and seasonal changes in their habitats
d) how predation and competition for resources affect the size of populations [for example, bacteria, growth of vegetation]

Feeding relationships
e) about food webs composed of several food chains, and how food chains can be quantified using pyramids of numbers
f) how toxic materials can accumulate in food chains

---------------------------------

If someone can help me understand all those points, i will upload another Section 2 BMAT 2004 paper later :P

Thanks

10 minutes late is correct, I think. I got the same. 18 patients, 5 mins each = 90 mins. One takes 7 minutes longer, so 97. Emergency phone call 8 mins makes 105, and emergency surgery 5 mins get's 110. 2 hours is 120 mins, so 120-110 = 10 minutes to spare, ie. late by 10 mins, hence arrived at 9:10.

Good job! You got them all :P very clear and concise working out for the first 2 as well. I'll be damned if you don't get in

Need assistance on these questions:

1) Tom and Suki are brother and sister and go to the same school which is 2km from their home. Suki leaves each morning 10 minutes before Tom and walks. Tom cycles to school by the same route at four times Suki’s walking speed and arrives there 5 minutes before her.

How far from home is Suki when Tom leaves?

A) ½ km
B) 2/3 km
C) 1 km
D) 1 1/3 km
E) 1 ½ km


2) Annie, Barbara, Colin and David all attend regular clinics where they are encouraged to lose weight.

At the beginning of the year, they weighed 65, 80, 75 and 70kg respectively. During the year, all had a change in weight of more than 5kg. Colin lost more than either Barbara or Annie, David actually put on weight.

Which of the following is not a possible increasing order of their weights at the end of the year?

A) ABCD
B) CABD
C) CBAD
D) ACBD

3) A doctor’s surgery last from 9am to 11am. The appointments system allows her 5 minutes per patient. 20 minutes is kept free at the end of the surgery for emergency appointments. On a particular morning the doctor arrives late. 20 patients have been booked for appointments, but 2 do not attend. 1 patient takes 12 minutes to see, but the rest are given the normal 5 minutes. An urgent phone call takes 8 minutes. Surgery was completed at 11am despite a 5 minute emergency appointment.

By how many minutes was the doctor late?

Excuse any typos for question 3, was difficult to make out what the words were.

1) Say v is Suki's speed. Call t the time that Suki takes to get to the school. The time taken for Tom is therefore t-0.25 (in hrs, he leaves 10 minutes later and gets there 5 minutes earlier). Tom's speed is 4v. We can set up two simultaeneous equations.

2 = (v)(t)
2 = (4v)(t - 0.25)

vt = (4v)(t-0.25)

t = 4t - 1

3t = 1 therefore t = 1/3 hrs

2/(1/3) = v = 6km/h

After 10 minutes (1/6 hrs)

s = vt = 6 x 1/6 = 1km. C.

2) A=65
B=80
C=75
D=70

If C lost more than B then C has to be less than B since he started out less. Immediately we can see (a) is wrong since it orders C after B. A is the correct choice.

3) 9:10 I believe, but I'm not sure. So 10 minutes late.

lol, the first one is exactly like the question in the old prep for bmat book but with diferent names

wow ~ speedy! can i ask which college you are going for in cambridge?

Hey guys, my teacher gave me this BMAT essay question for practice. I've already written an essay about it, but I wanna see how all you super smart people would go about tackling it

Question is:

"Plants do not have brains because they cannot walk.

-Summarise the argument by which this statement might be justified
-How might one argue against it?
-Can any such arguments be verified by experiment?"

Trinity :O

This statement could be justified because organisms with brains usually use the brain to control the body for movement in order to increase its chances of survival by, for example, foraging for food, rather than waiting for food to come to it. Moreover, it could be argued that organisms with brains would mobilise the body in movement in search of shelter, or mate, that could increase the likelihood of its genes being passed on to the next generation.

However, in the case of plants, it is perfectly justifiable to argue that the fact that plants cannot walk does not mean that it does not possess a brain. Plants can photosynthesis, making their own food, which eliminates the need for movement in search for food. The roots of plants keep is stabilised during severe weather conditions, so it does not need to search for a shelter, and in terms of mate, pollen is spread by insects and by the wind, so there is no need for movement. Therefore, the lack of need of movement does not in itself present an arguement for plants lacking in a brain. Moreover, lack of movement does not indicate lack of brain, as illustrated in a human example. In those who are paralysed so they cannot move, and are in a persistent vegetative state, they are not necessarily lacking a brain, and hence that arguemnt is not valid.

Experimentally, one could determine whether plants possess a brain by taking away resources that the plant are accustomed to, for example, sunlight, to see whether the plant responds by searching for food in other ways. It is also possible to try to paralyse parts of the plant, and see whether paralysis of a particular section would stop the responsiveness of plants.

could anyone give me any feedback on this essay? I felt i was blabbing by the end of it.... how could i improve it and not sound stupid?