Correct Answer: C

Rationale: To solve the equation 3(x + 4) = 18, first distribute the 3 to both terms inside the parentheses: 3x + 12 = 18. Next, isolate the variable x by subtracting 12 from both sides: 3x = 6. Finally, divide by 3 to solve for x, giving x = 6. Choice A, x = 2, is incorrect as the correct solution is x = 6. Choices B (x = 4) and D (x = 8) are also incorrect as they do not satisfy the given equation.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: To calculate the percent increase, subtract the initial value from the final value, which gives 2219 - 1432 = 787. Then, divide the increase (787) by the initial value (1432) and multiply by 100 to get the percentage: (787/1432) * 100 = 55%. Therefore, the approximate percent increase in the number of births is 55%. Choice B, 36%, is incorrect because it does not match the calculated increase. Choice C, 64%, is incorrect as it is higher than the actual percentage. Choice D, 42%, is incorrect as it is lower than the actual percentage.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: To simplify the expression 5 x 3 · 9 x 4, first perform the multiplications and divisions from left to right: 5 x 3 = 15 and 9 x 4 = 36. So, the expression becomes 15 · 36. When dividing fractions, multiply the first fraction by the reciprocal of the second fraction. Hence, 15 · 36 = 15/36. To simplify the fraction further, find the greatest common divisor, which is 3. Divide both the numerator and denominator by 3 to get the final result: 15/36 = 5/12. Therefore, the correct answer is A. Choices B, C, and D are incorrect because they do not represent the correct simplification of the given expression.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C. Group B is negatively skewed, indicating more high scores, leading to a higher mean for Group B when compared to Group A. Choice A is incorrect because Group A is not negatively skewed and doesn't have a mean less than Group B. Choice B is incorrect as Group A is not positively skewed and its mean is not greater than Group B. Choice D is also incorrect because Group B having a mean less than Group A contradicts the fact that Group B has a higher mean due to being negatively skewed.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: To find the sale price after a 30% discount, you need to subtract 30% of the original price from the original price. 30% of $472 is $141.60. Subtracting this discount from the original price gives $472 - $141.60 = $330.40, which is the sale price Gordon paid. Choice A, $141.60, is incorrect as it represents only the discount amount, not the final sale price. Choices B and C are also incorrect as they do not account for the correct calculations of the discount and final sale price.