blue book pg 584 #11

Test Preparation SAT Preparation
1

<p>Z W Y X</p>

<li>The sequence above may be changed in either of two ways. Either two adjacent letters may be interchanged or the entire sequence may be reversed. What is the LEAST number of such changes needed to put the letters in alphabetical order from left to right?</li>
</ol>

<p>a. 2
b. 3
c. 4
d. 5
e. 6</p>

<p>I figured that “either” means that u can choose which one but not BOTH. so i chose the first one beacuse if you reverse the order then it would still not be alphabetical (X Y W Z). So i chose the first way you could do it and this is how it worked:</p>

<p>START- Z W Y X
1- W Z Y X
2- W Z X Y
3- W X Z Y
4- W X Y Z</p>

<p>so i got 4, as the answer, but the correct one says its 3?? i couldnt understand how that was feasible unless you did it this way:</p>

<p>you had to combine the directions, first reverse, then flipped each </p>

<p>START- Z W Y X
1- (Reverse it ) X Y W Z
2- X W Y Z
3- W X Y Z </p>

<p>then its 3, but it says EITHER of the two ways, so i thought that u cant use a mix of it, </p>

<p>or am i completely off? thanks</p>

2

<p>No, you can use both. It doesn't say only.</p>

3

<p>wow that is vague, i always grew up knowin that either..or means one or the other but o well. screw collegeboard..</p>

4

<p>yeah it is kind of dumb...but i dont know i just read it as you can do either one (and both) just from practicing SAT questions</p>

5

<p>ehh well thanks anyways though</p>

6

<p>oh haha</p>

<p>when i first did the problem:</p>

<p>START- Z W Y X
1- Z Y W X
2- Z Y X W
3- W X Y Z (reverse it)</p>