Adult Literacy Advanced Quiz: Interpreting Data Displays

A household expects to use $18$ units of water next month. The household wants the plan with the lowest final bill after any applicable conservation rebate.

Plan data display: Clear — fixed fee: $\$18$; first $10$ units: $\$2$ each; additional units: $\$3$ each; $\$6$ rebate for using no more than $18$ units. Flow — fixed fee: $\$10$; first $8$ units: $\$1.50$ each; additional units: $\$3.50$ each; no rebate. Civic — fixed fee: $\$25$; all units: $\$2$ each; $\$8$ rebate for using no more than $20$ units. Steady — fixed fee: $\$14$; first $15$ units: $\$2.40$ each; additional units: $\$4$ each; $\$5$ rebate for using fewer than $18$ units.

Which plan produces the lowest bill for the household's expected usage?

A manufacturer will hire a vendor for an advanced safety course. The vendor must have completed training for at least $85\%$ of its assigned advanced-level participants and must have at least $42$ advanced-level completions. If several vendors qualify, the manufacturer will select the one with the highest satisfaction score; a cost comparison will be used only to break a tie.

Vendor data display: Apex — assigned: $48$; completed: $42$; satisfaction: $4.1$; cost: $\$7{,}200$. Bridge — assigned: $55$; completed: $45$; satisfaction: $4.7$; cost: $\$6{,}800$. Cedar — assigned: $46$; completed: $40$; satisfaction: $4.4$; cost: $\$7{,}600$. Delta — assigned: $50$; completed: $43$; satisfaction: $4.4$; cost: $\$7{,}400$.

Which vendor should the manufacturer hire?

A resident wants to attend a weekday workshop on applying for housing assistance. She is available only for sessions beginning at or after 5:30 p.m. and needs Spanish interpretation. Because she travels by bus, the last bus from the venue must depart at least $15$ minutes after the workshop ends.

Workshop data display: Monday, East Center — 6:00–8:00 p.m.; Spanish interpretation: available; last bus: 8:05 p.m. Tuesday, Central Hall — 5:30–7:00 p.m.; Spanish interpretation: available; last bus: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, North Annex — 6:30–8:00 p.m.; Spanish interpretation: unavailable; last bus: 9:00 p.m. Saturday, River Library — 10:00 a.m.–noon; Spanish interpretation: available; last bus: 1:00 p.m.

Which workshop meets all of the resident's stated needs?

A factory tested four revised production processes. A process may be adopted only if pilot output per paid hour is at least $8\%$ above the baseline rate, the pilot defect rate does not exceed the baseline defect rate, and at least $500$ units were produced during the pilot. Pilot output per hour equals units produced divided by paid hours.

Pilot data display: Process A — baseline output: $10$ units per hour; baseline defect rate: $2\%$; pilot: $540$ units in $50$ hours with $11$ defects. Process B — baseline output: $12$ units per hour; baseline defect rate: $3\%$; pilot: $600$ units in $46$ hours with $18$ defects. Process C — baseline output: $8$ units per hour; baseline defect rate: $2.5\%$; pilot: $480$ units in $55$ hours with $10$ defects. Process D — baseline output: $15$ units per hour; baseline defect rate: $1.5\%$; pilot: $620$ units in $39$ hours with $8$ defects.

Which revised process satisfies all three adoption requirements?

A regional agency reimburses employees for public transit to meetings. For an important meeting beginning at 9:00 a.m., an employee must arrive by 8:50 a.m. and use no more than one transfer. Agency guidance says to choose the least expensive route among those with an on-time rate of at least $90\%$.

Transit data display: Route A — arrival: 8:42 a.m.; fare: $\$2.75$; transfers: $1$; on-time rate: $88\%$. Route B — arrival: 8:48 a.m.; fare: $\$3.25$; transfers: $0$; on-time rate: $92\%$. Route C — arrival: 8:35 a.m.; fare: $\$4.00$; transfers: $1$; on-time rate: $96\%$. Route D — arrival: 8:55 a.m.; fare: $\$2.50$; transfers: $0$; on-time rate: $95\%$.

Which route should the employee select under the agency's guidance?

A health clinic is adding staff to one appointment period. To qualify, a period must have a median wait of no more than $25$ minutes and a no-show rate below $12\%$. Among qualifying periods, the clinic will choose the one with the greatest number of currently available appointment slots.

Clinic data display: Morning — median wait: $24$ minutes; no-show rate: $10\%$; available slots: $18$. Midday — median wait: $22$ minutes; no-show rate: $14\%$; available slots: $25$. Afternoon — median wait: $27$ minutes; no-show rate: $8\%$; available slots: $20$. Evening — median wait: $25$ minutes; no-show rate: $11\%$; available slots: $16$.

To which appointment period should the clinic assign the additional staff?

A county will prioritize one facility for public recognition if it has reduced annual energy use by at least $20\%$ from its baseline and has documented savings of more than $\$10{,}000$. Reductions must be calculated relative to the baseline, not as a percentage of current use.

Energy data display, with usage measured in megawatt-hours: Administration — baseline: $500$; current: $390$; savings: $\$9{,}000$. Depot — baseline: $800$; current: $650$; savings: $\$14{,}000$. Library — baseline: $300$; current: $235$; savings: $\$11{,}000$. Community Center — baseline: $450$; current: $360$; savings: $\$10{,}000$.

Which facility meets both recognition requirements?

An organization will recognize the branch with the highest combined favorable-response rate, but only among branches where at least $75\%$ of all invited employees and clients responded. The combined favorable-response rate must be calculated from total favorable responses divided by total responses, not by averaging the two group percentages.

Survey data display: East — employees: $60$ responses from $80$ invited, $45$ favorable; clients: $20$ responses from $40$ invited, $18$ favorable. West — employees: $50$ responses from $70$ invited, $40$ favorable; clients: $34$ responses from $40$ invited, $24$ favorable. North — employees: $70$ responses from $90$ invited, $49$ favorable; clients: $18$ responses from $30$ invited, $17$ favorable. South — employees: $45$ responses from $60$ invited, $32$ favorable; clients: $30$ responses from $40$ invited, $23$ favorable.

Which branch should receive the recognition?

A city department may transfer money from any program forecast to underspend its annual budget by more than $10\%$. However, a program is protected from transfers if it has already achieved at least $90\%$ of its annual service target. The year-end forecast equals spending through the third quarter plus forecast fourth-quarter spending.

Program data display, with dollar amounts in thousands: Outreach — budget: $120$; spent through third quarter: $78$; fourth-quarter forecast: $24$; target achieved: $88\%$. Repairs — budget: $200$; spent through third quarter: $150$; fourth-quarter forecast: $25$; target achieved: $92\%$. Training — budget: $90$; spent through third quarter: $61$; fourth-quarter forecast: $18$; target achieved: $87\%$. Technology — budget: $150$; spent through third quarter: $118$; fourth-quarter forecast: $20$; target achieved: $84\%$.

From which programs may the department transfer money under the policy?

A warehouse reorders an item when projected available inventory is less than the amount expected to be used during the supplier's lead time plus one additional week of safety stock. Projected available inventory equals current stock plus confirmed incoming stock.

Inventory data display: Alpha — current: $90$; incoming: $20$; weekly use: $25$; lead time: $3$ weeks. Beta — current: $60$; incoming: $10$; weekly use: $18$; lead time: $3$ weeks. Gamma — current: $100$; incoming: $0$; weekly use: $22$; lead time: $4$ weeks. Delta — current: $45$; incoming: $30$; weekly use: $20$; lead time: $2$ weeks.

Which items should the warehouse reorder?