From Blue Nines and Red Words

In the selection from "Blue Nines and Red Words," what or whom does the author think of as "friends"?

• words
• doctors
• feelings
• numbers

The author of "Blue Nines and Red Words" eats exactly 45 grams of porridge each morning. What aspect of his condition does this behavior illustrate? 

• his need to stay on a strict diet
• his need to number everything
• his need for order and routine
• his need for creating patterns

When the author of "Blue Nines and Red Words" does power multiplication, how does he experience the result?

• as a visual pattern
• as a number on paper
• as a bright white light
• as a series of musical notes

The author of "Blue Nines and Red Words" sees different types of numbers in distinct ways.  Which numbers does he consider most beautiful?

• thin numbers
• even numbers
• large numbers
• prime numbers

Which of the following items is likely the least symmetrical?

• a bush
• a square
• a pyramid
• a basketball

Which of these has the form of a spiral?

• a sealed envelope
• a stack of coins
• a railroad track
• a coiled wire

Roger grows roses for a living. He most appreciates their aesthetic qualities, especially their varied colors.  Which of the following does he most appreciate? Base your answer on the meaning of aesthetic. 

• their strength
• their biology
• their beauty
• their thorns

Which of the following best states the central idea of the selection from "Blue Nines and Red Words"?

• Each of us has a special talent that we can use to help others. 
• Different minds make sense of the world in different ways. 
• People with disabilities are very much like poets.
• Numbers are like people.

Which passage best suggests that the author makes efforts to understand others.  

• My favorite kind of calculation is power multiplication.
• On the other hand, if the numbers don't match my experience of them- then I find that uncomfortable and irritating.
• Autism is defined by the presence of impairments affecting social interaction, communication and imagination.
• Emotions can be hard for me to understand or know how to react to, so I often use numbers to help me.

Read this sentence:
The number 1, for example, is a brilliant and bright white, like someone shining a flashlight into my eyes.
Which best describes the effect of this comparison?

• It persuades the readers to try seeing numbers as objects.
• It puts a complex experience in terms a reader can understand.
• It emphasizes that the author's way of experiencing numbers is special.
• It shows that the author is familiar with everyday objects and therefore trustworthy.