3From the Jan 2016 Common Core Algebra I Regents

First entry point into this question:
What is the y intercept?  Where does the line cross the y-axis?
The equation of a line is y = mx + b (m=slope, b = y-intercept)
That would be at (0,-3) making the equation y = mx – 3
Leaving only answers (1) and (2)

Second entry point:
Does the line have a positive or negative slope?  It goes up from left to right so it has to be a positive slope leaving answers (1) and (2) still

Third entry point:
Is the shading above or below the line?
We will use the symbol on the TI-83 that looks just like our graph above as students must know how to say/think/read the inequality symbol (this knowledge/skill is not easy to assess as people have a 50/50 chance of guessing if the inequality sign is greater or less than!!)

Look above at the half triangle to the left of Y1 it means less than and therefore the shading is below the line…this is not a match for the graph in the problem.

But look below, entering y ≥ 2x – 3,  voila we have a match!!!

 

From the Jan 2016 CC Alg I Regents

For some reason the Regents loves rational vs irrational.
Look at the 4 expressions on the TI-84.
Which one(s) result in something different?

If you said (II) you are correct.  What makes (II) different?  
It is irrational!  Do you see a pattern?  You should not see a pattern :)
Some popular examples of irrational numbers are: √2, √3 and  ∏.

In contrast, all other choices are rational.
What word is in the word rational?  (sometimes s’s say rat!!)
OK, um what Math word is in the word rational?  (ratio!!)
Rational means can be written as a fraction and rational numbers terminate or have a pattern.  -.025 terminates as does 5 and 21 so they are all rational.