Minnesota State Aptitude Test (Msat)

1. Sven Sundgaard begins climbing, Spiderman-style, to the top of the IDS Center in downtown Minneapolis at a rate of 1 foot per second. At the very same time, Mary Tyler Moore drops her tam from the top of the IDS Center, and the hat falls down the side of the building at a rate of 3 feet per second. At what height will Sundgaard get a headful of hat?

594 feet

198 feet

167 feet

The IDS Center is 792 feet tall, so Sven will get only 198 feet up before he’s hit.

Explanation

The IDS Center is 792 feet tall, so Sven will get only 198 feet up before he’s hit.

2. A barge containing Jesse Ventura’s latest memoir has sunk in the Mississippi River. Donning his Navy Seal gear, Jesse dives to the barge and surfaces with it in just 30 seconds. If Jesse swims at a speed of 1 foot per second, how deep was the barge?

60 feet

15 feet

30 feet

Not deep enough

The question states that Jesse Ventura swims at a speed of 1 foot per second and surfaces with the barge in just 30 seconds. If he surfaces with the barge, it means that he reached the depth of the barge in 30 seconds. Therefore, the depth of the barge is equal to the time it took Jesse to surface, which is 30 feet.

Explanation

The question states that Jesse Ventura swims at a speed of 1 foot per second and surfaces with the barge in just 30 seconds. If he surfaces with the barge, it means that he reached the depth of the barge in 30 seconds. Therefore, the depth of the barge is equal to the time it took Jesse to surface, which is 30 feet.

3. Robert Zimmerman is to Bob Dylan as _____ is to _____?

James Janos is to Jesse Ventura

John Nelson is to Prince

Liza Minnelli is to Judy Garland

We’re looking for stage names and the person’s real name.

Explanation

We’re looking for stage names and the person’s real name.

4. Tim Pawlenty is singing the Minnesota Rouser at the University of Minnesota homecoming (“Rah, rah, rah for…”), when he suddenly forgets what comes next. Can you help him out?

The Golden Gophers, yah!

U-M hurrah!

Ski-U-Mah!

MN-hi-yah!

The correct answer is "Ski-U-Mah!" because it is the next line in the Minnesota Rouser. The given lines are part of the University of Minnesota's fight song, and "Ski-U-Mah!" is the chant that follows "Rah, rah, rah for...".

Explanation

The correct answer is "Ski-U-Mah!" because it is the next line in the Minnesota Rouser. The given lines are part of the University of Minnesota's fight song, and "Ski-U-Mah!" is the chant that follows "Rah, rah, rah for...".

5. In the 1959 Alfred Hitchcock film North by Northwest, where is Northwest Orient Airlines taking Cary Grant?

New York to Minneapolis

Chicago to Rapid City, South Dakota

Detroit to Memphis

In the 1959 Alfred Hitchcock film North by Northwest, Cary Grant's character is being taken by Northwest Orient Airlines from Chicago to Rapid City, South Dakota.

Explanation

In the 1959 Alfred Hitchcock film North by Northwest, Cary Grant's character is being taken by Northwest Orient Airlines from Chicago to Rapid City, South Dakota.

6. If Francis Johnson, the man who built the world’s largest ball of twine in Darwin, began on his 50th birthday to roll 100 pounds of twine per day onto what would become a 17,400-pound ball, how old was he when he finished?

52

73

50

Since Francis Johnson started rolling twine on his 50th birthday and rolled 100 pounds of twine per day, it took him 17,400 days to reach a 17,400-pound ball. Since there are 365 days in a year, we can divide 17,400 by 365 to find the number of years it took him to finish. The result is 47.67, which means it took him approximately 47 years and 8 months to finish. Therefore, he was still 50 years old when he finished rolling the twine.

Explanation

Since Francis Johnson started rolling twine on his 50th birthday and rolled 100 pounds of twine per day, it took him 17,400 days to reach a 17,400-pound ball. Since there are 365 days in a year, we can divide 17,400 by 365 to find the number of years it took him to finish. The result is 47.67, which means it took him approximately 47 years and 8 months to finish. Therefore, he was still 50 years old when he finished rolling the twine.

7. You’re bicycling toward the Aerial Lift Bridge in Duluth from 1 mile away at 10 miles per hour just as it’s beginning its descent. Will the bridge be lowered in time for you to cross?

Yes

No

Depends if I stop to feed the gulls

The Aerial Lift takes three minutes to descend; you’ll take six minutes to reach it.

Explanation

The Aerial Lift takes three minutes to descend; you’ll take six minutes to reach it.

8. Which two of the following are not cities in Minnesota?

Nimrod

Boring

Nowthen

Sleepy Eye

Niceville

Boring and Niceville are not cities in Minnesota. While Nimrod, Nowthen, and Sleepy Eye are all actual cities in Minnesota, Boring is a city in Oregon and Niceville is a city in Florida.

Explanation

Boring and Niceville are not cities in Minnesota. While Nimrod, Nowthen, and Sleepy Eye are all actual cities in Minnesota, Boring is a city in Oregon and Niceville is a city in Florida.

Submit

9. Where is the lowest point in Minnesota?

Lake Superior

The Mississippi River at Lake Pepin

The pothole on I-94 in Maple Grove

Lake Superior is the lowest point in Minnesota because it is located at the lowest elevation compared to the other options. It is a large freshwater lake that borders Minnesota and is the lowest point in the state. The Mississippi River at Lake Pepin is not the lowest point as it is a river and not at a lower elevation than Lake Superior. Similarly, the pothole on I-94 in Maple Grove is not the lowest point as it is a man-made feature and not a natural geographical location. Therefore, Lake Superior is the correct answer.

Explanation

Lake Superior is the lowest point in Minnesota because it is located at the lowest elevation compared to the other options. It is a large freshwater lake that borders Minnesota and is the lowest point in the state. The Mississippi River at Lake Pepin is not the lowest point as it is a river and not at a lower elevation than Lake Superior. Similarly, the pothole on I-94 in Maple Grove is not the lowest point as it is a man-made feature and not a natural geographical location. Therefore, Lake Superior is the correct answer.

10. What percentage of the world population is estimated to live in a warmer climate than the Twin Cities?

96 percent

45 percent

78 percent

The correct answer is 96 percent. This means that a large majority, almost all, of the world population is estimated to live in a warmer climate than the Twin Cities. This suggests that the Twin Cities have a relatively cooler climate compared to most other places in the world.

Explanation

The correct answer is 96 percent. This means that a large majority, almost all, of the world population is estimated to live in a warmer climate than the Twin Cities. This suggests that the Twin Cities have a relatively cooler climate compared to most other places in the world.

11. Frostbite Falls is to International Falls as _____ is to _____?

Lake Wobegon is to Staggerford

Gopher Prairie is to Sauk Centre

Woodbury is to St. Paul

We’re looking for fictional towns based on real places.

Explanation

We’re looking for fictional towns based on real places.

12. Don Shelby is canoeing in the Boundary Waters when a moose suddenly rises beneath him, tipping the canoe over. Upon surfacing, Shelby exclaims, “___________!”

"Uff da!"

"I smell moose chili!"

"Good to know!"

Because “Good to know” is Don Shelby’s signature WCCO-TV program.

Explanation

Because “Good to know” is Don Shelby’s signature WCCO-TV program.

13. Lou Grant is to Minneapolis as _____ is to _____?

Paul Bunyan is to Bemidji

Brandon and Brenda Walsh are to Wayzata

Winona Ryder is to Winona

We’re looking for TV characters and the city they came from.

Explanation

We’re looking for TV characters and the city they came from.

14. You’re the best sugar-beet processor in Crookston—cranking through a million of the vegetables every year—and you decide to advertise this fact in an ad proclaiming, “We beet all, churning through enough sugar beets every year to line the road from Crookston to Duluth!” Could you be sued for false advertising?

Yes

No

The distance from Crookston to Duluth is 240 miles; sugar beets grow up to a foot long, meaning a million of them still won’t cover the distance.

Explanation

The distance from Crookston to Duluth is 240 miles; sugar beets grow up to a foot long, meaning a million of them still won’t cover the distance.

15. Which one of these gargantuan roadside attractions cannot be found in Minnesota?

World's largest fishing bobber

World's largest prairie chicken

World's largest ear of corn

World's largest pelican

World's largest moose

The correct answer is World's largest moose. This is because Minnesota is known for its large number of moose, so it would be unlikely for the state to have a roadside attraction claiming to have the world's largest moose.

Explanation

The correct answer is World's largest moose. This is because Minnesota is known for its large number of moose, so it would be unlikely for the state to have a roadside attraction claiming to have the world's largest moose.

16. Of the following states, which one did Bob Dylan not claim to have grown
up in?

Oklahoma

New Mexico

South Dakota

Minnesota

Bob Dylan did not claim to have grown up in Oklahoma.

Explanation

Bob Dylan did not claim to have grown up in Oklahoma.

17. Waterskiing is to Lake City as _____ is to _____?

Snowmobiling is to Brainerd

Rollerblading is to Wayzata

Ice-fishing is to Mille Lacs

We’re looking for inventions and the places they were invented.

Explanation

We’re looking for inventions and the places they were invented.

18. Sven and Ole are working one freezing night at the old Grain Belt Brewery in northeast Minneapolis when Sven turns to Ole and says, “I don’t understand why I’m so cold, seeing as how we’re closer to the equator than to the North Pole.” To which Ole replies, “You’ve been sampling too much of the product. I’ll bet you my Vikings season tickets that we’re closer to the North Pole than to the equator.” Who’s right?

Sven

Ole

Both

Neither

The old Grainbelt Brewery in Minneapolis is on the 45th Parallel, which is equidistant to the North Pole and the Equator.

Explanation

The old Grainbelt Brewery in Minneapolis is on the 45th Parallel, which is equidistant to the North Pole and the Equator.

19. Three pints of Summit Extra Pale Ale into your book club, you’re asked to recite the famous final passage of The Great Gatsby. What is it, F. Scott?

“In the real dark night of the soul, it is always three o’ clock in the morning, day after day.”

“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”

The correct answer is the famous final passage of The Great Gatsby, which states, "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past." This passage captures the theme of the novel, highlighting the relentless pursuit of dreams and the inability to escape the past. It signifies the characters' struggle to move forward and their constant longing for a better future, despite being trapped in the cycle of their own history. The phrase "boats against the current" symbolizes their resistance against the forces that hold them back, while "borne back ceaselessly into the past" emphasizes their inability to break free from the past's grip.

Explanation

The correct answer is the famous final passage of The Great Gatsby, which states, "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past." This passage captures the theme of the novel, highlighting the relentless pursuit of dreams and the inability to escape the past. It signifies the characters' struggle to move forward and their constant longing for a better future, despite being trapped in the cycle of their own history. The phrase "boats against the current" symbolizes their resistance against the forces that hold them back, while "borne back ceaselessly into the past" emphasizes their inability to break free from the past's grip.

20. The Spuds are to Moorhead as the _____ are to _____?

Awesome Blossoms are to Blooming Prairie

Saints are to St. Paul

Thundercats are to Grand Rapids

We’re looking for high school teams and the city they’re from.

Explanation

We’re looking for high school teams and the city they’re from.

21. If Don Shelby parachutes into the diametrically opposite (antipodal) location of Minneapolis on the globe and makes his way to the nearest city, what language will be spoken there?

English

Chinese

Malay

French

He would land near Australia.

Explanation

He would land near Australia.

22. EXTRA CREDIT - If Mayor R. T. Rybak leaves Williams Arena riding his mountain bike at 15 miles per hour heading east on University Avenue, and Mayor Chris Coleman leaves the Minnesota State Capitol (Rice Street and University Avenue) at the same time doing backflips at 8 miles per hour heading west on University Avenue, where are they meeting?

Cheng Heng Restaurant

The Dubliner Pub

Arnellia's "The Legendary Club Apollo of Minnesota"

Twins Motor Inn

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Explanation

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23. The Minnesota State Fair has been canceled only five times since its inception in 1859. Which one of the following is not among the real reasons for the cancellations?

The Dakota Indian Conflict

The Civil War

The Great Influenza Epidemic

World War II

The World's Columbian Exposition

The Great Influenza Epidemic is not among the real reasons for the cancellations of the Minnesota State Fair. The fair has been canceled five times in its history, and the reasons for cancellation include the Dakota Indian Conflict, the Civil War, World War II, and the World's Columbian Exposition. However, there is no record of the fair being canceled specifically due to the Great Influenza Epidemic.

Explanation

The Great Influenza Epidemic is not among the real reasons for the cancellations of the Minnesota State Fair. The fair has been canceled five times in its history, and the reasons for cancellation include the Dakota Indian Conflict, the Civil War, World War II, and the World's Columbian Exposition. However, there is no record of the fair being canceled specifically due to the Great Influenza Epidemic.

24. Prince is standing on the observation deck of the Foshay Tower in downtown Minneapolis, from which, on this cloudy day, he can only see roughly 15 miles in every direction. Which of these princely landmarks can he theoretically spot?

Paisley Park Studios

The Capri Theater

First Avenue nightclub

Lake Minnetonka

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Explanation

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