I remember CUP -- concave up positive. Here we have a leading coefficient that's negative, so the cup is upside down, the parabola opens down, an arch not a bowl.
When the longer strip is on top and the litter strips fit perfectly under the longer one. For example, the fraction 1/3 and 3/6. One longer strip will be on the top representing 6. Then 3 litter 3s will be under that perfectly
3
the word "of" means to multiply so, 1/2 x 6 = 3