So You Think You Are Smart

J. Kelly
08/01/10 - Responsibility

Here is a little test to let you see just how smart you really are. There is a lesson here, so be careful! And don't look over on the next page until you have had time to contemplate and answer each question on your own.

1. How long did the Hundred Year's War last?
2. Which country makes Panama hats?
3. From which animal do we get catgut?
4. In which month do the Russians celebrate the October Revolution?
5. What is a camel's hair brush made of?
6. The Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean are named after what wild animal?
7. What was King George VI's first name?
8. What color is a purple finch?
9. Where are Chinese gooseberries from?
10. What is the color of the black box in a commercial airplane?

There are several lessons that might be learned from this exercise.

First, what may appear to be obvious (especially in the affairs of human beings) is frequently not. Secondly, we cannot always trust how words are used. Not every use of words is consistent or logical. It is important to ask for clarity on what the question is and what the words connected with the question mean. Many misunderstandings develop because people do not understand what the words actually mean.

Pretty easy test, right? Would you be surprised to know that if you got 4 correct, you did amazingly well? Here are the correct answers:

1. 116 years
2. Ecuador
3. Sheep & horses
4. November
5. Squirrel fir
6. Dogs
7. Albert
8. Crimson
9. New Zealand
10. Orange

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