Maths

Confused   Shreya

Shreya is a little girl who lives in Chennai. Little Shreya is always confused about time and timing.
There is something wrong with the timing in each statement that she has made. Can you find out what is wrong ?

1. On February 28th, 2000, Shreya said, ” My birthday is tomorrow, the first of March.”
   Ans : The year 2000 was a leap year, so February had 29 days.
2. Shreya’s mother dropped her at a friend’s house at 4 o’clock. She told Shreya that she would pick her up in half an hour. “Bye Mummy”!, said Shreya. “See you at five o’clock “!
   Ans : Half-an-hour after 4 o’clock is 4.30.
3. Shreya was heard telling her friend Tenaaz one day – ” Whenever dinosaurs heard aeroplanes flying overhead, they were frightened.” Hearing this, Tenaaz laughed aloud. Why do you think Tenaaz laughed ?
   Ans : There were no aeroplanes when dinosaurs existed.
4. In October, Shreya gave the gardener some seedlings. She wanted to grow some vegetables in her backyard. She instructed the gardener, “First plant all these seedlings and then plough the field”. The gardener was dumbstruck. Why ?
   Ans : A garden should be first ploughed and then the seedlings should be planted.
5. Tenaaz lives seven kilometers away from Shreya’s house. One day Tenaaz invited Shreya to her house to spend the day. Since Shreya’s mother was away at work, Shreya decided to go there on her own. She told Tenaaz, ” I’ll walk and be there in ten minutes.” Tenaaz was aghast ! Why ?
   Ans : You can’t walk seven kilometers in ten minutes, can you ?

SHREYA  IS  MORE  CONFUSED ! !
Some problems have been put across to Little Shreya. Can you help her solve them ?

1. How can you divide a bowl of eight eggs among eight people so that one egg remains in the dish ?
   Ans :  Very simple. Give the last person the dish with the egg in it !
2. Stand with your right side against a wall. Make sure that the right side of your right shoe is touching the wall. Now lift your left foot off the ground and hold it up for a few seconds. Is it very difficult to do this ? Can you think why ?
   Ans :  As you lift your left foot up, you have to maintain your balance. In order to do this, you will have to shift your weight to the right. The wall against which you are leaning acts as an obstruction and you cannot move your upper body to the right.
3. If  5 x 7 = 5,  8 x 9 = 8,  then what will 10 x 5 = ?
   Ans :   10 !
4. What is the number that comes before the number after 15 ?
   Ans :  The number 15 !
5. A piece of wood has to be cut into seven pieces, one piece a day. How many days will it take ?
   Ans :  6 days.
6. If Tenaaz is older than Shreya and Aditi is older than Tenaaz, who is the youngest of the three ?
   Ans :    Shreya !  (No wonder then, that she is called Little Shreya ! )
7. How many alphabets are there between F and U ?
   Ans :   14.
8. What is it that goes up a hill and down the hill and yet never moves ?
   Ans :  A Road !
9. What will you do if you cannot lead a group ?
   Ans :  Follow the leader !
10. Little Shreya told Tenaaz, “I have three sisters, Ria, Nina and myself “. Tenaaz burst out laughing. Why did she laugh ?
    Ans :  In place of ‘myself ‘ the name of the third sister should have been said.