Instead of our regular geography lesson today, class, we're going to have a pop quiz. Let's begin.
1. Ougadoudou, Bobo-Dioulasso, Kougoudou, and Ouahigouya are:
a. Four people groups in Papua New Guinea
b. Four cities in Burkina Faso
c. Four languages spoken in Ghana
d. Four islands in the Malay/Indonesian archipelago
2. Sekpele, Lelemi, Siwu, and Tumulung are:
a. Four people groups in Papua New Guinea
b. Four cities in Burkina Faso
c. Four languages spoken in Ghana
d. Four islands in the Malay/Indonesian archipelago
3. Buka Buka, Legundi, Sebesi, and Sebuku are:
a. Four people groups in Papua New Guinea
b. Four cities in Burkina Faso
c. Four languages spoken in Ghana
d. Four islands in the Malay/Indonesian archipelago
Before proceeding, let's review your answers to the three questions posed above. There is still time to change your answers if you are unsure of them.
I'll wait.
The correct answers are 1-b, 2-c, and 3-d. Let me now ask you a final question.
4. What are Bonete, Tupungato, Sajama, and Palcaraju?
If, thinking logically, you said to yourself "Okay, if 1 is b and 2 is c and 3 is d, the answer to 4 is "a. Four people groups in Papua New Guinea" you would be wrong.
Actually, question 4 is not related in any way to questions 1, 2, and 3. Notice that I didn't repeat choices a, b, c, or d.
Bonete, Tupungato, Sajama, and Palcaraju are mountain peaks in the Andes range of South America.
"No fair," some of you are saying, "you led us astray." I did not lead you astray. You were led astray by falling into a pattern and being susceptible to suggestion.
I learned about this all-too-human tendency of ours in the eighth grade when our teacher, Mrs. Mary Lillard, asked the whole class to answer in unison out loud the principal parts of various verbs in English class.
"Be" said Mrs. Lillard and we said "Am, was, been."
"Go" said Mrs. Lillard and we said "Go, went, gone."
We went through quite a few verbs that day, both regular and irregular, when Mrs. Lillard must have had a twinkle in her eye.
"Only three more," she said. "Sink."
"Sink, sank, sunk," we said.
"Drink" said Mrs.Lillard and we said "Drink, drank, drunk."
"Think" said Mrs. Lillard and the whole class, warming to the task and brimmng with confidence, called out in unison "Think, thank, thunk."
The absurdity of it hit us almost immediately and we burst into laughter. From that day until now I have always tried to stay alert for pitfalls when answering a question.
You can't catch me. I didn't fall into the frap because I didn't try to answer the questions.
ReplyDelete*Too bad. You can't win the grandprize unless you play the game. Thanks for commenting, Tasker.
DeleteThink, thank, thunk, I like that.
ReplyDeleteGlad to have brightened your day. Thank you for commenting, Terra.
DeleteNor did I. I'm hopeless at quizzes so never do them. I laughed at your English lesson.
ReplyDeleteWhen you don't play, your name cannot be entered into the drawing for the grand prize. Glad to have made you laugh, though! Thanks for commenting, jabblog.
DeleteWe must always pay attentiob.
ReplyDeleteIt's a lesson some folks never learb. Thanks for commenting, Emma!
DeleteWait, I'm stuck on "think"
ReplyDeleteIs it think, think, thought?
No, not think, think, thought, but you're close. It's think, thought, thought. Thanks for commenting, kylie!
DeleteAs you know I detest quizzes. However I sensed something devious and didn't even try to guess any answers (I'm sure you were aware none of your readers would know the answers). I enjoyed the think, thank, thunk. Conditioning!
ReplyDeletePeople who don't play never become eligible for the grand prize. What intrigued me about all of these words and what led me to devising this post/quiz was how similar theu are even though some are African, some Southeast Asian, and some South American. Thank you for commenting, Graham.
DeleteWait! I'm still stuck on "think"
ReplyDeleteIs it think, think, thought!
DeleteAs I said above, not "think, think, thought" but "think, thought, thought". There are actually several more English verbs with the same pattern:
buy, bought, bought
seek, sought, sought
fight, fought, fought
work, wrought, wrought (old-fashioned now)
and their close cousins:
catch, caught, caught
teach, taught, taught
Our language is endlessly fascinating. Thanks for commenting, kylie!
sorry about the repeat comment. I didn't remember that you have moderation so I thought the first comment failed to post
DeleteI didn't even try to take the test because I knew no answers. I was reminded of a similar pun-type thing in which you ask someone, What does M-A-C-A-N-D-R-E-W-S spell? And they answer, MacAndrews! Then you say, what does M-A-C-D-O-U-G-A-L spell? And they answer, MacDougal! Then you say, what does M-A-C-H-I-N-E-R-Y spell? And they answer, MacHinery! And you say no; that's machinery! Like machines, hahaha xoxo
ReplyDelete