1.The recipe said, ‘Divide the dough into ten balls, about the size of golf balls. Bake in the oven at 180C for about 15 minutes or until the tops are beginning to brown. Makes 12 rolls.’
Can you spot the contradictory numbers?
Do you think whoever wrote the recipe just made a mistake? Does it matter?
If you were following this recipe, how many rolls would you decide to make? Why?
2.Connie’s packet of sunflower seeds said: ‘Fill six small pots with compost. Make a hole in each one with your finger and drop a seed into it. Cover the seeds lightly with compost and water them. Put them in a warm place, and in about a month you will be ready to plant out your eight sunflowers.’
Can you spot the contradictory numbers?
Do you think there was a mistake on the packet?
How many plants do you think you are going to get?
Why do you think so?
3.The new six-metre-high sea wall had taken two whole years to build. Sadly, the very next storm brought huge waves, which broke over the wall in several places. The newspaper reported: ‘Three-metre waves were last night seen breaking over the new sea wall at Resthaven, soaking cars and pedestrians alike.’
Can you spot the contradictory numbers?
Which number must be the right one?
Why do you think so?
4.The hall could only take 100 people, but the band was so popular that a queue formed right down the road. Stewards counted as they let people in, and there were a lot of disappointed faces when at last the doors were closed. The paper’s headline next day read: ‘Sell out for local group. The Groovers play to packed hall of 200 enthusiastic fans.’
Which number do you think is probably wrong? Explain!
Has the paper just made a typing error?
Or were they given wrong information?
5.Last night the bedding factory in Dilford caught fire. Three fire engines, each carrying four firemen, took several hours to bring the fire under control. The firemen were grateful to Mrs. Green and her volunteer helpers, who worked through the night making ten cups of tea at a time for the tired men.
Can you spot a contradiction?
How many cups of tea at a time were the helpers really making each time?
Do you think the reporter didn’t count properly?
Or might it be a mistake by the newspaper?
6.The lorry was almost full. The forklift truck hoisted the last of the 40 sacks into the air and dumped it into the trailer. The lorry driver went into the office and signed his name against the number 50 on the dispatch note. ‘Job done,’ he said, before climbing into his cab and setting off for Manchester.
Can you spot the contradiction?
Why might the lorry driver have signed for the wrong number of sacks?
Was he just careless?
Can you think of any other explanation?
Might he have been cheating in some way?
