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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. In what did the doctor not believe?

2. The first stranger's wife went to what kind of camp?

3. Paulos jokes about how many hamburgers?

4. What news professional makes common errors in predictions?

5. What is one of the most common mistakes in math?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who was the mathematician responsible for discovering one of the most important discoveries?

2. How is that encounter explained?

3. Examine the first story told by Paulos in this chapter.

4. How does Paulos feel when people attempt to diagnose his personality by his astrological sign?

5. Where does the author believe most people fit in?

6. How was the situation in the story handled? How did it involve probability?

7. The author believes that people are often obsessed by what topics?

8. What is the example used to separate numerates from innumerates?

9. Why does Paulos argue about the existence of coincidences?

10. Why do people tend to be fascinated by coincidences?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

List at least three incorrect examples of grammar and three incorrect examples of math. Compare and contrast the problems. Which is more severe? Which is most likely to be noticed? Before reading this book would you have noticed either or both? Explain.

Essay Topic 2

Paulos takes issue with the lack of proper focus on the skill of estimation. Examine Paulos' reasoning about the importance of estimation. In your eyes, is estimating an important skill? Explain. What can be gained by making estimations? How do you know when your sample group is large enough? Is it determined by the activity or question or are all sample groups the same size? What are the most common mistakes made when estimating? Can you prove the answer arrived upon is correct or incorrect? How? Create at least five examples of estimation as they might be found in every day situations.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the principles covered in chapter one. Outline and give examples of each. Which do you feel is the most important? Why?

Give at least three examples of the principle as it might apply to your daily life. How would you arrive at the answer? How could you determine if the answer was correct? Are there any other correlating principles that might help you to determine the answer?

(see the answer keys)

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