Ok it's silly test question time

[proud2BlibKansan]

First semester Math 5th grade.

Clifford wants to know the different places his classmates have visited while on vacation. Which of these questions would not help Clifford collect the information he needs?

A. What is your favorite place to vacation?
B. Where did you go on vacation last summer?
C. Where did you go on vacation during spring break?
D. Which vacation spot did you travel to last December?

Yes there is an answer and yes I figured it out but it took awhile. Anyway, this is one of the silliest test questions ever, IMO.

[IA_Seth]

1. Eh?

D

It doesn't mention vacation.

Whats up with this question?

[angstlessk]

21. Good point, vacation spot as opposed to 'on vacation'...dern..Im a 4th grader!

[Ghost in the Machine]

93. It does where I'm looking.

proud2Blib (1000+ posts) Mon Sep-24-07 04:00 PM
Original message
Ok it's silly test question time
First semester Math 5th grade.

Clifford wants to know the different places his classmates have visited while on vacation. Which of these questions would not help Clifford collect the information he needs?

A. What is your favorite place to vacation?
B. Where did you go on vacation last summer?
C. Where did you go on vacation during spring break?
D. Which vacation spot did you travel to last December?

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The answer would be "A", because B, C & D are all basically asking about a spot the person actually visited, as opposed to A, which asks what their favorite spot is.

See, my *favorite place* could be Jamaica, but I couldn't go there, so I went to the campground at the lake down the road...

That's my take on it anyways...

[againes654]

2. How exactly is this math related?

My daughter had a very hard time in 5th grade math. That is a stupid question though.

BTW, because it is Monday, I don't feel like thinking too much (will have to help with homework tonight) what is the answer?

[proud2BlibKansan]

9. It has to do with collecting data

and that is Math.

[againes654]

26. Trick question more like it

Ok Ok you can make a case that that question is legitimate and a child will need to know how to wade through bullshit to find the true answer.

Testing like this makes me so mad. In the fith grade children should be perfecting the basics of math. If a child gets left behind at this point, it is extremely hard to catch up. Math is all stair steps. You have to know how to add to multiply. You have to know how to multiply to divide, and so on.

So maybe as a child gets older, they need to perfect more complex math, I still don't see how this question helps a child learn the basics of math. What this question does is teach a child how to find the right answer in a multiple choice format, not how to actually find out where the children went on vacation. You can collect that data by simply asking.

[proud2BlibKansan]

78. But you need to know what kinds of questions to ask to collect data

And once you collect data, you make a graph. That's an important Math skill.

[babylonsister]

3. I think I know what my favorite place to vacation would be, but

I'm looking forward to going there to find out. Are distractors allowed? :shrug:

[proud2BlibKansan]

8. Only for kids with AD/HD

:)

[babylonsister]

19. ...

:hide: :blush:

[angstlessk]

4. A of course, cause even though it might be his favorite it does not reveal

where he went!

[proud2BlibKansan]

12. I almost chose A

but that is not the correct answer. Sorry.

[angstlessk]

20. Damn, now I feel like a 4th grader! n/t

[AlCzervik]

5. A.

[varkam]

6. I'd guess A.

But that's me :D

[Swamp Rat]

7. My "favorite place to vacation" does not tell you where I actually went.

My "favorite place" could be the one in my dreams.

[proud2BlibKansan]

13. Ooh can I come with you?

[Swamp Rat]

30. Sure!

:D

[Rex]

41. Scrooge in space.

Dick-tater

[rateyes]

10. D.

One can travel to a "vacation spot" without taking a vacation. One would assume a "favorite place to vacation" has been vacationed in, otherwise how would one know it's their favorite spot.

I say D.

[proud2BlibKansan]

14. Nope

[angstlessk]

23. It aint A and it aint D...then WHAT is it???? and if I see a red line edit I gonna murdize ya!

[lligrd]

11. Torn Between A And D

A because your favorite spot doesn't necessarily mean you have been there, although it implies it. D because you could have been to a vacation spot without being on vacation e.g., I was in Las Vegas at a work convention for my dad. All in all, I'd pick D.

[proud2BlibKansan]

16. Wow I went back and forth between those also

But no - not A or D.

[babylonsister]

22. B or C?

:rofl:

[lligrd]

24. Hey, You Stole My Answer

LOL I am now truly stumped and my head hurts. :banghead:

[lligrd]

27. So It Is The Differnce Between During And Last?

Help, give me a hint.

[proud2BlibKansan]

31. It's not A and it's not D

[IA_Seth]

32. ok, so you've got plenty o replies... tell us. n/t

[proud2BlibKansan]

75. The answer key says

C.

I called our Math dept. They said they think it's a fluke since technically all the answers work. Some vendor they hired wrote the test. So this is privatization at its finest. :)

[kdmorris]

91. Well, I technically got it right

But only after you eliminated half of them.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

98. OMG!

I think I was right then!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=1892776&mesg_id=1895873

Yes, that's what the question really is! How many kids have taken hallucinogenic drugs during vacation?

And the correct answer is...None, other than the person who devised the question.

:rofl:

[lligrd]

33. You're Cruel

:grr:

[proud2BlibKansan]

81. They train us well in teacher school.

:evilgrin:

[lligrd]

38. Okay, Now I Am Going With B

Because it limits the question to last summer instead of all summers. But I still say D won't necessarily help either. Or A for that matter.

[Fovea]

15. My Favorite place to vacation

would be to visit an online friend of mine in Vlissingen.

But I have never been there.

[proud2BlibKansan]

17. I know - I leaned toward A

I really wanted that to be the answer. But it's not. Sorry.

[Fovea]

29. The question give an implication of 'last vacation'

while not explicitly stating so.

A better formed query would specify all the vacations they could remember, rather than allowing linguistic ambiguity.

When asked 'what did you have for breakfast'? Only those with Asparger's would start listing the sum of their breakfast experience. So it is with the construction in this sentence.

[ljm2002]

18. Well it does address the issue...

...of recognizing what is real data vs. what may appear at first glance to be data, but is just a statement of preference. It also shows how to ask questions in a way that elicits factual information. Now it's more of a critical thinking skill than a math skill, exactly, but still, I think, not irrelevant to math since gathering data is one aspect of math.

Just MO.

[angstlessk]

25. AND YOU HIGHLIGHTED THE WORD 'NOT'...DAMN ME!

[Solly Mack]

28. Let me see

hmmm

[proud2BlibKansan]

34. I gotta go for awhile

Keep thinking and I will reveal the actual answer (I checked the answer key to make sure) when I get back.

:hi:

[lligrd]

42. Hmm, Where Did You Go During The Break?

Where did you go on your last break? Where is your favorite place to go on break? What break spot did you visit last December?

[proud2BlibKansan]

73. LOL!!

[orleans]

77. your answer key is wrong! the correct answer is A. now, where did

you go for all those hours--maybe changing the answer sheet???

[proud2BlibKansan]

79. On vacation!

I went to The Bahamas and back. :)

[kdmorris]

58. 4.5 hours and counting

You are a cruel woman!!!!


So, where DO you like to eat bananas?

[proud2BlibKansan]

76. Sorry got hung up

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=1892776&mesg_id=1897132

[Labors of Hercules]

35. C. 5th Graders don't have a "Spring Break". nt

[lligrd]

36. Our Schools Do nt

[kdmorris]

45. I thought all schools had Spring Break?

They used to call it Easter Break, but then they changed it to Spring Break.

Now, 5th graders are probably not prone to heading to the beach to do things they will regret when the sober up, but... don't they still get Spring Break?

[kdmorris]

37. C. Because it's not specific to which Spring Break. ??

You are right... it's a silly question. All I'm left with is making stuff up.

I would have picked A... How is it NOT A??

[lligrd]

40. I Picked B For Precisely The Opposite Reason

He wants to know all places during anytime. Doesn't he? I am so confused. lol

[Dr. Strange]

43. It's gotta be A.

That's my final answer. No deal.

[valerief]

39. Hmm, does A assume they've vacationed there or they would want to vacation there?

Because Clifford only wants to NOT know of places where they've been.

If one assumes A means the kids have vacationed there, then none of the answers will help him not find his answers.

Of course, if Clifford were a dog or if he were a person (not a corporation) who spoke a language other than English, then none of the questions would help and neither would the English answers.

And another thing, the first sentence says he wants to know stuff, but the second sentence says he needs the information. Is this a subliminal way to tie "want" to "need?"

Stupid question. And people wonder why kids don't know where to find Argentina on a map. They're busy answering stupid questions like these.

[kdmorris]

44. My head just exploded

But THAT was great! :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[rateyes]

46. All of them. There is not ONE answer to this question....

The question is "which of these" would not help, which means that there could be multiple answers to the question.

It's the first semester of school...Clifford wants to know where his classmates went while on vacation (the one they just had over the summer).

The ONLY question that would help, then is "Where did you go on vacation this summer?" Since that question is not one of the answers, then the answer to the question is "All of them." (Or, IOW, NONE of the questions help Clifford get the answers he needs.)

[proud2BlibKansan]

80. You get the prize!

And everyone else gets a sticker for a good effort. :)

[rateyes]

83. Woooohoooooo

:woohoo: WhadidIwin? WhadidIwin? :woohoo:

Guess being a genius has its advantages! :evilgrin:

[valerief]

84. Boo hoo. I said none of them in msg 39! nt

[proud2BlibKansan]

85. Tell rateyes I said to share with you

[valerief]

86. Okay, but he said it second, teacher. nt

[proud2BlibKansan]

87. Do I need to separate you two?

[rateyes]

96. Hey, valerie got the answer correctly...

...but my answer was better! :)

[rateyes]

95. I'll split my winnings with you right down the middle....

although my explanation was better. :P

[valerief]

103. I thought the winner of the race was the one who got there first!

This ain't no dance contest!!!!

:pals:

[lligrd]

47. Here Is A Better Question

What punishment does Proud deserve for asking this silly question and then leaving us hanging?

Or maybe that should have been: What punishment does Proud deserve for asking this silly question and then leaving us, hanging?

[kdmorris]

48. Tis an evil thing

I do believe the punishment should be:

From here until New Years, all posts from Proud should be answered with a silly question. If she posts on the horrors of the Bush Administration, we will only answer with "And how do you like bananas?" or some such silly thing (Maybe just "And where did you go on vacation?".

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[lligrd]

49. I Heartily Agree

I love the Banana question. Maybe a combo. What is your favorite banana eating spot?

[kdmorris]

50. ROFL Perfect!!!!! n/t

[Lone_Star_Dem]

51. That's the problem with kids today

They don't know how to ask a simple question.

Why can't he just ask, "what different places did you kids visit while on vacation?"

Nooooo, that's just too easy for the little budding politician. He's all absorbed in learning the nuances of doublespeak and torturing his classmates with them. :P

[lligrd]

52. Different Places, What is a different place?

A place where people eat bananas standing on their head?

[Lone_Star_Dem]

53. Or perhaps where the sky is green and grass is blue?

Yes, that's what the question really is! How many kids have taken hallucinogenic drugs during vacation?

And the correct answer is...None, other than the person who devised the question. :silly:

[lligrd]

54. ROFL nt

[11 Bravo]

55. Ummm. It took you more than 5 seconds?

But you are correct. While it may provide a minimal view of a students ability to apply critical thinking skills, it is still a pretty silly question.

[Blashyrkh]

56. HAHA! I know it.

The answer is C because it is an implied question about the future. He's asking about where they are going to be vacationing DURING spring break, which implies spring break has not taken place yet, hence in the future. Some (not all) answers to this question might invalidate the question's premise that the vacation spot must have been VISITED, implying they had been there before.

[kdmorris]

59. Yeah, but it says

Where DID you go, implying past tense.

I got C as well, for a different reason. (well, after A and D had already been ruled out, so I can't really say it's much of a brainstorm, more like a 50-50 guess)

[lligrd]

60. I'm With You - It Did Say Did

and that would make it more of a grammer question anyway. I am still with B because it limits it to a single vacation and I think he want's to know all the spots they have ever been to on vacation.

[kdmorris]

64. Hmmmmm didn't think of that

I went with C because it was non-specific ("during spring break"), whereas "last summer vacation" was a specific time period.

But I'm all confused now, anyway.

[Raejeanowl]

57. Am I Weird Because I Saw It?

I'm terrible at math, better at logic, and it jumped out. There's also another layer reversing the result if they didn't happen to go on vacation at any of those times. But it's looking for only one unhelpful question.

Valid vs. invalid data? I don't think it's silly at all. It just strikes me as kind of dauntingly advanced to ask of a 5th grader, but then I don't have any 5th graders around anymore.

[lligrd]

61. Nope, That Is Not Why You Are Wierd

Now, what did you see?

[Raejeanowl]

67. Thanks!

Well, I see you believe in "i" before "e" except after "c." But the word "weird" is an exception to the rule.

The short version: the first choice is the answer because it does NOT include the direct question "where did you go?"

"Favorite places to vacation" won't necessarily elicit a specific or factual answer.

That's how I saw it.

[valerief]

71. Except that proud2blib says it's not A. Nor is it D. And she's got the answer sheet! nt

[Raejeanowl]

72. I Think That proud2blib

...has gone on vacation.

[valerief]

74. Check out msg 34. She said she had to leave for a while. She'd better

post by tomorrow!
:bounce:

[lligrd]

90. See That Is Why You Are Weird

Correcting spelling on a math quiz. :rofl:

Speaking of weird, according to Proud we were both wrong.

[The Straight Story]

62. My break down (and it's not A, I think it is B) - probably wrong, but hey - no beer yet :)

Clifford wants to know the different places his classmates have visited while on vacation. Which of these questions would not help Clifford collect the information he needs?

A. What is your favorite place to vacation?
(Implies they have vacationed at place X before, which helps him answer it)

B. Where did you go on vacation last summer?
(*** Most likely answer as it asks about only ONE time period - and see more on D below)

C. Where did you go on vacation during spring break?
(Covers all spring breaks)

D. Which vacation spot did you travel to last December?
(ALMOST like B -EXCEPT- it is asking for a spot, whereas summer vacation did not ask for a location as 'where' could also mean stayed at home. D asks 'which' and not where)

[Blashyrkh]

66. There is no mention of frequency in the question.

So it shouldn't matter whether his question is aimed at one timeframe or over many, the answers would still help Clifford learn locations his classmates have visited on vacation.

Alright, my last guess.

"Clifford wants to know the different places his classmates have visited while on vacation. Which of these questions would not help Clifford collect the information he needs?"

The question says "places...visited while on vacation". Does Clifford want the location of the vacation or a list of places visited during said location? Both B & C could be argued as an answer, because "Where did you go" could be taken as both where the vacation was and the locales visisted during.

At any rate, Clifford is looking for locations. All four questions would be answered with locations so the initial question is broken. All answers would help Clifford in his initial premise.

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

63. the correct answer is.

none of your business, clifford. who do you think you are? dick cheney?

[Raejeanowl]

68. Dick Cheney Has Ways

Of making you tell where you went on vacation!

[rucky]

65. Fact vs. Opinion. 5th Grade Reading standard.

in Ohio, at least.

[proud2BlibKansan]

82. Same here but this is a Math test

:rofl:

[rucky]

92. LOL

unreal

[uppityperson]

69. They all would. Answer is None.

[kdmorris]

70. OK, it's been 6 hours

I have to go to bed... I can only hope there is an answer in the morning!!

[proud2BlibKansan]

94. here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=1892776&mesg_id=1897132

[kdmorris]

100. Thanks, Proud

You had already responded to the whiner who said it was 4.5 hours (me).

I'm not sure I understand why it's C, but I got it right.

[shugah]

88. correct answer

and i assure you - this is what i would tell either of my children should they request my help with this so-called math question:

"that is a stupid (i may or may not refrain from inserting a cuss-word here) question. leave it blank or randomly guess."

if the rest of the test were as goddamn (cuss-word not refrained from :-) )stupid, i would have to strongly consider homeschooling.

i know from reading the thread that the so-called correct answer is C. C does assume that all classmates went on vacation during spring break - "nowhere" might not qualify as a destination by clifford's (is that the big red dog? in 5th grade?) obviously bizarre information collecting standards. and we all know that if some kid in our public schools today can't go to some desirable vacation spot on spring break they probably don't deserve to be on the graph anyway.

also having read the thread, i have to recommend posts #52 and 53 as the best possible answers:

52. Different Places, What is a different place?
A place where people eat bananas standing on their head? (can bananas stand on their head?)

53. Or perhaps where the sky is green and grass is blue?
Yes, that's what the question really is! How many kids have taken hallucinogenic drugs during vacation?
And the correct answer is...None, other than the person who devised the question.

but then i've always liked language arts far better than math.

edit: an elusive 'e'

[BlackVelvet04]

89. D

Maybe they didn't go to a vacation spot to take a vacation.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

97. Not The First Time I've Seen A Wrong Answer In An Answer Key. And C Is Definitely Wrong.

When I was in school I had several 'test battles' in which I challenged answers and came out victorious, after having the test company or otherwise confirm the mistake. Teachers used to hate me for challenging shit like that. But in this case, there is no doubt answer C is incorrect, and in fact all of them are incorrect for obvious reasons.

Breaking down the question, it comes out like this:

Clifford wants to know different places his classmates have gone on vacation. It doesn't say he wants to know ALL the places, just that he wants to know the different places. It also doesn't say he wants to know only during a certain time period, such as the preceding summer. Only that he wants to know different places. It is a very generic request on his part and any response from any student that would possibly yield a different place, during any time frame, would in fact be helpful.

Moving on to the answers,

Answer A. Favorite place to vacation would indicate the person had been there already, as opposed to being a place they'd like to go. If it is their favorite, it is inherent that they would had to have been there. So of course any answer given would yield a destination that could be different than someone else's. Therefore, it can be helpful. The answer could also be "I've never been on vacation", so there is an inherent risk of not receiving anything helpful, but overall it can be expected that out of the group there would be at least one answer.

Answers B,C and D. No one of these could be correct, because they are all identical in context. They can all be rephrased almost identically to "Where did you go on vacation during then?", with then being either summer, spring break, or specifically last December. Each question could yield an answer that turns out to be a different destination than a previous answer, thereby deeming it possibly helpful. Each one could also yield a response of "I went nowhere", which wouldn't be helpful. But once again, it is likely in the group that at least one person would have an answer each time, thereby providing an additional vacation spot. But if C is right, than so too must B and D be right. They are all contextually identical, with simply the time frame of when the vacation took place being changed. But since clifford has no demand as to specific time frame, that slight change in each question is irrelevant as to its outcome.

So this really is quite a silly question, and whoever thought they were being smart by writing the question and thinking they had some cool 'brain teaser' logical answer to it, was actually quite dumb. I have often times seen people try and make up their own brain teasers and they convince themselves that their logic in the answer is correct, though it really isn't and there wasn't any true logic to begin with. That seems to be the case here. Some person at the test company thought they had some witty brain teaser that they made up a logical answer to, but they didn't have the skill enough to recognize that their logic was bogus.

No right answer here. Dumb question, bad testing company. The question should be omitted from any future use.

[Hutzpa]

99. I'll say C;

C is a repetitive question from B, vacationing during spring break means I'm already there having fun, that's my take anyway.

Still its either B or C.

Hell!! what do I know...I killed my math teacher years ago.



:shrug:

[SidDithers]

101. I'd say D, because it's the only choice with a specified time...

the other choices are all open-ended, whereas D could be answered "We didn't vacation anywhere last December".

Am I right? Do I win an all expenses paid trip to the Bahamas? Do I have to go in December?

Sid

[hedgehog]

102. New math strikes again!

Now, decide if these questions are subsets of each other...

[LWolf]

104. If your 5th graders can't pass this test,

you've failed, and we're ready to disband and privatize your school.


Here's the question of the day for DUers and for voters:

Is there ANY corporate-produced test free from "silly" questions like this one?


A. A few questions slip by, but we're always revising the test to improve it.

B. None of our tests ever have faulty questions! If your students, or you, can't answer the question, that's your own fault!

C. There will always be bad questions; as long as all the kids answer the same bad questions, the data is valid.

D. Some of those faulty questions are deliberate. How are we going to privatize education if the kids keep passing the tests?

[proud2BlibKansan]

105. D

I still remember finding out that there are always questions with no correct answer on every standardized test. Blew me away.

[LWolf]

107. Yep.

We could be more tolerant if the tests weren't "high stakes" weapons of mass privatization to be used against us.

[Bassic]

106. A.