MHB Hong Kong Elementary School Admission Test

AI Thread Summary
An admissions test question from an elementary school in Hong Kong sparked a discussion about recognizing patterns in numbers. Participants noted that while some found the pattern easy to identify, younger children might approach it differently, focusing on non-mathematical patterns. A related anecdote involved a riddle about a girl misreading an envelope's cash amount, leading to confusion at the grocery store. The consensus highlighted the potential for miscommunication in numerical contexts, particularly emphasizing the father's role in the ambiguity. Overall, the conversation underscored the importance of clarity in mathematical communication for both children and adults.
Evgeny.Makarov
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The following question was supposedly given in an admissions test for an elementary school in Hong Kong.

what-parking-space-number-is-the-car-parked-in-english-translation.jpg
 
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That's good...it took me about 15 seconds to see the pattern, so I would just squeak by...:D
 
I did not measure the time, so I'm not sure I got there in time. :)
 
I don't think I made it in time because I tried to look for a mathematical pattern, but the use of numbers such as 8, 9, 0 made it obvious. Though, I would assume that this would actually be easier for younger kids who aren't exposed too much math or any math, as they would first turn to patterns that aren't mathematical.
 
I remember another similar riddle from my middle school years. A father asked his daughter to go grocery shopping and said that he would leave an envelope with cash and write the enclosed sum on the envelope. The girl saw that she had \$89 and selected \$81 worth of groceries. However, at the register it turned out to her embarrassment that she not only did not have \$8 left, but she was lacking \$13. What went wrong?
 
The number was read upside down, or she dropped money on her way there.
 
I blame the father for either writing an ambiguous amount on the envelope, or for putting too little money in.
 

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