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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Which is an example of a coincidence?
(a) Being hired for a new job.
(b) Finding a penny on the sidewalk.
(c) Winning streak.
(d) Finding a good parking spot.

2. People often compare which event?
(a) Age.
(b) Shoe size.
(c) Birthdays.
(d) Anniversaries.

3. Paulos jokes about how many hamburgers?
(a) 120.
(b) 300.
(c) 800.
(d) 9.

4. Which two presidents are discussed in reference to coincidence?
(a) Washington and Cleveland.
(b) Nixon and Johnson.
(c) Adams and Jefferson.
(d) Lincoln and Kennedy.

5. What is one of the most common mistakes in math?
(a) Calculating diameter.
(b) Estimating probability.
(c) Remembering the value of pi.
(d) Solving word problems.

Short Answer Questions

1. What number is used in the joke about the population of the city?

2. What makes Paulos crazy about major math mistakes.

3. What is the name of the expert in this chapter?

4. When is the rain supposedly going to take place?

5. Why do people notice the coincidences?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the coincidence surrounding Christopher Columbus?

2. How would embracing scientific notation help people with large numbers?

3. What amusing example does Paulos use to illustrate the misunderstanding of numbers?

4. What is the example used by Paulos to demonstrate the connections between people?

5. Discuss the first of the most famous examples of coincidence.

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

7. Which famous doctor does Paulos introduce first? What is the doctor's opinion?

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

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

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

(see the answer keys)

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