The tortoise who taught maths was so hopeless that everything he ever added up only came to nought. No wonder that he got so fraught, he could hardly understand what he taught ! There were so many sixes and sevens … that his answers became odd (when they should have been even). Even his even numbers, eventually became uneven. He tried all the time, to get more than nine … but being a tortoise he was quite slow – he didn’t have many counters so his numbers didn’t grow. “Don’t worry, if it takes a while”, said the pig sat on the stile, with a smile. I can help you understand that mile. He brought a pile of flowers, that he used to add up – together they counted puddles and one hundred and one dalmation pups.
ort, ought or aught ? which is the correct one to use?
1. I drank a glass of _____.
2. I handed my ticket in at the _____.
3. Tennis is my favourite _____.
4. The engine was fraught with problems.
5. I _____ ten fish from the pond.
6. The teacher _____ English for a number of years.
7. I ate a _____.
8. He _____ a battle so well that he received a medal.
9. The knight’s _____ was a stronghold.
10. She was so _____ that he took offence.
11. I _____ a new pair of sunglasses.
12. It was a well _____ after spot to take a holiday.
Slow As A Tortoise
1. If the tortoise travelled at a speed of 0.75 km / hour, how long did it take to travel across the playing field, 3 km long ?
2. If the tortoise ate 0.2 of a lettuce leaf, what decimal, fraction and percentage was left ?
3. If a tortoise had one of his four legs still inside his shell, what fraction, decimal and percentage was out showing ?
4. If a tortoise travelled 3 m North, 5 m East, 4.5 m South, then 2.5 m South East, how far did he travel in total ?
5. The tortoise was so slow that he took 45 minutes longer than the slow worm to complete his homework. If the slow worm took 2 and a half hours, how long did the tortoise take ?
A Smattering of Mat – hs
How many words can you think of that include the word “mat” ? Example – matrix, doormat, matter.
Answers : port ; airport ; sport ; fraught ; caught ; taught ; torte ; faught ; fort; haughty ; bought ; sought
Answers :
1. 3 / 0.75 = 4 hours
2. 0.8 = 8 / 10 = 4 / 5 ; 80 %
3. 3 /4 = 75 % = 0.75
4. 15 m
5. 3 and 1/4 hours
© Jacqueline Richards 2007
