Sunday, July 25, 2010

Attention 101: pre-requisite course of study for all advanced classes

Recently, Mr. Slug has expressed a desire to expand his horizons and go back to school. This has been a very difficult decision to make as he is already a very busy businesslug and fitting classes into the executive schedule seems almost impossible. Mrs. Slug has encouraged this momentus decision and has enjoyed opening up the math book on the dining room table of late, doing math problems while nibbling a bowl of greens with her husband slug.   She noticed he was very tired and sent him to the sleeping chamber early because Mrs. Slug knows that he is liable to have a Pop Quiz at class.

Mr. Slug found himself feeling groggy in class the next day, and just as suspected, the teacher called a Pop Quiz on the class. The teacher said, "Sylvester Slug wanted to buy 4 basil leaves at his favorite vegetable stand. Sylvester slid across town at an average speed of  3 1/2 m.p.h. and covered a distance of 16 miles. How long did it take for Sylvester Slug to slide?"

Optical tentacles forward all you slugs! You have five minutes to solve the problem. Please use a number two pencil and use the comment section to record your answers.

Ready, Set, GO!

9 comments:

Jeanne said...

Oh Slug Bait! :0( I turned in my fancy algebraic calculator last semester!

But, I have some how managed to calculate what I think is the correct answer...I think I may have used some of that 'new math' that everyone talks about. LOL :0)

4.5714285 hrs

Owen said...

Dear Mrs & Mr Slug !

How lovely to see you out from under the pile of stones you've been hiding under... I guess while waiting for the bail officers to get tired of looking for you and disappear...
:-)

Hope all is well in Slugville now !

As for this problem, I think the correct answer is obvious...

It took in total 9 hours and 47 minutes. And that because while the slug was sliding 16 miles across town to the basil leaf shop, he spotted a patch of very nice looking lettuce in a back yard along the way, and slid in for a bit of a nibble. Having stuffed his little slug belly, he suddenly felt very sleepy, and curled up under a nearby tomato vine to take a nap. He woke up a few hours later, realized he was late, and slid off at double his usual sliding pace, getting to the shop just before it closed.

Am I right ??? Am I right ???

I think, in any case, that it is lovely that a slug wishes to further his education, I'm all for it. Slugs need to be able to measure distances and directions as they store away in memory the gardens they will be raiding in the future...

Lorrene said...

I don't normally give such sage advice, but I'd drop out of school. The questions are just too hard. Unless, of course he is really into basil leaves.

Hammy said...

Trick question, obviously. I have it on good authority that slugs don't slide but actually crawl - http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/indexmag.html?http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/artnov01/slug.html
He'd never reach his destination by sliding.

Pat Wahler said...

Great answers. I won't even try to top them. But I will say thanks for stopping by Critter Alley. Nice to know you!

Pat
www.critteralley.blogspot.com

Owen said...

I'm more convinced now then ever that there may be even a pair of slugs napping in the cabbage patch... as they seem to be missing...

And I was quite surprised to learn through Hammy's comment that slugs don't even slide ! Could've fooled me...

babbler said...

AAck! All of you slugs have been here already while I have been out nibbling on cabbage leaves! I needed a wheelbarrow just to get back, apparently we slugs don't slide anymore, we just crawl like an inchworm. I refuse to return my belly sliding plate, I just can't accept this news - I suppose the next thing you will tell me is that the world is round when we slugs know that it is as flat as a pancake.
Now I must get to business, all of you student slugs have worked very hard and I am tardy with the grading of your papers!
Jeanne: I bet you never even opened your textbook in school! Some slugs are naturally gifted at math and you are indeed one of them. A+ on your test!
Owen: You are right! You are right!!! Mr. Slug and I were hiding under cabbage leaves (and munching away at them too) while waiting for the pesky bail officers to clear out of our corner of the garden. We watched as two pairs of well shined shoes walked toward us, looked around, then turned on thier heels and retreated without seeing us under the leaves of cabbage.
Your figure of 9 hours and 47 minutes is correct, but for only the one slug. It was the slugs wifey that took her time out on the road, sleeping at the Motel Lettuce Inn for the night and sliding out early in the morning at a double pace to reach her destination in exactly 9.4714285 hrs. She got to the shop just before it closed because her husband slug had slid straight through and convinced the shopkeep to stay open a bit longer than usual. Both slugs tracked the shop and gardens along the way in thier fantastically educated and supple brains (however small). Since you answered this question in essay form you shall receive an additional award for your efforts, an A+ and 5 fresh cabbage leaves to spend in the student store however you wish! Bravo Sir!
Lorrene:
Mr. Slug appreciates your sage advice, I expect that he is going back to school to have a chance of earning more basil leaves. Your suggestion of the basil leaves has motivated him to great heights! Thank you for the inspiration and letting him know he has nothing to lose by trying since it is too hard anyway. :) For this sage advice, you are awarded and "A", the one that resides in the word "stAy" in school!
Hammy:
You have indicated this is a trick question, and you are correct Sir. Slugs must go to school so they can earn lots of lettuce to buy belly sliding plates to protect the tender bellies from the harsh conditions of the road. The fact that slugs actually crawl could be compared to the evolution of man or the big bang theory, of which there are many. There is always the student who tries to rock the boat, and I admire that in a slug. A+ for your innovative thinking! You win a brand new belly slider! Thanks for the reference materials included in your intelligent answer.
Owen: Don't believe that Hammy! (Cue the music...) It's my party, I can slide if I want to! Slide if I want to! Slide if I want to! You would slide too if crawling happened to you!

Sphincter said...

When it comes to math, I always defer to slugs... Congrats to Mr Slug on his return to school.

Snowbrush said...

I COULD have solved the problem, only I COULDN'T find my stupid slide rule, and so this meant that I COULDN'T solve the problem that I COULD have solved otherwise.