In just over a month I’ll be taking the GMAT as part of my application for grad school. I’ve always had roughly the same scores on the math and verbal sections of standardized tests, so I thought my preparation would consist mostly of familiarizing myself with the test format, etc.

The diagnostic test I took the other night, however, “diagnosed” that I’ve forgotten nearly everything I learned in highschool freshman geometry in 1995. I’ve also seemingly forgotten how to “do math” altogether…

Can you answer the following? (See the answers below)***

Question 1

A train traveling at 100 kmph overtakes a motorbike traveling at 64 kmph in 40 seconds. What is the length of the train in meters?

A. 1777 meters
B. 1822 meters
C. 400 meters
D. 1111 meters
E. None of these

Question 2

How many zeros will be there in the value of 25!?

A. 25
B. 8
C. 6
D. 5
E. 2

Question 3

What is the sum of all 3 digit numbers that leave a remainder of ‘2′ when divided by 3?

A. 897
B. 164,850
C. 164,749
D. 149,700
E. 156,720

Please just shoot me.

The GMAT is a computer-administered test that tries to “peg” you by providing you with harder or easier questions based on the correctness of your previous responses. There is no going back to correct answers, no skipping of questions to return later, and an average of two minutes budgeted for each question, so you can’t take too long on any one particular question or you won’t finish the test. Oh, and did I mention that they don’t allow any calculators?

When you shoot me, please be sure to shoot me dead.

I sense some serious stockinette knitting coming on. Maybe I’ll start a throw blanket consisting of entirely garter stitch. …..knit, knit, knit knit, turn, knit, knit knit knit…

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***If you for some sick and inexplicable reason want to know the answers to the very important sample questions posed earlier, here are the answers:

Explanatory Answer 1

The correct choice is (C) and the correct answer is 400 meters.

Note: When a train overtakes another object such as a motorbike, whose length is negligible compared to the length of the train, then the distance traveled by the train while overtaking the motorbike is the same as the length of the train.

The length of the train = distance traveled by the train while overtaking the motorbike
= relative speed between the train and the motorbike * time taken

In this case, as both the objects i.e., the train and the motorbike are moving in the same direction, the relative speed between them = difference between their respective speeds = 100 – 64 = 36 kmph.

Distance traveled by the train while overtaking the motorbike = 36 kmph * 40 seconds.

The final answer is given in meters and the speed is given in kmph and the time in seconds.

So let us convert the given speed from kmph to m/sec.

1 kmph = 5/18 m/sec

Therefore, 36 kmph = 36 * 5 /18 = 10 m/sec.

Relative speed = 10 m/sec. Time taken = 40 seconds.

Therefore, distance traveled = 10 * 40 = 400 meters.

Explanatory Answer 2

The correct choice is (C) and the correct answer is 6.

25! is factorial 25 whose value = 25*24*23*22*…..*1

When a number that has 5 as its factor is multiplied by another number that has 2 as its factor, the result will have ‘0’ in its units digit. (product of 5 and 2 is 10 and any number when multiplied with 10 or a power of 10 will have one or as many zeroes as the power of 10 with which it has been multiplied)

In 25!, the numbers that have 5 as their factor are 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25. 25 is the square of 5 and hence has two 5’s in it.

Therefore, 25! contains in it 6 fives.
There are more than 6 even numbers in 25!. Hence, the limiting factor is the number of 5s.

And hence, the number 25! will have 6 zeroes in it.

Explanatory Answer 3

The correct choice is (B) and the correct answer is 164,850.

The smallest 3 digit number that will leave a remainder of 2 when divided by 3 is 101.

The next number that will leave a remainder of 2 when divided by 3 is 104, 107, ….

The largest 3 digit number that will leave a remainder of 2 when divided by 3 is 998.

So, the given series is an AP with the first term being 101 and the last term being 998 and thhe common difference being 3.

Sum of an AP = [(First Term + Last Term) / 2] * Number of Terms
]

We know that in an A.P., the nth term an = a1 + (n – 1)*d

In this case, therefore, 998 = 101 + (n – 1)* 3

i.e., 897 = (n – 1) * 3

Therefore, n – 1 = 299

Or n = 300.

Sum of the AP will therefore, be [(101+998)/2] * 300 = 164,850

So a former MTV producer, Benjamin Wagner, is currently finishing up a documentary about Mr. Rogers’ impact on his life. I would summarize, but it’s so much better to just read the original story of his brief, but life-altering, interactions with such an extraordinary person.

http://www.benjaminwagner.com/2003/02/27/mister-rogers-me/

The trailer video:

I also sometimes have the following scene pop into my head (pulled from Wikipedia and originally published in Esquire):

During the 1997 Daytime Emmys, the Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Rogers. The following is an excerpt from Esquire Magazine’s coverage of the gala, written by Tom Junod:

Mister Rogers went onstage to accept the award — and there, in front of all the soap opera stars and talk show sinceratrons, in front of all the jutting man-tanned jaws and jutting saltwater bosoms, he made his small bow and said into the microphone, “All of us have special ones who have loved us into being. Would you just take, along with me, ten seconds to think of the people who have helped you become who you are. Ten seconds of silence.”
And then he lifted his wrist, looked at the audience, looked at his watch, and said, ‘I’ll watch the time.” There was, at first, a small whoop from the crowd, a giddy, strangled hiccup of laughter, as people realized that he wasn’t kidding, that Mister Rogers was not some convenient eunuch, but rather a man, an authority figure who actually expected them to do what he asked. And so they did. One second, two seconds, seven seconds — and now the jaws clenched, and the bosoms heaved, and the mascara ran, and the tears fell upon the beglittered gathering like rain leaking down a crystal chandelier. And Mister Rogers finally looked up from his watch and said softly, “May God be with you,” to all his vanquished children.

Yes, I did cry when I first read that story.

You can find the remainder of the (very lengthy) article here if you’re so inclined.

Another documentary, “Fred Rogers – America’s Favorite Neighbor,” is now at the top of my Netflix queue. It is classified as “very long wait”, so who knows when it will actually make it. If anyone wants to join me, let me know. Can’t promise I won’t cry, though. I was a basketcase it when I first saw it on TV a few years ago. In a good way.

The past two weekends have been filled with festivals. Some better than others.

Last weekend I went to the Inman Park Festival with Karla and James. That is when the following entered my life:

Completely an impulse buy, but a perfectly reasonable and practical purchase since I wear skirts all the time. (Oh, the rationalization…) It was impossible to resist buying something from the crafting folks at the Supercute! booth. Can’t really say it any better than they have: “SuperCute! is a collaboration between three independent artists who believe that a kinder, happier, sustainable world is possible with just a little optimism and a whole lot of cuteness.” They use recycled/repurposed materials and are wonderfully committed to their cause. The skirt I bought was made by Lorigami. Karla had been to the festival the day before and brought back glowing reviews of “the skirt”, so she took me by the booth on Sunday knowing full well that as soon as I had that puppy in my grubby little hands it would never be leaving them… How I love it. And what a joy it was buying it from the girl that made it. Then out of nowhere came the kicker – she handed me my new skirt in this:

I was floored. What a wonderful thing. In line with their philosophy, they sew these bags from leftover recycled fabric and give them to customers as shopping bags (who are to re-use them) instead of giving out disposable bags that will just be thrown away. I tell you, their plan worked. I think about their mission quite frequently. So the bag already had a dedicated purpose before I left the booth – it is currently holding Amelia’s nearly-finished 2nd birthday present:

So close I can taste it. Just needs the elastic in the bodice, then to knit the straps, and then to pick out the ribbon. (Let’s all bow our heads and say a prayer that the elastic and blocking will fix the crazy rolling at the top from the picot cast-on edge. Otherwise I’ll have to get, um, creative.) FYI, the bottom is supposed to be a tad roll-y.

I think it is also important that you know that Lorigami currently has the following Happy Caterpillar and Mushrooms available at her etsy shop:

Yes, they are made from recycled sweaters in case you were wondering. They take the cuteness to the extreme I tell you. Truly an act of my will to not be purchasing them right now.

I also picked up the following:

I couldn’t even fake a rationalization for this one. But do you see the wire for the spouting water? And the crooked tail? The artist is Mike Norman – unfortunately his business card didn’t have a website. But he’s in Peachtree City, so he’s local. His e-mail is mnorman172@bellsouth.net. Whale is currently living in my bathroom.

So the springtime outing this weekend was to attend the Renaissance Festival. I haven’t been to this festival in 15 years. I think it will be a minimum of 15 years before I return again. Not sure what we were expecting. It was still nice hanging out all day with Karla, James, and Joel. And we did eat turkey legs, which was our primary mission of the day.

I swear every other sign/food item was a pun or a terrible joke. Steak on a Stake. Or maybe:

I swear, if I hear the word “wench” one more time….