Smaug The Magnificent
2004-11-30 20:26:12 UTC
The wearying debate about the decline in standards in the British
education system has finally thrown up something interesting.
As far as I remember Tolkien took the entrance exam for King Edwards
School Birmingham in 1899, failed but was admitted the following year.
These are some of the exam questions tackled by 11-year-olds applying
for places at King Edward's School in Birmingham in 1898.
How would you do?
Arithmetic
1. Multiply 642035 by 24506
2. Subtract 3.25741 from 3.3; multiply 28.436 by 8.245; divide 0.86655
by 26.5
3. Simplify 183/4 minus 22/3 divided by 11/5 minus 31/2 multiplied by
4/7
English grammar
1. Parse fully "And call the cattle home."
2. Explain the meaning of o' Dee, dank with foam, western tide, round
and round the sand, the rolling mist.
3. Write out separately the simple sentences in the last two lines of
the above passage and analyse them.
Geography
1. On the outline map provided, mark the position of Carlisle,
Canterbury, Plymouth, Hull, Gloucester, Swansea, Southampton,
Worcester, Leeds, Leicester and Norwich; Morecambe Bay, The Wash,
Solent, Menai Straits and Lyme Bay; St Bees Head, The Naze, Lizard
Point; the rivers Trent and Severn; Whernside, the North Downs, and
Plinlimmon, and state on a separate paper what the towns named above
are noted for.
2. Where are silver, platinum, tin, wool, wheat, palm oil, furs and
cacao got from?
5. Where are Omdurman, Wai-Hei-Wai, Crete, Santiago, and West Key, and
what are they noted for?
English history
1. What kings of England began to reign in the years 871, 1135, 1216,
1377, 1422, 1509, 1625, 1685, 1727, 1830?
2. Give some account of Egbert, William II, Richard III, Robert Blake,
Lord Nelson.
3. State what you know of Henry II's quarrel with Becket, the taking
of Calais by Edward III, the attempt to make Lady Jane Grey queen, the
trial of the Seven bishops, the Gordon riots.
(courtesy of The Guardian - they left out the Latin questions because
they thought that no-one these days would understand them)
I must admit that even having attained a reasonable education I would
struggle with this.
Tolkien was seven when he took the following years test.
Cheers
Smaug
education system has finally thrown up something interesting.
As far as I remember Tolkien took the entrance exam for King Edwards
School Birmingham in 1899, failed but was admitted the following year.
These are some of the exam questions tackled by 11-year-olds applying
for places at King Edward's School in Birmingham in 1898.
How would you do?
Arithmetic
1. Multiply 642035 by 24506
2. Subtract 3.25741 from 3.3; multiply 28.436 by 8.245; divide 0.86655
by 26.5
3. Simplify 183/4 minus 22/3 divided by 11/5 minus 31/2 multiplied by
4/7
English grammar
1. Parse fully "And call the cattle home."
2. Explain the meaning of o' Dee, dank with foam, western tide, round
and round the sand, the rolling mist.
3. Write out separately the simple sentences in the last two lines of
the above passage and analyse them.
Geography
1. On the outline map provided, mark the position of Carlisle,
Canterbury, Plymouth, Hull, Gloucester, Swansea, Southampton,
Worcester, Leeds, Leicester and Norwich; Morecambe Bay, The Wash,
Solent, Menai Straits and Lyme Bay; St Bees Head, The Naze, Lizard
Point; the rivers Trent and Severn; Whernside, the North Downs, and
Plinlimmon, and state on a separate paper what the towns named above
are noted for.
2. Where are silver, platinum, tin, wool, wheat, palm oil, furs and
cacao got from?
5. Where are Omdurman, Wai-Hei-Wai, Crete, Santiago, and West Key, and
what are they noted for?
English history
1. What kings of England began to reign in the years 871, 1135, 1216,
1377, 1422, 1509, 1625, 1685, 1727, 1830?
2. Give some account of Egbert, William II, Richard III, Robert Blake,
Lord Nelson.
3. State what you know of Henry II's quarrel with Becket, the taking
of Calais by Edward III, the attempt to make Lady Jane Grey queen, the
trial of the Seven bishops, the Gordon riots.
(courtesy of The Guardian - they left out the Latin questions because
they thought that no-one these days would understand them)
I must admit that even having attained a reasonable education I would
struggle with this.
Tolkien was seven when he took the following years test.
Cheers
Smaug