1. At a woodwork class, the teacher passes around a box in which there are ten screwdrivers, one for each person in the class, including the teacher. Everybody takes a screwdriver, and yet there is still one left in the box. Explain.
2. You are refereeing a football match between two teams, the Red City Rovers and the Blue City Wanderers. Four of the 22 players on the pitch are called Kevin – one in the red team and three in the blue team. Three of the players are called Richard, two in the blue team and one in the red team. And both goalkeepers are called John. What is the referee’s name?
3. Is it more correct to say “The herd of sheep is eating hay in the field” or “The herd of sheep are eating hay in the field”?
Answers:
1. The teacher is the last person to pick a screwdriver. He leaves his screwdriver inside the box and simply takes the box. So although he has taken his screwdriver, he has not removed it from the box. Hence, one still left in the box.
2. Whatever your own name is, since you are the referee.
3. Neither. The correct terminology is a flock of sheep.
