To
get into the Metropolitan Mole Service wasn’t easy. About 1000 moles applied every year for only
50 places. The entrance test included an
insect identification exam, a tunnel test and a problem-solving exercise.
Sergeant
Star-nosed Moleskin devised a problem he though would sort out the applicants, ‘This
will be a whole lot of fun for me. We do
get some applicants who make a fuss and say it’s too difficult – there are
always some who make a mountain out of a molehill.’
All
the applicants were nervous and none more so than Mike Burrow. This was his big day and a chance for him to
break free from his job at the London Underground digging new tunnels, ‘My dad
was a plainclothes mole for 20 years and I aim to follow in his footsteps. Let’s just hope I’ve got what it takes!’
Sergeant
Star-nosed Moleskin gathered the applicants together in the parade ground and
read out the problem, ‘Right then you ‘oribble lot, your task is this: you are required to dig some mounds in a
square shape so that each side of the square has eight mounds. You have 20 minutes from now – so start
digging!’
Problem: How many
mounds should the moles dig?
Hint: Draw a picture to check your answer, or use counters
to represent the mounds.
If you would like an extra challenge try this: The moles need to dig a rectangle with 30
mounds. What could the length and width
of this rectangle be?
All Solutions are to be completed by Tuesday 31st January.
Please post them into the Maths Challenge Box in the picture book
library.
