Page 38 - UD Research Magazine Vol5-No2

Fearsome
TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE
Fridays
There’s one more in 2015, coming in November. That most feared day: Friday the 13th. Tom Fernsler, “Dr. 13,” now retired from the Delaware Center for Teacher Education at UD, knows a lot about this focus of so much superstition. He uses it to turn kids and adults on to math. His fascination took off in 1987, a year that had three Friday the 13ths, the most you’ll find in any year. In 2016, we can relax, at least a little. We’ll have only one.
1.
2. On Sept. 13, 1899, in New York City, this happened for the first time. A. First person to die in a car accident B. First person to win the lottery
C. 13 city fires on one day
3. This comedic actress was born on Friday the 13th.
A. Julia Louis-Dreyfus B. Lucille Ball C. Mindy Kaling
4.Atrack numberinatrainstationwaschangedfrom13to13Afor this world figure.
A. Vladimir Putin B. Queen Elizabeth II C. Joe Biden
5. This ill-fated mission launched at 13:13 CST on 4/11/70. The sum of the date’s digits is 13 (4+1+1+7+0). The explosion that crippled the spacecraft occurred on April 13.
A. Orion 13 B. Apollo 13 C. Gemini IV
6. This quarterback, who wore No. 13 throughout his football career, is said to be the best quarterback who never won a Super Bowl.
A. Rich Gannon B. Donovan McNabb C. Dan Marino
7. In Spanish-speaking countries, this day is considered
to be a day of bad luck instead of Friday the 13th.
A. Tuesday the 13th B. Thursday the 13th C. Friday the 14th
8. Which U.S. president would not travel on the 13th day
of any month and would never host 13 guests at a meal? A. Abraham Lincoln B. Franklin D. Roosevelt C. Ronald Reagan
9. If you’re in a dinner party of 13 people in Paris,
you can hire a professional 14th guest, also called this. A. Quatorzieme B. Chanceux C. Bijouparté
10. This famous American once was the 13th guest at a
dinner party. “It was bad luck,” this person later told a friend. “They only had food for 12.”
A. Mark Twain B. Joan Rivers C. Jay Leno
This is what the fear of Friday the 13th is called.
A. friggatriskaidekaphobia B. agoraphobia C. keraunophobia
Answers:
WWW.DOCTORMACRO.COM
1–A 2–A 3–A 4–B 5–B 6–C 7–A 8–B 9–A 10–A