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About This Quiz
Do you think you have an all-around intelligence that will make a common sense quiz a breeze? Everyone likes to think that they are smarter than the average person, but there are so many kinds of intelligence that it can be hard to judge this. After all, some people remember every book they have ever read, but they might accidentally put their hand on a hot stove. Some people are masters at chess, while other people can fix or build almost anything. Some people write poetry which makes others cry, and others can do mental math like it's nothing. Some people don't test well but are excellent at talking to and handling people in social situations. There are so many ways to be smart, but for day-to-day life and business, some common sense is a must. Â
Common sense is defined as a good sense in practical matters. Someone with good common sense makes the kinds of daily decisions that benefit them and others. It is an ability to read oneself, others and situations that is always useful. If you think you are a master of common sense, put your practical knowledge and horse sense to the test with this HowStuffWorks quiz!Â
C is the father of D. But D is not the son of C. How is that possible?
D is C's daughter.
D is the child of C. If C is not D's son, she must be D's daughter.
C is D's uncle.
Both are brothers.
They are not related.
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Before Mount Everest was discovered, what was the highest mountain on earth?
Mt. Vesuvius
Mt. Everest
Mt. Everest was the tallest mountain on earth long before discovered it. It was always there.
Mt. Carmel
Mt. McKinley
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What is the world's most populous country?
United States
China
China is the world's most populous country. It's home to over 1.3 billion people.
India
Russia
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If peacocks do not lay eggs, how are baby peacocks born?
live birth
in labs
They are born from an older peacock's ashes.
Peahens have them.
Peacocks are the males of the species and peahens are the females. Females lay the eggs.
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How can a man go 9 days without sleep?
magic
surgery
by sleeping during the night
Depending on the hours a person keeps, it is technically very possible to go 9 days without sleep. You just have to sleep at night.
It's impossible.
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Do they celebrate Thanksgiving in the UK?
yes
no
Thanksgiving is a uniquely American holiday. It is not celebrated in the UK.
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Are low-fat foods usually better for you than the regular foods?
yes
no
While low-fat foods are always lower in fat, companies usually replace that fat with sugar and artificial flavorings. This means that many of these foods are not as good for your diet as they are marketed to be.
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Which of these colors is warm?
blue
purple
black
red
Red is a warm tone. Other warm tones include yellow, pink and orange.
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Which is heavier: 100 pounds of steel or 100 pounds of feathers?
steel
feathers
They weigh the same.
This is an old trick question. Since there are 100 pounds of both things, they both weigh the same.
Neither weighs anything.
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What do they call eggplants in the UK?
courgettes
whiffles
eggplants
aubergines
Many things have different names in American English than UK English. What we call eggplants, they call aubergines.
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What is the main language spoken in India?
Sanskrit
English
Urdu
Hindi
The top 5 most spoken languages in India are Hindi, English, Bengali, Telugu and Marathi. The highest amount of people speak Hindi as a first language, while the most people speak English as a second or third language.
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Lake Geneva is in which state?
Missouri
Switzerland
liquid
Lake Geneva is in Switzerland, which is a country and not a state. However, its state of matter is liquid (unless it freezes).
gas
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Which US city has a very French heritage?
Boise
New York City
Savannah
New Orleans
New Orleans was initially part of a large North American French territory. This history is why today New Orleans has French flair and French is still spoken in the Canadian province of Quebec.
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Which two continents are basically one continent?
Europe and Asia
Europe and Asia are considered two separate continents largely for political reasons. If you look on a map, there is no actual separation between them.
North America and South America
Asia and Australia
Antarctica and Australia
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If a coconut falls from a tree where the wind is blowing from the east, where will the coconut land?
to the west
to the east
on the ground
Regardless of the direction the wind is coming from, anything which falls will inevitably hit the ground. This is, of course, as long as nothing is in the way.
it won't
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Which country is not in the Americas?
Bolivia
Chile
Canada
Senegal
Bolivia and Chile are South American countries and Canada is located in North America. Senegal is located in Africa.
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How many months have 28 days?
1
3
none
all of them
February is the only month that has only 28 days. Every month has at least 28 days however.
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Are eggs good or bad for you in moderation?
good
While eating 500 eggs a day isn't good for anyone, eggs still have a controversial reputation even in small amounts. Even though they were declared healthy by the American Heart Association nearly 20 years ago, people still think they are a heart attack on a plate.
bad
neither
No one knows.
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Who was the president of the US in 1700?
Barack Obama
George Washington
FDR
None of the above
The US was not founded until 1776. In 1700 there was no US and no president of that country.
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How many times can you subtract 5 from 40?
no times
1 time
You can only do this once. When you subtract 5 from 40 you get 35, and 40 is no more.
6 times
4 times.
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Leap year is every 4 years. When does February have 28 days?
every 4 years
every 3 years
every year
February has at least 28 days every year. This is not affected by leap year, every 4 years, when an extra year is added.
never
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A truck driver goes down a one-way street the wrong way in front of cops. Why is he not pulled over?
It was opposite day.
He was walking.
Just because he's a truck driver doesn't mean he was in his truck at the time. It's not specified in the brain teaser.
His truck was blue.
He was very short.
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Do all of the countries in Europe belong to the EU?
yes
no
Europe is a geographic region, while the European Union is a political union that not every country in the area is part of. Macedonia, Russia, Gibraltar and Belarus are some non-EU countries located at least partially in Europe.
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How many pears can you put in an empty basket?
0
1
You can only put one pear in an empty basket. Once that pear is in there, the basket is no longer empty.
15
need more info to answer
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A rooster lays an egg on a barn roof, which way does it roll?
to the left
to the right
up
It doesn't.
The egg would not exist in the first place. This is because roosters do not lay eggs.
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Is it legal for a person living in Texas to be buried in Pennsylvania?
Yes
No
This is a trick question. It is illegal to bury anyone alive, regardless of the state they are in.
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When is the right time to flip a pancake?
whenever you want
when it gets brown on top
when the top starts to bubble
This one is an old trick that fewer people know than you might think. When the pancake's top starts to bubble, flip it.
never
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Which of these numbers is even?
1
4
Even numbers can be divided neatly by 2. Odd numbers cannot.
7
11
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What part of a person's body grows for their whole life?
toes
shoulders
ears
Two parts of a person's body grow throughout their whole life. They are the ears and the nose.
eyes
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In which of these countries do they not use euros?
The Netherlands
England
While many European countries use euros, they don't use them in the UK. In the UK they use pounds.
Germany
Italy
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Do Buddhists believe in god?
yes
no
some of them
Some Buddhists believe in one or many deities. Others do not believe in gods at all.
no one knows
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You are in a dark room with a candle, a gas stove and a lamp. You only have one match. Which do you light first?
the stove
the lamp
the match
You would have to light the match first. This is the only way you can light the other things.
the candle
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How much dirt is in a hole that 18 feet deep and 4 feet wide?
100 pounds
a ton
none
There is no dirt in there. If it was full of anything at all, it would not be a hole.
some
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If there are 5 apples and you take 4, how many do you have?
1
4
If you took 4 apples than you have 4 apples. The number of apples you took from is irrelevant.
5
none
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You Got:
/35
