Curiosities of Examination Papers.

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 100, 2 May 1885, Page 5

Curiosities of Examination Papers.

A coiiRiiM'ONDEiNT writes to the " Pall Mall Gazette": — I have in my possession a large varied selection of answers given at a series of examinations held five or six years ago, att3nded by children of both sexes, of from thirteen to sixteen or seventeen years of age, and which I do not think have ever before seen the light. Here they are : Question : How do we get the seasons ? — Answer : The earth goes round on its axis. The earth's axis is a pole put through the centre of thesun, which turns it round, and thus we get the seasons. The Equator is a line run through the centre of the earth. At one end is the Tropic of Cancer ; at the other the Tropic of Capricorn. The Nile is the only remarkable river in the world. It was discovered by Dr. Livingstone, and it rises in Muiujo Park. Constantinople is on the Golden Horn, a strong fortress, has a university, and is the residence of Peter the Great. Its chief building is the Sublime Port. Cyprus came into our possession in 1878, and was given to Lord Beaconsfiold. The Boers aro the wild people of Cape Colony. Oliver Cromwell is said to have exclaimed because he cut off King Charles's head and got on the throne: "If I had served my God as I served my King he would not have left me to mine enemies." Also, that the word •'Charles ' would be found on his hoart. After tho wars of 1815 there was a great famine in the land (England), for the country had been plundered and pillaged by foreigners, that the ground would not bear fruit because of its bloodshed, and it was said that " Christ and all his saints slept there." Egbert was a wicked king. When Julius di'sar camo over ho beat him back several timos. Threo timos was C.t-sar diivcn back by this bad man. The battle of Waterloo took place in 1815, when the Duke of Wellington fell. Ilia death was deeply regretted, for he was greatly beloved by all his country. Julius Ctosar invaded Britain 400 years js.c. The condition of the Britons was in a rude state. The peoplo lived in huts made of straw, and the women wore their hair down their backs with torches in their hands. They joined in games such as cock-fighting. The Druids were an ancient people supposed to be Koman Catholics. Was ever a more profound piece of reasoning given forth to the world than the following? — The word torrid means hot, and the word frigid means cold, and the word temperate means neither hot nor cold. Therefore, the temperate zone is neither hot nor cold. A circle is a figure contained by a straight line. The greatest writers of the present day are Lord Peaoonsfield, who wrote the "History of Cyprus," and Miss Braddon, whose books, such as "Guy Mannering," " Peyeril of the Peak," &c, are, in my opinion, too full of bloodshed and romance. The two following are strictly geographical :—Buckingham is noted for its palace. Gibraltar is an island built on a rock. It was discovered by Sir G. Rooke in 1704, and has 15,000 inhabitants. Here is something which Messrs Marvin and Ashmead • Bartlett, the great authorities en Jttuaaia, may perhaps not be aware of :— ln 1839 the English had to stop the advance of Russia in India, and Suraja Dowlah was made Governor. In 1846 confusion again broke out, but the English Government went out and stopped it, This led to the appointment of a Secretary of State It consisted of fifteen persons. Surely a more forcible and striking illustration of Pope's line, " A little learning is a dan gerous thing," and at the same time a j stronger argument against the cramming | system, could not possibly be conceived.