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January 10, 2009
These Go To Eleven
Jennifer was in some Geography Bee at school. Apparently, she won, which is nothing short of miraculous as she couldn't find the United States on a map unless you gave her "hot/cold" assistance.
But she won. So then, tonight, one of the parents told me this. She said the following:
"One of the questions they asked my son was "What country has the highest and lowest point?' "
"I would guess Nepal or China, as that's the highest point in the world." I replied.
"Well, he guessed Chile, but the correct answer was Argentina," she explained.
"Oh. Then they must have asked "What country has the highest and lowest point in South America?" I countered.
"No." She continued. "In the world."
I was, of course, taken aback. I'm always shocked by the people around me. I never learn.
I'm really starting to question what they're teaching up there at her school. Last night, I asked Jennifer to multiply $315.00 x 32, and she couldn't do it. She's 11 years old, and halfway through the 5th grade, and she can't multiple a 3 digit number by a 2 digit number without using a calculator. So I'm not clear what they're learning at school. And she knows zero about geography, so for her to win a geography bee is concerning on many levels.
"But, that makes no sense," I complained. Intelligence is a curse. An abrasive grit that wears on those that you encounter. "There is no single country with both the highest and lowest points on Earth. That country doesn't exist. The highest point is in one country, and the lowest point is in another country. Maybe, if they had said 'what country has the greatest difference between their highest and lowest points...maybe then the correct answer could be Argentina,' " I offered.
But she couldn't be swayed. "Well, no. It makes sense that the country would be on the coast. The correct answer is Argentina."
Update: Of course, I had to look it up when I got home. The highest point in the world is obviously the top of Mount Everest, which is on the border between Nepal and China. So, the highest point in the world is in either China or Nepal. Take your pick. But it's clearly in Asia.
The lowest point in the Earth's crust is at the bottom of the Marianas Trench in the Pacific Ocean, but we'll assume they meant on land, for argument's sake.
The lowest point in the world on land, is on the shore of the Dead Sea, on the border between Jordan and Israel. So, the lowest point in the world is in either Jordan or Israel. Take your pick. But it's clearly in the Middle East.
Posted by Rob Kiser on January 10, 2009 at 7:08 PM
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