TeachersFirst Brain Twisters

TeachersFirst Printable Middle School Brain Twisters
Week of November 21, 2008

Pete earns $3 for every five his big brother earns. His big brother made $750 toward his holiday shopping and college fund this fall. How much did Pete make?
    $350
    $500
    $250
    $450
    $600

Which of the following is least likely to be a factor in air pollution?
    particulates
    temperature
    immigration
    emissions
    inversions

Which trip would be longest?
    Melbourne to New York
    Manila to Tokyo
    Paris to London
    Capetown to Cairo
    Washington D.C. to Quito

When the Pilgrims first settled in Massachusetts, they agreed to be governed by this document.
    The Massachusetts Charter
    The Mayflower Compact
    The Articles of Confederation
    The Magna Carta
    The Rights of Man

What other country celebrates Thanksgiving on the same day as a US federal holiday about six weeks before?
    Mexico
    Canada
    France
    Germany
    China

Which of the following pairs of words has a prefix that means before?
    postlude, posthumous
    automatic, autocratic
    antiwar, antimatter
    antediluvian,,anticipate
    quadriplegic, quadrilateral

Complete this series: 5, 14, 32, 68, 140
    273
    260
    290
    321
    284

As Mr. Obama works toward January 20, his ______ team is quite busy and visible in the press, in contrast to the staff of Mr. Bush, the _______ president.(Choose the best pair of words to fill the blanks)
    transition, lame duck
    basketball, baseball
    campaign, limping horse
    fundraising, maverick
    household, incoming

gregarious is to introverted as
    beneficial is to bountiful
    rancid is to restful
    short is to minimal
    placid is to agitated
    extraneous is to external

The Santa Anas return every year at about this time, often spreading...
    posthumous celebrations
    significant deluges
    political controversies
    measurable tremors
    calamitous conflagrations