IMAT 2011 Q5 [Friend's Children]

My friend has three children, Alice, George and Hannah and I need to buy two presents for them to share. I want to buy two different toys and I want to make sure that Alice, George and Hannah will each like at least one of them. I don’t want the toys to have small parts.

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How much am I going to pay in total?

A. €15

B. €16

C. €19

D. €20

E. €24

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This question contains a table with many details and might overwhelm you at first. Considering this type of question, please remember the following concepts;

  • You will most likely be able to eliminate a few options right from the start.
  • Similar to other questions, you will need to write down and illustrate so you can reach the answer faster - or reach it faster if you didn’t solve it on your first try.

You don’t want the toys to have small parts. We can cross the “Jigsaw” and the “Building bricks” from the table, as they are irrelevant. Crossing them off will lighten the table a tad bit and help you focus on the essential rows.

We have “Car,” “Bear,” and “Train” left. We need to find two items that all three like, which means that a few kids need to like a single item.
The only option we have is “Bear,” which is liked by Hannah and Alice.
Now we have a toy that is liked by \frac{2}{3} of the kids. We must include the last kid, George, and choose a toy he likes. Of the options, Car, and Train, George prefers the train.

It means that you will buy a Bear and a Train for the three kids, which will be liked by all three.