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April Fool’s Day Quiz
Every April Fool’s Day the ritual is the same. Outrageously false
stories – issued by a variety of sources such as corporations, non-profit organizations,
journalists, and politicians – appear in the media. The challenge for all of us is to
sort out the April Foolery from the weird stuff that’s actually true. And every year
this gets harder as reality itself becomes more surreal, blurring the line between Foolery
and Fact.
Listed below are ten claims that have been made in the media.
Approximately half the claims were April Fool’s Day jokes. The other half were real news
stories. Can you tell the difference between the two?
1. Don’t Disturb the Squirrels
In 1993 city officials in Cologne, Germany imposed a new regulation on
people jogging through the city park. Runners were required to pace themselves to go no
faster than six mph. Any faster, the city officials cautioned, could disturb the squirrels
who were in the middle of their mating season.
2. Corporate Tattoos
The Pepsi-Cola Company, in search of more innovative ways to reach out
to young consumers, once experimented with offering teenagers an intriguing deal. The
company sponsored teenagers to tattoo themselves with its corporate logo. In return for
permanently branding themselves, the teenagers received a lifetime 10% discount on the
company’s products. Teenagers were said to have responded enthusiastically to the offer.
3. Crustless Bread
For those who just can’t stand the taste of crusts, and are too lazy
to cut them off themselves, Sara Lee introduced in 2002 the ultimate in convenience:
crustless bread. Available in stores everywhere!
4. Pet Tax
The city of Philadelphia, faced with a looming budget shortfall, last
year announced a new tax targeted at pet owners. The owners will be charged a base fee of
$10 per pet, and then $1 extra for every additional pound the pet weighs over ten pounds.
Failure to pay the tax could result in the euthanization of the pet.
5. Prehistoric Penguin Murals
In 1991 prehistoric murals were discovered on the walls of an
underwater cave in eastern France revealing that penguins and man once lived side-by-side
in that region. Historians, accustomed to seeing prehistoric depictions of animals such as
bison and deer, were extremely surprised to find the penguins.
6. Alabama Changes Value of Pi
In 1998 the Alabama state legislature voted to change the value of the
mathematical constant pi from 3.14159 to the Biblical value of 3.0. NASA engineers in
Huntsvile, Alabama were reportedly disturbed by the decision.
7. Vodka Bars
Recently a Russian beverage company announced a new product designed to
appeal more specifically to Russian tastes: chewy Vodka bars. The company hopes the candy
bars will compete successfully against popular western imports such as Mars and Snickers
bars. The Vodka bars will be available in lemon, coconut, and salted cucumber flavors.
8. The Tooth Telephone
Engineers recently unveiled the world’s first tooth telephone,
perfect for those who want to talk hands-free while on the go. When implanted into a
tooth, the tiny device vibrates to let the user know there’s a call. Users speak
normally, and the tiny microphone picks up their voice. Incoming sounds are transferred to
the inner ear by means of bone resonance.
9. Operation Fake Tourist
Convinced that word of mouth is the best form of advertising, Sony
announced last year that it will hire actors to use the company’s new camera at major
tourist attractions. While posing as tourists, the actors will ask random passersby to
take their picture with the Sony camera. Once a passerby agrees, the actors then begin to
speak effusively about the features of the camera.
10. Shark Breeding Experiment
In 1981 the National Biological Foundation released two thousand
radio-tagged sharks (including blue sharks, hammerheads, and a few great whites) into
selected Michigan lakes in order to study the cold-water breeding habits of the sharks. In
the press release announcing the experiment, the Foundation suggested that local fishermen
and swimmers should exercise caution around the sharks.
Keys: 1. April Fools!; 2. April Fools!; 3. True; 4. April
Fools!; 5. True; 6. April Fools!; 7. April Fools!; 8. True; 9. True; 10. April Fools!
By Natalia Plyugina,
School No. 44, Kaliningrad
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