What makes soap smell nice and why do people have hair? Try our kids’ quiz

1. Delilah, 8, asks: what makes soap smell so nice?

   1. A type of soap flower

   2. Added fragrances or essential oils

   3. Magic potions that soap companies never reveal

   4. Soaps are always made in flower meadows

2. Carlotta, 6, asks: why do koalas eat eucalyptus?

   1. Eucalyptus leaves are irresistible to koalas as they have a strong smell

   2. Eucalyptus leaves have all the nutrients koalas need, and koalas can digest them even though they are toxic

   3. Koalas eat the bark of eucalyptus trees because they like the feeling of chewing on it

   4. Koalas like hanging out in trees, so eucalyptus leaves are easy to reach

3. Áine, 7, asks: why do people have hair?

   1. To protect us from our environment

   2. So that we can have fun hairstyles

   3. To provide a habitat for head lice

   4. To have something to pull on when we’re stressed

4. Inés, 7, asks: which dogs are the slowest?

   1. Yorkshire terriers, spaniels and poodles

   2. Greyhounds and whippets

   3. Shih tzus, basset hounds and pugs

   4. German shepherds, St Bernards and mastiffs

5. Mag asks: if a person fell down a well that went right through the centre to the other side of the world, what would happen?

   1. They would be burned and crushed

   2. They would slip right through to the other side

   3. They would drown in the ocean at the centre of the Earth

   4. They would get stuck halfway down as the well would get smaller

Solutions

1:B - Soap-makers add fragrances or essential oils from things like flowers and fruits to their soaps to make them smell delicious., 2:B - Koalas eat eucalyptus leaves because they are full of water and fibre, which koalas need, and they are toxic to most other animals, so there isn’t too much competition for food., 3:A - Back when we were apes, we were covered in hair because it protected us from cold and rain. Today, we don’t need as much, but it still does the job of protecting our bodies and keeping us warmish. , 4:C - Basset hounds and pugs are notoriously lazy, so they are some of the slowest dogs in the world! Shih tzus have tiny legs so can’t run fast. , 5:A - If a person fell through a well that went to the other side of the world, they would be burned and crushed by pressure and heat. However, theoretically, with a vacuum-­sealed tunnel going from the north pole to the south pole, you would speed up towards the Earth’s centre, then after you passed it, gravity would slow you down. With enough momentum, you might just be able to reach the other side of the world!

Scores

1. 5 and above.

2. 4 and above.

3. 3 and above.

4. 2 and above.

5. 0 and above.

6. 1 and above.

Molly Oldfield hosts Everything Under the Sun, a weekly podcast answering children’s questions, out now as a book.

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