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Practice each question, then open the answer or worked solution.
(i) What trees does Mr Wonka mention? Which tree does he say lives the longest?
(ii) How long does this tree live? Where can you find it?
Answer: (i) Mr Wonka mentions the following trees:
He says that the Bristlecone pine lives the longest.
(ii) This tree has lived for over 4000 years. It can be found upon the slopes of Wheeler Peak in Nevada, U.S.A.
How many of the oldest living things can you remember from Mr Wonka’s list? (Don’t look back at the story!) Do you think all these things really exist, or are some of them purely imaginary?
Answer: Here are the oldest living things that are enlisted by Mr Wonka:
A 4000-year-old bristlecone pine
A 168-year-old Russian farmer
A 200-year-old tortoise
A 51-year-old horse
A 36-year-old cat
A 207-year-old giant rat
A 97-year-old grimalkin
A 700-year-old cattalo
A 36-year-old-flea
I think most of them exist, while some might be purely imaginary.
Why does Mr Wonka collect items from the oldest things? Do you think this is the right way to begin his invention?
Answer: Mr Wonka collects items from the oldest things because he had to invent an item that can make people older.
I think researching the oldest things is still a good idea as it can give him an insight into what might be the reason behind their long life. But, collecting little things from such species is not a great idea to begin his invention.
What happens to the volunteer who swallows four drops of the new invention? What is the name of the invention?
Answer: The volunteer began to wrinkle and shrivel up all over. His hair started to drop off and his teeth started to fall out. He suddenly became a seventy-five year-old man!
The name of the invention was Vita-Wonk.