The following questions are provided by the folks at American Mensa, the High IQ Society. Without seeking the assistance of fellow passengers, can you provide the answers? If you find that you do need some help, the answers are on page 110. By Dr. Abbie F. Salny
1. What two sets of homophones (words that sound the same but are spelled differently) can be used to complete the sentences below?

The bride ordered her dress with several ___________ of embroidered lace, but it arrived plain, and the bride had to withhold her _________.

Sixteenth-century paintings often show women wearing a ________. The painting may be _______ in technique, but this detail usually shows.

2. Each of the following definitions can be answered by two words that rhyme.

Derogatory term for a pharaoh’s palaces
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Measuring device for the pharaoh’s river
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

3. An eight-letter word is coiled in the box below. Find it by beginning with the correct letter and moving clockwise or counterclockwise around the box, using each letter only once.












4. Find the number that best completes the following sequence.

4 10 22 __ 94

5. A palindrome is a word, sentence, or group of words that reads the same backward and forward. What palindrome answers the following question?

If an author who lived on the Texas-Mexico border wrote his autobiography, what could he call it?

_ _ _ M _ _ _ _ _

6. A certain logic has been followed in placing the numbers in each of the boxes below. Complete the last box using the same logical progression.



7. Marian bought four oranges and three lemons for 90 cents. The next day she bought three oranges and four lemons for 85 cents. How much did each lemon and each orange cost?

8. Change one letter in the word traitor, and then rearrange the letters to form a word that means the opposite.

9. Fill in the blanks to complete the word below.

U _ _ _ U I _ _ _ A _ _ _

Bonus Question: Assuming that there are no vacancies, how many members with full voting rights are in the U.S. House of Representatives?


scroll down for answers


















1. Tiers, tears; ruff, rough
2. Tut’s huts; nile dial
3. Epaulets
4. 46 (Double each number in the series and then add
two.)
5. Rio Memoir
6. 5 (Start at the upper left and subtract two from each number.)
7. Oranges cost 15 cents each and lemons cost 10 cents each.
8. Patriot (Replace an r with a p.)
9. Unequivocally

Mensa Bonus Answer:

435