Question 1203581
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If four loaves of bread costs $8, 
a loaf of bread and a bag of oranges costs $7, 
and a loaf of bread, two bags of oranges and a basket of apples costs $17, 
what is the cost of a basket of apples?
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Good problem for 2nd or 3rd grade students, who only can add, multiply and divide 
integer numbers, but know nothing else in Math, including knowing nothing about equations.



<pre>
                 <U>Solving step by step</U>



(1)  If four loaves of bread cost $8, hence, one loave costs $8/4 = $2.


(2)  If a loaf of bread and a bag of oranges costs $7, hence, a bag of oranges costs $7 - $2 = $5.


(3)  If a loaf of bread, two bags of oranges and a basket of apples costs $17,

     hence, a basket of apples costs $17 - $2 - 2 * $5  = $5.    <U>ANSWER</U>
</pre>

Solved mentally.


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To teach students solving such problems using equations means to suppress their common sense and initiative.


To teach them to solve it mentally, as I did in my post, means to develop their common sense and initiative.