Reasoning and answer: Climbing the full ladder means Darry has climbed 11 steps * 10 times = 110 steps so far. On his smaller ladder, he has climbed 6 steps * 7 times = 42 steps. So he has climbed a step a total of 110 + 42 = 152 times today.
The answer: 152
What was the question?
Question: Darry is a roofer and has to climb ladders multiple times a day. He climbs his full ladder, which has 11 steps, 10 times today. He also climbs his smaller ladder, which has 6 steps, 7 times today. He did not climb any steps otherwise. In total, how many times has Darry climbed a step today?


First find the total soaking time to get rid of the grass stains: 4 minutes / stain * 3 stains = 12 minutes. Then add the soak time for the marinara to find the total soak time: 12 minutes + 7 minutes = 19 minutes.
The answer: 19
Reverse engineering the question: Bill needs to soak his clothes for 4 minutes to get rid of each grass stain and 7 additional minutes to get rid of each marinara stain. If his clothes have 3 grass stains and 1 marinara stain, how long does he need to soak them?


Reasoning and answer: 30 hours is 30 / 5 = 6 times more time. So the spider would be able to catch 6 * 9 = 54 flies.
The answer: 54
What was the question?
Question: During 5 hours, a spider can catch 9 flies. How many flies would this spider catch in 30 hours if he would keep his efficiency?


First, figure out how much Bill has before he pays property taxes: $40,000 + $2,000 = $42,000. Then, figure out how much Bill has before he pays sales taxes: $42,000 + $3,000 = $45,000. Next, figure out what percent of his salary Bill keeps after income tax: 100% - 10% = 90%. Now we know that .9g = $45,000, where g is Bill's gross salary. Now we can divide both sides of the equation by .9 to find that g = $50,000.
The answer: 50000
Reverse engineering the question: Bill's take-home salary is $40,000. He pays $2,000 in property taxes, $3,000 in sales taxes, and 10% of his gross salary in income taxes. What is Bill's gross salary?


Reasoning and answer: His raise was 45,000 * .2 = $9,000. So his new wage is 45,000 + 9,000 = $54,000. So they each have to pay him 54,000 / 9 = $6,000 per year.
The answer: 6000
What was the question?
Question: A group of parents get together and decide to hire a private school teacher to quit his job and teach their children. His former job paid 45,000 per year and they offered him a 20% raise. If there are 9 kids how much does each parent have to pay?


Reasoning and answer: The difference in writing speed is 10 words / minute - 7 words / minute = 3 words / minute. Matt can write 3 words / minute x 5 minutes = 15 more words with his right hand.
The answer: 15
What was the question?
Question:
Matt can write 10 words a minute with his right hand and 7 words a minute with his left hand. How many words would Matt write in 5 minutes with his right hand than with his left?