"We used tongs to pick them up by their tails for measurements, because these scorpions are big and nobody wants to be stung"
When I was 8 or 9 years old, I did a "reading comprehension" test about a reading that involved a child picking up a scorpion by the tail. I got the question wrong b/c apparently I was supposed to realize that "by the tail" was the most dangerous way to pick up the scorpion.
I thought it was self-evident that when picking up a scorpion you would absolutely want to hold it by the tail.
This says something about the childhood I had had to that point, compared to the person writing that standardized test.
I also struggled on a placement test with putting pictures in order showing the steps to order a pizza delivery. The part of Africa we had just returned from did not have pizza delivery.
Amusing stories...
until you realize that these tests are used to decide what opportunities we have as we grow up, and then think of the impact on people from different backgrounds.
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