Challenging Math Story Problems
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Second Grade Math Practice: No. 18

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Second Grade
Free Elementary Math Worksheet 18
Challenging Math Story Problems

A naughty boy set fire to Farmer Fred's barn last night. 5 chickens and some cows were trapped in the barn. When the firefighters arrived with their hoses and sprayed water onto the barn, they saved all the animals. Farmer Fred counted all the legs of the animals. If there were altogether 38 legs, how many cows were there?

Singapore Second Grade Math Story Problems: Question 2

In the land of Barnia last week, a troop of naughty monkeys threw rotten eggs at 6 horses that were passing by. The horses were enraged and attacked the monkeys. I counted altogether 40 legs in the fray.
(a) How many monkeys were in the fray?
(b) How many more monkeys than horses were there?

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Question 3

Miguel Mexican was riding his horse in the desert last month when he spotted 9 vultures and some coyotes feasting on a carcass. Miguel, who was very bored, counted 30 legs tramping on the carcass.
(a) How many coyotes were having a feast?
(b) How many more vultures than coyotes were there?

Singapore Second Grade Math Story Problems: Question 4

When I was snorkeling in the Dead Sea yesterday, I caught sight of 12 octopuses and mermaids dining on a whale shark at the bottom of the sea. If I counted altogether 54 arms, how many octopuses and how many mermaids were there? If you are not sure, mermaids have 2 arms and octopuses have 8 arms.

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Question 5

When King Kulba was scuba-diving in the Indian Ocean last summer, he was amazed to see 13 starfish and mermaids playing poker. He counted 44 arms. If starfish have 5 arms and mermaids have 2 arms, how many starfish and how many mermaids did he see? King Kulba is still sitting on his throne puzzling out the answer.

Singapore Second Grade Math Story Problems: Question 6

I was stunned when I went on a safari in Madagascar last winter. I saw 15 crocodiles and chickens playing snooker under a large tree. I counted altogether 48 feet. So how many crocodiles and how many chickens were there?

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Question 7

When I was camping in the plains of Abnabidia I saw 14 beautiful brown horses and pretty pink peacocks at a waterhole. I counted a total of 46 legs from the horses and the peacocks. How many horses and how many peacocks did I see?

Singapore Second Grade Math Story Problems: Question 8

I was swimming in a river last year when suddenly I spotted 102 nymphs and dryads frolicking on the opposite bank. There were 24 fewer nymphs than dryads. So how many nymphs and how many dryads were there?

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Question 9

I bought some big fish and put them in my aquarium. Since my big fish ate only frogs, I bought some frogs and dropped them into the aquarium. Before the frogs were eaten, there were a total of 99 hungry fish and terrified frogs. There were 17 more frogs than fish. So how many fish and how many frogs were in my aquarium?

Singapore Second Grade Math Story Problems: Question 10

When I dived into a pool in the Amazon Rainforest and surfaced, there were 372 hungry leeches and piranhas clinging to my face. If there were 66 more bloodthirsty leeches than piranhas, how many piranhas and how many leeches were stuck to my face?

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Question 11

Samantha, a beautiful lady, is also a superhero. Last Sunday, 442 monsters and aliens attacked her city. There were 68 more monsters than aliens. Samantha the superhero ran as quickly as she could to the creatures and massacred them with her powerful garlic breath. How many monsters and how many aliens did she kill?

Singapore Second Grade Math Story Problems: Question 12

I have altogether 715 hairy warts growing out of my nostrils. If there are 57 fewer warts in my left nostril than my right nostril, how many warts do I have in each nose?

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Question 13

I was ravenous yesterday so I devoured 692 juicy spiders for supper. I ate 316 red spiders. I wolfed down 74 more green spiders than blue spiders. How many blue spiders did I gobble up?

Singapore Second Grade Math Story Problems: Question 14

Larry went fishing yesterday and caught 955 parrotfishes, goatfishes and lionfishes. If he caught 131 parrotfishes, and 208 more lionfishes than goatfishes, how many goatfishes did he catch?

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Question 15

When Marla went to the zoo last month, she was amazed to see a gorilla and an orangutan doing sit-ups. She jumped into their cage and began doing some sit-ups herself. They did a total of 684 sit-ups. If the fat gorilla did 219 sit-ups, and Marla did 275 fewer sit-ups than the tough orangutan, how many sit-ups did Marla do?

Singapore Second Grade Math Story Problems: Question 16

A vampire, a ghoul and a werewolf broke into a hospital last night and drank the blood of the sleeping patients there. They drank altogether 404 liters of blood. The thirsty werewolf drank 136 liters. The famished ghoul drank 176 more liters of blood than the vampire. How much blood did the famished vampire drink?

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Question 17

When Sally opened her bathroom door last night, she received a nasty shock. 534 cockroaches, rats and sharks were having a pool party in her bathtub. There were 125 cockroaches, and 295 more rats than sharks. How many rats were in her bathroom?

Singapore Second Grade Math Story Problems: Question 18

Sam's dog trotted over to a construction site and swallowed 868 nails, screws and hammers. Sam rushed his dog to a veterinary hospital for an emergency operation. The vet pulled out of the dog's stomach 362 screws, and 456 more nails than hammers. How many nails did Sam's dog swallow?

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Question 19

Sadistic Serial Killer Suppiah crept into a hospital brandishing a machete. He went on a killing spree and murdered 634 doctors, nurses and patients. He slashed 457 doctors to death. If he butchered 151 more nurses than doctors, how many poor nurses did he kill?

Singapore Second Grade Math Story Problems: Question 20

A mad scientist kept 533 furry crocodiles, flying pigs and cross-eyed zebras in his basement lab and conducted unspeakable experiments on them. If he had 167 furry crocodiles, and 278 more swearing zebras than flying pigs, how many swearing zebras did he have?

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Answers To Singapore Math Story Problems: Worksheet 18

Q1 - 7; Q2 - 8, 2; Q3 - 3, 6; Q4 - 5 octopuses, 7 mermaids

Q5 - 6 starfish, 7 mermaids; Q6 - 9 crocodiles, 6 chickens

Q7 - 9 horses, 5 peacocks; Q8 - 39 nymphs, 63 dryads

Q9 - 58 frogs, 41 fish; Q10 - 153 piranhas, 219 leeches

Q11 - 255 monsters, 187 aliens; Q12 - Left 329, Right 386

Q13 - 151; Q14 - 308, Q15 - 95, Q16 - 46 liters

Q17 - 352, Q18 - 481, Q19 - 164, Q20 - 322

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