A teacher wrote four codes on the board:
‘A – B’ means ‘A is the husband of B’.
‘A + B’ means ‘A is the son of B’.
‘A ÷ B’ means ‘A is the sister of B’.
‘A × B’ means ‘A is the father of B’.
She then wrote the statement M + N ÷ R × S. What is the relation of M to S?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Cousin
Read the expression one symbol at a time. Children of a brother and a sister are cousins of each other.
M + N: M is the son of N
N ÷ R: N is the sister of R, so N is a female: N is M’s mother
R × S: R is the father of S
M’s mother N and S’s father R are sister and brother, so M is S’s cousin
Why the other options are incorrect
Option (1) Brother — Incorrect. M and S have different parents: M’s mother is N, S’s father is R.
Option (3) Nephew — Incorrect. M is the nephew of R, his mother’s brother; S is in M’s own generation.
Option (4) Uncle — Incorrect. An uncle is in the parent’s generation; M is the child of S’s aunt.