Why do you close your eyes when you sneeze? The kids’ quiz

1. Elsa, 9, asks: why do you close your eyes when you sneeze?

   1. It’s to stop germs getting into your eyes

   2. Because your eyes will fall out if they’re open

   3. It’s part of the motor response

   4. When your nostrils open, then your eyes have to close

2. Clementine, 11, asks: can spiders hear?

   1. No, they don’t have ears!

   2. Yes, despite not having ears, they can still hear

   3. They can only hear very high-pitched sounds

   4. They can only hear very low-pitched sounds

3. Lara, 8, asks: what is the most popular pasta shape in the UK?

   1. Penne

   2. Macaroni

   3. Spaghetti

   4. Fusilli

4. Rei, 9, asks: why are flea markets called “flea” markets?

   1. It’s suspected to come from the Spanish: “mercado de pulgas”

   2. They were originally called “free” markets, because all the items were free

   3. The markets originally sold fleas

   4. It’s suspected to come from the French: “marché aux puces”

5. Orla, 11, asks: why do humans close their eyes to sleep?

   1. To keep our eyeballs safe from debris

   2. To stop our eyes from drying out

   3. To block light

   4. All of the above

Solutions

1:C - We close our eyes to sneeze due to a complex motor function in our brain. An irritant enters our nostrils, like pollen or dust, and our brain receives a signal. Part of that process is the closing of the eyes., 2:B - Spiders can technically hear, but they don’t have ears! Most species of spiders have tiny specialised hairs on their legs that react to vibrations in the air. These hairs are connected to sensitive nerve cells that interpret the vibrations., 3:D - According to a survey taken in 2020 by YouGov, the most popular pasta shape in the UK is fusilli (they look like corkscrews): 19% said fusilli, spaghetti was second with 15% and penne was third with 11%., 4:D - “Marché aux puces” translates to “market of fleas”, and is the most common explanation for the name. It’s said to come from the 1880s, when a customer at Paris’s largest outdoor bazaar said all the furniture was infested with fleas., 5:D - Closing our eyes during sleep keeps them moist and safe from debris. It also blocks light, which helps our brain know it’s time to go to sleep.

Scores

1. 5 and above.

2. 4 and above.

3. 3 and above.

4. 2 and above.

5. 0 and above.

6. 1 and above.

Molly Oldfield hosts Everything Under the Sun, a podcast answering children’s questions. Do check out her books, Everything Under the Sun and Everything Under the Sun: Quiz Book, as well as her new title, Everything Under the Sun: All Around the World.