Random Puzzles 

Workings

Hint
A little bit of algebra might help.

Answer
There are four boys and three girls.

If we call the number of boys B, and girls G.

From the first statement (we take one off as Billy is a boy):

              B − 1 = G

and similarly:

        2 x (G − 1) = B

Substitute G from the first equation into the second equation to give:

  2 x ((B − 1) − 1) = B

    2 x (B − 1) − 2 = B

      2 x B − 2 − 2 = B

          2 x B − 4 = B

                  B = 4

which means that B = 4 and hence G = 3.

Workings

Hint
One of the items is Kansas.

Answer
Kansas, New York, Ohio, and Texas.

Workings

Hint
This is quite a tricky puzzle, and knowledge of algebra would certainly help.

Answer
The children tickets were £14, and the adult tickets were £18.

Reasoning
There are a number of methods for solving this problem, including:

Using a spreadsheet. Using a computer program. Using the intersection of lines on a graph. Using an online equation solver. Solving simultaneous equations using algebra. Solving simultaneous equations using inverse matrices.
Here is my solution using simultaneous equations and algebra.

First construct two algebraic equations, where 'c' is the number of children, and 'a' is the number of adults:

[1]   4296c + 2143a = 98718
[2]   5146c + 2807a = 122570

To make the number in front of 'c' the same on both, we multiply [1] by 5146 and [2] by 4296 to give:

[3]   22107216c + 11027878a = 508002828
[4]   22107216c + 12058872a = 526560720

Now we can do [4] − [3] to give:

   1030994a = 18557892

Divide throughout by 1030994 so that:

   a = 18

Substituting a = 18 in [1] will give:

   4296c + 2143 x 18 = 98718
   4296c + 38574     = 98718
   4296c             = 60144
       c             = 14

Double-Checking
c = 14 and a = 18

4,296 x 14 + 2,143 x 18 = 98,718

and

5,146 x 14 + 2,807 x 18 = 122,570

Workings

Hints
Try: dish + golf, tray + sign, raft + hiss.

Answers
dish + golf = goldfish
tray + sign = stingray
raft + hiss = starfish
cram + leek = mackerel
ears + shoe = seahorse
loud + fern = flounder