Each of the following sets of letters can be made into a real word by adding three letters to the beginning, and the same three letters in the same order to the end. ertainmiscoverowioxidrocos
For example:
iperspir
??? + iperspir + ???
ant + iperspir + ant
antiperspirant
The final of the BrainBashers triathlon was a close run thing.
The whole tournament was decided on the last two sections, cycling and the road race.
Alex didn't win either section. The person who won the cycling came third in the road race. Alex beat Charlie in cycling, but was beaten by Charlie in the road race. Charlie was last in neither section. Drew won the road race, but was beaten by Billie in the cycling.
Can you work out who came where in each section?
Hint
In the road race, where could Charlie have finished?
Answer
Cycling : Billie > Alex > Charlie > Drew
Road race : Drew > Charlie > Billie > Alex
Road Race
In the road race, where could Charlie have finished?
By (4), he wasn't last. By (5), he wasn't first.
By (2), if Charlie was third, then he would have won the cycling, but by (3) Alex beat Charlie in the cycling, so Charlie can't have won the cycling.
So Charlie must have finished in second place.
By (5), Drew was first.
By (1), Alex didn't win the cycling, so by (2) he didn't come third in the road race. Therefore, Alex came last.
Leaving Billie in third place.
Road race : Drew > Charlie > Billie > Alex
Cycling
By (2), Billie won.
By (4), Charlie wasn't last.
By (3), Alex beat Charlie. So Alex finished in second place, with Charlie in third place.
Leaving Drew in last place.
Cycling : Billie > Alex > Charlie > Drew
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