Name:________________________
BLEMMYES
Roman soldiers reported tribes of headless people living in the regions of ancient Nubia, Ethiopia, and
Upper Egypt. They called these creatures Blemmyes, and said they had no heads, but eyes and mouths in their
chests. In modern times, researchers have seen members of African tribes wearing masks that covered their faces
and necks. The natives painted their chests to represent faces. From a distance they appeared to be the people the
Romans described in their stories. One of these African tribes, which used palm leaf masks, called itself the
Transkei. To learn another unusual custom of these people, solve the problems below.
FIRST, factor the equations and locate the value of each unknown in the table.
SECOND place the letter by the answer in the blank next to the problem.
THIRD, match the numbers by the corresponding letters!
1. ____ x2 – x - 56
10. ____ x2 – 5x + 6
2. ____ x2 – 6x + 8
11. ____ x2 + 6x + 8
3. ____ 2x2 + 6x - 108
12. ____ 5x2 + 20x + 20
4. ____ 2x2 + 22x + 60
13. ____ x2 – x - 90
5. ____ x2 + 11x + 10
14. ____ 5x2 – 30x + 40
6. ____ 2x2 + 2x - 4
15. ____ 4x2 – 4x - 8
7. ____ x2 – 15x + 50
16. ____ x2 – 7x + 10
8. ____ 3x2 – 5x + x5
17. ____ 6x4 – 2x + 8x2
9. ____ 18x6 – 6x12 + 4x2
18. ____ 3x3 -2x2 + x
A = 5(x+2)2
B = (x -2)(x – 3)
C = 4(x + 1)(x – 2)
D = 2x(3x3 -1 + 4x)
E = (x + 10)(x +1)
F = (x - 4)(x – 2)
G= 2x2(9x4 – 3x10 + 2)
H = 2(x + 9)(x – 6)
I = 2(x + 5)(x + 6)
L = x(3x2 – 2x + 1)
M = (x -5 )(x – 2)
N = (x + 7)(x – 8)
O = x(3x – 5 + x4)
R = (x +9)(x -10)
T = 2(x -1)(x +2)
U = 5(x - 2)(x – 4)
V = (x + 2)(x + 4)
Y = (x -10)(x –5)
Solution on Back 
Solution:
7 – 8 – 14- 1- 9
6–3–5
6 – 13 – 4 – 10 – 5
18 – 4 -6 – 6 – 18 – 5
18 – 5 – 2 – 6
16 – 5 – 1
4 – 1 – 4 – 6 – 4 – 12 – 6 – 5 – 17
3 – 12 – 11 – 5
2 – 4 – 1 – 9 – 5 – 13
3 – 12 – 1- 17
15 – 14 -6
4–1–6–8
6–3–5
8–1
8–2–2.
From Lawrence W. Swienciki’s Adventures with Arithmetic
6–3–5