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As part of a massive
public health survey I go for a cognitive text. This involves a lot of counting
backwards in multiples of seven. I can’t help feeling that having to do that quick
translation in my head from 76 to sixty-ten-six and 97 to four-twenties-ten-seven
in French puts me at something of a disadvantage. The words I am given to
remember are slightly unusual but not too outlandish: accordéon, oseille,
buffet, bronze, cravate, couturier, palmier, peluche, framboise, aviron,
mouette, maquereau, begonia, flamenco. When I am asked to give as many words as
possible beginning with P, my brain runs amok and comes up with some truly
unusual words. Disappointingly, he psychologist is impassive rather than impressed.
