[The Green Goblin]

Only 71% of the surveyed Americans could locate the Pacific Ocean.

I don't believe that, since a person who can read could easily locate the Pacific Ocean on a map, regardless of his knowledge of geography. There is no way that 30% of the country is illiterate...

[ArneFufkin]

I know I've become jaundiced and irregular over the years, but the way this news item is written seems deliberately vague and manipulable.

Only 85% of Americans can locate the Pacific Ocean? Well, maybe the other 15% were shown a scavenger hunt map of Grampa Dickman's buried and strangely smelly backyard treasures.

"Can you locate the Pacific Ocean on this Map?" "No, it's a map of the surface of Jupiter's moon Titan." "So that's a no."

[NathanR]

I don't believe that, since a person who can read could easily locate the Pacific Ocean on a map, regardless of his knowledge of geography. There is no way that 30% of the country is illiterate...

And you obviously did not try the sample questions. The Pacific Ocean was marked by a number not the label "Pacific Ocean".