Maybe it was an elaborate joke, or an attempt to test the boundaries of free speech.
The EU could be considered an attempt to test out the viability of this approach.
Ms. Palin's speech was an attempt to test out her comic timing and inject partisan rancor into the political discourse.
The pair analyzed two years' worth of data, partly in an attempt to test the results of an earlier study, which suggested that tipping increases on sunny days.
"It wouldn't surprise me if they attempt to test the new government's resolve but they will certainly find our determination more than equal to theirs".
It could be another attempt to test the appetite — if any — among conservative activists for her particular brand of celebrity-infused politics.
WADA is the first systematic attempt to test thoroughly for doping, and to punish offenders severely.Why has it taken so long?
The Devils imposed their power early today, and it paid off handsomely: a goal 55 seconds into the game on their first attempt to test Philadelphia's rookie goaltender, Brian Boucher.
Health officials said that the regulations would be enforced by restaurant inspectors, who would examine kitchens for products with trans fat, but that there would be no attempt to test prepared foods.
Anti-virus firm McAfee said it believed a 10-day denial of service attack in 2011 originated from the North and suggested it was an attempt to test the South's computer defences in preparation for potential future conflicts.
But the UN, the US, Russia, the EU and the Arab world must make a much more serious attempt to test the possibilities, putting ordinary Israelis and Palestinians first, not their own political comfort.
