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猜 谜 语 学 英 语 中国人有谜语，西洋人也有。西洋人称谜语为riddle。它跟中国谜语一样，常在字形、字音和字意上卖关节，就看你能不能灵机一动。Riddle 除了可以益智外，也可以增进你对英文的兴趣，不失为一种学英文的方法。 Part 1 Questions: 1.What is the difference between here and there? 2. What are the two strongest days of the week? 3.Why did the man put wheels on his rocking chair? 4.Why is the letter “R” like Christmas? 5.At what time of day was Adam born? Answers: 1. The letter “t”. ( there 去掉“t”，跟 here 这个字就没什么两样。) 2. Saturday and Sunday --- all the other days are weak (week) days. ( weak与 week的发音一样。而美国人的工作天只有五天，即从 Monday到 Friday ，这五天是他们的week days.) 3. Because he wanted to rock and roll. （ to rock and roll是跳摇滚舞。但在这儿，摇rock 的是rocking chair，滚 roll的是 wheels。这就造成了一句双关的趣味。） 4．Because it comes at the end of December. (对这句话而言，答案的意思是R这个字母正好排在December的末尾。除此以外，答案还有一个意思，Christmas在the end of December的时候到来。换言之，答案也造成了一句双关的趣味。） 5. Just before Eve. ( Eve 是一语双关，一是解“晚间”， 一是解“夏娃”。) Part 2 1. When do 2 and 2 make more than 4? (22) 2. Why is twice ten like two times eleven？ Because twice ten is twenty, and two times eleven is twenty too 3. Why is number six afraid of seven? Because seven eight (ate) nine. 4. What kind of apple isn't an apple? Pineapple 5. What nail should you never hit with a hammer? Your fingernail 指甲 6. What ring is square? 仔细的想象翻译，提示，一词多义, 什么ring是方的？ prize ring 拳击场 7. Why did the man throw the butter out the window? He wanted to see the butterfly 8. Will liars (说谎者) be honest after they die? No, because they still lie after they die! 9. Why is an empty matchbox the best thing to have in the world? Because it is matchless 10. Why is the sun like a loaf of bread? Because you are hunger. Because it’s light when it rises. 双关：如果是太阳，就是说，升起的时候天就亮了. 如果是面包，rise 是发的意思，也就是说，面包发起来的时候会变得很轻 11. Why are tall people lazier than short ones? 你可以想到是为什么吗？ The tall man. Because the tall man is longer in bed. We choose the meaning "He sleeps longer" 12. Why did the person throw a clock out the window? He wanted to see the time flies 13. Why do lions eat raw meat(生肉)？ Because they can’t cook. 14. What is the most important thing in the world? The letter “E”，for it is the beginning of everybody and everything. Part 3 英语脑筋急转弯 Questions： 1.Who is closer to you，your mom or your dad？ 爸爸和妈妈谁和你更亲？ 2.What month do soldiers hate？ 当兵的不喜欢几月份？ 3.How many feet are there in a yard？一码有多少英尺？ 4.What is heavier in summer than in winter？什么东西夏天比冬天重？ 5.What clothing is always sad？什么衣服总是伤感的？ 6.How many legs do horses have？马有几条腿？ 7.What fruit is never found singly？什么水果永远不会是单个的？ 8.What kind of clothes lasts the longest？什么衣服穿得最久？ 9.Does any child like going to school？有没有小孩子喜欢上学？ 10.Why are giraffes the cheapest to feed？为什么养长颈鹿最不花钱？ 11.How can you make the door last？ 怎样能使门经久耐用？ 12.What’s the most difficult train to catch？赶什么火车最不容易？ 13.Why do people go to bed？ 人们为什么睡觉？ 14.Who will be your real friend， a poor friend or a rich one？ 贫穷的朋友和富贵的朋友，谁会成为你真正的朋友？ 15.What color is the wind？风是什么颜色？ 16.Which state in the United States is round at both ends and high in the middle？ 美国哪个州两头圆，中间高？ 17.What’s the smallest room in the World？世界上什么房间最小？ 18.What did the big chimney say to the little chimney while working？ 工作时大烟囱对小烟囱说些什么？ 19.How long is a shoe，usually？一般鞋有多长？ 20.What comes before six？六前面是什么？ Keys and notes 答案和注释: 1.Mom is closer， because dad is farther． 妈妈更亲，因为爸爸更远。 father父亲，音似farther更远 2.March．三月。march n．行军 3.It depends on how many people are standing in the yard． 这要看院子里站了多少人。 feet n．英尺；脚（pl．）yard n．院子；码 4. Traffic to the beach. 去海滩的人流。 heavy adj．重的；交通量大的，繁忙的 5.Blue Jeans． 蓝色牛仔服。 blue adj．蓝色的；伤感的 6.six legs--forelegs in front and two in back． 有六条腿，前面有前腿，后面有两条腿。 forelegs n．前腿，音似four legs（四条腿） 7.A pear．是梨。音似 pair n．一对 8.Underwear， because it’s never worn out． 是内衣，因为它永远不会穿在外面。 worn out穿坏，磨损/穿在外面 9.Every child likes going to school． Most of them just hate staying there before going home． 每个孩子都喜欢去学校，大部分的孩子只不过不喜欢在回家之前呆在那儿罢了。 go to School有两种理解：①在学校读书，上学；②去学校，上学校 10.They make a little food go a long way． 因为它们脖子长，一点点食物都要走很长的路才能咽下去。 go a long way维持很长一段时间 11.Make other things first． 先做其他的东西。 make the door last另一种理解是：最后做门 12.The 12：50 train， because it’s ten to one if you catch it． 是12点50分的火车，因为赶上它只有10比1的概率。 ten to one 1点差10分；10比1 quarter 四分之一；二十五美分 13.Because the bed won’t come to us．因为床不会走向我们。 go to bed另一种理解是：走向床，走到床跟前 14. A poor friend， because a friend in need is a friend indeed．贫穷的朋友，因为患难之交是真情。 a friend in need患难之交 in need需要帮助，需要资助，穷困的 15.The wind blew风在吹 Blue．蓝色。 16. Ohio．俄亥俄州。 Ohio两头是O，中间是hi，音似high。 17.A mushroom.是蘑菇。 18.“You’re too young to smoke．”“你还年轻，不该抽烟。”smoke v.抽烟；冒烟 19.A little more than a foot long． 一英尺多一点。 foot n．英尺；脚 “A little more than a foot long”实指“比脚长点点”。 20.The milkman． 送牛奶的人。 “What comes before six？” 另一种理解是：什么在六点钟之前来？ Part 4 Questions： 1. What’s the longest English word in the world? 世界上最长的英语单词是什么？ 2. Why are dogs afraid to sunbathe? 狗为什么害怕日光浴？ 3. Why is the pig always eating? 猪为什么没完没了地吃？ 4. Why are politicians no longer concerned with snowball fights? 政客们为什么不再关注打雪仗了？ 5. Why don’t women get bald as soon as men? 为什么总是男人比女人先秃头？ 6. What can pierce ones ears without a hole? 什么不用打洞就可以在耳朵上穿孔？ 7. Who works only one day in a year but never gets fired? 谁一年只上一天却不会被开除？ 8. Why does time fly? 时间为何飞逝？ 9. Where can a dog get another tail? 狗去哪里可以再弄到一条尾巴？ 10. Which horses have six legs? 11. What is smaller than an insect's mouth? 12. What season is the most dangerous one? 13. What's too much for me, just right for two, but nothing at all for three? 14. On what day of a year do soldiers start wars in history? 15. What person tries to make others smile most of the time? 16. From what number can one take half and leave nothing? 17. How many months have 28 days? 18. What table is in the field? 19. What table can tell you what to do? 20. What is the biggest ant in the world? Keys: 1. Smiles. 微笑。Because there’s “a mile” between the first and the last letter. 因为两个字母S中间隔了一里。 2. They don’t want to be hot-dog.因为它们不想成为热狗。 3. He’s making a hog of himself.它想成为一只肉猪。 4. The cold war is over. 冷战结束了。 5. Because women wear hire longer. 因为女人头发留得长。 6. Noise.噪音。 7. Santa Claus. 圣诞老人. 8. To get away from all those who are trying to kill it. 为的是甩掉所有要谋杀它的人。 9. At a retail store.在零售商店。 10. All horses have forelegs (four legs) in front and two in back, so they all have six legs. 11. Anything it eats. 12. Autumn. Because it is also FALL. 13. A secret. 14. March fourth. When a war breaks out,they'll have to march forth. 15. A photographer. 16. The number 8. Take away the upper half and 0 is left. 17. All of them. Each month has its 28th day. 18. Vegetable 19. Timetable 20. An elephant Part 5 Questions： 1. When can you go as fast as a racing car? 什么时候你能像跑车一样快？ 2. Why does the Statue of Liberty stand in New York harbor? 自由女神为何矗立在纽约港湾？ 3. Why do birds fly south? 鸟为什么往南飞? Keys: 1. When you're in it. 当你坐在跑车里时. 2. Because it can't sit down. 因为它不能坐下. 3. It's too far to walk. 走着去太远了. Part 6 Questions： 1.Will it rain for several days continuously？ 会不会连续几天阴雨连绵？ 2.Who can raise things without lifting them？ 什么人不用举就能把东西抬起来？ 3.What did the king cloud say to the rest of the clouds？ 云中之王对芸芸众生说什么？ 4.Who is married to the First Lady？ 第一夫人嫁给了谁？ Keys： 1.Never， because there're nights in between.永远不会，因为白昼之间有黑夜隔开。 2.Farmers. 农民。 3.“I'm the one who should rain here.” “我要在这里降雨。” 4.Adam. 是亚当。 Notes： 1.day n.一天；一个白昼 continuously adv.连续不断地 2.raise举起，抬起；饲养，种植 3. rain v.下雨，音似reign v.统治 4.the First Lady第一夫人，总统夫人 the first lady第一位女士，指夏娃 Part 7 Questions： 1.What does the man who just had his face shaved resemble？ 刚刚修过胡须的男人像什么？ 2.Why did the farmer take his chicken to task？ 农夫为什么训斥小鸡？ 3.How do we know the ocean is friendly？ 人们如何知道海洋是友好的呢？ Keys： 1.A bear. 像熊。 2.Because they use foul language. 因为它们说脏话。 3.It waves. 它总是招手致意。 Notes： 1.resemble v.与…相像 bear n.熊，音似bare adj.光秃秃的，无遮盖的 bare-faced面孔干干净净，没有胡须的 bear-faced脸和熊一样的 2.foul adj.脏的，音似fowl n.家禽 3.wave v.起波浪；招手致意 Part 8 Questions： 1.How did the hangman get married？ 绞刑吏是怎么结婚的？ 2.Why did little Tom put his brother's guitar in the refrigerator？ 小汤姆为什么把他哥哥的吉他放在冰箱里？ 3.Why is the inside of everything so mysterious？为什么说凡事内部都神秘莫测？ Keys： 1.He tied a knot. 他打了一个结。 2.Because he enjoyed cool music. 因为他爱听美妙的音乐。 3.Because you can never make them out. 因为你永远也不能弄懂它们。 Notes： 1.hangman n.绞刑吏，刽子手 tie a knot打一个结；缔结良缘 2.refrigerator n.电冰箱（也可写作fridge或者icebox） cool adj.凉的，冷的；棒的，超级的，美妙的 3.make them out有两层意思：①把它们变到外面来；②弄懂它们，看清它们 mysterious adj.难理解的，神秘的 Part 9 Questions： 1.Why is a coward like a leaky faucet？ 为什么说胆小鬼和漏水的笼头一样？ 2.Why should we never ask balloons for advice？ 为什么我们绝不向汽球征求意见？ 3.What band can't play music？ 什么乐队不会演奏音乐？ Keys： 1.They both run. 因为它们都会溜走。 2.They are full of hot air. 因为它们里面全是热空气。 3.Rubber band. 橡皮筋。 Notes： 1.coward n.懦夫，胆小鬼 faucet n.水笼头 leaky adj.漏的，有漏洞的 run v.跑，溜走；流动，流（水） 2.hot air热空气；吹牛，胡说 3.band n.乐队，吹奏乐队；带子，绳子 rubber band橡皮筋 Part 10 Questions： 1.Do audience ever steal anything？ 听众会偷东西吗？ 2.What will the farmer grow in his garden if he doesn't mind working hard？ 假如一个农夫不在乎劳动有多辛苦，他会在园子里种什么？ 3. Why is the comet like Mickey Mouse? 4. What's the largest room in the world? Keys： 1.Yes，when they take the floor. 当他们发言时就会这样做。 audience n.听众，观众 take the floor有两种理解：①词组真正的含义是“发言”；②在答案中可理解为“拿走地板”。 2.He will grow tired. 他会累的。 grow v.种植；变得… 3. It's a star with a tail. tail:(动物的)尾巴;彗(星)尾 4. The room for improvement. room:房间;空间,余地 5. When it's ground. ground地面,也是grind磨碎、碾碎的过去分词形式 Part 11 Questions： 1.When is a person not a person？什么时候人不是人？ 2.When is a door not a door？ 什么时候门不是门？ 3.When are boys not boys？ 什么时候男孩不是男孩？ 4.When is a clock dangerous？什么时候时钟是危险的？ 5.Why is tennis so noisy？ 打网球为什么很吵？ 6.If a cabbage and a carrot raced， which one would win？ 如果卷心菜和胡萝卜赛跑，谁会赢？ Keys： 1.When he is a little cross. 当他有点恼怒时。 Notes： cross adj.烦恼，恼火； n.十字架 2. When it's ajar. 当它虚掩时。 Notes：ajar . adj.（门）虚掩着，露了一条缝的音似a jar（一只壶）。 3. When they're bare-footed. 当他们赤脚时。 Notes：bare-footed赤脚，音似bear-footed，脚和熊一样。 4. When it runs down the stairs and strikes one. 当它滚下楼梯敲响一点钟时。 Notes：strikes one另一层意思是：击中一个人 5. Each player raises a racket. 因为每个运动员都拿着球拍。 Racket n.（网球等的）球拍；喧哗，喧闹 raise a racket大吵大闹 6.The cabbage，because it's always ahead. 卷心菜，因为它总是领先在前。 Cabbage. n.卷心菜 carrot. n. 胡萝卜 a head of cabbage一颗卷心菜 Part 12 1.Q: How can you make a slow horse fast? A: Don't give it anything to eat for a while. fast快的;绝食 A: When it's sunny, because everything's brighter then. bright adj. 明亮的；聪明 smart/sma: t/ adj.聪明 3.Q: I have a tree in my hand. What kind of tree is it? A: It's a palm. palm棕榈树;手掌 4.Q: Can you explain what is free speech? 你能说说什么是言论自由吗？ A: You’re talking on someone else's phone. free自由的,免费的 5.Q: If the green house is on the right side of the road, and the red house is on the left side of the road, where is the white house? 假设绿房子在马路右边，红房子在马路左边，请问白房子在哪儿？ A: In Washington, D.C. 在华盛顿。.The White House白宫 Part 13 Questions： 1.Why is the bride unhappy on her wedding day？ 新娘新婚为何不开心？ 2.What time must it be when the escaped hungry wolf ate the paymaster？ 逃跑了的饿狼吃掉出纳员是什么时候？ 3.What will you break once you say it？ 什么东西说出来就碎了？ Keys： 1. Because she didn't marry the best man. 因为她没有嫁给最好的人。 Notes：bride/braid/n.新娘 bridegroom/＇braidgrum/n.新郎 best man男傧相；最好的男人 bridesmaid/＇braidsmeid/ n.女傧相 2. 8p.m. 下午8点。P.m.音似ate P.m.，而P.m.是 paymaster的缩写。 paymaster n.（发放薪饷的）出纳员 3. Silence. 沉默。break the silence打破沉默 Part 14 Questions： 1.When are people like glasses？ 什么时候人像眼镜？ 2.What beam (横梁；光线) is lighter than all the other beams？什么梁最轻？ 3.What animal eats with its tail？ 什么动物用尾巴吃东西？ Keys： 1. When they make spectacles of themselves. 当他们出洋相的时候。 Notes：spectacle n.眼镜 make a spectacle of oneself 使自己出丑，出洋相 2. lightbeam. 光线。beam/bi：m/ n.梁；光线 3. All animals do. No one takes off its tail while eating. 所有的动物，没有任何一种动物在吃东西时要取下尾巴。 with prep.用…做事；带着，有… Part 15 Questions： 1.Why are farmers cruel？ 为什么农夫是残酷的？ 2.Why are babies like hinges？ 为什么说婴儿像门铰链？ 3.Why is doing nothing tiring？为什么无所事事也累？ 4. If two's company and three's a crowd，what's four and five？ 假如两个是伴，三个一伙，那么四个和五个呢？ 5. If you took three big apples from a basket or ten apples，how many apples would you have？ 假如你从盛有10个苹果的篮子里拿走3个大苹果，那么你有多少个苹果？ Keys & Notes： 1. They pull corns by the ears. 因为他们揪着玉米耳朵掰玉米。 ear耳朵；一穗（玉米） pull corns by the ears另一种理解是“一穗一穗地掰玉米”。 2. Because they are things to adore. 因为他们是受宠爱的。 adore/ ?'d??/ v.喜欢，宠爱，音似 a door. hinge / h?n(d)?/ n.门铰链 things to a door门上的东西 3. Because you can't possibly stop and rest. 因为你停不下来，也就没法歇下来。 4. Nine. 是九。company n.伴侣，伙伴 Four and five is nine 四加五等于九 5. You took three apples and you would certainly have three apples. 你拿了三个苹果，当然就有三个。 Part 16 Questions： 1. A boat turned over and the two men on board fell in the water. But only one man got his hair wet. Why？ 船翻了，船上的两个人掉到水里，可是只有其中一人头发湿了，这是为什么？ 2. Mother wants to give the three apples in her basket to her three girls so that each girl gets one whole apple and there's still one in her basket. How can she manage to do that？ 妈妈想把篮子里的三个苹果分给三个女儿，每个女儿一个完整的苹果，同时篮子里也有一个苹果。她如何做到这一点？ Keys： 1. The other man was bald. 其中另一人秃头。 on board在船上，在交通工具上 bald adj.秃头的，光头的 2. Give two girls an apple each and give the third girl her apple in the basket. 其中两个女儿每人一只苹果，另外一个女儿得一只篮子，篮子里放着第三只苹果。 Part 17 Questions： 1.What's the birth rate in this area？这个地区的出生率是多少？ 2.What has a mouth but never speaks？ 什么有嘴不说话？ 3.What has everybody seen before but will never he seen again？ 什么东西人人见过却永不再见？ 4. What does everyone have and overlook？ 什么东西人人都有却总是忽视。 5. When do people have two mouths？ 什么时候人有两张嘴？ Keys： 1.Once per person. 每人一次。 2.A jar. 水壶。 3.Yesterday. 昨天。 4.One's own nose. 自己的鼻子。overlook v.忽略，看漏 5.When there're two of them. 有两个人时。 Part 18 Questions： 1. Can you name the capital of every state in the U. S. in ten seconds？ 你能用10秒钟说出美国所有州的首府吗？ 2. A motorist ran into a motorcyclist，yet the motorcyclist was not hurt while the motorist was badly injured. Why？ 一个汽车司机撞上了一个骑摩托车的人，骑摩托车的人安然无恙，汽车司机却受了重伤。这是怎么回事？ 3. A police officer had a brother，but the brother had no brother. How could that be？警官有个哥哥，哥哥却没有弟弟，为什么？ Keys： 1.Washington，D.C. 是华盛顿。 2.The motorist was walking. 汽车司机正在走路。 motorcyclist n.骑摩托车的人 3.The police officer was a lady. 警官是位女士。 Part 19 Questions： 1.Where did the egg floating down the Mississippi River come from？ 飘在密西西比河上的鸡蛋是从哪儿来的？ 2. Lucky Mouse fell off a 1000-step stair and was not hurt. Why？ 幸运鼠从1000级的台阶上摔下来却安然无恙，为什么？ 3.Why do giraffes have long neck？长颈鹿的脖子为什么那么长？ 4. It usually takes 8 hours to travel from New York to Chicago by train. Then why hasn't the train leaving the Big Apple more than ten hours ago arrived yet？ 通常从纽约到芝加哥坐火车只要8小时，可是这列火车离开纽约已经超过10小时了，为什么现在还没有到芝城呢？ 5. What can you tell from Peter's record card with extremely poor grades？ 彼得糟糕透顶的成绩单说明什么问题？ Keys： 1. From a hen. 是母鸡生下来的。 2. He fell off the last step. 他是从最后一个台阶上摔下来的。 3. Because their heads are far from their bodies. 因为它们的头离身子远。 4. The train was not for Chicago. 这列火车不是开往芝加哥的。 The Big Apple指纽约。 5. He didn't cheat. 他没有作弊。 record card成绩单 |
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