The Book of Riddles. Лексические задачки

The Magic Entrance

To enter the World of Riddles, you must first open this magic door. Find the right key for each of the four keyholes.

Well done! Now you can come in, and here is your first riddle.

1. The Investor

“I have some good news and some bad news for you,” the owner of an art gallery said to a painter, whose works were at the exhibition in his gallery.

“What is the good news?” the painter asked.

“The good news is that one of the investors has shown great interest in your works. He asked me if they would go up in price after your death.”

owner владелец; art gallery картинная галерея; exhibition выставка; show great interest in проявить большой интерес к; price цена ◊ go up in price вырасти в цене; death смерть

“And what did you say?”

“I said that they would double in price after you’re gone, and he bought all your paintings.”

“All eighteen of them? That’s good news, indeed. And what’s the bad news?”

“The bad news is the identity of the buyer.”

double удвоиться; after you’re gone здесь: после вашей смерти; the identity of the buyer личность покупателя

Who showed so much interest in the works of the painter? This rebus may help you find the right answer.

2. What Is His Peculiarity?

A man who stuttered was asked why he did so.

“It’s my p-p-p-peculiarity,” he answered. “Everybody has s-s-s-some p-p-p-peculiarity.”

“I don’t have any,” said the questioner.

“Don’t you s-s-s-stir your t-t-t-tea with your r-r-r-right hand?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Th-that’s your p-p-p-peculiarity. Most p-p-p-people __________.”

peculiarity характерная черта; stutter заикаться; stir мешать; most people большинство людей; sentence предложение

Finish the sentence. What do most people do? This rebus may help you find the right answer.

3. The Robbery

One day, a snail was robbed while walking in the park. She went to the police.

“How did it happen?” they asked her.

“I don’t know,” the snail answered. “It all happened too quickly.”

robbery ограбление; one day однажды; snail улитка; rob ограбить; while walking in the park когда она прогуливалась в парке; happen случаться, происходить ◊ How did it happen? Как это случилось?; too quickly слишком быстро; solve решать; find out узнать, выяснить

Who robbed the snail? Solve this rebus to find out.

4. Eureka!

One day, the teacher asked the class:

“Which of you has heard of Archimedes?”

“I have,” said little Johnny. “Archimedes was a scientist. He was taking a bath and cried, “Eureka!”

“What is Eureka?” the teacher asked.

“Eureka means “I have found it”.

“What did he find?”

Johnny blurted out what he thought was the right answer.

What did he say?

eureka эврика; scientist учёный; mean означать; blurt out выпалить, брякнуть

5. The Three Paintings

Max decided to take a shortcut through the forest when he came across an old house he had never seen before. The house seemed deserted. He took a step inside, and the next moment the door behind him slammed shut.

shortcut короткий путь, путь напрямик ◊ take a shortcut срезать путь; come across наткнуться на; seem казаться; deserted заброшенный; take a step сделать шаг; inside вовнутрь помещения; slam shut захлопнуться

“Anybody here?” he asked.

A husky voice replied, “I’m here.”

“And who might you be?”

“I’m the keeper of this house.”

“Why can’t I see you?”

“You cannot see me because ghosts can’t be seen in the daytime.”

Anybody here? Здесь есть кто-нибудь?; husky хриплый; voice голос; reply ответить; And who might you be? И кто же вы такой?; keeper хранитель; ghost привидение, призрак

“Am I your prisoner?”

“No. However, you cannot leave this house unless you find the key to the door. If you don’t, you’ll stay here forever. You’ve only got one try.”

“Can you at least give me a hint?” Max asked.

“Very well,” the voice croaked. “The key is hidden behind one of the paintings in the drawing room. Find it, and you are free.”

prisoner пленник; however однако; unless если только ты не; stay оставаться; forever навсегда; try попытка; at least по крайней мере; hint намёк; croak хрипеть, прохрипеть; прокаркать; hide (hid, hidden) прятать

These are the paintings Max saw in the drawing room. Which of them hides the key?

6. The Elephant Tamer

An elephant tamer is talking to a journalist.

“I hear you used to tame other animals,” the journalist said.

“That’s right,” answered the elephant tamer. “I switched to elephants only a while ago. I have become shortsighted, you know.”

What animals did the tamer work with before he became shortsighted?

tamer укротитель; used to tame раньше дрессировали; that’s right совершенно верно; switch to переключиться на; a while ago некоторое время тому назад; shortsighted близорукий ◊ I have become shortsighted, you know. Я, видите-ли, стал близоруким

7. Doctor Pill

Johnny fell ill, and his mother called the famous doctor Pill.

“Are you really the famous doctor Pill?” the seven-year-old boy asked. “The one who spent several years in Africa treating wild animal?”

“The very same,” answered the doctor.

“Were you not eaten by cannibals?”

“No. Like they say, the rumours of my death have been greatly exaggerated. I’m still alive and kicking.”

fall (fell, fallen) ill заболеть; famous знаменитый; pill пилюля; treat лечить; wild дикий; the very same он самый; like they say как говорится; rumour слух, слухи; exaggerate преувеличивать ◊ the rumours of my death have been greatly exaggerated слухи о моей смерти сильно преувеличены; still всё ещё; alive and kicking жив и здоров

“Can you prove it?”

The doctor smiled.

“Prove what? That I’m alive?”

“No. That you’re really the famous doctor Pill.”

“Sure. Here. I hope this photo will convince you.”

The doctor took a photo out of his wallet and gave it to the boy.

Here is that photo:

prove доказывать; smile улыбаться; Here. Вот, держи (говорят, протягивая какой-либо предмет собеседнику); hope надеяться; convince убедить, убеждать; wallet бумажник

Johnny looked at the photo and said, “You’re a liar!”

“But Johnny,” his mother cut in. “How can you talk to the doctor like that?”

“But don’t you see that he is lying?” Johnny asked. “This photo is a fake! He has never been to Africa, and I can prove it!”

liar лжец; cut in вмешаться в разговор; How can you talk to the doctor like that? Как ты разговариваешь с доктором!?; don’t you see неужели ты не видишь; lie лгать; fake подделка; clue ключ (к разгадке)

What made Johnny think that the doctor was lying? If you don’t know, this rebus may give you a clue.

8. The Essay

After the summer holidays, the teacher asked her class to write an essay on how and where the children had spent their vacation. Johnny worked on his essay for almost an hour, yet he wasn’t sure how the teacher would take it.

essay сочинение; after the summer holidays после летних каникул; spend (spent, spent) проводить; vacation каникулы; almost почти; hour час; yet тем не менее; be sure быть уверенным; how the teacher would take it как учительница это воспримет

And indeed, when the teacher opened his exercise book, she frowned, because she saw something she never expected to see. This is what she saw:

But the next moment she smiled and said to herself, “This little rascal is really very talented. I hope he liked his stay in—”

In what country? Where did Johnny spend his summer holidays?

indeed в самом деле; frown хмуриться, нахмуриться; expect ожидать; the next moment в следующее мгновение; smile улыбаться; said to herself сказала сама себе; rascal негодник, шельмец, плут; talented талантливый; hope надеяться; his stay in его пребывание в

9. One plus One Makes One

Arrange these three pictures in the right order.

arrange здесь: расположить; order порядок ◊ in the right order в правильном порядке

10. The Ant Throws a Party

One day, the Ant decided to throw a party. The Grasshopper, the Bee and the Ladybug came, even the Dragonfly showed up.

ant муравей; throw a party устроить вечеринку; decide решить, принять решение; grasshopper кузнечик; bee пчела; ladybug божья коровка; dragonfly стрекоза; show up появиться

The host asked the guests to wipe their feet, and they did so without complaining. Only one guest didn’t like it. Guess who.

host хозяин; guest гость; wipe вытереть, вытирать; and they did so и они так и сделали; complain жаловаться ◊ without complaining без жалоб, безропотно; guess догадаться, угадать

11. The Masked Ball

One day, the animals decided to have a masked ball.

The Wolf soon got tired of dancing. He approached a group of animals, and suggested a game of cards. Several animals agreed to keep him company.

masked ball бал-маскарад; decide решить, принять решение; soon вскоре; gеt tired of dancing устать танцевать; approach подойти, приблизиться; suggest предлагать; a game of cards партия в карты; several несколько; agree соглашаться; keep him company составить ему компанию

“But I warn you,” said the Wolf, taking out a deck of cards from his pocket. “If I catch any of you cheating, the swindler is going to get it in his impudent, ginger snout.

warn предупреждать; deck колода; pocket карман; if если; catch поймать; any of you кого-либо из вас; cheat обманывать, мошенничать ◊ catch cheating поймать за обманом; swindler мошенник; impudent наглый; ginger рыжий, рыжеватый; snout морда (животного) ◊ is going to get it in his snout получит по морде; address адресовать

Who did the Wolf address his words to? Solve this rebus to find out.

12. Where Is the Cat?

One day, little Johnny said to his father:

“Look, Daddy. I have drawn the cat in boots.”

His father looked at the picture and said:

“That’s strange. I see the boots. But where is the cat?”

“Isn’t it clear where it is?” asked Johnny.

“No,” his father answered.

draw рисовать; boots ботинки, сапоги

And you, my dear reader? Do you know where the cat is?

13. At the Zoo

One day, Winnie-the-Pooh and Piglet went to the zoo.

“Winnie, let’s leave this place,” Piglet said suddenly. “I’m afraid they will beat us up!”

“What makes you think so?” asked Winnie.

“Look what they did to the horse!” said Piglet.

Winnie-the-Pooh Винни Пух; Piglet Пятачок; leave покидать; place место; beat up избить; What makes you think so? Что заставляет тебя так думать?; do sth to sb¹ сделать что-либо (плохое) с кем-либо

Name the animal he was looking at.

14. The Pot of Gold

The Fox’s grandmother died, leaving her a pot of gold.

Soon, the whole forest knew that the Fox had become an heiress to a large fortune.

“Aren’t you afraid that someone might break into your house and steal your gold?” asked her the Magpie who lived in a tree nearby.

pot горшок ◊ pot of gold горшок с золотом; die умереть; leave оставлять; soon вскоре; whole весь; become становиться; heiress наследница; fortune состояние; break into вломиться в; steal красть, украсть; magpie сорока; nearby неподалёку

“They will not find it,” said the Fox. “It is in a safe place.”

“Where?”

“As if I’m going to tell you!”

“I will be silent as the grave.”

“As if I could trust you!”

safe безопасный; As if I’m going to tell you! Так я тебе и сказала!; be silent as the grave молчать как могила; As if I could trust you! Так я тебе и поверила!

The Magpie begged the Fox to tell her, but the Fox was adamant. She knew better than to share her secret with the number one forest gossiper.

But you, dear reader, can easily find the hiding place – provided that you know the necessary English word.

beg умолять; adamant непреклонный; she knew better than не такая она была дура, чтобы; share her secret делиться своим секретом; gossiper сплетница; hiding place тайник; provided that при условии, что; necessary нужный

So, where did the Fox keep her gold?

15. Dutch Courage

The man had already paid a visit to several bars. He was so drunk, he could hardly stand. His hands shook, and he spilled several drops of whiskey on the floor. Suddenly, a mouse appeared at the table, and drank up the spilled whiskey.

Dutch courage храбрость во хмелю (букв.: храбрость голландца); already уже; pay a visit нанести визит, посетить; several несколько; bar бар; He was so drunk, he could hardly stand. Он был настолько пьян, что едва держался на ногах; shake (shook, shaken) дрожать; spill пролить; drop капля; appear появиться

This went on several times. At last, the drunkard decided that it was time to go home. He took his small booze companion with him. On the way, he turned over a few trash cans.

this went on several times это повторилось несколько раз; at last наконец; drunkard пьяница; it was time пора было; booze companion собутыльник; turn over опрокинуть; a few несколько; trash can мусорный бак

The noise woke up the neighbourhood. A man leaned out of a window, and cried out:

“Hey, you! Do you have to make so much noise?”

“Stop shouting! Come out, if you are a man! We shall talk here,” answered the drunkard.

“Right,” said the mouse. “And don’t forget to bring your ______.”

Your what? Finish the sentence.

noise шум; wake up (woke up, woken up) разбудить; neighbourhood квартал; lean out of a window высунуться из окна; Do you have to make so much noise? Неужели непременно нужно так сильно шуметь?; Stop shouting! Перестань кричать; right правильно; forget забывать; sentence предложение

16. Good Advice

The customer studied the menu, and said to the waiter:

“I think, I will have the chicken – and the younger, the better.”

advice совет; customer посетитель (ресторана); waiter официант; the younger, the better чем моложе, тем лучше

What did the waiter bring him?

17. A Bet

Someone had stolen some bananas from the zoo. The gorilla hung out a warning: “Who stole my bananas? If I catch the thief, I will tear off his paws, and twist his ears! Gorilla.”

bet пари; steal (stole, stolen) украсть; hang out (hung out, hung out) вывесить; warning предупреждение; catch поймать; thief вор; tear off оторвать; paw лапа; twist his ears надеру (букв.: выкручу) ему уши

The next day, the Gorilla read under his own announcement: “You won’t. Wanna bet?”

These words were followed by a signature.

Who had dared to challenge the Gorilla? This rebus may give you a clue.

announcement объявление; You won’t. Wanna bet? Не надерёшь. Спорим?; follow следовать ◊ These words were followed by a signature. За этими словами следовала подпись; dare посметь, осмелиться; challenge бросить вызов