Episode 265
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Hi, everybody! I am Georgiana, your English teacher and founder of SpeakEnglishPodcast.com. My mission is to help you speak English fluently.
Today we are going to learn English in a fun way.
You will learn new English vocabulary through fun riddles.
I will introduce you to some popular riddles and ask you to guess the correct answer. If you don't know what a riddle is, don't worry because I'll explain it to you.
Many of you send me messages telling me that you listen to my podcast in the car, walking, or doing other things. That's great because you are incorporating learning into your lifestyle, not the other way around. That way, you spend more time listening and learning. The idea is always to accumulate many hours of listening for you to internalize the language.
All right. In today's episode, you will improve your English in a fun way with some fun riddles. You'll have to guess the answer to each riddle. Are you up for it? Don't worry; they're not complicated.
Come on, it's gonna be fun 🙂
But first, what's a riddle?
A riddle is a type of poem that works like a puzzle.
They describe something and sometimes use words with double meanings.
First, I'll tell you a riddle, and then I'll wait 10 seconds to give you time to answer. But don't worry. If you need more time, you can pause the audio.
Remember that on my website SpeakEnglishPodcast.com you will find the transcript of this episode.
Let's start!
1. Riddle: What has one eye but can't see?
Answer: A needle
Of course, the needle has an eye, but it cannot see since it is an object. Besides, the eye is empty.
2. Riddle: What has legs but doesn't walk?
Answer: A table
The table can't walk, but not because it is lazy but because it has another function. Most people can walk, but some prefer to sit all day.
3. Riddle: What can you catch but not throw?
Answer: A cold
In English, we use the expression to catch a cold. And it's not that we are chasing a cold. It's just an English expression.
4. Riddle: What kind of band never plays music?
Answer: A rubber band
A rubber band is a thin rubber ring that is used to hold things in place. It has multiple uses.
5. Riddle: What has many teeth but can't bite?
Answer: A comb
You use the comb to style your hair, so the bristles should not be too sharp.
6. Riddle: What has words but never speaks?
Answer: A book
A book cannot talk because it has no mouth, but the author does speak through the words written in the book.
7. Riddle: What has a thumb and four fingers but is not a hand?
Answer: A glove
A glove has all the fingers a person has and protects our hands. They help protect us from the cold and also from aggressive detergents.
8. Riddle: What building has the most stories?
Answer: The library
A library is a fascinating place full of books, both fiction and non-fiction. It must be wonderful to work in a library and read a new story every week.
9. Riddle: What kind of coat is best put on wet?
Answer: A coat of paint
In English, we use the expression a coat of paint. When we paint a room, the first coat of paint is mandatory, and a second is optional.
10. Riddle: It belongs to you, but other people use it more than you do. What is it?
Answer: Your name
It is true; we use our name less than others. That's why I believe it's a big responsibility how we name our children so that they don't have to constantly spell their name.
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GRAMMAR MADE EASY
POV Story: Grammar in Context
Read the same story in two different points of view and notice how the grammar changes naturally.
Past Tense
The father of two sons died, leaving a large inheritance. In the will, the father put this condition: The two sons had to race their horses. The slower horse would get the whole inheritance. So the sons looked for a place to organize this unusual competition. The race began, but each son deliberately slowed down his horse. They barely made any progress, and so it was impossible to finish the race. Not knowing what to do, they visited a wise man to ask him how they could solve this problem. After hearing the answer, they started racing again. This time, as fast as they could.
What did the wise man tell the sons?
Present Tense
The father of two sons dies, leaving a large inheritance. In the will, the father puts this condition: The two sons have to race their horses. The slower horse will get the whole inheritance. So the sons look for a place to organize this unusual competition. The race begins, but each son slows down his horse deliberately. They hardly make any progress and so it is impossible to finish the race. Not knowing what to do, they visit a wise man to ask him how they can solve this problem. After hearing the answer, they start racing again. This time, as fast as they can.
What did the wise man tell the sons?
Riddle Answer
Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you in the next episode.
Review
Vocabulary
Review the most useful words and expressions before listening again.
riddle
a question or statement designed as a puzzle.
clue
information that helps solve a problem or mystery.
guess
give an answer without being certain.
solution
the correct answer to a problem or puzzle.
wordplay
humor based on the different meanings or sounds of words.
punch line
the final part of a joke that makes it funny.
figure out
understand or solve something.
intuitive
understood naturally without conscious reasoning.
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