The Book of Riddles. Лексические задачки

“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.

arrangeздесь: 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.