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History of riddles - BASIC
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Questions in this quiz (3)
1Origin and Meaning of the Riddle
The word ‘riddle’ [blank_start]describes[blank_end] a sentence or question, that [blank_start]needs[blank_end] a concrete answer or [blank_start]presents[blank_end] a puzzle to be deciphered. There [blank_start]are[blank_end] two kinds of riddles. First there [blank_start]is[blank_end] the enigma – a metaphorically expressed riddle – and second there [blank_start]is[blank_end] a conundrum – a very tricky problem usually including a pun in its question or answer. A pun [blank_start]is[blank_end] a form of word play using the different possible meanings of a word or the similarities in the pronunciation. For example, a horse [blank_start]is[blank_end] a very stable animal.- Adescribes
- Bdescribe
- Cdescribing
- Dneeds
- Eneed
- Fneeding
- Gpresents
- Hpresent
- Ipresenting
- Jare
- Kis
- Lisn't
- Maren't
- Nis
- Oare
- Pam
- Qis
- Rare
- Sisn't
- Tis
- Uare
- Vam
- Wis
- Xdoes
- Ycan
2The word ‘riddle’ [blank_start]has[blank_end] the same origin as the word ‘read’. It is [blank_start]an[blank_end] Old English word that means interpret or guess. The oldest preserved riddle is [blank_start]from[blank_end] ancient Mesopotamia. Another Sumerian riddle asks to name a certain institution, maybe you [blank_start]can[blank_end] guess:
“There is a house. One enters it blind and comes out seeing. What is it?”
Ancient and medieval literature is full of riddles. They [blank_start]were[blank_end] used to bring suspense to the text and to pass on cultural tradition. One example would be the double meanings in [blank_start]the[blank_end] words. In that sense, riddles also had an educational purpose, because [blank_start]they[blank_end] people had to understand the many meanings a single word [blank_start]can[blank_end] have in any situation.- Ahas
- Bis
- Chave
- Ddoes
- Ean
- Fa
- Gthe
- Hfrom
- Iat
- Jin
- Kon
- Lcan
- Mare
- Nhave
- Owere
- Pwhere
- Qthe
- Ra
- San
- Tthey
- Uthe
- Va
- Wcan
- Xis
- Ydo
3Types of Riddles
The riddle survived the test of time and is still a popular medium for spending free [blank_start]time[blank_end] or improving mental abilities. Nowadays [blank_start]there are[blank_end] many kinds of word- or letter-based riddles [blank_start]next[blank_end] to the poetic ones. Here's a short collection:
- Riddles as Poems or Prose: [blank_start]these[blank_end] riddles are small texts set in poetry or prose.
- Anagrams are a small kind of riddle. [blank_start]They[blank_end] usually consist of one word, but can also be extended to sentences. [blank_start]Their[blank_end] letters can be reordered to form another word or sentence.
- Crosswords: a [blank_start]very[blank_end] young type of riddle is the crossword, where questions and answers are arranged in grids. The answer words cross each other, which is how it got [blank_start]its[blank_end] name. The first modern crossword puzzle was produced by Arthur Wynne in the New York World [blank_start]in[blank_end] 1913.
Of course there are [blank_start]many[blank_end] other types of riddles nowadays.- Atime
- Bmoney
- Cthere are
- Dhave
- Enext
- Fnear
- Gthese
- Hthis
- IThey
- JIt
- KTheir
- LThey
- Mvery
- Nmany
- Oits
- Phis
- Qin
- Ron
- Smany
- Tvery
Information
- Description
- Reading activity for the English Club
- Author
- Bia Aguiar
- Language
- English
- Views
- 274
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