Near a castle without a moat, a well-known queen was captured and held hostage by a dark and powerful enemy force. Several of her loyal servants tried to break through enemy lines to free her, but most of them were eliminated during battle. However, one of her servants was able to break through the enemy's defenses to free the queen-at the cost of his own life; but he knew he could never go back once he had started. Can anyone identify this well-known queen and the lowly servant who performed the greatest sacrifice to save her?
Think about a game, not a historical event. The "castle" and "queen" are not what you might expect.
The queen was the white queen, and the servant who was sacrificed was a white pawn who had reached the back row of the black chess pieces—and was subsequently promoted/exchanged for the captured white queen.
Monica took part in a furiously competitive race, which she won due to her speed and agility. Despite this, she was not allowed to collect the winning trophy.
Why?
Think about the type of "race" where speed and agility are important, but a human wouldn't be able to collect a trophy...
Monica is the name of the horse that won the race.
Think about a common, everyday situation where a needle is already "floating" in a sense...
Take a thin piece of tissue paper and place the tissue paper under the needle before putting the needle in the water. The tissue paper will eventually sink and the needle will remain floating.
Jim and Joey were on vacation and driving along a deserted country road from the town of Kaysville to the town of Lynnville. They came to multiple forks in the road. The signpost had been knocked down and they were faced with choosing one of five different directions. Since they had left their map at the last gas station and there was no one around to ask, how could Jim and Joey find their way to Lynnville?
Think about what you can do at each fork in the road, and how you can use the process of elimination to your advantage.
They need to stand the signpost up so that the arm reading Kaysville points in the direction of Kaysville, the town they had just come from. With one arm pointing the correct way, the other arms will also point in the right direction.
Bruno, a former race car driver, decided to switch professions when he became 30 years old. One day, on his new job, he suddenly felt compelled to speed up his car to over 90 miles per hour on the highway. As he glanced at his rearview mirror, he saw two police cars with their lights flashing and sirens wailing, coming up behind him; but Bruno appeared unphased by this, and he increased his speed to over 100 m.p.h. The two police cars remained in hot pursuit when suddenly, Bruno heard a loud bang and realized he had blown a tire. He was very fortunate to be able to pull safely over to the side of the road. Bruno laid his head down on his steering wheel as the two police cars reached his location --- and then went whizzing past him down the highway. All Bruno could say was, "I hope they don't get away." Why didn’t the two police cars stop to arrest Bruno for speeding and running from the law, and what is Bruno's new profession?
Think about a job where speeding and reckless driving are not only allowed but also encouraged, and the police would be more interested in helping than arresting...
Bruno's new profession as he had become a police officer. He was in his police cruiser when he spotted a car that matched the description of one used by a couple of men who had just committed a robbery, and he began his high-speed pursuit. Two other police cars joined in the pursuit until Bruno’s car had a flat tire.
One day, as the famous magician and his assistant were rehearsing their act before a small group of newspaper reporters, the magician suddenly stopped speaking and appeared to go into a deep trance. His assistant wondered if she should call 911, as his entire body began to shake, but soon the shakiness diminished and he began to speak, relating the following vision he was seeing: "My house in the country is disappearing before my very eyes! My magical powers have grown too great, and now as punishment, the powers of darkness have engulfed my home and it is slowly vanishing ------ and has now disappeared completely." Suddenly, the magician's mystical trance ended, and he told his assistant and all of the reporters he had to leave immediately to see if any part of this bizarre vision had actually taken place. The curious reporters and his assistant all followed the magician to his home, and everyone was shocked to see the magician's residence had indeed vanished completely! The reporters immediately called in the fantastic story to their respective newspapers, as everyone stood around in absolute shock! How could this amazing disappearance possibly be explained?
The magician's "home in the country" is not what you think it is...
The magician had not even told his assistant about this publicity stunt he had planned, to be assured of absolute secrecy. The magician loved his small, old country home, but he didn't like its location; so he paid a great deal of money to a whole-house moving company to move his beloved house to a location he liked better. Of course, the famous magician was not about to let this publicity opportunity pass, especially when he learned a group of reporters were to be present at one of his rehearsals, so he arranged to have his entire home physically moved to its new location, two days before the planned rehearsal, knowing his next performance would be a complete sell-out when the reporters released their stories of the event. I guess it's like they say when it comes to real estate: It's always about, "Location, location, location."
Miya had a birthday party. She invited three friends over-Derek, Trevor, and Amanda-who each gave her some gifts. In the middle of the party, Miya realizes that someone has stolen all of her gifts. She thinks it is one of the guests, so she questions them. Each guest makes two assertions-one truth and one lie. Derek: "I wasn't in the house when it happened. I know Amanda stole the gifts". Trevor: "Amanda stole them, I saw them. I already have enough gifts". Amanda: "I didn't steal the gifts. Derek tells the truth, he wasn't in the house". Who stole the gifts?
Pay close attention to the statements that mention another person's whereabouts or honesty, as they can be used to verify or contradict each other.
Trevor stole the gifts. If Derek was the thief, both of his assertions would have been false. And if Amanda was the thief, both of Derek's assertions would have been true. Both cases go against the rules, so Trevor is the thief.
In fair Verona, love's tale is told, A pair of star-crossed souls, brave and bold. Their families' feud, a bitter strife, Yet love blooms amidst the deadly strife. This tragic hero, youthful and true, His heart ablaze, his love so new. He serenades his Juliet fair, Their passion burns, a love so rare. Though fate conspires against their bliss, In death, their love will forever persist. Which Shakespearean character doth this describe, Whose name lives on, as love's eternal bribe?
A man is sitting in a room along with a group of mostly women. The man suddenly begins shouting out a list of letters and numbers, alternating between the two, (e.g., letter - number - letter - number - letter - number, etc.). This goes on for some time, with the man shouting, and those in attendance remaining silent. Eventually however, one of the women in the room shouts a one word response to the man, which causes some in the room to feel disappointment, while the woman who shouts out, feels happiness. What is happening here?
Think about a common social event where a group of people, mostly women, gather and a man plays a key role in it...
The man is calling a Bingo Game for a group of mostly women. The woman who shouts out says, "Bingo!", and feels happy, while the rest of the people feel disappointment.
Think about a situation where having two of something can be more beneficial than having one, but it's not necessarily about intelligence or brainpower...
I have three feet but can't walk;
I tell you things but can't talk;
Sometimes I bend but I'm mostly straight.
I'm like a scale but can't tell your weight.
What am I?
Think about something you might find in a school or office, used for a specific purpose, and has a peculiar shape...
A pet shop owner had a parrot with a sign on its cage that said "Parrot repeats everything it hears". Davey bought the parrot and for two weeks he spoke to it and it didn't say a word. He returned the parrot but the shopkeeper said he never lied about the parrot.
How can this be?
Think about what Davey did (or didn't do) during those two weeks...
How can you make the following equation true by drawing only one straight line: 5+5+5=550? Can you figure it out?
Think Roman numerals...
Draw a line on the first plus sign that turns it into a 4! The equation then becomes true: 545+5=550. You could also change the equal symbol to a crossed out equal symbol which means "not equal to".
When completed in 1889 the Eiffel Tower was something of a sensation. Designed by the French engineer Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel its height is 492 feet plus half its own height.
How high is the Eiffel tower?
Can you divide the watch face with 2 straight lines so that the sums of the sums of the numbers in each part are equal?
Think about the symmetry of the watch face and the numbers that are diagonally opposite each other...
The sum of the numbers on the watch face is 78. If the two lines cross, there must be 4 equal parts, but 78 is not divisible by 4. Then the lines do not cross, giving three parts with the sum of 26 each. Once you see the pairs on the face that add to 13(12+1,11+2, and so far) the answer will be easy to find.
You have two container, a 5 gallon and a 3 gallon container. How do you measure out 4 gallons?
Think about filling and emptying the containers in a specific sequence...
Fill up the 3 gallon container and pour the 3 gallons into the 5 gallon container.Then, fill the 3 gallon container back up, and pour it into the 5 gallon container.The 3 gallon container will have 1 gallon left. Empty the 5 gallon container.Pour the remining 1 gallon into the 5 gallon container.Then fill the 3 gallon container back up and pour it into the 5 gallon container.Thus, you have 4 gallons.
The police are called to a roundhouse where a man is found dead with a knife wound to the chest. The police investigate and narrow down the suspects to three people: The maid, the wife, and the butcher. When questioned for alibis, the wife said, "I was out buying a dress with my friends, and I found my husband dead upon my return." The butcher said, "I was searching the cupboards for some vegetables to serve for lunch." The maid said, "I was in the other room, dusting the corners." The maid was then arrested. How did the police know it was her?
It was a round house, so there were no corners to dust.
Suppose you want to send in the mail a valuable object to a friend. You have a box which is big enough to hold the object. The box has a locking ring which is large enough to have a lock attached and you have several locks with keys. However, your friend does not have the key to any lock that you have. You cannot send the key in an unlocked box since it may be stolen or copied. How do you send the valuable object, locked, to your friend - so it may be opened by your friend?
Think about sending the box to your friend in multiple trips, and consider the role of the locking ring in a creative way...
Send the box with a lock attached and locked. Your friend attaches his or her own lock and sends the box back to you. You remove your lock and send it back to your friend. Your friend may then remove the lock she or he put on and open the box.
There are 30 cows in a field, and 28 chickens. How many didn't?
Think about the question being asked... it's not about the number of cows or chickens, but rather about the action of doing something. What is it that some of them didn't do?
10. Listen closely: 30 cows and twenty-eight chickens. Say EIGHT and ATE. They sound the same. Therefore, it means 20 ATE chickens. 30-20=10, so 10 cows didn't eat any chickens.
I have a big mouth and I am also quite loud! I am NOT a gossip but I do get involved with everyone's dirty business. What am I?
Think about something that's often found in a busy, crowded area, and is used by many people, but also has a reputation for being "dirty" or "grimy"...
I am a food that explodes. But long before I explode, I am already dead. I can be small, I can be big, and I can be fragrant. My name is literal. What am I?
Think about a type of food that is often associated with a strong, pungent smell, and whose name is a literal description of its eventual fate...
I have many feathers to help me fly. I have a body and head, but I'm not alive. It is your strength which determines how far I go. You can hold me in your hand, but I'm never thrown. What am I?
Think about something you might find at a sporting goods store or a recreational activity that involves flying, but isn't a living thing...
Remove my forth letter and the first three letters will spell a school subject. My last five letters spell something that happens when swallowing a carrot whole. My whole spells a vegetable. What am I?
Think about a common vegetable that has a strong connection to education...
Large as a mountain, small as a pea,
Endlessly swimming in a waterless sea.
What am I?
Think about something that can be enormous in concept, yet tiny in physical form, and is often associated with a vast, ocean-like expanse, but not necessarily made of water...
I herald the darkness which descends on all creatures; You will know my approach by moans and wracked features. I visit the hippo, hyena, and horse, But never go near snails and spiders, of course. I would circle the globe, leaping one to the other, Should all the world's people ever clasp hands together.
What am I?
Think about something that affects all living creatures, but not all living things... and consider the phrase "clasp hands together" quite literally.
I wiggled and cannot see, sometimes underground and sometimes on a tree. I really don't want to be on a hook, and I become a person when combined with a book. What am I?
Think about something that can be found in nature, has a wiggly movement, and is often associated with being hidden or buried...
I am a four-digit number and when converted to a Roman numeral I become a common 3 letter word meaning "Blend." What number am I?
Think about a common 3-letter word that means "Blend" and how its Roman numeral equivalent could be a 4-digit number... Pay attention to the first letter of that word!
I'm made for one but meant for two;
I can be worn for many years but usually just a few;
You won't ever need me unless you say you do.
What am I?
Think about something that's often shared, but initially intended for a single person, and its usage is closely tied to a specific event or milestone in life...
I'm the motivation to live for some people, the source of pain for some people. Without me, you'll fall into the abyss; with me, you'll have courage. What am I?
Think about something that can inspire hope and drive in some, while causing fear and anxiety in others. It's often associated with a sense of risk and uncertainty, but also with the potential for great reward.
What is the most complex thing man has yet we use it every day?
Think about something that is intricate, made up of many parts, and is essential to your daily life... It's not a device or a machine, but rather something that is uniquely human.
What ancient device allows people to traverse through walls?
Think about something that was used in the past to help people move from one place to another, and its name has a word that is also a type of partition or barrier...
One day, a scientist was down in his lab. It was around 11 o'clock. He was working late on poisons and their antidotes. He was hungry, so he went to get a snack. Suddenly, he found himself tied to a chair. There was a nasty-looking robber in front of him. The robber had his wife. He said,' I will only leave you and your wife if you feed her 1 whole teaspoon of poison of your choice, if you don't, then I will kill you both'. The scientist fed his wife an entire teaspoon of a type of poison from his lab, but the wife did not die, how? There were blue, red, white, green, yellow, and pink-colored poisons in his lab. All of them were deadly. Which one did the scientist choose?
Think about the situation and the fact that the scientist is a expert in poisons and their antidotes...
The white one, since sugar is known as 'White Poison'.
What is equal to time, more likely to corrupt, possessed by the rich, needed by the poor, and if taken away, leads to a loss of status?
"Think about something that is often measured, yet can have a dark influence, and is coveted by those who have it, but desperately needed by those who don't..."
Ben walked into a hardware store and asked the price of some items. The salesman said: One costs $1, Eight costs $1, Seventeen cost $2, One hundred four costs $3 and One thousand seventy two costs $4. What was Ben buying?
Think about the words, not the numbers...
Ben was buying home address numbers and they cost $1 per digit.
Four kings of whom I am one lord. Often on deck but never on board. Though I have a large heart, I am always seen at war. During which I always wear a suit, but never a suit of armor. Who am I?
Think about a game where strategy and skill are key, and the "war" is more of a mental battle...
My first is a very uncomfortable state,
In cold weather it mostly abounds.
My second's an instrument formed of hard steel,
That will cause the stout foe to stagger and reel,
And when used, is a symptom of hate.
My whole is an author of greatest renown,
Whose fame to the last day of time will go down.
Who am I?
Think about a famous author who wrote about war and conflict...
There are eight people who like each other? Rhonda likes Jim. Tom likes Amber. Cameron likes Britney. Will likes Katie. They all know that they're liked by at least someone. The question is, who is loved? *Hint think about the *words in this statement...
Pay attention to the verb "likes" vs. the verb "is loved" in the statement.