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C) they combined an efficient bureaucracy with a
clever military strategy
D) the barbarians in the buffer
states were semi-Romanised
E) the German and Slavic rebellions were successfully crushed
Proverbs, an important part of
conversation all over Africa, contain advice on behaviour or
observations on human nature. Many are entertaining because they express ideas in a surprising way.
Instead of saying, "Be careful," a Ewe might say, 'The housefly does not play a sticky drum." When a
Kikuyu says, 'The staring frogs do not prevent cattle from drinking," he means, "Don't worry about
other people's opinions." Riddles, another common
way to maintain conversation, usually take the
form
of a statement, not a question. So, in the riddle "People run away from her when she is pregnant,
but they rejoice when she has delivered," the question "What is it?", to which the answer is "a gun, is
understood. Often the riddle is intended to display the questioner's imagination rather than to test the
cleverness of the audience.
91-The purpose of riddles in conversation …………… .
A) is usually to challenge the person who is being asked them
B) is often to show the creativity of the
person saying them
C) is said to be a sort of intelligence test of the audience
D) can be to confuse the people
who are directed at
E) be misunderstood by the speaker and the audience
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