Random Puzzles 

Workings

Hint
The first letters of the words are: R, C, G, C, L, H, E, B, L.

Answers
18-8-9-14-15          = rhino 3-18-15-3-15-4-9-12-5 = crocodile 7-9-18-1-6-6-5        = giraffe 3-8-5-5-20-1-8        = cheetah 12-5-15-16-1-18-4     = leopard 8-9-16-16-15          = hippo 5-12-5-16-8-1-14-20   = elephant 2-21-6-6-1-12-15      = buffalo 12-9-15-14            = lion

Workings

Hint
You can either fix the distance rowed and see what numbers work, or you can fix the number of hours.

Answer
12 miles.

In the morning, rowing at 2 miles per hour, they rowed for 6 hours. In the afternoon, rowing at 4 miles per hour, they rowed for 3 hours.

There are a number of ways of working this out, and here are two of them:

Method 1
If we assume the distance the rowed upstream to be D miles, we know the morning took (D ÷ 2) hours, and the afternoon took (D ÷ 4) hours, with a difference of 3 hours. So:
 D   D
 - – - = 3
 2   4

Multiplying throughout by 4 gives:

 2D – D = 12

So:

 D = 12 miles

They rowed 12 miles upstream.

Method 2
If we assume they rowed for H hours upstream, we know they travelled H x 2 miles in the morning. In the afternoon, they rowed for (H – 3) hours, and travelled (H – 3) x 4 miles. We know these distances are the same, so:

 2H = (H – 3) x 4

Giving:

 2H = 4H – 12

Rearranging gives:

 12 = 2H

So:

 H = 6 hours

They rowed for 6 hours upstream at 2 miles per hour, which is a total of 12 miles.

Workings

Hint
You would probably never try this.

Answer
An umbrella.

Workings

Hint
Each sentence hides a single word.

Answer
Badgers rapidly excavate a mound.

Reasoning
The initial letters of the words spell BREAM, a fish. The other sentences all spell birds.
    SWAN  = Sam wanted another newt.     EAGLE = Every artistic giraffe likes elephants.  *  BREAM = Badgers rapidly excavate a mound.     WREN  = Wild rabbits enjoy nature.     DUCK  = Dale understood cute kittens.     CRANE = Casual restless aardvarks need exercise.