| How to Play 20 Questions Posted: 30 May 2021 05:00 PM PDT 20 questions is a classic game that can be played almost anywhere. It's great to use when passing the time, meeting new people, or learning more about grammar. To play the basic version of this game, you don't need anything but yourself and a willing group of players. You can also alter this game to teach ESL students about grammatically correct yes or no questions for a fun afternoon of learning. [Edit]Playing a Basic Round - Gather a group of 2 to 5 people to play the game. This game works best with a small to medium-sized group of people so that everyone gets a chance to ask a question. If the group is too big, you may reach the end of the game without giving everyone a turn.[1]
- This is a great game to play on a road trip or with a group of friends to pass the time.
- Choose 1 person to be "it" first. You can pick anyone in your group to go first. Try assigning them based on who the youngest is, who had the most recent birthday, or something silly, like who can eat a piece of pizza the fastest.[2]
- You can also pick which order everyone takes turns guessing the same way. For example, going from youngest to oldest or in order of birth month.
- Pick a person, place, or thing if you are "it." Think about someone or something that you know enough about to answer some basic questions on. If you choose a person, they can be living, deceased, or even fictional. Make sure you choose a person, place, or thing that most people in your group know about.[3]
- For example, your item could be "Marylin Monroe," since she is famous enough that most people will be able to make guesses about her. You could also choose something like New York City, the Eiffel Tower, or even clouds or the sun.
- Try not to use items like "my mom" or "my dog" unless you are with your siblings or best friends, because the players might not know enough about them to guess.
- Start by asking general yes or no questions if you are not "it." If you are a guesser, you are trying to figure out what the "it" person is thinking of. Try using a fairly general opening question that can be answered with "yes" or "no" to narrow down your options. For example:[4]
- "Is it a person?"
- "Is it a place?"
- "Is it an object?"
- "Is it real or fictional?"
- Take turns asking yes or no questions. You can ask questions in any order that you'd like, but make sure each player gets to ask at least 1 question. If a player asks a question that can't be answered with "yes" or "no," ask them to rephrase it so that it can be.[5]
- For example, a player couldn't ask, "How old are they?" or "What do they look like?" They could ask, "Are they older than 50?" or, "Do they have blonde hair?"
- Ask more specific questions as you go along. Think about the questions that have already been asked before you ask new questions. For example, if someone already asked about size, move on to color or smell. This will give you an answer faster and use up fewer questions so you can hopefully win the game![6]
- For instance, if you already asked "Is it bigger than a breadbox?" and the answer was yes, try asking something like, "Is it red?"
- Play until you reach 20 questions or someone gives the right answer. You can either assign someone to count the questions that each player asks, or the group can count them together collectively. If the group reaches 20 questions and they haven't guessed the person, place, or thing, you can tell them what it is. If someone guesses it before 20 questions have been asked, the game is over.[7]
- Make the correct guesser the next "it" person. If no one guessed the person, place, or thing at all, whoever wants to go next can have a turn. Keep the game going until everyone has had a chance to be "it."[8]
- If someone guesses correctly but they've already been "it," let someone else have a turn instead.
- Giving everyone a turn makes the game more inclusive and lets everybody have some fun!
[Edit]Adding Variations for ESL Learners - Write out 10 to 15 topic cards with different subjects of interest. For example, you could pick popular foods, American states, famous landmarks, types of animals, or even famous celebrities. Choose a random bunch of these topics and write them down individually on a note card.[9]
- Choose 1 person to be "it" and have them read their topic out loud. Pick a volunteer from your class to be the first person to choose a topic. You could pick the student who has been on time to class the most, or choose someone who turned their homework in on time that day. Have them pull a topic card from the pile and let them read it out loud to the class.[10]
- This narrows down the subject that the person, place, or thing could be to make it easier for your students to guess.
- Write down the item or person that the "it" player thinks of. This ensures that you know what their item is in case the rest of your students get stuck. You can also double check that the person, place, or thing and the subject card are related, or offer suggestions if your student can't think of anything.[11]
- For example, if your student pulls the card "types of animals," they could choose "rabbit" as their item.
- Make each player ask a grammatically correct yes or no question. If the question isn't grammatically correct, move onto a different player. You can coach your students slightly if they are having trouble coming up with a question.[12]
- You can let students raise their hands when they have a question or go around the room in a circle or spiral.
- If anyone gets stuck, try giving suggestions like, "Do you want to ask about its size?" Or, "Can you think of a way to ask about their hair color?"
- Keep track of your students' questions and their points. As you play the game, have your students keep track of how many questions they have asked that were grammatically correct. Don't give out any points to questions that weren't phrased correctly. Tally up the running total of questions asked so that you know when your students have reached 20.[13]
- Assigning points makes the game more competitive and may motivate your students to play.
- Give 3 points to whoever guesses correctly and make them "it." You can have the student who guessed correctly pick a new subject and come up with their own item. If the group reaches 20 questions and no one has guessed the item, have the current "it" player say what it is and give them 1 extra point.[14]
- You can keep playing new rounds until everyone has gotten a turn, or stop when you feel like your students have gotten the most out of this game.
- If no one guesses correctly, you can ask for a volunteer to be "it" next.
- Choose things that aren't impossible to guess to make this game more fun.
- Let everyone have a turn being "it" to make the game more fair.
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Keep Cats Out of Your Yard Posted: 30 May 2021 09:00 AM PDT Cats make great pets, but feral and stray cats can create quite a nuisance. They may use your garden as a litter box, trample all over your precious plants, and spread fleas everywhere. Luckily, you have a ton of options when it comes to keeping cats out of your yard, and you can mix and match options at your leisure depending on how you want to handle this. [Edit]Eliminate food sources. - Move your trash or bird feeders to remove the reason cats show up. Cats are showing up in your yard for a reason. If you keep your trash outside, make sure that your lids are secure to keep cats from digging for food. [1] Birds tend to attract cats as well, so if you've got a bunch of bird feeders in your yard, taking them down will help keep the cats away.[2]
- If possible, keep your trash in a more secure location indoors to keep cats (and other pests, like raccoons) from poking around for food. If you have a garage, that's the perfect spot for your trash!
- Domesticated outdoor cats and feral cats like to roam through yards looking for food, mates, and places to use the bathroom. If you are having trouble with unwanted cats, see if you can spot a pattern with where the cats are hanging out in your yard. There may be something you're overlooking in your yard!
[Edit]Add fencing. - One of the best ways to keep cats out is to block them physically. If you install a full-blown wooden fence, opt for fence boards with pointy tops so that the cats can't hang out on top of them. If you want an easier, simpler option, you can always install some shorter wood posts around your yard and then attach chicken wire fencing.[3][4]
- If you have an existing fence with a flat top where cats can balance themselves, staple or tape some aluminum foil or plastic wrap to the top so cats won't hang out up there.[5]
[Edit]Install motion-activated sprinklers. - For a highly-functional solution, get some sprinklers installed. Whenever the cats wander into your garden, the sprinklers will kick on and spritz the cats to send them on their way. Even if they don't get wet, the sound of the sprinkler popping up and activating will scare them off. You can buy these motion-activated sprinklers online or from some pet stores.[6]
- Since the hose line will freeze, you can't use these sprinklers in the winter. Luckily, if you set them out in the spring or summer, the cats should have plenty of time to learn that they don't want to hang out in your yard. As the cats keep getting sprayed, they'll become conditioned to stay away from your home.
[Edit]Try an ultrasonic device. - Infrared ultrasonic devices will emit a high-frequency noise to scare cats. The sound won't be audible to people, but to cats, it will be like nails on a chalkboard. Typically, these products run on batteries and you just turn them on and leave them out in your yard. So long as it's on, the device will scan for any movement and emit the alarm whenever cats get too close.[7]
- You can buy these products online or see if they're available at big box home improvement stores.
- These devices do tend to be a little more expensive than the other options out there. The good news is that these devices may also keep other pests out of your yard as well!
[Edit]Get a commercial repellant. - There are repellants out there that replicate dog or big cat urine. If the cats smell a potential predator nearby, they're naturally going to be dissuaded from sticking around for too long. Some of these products duplicate dog urine, while others contain lion or panther urine. These spray repellents are available from basically any big box home improvement store.[8]
- The downsides here may seem obvious, but a lot of these products don't smell particularly great. You do need to reapply them roughly every week and after any heavy rains.[9]
- If you don't feel like spraying all around your yard periodically, there are granular versions of these products that resemble little stones. You just sprinkle them into your soil.[10]
[Edit]Put pinecones or chopsticks in your yard. - Laying rough items down in your soil will keep cats off. Cats like the soft feel of soil and grass, and messing with that texture will dissuade cats. You can either line the perimeter of your yard with the topping of your choice or work the items into the soil to keep cats off. Either crush some pinecones up and sprinkle them around or grab some chopsticks and lay them flat in a grid pattern. Push them halfway into the soil, and the cats won't walk over them.[11][12]
- Plastic carpet runners, with those little soft spikes on the bottom, are another great solution. Just keep them with the spike-side up and cover them lightly in soil at the threshold to your yard.[13]
[Edit]Lay down aluminum foil. - Cats don't like walking on crinkly, rough surfaces like aluminum foil. If there are any specific surfaces you want to keep cats off of, pull out a few strips of aluminum foil and lay them down where you don't want the cats. Put a few stones or bricks around the edges of the foil to keep it from blowing away. When the cats step on it, they'll feel and hear the aluminum foil crinkling up and run off in the other direction.[14]
- Metal ribbon, sheet metal, and bubble wrap may work for this as well.
- This is an especially good option if you have a tall fence and you know the cats are sneaking in through an entrance to your yard, since you can just lay down a few layers of foil around that entrance.
[Edit]Get some cat-repelling plants. - Coleus canina is hands-down the best plant for keeping cats away. Coleus canina is the most popular plant when it comes to repelling cats because it appears to be the most effective.[15] It naturally smells like dog urine to cats, so it's more efficient than a lot of other options out there. If you don't want to plant these in your garden or keep them in pots outside, you can always try curry plants, lavender, or rosemary.[16]
- If you come across any plants marketed as "pee-off" or "scardey-cat," these are the same thing as coleus canina.[17]
- These plants are also occasionally labeled plectranthus caninus.[18]
[Edit]Spray or sprinkle pepper in your yard. - Cats dislike pepper, and they'll naturally stay away if they smell it. You can either sprinkle some cayenne pepper around your yard periodically, or make a pepper-based spray by mixing a few teaspoons of cayenne pepper with some water in a spray bottle. Spray or sprinkle the pepper near any entrances to your yard or plants that you want to keep the cats away from. If cayenne doesn't do the trick, you can always try using black pepper instead. Putting some pepper plants in your garden or yard may work as well![19]
- Wet coffee grounds will have a similar effect. On top of that, coffee grounds make great compost if you've got a garden going![20]
- If you sprinkle pepper around or you make a pepper-based spray, you'll need to reapply it whenever it rains.
[Edit]Make your yard smell like citrus. - Cats are also prone to avoid citrus-based scents, like lemon and orange. You can get some citrus essential oils and sprinkle them around your yard, but most folks prefer leaving peels near plants and entrances in their yard. Every time you carve up some lemons, limes, or oranges, hold on the rinds. Spread them out around your yard to keep cats from poking around.[21]
- Grapefruit rinds are another solid option if you don't tend to go through a lot of lemons, oranges, or limes.[22]
[Edit]Deter cats with essential oils. - Lavender, lemongrass, eucalyptus, and geranium all keep cats out. There are a few ways to use these oils to keep cats out, but the easiest solution is to simply pour a few drops of undiluted oil around any flower boxes, fence lines, or trees where you think the cats are hanging around. You can also mix several of the oils together if there's a particular combination of scents that you enjoy![23]
- Citronella is another oil that cats tend to dislike. This is a great option if you want to keep bugs out at the same time![24]
- You'll also need to reapply these oils whenever it rains. The good news is that it doesn't take much of these oils to keep cats out.
[Edit]Warnings - If you live in a city and you've seen a lot of strays near you, they may be from the same colony. There is a decent chance someone is caring for these cats, which is why they're always around your yard. If possible, try to find the owner of the colony by putting up flyers or reaching out on regional social media groups before taking action.[25]
[Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Detect Cameras in a Mirror Posted: 30 May 2021 01:00 AM PDT If you're security-minded, you probably check your hotel or Airbnb before you get comfortable. Part of this might mean checking the mirror for hidden cameras. You may be able to spot them just by searching around the frame, or you can use tools that detect light and radiofrequency. To help, we'll answer some of your biggest questions about locating these tricky cameras. [Edit]When should I look for a hidden camera? - Anytime you're in a public rental or hotel room. Unfortunately, there's been a rise in hidden cameras placed in rental properties over the last few years. Give yourself peace of mind if you're staying in a new place. Look around and check for anything that looks or feels off. Then, take a few minutes to really search for hidden cameras before you get comfortable.[1]
- You can also check mirrors in dressing rooms. Depending on which state you're in, some stores are allowed to put in surveillance cameras.
[Edit]Can I find a camera just by looking at the mirror? - Yes—you might find a camera with a physical inspection. To spot a hidden camera, spend a few minutes looking around for small holes in the wall or random wires that don't look like they belong. Pay attention to flashing or blinking lights, too.[2] You might look for wires or a small blinking light near along the mirror's frame, for instance.
- Spy cameras are getting smaller and smaller, so get really close to look for the camera lens.
- You might find a camera by determining if the mirror is two-way. You've probably heard the old trick about touching the mirror. Simply touch the mirror with your fingertip—if there isn't a gap between your fingertip and the reflection, it's probably a two-way mirror. At this point, you can try to take the mirror off of the wall or keep searching for a hidden camera.[3]
- Do you see a small gap between your fingertip and the reflection? Great! This means it's a standard mirror and there's nothing to worry about.
[Edit]Can I use a flashlight to detect a camera? - You can try it, but you might have a hard time pinpointing a camera's reflection. Some people argue that a flashlight, even one on your phone, works to reflect a hidden camera's lens while others say it's too tricky to spot a camera reflection in the mirror's reflection. It's definitely worth a try, though![4]
- If you want to try the flashlight tip, stand really close to the mirror and slowly shine the light over the entire surface, changing the angle as you go. Look for a very small reflection of light that's not coming from your flashlight.
[Edit]Do hidden cameras need wifi? - Possibly—cameras either need to be plugged in or connected to the wifi. Don't feel like physically searching for a camera? Check the wifi network to see if a hidden camera is connected. Run a scanner like Fing or WiFiman, which pulls up all the connected devices. It will also show you the name, hardware, and IP address of each connected device. The scanner may reveal that there's a camera connected to the network.[5]
- This tip works best for smaller wifi networks since large networks will show lots of connected devices.
- Not sure if a listed device is a camera? Sometimes, it can be tricky to tell what an unknown device is. Write down the IP address and run it through a port scanning app, which can give you some useful clues.
[Edit]Are there apps to detect cameras in mirrors? - Camera detecting apps are available, but they have mixed reviews. You can download an app like Glint Finder or Hidden Camera Detection that emits red light. This can reflect off of a hidden camera lens behind the mirror. Reviewers note that these work best when you're within of the camera, so it might work well if you're scanning a mirror.[6]
- To use the app, open it on your device so your phone emits red light. If you can, turn off the lights in your room and slowly sweep the red light over the mirror. Look for the tiny white reflection of a camera lens.
[Edit]Is there equipment that can find a camera? - Yes—buy a radiofrequency (RF) finder and hold it up to the mirror. The RF finder is about the size of a cell phone or walkie talkie and it emits a red light. If you can, turn off the lights in the room and hold the RF finder so the red light shines on the mirror. Look through the circular hole in the tool and try to spot a tiny white light. This indicates a camera lens.[7]
- Go slowly when you look at the mirror since the camera reflection will just be a tiny point of light.
[Edit]What should I do if I find a camera? - Bring it to someone's attention right away. If you're staying at a vacation rental, contact the rental company immediately, or speak with the manager if you're staying at a hotel. If you suspect someone broke the law in hiding the camera, call the police and file a report. They'll walk you through what is and isn't allowed under surveillance laws in your state.[8]
- If you feel like your privacy was violated, it's totally alright to contact your lawyer, too.
[Edit]References |
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