1. What do the following four-letter words have in common?

 

    ALSO

    MAIL

    PURE

    RAIN 

2. What do the following words have in common?

 

   HEM

   PAGE

   ELOPE

   SERGE

   SAFE

     

Answers:

 

1. Each word can be anagrammed into the name of a country:

    

   ALSO - LAOS

   MAIL - MALI

   PURE - PERU

   RAIN - IRAN

 

2. The letters (word) ANT can either precede, follow, or be inserted into each word to make a new one:

 

HEM - ANTHEM

PAGE - PAGEANT

ELOPE - ANTELOPE

SERGE - SERGEANT

SAFE - SANTA FE