13th March - Specialist & General Knowledge Questions

Questions for 13th march 2007
Specialist & General set by the Dolphin Dragons
and vetted by the Church House Bollington
& the Puss Artists


All specialist question rounds are based, however vaguely, on TV programmes.


They are:

The Bill (Arts & Entertainment);
Going for Gold (Sport);
Big Brother (History);
Brainiacs (Science);
Coast (Geography);
Top Gear;
Gardeners’ World;
Have I got News for You.



Round 1:The Bill (Arts & Entertainment)

All these questions are about Arts & Entertainment people with William amongst their names.

1. Which William, a Victorian lyricist and comic writer, had the middle name of Swenk?
WS Gilbert

2. Which William is starring this spring at the Royal Exchange in Manchester in Noel Coward’s play The Vortex?
Will Young

3. Which William was a BBC bandleader and had a son named after him who became head of BBC Television?
Bill (y) Cotton

4. Which William was a poet with a journal-keeping sister named Dorothy?
William Wordsworth

5. Which fictional William was written about by Roald Dahl and went on to star in 2 films?
Willie Wonka

6. Which Victorian William was a poet noted for his bad poetry, especially one written about the Tay Bridge Disaster?
William McGonnegall

7. Which eighteenth century William was a painter famous for his satirical depiction of society?
William Hogarth

8. Which William, an American who lived in Yorkshire for years, is famous for his humorous travel writing?
Bill Bryson

Supplementaries

Which hero in a Jane Austen novel has a first name which means Son of William?
Fitzwilliam Darcy

Which William was the eponymous hero of a play by Keith Waterhouse?
Billy Liar


Round 2: Going for Gold (Sport)

All these are questions about events at various Olympic Games. Either the year or the location is acceptable as an answer (eg: 2012 or London!)

When or where

1. Did the then Cassius Clay win Gold?
1960/ Rome

2. Was the stadium used originally built for the cancelled 1940 games?
1952/ Helsinki

3. Did Sally Gunnell win Gold?
1992/ Barcelona

4. Did Sir Steve Redgrave win his first Gold?
1984/ Los Angeles

5. Did Nadia Comaneci gain the first perfect gym score of 10?
1976/ Montreal

6. Did Torville & Dean win Gold in the Winter Olympics?
1984 /Sarajevo (nb: at this time, the Winter Games were still held in the same year as the Summer ones – in case anyone’s confused!)

7. Did Emil Zatopec win the 5000 metres, the 10,000 metres and the Marathon?
1952/ Helsinki

8. Was the re-instated Tennis competition won by Steffi Graf?
1988/Seoul

Supplementaries

Were 11 Israeli athletes murdered?
1972/ Munich

Did the host nation have 2 of their leading athletes withdraw before the start of the Games after missing drugs tests, and being involved in a suspicious road accident?
2004 /Greece (Kostas Kenteris & Katerina Thanou)




Round 3: Big Brother (History)

These questions are about historical older brothers.

1. Which king (who refused his wife entry to his Coronation) was the older brother of William IV?
George IV

2. Name the oldest brother of Senator Edward Kennedy.
Joseph (killed in WW II)

3. Name one of the younger brothers of Robert of Normandy, (who both became kings of England, although he was only Duke of Normandy)
William II (Rufus) or Henry I

4. How many younger brothers & sisters did Edward VII have?
Seven (and one older sister)

5. Where did George VI’s elder brother, The Duke of Windsor, spend World War II?
The Bahamas

6. Although the aforementioned “big brother”, the Duke of Windsor,’s regal name was Edward (VIII), what did his family call him?
David

7. Which Prince of Wales (who died before he became king) was the elder brother of John of Gaunt and fought the battle of Crecy?
(Edward) the Black Prince

8. Which king had an older brother called Arthur, who died young? (Arthur’s widow then married this younger brother, causing political ramifications!)
Henry VIII

Supplementaries.

Which famous Roman Emperor had Germanicus Caesar as his older brother?
Claudius.

Who was Charles I’s elder brother, who died before he could succeed to the throne?
Prince Henry (Stuart)

Who was Richard I’s elder brother who died before he could succeed to the throne?
Prince Henry (Plantagenet)


Round 4 : Brainiacs ( Science)

1. Who formulated the Quantum Theory?
Max Plank

2. In 1998, who became the oldest man in space, at the age of 77?
John Glenn

3. A nettle sting is caused by which type of acid?
Formic

4. Which sub-order of mammals include cattle, goats and deer?
Ruminants (accept cud-chewers)

5. What is the term for the change in direction of a ray of light as it passes from one medium to another?
Refraction

6. What is Jupiter’s largest moon?
Ganymede

7. Graphite is a form of which chemical element?
Carbon

8. Bright’s disease affects which part of the body?
The Kidneys


Supplementaries

In meteorology, what scale is used to classify wind speeds?
The Beaufort Scale

What is the hardest substance in the human body?
Enamel

Round 5: Coast (Geography)

1. Which coastal Yorkshire town is associated with Bram Stoker’s Dracula story?
Whitby

2. Which Suffolk coastal resort holds a musical festival centred on the music of Benjamin Britten?
Aldeburgh.

3. Which famous cliffs lie 3 or so miles to the West of Beachy Head?
Seven Sisters.

4. Which Welsh coastal town was founded through the efforts of William Maddocks?
Portmadoc

5. Which of the Scilly Isles is stuck with having New Grimsby as its main settlement?
Tresco.

6. Which Scottish island has Goat Fell as its highest point?
Arran

7.Where in the North West are the statues by Anthony Gormley, called collectively Another Place.
Formby Beach

8. What name (not necessarily spelled the same) links the most northerly points of the Isle of Man and the Welsh mainland, and an area of Scotland?
(Point of) Ayr / Ayre/ Ayr.

Supplementaries
Q9. Which Scottish island was used in the original BBC series of ‘Castaway’?
A9. Taransay.

Q10. On which estuarial island does the town of Sheerness lie?
A10. The Isle of Sheppey

Round 6: Top Gear

This round deals with fashion – or “Top Gear”

1. What is a Henin?
A Steeple hat – a cone-shaped medieval head-dress

2. What is a Spencer?
An overcoat.

3. What is a tarbush?
A Fez-type hat (a bit more than hat required!)

4. What was a crinoline (that’s the underlying structure) made of?
Horse-hair

5. Which Italian designer was murdered in 1997?
Gianni Versace

6. Who was the designer of the queen’s wedding dress, who died in 1985?
Norman Hartnell

7.Whose first fashion firm was called Bazaar?
Mary Quant

8. Which sportswear firm was founded by a French tennis player?
Lacoste

Supplementaries

What was a statute cap?
A wool cap the lower classes had to wear in Tudor times (to help support the wool industry)

What were the Sumptuary Laws?
Laws that dictated the colours and fabric of clothes according to class.

Round 7: Gardener’s World

Flowers feature in the answers to all the following questions:
Give both names of a person. A flower’s name may appear in more than one answer!
For example: Which actress played Foyle’s assistant in Foyle’s War?
Honeysuckle Weeks

What is the name of:
1. The author of “ A Severed Head” and “The Sea, the Sea”?
Iris Murdoch

2. The TV Character with sisters called Daisy, Rose and Violet?
Hyacinth Bouquet (or Bucket)

3. The Actress mistress of Edward VII?
Lilly Langtry

4. The woman who achieved fame by streaking topless at Twickenham?
Erica Roe

5. The equine steeplechaser, winner of the 1989 Cheltenham Gold Cup, who died last year?
Desert Orchid

6. The author of such books as Rebecca?
Daphne du Maurier

7. The BBC series broadcast on recent Friday evenings about sisters growing up in 1920’s Liverpool?
Lilies

8. Dr Who’s recent assistant, played by Billie Piper?
Rose Tyler

Supplementaries

The Royal Navy Destroyer in The Cruel Sea.
The Compass Rose

A form of Daffodil beginning with J
Jonquil

A recent remake of a Hollywood murder mystery
Black Dahlia (the original was Black Dahlia)


Round 8: Have I got News for You!

The following personalities all made the News in 2006 in the same way – by dying!
There are 3 clues to each – give the name.

1. Died aged 59, this former Chelsea footballer was a member of the 1970 English world Cup Squad
Peter Osgood


2. Died aged 83, this “No frills” airline pioneer received a Knighthood for his efforts
(Sir) Freddie Laker

3. Died aged 66, this US singer’s most famous hit placed him 24 hours from Tulsa
Gene Pitney

4. Died, aged 79, this BBC Radio DJ was born in Australia.
Alan “Fluff” Freeman

5. Died aged 75, this bowler for Yorkshire and England was also a long-term fixture on Test Match Special
Fred Trueman

6. Died aged 93, this US president was never elected to that office.
Gerald Ford

7. Died aged 95, this US Cartoonist created, amongst others, Tom & Jerry, and Yogi Bear
Joseph Barbera

8. Died aged 80, this actress and ballerina was most famous for the film The Red Shoes.
Moira Shearer

Supplementaries
Died aged 62, this former Minister for Sport was a Chelsea Supporter.
Tony Banks

Died aged 44, this Australian Naturalist was killed by a stingray barb
Steve Irwin

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE


1 Q Which canal connects the North Sea and the Baltic?
A The Kiel Canal

2 Q Which classical composer was known as the Red Priest?
A Vivaldi

3 Q Who was the original Question Master of Blockbusters?
A Bob Holness

4 Q Which Shakespeare play has the alternative title "What You Will"?
A Twelfth Night

5 Q In which novel is the hero Winston Smith?
A 1984

6 Q What unique situation is shared by the landlocked nations of Liechenstein and Uzbekistan?
A They are themselves surrounded by landlocked countries

7 Q What does the initial D in DVLA stand for?
A Driver (and Vehicle Licensing Agency)

8 Q The chough is the bird emblem of Cornwall. To which family of birds does it belong?
A The Crow Family

9 Q Who wrote the Tales of Hoffman?
A Offenbach

10 Q What, according to the Bible, was the name of the brother of Moses?
A Aaron

11 Q In which novel is Philip Pirrip the hero?
A Great Expectations (he's usually known as Pip)

12 Q Elvis won only 3 Grammys, none in the major categories of Rock'n roll, blues or pop. Which category were they all awarded for?
A Religious Music

13 Q What is the capitol of the French Region of Alsace?
A Strasbourg

14 Q Which rival of Mozart has been accused (falsely) of murdering him?
A Salieri

15 Q What is the name of the container ship which foundered off Devon early this year?
A The Napoli

16 Q Who is replacing Michael Schumacher at Ferrari this season?
A Kimi Raikonnen

17 Q In which sport does one of the Welsh counties play in at a higher level than the National team?
A Cricket (Glamorgan plays championship Cricket, Wales in the Minor Counties League)

18 Q Of which French region is Rennes the capitol?
A Brittany

19 Q Who is the film, The Aviator, about?
A Howard Hughes

20 Q Who is the present (March 1) English Rugby Union coach?
A Brian Ashton

21 Q Who was the last fullback to score in an FA cup final (not counting penalty shootouts)?
A Paul Konchsky (for West Ham in 2006)

22 Q Who makes the Roomster car?
A Skoda

23 Q In which city are Ian Rankin's books about Inspector Rebus set?
A Edinburgh

24 Q Which film links Noel Coward and the song "On days like these" (by Quincey Jones)?
A The Italian Job



25 Q In the film, who played Bonnie to Warren Beattie's Clyde?
A Faye Dunaway

26 Q Who wrote Dr Zhivago?
A Boris Pasternak

27 Q Which classical composer's music was featured in "A song of Norway"?
A Grieg

28 Q Which singer/actor won an Oscar for her part in "Moonstruck"?
A Cher

29 Q Who, according to St Luke's Gospel, the mother of John the Baptist?
A Elizabeth

30 Q Where does the Ferry from Fishguard land in Ireland?
A Rosslare

31 Q Name a member of the "Supergroup" Cream, apart from Eric Clapton
A Jack Bruce or Ginger Baker

32 Q Who wrote Puck of Pook's Hill?
A Rudyard Kipling

33 Q Which country did Napoleon Boneparte's second wife come from?
A Austria (Marie-Louise)

34 Q What does the initial E in DEFRA stand for?
A (The Department of the) Environment,( Food, and Rural Affairs)

35 Q In physical geography, what is a barchan?
A A (crescent shaped) sand dune

36 Q In 2006, which small European country gained independence from its neighbour?
A Montenegro (from Serbia)

37 Q What is the name of the TV series where a present day policeman finds himself in the1970's?
A Life on Mars

38 Q What word can mean both to separate and to cling to?
A To Cleave

39 Q On the coat-of-arms of Sussex there are birds with the heraldic name of Martlet. What are they more usually called?
A Swifts

40 Q Whose current single is "Ruby"?
A The Kaiser Chiefs

41 Q On the subject of Ruby, who asked her not to take her love to town?
A Kenny Rogers

42 Q In which battle was the Charge of the Light Brigade?
A Balaclava

43 Q In which country did the Anglican bishops meet in February this year?
A Tanzania

44 Q How many points are scored for a drop goal in Rugby League?
A One

45 Q Where does the ferry from Cork land in mainland UK?
A Swansea

46 Q What was the name the cook in the Brown household, in the Paddington Bear stories?
A Mrs Bird

47 Q What word can mean both an ammunition store and a journal?
A Magazine

48 Q In geology, what is a fumerole?
A A hole in the side of a volcano

49 Q Who makes the Fusion car?
A Ford


50 Q What do the runners Rag Trade and L'Escargot have in common, as regards the history of the Grand National?
A They are the only 2 Horses to beat Red Rum

51 Q
A They are all English villages, (the 1st in E Anglia, the 2nd near Bishop's Stortford, the last 2 near Derby)

52 Q In World War I, what was the Third battle of Ypres also called?
A Passchendale

53 Q Which jockey won the Derby on Shergar and, later, on Llammtara?
A Walter Swinburn

54 Q In architecture, what is a flying buttress?
A A support on the outside of a building which is only attached at the top - like an arch

55 Q In Architecture, what is a clerestory?
A An upper row of windows, such as is found above an aisle in a cathedral or other large church

56 Q What children's series, by Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin, was set in "The Lands of the North" and featured some un-ferocious Vikings?
A Noggin the Nog

57 Q In what country, south of Russia, was Stalin born?
A Georgia

58 Q Who founded the Methodist church? (both names please)
A John Wesley

59 Q Which building was voted Britain's favourite modern building according to a 2006 survey?
A The Eden project

60 Q What happens on a clock face 154 times a week?
A The minute and hour hands cross

61 Q What does the "ley" in such place names as Alderley mean?
A A Clearing

62 Q The challenge Walk of the Three Peaks of Yorkshire includes the ascents of Whernside, Pen Y Ghent and which other peak?
A Ingleborough

63 Q According to "the Bookseller" whose autobiography has sold most copies in the UK since 1998?
A Sharon Osbourne (titled Extreme)

64 Q In an inventory compiled by Travelodge, which items were most commonly left behind in hotel rooms?
A Mobile phones

65 Q In which country was the present Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, born?
A Uganda

66 Q Which building ,built in the 1990's, was the first to be allowed to have a thatched roof in London since the Great Fire of 1666?
A Shakespeare's Globe (accept the Globe Theatre)

67 Q In a 2006 poll by "Pets at Home" which TV pet was voted favourite, ahead of Wellard from Eastenders, and Blue Peter's Shep?
A Lassie

68 Q What does the word Chester indicate in place names?
A A Roman settlement ( usually a military one - from the Latin castra -an army camp)

69 Q Which snooker player has scored most 100 breaks in recognised tournaments?
A Stephen Hendry

70 Q Which organisation, which has a fleur-de-lis as its symbol, is celebrating its centenary this year?
A The Scouts (accept Boy Scouts, although this title is over 20 yrs out-of-date!)

71 Q Who wrote The Midwich Cuckoos?
A John Wyndham

72 Q Who won the 2006 (British) Open championship in golf?
A Tiger Woods

73 Q Give a year in the life of Michelangelo.
A 1475 - 1564

74 Q Give a year in the life of Thomas Telford.
A 1757 - 1834

75 Q Who was the Prime Minister when slavery was abolished in the British Empire in 1807?
A Lord William Grenville

76 Q Why was Connor McCreaddie in the news at the end of February this year?
A He is the obese 8yr old (from Tyneside) who was threatened with being taken into care.

77 Q What is Macrame?
A A craft for producing ornamental netting etc by knotting string

78 Q Who invented Inspector Wexford?
A Ruth Rendell

79 Q What English football club play at Home Park?
A Plymouth Argyle.

80 Q What is the longest word that can be typed all on one row of a conventional keyboard?
A Typewriter (!)

81 Q When water is let go by Kielder Reservoir, by which river does it reach the sea?
A The River Tyne

82 Q Which Scottish League team play their home matches at Tynecastle?
A Hearts

83 Q In Contract Bridge, what landmark is achieved by making 4 Hearts, or 5 Clubs, for example?
A Game

84 Q Which Game console manufacturer developed the Gamecube console?
A Nintendo

85 Q How does Nintendo spell the name of their newest games console, the wii (pronounced wee)?
A W -i -i

86 Q Which political party's name translates as "we ourselves"
A Sinn Fein

87 Q What was the nickname of the British Military police force raised in 1920 - 1 to counter the activities of the Sinn Fein?
A The Black and Tans

88 Q In which county is the famous high-altitude pub, the Tan Hill Inn?
A Yorkshire

89 Q Who is the only Roman god to feature in the English names for the days of the week?
A Saturn

90 Q What was the name of the first space probe to get near to Saturn?
A Voyager

91 Q Which car maker produces the voyager model?
A Chrysler

92 Q With which musical instrument is Fritz Kreisler associated?
A The Violin

93 Q What musical interval lies between the natural notes of the 4 strings of a violin?
A A fifth

94 Q In which war did the concept of Fifth Columnists originate?
A The Spanish Civil War

95 Q Which poet and writer of a best-selling account of his childhood in the Cotswolds, fought in the Spanish Civil War?
A Laurie Lee

96 Q Laurie is a pet form of Lawrence. In which Shakespeare play is Friar Lawrence an important character?
A Romeo and Juliet


Supplementary Questions:

1 Q What travel connection is there between George Bush, George Best, and Leonardo da Vinci?
A They all have airports named after them

2 Q Which disgraced former dictator died last year, aged 64?
A Slobodan Milosovic

3 Q "Rosencranz & Guildenstern are Dead" is a Tom Stoppard play about characters from which Shakespeare play?
A Hamlet

4 Q What are mature Daddy Longlegs?
A Crane Flies

5 Q To what creature does the word Aquiline refer?
A Eagle

6 Q How is the evening of Whit Friday (the Friday after Pentecost) celebrated in the Pennine villages of Saddleworth?
A Brass Bands competitions (from late afternoon to late evening!).