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Wednesday, February 18, 2009

17th February - The Questions

SPECIALIST QUESTIONS 

Set By The Puss Artists        


   Geography

           

1          By what name is the parallel of latitude 23.5 degrees North of the Equator more commonly known?

            Tropic of Cancer

           

2          What does the term 'Ria' mean?

            Drowned river valley

           

3          What name is given to a region of high air pressure , the highest pressure occurring at the centre?

            Anti Cyclone

           

4          What is the term used to describe a smooth hill shaped by moving ice made up of glacial drift?

            Drumlin

           

5          What is the name of the hot southerly wind that blows from the Sahara across southern Italy?

            Sirocco

           

6          What is the study of Earthquakes called?

            Seismology

           

7          What sort of rock has been restructured by heat or pressure?

            Metamorphic

           

8          What name is given to the scientific observation and study of weather?

            Meteorology

           

           

            Supplementary

I           If the latitude  of the equator is 0 degrees, what is the latitude of the North Pole?

            90 degrees North

           

ii           What, is the Prime Meridian?

            0 degrees through Greenwich

         

Sport

           

1          Which football team has lost the most matches in the Premier League?

            Everton

           

2          For how many professional fights did boxer  Joe Calzaghe remain undefeated?

            46

           

3          Who is the current UK Snooker Champion after defeating Marco Fu in the final in Telford?

            Shaun Murphy

           

4          Which Irish teenager has just won golf's Dubai Desert Classic event?

            Rory McILroy

           

5          How many Grand Slam tennis events  has Serena Williams won?

            10

           

6          Which company sponsors rugby league's Super League?

            Engage Mutual ( accept Engage )

           

7          Who holds the record for the most wickets taken in One Day Internationals as at 5th Feb?

            Muttiah Muralitheran

           

8          At which ski resort were the recent skiing World Championships held?

            Val D'Isere, France

           

           

            Supplementary

I           Name Manchester's Ice Hockey franchise?

            Phoenix

           

ii           Who were the last football team to win the FA Cup with eleven English players?

            West Ham United in 1975 v Fulham

         

History

 

1.  What codename did the British give to the project to develop the Armoured Fighting Vehicle during WWI?

A.  “Tank”.  (The name stuck)

 

2.  Give a year in the life of Julius Caesar.

A.  100bc – 44bc

 

3.  How many people died in the “Black Hole of Calcutta”?

A.  123 of the 146 held there. (accept 118 – 128).

 

4.  Five days of the Battle of Isandlwana consisted of a smaller and much more famous engagement.  What was it?

A.  Rorkes Drift.

 

5.  Give a year in the life of Edward Jenner.

A.  1749 – 1823

 

6.  On this day (17th February) 1933, which American magazine was published for the first time?

A.  Newsweek

 

7.  Who was British Prime Minister on the day John F Kennedy was assassinated?

A.  Sir Alec Douglas-Home. (PM from 18th Oct 1963 to 16th Oct 1964)

 

8.  In what year did Bartholomeu Dias become the first European to lead an expedition around the Cape of Good Hope at the behest of King John II of Portugal.

A.  1487 (Accept 1485 – 1489)

 

Supplementary

 

Q.  The Battle of Navarino Bay in 1827 is notable for being the last major battle of what?

A.  Sailing Ships

 

Q.  What was the name of the legendary king said to rule a Christian nation amidst the Muslims and pagans of the Orient during the Middle Ages?

A.  Prester (or Presbyter) John

 

Beer Beer we want more Beer.

            All the answers to the following questions have a type or brand of beer forming at least part of the answer

           

           1          Englands Most Capped Rugby Union Captain ?

            Will Carling

           

           

2          The surmane of the actor Nominated for best supporting Actor Oscar in 1988 for his portrayal of William Dorroit in Dickens Little Dorrit - died on August 5, 2000, from liver cancer, at Midhurst in West Sussex?

            Alec Guiness

           

           

3          What is the Nickname of the French international Rugby player Sébastien Chabal who plays his club rugby at Sale?

            Sea Bass

           

           

4          Most known for his work on childrens television and dubious lifestyle, he acted alongside Amanda Holden in the comedy series "Mad About Alice" ?

            Jamie Theakston

           

           

5          The Queen's Club Championships, an annual grass court tournament for male tennis players at the Queen's Club in West Kensington, London. are better know as what?

            The Stella Artois Championship

           

           

6          A number Three Hit in September 1980 for the Ska Band Bad Manners ?

            Special Brew

           

           

7          What type of Symphony was a hit for the Verve in 1997 ?

            Bitter Sweet Symphony

           

           

8          What was the nick Name of  Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, Lord of Leinster, Justiciar of Ireland (1130 – 20 April 1176), a Cambro-Norman lord notable for his leading role in the Norman invasion of Ireland?

            Strongbow

           

            Supplementary

           

I           Born 27 December 1946 she is a British media personality, journalist, television presenter and producer. She was editor for two years of The Independent on Sunday?

            Janet Street Porter

           

ii           Who was the first Black Woman to be elected to a seat in the house of Commons?

            Diane Abbot

  

1980’s American TV Shows

 

 

1.  In which 1980’s TV show, did Stephanie Zimbalest invent a ‘phantom’ male boss, so that clients would take her detective agency seriously?

A.  Remington Steele

 

2.  Which team of TV mercenaries consisted of Hannibal Smith, ‘Howling Mad’ Murdoch, Faceman and B A Baracus?

A.  The ‘A’ Team

 

3.  In which TV show did policeman Jessie Mach fight crime for the FBI from the back of a motorcycle?

A.  Streethawk

 

4.  In which show was Tom Selleck hired as head of security for an estate owned by Robin Masters?

A.  Magnum, PI

 

5.  Starring Jan Michael Vincent and Ernest Brognine, which TV show started with pilot Stringfellow Hawke stealing an advanced helicopter from the US Government?

A.  Airwolf

 

6.  Which crime-fighting duo from had the first names ‘Sonny’ and ‘Rico’?

A.  Crockett and Tubbs (from Miami Vice).

 

7.  Which cheesy TV show had characters called Roscoe P Coltrane and Boss Hogg?

A.  The Dukes of Hazzard

 

8.  Which crime-fighting duo had the first names Christine and Mary-Beth?

A.  Cagney and Lacey

 

Supplementary

 

Q.  In which TV series did Dr Sam Beckett jump from person to person righting the wrongs of the past?

A.  Quantum Leap

 

Q.  In which TV series would you encounter the ‘Knight Industries Two Thousand’?

A.  Knight Rider

 

Science

           

                     

1          What is the name of the Radio Telescope sited at Jodrell Bank?

            Lovell Telescope

           

           

2          The James Webb Telescope will be launched by NASA in 2013 as a replacement for which current telescope launched in 1990?

            Hubble Space Telescope

           

           

3          What was the Christian name of Marie Curies Nobel Prize winning Husband?

            Pierre

           

           

4          Who was the eccentric British Scientist who appeared regularly on television in such shows as "Don't Ask me and Don't just sit there. Also famously appeared in the Video for Thomas Dolby's "She blinded me with science"?

            Dr Magnus Pyke

           

           

5          In the “Atkins diet" the intake of which major food group is restricted?

            Carbohydrates

           

           

6          Which unit of volume is a twentieth of a pint in Imperial units and an sixteenth of a pint in the USA?

            A Fluid ounze

           

           

7          Which English physician and anatomist discovered the circulation of the blood?

            WILLIAM HARVEY (1578 - 1657)

           

           

8          Epiphytes are plants that depend on other plants for what?

            Physical support

           

            Supplementary

           

            Pascals are S.I. units. What do they measure?

            PRESSURE

           

           

            What name is given to the group of elements which include fluorine, chlorine, bromine and iodine ?

            HALOGENS

 

Arts & Literature

           

            The Questions below relate to books listed in the BBC Top 100 Reads and all have some sort of animal connection.

           

1          Richard Chamberlain starred as a young priest in the TV adaptation of this 1978 Australian Novel.

            The Thorn Birds

           

2          George Milton and Lennie Small are the main protagonists of this novel, whose title is taken from a Robert Burns Poem.

            Of Mice and Men (The Poem is "To a Mouse")

           

3          This Pulitzer Prize winning book was published in 1960. It deals with racial inequality and loss of innocence.

            To Kill a Mockingbird

           

4          Only four human characters are mentioned in this book published in 1945: Mr Jones, Mr Frederick, Mr Pilkington and Mr Whymper.

            Animal Farm

           

5          U2's Album "Boy" is loosely based on this novels theme of Childhood corruption. Its Author won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1983.

            Lord of the Flies

           

6          The first in a series of books by Irish Author Eoin Colfer, The main character is an Irish, teenage, criminal mastermind whose family motto translates as "Gold is Power"

            Artemis Fowl

           

7          Though published first this book is chronologically second in a series of seven books. It features all four of the Pevensie siblings who are evacuated to live with Professor Digory Kirke.

            The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

           

8          The Walker and the Blackett Children sail dinghies during the summer and encounter a "pirate"

            Swallows and Amazons

           

            Supplementary

           

I           Richard Briers provide the voice for the main character in the 1978 cartoon adaptation of this work.

            Watership Down

           

ii           Pink Floyds Album "Piper at the Gates of Dawn" took its title from chapter Seven of this book.  Published in 1908 it is a story of adventure and camaraderie between four animal friends?

            The Wind in the Willows

 

 

The Life of Brian

            All the Questions below relate to a famous Brian…. All you have to do is give the Surname.

           

1          British Actor, Born 1937, Played King Richard IV in the first Blackadder series ?

            Blessed

           

           

2          Along with his brother Michael played in Denmark's' European Football Championship winning team in 1992 ?

            Laudrup

           

           

3          Played George to Yootha Joyce's Mildred ?

            Murphy

           

           

4          The Current Irish  Taoiseach (Prime Minister) ?

            Cowen

           

           

5          Fictional Dog in the cartoon series Family Guy ?

            Griffin

           

           

6          Real First Names are Lewis Brian Hopkin, founder member of the Rolling Stones

            Jones

           

           

7          Husband of Anita Dobson and astrophysicist (amongst other things)

            May

           

           

8          BBC Cricket Commentator from 1946 until his death in 1994 ?

            Johnston

           

           

I           English Lead singer of Rock Band AC/DC ?

            Johnson

           

           

ii           British Musical Entrepreneur - Managed the Beatles

            Epstein


GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

 Set by The Crown

1. Which American teamed up with Robert Plant to win ‘Record of the Year’ and ‘Album of the Year’ at the recent Grammy Awards?

Alison Krauss

2.What effect does added salt have on the freezing point of water?

Lowers it (which is why they grit roads).

3.How many strings does a cello usually have?

Four

4. Which railway station won Cheshire’s Best Kept Station Award for 2008?

Chelford

5. What is the name of the free newspaper, founded in March 1999, distributed in and around 16 of Britain's major cities?

Metro

6. The white fur of which animal is traditionally used as trimming to the robes of judges and peers?

Ermine

7. What was the codename for the proposed invasion of the UK by Germany during World War II?

Operation Sealion

8. Which US legislative body comprises the Senate and House of Representatives?

Congress

9. After Congleton, which railway station lies next on the line south of Macclesfield?

Kidsgrove

10. On what street is the Bank of England?

Threadneedle St

11. If you painted using Tempera, what would you be using to paint?

Egg Yolks (accept eggs)

12. Who is currently the Liberal Democrats' Shadow Chancellor and Deputy Leader?

Vince Cable

13. What word can mean both a kind of soft woven fabric, typically made of wool or cotton , and waffling talk?

Flannel

14. Which TV series is based on the books by Kathy Reichs?

Bones

15. Who wrote the poem Jerusalem?

William Blake

16. Used to describe an extremely rare and unexpected event, what is the common name of the bird Cygnus atratus?

Black Swan. [must give the colour].

17. In which city is De Montford university?

Leicester

18. Who wrote The Female Eunuch, published in 1970?

Germaine Greer

19.Which actress has famously played both Mrs Overall and Molly Weasley?

Julie Walters

20. In which year did Edward Gibbon publish his work ‘History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire?

1779 (Accept 1769-1789)

21. Who wrote the novel Eyeless In Gaza?

Aldous Huxley

22. Twenty-eight German bombers attacked which city, on April 27, 1937, leading to a well-known painting?

Guernica

23. The Eden Project lies outside of which Cornish town?

St Austell

24. In Dads Army, what was Captain Mainwarings day job?

Bank Manager

25. On a weather map, what is represented by a line of alternating triangles and semi-circles?

Occluded or mixed front [accept either]

26. ‘The Palace of the People’ is the nickname of which building in New York?

Radio City Music Hall

27Who was executed 30 January 1649 in Whitehall?

Charles I

28. In what year did Macclesfields cinema close? [Leeway]

1997 [allow one year either side]

29. Who served as Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 1983  1992?

Roy Hattersley

30. ‘A hit, a very palpable hit’ is a quote from which Shakespeare play?

Hamlet

31.Who won an Oscar for his role as Private Angleo Maggio in the 1953 film from here to eternity? 

Frank Sinatra

32. Which port of North East Brazil was originally called Pernambuco? 

Recife

33. What nationality is Paddington Bear? 

Peruvian

34. What form of greeting to a Japanese emperor can be translated as 'ten thousand years of life to you'? 
Banzai

35. What is the name of the former Welsh county formed in 1974 from most of Monmouthshire? 

Gwent

36. What is meant by the term the 'Fifth Column' during wartime?
A GROUP WITHIN A COUNTRY AT WAR WORKING FOR ITS ENEMIES

37. Which market city, location of Fountains Abbey, stands on the river Ure?
Ripon

38. Which river joins the Trent to form the Humber? 

Ouse

39. Which Sunday newspaper was founded in 1791 by W S Bourne? 

Observer

40. What traditionally male occupation did Grace O'Malley, Mary Read and Ann Bonny excel at? 

Piracy

41. When was the last time you could hire a climbing boy to clean your chimney?
1840 (leeway 5yrs either way?)

42. How many hoops are used in the game of croquet? 

6

43. On which building would you find a lancet, a galilee and a finial? 

Church

44. What Italian pudding's name translates as 'pick-me-up'? 

Tiramasu

45. In Shakespeare's play, Hamlet stabs Polonius through the arras; what is an arras?

Wall Hanging

46. What was the principal wood used by Thomas Chippendale during the eighteenth century?

Mahogany


47.Which former cricketer walked in Hannibal’s footsteps for charity? 
Ian Botham

48. Anthony Hopkins, Charles Laughton and Lon Chaney all played a love-sick campanologist; Who was he?

Quasimodo

49. A map of what island shows Foremast Hill, Spyglass hill and Mizzenmast Hill?

Treasure Island

50. What is the penalty if a show jumper falls off their horse? 

8

51. In what sport would you use a mashie? 

Golf

52, What does it mean about the taste if a wine is described as "brut"?

It is very dry 

53. Who was the last English monarch to remain unmarried throughout their reign?

Edward VIII

54. A statue of which statesman was placed on Parliament Square London in July 2007?

 Nelson Mandela

55. What was found in Lake Tawakoni State Park, Texas, US in July 2007?

Giant Spiders Web

56. What is the largest of the West Indian islands? 

Cuba

57. Actor Richard Kiel is best known for playing the same character in two different films. What is the name of this character?

Jaws

 58. In which American state is there a town called Santa Claus, which receives over half a million letters and requests at Christmas time?

Indiana

59. In which Formula One team did Damon Hill replace Nigel Mansell?

Williams

60. What colour in art is said to signify royalty?

Purple

61.What type of sweet did Mars and Murrie develop in 1941?

M&M’s

62. Who killed whom in 1963 in what is generally regarded as the first live televised murder?

Jack Ruby killed Lee Harvey Oswald

63. In 1785, Blanchard and Jeffries became the first to cross the English channel using which method of transport?

Balloon

64. Which geographical location was the first word spoken on the moon?
Houston

65.What was left in Pandora's box after she released misery and evil?

Hope

66. Which 1990s song includes the line "What a wicked thing to do, to make me dream of you"?

Wicked Game (Chris Isaak)

67. What was Blondie's first UK number one single?

Heart of Glass

68. On the London Underground, which is the only line to connect at some point with every other line on the system?

Jubilee Line

69) Out of all the animals which make up the Chinese horoscope, which comes first alphabetically? 

Dog

70. From which country do the group ‘Empire of the Sun’ originate?

Australia

71. In 1931, what became the first ever televised sports event?

The Derby

72. Which footballer scored the first ever goal in the English Premiership?

Brian Deane

73. Which Asian city is set to host ‘The World Summit of Gastronomy 2009’?

Tokyo

74. Which of Shakespeare's plays has a title which is also a proverb?

"All's Well That Ends Well"

75. Which is the odd one out: Derby, Match, Work, Jacket?

Match - the others can be preceded by "Donkey" to make a phrase.

76.Which is the odd one out: Rick Deckard, Ethan Hunt, Charlie Babbit, Ron Kovic?

Rick Deckard - the others are characters played by Tom Cruise.

77. Who is the entertainment reporter on local news programme ‘Granada Reports’?

Caroline Hacking

78. In which TV series are you told ‘Save the cheerleader, Save the world’?

Heroes

79. In a standard deck of cards, the King of which suit does not have a moustache?
King of Hearts

80. Which toy was originally called the "Pluto Platter" when it was first sold in 1955?

Frisbee

81. Edward Whymper was the first person to successfully climb which mountain?

Matterhorn

82. Who narrated the original Paddington Bear series on the BBC?

Michael Horden

83. Which animal did Zeus transform himself into so he could seduce Leda?

Swan

84. What is the only word in the English language that has three consecutive sets of double letters?

Bookkeeper (or bookkeeping)

85. What did the Barbie Doll get in 2000, which it hadn't had before?

Bellybutton

86. The Taff Vale Railway opened in 1841 connected Cardiff and which other Welsh town/city?

Merthyr Tydfil

87. In which century did Edinburgh officially become the capital of Scotland

17th (1633 to be exact)

88. What was The Triangle Centre in Manchester previously called?

The Corn Exchange

89. In which American city would you find the basketball team called The Wizards?

Washington

90. Rigel and Betelgeuse are two stars in which constellation?

Orion

91. In nautical terms, what name is given to the upper edge of a ship’s side?

Gunwale

92. Which city has Britains second oldest underground railway system?

Glasgow (opened 1896)

93. What is the tagline advertising this year’s Comic Relief?

Do Something Funny for Money


94. The French call it ‘La Tapisseri de la Reine Matilde’. What do we call it?


The Bayeux Tapestry


95. In religion, what is the meaning of ‘Kyrie Eleison’?


Lord have Mercy


96. In the cartoon strip ‘Garfield’ what is the name of the dog?


Odie


 

Supplementary

1.Which famous novel was based on the real-life exploits of Alexander Selkirk?

Robinson Crusoe

2. In which year was the numbering of houses first introduced?

1463 (Accept 1458 - 1466)

3. How many bottles of champagne are there in a magnum?

Two

4. At what time of year is the Glastonbury thorn said to flower?

Christmas

5. The name of an art movement, what does the word 'dada' mean? 

Hobbyhorse



 

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