1 February Questions

SPECIALIST QUESTIONS

SET BY “THE CASTLE”

VETTED BY “KNOT KNOW-ALLS”

HISTORY

SPORT

GEOGRAPHY

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

SCIENCE

GOING TO THE MOVIES

EAST, WEST, HOME’S BEST

DUPLICATES

HISTORY – MURDER MOST FOUL

This bloodthirsty round seeks the names of victims of some notable assassinations

1) Which Israeli Prime Minister was assassinated in Tel Aviv on the 4^th November 1995 as he left a meeting in support of the Oslo Peace accords?

YITZHAK RABIN

2) Which Tory politician was assassinated by a car bomb as he drove out of the Palace of Westminster on 30^th March 1979?

AIREY NEAVE

3) Which Irish soldier and politician was assassinated on the 22^nd August 1922 in an ambush as he drove back to Cork City during the Irish Civil War?

MICHAEL COLLINS

4) Which Swedish Prime Minister was assassinated as he walked home from a cinema in Stockholm on February 28^th 1986?

OLAF PALME

5) Which Egyptian President was assassinated in Cairo on 6^th October 1981 as he took the salute during a military parade?

ANWAR SADAT

6) Which SS General was assassinated in Prague on the 27^th May 1942?

REINHARD HEYDRICH

7) Which Indian Prime Minister was assassinated by two of her bodyguards on 31^st October 1984 as she was about to be interviewed by Peter Ustinov?

INDIRA GANDHI

8) Which Soviet politician, soldier and revolutionary was assassinated in Mexico City in August 1940?

LEON TROTSKY

SUPPLEMENTARIES

9) Which crusading journalist was assassinated as she sat in her car at traffic lights near Dublin on 26^th June 1996?

VERONICA GUERIN

10) Which South African Prime Minister was assassinated in Parliament in Cape Town on 6^th September 1966?

HENDRIK VERWOERD

Sport

1 In football in which decade was the first substitute called on in a Football League match

= 1960s (1965)

2 Which jockey shot himself in 1886 at the age of only 29 having already won 13 successive jockey championships?

= Fred Archer

3 On which course will the 2011 Open Golf championship be held?

= Royal St Georges at Sandwich (accept either)

4 The rugby union World Cup will be held in New Zealand in 2011. How many nations will compete?

= 20

5 Which player won the Golden Ball award as the best player at the football World Cup tournament held in South Africa in 2010?

= Diego Forlan (of Uruguay)

6 In athletics who has held the men’s 400 metres world record for over 10 years?

= Michael Johnson

7 Roger Federer holds the record for the most consecutive weeks ranked men’s number one in the official tennis rankings. For how many weeks was he at number 1?

= 237 (allow 217 to 257)

8 On which track did Sebastian Vettel win the 2010 world drivers championship?

= Yas Marina track in Abu Dhabi (accept either)

Supplementaries

1 Which team won the rugby league grand final in October 2010?

= Wigan Warriors (beat St Helens)

2 Which version of the world heavyweight championship does David Haye hold?

= WBA (World Boxing Association)

Geography

1 Which African country has the capital Maseru?

= Lesotho

2 The Nubian Desert lies within which modern country?

= Sudan

3 Which motorway connects the M60 with Manchester and Salford city centres from the west?

= M602

4 In which country is the town and holiday resort of Bodrum?

= Turkey

5 Catania is a main town and airport on which island?

= Sicily

6 Part of the Yorkshire Dales National Park also lies within which other county?

= Cumbria

7 Which French city is the capital of the Acquitaine region?

= Bordeaux

8 What is the county town of Wiltshire?

= Trowbridge

Supplementaries

1 What is a moraine?

= Mound or ridge formed by a glacier

2 How long in miles is the Great Wall of China?

Latest estimate (from Wikipedia) is 5,500 miles. Accept 5,200 to 5,800

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

1 Which American composer wrote the music to the 1938 ballet “Billy the Kid”?

= Aaron Copland

2 John Hamm is the star, and Matthew Weiner the creator of which recent TV series set in 1960’s America?

= Mad Men

3 Which Verdi opera is based on Dumas’ novel “La Dame Aux Camellias”?

= La Traviata

4 Which music did Tchaikovsky write to commemorate the battle of Borodino?

= The 1812 Overture

5 Who wrote the novel “Birdsong”, set in World War I, and the recent best seller “A Week in December”?

= Sebastian Faulks

6 Which artist painted “The Light of the World”?

= Holman Hunt

7 Highclere Castle featured as what, in a TV series shown in 2010?

= Downton Abbey

8 Who wrote the poem “The Charge of the Light Brigade?”

= Alfred Lord Tennyson

SUPPLEMENTARIES

9 What is the name of the title music/theme tune to “The Archers”?

= Barwick Green

10 Give the next line in this song:

“Let the wind blow high, let the wind blow low,

Down the street in ma’ kilt I’ll go!

All the lassies shout, “Hello!” ………………..

= “Donald! Where’s your troosers?”

SCIENCE & NATURE

1 What is a gecko?

= A Lizard

2 What is a young beaver called?

= Kit

3 What ancient scent comes from the bark of the commiphora tree?

= Myrrh

4 Which astronomer coined the term “Big Bang”?

= Fred Hoyle (1915-2001)

5 What is the chemical symbol for silver?

= Ag

6 Which of the senses is missing if you suffer from anosmia?

= Smell

7 What is the average resting heart rate per minute in men?

= 68 (Accept 65 to 70)

8 In which year did the Chernobyl nuclear power station incident occur?

= 1986 (Accept 1985 to 1987)

SUPPLEMENTARIES

9 What is the PV system of converting solar energy into electrical energy?

= Photo-voltaic

10 The kittiwake is a species of which family of birds?

= The Gulls

GOING TO THE MOVIES

From the details given, name the famous film.

1 Comedy directed by Robert Hamer in 1949 starring Dennis Price as a homicidal social outcast, and Alec Guiness as the aristocratic relatives who stand between Price and his seat in the House of Lords.

= Kind Hearts and Coronets

2 World War II story directed by Robert Aldrich in 1967 about a bunch of psychos and misfits, assembled to kill senior German officers on the eve of D-Day. Donald Sutherland, Lee Marvin and Charles Bronson star.

= The Dirty Dozen

3 Thriller directed by Joel Coen in 1996 in which a car dealer hires a pair of inept criminals to kidnap his own wife. When things go wrong, Francis McDormand (as the Sherriff) investigates.

= Fargo

4 Horror/sci-fi directed by Ridley Scott in 1979. Sigourney Weaver plays Ripley, who is the only survivor of the crew of the “Nostromo” after it picks up an unwelcome passenger on its return to Earth.

= Alien

5 Directed by Barry Sonnenfield in 1997, this comedy thriller stars Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones as members of a top secret US Government agency which polices extra-terrestrials in USA

= Men in Black

6 Directed by Mike Hodges in 1971, in which Michael Caine plays a London gangster who travels to Newcastle to investigate his brother’s death, and confront a Tyneside racketeer played by John Osborne. There is also a memorable cameo appearance by Britt Ekland.

= Get Carter

7 A musical version of the Collette play about the making of a Parisienne courtesan played by Leslie Caron. Directed by Vincente Minnelli in 1958, with script and score by Lerner and Lowe.

= Gigi

8 Musical directed by Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly in 1952. Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds and Donald O’Connor dance and sing in a story about the coming of sound to Hollywood

= Singing in the Rain

SUPPLEMENTARIES

9 Directed by Robert Neame and Irwin Allen in 1972, Gene Hackman, Ernest Borgnine and Shelley winters fight for survival in a luxury liner submerged upside down in the Mediterranean.

= The Poseidon Adventure

10 Russell Crowe stars in an historical epic directed by Ridley Scott in 2000, as a Roman general betrayed by the vicious emperor Joachin Phoenix. Sold into slavery, he returns in triumph before his inevitable death.

= Gladiator

EAST, WEST HOME’S BEST;

A “POT POURRI” of LOCAL INTEREST

1 How many miles is it necessary to sail to complete the Cheshire Ring (of canals)?

= 97 (Accept 95 to 99. Do not accept 100.)

2 According to the 2010 handbook, how many National Trust locations are in Cheshire (East and West)? (NB. Where places have multiple attractions such as Quarry Bank Mill, count these as a total of ONE for this question.)

= 13 (Accept 12-14) (Alderley Edge, Bickerton Hill, Bulkeley, Hare Hill, Helsby, Little Moreton Hall, Lyme Park, Maiden Castle, Nether Alderley Mill, Oakmere Hill Fort, Peckforton Hills, Quarry Bank Mill, Tatton)

3 There is a town called Macclesfield in Australia. In which state does it lie?

= South Australia (Pop. 350!)

4 There are 2 National Nature Reserves in Cheshire. Wybunbury Moss is one. What is the other?

= Rostherne Mere

5 Which number junction of the M56 is the most common to use for Manchester Airport?

= Junction 5

6 In which year did The RHS have its first show at Tatton Park?

= 1999 (Accept 1998-2000)

7 Near which local town would you find Prince’s Incline and Lady’s Incline?

= Poynton

8 What is the number of the Macclesfield to Buxton (Cat & Fiddle) road?

= A537

SUPPLEMENTARIES

9 Which is the highest peak in Cheshire?

= Shining Tor

10 Which metal was mined at Alderley Edge?

= Copper

DUPLICATES

This round involves words that have two meanings, e.g.: NOGGIN: a small tot of spirits and a slang word for your head

1) This word can describe both a the nickname of a swashbuckling movie character and a US state

= INDIANA

2) This word can describe both a type of cabbage and a famous London hotel

= SAVOY

3) This word can describe both a high Chinese official and a type of fruit

= MANDARIN

4) This word can describe both a type of loaf and a mistake

= BLOOMER

5) This word can describe both a Turkish dynasty and a type of upholstered bench or stool

= OTTOMAN

6) This word can describe both a wise man and a variety of herb

= SAGE

7) This word can describe both a kitchen utensil and an exclusive news story

= SCOOP

8) This word can describe both part of a human foot and a fish

= SOLE

SUPPLEMENTARIES

9) This word can describe both a suit of cards and a type of weapon

= CLUB

10) This word can describe both a military vehicle and a receptacle for holding fish

= TANK

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

SET BY THE KNOT KNOW-ALLS

1	In “Dad’s Army” what was Captain Mainwaring’s day job?		Bank manager
2	What is the name of the vicar in the Vicar of Dibley?		Geraldine Grainger
3	The name of which US president is Bill Clinton’s middle name?		Jefferson
4	What in legend is said to happen when the mandrake plant is pulled from the ground?		The roots scream
5	For which British king did Handel compose the Water Music?		George I
6	Which record label was founded by Berry Gordy Jr in 1960?		Motown (accept Tamla Motown)
7	Name either of the twins represented by the zodiac sign Gemini		Castor or Polydeuces (accept Pollux)
8	Which theory compares Earth to a living organism		The Gaia hypothesis

9	What is the French word for record library?		Discotheque
10	What is the original French meaning of the word brasserie?		Brewery
11	Which son of the present North Korean President emerged in October 2010 as the president's likely successor? (full name required)		Kim Jong Un
12	Why has Laurent Gbagbo been in the news in recent months?		President of the Ivory Coast, voted out 2010 election, won't stand down
13	What was used to conduct the orchestra before a ‘baton’ was introduced in the early 19th Century?		Violin bow, or rolled sheet of paper (accept either)
14	Which musical instrument derives its name from the Greek for ‘wood’ and ‘voice’ meaning wooden sound?		Xylophone
15	If the image in the mirror shows the time as five past two, what time is it?		9.55 (five to ten)
16	In Charles Dickens’ “Great Expectations” what is the profession of Joe Gargery?		Blacksmith

17	What predator in the British Isles commonly leaves its droppings on a tree stump or large stone?		Fox
18	Which chemical causes Minamata disease?		Mercury (named after city of Minamata, Japan - industrial pollution)
19	Whose death at Chappaquiddick stopped Teddy Kennedy’s ambitions?		Mary Jo Kopechne
20	The Tonton Macoutes was a hated paramilitary force created by Papa Doc Duvalier (Haiti, 1959). What was the Tonton Macoutes named after?		A bogeyman, literally Uncle Gunnysack (accept either)
21	What is the first event in the decathlon?		100 metres
22	Who was the first Briton to win the Indy 500?		Jim Clark
23	Prior to X Factor 2010 what job did Mary Byrne have?		Supermarket checkout assistant
24	Which Abba hit is the comedy character Alan Partridge’s signature tune?		Knowing Me Knowing You

25	Featuring in the folklore of many cultures, lycanthropes are better known as what?		Werewolves
26	Name the Mayan city, abandoned 1200 AD, which has been voted one of the new Seven Wonders of the World?		Chichen Itza
27	Following beatification by the Pope, Cardinal Newman is now called 'Blessed'. What was his previous title?		Venerable
28	What pie, dating from the Middle Ages, derives its name from the edible offals of a deer?		Humble or umble pie
29	What is the capital of Mongolia?		Ulan Bator
30	In which American state is Harvard University?		Massachusetts
31	In the film Avatar, name the paraplegic marine sent to the moon Pandora on a unique mission.		Jake Sully
32	How precisely did American writer and adventurer Ernest Hemingway die?		He shot himself

33	In Oct 2010, who called Danny Alexander, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, a "ginger rodent"?		Harriet Harman
34	According to Wikileaks, who is Europe's richest man?		Vladimir Putin
35	Which actor played Darling in TV’s Blackadder?		Tim McInnerny
36	Who wrote the coronation anthem ‘Zadok the Priest’?		Handel
37	Who is Lord of the Isles?		Prince Charles
38	Who designed the Cenotaph in Whitehall?		Sir Edwin Lutyens
39	In cycling what is a derailleur?		A type of gear
40	What flavour is the liqueur framboise?		Raspberry

41	An ancient Greek theory states that all flammable materials liberate a substance without colour, odour, taste or mass during burning. What did they call this substance?		Phlogiston
42	Who founded the Institute for Sex Research in 1942?		Alfred Kinsey
43	These lyrics open which song? “Standing on the edge of forever, At the start of whatever, Shouting love at the world, Back then we were like cavemen”		The Flood (Take That)
44	What song are these lyrics from? “Friday night and the lights are low, Looking out for a place to go, Where they play the right music, Getting in the swing"		Dancing Queen (Abba)
45	Aquae Arnemetiae was the Roman name for which English town?		Buxton
46	Which Central American dictator had the nickname ‘Pineapple face’?		Manuel Noriega (Panama)
47	In a play by Christopher Marlowe, who sells his soul to the devil?		Dr Faustus
48	What is the study of life in outer space called?		Exobiology or astrobiology

49	The Serengeti National Park is the largest in Africa. Which country is it in?		Tanzania
50	In which cathedral would you find the ‘Five Sisters’ window?		York Minster
51	Who was Aisin-Gioro Puyi (also known as Henry Puyi)?		Last Emperor of China
52	Who duetted with Meat Loaf on ‘Dead Ringer for Love’?		Cher
53	What is Thomas doing in Caravaggio’s painting Doubting Thomas?		Putting his finger in one of Christ’s wounds
54	Whose autobiography was called 'Jolly Green Giant'?		David Bellamy
55	In show-jumping, how many points are deducted if the rider falls off the horse?		8 (eight)
56	In ladies gymnastics, how many points are deucted if a competitor falls off the balance beam?		1 (one whole point)

57	What is included in the steel-making process to produce 'stainless' rather than ordinary steel?		Chromium
58	Elvis Presley had a No.1 hit (UK & USA) in 1960, tune of which was borrowed from the Neapolitan song, O Mio Sole. What was the song?		It's Now or Never
59	Name one of the two South American countries which are land-locked?		Bolivia or Paraguay
60	Name one of the two countries which surround the Aral Sea?		Kazakhstan or Uzbekistan
61	Name one of the four items which Paul Gascoigne took to Rothbury with the intention of giving them to the gunman Raoul Moat?		Chicken, fishing rod, dressing gown or lager
62	Regarding the Australian dish 'pie floater', what does the pie float on?		Pea soup or mushy peas (accept either)
63	How many golfers make up a Ryder Cup team?		12 (twelve)
64	At which film festival do award winners receive Golden Lions?		Venice

65	What is the pH of pure water?		7 (seven)
66	In the cookery of the Andes, what is cuy or curi?		Guinea pig
67	In West Side Story, what nationality were The Sharks?		Puerto Rican
68	What dam created Lake Mead in America?		Hoover Dam (accept Boulder Dam)
69	Bio Bio is a wine-producing region of which country?		Chile
70	In what city of the US state of Washington is the Twilight series of books based?		Forks
71	As at 24.01.11, who topped the ladies world tennis rankings?		Caroline Wozniacki
72	Four original copies of the Magna Carta exist. Two are in the British Library. Name one of the other two locations.		Lincoln castle or Salisbury cathedral

73	How many pairs of chromosomes does a normal human have?		23 (twenty-three)
74	In 1900, a group of discontents formed the secret Society of Harmonious Fists. Which rebellion did this lead to?		Boxer Rebellion
75	What does 'D' stand for in Franklin D Roosevelt?		Delano
76	Who wrote the music for the Lord of the Rings trilogy of films?		Howard Shore
77	What did the practice of Sati or Suttee amongst some Hindu communities involve?		Recent widow burned on husband's funeral pyre (illegal India since 1829)
78	Which East Enders actress took part in the Christmas Special of Strictly Come Dancing?		June Brown
79	How many hours did Aron Ralston spend trapped in a canyon before amputating his arm with a blunt pen-knife?		127 hours (title of recent film)
80	The pH is a measure of whether something is acidic or alkaline. What does the 'p' stand for?		potential (pH = potential Hydrogen)

81	In August 2010, in which city were motorists stuck in a 60-mile traffic jam for up to 9 days?		Bejing
82	What is uxoricide?		Murder of wife by husband
83	A new year in the Chinese calendar starts on 3rd February 2011, by what name will it be known?		The year of the rabbit
84	What is the third longest river on Earth?		Yangzte
85	In the acronym LASER, what does the letter A stand for?		Amplification (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation)
86	Men Who Hate Women was the original title of which bestselling book?		The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
87	Rupert Alexander, Rolf Harris, Andrew Festing and Anthony Williams have all done what?		Painted the Queen's portrait
88	Who was last British sovereign to command an army in battle?		George II

89	What is the name of Wayne Rooney's baby, born May 2010?		Kai
90	Whose latest book is entitled 'America By Heart'?		Sarah Palin
91	What did Rene Laennec invent in 1816?		Stethoscope
92	Name one of the three Pakistan cricketers who are implicated in the betting scandal involving the deliberate bowling of 'no balls'?		Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Asif, Salman Butt (last name of any one is acceptable)
93	By what name is Cho-Cho San better known?		Madam Butterfly
94	What famous world leader’s middle name was Karamchand?		Mohandas Gandhi (also known as Mahatma Gandhi)
95	How many semiquavers are there in a semibreve?		16 (sixteen)
96	Which European capital city was called Christiana before 1924?		Oslo

	Supplementaries
1	In which year was Shakespeare born?		1564 (accept 1560 to 1570)
2	Who was the only British Prime Minister to marry a divorce?		Margaret Thatcher (Dennis had been married before)
3	What is removed during a meniscectomy?		Knee cartilage
4	In the Magic Roundabout children's TV series, what was the name of the cow?		Ermintrude
5	In what year was Mafeking relieved?		1900 (must specify exact year)
6	Who recently replaced Tony Hayward as the Chief Executive Officer of BP?		Robert Dudley (accept Bob Dudley)