29 November Questions

 

SPECIALIST QUESTIONS

set by the Plough Horntails

Not a resignation issue….?
Science: Time and all that this entails
Geography
Arts & Entertainment
History
The Horse
Body Parts
Sport

1: So, just what is a RESIGNATION issue???

Q1. What’s the name of the Home Secretary who resigned over revelations over foreign prisoner release (rather than deportation) on May 5th 2006?

A1. Charles Clarke

Q2. Failure to disclose a home loan from millionaire Labour MP Geoffrey Robinson caused the resignation of which Secretary of State for Trade & Industry on December 23rd 1998?

A2. Peter Mandelson

Q3. On March 17th 2003, what was the cause of the first ever standing ovation given by MPs in the House of Commons?

A3. Robin Cook’s resignation speech (he opposed the invasion of Iraq)

Q4. Who resigned on December 15th 2004 over the topic of obtaining a visa for the nanny of his ex-lovers’ children?

A4. David Blunkett (…he was Home Secretary at the time….)

Q5. Who was the Education Secretary who quit as a result of controversy about marking of ‘A’ level exam papers in October 2002?

A5. Estelle Morris

Q6. What was the topic that caused Transport Secretary Stephen Byers to resign on 28 May 2002?

A6. Misleading parliament over the collapse of Railtrack

Q7. What was the cause for David Blunkett’s 2nd resignation from the cabinet on November 2nd 2005?

A7. Failing to disclose extra parliamentary jobs

Q8. What was the event that caused Stephen Byers ‘adviser’ Jo Moore to suggest that this was ‘good day to get out anything that we want to bury’?

A8. 2 aircraft being flown into the World Trade Centre, New York on September 11th 2001.

Supplementary Questions:

Q9. What caused Peter Mandelson’s 2nd resignation from the cabinet in January 2001?

A9. Involvement with passports for the Hinduja brothers

Q10. Clare Short resigned from the Government on May 12th 2003 over the cabinet decision related to the war in Iraq. What cabinet job did she hold at the time?

A10. International Development Secretary

2: Science. Time… and all that this entails.

Q1 How many time zones cover the continent of Australia?

A1 3 ( these are +8, +9 and +10 hours from UCT)

Q2 One of the world’s most accurate clocks keeps time to an accuracy of 0.0001 seconds per day. This is kept at the National Physical Laboratory in the UK. In which town is this?

A2 Teddington

Q3. In 1967, the time of 1 second was standardised for Universal use as the frequency defined by atomic clocks. What chemical element is used in these atomic clocks?

A3. Caesium

Q4 How many time zones are used in the country of China?

A4 One (since 1949) This is UCT +8 ( UTC means Universal Co-ordinated Time)

Q5 In which year did the speaking clock service begin the UK?

A5 1936, on July 24th.(The voice was a lady called Ethel Jane Cain)

Accept ±3 years

Q6 The US states of Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma and Wisconsin are covered by which time zone?

A6 Central

Q7 The Alaskan / Aleutian time zone covers most of the US state of Alaska. How long in hours does this differ from Universal Co-ordinated Time …what used to be called Greenwich Mean Time?

A7 9 hours

Q8 Tidal drag and movement of earth tectonic plates mean that ‘official’ time has to be changed periodically to stay in synch with atomic clock time. This is done by addition of a ‘leap second’. Approximately how often does this addition occur?

A8 Every 500 days. There have been 34 additions in 50 years. Accept 500 ± 50

Supplementary Questions:

Q1. What part of a second is an ATTO-SECOND?

A1. 10-18 ( i.e. 10 to the power minus 18) (the prefix ATTO comes from the Danish word for the number 18)

Q4 In the measurement of time, what does the S.I. unit fs stand for?

A4 Femto-second ( that is 10 -15 of a second)

3: Geography. Which bit is that then????

NOTE FOR QUESTION MASTER: Do NOT show any of the maps before the questions are asked. These maps are for clarification purposes after the quiz.

Q1. Which English county is immediately to the north of Essex and to the west of Suffolk and Norfolk?

A1. Cambridgeshire

Q2. Which English county lies immediately to the north of Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire and to the east of Warwickshire?

A2. Northamptonshire

Q3. Which USA state lies immediately to the north of Oklahoma, to the west of Missouri and to the east of Colorado?

A3. Kansas

Q4. Which USA state lies immediately to the west of Ohio, to the north of Kentucky and to the south of Michigan?

A4. Indiana

Q5. Which African country lies immediately to the south of Egypt, to the north of Uganda and to the east of Chad?

A5. Sudan

Q6. Which African country lies immediately to the east of Republic of Congo, to the north of Mozambique and to the north east of Zambia?

A6. Tanzania

Q7. Which South American country lies immediately to the north of Argentina, to the east of part of Peru and to the north east of Chile?

A7. Bolivia

Q8. Which South American country lies immediately to the north of Brazil, and is sandwiched between Venezuela to the west and Surinam to the east?

A8. Guyana

Supplementary Questions.

Q9. Which South American country lies to the south west of Columbia and to the north west of Peru?

A9 Ecuador

Q10. Which African country lies to the south west of Algeria, to the east of Mauritania and to the north of Burkina Faso?

A10. Mali

4: Arts & Entertainment: Who said that?

1. Who said about Stanley Baldwin: ‘He occasionally stumbled over the truth, but hastily picked himself up and hurried on as if nothing had happened’

Winston Churchill

2. Which TV cartoon character said ‘Hello, son. I wanna apologize. I just got so caught up trying to encourage you I was blinded to your stinky performance. If you forgive me I promise I'll never encourage you again’

Homer Simpson

3. Which scientist said: ‘Two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity but I’m not sure about the universe’

Albert Einstein

4. Which writer said ‘Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go.’

Oscar Wilde

5. Which writer said ‘I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it.’

Mark Twain

6. Which actor said: ’… Remember men, we're fighting for this woman's honor… which is probably more than she ever did!’

Groucho Marx in Duck Soup

7. Mort Sahl said that this American president won because he ran against Jimmy Carter, if he'd run unopposed he would have lost. Who was the American president?

Ronald Reagan

8. From which film is the following line taken? ‘There's no reason to become alarmed, and we hope you'll enjoy the rest of your flight. By the way, is there anyone on board who knows how to fly a plane?’

Airplane

Supplementary Questions:

9. Who said of Queen Victoria: Everyone likes flattery, and when you come to Royalty, you should lay it on with a thick trowel

Benjamin Disraeli

10. Which famous American said: ‘The main advantage of being famous is that when you bore people at dinner parties they think it is their fault’

Henry Kissinger

5: History

1. Which 1983 Nobel Peace Prize winner decided to send his wife to Oslo to accept the prize because he feared he would not be readmitted to his homeland?

Lech Walesa

2. Rosa Maltoni, a school teacher, married blacksmith and revolutionary socialist activist Alessandro. Who was their famous son?

Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini

3. Where was the first British colonial railroad?

Jamaica (opened in 1845, the first outside Europe & North America)

4. Which country employed Henry Hudson to find the famous 'North-West Passage'?

The Netherlands

5. Which Soviet premier, a former KGB head, succeeded Brezhnev?

Yuri Andropov

6. Of which country was Edmund Barton the first Prime Minister? He was Appointed in January 1901.

Australia

7. What was the title of the leader of the Genoan Republic?

The Doge

8. Only one South American country has had a Monarchy. Which was it?

Brazil

Supplementary Questions:

9. Name the commoner who ruled England in 1658-59.

Richard Cromwell

10. What was the given name of Stalin's daughter who defected to the US in 1967?

Svetlana

6: The Horse

1. Name one of the two mythical horses which pulled the chariot of Mars, the God of War?

a. Phobos and Diemos (also the names of the moons of Mars the planet)

2. Three Day Eventing and Show Jumping are 2 of the 3 equestrian events that are included in the modern Olympics. Name the third event.

a. Dressage

3. What the name given to the offspring of a male horse and a female donkey?

a. A Hinny

4. What is a wild Australian horse known as?

a. A Brumby

5. The St Ledger stakes at Doncaster is the oldest of Britain’s five Classic horse races. In which decade was it inaugurated?

a. 1770`s (actually the race was first ran in 1776)

6. According to legend the ancient Roman Emporer Caligula (37-41 AD) did what to his favorite horse Incitatus?

a. Made him a Consul and a Priest (accept either)

7. The horse called Bamboo Harvester was better known on TV as who?

a. Mr. Ed.

8. How many bones are there in the neck of a horse?

a. 7 (as in all mammals)

Supplementary Questions

9. What is the smallest breed of horse known as?

a. Fallabella

10. On a horse where would you find “the coronet”?

a. On top of the hoof below the pastern, accept top of hoof.

11. The winner of the 2011 2,000 guineas at Newmarket is currently, as of October 20th 2011, rated as the best racehorse in the World, who is he?

a. Frankel (British bloodstock agency McKeever Bloodstock has suggested that Frankel has a valuation of £100 million, an estimate which may be "conservative".)

7: The Human Condition or the naming of Body Parts

All questions relate to human anatomy or physiology.

1. Where would you find the brachial artery?
A: In the arm. (Accept upper or lower arm or armpit)

2. Where would you find the saphenous vein?
A: In the leg. (Accept upper or lower leg)

3. What is a glomerulus?
A: The structure in the kidney that is involved in the first step of
filtering blood to form urine.

4. How many valves are there in the heart?

A: Four – aortic, mitral, pulmonary & tricuspid

5. Which gland is inflamed when you are suffering from mumps?
A: The parotid

6. Which gland produces melatonin which helps correct sleeping patterns.
A: The pineal

7. There are 3 bones in the ear – the malleus, incus and stapes. What is
the more common name for the malleus?
A: The hammer

8. What is the function of the Islets of Langerhans?
A: They secrete the hormone insulin.

Supplementary Questions

9. Where would you find the pylorus?
A: Between the stomach and the duodenum (Accept either gastrointestinal system or alimentary tract/canal)

10. The internal organs of the body in the chest and the abdomen are
collectively known as what?
A: The viscera (Do not accept “guts” – they do not include items like lungs & heart which are viscera)

8 Sport

1. Who is Britain's youngest ever Formula 1 Driver?

A. Jensen Button he had his first race when 20 years and 53 days old.

2. When was the last bare-knuckle fight in professional boxing?

A. It took place in 1889. Accept ±10 years (John L Sullivan – 1858 to 1918 knocked out Jake Kilrain in 75 rounds.)

3. If you were playing darts and got a 'Shanghai' score of 72 with 3 darts which number have you scored on?

A. 12 (Single, Double and Treble)

4. How many times in succession did Bjorn Borg win the Men's Tennis Singles at Wimbledon?

A. 5 (1976, 77, 78, 79, 80)

5. How many players are there in an Australian Rules football team?

A. 18

6. Larry Holmes won his first 48 fights as a professional boxer. Who is the only boxer to have won his first 49 consecutive professional fights?

A. Rocky Marciano (professional career from March 17 1948 to April 27, 1956 – His first fight was fought as “Rocky Mack” but he didn’t like it because it wasn`t Italian enough)

7. Which team were Liverpool playing in the 1985 European Cup Final when the Heysel stadium disaster happened, banning all English clubs from European Football for 6 years?

A. Juventus

8. Which Italian footballer had the nickname of 'The Divine Ponytail'?

A. Roberto Baggio

Supplementary Questions

9. The Bill Shankly Kop Stand can be found at which football club's ground?

A. Preston North End (Deepdale was rebuilt in the mid 1990`s and the Spion Kop stand was renamed in 1998)

10. How many hoops are there on a croquet pitch?

A. 6

11. China has won the Swaythling cup more times than any other country. In which sport is the Swaythling cup played for?

A. Table Tennis

 

GERNERAL KNOWLEDGE

set by Harrington B

Just noticed all the questions for some reason are numbered 1 – don’t know why but probably not worth renumbering them - Nick

1. Which 2012 Olympic building has been designed by Iraqi-born architect Zaha Hadid?

THE AQUATIC CENTRE (accept swimming pool)

1. Name the motor manufacturer that produces the ‘Insignia’ model.

VAUXHALL

1. Which Star Wars actor was recently awarded an honorary Oscar?

JAMES EARL JONES (the voice of Darth Vader)

1. In the UK, how many fluid ounces are in a pint?

20

1. What is 100km per hour in miles per hour?

62

1. Name the actor who plays Lewis’s partner DS Hathaway in the Inspector Morse spin-off series.

LAURENCE FOX

1. What’s the name of the ex-head of the UK Border force suspended earlier this month in a row over relaxation of passport controls?

BRODIE CLARK

1. The Radisson Edwardian Hotel in Manchester is situated in which famous building?

THE FREE TRADE HALL

1. Europe-wide supermarket chain Lidl has its headquarters in which country?

GERMANY

1. Name the famously cross-dressing sculptor whose current exhibition at the British Museum is called ‘The Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman’?

GRAYSON PERRY

1. Who became the first woman director to win Best Motion Picture at the 2010 Oscars for ‘The Hurt Locker’?

KATHRYN BIGELOW

1. With which foodstuff would you chiefly associate the McIlhenny Company?

TABASCO SAUCE

1. Bill Ward and Geezer Butler are members of which classic rock band?

BLACK SABBATH

1. Which iconic aircraft was originally going to be called the Shrew?

SUPERMARINE SPITFIRE

1. Once turning down the chance to manage England, who was the Burnley footballing legend who passed away in October?

JIMMY ADAMSON

1. Discount supermarket chain Netto has its headquarters in which country?

DENMARK

1. Name the composer of ‘Crown Imperial’, a march first performed at the coronation of George VI in 1937 and again at Queen Elizabeth’s coronation.

WILLIAM WALTON

1. “Guess who just got back today” is the opening line to which classic 1970s rock song?

THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN (Thin Lizzy)

1. Which retailer sponsors ITV’s ‘I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here’?

ICELAND

1. Which is the only non-metal element that is liquid at standard room temperature?

BROMINE

1. Who was British Prime Minister from 1784 to 1800 and again from 1804 to 1805?

WILLIAM PITT, THE YOUNGER (must specify that it’s the Younger)

1. The Air Miles rewards scheme recently changed its name. To what?

AVIOS

1. In Greek mythology, who was the God of Music?

APOLLO

1. Name the insurance company that currently sponsors drama premieres on ITV.

AVIVA

1. Which car maker produces the Evoque?

RANGE ROVER (accept Land Rover)

1. Passing away in September, who was known as ‘Mr Aintree’?

GINGER McCAIN (Red Rum’s trainer)

1. The Pennine Way goes from Kirk Yetholm in the Scottish Borders to which village in the Peak District?

EDALE

1. Give a year in which Viscount Palmerston was British Prime Minister.

1855 - 1864

1. What is the SI unit of frequency?

THE HERTZ

1. In which year was Prince Charles’ investiture as Prince of Wales?

1969

1. Which organisation briefly changed its name to Consignia in the early part of this century?

THE POST OFFICE

1. According to the Romans, who was the God of Fire, the Forge and Blacksmiths?

VULCAN

1. In which year did Prince Andrew marry Sarah Ferguson?

1986

1. James Stewart spent the whole of which film in a wheelchair?

REAR WINDOW

1. Which US President saw active service in both world wars?

EISENHOWER

1. Which group of islands was once known as the Sandwich Islands?

HAWAII

1. What is the angle between the hands of a clock at 4 o’clock?

120 DEGREES (one third of a circle)

1. Name either of the two main breeds of Corgi.

CARDIGAN OR PEMBROKE

1. Which country was formerly known as Portugese West Africa?

ANGOLA

1. Which architect designed both Castle Howard and Blenheim Palace?

SIR JOHN VANBRUGH

1. Name the sculpture that originally stood outside the City of Manchester Stadium, dismantled in 2009 for safety reasons.

B OF THE BANG

1. What is the capital of Mozambique?

MAPUTO

1. What’s the name of the Israeli Intelligence Agency?

MOSSAD

1. What number shirt is worn by Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney?

10

1. Who is the current presenter of Mastermind?

JOHN HUMPHREYS

1. Who was chairman of RBS at the time of their disastrous takeover of Dutch bank ABN Amro, which eventually led to its ‘nationalisation’?

SIR FRED GOODWIN

1. For which company did David Brent work in the comedy series The Office?

WERNHAM HOGG (paper company)

1. Name either of the founders of web-based travel business lastminute.com.

BRENT HOBERMAN or MARTHA LANE FOX

1. Who is the editor of Private Eye?

IAN HISLOP

1. Which horse won last month’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe?

DANEDREAM

1. What is the name of Tokyo’s main international airport, and the hub of Japan Airlines?

NARITA

1. The adjective ‘caprine’ refers to which type of animal?

GOATS

1. What are the thin leather straps a falconer uses to hold a bird to his wrist called?

JESSES

1. In which year did the Cato Conspiracy occur?

1820 (accept 1815 to 1825)

1. In the NATO communications alphabet, what word represents the letter P?

PAPA

1. What type of hat is named after a Moroccan city?

FEZ

1. Where was the Indy Car race in which British driver Dan Wheldon was killed?

LAS VEGAS

1. How did Gilad Shalit make the news last month?

HE WAS THE ISRAELI SOLDIER RELEASED BY HAMAS IN GAZA

1. Fingal’s Cave is on which island of the Inner Hebrides?

STAFFA

1. Which Spanish city is famous for the manufacture of swords?

TOLEDO

1. What nationality is world No.1 woman tennis player Caroline Wozniacki?

DANISH

1. What name is given to a male ferret?

A HOB

1. San Jose is the capital of which Central American country?

COSTA RICA

1. What’s the highest mountain in New Zealand?

MOUNT COOK

1. For which football club did Michael Owen make his Premiership debut?

LIVERPOOL

1. Which seabird has varieties called Atlantic, Horned and Tufted?

THE PUFFIN

1. In which century did Richard the Lionheart fight in The Crusades?

TWELFTH

1. The Church of St John the Baptist in Tideswell is better known by what name?

THE CATHEDRAL OF THE PEAK

1. When is the moon at its Apogee?

WHEN IT’S AT ITS FURTHEST FROM THE EARTH

1. Who invented the lightning conductor?

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

1. Which Graham Greene novel takes its title from a line from the Lord’s Prayer?

THE POWER AND THE GLORY

1. In which country is Lusaka?

ZAMBIA

1. Which stretch of water separates the Inner and Outer Hebrides?

LITTLE MINCH

1. In which year was the first 4 minute mile run?

1954

1. Give a year in the life of Thomas Telford.

1757-1834

1. Queen Charlotte bore 15 children to which English monarch?

GEORGE III

1. Which company produced the Mosquito fighter bomber?

DE HAVILLAND

1. How many square metres are there in a hectare?

10,000

1. The Austro-Hungarian Empire ended in which year?

1918 – AT THE END OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR

1. Who was lead singer with Manfred Mann after Paul Jones left?

MIKE D’ABO

1. At rest, what is the average human heart rate?

72bpm (accept 64 to 80)

1. The Epsom Derby is restricted to horses of what age?

THREE YEARS

1. Which Bond theme featured Duran Duran?

A VIEW TO A KILL

1. What is the minimum total clearance in snooker?

72 (15 reds, 15 yellows and 27 for the colours)

1. Which parts of speech can be personal, possessive, demonstrative or reflex?

PRONOUNS

1. Where in the body is the deltoid muscle?

THE SHOULDER

1. Who wrote the poem ‘Kubla Khan’?

COLERIDGE

1. ‘Ode to Joy’ comes from which of Beethoven’s symphonies?

THE NINTH

1. Which Caribbean island’s name means ‘bearded ones’?

BARBADOS

1. What was the name of the little girl who owned Bagpuss?

EMILY

1. Which tree provides cobs and filberts?

THE HAZEL

1. Which poem starts ‘On either side the river lie Long fields of barley and of rye’?

THE LADY OF SHALOTT (Tennyson)

1. Calendula is the scientific name of which plant?

MARIGOLD

1. Well-known for her cookery books, what was Mrs Beeton’s first name?

ISABELLA

1. In which country is the source of the Amazon?

PERU

1. Pica Pica is the scientific name for which bird?

MAGPIE

SUPPLEMENTARIES

In which year was the first Party Political Broadcast on UK TV?

1951 (accept 1950-52)

In 2010, who became the first European to win the US Open Golf Championship since Tony Jacklin?

GRAEME McDOWELL

Name any of the four current newsreaders who danced for Children in Need on November 18^th this year.

SIAN WILLIAMS, SOPHIE RAWORTH, EMILY MAITLIS AND SUSANNA REID

What is a female badger called?

A SOW

On which river is the Ironbridge Gorge?

SEVERN

Give a year in the life of Leonardo da Vinci.

1452 - 1519