11 March 2014 THE QUESTIONS

 

SPECIALIST QUESTIONS

Set by the Waters Green Lemmings

Vetted very thoroughly by the Nags Head and the Harrington Academics – much appreciated

1. History

2. Art & Culture

3. Science

4. Heroes and Villains

5. Geography

6. Entertainment

7. Sport

8. All Saints

HISTORY

1. Who was Shaka?

: Zulu king and warrior (accept any answer to do with Zulu)

2. Which event of 1879 resulted in 11 Victoria Crosses being awarded to one regiment for a single action?

A: The Battle of Rorke’s Drift.

3. During World War 1, although other South American countries severed relations with Germany which was the only independent South American country to formally declare war on Germany?

A: Brazil in 1917

4. Who was on the English throne during the Jacobite rebellion in 1745?

A: George II

5. The Tennis Court Oath was signed in the first days of which revolution?

A: French (20/6/1789)

6. The great Ottoman emperor Suleiman was known as what?

A: Suleiman the Magnificent

7. Who was the first Christian roman emperor?

A: Constantine

8. The battle of Salamanca was fought in which war?

A: The Peninsular War

S1.The janissaries (new soldiers) were the bodyguards and household troops of whom?

A: The Ottoman sultan

S2. Which well-connected lady was either daughter, sister, niece and wife to five English monarchs, the mother of another and grandmother to three more?

A: Elizabeth of York

ART & CULTURE

1 In Animal Farm what type of animal are Clover, Millie and Boxer?

A: Horses

2 Two members of the Pre-Raphaelites painted ‘The Lady of Shalott’ – name either?

A: William Holman Hunt or Waterhouse

3 Which brothers wrote Diary of a Nobody?

A: George and Weedon Grossmith (accept surname)

4 In the Planet Suite which planet is described as the bringer of old age?

A: Saturn

5. The first performance of which piece caused a near riot in the Theatre des Champs Elysees in May 1913?

A: Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring

6. On the day of J F Kennedy’s death, two famous writers also died – name one of them

A: C S Lewis and Aldous Huxley.

7. In which decade was the national theatre formed?

 A: 1960s

8. Who sculpted the statue of the Ecstasy of St Theresa in Rome (Santa Maria della Vittoria Church)?

A: Bernini

S1. Norman Parkinson made his name in which field of art?

A: Photography

S2. Who was the husband of cellist Jacqueline duPre?

A: Daniel Barenboim

SCIENCE

1. Common, Water and Pygmy are types of which British mammal? A: Shrew

2. The chemical symbols for Helium, Nitrogen and Sodium form the name of which plant?

A: Henna

3. The spine has three parts, Lumbar is one, name either of the other two.

A: Thoracic or Cervical

4. If a leaf is sessile, what is missing?

A: A stalk

5. What was the name of the first computer to beat a world chess champion?

A: Deep Blue

6. What does a mycologist study?

A: Fungi

7. “Camels Often Sit Down Carefully” is the start of a mnemonic in which science?

A: Geology – geological time periods (Cambrian, Ordovician, etc.)

8. Why are live leeches still sometimes used in medicine?

A: They supply a natural blood thinning agent, anticoagulant

S1. How is Milvus Milvus better known. It is now seen quite regularly in Britain having been saved from extinction?

A: The Red Kite

S2. What acid builds up in the muscles during exercise?

A: Lactic Acid

HEROES AND VILLAINS

1. A novel by Howard Fast and music/ballet by Khatchaturian are about which historical hero?

A: Spartacus

2. Huntington and Loxley are names associated with which legendary character?

A: Robin Hood

3. About which popular hero, seen as a fighter against tyranny did Rossini write an opera?

A: William Tell

4. Who recorded the hit single Heroes and Viillains?

A: The Beach Boys

5. In the ballet Swan Lake Odile is otherwise known as what?

A: Black Swan

6. The Mexican Revolution of 1911 was led mainly by two men, Pancho Villa was one who was the other?

A: Emiliano Zapata

7. Who supposedly appeared before Mohamet and commanded him to write verses that were later to become part of the Koran? A: Archangel Gabriel

8. What position did Ayatollah Khomeini hold after the overthrow of the Shah?

A: Supreme Leader

S1. Who played Lex Luther opposite Christopher Reeve in the film “Superman”?

A: Gene Hackman

S2. Who was Flash Gordon’s arch-enemy?

A: King Ming the Merciless

GEOGRAPHY

1. In the North Atlantic we have the Gulf Stream, in which Ocean is the Agulhas Current?

A: The Indian Ocean

2. Lake Tahoe forms part of the border between two American states name one??

A: Nevada and California

3. Which mountain range runs from Morocco through Algeria and into Tunisia?

A: The Atlas Mountains

4. Which river rises in central southern Africa and flows through South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique before flowing into the Indian Ocean?

A: The Limpopo

5. Where do the rivers Nadder, Ebble, Wylye and Bourne converge, eventually feeding into the Avon? A: Salisbury

6. How is the city of Edo now known?

A: Tokyo

7. Referred to by St Paul, in which city is The Street Called Straight?

A: Damascus

8. The city of Derry stands on which river?

A: The Foyle

S1. Where is Tingwall Airport?

A: Lerwick, Shetland Islands

S2. Which city, south-east of St. Malo, was the old capital of Brittany?

A: Rennes

ENTERTAINMENT

1. Which film of 2012 was based on a novel by Deborah Moggach and starred, among others, Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Bill Nighy and Celia Imrie?

A: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

2. Which BBC 2 gangster series is set in Birmingham post World War 1, and gets its name from the gang’s trademark of sewing razor blades into their caps?

A: Peaky Blinders

3. ‘I am the dreadful menace, the one whose will is done, the haunting chill upon your neck I’m the conundrum’. This poem was read by Charles Dance on the trailer for which recent TV event.

A: The Winter Olympics

4. Which Kylie Minogue song was named the catchiest tune of all time?

A: “Can’t Get You Out Of My Head” (nothing to do with the video of course!)

5. Who had a hit with “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue”?

A: Crystal Gayle

6. Who gave the immortal advice “the world is your lobster”?

A: Arthur Daley – (surprisingly not Del Boy).

7. Which singer known only by his surname has produced an autobiography called simply Autobiography?

 A: Morrissey

8. Who or what was P G Wodehouse’s Empress of Blandings?

A: A pig

S1. Who first asked contestants to “Come on Down!” on British TV? A: Leslie Crowther

S2. What was the second “Carry On” film?

A: Carry on Nurse

SPORT

1. Eve Muirhead is the skipper of which British team?

A: British Womens Curling Team

2. Which to date is the only non-European country to host the Football World Cup more than once?

A: Mexico 1970 and 1986

3. Fenway Sports Group are the registered owners of which premier football club?

A: Liverpool

4. Natasha Baker is a paralympian gold medallist in which event? A: Dressage

5. In which Scottish city would you find two major League clubs in the same street?

A: Dundee – nearest clubs in Britain

6. Which British motor racing driver was formula 1 world champion in 1969, 1971 and 1973? A: Jackie Stewart

7. Peter Schmeichel joined Manchester United from which club? A: Brondby

8. Sergei Bubka broke the world record on more than 30 occasions – in which event?

 A: Pole Vault

S1. Which team did Jim Clark drive for in Formula One?

A: Lotus

7. Which football league team has the nickname “The Posh”?

 A: Peterborough United

ALL SAINTS

All the questions in this round relate to Saints of some kind or other.

1: In August 1930 the last remaining inhabitants were evacuated from a remote island off Scotland’s western coast. What was the name of this island?

A: St. Kilda.

2: Which saint was the first Archbishop of Canterbury?

A: St. Augustine.

3: What saintly name is given to an atmospheric glow that appears on the extremities of pointed objects such as ship masts and church spires?

A: St. Elmo’s Fire.

4: Which Premiere League Football Club is nicknamed “The Saints”?

A: Southampton F.C.

5: Who created the fictional detective “The Saint”?

A: Leslie Charteris.

6: Which long-running series of comedy films was based on the cartoons of Ronald Searle?

A: St. Trinians.

7: St. Nicholas, a Christian Bishop who helped the needy is believed to have been the origin of Santa Claus. He was born about the year 280AD in Patara, which is part of which present-day country?

A: Turkey.

8: Which English composer wrote a Hymn to St. Cecilia – a setting of a poem by W H Auden?

A: Benjamin Britten.

S1: Who played Tiffany Case, the Bond girl in “Diamonds are Forever”?

 A: Jill St. John.

S2: Who is the patron saint of fishermen?

A: St. Andrew.

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE QUESTIONS

 

Set by the Waters Green Lemmings

Again thoroughly vetted by the Harrington Academicals and Nag’s head

1 Which constellation appears on Australia’s national flag?

 A: The Southern Cross

2. As shown in the BBC4 series ‘The Bridge’, the Oresund Bridge is a 5 miles long and links Copenhagen to which Swedish city?

A: Malmo

3. Which American actor and director was the driving force behind the building of the Globe theatre on London’s south bank? A: Sam Wannamaker

4. “We few, we happy few, we band of brothers” is a quote from which of Shakespeare’s plays?

A: Henry V

5. Ricky Wilson is one of the new judges on BBC1’s ‘The Voice’. For which band is he lead singer?

 A: Kaiser Chiefs

6. In 2012 which, commercially run, U.S digital media enterprise became the first to win a Pulitzer Prize?

A: The Huffington Post

7. Founded in the 1980s, Hezbollah is a political party in which country?

A: Lebanon

8. Paul Goggins, who died in January, was MP for which constituency?

A: Wythenshawe and Sale East (accept Wythenshawe)

9. Ex-Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was tried and convicted of which offence in August 2013?

A: Tax Evasion

10. Before its closure in 1993, which shipbuilders were based on the banks of the Mersey at Birkenhead?

A: Cammell Laird (The name was bought by Peel Holdings in 2005 and the site has now reopened)

11. The Rewind Festival group is holding a 2 day music festival at which site in Cheshire in August 2014?

A: Capesthorne Hall

12. Which English Artist’s work are exhibited in Salt’s Mill, Saltaire, Yorkshire?

A: David Hockney

13. The Muslim shrine ‘the Dome of the Rock’ is situated in which city?

A: Jerusalem

14. Ex-Welsh International and Leeds United Footballer Terry Yorath, is the father of which sports commentator and TV presenter?

A: Gabby Logan

15. Canada, Indonesia and the USA all have embassies in which London Square?

A: Grosvenor

16. Who resigned as Director General of the BBC in 2004?

A: Greg Dyke

17. American Actor Ralph Waite, who died last month, was best known for his role in which long running TV family drama? It ran for 9 series from 1972 – 1981 and is still being shown on TV.

A: The Waltons, he played John Walton Snr.

18. Which Cheshire town was besieged for 6 weeks during the English Civil War, and now stages a re-enactment every January on the anniversary of that 1644 battle?

A: Nantwich

19. Which reservoir was built to service the Caldon Canal?

A: Rudyard Lake

20. What is a polder?

A: Land protected by dykes, usually reclaimed land but not always

21. In India, what is a dalit?

A: An ‘untouchable’ the lowest caste in India

22. Name either of the later names of the city of Tsaritsin

A: Stalingrad or Volgograd

23. What links Montague Druitt, Walter Sickert and Prince Albert Victor?

A: Suspects as Jack The Ripper

24. Who were imprisoned in Marshalsea prison in London?

A: Debtors

25. In Norse mythology what is the famed hall of slain warriors? A: Valhalla

26. What kind of doctor was Stephen Ward?

 A: Osteopath

27. The town of Grasse near Cannes is known as the world capital of what?

A: Perfume industry

28. Al Quaeda translates as what?

A: The Base

29. Which Hanoverian king founded the Order of the Bath?

 A: George I (1725)

30. What is or was the London Particular?

A: The smog or peasoupers

31. Described as the “World’s worst airline” Air Koryo is which country’s national carrier?

A: North Korea

32. In which decade did the London to Brighton car rally begin to be run on a regular basis?

A: 1920’s (1927) – there was a single run in 1896 should anyone go for the 1890’s but it was not run consecutively until 1927.

33. Which river 545km long rises in the Vosges, flows through France, Luxembourg and Germany eventually joining the Rhine at Koblenz?

A: Moselle

34. Chico Hamilton died last December – what instrument did he play?

A: Drums

35. Who was the author of “A Town Like Alice”?

A: Nevil Shute

36. Until the mid-late 15^th century where would you find the Jewish Sephardim?

A: Spain (Iberian peninsula)

37. Which race will be the last in the 2014 Formula 1 calendar?

A: Abu Dhabi 21- 23^rd November (Brazil is usually last, but not this year)

38. Who is the character Alicia Florick also known as in the title of a TV series?

A: The Good Wife

39. What do the initials N.A.T.O stand for?

A: North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

40. Which British Hollywood actor got his big break in the 1990s ITV series Chancer?

A: Clive Owen

41. Which US airport used to be called Idlewild?

A: John F. Kennedy International, New York

42. As whom is Welsh singer Tom Woodward better known?

A: Tom Jones

43. Which Carry On film had the tagline “Let sleeping bags lie”?

A: Carry on Camping

44. Which British occultist was described as “The wickedest man in the world”?

A: Aleister Crowley

45. What dish was called Italian Welsh Rarebit when it was introduced to Britain in the 1950s?

A: Pizza

46. Who said, “To make dictionaries is dull work”?

A: Samuel Johnson

47. Who won a posthumous Brit award in 2013?

A: Amy Winehouse

48. Which soup’s name means “pepper water”?

A: Mulligatawny

49. In 1947, Ireland’s Shannon Airport became the world’s first to get what?

A: A Duty free shop

50. Last year Charlotte Green replaced whom as the voice of BBC’s classified football results?

A: James Alexander Gordon

51. What are Ice Cream Sandwich, Jellybean, and Kit-Kat?

A: Versions of the Android operating system used on many smartphones and tablet computers.

52. In an LED, what does the D stand for?

A: Diode

53. What is the name for a playing card that can take any value?

A: A wildcard

54. The Paris to Brest to Paris race is the oldest in which sport?

A: Cycling

55. In which US state did Captain Cook die?

A: Hawaii

56. Which fictional character has been played onscreen by both Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp?

A: Willy Wonka

57. What was the name of the family that died in Ekaterinburg in 1918?

A: Romanoff.

58. If something is vernal, what is it connected with?

A: Spring.

59. Who wrote the novel Jurassic Park?

A: Michael Crichton.

60. Winnipeg is the capital of which Canadian province?

A: Manitoba.

61. Who defected to the USSR with Guy Burgess in 1951?

A. Donald Maclean.

62. What was the Beatles second film?

A: Help!

63. The US state of Maryland was named after the wife of which King?

A: Charles I. (Henrietta Maria).

64. Who wrote “The Singing Detective”?

A: Dennis Potter.

65. Who led the Scottish troops at Bannockburn?

A: Robert the Bruce.

66. How many cards are in a Tarot pack?

A: 78.

67. What is the only town in England that has an exclamation mark after its name?

 A: Westward Ho!

68. What was Harare called until the end of the 1970s?

A: Salisbury.

69. Who succeeded Edward Heath as Leader of the Tory Party?

A: Margaret Thatcher.

70. Which General led the junta in the seizure of the Falklands?

A: Galtieri.

71. What was abolished on 18^th December 1969 in Britain?

A: The Death Penalty.

72. In which French town was Joan of Arc burned at the stake?

A: Rouen.

73. Which port is the most easterly in Britain? A: Lowestoft.

74. What nationality was former Secretary General of the United Nations Boutros Boutros Ghali?

A: Egyptian.

75. The composer Bela Bartok came from which country?

A: Hungary.

76. Which Italian area produces Chianti?

A: Tuscany.

77. In which decade was Parliament first televised?

A: 1980s.

78. In which year was the wearing of seat belts in the front of a car made compulsory?

A: 1983.

79. Who wrote “The Good Companions”?

A: J B Priestley.

80. For what would you use sumac?

A. Cooking (it is a sharp acidic powder made from crushed berries, popular in middle eastern food)

81. Herod the Great ruled which Kingdom?

 A: Judaea.

82. Which fictional hero has been played on TV by Peter Cushing, Alan Badel and Colin Firth?

A: Mr. Darcy

83. What has been the commonest name for Popes?

 A: John

84. In which decade did Sweden join the European Union?

A: 1990s

85. Until its division in the 1990s, what was the capital of Yugoslavia?

A: Belgrade

86. Who wrote “Farewell My Lovely” and “The Lady in the Lake”? A: Raymond Chandler.

87. Q: Who was Edward VII’s Queen?

A: Alexandra

88. Who sang the title theme for the Bond film “The Spy Who Loved Me”?

A: Carly Simon.

89. Lord Nuffield made his name in which industry?

A: Motor Cars

90. Whose motto is “Let not the deep swallow me up”?

A: R.N.L.I.

91. Which pop singer played Adrian’s mother in “The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole”?

A: Lulu

92. Who was the first black Archbishop of Capetown?

A: Desmond Tutu

93. Which country ruled Greece until 1830?

A: Ottoman Empire - accept Turkey

94. The Newport Jazz Festival is held annually in which U.S. State? A: Rhode Island

95. The Schick test can be used to test for which disease?

A: Diphtheria

96. In Mythology who murdered the Greek King Agamemnon?

A: Clytemnestra

S1. Where is a howdah normally found?

 A: It is a seat on the back of an elephant

S2. The train known as “The Cornish Riviera” ran from London to which City?

A: Penzance.

S3. Which animals can suffer from the disease called “Strangles”? A: Horses

S4. Daniel Ortega was President of which country from 1981 to 1990?

A: Nicaragua

S5. Crockfords is a register of what?

 A: The Clergy