4th March CUP/PLATE SEMI FINAL

Questions set by The Dolphin and the Cock-a-2

 

1. Which English city is located within an historic area of jurisdiction known as the Soke?

A. Peterborough.

2. In the opera The Marriage of Figaro, what is the name of Figaro’s intended bride?

A. Susanna.

3. Which actress, the granddaughter of a former Labour Party leader, won an honorary Oscar in 2013 and became a Dame this year in the New Year’s Honours List?

A. Angela Lansbury.

4. Who was the first Briton to win a winter Olympic medal on snow in February this year?

A. Jenny Jones (the event was snowboarding – slope style; whatever that means!).

5. After the death of Moses, which military commander led the Israelites into the Promised Land?

A. Joshua.

6. Of which country is LOT the national airline?

A. Poland.

7. In the BBC fantasy series Atlantis, a confusing mixture of mythological themes, which historic figure, philosopher and mathematician, is companion to Jason and Hercules?

A. Pythagoras.

8. In former times the Doge was the title of the elected chief Magistrate in the Republic of Venice and which other Italian city state?

A. Genoa.

9. Inspired by the French revolution of 1830, the painting Liberty leading the People is by which artist?

A. Eugène Delacroix.

10. Which character in Shakespeare’s As You like It delivers the “Seven Ages of Man” speech, beginning “All the World’s a stage”?

A. Jacques. (Usually pronounced Jake-wees).

11. The Massacre on the Odessa steps is a famous scene in which classic film?

A. The Battleship Potemkin.

12. In the Biblical Apocrypha, which angel accompanies Tobias on his journey to Media?

A. Raphael.

13. The Sword in the Stone and The Ill-made Knight are two volumes of a tetralogy, completed in 1958, with which overall title?

A. The Once and Future King. (By T. H. White – a version of the Arthurian legend).

14. How long did Mary Poppins say she would stay with the Banks children?

A. “Until the wind changes”.

15. Who was the Roman goddess of hearth and home?

A. Vesta.

16. Which was the first major pitched battle of the English Civil War?

A. Edgehill, 1642.

17. From which earlier literary work did Thackeray get the title of his novel Vanity Fair?

A. Pilgrim’s Progress.

18. Salisbury Heights is a feature of which British city?

A. Edinburgh.

19. What mission is the European space probe Rosetta due to carry out in August this year?

A. A landing on a comet. (67P/Churyumov-Garasimenko).

20. From which earlier literary work did Thomas Hardy take the title of his novel Far From the Madding Crowd?

A. Gray’s Elegy in a Country Churchyard. (Accept Gray’s Elegy).

21. Napoleon’s first major defeat came in 1813 in what was known as “the Battle of the Nations”; near which German city was it fought?

A. Leipzig.

22. What Arabic name, meaning the West, is given to the countries of north west Africa, particularly Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco?

A. The Maghreb.

23. Which district of New York takes its name from the Old Dutch word for farm?

A. The Bowery.

24. Which footballer scored the first goal in the Premier League to be confirmed by goal-line technology?

A. Edin Dzeko. (Manchester City v Cardiff City, 18^th January – incidentally City’s 100^th goal of the season).

25. The Peer and the Peri is the subtitle of which Gilbert and Sullivan operetta?

A. Iolanthe.

26. Which early 20^th century art movement, led by Matisse and Verlain, and characterised by the use of bold and vibrant colours, takes its name from the French word for wild beasts?

A. Fauves, or Fauvism.

27. In Greek cuisine what are dolmades?

A. Stuffed vine leaves.

28. Name either of the two countries visited by the composer Mendelssohn which inspired the writing of his third and fourth symphonies.

A. Scotland or Italy.

29. Of which country is TAP the national airline?

A. Portugal.

30. Which Sussex town in famous for its annual 5^th November Bonfire celebrations, making it unofficially “the Bonfire capital of the World”?

A. Lewes.

31. Measured on the LD₅₀ toxicity scale, what is the deadliest poison known to man?

A. Botulinus toxin, or botox.

32. Three politicians served in the Labour Cabinet continuously from 1997 to 2010. One was Gordon Brown; name either of the other two.

A. Jack Straw or Alistair Darling.

33. In the Grand National, how many fences are jumped only once?

A. Two.

34. Only two actors, one British and one American, have been nominated for an Oscar in all five decades from the 1960s to the 2000s; name either.

A. Michael Caine or Jack Nicholson.

35. Which 1960s rock singer’s backing group was the Pirates?

A. Johnny Kidd. (Born Frederick Albert Heath)

36. Of which country is Amharic the official language?

A. Ethiopia.

37. Which character in Shakespeare’s A Winter’s Tale describes himself as “a snapper up of unconsidered trifles”?

A. Autolycus.

38. From which film does the following quotation come; “Gentlemen, you can’t fight in here! This is the War Room!”?

A. Dr. Strangelove.

39. From which film does the following quotation come: “Round up the usual suspects”?

A. Casablanca.

40. Which architect designed the London skyscraper known as The Shard?

A. Renzo Piano.

41. What public office is currently held by Frances O’Grady? (Make clear the spelling of Frances).

A. Secretary –General of the TUC.

42. Name any of the four Galilean moons.

A. Ganymede, Europa, Io or Callisto.

43. Which Lancashire town is famous for its Coconut Dancers, who perform their traditional dance each Easter Saturday?

A. Bacup.

44. What term is used for the characteristic found in some animal species for the male and female to be markedly different in appearance, e..g in size or colouring?

A. Sexual dimorphism. (Accept dimorphism).

45. Which actress has received the most Oscar nominations?

A. Meryl Streep. (18 – 15 for best actress, 3 for best supporting actress).

46. Which 1960s rock singer’s backing group was the Mindbenders?

A. Wayne Fontana. (Born Glyn Geoffrey Ellis).

47. What is the characteristic feature of animals described as pinnipeds?

A. Flippers.

48. A pargeter is a craftsman specialising in what kind of work?

A. Decorative plasterwork.

49. What was the highest elected office in the Roman Republic? (Two men were elected to the office each year).

A. Consul.

50. In 2011 actor Neil Dudgeon took over the lead role in which long-running and popular TV crime series, first aired in 1997?

A. Midsomer Murders.

51. What record was created in the 2014 Superbowl played on 2^nd February?

A. The fastest score ever in a Superbowl final, in just 12 seconds. (2 points for a safety – whatever that means).

52. Robert Harris’s latest book, An Officer and a Spy, is a novelised version of which historical cause célèbre?

A. The Dreyfus Affair.

53. Name any of the four cities to which the composer Mozart dedicated symphonies.

A. The Hague (No 5), Paris (No 31), Linz (No 36) or Prague (No 38).

54. What is the characteristic feature of animals described as edentates?

A. They are toothless (e.g. the anteaters).

55. Tagalog is, along with English, one of the official languages of which country?

A. The Philipines.

56. What is the name of the investigative journalist played by Steve Coogan in the film Philomena?

A. Martin Sixsmith.

57. A fellmonger is a merchant dealing in what commodities?

A. Furs and hides.

58. What is the flavour of the drink Arak, popular throughout the eastern Mediterranean, especially Lebanon, Syria and Turkey?

A. Aniseed.

59. Which architect designed the Imperial War Museum North at Salford Quays?

A. Daniel Libeskind.

60. In Greek mythology, which beautiful youth was abducted by Zeus and taken to Olympus to be cup-bearer to the gods?

A. Ganymede.

61. What is the unit of currency in Hong Kong?

A. Hong Kong dollar.

62. The Football Conference League in which Macclesfield Town play is sponsored by which company?

A. Skrill

63. The Drifters have not had a number 1 single in the UK. Name either of their songs to reach number 2

A. Save the last dance for me or Kissing in the back row of the movies

64. The Channel Islands were occupied for much of the Second World War. In which month did the occupation of Jersey begin – need month and year.

A. June 1940 (accept one month either way)

65. Who was leader of the Liberal Democrat party immediately before Nick Clegg?

A. Menzies Campbell

66. In 2007 which was the first former communist country to join the Eurozone?

A. Slovenia

67. Sixways is the home ground of which Premiership Rugby Union team?

A. Worcester Warriors

68. What is the smallest National Park in the United Kingdom?

A. Norfolk Broads

69. Who wrote the novel “The Eagle has landed”?

A. Jack Higgins

70. On this date exactly 101 years ago who was inaugurated as the 28^th President of the USA?

A. Woodrow Wilson

71. What nationality is the current President of the European Commission?

A. Portuguese (Jose Manuel Barroso)

72. Which recent film depicts the rivalry between racing drivers James Hunt and Niki Lauda?

A. Rush

73. To one decimal place, how many litres are there in a gallon?

A. 4.5

74. Alouette is the French name for which bird?

A. The lark or skylark

75. Kingsford Smith Airport serves which major city.

A. Sydney

76. On a Spanish tapas menu, what type of food is gambas?

A. Prawns

77. In Hinduism, what name is given to a building used for retreat or instruction?

Ashram

78. Ashley Wilkes is a character in which famous novel of the 20^th century?

A. Gone with the Wind

79. What is a claque?

A. An organised group of people hired to applaud in an audience

80. By what telephone number would you contact NHS Direct?

A. 111

81. According to the Ordnance Survey, if you were at the place in England which is furthest from the sea, in which county would you be?

A. DERBYSHIRE. (The place is Coton in the Elms).

82. On a standard qwerty keyboard, what letter comes between C and B?

A. V

83. What’s the name of the dog in Punch and Judy?

A. Toby

84. In the Monty Python parrot sketch, the dead bird is said to have “shuffled off ‘is mortal coil”. This is a paraphrase of an expression spoken by which Shakespearean character?

A. Hamlet (in the “To Be etc” soliloquy)

85. Who wrote the poem “The Glory of the Garden”?

A. Rudyard Kipling

86. In what trade or industry does a CURRIER work?

A. Leather

87. ‘In the country of the blind the one-eyed man is King’. Which Dutch philosopher and humanist who lived from 1466 to 1536 wrote this in his work “Adages”?

A. Erasmus

88. Which of the 6 counties of Northern Ireland is largest in area?

A. Tyrone

89. In the Harry Potter stories, there are 4 houses at Hogwart’s School. Gryffindor and Slytherin are two. Name either of the others.

A. Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw

90. What’s missing from the following list? Salty, sweet, sour, bitter.

A. Umami or Savoury (the 5 basic tastes)

91. Give the name of Princess Diana’s chauffeur on the night of the fatal crash.

A. Henri Paul

92. Which Football League team plays its home games at Highbury Stadium?

A. Fleetwood Town

93. Who is currently the principal conductor of the Halle Orchestra?

A. Sir Mark Elder

94. In Wink Martindale’s “Deck of Cards”, what did the “8” stand for?

A. The number of people who survived The Flood.(Noah, his wife, their 3 sons, and their wives.)

95. Who is the captain of the England women’s soccer team?

A. Casey Stoney

96. What was the only operational bi-plane to be used throughout World War II?

A. The Swordfish

97. What is Phillumeny?

A. Collecting matchboxes, and the like, and information about them.

98. Which Asian country opened its first monorail on February 1^st 2014?

A. India (in Mumbai)

99. Which musical instrument has parts which include ; Head, foot, body, neck and knee?

A. A (concert) harp (accept “harp”)

100. The book, stage play and film made “War Horse” famous. What is the name of the “War Horse”?

A. Joey

101. “There’s No Business like Show Business” is a song from which film musical featuring Ethel Merman?

A. Annie Get your Gun

102. Sean Lemass, serving as Taioseach of Ireland from 1959 until 1966, was a descendant of which refugees fleeing persecution?

A. The Huguenots

103. Who commanded the New Model Army in the English Civil War?

A. (Sir Thomas) Fairfax – accept Fairfax

104. Harvard University is in which US state?

A. Massachusetts

105. What type of milk is used to make Mozarella cheese?

A. Buffalo milk

106. Which biblical measure was approximately 18 inches long?

A. A cubit

107. Jeffrey Archer was awarded damages for libel by which newspaper in 1987?

A. DAILY STAR

108. Which science fiction writer invented the 3 Laws of Robotics?

A. Isaac Asimov

109. King George VI was born and died at the same place. Where was it?

A. Sandringham

110. Awarded to the director of the best feature film, what is the highest prize at the Cannes Film Festival?

A. Palme d’Or (Golden Palm) – accept either

111. In 1975, Junko Tabei became the first female to do what?

A. Climb Mt Everest

112. Who is the Patron saint of Spain?

A. St James

113. What is the women’s equivalent of the Ryder Cup?

A. Solheim Cup

114. Who was the architect who designed the Millennium Dome?

A. (Richard) Rodgers – accept Rodgers

115. Clint Eastwood was mayor of which Californian town?

A. Carmel

116. Who invented the vacuum flask?

A. JAMES DEWAR

117. Who invented the wind-up torch and wind-up radio?

A. TREVOR BAYLISS

118. Which miracle is the only one to appear in all four Gospels?

A. THE FEEDING OF THE 5000

119. In science, what is the S.I. Unit of Resistance?

A. THE OHM

120. In which country is Lake Balkhash?

A. KAZAKHSTAN

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Supplementary questions

1. Who, in 1979, directed the film of Stephen King’s novel ‘The Shining’?

A. STANLEY KUBRICK

2. Which M.P. and journalist was jailed for fraud for his Victory Bond swindle in the 1920’s?

A. HORATIO BOTTOMLEY

3. What is the name of the hooded garment worn by eskimo’s?

A. PARKA

4. Which politician was the Prime Minister of Australia between 2010 and 2013?

A. JULIA GILLARD

5. What is the name of Prospero’s deformed slave in Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’?

A. CALIBAN

6. A horned toad is not a toad what type of creature is it?

A. A LIZARD

7. In the film “Back to the Future”which year did Marty McFly travel back to?

A. 1955 (no leeway)

8. In which 1983 film did Al Pacino play a character called Tony Montana?

A. SCARFACE

9. What is the female equivalent of the Oedipus Complex?

A. THE ELECTRA COMPLEX

TIE BREAK

On Saturday 22 February 2014 Glasgow Rangers drew their Scottish League Division 1 match at home against Stenhousmuir. What was the attendance?

41,794 (third highest attendance of all football matches that day in England and Scotland)