16th December–the Questions

 

Specialist Questions set by

Church House Bollington

1. Geography

2. S is for Science

3. Arts & Entertainment

4. Oranges are not the only fruit

5. Vans 4 U

6. Actors in disguise (Picture Round)

7. History – Christmas Day

8. Sport

ROUND 1 - GEOGRAPHY

1. What is the only state of New England with no coastline? VERMONT

2. Which US state has an area in a different time zone to the rest of the state which is pejoratively referred to as the ‘Redneck Riviera’? FLORIDA

3. Natives of which British city, which during its 19^th century industrial heyday was known as ‘Copperopolis’, are sometimes referred to as ‘Jacks’? SWANSEA

4. Natives of which British city and ferry port are sometimes referred to as ‘Janners’? PLYMOUTH

5. Which city is served by Dum Dum airport? CALCUTTA / KOLKATA

6. Which semi-arid zone extends from Senegal to the Sudan? The SAHEL

7. Which West African country left the Commonwealth in 2013? The GAMBIA

8. What is the only Central American country without a coastline on the Caribbean Sea? EL SALVADOR

Supp.

a. What stretches for 137 miles from Warwick Bar in Birmingham to Brentford in Middlesex? GRAND UNION CANAL

b. Which country has the most lines of latitude passing through it? CANADA

ROUND 2 - S IS FOR SCIENCE

ALL ANSWERS BEGIN WITH S

1. What “s” is a huge stellar explosion from the death of a star? SUPERNOVA

2. What “s” is the type of plant capable of retaining water such as Aloe or Cactus? SUCCULENT

3. What “s” is a seed produced by mushrooms? SPORE

4. What “s” is the respiratory disease that became a pandemic in 2003? SARS

5. What “s” is a soft silver-white or yellowish metallic element, atomic number 38 named after a village in Scotland near which it was discovered in 1790 by William Cruickshank? STRONTIUM

6. Which American medical researcher and virologist discovered and developed the first successful polio vaccine? Jonas SALK

7. Appearing on the coat of arms of South Africa and Sudan, which terrestrial bird of prey of the Sagitariidae family is usually found in the open grasslands and savannah of the sub-Saharan region? SECRETARY BIRD

8. What is defined as the ratio of the length of the side of the triangle opposite the angle to that of the hypotenuse? SINE

Supp.

a. What “s” is the measurement for saltiness?” SALINITY

b. What “s” is a liquid that helps solubilize a solid or another liquid? SOLVENT

ROUND 3 - ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

1. Which actor played Lieutenant John Chard, commander in chief at Rorke’s Drift in the 1964 film Zulu? Stanley BAKER

2. Baker Street was a 1978 hit for which Scottish singer who died in 2011 aged 63. Gerry RAFFERTY

3. Who was the singer/songwriter wife of American lyricist Gerry Goffin with whom he wrote a number of hit songs of the early to mid 1960’s? Carole KING

4. Which actor’s roles have included aspiring comedian Rupert Pupkin in Martin Scorsese’s 1982 film The King of Comedy and deranged killer Max Cady in Scorsese’s 1991 remake of Cape Fear? Robert DE NIRO

5. Rob Roy, Ivanhoe and The Lady of the Lake were all written by which Scottish novelist, playwright and poet? Sir Walter SCOTT

6. James Thurber’s 1939 short story, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty has recently been made into a film starring Ben Stiller in the title role but who portrayed Walter in the original 1947 version? Danny KAYE

7. Danny DeVito played Martini, Will Sampson played Chief Bromden and Louise Fletcher played Nurse Mildred Ratched in which multi Oscar winning film of Ken Kesey’s 1962 novel? ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST

8. Roll Over Beethoven and Johnny B. Goode were hit singles for which rock n roll star of the 50’s and 60’s? Chuck BERRY

Supp.

a. Berry Gordy was the founder of which legendary record label? MOTOWN

b. A Town Like Alice is a 1950 novel by which author? Nevil SHUTE

ROUND 4 – ORANGES ARE NOT THE ONLY FRUIT

The answers all contain ITEMS OF FRUIT OR VEGETABLES – where these are part of someone’s name, it could be first name, surname or nickname. Please give FULL ANSWERS, i.e. full names where the answer is a name, not just the fruit or veg in question.

1. Which famous basketball player who represented the Harlem Globetrotters for 22 years was known as the Clown Prince of basketball?

MEADOWLARK LEMON

2. Which German psychedelic rock band of the 1960s and 70s, whose albums include ‘Atem’ and ‘Phaedra’ were one of the founders of the krautrock movement? TANGERINE DREAM

3. Which character, voiced by Don Rickles, leads a mutiny in the first instalment of Toy Story? MR POTATO HEAD

4. Which 1880s American folk song gave its name to a 1946 western directed by John Ford? MY DARLING CLEMENTINE

5. “The curse has come upon me” cried which eponymous character in a Lord Tennyson poem? THE LADY OF SHALLOT

6. What is the name of the title character played by Johnny Depp in a 1993 film featuring Leonardo Di Caprio as his mentally retarded younger brother? GILBERT GRAPE

7. Which song was released by the Beatles as a double A-side with Penny Lane? STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER

8. What precise colour was the boat in which the owl and the pussycat went to sea? PEA GREEN

Supp.

a. Who was the producer of the first 14 official James Bond films? ALBERT ‘CUBBY’ BROCCOLI

b. What name is given to a bed where, for a prank, the sheet has been folded in two to prevent anyone from being able to get in? APPLE PIE BED

ROUND 5 : VANS 4 U

The answers are all the name of a person – real or fictional – whose surname starts with Van.

1. What was the surname of the painter Rembrandt? VAN RIJN

2. Which former Belgian Prime Minister became President of the European Council in 2009? Herman VAN ROMPUY

3. Who was the Governor General of the Dutch East Indies in whose honour the island of Tasmania was originally named? Anthoonij VAN DIEMEN

4. Also famous for his reality TV tantrums, who was the male singer in the 1970s group Dollar? David VAN DAY

5. In 1958, who discovered the existence of a ‘belt’ between 1,000 and 60,000 km above the earth’s surface consisting of layers of plasma held in place by the planet's magnetic field? James VAN ALLEN

6. In 1998, who directed a remake of the Hitchcock classic Psycho?

Gus VAN SANT

7. The song Eye Level was the theme to which 1970s television series? VAN DER VALK

8. Featured in Allo Allo, who allegedly painted “The Fallen Madonna with the Big Boobies”? VAN KLOMP

Supp.

a. Who was the eighth President of the United States? Martin VAN BUREN

b. Which 17^th century painter has a beard and a shade of brown named after him? Anthony VAN DYCK

ROUND 6 – ACTORS IN DISGUISE (PICTURE ROUND)

Just name the actor.

1.

1. John TRAVOLTA (in Hairspray)

2.

2. Eddie MURPHY (in The Nutty Professor)

3.

3. Dan AYKROYD (in Trading Places)

4.

4. Johnny DEPP (in The Lone Ranger)

5.

5. Michael CAINE (in Dressed to Kill)

6.

6. Dustin HOFFMAN (in Little Big Man)

7.

7. Brad PITT (in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)

8.

8. Robert DOWNEY Jnr (in Tropic Thunder)

SUPP. 1

a. John MALKOVICH (in In the Line of Fire)

SUPP. 2

b. Matt DAMON (in True Grit)

 

ROUND 7 – HISTORY (CHRISTMAS DAY)

All the following questions relate to events that happened on Christmas Day.

1. In 1818 the first known singing of a Christmas Carol took place in Austria. What was the carol? SILENT NIGHT

2. Where on Christmas Day 1941 did a British and Canadian garrison surrender to the Japanese? HONG KONG

3. To which actress did Paul McCartney get engaged on Christmas Day 1967? Jane ASHER

4. In 2013 Pope Francis delivered a Christmas speech which originated in Ancient Roman times. Its English translation is “To the city and the world”. What is it known as in Latin? URBI ET ORBI

5. Which ship ran aground and sank on the island of Hispaniola on Christmas Day 1492? SANTA MARIA

6. On Christmas Day 1908, who became the first black heavyweight boxing world champion? Jack JOHNSON

7. On Christmas Day 1868, which US President gave an unconditional pardon to all soldiers and supporters of the Confederate states from the Civil War? Andrew JACKSON

8. In 1223 the first ever nativity scene was arranged by which saint? St FRANCIS of ASSISI

Supp.

a. Who was the Emperor of Japan who died on Christmas Day 1926? YOSHIHITO

b. On Christmas Day of which year did Anders Celsius introduce the Centigrade temperature scale? 1741 (allow 5 year leeway ether way)

ROUND 8 - SPORT

1. Which English gymnast won 4 gold medals at the 2014 Commonwealth games? Claudia FRAGAPANE

2. At the 2012 Ryder Cup who secured the half point against Tiger Woods that ensured Europe won the cup outright? Francesco MOLINARI

3. St James Park is the home of Newcastle United. Which football league team play their home games at a ground of the same name? EXETER CITY

4. The state of Florida currently has 3 teams in the NFL. Miami Dolphins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and which other? JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

5. The SWALEC stadium is home to Glamorgan County Cricket Club. What was the stadium previously known as before its recent redevelopment?

SOPHIA GARDENS

6. Sportsman Gerry Lester Watson is better known by what nickname? BUBBA

7. Which team who share their nickname with an English Premiership football team are the current NBA Finals Champions? SAN ANTONIO SPURS

8. Only 4 drivers have won the F1 world championship 4 times. Three of them are Juan Manuel Fangio, Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel. Name the fourth. Alain PROST

Supp.

a) Manchester City won the 2013/14 Premier League. Who finished second? LIVERPOOL

b) The Vince Lombardi Trophy is presented to the winners of which sporting event? The SUPERBOWL

 

THE BRITISH FLAG

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE QUESTIONS

 

Vetted by The Weaver and The Church House Bollington

(If the answer is underlined then the full answer is required otherwise surnames are acceptable)

1. Who won this year’s “I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here” ?

CARL FOGARTY

2. Name either of the two events added to the women’s pentathlon to create the heptathlon in the early 1980’s, first contested for at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles ?

JAVELIN or 800 METRES

3. Which US city’s name means “The Fields” ?

LAS VEGAS

4. In November this year Cheryl Fernandez-Versini became the first British female singer to have five solo UK number 1 singles with “I DON’T CARE”. Name either of the two British female singers who currently have four solo UK number 1 singles.

GERRY HALIWELL or RITA ORA

5. Whose ancestral home is Woburn Abbey ?

DUKE OF BEDFORD

6. By what term is seborrheic dermatitis better known?

DANDRUFF

7. Who guested with Dire Straits on the track “Money For Nothing” ?

STING (Gordon Sumner)

8. Which animal’s name means “old man of the woods”?

ORANGUTAN

9. As at 13th December 2014, which football team is currently bottom of the English football league i.e. bottom of Sky Bet League 2 ?

HARTLEPOOL UNITED

10. What is the name of the latest album released by Pink Floyd earlier this year ?

ENDLESS RIVER

11. English crime writer P.D. James died in November this year aged 94. What do either of her initials stand for ?

PHYLLIS or DOROTHY

12. Ajaccio is the capital of which Mediterranean island?

CORSICA

13. The fashion for wearing silicone gel wristbands started in 2004 with a yellow 'anti-cancer' band. Whose charity launched it?

LANCE ARMSTRONG (Livestrong)

14. The Ringgit is the unit of currency in which country ?

MALAYSIA

15. Fanny Price is the heroine in which Jane Austen novel?

MANSFIELD PARK

16. Maggie Tulliver is the heroine in which George Eliot novel ?

THE MILL ON THE FLOSS

17. The Aldeburgh Festival in Suffolk, which is mainly devoted to classical music, was founded in 1948 by which composer ?

BENJAMIN BRITTEN

18. In 2004, the building of the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) was completed. It is found near the summit of Mount Graham in the Pinaleno Mountains in which US State ?

ARIZONA

19. What name was shared by the wives of the English kings Henry II, Henry III and Edward I ?

ELEANOR
(Eleanor of Aquitaine, Eleanor of Provence and Eleanor of Castile)

20. According to Greek Mythology Hermes wore TALARIA to aid him. What were they ?

WINGED SANDALS

21. Which element with atomic number 18 takes its name from the Greek for “lazy” or “inactive” ?

ARGON

22. Who has written a series of letters entitled “Dear Fatty” in the form of an autobiography ?

DAWN FRENCH

23. In what year did Channel 5 start broadcasting ?

1997 (allow +/- 1 year: accept 1996 to 1998)

(on Easter Sunday, March 30th 1997)

24. What is the name of the 7th Stars Wars film to be directed by J. J. Abrams and scheduled for release in December 2015, 38 years after the first Star Wars film (1977) ?

THE FORCE AWAKENS

25. Which Scottish novelist became Governor General of Canada in 1935 ?

JOHN BUCHAN (Baron Tweedsmuir)

26. Which mountaineer was the first person to reach the South Pole overland in 1958 since Captain Robert Falcon Scott’s expedition of 1912 ?

SIR EDMUND HILARY

27. "Infamy, infamy, they've all got it in for me" is a famous line from what 1964 film?

CARRY ON CLEO

28. In 1985 what famous discovery did Robert Ballard and his team make ?

THE WRECK OF RMS TITANIC

29. Former Everton and Manchester United manager David Moyes now manages which Spanish football team ?

REAL SOCIEDAD

30 Which King of England was crowned on Christmas Day?

WILLIAM I (WILLIAM THE CONQUERER) (in 1066)

31. Name either of the two current UKIP MPs ?

DOUGLAS CARSWELL or MARK RECKLESS

32. Which Australian state capital stands on the River Torrens ?

ADELAIDE

33.

What is the name of the process by which food is moved through the human gut?

PERISTALSIS

34. In the 1994 film Speed, what is the minimum speed at which the bus must travel before the bomb on board is detonated?

50 MPH or 80 KM/HR

35. Which rockets share their name with the giant children of Uranus and Gaia in Greek mythology ?

TITAN

36. Which herb is mixed with crushed garlic, pine nuts and blended with olive oil and parmasan cheese to make pesto ?

BASIL

37. Whose 1929 autobiography is entitled “Goodbye to All That” ?

ROBERT GRAVES

38. Which British rock band was “Blowin’ Free” in 1972?

WISHBONE ASH

39. In a Modem Pentathlon, which event comes first ?

FENCING

40. Oscar Wilde defined which type of person as ‘Someone who knows the price of everything but the value of nothing’

A CYNIC

41. Billy Bigelow and Julie Jordan are main characters in which musical of stage and screen?

CAROUSEL

42. Which 18th century Scottish philosopher is known as the father of modern economics?

ADAM SMITH

43. What type of food in Spain is MANCHEGO (man-chay-go) ?

CHEESE

44. In the world of sport, this date is January 1st in the Northern Hemisphere and in the Southern Hemisphere, it is August 1st What is the significance of these dates ?

OFFICIAL BIRTH DATE OF RACEHORSES

45. The song Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo was first introduced in which 1950 animated film ?

CINDERELLA

46. Name either of Cinderella’s ugly stepsisters ?

ANASTASIA or DRIZELLA

47. Who is missing Regan, Cordelia and ?

GONERIL (King Lear’s 3 daughters)

48. Who was the decibel named after?

ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL

49. In which country is the world’s longest canal to be found ?

CHINA (Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal at 1,115 miles)

50. What is a HOOKAH (please spell out) ?

ORIENTAL PIPE/TUBE FOR SMOKING MARIJUANA OR TOBACCO

51. What name was given to the Atlantic hurricane that had destructive impact in the Lesser Antilles, Bermuda and Great Britain in mid-October this year ?

GONZALO

52. Whose death did Robert O’Neill recently admit responsibility for ?

OSAMA BIN LADEN

53. Who won the 2014 Man Booker Prize with the book “The Narrow Road to the Deep North ?

RICHARD FLANAGAN

54. Which space shuttle was the very last space shuttle mission (135th) completed in July 2011 ?

ATLANTIS

55. What is the name of the 24th official Bond Film scheduled for release in October 2015 ?

SPECTRE

56. Who is the only driver to have been awarded the F1 Drivers Championship posthumously?

JOCHEN RINDT

57. Which US President famously raised taxes after saying “Read my lips : no new taxes”?

GEORGE BUSH (Senior) (turned 90 this year !)

58. In which desert would you find the Okavango river, the only permanent river found in this desert ?

KALAHARI

59. Who wrote “The Female Eunuch” in 1970 ?

GERMAINE GREER

60. Which playwright won a BAFTA for “Bar Mitzvah Boy”

JACK ROSENTHAL

61. Which ex Lord Major of London resigned from her chairmanship of an independent panel set up to investigate historical child sex abuse after days of criticism over links to former Home Secretary Lord Brittan ?

FIONA WOOLF

62. Quarter-back Peyton Manning is the NFL's all-time leader in career touchdown passes. Which team does he currently play for ?

DENVER BRONCOS

63. Who composed the classical piece of music “The Firebird” ?

IGOR STRAVINSKY

64. Which composer’s works include the opera “Boris Godunov” and the orchestral poem “A Night on the Bare Mountain” ?

MODEST MUSSORGSKY

65. Complete the set: Ravenclaw, Slytherin, Gryffindor and ?

HUFFLEPUFF (4 houses in Harry Potter)

66. Complete the set of Green properties in the game of Monopoly: Oxford Street, Regent Street and ?

BOND STREET

67. English lawyer and lyricist Frederic Weatherly penned the words to which famous ballad in 1910 ?

DANNY BOY

68. Who was the last monarch of the House Of Stuart ?

QUEEN ANNE (reigned 1702 – 1714)

69. Which Danish astronomer wore a false nose after losing most of his own in a duel ?

TYCHO BRAHE

70. In computing there are 8 bits to a byte, but what term is used for 4 bits ?

NIBBLE / NYBBLE

71. Which Canadian city lies at the confluence of the Saint Lawrence and Saint Charles rivers?

QUEBEC

72. What was the name of the 2008 TV programme that was a sequel to ‘Life on Mars’ starring John Simm as Detective Sam Tyler from the Greater Manchester Police ?

ASHES TO ASHES

73. Grant Martin and Captain Albert Berry, both claim to have achieved which aviation first in 1911 and 1912 respectively ?

FIRST PARACHUTE JUMP FROM A POWERED AIRPLANE

74. First performed in 1634 how often are the Oberammergau Passion Plays held ?

EVERY 10 YEARS (next one in 2020)

75. On which island is Pearl Harbour ?

OAHU

76. Who is the only actor to speak in the film “Silent Movie”, directed by Mel Brookes?

MARCEL MARCEAU

77. Who was in the news recently after he was allegedly abusive to a taxi driver saying “You’re a sweaty stupid little git”?

DAVID MELLOR

78. Which English county has borders with Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire?

DORSET

79. What was the real name of the Elephant Man ?

JOSEPH MERRICK

80. In Russian cookery what is a blini ?

A SMALL PANCAKE

81. “The King Of Barataria” is an alternative title to which Gilbert and Sullivan operetta ?

THE GONDOLIERS

82. Who recently stepped down as Chief Executive of Thomas Cook who described her management style as “Part Lion, part Panda !” ??

HARRIET GREEN

83. Which rebellion was defeated at the Battle of Sedgemoor on 6th July 1685 ?

THE MONMOUTH REBELLION

84. What name is given to the junction of the A1 and A66 trunk roads near Richmond, North Yorkshire, described as "the modern gateway to Cumbria, the North East and Scotland" ?

SCOTCH CORNER

85. What was Bing Crosby’s first name ?

HARRY

86. What does the E stand for in E numbers, codes used for substances used as food additives ?

EUROPE (also accept European)

87. The KAKAPO, also known as the owl parrot is a near extinct bird living in which country ?

NEW ZEALAND

88. Ex SNP leader Alec Salmond has announced that he will be standing for a seat at Westminster at next May’s General Election. For which constituency will he be standing?

GORDON

89. Which anniversary did the Beano Comic celebrate in 2013 ?

75 YEARS

90. When George Formby sang the lines "It may be sticky, but I never complain; It's nice to have a nibble at it now and again", to what was he referring ?

LITTLE STICK OF BLACKPOOL ROCK

91. Who is currently the highest points scorer in International Rugby Union ?

DAN CARTER (New Zealand: 1457 points)

92. What is the boiling point of water at standard atmospheric pressure in degrees Fahrenheit ?

212°F

93. Which country’s highest mountain is the Grossglockner at 3798 m / 12,460 feet ?

AUSTRIA

94. Name the Christmas Song described as follows: “A period of time characterised by coldness, in a marvellous imaginary realm” ?

WINTER WONDERLAND

95. Name the Christmas Song described as follows: “A short slogan or easily remembered tune, with hollow metal objects shaped like an inverted cup” ?

JINGLE BELLS

96. How old was William Pitt the Younger when he became the youngest ever British Prime Minister on 19th December 1783 ?

24 (allow +/- 1 i.e. accept 23 to 25)

SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTIONS

1. Who holds the women’s heptathlon points world record achieved at the 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics ?

JACKIE JOYNER-KERSEE (USA – 7291 POINTS)

2. What are the metal discs in the rim of a tambourine called ?

JINGLES

3. What is the county town of Kent?

MAIDSTONE

4. Until 1968 which country was officially known as South West Africa?

NAMIBIA

5. Which creature appears on the logo of Alpha Romeo cars ?

SNAKE / SERPENT

6. Which clothing firm shares its name with a 1971 Academy Award winning film starring Gene Hackman?

FRENCH CONNECTION

7. Which school provided the UK with 19 Prime Ministers up to the year 2000 ?

ETON

8. In Formula One motor racing, what does the D stand for in the abbreviation DRS?

DRAG (Drag Reduction System)