17th March–The Questions
Quiz questions for March 17th 2015
Set By
The Weaver
Vetted by: British Flag and Church House Bollington
Specialist Rounds are :
History
Spelling Bee
Sport
Science
Mister Men
Geography
General Knowledge (explanation to follow !)
Arts and Entertainment
HISTORY
Q1 Which town, now a city, was bypassed by the U.K.'s first stretch of motorway in 1958?
A1 Preston (as part of the M6)
Q2 The U.S. state of Maryland was named in honour of the wife of which English king ?
A2 Charles I (Henrietta Maria)
Q3 Regent Street in London was named after which future king ?
A3 George IV (when he was Prince Regent during the madness of his father George III)
Q4 "The war of 1812" was a conflict between the U.K. and which other country ?
A4 U.S.A.
Q5 America gets its name from the name of which Italian explorer, navigator and cartographer ?
A5 Amerigo Vespucci
Q6 Who shared the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize along with Yasser Arafat and Shimon Perez ?
A6 Yitzhak Rabin
Q7 In office 1982-1991, who is the only Secretary General of the United Nations to have come from a southern hemisphere country ?
A7 Javier Perez de Cuellar (from Peru)
Q8 A decisive victory for Napoleon in 1805, by what other name is the Battle of Austerlitz known ?
A8 The Battle of the Three Emperors
Supplementary Questions
Q9 The historical novel Wolf Hall (& TV series) is named after the family home of which family ?
A9 The Seymours (accept Jane Seymour)
Q10 In what year was the Gregorian calendar adopted in Britain ?
A10 1752 (accept 1751 - 1753)
SPELLING BEE
Correctly spell the defined word.
Q1 Repugnant or loathsome - (pronounced Ab-hor-unt)
A1 Abhorrent
Q2 To remove most of the water from (pronounced Des-ick-ate)
A2 Desiccate
Q3 To improve, make better (pronounced Ah-meel-ee-or-ate)
A3 Ameliorate
Q4 The middle class, having conventional attitudes (pronounced Boor-joi-zee)
A4 Bourgeoisie
Q5 Having no balance or symmetry (pronounced Ass-ee-met-rick)
A5 Asymmetric
Q6 Deriving from a Germanic group of languages (pronounced Tew-ton-ic)
A6 Teutonic
Q7 A person knowledgeable about a subject (pronounced Ah-fiss-ee-on-ah-doh)
A7 Aficionado
Q8 A person who sets up a business in the hope of a profit (pronounced On-truh-prun-air)
A8 Entrepreneur
Supplementary Questions
Q9 To take the place of (pronounced Soop-a-seed)
A9 Supersede
Q10 Gruesome or revolting (pronounced Griz-lee)
A10 Grisly
SPORT
Q1 Great Leighs horse racing course closed in 2009 when placed into administration. Under what name has the course recently reopened ?
A1 Chelmsford City (accept Chelmsford)
Q2 Who currently is England's top run scorer in International one day cricket ?
A2 Ian Bell
Q3 In capacity terms, what is the second largest sporting venue in England after Wembley stadium ?
A3 Twickenham (82,000)
Q4 Who is the current PDC world darts champion ?
A4 Gary Anderson
Q5 The international Rugby Union team of which country is nicknamed "The Cherry Blossoms" ?
A5 Japan
Q6 Jockey Tony (A.P.) McCoy has recently announced that he is to retire at the end of the national Hunt season - how many career winners has he had as of 2nd March 2015
A6 4344 (accept 4304 - 4384)
Q7 Who is the current World Snooker champion ?
A7 Mark Selby
Q8 The modern Olympic Games are based on the annual games held in and around which Shropshire village - one of the London games mascots was named after it ?
A8 Much Wenlock (the mascot was Wenlock)
Supplementary Questions
Q9 Which stadium is the largest sporting venue (in capacity terms) in Scotland ?
A9 Murrayfield
Q10 How many points did the winner of the final race of the 2014 F1 season (in Abu Dhabi) receive ?
A10 50 (double points were awarded for this race)
SCIENCE
Q1 Orogeny is the name given to the process of formation of what physical features of the planet ?
A1 Mountains
Q2 The name of what class of creatures is formed from two Greek words meaning "Both kinds of life" ?
A2 Amphibians
Q3 Which mammals belong to the order Chiroptera ?
A3 Bats (Chiroptera - literally "hand wing")
Q4 Caused by excessive twisting movements of the hand, what is the common name for Lateral Epicondylitis ?
A4 Tennis Elbow
Q5 What is the popular name for the theoretical tunnels between two Black Holes or other points in space time ?
A5 Wormholes
Q6 What is the most abundant element in the Universe ?
A6 Hydrogen
Q7 In the list of elements Oxygen is one of the two names to contain the letter X. What is the other ?
A7 Xenon
Q8 Caused by the Chalara Fraxinea fungus, what common name has been given to the disease that is currently affecting millions of trees throughout Europe (including in the U.K.) ?
A8 Ash Dieback Disease (accept Dieback Disease)
Supplementary Questions
Q9 Found in the ear, what is the common name for the bone with the anatomical name Incus ?
A9 Anvil
Q10 The name of what element, atomic number 27, is derived from a German word meaning Goblin ?
A10 Cobalt
MISTER MEN
In this round all the answers are names prefixed by the word Mr/Mister. e.g Rowan Atkinson's comedic alter ego would require the answer Mr. Bean
Q1 Current T.V. series, the eponymous character being played by Jeremy Piven
A1 Mr. Selfridge
Q2 Played by Nicholas Smith, the manager of the menswear and ladieswear departments at Grace Brothers store in T.V. sitcom "Are you being served?"
A2 Mr. Rumbold
Q3 Nickname of Manchester based solicitor Nick Freeman, best known as a celebrity lawyer specialising in traffic and speeding offences
A3 Mr. Loophole
Q4 Professional name of Macclesfield born Paul Oldfield, who, according to his promotional literature, is the "world's only performing professional flatulist", Simon Cowell once describing him as a "disgusting creature" on a T.V. talent show.
A4 Mr. Methane
Q5 The name of the fox in Beatrix Potter's book published in 1912 ?
A5 Mr. Tod
Q6 Robert Donat won the best actor Oscar for his portrayal of this schoolteacher/headmaster in 1939
A6 Mr. Chips
Q7 The name of the mastermind character played by Noel Coward in the 1969 film "The Italian Job"
A7 Mr. Bridger
Q8 Bob Dylan song gave The Byrds a U.K. No. 1 hit in 1965
A8 Mr. Tambourine Man
Supplementary Questions
Q9 Name of the racehorse that won the 1990 Aintree Grand National in the record time of 8 minutes 47.8 seconds
A9 Mr. Frisk
Q10 Voiced by American comedian Don Rickles one of the toys in the Toy Story film series - the first ever toy advertised on television (in the U.S. in 1952)
A10 Mr. Potato Head
Q11 Nickname of Derrick Evans, fitness instructor who rose to fame on the breakfast T.V. show GMTV
A11 Mr Motivator
Q12 Children's book and animated T.V. series character, lived at 52 Festive Rd, London
A12 Mr. Benn
GEOGRAPHY
Q1 Gaborone is the capital of which African country ?
A1 Botswana
Q2 In which Irish province does Dublin lie ?
A2 Leinster
Q3 Which country is the world's largest landlocked country ?
A3 Kazakhstan
Q4 There are only two doubly landlocked countries in the world (i.e. surrounded by countries that themselves are landlocked). Uzbekistan is one, what is the other ?
A4 Liechtenstein
Q5 Though variations and dialects are spoken, which country is the only South American country to have English as its official language ?
A5 Guyana
Q6 Which city stands at the head of the Gulf of Finland ?
A6 St. Petersburg
Q7 Which mountain range forms the traditional boundary between Asia and Europe? (extends for some 2500 kms between the Arctic Ocean and the Caspian Sea)
A7 The Urals
Q8 Which federal territory of Canada, whose name means "great river" in the indigenous language, was the scene of a Gold Rush in 1896 ?
A8 Yukon Territory (do not accept Klondike)
Supplementary Questions
Q9 In which country do the rivers Tigris and Euphrates both rise ?
A9 Turkey
Q10 Mount Logan is the highest mountain in which country ?
A10 Canada
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE
In this round each answer is a phrase or name beginning with "General" e.g. This year it will take place on 7th May the answer required would be General Election.
Q1 What is the name of the Dukes' car in the T.V. series Dukes of Hazzard ?
A1 General Lee
Q2 Formerly named the USS Phoenix, it met its end when sunk in 1982
A2 General Belgrano
Q3 Daytime soap opera on U.S. T.V. , the world's second longest running TV soap still in production (after Coronation St.)
A3 General Hospital
Q4 Named after an American Civil War soldier and found in the Sequoia National Park in California, it is claimed to be the world's largest single stem tree
A4 General Sherman
Q5 An enemy of Superman, a supervillain from Superman's home planet of Krypton, he first appeared in Adventure Comics in April 1961
A5 General Zod
Q6 Usually the final round in the T.V. panel game "Q.I." it led to a popular trivia book
A6 General Ignorance
Q7 The National Assembly and legislative body of the Church of England
A7 General Synod
Q8 The scientific theory developed by Einstein between 1907 and 1915
A8 General Relativity
Supplementary Questions
Q9 In the U.S. Navy the order that is the equivalent of Battle Stations in the Royal Navy
A9 General Quarters
Q10 Soldier, made his military reputation in China but died at the siege of Khartoum in 1885
A10 General Gordon
ARTS and ENTERTAINMENT
Q1 Benjamin Britten's opera "Gloriana" was written to commemorate what event ?
A1 Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II
Q2 "Music for the Royal Fireworks" was written by Handel whilst working for which British monarch ?
A2 George II
Q3 The Cesars are the equivalent of the U.S. Oscars in which country ?
A3 France
Q4 Which U.K. singer/songwriter won four Grammy awards in Los Angeles earlier this year (Feb 8th) ?
A4 Sam Smith
Q5 In which European city is Shakespeare's "Measure for Measure" set ?
A5 Vienna
Q6 Perhaps best known as a tourist destination, in which city were both Pablo Picasso and Antonio Banderas born ?
A6 Malaga
Q7 The T.V. sitcom "the Green Green Grass" is a spin off from which other sitcom ?
A7 Only Fools and Horses
Q8 Which BBC1 police drama series starred Richard Griffiths as Henry Crabbe, a policeman and chef in the fictional town of Middleton ?
A8 Pie in the Sky
Supplementary Questions
Q9 Which actor plays the role of Alfred Hitchcock in the 2012 film "Hitchcock"
A9 Sir Anthony Hopkins
Q10 Mrs Lovett's pie shop features in which musical ?
A10 Sweeney Todd
Q11 What name has been given to Anthony Gormley's display of 100 cast iron figures found on Crosby beach, facing out to the sea ?
A11 Another Place
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE
Q1 What is the first sign of the Zodiac ?
A1 Aries
Q2 We have recently entered the Chinese New Year. It is now the year of which creature ?
A2 Sheep (also accept Ram or Goat - there seems to be some confusion - even amongst the Chinese population)
Q3 Three African countries border Lake Victoria. Uganda and Kenya are two , what is the third ?
A3 Tanzania
Q4 The current U.K. £1 coin is composed of 70% copper, 5,5% nickel, and 24.5% of what other metal ?
A4 Zinc
Q5 Louise Redknapp (nee Nurding) was a member of which group until 1995 ?
A5 Eternal
Q6 Ned Rocknroll is the current husband of which Oscar winning actress ?
A6 Kate Winslett
Q7 In ancient Egypt who was ruler of the underworld and judge of the dead ?
A7 Osiris
Q8 The ritual of Suttee (or Sati) was banned in India some years ago. What form did the ritual take ?
A8 A recently widowed woman committing suicide by fire, typically on her husband's funeral pyre
Q9 The name of what insect is derived from the Spanish for "small fly"
A9 Mosquito
Q10 In which country was cyclist Sir Bradley Wiggins born ?
A10 Belgium
Q11 Which film studio's logo features a number of searchlights scanning the sky around the name of the studio ?
A11 20th Century Fox (accept Fox or 21st Century Fox)
Q12 With which "boyband" did Justin Timberlake come to prominence ?
A12 NSYNC
Q13 What colour is the central cross on the flag of Norway ?
A13 Blue
Q14 Which motor vehicle maker is the parent company of Rolls Royce Motors ?
A14 B.M.W.
Q15 Pharology is the study of what type of buildings and their construction ?
A15 Lighthouses (as in the Pharos of Alexandria)
Q16 The word Sauna is derived from the language of which country ?
A16 Finland
Q17 Who wrote the book "Ring of Bright Water", a book about how the author raised an otter ?
A17 Gavin Maxwell
Q18 Who wrote the book "Cujo", a psychological thriller about a rabid dog ?
A18 Stephen King
Q19 In the medical procedure C.P.R. for what does the letter "P" stand ?
A19 Pulmonary (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation)
Q20 As in the Government Department DEFRA, for what does the letter "F" stand ?
A20 Food (Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs)
Q21 What is the oldest equestrian weekly magazine ?
A21 Horse and Hound
Q22 Which financial and political newspaper was first published in 1843 by James Wilson ?
A22 The Economist
Q23 "God and my Right" is the motto of the British monarch. In what language is it written ?
A23 French (Dieu et mon Droit)
Q24 Which Czech athlete, considered by many to be the greatest distance runner of all time, won the 5000 metres, 10000 metres and the marathon at the 1952 Olympic games in Helsinki (just for good measure his wife won the ladies javelin event at the same games)?
A24 Emil Zatopek
Q25 In which city does the European Central bank have its H.Q. ?
A25 Frankfurt
Q26 The cathedral of which city has the tallest church spire in the U.K. ?
A26 Salisbury
Q27 What colour is the Northern Line on the London Underground map ?
A27 Black
Q28 Which line on the London Underground map is coloured green ?
A28 District Line
Q29 Charlotte Edwards is the current captain of the England team in which sport ?
A29 Cricket (Ladies)
Q30 Sean O'Laughlin is the current captain of the England team in which sport ?
A30 Rugby League
Q31 Which group was named as the Best British group at the recent Brit awards ceremony
A31 Royal Blood
Q32 Which group was named as the Best International group at the recent Brit awards ceremony ?
A32 Foo Fighters
Q33 Brian Lara, Trevor McDonald, Nicki Minoj, and Winifred Atwell were all born on which West Indian island ?
A33 Trinidad
Q34 The final resting place of former P.M. Harold Wilson, St Mary's is the main island in which island group ?
A34 Scilly Isles
Q35 Which well known word literally means "Sailor of the stars" ?
A35 Astronaut
Q36 The name of which famous pop group also means "God the Father" in Hebrew ?
A36 ABBA
Q37 What political office was offered to and declined by Albert Einstein in 1952 ?
A37 Presidency of Israel
Q38 The NASA spacecraft Messenger was launched in 2004 to investigate which planet ? It will complete its mission later this year and crash onto the planet.
A38 Mercury
Q39 In which city did the Beatles give their last scheduled public performance ?
A39 San Francisco
Q40 Who was the first sports person to be named BBC Sports Personality of the Year twice ?
A40 Henry Cooper
Q41 In what decade was Cardiff proclaimed as capital of Wales ?
A41 1950's (1955)
Q42 Which U.K. city was nicknamed "The Athens of the North" during the 18th century ?
A42 Edinburgh
Q43 Which company is the largest private employer in the U.S.A. ?
A43 Walmart
Q44 Which country is the world's largest producer of sugar ?
A44 Brazil
Q45 Which rock band wrote and performed the music for the cartoon series "South Park" ?
A45 Primus
Q46 "Good Morning U.S.A." is the theme tune to which satirical animated TV show ?
A46 American Dad
Q47 Which novel by Wilkie Collins is generally considered to be the first English language detective novel ?
A47 The Moonstone
Q48 Ernest Hemingway's novel "A Farewell to Arms" is set in which conflict ?
A48 World War One
Q49 Which Manchester art gallery reopened in February after a major refurbishment ?
A49 The Whitworth
Q50 Who is the author of the Inspector Rebus novels, upon which the T.V. series was based ?
A50 Ian Rankin
Q51 Which T.V. presenter is nicknamed "Captain Slow" ?
A51 James May
Q52 The name of which Italian cheese translates to "beautiful country" ?
A52 Bel Paese
Q53 On what river does Hereford lie ?
A53 Wye
Q54 Which motorway links the M6 to Telford and is the only motorway in Shropshire ?
A54 M54
Q55 What type of creature is a Belted Galloway ?
A55 Beef Cattle (accept cow)
Q56 What collective noun is used to describe huge flocks of Starlings that gather prior to going to roost ?
A56 Murmurations
Q57 Beagle 2, the probe thought to have crash landed on Mars 11 years ago has recently been found though not fully deployed. The probe was the brainchild of which British scientist ?
A57 Colin Pillinger
Q58 Oscar nominated in eight categories what is the title of the film starring Benedict Cumberbatch as British computer scientist and mathematician Alan Turing ?
A58 The Imitation Game
Q59 From what part of the cinnamon tree is the spice cinnamon obtained ?
A59 The bark
Q60 In which country is the Great Bear lake ?
A60 Canada
Q61 Philip Tracy is a noted designer of what fashion item ?
A61 Hats
Q62 The International Olympic Committee (I.O.C.) has its H.Q. in which Swiss city ?
A62 Lausanne
Q63 Who founded the Comic Relief charity along with Lenny Henry ?
A63 Richard Curtis
Q64 Anne Kirkbride who sadly died earlier this year had four different character surnames whilst appearing in Coronation Street - Hunt, Barlow, and Rachid are three, what is the other ?
A64 Langton
Q65 The currency of Algeria is the Algerian ____ what ?
A65 Dinar
Q66 The currency of Afghanistan is the Afghan ____ what ?
A66 Afghani
Q67 The Carnac stones, one of the most extensive Neolithic menhir (standing stone) collections in the world, are located in which country ?
A67 France
Q68 The archaeological site Chichen Itza is in which country ?
A68 Mexico
Q69 What type of creature lives in a form ?
A69 Hare
Q70 Racehorse shoes are normally made from what metal ?
A70 Aluminium
Q71 In the sport of surfing who or what are known as "Men in Grey Suits" ?
A71 Sharks
Q72 Bamako is the capital of which African country ?
A72 Mali
Q73 What links a U.S. state capital, Bill Clinton and William Hague ?
A73 Jefferson (Jefferson City - state capital of Missouri, Jefferson is the middle name of both Clinton and Hague)
Q74 Pollex is the medical name for what part of the body ?
A74 Thumb
Q75 What rank in the British Army is equivalent to the R.A.F.'s air commodore ?
A75 Brigadier
Q76 Which rank in the Royal Navy is equivalent to sergeant in both the army and the Royal Air Force ?
A76 Petty Officer
Q77 By what name are inhabitants of Sydney known ?
A77 Sidneysiders
Q78 By what name are inhabitants of Leeds known ?
A78 Loiners
Q79 Who is the current Prime Minister of Australia ?
A79 Tony Abbott
Q80 Helle Thorning-Schmidt is the current Prime Minister of what country ?
A80 Denmark
Q81 What number, representing neutral on the P.H. Scale, is the “cut-off” point between acidity and alkalinity ?
A81 Seven (below seven is acid, above seven is alkaline, seven is neutral)
Q82 Who was the last British monarch to be succeeded by a sibling ?
A82 Edward VIII (succeeded by George VI)
Q83 Den Grimme Aeling is the original Danish title of which of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales ?
A83 The Ugly Duckling
Q84 Which actor/comedian had a U.K. top ten hit single with a musical version of The Ugly Duckling in 1975 ?
A84 Mike Reid
Q85 Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the current captain of which country's international football team ?
A85 Sweden
Q86 What nationality is Sunderland manager Gus Poyet ?
A86 Uruguayan
Q87 How many years of marriage does a crystal wedding celebrate ?
A87 15
Q88 How many years of marriage does a coral wedding celebrate ?
A88 35
Q89 Who said "Anyone who sees and paints a sky green and fields blue ought to be sterilised" ?
A89 Adolf Hitler
Q90 To what was 18th century French painter Francois Boucher referring when he said it was "too green and badly lit" (trop verte et mal eclairee) ?
A90 Nature
Q91 In medieval England rents were sometimes paid with the dried berries of which condiment ?
A91 Peppercorns
Q92 In historical military and political terms the word "Conchie" is short for which phrase ?
A92 Conscientious Objector
Q93 Which element, one of the Noble gases, is the third most common gas in the Earth's atmosphere
A93 Argon
Q94 In the list of elements mercury is one of the two elements that have names ending with "Y", what is the other ?
A94 Antimony
Q95 What child's plaything is known as a "Teeter-Totter" in most of the U.S.A. ?
A95 See-Saw
Q96 The first ten amendments to the U.S. constitution are popularly known by what title ?
A96 Bill of Rights
Supplementary Questions
Q1 Name either of the two countries separated by the Gulf of Bothnia ?
A1 Sweden/Finland
Q2 Who is the current presenter of T.V.'s "Points of View" ?
A2 Jeremy Vine
Q3 In which German city does the car maker Porsche have its H.Q. ?
A3 Stuttgart
Q4 In Mary Shelley's novel what is Dr. Frankenstein's first name ?
A4 Victor
Q5 Which newspaper is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper ?
A5 The Observer
Q6 "Wookieepedia" is an online reference site dedicated to followers of what film series ?
A6 Star Wars
Q7 World War Two food rationing in the U.K. finally ended in what year ?
A7 1954 (accept 1953 - 1955)
Q8 What is measured by means of a pluviometer ?
A8 Rainfall