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