Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Specialist and General Knowledge Questions 20th March

Setters: NewCastle
Vetters: Harrington B
Rounds
1) The 1980s (History)
2) Dr Who
3) The French Connection (Sport)
4) North & South (Geography)
5) The Plot Thickens (A & E)
6) Science
7) The name's the same
8) Round Eight

The 1980s (History)


1. 1980: Which volcano erupted on 18 May after being dormant for 120 years?
A. Mount St Helens

2. 1981: What did John Hinckley do on 30 March in the mistaken belief that it would impress actress Jodie Foster?
A. Attempt to assassinate Ronald Reagan

3. 1982: Who was president of Argentina at the time of the Falklands W ar?
A. Leopoldo Galtieri

4. 1983: Who became the first Labour Prime minister of Australia in nine years?
A. Bob Hawke

5. 1984: In what city were the summer Olympics held?
A. Los angeles

6. 1986: How did American schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe die on 28 January?
A. In the challenger space shuttle disaster

7. 1985: Who was the Swedish Premier, assassinated on 28 February?
A. Olof Palme

8. 1987: In which city was Terry Waite kidnapped?
A. Beirut

Supplementaries:

S1. 1988: Who did George W Bush defeat on 8 November to become the 41st President of the USA?
A. Michael Dukakis

S2. 1989: Which gate was opened on 22 December for the first time in nearly three decades?
A. Brandenburg Gate (Berlin)

Dr Who


1. Billie Piper was famously married to whom?
A. Chris Evans

2. Which former Doctor has featured in Monarch of the Glen, Little Britain and Blackadder?
A. Tom Baker

3. Which comedienne made a one-off appearance as the 'Runaway Bride'?
A. Catherine Tate

4. Dr Who spin-off series Torchwood is set in which UK city?
A. Cardiff

5. Which baddies came from the planet Skaro?
A. Daleks

6. The baddie 'The Abzorbaloff' was played by which comedian?
A. Peter Kaye

7. K9 is to have his own spin off series, but which former female assistant already stars in her own CBBC series?
A. Sarah Jane (Smith) (The Sarah Jane Adventures, allow Elisabeth Sladen the actress who plays her)

8. Which Blue Peter presenter of the sixties & seventies was also an assistant?
A. Peter Purves

Supplementaries:
S1 Who was David Tennant's predecessor?
Christopher Ecclestone

S2 How many incarnations of the Doctor have we had so far?
A. 10

The French Connection - Sport


1. Name the Frenchman responsible for initiating the modern Olympics in 1896?
A. Baron de Coubertin

2. Which Frenchman was the driving force behind the establishment of the World Cup in 1930 and had the initial trophy named after him?
A, Jules Rimet

3. Who was the first Frenchman to captain an FA Liverpool 1996) Cup winning side?
A. Eric Cantona

4. The Open returns to Carnoustie this year. The last time it was played there (in 1999), which Frenchman famously blew his chance of winning by going into the water after leading by 3 shots at the last hole?
A. Jean Van De Velde

5. Who was the last French winner of the Tour De France?
A. Bernard Hinault (1985)

6. Who was the last French Male winner of a Tennis Grand Slam Tournament?
A. Yannick Noah (French Open 1983)

7. Alain Prost is the only Frenchman ever to win the F1 Driver's world championship. How many times did he win it?
A. 4 (1985, 1986, 1989, 1993)

8. Which Frenchman is the current coach of Sale Sharks Rugby Union Team?
A, Philippe Saint Andre


Supplementaries:
S1 At which racecourse is the Prix de L'Arc De Triomphe race run?
A. Longchamp

S2 Who was the last French Female winner of a Tennis Grand Slam?
A. Mary Pierce (French Open 2000)

North and South (Geography)

1. Northern Rhodesia became which modern day country? Zambia
2. Name the most northerly island of the Outer Hebrides island chain.
Lewis
3. Which is the most southerly state in the USA?
Hawaii
4. Cape York is the northernmost point of which country? Australia
5. In which constellation is Polaris or the Pole Star used by navigators to find North?
Ursa Minor (allow the Little Bear, or Little Dipper)
6. A number of US states are paired with North and South prefixes. How many pairs of such states are there?
Two (Dakota & Carolina)
7. The island of South Georgia belongs to whom?
Britain
8. Name the town at the northern end of the Suez canal? Port Said
Supplementaries:

S1 Name the most southerly West Indian island.
Trinidad
S2 Name the most southerly Balearic island.
Formentera


The Plot Thickens (A & E)
You will be given a brief outline of the plot from a well known film, simply name the film.
1. Two unemployed musicians accidentally witness The St Valentine's Day Massacre & flee to Miami dressed as girl musicians.
A. Some Like It Hot (1959)
2. A young New York writer has as neighbour the volatile Holly Golightly, a slightly crazy call girl with an exotic social & emotional life.
A. Breakfast At Tiffany’s (1961)
3. A slightly dim-witted Texan comes to New York to offer his services as a stud for rich ladies but spends a hard winter helping a tubercular conman.
A. MIDNIGHT COWBOY (1969)
4. Based on a true story, a female worker in a nuclear
processing plant mysteriously dies in an accident shortly before she is due to spill the beans on safety problems.
A. SILKWOOD (1983)
5. A mute Scottish widow travels with her young daughter
for an arranged marriage in New Zealand, where she is forced to leave her most treasured possession on a beach.
A. THE PIANO (1993)
6. An elderly rich Jewish widow at first resists and then
succumbs to the obsequious attentions of her black chauffeur.
A. DRIVING MISS DAISY (1989)
7. In 1915, a gin drinking river trader and a prim missionary make odd companions for a boat trip down a dangerous river culminating in an attack on a German gunboat.
The African Queen (1951)
8. A repressed teenager with remarkable mental powers takes a macabre revenge on the classmates who taunt & persecute her.
A. Carrie (1976)

Supplementaries:

S1 Set in the 1930's an American archaeologist beats the Nazis to a priceless religious artefact.
A. RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981)
S2 The naive young second wife of a Cornish landowner is haunted by the image of his glamorous first wife.
A. REBECCA (1940)

Science

1. The National Space Centre is found near to which English city?
A. Leicester

2. Which Airbus model has four engines, two decks and can take up to 853 passengers?
A. A380

3. What is name of the new operating system recently released by Microsoft, the successor to Windows XP?
A. Vista

4. Recently unleaded petrol from a storage depot in Essex caused many cars to malfunction. The fuel was found to be contaminated with what?
A. Silicon

5. Macular Degeneration affects which part of the body?
A. The eye. (Allow retina)

6. Found in Microsoft's Office suite, what is the spreadsheet program called?
A. Excel

7. Which pharmaceutical company manufactures Viagra?A. (It is written on the back of the tablet, apparently!)

8. What is the name of the 6-camera based device used in some televised cricket matches to show the flight of the ball and illustrate LBW decisions?
A. Hawk-eye

Supplementaries:

S1 Two planets have no moons Mercury is one, what is the other?
A. Venus

S2 What is the name of the car component that generates electricity to charge the battery and also to power all the car's electric systems when the engine is running?
A. Alternator (Allow Dynamo, but not Magneto. Magnetos don't charge the battery)

The name's the same
You will be given a brief description of 2 well known people who share a name, though not necessarily the same spelling. Both Christian and surnames are required.

Popular 1960s singing star known as The King Of
Romance + German composer whose works include the opera
Hansel & Gretel
A. Englebert Humperdinck
2. Scandalous diary writing politician +Prolific goal scorer in Don Revie's Leeds United Team of the 1970s
A. Allan clarke

3. U.S. Actress With Roles In Brokeback Mountain, The Devil Wears Prada and Becoming Jane + Literary Widow who was bequeathed only her husband's "Second Best Bed"
A. Anne Hathaway
4. UK politician and accomplished sailor + UK Big Band Leader From The 1950s
A. Ted heath
5. Tarot reading Bond girl, Solitaire In Live And Let Die
+ Mother of Edward 6th
A. Jane Seymour
6. UK politician who recently contested (and lost) the Tory leadership + Former BBC reporter and Executive Director of the English FA
A. David Davies

7. Bristol born Hollywood screen legend renowned for his suave charm + Female vocal coach on BBC's Fame Academy
Cary/Carrie Grant

8. Elizabethan dramatist whose works include The Alchemist + disgraced Olympic champion exposed for his use of performance enhancing drugs.
A. Ben Jonson

Supplementaries

S1. Drummer with 80’s band Duran Duran + former British No 1 tennis player and Dvis Cup captain
A. Roger Taylor

Round Eight
All the answers in this round contain the sound "eight", but not necessarily spelt E-I-G-H-T. For example: What word means "to scold or condemn vehemently and at length"? Berate.


1. Which 1978 film starred Warren Beatty, and told the story of an American football player who was erroneously plucked from earth only to discover that he wasn't ready to die?
A. Heaven Can Wait

2. Which leading poker and gambling website are also the sponsors of Middlesborough Football Club?
A. 888.com


3. Slightly larger than a walnut, this gland surrounds the urethra just below the human male bladder?
A. Prostate

4. Written by the same author three years after the thriller "Ice Station Zebra", this novel concerns the hijacking of cargo ships in the Atlantic Ocean.
A. When Eight Bells Toll (Alistair Maclean)

5. Which Japanese football club came to prominence in the UK when Gary Lineker decided to play out his twilight years for them in 1992
A. Nagoya Grampus 8 (Allow Grampus 8)

6. He was played by David Bowie in Martin Scorsese's film The Last Temptation of Christ, this man was the governor of the Roman province of Judaea from 26AD to 36AD?
A. Pontius Pilate

7. Founded in 1838 by clergyman Herbert Gray, this organisation is now the Uk's largest provider of relationship counselling and therapy?
A. Relate

8. What is the biological order containing all the species commonly related to the lemurs, monkeys, and apes, including humans?
A. Primate


Supplementaries:
S1 Originally created in 1962 by Rowntrees, this post-meal confection is now made by Nestle?
A. After Eight mints

S2 Which American comedy drama series centres on the goings on of people living in Wisteria Lane?
A. Desperate Housewives

S3 This motorway links the M4 near Thornbury to the M4 near Caldicot over the River Severn?
A. M48

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE
20th March 2007 Set by The Harrington 'B' Vetted by The New Castle



1 In addition to their sporting achievements, for what did Olympians Tommie Smith and John Carlos become famous in 1968?
A. They were the two athletes who gave the notorious 'black power' salute at the Mexico Games

2 What annual event celebrates the passing of The Light Locomotives Act by Parliament in 1896?
A. The London to Brighton Veteran Car Run

3 The Battle of Balaclava was part of a larger campaign to take control of which
Black Sea naval base?
A. Sebastapol

4 Using a series of 14 internet trades, Canadian Kyle McDonald turned what into a house in July 2006?
A. A paperclip

5 Where in Macclesfield would you find the row of houses commonly known as the 12 Apostles?
A. Park Lane

6 Who was the first US President to address the nation, by radio, in 1923?
A. Calvin Coolidge

7 In 2006, why was Austrian Natascha Kampusch in the news?
A. She was the 18-year old girl who finally escaped from her kidnapper after
8 years. Her captor, Wolfgang Priklopil, kidnapped her in 1998 and kept her in a basement at his home.

8 Who is the only racing driver to have won the 'triple crown' of Le Mans,
Indianapolis 500 and Formula 1 World Championship during his career?
A: Graham Hill

9 Which Soviet leader died in March 1985, to be succeeded by Mikhail Gorbachev?
A.Konstantin Chernenko

10 Name the snooker player who became known as the 'Beckham of the Baize', •who died from cancer in 2006.
A. Paul Hunter

11 Who is the current (ie 2006) World Snooker Champion?
A. Graham Dott

12 The BBC's Breakfast Time first broadcast on January 17th, 1983. Name either of the presenters.
A. Frank Bough or Selina Scott

13 Who will replace Edward Elgar on the new £20 note?
A. Adam Smith (economist and author of Wealth of Nations)

14 Who, in 1910, was the first Englishman to die in a flying accident - although he's possibly best remembered for his motoring connections?
A. The Hon Charles Stewart Rolls (of Rolls-Royce fame). He died at the Bournemouth Air Show when the tail of his Wright Flyer broke off in mid-air

15 Charles Frazier's first book sold 4 million copies, and was turned into an Oscar-winning film in 2003 starring Jude Law and Nicole Kidman. Name the book. A. Cold Mountain

16 In which year did Alaska become the 49th state of the USA?
A. 1959 (Jan 3rd) (Note: It was bought from Russia in 1867, but did not formally become a state of the union until 1959)

17 Whose 2006 comeback single was called 'Patience'?
A. Take That

18 Whose 2006 comeback single was called 'Rock Steady'?
A. All Saints

19 Which former Education Minister got into trouble in January 2007 for sending their child to a private school?
A. Ruth Kelly

20 Dublin has the largest public park in Europe. What's it called?
A. Phoenix Park

21 In Manchester, which square does the Town Hall face onto? A. Albert Square

22 Who was the British Silver Medallist in the Women's Skeleton at last year's
Winter Olympics?
A. Shelley Rudman

23 Name the F1 driver who is team mate to Fernando Alonso at McLaren.
A. Lewis Hamilton

24 1946 saw the gathering of the first General Assembly of the United Nations. In which city?
A. London

25 How old was Winston Churchill when he died?
A. 90 (accept 89-91)

26 In which year did India declare itself a republic?
A. 1950 (accept 1949 - 51)

27 Although Walt Disney made his name through animation, in 1950 his studio made its first live action movie. What was the film?
A. Treasure Island (with Robert Newton)

28. What are flams, drags and paradiddles?
A. Rudimentary drum strokes/drum rolls

29 What is the unit of currency in Tunisia?
A. Dinar

30 What is the unit of currency in Thailand?
A. Baht

31 Regularly seen in Cheshire, Shropshire, Herefordshire and Gloucestershire, what does the Welsh word 'croeso' mean?
A. 'Welcome'

32 Familiar to Welsh motorists, what does the word 'Araf mean in English?
A> 'Slow '(as on the approach to most road junctions)

33 Known as 'stiffies' in South Africa and 'korppus' in Finland, what was dealt a final blow when dropped by PC World in January 2007?
A. PC floppy disks (allow floppies)

34 In which city was this year's NFL Superbowl heldS
A. Miami

35 Which South African leader ended apartheid in 1990?
A. FW De Klerk

36 Which internet company bought video-sharing website YouTube in October
2006?
A. Google

37 In which month is the next Harry Potter book due for release?
A. July (21st)

38 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will be the last when it's released this summer. How many books will there be in the series all together?
A. Seven

39 Which was England's first National Park, opened in April 1951?
A. The Peak District

40 Which former English county disappeared in 1974, absorbed into the county of Cambridgeshire?
A. Huntingdonshire

41 Which car manufacturer produces the 'Brera' model?
A. Alfa Romeo

42 If a car's registration plate begins with the letter 'R', name either of the two years in which it could have been registered.
A. August 1997 to July 1998

43 Who, on January 1st 2007, succeeded Kofi Annan as Secretary General of the | United Nations?
A. Ban Ki-Moon

44 How is Belgian author and illustrator Georges Remi better known?
A. Herge (Tin Tin)

45 What is the predominant religion in Indonesia?
A. Muslim

46 As at March 1st, who was number 2 in the world golf rankings?
A. Jim Furyk

47 20th March is the anniversary of the IRA bomb attack in Warrington town centre. In which year?
A> 1993

48 What's the nearest whole line of latitude to Macclesfield Town Hall?
A. 53° North

49 Who directed both the hit film The Deer Hunter' and the massive flop
'Heaven's Gate'?
A. Michael Cimino

50 20th March is also the anniversary of the Jules Rimet Trophy's disappearance in 1966, famously recovered by Pickles the dog. In 1983 it was stolen again and never found - but from where?
A. Rio de Janeiro

51 What is the highest wind speed ever recorded in the UK?
A. 173mph (accept 170-176) in the Cairngorms in March 1986

52 The photographer Robert Capa is famous for his pictures of two specific historic military events. Name either.
A. The Spanish Civil War and D-Day landings

53 In which year was Macclesfield granted its borough charter? A. 1261 (accept 1257 to 1265)

54 In which English city was the ill-fated 'National Centre for Popular Music'?
A. Sheffield (the centre stayed open less than a year before running out of funding - the distinctive building now belongs to Sheffield Hallam University)

55 Wimbledon recently announced equal prize money for men and women for this year's tournament. How much did Men's Champion Roger Federer's win at
Wimbledon in 2006?
A. £655,000 (accept 630,000 to 680,000)

56 Name any of the three feature films made by Morecambe and Wise in the 1960s.
A. The Intelligence Men (1965), That Riviera Touch (1966), The Magnificent
Two (1967)

57 Who did John Reid succeed as Home Secretary?
A. Charles Clarke

58 In December 2006, who presented his report into the death of Diana, Princess of Wales?
A. Lord Stevens

59 Man Utd were the first English club to win the European Cup in 1968. Who did they beat?
A. Benfica

60 How many balls are required for a game of snooker?
A. 22 (15 reds, 6 colours and the cue ball)

61 Name the former President of Chile who died in December 2006.
A. General Pinochet

62 In which month are the Nobel Prizes awarded?
A. December (10th December - the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death)

63 Zaire is the former name of which African country?
A. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (accept Congo)

64 How was Radio 2 previously known?
A. The Light Programme

65 Handel's Water Music was composed for which monarch?
A. George I

66 Born 1788, died 1824, how was George Gordon better known?
A. Lord Byron

67 By what means did Vincent Van Gogh commit suicide?
A. shot himself

68 What is a trug
A. A shallow wooden basket (usually used to carry fruit or veg from the garden)

69 What is the correct name for an auctioneer's hammer?
A. A gavel

70 Who wrote the St Trinian's novels?
A. Ronald Searle

71 Which football club did Accrington Stanley replace in the Football League in
2006 - which by coincidence was also the club that replaced Stanley when they resigned from the League in 1962?
A. Oxford United (accept Oxford, but not Oxford City).

72 In which year did Macclesfield Town FC gain Football League status?
A. 1997

73 Which dynasty ruled Russia between 1613 and 1917?
A. The Romanovs

74 The Great Plague and Great Fire of London occurred in the reign of which B monarch?
A. Charles

75 What is the name of the cruel headmaster in Charles Dickens' 'Nicholas B Nickleby'?
A. Wackford Squeers

76 When was the Speaking Clock first introduced?
A.1936 (accept 1934 to 1938)

77 What title was given to John Churchill following his successful leadership of the English armies against Louis XIV?
A. Duke of Maryborough

78 According to 'Ql', the largest manmade structure in the world is not the Great Wall of China, but 'Fresh Kills' in the USA. What is Fresh Kills? A landfill site on Staten Island (where debris from the 9/11 attacks was processed)

79 The last two hangings in Britain were carried out simultaneously at 8.00 a.m. on August 13th, 1964. Name either of the locations.
A. Walton (Liverpool) and Strangeways (Manchester) prisons. (Accept any of | the 4)

80 Which author, playwright and barrister led the defence in the Lady Chatterley obscenity trial in the 1960s?
A. John Mortimer

81 What kind of creature is a 'canvasback'?
A. A duck


82 Which is the smallest Native British bird?
A. Goldcrest (accept Firecrest)

83 Where would you find the Bundle of His (pronounced Hiss) in the human body?
A. In the heart

84 Where in the body would you find Bowman's Capsule?
A. In the kidney

85 Which well-known children's author, born in 1859 and died in 1932, was also Secretary of the Bank of England?
A. Kenneth Grahame

86 Fly, Bee and Early Spider are all types of which British flower?
A. Orchid

87 Audrey Hepburn's famous 'Little Black Dress' was sold for over £450,000 on the 5th December at Christie's in London. In which film did it appear?
A. Breakfast at Tiffany's

88 Before Helen Mirren, who was the last English actress to win the Best Actress
Oscar, in 1992?
A. Emma Thompson (for Howard's End)

89 How is the shrub 'philadelphus' more commonly known?
A. Mock Orange

90 What kind of cigar derives its name from the Italian word for a small loaf? A. Panatella

91 Rabat is the capital of which Kingdom?
A. Morocco

92 Which group's first album was Piper at the Gates of Dawn, released in 1967? Pink Floyd

93 Which British monarch was on the throne at the beginning of the 16th Century (ie 1501)?
A. Henry VII

94 Asuncion is the capital of which country?
A. Paraguay

95 Whose first album, released in 1964, was subtitled 'England's Newest Hitmakers'?
A. The Rolling Stones

96 What name is given to the annual allowance by Parliament for the running of the Sovereign's household?
A. The Civil List


Supplementaries

Who wrote the play Equus, recently revived in the West End starring Daniel Radcliffe (of Harry Potter fame)?
Peter Shaffer
Into which sea does the River Volga flow?
The Caspian Sea
According to the RSPB, which is the largest Native British Bird in terms of wingspan?
White Tailed or Sea Eagle
In which year did Marconi receive the first transatlantic radio broadcast?
1901 In which country is 'Fado' a traditional form of music?
Portugal

Which football team plays their home games at Bloomfield Road?
Blackpool

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