2017–18 Season: Week 18 – 27 March 2018
All questions were set by the Weaver, and
vetted by the Nags Head and the Church House
Bollington.
Specialist Rounds
Round 1: History
1 |
During the English Civil War, in which city did the Royalists have their headquarters from 1644 to 1645? |
|
Oxford |
2 |
Primrose Day is celebrated annually on 18th April in memory of which former British Prime Minister? |
|
Benjamin Disraeli |
3 |
Who attempted to assassinate Ronald Reagan on 30 March 1981? |
|
John Hinckley |
4 |
Which town in Essex claims to be the oldest town in Britain and was, as Camulodunum, the first capital of Roman Britain? |
|
Colchester |
5 |
Born in Manchester, who was the first Prime Minister to live at Chequers? |
|
David Lloyd George |
6 |
Who is missing from the following list: Abraham Lincoln
in 1861, [blank] in 1881, William McKinley in 1901, John F. Kennedy in 1963? |
|
James Garfield (presidential assassinations) |
7 |
What was the name of Henry VIII's elder brother, who
was married to Catherine of Aragon prior to Henry? |
|
Arthur |
8 |
What relation was Queen Victoria to her predecessor William IV? |
|
Niece |
Supplementaries:
1 |
RMS Titanic had two sister ships. Britannic was one; what was the other? |
|
Olympic |
2 |
In which city was Osama Bin Laden assassinated? |
|
Abbottabad |
Round 2: Geography
1 |
What is the largest landlocked country in Africa? |
|
Chad |
2 |
According to the US Census Bureau, six of the top twenty most populous cities in the
USA are in which state? |
|
Texas (Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Austin, Fort Worth, El Paso) |
3 |
What is the most southerly National Park in England? |
|
Dartmoor |
4 |
In which decade was Cardiff named as capital of Wales? |
|
1950s (1955) |
5 |
After Great Britain and Ireland, what is the third largest island in the British Isles? |
|
Lewis and Harris (841 square miles – accept either Lewis or
Harris) |
6 |
In which African country would you find the Skeleton Coast? |
|
Namibia |
7 |
English is the official language of Namibia. What other European language is recognised as a national language? |
|
German (it was German South West Africa prior to 1915) |
8 |
Scunthorpe is a town in which UK county? |
|
Lincolnshire |
Supplementaries:
1 |
The name of which European capital city translates to
Smoke Cove, Bay of Smoke, or Smoky Bay? |
|
Reykjavik |
2 |
Which of the Great Lakes of North America is smallest? |
|
Lake Ontario (7,340 square miles; Lake Erie is next smallest at 9,910
square miles) |
Round 3: Arts and Entertainment
1 |
Who are the only father and son to have had UK number one hit singles in their own right?
The surname is sufficient. |
|
Julio and Enrique Iglesias (Begin the Beguine 1981, Hero 2002) |
2 |
Who wrote the original story upon which Alfred Hitchcock's film The Birds was based? |
|
Daphne du Maurier |
3 |
What is the first name of Charles Dickens's Mr Micawber character in
David Copperfield? |
|
Wilkins |
4 |
In the music world, how are Guyndash–Manuel de Homem–Christo and Thomas Bangalter professionally known? |
|
Daft Punk |
5 |
Which fellow composer was the father–in–law of Richard Wagner? |
|
Franz Liszt |
6 |
What is the first name of Jane Austen's character Mr. Darcy? |
|
Fitzwilliam |
7 |
The current musical film The Greatest Showman, starring Hugh Jackman, is based on the life of which showman? |
|
Phineas Taylor Barnum |
8 |
Which film was mistakenly named as Best Picture Oscar winner last year (2017)? |
|
La La Land |
Supplementaries:
1 |
Love Never Dies, the sequel to Phantom of the Opera, was co–written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and who else? |
|
Ben Elton |
2 |
In 2006, Ingram Wilcox became the last person to do what on UK television? |
|
Win £1 million
on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (not to be
confused with Charles Ingram who cheated) |
Round 4: Sport
1 |
What was the first city outside Europe to host the summer Olympic Games? |
|
St. Louis, Missouri (1904) |
2 |
Which jockey rode Red Rum to the horse's third Grand National victory in 1977? |
|
Tommy Stack (in 1973 and 1974
it was Brian Fletcher) |
3 |
Great Yarmouth is one of the two horseracing courses in Norfolk. What is the other? |
|
Fakenham |
4 |
Who carried the flag for Team GB at the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics last month (February 2018)? |
|
Lizzy Yarnold |
5 |
The PDC world championship darts trophy is named after whom? |
|
Sid Waddell |
6 |
Which TV presenter is credited with inventing the Mobot – the celebratory stance taken by Mo Farah when he wins a race? |
|
Clare Balding |
7 |
Which football league club plays its home games at the Highbury
Stadium? |
|
Fleetwood Town |
8 |
Silverstone motor racing circuit is in which county? |
|
Northamptonshire |
Supplementaries:
1 |
FINA is the governing body for what sport? |
|
Swimming (Federation
Internationale de Natation – accept water sports) |
2 |
How many points does a touchdown score in American football? |
|
Six |
Round 5: Science
1 |
Occurring in the outer coating of rice and other cereals, how is Vitamin B1 more commonly known? |
|
Thiamine |
2 |
In the medical condition referred to as SIDS, for what does the letter 'I' stand? |
|
Infant (sudden infant death syndrome) |
3 |
To what family of birds did the dodo belong? |
|
Pigeons or Doves (accept Columbidae) |
4 |
Which bone of the body gets its name from an ancient Greek word for cuckoo? |
|
The Coccyx |
5 |
In the medical condition referred to as PTSD, for what does the letter 'T' stand? |
|
Traumatic (post traumatic stress disorder) |
6 |
What protein is the main constituent of human hair, fingernails
and toenails? |
|
Keratin |
7 |
What is the name of NASA's Mars rover, which has been exploring the Gale crater since landing in 2012? |
|
Curiosity |
8 |
Which planet was orbited by NASA's probe Messenger for four years,
from 2011 to 2015? |
|
Mercury |
Supplementaries:
1 |
Which Italian scientist gives his name to the constant
that describes the number of constituent particles contained in one mole of a substance? |
|
Avogadro (Amedeo Avogadro, 1776–1856) |
2 |
From the Latin meaning 'able to grasp', what
adjective is used to describe the tails of monkeys used as an extra limb? |
|
Prehensile |
Round 6: Four–Letter Words
In each case you will be given three different descriptions or clues to a four–letter word. Give the four–letter word in each case.
1 |
Cry made by the bittern; a period of economic growth; a pole carrying recording equipment in a film studio. |
|
Boom |
2 |
An Irish county; soft fluffy feathers; a period of play in American football. |
|
Down |
3 |
A securing device; to run quickly away; a roll of cloth. |
|
Bolt |
4 |
A type of hairstyle; a horseriding whip; the organ of a bird in which food is stored. |
|
Crop |
5 |
A species of fish; an old weapon; a character in a long running TV sitcom. |
|
Pike |
6 |
A drug smuggler; a backless slipper; a beast of burden. |
|
Mule |
7 |
Inability to speak; a species of swan; an attachment for a musical instrument. |
|
Mute |
8 |
A Pacific island east of Guam; a funeral gathering; turbulence created by a vessel passing through water. |
|
Wake |
Supplementaries:
1 |
A plant of the carnation family; a female singer; to misfire as in an internal combustion engine. |
|
Pink |
2 |
A lifting device; a type of flag; a male donkey. |
|
Jack |
Round 7: Gender Benders
In this round each answer is the name of a lady having a surname generally regarded as a male first name.
For example: lead singer with the band Blondie
– Debbie Harry.
In each case, the full name is required.
1 |
American actress born in 1946: various TV shows, best known as Rock Hudson's co–star in
McMillan and Wife. |
|
Susan Saint James |
2 |
American singer, born in 1937: hits included Stupid Cupid, Who's Sorry Now, Lipstick On Your Collar.
She was raped in a motel in 1974. |
|
Connie Francis |
3 |
British actress, 1943–2009: EastEnders, Are You Being Served; accompanied Mike Sarne on the No. 1 hit
Come Outside. |
|
Wendy Richard |
4 |
British actress, born in 1960: TV series include Men Behaving Badly, Jonathan Creek; married to Paul Merton
1990–1998. |
|
Caroline Quentin |
5 |
West Indies–born British actress and TV presenter: Play School, Play Away etc.; former chancellor of the
University of Exeter. Sits in the House of Lords as a Lib–Dem life peer. |
|
Floella Benjamin |
6 |
British actress, born in 1945: partnered Anton du Beke on Strictly Come Dancing in 2016; best known for her role as
'maneater' Dorien Green in the sitcom Birds of a Feather. |
|
Lesley Joseph |
7 |
American actress, born in 1990: Hunger Games, X–Men, best actress Oscar winner 2012;
the world's highest
paid actress in 2015 and 2016. |
|
Jennifer Lawrence |
8 |
American singer, born in 1945: sang the theme song to The Spy Who Loved Me; first artist to win a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Golden
Globe for a song composed written and performed entirely by a single artist; married to James Taylor
from 1972 to 1983. |
|
Carly Simon |
Supplementaries:
1 |
American actress, singer and Broadway star, 1913–1990: leading lady in South Pacific, Peter Pan,
The Sound of Music; mother of actor Larry Hagman. |
|
Mary Martin |
2 |
British actress, born in 1941 in Edinburgh: played Virginia Bellamy in Upstairs, Downstairs; co–starred with John
Alderton in the sitcom My Wife Next Door; the 'face' of Safeway supermarket chain in the 1980s. |
|
Hannah Gordon |
Round 8: The Last Letter
All answers begin with the letter 'Z'.
1 |
First played in New Zealand in 1994: the 'sport' or recreation of rolling downhill inside a large transparent plastic
sphere. |
|
Zorbing |
2 |
The highest mountain in Germany. |
|
The Zugspitze |
3 |
Word derived from the Greek for 'joined', that describes the cell formed following the fertilization of an egg by a
sperm. |
|
Zygote |
4 |
Founded by Robert Mugabe and Joshua Nkomo: the ruling party of Zimbabwe since 1980. |
|
ZANU–PF |
5 |
In chess, a word describing a situation whereby the player must make a move that will worsen their position. |
|
Zugzwang |
6 |
Word derived from the Greek, that describes the science of fermentation. It forms the basis of the name of a
Manchester–based producer of beer, mead and gin. |
|
Zymurgy or zymology (the Manchester producer is named
Zymurgorium) |
7 |
Coronation anthem by Handel, featuring the name of an Old Testament character: sung at the coronation of every British monarch
since Handel composed it for the coronation of George II in 1727. |
|
Zadok the Priest |
8 |
Czechoslovakian born athlete: won the 5,000 metres, 10,000 metres and the marathon at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki |
|
Emil Zatopek |
Supplementaries:
1 |
French footballer sent off in the 2006 World Cup final. |
|
Zinedine Zidane |
2 |
Element with atomic number 40, that comes last in the periodic table when ordered alphabetically. |
|
Zirconum |
General Knowledge
1 |
On what day of the week do French presidential elections normally take place? |
|
Sunday |
2 |
George Bernard Shaw is one of two people to have won both an Oscar and a Nobel prize.
Who is the other? |
|
Bob Dylan |
3 |
A vehicle bearing the international registration letters HR would be from which European country? |
|
Croatia (Hrvatska in Croatian) |
4 |
A vehicle bearing the international registration letters GBA would have been registered where in the British Isles? |
|
Alderney (Channel Islands) |
5 |
According to the title of Katie Melua's hit of 2005, how many bicycles are there in Beijing? |
|
Nine million |
6 |
Seen on plants in springtime, what popular name is given to the foam–encased, plant–sucking nymph of the froghopper
insect? |
|
Cuckoo spit |
7 |
Who is the current deputy leader of the Labour party? |
|
Tom Watson |
8 |
Who is the current Father of the House of Commons? |
|
Kenneth Clarke |
9 |
Who are the only father and son to have scored cricket test match centuries for England? The surname will suffice. |
|
Chris and Stuart Broad (accept surname) |
10 |
On what day of the week do presidential elections in the
USA normally take place? |
|
Tuesday |
11 |
'Larry the Bird' is the logo of which company founded in 2006? |
|
Twitter |
12 |
What type of pastry gets its name from the Greek word for
a leaf? |
|
Filo |
13 |
Snail porridge is a speciality of which chef? |
|
Heston Blumenthal |
14 |
The 'New Look' was a fashion style introduced by which fashion designer in 1947? |
|
Christian Dior |
15 |
Kim Kardashian's eldest daughter shares her FULL NAME with what point of the compass? (full name needed) |
|
North West (Kim Kardashian is married to Kanye West) |
16 |
What academic title is traditionally given to the operator of a Punch and Judy show? |
|
Professor |
17 |
By area, what is Canada's smallest territory or province? |
|
Prince Edward Island |
18 |
Which English Premier League football league team are nicknamed The Terriers and play at the Kirklees / John Smith's stadium? |
|
Huddersfield Town |
19 |
The gold postbox in Macclesfield town centre is dedicated to which Paralympian? |
|
Sarah Storey |
20 |
What is the most southerly state of the USA? |
|
Hawaii |
21 |
Born Henry McCarty in New York city in 1859, died in New Mexico in 1881, how was he better known? |
|
Billy the Kid (accept William H. Bonney) |
22 |
In the army rank 'WO', the 'O' stands for officer, for what does the 'W' stand? |
|
Warrant |
23 |
Cutis anserina and 'horripilation' are both medical terms to describe what involuntary bodily reaction? |
|
Goose pimples |
24 |
Which European capital city was known as Lutetia to the Romans? |
|
Paris |
25 |
According to Benjamin Franklin, "In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and
... " what else? |
|
Taxes |
26 |
According to Thomas Edison, "Genius is one per cent inspiration and ninety nine per cent ... " what else? |
|
Perspiration |
27 |
If you were to arrive at El Prat airport, which major city would you be visiting? |
|
Barcelona |
28 |
If you were to land at Batman airport, in which country would you be? |
|
Turkey |
29 |
The Great Dividing Range is one of the largest mountain ranges in the world.
In which country is it located? |
|
Australia |
30 |
K2 or Mount Godwin–Austen is the world's second highest mountain.
In which range is it located? |
|
The Karakoram |
31 |
Which author was named after the explorer who beat Scott to the South Pole in 1911? |
|
Roald Dahl (after Roald Amundsen) |
32 |
Which organisation manages the London Blue Plaque scheme whereby houses and locations associated with famous persons are identified? |
|
English Heritage (there are other similar schemes around the UK
administered by different organisations) |
33 |
Commonly referred to as the animals' Victoria Cross, the Dickin Medal is awarded by which organisation? |
|
The PDSA (People's Dispensary for Sick Animals) |
34 |
Named after the city of her birth in 1820, who, in 1907, was the first woman to be awarded the Order of Merit? |
|
Florence Nightingale |
35 |
How many seats does the UK have in the European parliament? |
|
73 (accept 71 to 75) |
36 |
Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, is what nationality? |
|
Polish |
37 |
Which winter sports event gets its name from the French word for
a sledge? |
|
Luge |
38 |
In what year was the BBC's Desert Island Discs first broadcast? |
|
1942 (29 January 1942 – accept 1940 to 1944) |
39 |
In what year did the driving test become compulsory in the UK? |
|
1934 (Road Traffic Act 1934 – accept 1932 to 1936) |
40 |
Used in determining the height of a horse, what name is given to the ridge between the animal's shoulder blades? |
|
Withers |
41 |
In Judaism, how is 'The Day Of Atonement' otherwise known? |
|
Yom Kippur |
42 |
Atopic dermatitis is a form of what medical condition? |
|
Eczema |
43 |
Named after a German inventor and industrialist, what is the SI unit of conductance? |
|
Siemens |
44 |
The grouse shooting season begins on 12th August. What name is given to this date? |
|
The Glorious Twelfth |
45 |
As in the previous question, in what circumstance is the Glorious Twelfth sometimes delayed until the 13th? |
|
If the Twelfth falls on a Sunday |
46 |
The national flag of which country bears the motto Ordem e Progresso (order and progress)? |
|
Brazil |
47 |
Which country underwent 'The Rose Revolution' in 2003? |
|
Georgia |
48 |
How many faces does a tetrahedron have? |
|
Four |
49 |
How many sides does a hendecagon have? |
|
Eleven |
50 |
Covering some 1,346 square miles, what is England's largest inland county? |
|
Shropshire |
51 |
Who was Archbishop of Canterbury during the abdication crisis of 1936? |
|
William Cosmo Gordon Lang |
52 |
Rory Graham is the real name of which singer? |
|
Rag 'n' Bone Man |
53 |
Who has been chosen to represent the UK later this year in the Eurovision song contest? |
|
Surie (real name Susanna Marie Cork – song title Storm) |
54 |
Though originating in different languages, the words 'avocado' and
'orchid' both refer to what part of the human body? |
|
Testicles |
55 |
What sporting target is divided into 82 scoring sections? |
|
A standard dartboard |
56 |
In what event of the 1950s did the television audience outnumber the radio audience for the first time in the
UK? |
|
The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II (23m on TV, 11m on the radio) |
57 |
Potamology is the study of what? |
|
Rivers |
58 |
Who had the No. 1 hit single last Christmas (2017) with a track entitled Perfect? |
|
Ed Sheeran |
59 |
Jeremy Clarkson is set to make a return to terrestrial TV in the next few weeks as host of which show, marking the twentieth
anniversary of the show's original broadcast? |
|
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? |
60 |
Doha is the capital of which country? |
|
Qatar |
61 |
Dowsing rods used for water divining etc. are most commonly and traditionally made from the branches of what type of tree? |
|
Hazel |
62 |
In England and Wales, what is the three–digit, free–to–call, non–emergency phone number for the NHS? |
|
111 |
63 |
Name either of the two modern day countries that occupy
the area known to the Romans as Lusitania. |
|
Portugal (mainly) or Spain (partly) |
64 |
Jeff Bezos is the founder, chairman and CEO of which major company? |
|
Amazon |
65 |
The words Aye and No are uttered in the House of Commons by MPs to indicate their support in a vote. What equivalent term
is used in the House of Lords? |
|
Content (and Not Content) |
66 |
Premiered in December last year, what is the sub–title of the most recent Star Wars film? (i.e. Star Wars: Episode
VIII ... what?) |
|
The Last Jedi |
67 |
Along with Bill Gates, who co–founded the Microsoft corporation? |
|
Paul Allen |
68 |
What is the alpha–numeric classification of the road on which the Cat and Fiddle stands on the route between Macclesfield
and Buxton? |
|
A537 |
69 |
Which motorway links London to Cambridge? |
|
M11 |
70 |
What name is given to a male fox? |
|
Dog |
71 |
What name is given to a female hedgehog? |
|
Sow |
72 |
By area, what is Canada's largest territory or province? |
|
Nunavut |
73 |
In Samuel Beckett's play, name either of the two main characters who are Waiting for Godot. |
|
Vladimir or Estragon |
74 |
In Tom Stoppard's play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, the eponymous characters first appeared in which of
Shakespeare's plays? |
|
Hamlet |
75 |
In the music world, which band is comprised of brothers Caleb, Nathan and Jared Followill, and their cousin Matthew Followill? |
|
Kings of Leon |
76 |
Who is the supreme governor of the Church of England? |
|
HM the Queen, Elizabeth II |
77 |
Malcolm Turnbull is the current Prime Minister of what country? |
|
Australia |
78 |
Comprising part of the constellation Orion, how many stars make up Orion's Belt? |
|
Three |
79 |
What breed of dog was named Best in Show at this year's Crufts dog show? |
|
Whippet |
80 |
In the name of animal rights organisation PETA, for what does the letter 'E' stand? |
|
Ethical (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) |
81 |
In which mountain range, part of the Appalachians, did Washington Irving's Rip Van Winkle go to sleep for twenty years? |
|
The Catskills |
82 |
Mary Lou McDonald became the new leader of which political party on February 10th this year? |
|
Sinn Fein (she replaced Gerry Adams) |
83 |
Dakota Johnson, star of the Fifty Shades films, is the daughter of actor Don Johnson and which actress? |
|
Melanie Griffith |
84 |
Which horse won this year's Cheltenham Gold Cup? |
|
Native River |
85 |
Which club knocked Manchester United out of this year's Champions League? |
|
Sevilla |
86 |
What type of creature is a klipspringer? |
|
Antelope |
87 |
In the UK, road crossings designed specifically for pedestrians and cyclists are named after what bird? |
|
Toucan |
88 |
The substance used to poison former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia belongs to what group of nerve agents,
the name translating from Russian to English as 'newcomer'? |
|
Novichoks |
89 |
Why was the start of the 2005 Aintree Grand National delayed by 25 minutes? |
|
So as not to clash with Charles and Camilla's wedding |
90 |
A 'whitlow' is an infection affecting what part of the body? |
|
A fingernail, or the tip of a finger (accept finger) |
91 |
The Dacia automobile company has its headquarters in what country? |
|
Romania |
92 |
In which country does the Proton motor vehicle company have its headquarters? |
|
Malaysia |
93 |
What is the most famous product produced by the Lofthouse company of Fleetwood? |
|
Fisherman's Friends (throat pastilles) |
94 |
What product was advertised with the slogan "Good to the last drop"? |
|
Maxwell House coffee |
95 |
Which actor provided the voice of Donkey in the 2001 film
Shrek? |
|
Eddie Murphy |
96 |
What is the name of the Macclesfield born Paralympian athlete, winner of one gold, two silver and one bronze medal at this
year's Winter Paralympic Games? |
|
Menna Fitzpatrick |
Supplementaries:
1 |
Juba is the capital of which African country? |
|
South Sudan |
2 |
Who is General Secretary of the Unite trade union? |
|
Len McCluskey |
3 |
Which London underground line was the first to be operational? |
|
The Metropolitan Line (10 Jan 1863) |
4 |
What is the top personal military medal for bravery in the USA? |
|
The Medal of Honor (also known as the Congressional Medal of Honour) |
5 |
To what family of birds does the robin belong? |
|
The thrush family |
6 |
The 1956 Olympic Games were held in Melbourne, but due to quarantine regulations the equestrian events were held in which city? |
|
Stockholm |
7 |
Willem–Alexander is the current king of which country? |
|
The Netherlands |
8 |
Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream is set in and around which city? |
|
Athens |
© Macclesfield Quiz League 2018