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2017–18 Season
Week 2

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Specialist Rounds
General Knowledge

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2017–18 Season: Week 2 – 17 October 2017

Specialist Rounds

Round 1: Clearly Scientific

Unlike last week, all these questions are about science – more particularly transparency in the appliance of science.

(Webmaster's note: in fairness to last week's question setters, I feel I should point out that there was a perfectly scientific Science round last week, as well as the tongue-in-cheek "Science ... but not really" round.)

1 What type of sand is used in the manufacture of glass?
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2 Polymethyl methacrylate or PMMA, is also also known as what?
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3 Swiss chemist Jacques E. Brandenberger patented what transparent product, made from regenerated cellulose, in 1912?
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4 Who invented the float glass process in that was announced to the public in 1959?
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5 In the float glass process, a continuous ribbon of glass moves out of the melting furnace and floats along the surface of a bath of molten what?
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6 The degree to which light is 'bent' or changes direction when it passes through various clear or semi–clear materials is termed what property (or 'index') of that material?
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7 The dioptre is the unit of refractive power, which is equal to the reciprocal of the 'what' (in metres) of a given lens.
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8 The clarity of what crystal is measured on an international scale with 6 categories and 11 grades. The categorisation into FL, IF, VS, WS, SI or I is related to the presence of inclusions such as feathers, clouds or cleavage, with the best grade being FL, or flawless.
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Supplementaries:

S1 What name is given to the thin clear mucous membrane that covers the white of the eye and inside of the eyelid?
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S2 What professional person might use a Snellen Chart to measure clarity?
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Round 2: General Knowledge

(General will appear in the question, or answer to the questions)

1 A 1969 Dodge Charger called the General Lee was driven by cousins Bo and Luke in which series?
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2 Who starred in the The General, the 1926 American silent comedy film inspired by the Great Locomotive Chase of 1862?
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3 What subsidiary of General Motors was sold to PSA Groupe in 2017?
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4 Arnold Weinstock, later Baron Weinstock, was managing director of which British company from 1963 to 1996? Comments on the question
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5 Major–General Arthur Wellesley commanded British and Indian forces in the successful two day siege of the fort of Ahmednuggur. What was his title when he died?
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6 Which D–Day commander went on to become president of the United States of America?
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7 Which tank, when used by the British army, was named after a US Civil War General, and is also the subject of an Airfix model?
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8 General George Wade was responsible for more than 240 miles of what in Scotland?
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Supplementaries:

S1 Although the title was never bestowed by Parliament, what inquisitive office did Matthew Hopkins claim to hold in the two years prior to his death in 1647?
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S2 Who was co–founder and first leader of the Salvation Army?
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Round 3: History (In Their Own Words)

1 On Match of the Day on 19 August 1995, who said "you'll never win anything with kids"? Comments on the question
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2 Which American said "Ich bin ein Berliner" on 26th June 1963?
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3 Whose notebook entry of the 10 March 1876 refers to the sentence "Mr. Watson – come here – I want to see you"?
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4 On 19 November 1863 whose address began "Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal"?
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5 Which French Revolutionary said on the 3rd December 1792, "Louis must die because the nation must live"?
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6 Which inventor signed and sealed his specification for patent number 913, entitled My New lnvented Method Of Lessening The Consumption Of Steam And Fuel in Fire Engines, on the 25th April 1769? Comments on the question
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7 Who wrote, in a letter to Robert Hooke dated the 5th of February 1676, "If I have seen further, it is by standing upon ye shoulders of giants"?
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8 Who wrote the book Discourse on the Method of Rightly Conducting One's Reason and of Seeking Truth in the Sciences, containing the phrase "je pense donc je suis" which was finally printed on the 8th June 1637? Comments on the question
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Supplementaries:

S1 Who, before being beheaded on 19 May 1536, said "O Lord have mercy on me, to God I commend my soul. To Jesus Christ I commend my soul; Lord Jesu receive my soul."
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S2 Whose speech at Tilbury on the 9th August 1588 included the words "I know I have the body of a weak, feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king"?
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Round 4: Artistic and Literary Locations

1 According to the lyric, in which road is there a shop where the barber is "showing photographs of every head he's had the pleasure to have known"?
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2 Complete the lyric: "Millions of people swarming like flies 'round [blank] underground"?
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3 W. B. Yeats's poem Lake lsle of Innisfree refers to a feature in which Irish county? Comments on the question
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4 What bridge inspired William Wordsworth's line "Earth has not anything to show more fair"?
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5 The dining room of The Elms was used by LS Lowry as his studio. Where is The Elms? Comments on the question
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6 Which Normandy village is famous for the paintings of a pond in it?
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7 The book A Time of Gifts records the first part of a journey on foot from London to where?
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8 In which country does the book As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning finish?
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Supplementaries:

S1 The seaside village of Llareggub is the setting for which 1954 radio drama?
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S2 My Family and Other Animals is an autobiography set on which Greek island?
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Round 5: Metaphysical Geography

1 Which school is near the village of Hogsmeade?
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2 Airstrip One is in which superstate?
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3 In the poem, where did the sacred River Alph run?
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4 Melborough (or Melborough Town FC) are the cross town 'noisy neighbours' to which comically successful football club?
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5 The railway from Tidmouth to Vicarstown (and thence to Barrow on the mainland) is on which island?
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6 In the Shire, which river separates Eastfarthing from Buckland?
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7 The tallest mountain near which city is called the Murderhorn?
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8 Which pub is on a corner of Rosamund Street?
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Supplementaries:

S1 The River Ankh joins the Circle Sea near which city?
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S2 Casterbridge is in which region of England?
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Round 6 (Sport): The Rules of the Game

1 Which racquet sport must be played on a doubly asymmetric court featuring a dedan, a tambour and penthouses?
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2 In which sport does the referee inspect competitors' finger and toe nails before play commences? Comments on the question
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3 What men's sport uses a ball that must weigh between 5½ and 5¾ ounces when new?
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4 The R&A (formerly the Royal and Ancient) together with one other organisation, govern the sport of golf worldwide. The two bodies operate in separate jurisdictions while sharing a commitment to a iingte code for the Rules of Golf, Rules of Amateur Status and Equipment Standards. Name either of the two countries not under the jurisdiction of the R&A.
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5 In the professional game, how far from the board is the oche? (There is a little leeway.) Comments on the question
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6 The rules for which 2014 tournament required water breaks to be taken if the temperature on the pitch reached 32 degrees Celsius?
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7 In which Olympic sport do the rules require the playing surface to be divided by a net 15.25cm high?
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8 The Macclesfield Pool League runs competitions under two different sets of rules. One set is the World Rules produced by the World Eightball Pool Federation. Who produced the other set?
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Supplementaries:

S1 Which ball game must be played on a principal playing area 100ft long by 50ft wide with a minimum headroom of 7.50m? Comments on the question
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S2 Name one of the four sports where alcohol (ethanol) is prohibited 'In–Competition' only?
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Round 7: Words Will Never Hurt Me

1 Which English word, defined as "a cruel and vicious ruffian", has its origins in the name of a group of professional robbers and murderers in India who strangled their victims?
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2 Which slang word meaning "temporarily deranged or feeble–minded" has its origins in the name of a town near Mumbai in India where a military fever hospital was located?
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3 Burlington Bertie, a fictional young and idle aristocrat, was the subject of various music hall and film songs in the 20th Century. His name is also used as bookmakers' rhyming slang for which set of racing odds?
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4 What adjective, used commonly to describe companies or investments of particularly high quality and reliability, somewhat ironically takes its name from a very high stake in a gambling card game?
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5 What would kings in Thailand give to unruly subjects as an expensive and prestigious gift, in the full expectation that the gift would in time prove to be more trouble than it was worth?
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6 What English word, defined as "out of control with anger or excitement; wild or frenzied", has its origin in the name of ancient Norse warriors who fought with a trance–like fury?
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7 The name of which huge and long–established Japanese company with worldwide activities in electronic, railways and machinery, translates literally as "sunrise" in Japanese?
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8 What was the name of the bartender at the Lone Star Saloon in Chicago, who found a way to incapacitate and rob some of his customers? Newspapers in 1903 reported his trial, and the bartender's name and the nature of his crime became linked.
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Supplementaries:

S1 Which popular UK brand name, originally synonymous with corned beef but later for steak pies, takes its name from the Uruguayan city where the meat processing first took place?
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S2 Which Russian word translates into English as "openness" and refers to a more consultative and open approach to government initiated by Gorbachev from 1985?
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Round 8: Something Completely Different

1 In what year did Monty Python's Flying Circus first appear on TV?
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2 What was the title of the theme music used for the TV Series?
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3 How many creators and writers were there in the Monty Python team?
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4 Which actress appeared in 30 (some sources say 34) of the 45 episodes of the TV programme, and all four films?
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5 Who was the animator in the Monty Python team?
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6 In the Dead Parrot sketch, who played the proprietor of the pet shop?
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7 Who expected the Spanish Inquisition?
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8 In the Monty Python film The Meaning of Life, who exploded after consuming an enormous meal finished off with a wafer thin mint?
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Supplementaries:

S1 Who was the former wife of John Cleese, who appeared in six of the Monty Python TV shows and two of the films?
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S2 In the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, who played King Arthur?
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General Knowledge

1 Which Welsh actor's roles have included David Frost, Tony Blair and Brian Clough?
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2 What name is given to the strong winds found in the Southern Hemisphere, generally between latitudes 40 degrees and 50 degrees?
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3 Which unit of length is also the word used to describe the rhythmic pattern of a poem?
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4 In the Chinese calendar, 28 January 2017 initiates the year of which creature?
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5 Orbis non sufficit is the family motto of which fictional character?
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6 In the lubricant and rust–prevention spray WD–40, what does the D stand for?
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7 By what name are the TV duo Barry and Paul Elliott better known?
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8 Why was the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest winner, Salvador Sobral (from Portugal) in the news in September and October 2017?
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9 In Indian cuisine, what specifically is kulfi?
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10 Who was the first woman to win the Booker prize twice? Comments on the question
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11 Latin and Greek are two of the alphabets found on banknotes for the Euro currency. What is the third? Comments on the question
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12 William Holman Hunt, John Everett Millais and Dante Gabriel Rossetti were the principal members of which radical group of artists?
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l3 Traditionally, what part of a butchered animal are the 'lights'?
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14 What was the last black and white film to win the Oscar for Best Picture?
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15 On a ship, what is kept in the binnacle?
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16 Which four letter word is used to describe a website that allows anyone to add or amend its content?
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17 In 2017, the last man to walk on the moon died. What was his name? Comments on the question
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18 In 2016, the Government introduced the National Living Wage for workers aged 25 and over. What is the current rate per hour? Comments on the question
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19 What name is given to plants that store water in their thickened, fleshy leaves or stems?
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20 Who was the first non–European Secretary General of the United Nations?
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21 In which decade was the Tour de France staged for the first time?
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22 In 2017, the tallest bridge in the UK opened – over which body of water?
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23 In 2017, Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty were severely embarassed while presenting at the Oscars. What happened?
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24 As a tourist, if you visited the Grand Palace and the Sacred Temple of the Emerald Buddha, in which capital city would you be?
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25 What has been the official residence of Presidents of France since 1848?
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26 What is the county town of Northumberland?
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27 According to the Bible, who was the father of David?
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28 What hoisting apparatus used on ships, docks, and in construction and oil extraction, is named after an Elizabethan hangman?
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29 Which famous scientist said "Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one"? Comments on the question
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30 In which year was the minimum voting age lowered from 21 to 18 years of age?
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31 Which aid to calculation was invented by clergyman William Oughtred in Cambridge in 1622?
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32 At the recent Conservative party conference, during Theresa May's speech, a prankster presented her with what?
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33 The 1974 'Rumble in the Jungle' between Mohammad Ali and George Foreman was held in which African capital city?
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34 The Women's Football Euros were played this summer. England were defeated in the semi–finals by which team that went on to win the tournament?
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35 What colour jersey does the leader of the Vuelta a Espana cycle race (won by Chris Froome in 2017) wear?
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36 Which knighted English actor, critically acclaimed for many roles and famed around the world for the iconic 'chestburster' scene in Alien, died in 2017?
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37 What was the last pitched battle fought on British soil?
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38 The Red Bull Ring is the Formula 1 venue for which country?
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39 In golf, what is a 'golden ferret'?
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40 The Baltimore Bullet is a nickname given to which famous swimmer?
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41 Name the highest tree layer of a tropical rainforest.
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42 Which Horseman of the Apocalypse rode a pale horse?
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43 Where in the British lsles is the Battle of Flowers held in August each year?
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44 Which British tennis player has recently been banned for one year after a positive cocaine test?
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45 In the Sikh religion, what is a kirpan? (QM: please spell kirpan)
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46 To which part of the body do the two carotid arteries carry blood?
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47 Mycology is the scientific study of what?
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48 According to the Book of Genesis, what did God set in the sky as a promise that he would never again destroy the world through a flood?
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49 Name the Second World War warship, now a museum, that is moored near Tower Bridge, London.
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50 What nationality was the inventor of the centigrade thermometer scale, Anders Celsius?
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51 In the Government's Autumn 2016 budget statement, they pledged to help a group of people described as JAMs. What does the M in JAM stand for?
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52 In Australia, what is the capital city of the Northern Territory?
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53 Robert Gascoyne–Cecil, who served three terms as British PM, was the Marquess of where?
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54 Name one of the two European Capitals of Culture for 2017. Comments on the question
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55 Irish leader Eamon de Valera was saved from execution by the British after the 1916 Easter Rising partly because of his birthplace. In which country was he born?
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56 In what year did the first space shuttle, named Columbia, make its maiden flight? Comments on the question
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57 Before 1879, what did a man accept from a recruiting sergeant that legally bound him to serve as an enlisted soldier? Comments on the question
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58 Known as 'PW' and 'the Big Crocodile', who was president of South Africa before F. W. de Klerk?
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59 Which ship was the pride of Henry VIII's fleet until it sank in the Solent in 1545? It was raised in 1982 and is on display in Portsmouth.
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60 In World War Two, Operation Barbarossa was the codename for what invasion by the Nazis?
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61 In Scotland, what is the name for a man's cap, Highland in origin, creased from back to front and worn with small streamers at the back?
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62 Which London theatre has the same name as a rare silvery–white metal with atomic number 46? Comments on the question
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63 In 2017, which British author was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature?
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64 An archaic naval punishment was a severe whipping, meted out on the top deck. Which well–known saying reputedly originated from this? Comments on the question
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65 Who was convicted with Robert Thompson of the murder of James Bulger in 1993?
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66 In biology, what is the name for a relationship between two different living organisms, where they both gain benefit? Comments on the question
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67 In 2017, which UK company was named top Superbrand for UK consumers? It subsequently let many customers down, blaming computer problems.
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68 Where in the human body is the corpus callosum? Comments on the question
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69 In 2017, which cricketer took his 500th test wicket for England, entering the all–time top three of pace bowlers?
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70 Who was the mother of both Richard the Lionheart and King John?
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71 In 1941, David Stirling founded which famous military force?
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72 What do sailors call the phantom ship of evil omen, reputed to appear off the Cape of Good Hope?
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73 In 2013, who became the first Pope to resign for 600 years? Comments on the question
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74 Who was the wife of Henry VII (the 7th), the first Tudor monarch?
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75 Name one of the African countries that only have four letters in their name.
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76 The registration plate for which famous vehicle reads 'SCV 1'? Comments on the question
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77 Belmopan is the capital city of which Commonwealth country?
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78 Yggdrasil, which connects the nine worlds in Norse cosmology, is what type of tree?
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79 Who is the twin sister of the Greek god, Apollo?
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80 Which bone of the pelvis is also an alternative name for the ancient city of Troy?
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81 Which composer wrote the piece for children, Peter and the Wolf?
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82 Which common alcoholic drink has a name that means 'water of life'?
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83 Who is the new, female Strictly Come Dancing judge for the 2017 series?
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84 Some German words have an accent which consists of two little dots above a letter (letter 'u' for example). What is it called?
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85 The "gin–soaked, bar–room queen" from the Rolling Stones' song Honky Tonk Women lives in which city?
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86 Which British supermarket chain sold out to US retailer Walmart in 1999?
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87 What was the name of David Bowie's backing group in the early 1970s (active 1970 to 1973 and 1975 to 1976)? Comments on the question
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88 Which Modernist British sculptor and artist has a museum named after her in her home town of Wakefield?
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89 How many champagne bottles would be needed to fill a Nebuchadnezzar?
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90 The song The Rhythm of Life comes from which musical?
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91 Which sauce, originating in Genoa, is made from garlic, pine nuts, basil and Parmesan cheese?
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92 What is the largest county in the Republic of Ireland?
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93 According to the nursery rhyme, what do seven magpies signify?
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94 Sandi Toksvig is one of the two new presenters of The Great British Bake Off. Who is the other?
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95 Which garden flower's name is thought to derive from the French for 'to think'? Comments on the question
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96 Osmophobia is a fear of what?
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Supplementaries

S1 Which sport is played at an important US venue called Valhalla?
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S2 Who won the BBC's Celebrity Masterchef in September 2017?
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S3 In the Labour Party Leadership Election of 2016, Jeremy Corbyn defeated which politician?
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S4 Who captained the 2017 England Women's World Cup winning cricket team?
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S5 Whose autobiography was entitled A Stupid Boy?
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S6 Titania, Oberon, Ariel and Miranda are moons of which planet?
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