2017–18 Season: Week 1 – 9 October 2018
All questions set by the Ox–fford.
Specialist Rounds
Round 1: Brexit!!!
How could we let the first quiz of the season go by without nodding in the direction of everyone's favourite subject and all things European Union
– why do you never hear anything about this on the news these days ... ?
1 |
In what year did the United Kingdom join the EU predecessor The Common Market? |
|
1973 (no leeway) |
2 |
In 1992, the European Union was created by the signing of a Treaty named after which City? |
|
Maastricht |
3 |
Who is the EU Chief Negotiator for Brexit? |
|
Michel Barnier |
4 |
Who is the UK Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union (since July this year)? |
|
Dominic Raab |
5 |
What number Article of the Lisbon Treaty that must be enacted for Brexit to take place? |
|
Article 50 |
6 |
As a round number, what percentage of the UK population voted to leave the EU in the 2016 referendum? |
|
|
52% (51.89% Leave, 48.11% Remain) |
7 |
Who is the Shadow Brexit Secretary? |
|
Sir Keir
Starmer |
8 |
Which politician is generally credited as being the first to say Brexit means "Brexit" (whatever that means!)? |
|
Theresa May |
Supplementaries:
S1 |
What date did Nigel Farage say should be declared UK Independence Day? |
|
23 June (the date of the referendum) |
S2 |
How many "tests for Brexit" does the Labour Party have? |
|
Six |
Round 2: Sport (in 2018)
As we move towards the back end of 2018, it seems a good time to reflect on the highs and lows of the sporting year ...
1 |
Who did France defeat in the 2018 FIFA World Cup Final? |
|
Croatia (4–2) |
2 |
Francesco Molinari became the first golfer from which country to win a golf major following his 2018 Open Championship win? |
|
Italy |
3 |
Who won the 2018 Tour de France cycle race (that well known event for athletes with addiction issues ... )? |
|
Geraint Thomas |
4 |
At the 2018 World Snooker Championships, which player lost in the first round having won the title for the previous two years? |
|
Mark Selby |
5 |
Which Rugby Union team, who have either won or finished runner–up in the last three Premiership season, have just
started this season with six consecutive wins? |
|
Exeter Chiefs (accept Exeter) |
6 |
Which Ferrari Formula One Driver has recently endured a poor run of races allowing Lewis Hamilton to take a large lead in the
2018 Championship? |
|
Sebastian Vettel |
7 |
Which male tennis player won both Wimbledon and the US Open this year to take his tally of Grand Slam singles titles to 14? |
|
Novak Djokovic |
8 |
Which team won the 2018 Cricket County Championship? |
|
Surrey |
Supplementaries:
S1 |
Which British female athlete won the 100m and 200m gold medals at the European Championships in Berlin? |
|
Dina
Asher–Smith |
S2 |
How many gold medals did Adam Peaty win at the European Swimming Championships in Glasgow? |
|
Four (50 & 100m breastroke, 4x100m mixed medley and 4x100 men's
medley) |
Round 3: Science
No theme here beyond (hopefully) science ...
1 |
The colour of human skin, the iris and hair is principally caused by which pigment? |
|
Melanin |
2 |
AX squared plus BX plus C equals 0 is what type of equation? |
|
Quadratic |
3 |
The BCG vaccine gives partial protection against which disease? |
|
Tuberculosis |
4 |
What is the injection of an anaesthetic in the spinal canal prior to childbirth? |
|
Epidural |
5 |
In the human body, what is the more common name for the scapula? |
|
Shoulder blade |
6 |
Iodine is necessary for the functioning of which gland in the body? |
|
Thyroid |
7 |
What is the common name for Ethylene Glycol? |
|
Antifreeze |
8 |
By what name is nitrous oxide more commonly known when used as an anaesthetic? |
|
Laughing gas (Accept "sweet air") |
Supplementaries:
S1 |
Which planet has a period of revolution around the Sun of 224.7 days? |
|
Venus |
S2 |
Two types of particle form the nucleus of an atom. Name either. |
|
Proton or neutron |
Round 4: Geography
Nothing too outrageous here; just identify the country from its given general location in the world and (most crucially) its capital city.
1 |
European country, capital Zagreb. |
|
Croatia |
2 |
Middle Eastern country, capital Doha. |
|
Qatar |
3 |
African country, capital Rabat. |
|
Morocco |
4 |
Central American country, capital San José. |
|
Costa Rica |
5 |
European country, capital Kiev. |
|
Ukraine |
6 |
African country, capital Luanda. |
|
Angola |
7 |
Island in the North Atlantic, capital Hamilton. |
|
Bermuda |
8 |
South American country, capital Georgetown. |
|
Guyana |
Supplementaries:
S1 |
South East Asian country, capital Vientiane. |
|
Laos |
S2 |
European country, capital Yerevan. |
|
Armenia |
Round 5: Arts and Entertainment
1 |
Which Tchaikovsky ballet told the story of a princess named Odette who was turned into a bird by a sorcerer's curse? |
|
Swan Lake |
2 |
French author René Goscinny died on the 5th of November 1977 – which character was his most famous creation? |
|
Asterix (the Gaul) |
3 |
Who was the incurable optimist in Charles Dickens's David Copperfield? |
|
Mr. Micawber |
4 |
Which Chekhov drama deals with a professor's return to his family home with his new, young, second wife? |
|
|
Uncle Vanya |
5 |
What was the title of the 1981 series of stage charity benefits for Amnesty International featuring members of the
Monty Python team, Peter Cook and Rowan Atkinson amongst others? |
|
The Secret Policeman's Ball |
6 |
Who starred as a snowman in the 1998 film Jack Frost, and played the title roles in Batman and
Beetlejuice, before finding award success with Birdman in 2014? |
|
|
Michael Keaton |
7 |
Italian–born clown Charlie Cairoli performed at which English circus every summer season for forty years
– a world record for the most performances at a single venue? |
|
Blackpool Tower Circus |
8 |
Which classical dance company was founded by Dame Alicia Markova and Sir Anton Dolin and is based at Markova House
in South Kensington, London? |
|
English National Ballet |
|
Supplementaries:
S1 |
In 1993, which Radio One presenter resigned live on air with the words; "changes are being made here which go against my
principles and I just cannot agree with them"? |
|
|
Dave Lee Travis |
S2 |
Which Nobel prize winning English playwright's works include The Birthday Party, Celebration, The Caretaker and Ashes To
Ashes? |
|
Harold Pinter |
Round 6: The Ninth of October
All these questions are about things that happened in the past on this day, the 9th of October.
1 |
On this day in 2006, which Asian country tested its first nuclear device? |
|
North Korea |
2 |
Which Argentine born revolutionary who helped Fidel Castro win power in Cuba was shot dead on this day in 1967 after being
captured by Bolivian Army Troops? |
|
Che Guevara |
3 |
The capital of Tasmania was founded on this day in 1804 – what is its name? |
|
Hobart |
4 |
Which German businessman, credited with saving 1,200 Jews from the Holocaust by employing them at his enamel–works factory
in Krakow, died at the age of 66 on this day in 1974? |
|
Oskar Schindler |
5 |
On this day in 1981, what was abolished in France? |
|
Capital punishment |
|
6 |
One of Newcastle's greatest ever players and scorer of both goals in their 1951 FA Cup win, which footballer died aged 64
on this day in 1988? |
|
Jackie Milburn |
7 |
Which song was at the top of the UK charts on this day in 1993 for Take That featuring guest vocals from Lulu? |
|
Relight My Fire |
8 |
On this day in 1970, the Khmer Republic was founded in which country? |
|
Cambodia |
Supplementaries:
S1 |
Which member of The Beatles was born in Liverpool on this day in 1940? |
|
John Lennon |
S2 |
Which British middle–distance runner and winner of the 800 metres gold medal at the Moscow Olympics was born on this day
in 1955? |
|
Steve Ovett |
Round 7: History
1 |
Who is considered the first Prime Minister of the United Kingdom? |
|
Sir Robert Walpole |
2 |
What was French revolutionary Jean–Paul Marat doing when he was stabbed to death on 13 July 1793 by the
Royalist Charlotte Corday? |
|
Taking a bath |
|
3 |
Which European explorer discovered the Hawaiian Islands in 1778? |
|
James Cook |
4 |
What name was given to the non–violent revolution that took place in Czechoslovakia in 1989 which saw the collapse of
communism in the country? |
|
Velvet Revolution |
5 |
Convicted of the murder of her lover, David Blakely and hanged at Holloway Prison in 1955, who was the last woman to receive
the death penalty in the UK? |
|
Ruth Ellis |
6 |
Which Roman emperor married Calpurnia in 59 BC? |
|
Julius Caesar |
7 |
The Amazons of Greek mythology lived in Pontus which is part of which modern–day country? |
|
Turkey |
8 |
What did the Russian Empire sell to America in 1867 for around $7.2million? |
|
Alaska |
Supplementaries:
S1 |
What was the name of the man wrongly convicted of the murder of TV presenter Jill Dando in 1999? |
|
Barry George (accept Barry Bulsara) |
S2 |
Ernest Saunders was released from prison early because he had the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease but then immediately
appeared to have forgotten all about his ailment – he had manipulated the share price of which company? |
|
Guinness |
Round 8: Homonyms
Homonyms, broadly defined, are words which sound alike or are spelled alike, but have different meanings. In this round, you have to give the word
that fills both definitions.
For example:
A flow of electricity and up to date |
|
Current |
1 |
An alcoholic drink and a type of trap for catching small animals. |
|
Gin |
2 |
A game bird and to grumble or complain. |
|
Grouse |
3 |
An amphibian and the underside of a horse's hoof. |
|
Frog |
4 |
An evergreen shrub used for hedging and a case or container. |
|
Box |
5 |
A leaf plant known as arugula in the USA and a self–propelled missile. |
|
Rocket |
6 |
A burrowing animal and a skin blemish. |
|
Mole |
7 |
A songbird and an amusing jape. |
|
Lark |
8 |
A burial place and solemn. |
|
Grave |
Supplementaries:
S1 |
Unlawful killing and a collection of crows. |
|
Murder |
S2 |
A Chinese ship and rubbish. |
|
Junk |
Don't let the last supplementary shape your view of these questions!
General Knowledge
1 |
Which organisation has the motto Nation shall speak peace unto Nation? |
|
BBC |
2 |
Which type of pasta's name means little worms? |
|
Vermicelli |
3 |
What kind of creature is a dik–dik? |
|
Antelope |
4 |
Chicago borders which of the five Great Lakes? |
|
Lake Michigan |
5 |
One of the most decorated US soldiers in World War II later became a Hollywood actor. What was his name? |
|
Audie Murphy |
6 |
Who is the patron saint of children? |
|
|
St. Nicholas of Bari (accept St. Nicholas) |
7 |
The axilla is the anatomical term for which part of the body? |
|
Armpit |
8 |
What was the last black and white film to win the Oscar for Best Picture? |
|
The Artist (2011) |
9 |
Which London Underground line, opened in the 1970's, is coloured silver on the maps? |
|
Jubilee Line |
10 |
What was the American codename for the development of the atom bomb? |
|
Manhattan Project |
11 |
In which film would you hear the line "I feel the need – the need for speed!"? |
|
Top Gun |
12 |
In the UK, how is infectious mononucleosis more commonly known? |
|
Glandular fever |
13 |
Real Madrid have won the most UEFA Champions League titles having won the competition 13 times. Which team is second in the
all–time winners list with seven titles? |
|
|
AC Milan (not Inter Milan!) |
14 |
With which instrument was the jazz musician Dave Brubeck associated? |
|
Piano |
15 |
Which was Ian Fleming's first James Bond novel? |
|
Casino Royale |
16 |
Which organisation's name is Latin for table? |
|
Mensa |
17 |
Which sculptor's work includes The Burghers of Calais and The Kiss? |
|
Rodin |
18 |
Into which sea does the River Volga flow? |
|
The Caspian Sea |
19 |
In Greek mythology, what name was given to the legendary fire–breathing monster that had the head of a lion, the body of
a goat and the tail of a serpent? |
|
Chimera |
20 |
Which English Victorian novelist and poet lived at Max Gate on the outskirts of Dorchester? |
|
Thomas Hardy |
21 |
From which plant is vanilla obtained? |
|
Orchid |
22 |
What is the name of the famous 15th century canon on display at Edinburgh Castle? |
|
Mons Meg |
23 |
Which London landmark's real name is the Shaftesbury Memorial? |
|
Statue of Eros in Piccadilly Circus (accept Eros) |
24 |
Who was the last man to walk on the moon? |
|
Eugene (Gene) Cernan |
25 |
Who is the only British Prime Minister to have been buried in St Paul's Cathedral? |
|
Duke of Wellington |
26 |
Tommy Shelby leads his gang in which British TV drama centred around Birmingham? |
|
Peaky Blinders |
27 |
A car with the international license plate code of IL comes from which country? |
|
Israel |
28 |
What name is given to a Champagne bottle four times the size of a standard 750ml bottle? |
|
Jeroboam |
29 |
Five countries have borders with Switzerland. France and Germany are two; name one of the other three. |
|
Italy, Austria or Liechtenstein |
30 |
What is the name of the first female Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police? |
|
Cressida Dick |
31 |
Who first spoke the famous phrase "Veni, Vidi, Vici" (I came, I saw, I conquered)? |
|
Julius Caesar |
32 |
What is the final word of the book of Revelation, the last book of the New Testament? |
|
Amen |
33 |
What is the chemical process by which a solid turns directly to a gas, bypassing the liquid phase? |
|
Sublimation |
34 |
Which luxury car manufacturer has a trident as its logo? |
|
Maserati |
35 |
Which American politician's 2017 biography was entitled What Happened? |
|
|
Hilary Clinton |
36 |
Whose picture is on the reverse of the new polymer £10 note? |
|
Jane Austen |
37 |
Which plant is commonly known as the butterfly bush? |
|
Buddleia |
38 |
What is the capital of the Australian state of Queensland? |
|
Brisbane |
39 |
How many degrees does each numbered section of a dartboard measure? |
|
18 degrees |
40 |
Which actress played Professor Pomona Sprout in the Harry Potter films? |
|
Miriam Margolyes |
41 |
In which country is Damascus, according to some sources the oldest continually inhabited city in the world? |
|
Syria |
42 |
Which bird is sometimes known as the 'sea parrot'? |
|
Puffin |
43 |
In card games such as poker and brag, what name is given to a hand where all the cards are from the same suit? |
|
Flush |
44 |
Which was the highest–grossing film of 2017 worldwide? |
|
Star Wars Episode
VIII: The Last Jedi (accept The Last Jedi) |
45 |
Where in London are the Grace Gates, designed by Herbert Baker? |
|
Lord's Cricket ground |
46 |
Two people have hosted the BBC quiz show Eggheads. Name either. |
|
Jeremy Vine or Dermot Murnaghan |
47 |
Which London football team are known as the Addicks? |
|
|
Charlton Athletic |
48 |
The University Boat Race passes under two bridges. Hammersmith Bridge is one, what is the other? |
|
Barnes Bridge |
49 |
Who preceded Ed Miliband as permanent leader of the Labour Party? |
|
Gordon Brown |
50 |
Which English King is commemorated in a statue by Carlo Marochetti situated just outside the House of Lords? |
|
|
Richard the Lionheart (Richard I) |
51 |
Who wrote the following lines about Ramses II? "My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings, Look upon my works, ye mighty,
and despair" |
|
|
Shelley |
52 |
Which Australian bird is also known as the 'laughing jackass'? |
|
|
Kookaburra |
53 |
Which North of England city's cathedral and castle were declared a World Heritage Site in 1986? |
|
Durham |
54 |
Who created the first effective vaccine for smallpox? |
|
Edward Jenner |
55 |
Which car manufacturer was bought in 1947 by Huddersfield gear and machine tools manufacturer David Brown, who became
crucial to the company's future success? |
|
Aston Martin (the DB cars are named after him) |
56 |
Who wrote the novel Howard's End? |
|
E. M. Forster |
57 |
Quicksilver in the old common name for which element? |
|
Mercury |
58 |
Who is the current (2018) US Masters Golf champion? |
|
Patrick Reed (accept "charmless tosspot ... ") |
59 |
Who invented the first 'roll film' camera in 1886? |
|
George Eastman |
60 |
Who was the original presenter of the BBC antiques show Bargain Hunt? |
|
David Dickenson |
61 |
If you were born on Burns Night, what star sign would you be? |
|
Aquarius (Burns Night is the 25th of January) |
62 |
Who plays Edward Cullen in the Twilight film series? |
|
Robert Pattinson |
63 |
Which perfume house makes perfumes called Opium, Paris and Rive Gauche? |
|
Yves St Laurent |
64 |
The name of which garden flower means, literally, "many flowers"? |
|
|
Polyanthus |
65 |
Against which monarch was the Babington Plot organised? |
|
Elizabeth I (the first) |
66 |
What was the name of the French–produced missile used to dramatic effect by the Argentinian Air Force in the Falklands
War in 1982? |
|
|
Exocet |
67 |
Which alcoholic drink has a bat as its registered trade mark? |
|
Bacardi Rum (accept Bacardi) |
68 |
Which American president appears on a one–dollar bill? |
|
George Washington |
69 |
If and when Prince William takes the throne as King William, which number will he be given? |
|
V (five) |
70 |
What was the name of the race of giants that Zeus defeated in order to rule on Mount Olympus? |
|
The Titans |
71 |
Which well–known household product was successfully formulated after 39 unsuccessful attempts? |
|
WD–40 |
72 |
In 1986, which natural area was declared the first World Heritage site in Northern Ireland? |
|
Giant's Causeway |
73 |
Stella Rimington was the first female head of which secret organisation? |
|
MI5 |
74 |
Where in North Carolina did the Wright Brothers make their historic first flight in 1903? |
|
|
Kitty Hawk |
75 |
Which female tennis player was the losing finalist at both Wimbledon and the US Open in 2018? |
|
Serena Williams |
76 |
In the First World War, the slogan "They shall not pass" symbolised the defence of which French town? |
|
Verdun |
77 |
What was the first and most famous novel by Stella Gibbons? |
|
Cold Comfort Farm |
78 |
Which pleasure craft was sunk by the Bowbelle on the River Thames in 1989? |
|
The Marchioness |
79 |
Which south coast English town was made a city as part of celebrations for the new millennium? |
|
|
Brighton & Hove (accept Brighton) |
80 |
Which 1980s BBC cartoon series featured a hero dressed in a blue and yellow costume whose real identity was Eric Twinge? |
|
Bananaman |
81 |
How many pairs of ribs are there in the human body? |
|
Twelve |
82 |
Which rock band took their name from the Buddhist term for 'enlightenment'? |
|
|
Nirvana |
83 |
Which castle is situated on the island of Anglesey? |
|
Beaumaris Castle |
84 |
Which sweets were originally known as Rowntree's Chocolate Beans when they were launched in 1937? |
|
|
Smarties |
85 |
To which legendary queen of Carthage did Aeneas recount the story of the fall of Troy in Virgil's Aeneid? |
|
Dido |
86 |
Which football club used to play at Burnden Park? |
|
Bolton Wanderers |
87 |
Who is the presenter of the BBC Radio 4 series In Our Time, exploring the history of ideas? |
|
Lord (Melvyn) Bragg |
88 |
If all the US States were listed alphabetically, which one would come last? |
|
Wyoming |
89 |
Rhea Perlman was best known for her role as waitress Carla Tortelli in which TV show? |
|
Cheers |
90 |
In which Italian city would you find Capodichino airport? |
|
Naples |
91 |
Which black American activist was assassinated in 1965 while addressing a rally in New York City? |
|
Malcolm X |
92 |
In the film Alien, what was the name of the spaceship? |
|
Nostromo |
93 |
What is used to make the Welsh delicacy lava bread? |
|
Seaweed |
94 |
From which French wine region does Beaujolais come? |
|
|
Burgundy |
95 |
In which field did Ford Madox Brown (1821–93) achieve fame? |
|
|
Painting |
96 |
Which magazine, founded in 1991 by Gordon Roddick and John Bird, was inspired by a New York publication called
Street News? |
|
The Big Issue |
Supplementaries:
S1 |
A smolt is a term for the young of what? |
|
|
Salmon |
S2 |
Which character, first appearing in 1958, is the most famous creation of Michael Bond? |
|
Paddington Bear |
S3 |
Which Roman road linked Lincoln to Exeter via Bath, Leicester and Newark–on–Trent? |
|
Fosse Way |
S4 |
Based on a true story, which 2014 film depicts a group of gay and lesbian activists who raised money to help support
the families affected by the miners' strike in 1984? |
|
Pride |
S5 |
What connects Ryan, Labbett, Wallace, Hegarty and Sinha? |
|
TV Show The Chase (surnames of the Chasers) |
S6 |
As 0044 is the international dialling code for the UK, for which country is 007 the code? |
|
Russia |
© Macclesfield Quiz League 2018