Rounds

6 rounds (38 Points) with 5 questions per round:

  1. From 2020
  2. History
  3. Places
  4. Film & TV
  5. Literature & Art
  6. Science & Nature

From 2020 (6 Points)

  1. Why did Ugur Sahin and Özlem Türeci make international headlines? (1 Point)

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  1. Which tech billionaire announced in April that he was giving $1bn (around a quarter of his wealth) to help fight the pandemic? (1 Point)
  2. The roll out of a Russian-developed Covid vaccine began in December. What is the vaccine called? (1 Point)
  3. Which European country in March became the first in the world to make public transport free? (1 Point)
  4. In February, Donald Trump became the third US president to be impeached. Who were the other two? (2 Points)

  1. They developed the Pfizer Covid vaccine.
  2. Jack Dorsey. The CEO of Square and Twitter.
  3. Sputnik V
  4. Luxembourg
  5. Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton

History (5 Points)

  1. Who spent 21 years as the only inmate of Spandau Prison, until his death in 1987, aged 93? (1 Point)
  2. Which family won five Nobel Prizes over two generations? (1 Point)
  3. In the 14th century, ships arriving from plague-infected ports had to sit at anchor for 40 days before landing. What English word describes this practice? (1 Point)
  4. Which British leader was exhumed and “executed”, two years after his death? (1 Point)
  5. From which European country did Angola achieve independence in 1975? (1 Point)

  1. Rudolf Hess (leading member of the Nazi Party)
  2. The Curies
  3. Quarantine
  4. Oliver Cromwell
  5. Portugal

Places (6 Points)

  1. In 1790, the US states of Virginia and Maryland both ceded land to allow the creation of which new legal entity? (1 Point)
  2. What are the only two US states that have double vowels (the same vowel consecutively) in their names? (2 Points)
  3. Which African country is the largest by area? (1 Point)
  4. Which African country is the most populous? (1 Point)
  5. To which country would you have to travel to see lemurs in the wild? (1 Point)

  1. Washington DC
  2. Hawaii and Tennessee
  3. Algeria
  4. Nigeria
  5. Madagascar

Film & TV (9 Points)

  1. In which 1960s cartoon series did Penelope Pitstop appear, along with the likes of Dastardly and Muttley? (1 Point)
  2. Robert Downey Jr starred as Dr Dolittle in a widely panned new film based on Hugh Lofting’s books. Which two actors had played the doctor in the 1967 and 1998 adaptations? (2 Points)
  3. Name the characters played by Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman in the 1988 box office smash “Die Hard”. For another point, name the skyscraper in which they do battle. (3 Points)
  4. Which two characters feature in all of the Skywalker Saga Star Wars films? (2 Points)
  5. “Metropolis”, made in Germany in 1927, is regarded as one of the most influential films of early cinema. Who directed it? (1 Point)

  1. Wacky Races
  2. Rex Harrison and Eddie Murphy
  3. John McClane and Hans Gruber; Nakatomi Plaza
  4. R2-D2 and C-3PO
  5. Fritz Lang

Literature & Art (6 Points)

  1. What is the name of the family that adopted Paddington Bear? For a bonus, name their housekeeper. (2 Points)
  2. Which novel has a character called Major Major Major Major? (1 Point)
  3. In which novel would you find Humbert Humbert? (1 Point)
  4. What is Dracula author Bram Stoker’s first name short for? (1 Point)
  5. In 1911, Pablo Picasso was arrested by the French police in connection with which dastardly crime in Paris? (1 Point)

  1. The Browns; Mrs Bird
  2. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
  3. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
  4. Abraham
  5. The theft of the Mona Lisa

Science & Nature (6 Points)

  1. What food flavouring is derived from the crocus plant? (1 Point)
  2. Which two elements alloy to form brass? (2 Points)
  3. What chemical element was formerly known as Brimstone? (1 Point)
  4. Which animal’s scientific name means: “A camel marked like a leopard who walks swiftly”? (1 Point)
  5. Bruxism is the medical term for what unconscious habit? (1 Point)

  1. Saffron
  2. Copper and Zinc
  3. Sulphur
  4. Giraffe
  5. Grinding teeth