Quiz 2021 twtw-4

 

1)      One of the biggest stories this week was small retail investors banding together on social network platforms and squeezing out big hedge funds. As a result, the share price of GameStop, a video game retailer, rose almost 2000%. What is the Internet slang for such dizzying stocks, made famous by Elon Musk in a tweet?

2)      Petrol price crossed the 100 mark for the first time this week. In which state was this history created?

3)      A very compelling and topical film titled “76 Days” was released on OTT platforms this week. What are these 76 days referring to?

4)      Two IIT alumni and former Google executives, Sridhar Ramaswamy and Vivek Raghunathan, announced that they have developed a new search engine. What is the name of this ad-free search engine that is expected to be rolled out later this year?

5)      The ski resort of Davos in Switzerland hosts the summit of World Economic Forum in the last week of January every year. This year it was held online because of the pandemic, but in which city is a special physical meeting planned in May?

6)      Risa, a traditional handwoven cloth, used as a headgear or as stole, was recently promoted on social media by a state chief minister. Which state in the North East does Risa belong to?

7)      During the week a major row broke out between EU and AstraZeneca, regarding the latter’s delay in the supply of vaccines from one of its production sites in Europe. In which country is this disputed manufacturing facility located?

8)      This year’s Republic Day parade did not have a chief guest because Boris Johnson withdrew for pandemic reasons. When was the last time that there was no chief guest at the Republic Day parade?

9)      Which top oil and gas company has taken a 20% stake in Adani Green Energy?

10)   A 17x105 foot mural of a guitarist was unveiled in Hollywood this week on what would have been his 66^th birthday. Name the musician who passed away last October due to cancer.

twtw-3 Answers

 

1. Mount Semeru
2. Bobi Wine
3. Tales of Dunk and Egg
4. John Adams did not attend Thomas Jefferson’s inauguration
5. Genderless cards
6. Richard Nixon
7. Because it is located in the suburb of Woolloongabba
8. 19^th January
9. Vietnam
10. Three

Quiz 2021 twtw-3

 

1)      Indonesia has been beset by a string of tragedies this year. After the air crash and the earthquake, a volcano erupted this week. Name this volcano, which is the highest in the most populated island of Java.

2)      In Uganda, President Yoweri Musevni was elected for a record sixth term. Immediately thereafter, his opponent Robert Kyagulanyi, a singer turned politician, was placed under house arrest. By what popular name is he known to the world?

3)      A prequel to “Game of Thrones” has been announced. Name the novel from which it will be adapted.

4)      Donald Trump is not the first President not to attend his successor’s inauguration. Who was the first President to do so in 1801 and who was being inaugurated?

5)      How has Indy Mellink, 23-year old Dutch woman, revolutionised the deck of playing cards?

6)      Joe Biden became the 15^th former Vice President to assume office as President, but he is only the second to be elected while not being an incumbent. Who was the first?

7)      Why is the cricket ground in Brisbane known as Gabba?

8)      Orthodox Christians in Eastern Europe observe Epiphany Day by dipping into freezing water. On what date is this annual ritual observed?

9)      Which country is the biggest producer and exporter of dragon fruit?

10)   During the week, Lionel Messi received a red card, his first while playing for Barcelona. How many times in all, including the latest, has Messi been red-carded?

twtw-2 Answers

1. Sriwijaya Air
2. Kshatriya, Harijan, Adivasi, Muslim
3. GoAir
4. Vogue
5. Sundanese
6. Parler
7. Gymnastics
8. Busan, South Korea
9. Klete Keller
10. Wild Pig

QUIZ 2021 twtw-2

 

1)      On 9^th January, a Boeing 737-524 plane crashed in Indonesia killing all 62 on board. Name the carrier that operated this flight from Jakarta to Pontianak.

2)      Also on 9^th January, Madhavsinh Solanki, a tall Congress Party leader and three-time CM of Gujarat passed away. Among his many achievements was forging an electoral coalition that was popularly known by the acronym KHAM. Who were the 4 constituents of KHAM?

3)      Which airline sacked one of its senior pilots for allegedly tweeting against PM Modi?

4)      A famous magazine got lot of flak for portraying Kamala Harris in a casual attire on its cover. Name the magazine.

5)      The world of Badminton was rocked by match fixing allegations. The word used to describe such matches was “Nyabon”, which means sink. Name the language of Western Java from where this word originates.

6)      Following the tumultuous events at the US Capitol, a social media platform was taken down by Apple and Google from its play stores for allowing it to be used for inciting violence. Name this social media network widely used by Trump supporters.

7)      Agnes Keleti, the oldest living Olympic champion and medallist celebrated her 100^th birthday during the week. In which discipline did she win 6 medals at the Melbourne Olympics in 1956?

8)      Students and faculty from a foreign university have sent a video appeal to Prime Minister Modi, seeking his help to prevent Hindi language course being scrapped in the Department of Indian Studies. Where is this foreign university?

9)      A 2-time Olympic gold medallist was among the rioters at the US Capitol. What is the name of this swimmer who won gold medals at the Athens and Beijing Olympics?

10)   The discovery of the world’s oldest cave painting was announced during this week. What is the animal portrayed in this cave painting in a remote Indonesian island?

twtw-1 Answers

 

1. Elon Musk
2. Secret Kitchen Noodles & BBQ
3. Swasth Vayu
4. Israel
5. George W Bush in 2002 and 2007, when he underwent colonoscopy
6. Common Cold
7. Africa’s Business Heroes
8. Stellantis
9. Reliance
10. West Ham

QUIZ 2021 twtw-1

1.       Who became the world’s richest person, displacing Jeff Bezos, in the first week of the new year because the shares of his company rallied?

2.       On the first day of the new year, 5 Indian cricketers eating at a restaurant in Melbourne were alleged to have breached the COVID19 protocol. What is the name of the restaurant where this alleged breach took place?

3.       This week, the regulator approved the use of an indigenously designed and developed non-invasive ventilator. What is the name of this device developed by National Aerospace Laboratory in collaboration with 6 private companies?

4.       Even as different countries are making plans to vaccinate its citizens, which small country has raced ahead by vaccinating as many as 13% of its population, the highest so far?

5.       The event of the week was the horrific rioting in the US Capitol, allegedly instigated by President Trump. Subsequently there have been calls to invoke the 25^th Amendment and declare Trump unfit to rule. In whose presidency was the amendment last invoked and why?

6.       The first vaccinations using the Oxford – AstraZeneca vaccine happened during the week. The vaccine uses a genetically modified version of a virus that causes infections in chimpanzees. What infection does it produce in chimpanzees?

7.       Failure to appear on a TV show has triggered concerns about the Chinese billionaire Jack Ma, the co-founder of Alibaba. What is the name of this TV show he was judging?

8.       On Monday, Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot decided to merge and create the world’s 4^th largest automaker. What is the name of the new company?

9.       Leading fashion designer, Satya Paul, who created the designer saree, passed away this week at the age of 79. Who owns the Satya Paul label now?

10.   Tomas Soucek scored the first Premier League goal of the new year. What club does he play for?

The Really Difficult Quiz about 2020

1)     On 8^th December, 90-year-old Margaret Keenan became the first person to be vaccinated against COVID19. outside of clinical trials. What is the name of the Filipino nurse who administered the vaccine?

2)      A capsule containing asteroid dust landed in the Australian desert on 14^th December. It was part of the Japanese space mission Hayabusa-2. What is the name of the asteroid from which the dust samples were collected?

3)      Corona Chocks are made out of wood. What are they used for?

4)      Dr Li Wenliang, who worked at a hospital in Wuhan, became famous as a whistleblower for alerting people about the outbreak of COVID19 as early as in December 2019. The authorities admonished him for this act. Later he contracted the infection and died on 7^th February. What medical branch did Dr Li Wenliang practice in?

5)      Many celebrities passed away in 2020. Sean Connery, the British actor famous for his roles as James Bond, passed away on 31^st October. What is the name of the 1954 film in which he made his debut as an uncredited extra?

6)      A helicopter crash on 26^th January killed the iconic basketballer Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter and seven others. What company established by a Russian – American aviator manufactured the ill-fated helicopter?

7)      The scientific world was shocked in June, when The Lancet, the top medical journal, retracted a paper that raised alarms about the use of Hydroxychloroquine in the treatment of COVID19. Which American healthcare analytics company did The Lancet blame for not providing enough data for peer review?

8)      In November, Joe Biden was elected as the President of USA. At 78, he will be the oldest President to take office. John Kennedy was the youngest elected President to assume office in 1961 at 43. But who became the youngest President at the age of 42 in 1901?

9)      20^th April will go down in history as the day when the US crude oil price went into negative territory because of demand collapse. What is the exact rock bottom price touched on that day?

10)   In September, the detection of a gas in the atmosphere of Venus was touted as a possible sign of extraterrestrial life. But subsequently these hopes were dashed as it was attributed to an error in data processing. What is the name of this gas that raised our hopes?

World Heritage Day

Today (18^th April) is World Heritage Day. India has 38 World Heritage Sites.

Here are 10 sites from different parts of the country. Can you identify them?
All photos shot by me. 

1)    This temple was built around 1150 AD by the emperor of one of the iconic and longest ruling dynasties in world history. What is the name of the temple? Where is it located?

2)      A collection of 7 churches in Old Goa have been collectively designated as a world heritage site. Name this church which was built in 1597.

3)     These carvings are from an iconic structure in Gujarat that is perhaps unique to India. Name this 11^th C monument, which is one of the finest and largest examples of this kind of structure. It is also featured on the new Hundred Rupee note.

4)     Name this architect, the pioneer of the Modern Movement, whose building projects in 7 different countries and 3 different continents have been collectively designated as world heritage site.

5)      This was an important learning centre for 700 years from 5^th C to 12^th C.

6)    These wonderful gargoyles embellish this still functional building, considered to be one of the finest examples of Victorian Gothic architecture.

7)      The king who built these monuments also founded a city that is named after him.

8)     Half a dozen hill forts scattered across the state of Rajasthan have been designated as world heritage sites. Name this fort.

9)    3 mountain railways of India have been collectively designated as world heritage site. A 4^th line is on the tentative list. Name the railway line featured in this picture.

10)   Name this site, which is India’s first “Mixed Heritage” site representing both natural and cultural elements.

THE REALLY DIFFICULT QUIZ ABOUT 2019

Test your knowledge about the year that just passed into history. 

1) On 3^rd January, China became the first country to land a spacecraft on the far side of the Moon. The Chinese probe Chang’e-4 landed in a crater located in the South Pole – Aitken basin on the far side of the moon, that never faces earth. The crater where the probe landed is named after a famous Hungarian-American mathematician and aerospace engineer noted for many key advances in aerodynamics. Who is he?

2) On 12^th February, a country renamed itself by adding the label “North” to its name. This renaming followed 30 years of dispute with a neighbouring country, which accused it of appropriating its cultural identity and heritage. What are these 2 countries?

3) On 10^th April, the world was blown away by the first ever image of a Black Hole. The Black Hole is located in the Messier 87 galaxy, 500 million trillion kms away from us. Astronomers soon named the Black Hole as M87*, the asterisk mark indicating a “black hole”. But a Hawaiian language professor came up with a poetic name, which means “embellished dark source of unending creation”. What is this unofficial name of the Black Hole?

4) On 30^th April, Emperor Akihito stepped down to become the first Japanese monarch to abdicate in 200 years. This brought to an end the Heisei Era. The next day, his son, Naruhito ascended the throne to usher in a new era. What is the name of this new era, which has been inspired from the 7^th Century collection of Japanese poetry called Manyoshu?

5) On 6^th May, Archie was born, seventh in line to the British throne. What would be his pompous title, if his parents choose not to let him grow up as a private citizen?

6) On 18^th June, Marta Vieira da Silva of Brazil became the leading goal scorer in women’s or men’s World Cup tournaments by scoring her 17^th goal in the 1-0 win against Italy in Valenciennes, France. Whose record did she eclipse?

7) The Hong Kong protesters, who were in news for most of 2019, use colour coded maps to identify establishments that are sympathetic to their movement and those against. What 2 principal colours are used for this code?

8) On 18^th August, a group of around 100 people walked up a mountain and installed a plaque to mourn a passing away. The plaque mentioned “415 ppm CO2” as the cause of the tragic demise. What was being mourned?

9) On 18^th October, 50 years after man first set foot on Moon, two NASA astronauts, Christina Koch and Jessica Meir, created history through their first all-woman spacewalk. They spent 7 hours outside the International Space Station to replace a faulty power control unit. This historic spacewalk was originally scheduled for March but had to be postponed. What was the reason for this reschedule?

10) On 27^th June, Matty Roberts, a 21-year old college student created a storm on the Internet by asking people to raid a top-secret military base in Nevada, that has been associated with aliens and UFOs. It brought FBI knocking on his door. What was this event touted as on Facebook?

11) A photo editing app is fuelling a fashion revolution on the Internet, which is characterized by female teenagers dressing and acting in a certain manner that is indistinguishable from each other. What is this meme called?

12) Finally, Donald Trump, who became the third American President to be impeached. At the heart of the controversy was Trump’s alleged request to his Ukrainian counterpart, to investigate Joe Biden’s son, Hunter, about his work with Burisma Holdings Limited, a large energy exploration and production company. Where is the headquarters of Burisma located? 

Navaratri Quiz - 1

1)    On which day is Durga believed to have killed Mahishasura?

2)    The image of Goddess Durga is infused with life through an elaborate process using the medium of a banana plant draped in yellow saree. What is this ritual called?

3)    Traditionally the idols of Durga in West Bengal are made from river-bed clay and Shola. What is Shola?

4)    An important part of Durga Puja, the Sandhi Puja is performed during the period beginning from the last 24 minutes of Ashtami and ending after the first 24 minutes of Navami. What is this crucial 48 minute period called?

5)    Name the two Generals of Mahishasura who attacked the Goddess from the rear

6)    Durga was traditionally worshipped during spring in the month of March. Who is widely believed to have conceived the Durga Puja in its present form?

7)    Durga carries ten weapons in her ten hands, each one received from various Gods. Among them are the Trishul from Shiva and the Chakra from Vishnu. Who gave her the Dhanush (Bow and Arrow)

8)    It is customary to offer 108 numbers of this flower to the Goddess during the Puja. Which flower?

9)    What is ‘daker saj’ and why is it called so?

10) Why is Durga Puja called ‘akal bodhon’ or untimely invocation?

Answers to World Heritage Day Quiz

1) Mandu

2) Humayun's Tomb

3) Darasuram Chola Temple

4) Kumbalgarh Fort

5) CST Building

6) Chittorgarh Fort

7) Mahabalipuram (Arjuna's Penance)

8) Sanchi Stupa

9) Bhimbetka

10) Valley of Flowers

World Heritage Day Quiz

To celebrate World Heritage Day today, here are ten photos from my portfolio of World Heritage Sites in our incredible country. Just identify them. One of them is in the tentative list of UNESCO.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

#DailyQuiz

This is an unusual post on this blog, which otherwise features only questions and answers. But I think this is the perfect platform to put down my experience of a yearlong social experiment, which is slowly winding down as we begin the process of drawing curtains over 2015. The idea of asking a daily question on twitter has its inspiration from a fellow tweeter @DegreeKaapi, who began doing this in 2014, but discontinued it for some unknown reasons before he had crossed the three figure mark. In fact when he had posted his intent of a daily quiz, I had given him a week’s notice, warning that I will start it myself, if he does not do so in a week’s time. So when his quiz vanished from my timeline, I resolved to start my own on 01.01.2015. And I did without any fanfare. I chose #DailyQuiz as the hashtag for my daily quiz and the first question appropriately was on Gregorian calendar.

My questions have generally been topical, relating often to a significant event or commemoration of that day. The questions haven’t been easy, but neither have they been extraordinarily difficult. They haven’t been trick questions as quiz masters are frequently wont to ask. I didn’t have a question bank to draw from each day. This blog features some 1400 questions, but I never once dipped into it for #DailyQuiz. Sometimes, the questions would drop into my head straight from heaven, but on most days (or nights) it was lot of hard work searching and researching for the questions and the answers. Getting the answers 100% correct was important to maintain my credibility.  Keeping the #DailyQuiz flag flying each morning was a stressful task, but not because of the paucity of questions to ask. 

When I started #DailyQuiz, I had no expectations other than sharing my passion for quizzing. I can think of a dozen benefits of quizzing, but probably this is not the right time or place to talk about them. But there is one benefit that I cannot resist mentioning. It is the lateral forays along new paths and making serendipitous discoveries. Both while setting questions and validating the answers, I often experienced this profound joy of serendipity. And I thought #DailyQuiz will arouse the curiosity among my twitter followers and let them experience the same delight. But I was sadly mistaken. Only one person @LEELAKAPOOR1 understood the true purpose of #DailyQuiz. 

I never cared how people found answers to the questions. But it was important that they engage with me and with others. The objective was learning and sharing. Though I never stated it, Googling to find the answers was never discouraged. Only four followers - @LEELAKAPOOR1, @DegreeKaapi, @cgBalu and @aar004 engaged with me constantly by answering the questions. Three others, @maith_i, @happie_hameesha and @plumpernickel also engaged irregularly. Those who engaged with me on #DailyQuiz could be counted on the digits of my two hands; that is less than 1% of my 1200 plus followers. Even those who engaged regularly never retweeted and try to popularize the quiz. So #DailyQuiz is a failed social experiment. 

I made no attempts to market #DailyQuiz and relied on others to promote it though RT, but that never happened. More importantly it had no prizes to offer! Twitter with its 140 character limit is a great platform for quizzing, but I quickly learned that a plain vanilla quiz like mine cannot compete with other kinds of entertainment that twitter offers. Yesterday I conducted a twitter poll to find reasons for the poor participation. The answers were

• ·        Too difficult – 35%
• ·        Fear of giving wrong answers – 15%
• ·        Waste of time – 35%
• ·        Already answered by others – 15% 

But #DailyQuiz is a personal triumph for me, for my discipline and commitment. The questions were unfailingly up before 9, except when I was in Germany for a fortnight. I didn’t let my motivation slack despite no encouragement. It provided great moments of personal catharsis in what has been a very stressful year for a variety of reasons. I am extremely thankful to the seven followers mentioned before for their support through their answers. I am also thankful to the rest of my followers for ignoring #DailyQuiz and infuriating me sufficiently to keep the fire burning in my belly.