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Mega-Whats 2015 The 6th National Open Quizzing Championships Conducted by The Karnataka Quiz Association Est. 1983 Set by Arun Hiregange and Kiran Vijayakumar

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Mega-Whats 2015 The 6th National Open Quizzing Championships

Conducted by

The Karnataka Quiz Association Est. 1983

Set by

Arun Hiregange and Kiran Vijayakumar

Be Careful !

These are the answer slides!

In association with Quiz Foundation of India, Chennai Bombay Quiz Club, Mumbai Boat Club Quiz Club, Pune Kutub Quizzers, New Delhi Sunday Evening Quiz Club, Goa Hyderabad Quiz Club and K-Circle, Hyderabad Grey Cells, Kerala Coimbatore Quiz Circle Odisha Quiz Association And the quizzing communities in Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur, Kolkata, Mysore, Guwahati and Dubai

The Rules

1. No negatives

2. No part points

3. Last names will suffice unless indicated otherwise

4. Write legibly, preferably in UPPER CASE

5. Use of electronic devices will lead to immediate disqualification

The Design

Three sections leading to 100 points:

I. Section 1 50 x 1 = 50

II. Section 2 7 x (1 + 1) = 14

III. Section 3 18 x (1 + 1) = 36

indicates that the question continues

on the next slide.

Underlined part of answers is the operative part

Section 1

50 questions – 1 point for each

1

Give us a 7-letter word in French for "breath". Perhaps the name of a classic movie will help?

1

Soufflé.

2

Naseeruddin Shah has recently released a memoir titled And Then One Day. The title of the first chapter consists of a 7-word phrase extracted from the opening lines of a mid-20th century classic novel. So what is the first chapter called? Incidentally, those 7 words themselves contain the title of a 19th century classic novel.

2

All that David Copperfield kind of crap (from Catcher in the Rye).

3

It is a silvery metal and one of the least abundant elements in the universe. Its electron distribution, which has a half-filled f-subshell, leads to its phosphorescence, which is fittingly exploited for anti-counterfeiting in banknotes such as the one shown here. Which element?

3

3

Europium.

4

It has three handles designed to look like cobras and an elephant sits on its top. It got badly damaged in 1988 by two people who kicked it about, appropriately one a Scotsman and one an Englishman, and had to be restored back into shape. What is being talked about?

4

Calcutta Cup.

5

We've all heard about the Vesper dry martini that James Bond orders, made of three measures of Gordon's, one of vodka and half a measure of Kina Lillet. The 'Lillet' refers to a company founded by brothers Paul and Raymond Lillet in 1872. What did the 'Kina' in the brand name refer to?

5

Quinine.

6

The two-word phrase blanked out in three places in this line from E.M. Forster's Howard's End was borrowed for the title of a popular BBC quiz show. What phrase / show? "_____! That was the whole of her sermon. _____ the prose and the passion, and both will be exalted, and human love will be seen at its height. Live in fragments no longer. _____, and the beast and the monk, robbed of the isolation that is life to either, will die."

6

Only Connect.

7

In which state would you still find what used to be the only official state residency of royalty in the USA?

7

Hawaii.

(It is called the 'Iolani Palace.)

8

What would you be holding if what you had could be referred to as Rocky Mountains, Bullets, Needles, Batteries, Sharp Tops or Teepees amongst other nicknames? Yet another nickname is the name of the star of the M*A*S*H TV series.

8

A pair of aces (in poker).

9

This is the conversation leading up to which very famous photograph? A: Oh my God! Look at that picture over there! There's the _____ coming up. Wow, is that pretty. B: Hey, don't take that, it's not scheduled. (joking) A: (laughs) You got a color film, Jim? Hand me that roll of color quick, would you... L: Oh man, that's great!

9

Earthrise.

10

What 12-letter word connects:

• a name for tissue fluid that surrounds cells of multi-cellular organisms

• crystalline defects where an atom occupies a space in crystals where there is usually no atom (shown in next slide)

• an annoyance which often pops up while browsing the World Wide Web?

10

10

Interstitial.

11

August 2nd, 2011 was celebrated as the first (and only!) celebratory day of which ubiquitous technology?

11

Wi-Fi / 802.11.

12

In yet another case of mistaken nomenclature, German entomologist Wilhelm Kattwinkel happened on a then unknown place in Africa while searching for butterflies. The place was filled with a wild sisal plant (image follows); the locals thought he was asking for its name, and so the plant's name stuck to the place. Name the place, shown here in a satellite photo.

12

12

12

Olduvai Gorge / Oldupai Gorge.

13

What connects the Byomkesh Bakshi story Arthamanartham (Wasiyat in the Doordarshan TV series), the Sherlock Holmes story The Sign of Four and the Hercule Poirot story The Murder on the Links?

13

Either the detective or sidekick met his future wife in these stories.

(Give points for anything meaning the same, e.g. met the love of his life, got married, …)

14

It is a small piece of land that juts into the Atlantic Ocean on the coast of North Carolina. It keeps changing shape and is formed from the silt of the river of the same name draining into the ocean. Its name dates back to 1585 when Sir Richard Grenville's ship came near it and his crew were afraid that they would wreck there. Other ships had similar experiences and so the name stuck. Start off with what such a geographical feature is called and name this place which is familiar to us twice over.

14

14

14

Cape Fear.

15

Which UNESCO World Heritage Site's name means "The Red One" in Arabic?

15

Alhambra.

16

The graph shown here is a different view of what? Two words. Ignore the background. The graph is split into two larger parts on the next slide.

16

16

Silk Route / Silk Road.

(The graph shows altitude changes over the road.)

17

Use your body language skills and work out which of these numbered disciples is Judas. The painting is, of course, The Last Supper. This version is by Giampietrino.

17

1 2 3

4 5 6

7 8 9 10 11 12

17

No. 4.

(He is the only one not reacting in horror or surprise or sadness or defensiveness. Also note the bag clutched in his hand, presumably containing the pieces of silver.)

18

If "First World" countries were the so-called developed and industrial countries, while "Third World" countries were developing countries, what were "Second World" countries?

18

Communist industrial countries.

(Give points for Soviet Bloc or Eastern Bloc also.)

19

No man has done it. Three women have, one of whom did it twice. Billie Jean King and Frank Sedgman were both one win away from achieving it. The closest currently active player is Serena Williams who is two wins away. What achievement are we talking about?

19

Boxed Set of Grand Slams / Won Singles + Doubles + Mixed Doubles in all 4 Majors.

20

The title of which 1936 novel is taken from a phrase in these lines from John Milton's Samson Agonistes?

"… Promise was that I Should Israel from Philistian yoke deliver! Ask for this great deliverer now, and find him _______ __ ____ at the Mill with slaves, Himself in bonds under Philistian yoke."

20

Eyeless In Gaza.

21

This is an ancient Chinese percussion instrument called "fou" that was used during the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony. There is still some controversy whether this used to be just a container and not a musical instrument. How many of them were used in the Beijing opening ceremony?

21

21

21

2008 (as in, Beijing 2008).

22

The cucumber tree Dendrosicyos _____ is the only tree forming member of the cucumber family (left). The species name blanked out above refers to the archipelago it is endemic to, which itself probably gets its name from the Sanskrit word for 'bliss' or 'happiness' or the Arabic word for 'market'. Another endemic species which includes the island's name is Boswellia _____ which is a member of the family that produces frankincense (right). Which island / archipelago?

22

22

Socotra.

23

In American Film Institute's 100 Years… 100 Heroes and Villains list, this character is the #1 Hero. This character fetched its actor the Academy Award for Best Actor beating Peter O'Toole's Lawrence of Arabia. The character's first name may have been inspired by a Roman litterateur, philosopher and correspondent with Cicero — he was also known for his elegant taste and sound judgment. Which character?

23

Atticus Finch (from To Kill a Mockingbird).

24

Some of the earliest usages of this 3-word phrase were 'genuine' in nature as seen in this first example: "Bless me, how fat you are grown! — absolutely as round as a ball: — you will soon be as embonpoint (______) as your poor dear father, the major." [The Twelve Nights by Baron Karl von Miltie, 1831] During the second half of the 19th century, the simmering post-Napoleonic war hostilities may have helped in changing the usage. Usually it accompanied blunt language and was intended to divert criticism to the usage by pretending that it was how the speaker's neighbor used it. An example from those times goes: "Dreadful good brandy o' yourn. Ha! ha! ha! My respects. _______." [Marian Rooke by Henry Sedley, 1865] What phrase, s'il vous plaît?

24

Pardon my French / Excuse my French.

25

The 1928 discovery was path breaking, but the yield was miniscule. It took until 1940 when Norman G. Heatley of Oxford University designed a shallow, rectangular vessel inspired by hospital bedpans. Transparent glass, the preferred material, was needed in wartime — so a slip-cast ceramic model was produced instead. The flat-sided containers could be efficiently stacked upright for sterilization and horizontally during incubation. The unglazed exterior prevented slippage during handling and reduced costs. By 1941, the yield met expectations and was timely to meet the requirements of the war. What were such vessels used for?

25

25

Penicillin.

26

One of the earliest descriptions of such an instrument comes from Thomas Blundeville's 1589 work Briefe Description of Universal Mappes & Cardes. It is not clear that Blundeville invented it, for other European practitioners wrote about similar objects around the same time period. It entered the standard practices of navigators at sea and surveyors on land by the early 17th century. What instrument meaning "one who lengthens (an action)" are we talking about?

26

Protractor.

27

Credito Emiliano or Credem is a regional bank in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. Since 1953, one of their units called Magazzini Generali delle Tagliate has been offering loans for an unusual collateral. It charges between 3% to 5% interest, depending on the quality and a fee for storage in their air-conditioned, humidified vault. They clean it, turn it, hammer it, prick it and make sure that quality is maintained. The loan period is for a maximum of 2 years — the bank sells the collateral if there's a default. In 2013, they held about 17,000 tonnes of it worth about 200 million Euros. What are we talking about? (Be specific.)

27

Parmesan cheese.

28

Greta oto is usually found in central America. The tissue between the veins of its wings lacks the colored scales found in other butterflies, thus giving it the characteristic appearance and its name — this mechanism also helps in avoiding predators. How do we commonly know this species in English?

28

28

Glass butterfly.

29

Which company developed this lightweight "Better Shelter" under a partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)? Each unit has 71 pipes and 35 panels and takes about four hours to assemble and is designed to last for three years — far longer than conventional refugee shelters, which last about six months. It has been successfully tested among refugee families in Ethiopia, Iraq and Lebanon.

29

29

29

IKEA.

30

He studied art at the Royal Academy in the Louvre, as well as with his father (a painter with a good reputation in the service of King Louis XV) at the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture. He left school when he was recruited by Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais to join in the American Revolutionary War in the American colonies. His greatest hour came after the war was over, but died poor, not being paid for his work. Today, you can find his grave in a scenic location in the Arlington National Cemetery, overlooking the city. Who?

30

30

Pierre Charles L'Enfant (who designed the layout of the streets of Washington D.C.).

31

"'_____' is a very simple thing. It's only funny because it's in a situation. ... It wasn't funny. If you put it in human terms; you come home late one night from work, you walk up to the gate in the yard, you walk through the gate and up into the front room, the door is partly open and there's some guy shooting under your living room. So what do you do? You run if you have any sense, the least you can do is call the cops. But what if you come up and tap him on the shoulder and look over and say '_____'? You're interested in what he's doing. That's ridiculous. That's not what you say at a time like that. So that's why it's funny, I think. In other words it's asking a perfectly legitimate question in a perfectly illogical situation." Someone explaining a 3-word phrase (a common expression in the writer's native state Texas) first used in the most familiar context in 1940. What?

31

"What's up, Doc?"

32

He spent all his adult life at New College, Oxford, joining it as a scholar in 1862 and retiring as Warden (head of college) in 1924. Most of the anecdotes related to him were inventions by ingenious members of the university who used to spend hours making them up. One well attested story recounts how he spilled some salt during a college dinner and carefully poured some claret on it to mop it up. He is also said to have remarked on the poor lighting of some stairs and then to have turned off the lights and tried to lead his party downstairs in the dark. Some writers have suggested his quirks may have been linked with his albinism, perhaps a form of what is now called dyspraxia. Who was this smart feller?

32

32

William Archibald Spooner.

33

It was invented in1943 by an engineer employed by the Air Liquide company and his boss' son-in-law who was a Lieutenant with the French Navy. After World War II, they founded La Spirotechnique in order to mass-produce and sell their invention, this time under a 1945 patent, and known as CG45 (formed from their initials combined with the year of the patent). In France, the term "scaphandre autonome" was used, but to sell it in English-speaking countries, what 8-letter trade name was coined?

33

Aqualung.

34

According to officials, this modest item is the most popular single exhibit in the Smithsonian's entire modern physics collection. (Requests from museums is the main way to measure popularity of an artifact.) It is 6 ¼ inches long and 1 ½ inches high. Its original owner had multiple models, but this specimen came from the collection of Gina Plunguian (shown in the visual), a sculptor from Newark, Delaware in 1979. The original owner stopped using it for its primary purpose at some point, but continued using it in a harmless way resulting in marks on the narrow end. What item?

34

34

Albert Einstein's pipe.

35

Though popularised by Shakespeare's use in Julius Caesar, its real origins can be traced back to a Medieval Latin proverb, "Graecum est; non potest legi". Shown here is a representation (made by Mark Liberman, a linguistics professor at the University of Pennsylvania) of it in various languages. The graph may appear incomprehensible, but take a close look and tell us what it represents.

35

35

"It's all Greek to me".

36

For what purpose was this giant centrifuge (weighing 27 tonnes) built by the Vickers-Armstrong Engineering Group at a cost of $750,000 in 1967?

36

36

36

For filming Discovery's interior in 2001: A Space Odyssey.

37

This French term is used in zoology refers to the care of another's offspring, for instance in a colony. This term is generally used in the study of bird colonies, the most common example being penguins — this allows the young ones to keep warm while the elders can hunt for food. Identify this term familiar to young working parents.

37

Crèche.

38

In April 2005, Intel offered $10,000 to anyone who could provide a pristine April 19, 1965, copy of Electronics magazine. This was part of a specific 40 year anniversary celebration. Surrey engineer David Clark furnished one and collected the bounty. Why was this edition of the trade journal so special?

38

38

Moore's law, Gordon Moore's observation that the number of transistors in an integrated circuit has doubled approximately every two years, appeared for the first time. Intel didn't have a physical copy of the magazine.

39

Susan G. Komen, founded in 1982 in Dallas, is the largest breast cancer organization in the United States. The Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health is based in Las Vegas and operated by the Cleveland Clinic. On May 1, 2015, these two organizations became the beneficiaries of an event where about 11,500 people paid $10 each to see something that's usually free to watch. What event? (Be specific.)

39

Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs Manny Pacquiao weigh in.

40

Outside which monument can you see this life-size outline of its finial (a decorative fitting at the top of a building)? It mixes Persian and Hindu decorative elements and is believed to have been originally done in gold. The current version is made of gilded bronze. According to one story, this outline was made when the original was dismantled to make sure that the replacement had the exact shape and dimension.

40

40

Taj Mahal.

41

Who used this coconut as a paperweight on his table? The message on it reads: "NAURO ISL… COMMANDER… NATIVE KNOWS POS'IT… HE CAN PILOT… 11 ALIVE… NEED SMALL BOAT… _____."

41

41

John F. Kennedy.

42

These sets of houses or living quarters were features of many temple towns in south India, but with urbanisation they are gradually vanishing. The name originates from the fact that the houses (almost similar in appearance) lined either side of the road leading to the temple at the centre, thus resembling a garland around the temple's edge or boundary. What term is given to such village-like features?

42

Agrahara / Agraharam.

43

The origins of this phrase are uncertain, with some speculating that it may refer to being "out in the open" or "ready for action". Slate magazine's Daniel Engber dates the modern usage to USA college campuses circa 1974, where it was perhaps associated with soldiers in the Vietnam War, who were reputed to do this to "increase ventilation and reduce moisture." However, the phrase was in use in the UK, referring mainly to women, from the late 1960s. The connection to the UK and women has been suggested to link to a World War II euphemism for prostitutes working in London's West End, who were termed "Piccadilly _____". What phrase, possibly familiar to followers of people like Paris Hilton and Miley Cyrus, are we talking about?

43

Going commando.

44

The most popular design for this comes from the Reverend Lorenzo Lorraine Langstroth, a native of Philadelphia, who obtained US Patent 9300 in 1852. From top to bottom, it had a telescoping or migratory cover, an inner cover, one or more supers made of wood and a bottom board. Each super had an optional queen excluder and eight to ten frames like the ones shown here. The sweet success of this 160-year old design can be attributed to the minimal empty space and the ease of handling. What is it used for?

44

44

Beehives / Bee cultivation / Apiculture / Apiary.

45

This practice, dating as far back as at least AD 77, is older than most specific explanations can account for. Perhaps the most fanciful is the one associated with Gregory I who became the Pope in AD 590 as an outbreak of the bubonic plague was reaching Rome. In hopes of fighting off the disease, he ordered unending prayer and parades of chanters through the streets. What practice did the chanters adopt when they encountered people whom they thought were exhibiting an early symptom of the plague?

45

Saying "Bless you" when you hear someone sneezing.

46

Which Indian tabloid was launched on February 1, 1941, with the inaugural issue introducing itself as 'Our _____, India's _____ against Hitler'? (Both blanks are the same.)

46

Blitz.

47

Salman Khan, of the Khan Academy, recently investigated this controversy and gave a possible explanation using the Ideal Gas Law, first stated by Emile Clapeyron in 1834 as a combination of Boyle's law and Charles's law. A screengrab from his explanation is shown here. What was he investigating?

47

47

Deflate-gate.

Give points for controversy surrounding New England Patriots using underinflated footballs or "Ballghazi".

48

In which building can you see this section of the wall preserved in memory of an incident that happened on August 24, 1814?

48

48

48

White House.

(Scorch marks from the fire set by the British forces are visible.)

49

Seen here is one of the most famous images from the history of early computing. Tell us either who the subject is, or how this work of art was produced. Copies of this were only produced to order. Charles Babbage owned one of these portraits and may have inspired a particular aspect of his analytical engine.

49

49

Joseph Marie Jacquard / Jacquard loom.

50

This is an ancient palace of the Roman Empire and later the main papal residence in southeast Rome. Located on St. John's square on the Caelian Hill, it is now used by the Vatican Historical Museum. It gets its name from the Plautii _____ family, whose members lived there and served as administrators for several emperors. It is well-known for a signature event that took place on February 11, 1929. Identify.

50

50

Lateran Palace (where the namesake treaty was signed).

Section 2

7 questions with 2 parts each – 1 point

for each part

Agrarian Maps / Anagram Pairs

?

• The answers to each question pair are anagrams of each other. For example, "Mega-Whats" and "What Games?".

• Use surnames whenever a person's name is involved.

• Spellings are important for this section.

1A

The two objects crossed in the centre of this country's flag were intended to evoke the image of the hammer and sickle of the Soviet Union. The star was also a tribute to the stars on the Soviet flag. One of the objects is a cog wheel representing workers and industry. The other object is a machete that represented agriculture and the armed revolution. The red half of the flag represented the blood spilt in the independence struggle and the black half the continent of Africa. Which country's flag is being described here?

1A

Angola.

1B

The longest running continuously published science fiction magazine started in 1930 and has gone through many name changes since then, though a single three letter acronym is conveniently used to represent any of these names. It is going to publish its 1000th issue in June 2015. A science fiction award for Best New Writer is named after one of its greatest editors. What is the first word in its current name?

1B

Analog.

2A

Table tennis balls are made of celluloid, which itself is composed of camphor and guncotton. Guncotton is an example of a certain type of compound. 'Lunar caustic' which is one of the ingredients of Tollen's Reagent is also such a compound and so is saltpetre which is one of the ingredients of gunpowder. What type of compound?

2A

Nitrate (Cellulose Nitrate, Silver Nitrate, Potassium Nitrate respectively).

2B

One of the earliest uses of the word "abracadabra" was prescribed by Roman physician Quintus Serenus Sammonicus who recommended tying an amulet, with the word written on it, around one's neck to keep away what we now know as malignant Malaria but which in those days was known as _____ fever because it was characterized by febrile paroxysms occurring every third day. Fill.

2B

Tertian (fever).

3A

In 2014, Google executive Alan Eustace set a new world record for a skydive from the highest altitude. For this, he jumped off a balloon from a height of 135,890 feet. The balloon itself set a high altitude record. Which Indian entity designed and manufactured these balloons? Just the initials please.

3A

TIFR.

3B

An analysis taken from a branding blog:

"Employing two real (though uncommon) English words previously not collocated, X Y captures the elusive quality of simultaneously being oddly recognizable and yet wholly unique. As far as the literal meaning goes, X is an obscure architectural term meaning an eye-like aperture or window. Because most people don't know the term aside from guessing that it has something to do with eyes or vision, [the company] is able to imbue the word with meaning and feelings of their own, like awe and excitement. The word Y, meaning a break or split, gives the name edginess and even a hint of danger."

Just Y please.

3B

Rift (from Oculus Rift).

4A

It was a title shared by several political and military offices of the Roman Republic and Empire. The word is derived from the Roman tribes, the three original ones being the Ramnes, the Tities or Titienses and the Luceres. The English form of this word is more common in use and has been part of the title of various newspapers and magazines. It is also the name given to the domed or vaulted apse in a Christian church that houses the bishop's throne. What?

4A

Tribune.

4B

It is a rotary mechanical device that extracts energy from a fluid flow and converts it into useful work. The word was coined in 1822 by the French mining engineer Claude Burdin from a Latin word meaning "spinning top" or "vortex" in a memo, "Des ____ hydrauliques ou machines rotatoires a grande vitesse", which he submitted to the Academie royale des sciences in Paris. The two main variants (based on the working principle) are the impulse and reaction varieties shown here. What?

4B

4B

Turbine.

5A

Art Kane, a freelance photographer working for Esquire magazine, took this picture around 10 a.m. on August 12, 1958. 57 notable jazz musicians (including Count Basie, Art Blakey, Dizzy Gillespie, Coleman Hawkins, Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk, Sonny Rollins and Lester Young) gathered at 17 East 126th Street, between Fifth and Madison Avenues in _____. Kane referred to it "the greatest picture of that era of musicians ever taken". Esquire published the photo in its January 1959 issue. Where was this great day's photo taken?

5A

5A

Harlem.

5B

Which composer's Sixth Symphony is the subject of this satirical cartoon here? The caption translates: "My God, I've forgotten the motor horn! Now I shall have to write another symphony." The symphony was written for a large orchestra comprising of a large variety of instruments.

5B

5B

Gustav Mahler.

6A

This memorial sits in the Tsitsernakaberd (literally "swallow's fortress") hill along the Hrazdan River. It commemorates something known as Medz Yeghern which in the local language means "Great Crime", and is considered to have started from 24 April 1915, eventually resulting in the death of almost 1.5 million people. Which nationality/language are we talking about?

6A

6A

Armenian.

6B

In July 2013, a new stamp designed by Olivier Ciappa and David Kawena was released to the French public. Ciappa claimed that Inna Shevchenko, a high-profile member of the Ukrainian protest group FEMEN who had recently been granted political asylum in France, was the main inspiration behind the design. Kawena later claimed that Ciappa was falsely representing himself as having had any level of creative input on the work. Shevchenko, for her part, tweeted: "All homophobes, extremists, fascists will have to lick my a** when they want to send a letter." What design on the stamp was supposedly modelled on Shevchenko?

6B

Marianne.

7A

Connect: Sid Vicious, Lee Harvey Oswald, Count Dracula, Ludwig van Beethoven, Sirius Black, James Gordon and George Smiley.

7A

Gary Oldman.

7B

This picture shows the effect of the current drought in California on this crop. About 80% of the world's supply comes from USA. The pollination of California's crops is believed to be the largest annual managed pollination event in the world. These days, a lot of Californians are against the cultivation since it uses up an estimated 10% of the state's water budget. What crop are we talking about?

7B

7B

Almond.

Section 3

18 questions with 2 parts each – 1 point

for each part

Order of answers (A) and (B) does not matter

1

(A) Which Shakespeare line is the basis for the punchline of this joke? X: I was in Mercy, Australia, recently and was served tea made from the hair of a koala bear. Y: You're kidding! How was it? X: Oh, it was awful. It was filled with koala hair! Y: Well, you know, ______________. (B) Which character delivers this line?

1

(A) The quality of mercy is not strained (The koala tea of Mercy is not strained)

(B) Portia / Balthazar (in disguise) from The Merchant of Venice.

2

The city of Paris is divided into twenty administrative districts known as arrondissements. They are arranged numerically along a clockwise spiral as shown in the following slide. Give us the name of the first and second arrondissements. Both are named after institutions which were housed in palaces when they started off.

2

2

(A) Louvre.

(B) Bourse.

3

All of these people have something in common. A South African entered the club recently and received wide coverage. (A) What connects? (B) Which South African?

3

3

3

(A) All have daughters named India.

(B) Jonty Rhodes.

4

In August 1979, a couple named Patricia and John Knatchbull (who was a 2-time Academy Award nominee for Best Picture) survived a boat explosion that killed many other members of their family. (A) Name Patricia's father, whose boat it was. (B) John's mother Doreen also died in the explosion. What Mumbai feature, for which he laid the foundation stone in 1936, is named after her husband?

4

(A) Lord Mountbatten.

(B) Brabourne Stadium.

5

This painting is variously called Opening of the Fifth Seal or The Fifth Seal of the Apocalypse or The Vision of Saint John. It was painted for the side altar of a church of St. John the Baptist in Spain. (A) Identify the painter.

(B) It is said that Spanish painter Ignacio Zuloaga, who owned it for some time, exhibited it to various interested countrymen, one of whom is said to have been inspired by its figures in one of his most famous works. Name that 20th century work.

5

5

(A) El Greco / Doménikos Theotokópoulos.

(B) Les Demoiselles d'Avignon / The Young Ladies of Avignon.

6

These are the edible seeds of Euryale ferox, also known as Fox nut or Gorgon nut in English and onibasu in Japanese, after frying to puff them. (A) How do we know it in India (Hindi name), perhaps because it looks like a similarly white and fluffy food item? (B) Its plant, that has large leaves that can be about a metre in diameter, has been cultivated in India, Japan, China and other parts of Asia for thousands of years. What family of plants does it belong to?

6

6

(A) Makhana / Makhaana.

(B) Water Lily.

(Lotus is not acceptable, as it is a different family with entirely different leaves.)

7

Roberto Cavalli is an Italian designer known for his exotic designs. (A) What objects inspired this particular design? (B) Cavalli is also credited with inventing a technique which was hugely popular for a long time but is now being banned by companies like Levi Strauss, Benetton, Gucci and H&M. This is because of the damage caused to the lungs of factory workers by the small particles used in the process. Name the technique, that is named after the particles.

7

7

(A) Ming vases.

(B) Sandblasting.

8

(A) Eratosthenes is said to have invented this instrument whose name comes from the Latin for 'bracelet', because it has a skeleton made of metallic circles, with a ball at the centre. Name it. (B) A particular national flag still depicts this object, denoting the country's historical association with exploration. Which country?

8

(A) Armillary sphere.

(B) Portugal.

9

Identify these two adjacent towns in Tinsukia district in Assam, each known for being the place where something (different) started. (A) boasts of an 18-hole golf course, perhaps India's only oil museum and a World War II memorial. (B) is a tiny town, about 25km south-east of (A) across the Dihing river. Nearby town Margherita (named for the Italian queen) is very scenic and famous for its plywood and coal industries.

9

9

(A) Digboi (where oil drilling in India is said to have started).

(B) Ledo (where the Ledo / Stillwell Road started).

10

Two of the many interesting aspects of Sidhpur, a small town in North Gujarat: (A) A famous product, founded in 1937 and which would once (and perhaps even now) be found in every Indian household, is produced here. It is exported to many countries and can be bought in any medical shop. (B) While Sidhpur is considered to be a 'shristhal' for Hindus, it also houses mansions of a particular community whose gaudily decorated houses are a minor tourist attraction. Which community?

10

10

(A) Isapgol / Isabgol / Psyllium husk.

(B) Bohra.

11

This is a pictorial table of __(A)__ and their __(B)__. Identify both.

11

11

(A) Esters.

(B) Smells.

12

This is the location of the erstwhile Flatford Mill in Suffolk on the bank of River Stour. In 1821, the mill owner's son stood at this spot and created a "six-footer" (his usage) that has since entered the public subconscious. Identify (A) him and (B) his creation. The building to the far left, Willy Lott's Cottage has survived to this day practically unaltered, but none of the trees from 1821 exist today.

12

12

(A) John Constable.

(B) The Hay Wain.

13

Lab126 is a subsidiary of a multinational company. Its name originates from a quirk in the parent company's logo. The subsidiary functions as a lab of innovation, research and development for consumer electronics products of the parent company.

(A) Identify the parent company.

(B) What quirk are we talking about?

13

(A) Amazon.com.

(B) The arrow from A to Z.

14

During World War I, when British troops commanded by (A) captured Jerusalem, Punch magazine printed a cartoon of (B) looking down from the heavens with the caption "At last my dream has come true." (A) protested against his campaign being presented in this manner stating: "The importance of Jerusalem lay in its strategic importance, there was no religious impulse in this campaign." Identify (A) and (B).

14

14

(A) Edmund Allenby.

(B) Richard I / Richard the Lionheart / Richard Coeur de Lion.

15

The Latin word for "feather" or "quill" is familiar to us in multiple contexts. (A) One is an English word derived from it, referring to a use of the material. (B) The other is an Italian word owing its origin to the similarity in shape. This food item is produced in two main variants: "lisce" (smooth) and "rigate" (furrowed or having ridges). Identify both.

15

(A) Pen.

(B) Penne.

16

He was the Principal of the Government Sanskrit College at Poona from 1856 to 1861. On behalf of the proprietors of the Daily Telegraph in conjunction with the New York Herald, he arranged the journey of H.M. Stanley to Africa to discover the course of the Congo River, and Stanley returned the gratitude by naming a mountain after him. He is credited with the idea of a great trunk line traversing the entire African continent, by proposing a "Cape to Cairo railway" subsequently undertaken by Cecil Rhodes. His most famous work was published in 1879 and played a large part in popularizing something that existed in the eastern world for 25 centuries, among a western audience. (A) Who? (B) What work?

16

(A) Sir Edwin Arnold.

(B) The Light of Asia.

17

This mechanism uses a 72-inch-diameter platter; fully loaded it weighs 600 pounds and takes a forklift to move. For years it had a "maximum limit" of 2 hours 30 minutes. In 2009, there was a demand for more and engineers moved the clamp system from the top to the bottom thus allowing 2 hours 46 minutes and 54 seconds. This change helped again in 2014 when 2 hours 49 minutes were needed. But for anything more, a significant redesign may be required. (A) What is this mechanism used for? (B) Give us the 2009 or 2014 "event" that benefitted from the change.

17

17

(A) IMAX projection.

(B) Avatar OR Interstellar.

18

When he ruled the kingdom of Dhara, the poets sang: "Adya dhara sadadhara sadalamba sarasvati | Panditah manditah sarve _____ raje bhuvam gate ||" (Today Dhara is ever supported, and the Goddess Sarasvati is ever propped up. All the pundits are adorned with the coming of King _____ on this earth.) When he died, they sang: "Adya dhara niradhara niralamba sarasvati | Panditah khanditah sarve _____ raje divam gate ||" (Today Dhara is unsupported, and the Goddess Sarasvati is without a prop. All the pundits are scattered with the ascent of King _____ to heaven.)

18

(A) Who?

(B) According to folklore, which state capital city is believed to have been founded by him? Shown here is a statue of him situated in this city.

18

(A) Raja Bhoja.

(B) Bhopal.

The End

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