Ch 31-44 Flashcards
The biggest carnival of its kind, named after ____ the city it is held in, this begins with the appearance of King momo and features stunning samba dancing
Río de Janeiro
In ____ Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days and nights. It begins on the 25th day of Kislev of the Hebrew calendar and a nine-branched menorah, called Hanukiah, is lit during the celebrations.
Judaism
Celebrated on the eve of All Saint’s Day, this festival is most loved by kids, who go ‘trick or treating’ from house to house for candies, dressed up as ghosts, witches, vampires, Harry Potter, Red Riding Hood, a spider, a seashell, anything they fancy, really!
Halloween
Patrick’s Day, celebrated on 17 March to honour the nation’s patron saint, has become an international festival to celebrate the culture of ___ with parades, dances and food.
Ireland
The Chinese consider this mythical creature a harbinger of prosperity, good luck, wisdom and long life. ____dances are performed during the 15-day celebration of Chinese New Year to drive away evil spirits.
Dragon
Dubbed as the ‘world’s biggest food fight’, this fantastic festival is held on the last Wednesday of August every year in Buñol, a small town in Spain.
La Tomatina
This nation’s version of Halloween is ‘Day of the Dead’, with three days of festivities, beginning on 31 October, the day when the spirits of children come to visit their dear ones!
Mexico
Based on Roman-Christian legend from Italy, this festival (now largely celebrated in Scandinavia) commemorates a 3rd century martyr, depicted as a lady in white with a wreath of candles around her head so that she can carry as much food as possible for people in need.
Saint Lucy
Which Spanish dance form is said to have been created by the Romani people, who mixed their own art with influences from Andalusian and Moorish folk traditions?
Flamenco
Which dance form is usually associated with the arrival of spring and May Day celebrations across Europe?
Maypole
Which former European kingdom, now a part of the Czech Republic, is said to be the birthplace of the lively folk dance Polka?
Bohemia
Which folk dance, said to have been copied from the clumsy manner of the residents of Bergamo in Italy, was featured in Shakespeare’s play A Midsummer Night’s Dream?
Bergamask
Which country is known for its step dance tradition with reel, slip, jig and hornpipe being some of the styles?
Ireland
What is the actual name of the Cossack dance, the national dance of Ukraine?
Hopak
Which Polish folk dance is performed in a circle by couples, who stamp their feet and click their heels, among other steps, in sync with traditional music played by the village band?
Mazurka/mazurek
Which folk dance of Italy was supposedly created to counter tarantism, a hysterical condition caused by the bite of a tarantula? Apparently, victims could be cured if they danced crazily! You can see this dance in films such as The Godfather.
Tarantella
The 2015 outbreak of Zika virus in Brazil caused worldwide panic, as there was no vaccine to counter it. Which vector carries this deadly virus?
Aedes mosquitoes
Human African trypanosomiasis is a parasitic disease transmitted to humans via tsetse fly bites. What is it commonly called?
Sleeping sickness
The 14th century outbreak of bubonic plague, also known as ____, wiped out one-third of the European population. It is transmitted by fleas from rats to humans.
Black death
Medicine used to counter malaria, caused by plasmodium parasites transmitted to humans by the bite of female Anopheles mosquitoes
Quinine
Onchocerciasis or ___is an eye and skin disease transmitted by repeated bites of blackflies that live near fast-flowing rivers in agricultural areas.
River blindness
This disease, caused by tick bites, has a name homophonous with a common citrus fruit. It is characterised by a rash called erythema migrans (migrating rash).
Lyme
This severe form of Leishmaniasis is transmitted by the bite of infected sandflies, and is endemic to the Indian subcontinent and East Africa.
Kala Azar
Originally confined to Latin America, Chagas disease is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, also called____ bug. Its signs include swollen eyelids.
Kissing
Karakoram range’s longest glacier, whose name means ‘field of roses’ in the local language
Siachen
The famed mountain where some of Africa’s remaining glaciers are found
Kilimanjaro
The process by which glaciers ‘collect’ rocks from the surfaces they move over
Plucking
Location of Lambert-Fisher, the world’s largest glacier (400 km long, 100 km wide)
Antartica
The lower ______ glacier, found in the Bernese Alps in Switzerland, which shares its name with a famous wizard from the Harry Potter world
Grindelwald
Glaciers that terminate in the sea are called this
Tidewater
The end of the Gangotri glacier from where the Ganga emerges as the Bhagirathi
Gaumukh
Low, egg-shaped hillocks left behind by glacial activity; their shape reveals the direction of glacial flow
Drumlins
The Ladakhi man who has ‘grown’ a dozen small glaciers to provide freshwater for villages!
Chewang norphel
This large glacier in Argentina is named for a famous Swedish university
Upsala
This 21,000-km² glacial ice cap, in Canada’s Nunavut territory, has a name like that of a flashy tennis player!
Agassiz
The glacier near the top of Puncak Jaya, the high mountain found in Indonesia!
Cartensz
Small hole-like respiratory organ found near a shark’s eye
Spiracle
Sharks have no bones, so their skeletons are made of this tissue
Cartilage
Rare, plankton-eating shark, first found in Hawaii
Megamouth
This shark’s caudal (tail) fin can grow as long as its body!
Thresher
Endangered freshwater shark of India, often confused with the bull shark
Ganges
most feared, the main character of the 1974 film Jaws, by Steven Spielberg
Great white
The largest, and extinct, species of shark; almost 100 feet long
Megalodon
Fearsome hunter that eats anything it finds; named after its long, dark stripes
Tiger
Australian aboriginal name meaning ‘bearded’
Wobbegong
Gentle giant, the largest shark that cannot swallow anything larger than a tennis ball
Whale
One of the most distinctive-looking sharks, named for a common tool
Hammerhead
This species of ‘mackerel shark’ can swim at speeds of up to 60 mph
Mako
A transparent case, often with a handle, that protects a flame or bulb; owes its origin to Old French, Latin and Greek.
Lantern
A commonplace yet important word, which originated in the German Joachimstaler, literally meaning ‘coin from the mine of Joachimstal’.
Dollar
Isn’t it frustrating when you can’t solve an equation for x, y, z? The Persian word al-jabr is where this fascinating branch of mathematics takes its name from.
Algebra
Rooted in the German, this is literally a ‘noisy ghost’ who moves objects around; remember the annoying Peeves at Hogwarts?
Poltergeist
First used in 1819, this word comes from the Kikongo words for ‘god’ and ‘fetish’ but now means a dead person brought to life by witchcraft or, well, a slow-witted person.
Zombie
In chess, you say this when the opponent king has no way out and must die; the term is derived from the Persian phrase shah maat meaning ‘the king is stumped’.
Checkmate
When you run out of examples to quote, say in a test, this is a saviour; from a Latin expression implying ‘and other things’.
Et cetera
Inspired by a Persian fable, politician Horace Walpole coined the word serendipity meaning ‘pleasant surprise’; Serendip was the old name of this neighbouring country of India.
Sri Lanka
Ah, this makes life awesome! Goes with burgers and paranthas, sandwiches and pizza; likely derived from a Chinese word meaning ‘fish sauce’.
Ketchup
Clichés became clichés for a reason! Originally, this word was used for a printing plate and clicher was actually the click of metal on metal.
Stereotype
He voiced Ebenezer Scrooge in the 2009 animated film A Christmas Carol, based on the Dickens classic. He is also remembered for his role in The Mask, based on a comic book series. Name his character in The Mask.
Stanley ipkiss
Chachi 420 is a remake of Mrs Doubtfire, based on the book Madame Doubtfire by Anne Fine. If Kamal Haasan starred as the eponymous Chachi, name the actor who played ‘Mrs Doubtfire’
Robin Williams
Name this popular actor who portrayed Lau Xing in the 2004 film adaptation of Jules Verne’s classic Around The World In 80 Days.
Jackie Chan
Which fearsome character did this actor voice in the film adaptations of The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien?
Smaug (the dragon)
You would remember him as Professor Snape. He played a vital character in a 1995 film version of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility. Which character?
Colonel Brandon
Name this award-winning scientist, known for his work on black holes, who was portrayed by Eddie Redmayne in a film based on a memoir titled Travelling To Infinity.
Stephen Hawking
Which prolific author, known for children’s classics like James and the Giant Peach, wrote the screenplay for the film based on lan Fleming’s novel, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang?
Roald dahl
Aamir Khan’s titular role in Lal Singh Chaddha (2022) was inspired by this titular character from a 1994 film, itself based on a book by Winston Groom. Name him.
Forrest Gump
Mamang Dai wrote
The Black Hill
Javed Akhtar wrote
Lava
Mahashweta Devi wrote
Aranyer Adhikar
Kailash Vajpeyi wrote
Hawa Mein Hastakshar
Swarajbir wrote
Masia Di Raat
The next time you handle a currency note, look carefully at the back. In how many official languages of India is the value mentioned?
17
In 2019, which famous author and long-time Parliamentarian won the Sahitya Akademi Award for English for his non-fiction book titled An Era Of Darkness?
Shashi Tharoor
Apart from Bodo, Dogri and Maithili, which regional language was added to the list of India’s official languages in 2004?
Santhali
Writing in which language (introduced as a category in 2005) have the following authors won the Sahitya Akademi Award: Mwdai Gahai (2021), (late) Dharanidhar Owari (2020), Phukan Basumatary (2019)?
Bodo
In 1955, Gopinath Mohanty was the first person to receive the Sahitya Akademi Award for his novel Amrutara Santan. In which language did he write?
Odia
The Italian Stallion’s first shot at the World Heavyweight Championship against Apollo Creed
Rocky
Based on a true story about a basketball coach benching his undefeated team due to poor academics
Coach carter
Kapil Dev picks him for the Indian squad instead of star batsman Kamal in this critically acclaimed film
Iqbal
The final laps of the cycle race in the Aamir Khan starrer Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander take place in this arena
Velodrome
Following the election of Nelson Mandela as President of South Africa, the sporting unions decided to rename the ______ as the Proteas,as also seen in Invictus
Springboks
Santiago Muñez, the protagonist, achieves his dream of playing professional football and kickstarts his career by scoring for Newcastle United
Goal
Mickey Rourke won a Golden Globe and received an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Randy ‘The Ram’ Robinson
The wrestler
The epic rivalry between Formula 1 drivers________and Niki Lauda is depicted in Rush
James hunt
Sushant Singh Rajput portrays the greatest finisher of the game in a film by Neeraj Pandey
M.S. Dhoni
Gerard Butler teaches Jonny Weston all about riding massive waves called ‘Mavericks’ in this film about
Surfing
Christian Bale won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2010 for playing former professional boxer Dicky Eklund in
The fighter
The fearsome stallion War Admiral is his arch rival
Seabiscuit
A film on the USA’s miraculous victory in ice hockey over six-time Olympic gold winners Soviet Union
Miracle
In Remember The Titans_____ Washington plays the role of football coach Herman Boones
Denzel
London is the only city to have hosted the summer Olympic Games three times.
True
The 1908 Olympic Games had an event called ‘dueling’, where the contestants would actually fire guns at each other.
True
Swimming events at Athens 1896 were held in the open sea because the organizers refused to pay to build a special stadium.
True
The year 1980 was the first time that a group of nations boycotted the Olympic Games.
False
For the 2008 Beijing Games, the Olympic torch was taken to the top of Mt Everest.
True
At the persuasion of Adidas founder Adi Dasler, Jesse Owens wore German shoes in the 1936 Olympics, the first time an African-American athlete endorsed a sportswear product.
True
No new sports or disciplines were included in Tokyo 2020, since it was held during the Covid19 pandemic.
False
Breaking is the only sport making its debut at Paris 2024.
True
Which combat form, developed for the Israeli army by imi Lichtenfeld, incorporates techniques from other martial arts like aikido, boxing and judo? It grew out of street-fighting techniques that Jews used against fascist gangs in Czechoslovakia.
Krav Maga
The martial art of Silambam, practised in Tamil Nadu since the 2nd century BCE, traces its roots to a famous sage who was taught the technique by Lord Murugan. Name the sage.
Agastya
In what French martial art, which originated in fights in Paris slums, are one’s legs and feet the main weapons though hands are also used?
Savate
On which famous exponent of the Chinese technique of Wing Chun was a series of films made, with Donnie Yen playing the lead role?
Yip man , Bruce lee’s teacher
Which Indonesian combat technique is said to get its name either from the Sanskrit word for ‘five’ or the Chinese word for ‘avert’ or ‘deflect’?
Pencak Silat
Which Indian state has given us the martial art of Huyen Langlon, which involves combat with either a spear and sword (thang-ta) or bare hands (sarit-sarak)?
Manipur
The introduction of slaves from Africa into Brazil led to the development of a martial art combining dance, music and acrobatics with combat skills, possibly for unarmed slaves to defend themselves against weapon-toting masters. Which technique?
Capoeira
Which Korean martial art, developed during the Japanese colonization by Choi Yong-Sool, combines joint locks, body holds and blows with weapons combat?
Hapkido
Key battle that turned into a devastating defeat for the French, leading to them losing Vietnam
Dien Bien Phu
The breakaway state that declared independence from the Republic of Congo, supported by European mercenaries, in the 1960s
¨katanga
The name given by the Argentines to the Falkland Islands, over which they went to war with Great Britain in 1982
mereko iska answer nhi mil rha toh bhaad mai jo tujhe milega toh bata dena
The Jewish festival Yom___, a day of penance, when Israel was attacked by an Egyptian-Syrian alliance for control of Sinai and Golan Heights
kippur
Another name for the 100-Hour War, fought between El Salvador and Honduras in 1965
football
Border waterway of key importance in the Iran-Iraq War, as in earlier conflicts
shatt al-arab
According to Egyptian mythology, what was the first thing that existed?
chaos
How did Ra, the sun god, make the stages or parts of the day?
He traversed the sky on a boat and turned himself into the stages
Who was the scorpion goddess, guardian of the Pharaohs against poisons
Serket
Which jackal-headed god weighed a dead person’s heart and judged whether the person could enter the realm of the dead?
Anubis
Of which god was the pharaoh supposed to be the incarnation, thus getting a divine right to rule Egypt?
Horus
Which major deity’s symbol is djed, the tree of life?
Osiris
Which machine, invented by Andrew Meikle to separate grain from stalks and husks, eliminated the need for intensive, time-consuming manual labour?
threshing machine
Thomas Newcomen can be credited with inventing the first practical _______ which was employed to draw water out of mines.
steam engine
Who invented the Spinning Jenny in the small English town of Oswaldtwistle, thus revolutionizing the textile industry by enabling a single worker to work up to eight spools of yarn at once?
james hargreaves
After a series of mining explosions due to the use of open methane flames by miners, which English chemist pursued the idea of enclosing the flame in an iron gauze, thus inventing the miner’s safety lamp?
sir humphry davy
Named for its inventor, which was the first efficient process for large-scale production of steel from molten iron? It worked by oxidizing the molten iron and keeping it molten for longer
bessemer`s process
For which Scottish engineer, a key inventor whose creation was a major driver of the Industrial Revolution, is the SI unit for power named?
james watt
Having independently invented and patented the telegraph in the US, who also devised a system of transmitting messages that is usually expressed in ‘dots’ and ‘dashes’?
samuel morse
Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, also owned _______, a Swedish company which he converted from an iron and steel maker to a major cannon and gun manufacturer
bofors
