Intermediate Practice Pack #1 Flashcards
How many strings are on a standard bass guitar?
4
What Virginia structure is the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense?
The Pentagon
In Braille, each character is represented by a cell of up to how many dots?
6
Which of the Baltic states was the last to declare independence from the USSR?
Latvia
What university includes both its main downtown campus and the Macdonald Campus in the West Island?
McGill University
What symbolic structure is found on top of Montreal’s Mount Royal?
cross
In what 20th century decade did Montreal host the summer Olympics?
1970s (specifically, 1976)
What is the name of the snowman mascot of the Quebec winter carnival?
Bonhomme
The Long John Jamboree, formerly the Caribou Carnival, is held in March in which city?
Yellowknife
What is the newest capital city in Canada?
Iqaluit
Vegreville, Alberta is home to the world’s largest pysanka. What sort of object is a pysanka?
(Easter) egg
Strictly speaking, which group of cephalopods has no tentacles and eight arms?
octopuses
Reminiscent of a sweet treat, what term refers to the bowl-like muscular structures along an octopus’ arms?
suckers
The only hard part of an octopus’ body is what chitinous part?
beak (or rostrum)
Special cells known as chromatophores are used by octopuses to do what?
change colour (or camouflage)
Name two US states that begin with the letter W.
West Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming (any two)
Faith, Hope, and Charity are sometimes referred to as the three what?
(Theological) Virtues
Athos, Porthos and who else made up the Three Musketeers?
Aramis
Yum-Yum, Peep-Bo and Pitti-Sing were the Three Little Maids in which Gilbert and Sullivan operetta?
The Mikado
Relief, Recovery, and Reform were the three “R’s” of what 1930s American political program?
The New Deal
Larry, Moe, and Curly made up what comedy team?
(Three) Stooges
Gaspar and Melchior were two of the Three Wise Men. Who was the other?
Balthasar
The three Wise Monkeys of Nikko, Japan are associated with what three verbs, each coming before the words “no evil?”
see, hear, and speak
Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather are three fairies who befriend which Disney character?
Sleeping Beauty
Meaning “fond of meddling in another’s affairs,” spell the word “officious.”
O F F I C I O U S
It is the fear of spiders. Spell “arachnophobia.”
A R A C H N O P H O B I A
It is a chemical imbalance in the body. Spell “hypoglycemia.”
H Y P O G L Y C E M I A
What is the name of the ferry man in Greek mythology who carries the souls of the dead across the river Styx and into Hades?
Charon
What was the name of Lord Nelson’s flagship?
(HMS) Victory
What is the name of the Himalayan kingdom that lies north of Bangladesh?
Bhutan
In which European city is the headquarters of the International Red Cross?
Geneva
What sort of automatic weapon gave gangster George Kelly Barnes his nickname?
Machine Gun (Kelly)
What is the clear, fluid part of the blood that is left after a clot forms?
serum
What is the only non-metallic elements that is liquid at standard temperature and pressure?
bromine
Which early French writer wrote sci-fi works like “Journey to the Centre of the Earth” and “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea?”
Jules Verne
John Richardson said that I had “one of the noblest and most gallant spirits that ever tenanted the breast of man.” Though the exact circumstances of my death are unknown, I may have been killed by Colonel Richard Johnson during a cavalry charge. I led a confederacy of indigenous tribes allied with the British in the War of 1812. I helped Sir Isaac Brock at the Siege of Detroit. A statue showing me riding a horse with Brock standing next to me can be seen in Windsor, Ontario. Who am I?
Tecumseh
A shark named for what island constituent country has recently been found to be the most long-lived vertebrate?
Greenland (shark)
What cat was featured in reading schoolbooks alongside Dick, Jane, and Spot the dog?
Puff
What is the common name for the Arctic ruminant known as Ovibos moschatus?
muskox
The Attorney General of Canada also holds what ministerial position in the Cabinet?
Minister of Justice
Who is the current Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada?
David Lametti
Unlike the other provinces and territories, which one has only a single-level trial court, the Court of Justice?
Nunavut
What adjective describe the highest level of court in a province or territory?
Superior (Court)
Maurice Richard, Gordie Howe, and Bobby Hull were three hockey greats who wore which uniform number?
nine
In boxing, what do you call a punch that lands on the back of the head?
rabbit
What portmanteau is used for motorcycle races that take place on off-road circuits?
motocross
Which martial art was the subject of three Ralph Macchio movies int he 1980s?
karate
The death of which Major general in Khartoum in 1885 was depicted in a painting by George W. Joy?
Charles G. Gordon
Who was President George H.W. Bush’s vice president?
James Danforth (Dan) Quayle
Which river is the longest in all of Britain?
Severn
Give the acronym for either of the two groups, one a political party and the other a union organization, that merged to form the NDP in 1961.
CCF or CLC
(CCF = Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
CLC = Canadian Labour Congress)
The holder of which British royal title has the German motto “ICH DIEN,” meaning “I serve?”
Prince of Wales
Which adventure novel’s title character Anglicizes his last name from Krutznauer before he ends up shipwrecked?
Robinson Crusoe
Who created the cartoon series “The Simpsons?”
Matt Groening
What is the two-digit telephone country code for Australia?
61
What is the last word in the following four-word phrase from the Book of Genesis: “let there be BLANK?”
light
When light strikes a surface it bounces off at the same angle. What law is this?
(The Law of) Reflection
When white light passes through a prism, a rainbow of colours is seen. What is the term for this property of white light?
dispersion
When light passes from one medium into another it changes direction or bends. What is this property called?
refraction
What is the difference between the complement of 42 degrees and the supplement of 42 degrees?
90 (degrees)
Mike is 12 years old. Fred is three times as old. In how many years will Fred be twice as old as Mike?
12
How many prime numbers are there between and including 2 and 11?
5
In 45 minutes it will be five to eleven. What time was it one hour ago?
9:10
I was the name given to a retreat after it was called Hi-Catoctin but before it was called Camp David. I am the name under which F.D.R. hid the identity of the U.S. aircraft carrier “Hornet.” That carrier was the vessel from which Lt. Colonel James Doolittle led 16 Army B-25 bombers in a raid against Japan in April of 1942. In a novel by James Hilton, I was a hidden paradise in the Kunlun Mountains of China. What am I?
Shangri-La
What team won the 2018 Stanley Cup?
Washington Capitals
What team won the 2017 MLB World Series?
Houston Astros
The Ob and Yenisei Rivers are both found in which country?
Russia
Which river forms much of the boundary between the USA and Mexico?
Rio Grande (or Rio Bravo)
What river joins the Red River at The Forks, in Winnipeg?
Assiniboine
What is the geographical term for the alluvial sediment deposits at the mouth of the river?
delta
In which city did Hitler hold the Summer Olympics in 1936?
Berlin
What theory did Alfred Wegener develop to explain the drift of Earth’s continents over time?
Plate Tectonics
What meteorological term comes both from the Greek for “whirlwind” and the Chinese for “great wind?”
Typhoon
A common term for perfume often worn by men comes from what European city?
Cologne
A big fan of chocolate cake for breakfast, who is the narrator of S.E. Hinton’s “The Outsiders?”
Ponyboy Curtis
Which explorer of North America captained ships including the Hopewell, the Half Moon, and the Discovery?
Henry Hudson
Who became French President following the death of Charles De Gaulle?
Georges Pompidou
Which acting company was formally established by royal announcement on March 20, 1961?
Royal Shakespeare Company
The Latin phrase “DRAMATIS PERSONAE” appears at the start of every Shakespearian play. What does the dramatis personae contain?
(list of) characters (in the play)
What country, once part of Dutch Guiana, added an E to the end of its name in 1978?
Suriname
With which country are the royal houses of Balliol, Bruce, and Stuart most closely associated?
Scotland
What body part is also found at the centre of tropical cyclones?
eye
Which American musician and composer was known as the “March King?”
John Philip Sousa
Name the current President of the Russian Federation.
Vladimir Putin
