Mastermind GK Set A Flashcards
1
Q
Which bravery award was originally made from the metal of guns captured at Sevastopol during the Crimean War?
A
Victoria Cross
2
Q
Which is the first county the River Severn flows through on entering England?
A
Shropshire
3
Q
Which work, based on thirteenth century Latin secular poems, was set to music in 1937 by Carl Orff
A
Carmina Burana
4
Q
Who entered parliament as MP for Doncaster North in 2005?
A
Ed Milliband
5
Q
Desiríee is a red-skinned, yellow-fleshed variety of which vegetable?
A
Potato
6
Q
The actress Ellen Andree and the engraver Marcellin Desboutin were the sitters for which painting by Degas, in which they are featured sitting in a bar
A
The Absinthe Drinkers
7
Q
What is the name of the palace the Frederick the Great of Prussia had built at Potsdam between 1745 and 1747?
A
Sans Souci
8
Q
Which religious movement grew out of a Bible study group formed by Charles Taze Russell in Pittsburgh in the 1870s, and took its current name in 1931?
A
Jehovah’s Witnesses
9
Q
In chess, Fianchetto is a term for the development of which piece?
A
Bishop
10
Q
Who was the first presenter of the TV programme Question Time
A
Robin Day
11
Q
Spider, Squirrel Proboscis and Rhesus are species of which animal?
A
Monkey
12
Q
The plot of which early Shakespeare comedy is based on the enmity between the towns of Syracuse and Ephesus?
A
A Comedy of Errors
13
Q
Which word for the building in a sports ground in which players change their clothes and store their equipment comes ultimately from the Latin for a butterfly?
A
Pavilion
14
Q
The British astrophysicist Fred Hoyle was a leading proponent of which theory of the universe that argues it has always existed in more or less the same form (with new matter being continuously created as it expands)?
A
Steady State Theory
15
Q
Which film did the Coen Brothers remake in 2010 with Jeff Bridges playing Reuben “Rooster” Cogburn?
A
True Grit
16
Q
In horse-racing, what is the name of the sharp left hand final bend on the Epsom Derby course?
A
Tattenham Corner
17
Q
What term, used to describe the virtual reality created by computers, was coined by the science fiction writer William Gibson and popularised in his 1984 novel Neuromancer?
A
Cyberspace
18
Q
Mahe Island is the largest of which archipelago in the Indian Ocean?
A
Seychelles
19
Q
Which British band was formed in Birmingham in 1978 by John Taylor and Nick Rhodes?
A
Duran Duran
20
Q
Which anti-pollution component of a car usually consists of a ceramic structure coated with a blend of platinum, rhodium and palladium?
A
Catalytic Convertor
21
Q
The furniture designer Robert Thompson used what small rodent as his signature?
A
Mouse
22
Q
What is the title of Shelagh Delaney’s first play, written when she was nineteen and set in her native Salford?
A
A Taste Of Honey
23
Q
Which former Portuguese colony in Africa joined the commonwealth in 1995, the same year as Cameroon
A
Mozambique
24
Q
What abbreviation of the Latin for “and others” is used especially in referring to academic texts that have more than one author?
A
Et al
25
Which spice consists of the unopened dried flower buds of a tropical evergreen tree of the myrtle family?
Cloves
26
In classical mythology, who is the Greek counterpart of the Roman god Mars
Ares
27
Which decimal coin was only in circulation from 1971 until 31 December 1984 (when it ceased to be legal tender)?
Half penny
28
The American anthem "My Country Tis Of Thee" is usually sung to which other well-known patriotic tune?
God Save The Queen
29
In which group of animals are young born prematurely, completing their development attached to teats usually covered by a pouch on their mother's belly?
Marsupials
30
What term is widely used in the press for the police tactic of confining demonstrators for a long time, as used in the 2010 tuition fees protests?
Kettling
31
Seasonal allergic rhinitis, frequently caused by pollen, is commonly known by what name?
Hayfever
32
Which Italian fashion house uses the head of Medusa as its trademark
Versace
33
The price of crude oil from which North Sea field is widely used as a benchmark in Europe and the OPEC countries
Brent
34
In the TV Series The West Wing, who plays President Josiah Bartlett
Martin Sheen
35
Which relative of the giraffe is found only in the forests of central Africa, and was unknown to Europeans until around 1900?
Okapi
36
Which cocktails is made with vodka, lime juice, triple sec, and cranberry juice
Cosmopolitan
37
The mountain K2 gets its name because it was the second peak to be surveyed in which mountain range between the Pamirs and the Himalyas?
Karakoram
38
Which former leader of a political party had previously served as a Royal Marines Officer from 1959 to 1972?
Paddy Ashdown
39
In the Divine Comedy, which Roman poet conducted Dante through Hell and Purgatory?
Virgil
40
Which northern English city lies at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Fosse?
York
41
Which explorer let the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition which left England on the ship Endurance in August 1914?
Shackleton
42
The Parthenon was the chief temple of which Greek goddess?
Athena
43
Which hormone, secreted by the outer layer of the adrenal glands, has been synthesised and used as an anti-inflammatory agent for rheumatic arthritis and other ailments?
Cortisone
44
Which Yorkshire and England cricketer was the first bowler to take 300 test wickets?
Fred Trueman
45
Which woodwind instrument is described in the film The Secret Life of Walter Mitty as "the ill wind that no-one blows good"
Oboe
46
The name of which type of ceramic comes from the Italian for "Cowie shell" and was used by Marco Polo to describe the pottery he saw in China?
Porcelain
47
Which Irish poet's first full volume of poetry, published in 1966, was called "Death of a Naturalist"
Seamus Heaney
48
What name was given to the speculative boom, centred on a company set up to trade with South America, whose collapse in 1720 ruined many British investors
South Sea Bubble
49
Which American director and screenwriter's films include The Elephant Man and Dune
David Lynch
50
In 1981, which University Dramatic Club was the first winner of the Edinburgh Festival comedy award, with a review that featured Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie
Cambridge Footlights
51
The name of which small nocturnal lizard comes from the Malay imitation of its distinctive cry?
Gecko
52
"Noble rot" is a form of fungus that can affect which fruit, shrivelling it rather than actually rotting it?
Grapes
53
Which sea is bounded on the south by Venezuela, Colombia and Panama, and on the west by Central Amercia?
Caribbean
54
Which state was represented in the American Senate by John F Kennedy and his brother Edward?
Massacheusetts
55
In 1877, Spencer Gore became the first winner of which sporting championship?
Wimbledon
56
Which mathematician, who died in mid-thirteenth century, was also known as Leonardo of Pisa?
Fibonacci
57
Toxicology is the scientific study of what?
Poisons
58
In The Phantom of the Opera, what is the first name of the young soprano, originally played on stage by Sarah Brightman?
Christine
59
Which stately home in Wiltshire stands on the site of a ruined priory bought by Sir John Thynne in 1541 for the sum of fifty-three pounds?
Longleat
60
For cars registered on or after March 1 2001, the rate of vehicle excise duty bands are based on the type of fuel and what other criterion?
CO2 emissions
61
In pantomime, who was famously leaving London when he heard the bells telling him to "turn again"?
Dick Whittington
62
What is the name of Milan's world-famous Opera House, which opened in August 1778 after the previous theatre had been destroyed by fire?
La Scala
63
The monitor, which can range in length from twenty centimetres to three meters, is a genus of which reptile?
Lizard
64
Who was born in Putney in 1485, and rose from a humble background to become Henry VIII's chief advisor from about 1531 to his fall in 1540?
Thomas Cromwell
65
The name of which variety of pasta, normally served stuffed, literally means 'big tubes' or 'pipes'?
Canneloni
66
In which city does Robert Adam's Pulteney Bridge cross the River Avon?
Bath
67
Which film, based on a novel about a Vermeer painting, features Scarlett Johansson in the title role?
Girl With A Pearl Earring
68
In which organ of the body is bile produced?
Liver
69
At which golf course does the US Masters tournament take place during the first full week in April?
Augusta
70
In Greek myth, which Titan was forced to carry the sky on his shoulders as a punishment for taking part in a war against the Olympian gods?
Atlas
71
The chairman of which committee oversees Conservative Party leadership elections?
1922 Committee
72
Which science fiction writer's first law of robotics is: "A robot may not injure a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm"?
Isaac Asimov
73
In geology, what name, of Spanish origin, is given to a large crater formed by the collapse of the central part of a volcano after eruption?
Caldera
74
Which classic Bruce Springsteen song begins with the line, "In the day we sweated it out on the streets of a runaway American dream"?
Born To Run
75
Which soldier and statesman is credits with being the founder of the modern Turkish state? He became the first President of the Turkish Republic in 1923
Mustafa Kamal Attaturk
76
The forerunner of which cult radio comedy series, broadcast in 1951, was called Those Crazy People
The Goons
77
What term for a dealer in illicit alcohol, especially during Prohibition in America, is said to come from the place where illegal flasks of alcohol were concealed by early traders?
Bootlegger
78
Which sea creature is embedded in formaldehyde in Damien Hirst's The Physical Impossibility Of Death In The Mind Of Someone Living?
Shark
79
Which landlocked West African country has a name that approximately translates as "Land of incorruptible People" or "Land of Worthy Men"?
Burkino Faso
80
In Roman numerals, what letter represents the number 500?
D
81
Which of Shakespeare's comedies has a heroine named Hero?
Midsummer Night's Dream
82
Which anti-crime scheme was established in Britain after a group of police officers visited Chicago in 1982
Neighbourhood Watch
83
Which small marine creatures make up the genus hippocampus
Sea horses
84
Particularly associated with New York Jewish cuisine, which meat is commonly spiced to make the commonest version of pastrami?
Beef
85
In the film Sylvia, which poet was played by Daniel Craig, who starred opposite Gwyneth Paltrow?
Ted Hughes
86
With whom did Sir Isaac Newton have an increasingly bitter dispute with as to which of them should take credit for the invention of calculus?
Leibnitz
87
In which sport has Doggett's Coat and Badge been competed for annually since 1715 (in one of the world's oldest continuing races)
Rowing/Sculling
88
During the Spanish Civil War, the Nationist General Emilo Mola Vidal is credited with coining what term for a clandestine force of subversive agents?
Fifth Column
89
What name is given to the sleeveless outer vestment worn by priests and bishops of the Roman Catholic and some other churches while presiding at Mass or Holy Communion?
Chusable
90
Which country's flag consists of a blue cross outlined in white on a red background with the vertical part of the cross shifted to the hoist side?
Norway
91
Which elite military unit was founded by the Scots Guard officer David Stirling in 1941
SAS
92
In horseracing, which jockey rode all seven winners in a meeting at Ascot in September 1996?
Frankie Dettori
93
The internal angles of any quadrilateral add up to how many degrees?
360
94
The the TV series Star Trek, what was the name of the Communications Officer on board the original Starship Enterprise, played by Nichelle Nichols?
Uhura
95
New York State lies on one side of Niagra Falls; which Canadian province lies on the other?
Ontario
96
Which former lawyer, now a bestselling writer of legal thrillers, served in the Mississippi House of Representatives from 1983 to 1990?
John Grisham
97
In English business law, what name is given to the insolvency process whereby a company's debts are frozen while a rescue package is attempted by a person appointed by the court to take over the company?
Administration
98
Who said, on becoming Prime Minister in 1868, "I have climbed to the top of the greasy pole"?
Disreali
99
Which small fruit, that resembles an orange and originated in China, can be eaten whole as the rind is edible?
Kumquat
100
Which form on musical composition has a name derived from the past participle of the Italian verb meaning "to sound"?
Sonata
101
The name of which member of the cat family native to Central and South America comes from a Tup-Guarani word for any large carnivore?
Jaguar
102
Which influential Post-Impressionist artist once said that, "For an impressionist to pain from nature is not to paint the subject, but to realise sensations"?
Cezanne
103
What word for a large lorry comes from a stature of the god Krishna which is dragged through the streets on a heavy wagon during an annual festival at Puri in India?
Juggernaut
104
Which 1998 film stars Jim Carrey as an insurance agent whose life has been recorded on TV without his knowledge?
The Truman Show
105
What expression for noble descent comes from the spanish "sangre azul" and is thought to derive from the visible veins of pale skinned aristocracy?
Blue blooded
106
Which number puzzle first appeared in its modern form in a New York magazine in 1979 under the title "Number Place" before reappearing in Japan in 1984?
Sudoku
107
Which City of London institution is based at 10 Paternoster Square?
Stock Exchange
108
In which musical does the character Grizabella (originally sung by Elaine Paige) sing "Memory"?
Cats
109
Ludwig II, who was known as Mad King Ludwig, ruled which German state from 1864 to 1886?
Bavaria
110
What is the title of the allegorical fourteenth century poem usually attributed to William Langland?
The Visions Of Piers Plowman
111
What acid is secreted in to the stomach by the parietal cells, also known asthe oxyntic cells?
Hydrochloric
112
Which country co-hosted the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup along with India and Sri Lanka?
Bangladesh
113
Which bitter extract from the leaves of the plant Artemisia absinthium is an important ingredient in the flavouring of absinthe
Wormwood
114
Which name of Old French or Middle Dutch origin is given to an anchored float that serves as a navigation mark?
Bouy
115
The radio series The Archers is set in which fictional county?
Borsetshire
116
The name of which Norwegian army officer, who collaborated with the Nazis during WW2 has become a synonym for a traitor
Quisling
117
What answer did the French social thinker Pierre-Joseph Proudhon give to the question he posed in Chapter One of his work What Is Property?
Theft
118
Which small South Atlantic island group, a dependency of St Helena, is named after the Portuguese sailor who discovered it in 1506
Tristan de Cunha
119
In 1878, which soul singer became the first woman to be admitted to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame?
Aretha Franklin
120
In 1994, the Globe Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue was renamed in honour of which famous actor (as well as to avoid confusion with the reconstructed Shakespearean theatre)
Gielgud
121
The modern name of which planet comes from the Roman Goddess of Love and Beauty?
Venus
122
Which bank was brought down by the dealings of the 'rogue trader' Nick Leeson
Barings
123
Who presented the programme Time Team and the series The Worst Jobs In History
Tony Robinson
124
Which animal was unknown in the west until 1869, when the French missionary Armand David obtained some furs?
Panda
125
The name of which orphan, created by the American novelist Eleanor H Porter, is now used for anyone of a particular sunny and optimistic disposition?
Pollyanna
126
Which American state is known as The Green Mountain State?
Vermont
127
Which jazz trumpeter recorded the albums Kind of Blue and Sketches of Spain?
Mile Davis
128
According to the Bible, what is the name of the hill in Jerusalem on which the existing Jesubite fortress became King David's royal capital?
Mount Zion
129
In Indian cuisine, what is the characteristic feature of the meat in a dish described as Keema
Minced
130
What description of the English was used by Adam Smith in The Wealth of Nations and has also been attributed to Napoleon?
A nation of shopkeepers
131
In which par of the body in the brachial artery found?
Arm
132
The Clore Gallery, an extension to what is now Tate Britain, was built to hold the works of which British artist?
Turner
133
In heraldry, what name is given to an X shaped cross usually occupying the entire field in which it is placed
Saltire
134
As part of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, the german company Bayer was made to surrender the brand name of which common painkilling drug to the Allies?
Aspirin
135
Which English football team, founded in 1862, claims to be the world's oldest surviving professional Football League club?
Notts County
136
Which South American Republic derives its name from an Italian city after european explorers observed indian villages on stilts over water?
Venezuela
137
What name is given to the plant disease caused by fungi which produce a dusty white surface, particularly on leaves?
Mildew
138
What is the name of the top film award at the Cannes Film Festival?
Palm D'Or
139
What nickname was Margaret Thatcher given when she ended free school milk for the over sevens as Secretary of State for Education in 1971?
Milk Snatcher
140
In which ballet, with music by Tchaikovsky, has Odette been turned into a bird by the magician Rothbart?
Swan Lake
141
What name is given to the two instances each year when the Sun is exactly above the equator, making the day and night equal in length?
Equinox
142
Which French author wrote The Second Sex, which became a classic of feminist literature when it was published in 1953?
Simone de Beauvoir
143
Which cocktail of Mexican origin is made from tequila, an orange liqueur and lime or lemon juice? It is typically drunk from a glass whose rim has been coated with salt.
Margarita
144
In Greek mythology, the minotaur had the body of a man and the head of which creature?
Bull
145
Which album by the Rolling Stones, released in 1968, includes the tracks Sympathy for the Devil and Street Fighting Man
Beggar's Banquet
146
Which painting by Velasquez, completed in 1635, shows the symbolic handing over of the keys of a Dutch city to the victorious Spanish army after a siege?
The Surrender of Breda
147
Anosmia is a loss of which of the senses?
Smell
148
In April 1998, which Northern Line underground station was reopened by the team of the BBC Radio Four game show I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue?
Mornington Crescent
149
Jack Slipper, known as Slipper Of The Yard, was particularly famous for his pursuit of which escaped criminal?
Ronnie Biggs
150
Who scored 766 runs during the 2010-2011 Ashes series in Australia, the second-highest total by any English batsman in a Test series?
Alistair Cook
151
Squire Tremawney and Benn Gunn are characters in which novel by Robert Louis Stevenson?
Treasure island
152
In 1864, which Prime Minister was responsible for the repeal of the Corn Laws that had restricted imports of grain?
Rober Peel
153
In which hit song for The Kinks does Terry meet Julie 'every Friday night'?
Waterloo Sunset
154
Dutch is the official language of which South American republic?
Suriname
155
Which fish hatch in the Sargasso Sea, the larvae turning into immature adults as they are carried by current across the Atlantic before entering British rivers?
Eels
156
In 1903, Frenchman Maurice Garin became the first winner of which annual sporting contest?
Tour de France
157
What word that means "the act of throwing someone out of a window" is associated with an act that occurred in Prague in 1618?
Defenstration
158
Who played secret agent Harry Palmer in a trilogy of films in the 1960s?
Michael Caine
159
In computing, what does the acronym RAM stand for?
Random Access Memory
160
Which impressionist, noted for his admiration of the female form, said, "I never think I have finished a nude until I think I could pinch it"?
Renoir
161
In Greek mythology, which monster terrorised the Thebans by asking them a riddle and devouring them when they could not answer it?
The Sphinx
162
Which television hospital drama series was created by the novelist Michael Crichton?
ER
163
Which organ of the body is affected by hepatitis?
Liver
164
In which novel had the language "Newspeak" been invented to meet the ideological needs of "Ingsoc", or English Socialism?
1984
165
Which town, now a city, was bypassed by the first stretch of motorway to be opened in Britain in 1958
Preston
166
On which musical instrument was Yehudi Menuhin a virtuoso performer?
Violin
167
Who was the chairman of the British Railways Board from 1961 to 1965, and gave his name to the plan under when Britain's railway mileage was substantially reduced?
Dr Beeching
168
Which word for a plan of action designed to achieve an overall aim comes from a Greek word meaning "generalship"?
Strategy
169
The mouflon, native to Corsica and Sardinia, is a small wild form of which farm animal?
Sheep
170
In Sickness And In Health was the sequel to which television comedy series?
Till Death Us Do Part
171
What adjective meaning "disdainfully superior in manner" comes from the Latin for "eyebrow"?
Supercilious
172
What is the lightest chemical element?
Hydrogen
173
Sabres and Epees are types of which weapon?
Swords
174
In 1931, Sir Edward Elgar conducted "Land Of Hope And Glory" at the opening of which recording studios in St John's Wood in London?
Abbey Road
175
In Islam, what name is given to the prophet Muhammad's journey from Mecca to Medina in 622?
Hejira
176
Which shipping forecast area off the easy coast of Scotland gets its name from the approximate depth in fathoms of its seabed?
Forties
177
In which part of the body are the cuboid and cuneiform bones?
Foot
178
Which novel by James Jones, about the experiences of a serviceman in Hawaii just before the attack on Pearl Harbour was made into an award-winning film starring Burt Lancaster, Deborah Kerr and Frank Sinatra?
From Here To Eternity
179
In which country did the WW2 battle of El Alamein take place?
Egypt
180
Which spicy soup originated in India and takes its name from the Tamil for "pepper water"?
Mulligatawny
181
DE is the Internet code abbreviation for which country?
Germany
182
Who assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his consort Sophie in June 1914, triggering The Great War?
Gavrilo Princip
183
Which musical direction denoting a moderately slow tempo, literally means "going" in Italian
Andante
184
Which desert has a name meaning "waterless place" in Mongolian?
Gobi
185
Which Shakespearean character has been played on film by Sir Laurence Olivier in 1948 and Mel Gibson in 1990?
Hamlet
186
The battles of Blenheim, Ramillies, Oudenaarde and Malplaquet were principle engagements in which war?
Spanish Succession
187
Who played Mr Spock in the original Star Trek TV series?
Leonard Nimoy
188
In which city, the place of his birth, are most of the surviving works of the architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh?
Glasgow
189
Who won the Whitbread Award for a first novel with Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit
Jeanette Winterson
190
What name is given to the salted belly of pork that is an important ingredient in Italian cooking and is very similar to streaky bacon?
Pancetta
191
In Ancient Greece, which city-state in the southern Peloponnese was characterised by its rigorous military discipline?
Sparta
192
Which series of eight engravings by William Hogarth details the decline of a spendthrift young man?
The Rake's Progress
193
Which religious philosopher was born in Copenhagen in May1813 and became a major influence on existentialism and Protestant theology
SíŸren Kierkegaard
194
Which ligaments that are found in the knee and other parts of the body are so names because they form an X shaped cross
Cruciate ligaments
195
Which play by Terence Rattigan was based on the true case of George Archer Shee, who was expelled from Osborne Naval College for petty theft?
The Winslow Boy
196
Quezon City was the capital of which Asian country from 1948 to 1976?
The Philippines
197
The popular "Humming Chorus" is from which opera by Puccini?
Madama Butterfly
198
Which drug, that for three centuries was the only treatment for malaria known in the West, is obtained from the bark of the cinchona tree?
Quinine
199
Which director's films include The Terminator, Titanic and Avatar?
James Cameron
200
Which town in Cornwall is the centre of the china clay industry, the white spoil mounds that surrounds it being known locally as "the Cornish Alps"?
St Austell
201
Who took Bonnie Prince Charlie from Benbecula to Skye, disguised as her Irish maid Betty Burke?
Flora McDonald
202
The footballers Tommy Hutchinson and Des Walker both scored own goals ten years apart against which team in FA Cup finals?
Spurs
203
What name for an animal's den, especially that of an otter, is a variant of an Old English word for "stronghold"?
Holt
204
Whose work "Ode To Joy" did Beethoven set to music inthe last movement of his Ninth Symphony?
Schiller
205
Boxing Day is the feast day of which saint, the first Christian martyr?
Stephen
206
What is the meaning of Scottorum Malleus, part of the inscription on Edward I's tomb in Westminster Abbey?
Hammer of the Scots
207
Mikhail Gorbachev became the effective ruler of the Soviet Union in March 1985 after whose death?
Chernenko
208
What name for period into which a game of polo is divided comes from the Sanskrit for "circle" or "wheel"?
Chukka
209
Which major Paris museum and art gallery, opened in 1986, is situated in a former railway station?
Mussí©e D'Orsay
210
Cochise and Geronimo were leaders of which Native American tribe that inhabited the south-western states?
Apache
211
Which classic novel features the lawyer Atticus Finch and his daughter Scout?
To Kill A Mockingbird
212
Who performed the first human heart transplant operation at the Groote Schuur hospital in Cape Town in December 1967?
Christian Barnard
213
Which family of musical instruments includes the oboe and the bassoon?
Woodwind
214
Which shipping forecast area lies between the Irish Sea to the north, Fastnet to the west and Plymouth to the south?
Lundy
215
In English folklore, who was Robin Hood's chaplain?
Friar Tuck
216
Which Mexican artist, noted for her brilliantly coloured self-portrait, was twice married to her fellow artist Diego Revera?
Frida Khalo
217
In the Western church, was day is given to the day that follows Shrove Tuesday and marks the first day of Lent?
Ash Wednesday
218
In March 1957, Kwame Nkrumah became the first Prime Minister of which newly independent country?
Ghana
219
What name is given to a sweet pancake served in a flaming tangerine or orange sauce?
Crepe Suzette
220
Which film actor, who starred in Captain Corelli's Madolin, is the nephew of Francis Ford Coppola?
Nicholas Cage
221
In architecture, what name is used for the decorative end or ridge of a gable, often in the form of a spike or bunch of leaves?
Finial
222
Which symphonic fairy tale for narrator and orchestra by Prokofiev was firs perfomed in 1936?
Peter and the Wolf
223
King Henry I of England reportedly died from eating a surfeit of which ell-like creatures?
Lamphrys
224
Which actor played the photographer Lawrence in the fim Calendar Girls and DCI Gene Hunt in Life On Mars and Ashes to Ashes?
Phillip Glenister
225
The North-eastern corner of Corfu lies just off the coast of which country?
Albania
226
Whose novel Germinal, first published in 1885 and widely considered his masterpiece, is a study of working class life in a French mining community?
Emil Zola
227
Which of its former allies declared war on Germany on 13 October 1943?
Italy
228
Which small town near Borehamwood in Hertfordshire gave its name to a group of film and TV studios in the area?
Elstree
229
Three, six and nine banded are species of which mammal found mainly in Central and South America?
Armadillo
230
In his work Man and Superman, George Bernard Shaw claims that every man over forty is a what?
Scoundrel
231
Which metal is found in the ores malachite and azurite?
Copper
232
Which American boxer known as the Boston Strongboy was the last hold of the World Heavyweight Championship under the London Prize Ring bare-knuckle rules
John L Sullivan
233
What name is given to the position on the Earth's surface directly above the point of origin of an earthquake
Epicentre
234
On a roulette wheel, what colour is the compartment containing the number zero?
White
235
Which Gilbert and Sullivan operetta has the alternative title The Lass That Loved A Sailor?
HMS Pinafore
236
Which London park that gets its name from its landscape of grass and trees was once used as a duelling ground?
Green Park
237
Which Impressionist painter's reclining nude Olympia was based on Titian's Venus of Urbino?
Manet
238
In which American National Park is the Petrified Forest
Arizona
239
In the film The Lavender Hill Mob, the gang plan to melt down their gold bullion booty and ship it to France as models of what?
Eiffel Tower
240
Whose 1630 treatise Dialogue Concerning The Two Chief World Systems led to him being tried for heresy by the Inquisition in Rome
Gallileo
241
Which reference work, first published in 1768, was the idea of two Edinburgh printers, Andrew Bell and Colin Macfarquar?
Encyclopedia Brittanica
242
Which town on the Island of Lewis and Harris is the largest town in the Outer Hebrides?
Stornaway
243
Which of Lord Byron's mistresses wrote in her diary after their first meeting that he was "mad, bad and dangerous to know"?
Lady Caroline Lamb
244
The Polish refusal to hand over which port to the Germans was used by Hitler as a pretext for invading the country at the start of WW2?
Danzig
245
Elgar's Opus 36, "Variations On An Original Theme" is more usually known by what title?
Enigma
246
The insect repellent citronella is derived from a close relative of which perennial grass, often used in Thai cooking?
Lemongrass
247
The name of which religion means "disciple" in Hindi?
Sikh
248
What is the name of Leon and Michael, who became the first brothers to be World Heavywight Boxing Champions?
Spinks
249
The name for the only bear native to South America comes from the light-coloured marks that partly or wholly encircle their eyes?
Spectacle
250
Which French artist, whose works include Sunday Afternoon On The Island Of La Grande Jatte founded the school of Neo-Impressionism?
Seurat
251
In biology, what name is given to the threadlike structures normally occurring in pairs in the cell nucleas that carry heredity information in the form of genes?
Chromosones
252
Which dramatist wrote the plays Entertaining Mr Sloane, Loot and What The Butler Saw?
Joe Orton
253
What name, from the Greek for "weapon" was given to the heavily armed foot soldiers of Ancient Greece?
Hoplites
254
In classical architecture, what name is given to the roof structure supported by columns that forms the entrance to a building or is extended into a collonade?
Portico
255
Which self-governing island known as Kalaalit Nunaat in the language of its indigenous people?
Greenland
256
Which American band have had hit albums with Hot Fuss and Sam's Town?
The Killers
257
In a standard three-pin electrical plug, two of the pins should be connected to the live and earth wires, respectively; what should the third pin be connected to?
Neutral
258
Which Anglo Saxon king whose name means 'noble counsel' was given a nickname that meant 'bad' or 'no counsel
Ethelred the Unready
259
A cartoon by Richard Doyle was used continuously from 1849 to 1956 on the front cover of which magazine?
Punch
260
What London landmark was originally designed by John Nash as the main entrance of Buckingham Palace?
Marble Arch
261
The annual music writing awards presented by the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors are named after which songwriter and actor?
Ivor Novello
262
Which genus of plants, also known as the sensitive plants, gets its name from the Greek for "to mimic"?
Mimosa
263
Which hit TV series starred James Gandolfini as aNew Jersey Mafia boss?
The Sopranos
264
What unit commonly used for measuring land area is equal to 10,000 square metres?
Hectare
265
The French designer Rene Lalique was especially noted for his Art Nouveau and Art Deco objects made from which material?
Glass
266
Which Latin term is used to describe a period of time between two reigns when the throne is unoccupied?
Interregnum
267
Which cycle of sixty-three nostalgic poems by AE Houseman was first published in 1896 at the author's own expense?
A Shopshire Lad
268
The popular name of which religious group is said to have been coined in 1650 by Justice Bennet of Derby, in mockery of the exhortation to "tremble at the word of God"?
Quakers
269
The motte of Sir Thomas Bond, after whom Bond St is named, was used for as the title for which James Bond film?
The World Is Not Enough
270
The North Star, the brightest star in the constellation Ursa Minor, is commonly known by what other name?
Pole Star
271
What colour does litmus paper turn in acid solutions?
Red
272
Who played Indiana Jones's father, Dr Henry Jones, in the 1989 film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade?
Sean Connery
273
Which fifth century BC writer, whose nine volume history includes an account of the wars between the Greeks and the Persians, is known as the Father of History?
Herodotus
274
In musical notation, which note, also called the whole note, has double the value of the minim?
Semibreve
275
Who resigned as President of Argentina in the wake of his country's defeat in the Falkland's War?
General Galtieri
276
Whose first successful play was The Glass Menagarie, about a southern family living in a tenement?
Tennessee Williams
277
The Gulf of Finland and the Gulf of Riga are inlets of which sea?
Baltic
278
Which sixteenth century Venetian artist, who is thought to have trained briefly under Titian, was responsible for the vast series of paintings for the Scuola di San Rocco produced between 1565 and 1587?
Tintoretto
279
In Greek mythology, who was chained to a rock as a sacrifice to a sea-monster, until she was rescued by her future husband Perseus?
Andromeda
280
Which group's first chart topping UK single was Good Vibrations in November 1966?
Beach Boys
281
Leek and which other vegetable is used to make the soup Vichyssoise, which is usually served cold?
Potato
282
Which Romantic novel begins with the lines, "1801 - I have just returned from a visit to my landlord - the solitary neighbour that I shall be troubled with"?
Wuthering Heights
283
What general term is used for a small, woody, often bushy plant hat has several stems, none of which are dominant?
Shrub
284
What latin term was given to a darkened room or box into which light is admitted through a small hole producing an inverted image of an outside scene?
Camera Obscura
285
The Stirling Prize, named after Sir James Stirling, was first awarded in 1996 in which field of the arts?
Architecture
286
What is the second largest of the English lakes? It is drained at its northern end by the River Eamont
Ullswater
287
The trademark of which film studios, formed in 1928, was a radio tower on top of the Earth, transmitting rhythmic signals?
RKO
288
Which Italian born astronomer discovered the four moons of Saturn and also the gap in its ring system that has been named after him?
Cassini
289
What is the name of Rugby League's premier knockout tournament, which was first won by Batley in 1897?
Challenge cup
290
Lilongwe is the capital of which African country
Malawi
291
Which London club was founded in 1831 as a place where "actors and men of refinement and education might meet on equal terms"?
Garrick
292
Which Jewish festival commemorates the Hebrews' liberation from slavery in Egypt?
Passover
293
Which children's novel, written by Roald Dahl, features Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker and a group of friendly insects?
James And The Giant Peach
294
Which island is divided into two French departements with Bastia and Ajaccio as their respective capitals?
Corsica
295
Which historical drama shown in BBC2 in 1976 featured a supporting cast including John Hurt, Brian Blessed, George Baker and Sian Phillips?
I, Claudius
296
What is featured on the badge of John of Gaunt and the arms of Scotland, and is said to be the commonest pub name in Britain?
Red Lion
297
Which powerful analgesic drug was isolated from opium at the beginning of the nineteenth century by the German chemist Freidrich Wilhelm Serturner?
Morphine
298
Which of Rossini's operas is known in Italian as La Gazza Ladra?
The Thieving Magpie
299
What is the alternative name for the caudal fin of a fish?
Tail fin
300
What is the name of the small Russian pancakes traditionally served with sour cream and caviar?
Blinis
301
In the UK, what name is given to the strip of countryside around a town or city protected under Planning Regulations and intended to limit urban sprawl?
Green belt
302
Who was excommunicated by the Catholic Church in 1521 and appeared before an assembly of the Holy Roman Empire known as the Diet of Worms?
Martin Luther
303
What name is given to the clear, savoury jelly used to coat food such as cold meat or fish?
Aspic
304
Which sculptor, born in Wakefield, has a gallery dedicated to her work in the city which opened in May 2011
Barbara Hepworth
305
What season does Keats describe as "Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness"?
Autumn
306
What term for the theory or philosophy of law comes from the Latin for "knowledge of the law"?
Jurisprudence
307
What name is shared by an island off the coast of Northumberland and an island off the west coast of Anglesey?
Holy Island
308
Which composer, who died at the age of 31 in 1828, had been a torch bearer at Beethoven's funeral and was buried near him?
Schubert
309
Which marsupial, native to the south-eastern part of Australia and Tasmania, is the largest burrowing herbivorous mammal?
Wombat
310
In Parliament, what name is given to either of the corridors, entered from each side of the Speaker's Chair, through which MPs pass to register votes?
Division lobbies
311
Which town in Australia's Northern Territories is referred to in the title of Neville Shute's novel about an Englishwoman who settles in nearby Willstown?
Alice Springs
312
What name is given to the process discovered in 1839 by the American inventor Charles Goodyear, whereby rubber is heated with sulphur to toughen in?
Vulcanisation
313
Which filmmaker first teamed up with Robert de Niro for the 1973 film Mean Streets?
Scorcese
314
When the Soviet Union broke up in 1991, which Central Asian republic became the world's largest landlocked country?
Khazakstan
315
In the Iliad, which Trojan hero, killed by Achilles, was the son of King Priam and the husband of Andromache?
Hector
316
Which public school has former pupils including Lord Byron, Sir Robert Peel and Sir Winston Churchill?
Harrow
317
Which ornamental, highly poisonous, evergreen shrub, that has thick lance-shaped leaves and striking red or white flowers, is known as rose-bay or rose-laurel
Oleander
318
John Howard and Elizabeth Fry are noted for their contributions to the reform of which institutions?
Prisons
319
Which 1979 UK number one hit for the Boomtown Rats begins with the line "The silicon chip inside her head is switched to overload"?
I Don't Like Mondays
320
What name is given to the side opposite the 90-degree angle of the right-angled triangle?
Hypoteneuse
321
In cricket, who was appointed as the England team Director in 2009? He coached them to their Ashes victory in the winter of 2010-2011
Andy Flower
322
Which writer and member of the Bloomsbury Group was the sister of Vanessa Bell?
Virginia Woolf
323
The region around Palo Alto on the San Francisco Bay is known by what name because of the concentration of electronics and computer companies situated there?
Silicon Valley
324
Which modern-day musical instrument normally has eighty-eight keys and covers over seven full octaves?
Piano
325
Which of the seven hills of Rom was the home of the wealthy during the Republican era, and under the Empire became the site of imperial palaces?
Palatine
326
What is the usual term, originating in America, that describes a spirit, especially whisky, served undiluted over ice cubes?
On the rocks
327
Which sea monster of Norwegian folklore, mentioned by Tennyson among others, is thought to have been inspired by sightings of a giant squid or octopus?
Kraken
328
Who won the first of her four Best Actress Oscars for the 1933 film Morning Glory and the last for 1981's On Golden Pond?
Katherine Hepburn
329
The femur is the medical term for which bone?
Thigh
330
Which small fountain sculpture in Brussels, depicting a young boy, is known affectionally by the local people as the "oldest citizen"
Mannekin-pis
331
What term, meaning "beautiful writing" is used to describe the art of fine penmanship?
Calligraphy
332
Which city was founded in Roman times as Aquae Sulis, and dedicated to the celtic goddess Sul?
Bath
333
Who wrote "The Life And Strange Surprising Adventures Of Robinson Crusoe", first published in 1719 and based on the real-life adventures of Alexander Selkirk?
Daniel Defoe
334
In mathematics, what name is given to a system of equations that have to be solved together? The simplest example is a pair of linear equations in two unknowns.
Simultaneous
335
Which Verdi opera features the chracters Zaccaria, the high priest of Hebrews and the King of Babylon?
Nabucco
336
In classical mythology, who is the Muse of epic poetry?
Calliope
337
What name was given to the question originally posed by the MP Tam Dalyell, which asked whether Scottish MPs at Westminster could justifiably vote on purely English matters after devolution?
West Lothian
338
Which British born director achieved his first commercial success with the film Alien, followed by Blade Runner?
Ridley Scott
339
Which peninsula forms the mainland portion of Denmark and also includes part of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein?
Jutland
340
In the mid-nineteenth century, who invented jeans as durable work clothes, reinforced with small copper rivets?
Levi Strauss
341
The order Acarina comprises ticks and which other small arthropods, whose name means anything very tiny?
Mites
342
What two-world Hindi name, translating roughly as "hot mixture" is given to a combination of roasted spices, sometimes blended with water or vinegar, that are often used in Indian cookery
Garam Masala
343
In around 182 BC, which military leader poisoned himself in Bithynia in Asia Minor, where he was taking refuge from the Romans?
Hannibal
344
Which band, formed in Leeds, have had hit singles including "I predict a riot" and "Never Miss A Beat"?
Kaiser Chiefs
345
Which channel linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans lies between the tip of the mainland of South America and the island of Tierra Del Fuego?
Straits of Magellan
346
Which author's work "A Rose For Winter", published in 1955, tells of his return to Spain with his wife, fifteen years after the Civil War in which he fought on the Republican side?
Laurie Lee
347
Which country joined Rugby Union's Five Nations Championship in 2000 to make it into Six Nations?
Italy
348
According to the Gospels of Mark and John, who was the first person to see Christ after his resurrection?
Mary Magdalene
349
Which word for a pithy statement of the truth comes from the Greek for "a distinction" or "a definition"?
Aphorism
350
Which composer's orchestral works include the ballet Appalachian Spring, written for the dancer Martha Graham?
Aaron Copland
351
Which shrub, that is similar to gorse without the spines, grows on heathland and sandy soil all over Britain?
Broom
352
Which English painter and engraver's works include six scenes entitled Marriage A La Mode, criticising the marriage customs of the upper and middle classes?
Hogart
353
French reinforcements were transported to the front in a fleet of Paris taxis during which battle of September 1914 that halted the German advance on the city?
Marne
354
The Chief Electrician responsible for the lighting of the set in a film or TV studio is known by what title?
Gaffer
355
What is the world's highest uninterrupted waterfall, which is situated on the Churun river in Venezuela and named after the first outsider to see it?
Angel falls
356
Which aromatic plant has a stalk that turns bright green when candied and is used to decorate cakes and trifles?
Angelica
357
Which disease of children, characterised by the improper hardening and development of bones, is caused by a deficiency of Vitamin D?
Rickets
358
The hero of which 1749 novel by Henry Fielding is described as "a foundling" in its full title?
Tom Jones
359
Which city is the second largest in California and lies just across the border from the Mexican city of Tijuana
San Diego
360
In February 2011, a blue plaque was unveiled on Bournemouth's seafront, celebrating Britain's oldest example of what type of building?
Beach hut
361
In 1975, who founded the Microsoft Corporation with his friend Paul Allen?
Bill Gates
362
Which small European principality is traditionally split into two regions knows as the Upper Country or Oberland and the Lower Country or Unterland?
Leichtenstein
363
Which Shakespeare play features the line "That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet"?
Romeo and Juliet
364
What alternative name for the European wold spider comes from the city in Southern Italy where it is commonly found?
Tarantula
365
Joaquin Rodrigo composed his "Concerto de Aranjuez" for which solo stringed instrument, with orchestra?
Guitar
366
Which tenth-century Bohemian martyr prince, noted for his piety, was murdered by his brother Boleslav on his way to Mass?
Wenceslas
367
Which sauce, originally from Genoa, is made by adding olive oil to pounded basil, pine nut kernels, garlic and parmesan cheese?
Pesto
368
In the human body, the clavicle is more commonly known by what name?
Collar Bone
369
The works of which poet and designer, associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, includes News From Nowhere, that describes a Socialist rural utopia
William Morris
370
The political upheaval that was launched by Mao Zedong in 1966, and attacked traditional values, is generally known by what name?
The Cultural Revolution
371
In snooker and billiards, what term is used to describe a series of successive scoring shots made by any one player?
Break
372
What is the most abundant element in the Earth's crust, consisting of nearly half of its mass.
Oxygen
373
Which 1972 film, starring Liza Minelli and Michael York, was based on Christopher Isherwood's Berlin stories?
Cabaret
374
In law, what does the acronym ASBO stand for?
Anti-Social Behaviour Order
375
Which novel by Nicholas Monserrat tells of the trials and tribulations of the crew of the corvette HMS Compass Rose during the Battle of the Atlantic
The Cruel Sea
376
Which range of hills, situated mainly in Northumberland, form the border between England and Scotland for around 35 miles?
Cheviots
377
Which rock festival was the subject of a song written by Joni Mitchell that became a number one hit for Matthews Southern Comfort in 1970?
Woodstock
378
What is the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet, the equivalent of the roman letter D
Delta
379
What hand-held percussion instrument take their name from the Spanish for chestnut?
Castanet
380
Entomology is the study of which creatures?
Insects
381
Graham McPherson, who is better known as Suggs, was the vocalist of which group, who started out as The Invaders?
Madness
382
In the 1840s, British troops in India were first issued with uniform in which colour? The name derives from the Prussian for dust.
Khaki
383
In Greek mythology, which youth, who pined away after falling in love with his reflection, was turned into the flower that bears his name?
Narcissus
384
Which river, the longest in Ireland, enters the Atlantic Ocean through an estuary about seventy miles in length below the city of Limerick
Shannon
385
In which TV series did teams representing their home towns compete over a series of obstacle courses for the right to represent Britain in the European finals of Jeux Sans Frontieres?
It's A Knockout
386
Which word for a substance that acts as a biological catalyst, regulating the rate at which biochemical reactions occur, comes from the Greek for "in leaven"?
Enzyme
387
Which work by William Makepeace Thackerat is sub-titled,A Novel Without A Hero?
Vanity Fair
388
What name was given to the group of six Dorset farm labourers who were sentenced to seven years' transportation to Australia? They had been involved in trade union activities.
Tolpuddle Martys
389
In 1969, who became the first person to sail solo, non-stop around the world in his boat Suhaili?
Robin Knox-Johnson
390
Which farm animal appears, along with the Union Jack, on the Falkland Islands' flag?
Sheep
391
Sugar Loaf Mountain overlooks which South American city?
Rio de Janeiro
392
What name is given to a painting or carving on three panels hinged together to form a single work of art?
Tryptich
393
Which novel was Mervyn Griffith-Jones QC referring to when he asked a jury at the Old Bailey in October 1960, "Is it a book that you would even wish your wife or your servants to read?"
Lady Chatterley's Lover
394
What branch of mathematics, that uses letters as symbols when calculating, takes its name from the Arabic for "resetting"?
Algebra
395
What symbol of authority is carried in procession in and out of the Chamber of the House of Commons by the Serjeant at Arms at the beginning and end of each working day?
Mace
396
What name for the toxic substance used by South American Indians to tip arrow or hunting comes from an indian word for poison?
curare
397
An ushanka or shapka is a Russion type of what item of clothing
Hat
398
Which Greek islands became a British protectorate after the fall of Napoleon, but were ceded back to Greece in 1864?
Ionian islands
399
Who composed The Hebrides overture, also known as Fingal's Cave?
Mendelssohn
400
On an Ordnance Survey Explorer or Landranger map, what symbol is used, along with the date, to indicate a battlefield?
Crossed swords
401
Which Oscar winning director had early successes with the films Trainspotting and Shallow Grave?
Danny Boyle
402
What term for an order of aquatic mammals, primarily comprising whales, dolphins and porpoises comes from the Latin for Whale?
Cetacean
403
Which duo's first UK chart entry "Tainted Love" in 1981 was their only UK number one hit?
Soft Cell
404
In about 1190, Henry Fitzailwyn became the first holder of which civic office?
Lord Mayor of London
405
Who created the radio programme Desert Island Discs in 1942, and was its host until his death in 1985?
Roy Plomley
406
In which European country did women only win the right to vote in national elections in 1971, and at all local elections in 1990?
Switzerland
407
The liqueur Cassis, a speciality of Dijon, is made from which soft fruit?
Blackcurrant
408
In Greek mythology, the name of which ill-fated king of Thebes means "swollen footed"?
Oedipus
409
Pyrophobia is an extrem fear of what?
Fire
410
What is Britain's smalled breed of duck? It gives its name to a shade of greenish blue resembling the coloured patches over its eyes
Teal
411
In Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest, what is the name of Algy Moncrieff's formidable aunt?
Lady Bracknell
412
What is the name of the herb Armoracia rusticana, grown for its roots, which are crushed to make a pungent sauce, sometimes served with beef?
Horseradish
413
Which Italian word, meaning "little book" is used the the text of an opera?
Libretto
414
What name is given to the process whereby heat is transferred by the mass movement of a fluid such as air or water?
Convection
415
According to Shakespeare's Richard III, at which battle did the King shout "A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse"?
Bosworth
416
What name is given to the ninety mile long system of gorges and rapids on the River Danube that forms part of the border between Romania and Serbia?
Iron Gate
417
In skiing, what name is given to the braking technique that involves moving the skis into the shape of an inverted V while digging the inner edges into the snow?
Snowplough
418
Which English city holds an annual Goose Fair dating back to 1284?
Nottingham
419
Who was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth in The King's Speech?
Helena Bonham Carter
420
What name is commonly given to the war of 1739 between England and Spain? It refers to an incident of 1731, where a British sea captain had part of his anatomy removed by Spanish coastguards who had boarded his ship.
Jenkin's Ear
421
What is the popular name for the overture composed by Tchaikovsky to commemorate Napoleon's retreat from Moscow
1812 Overture
422
What was the name of the tax, representing one tenth of the annual produce of land and labour, that was traditionally taken for the support of the Church and clergy?
Tithe
423
Fino is a very dry and Oloroso a sweeter type of which fortified wine?
Sherry
424
What alternative name for the rowan tree reflects the fact that it can grow at a higher altitude than most trees in Britain?
Mountain ash
425
Who wrote the song Mr Tambourine Man, a number one UK hit for The Byrds in 1965?
Bob Dylan
426
Which of the United States is nicknamed the First State because it was the first to ratify the Constitution in 1787?
Delaware
427
Benjamin Braddock, played by Dustin Hoffman, is the title character of which 1967 film?
The Graduate
428
The river Dart flows for its entire length through which English county?
Devon
429
In Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, what is the name of Olivia's steward, who is fooled into thinking his mistress is in love with him?
Malvolio
430
What name is given to the measure a backbench MP may introduce before public business on Tuesdays and Wednesdays? It takes its name from the time its sponsor may speak for
Ten minute rule bill
431
In mathematics, how many faces does a dodecahedron have?
20
432
What agricultural device was developed and used by the inventor Jethro Tull around 1701?
Seed drill
433
In June 1994, who made an innings of 501 runs, setting a new record for the highest ever score in first class cricket?
Brian Lara
434
In the Church of England, what name is given to the Sunday before Easter, commemorating Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem?
Palm Sunday
435
What part of the brain coordinates voluntary movements, maintains balance and has a Latin name meaning Little Brain
Cerebellum
436
For which event of 1951 did the sculptor Henry Moore construct a large Reclining Figure that stood on the South Bank of the Thames
Festival of Britain
437
The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy was whose first science fiction novel? It was based on his radio series
Douglas Adams
438
In the English peerage, what title ranks immediately below that of Duke?
Marquess
439
Ned Madrell, who died in 1974, is generally known to be the last person to speak which form of Gaelic as his first language?
Manx
440
What common name of the New World bird Mimus polyglottos comes from its ability to imitate the calls of other birds?
Mockingbird
441
Which Italian painter and architect is best known for his work Lives Of The Artists, the fundamental source of information on Italian Renaissance art?
Giorgio Vasari
442
Which island is separated from the mainland of North Wales by the Menai Strait?
Anglesey
443
The Bridal Chorus, more familiarly known as Here Comes The Bride, is from which Wagner opera?
Lohengrin
444
Hussein ibn Talal was the king of which Middle Eastern country from 1953 to 1999?
Jordan
445
Which French chef created the Peach Melba in honour of Dame Nellie Melba while he was working at the Savoy hotel in Lonfon?
Esscoffier
446
The Maenads were followers of which Greek god?
Dionysus
447
In Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island, in what capacity was Long John Silver employed on board the Hispaniola?
Cook
448
Which word, now especially applied to a retired professor, originally meant "honourably discharged from public duty"?
Emeritus
449
In the Channel 4 comedy series, which Bolton night-club was run by Brian Potter, played by Peter Kay
Phoenix
450
Which English navigator commanded the ships Endeavour and Resolution on successive voyages of discovery
James Cook
451
Which famous picture, by John Constable, shows a wagon in the water on the River Stour near Flatford?
The Haywain
452
The name of which chemical element comes from the Latin for charcoal, or coal?
Carbon
453
Which 1965 hit song for The Beatles contains the line "When I was younger, so much younger than today"?
Help!
454
Napoleon's favourite horse was named after which battle in Northern Italy where he defeated the Austrians in 1800?
Marengo
455
Lucy Honeychurch is the herione of which novel by EM Forster, later made into a award winning film?
A Room With A View
456
There are three national parks in Wales. Snowdonia and the Pembrokeshire Coast are two; which is the third?
Brecon Beacons
457
Which fruit juice cordial is mixed with an equal quality of gin to make a gimlet cocktail?
Lime
458
A person with the initials LLB after their name, which is short of Legum baccalaureus, has a degree in which subject?
Law
459
In which present day country was the composer Jean Sibelius born in 1865?
Finland
460
The name of which friend of Odysseus is used for someone who is a wise and faithful advisor?
Mentor
461
Which playwright was killed in a tavern brawl in Deptford in 1593, allegedly after a quarrel over the bill?
Christopher Marlower
462
The Anglo-French agreement of April 1904, aimed ultimately at curbing growing German power, is known by what name?
Entente Cordiale
463
Who won the first of his seven Wimbledon Mens Singles titles when he beat Jim Courier in the final in 1993?
Pete Sampras
464
Which bird has the longest annual migration; it breed in northern polar regions and winters in southern polar regions?
Arctic tern
465
An oxide of which heavy metal is used to make crystal glass?
Lead
466
Members of which religious order, named after the Spanish priest who founded it, are known as Black Friars because of the colour of the cloak they wear?
Dominicans
467
Which legendary soul singer appeared as the Rev Cleophus James in the film The Blues Brothers?
James Brown
468
What word of Arabic origin is used for a dry valley or watercourse found in arid regions and subject to flash flooding?
Wadi
469
On TV, Terry Collier (played by James Bolam) and Bob Ferris (plated by Rodney Bewes) are better known by what collective name?
The Likely Lads
470
Who produced a white paper called In Place Of Strife, aimed at curbing the power of the unions, while she was Secretary of State of Employment and Productivity in Harold Wilson's government?
Barbara Castle
471
Which actress co-starred with Geena Davis in the 1991 film Thelma And Louise, and wich Goldie Hawn in the 2002 film The Banger Sisters?
Susan Sarandon
472
Which Greek philosopher poisoned himself by drinking hemlock, after being sentenced to death on charges of corrupting the young?
Socrates
473
In the third part of Gulliver's Travels, what is the name of the flying island run by mad scientists?
Laputa
474
In sailing, what name is used for steering a zigzag course with the boat either left or right of the wind direction, in order to make progress upwind?
Tacking
475
Which nineteenth century composer was a Professor of Chemistry at St Petersburg Academy of Medicine?
Borodin
476
On which major river does the city of Worcester stand?
Severn
477
Which vegetable, also known as Zucchini, is a variety of marrow usually eaten when it is young and immature?
Courgette
478
In a suit of armour, what part of the body is protected by the greave?
Leg
479
Rananculus repens is the creeping form of which common wild flower, dreaded by gardeners and farmers because it spreads so quickly?
Buttercup
480
In 1924, which Sunday broadsheet, owned by Lord Beaverbrook, became the first British newspaper to publish a crossword puzzle?
Sunday Express
