Season 1 - Week 2 Flashcards
In 1662, France bought a territory from England’s ruler Charles II who sold the territory due to fears that it would be a liability
for international relations. Which territory, located in Northern France, just under 10 km from the Belgian border, did France buy? This French commune has the third largest harbour in the country and played a significant role in both the World Wars, especially a namesake 1940 battle.
Dunkirk
The world’s heaviest parrot, and the only flightless one in the family, are endemic to the islands of Codfish and Anchor in New Zealand. WHICH flightless nocturnal bird is this, of which
there are less than two hundred adults alive today? One such bird called Sirocco shot to popularity after attempting to mate with a zoologist during BBC’s shoot ‘Last Chance To See’, also becoming the inspiration for party parrot emoji on Slack.
Kakapo
[Do not accept Cockatoo!]
Soviet and Georgian Grandmaster Nona Gaprindashvili took issue when a throwaway line in WHICH PRODUCTION said that she had “never faced men”? Gaprindashvili did face and defeat
many of the best male players of her time, and used this fact to sue the producers for $5 million.
Queen’s Gambit
At the time this question was framed, the 15th most expensive NFT ever sold was one that represents WHICH STUDIO ALBUM by an American hip hop group? Only one copy of the album was ever produced and sold, and legal agreements stipulate the album cannot be commercially exploited till 2103. Following the conviction of the original buyer for securities
fraud, the album was sold as an NFT by the US Department of Justice for $4m.
Once Upon a Time in
Shaolin
[Prompt on Wu-Tang Clan]
Which international organization or collective was formed in 1969, in response to the arson fire that caused the burning of Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem? Initially constituted as a conference to discuss the fall-out of this incident and putting safeguarding measures for such Islamic treasures, it has 57 member states today with the goal of being the collective voice of the ‘Muslim World’. An acronym is also acceptable.
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)
[Do not accept Arab
League]
One of the first air-raids to get global attention was the 1937 bombing of a town in the autonomous community of Basque.
Nicknamed Operation Rugen, the air bombing of civilians was carried out by German Luftwaffe on behalf of the rebel leader Fransisco Franco. WHICH TOWN was this inflicted on, that also
became the subject of a masterpiece anti-war painting by Picasso?
Guernica
Magic Johnson Jr, a legend who played for the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA, invested in a different sporting team from the same city. Which 7-time World Series winning team did he
become a part-owner of, initially established in Brooklyn, which led to a famous rivalry with NY Yankees before they relocated to LA in 1958?
LA Dodgers
[LA is already in question,
so we just need dodgers]
Traditionally celebrated on November 1st and 2nd, which ironically joyful festival observed in Mexico is the solemn version of All Saint’s Day or All Hallows’ Day seen in other parts of the world? During this celebration, ofrendas are built at
homes, a literary form called calaveras literarias is practiced, and a bread called pan de [blank] is baked all around town.
Dia De Los Muertos
[Or, accept Day Of The Dead; Answers like
‘skeleton’ is not acceptable, use reasonable judgement to decide]
During Sher Shah Suri’s brief rule of northern India from 1540 to 1545, one of his biggest contributions to the future of the subcontinent was something that weighed 11.5 grams each.
The name he gave it was derived from a Sanskrit word that meant “shapely”. What was this contribution?
Rupee/Rupiya
A passage in The Bible talks about sailors and seafarers, while travelling in their ships, as being thrown around by a storm at sea so that, “they reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at [Blanks]”. Which everyday PHRASE arises from this, used in the context of a situation of confusion and puzzlement wherein one doesn’t know what to do, much like
the sailors?
At Wit’s End
What is the two-worded name given to the photograph of Earth that was taken in 1972, by the Apollo 17 crew from a distance of about 29,000 kilometers from the planet’s surface?
It shows the Earth in its entirety and is one of the most reproduced images in history. It gets its name from a toy popular in many cultures, available in a variety of vivid colours, including the colour you’d associate with our planet.
Blue Marble
[Prompt if the word ‘marble’ is used; accept
only full]
What is the more common name of the ninth Beatles album, released in 1968, with no real album cover beyond the band name embossed on a blank background? It has been described
as foremost an album about musical purity (as the album cover and title suggest).
The White Album
What is the popular three-worded name given to the photograph of Earth taken in February 1990 by the Voyager 1 space probe from a record distance of about 6 billion km, after years of campaigning by Carl Sagan? He opined that while the picture may not have scientific value, it would be meaningful as a ‘perspective on humanity’s place in the universe’. In the photo, Earth’s apparent size is less than a pixel, and the planet appears as a tiny [Blank] against the vastness of space.
Pale Blue Dot
[Prompt if the word ‘dot’ is
used; accept only full]
WHICH CHINESE PLAYER is the second highest rated female player of all time? She became Grandmaster at the age of 14 years and 6 months and won the Women’s Championship
while only 16. Although she is still widely regarded as the best active female chess player, leaps and bounds ahead of her competitors, she semi-retired from the sport in 2018.
Hou Yoifan
Which shade of red is a vivid hue that gets its name from the fact that ‘senior members of the clergy of the Catholic Church’ wear cassocks of this hue, even though the colour of the cassocks is commonly understood to be scarlet? A group of American passerine birds (buntings) having this shade share the same name.
Cardinal Red
Which erstwhile capital of Ethiopia (in the 12th and 13th centuries) is home to the monolithic rock-hewn churches, a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site? Named after the King of the Zagwe dynasty who decided to build a ‘New
Jerusalem’ in his capital, the layout of the churches as well other features in the town have references from Christianity, an example being the local river named River Jordan.
Lalibela
[King was Gebre Mesqel Lalibela; The churches are Ethiopia’s #1 tourist destination today]
At the time this question was framed, the 12th most expensive NFT ever sold is one that represents WHICH internet meme - the mascot of the 8th largest cryptocurrency - that first came to popularity in 2013? PleasrDAO, the investment and art acquisition collective that paid $4.4m for this meme, opted to fractionalize the NFT and turned it into almost 17 billion tokens, which now have a combined value of $336m.
Doge
A 1996 black comedy crime film helmed by the Coen brothers starred Frances McDormand as a pregnant Minnesota police chief investigating roadside homicides. It inspired a TV show of
the same name, first aired in 2014, which takes place within the same universe. WHICH anthology-style show is this, set in Minnesota and North Dakota for its first three seasons but
across very different eras? Each episode begins with a disclaimer - This is a true story - which is infact a blatant lie.
Fargo
Grape Harvest festivals take place around the World in early March. The largest such festival in the Americas takes place in an Argentinian city featuring parades represented by each of
this city’s sub-departments along with the blessing of the fruit ceremony and cultural shows. Which city, South America’s biggest wine making region famed for their Malbecs, does this take place in?
Mendoza
In 1932, Australia kick started a military operation to get rid of a particular flightless bird that they deemed as a nuisance. Titled the Great [BLANK] War, this operation had a profound
impact on WHICH flightless bird’s population in mainland Australia? This is the second tallest bird on the planet, second only to the Ostrich, and features on Australia’s Coat of Arms alongside the Kangaroo.
Emu
In 1958, a strategic port city was bought by Pakistan from the Sultanate of Oman for a whopping 5.5 billion rupees, after its value as a warm-water, deep-sea port became apparent. Its potential remained largely untapped until China entered the game in 2015 which made this city, only the 100th largest in Pakistan, a key part of its One Belt, One Road initiative. Which
city is this, whose port has been leased to China until 2059?
Gwadar
In The Old Testament’s tale of Belshazzar’s Feast, a disembodied hand supposedly appeared during the feast behind the king, and wrote a message that the king was unable to interpret. Belshazzar called on a prophet, who
explained that the message meant the kingdom was soon to be divided. That night, the prophecy came true and Belshazzar was killed. Which common PHRASE arises from this Biblical
tale to mean ‘something inevitable’?
Writing is on the wall
[Variations like writing on
wall etc. are acceptable]
The G4 are a group of four nations who support each other’s bids for a permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council. This includes Germany, India, Japan, and WHICH fourth emerging economy? This country is also part of another 5-member group of emerging economy nations which established the New Development Bank, alongside India.
Brazil
Which common PHRASE has its origins in The Bible, most notably in the Book of Isaiah which says: “He is brought as a [BLANKS], and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth”? The phrase is used today to refer to someone who is blissfully unaware of the tragedy about to fall on them, like a [BLANK].
Lamb to the slaughter
[Lamb/ Slaughter both
required; Reasonable
variations acceptable]
Even though Michael Jordan is a legend at the Chicago Bulls, he became part-owner of the [BLANK] Bobcats, a team based out of the most populous city in North Carolina in 2010. How
do we know this Jordan-owned team from the NBA’s Eastern Conference today, whose name he successfully reverted to their older original name in 2014? [FULL NAME REQUIRED]
Charlotte Hornets
[Prompt on either Charlotte or Hornets]
Codenamed Moonlight Sonata, the single biggest concentrated attack on a British city took place on 14 November 1940 when the German Luftwaffe performed an air raid as part of the
Blitz. WHICH CITY, the center for war production, was the casualty of this which impacted automobile brands like Daimler and Jaguar who had their HQs here? Nazis even coined a term ‘[blank]-erien’ which meant to raze a city to the
ground.
Coventry
