Home
Publications
Search
Register
Log inTuesday Trivia: Mar 26, 2013
+3
bw
yogi
Idéfix
7 posters
Page 1 of 1
Tuesday Trivia: Mar 26, 2013
by Idéfix Mon Mar 25, 2013 9:42 pm
No googling please!
1. An avenue called Nevsky Prospect is the major thoroughfare of this city. It runs from the Admiralty to the Moscow Railway Terminus, where trains from Moscow and Siberia arrive. During Soviet times, the avenue was named after Oct 25, the opening day of the October Revolution (per the old Julian Calendar). Nevsky Prospect features prominently in the works of Fyodor Dostoyevsky and Nikolai Gogol. It is located in the world’s northernmost city with a population larger than one million. Name this city located at the mouth of the river Neva.
2. This philosopher is most remembered for a book published in 1651 named for a biblical character. The subtitle of the book is “The Matter, Forme, and Power of a Commonwealth.” It is considered a classic early work on western statecraft, somewhat like the Arthashastra of the west. Perhaps the most famous line in the book describes man’s life in the “state of nature” as “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” To overcome this natural condition, he argues for a strong central government under an absolute sovereign. Name the philosopher and the title of his best-known book.
3. The picture below is the logo of a Soviet space program that was launched into space in February 1986, and ended fifteen years later. What is the name, and what does it mean in English?
4. This writer’s father taught Kannada at the Nizam College in Hyderabad. The son went to Aligarh Muslim University and then studied at the famous Sorbonne in Paris. He wrote several books in English and received critical acclaim as a pioneer of Indian English fiction. His non-fiction works include a biography of Gandhi. Later in life, he taught philosophy at the University of Texas in Austin. Name him.
5. The world has two major sets of standards for domestic electricity supply voltage: 110-120 V (in the Americas, Japan and the Middle East) and 220-230 V (in the rest of the world). What is the origin of this difference?
6. Walter Kaufmann was a musician and composer born in 1907 in Karlsbad, a town currently in the Czech Republic, to parents of German ethnicity. He died in Bloomington, Indiana in 1957. He composed several works of western classical music. Regardless of your taste in music, it is a good bet that you have heard a piece he composed. What is that piece?
7. The president of the US flies around in a Boeing VC-25A aircraft, the military variant of the Boeing 747 jumbojet, with the call sign Air Force One. When the president of India flies overseas, he uses a similar plane. What is the call sign of his aircraft?
8. This book written in 1948 opens with the line: “It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.” The book consistently ranks among the best English novels of all time, and several phrases and concepts from the book remain in popular use today. An adjective form of the author’s surname is often used as a pejorative in political discourse. Name the novel and its author.
9. This acclaimed director started his career as a copywriter at the advertising agency Lintas in Bombay, and steadily rose to become creative head. He made his first documentary in Gujarati in 1962. Even as he was making ad films, he started teaching at Pune’s famous Film & Television Institute of India, and made several documentaries. He then received a fellowship to work at Boston’s PBS station, WGBH-TV. In a career spanning several decades, he won the National Award for Best Feature Film ten times. Name him.
10. On March 26, 1974 (this day 39 years ago), lumbermen working for a Forest Department contractor arrived at Reni village, Chamoli district in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand. The men of the village were away at the district headquarters, intentionally enticed there by the government with a false promise of compensation. The lumbermen sought to fell trees in the forest next to the village. Gaura Devi, leader of the village women’s welfare group, led a group of 27 women to the forest. This group of unarmed women managed to prevent the well-armed men from felling trees. The picture below shows surviving members of the group. This event inspired a movement that spread to various forest regions of India, and resulted in changes to India’s conservation laws. The movement was initially known by the Garhwali word “angalwaltha,” but is now famous by a Hindi name. What is the name of the movement?
1. An avenue called Nevsky Prospect is the major thoroughfare of this city. It runs from the Admiralty to the Moscow Railway Terminus, where trains from Moscow and Siberia arrive. During Soviet times, the avenue was named after Oct 25, the opening day of the October Revolution (per the old Julian Calendar). Nevsky Prospect features prominently in the works of Fyodor Dostoyevsky and Nikolai Gogol. It is located in the world’s northernmost city with a population larger than one million. Name this city located at the mouth of the river Neva.
2. This philosopher is most remembered for a book published in 1651 named for a biblical character. The subtitle of the book is “The Matter, Forme, and Power of a Commonwealth.” It is considered a classic early work on western statecraft, somewhat like the Arthashastra of the west. Perhaps the most famous line in the book describes man’s life in the “state of nature” as “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” To overcome this natural condition, he argues for a strong central government under an absolute sovereign. Name the philosopher and the title of his best-known book.
3. The picture below is the logo of a Soviet space program that was launched into space in February 1986, and ended fifteen years later. What is the name, and what does it mean in English?
4. This writer’s father taught Kannada at the Nizam College in Hyderabad. The son went to Aligarh Muslim University and then studied at the famous Sorbonne in Paris. He wrote several books in English and received critical acclaim as a pioneer of Indian English fiction. His non-fiction works include a biography of Gandhi. Later in life, he taught philosophy at the University of Texas in Austin. Name him.
5. The world has two major sets of standards for domestic electricity supply voltage: 110-120 V (in the Americas, Japan and the Middle East) and 220-230 V (in the rest of the world). What is the origin of this difference?
6. Walter Kaufmann was a musician and composer born in 1907 in Karlsbad, a town currently in the Czech Republic, to parents of German ethnicity. He died in Bloomington, Indiana in 1957. He composed several works of western classical music. Regardless of your taste in music, it is a good bet that you have heard a piece he composed. What is that piece?
7. The president of the US flies around in a Boeing VC-25A aircraft, the military variant of the Boeing 747 jumbojet, with the call sign Air Force One. When the president of India flies overseas, he uses a similar plane. What is the call sign of his aircraft?
8. This book written in 1948 opens with the line: “It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.” The book consistently ranks among the best English novels of all time, and several phrases and concepts from the book remain in popular use today. An adjective form of the author’s surname is often used as a pejorative in political discourse. Name the novel and its author.
9. This acclaimed director started his career as a copywriter at the advertising agency Lintas in Bombay, and steadily rose to become creative head. He made his first documentary in Gujarati in 1962. Even as he was making ad films, he started teaching at Pune’s famous Film & Television Institute of India, and made several documentaries. He then received a fellowship to work at Boston’s PBS station, WGBH-TV. In a career spanning several decades, he won the National Award for Best Feature Film ten times. Name him.
10. On March 26, 1974 (this day 39 years ago), lumbermen working for a Forest Department contractor arrived at Reni village, Chamoli district in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand. The men of the village were away at the district headquarters, intentionally enticed there by the government with a false promise of compensation. The lumbermen sought to fell trees in the forest next to the village. Gaura Devi, leader of the village women’s welfare group, led a group of 27 women to the forest. This group of unarmed women managed to prevent the well-armed men from felling trees. The picture below shows surviving members of the group. This event inspired a movement that spread to various forest regions of India, and resulted in changes to India’s conservation laws. The movement was initially known by the Garhwali word “angalwaltha,” but is now famous by a Hindi name. What is the name of the movement?
Idéfix- Posts : 8808
Join date : 2012-04-26
Location : Berkeley, CA
yogi- Posts : 207
Join date : 2013-01-10
yogi- Posts : 207
Join date : 2013-01-10
yogi- Posts : 207
Join date : 2013-01-10
Re: Tuesday Trivia: Mar 26, 2013
by bw Tue Mar 26, 2013 12:54 am
trofimov wrote:No googling please!
1. An avenue called Nevsky Prospect is the major thoroughfare of this city. It runs from the Admiralty to the Moscow Railway Terminus, where trains from Moscow and Siberia arrive. During Soviet times, the avenue was named after Oct 25, the opening day of the October Revolution (per the old Julian Calendar). Nevsky Prospect features prominently in the works of Fyodor Dostoyevsky and Nikolai Gogol. It is located in the world’s northernmost city with a population larger than one million. Name this city located at the mouth of the river Neva.
st.petersberg. gogol reminds me of the book/movie "namesake".
2. This philosopher is most remembered for a book published in 1651 named for a biblical character. The subtitle of the book is “The Matter, Forme, and Power of a Commonwealth.” It is considered a classic early work on western statecraft, somewhat like the Arthashastra of the west. Perhaps the most famous line in the book describes man’s life in the “state of nature” as “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” To overcome this natural condition, he argues for a strong central government under an absolute sovereign. Name the philosopher and the title of his best-known book.
leviathan by thomas hobbes
4. This writer’s father taught Kannada at the Nizam College in Hyderabad. The son went to Aligarh Muslim University and then studied at the famous Sorbonne in Paris. He wrote several books in English and received critical acclaim as a pioneer of Indian English fiction. His non-fiction works include a biography of Gandhi. Later in life, he taught philosophy at the University of Texas in Austin. Name him.
raja rao (i started "serpent and the rope but...)
8. This book written in 1948 opens with the line: “It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.” The book consistently ranks among the best English novels of all time, and several phrases and concepts from the book remain in popular use today. An adjective form of the author’s surname is often used as a pejorative in political discourse. Name the novel and its author.
1984 by george orwell
9. This acclaimed director started his career as a copywriter at the advertising agency Lintas in Bombay, and steadily rose to become creative head. He made his first documentary in Gujarati in 1962. Even as he was making ad films, he started teaching at Pune’s famous Film & Television Institute of India, and made several documentaries. He then received a fellowship to work at Boston’s PBS station, WGBH-TV. In a career spanning several decades, he won the National Award for Best Feature Film ten times. Name him.
shyam benegal?
bw- Posts : 2922
Join date : 2012-11-15
Re: Tuesday Trivia: Mar 26, 2013
by Kris Tue Mar 26, 2013 2:14 am
1. An avenue called Nevsky Prospect is the major thoroughfare of this city. It runs from the Admiralty to the Moscow Railway Terminus, where trains from Moscow and Siberia arrive. During Soviet times, the avenue was named after Oct 25, the opening day of the October Revolution (per the old Julian Calendar). Nevsky Prospect features prominently in the works of Fyodor Dostoyevsky and Nikolai Gogol. It is located in the world’s northernmost city with a population larger than one million. Name this city located at the mouth of the river Neva.
>>>St.Petersburg
2. This philosopher is most remembered for a book published in 1651 named for a biblical character. The subtitle of the book is “The Matter, Forme, and Power of a Commonwealth.” It is considered a classic early work on western statecraft, somewhat like the Arthashastra of the west. Perhaps the most famous line in the book describes man’s life in the “state of nature” as “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” To overcome this natural condition, he argues for a strong central government under an absolute sovereign. Name the philosopher and the title of his best-known book.
>>>Bacon? Just guessing- don't know the name of the book
4. This writer’s father taught Kannada at the Nizam College in Hyderabad. The son went to Aligarh Muslim University and then studied at the famous Sorbonne in Paris. He wrote several books in English and received critical acclaim as a pioneer of Indian English fiction. His non-fiction works include a biography of Gandhi. Later in life, he taught philosophy at the University of Texas in Austin. Name him.
>>>Raja Rao
8. This book written in 1948 opens with the line: “It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.” The book consistently ranks among the best English novels of all time, and several phrases and concepts from the book remain in popular use today. An adjective form of the author’s surname is often used as a pejorative in political discourse. Name the novel and its author.
>>>Catch 22- Heller? Guessing..
>>>St.Petersburg
2. This philosopher is most remembered for a book published in 1651 named for a biblical character. The subtitle of the book is “The Matter, Forme, and Power of a Commonwealth.” It is considered a classic early work on western statecraft, somewhat like the Arthashastra of the west. Perhaps the most famous line in the book describes man’s life in the “state of nature” as “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” To overcome this natural condition, he argues for a strong central government under an absolute sovereign. Name the philosopher and the title of his best-known book.
>>>Bacon? Just guessing- don't know the name of the book
4. This writer’s father taught Kannada at the Nizam College in Hyderabad. The son went to Aligarh Muslim University and then studied at the famous Sorbonne in Paris. He wrote several books in English and received critical acclaim as a pioneer of Indian English fiction. His non-fiction works include a biography of Gandhi. Later in life, he taught philosophy at the University of Texas in Austin. Name him.
>>>Raja Rao
8. This book written in 1948 opens with the line: “It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.” The book consistently ranks among the best English novels of all time, and several phrases and concepts from the book remain in popular use today. An adjective form of the author’s surname is often used as a pejorative in political discourse. Name the novel and its author.
>>>Catch 22- Heller? Guessing..
Kris- Posts : 5460
Join date : 2011-04-28
Re: Tuesday Trivia: Mar 26, 2013
by indophile Tue Mar 26, 2013 9:00 am
1. Leningrad
2. Hobbs, Leviathan
3. Soyuz
4. Rajarao
5. Germans were adament about 220, 50 Hz their funny argument was it suits the metric system), and the rest of Europe followed. 110 V, 60 Hz has better efficiency (less losses).
6. ?
7. Air India - 1
8. 1984, George Orwell. Orwellian
9. ?
10. ?
2. Hobbs, Leviathan
3. Soyuz
4. Rajarao
5. Germans were adament about 220, 50 Hz their funny argument was it suits the metric system), and the rest of Europe followed. 110 V, 60 Hz has better efficiency (less losses).
6. ?
7. Air India - 1
8. 1984, George Orwell. Orwellian
9. ?
10. ?
indophile- Posts : 4338
Join date : 2011-04-29
Location : Glenn Dale, MD
Re: Tuesday Trivia: Mar 26, 2013
by Mosquito Tue Mar 26, 2013 11:49 am
10. Anganwadi movement that deals with empowerment of women?
Mosquito- Posts : 706
Join date : 2011-04-28
Re: Tuesday Trivia: Mar 26, 2013
by Idéfix Tue Mar 26, 2013 12:01 pm
Correct.yogi wrote:10. Chipko movement
Idéfix- Posts : 8808
Join date : 2012-04-26
Location : Berkeley, CA
Idéfix- Posts : 8808
Join date : 2012-04-26
Location : Berkeley, CA
Re: Tuesday Trivia: Mar 26, 2013
by Idéfix Tue Mar 26, 2013 12:02 pm
No, neither.yogi wrote:2. kant or voltaire
Idéfix- Posts : 8808
Join date : 2012-04-26
Location : Berkeley, CA
Re: Tuesday Trivia: Mar 26, 2013
by Idéfix Tue Mar 26, 2013 12:04 pm
Correct. And yes, me toobw wrote:1. st.petersberg. gogol reminds me of the book/movie "namesake".
. Correct.bw wrote:2. leviathan by thomas hobbes
Correct.bw wrote:4. raja rao (i started "serpent and the rope but...)
Correct.bw wrote:8. 1984 by george orwell
Correct.bw wrote:9. shyam benegal?
Idéfix- Posts : 8808
Join date : 2012-04-26
Location : Berkeley, CA
Re: Tuesday Trivia: Mar 26, 2013
by Idéfix Tue Mar 26, 2013 12:05 pm
Correct.Kris wrote:1. St.Petersburg
No, it is Thomas Hobbes who wrote the Leviathan.Kris wrote:2. Bacon? Just guessing- don't know the name of the book
Correct.Kris wrote:4. Raja Rao
Good guess, but no. It is 1984 by George Orwell.Kris wrote:8. Catch 22- Heller? Guessing..
Idéfix- Posts : 8808
Join date : 2012-04-26
Location : Berkeley, CA
Re: Tuesday Trivia: Mar 26, 2013
by Idéfix Tue Mar 26, 2013 12:14 pm
Correct.indophile wrote:1. Leningrad
Correct.indophile wrote:2. Hobbs, Leviathan
No.indophile wrote:3. Soyuz
Correct.indophile wrote:4. Rajarao
No, but you are on the right track. Germans were definitely instrumental in coming up with the 220 V standard. For the same power, 220 V means half as much current as 110 V, so heat losses are actually lower for 220 V systems.indophile wrote:5. Germans were adament about 220, 50 Hz their funny argument was it suits the metric system), and the rest of Europe followed. 110 V, 60 Hz has better efficiency (less losses).
Correct.indophile wrote:7. Air India - 1
Correct.indophile wrote:8. 1984, George Orwell. Orwellian
Idéfix- Posts : 8808
Join date : 2012-04-26
Location : Berkeley, CA
Re: Tuesday Trivia: Mar 26, 2013
by Idéfix Tue Mar 26, 2013 1:06 pm
Here is an update with hints.
3. The picture below is the logo of a Soviet space program that was launched into space in February 1986, and ended fifteen years later. What is the name, and what does it mean in English?
Hint: The name is in the picture.
5. The world has two major sets of standards for domestic electricity supply voltage: 110-120 V (in the Americas, Japan and the Middle East) and 220-230 V (in the rest of the world). What is the origin of this difference?
Hint: The Germans had something to do with the difference, as did the Americans. The explanation is not related to metric or SI units.
6. Walter Kaufmann was a musician and composer born in 1907 in Karlsbad, a town currently in the Czech Republic, to parents of German ethnicity. He died in Bloomington, Indiana in 1957. He composed several works of western classical music. Regardless of your taste in music, it is a good bet that you have heard a piece he composed. What is that piece?
Hint: It is a good bet that you have heard that one piece of his music, if you spent significant time in India before television became widely popular. It is quite unlikely you have heard any other music composed by Kaufmann.
3. The picture below is the logo of a Soviet space program that was launched into space in February 1986, and ended fifteen years later. What is the name, and what does it mean in English?
Hint: The name is in the picture.
5. The world has two major sets of standards for domestic electricity supply voltage: 110-120 V (in the Americas, Japan and the Middle East) and 220-230 V (in the rest of the world). What is the origin of this difference?
Hint: The Germans had something to do with the difference, as did the Americans. The explanation is not related to metric or SI units.
6. Walter Kaufmann was a musician and composer born in 1907 in Karlsbad, a town currently in the Czech Republic, to parents of German ethnicity. He died in Bloomington, Indiana in 1957. He composed several works of western classical music. Regardless of your taste in music, it is a good bet that you have heard a piece he composed. What is that piece?
Hint: It is a good bet that you have heard that one piece of his music, if you spent significant time in India before television became widely popular. It is quite unlikely you have heard any other music composed by Kaufmann.
Idéfix- Posts : 8808
Join date : 2012-04-26
Location : Berkeley, CA
Re: Tuesday Trivia: Mar 26, 2013
by Mosquito Tue Mar 26, 2013 1:09 pm
trofimov wrote:Here is an update with hints.
3. The picture below is the logo of a Soviet space program that was launched into space in February 1986, and ended fifteen years later. What is the name, and what does it mean in English?
Hint: The name is in the picture.
5. The world has two major sets of standards for domestic electricity supply voltage: 110-120 V (in the Americas, Japan and the Middle East) and 220-230 V (in the rest of the world). What is the origin of this difference?
Hint: The Germans had something to do with the difference, as did the Americans. The explanation is not related to metric or SI units.
6. Walter Kaufmann was a musician and composer born in 1907 in Karlsbad, a town currently in the Czech Republic, to parents of German ethnicity. He died in Bloomington, Indiana in 1957. He composed several works of western classical music. Regardless of your taste in music, it is a good bet that you have heard a piece he composed. What is that piece?
Hint: It is a good bet that you have heard that one piece of his music, if you spent significant time in India before television became widely popular. It is quite unlikely you have heard any other music composed by Kaufmann.
Did he compose Akasavani signature tune?
Mosquito- Posts : 706
Join date : 2011-04-28
Re: Tuesday Trivia: Mar 26, 2013
by Hellsangel Tue Mar 26, 2013 1:13 pm
Pope Francis wrote:trofimov wrote:Here is an update with hints.
3. The picture below is the logo of a Soviet space program that was launched into space in February 1986, and ended fifteen years later. What is the name, and what does it mean in English?
Hint: The name is in the picture.
5. The world has two major sets of standards for domestic electricity supply voltage: 110-120 V (in the Americas, Japan and the Middle East) and 220-230 V (in the rest of the world). What is the origin of this difference?
Hint: The Germans had something to do with the difference, as did the Americans. The explanation is not related to metric or SI units.
6. Walter Kaufmann was a musician and composer born in 1907 in Karlsbad, a town currently in the Czech Republic, to parents of German ethnicity. He died in Bloomington, Indiana in 1957. He composed several works of western classical music. Regardless of your taste in music, it is a good bet that you have heard a piece he composed. What is that piece?
Hint: It is a good bet that you have heard that one piece of his music, if you spent significant time in India before television became widely popular. It is quite unlikely you have heard any other music composed by Kaufmann.
Did he compose Akasavani signature tune?
3. is MIR = Peace.
Hellsangel- Posts : 14721
Join date : 2011-04-28
Re: Tuesday Trivia: Mar 26, 2013
by Idéfix Tue Mar 26, 2013 1:16 pm
Yes, he did. The signature tune is an extract from one of his longer compositions.Pope Francis wrote:Did he compose Akasavani signature tune?
Idéfix- Posts : 8808
Join date : 2012-04-26
Location : Berkeley, CA
Re: Tuesday Trivia: Mar 26, 2013
by Idéfix Tue Mar 26, 2013 1:17 pm
Correct.Hellsangel wrote:3. is MIR = Peace.
Idéfix- Posts : 8808
Join date : 2012-04-26
Location : Berkeley, CA
Re: Tuesday Trivia: Mar 26, 2013
by Hellsangel Tue Mar 26, 2013 2:09 pm
5. Does this have anything to do with Thomas Edison championing DC and Tesla championing AC?
Hellsangel- Posts : 14721
Join date : 2011-04-28
Re: Tuesday Trivia: Mar 26, 2013
by Idéfix Tue Mar 26, 2013 2:26 pm
Not exactly, but close enough. It has a lot to do with Thomas Edison. When Edison designed the circuits for electrical lighting around 1880, he only had carbon filament lamps. Those lamps would burn out quickly at higher voltages, although higher voltages are more efficient. Lighting was the "killer app" for electricity. So Edison chose 110 V circuits to optimize the trade-off between the cost of replacing carbon filament lamps and the cost of lost electricity. About 20 years later, metal filament lamps, which could withstand the higher voltage of 220 V much better, were widely available. So when the Berlin utility built out its network, it opted for 220 V which is more efficient, taking advantage of the newer and better lamp technology. The Americans were already locked into the lower voltage because utilities in the northeastern cities had already built 110 V networks, and consumers had 110 V appliances. The US ended up with a less efficient 110 V mains power standard. US utilities had another argument that helped them keep the 110 V standard: electric shock safety for human beings.Hellsangel wrote:5. Does this have anything to do with Thomas Edison championing DC and Tesla championing AC?
Idéfix- Posts : 8808
Join date : 2012-04-26
Location : Berkeley, CA
Re: Tuesday Trivia: Mar 26, 2013
by Idéfix Tue Mar 26, 2013 4:40 pm
Here are the answers.
1. An avenue called Nevsky Prospect is the major thoroughfare of this city. It runs from the Admiralty to the Moscow Railway Terminus, where trains from Moscow and Siberia arrive. During Soviet times, the avenue was named after Oct 25, the opening day of the October Revolution (per the old Julian Calendar). Nevsky Prospect features prominently in the works of Fyodor Dostoyevsky and Nikolai Gogol. It is located in the world’s northernmost city with a population larger than one million. Name this city located at the mouth of the river Neva.
Answer: Saint Petersburg, also known as Leningrad and Petrograd.
2. This philosopher is most remembered for a book published in 1651 named for a biblical character. The subtitle of the book is “The Matter, Forme, and Power of a Commonwealth.” It is considered a classic early work on western statecraft, somewhat like the Arthashastra of the west. Perhaps the most famous line in the book describes man’s life in the “state of nature” as “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” To overcome this natural condition, he argues for a strong central government under an absolute sovereign. Name the philosopher and the title of his best-known book.
Answer: Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes.
3. The picture below is the logo of a Soviet space program that was launched into space in February 1986, and ended fifteen years later. What is the name, and what does it mean in English?
Answer: Mir Space Station; Mir means peace.
4. This writer’s father taught Kannada at the Nizam College in Hyderabad. The son went to Aligarh Muslim University and then studied at the famous Sorbonne in Paris. He wrote several books in English and received critical acclaim as a pioneer of Indian English fiction. His non-fiction works include a biography of Gandhi. Later in life, he taught philosophy at the University of Texas in Austin. Name him.
Answer: Raja Rao.
5. The world has two major sets of standards for domestic electricity supply voltage: 110-120 V (in the Americas, Japan and the Middle East) and 220-230 V (in the rest of the world). What is the origin of this difference?
Answer: The origin is in the difference in performance between carbon filament and metal filament incandescent lamps. Carbon filament lamps, which were invented earlier, burn out quickly at 220 V, but are more stable at 110 V. Thomas Edison therefore designed 110 V networks which were built in American cities. A utility company in Berlin, Germany built a 220 V network several years later, after metal filament lamps became widely available.
6. Walter Kaufmann was a musician and composer born in 1907 in Karlsbad, a town currently in the Czech Republic, to parents of German ethnicity. He died in Bloomington, Indiana in 1957. He composed several works of western classical music. Regardless of your taste in music, it is a good bet that you have heard a piece he composed. What is that piece?
Answer: The signature tune of Akashavani. http://soundcloud.com/tajmahalfoxtrot1/all-india-radio-signature-tune
7. The president of the US flies around in a Boeing VC-25A aircraft, the military variant of the Boeing 747 jumbojet, with the call sign Air Force One. When the president of India flies overseas, he uses a similar plane. What is the call sign of his aircraft?
Answer: Air India One.
8. This book written in 1948 opens with the line: “It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.” The book consistently ranks among the best English novels of all time, and several phrases and concepts from the book remain in popular use today. An adjective form of the author’s surname is often used as a pejorative in political discourse. Name the novel and its author.
Answer: 1984 by George Orwell.
9. This acclaimed director started his career as a copywriter at the advertising agency Lintas in Bombay, and steadily rose to become creative head. He made his first documentary in Gujarati in 1962. Even as he was making ad films, he started teaching at Pune’s famous Film & Television Institute of India, and made several documentaries. He then received a fellowship to work at Boston’s PBS station, WGBH-TV. In a career spanning several decades, he won the National Award for Best Feature Film ten times. Name him.
Answer: Shyam Benegal.
10. On March 26, 1974 (this day 39 years ago), lumbermen working for a Forest Department contractor arrived at Reni village, Chamoli district in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand. The men of the village were away at the district headquarters, intentionally enticed there by the government with a false promise of compensation. The lumbermen sought to fell trees in the forest next to the village. Gaura Devi, leader of the village women’s welfare group, led a group of 27 women to the forest. This group of unarmed women managed to prevent the well-armed men from felling trees. The picture below shows surviving members of the group. This event inspired a movement that spread to various forest regions of India, and resulted in changes to India’s conservation laws. The movement was initially known by the Garhwali word “angalwaltha,” but is now famous by a Hindi name. What is the name of the movement?
Answer: Chipko
1. An avenue called Nevsky Prospect is the major thoroughfare of this city. It runs from the Admiralty to the Moscow Railway Terminus, where trains from Moscow and Siberia arrive. During Soviet times, the avenue was named after Oct 25, the opening day of the October Revolution (per the old Julian Calendar). Nevsky Prospect features prominently in the works of Fyodor Dostoyevsky and Nikolai Gogol. It is located in the world’s northernmost city with a population larger than one million. Name this city located at the mouth of the river Neva.
Answer: Saint Petersburg, also known as Leningrad and Petrograd.
2. This philosopher is most remembered for a book published in 1651 named for a biblical character. The subtitle of the book is “The Matter, Forme, and Power of a Commonwealth.” It is considered a classic early work on western statecraft, somewhat like the Arthashastra of the west. Perhaps the most famous line in the book describes man’s life in the “state of nature” as “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” To overcome this natural condition, he argues for a strong central government under an absolute sovereign. Name the philosopher and the title of his best-known book.
Answer: Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes.
3. The picture below is the logo of a Soviet space program that was launched into space in February 1986, and ended fifteen years later. What is the name, and what does it mean in English?
Answer: Mir Space Station; Mir means peace.
4. This writer’s father taught Kannada at the Nizam College in Hyderabad. The son went to Aligarh Muslim University and then studied at the famous Sorbonne in Paris. He wrote several books in English and received critical acclaim as a pioneer of Indian English fiction. His non-fiction works include a biography of Gandhi. Later in life, he taught philosophy at the University of Texas in Austin. Name him.
Answer: Raja Rao.
5. The world has two major sets of standards for domestic electricity supply voltage: 110-120 V (in the Americas, Japan and the Middle East) and 220-230 V (in the rest of the world). What is the origin of this difference?
Answer: The origin is in the difference in performance between carbon filament and metal filament incandescent lamps. Carbon filament lamps, which were invented earlier, burn out quickly at 220 V, but are more stable at 110 V. Thomas Edison therefore designed 110 V networks which were built in American cities. A utility company in Berlin, Germany built a 220 V network several years later, after metal filament lamps became widely available.
6. Walter Kaufmann was a musician and composer born in 1907 in Karlsbad, a town currently in the Czech Republic, to parents of German ethnicity. He died in Bloomington, Indiana in 1957. He composed several works of western classical music. Regardless of your taste in music, it is a good bet that you have heard a piece he composed. What is that piece?
Answer: The signature tune of Akashavani. http://soundcloud.com/tajmahalfoxtrot1/all-india-radio-signature-tune
7. The president of the US flies around in a Boeing VC-25A aircraft, the military variant of the Boeing 747 jumbojet, with the call sign Air Force One. When the president of India flies overseas, he uses a similar plane. What is the call sign of his aircraft?
Answer: Air India One.
8. This book written in 1948 opens with the line: “It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.” The book consistently ranks among the best English novels of all time, and several phrases and concepts from the book remain in popular use today. An adjective form of the author’s surname is often used as a pejorative in political discourse. Name the novel and its author.
Answer: 1984 by George Orwell.
9. This acclaimed director started his career as a copywriter at the advertising agency Lintas in Bombay, and steadily rose to become creative head. He made his first documentary in Gujarati in 1962. Even as he was making ad films, he started teaching at Pune’s famous Film & Television Institute of India, and made several documentaries. He then received a fellowship to work at Boston’s PBS station, WGBH-TV. In a career spanning several decades, he won the National Award for Best Feature Film ten times. Name him.
Answer: Shyam Benegal.
10. On March 26, 1974 (this day 39 years ago), lumbermen working for a Forest Department contractor arrived at Reni village, Chamoli district in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand. The men of the village were away at the district headquarters, intentionally enticed there by the government with a false promise of compensation. The lumbermen sought to fell trees in the forest next to the village. Gaura Devi, leader of the village women’s welfare group, led a group of 27 women to the forest. This group of unarmed women managed to prevent the well-armed men from felling trees. The picture below shows surviving members of the group. This event inspired a movement that spread to various forest regions of India, and resulted in changes to India’s conservation laws. The movement was initially known by the Garhwali word “angalwaltha,” but is now famous by a Hindi name. What is the name of the movement?
Answer: Chipko
Idéfix- Posts : 8808
Join date : 2012-04-26
Location : Berkeley, CA
Re: Tuesday Trivia: Mar 26, 2013
by Mosquito Tue Mar 26, 2013 5:01 pm
Thanks for a great quiz!
Next week I will post.
Next week I will post.
Mosquito- Posts : 706
Join date : 2011-04-28
Re: Tuesday Trivia: Mar 26, 2013
by Idéfix Tue Mar 26, 2013 5:30 pm
Thanks! Look forward to participating next week.
Idéfix- Posts : 8808
Join date : 2012-04-26
Location : Berkeley, CA
Similar topics» Tuesday Trivia: Mar 19, 2013
» Tuesday Trivia: May 7, 2013
» Tuesday Trivia: May 14, 2013
» Tuesday Trivia: Feb 26, 2013
» Tuesday Trivia: Mar 5, 2013
» Tuesday Trivia: May 7, 2013
» Tuesday Trivia: May 14, 2013
» Tuesday Trivia: Feb 26, 2013
» Tuesday Trivia: Mar 5, 2013
Page 1 of 1
Permissions in this forum:
You cannot reply to topics in this forum|
|
|