From Newsgroup: rec.games.trivia
This quiz is over, and the winner is - drum roll! - JOSHUA KREIZER! Congratulations!
Here is the scoreboard:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Total
============= ================================================
Joshua K 1 - - 1 - - 1 - - 1 1 1 6
Mark B 1 1 - - 1 - 1 - - - - 1 5
Dan T 1 - - 1 1 - 1 - - - - 1 5
Pete G 1 - - 1 - - 1 - - 1 - - 4
Dan B - - 1 - - - - - - 1 - - 2
As expected, there were several stumpers, but I would say that you
did better than I expected!
Here are the answers:
1. The on-going FIFA World Cup is hosted by USA, Mexico and Canada, the
first time there are three hosting countries. There are a few more
things that are new this year, name any of them.
The most significant novelty is that there 48 teams this year;
The games 1998-2022 had 32 games. 1982-1994 there were 24 games.
Before that it was 16, although not all slots were filled in the
early tournaments.
Other novelties include compulsory "hydration breaks" in the middle
of each half. (In reality they are commercial breaks.)
There are also several changes to get a better flow in the game. For
instance, if a player gets medical care on the field, he must stay
outside of the game for one minute. (No, it does not apply to goal
keepers. :-) This has proven to be a great improvement!
2. What circumstance related to their names that is shared by Agatha
Christie, Angela Merkel and Joni Mitchell?
They all carry the last name of their first husband, despite having
remarried.
I was really impressed by Mark for spotting this!
Agatha Christie was already a popular author when she divorced.
Joni Mitchell was around 20 at her first marriage, and her career
had not taken off. When she later married Larry Klein in 1982 she
was at the peak of her career.
How come Angela Merkel retained Merkel, I don't know. But maybe she had
made herself known as a scientist in East Germany by that name. To wit,
she remarried well before the wall fell and she got into politics.
3. This people occupied the area around the Middle Volga from around
the 9th century to the first half of the 13th century when they were
conquered by the Golden Horde. Another branch of the same people has
given name to a European country existing today. Who were they?
(Volga) Bulgars
Something related to Hungary was a popular guess, not unreasonable.
Had I thought of that, I might have tried to word the question to
exclude that possibility.
4. Gianni Infantino is the head of which organisation?
FIFA.
5. The Republic of Congo borders five countries. Name at least three
of these. You can list more if you like, but if you list an incorrect
answer, you score will be zero.
Gabon, Cameroon, Central African Repulic, The other Congo and
Angola (the Cabinda enclave).
This question was actually inspired by the World Cup. I was watching games where the big Congo played. One commentator constantly said "DR Congo"
and other insisted on "Congo-Kinshasa". I thought, since there is no
ambiguity, why not simply say "Congo"? Somehow, I started to think about
the small Congo and what countries it borders to. Took me a while to
be sure, and I had to check the map to confirm.
6. At the accession of the last tsar in 1894 what political circumstance
differentiated Russia together with Montenegro and Ottoman Empire from
all other European countries?
They did not have a parliament.
7. Refer to https://www.sommarskog.se/temp/quiz7.jpg. If you are looking
at a text and you see this letter appearing, which language can you
conclude that the text is in?
Hungarian.
The base letter is "%" with the same pronuciation as in German or Swedish.
The accents marks that the vowel as long, just like accents do on
Hunarian vowels in general.
8. Where is this picture taken: https://www.sommarskog.se/temp/quiz8.jpg?
The answer I want is a region. This coastal region consists of seven
provinces and straddles over two countries, but you don't have to name
the province or the country.
Basque lands. The area you see is a field for playing pelota, a game
very popular in Basque culture.
Yes, this was an insanely difficult question, although I did spice
it with some hints.
9. If you are using a Trionda, what are you likely to be doing?
Playing football.
Adidas Trionda is the ball they use in the World Cup.
10. Name any Russian tsar that was murdered.
Peter III, Paul, Alexander II, Nicholas II
The first two were murdered in palace coups, because they had made
themselves impossible. Peter III was succeeded byh his spouse, Catherine II, who is assumed to have been involved in the plot.
Alexander II was assassinated by what we would call terrorists.
Nicholas II and his family was murdered a little more than a year
after his abdication by the Bolsheviks.
11. From the point of view of religion, what is unique with England's
victory in the FIFA World Cup 1966?
The only non-Catholic country to win the World Cup. (Although Germany
is mixed Protestant-Catholic.)
12. If you come out of the airport and you see this flag being flown,
where have you landed? https://www.sommarskog.se/temp/quiz12.gif
Greenland.
Thanks to everyone for playing!
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