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This quiz is unusual in two ways. Firstly because it is a World Cup Quiz which firmly eschews all mention of football ; and secondly because you are given the answers in advance. On the right you will find a list of the 32 nations competing in the 2014 World Cup. The answer to each question in the quiz will contain either the name of one of these countries, its nationality, its capital city or a native of that city. So, in the case of England the answer would include one of the following: England, English, London or Londoner. Each of the 32 competing countries is represented by the answer to one question in the quiz. That’s it. Just bear in mind that because the quiz is set by a cartoonist you should watch out for the occasional lamentable pun.. So test your knowledge and forget about football for a pleasant half hour. It’s only a matter of time before you’re slumped in front of your TV watching Bosnia-Herzegovina v Iran. THE QUESTIONS ROUND ONE 2. Which country celebrates its national day on January 26th, that being the date of the first European settlement there in 1788? 3. 45 years ago Apollo 11 touched down on the moon with Neil Armstrong’s words “The Eagle has landed.” Eagle was the name of the lunar module; what was the name of the command and service module? 4. Which country has an elephant's head on its coat of arms to symbolise one of its earliest economic resources? 5. Which country has given its name to a form of neckwear, due to the fact that its mercenaries in the seventeenth century wore colourful strips of material around the neck, a fashion subsequently adopted by Parisian men? 6. Which country became the first in the world to legalise the sale, cultivation and distribution of cannabis on December 10th 2013? 7. Iva Toguri d'Aquino, Myrtle Lipton, June Suyama and Ruth Hayakawa were some of up to a dozen women who were known by what name in World War Two? 8. Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef and Eli Wallach had one, as did Harvey Keitel, Chris Penn and Laurence Tierney. What? 9. It is 50 years since this country first entered the Eurovison Song Contest. It has yet to win it. Its best placing was 6th in 1996. Which country?10. A two-parter on diseases: (a) Its latin name literally means “little red”. It was first identified in 1814 in the country whose name it bears. The first vaccine became available in 1969. (b) The disease Ceratocystis ulmi, which is spread by beetles, was first identified in 1918, came to Britain in 1927 and to the United States in 1930. How is it better known? Click here for the answers to Round One ROUND TWO 12. The president of which country rejoices in the name Goodluck Jonathan? 13. This Renaissance artist, born in 1541, produced most of his mature work in Toledo in Spain, but he wasn't Spanish. What was his name? 14. Which painful beauty treatment was popularised when Carrie Bradshaw inadvertently had one in an episode of Sex and the City in 1999? 15. This veteran American actor last month celebrated his 67th birthday. His recent movie credits include Death House, Fear Clinic, Zombie Mutation and Strippers vs Werewolves. He may be said to have become slightly typecast since his appearance in a famous 1980s horror series. Who is he? 16. It is the nickname given to the Prime Minister’s inner sanctum of political allies, which is also an anagram of “more Eton cash.” 17. Which country has twin capitals called Tegucigalpa and Comayagüela? 18. The 2013 crime caper The Bling Ring, directed by Sofia Coppola, was based on the story of Hollywood teenage thieves who repeatedly burgled the mansion of which celebrity and aspiring DJ? 19. The coast of South America from the Orinoco to Panama was traditionally known as what? 20. A two part question about jazz pianists: Click here for the answers to Round Two ROUND THREE 21. Which capital city was originally named: City of the Most Holy Trinity and Port of Our Lady the Virgin Mary of the Fair Winds? 22. It was designed by Karl Elsener – a manufacturer of surgical instruments - in 1896 for military use, though 90% of its production is these days for the export leisure market. It is standard issue to NASA astronauts. 23. Half a lime, 2 oz of vodka and 4-6 ounces of ginger beer, served over ice in a Collins glass, makes what? 24. Which country's name describes its geographical location? 25. Herman Van Rompuy the President of the European Commission was described by Nigel Farage as having “all the charisma of a damp rag and the appearance of a second grade bank clerk”. From which charismatic country does Mr Rompuy hail? 26. Stalin was apparently terrified of flying and boarded a plane just once in his life in 1943 to fly to a conference in which city? 27. Which country was originally named by Christopher Columbus under the misapprehension that it was filled with precious metals? 28. The Scoville scale measures the strength of what? 29. In which country were Nicole Kidman and Mel Gibson born? 30. In 2007 the Supreme Court of which country was called upon to rule on a dispute over the purchase of a donkey; in which, while the buyer and seller were haggling over the price at a market, the donkey ate the purchaser's cash? |
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