Sunderland Echo Quiz League Set A

It was our team's turn to set in the Sunderland Echo Quiz League this week. The league, as I have mentioned before, is team based questions of up to six players. I will post Set A up today and Set B up in a few days. The set was just over 50% of my questions and with contributions from the team!

Round 1 - A

1.       In which city would you find Eden Park cricket ground?	Auckland, New Zealand
2.       Banco is the sequel to which book, made into an Oscar nominated film starring Steve McQueen in 1973 ?	Papillon
3.       In 2002, which Secretary of Defence explained about "known knowns", "known unknowns" and "unknown unknowns" in a speech referring to terrorism?	Donald Rumsfeld
4.       What is the name of BBC Radio 3’s flagship arts and ideas programme that is usually broadcast every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday?	Night Waves

 

Round 2- A

1.       David Copperfield and Ali Bongo have been recent winners of the David Devant Award, named after the first President of which society?	The Magic Circle
2.       Which town in England which was designated a New Town in 1968,  was the first to field a candidate for the new Social Democratic Party in 1981, but lost to Labour?	Warrington
3.       The collapse of the Republic of Biafra in 1970, effectively ended the civil war in which African Country?	Nigeria
4.       Who was elected Prime Minister in the year that 18 year olds were allowed to vote for the first time in Britain?	Edward Heath

 

Round 3 - A

1.       Which  musical film made in colour during the 1960s had the working title "Eight Arms to Hold You"?	Help!  (A Hard Day's Night was in black and white)
2.       Which brewery has beers called Iceberg, Steerage and Captain Smith's?	Titanic
3.       The footballing term Route one is derived from which defunct TV quiz?	Quiz Ball
4.       Which international engineering company, the fourth largest manufacturer of escalators and elevators in the world, shares its name with the surname of a current SAFC defender?	Kone

 

Round 4 – A

1.       Welsh rugby player Clive Sullivan has a road named after him in which Northern city?	(Kingston upon) HULL
2.       In 1970 which club defeated Celtic in the European Cup final and became the first club from their nation to win the trophy?	Feyenoord
3.       Which thriller writer published a cook book aimed at men in the 1960s which contained the suggestion, popular with students, that a portion of liver could sustain you for a whole fortnight?	Len DEIGHTON
4.       The following is a definition of which Scientific term “A Substance that aids a chemical change in other substances, without itself changing.”?	Catalyst

 

Round 5 - A

1.       A coffee shop near the headquarters of a haulage company outside Carlisle shares its name with which South Shields-born jazz saxophonist?	Kathy (or Cafe) STOBART
2.       The most northerly point on New Zealand’s South Island, what name is given to the headland in New Zealand which was named by James Cook in 1770 and named due to it being the last land seen as his crew began their homeward voyage?	Cape FAREWELL
3.       Which American blacksmith used steel from a Scottish saw to invent the first steel plough in 1842 and went on to found the world's largest manufacturer of agricultural machinery?	John DEERE
4.       Which current Hollywood film director founded Percy Main Productions with his brother?	Ridley SCOTT (now called Scott Free Productions)

 

Round 6 - A

1.       Which island in the Indian Ocean has the highest population of any French island and sends five deputies to the National Assembly in Paris?	Reunion
2.       Which present day capital city was the capital of Hungary from 1536 to 1784 because of the Ottoman occupation?	Bratislava
3.       Now the site of an airport, which former English racecourse staged the Grand National from 1916 to 1918 after Aintree was taken into use by the War Office ?	GATWICK Racecourse
4.       To which actress was Groucho Marx referring when he reportedly said “I knew her before she was a virgin”?	Doris DAY

 

Buzzer Quiz Questions - Misc./News

The final set in the 8 rounds of Buzzer Quiz Questions I set for a recent event. Hope you have enjoyed!

1.       In March 2017, Ed Sheeran had 14 songs in the top 15 of the UK Singles Chart. Name either act whose track “Something Just Like This” was the only non Sheeran song in the top 15?

The Chainsmokers OR Coldplay

 

2.       Ian Mckellen, Emma Thompson, Kevin Kline, Ewan McGregor, Luke Evans, Dan Stevens  and Emma Watson are amongst the cast of which 2017 live action remake of a 1991 Disney film?

Beauty and the Beast

 

3.       What US city featured in the name of the Cocker Spaniel who was crowned Best in Show at Crufts 2017?

Miami

 

4.       Formerly working as a security guard in Argos, Adama Barrow became the first democratically elected President of which African nation in 2017?

 

Gambia

5.       Born in 1949, this individual was worth around $30 billion dollars by the 1990s. In 1993 he was killed in his home town, one day after his 44^th birthday. At his peak his cartel supplied 80% of the cocaine smuggled into America. Name this Colombian criminal who is the focus of the hit Netflix TV series “Narcos”?

 

Pablo Escobar

 

6.       The Little Black Book is a popular annual supplement  issued by which glossy British fashion magazine , which was founded in 1901 by Clement  Shorter and was the subject the 2014 BBC documentary series “Posh People”?

Tatler

 

7.       Last week, the MP for Tatton was appointed as the editor of which newspaper?

Evening Standard

 

8.       Headquartered in Washington DC,  this is one of the world’s largest non-profit organisations. Alexander Graham Bell is often cited as a founder of the organisation, although he actually served as the second President in 1889 until 1903. The organisations magazine has a circulation of 6.8 million worldwide and a TV Channel was launched in 2001. With a logo of a yellow portrait frame, name this organisation concerned with the promotion of environmental and historical conservation and the study of world culture and history?

National Geographic Society

 

9.       Marc Quinn’s  works “Sphinx” and  “Siren” are life size sculptures of which supermodel in a yoga position?

Kate Moss

 

10.   What name is shared by an American crime drama series that ran from 2006 to 2013 and the heraldic term meaning to the right of the shield from the viewpoint of the bearer (as oppose to sinister)?

Dexter

Buzzer Quiz Questions - Geography/Science

Next up in my postings of Buzzer Quiz Questions from a recent event I helped to host...The Geography/Science round!

1.       This city was founded in 421AD and in 1689 conquered the island of Cyprus. In 1516 the first Ghetto in the world was established in this city. It is home to one of Europe’s oldest film festivals and was the birthplace of Casanova. The city gave its name to a South American country  and Marco Polo travelled from this city to the court of Kulbai Khan. Name this Italian city in which you would find Doge’s Palace, St Marks Square and Gondola’s floating on its famous canals?

Venice

 

 

2.       This European country has a population of just over 1.3 million and consists of a mainland and around 2,000 islands in the Baltic Sea. It is bordered by Russia in the East and Latvia in the South and joined Nato as a full member in 2004 along with various other Baltic states. Name this country of which Tallin is the capital city?

Estonia

 

3.       This German city was stripped of its UNESCO World Heritage Status in 2009 due to the construction of a road bridge across the Elbe. It has a long history as the Royal Residence of the Kings of Saxony and was the site of controversial British and American bombing towards the end of World War II. Name this Germany city which is the second largest city in the Free State of Saxony which has been known as “Jewel Box” for its baroque city centre and “Silicon Saxony” for its important German high tech industries?

Dresden

 

4.       Signed in 1985, the Schengen Agreement is named after a town in which country?

 

Luxembourg

 

5.       Which river located in Devon is spelt out by combining the symbols for elements 73 and 74, namely Tanatalum and Tungesten?

Taw

 

6.       If you were the sail North from the northernmost tip of the island of Borneo, which country would you hit first?

 

China

 

7.       Gold, Lead, Zinc, Neon and which other element are the only elements on the periodic table to contain 4 letters?

Iron

 

8.       With the chemical formula C6 H6, which important chemical compound  was first isolated and identified by Michael Faraday in 1825 and is a natural constituent of Crude Oil?

 

Benzene

 

9.       A statue of this scientists most famous invention stands outside the Stadium of Light in Sunderland and he also has named after him a crater of the moon and an annual medal issued by the Royal Society of London. He is also the subject of the 2005 Nick Darke play “Laughing Gas”. Name this scientist, born in Cornwall in 1778, who discovered both Chlorine and Iodine  and invented a lamp to which he gives his name?

 

Humphry Davy

 

 

10.   What was the surname of the British father and son who shared the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1915 for their “services to the analysis of crystal structure by means of X-Ray” and is also the surname” of  the host of BBC Radio 4’s “In Our Time” series?

Bragg

 

                                                                                                                        

 

Buzzer Quiz Questions - Low Brow

The next instalment.....Low Brow!

1.       In 1999, this singer’s debut album topped the UK album charts and in 2000 her autobiography Follow Your Dreams, was a best seller. She is also known for her work on TV which has included presenting a reality singing competition. She can currently be seen hosting shows on both Channel 5 and ITV, and shot to fame when a documentary show filmed her signing on “The Galaxy”. Name this woman, born in Yorkshire, who is currently one of the hosts of Loose Women and became an overnight star when she appeared on the Docusoap “The Cruise”?

Jane Mcdonald

 

 

2.       This character first appeared on TV in 1982 and reached number 4 in the UK Singles chart the year after. Following the cancellation of the TV show for which he was most known, he spent time working at Butlin’s in the 1990s but was back on TV screens in 2004 advertising Surf.  In 2005, he won Channel Five’s reality show “The Farm” which helped land him a role as co-auctioneer on Bid TV. Named after a pioneer of aviation, identify this character who attempted to broaden his audience in 2005 when he embarked on the X Rated “Duck Off” Tour?

Orville the Duck

 

3.       What five letter word links – the middle name of Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma, One of the Mister Men,  a town in Texas with the motto “The Town Without a Frown”, One of the Seven Dwarves and the title of the biggest selling song of 2014 by Pharrell Williams?

Happy

 

4.       Described by Allmusic.com as “the band with the least street credibility in the world”, they first came to attention when they were selected to represent the UK at the 1979 Eurovision Song Contest where they placed 7^th with the song “Mary Ann”.  Name this group who had such hits as “I am the Music Man”, “Superman” and “Agadoo”?

 

Black Lace

 

 

5.       In 2015, who deliberately gained and then lost 3 stone for a documentary entitled “My Fat Story” for the channel TLC, finished second in Celebrity Big Brother 2015 , criticised parents on This Morning who named their children after locations (despite having a child called India) and made her name on The Apprentice in 2006 when he famously rejected Alan Sugar’s offer of a place in the final?

 

Katie Hopkins

 

 

6.       Presented by Nev Schulman and sharing a name with a diverse group of ray-finned fish, which TV show focuses on people creating false identities online in the pursuit of romance?

Catfish

 

7.       Whilst the majority are not actually based on his works, the video games Splinter Cell, Rainbow 6 and Ghost Recon carry which authors name who is better known for works including The Sum of All Fears, Patriot Games and the Hunt for Red October?

 

Tom Clancy

 

8.       The lead character in the film Kung Fu Panda shares his name with which major world river?

Po  

 

 

9.       During its original run, which ITV entertainment show was presented both by a man who won two international caps for England in football and a man who won 65 international caps for England in Rugby Union?

 

Gladiators

 

10.   Said to be the late Queen Mother’s favourite newspaper, which British publication ran from 1859 until 1998 when it merged with the rival “The Racing Post”?

 

Sporting Life

Buzzer Quiz Questions - History

Next up.....The History set!

 

1.       This individual died in August 1972, 5 years after he was knighted by the Queen at Greenwich. During World War II he served in the RAF as an instructor and between the wars had moved to New Zealand where he became a successful estate agent. The achievement for which he was knighted took him 9 months and one day and he shares a surname with a town in West Sussex. Name this individual who circumnavigated the globe in the Gypsy Moth?

Sir Francis Chichester

 

2.       If black represents the dark past, and red represents blood shed in times of war, what does the colour Green represent on the flag of Afghanistan and several other middle eastern nations?

Islam (Prompt or Accept Religion)

 

3.       In March 2002, following  a turbulent Presidential election, which country was suspended from the Commonwealth on charges of human rights abuses and electoral fraud?

Zimbabwe

 

4.       In what decade of the 19^th Century was the Royal Albert Hall officially opened?

1870s

 

5.       This organisation has its Headquarters in Washington DC and currently has 189 countries as members. It was formed in 1944 at the Bretton Woods Conference based on the ideas of Harry White and John Maynard Keynes and began its formal operations the year after with the goal of reconstructing the international payments system. Name this organisation of which Christine Lagarde is current managing director?

 

International Monetary Fund (Accept IMF)

6.       This Roman Emperor was the first to have  both a father and a grandfather as the two preceding emperors.  He co-ruled  as Roman Emperor with his father from 177 to 180 AD, before taking the reins and was assassinated in 192 AD.  Name this individual who was the son of Marcus Aurelius and depicted in the 2000 movie Gladiator by Joaquin Phoenix?

Commodus

 

 

7.        Which individual founded the Wall Street Journal and along with Edward Jones created a stock market index that was first calculated in 1896?

Charles Dow

 

8.       With a name translating in the local language  as “Warrior King”, this African nation was the home of the 18^th Century “Ashanti Empire”. In 1957 this nation was the first sub-Saharan African nation to become independent of European colonisation. In the same year, the country adopted its current name and flag, which at its centre contains a Black star representing African emancipation. Name this country with its capital city at Accra?

 

Ghana

 

9.       Taking place between 1932 and 1935, the Chaco War was fought between Paraguay and which other South American nation?

 

Bolivia

 

10.   Signed in 1916 and named after an island in the Ionian sea, what name is given to the treaty that made possible the creation of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia?

 

Corfu Declaration

Buzzer Quiz Questions - TV and Film

The next batch of Buzzer Quiz Questions set for a recent event....this time Tv and Film!

1.       A famous name in the world of show businesses, this individual was born in 1942 and by the time of his 12^th Birthday was starring in films made by the Children’s film foundation. He left a Shakespeare touring company to co-star with John Lennon and Roy Kinnear in the film “How I Won the War”. He also starred in the Hollywood musical “Hello Dolly” but is best remembered for one particular comedy role played on British TV. His stage career includes roles as Billy Liar, the Phantom of the Opera and PT Barnum. Name this individual best known for playing Frank Spencer in the Series “Some Mothers Do Av Em”?

Michael Crawford

 

2.       “Don’t Get Even, Get Everything” is a famous quote from a 1996 film, which was based on a novel by Olivia Goldsmith. Narrated by Diane Keaton, the film stars Keaton, Goldie Hawn and Bette Midler as three divorced women who seek revenge of their ex-husbands who left them for younger women?

 

The First Wives Club

 

3.       Airing between 2009 and 2015, and set in a fictional town in Indiana, which comedy series featured the characters April Ludgate, Ann Perkins, Tom Haverford, Ron Swanson and Leslie Knope and their daily struggles running a governmental department in Pawnee?

 

Parks and Recreation

 

4.       The lead characters in this 2007 movie are never named and are credited as “guy” and “girl”. Directed by John Carney, the movie begins with an Irish Busker offering to fix the vacuum cleaner of  a Czech flower seller. Starring Glen Hansard in the lead role, and containing the song “Falling Slowly”, name this musical romance film which is now a hit musical?

 

Once

 

5.       Which 2017 Oscar Nominated film, featuring the characters Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughn and Mary Jackson,  tells the tale of the African American female mathematicians who worked at NASA during the  Space Race?

Hidden Figures

 

 

6.       Running for 168 episodes between 1965 and 1971 and set during the Second World War, in which American sitcom would you find the characters Sergeant James Kinchloe, Sergeant Richard Baker and Colonel Wilhelm Klink in Luf Stalag 13, a German Prisoner of War Camp?

Hogan Heroes

 

7.       Which film has the distinction of having won the highest number of Oscars without winning the Best Film award? 

Cabaret

 

8.       Her mother won a Golden Raspberry Award for the 1992 film “Shining Through”, her father was the star of a 1980s American crime drama and her grandmother was discovered by Alfred Hitchcock in a TV commercial and went on to star in two of his films. Name this actress who plays Anastasia Steel in the Fifty Shades movies?

Dakota Johnson

 

9.       Which location features in the title of  - a 1963 Frank Sinatra comedy, a 1982 Dolly Parton musical, a 1984 film directed by Wim Wenders and  a horror franchise that began in 1974 featuring Leatherface?

 

Texas

 

10.    This character was created by Mike Young to help his son overcome his fear of dark and a cartoon was first broadcast on BBC1 in 1983 and ran for three series. Name this fictional superhero who has enemies including Skeleton, Bulk and Texas Pete?

 

Superted

Buzzer Quiz Questions - Arts

The next set of Buzzer Quiz Questions as promised.....Arts this time...

1.       This novel was released in 1948. It has had two cinema adaptations in 1951 and 1995 and was also adapted into the 1949 musical “Lost in Stars”. It is set in a remote village in the Natal region of South Africa and tells the story of Stephen Kumalo, a 69 year old priest who attempts to find his family in Johannesburg. The 1951 film version starred Canada Lee in the main role, whilst the 1995 version featured James Earl Jones. Name this novel which is the most famous work of Alan Paton?

Cry the Beloved Country

 

2.       Celebrating his 80^th Birthday in 2017, which seminal British artist was the subject of Jack Hazan’s 1974 Biopic film “A Bigger Splash”?

 

David Hockney

 

3.       In 1971, this individual became the 4^th playwright of the 20th century to be knighted. He served in the Royal Air Force during World War 2 as a tail gunner which inspired his work “Flare Path”. Following the war, he alternated between comedies and dramas with works including “The Browning Version”, “Separate Tables”, “Deep Blue Sea” and “The Winslow Boy”. Name this playwright who shared a writing credit with Graham Greene on the 1947 film of Brighton Rock?

Terence Rattigan

 

4.       A  statue of this English poet wa unveiled at St Pancras station in 2007 whose works include “Mount Zion”, “Poems in the Porch” and “Summoned by the Bells”. Name this individual who was appointed as Poet Laureate in 1972 until his death in 1984?

 

John Betjeman

 

5.       This contemporary British Author shares her surname with a famous novelist from the Victorian era. Her novel “Parson Hardings Daughter” won the 1980 Romantic Novelist Association award for Novel of the year. She has written several historical novels under the name Caroline Harvey and in 2013 wrote the first novel in HarperCollins update of the Jane Austen canon, entitled “The Austen Club”. Other famous novels include “A Village Affair”, “A Spanish Lover” and “The Choir”, the latter of which was turned into 1995 BBC TV Series. Name this author who shares her name with the man most famous for writing “The Chronicles of Barsetshire”?

Joanne Trollope

 

6.       Which 1955 Graham Greene Novel depicts French and British Colonialism in Vietnam being uprooted  by the Americans in the 1950s and features the character Thomas Fowler who was played by Michael Caine in a 2002 film adaption of the work?

 

The Quiet American

 

7.       Painted between 1743 and 1745, which British artist is responsible for the series of 6 paintings, currently hung in the National Gallery, which serve as a warning of the consequences of an ill considered marriage culminating with the dying wife being tended to by a doctor entitled the title “Marriage a la mode”?

William Hogarth

 

8.       Premiering in 1900, this Opera is set in Rome and based on a play by Victorien Sardou which concerns the Kingdom of Naples control of the city being threatened by Napoleons invasion of Italy. Leading roles include Floria, Mario and Baron Scarpia. Name this famous opera by the composer Giacomo Puccini?

 

Tosca

 

9.       Born in Genoa it 1937, name the architect and engineer who won the 1998 Pritzker Prize and is most known for buildings including the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York,  the tallest building in the United Kingdom and the Prompidou Centre?

Renzo Piano

 

10.    Which Russian Composer born in 1906 is the subject of Julian Barnes 2016 novel “The Noise of Time”?

Dmitri Shostakovich