Thanks to Dr. Navin for sharing the questions from the very nice Pune Landmark quiz prelims.
LQP 12 PRELIMS
01. This form of Vishnu emerged from the churning of the ocean of milk (samudra manthan) and is considered a “ratna” bearing another “ratna”. Name this form of Vishnu who is considered the god of a certain profession.
Dhanvantari
02. VIDEO: Whose portrait is being painted in this unusual manner?
Yao Ming (painted using a basketball as a brush)
03. The famous HOLLYWOOD sign in the iconic Santa Monica Mountains of Los Angeles has been unofficially altered many times. Which letter was dropped during the 1978 visit of Pope John Paul II to the city?
L (Holywood)
04. RR started his cartoon feature Champs and Chumps dealing with sports trivia in the New York Globe newspaper in 1918. He later changed the title when he included trivia on general topics in 1919. What was the new title of his feature?
Believe It or Not
05. The Greeks called it the Hyrcanian Ocean while Hindu texts referred to this place as Kashyap Sagar after the mythological sage. This geographical feature links the borders of Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan. What place?
Caspian Sea
06. What change did the original emblem of the Rolls Royce undergo following the death of Charles Rolls who was the first Briton to die in a flying accident?
It was coloured black from the original red.
07. The working title of which award was Eddie after its inventor? The final award is named after the invention.
Grammy
08. Which UNESCO World Heritage Site is located in both India and Bangladesh?
Sunderbans
09. What “strong gust of air” fought off a “typhoon” to bag 20 billion USD in February 2012?
Rafale
10. Who guest starred in the 500th episode of The Simpsons by telephonically recording his lines?
Julian Assange
11*. This best-selling reader-friendly series began in 1991with a book by computer science writer Dan Gookin. The book, with its characteristic standard format devised by Gookin, and cartoons by Rich Tennant, became popular due to the rarity of beginner-friendly materials for using “X”. While initially the series focused on software and technology topics (and still does), it now includes many general and diverse topics such as acne, chess, and fishing. Name this series and what is “X”?
For Dummies / DOS
12*. VIDEO: What is this genre of Hindustani semi-classical music called? ID the singer.
Thumri / Yesudas (Kaa karun sajni aaye na balaam - from Swami )
13*. According to Pliny the name of this fruit supposedly originating from Armenia comes from the fact that it ripened early (or precociously). He described it thus, “The Asiatic peach ripens at the end of autumn, though an early variety (praecocia) ripens in summer – these were discovered within the last thirty years ...” Name the fruit.
Apricot (Prunus armeniaca)
14*. The genus name of the Indian Rhino is “Rhinoceros”. The species name reflects its appearance and is the same as a another animal with the addition of the letters “____is”. What animal?
Unicorn (Rhinoceros unicornis)
15*. Centuries ago, when Arabia did not have formal schools, students went to masters who taught them. Upon completion of his study, the graduate then acted as a master with his own students. This word expressing this genealogy is derived from the Arabic word for “link”. This certification of a master having a verifiable chain of masters was the only acceptable document. What word is this that became familiar to us following an Amitabh Bachchan movie?
Silsila
16*. The Chemistry IgNobel Prize for 2011 went to Makoto Imai, Naoki Urushihata, et al, for determining the ideal density of airborne ______ to awaken sleeping people in case of a fire or other emergency, and for applying this knowledge to invent the ______ alarm. What popular condiment did they use as an alarm?
Wasabi (Japanese horseradish)
17*. According to Hindu mythology, when Kama, the god of love was burnt by the third eye of Shiva, Rati waited a long time for him. Then in her next birth, she assumed the name X and worked as a cook in the house of the asura Sambara. What name did she take in her rebirth, a name that is also now the name of a mammoth force in India?
Mayawati
18*. What two-word nickname for The Beatles at the height of their fame in the 1960s was coined by Tony Barrow, the head of The Beatles press office?
Fab Four
19*. The Government of India’s MSTC (Metal and Scrap Trading Corporation) conducted an e—auction worth Rs 133 crore last year on behalf of an unusual biological product mainly obtained from a place in South India. Together with other places producing this, the trade in this commodity reached Rs 700 crore last year. What product is this that is popular in the West in the fashion industry?
Hair (from Tirupati and other temples).
20*. At the Lahore Congress Session of 1929 a special theme song was chosen in honour of someone who was imprisoned at Lahore central Jail at that time. Which song and who was the prisoner?
Rang de basanti chola / Bhagat Singh
21. What is the nickname of New Zealand's rugby union team that is a minor variation of the nickname of their national basketball team?
Tall Blacks (from All Blacks)
22. What is the name of this sand tsunami sweeping across a city in Saudi Arabia?
Khamsin
23. VIDEO: What is this Finnair flight to India celebrating in January 2012?
Republic Day
24. The German equivalent of _____ was called Maerklin while the American version was called the Erector Set. By what name do we know this toy whose name is believed to have come from the concept of “creating while learning”?
Meccano (Make and Know)
25. AUDIO: Name this 90’s group and which 2011 comedy did they feature in with this hit single?
Wilson Phillips / Bridesmaids
26. In 2007 Apple Inc dropped what word from its name while unveiling a new product?
Computer (It launched the iPhone beginning its transformation as the world’s largest mobile ophone maker.)
27. Namche Bazaar is a small town in the Sagarmatha zone of Nepal. It is a popular destination for trekkers to the high Himalayas and is the last stop for internet access and stores catering to the trekkers’ needs. For what other important human reason is this stop important?
For altitude acclimitization (to combat altitude/mountain sickness)
28. VIDEO (from Rango): Identify the two animals.
Chameleon and Armadillo
29. In 1984 Nani Palkhivala wrote “the picture that emerges is that of a great country in a state of moral decay... The tricolour fluttering all over the country is black, red, and scarlet – black money, red _____, and scarlet________.” Fill in the blanks.
Tape / Corruption
30. What English dessert named after the county town of Shropshire, England, is made from dough that contains sugar, flour, egg, butter, and lemon zest? This popular cake / biscuit retains its original British name in India although they are a geographically indicated food of UK.
Shrewsbury biscuits
31. VISUAL: Here are two “works of art” – the left was meant to be art and the second was “created” for other reasons! ID the artists (Clue: the second is not a person and is a 2-word answer)
Christo / Election Commission
32. It is one of the world's most ancient techniques of meditation, which was apparently re-discovered by Gautama Buddha. It is a practice of self-transformation through self-observation and introspection. In English, this form of meditation is often referred to simply as "insight meditation". What form of meditation is this whose name is derived from the Pali language meaning “clear seeing” or “insight”?
Vipassana
33. VIDEO: Name this musical that features in the film The Iron Lady, and what classic literary work is referenced here in this dance?
King and I / Uncle Tom’s Cabin
34. The midnight sun is a natural phenomenon occurring in summer months in the polar regions, where the sun remains visible for a continuous 24 hours, mostly north of the Arctic Circle and south of the Antarctic Circle. What term sounding like a chess piece describes the night where instead of darkness, there is perpetual twilight?
White Night
35. The word nomophobia was coined during a study by the UK Post Office who commissioned a study to look at anxieties suffered by users of ____. The study found that 53% of users suffered from this phobia. What phobia is this?
Loss or nonfunctioning of mobile phones
36. VISUAL: Whose hands are these?
Warne and Muralitharan
37. Which was the fastest growing language on Twitter in 2011, growing at the rate of about 2000%!
Arabic (because of the revolutions in the arab speaking world and the use of social networking in these revolutions)
38. The sport of fencing gets its name from what word because sword play was considered an important survival skill on the battlefield?
Defence
39. This bestselling book made into a movie blockbuster had trouble with its title. The author initially thought up “The Silence of Death”, “White Death”, and “Leviathan Rising”. His father came up with “Wha’s That Noshin’ on My Laig” and “Cunna Linga Here No Longa” possibly in jest. Finally with 30 minutes before printing The author came up with “the name”. His father and publisher asked what it meant? “No idea”, he said, “At least it’s short”. Name the book.
Jaws
40. The “In Memoriam” segment in film awards shows features those who had died the previous year. Which Indian film star featured in this segment at the BAFTA Awards ceremony 2012?
Shammi Kapoor
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