General Mixed Trivia #11 Trivia Quiz

Answer: London

Peter Ackroyd was educated at Clare College, Cambridge, and Yale University, Ackroyd who began his career in journalism as an editor. One of his major works on history and culture is "London: The Biography" (2000) with more than 800 pages. He treats the city of London as a living, breathing, and quasi-sentient organism with its own anatomy, laws of growth, and emotional temperament.

Answer: Sodium carbonate (soda ash)

In a standard batch of commercial glass (like soda-lime glass used for windows and bottles), silica makes up about 70% to 75% of the total mixture.

As pure silica has an extremely high melting point (around 1,713°C), it is highly inefficient and expensive to melt on its own. Sodium carbonate (soda ash) acts a flux to lower the melting temperature of the silica to around 1,500°C to save energy cost during production. Soda ash accounts for more than 50% of the global production of glass.

Calcium Oxide (lime) is added as a stabilizer. Without it, the soda-silica mixture would dissolve in water (essentially becoming "water glass").

Answer: Fauvism

Matisse and Derain founded the short-lived but highly influential avant-garde art movement that emerged in France at the turn of the 20th century (around 1905).

The French word fauve means an untamed creature. Fauvism is known for the use of exceptionally vibrant, unnatural colours and bold, painterly brushwork.

The name was coined by art critic Louis Vauxcelles during the 1905 Salon d'Automne exhibition in Paris held at the Grand Palais. After he saw a traditional classical sculpture, he exclaimed: "Donatello chez les fauves!" ("Donatello among the wild beasts!").

Other prominent Fauvism painters are André Derain, Maurice de Vlaminck, Georges Braque (before he co-pioneered Cubism), and Albert Marquet.

Answer: The Current War

"The Current War" is a historical drama film that chronicles the late-19th-century "War of the Currents". It is a high-stakes technological rivalry between Thomas Edison (Benedict Cumberbatch) who championed Direct Current against Alternating Current championed by George Westinghouse (Michael Shannon) aided by Nikola Tesla (Nicholas Hault).

There were competing to determine which electrical system would power the United States and the modern industrial world.

Answer: Lack of natural oil and fluffy feathers

An adult duck has a uropygial gland (located at the base of its tail) to produce waterproof oil across its tightly interlocking and stiff feathers. The waterproof oil can trap air bubbles and help it to stay afloat for extended periods.

A baby duckling is covered with fluffy down feathers and the preen gland is not developed enough to trap air bubbles to remain buoyant. Over extended periods, it does not the ability to withstand water, and once water penetrates the down, it will be weighed down. Therefore, it needs to rely on its mother to rub preen oil onto it to keep it afloat. It will take 6 to 8 weeks for it to grow a full set of stiff, adult-like contour feathers, and develop its preen gland. However, its body is not considered fully mature and completely waterproofed with its finalized adult feathers until 10 to 12 weeks of age.

Answer: Cumbria

Footloose is a prominent, community-based walking group based in Cumbria, dedicated to exploring the rugged fells, expansive lakes, and hidden trails of England's Lake District National Park. Cumbria is located in northwest England.

The documentary features Beatrix Potter's home Hill Top, the Ravenglass steam railway, steamer rides on Windermere and Ullswater, and three scenic walking trails. Some famous English people namely Willian Wordsworth (poet), Alfred Wainwright (cartographer), John Ruskin (art critic), and Donald Campbell (water and land speed record breaker) are also featured in the documentary.

Answer: Balochistan

Pakistan consists of four provinces, two administrative territories, and one federal territory. Quetta is the provincial capital of Balochistan (347,190 sq km) in the southwest region. Karachi is the capital of Sindh province (140,914 sq km), Lahore is the capital of Punjab province (205,344 sq km), and Peshawar is the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (101,741 sq km).

Answer: "Moonstruck" (1987)

Directed by Norman Jewison, "Moonstruck" is widely celebrated as one of the greatest and most enduring romantic comedies in Hollywood history. The film won three Oscars: Best Actress (Cher), Best Supporting Actress (Olympia Dukakis), and Best Original Screenplay.

Olympia Dukakis (1931-2021) played the role of Rose Castorini, mother of Loretta (Cher), a 37-year-old widow who believes her first marriage was cursed because they lacked a proper wedding. Loretta gets into an unexpected affair with Ronny (Nicolas Cage), although she had already accepted a proposal to marry Ronny's brother, Johnny (Danny Aiello).

Answer: Turkey

Japan topped Group H with seven points. They drew 2-2 with Belgium in the first match, beat Russia 1-0 in the second match, and beat Tunisia 2-0 in the last group match. In the Round of 16, they were beaten by Turkey 1-0. Turkey beat South Korea 3-2 to win third place. Brazil beat Germany 2-0 to win their fifth world title.

Answer: Vietnam

In 1973, Le Duc Tho (1911-1990), Vietnamese revolutionary general and diplomat, was the first Asian to win the Nobel Peace Prize for "jointly negotiated a cease fire in Vietnam in 1973". The same award was also given to Dr. Henry Kissinger. However, Le Duc Tho declined the award on the grounds that the USA and South Vietnam had broken the ceasefire negotiated by Kissinger and himself.

Born as Phan Đình Khải in Nam Định Province, he was one of the founders of Indochinese Communist Party in 1930. For his political activities against French colonial rule, he was imprisoned by the French twice (1930-1936 and 1939-1944) on Côn Đảo island.