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Questions
2017–18 Season
Week 11

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Specialist Rounds
General Knowledge

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2017–18 Season: Week 11 – 30 January 2018

All questions set by the Dolphin.

Specialist Rounds

Round 1: Geography

1 What is the capital of the Austrian federal state of Tyrol?
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2 Delphi, famous as the sanctuary of the Pythian oracle in ancient times, lies on the slopes of which mountain?
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3 The River Lena, the eleventh longest river in the world, flows into which ocean?
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4 In which city is the Robert Gordon University located?
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5 In which city is Anglia Ruskin University located?
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6 The Alfred Beit road bridge, which links South Africa with Zimbabwe, crosses which river?
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7 What are the Aventine, Caelian, (pron. Seelian), Capitoline, Esquiline, Palatine, Quirinal and Viminal?
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8 Which Spanish city is home to the July St. Fermin Festival, best known for the encierro, or running of the bulls?
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Supplementaries:

1 Denali, the highest mountain in North America, lies in which US state?
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2 On which river does the Portuguese city of Porto stand?
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Round 2: Science & Nature

1 The bongo (Tragelaphus eurycerus) is a species of which genus of mammals?
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2 Which English logician gave his name to diagrams of mathematical sets, in which intersecting areas denote elements that are common to the sets represented?
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3 In the history of paleontology and evolution, what is the significance of the fossil Archaeopteryx – first discovered in Germany in 1861?
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4 Paresthesia – usually experienced temporarily after prolonged periods of immobility, but occasionally a symptom of more serious neurological problems – is more commonly known by what name?
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5 In physics what elementary particle has a name derived from the Greek for light, first used by the physical chemist Gilbert Lewis in 1926?
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6 The furcula is a bony structure formed by the fusion of the clavicles in birds, to which the flight muscles are attached. How is it commonly known?
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7 QM read this slowly, please. In Maths, what term is defined as a set of all points whose location satisfies or is determined by one or more specific conditions?  (Eg a circle is the set of all points at a given distance from a fixed point, ie the centre).
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8 The bonobo (Pan paniscus) is a species of which genus of mammal? Comments on the question
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Supplementaries:

1 What name is given to the gold–mercury amalgam which used to be applied as a decorative gilding to clocks and ornaments? Click for more information
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2 What is the SI unit of thermodynamic temperature?
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Round 3: Arts & Entertainment

1 Who was the only American member of the Monty Python comedy team?
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2 In Hans Holbein's painting The Ambassadors, what heavily distorted object takes up much of the lower foreground of the picture? It can only be seen clearly by being viewed from high on the right or low on the left.
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3 In which novel of 1894 does the pig farmer's daughter, Arabella Donn, start her seduction of the eponymous protagonist by throwing the unmentionable part of a pig at him? Click for more information
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4 In 1933 Charles Laughton won the Best Actor Oscar for which eponymous historical role?
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5 In 1948 Laurence Olivier won the Best Actor Oscar for which eponymous Shakespearean role?
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6 In which novel of 1958, a black comedy, does James Wormold, a vacuum cleaner salesman living in Cuba, take on a second job as a spy for MI6, to help pay for the demands of his extravagant daughter?
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7 In René Magritte's painting Time Transfixed, what can seen emerging from a fireplace, underneath a mantelpiece on which stands a clock and two candles?
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8 Who is Alexander Armstrong's 'Pointless Friend'?
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Supplementaries:

1 In the 1960 film Butterfield 8, starring Elizabeth Taylor, what is the significance of the title?
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2 Who wrote the poem which begins "Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness"?
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Round 4: Obit 2017

All the people in this round died in 2017.

1 This US actress and producer first found fame on the Dick van Dyke Show, before starring in her own self–titled show in the 1970s. Her sitcom was named by Time magazine as one of 17 programmes that changed TV.
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2 This British high–profile Public Relations specialist represented often controversial figures such as O.J. Simpson, Jade Goody and Simon Cowell, and created the famous headline "Freddie Starr ate my hamster", before falling from grace as a result of sex offence charges. He died in prison.
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3 This Labour MP was a Government minister in the 1970s, later writing a book entitled "How to be a Minister". Father of the House from 2015, at the time of his death in February he was MP for Gorton.
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4 Regarded by director David Lynch as "simply the greatest actor in the world", this British actor had a distinguished career in film and TV. Among his notable roles were Timothy Evans in 10 Rillington Place, Caligula in I, Claudius, John Merrick in The Elephant Man and Quentin Crisp in The Naked Civil Servant.
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5 This TV personality was the longest–serving presenter of the Children's programme Blue Peter; noted for his frequent instruction to the show's pet dog, "Get down Shep".
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6 This former IRA commander became one of the architects of the Good Friday Agreement, and later Deputy First Minister in the Northern Ireland power–sharing government.
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7 This British Science Fiction writer, author of the Helliconia Trilogy, provided the basis for the Steven Spielberg film A.I. Artificial Intelligence. In 2000 he was named a Grand Master by the Science Fiction Writers of America.
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8 This veteran actor was the only member of the Last of the Summer Wine cast to appear in every episode, having the final line in the last episode in 2010. He was also the voice of Wallace in the Wallace & Gromit animated films.
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Supplementaries:

1 This model and showgirl was the central figure in the Profumo Scandal of 1963, which rocked the government of Harold MacMillan.
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2 This British actor and broadcaster was known for his role as Dr. Anderson in the TV soap "Emergency Ward 10", but is now best known for his weekly evening show on BBC Radio 2, "The Music goes round", which ran from 1981 to 2016.
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Round 5: History

1 Who was emperor at the time of the Roman invasion of Britain in 43 AD?
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2 Which powerful 14th century royal prince, although never king himself, was father to a king of England, a queen of Portugal and a queen of Castile; additionally, all Scottish monarchs from 1437 on were also descended from him? Click for more information
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3 In 16th and 17th century France, who were known as Huguenots?
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4 During the short–lived Easter Rising in Dublin in 1916, in which public building did the nationalist rebels establish their headquarters?
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5 Who, in 1911, was declared the first president of the Republic of China, after the overthrow of the imperial government?
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6 After the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC, which of his generals took control of Egypt, establishing a ruling dynasty there?
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7 In 17th and 18th century London, Garraway's, Jonathan's and Lloyd's were all famous what?
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8 Which organisation was founded in Pulaski, Tennessee, in 1866, by six former officers of the Confederate Army? Its name appears to be derived from the Greek word for circle.
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Supplementaries:

1 Where, in 1513, did King James IV of Scotland die?
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2 The ancient Greek historian Thucydides wrote an account of which war, in which he was a participant?
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Round 6: Law & Disorder

1 Which crime–fighting organisation was established in the 1750s by novelist Henry Fielding and his brother John?
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2 Who was arrested in 1910 as a result of a radio message from the SS Montrose?
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3 In which building in Polstead, Suffolk, was Maria Marten murdered by her lover in 1827?
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4 For what crime was former Conservative minister Jonathan Aitken imprisoned in 1999?
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5 In the 7th century BC, which Athenian law–giver introduced a system of law which was so harsh that his name has become a by–word for cruelly severe laws?
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6 Which gangster was shot and killed by the FBI outside the Biograph Theatre, Chicago, Illinois, in 1934?
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7 In 1671, what dramatic crime did the self–styled "Colonel" Thomas Blood attempt, for which he was surprisingly pardoned by King Charles II?
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8 Which young lawyer made his name, and launched a long and distinguished career as a lawyer and politician, when he successfully defended Sextus Roscius, a man accused of murdering his own father, in 80 BC?
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Supplementaries:

1 Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Lincoln's Inn are three of the Inns of Court; what is the fourth?
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2 Who is the current Secretary of State for Justice?
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Round 7: Sport

1 At which cricket ground in December did Alastair Cooke hit his 244 not out on the Ashes tour?
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2 How did Leicester City's Kelechi Iheanacho make football history this month?
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3 What new rugby union club was created by the merger of the Neath and Swansea Rugby Clubs in 2003?
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4 In which sport do contestants compete for the Paul Hunter Cup? Click for more information
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5 Which England Women's international footballer brought the allegations of racial abuse which led to the sacking of Mark Sampson as England manager?
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6 On which links course will the 2018 British Open Golf Championship be held?
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7 The trainer Ginger McCain won the Grand National three times with Red Rum, and once more with which horse, in 2004?
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8 The Scarlets Rugby Union Club are based in which Welsh town?
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Supplementaries:

1 Who is the current British Heavyweight Boxing Champion?
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2 Which men's tennis tournament, won five times by Andy Murray, is regarded as the warm–up tournament for Wimbledon?
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Round 8: Food & Drink

1 What is a Dorset Knob? Comments on the question
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2 Which herb is an essential ingredient in the Italian cooking sauce Pesto?
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3 Invented at Harry's Bar in Venice, which cocktail is a mixture of prosecco and peach purée?
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4 What type of soup has a name derived from a Tamil word meaning "pepper water"?
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5 Which type of wheat, with a name derived from the Latin for "hard", is mainly used to make pasta?
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6 Crowned supreme champion in 2017 by an international body, Cornish Kern is what type of foodstuff?
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7 In a Spanish restaurant, what would you get if you ordered Pulpo?
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8 Mirabelle Brandy, or eau de vie, a speciality of Alsace, is distilled from which fruit?
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Supplementaries:

1 Toledo in Spain and Lübeck in Germany are famous for, among other things, which kind of sweet foodstuff?
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2 What type of fruit is a kumquat?
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General Knowledge

1 What is scrimshaw?
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2 Whales fall into two types; one type is the toothed whales, what is the other?
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3 The Feast of Tabernacles is celebrated by followers of which religion?
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4 At which battle of 1403 did Henry IV defeat a rebellion led by Henry Percy (Hotspur) and his uncle Thomas? During the battle the Prince of Wales, the future Henry V, was seriously wounded with an arrow in the face.
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5 In the film Mr. Turner, who played the artist J. M. W. Turner?
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6 In which country did the Boxer Rebellion take place in 1900?
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7 The protagonist of 24 novels and a number of short stories, (some adapted as TV drama series) who is the best –known fictional detective created by the author Ruth Rendell?
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8 Which architect designed St. Alban's Catholic church in Macclesfield?
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9 Who defeated and captured King Henry III at the Battle of Lewes in 1264?
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10 In which English town would you find a statue of Laurel and Hardy?
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11 The Soldier's Song is the national anthem of which country?
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12 Originally running for three series between 1999 and 2002, which bizarre comedy series was resurrected by the BBC for three episodes in December, 2017?
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13 Which is the only county in Ireland whose name begins with the letter O?
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14 What kind of detective is Ace Ventura?
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15 Occitan (pron. Ossitan) is a language that was once widely spoken in which European country? Comments on the question
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16 With its original advertising slogan being "Stronger than dirt", which cleaning product, launched in 1947, shares its name with a hero of Greek mythology?
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17 Christian name and surname required: Greer Garson, Keira Knightly and Lily James have all played which Jane Austen character on the big screen?
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18 What kind of creature is Soohorang, the mascot of the 2018 Winter Olympics to be held in Pyeong Chang, South Korea?
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19 Which former professional footballer has recently been elected to follow Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as president of Liberia?
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20 How did Carrie Gracie make the news at the end of the year?
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21 Nonnatus House is a central location in which popular TV series? Comments on the question
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22 A feature of life in colonial India, what is an Ayah?
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23 A 1956 headline in the magazine Variety read "Egghead weds Hourglass". Name either of the parties to that ill–fated marriage.
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24 Which month of the year is referred to in the opening lines of both Chaucer's Canterbury Tales and T.S. Eliot's The Waste Land?
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25 Not counting the Vatican City, name either of the two European national capital cities closest to each other. Comments on the question
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26 The jazz musician Stéphane Grappelli was a virtuoso on which instrument?
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27 Mary Anning was a pioneer in which branch of science?
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28 Who, in the subtitle of a novel of 1818, is referred to as "the modern Prometheus"?
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29 Nicolás Maduro is the controversial president of which South American country?
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30 Garrod & Lofthouse was a British printing company based in Caterham, Surrey. Between the 1960s and the 1980s they were noted for printing millions of which kind of product?
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31 When the actor Kevin Spacey was dropped from the role of John Paul Getty in the recent film All the Money in the World, which actor took his place?
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32 Which river marks the division between 'Men of Kent' and 'Kentish Men'? Click for more information
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33 Which Elvis Presley song was sung to the tune of the popular Italian song O Sole Mio?
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34 Who in the Bible wrestled with an angel?
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35 What is a valetudinarian? Comments on the question
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36 Which city, sometimes referred to as "the cradle of the automobile", is the capital of the German Federal State of Baden–Württemberg?
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37 What name is given to the verbatim report of the proceedings of Parliament, from the family that used to have the job of publishing them? Comments on the question
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38 In clothing: batwing, dolman, leg o' mutton and raglan are all types of what?
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39 The movement entitled The Swan, from Saint–Saens' The Carnival of the Animals, features which solo instrument?
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40 The Orwell Prize, based at University College, London, is a literary prize for what genre of writing?
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41 What kind of creature is Zabivaka, the mascot of the 2018 football world cup in Russia?
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42 What was the distinctive feature of the military units in the 19th century US army known as Buffalo Soldiers? Click for more information
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43 What appeared on the front page of The Times for the first time in 1966?
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44 2016's EU referendum question offered voters only two options, in or out. What three options were proposed by the Monster Raving Loony Party? Comments on the question
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45 As well as being a distinguished film director, Woody Allen is a noted jazz musician, playing which instrument? Comments on the question
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46 The Brabançonne is the national anthem of which country?
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47 In which country did the Satsuma Rebellion take place in 1877?
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48 On Granby Row in Manchester there is a giant wooden statue of a bottle of fruit drink, surrounded by the fruits and spices which go into its manufacture. Which fruit drink?
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49 An arctophile is a collector of what?
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50 If, according to the saying, to err is human, to do what is divine? Click for more information
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51 Which 19th century poet wrote The Windhover, a poem dedicated to Christ our Lord?
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52 The well–known Wedding March by Mendelssohn is part of the incidental music to which play?
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53 If you suffered from Bromodosis why might other people find your company a bit unpleasant? Click for more information
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54 With the exception of the Vatican City, name either of the two capital cities which are the closest to each other in the world. Comments on the question
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55 In which British city would you find a statue of Desperate Dan?
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56 In a critics' poll, which BBC documentary series was voted the best TV programme of 2017?
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57 The founder, chairman and chief executive of Amazon surpassed Bill Gates in 2017 to become the world's richest man. Who is he?
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58 Which 1950s comic character was described as "Pilot of the Future"?
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59 What is the name of the seaside house on the Isle of Wight built by Prince Albert as a family home?
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60 Which playwright is one of the two central figures in the film The Lady in the Van?
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61 Sir John Houblon was the first governor of which very important national institution, founded in 1694?
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62 Which famous, pipe–smoking, literary detective has been portrayed on TV by Rupert Davies, Michael Gambon and, most recently, Rowan Atkinson?
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63 Which League Two Football club plays its home matches at the New Lawn Stadium, Nailsworth, in Gloucestershire?
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64 Which musician, a composer, arranger and record producer, is sometimes referred to as "the Fifth Beatle" because of his extensive involvement with the original Beatles albums? Click for more information
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65 In 1983 Sarah–Jane Hutt was the last British woman to win which title?
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66 Thanks to films such as Daddy's Home 2 and Transformer: the Last Knight, who did Forbes Magazine name as the highest paid actor in the 12 months to August, 2017?
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67 By what name do we know the lake which the Germans call the Bodensee?
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68 The people formerly known as Eskimos are now known by their native name, Inuit. By what name are the Lapps now known?
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69 Founded in 2007 by James Park and Eric Friedman, which company, known for products of the same name, produces wireless–enabled wearable devices that measure data such as the number of steps walked, heart rate, quality of sleep, etc?
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70 Portraying a character who first appeared in Pulp Fiction, which actor plays Winston Wolfe in the series of TV adverts for Direct Line Insurance?
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71 Which Apollo mission was the first to land astronauts on the moon?
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72 In which sport is Samantha Quek an English and British international?
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73 Winner of the Royal Television Society Award for Best Drama Series, which police procedural TV drama, first broadcast in June 2012, was created by Jed Mercurio?
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74 Which is the only county in Ireland whose name begins with the letter S?
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75 The Hugo Awards are given for outstanding writing in which genre?
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76 Spencer Silver and Art Fry were co–inventors of which stationery product, launched unsuccessfully as 'Press 'n Peel' in 1977, before being renamed and re–launched in 1979? Click for more information
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77 Translated into English as 'wind–water', what is the name of the Chinese philosophical system of harmonising everything with the surrounding environment?
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78 How many atoms are there in a single molecule of sulphuric acid?
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79 The next Chinese New Year, which starts on 16th February, will be the year of which animal?
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80 What is Zakat, one of the five basic requirements of Islam?
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81 Who is the author of the fantasy prequel The Book of Dust: Book 1, La Belle Sauvage? Click for more information
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82 What is the fifth letter of the Greek alphabet?
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83 The British engineering company GKN, whose history goes back to 1759, was in the news recently following an attempted takeover. Give any of the three names indicated by the initials GKN.
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84 As of 24th January, who is the US Secretary of State?
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85 Shirley, Villette and The Professor are three of the four novels of a noted Victorian novelist. What is the fourth?
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86 Which political party was founded in 1993 by Alan Sked and other members of the cross–party Anti–Federalist League?
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87 In which county is Stansted Airport?
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88 What is the name of the part of a bell–rope that has coloured wool woven into it to provide a padded grip for the bell–ringer's hands?
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89 How did Sarah Mullally make the news headlines in December, 2017?
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90 According to the novel by Daniel Defoe, in which city was Robinson Crusoe born? Click for more information
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91 Which character in children's cinema has the catchphrase "to Infinity and Beyond"?
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92 The pair of stars known as the pointers, which help you find the North Star, is to be found in which constellation?
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93 In which book of the Bible would you find the story of Samson and Delilah?
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94 Established in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte, what is the name of France's highest award for military and civil merit?
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95 What does the abbreviated Latin term pro tem mean?
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96 In the 2014 Biblical epic Noah, who played the title character?
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Supplementaries:

1 Who won the 2017 British Open Snooker Championship in December? Comments on the question
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2 The aria Your Tiny Hand is Frozen (che gelida manina) comes from which Puccini opera?
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3 The moons of Uranus are named after characters in the works of two famous English writers. One is Shakespeare, who is the other?
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4 Which gas, discovered in 1771 by the Swedish pharmacist, C. W. Scheele, was initially given the name fire air?
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5 In the historical novel The White Queen, by Philippa Gregory – subsequently made into a TV series – who was the White Queen?
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6 Who, as of 20th January, and barring further unwelcome disclosures, is the Leader of the House of Commons?
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