QUIZZES
Quizzes are a good standby for that unforeseen form period or spare 10 minutes. I have set questions for quizzes for some years now for school events, and decided to put some of them up on a page. I am available for Quiz nights, and will happily do some quiz questions for you if you let me know in advance - for a small fee of course. Feel free to borrow the questions below, but as is the nature of Creative Commons, I'd like a mention....
For a quick quiz for your form time visit the excellent QUIZ ZONE. Once on the site, go to Search Quizzes, and select one. Go to SHOW ANSWERS and print off this page to give you questions and answers on a range of quiz topics. The one on the HUMAN BODY went down well with my group.
Also worth registering at, or visiting these sites too:
FUNTRIVIA - good stuff here.
QUIZZING - register for access to quizzes, and also be sent a free FRIDAY quiz every week - this is an ever growing site and is one of the top quiz portals around
http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday
New favourite sites for quiz questions:
INVISIBLES - films with the people airbrushed out of the scenes
The film and other questions set by Arno de Wever are fab. There are no answers posted which means you have to work out the answers yourself, which is how it should be of course. Check out ARNO's SITE by clicking the link.
One of the best bits of the site is the MINIPOPS quiz which uses the fabulous miniature figures which are produced on the FLIP FLOP FLYIN site. Check these out and see if you can have a go. They use a rather good EXCEL format, which is then protected so that if you put the right answer in, then you get notification... It's all rather fab really... What a time waster!
PICTURE QUIZZES
This is an easy round to produce. About a week or so ahead of the quiz, or the night before, or the lunchtime before if you're really pushed for time, get a magazine or TV listings supplement and cut out faces, perhaps trimming off part of the face if you want to be a bit devious, and the contestants then have to identify them.
DATES
1. The Tomb of which Pharoah was found in 1922 ?
Tutankhamun
If it’s your birthday today, what star sign are you ?
(Work out in advance)
3. Which War was fought in Britain in the 15th Century between the houses of York and Lancaster
The Wars of the Roses
4. The world’s first skyscraper was built in 1885 in which US City ?
Chicago
If you celebrate your diamond anniversary how long have you been married ?
60 years
6. The Carpathia was the first ship in the scene of which disaster in 1912
Sinking of the Titanic
In which year did the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbour ?
1941
Which theme park opened in July 1955 in California ?
Disneyland
Which planet takes 248 years to orbit the sun ?
Pluto
On which date do the Americans celebrate Independence Day ?
4th of July
FILMS
4. Which Doctor has a parrot called Polynesia ?
Dr. Dolittle
5. Dr. No was the first James Bond movie. What was the second ?
From Russia With Love
In which series of films was Part 4 made first ?
Star Wars
Which new film features Tom Hanks as a hitman ?
The Road to Perdition
Which current film is about crop circles, and stars Mel Gibson
Signs
Which comic actor plays a creepy photo developer in his latest film ?
Robin Williams
Which country is the Big Fat Wedding linked to ?
Greece
TV
1. Who is Sacha Baron Cohen better known as ?
Ali G
Which Eastenders character is played by Kacey Ainsworth ?
Little Mo
Which TV Chef bites ?
Nigella Lawson
4. Which show features characters called Pacey, Joey, Jen and Charlie
Dawson’s Creek
5. Which Sky One programme follows a fictional football team ?
Dream Team
Which show follows the owners of a funeral parlour ?
6 Feet Under
Which Doctor had a sonic screwdriver ?
Dr. Who
Which Mr. Man is green with a long nose
Mr. Nosey
MUSIC
1. The book ‘Right from the Start’ is about which pop star? Gareth Gates
Which band, with 2 surviving members, released its first single on the 5th of October, 1962
The Beatles
Which Swedish band took its name from the intitials of the band members
ABBA
6. GENERAL
1. Which charity organises the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning ?
Macmillan Cancer Care
3. What names links a Russian playwright with a member of the crew of the Starship Enterprise
Chekhov
4. What is the last letter of the Greek alphabet >
Omega
5. What is an ocarina ?
Musical instrument, a type of whistle
6. Which animal can suffer from a disease called heaves ?
Horse
7. Which chemical element has the symbol Na ?
Sodium
8. Who is the patron saint of Children ?
St. Nicholas
9. Do polar bears ever eat penguins ?
No – they live on opposite sides of the earth…
What is the more common name for the tympanic membrane found in the body ?
The Ear Drum
SPORT
1. Who captained Europe’s Ryder Cup team this year ?
Sam Torrance
2. Which football team does Dennis Wise play for ?
Millwall
3. What is the name of the misshapen ear problem which boxers sometimes develop ?
Cauliflower ear
Which tennis star and commentator’s autobiography is called ‘SERIOUS’
John McEnroe
Which former Rangers football player is now a top chef ?
Gordon Ramsay
What is the name of the white ball which is the target in bowls ?
Jack
What is the maximum score in Ten Pin Bowling ?
300
Gary Player is a player of which sport ?
Golf
The World Championships of which sport take place at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
Snooker
In which sport would you find a night-watchman ?
Cricket
GEOGRAPHY
1. What is the world’s largest desert ?
Sahara
2. What is the world’s second highest mountain ?
K2 (Mt. Godwin Austin)
3. Whose monument stands in Trafalgar Square ?
Nelson
4. Which sea is so called as it is too salty to support life ?
The Dead Sea
5. Name a US State beginning with B
There isn’t one….
Which building stands on the banks of the River Jumna in Agra, India ?
The Taj Mahal
What is the capital of Malta ?
Valletta
To the nearest 5,000 miles what is the circumference of the Earth at the equator ?
25,000 miles
In which county is Spalding ?
Lincolnshire
In which country is the Masai Mara game reserve ?
Kenya
Doing a music QUIZ - try EVERY HIT which lists every hit single since the 1950's.
Doing a TV Quiz ? - try THIS SITE which gives details on hundreds of TV series.
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ROUND 1 Questions based on English & Drama, Languages, Science and Technology |
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1. Where would you see statements such as: "Goldfish don’t bounce" and "I will not surprise the incontinent" being written on a blackboard by a small boy THE START OF AN EPISODE OF ‘THE SIMPSONS’ |
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2. The video for which Bob Dylan song famously featured the artist holding up flash cards with the lyrics of the song on it. SUBTERRANEAN HOMESICK BLUES |
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3. On an album released in 1973, Vivian Stanshall read out a list of instruments at the end of the first side of the LP. What was the last instrument in the list, which was also the name of the LP? TUBULAR BELLS |
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4. Which TV presenter’s catchphrase is ‘cheap as chips’ DAVID DICKINSON |
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5. Which ventriloquist, who had a Top 10 hit in 1982 with his partner (by which I mean dummy) is currently touring with an adults only show called ‘DUCK OFF’ KEITH HARRIS |
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6. What links actor Denzel Washington’s Oscar winning performance from last year and former Education Secretary Kenneth Baker ? TRAINING DAY |
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7. Whose enemy was Baron Silas Greenback ? DANGERMOUSE |
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8. In Spain, which meal is El Desayunoh (el deh sah yoo noh) BREAKFAST |
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9. If an Italian told you ‘Non Capisco’ what would they be telling you ? I DON’T UNDERSTAND |
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10. Complete the following Australian slang term for bad luck: "If it were raining pea soup, I’d get hit on the head by a…." what ? FORK |
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11. What does the following Latin phrase mean (it could be used as an excuse for not doing homework) – JBC may correct my pronunciation: CANIS MEUS ID COMEDIT "My Dog ate it" |
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12. Which Saint is linked with the pilgrimage city of Santiago de Compostela in Spain. JAMES |
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13. You arrive in Greece and someone says KALIMERA. What are they saying to you ? GOOD MORNING |
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14. If someone gave you a VADEMECUM what would you do with it: READ IT, EAT IT or WEAR IT ? READ IT (a Guidebook) |
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15. In which language is SIMBA the word for LION ? SWAHILI |
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16. Which natural phenomena were named and classified by a chemist called Luke Howard in the 1830’s CLOUDS |
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17. Who was born in a laboratory in July 1996, died on Valentines Day this year, and is now stuffed and on display at the National Museum of Scotland ? DOLLY the Sheep (first cloned sheep) |
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18. A cull is currently underway on the Scottish Island of South Uist to rid the island of an alien species. Which animal is being culled ? HEDGEHOG |
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19. What chemical element has the symbol W ? TUNGSTEN (from Wolframite) |
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20. What is 66 degrees Fahrenheit in degrees Celsius 19 |
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21. Which restaurant, which trained Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall is co-owned by Ruth Rogers and Rose Gray ? THE RIVER CAFÉ |
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22. Almost half of one of our common food items come from a breed called the Hubbard Isa Brown. Which food item do they produce ? EGGS |
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23. Which drink is made from the leaves of the plant Camellia Sinensis TEA |
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24. Which sporting equipment is made with a plastic composite material called Henselite BOWLS |
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25. Galvanizing involves coating steel with which other metal ? ZINC |
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26. Which light hardwood takes its name from the Spanish for raft, and has been replaced by Styrofoam for most of its previous uses. BALSA |
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27. Which tool has types called RIP, TRIM, PANEL & LAMINATE SAW |
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28. Which mineral, a component of granite is number 7 on the Moh Scale of Hardness, which has Diamond at number 10 ? QUARTZ |
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29. Which schoolboy featured in the books written by Anthony Buckeridge JENNINGS |
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30. Who is the author whose best selling books describe his job as a school inspector in the Yorkshire Dales – one is currently in the Top 10 best selling paperbacks GERVASE PHINN |
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31. Later this year a book called LYRA’s OXFORD will be published, featuring the heroine of an award winning trilogy. Who is the author ? PHILIP PULLMAN |
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32. What name links ‘The 3 Sisters’ and ‘Star Trek’ CHEKHOV |
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33. The actor Stephen Tompkinson starred in a recent remake of which classic Kingsley Amis novel LUCKY JIM |
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34. The BBC are currently searching for the nation’s favourite book. David Seaman, who was born in Rotherham, chose a book by Barry Hines which was made into a film starring Brian Glover as a sadistic PE teacher. Which book ? KES: A Kestrel for a Knave |
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35. Which rock band, whose lead singer was called Derek Dick took their name from a book by J.R.R Tolkien MARILLION (from ‘The Silmarillion’) |
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36. Which author’s name is an anagram of the phrase: "I AM A WEAKISH SPELLER" WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE |
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37. Who won a Pullitzer prize for her novel: "The Shipping News" recently made into a film starring Kevin Spacey and Judy Dench E ANNIE PROULX |
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38. Which magic realist novel by Gabriel Garcia Marquez was set in the town of Macondo ? ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF SOLITUDE |
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39. From which platform of King’s Cross station does the train to Hogwarts school leave ? NINE and THREE QUARTERS |
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40. Which artist’s work is featured in a painting based on the village of Cookham which is on the wall between Sue’s office and Gwyneth’s office ? STANLEY SPENCER |
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1. What measurement is equivalent to 660 A FURLONG |
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2. . How is the number 10 shown in Hexadecimal number system (Base 16) A |
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3. Which number is also known as a milliard ? A BILLION |
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4. Work this out! The star player of a school football team has played in every match this season. If he had scored 8 more goals, his average would have been 3 goals per match. If he had scored 7 fewer goals, his average would have been 2 goals per match. How many goals has he scored ? 37 |
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5. What are Ada, C++ and PASCAL COMPUTER PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES |
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6. How Old is Bill Gates (to within 2 years) 48 |
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7. What is the braking distance when travelling in a car at 50 mph ? Choose from the following: 14m, 24m, 38m, 55m 38m (125 feet) |
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8. What was the answer to the Million pound question that was faced by Major Charles Ingram in his infamous appearance on "Who wants to be a Millionaire" GOOGOL |
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ROUND 2 Questions on themes of MATHS, PE & HUMANITIES |
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9. Which horse won this year’s Grand National ? MONTY’s PASS |
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10. Which wrestler’s real name was Shirley Crabtree ? (by which I mean the one on ‘World of Sport’ in the 70’s and 80’s not WWF) BIG DADDY |
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11. Ted Dexter, former chairman of the England cricket selection board described which former captain of the England team in the late 80’s by saying ‘He has all the charisma of a wet fish’ ? GRAHAM GOOCH |
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12. Which athlete has won 13 Paralympic medals, and won the Women’s Wheelchair race in the London Marathon 6 times, coming 2nd in this year’s race ? TANNI GREY THOMPSON |
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13. What racing odds are these in TIC TAC (hands pointing to top of head with fingers together…) Is it 9-4, 7-2 or Evens 9-4 |
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14. How tall is basketball player Michael Jordan ? (you can be within 2 inches, and I want the height in feet and inches) 6’ 6" |
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15. On which course would you find the landmarks of Ballig Bridge, Union Mills and Craig Willey’s Hill ? ISLE OF MAN TT COURSE |
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16. In which sport would you perform a SUKAHARA ? GYMNASTICS: a type of vault |
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17. Which road connects Scotch Corner and Penrith in the North of England, and has the same number as a famous road in the USA ? A66 |
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18. Which is the main river flowing through Baghdad ? TIGRIS |
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19. If you visited Hay on Wye in the Welsh Borders, or Wigtown in Dumfries and Galloway, what type of shop would be most commonly seen ? BOOK SHOPS |
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20. If you started in New York and travelled due East in which EU country would you arrive ? PORTUGAL |
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21. Which country’s official name is AOTEAROA ? NEW ZEALAND |
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22. Britain’s shortest river is the River Coruisk, which flows out of Loch Coruisk in the Black Cuillins, on which Scottish island ? ISLE OF SKYE |
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23. .The chariot of Vishnu or Krishna also shares its name with a large lorry. What is it called ? JUGGERNAUT |
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24. Which Elephant god hit the headlines in 1995 when statues of the God appeared to drink milk that was placed next to them. GANESH |
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25. In Orthodox Judaism, the 3rd Commandment is adhered to so strictly that what word cannot be written out in full but has the middle letter abbreviated to a dash. It can be seen in the title of a recent film… GOD (don’t take the lord’s name in vain) |
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26. Which writer is being described: a religious writer, born in 1628, a tinsmith who served time as a Parliamentarian soldier, was inspired by his wife, became a strict Calvinist and spent 12 years in prison after which he wrote and preached his masterpiece. JOHN BUNYAN (Pilgrims Progress) |
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27. Which food is often referred to as ‘Jewish Penicillin’ CHICKEN SOUP |
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28. Which Norse god has a spear called Grungir which never misses, a ring called Draupnir, and an 8 legged horse called Sleipnir ODIN |
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29. Which religion involves the principle of Ahisma: or non-violence, developed from Hinduism, and has a flourishing community in Leicester ? JAINISM |
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30. Which cult, which remains widespread in Africa uses charms called gri gri and has gods called Joyboy and Mama Brigitte VOODOO |
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31. Name the boat in which Sir Ernest Shackleton and companions travelled 800 miles from Elephant Island to South Georgia to fetch a rescue party for their Antarctic expedition. JAMES CAIRD |
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32. Earlier this year two men called Peter and Jamling were in an expedition that reached the summit of Mount Everest. Who are or were their parents ? EDMUND HILLARY AND TENZING NORGAY |
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33. Which monarch died on March the 24th 1603 ELIZABETH I |
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34. Who was Henry VIII’s 4th wife ? ANNE OF CLEVES |
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35. Until recently, what job was held by Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf IRAQ INFORMATION MINISTER |
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36. The Atomic bomb which was dropped on Hiroshima was dropped by the bomber Enola Gay. What was the name of the bomber that bombed Nagasaki ? BOCK’S CAR |
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37. The madness of the Mad Hatter in ‘Alice in Wonderland’ was inspired by the actual madness that affected many hat makers in the 19th Century due to the use of which substance ? MERCURY |
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38. Who made the famous speech about the Nazi Government’s 4 Year Plan saying that: "Guns will make us powerful, butter will only make us fat" HERMANN GÖRING |
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39. Which suffragette was killed as she tried to seize the reins of King George V’s horse during the 1913 Derby EMILY DAVISON |
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40. 6th of June was D-DAY, in which year ? 1944 |
MORE QUIZ QUESTIONS HERE TOO -Click the link
1. Which of the 7 Dwarves doesn’t have a beard ?
DOPEY
2. True or False. While playing Jesus in the film: ‘The Passion of the Christ’, Jim Caviezel was struck by lightning…
TRUE
3. Which Norfolk coastal resort did Albert Einstein visit in 1933 on his way to the USA ?
Cromer, Hunstanton or Great Yarmouth ?
CROMER
4. Which country’s football team play in the colours of the 19th Century House of Savoy rather than those of the national flag ?
ITALY
5. Which channel is number 401 on SKY TV
SKY SPORTS 1
6. What is 66 degrees Fahrenheit in degrees Celsius ? (to within 2 degrees…)
19 (17-21)
7. In which prison did Norman Stanley Fletcher do his ‘Porridge’ ?
SLADE PRISON
8. To within 100 calories, how many calories are there in a standard Big Mac (without cheese) ?
576 (476-676)
9. Who is Robert Zimmerman better known as ?
BOB DYLAN
10. In which year did the original Woodstock concert take place ?
1969
11. Maria Sharapova is the 3rd youngest female Wimbledon winner. Lottie Dodd was the youngest ever (in 1887), who was the 2nd youngest winner, who won her title in 1997)
MARTINA HINGIS
12. Which saints day is the 23rd of April
ST. GEORGE
13. In which city did Roger Bannister run the first sub 4 minute mile ?
OXFORD
14. Which European capital city’s name means Black Pool
DUBLIN
15. For which constituency is Tony Blair the MP ?
SEDGEFIELD
16. Which English football ground shares its name with an 11th century battle on English soil
STAMFORD BRIDGE
17. In which year was the Falklands conflict ? (within a year)
1982 (1981-83)
18. Which programme is set on Malibu Beach ?
BAYWATCH
19. On which island of New Zealand is the city of Christchurch ?
SOUTH ISLAND
20. Which TV puppet used to sprinkle oofle dust ?
SOOTY
21. Which superhero did Diana Prince become ?
WONDER WOMAN
22. What does the Latin word ERGO mean ?
THEREFORE
23. Which of the Wombles is named after a city in Siberia ?
TOMSK
24. Which South American capital city’s name means ‘I see the mountain’ ?
MONTEVIDEO
25. To the nearest 25 miles, what is the distance between Land’s End and John O’ Groats in a straight line ? (HINT: the shortest distance by road is 876 miles…)
602 miles
(Allow 577-627)