Prelims - General Quiz - The Tenreads Kaikuu College Quiz Fest '15

The Tenreads Kaikuu College Quiz Fest 2015
The General Quiz
Prelims

Acknowledgements
Major Chandrakant Nair
Navin Rajaram
Rohan Naidu
Rama Subramanian
Madhusudan Sampath

 40 questions.
 1 point per correct answer.
 Part points wherever applicable.
 Questions 11-30 are starred and will resolve ties.
 No negatives. Feel free to take guesses for every question.
 Malpractice is too much effort. Don’t bother trying.
 Good luck!

The Colossus of Rhodes (artistic impression follows) was a gigantic statue of the
Greek titan-god of the sun Helios erected in ancient Greece which figured among
the Seven Wonders Of The Ancient World.
In early 2014, a large group of production designers working under leading Indian
art director Sabu Cyril was assigned the task of constructing a 45 foot tall gold
statue inspired by the Colossus of Rhodes, with the intention of replicating the size
and grandeur on celluloid.
Where would you have recently seen such a construction?
1.

2.
Constructed by the Norwegian government in 2008, the Svalbard Global Seed
Vault is a long-term underground storage facility for seed samples from around
the world secured in case of a global disaster.
Just 7 years after its opening, it received a request last month for withdrawal of
seeds by a certain country – in the wake of the tough times it is currently going
through. As many as 1/3rd of the country’s 325 boxes of seeds have been
requested for, and will soon be sent out.
Which country is this?

3.
The following are a few recently released artistic impressions, based on
scientifically current renderings.
Where would you be, if you were to take in these sights?

4.
Turnitin is a recent cloud based Software as a Service (SaaS) based out of
Broadway that is quickly gaining traction from professors and students in
universities world over – a boon to one of them and a bane to the other.
What service does the software offer?

5.
In which city outside India would you find this street, named after the person you
see in this statue?

6.
In a recent interview, when asked about his current role as an American
politician on a TV series, this famous actor responded referring to his
previous role that lasted for close to 8 years and said – “I can’t remember
any of the lines at all but when ‘action’ is shouted I start limping. I’m like a
dog that’s been prodded with electrodes.”
Who?

7.
The following are a set of before-and-after images from a certain place
that capture the contrast between today’s times and those that prevailed
about 7 decades ago.
Which place(s)?

8.
As commonplace as these things are today, they were only founded in the 1930s
by Swedish inventor Gideon Sundback, who tried to come up with a modern and
quicker alternative to an everyday activity.
The tool came to be named after a comment made by an owner of a clothing
company who said, “What we need is an action word, something that will
dramatize the way the thing ____, so why not call it a _____?”
What commonly used tool, that now bears the acronym of a Japanese company
which has a monopoly on its production?

9.
Discovered recently in the walls of this famous location during its renovation,
these hand-written notes of a pioneering process in the field of Computer
Science are reminder of the struggles endured by this team working in crude
conditions and under strict security rules, which enhances the value of their
achievement in the 1940s.
Whom did these notes belong to?

In the earlier drafts of the screenplay written in the mid-70s, this director chose
to name his chief character ‘Starkiller’.
However, he had second thoughts during filming as he felt the name suggested
a cult leader on the lines of Charles Manson who had shot to limelight for all
the wrong reasons around the same time. The name was eventually changed.
What famous surname resulted?
10.

11.
With its invention in 1841, the eponymous inventor sought to combine the
subtlety of woodwinds with the power of big brass in a manner that was unlike
anything the world had ever heard.
An ideal tool to inspire nationalism, it pleased military bands who struggled to
match the bombast of politicians in an era of rampant nationalism. For classically
trained musicians, however, this amounted to a heart-ache and was dubbed one
of the most disruptive innovations in music.
Which instrument is being talked about?

12.
A few key features of a part of the human body –
 It holds the distinction of being the only body tissue with no blood vessels, as
their presence would adversely effect its vital function.
 It holds the highest concentration of nerve endings on the body’s surface, so
much so that injury to a single cell on the surface would be enough to cause
pain.
 Since the same part of the shark’s body is very similar to a human’s, several
such transplants have been carried out.
How do we better know this part of the body, whose medical terms often
appropriately start with the Greek word for ‘horn’?

13.
Using the blanks in the title as a clue, identify the subject of this infographic.

14.
i. What is the name given to this special kind of shot that you see in
the video?
ii. To whose credit is this pioneering innovation, whose movies you see
in the clip?

The Point-Of-View shot, by the Coen Brothers.

15.
Proposed to be operational in 2017, this 2000 foot tall hotel will be largest in the
world boasting of the most exquisite facilities and also project a dazzling green
laser show at night.
However, the project hasn’t gone down very well with the locals. There are
growing murmurs of dissent on how it inappropriately symbolizes riches in a city
of austerity, apart from shutting out several regular tourists because of its price.
Where exactly is this hotel being constructed?

16.
Excerpt from Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest.
At which famous location of global importance has this sequence been
filmed?

The UN headquarters in New York.

17.
This facility, containing a 36 by 20 foot dome and located near a barren volcano
in Hawaii, is now home to a team of 6 voluntary individuals comprising a French
astrobiologist, a German physicist and 4 Americans.
In many ways, the effort is similar to a famous one carried out at the Russian
Academy of Sciences between 2007 and 2011.
What is the purpose of this facility?

Isolation experiments for a manned
Mars mission.

18.
The following is a clip from a recent BBC show on which famous televised
event of the early 1960s?

19.
Starting in the 1950s through an international competition won by Danish
architect Jorn Utzon, the construction of this renowned structure was halted
midway and Utzon was expelled after completing just the external structure.
The insides were then handed over to local architects who had done such a
messy job of it that it has always been known as an acoustic nightmare. It is thus
often said that the place is great to the eye but terrible to the ear.
Owing to its distinctive structure, alternative arrangements also needed to be
made for its air conditioning systems which would otherwise ordinarily take the
help of a chimney to release heat.
Which popular tourist location is being talked about?

20.
Released in 1973, this Hollywood film was a phenomenal success in its time
amongst the masses as well as the critics, notching up a whopping 7 Academy
Awards.
A heist film set in the 30s, the film follows the complicated plot by two
professional scammers to con a mob boss into submission – inspired by a real
life story perpetrated by brothers Fred and Charley Gondorff.
Apart from its own fame, the film popularized a certain term that would come
to be associated with deeds such as the ones carried out by the protagonists.
What is the term?

21.
Many historians speculate that this book was inspired by the story of an 18th
century cabinet maker in Edinburgh, Scotland named Deacon Brodie, a
respectable town councilor and an extremely successful craftsman. His job gave
him access to the keys of the rich and famous, which he made copies of in order
to rob them at night. After a string of heists, he was eventually caught and
hanged.
Brodie's story fascinated the people of Edinburgh. The future writer grew up with
a Brodie cabinet in his room, and in 1880, he co-wrote a play called Deacon
Brodie, or the Double Life as a precursor to his book.
Which literary classic of the late 19th century is being talked about?

22.
Tracing its origins to Ancient Greek and making its way into the English
language in the 1600s, this word derives from a form of the local word for
‘within’.
Those who were deemed wise and worthy enough to attend Aristotle’s learned
discussions were referred to by this word. Since this was material not easily
comprehensible to outside observers, it eventually acquired the meaning of
‘difficult to understand’ and has since been a commonly used English word.
Which word’s origins are thus described?

23.
In the initial days of playing this sport, it was observed that balls which were used
and beaten appeared to yield much better results.
Over the years, aerodynamic analysis has suggested that this was due to the
nicks and cuts acting as ‘turbulators’ that introduce a disturbance in the adjacent
layer of air – which achieves the desired effect. Eventually, a formal, symmetric
way of generating this turbulence was found and currently exists in the form of
380 to 432 of these on every ball.
What is this an explanation for?

24.
The current Governor of Rajasthan Kalyan Singh recently made a few comments
on the national anthem that kicked up some controversy. Citing that its lyrics
were outdated, he called for the replacement of a word that referred to the
erstwhile British rulers and felt the anthem should not be honouring them.
Which word?

25.
Discovered in 1820 on an Aegean island, this entity was bought out from a
local farmer – who was unaware of its true value – for a paltry price and taken
to its current habitat where it has been preserved since 1821.
While initially assumed to have originated from the Greek classical era, it was
later found out that the piece was produced as early as 100 BC enhancing its
value manifold. Speculated to have once adorned metal jewelry and coloured
paint, a few historians suggest that an 1820 fight between Turkish and French
sailors is responsible for its current state of handicap.
What artefact is being talked about?

26.
The Retina display is one of the defining features of Apple’s products that
enhances the user experience of its touch-screen devices.
According to a recent report that revealed a few ironic findings, the largest
manufacturer of Apple’s retina display screens currently accounts for 62% of all
iPad shipments. Apart from this, the company also manufactures all of Apple’s
custom A-series processors at its famous chip fabrication facility in Austin, Texas.
However, experts suggest this association is unlikely to last for much longer.
Which company is this?

27.
The following are a few images from a Gothic structure in India constructed over
a 10 year period starting in 1878.
When plans for its construction were being drawn out, one of the hotly
discussed topics at the time was the architectural style for civic buildings across
the British Empire. Although the Industrial Revolution was in full flow at the time,
its designs and styles weren’t great favourites. Since the goal was to build grand,
timeless buildings, officials chose to emulate England’s grandest cathedrals and
thus chose the Gothic style of architecture for this construction – fused with
several Indian motifs.
Which famous location is this?

28.
In August 1499, Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci touched down upon Lake
Maracaibo and found indigenous huts such as these, built over stilts on water.
These sights reminded him of a famous location in another country, which lent
its name in the local dialect to the country in question.
Name the country and the location it reminded him of.

29.
Written in September 1975 and circulated at the Commonwealth Parliamentary
Conference held that year, this pamphlet sought to tell the world about the
terrible times prevailing in the country.
The author, who included this note in his 2008 autobiography, wrote – “William
Shirer’s ‘The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich’ is regarded as a monumental,
definitive work on the history of Nazi Germany. Going through it a second time
these days, I have been greatly struck by the remarkable but disturbing similarity
it portrays with my country. But all of us can do one thing in common – shed
fear and speak the truth as we see it. This in itself will be no mean contribution to
the cause of democracy.”
Who was the author, one of many imprisoned during the time?

30.
A German company Cairos Technologies AG in partnership with Adidas is
responsible for pioneering this defining feature of the sport.
According to the patent filed by the company, the Cairos system – as it has come
to be known – involves embedding thin cables in the turf of the desired area.
The electrical current that runs through the cables generates a magnetic field. A
sensor measures the magnetic fields as soon as the object comes into contact
with them and then transmits the required data to a central computer.
What feature is being talked about, that has finally seen the light of day following
an infamous incident in a crucial 2010 game?

31.
Deriving from the name of a 7th century BC Athenian legislator who had written a
code of law, this commonly used English word has come to denote cruelty and
severity following from the legislator’s actions, often referring to disproportionate
punishments.
While his code was intended to clarify existing laws, what stood out was the
exaggerated nature of penalties in which even a minor offence would be
punishable by death, and failure to repay debts could result in slavery.
What word is being talked about, that may remind some of us of a much disliked
fictional character?

32.
Apart from the 3 crore civilians that gathered for this popular event in India this
year, it was also visited by top tech innovators like MIT, Nokia, Wikipedia, the
Tata Center for Technology and Design, the IITs, Xerox – along with a whole host
of startups.
Viewing it as a unique opportunity to work with a very large test group, they
intended to study the stresses of rapid urbanization and create innovative
solutions in the domains of health, housing, food, payments and transportation.
Some of the products created cater to prevention of stampedes, curbing the
spread of epidemics, instantly alerting medical personnel – among others.
Which is the event being referred to?

Best known for its work on Life Of Pi in 2013, Prana Studios is a 3D, visual effects
and animation company whose Mumbai based subsidiary has garnered much
praise for an even bigger project this year.
Comprising over 800 employees, the division got down to working on a highly
sophisticated brief handed down by one of America’s biggest production houses
– to make characters out of creatures.
Apart from the CGI, the studio also made the set in a Spanish location and the
crowd extensions for one of the iconic scenes of their project.
What exactly did they create?
33.

The dragons in Game of Thrones.

34.
Pictured is a recent invention by a group of school students at the Benjamin
Benneker Academic High School in Washington DC.
Priced at a deliberately low $15 and resulting from a $6,600 grant from the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, it is anything but a profit-oriented
product. Lightweight and portable, it is a small, cup-sized plastic cylinder that
easily slips over a hydraulic hinge.
What brought about the need for such a device?

35.
The modern name of this city can be traced back to ancient Hindu scriptures.
It is believed that this land, originally owned by the Pandavas and the Kauravas,
was gifted to Dronacharya as a token of gratitude. The land thus came to be
known after the relevant local words.
Etymological origins of which popular North Indian city?

36.
The following video parodies two prominent Hollywood directors.
Identify both of them, in the right order.

Quentin Tarantino, Wes Anderson.

37.
What myth, first reported in 1933, is this Google Street View experiment
trying to explore?

Lateral epicondylitis is a condition that is characterized by a visible soreness,
owing to the chronic inflammation of the tendons that join the forearm
muscles.
This is caused by the repetitive use of the extensor muscles of the forearm
and is commonly seen among carpenters and labourers who often swing a
hammer or some other tool with it.
What is the common name of this condition, that would have gained
popularity in India in the mid-2000s?
38.

39.
Following a string of accolades at film festivals this year, identify the
inspiration behind this forthcoming film to be released later this month.

40.
The following are a few recent images of a vintage 19th century structure that
most people around the world have seen.
In order to protect the structure from long lasting damage – following an
incident last year as well – authorities decided to bring about a change from
the way we’ve all known it.
How do we better know this place?

Pont Des Arts or the lovelocks bridge in
Paris.

Prelims - General Quiz - The Tenreads Kaikuu College Quiz Fest '15

Empfohlen

Empfohlen

Weitere ähnliche Inhalte

Was ist angesagt?

Was ist angesagt? (20)

Andere mochten auch

Andere mochten auch (20)

Ähnlich wie Prelims - General Quiz - The Tenreads Kaikuu College Quiz Fest '15

Ähnlich wie Prelims - General Quiz - The Tenreads Kaikuu College Quiz Fest '15 (20)

Mehr von Sameer Dharur

Mehr von Sameer Dharur (6)

Kürzlich hochgeladen

Kürzlich hochgeladen (20)

Prelims - General Quiz - The Tenreads Kaikuu College Quiz Fest '15