Prelims Quiz: 35 questions on general knowledge

Rules:
1. 35 questions
2. 16-25 are starred(*) to be used for resolving
ties
3. In case there is a tie in starred marked
questions as well, then ties will be resolved
using sudden death from Q1
4. No negative marks
5. Quizmaster’s decision is final

Tax authorities in Karachi have come up with
an innovative way of extracting dues from
evaders. They have hired certain people who
go to the businesses and houses of debtors and
try to embarrass them into paying. They sing
and dance at the debtor’s doors, while the
embarrassed debtor pays the dues to the
accompanying revenue officials. Who are these
people?
2

The Pan-European transport corridors were
identified in 1994 as 10 vital routes in Central
and Eastern Europe that required major
investments. All, except one, are named after
the cities they connect (e.g. Helsinki-Warsaw,
Brussels-Kiev etc.) The exception goes through
or borders 10 European countries. Name?

3

The name is a pun on the “pain” inflicted on
the contestants as well as a reference to the
current season of the TV reality show. Give the
full name of the show.

4

Khatron Ke Khiladi Torchaar

4

The logo shown below, is associated with which
event which is going to make its debut in India.

5

What does the map on the next page depict?

6

The Perpetual Maritime Truce of 1853 ended on
1 December 1971, after the UK announced its
intention to end its protectorate over the
Trucial Coast. The next day, Umm al-Quwain
joined 5 others to form what?

7

In order to improve connectivity and public
transport in London for the 2012 Olympics, a
high speed train shuttle service will be
introduced. What name, which is also an
Olympic sport, has been given to this train
service?

8

DLF dedicated its latest annual report (FY
2010-11) to this person who was appropriately
enough, employed with them as an Art Director
till 1993. Who?

9

One of the experiments in the final shuttle
mission involved the use of a software called
SpaceLab which measured altitude and
radiation in space running on a terrestrial
commercial device. Although not mission-
critical, the purpose was to check if terrestrial
commercial devices could be repurposed for
use in space. So what device was SpaceLab
running on?

10

This area was ceded to the British and was
therefore called Ceded Area, which was widely
seen as derogatory. In November 1928, after a
serious discussion at the Andhra Maha Sabha
meeting, its current name, based on the
dynasty of the Vijayanagara Empire, was
adopted. What?

11

The shindo scale is used in Japan and Taiwan.
It is measured in units of shindo unlike the
“moment magnitude scale” that is commonly
used elsewhere. As a result, a given event may
be described as “shindo 4 in Tokyo, shindo 3 in
Yokohama” etc. The original 4 stage shindo had
the levels “faint”, “weak”, “strong” and “violent”
but was later overhauled to have more
gradations. What does shindo measure?
12

In Mathematics, what name is given to angles
between 180 and 360 degrees?

13

Connect the audio with the visual.

14

George Orwell describing an idyllic Sunday
afternoon.

“The wife is already asleep in the armchair and
the children have been sent out for a nice long
walk. You put your feet up on the sofa, settle
your spectacles on your nose and open the
____ __ ___ ______. ”

Fill in the blanks.
15

The Aihole inscription at Meguti temple dating
to 634 C.E. contains a fine example of a
Sanskrit pun. Praising the achievements of the
king in battle, it says of his famous opponent
that the mighty ______ lost his _____. Fill both
blanks with one word.

16*

In 1892, a member of the United Services Club
worked out the ______ score for his course.
Since the members were all military officers,
and could not measure themselves against a
“Mister ______”, they used a military rank as
prefix. The name in the blank went on to mean
something else in the same context, and the
combination of rank and name became
musically popular. Derive.
17*

Sarpa (snakes), rudraksha, Ganga, mruga
(animals), pushpa (flowers), damaruka, and
nishkara collectively give rise to what name
which is also famous in the world of music?

18*

Ornaments of Shiva - Shankarabharanam

18*

This color shade was first synthesized by paint
maker Diesbach in 1706 and was given a patriotic
name. It proved an instant hit with European
painters who used it as a cheaper alternative to
shades obtained from Lapis Lazuli. Its popularity
increased when a chemist showed that the color
could be reduced to a salt of iron and a new acid
which could be used to reconstitute the dye, thus
making the color easily transportable. In fact, the
acid thus synthesized was named after this color.
Which color and which acid?
20*
.

Prussian Blue & Prussic Acid

20*

This term used by the Assyrian Army in the early 7th
Century BC was for one who excavated trenches
under defensive fire to advance a besieging army's
position in relation to the works of an attacked
fortification. In today’s lingo, this person is a
combatant soldier who performs a wide variety
of combat engineering duties, like bridge-building,
laying or clearing minefields and is also trained to
serve as an infantryman when needed in both
defensive and offensive operations and is fully
involved in modern counter-insurgency operations.
What term are we talking about?
21*

Which phrase, made famous by a fable, reflects
the distinguishing feature of a particular seed's
pod, which bursts open when it reaches
maturity? Incidentally the seed's name is also
part of the phrase.

22*

Identify the animal which is seen on the tail
wing of Qatar Airways?

23*

This was the first radio receiver/transmitter
manufactured by Galvin Manufacturing Co
named Motorola SCR-300. What was its more
popular nickname?

24*

Martin Marietta Corp. , in 1982 was subject to a
hostile takeover bid by Bendix Corporation. Bendix
bought a majority of shares and in effect owned
the company. However, Martin Marietta used the
short time separating ownership and control to sell
non-core businesses and launch its own hostile
takeover of Bendix. Martin Marietta eventually
survived. This unique strategy was given a name
by media in reference to a phenomenon of that
time. What ?

26

Pac Man Defense
In reference to Pacman eating a pill in the game and
getting the ability to eat the ghosts

26

The key ingredient of this is specially
compounded wax. When heated it expands
until it becomes less dense than the liquid
above causing it to rise. When it reaches the
top, the wax cools and starts to sink again. The
basic principle behind the operation of which
“groovy” device?

27

In 1981, Hermes CEO Jean Louis Dumas noticed an
actress’ struggles with her straw bag when seated
on a flight next to her. This prompted him to create
something just for her. This object, bearing no
logos, is one of the most recognized entities in the
fashion world. These are distributed to Hermes
boutiques on unpredictable schedules and in
limited quantities, creating scarcity and, intended
or unintended, exclusivity. Which personality in the
news has brought this object into the limelight
again?

28

Which is the only paramilitary force in India
which has its own Air, Water and Artillery
regiments?

29

The structure at the front of the INS Viraat
from where you see the Harriers take off gets
its informal name from a structure built for a
similar purpose from the world of sport. What
is it called?

30

It expands to Random Access: Version One but
also pays tribute to a mythological villain.

What?

32

Complete the following lines from the Mundaka
Upanishad:

_____ _______नानतम ् सत्येन पन्था विततो दे ियानः ।
ृ
येनाक्रमन्त्यषयो ह्यात्मकामो यत्र तत ् सत्यस्य परमं ननधानं ॥
ृ

_____ _____ nānṛtaṃ satyena panthā vitato
devayānaḥ |
yenākramantyṛṣayo hyāptakāmā
yatra tat satyasya paramaṃ nidhānam ||
33

Which happening place in Hyderabad is named
after its two founders Sanjay Batla & Sanjay
Chimnani?

35

Prelims Quiz: 35 questions on general knowledge

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