1. Who was the first explorer to reach the South Pole? Ronald Amundsen; Robert Falcon Scott; Ernest Shackleton; Richard Evelyn Byrd.
2. What animals might be found at the South Pole? Polar bears; Penguins; Seagulls; none of these.
3. In the 2007-08 season, who was the MVP of the NBA Finals? Kevin Garnett; Paul Pierce; Ray Allen; Kobe Bryant.
4. In the movie “The Bridge on the River Kwai” what tune were the British prisoners whistling as they entered the POW camp? “I love This Place;” “Colonel Bogey March;” “God Save the King;” “Happy Birthday.”
5. How many players have hit 600 or more homeruns in their major league baseball career? 4; 5; 6; 7.
6. What is the earliest surviving system of laws? Rosetta Stone; Code of Hammurabi; Hebrew Torah; Shabaka Stone.
7. What is the largest city in the Untied States, by area? Los Angeles; Denver; Oklahoma City; New York City.
8. Which of the following inventions was the first to be patented?
Chewing Gum; Dishwasher; Cash Register; Rubber Band.
9. When the first Burger King Restaurant opened in 1954, how much did a hamburger cost? nine cents; 18 cents; 37 cents; 50 cents.
10. How long did the Hundred Years’ War last? 86 years; 99 years; 100 years; 116 years.
ANSWERS:
1. Ronald Amundsen.
2. None. Although there are some animals, such as penguins, in Antarctica, the region of the South Pole itself has an exceptionally harsh climate, so there are no native resident plants or animals there. Scientists have identified some microbes living in the ice, however. At the North Pole, there have been sightings of polar bears, Arctic foxes and some birds, but none live there continuously.
3. Paul Pierce.
4. Colonel Bogey March.
5. Six.
6. Code of Hammurabi.
7. Oklahoma City
8. In 1845, Stephen Perry, of the rubber manufacturing company Messers Perry and Co., invented the rubber band to hold papers or envelopes together. On March 17, 1845, Perry patented the rubber band. These first rubber bands were made of vulcanized rubber. The first dishwasher was patented by Joel Houghton in 1850. The first chewing gum was patented by William Finley Semple in 1869. The first cash register was patented by James Ritty in 1879.
9. When David Edgerton opened the first Burger King Restaurant in 1954, he sold hamburgers for just 18 cents.
10. The Hundred Years’ War, a conflict between England and France, actually lasted 116 years. It began in 1337 and ended in 1453, although there were long periods of truce or low-level fighting during that time.