Round 1
Question 1
What animal is known in Spanish as zorro?
*The fictional masked vigilante character known as Zorro is nicknamed this due to his cunning.
1 point
Question 2
Theories of the origin of what animal behaviour myth include human’s misunderstanding the sight of the animal turning its eggs in the sand, it lying low to stay out of sight, or it eating sand and pebbles to help grind down its food within its stomach?
1 point
Question 3
The Los Angeles Police Department has received heavy public criticism after an incident on June 13 in which, during a callout to reports of a woman screaming in an apartment building, an officer shot dead the woman’s pet dog when the animal entered the hallway. Compounding the incident, the woman had not been screaming due to an attack but from excitement at which sporting moment?
*Bodycam video of the incident shows Marie Marseille opening the door and Jameson the Saint Bernard golden doodle – dressed in a Knicks dog t-shirt – barking at the officers, who tell Marseille to put the dog away. Marseille says the dog is not aggressive, and Jameson then goes out the door and walks towards one officer, who unholsters his gun and shoots it four times. Video taken by a neighbour of Marseille crying over the body of her dog while roughly a dozen officers discuss what to do has been widely circulated online.
1 point
Question 4
In June, Home Farm, part of the Falkland Estate in Fife, Scotland, announced that it would need to cull 271 of what type of animal after managers failed to maintain appropriate record-keeping that ensured mandatory traceability of livestock?
1 point
Question 5
Academy Award-winning director Danny Boyle’s first three films – Shallow Grave, Trainspotting, and A Life Less Ordinary – all featured which Scottish actor in a leading role?
1 point
Question 6
What is the full name of the character known as The Count in the children’s television show Sesame Street?
1 point
Question 7
Which two capital cities in the UK give their names to types of sink?
*Belfast and London sinks are both types of ‘butler sinks’. Although the term is less used now, London sinks are slightly deeper than regular sinks, and were used for activities such as washing dishes. These were followed by Belfast sinks, which were even deeper and contained a water overflow.
London
2 points
Question 8
Which three of the ten most populous cities in the United States have names that originated in the Spanish language?
*Los Angeles means ‘the angels’ and is a shortened version of a disputed early name, with possibilities including El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora de los Angeles de Porciúncula (The town of Our Lady of the Angels of Porciúncula) – named after the river Nuestra Señora de los Angeles de la Porciúncula – and El Pueblo de la Reyna de los Angeles (The town of the Queen of Angels). San Antonio is named for Saint Anthony of Padua, and San Diego is named for Saint Didacus, also known as Diego de San Nicolás.
San Antonio
San Diego
3 points
Question 9
What are the four primary components of bubble tea, also known as boba?
Milk
Tapioca balls
Sugar/sweetener/syrup
4 points
Question 10
Make the longest word possible from the following letters: GHIILNSTW
Up to 9 points
(*length of word equates to points awarded)
Round 1 points
(Maximum: 24)
Round 2
Question 1
The Diet of Worms, or Reichstag zu Worms, convened in 1521 to ask which man whether he would revoke the heresies of several pieces of literature found in his home, almost certainly including controversial pieces the man had written himself?
*Luther did not revoke the heresies, and after five days of consultation was convicted of being a heretic. By this time, however, Luther had already been taken to Wartburg Castle for his safety.
1 point
Question 2
First produced in the late 1970s, the German-built DB Baureihe Mark 120 was a pioneering class of what type of railway locomotive?
1 point
Question 3
What type of building has appeared in the titles of three films written and directed by Japanese animator and Studio Ghibli founder Hayao Miyazaki?
*Miyazaki’s films include The Castle of Cagliostro (1979), Laputa: Castle in the Sky (1986), and Howl’s Moving Castle (2004).
1 point
Question 4
What two-word term has trended on social media apps such as TikTok to describe the act of spending large portions of a day in bed doing nothing productive, the term implying that one’s body is decaying while doing so?
*Bed rotting began as a ‘self care’ trend, with people claiming it was necessary to escape from the pressures of modern life. Critics point out that staying in bed is not new behaviour, healthy, or an activity that needs posted about online.
1 point
Question 5
What single-word term is given to the unwanted moment a vegetable crop moves into its reproductive mode before it has been harvested, at which point the plant begins to move energy from its roots and leaves to instead produce flowers and seeds, often diminishing the edible portion of the plant?
1 point
Question 6
Several languages on the Indian subcontinent, including Bengali, Hindi, Punjabi, and Tamil, name the paisley cloth design for what fruit?
1 point
Question 7
What two types of berries give their names to characters in the book Watership Down – one to the smart rabbit who works out how boats and snares work, and the other to a rabbit that defects from the eerie warren that willingly lets rabbits get killed by a farmer in exchange for a regular food supply?
*Although Hazel, Fiver, and Bigwig are generally considered the main heroes of Watership Down, Blackberry’s ability to figure out how human objects work is pivotal to the rabbits surviving multiple moments of extreme jeopardy.
Strawberry
2 points
Question 8
Devised and undertaken by a US government agency known as the US National Ice Center, the naming of Antarctic icebergs follows a pattern of a letter followed by a number. What do the letter and number signify?
*Four areas of Antarctica are used for the system, labelled A to D, each being a 90° quadrant calculated from the South Pole. The largest iceberg ever recorded was B-15, meaning it was the 15th iceberg known to have formed in quadrant B (the Amundsen Sea/Eastern Ross Sea area). When icebergs split, additional letters are added to the name, but this time for basic identification rather than geographic purposes; for instance, when B-15 broke apart, the largest of the new pieces was called B-15A, which then broke into smaller pieces with names such as B-15P, and eventually into even smaller pieces such as B-15aa and B-15ab.
On-going count of number of icebergs formed in the area
2 points
Question 9
According to data from computer games company Nintendo, the top selling games on its original handheld 2017 Nintendo Switch console are titles in which four of its long-running games franchises?
*The specific games were Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Mario Kart also tops the sales of Switch 2 games plus those for other handheld devices Wii U and Nintendo 3DS.
Animal Crossing
Super Smash Bros.
The Legend of Zelda
4 points
Question 10
What five summer Olympic sports begin with the letter T?
Tennis
Triathlon
Taekwondo
Trampoline
5 points
Round 2 points
(Maximum: 19)
Total points
(Maximum: 43)
Round 3
Question 1
In which modern-day city can a fortification founded by Samuel de Champlain in 1608 during the establishment of Nouvelle-France be found?
1 point
Question 2
Impossible for most mammals, including humans, the ability to manipulate chromatophore cells allows many animals to do what?
*Chromatophore cells contain pigment, and animals that can translocate pigment to other cells are able to change colour. Colour changes can be triggered physiologically – invariably quicker as animals proactively react to threats or their environment – or morphologically, a slower body adaptation such as when ghost crabs cyclically change their colour depending on the time of day, or when chameleon prawns take ten days to camouflage after moving to live on sea lettuce.
1 point
Question 3
So-called because of its forming of a space similar to a window, what name was given to the operation used from the 1940s to 1960s in which an opening was cut in the stape of the ear to help ease deafness?
1 point
Question 4
Which American writer was friends with marine biologist Ed Ricketts, who served as the inspiration for the character Doc in the novel Cannery Row and with whom he co-wrote a non-fiction book, controversially republished without Ricketts’s writing credit after Ricketts’s death?
*In 1941 Steinbeck and Ricketts were co-authors on Sea of Cortez: A Leisurely Journal of Travel and Research, created after Steinbeck edited Ricketts’s travel diary and study notes during a trip. After Ricketts died in 1948, Steinbeck’s publishers persuaded Ricketts’s family to sell their copyright, leading to The Log from the Sea of Cortez, in which Ricketts’s scientific notes were dropped and he received a forward by Steinbeck and title page note rather than a writing credit.
1 point
Question 5
Founded in 2007, the wildlife conservation organisation GFAS stands for Global Federation of Animal __?
*GFAS was established to try ensure animal sanctuaries provided a required minimum level of care and ethical behaviour, thereby removing cases in which private menageries were labelled sanctuaries or unqualified individuals failed to offer adequate support to wildlife. However, as many conservation projects in poor or unsupported areas struggle to meet the required standards, and GFAS is based in the US, few locations outside North America have been accredited.
1 point
Question 6
Fought between 1921 and 1926, the Rif War saw forces from Spain and France fight against rebels in the Rif Mountains of which country?
1 point
Question 7
Fuse wire is generally an alloy comprised of what two chemical elements?
*The wire generally follows a formula of 63 per cent tin and 37 per cent lead.
Lead
2 points
Question 8
What four ingredients are listed in the title of the latest cookbook by Lou Elsener, a.k.a. Loulou Kitchen, one of the two Mediterranean cookbooks in Amazon France’s top five culinary best sellers that have been written by social media culinary content creators?
*Loulou Kitchen currently sits at number five in the Amazon bestseller list, which is topped by Loubna Jaibi’s Le Goût du Soleil, or A Taste of Sun. The French top ten also includes three books on how to cook with an air fryer. Female social media content creators are currently finding great success in the cookbook market: Amazon US’s number 2 book is Sarah Ahn’s book about Korean recipes she learnt from her mum, while number 6 is Sarah Secrest, whose online presence promises ‘direct, sarcastic, and without a single ounce of pretense’ cooking. The UK’s number 2 and number 3 are by Meliz Berg and Emily English, who go online by Meliz Cooks and Em the Nutritionist respectively.
Feta
Olive oil
Lemon
3 points
Question 9
Expanded from the original two freedoms outlined in the 1986 The Free Software Definition, and devised as a guide to ensure computer software does not become restricted by copyright holders, what are the ‘four essential freedoms of software’? Two of the freedoms require a programme’s source code to be made publicly available.
*The freedoms do not mean that the software should be given away free of charge, but that how it operates should be available so that modifications can be made and distributed. The basic premise is that once a person has access to software, they can use it however they want, independent of other programmes, and alter and distribute it.
Freedom to study how the programme works and change it as you wish
Freedom to redistribute copies to help others
Freedom to distribute your modified versions to others.
4 points
Question 10
The 7000km E1 European long-distance path – which includes one ferry ride – is a walking trail that extends from north to south through which six countries?
Sweden
Denmark
Germany
Switzerland
Italy
6 points
Round 3 points
(Maximum: 22)
Total points
(Maximum: 65)
Round 4
Question 1
In Hinduism, the swastika symbol points clockwise and represents the deity Suya. With the final five letters being the same, what is the name of the similar symbol that points anti-clockwise and represents the god Kali?
1 point
Question 2
Best known for his Shakespearean theatre roles and playing The Doctor in Dr Who, Scottish actor David Tennant was born David McDonald but changed his name as a David McDonald was already registered with actors’ union Equity. After a member of which British band did Tennant take his new name?
*Tennant took the name after Neil Tennant of the Pet Shop Boys. He has since legally changed his name to Tennant in order to comply with Screen Actors Guild rules in the US.
1 point
Question 3
The creation of UK electoral constituencies is currently done by dividing the nation into blocks of approximately 70000 people – a minimum of 69724 and maximum of 77062 – with the exception of four island areas and one area of rural Wales. With only a little over 21000 people on the electoral role, what Scottish constituency has the least amount of voters in the UK?
1 point
Question 4
In 1958, the 23-year old King Faisal II plus various family members and servants were massacred in the July 14 Revolution in which country?
*The July 14 Revolution brought an end to the Hashemite rule of Iraq and was noticeably violent, with the bodies of the Prime Minister and previous Regent of Iraq killed, mutilated, and hung in the streets. The Hashemite house still rules Jordan, where Faisal’s cousin Hussein was king from 1952 to 1999.
1 point
Question 5
Serving the various North Slope oil fields, what major oil pipeline received US congressional approval in November 1973, less than one month after OPEC placed an oil embargo on the US in response to its supporting of Israel in the Yom Kippur War?
1 point
Question 6
Despite a small collection of the non-native species having resided in the park since 1664, May 2026 saw the first instance of chicks of what species of bird being born in London’s St James’s Park?
*Mark Wasilewski, Royal Parks Manager, said that the impregnation of one of the pelicans most likely occurred while they were in isolated as a precaution against avian flu, noting this must be what they do when ‘there is no television to watch’.
1 point
Question 7
In the Sanskrit Panchatantra folktale collection, which two animals appear in a story in which the two become friends, only for one’s wife to express a desire to eat the other’s heart, forcing that friend to say he has left his heart in a tree, thus tricking his way to escape?
Crocodile
2 points
Question 8
Although several album releases in the US used the word – such as ‘Introducing The Beatles’ and ‘Meet The Beatles’ – what three original UK studio album releases by the band The Beatles included the word ‘Beatles’ in the title?
*The album The Beatles is more widely known as The White Album. The US releases with the word Beatles were Introducing the Beatles, Meet the Beatles, The Beatles’ Second Album (which was actually its third in the US), Beatles ‘65, Beatles VI (actually the seventh album), and The Beatles (a.k.a. The White Album).
Beatles for Sale
The Beatles
3 points
Question 9
What are the names of the four main decision-making institutions within the European Union, three of which have Presidents and one of which is led by whichever country currently holds the rotating presidency? Note that two of the institutions have very similar names, leading to some confusion.
*The European Council, currently led by António Costa, decides the general political direction of the EU. The European Commission, currently led by Ursula von der Leyen, proposes legislation to implement EU objectives, monitors compliance, and represents the EU at negotiations, such as the G7. The EU then has two law-deciding institutions. The first is the European Parliament, currently led by Roberta Metsola, which passes EU legislation and reviews the European Commission position, having the power to remove the Commission President and being the only body directed elected by citizens of EU countries. The second is the Council of the European Union, a platform for ministers of European nations’ governments to meet and adapt or agree to laws. An EU law is therefore proposed by the European Commission, based on the general political direction outlined by the European Council, and then debated and voted on by the European Parliament and Council of the European Union. One major criticism often levelled at the EU is that many people don’t understand how it works, leading to wide scepticism of its value.
European Council
European Commission
Council of the European Union
4 points
Question 10
Which ten female models appeared in both Time Magazine’s All-time Greatest Fashion Icons list and Marie Clare’s Most Iconic Supermodels list? Of the times when they were most famous, two were from the 1960s, two from the 1970s, four from the ‘supermodel era’ of late 1980s to mid-1990s, and two from the 2000s.
Jean Shrimpton
Beverly Johnson
Iman
Linda Evangelista
Cindy Crawford
Naomi Campbell
Kate Moss
Heidi Klum
Gisele Bündchen
10 points
Round 4 points
(Maximum: 25)
Total points
(Maximum: 90)
Round 5
In Round 5, there is only one answer. The fewer clues you need to get it, the more points you receive. If you need only one clue, you receive 10 points; if you require two clues, you will receive 9 points, and so on.
However, you may only answer once. If you answer incorrectly, you receive zero points for the round.
What colour are all of the following?
Clue 1
Kerivoula picta, or the painted bat, a species of bat found in South-East Asia
10 points
Clue 2
One of the two common natural colours of flowers of Eschscholzia californica, or the California Poppy, with a particular tendency towards this colour in warmer southern populations
9 points
Clue 3
The gem known as imperial topaz
8 points
Clue 4
The colour of cheeses that have had annatto added during the production process
7 points
Clue 5
The ‘creamsicle’ uniforms of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFL team, so called due to their similarity to a brand of ice lolly
6 points
Clue 6
The 19th century Boer ‘free state’ that existed in present day South Africa
5 points
Clue 7
The predominant colour of traffic cones as outlined in Section 6K.03 of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices
4 points
Clue 8
The reigning house of The Netherlands
3 points
Clue 9
Garfield, the comic strip cat character drawn by Jim Davis
2 points
Clue 10
Orange juice
1 point