World History
Which European conflict, lasting from 1618 to 1648, began as a religious dispute but evolved into a major struggle for political power involving most of the continent? A) The Hundred Years’ War B) The Thirty Years’ War C) The Seven Years’ War
The Thirty Years’ War
Who formulated the three laws of planetary motion in the early 17th century, demonstrating that planets move in elliptical orbits around the sun? A) Galileo Galilei B) Johannes Kepler C) Nicolaus Copernicus
B) Johannes Kepler
Which Spanish novel, published in two parts in 1605 and 1615, is widely considered the first modern novel and features a delusional knight and his loyal squire? A) The Odyssey B) Don Quixote C) The Divine Comedy
B) Don Quixote
Which desert, stretching across northern Africa, is the largest hot desert in the world? A) The Gobi Desert B) The Sahara C) The Kalahari Desert
B) The Sahara
Which social media platform, launched in 2004 and originally designed for university students, is now one of the world’s largest social networks? A) Twitter (X) B) Facebook C) Instagram
B) Facebook
In 1789, which event is widely regarded as the symbolic start of the French Revolution when Parisians stormed a royal fortress and prison? A) The Tennis Court Oath B) The Storming of the Bastille C) The Execution of Louis XVI
B) The Storming of the Bastille
What is the name of the process by which plants convert light energy into chemical energy, releasing oxygen as a by-product? A) Respiration B) Photosynthesis C) Fermentation
B) Photosynthesis
Who painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican between 1508 and 1512, including the famous scene of God giving life to Adam? A) Leonardo da Vinci B) Raphael C) Michelangelo
C) Michelangelo
What is the name of the longest river in South America, famous for its immense volume of water and biodiversity? A) The Paraná River B) The Amazon River C) The Orinoco River
B) The Amazon River
Who directed the 1994 film Pulp Fiction, known for its non-linear narrative and sharp dialogue? A) Martin Scorsese B) Quentin Tarantino C) Steven Spielberg
B) Quentin Tarantino
Which Chinese dynasty, ruling from 1368 to 1644, is famous for restoring native rule after the Mongol Yuan dynasty and for constructing much of the Great Wall as we know it today? A) The Qing Dynasty B) The Tang Dynasty C) The Ming Dynasty
C) The Ming Dynasty
Which British scientist is credited with discovering the structure of DNA together with James Watson in 1953, although her critical X-ray diffraction work was initially under-recognised? A) Dorothy Hodgkin B) Rosalind Franklin C) Marie Curie
B) Rosalind Franklin
Which 20th-century Irish author wrote the groundbreaking modernist novel Ulysses, set entirely on a single day in Dublin in 1904? A) W.B. Yeats B) James Joyce C) Samuel Beckett
B) James Joyce
Which landlocked country in southern Africa is completely surrounded by South Africa and is known for its unique high-altitude geography? A) Eswatini B) Lesotho C) Botswana
B) Lesotho
Which international agreement, adopted in 2015, aims to limit global warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels? A) The Kyoto Protocol B) The Paris Agreement C) The Montreal Protocol
B) The Paris Agreement
What was the name of the secret British operation during World War II that successfully deceived the Germans about the location of the D-Day landings? A) Operation Overlord B) Operation Fortitude C) Operation Market Garden
B) Operation Fortitude
What fundamental force, first described mathematically by Isaac Newton and later refined by Einstein’s general relativity, governs the motion of planets and the falling of objects on Earth? A) Electromagnetism B) Gravity C) The strong nuclear force
B) Gravity
In classical music, what term describes a composition for a solo instrument accompanied by an orchestra, typically in three movements? A) A symphony B) A concerto C) A sonata
B) A concerto
What is the deepest known point in the Earth’s oceans, located in the Mariana Trench in the western Pacific? A) The Puerto Rico Trench B) Challenger Deep C) The Java Trench
B) Challenger Deep
What is the name of the Japanese animation style and industry that has become a major global cultural export, encompassing films, series, and manga adaptations? A) Manga B) Anime C) Kabuki
B) Anime
Which 19th-century African leader created a powerful centralized kingdom in southern Africa through military innovation and is often associated with the Mfecane?
A) Haile Selassie B) Shaka Zulu C) Kwame Nkrumah
B) Shaka Zulu
Which particle, predicted by the Standard Model and confirmed at CERN in 2012, is responsible for giving other particles mass? A) The photon B) The Higgs boson C) The neutrino
B) The Higgs boson
Which Japanese woodblock print series by Hokusai includes the iconic image of a great wave threatening boats off the coast of Kanagawa? A) One Hundred Famous Views of Edo B) Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji C) The Tale of Genji illustrations
B) Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji
Which tectonic plate boundary type is responsible for creating the Himalayas through the collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates? A) A divergent boundary B) A transform boundary C) A convergent (continental collision) boundary
C) A convergent (continental collision) boundary
Which South African leader spent 27 years in prison before becoming the country’s first Black president in 1994 and a global symbol of reconciliation? A) Desmond Tutu B) Nelson Mandela C) Thabo Mbeki
B) Nelson Mandela