Iran
What is the name of the ancient Persian festival celebrating the beginning of spring and the Persian New Year?
Norooz
What was the capital of Kazakhstan immediately before Astana became the capital in 1997?
Almaty
What American city is widely considered the birthplace of jazz?
New Orleans, Lousiana
Which city in Turkey is famously located on two continents?
Istanbul
Which composer continued to compose major works despite becoming profoundly deaf?
Ludwig van Beethoven
Persian belongs to which major language family?
Indo-European
Which large body of water forms part of Kazakhstan's western border?
Caspian Sea
What is the most widely spoken language in the United States after English?
Spanish
Switzerland has four national languages. Can you name all four?
German, French, Italian, and Romansh
What does the abbreviation HTTP stand for?
Hypertext Transfer Protocol
What was the ancient ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire whose ruins are located near modern-day Shiraz?
Persepolis
What is the name of the traditional Kazakh dwelling designed for the nomadic lifestyle of the Eurasian steppe?
Yurt
What was the name of the NASA mission that first landed humans on the Moon?
Apollo 11
What is the name of the traditional Korean fermented vegetable dish that is so culturally important that the communal practice of making it has been recognized by UNESCO?
Kimchi
Which famous artist painted The Persistence of Memory, known for its melting clocks?
Salvador Dali
What is the name of the crispy layer of rice traditionally formed at the bottom of the pot in Persian cooking?
Tahdig
What is the name of the famous space-launch facility in Kazakhstan from which Yuri Gagarin was launched into space in 1961?
Baikonur Cosmodrome
Which U.S. state has the longest coastline?
Alaska
According to traditional Italian coffee culture, which popular coffee drink is generally considered a morning drink and is less commonly ordered by Italians after a meal?
Cappuccino
What is the only letter of the English alphabet that does not appear in the name of any U.S. state?
Q
Which two other major languages spoken in Iran belong to the Turkic language family?
Azerbaijani and Turkmen
Which famous medieval philosopher, sometimes called the "Second Teacher" after Aristotle, was born in Farab, in present-day Kazakhstan?
Al-Farabi
If both the President and Vice President can no longer serve, which official is next in the presidential line of succession?
Speaker of the House of Representatives
In traditional Japanese etiquette, why is it considered inappropriate to stick your chopsticks vertically into a bowl of rice?
Because it resembles a funeral ritual in which a bowl of rice with upright chopsticks is associated with offerings to the deceased.
You have three switches downstairs and one light bulb upstairs. Only one switch controls the bulb. You may manipulate the switches however you like, but you can go upstairs only once. How can you determine which switch controls the bulb?
Turn on Switch 1 for several minutes, then turn it off. Turn on Switch 2 and go upstairs. If the bulb is on, Switch 2 controls it. If it's off but warm, Switch 1 controls it. If it's off and cold, Switch 3 controls it.