1
Who was forced to cancel Auckland concerts in January due to major flooding in the city?
a. Ed Sheeran b. Foo Fighters c. Elton John
c. Elton John - Elton John’s first concert was cancelled shortly before the show was due to start with 11,000 people already at the arena. The second Auckland show in his final tour was also cancelled. Auckland’s Mayor Wayne Brown was criticised over his response to the flooding and a inquiry was held that identified failings in multiple areas including the civil defence response.
This year India joined an elite club of countries who have achieved a soft landing on the moon. Which country is NOT part of the “club”?
a. United Kingdom b. China c. United States
a. United Kingdom - India’s Moon rover took its first steps on the lunar surface a day after the country made history by becoming the first to land near the Moon’s south pole. The US, the former Soviet Union and China have also had successful soft landings.
Which country is celebrating a major football victory in this image from Term 3?
a. Germany b. Belgium c. Spain
c. Spain - Spain defeated England 1-0 in the all-European final of the Fifa 2023 Women's World Cup.
Which shoe did Cinderella leave behind at the ball?
Her left shoe
A magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck in February claimed over 40,000 lives in Turkey and which other country?
a. Syria b. Afghanistan c. Iraq
a. Syria - The 7.8 magnitude earthquake broke along about 100km of fault line, causing serious damage to buildings near the fault. The quake was followed by numerous aftershocks - including one quake which was almost as large as the first.
Which country announced in May that it will ban the recreational use of vapes?
a. Japan b. United States c. Australia
c. Australia - Imports of non-prescription vapes will be blocked, and flavoured, scented or high nicotine cartridges will be restricted. Under new rules, vapes will only be sold in pharmacies and in "pharmaceutical-like" packaging.
What did the National Party say they would ban from schools if elected?
a. Cell phones b. School fees c. Unit standards
a. Cell phones - The Secondary Principals Association said the plan is unworkable and unnecessary. However, the UN recently released a report, stating that cell phones distracted students and had a negative impact on learning in the 14 countries studied as part of the report. The National, Act, NZ First coalition government has included the ban in its 100 day plan.
How long was Genie stuck in the lamp before Aladdin released him?
10 000 years
The Government declared a state of emergency in February during cyclone Gabrielle - only the third in New Zealand's history. Which two events led to the previous state of emergency declarations?
a. Cyclone Bola and the 2011 Christchurch earthquake b. 1931 Napier earthquake and Cyclone Bola c. 2011 Christchurch earthquake and the COVID-19 pandemic
c. 2011 Christchurch earthquake and the COVID-19 pandemic - When a National State of Emergency has been declared, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) manages the response to the situation.
Which Australian region withdrew from hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games in July?
a. Victoria b. Queensland c. New South Wales
a. Victoria - The Victorian government cancelled plans to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games due to financial issues. Premier Daniel Andrews said the $2.6 billion budget prediction was more likely to be $6-7 billion.
Last week, a dramatic rescue operation took place in the Himalayas. What was the successful outcome of this rescue effort?
a. Rescue of 6 climbers from the summit of Mt Everest b. Rescue of 23 school children and their teacher from a cave network c. Rescue of 41 miners trapped in a tunnel
c. Rescue of 41 miners trapped in a tunnel - Indian rescuers successfully extracted all 41 construction workers trapped for 17 days inside a collapsed tunnel in the Himalayas. The tunnel, located in Uttarakhand state, collapsed on November 12, and the workers were rescued on wheeled stretchers through a 90-centimetre steel pipe after a breakthrough in the debris.
There’s one Disney princess with a tattoo — who is it?
Pocahontas
Who won the New Zealander of the Year award for 2023?
a. A pair of twin musicians b. A Māori astronomer c. A former rugby player and mental health advocate
b. A Māori astronomer - 'The man behind Matariki', Professor Rangiānehu Mātāmua, was named 2023 New Zealander of the Year Te Pou Whakarae o Aotearoa.
A gathering of tens of thousands of teenagers from more than 100 countries, were evacuated from South Korea in August due to an approaching typhoon. Why were they there?
a. The Junior World Athletics Championships b. The Junior FIFA World Cup c. The World Scout Jamboree
c. The World Scout Jamboree - About 37,000 scouts from 156 countries were transported to eight different South Korean provinces. The World Scout Jamboree began on August 1 amid heatwave conditions and infrastructure and sanitation concerns. It's a worldwide youth camp held every four years, with the aim of cultural exchange and building incredible, life-long friendships
Why did a Miami Zoo apologised to New Zealanders earlier in the year?
a. They put three tuatara in an “Australian” enclosure b. They mistreated a kiwi bird that was living at the zoo c. They were meant to take two of our New Zealand fur seals but they had not finished their enclosure in time
b. They mistreated a kiwi bird that was living at the zoo - A US zoo apologised for mistreating a kiwi, after footage emerged of visitors patting the nocturnal bird under bright lights. Zoo Miami said it was "deeply sorry" about the incident and the encounter is no longer on offer. Pāora was hatched in Zoo Miami in 2019 as part of a breeding programme.
What is the color of Ariel's finn in The Little Mermaid?
Green
Changes introduced in May allow New Zealanders to apply for Australian citizenship if they have lived there for more than …?
a. 2 years b. 4 years c. 10 years
b. 4 years - New Zealanders who have lived in Australia for four years and meet the standard Australian citizenship criteria can now become Australian citizens — allowing them access to all the same services and benefits.
Why was China upset with Japan at the end of Term 3?
a. Japanese leaders met with Taiwan’s foreign minister b. In August Japan began releasing treated radioactive water into the ocean c. Japan banned the importation of Chinese made electronic goods into the country
b. Japan began releasing treated radioactive water into the ocean - China announced an immediate ban on all Japanese seafood imports. The water being released has been used to cool nuclear reactors in the tsunami damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant. The International Atomic Energy Agency has concluded that the impact the treated water would have on people and the environment was “negligible”.
The warlord who led a failed mutiny against Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, died in a plane crash in August. What is the name of the group he led?
a. Strauss Group b. Wagner Group c. Zimmer Group
b. Wagner Group - Yevgeny Prigozhin was aboard a plane that crashed north of Moscow, killing all 10 people on board. Joe Biden said he was not surprised by the news.
Who is the oldest Disney princess?
Cinderella