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Big World
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100
Do you know a lot about inventions? Well, then you shouldn't get struck on this question. In 1955, George de Mestral invented a fastener that is often used in place of shoelaces. What is it called?
What is Velcro (p. 112)
100
Long before there was "The World Almanac for Kids", Benjamin Franklin published "Poor Richard's Almanack". The Almanack introduced many now-famous sayings, such as "Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise." In what year did Franklin first publish "Poor Richard's Almanack"?
What is 1732? (p. 280)
100
Now you're in hot water: The boiling point of water is how many degrees Fahrenheit hotter than normal room temperature?
What is 144 degrees Fahrenheit [212-68]? (p. 315)
100
There's no denying that Denali National Park in Alaska is huge. The park is almost as big as the state of Massachusetts. It is also homje to the tallest mountain in North America. What is the name of that peak?
What is Mount McKinley? (p. 255)
100
Quiet down! Court is now in session. The U.S. Supreme Court is the highest court in the land. The Chief Justice presides over the meetings with the eight other justices on the Court. In the Court's 2009-2010 term, who was the Chief Justice?
Who is John Roberts? (p. 263)
200
Poor Pluto. In 2006, it lost its status as a planet and was classified as a dwarf planet. Like the three other dwarf planets with orbits beyond Neptune's - Eris, Haumea, and Makemake - Pluto is also classified as what?
What is a plutoid (p. 213)
200
The United States entered World War II after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in December 1941. Who was the U.S. president at the time?
Who is Franklin Delano Roosevelt? (p. 274)
200
We cannot tell a lie: George Washington was the first president (of course). How many years after he became president in 1789 did Washington, D.C., become the U.S. capital?
What is 11 years [1800 - 1789]? (pp. 282, 309)
200
Henry Hudson, the English explorer, certainly left his mark on North America. He sailed from Holland and explored what are now known as the Hudson River, Hudson Bay, and Hudson Strait. When did he do his exploring?
What is 1609-1610? (p. 94)
200
Dogs are said to be loyal companions, many people fancy cats, and others favor fish. Which type of animal is the most popular pet in the United States?
What is Freshwater fish? (p. 28)
300
A tropical rain forest has four main layers. The forest floor is at the bottom, of course. But what's the name of the top layer, which is made up of the tops of the very tallest trees?
What is the emergent layer (p.78)
300
The fashion designer was once a Beatle baby. She never uses fur or leather in her stallar designs, whether they're high-end gowns for celebrities or more-affordable fashions for retail chains. Who is she?
Who is Stella McCartney? (p. 88)
300
Knowing what certain number prefixes stand for can help you understand the meaning of words. So if you know that Jim Thorpe won gold medals in the pentathlon and the decathlon at the 1912 Olympics, you should also know that he competed in how many total events?
What is 15 [The pentathlon has 5 events, and the decathlon has 10]. (p. 182)
300
You may find a lot of faults in the answer to this question about Earth's structure. What is the name of our planet's rocky outer layer, which is kind of like a cracked eggshell?
What is the lithosphere? (pp. 68, 98)
300
Sure, we all love to get dollar bills, but did you ever stop to really study one? Every dollar bill has two signatures on it. One belongs to the Treasurer of the United States. What other person's signature is on every dollar bill?
What is the Secretary of the Treasury? (p. 126)
400
Take a deep breath before answering this question: What element makes up 47 percent of Earth's crust and 21 percent of its atmosphere?
What is oxygen (p. 202)
400
Who says photography isn't art? During the Great Depression, photographer Dorothea Lange traveled to poor areas across the United States. Her famous photograph "Migrant Mother" captures the worry and pain on a poor mother's face. In what year did Lange take that photo?
What is 1936? (p. 35)
400
How many woodwinds would an orchestra wield if woodwinds were all there were? That is, if you counted all the woodwind instruments in the orchestra shown in the Music section of the World Almanac for Kids - the clarinets, flutes, oboes, piccolos, and bassoons - how many instruments would you have?
What is 15 [4 clarinets, 4 bassoons, 3 oboes, 3 flutes, and 1 piccolo]
400
Algeria is a huge country in North Africa. Algiers, the nation's capital, is located on the Mediterranean Sea. Use a map to find another major Algerian city on the Mediterranean that begins with the letter A.
What is Annaba (p. 150)
400
Benjamin Harrison might have wondered whether he was coming or goimg. He is the only U.S. president to replace and be replaced in office by the same person. Who was president both before and after Harrison?
Who is Grover Cleveland? (p. 273)
500
There are five categories used to measure the strength of a hurricane. A category 5 hurricane has wind speeds of over 155 miles per hour. But what is the wind speed a storm must reach before it is called a hurricane?
What is 74 miles per hour? (p. 66)
500
Repeat, three-peat, four-peat...five-peat? Which athlete won his fifth straight gold medal in snowboard X at the 2010 Winter X Games?
Who is Nate Holland? (p. 241)
500
Canadian athletes had the golden touch at the 2010 Winter Olympics. Canada set a Winter Olypic record for most gold medals won by a single country. Divide the number of Canada's gold medals by the total number of medals won at the 2010 Olympics. Express the answer as a fraction reduced to its lowest terms.
What is 7/13 [14 gold medals divided by 26 total medals = 14/26 = 7/13]. (p. 223)
500
Order in the court! The International Court of Justice, also known as the World Court of the United Nations, settles disputes between countries. Each of its 15 judges is selected from a different country. But where exactly does the World Court meet?
What is Hague, Netherlands? (p. 139)
500
This building in Jerusalem stands on a rock that is sacred to both Muslims and Jews. It is the oldest Islamic monument in the world. What is this building called?
What is the Dome of the Rock? (p. 53)