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Christmas Quiz Results And Answers


Return to Weasel Spring 2009

"It is too difficult!" was the cry from many OCV members.

The Quiz Mistress realised that she had perhaps been too harsh by setting such a fiendishly difficult quiz at Christmas - a time of good will and relaxing in front of "Mary Poppins", not a time for scouring Google for all the species of bear in North America. Next year she promises not to be so mean!

However, there were a few brave and brainy OCV members who pitted their wits against the Christmas Quiz and we are proud to announce the winners:

First Place: Nathalie Marten

Runner Up: Chris Skepper

With commended entries from Monica Sheaf and Christopher Michaels.

The winners received their prizes out on a task at Pilch Fields in February and seemed very pleased to have their efforts rewarded!


Quiz Answers

Bears and other wintery animals

1.Name all the different types, species, sub-species and variants of North American bear that have been distinctly named (1 point for each).

Black, Brown, Grizzly, Polar, Kodiak, Spirit, Pizzly, Grolar, Teddy

However Nathalie found an amazing number of species and sub-species including the Cinnamon bear (Ursus americanus cinnamomum) and Kermode bear (Ursus americanus kermodei).

2.If there were penguins in the Arctic, why would the polar bears not eat them?

Because they couldn’t take the wrappers off

OK this was a silly question, but Chris Skepper came up with better and more plausible sounding answer: "Polar bear biology is specialised to require large amounts of fat from marine mammals, and it cannot derive sufficient calorific intake from terrestrial food such as penguins."

3.Winnie the Pooh was named after a real bear called Winnie.

Did Winnie come from: (a) Lima (b) London (c) Winnipeg (d) none of these

(d) none of these (came from Ontario)

4.By how many times, approximately, does the mass of the biggest moose exceed that of the smallest mouse:

(a) 1,000 (b) 10,000 (c) 100,000 (d) 1,000,000 (e) 10,000,000

(c) 100,000 (1200kg / 7g)

5.Since the 1960s until today has the population of polar bears approximately:

(a) decreased by 25 % (b) decreased by 50% (c) increased by 25% (d) increased by 50% (e) increased by over 50% (f) stayed the same

(e) increased by over 50% (12,000 to 25,000)

Christmas conservation

6.What colour coat did Father Christmas originally wear?

Green

7.Why is Rudolph an inappropriate name for Santa’s red-nosed reindeer?

Male reindeer shed their antlers before Christmas and we always see Santa's reindeer with antlers on Christmas cards etc, suggesting they are female.

Monica was the only one who got this right but Chris S, Chris M and Nathalie all came up with a good alternative: "The name Rudolph comes from the old German 'Ruod-wolf' meaning Famous Wolf."

8.When were the first electric Christmas tree lights used?

(a) 1878 (b) 1882 (c) 1903 (d) 1907

(b) 1882

And a bonus point each for the inventor and the colours of the lights

Edward Johnson, red, white and blue

9.What country did the popular Christmas plant the Poinsettia originate from?

(a) Brazil (b) Spain (c) Mexico (d) The USA

(c) Mexico

10. Approximately how many square km of wrapping paper do we use over Christmas in the UK?

(a) 110 km2 (b) 83 km2 (c) 67 km2 (d) 44 km2

(b) 83 km2

Geography

11.Give as many countries as you can with names that are only 4 letters long:

Iran, Iraq, Chad, Peru, Togo, Laos, Mali, Cuba, Fiji, Oman, Eire, Guam

12.If more pine trees were grown in Canada, would this:

(a) Increase global warming (b) Decrease global warming (c) Make no difference to global warming

(a) Increase global warming – because the pine trees would cover over the expanses of snow and ice which effectively reflect the suns rays and the extra heat from the sun which would then be absorbed in the winter would be greater than the compensatory effects of the extra co2 absorbed.

13.Name the five cities in the world that, based on population growth projections, will have the largest populations by 2025.

Tokyo, Mumbai, Delhi, Sao Paulo, Dhaka

14.Name the state of the USA that is furthest North. The state that is furthest South. The state that is furthest East, and the state that is furthest West.

Alaska, Hawaii, Alaska, Alaska

Alaska crosses the 180 meridian so it is both the furthest west and the furthest east.

15.Christmas Island is famous for an annual mass migration of which animal?

Crabs

Celebrity conservation

16. What conservation charity does "Top Gear" presenter Jeremy Clarkson support?

RSPB

17. Which "Star Wars" actor is a prominent member of Conservation International?

Harrison Ford

18. Which well-known Oxford resident has campaigned against housing developments in Cumnor Hill and the closing of the Castle Mill boat yard?

Philip Pullman

19. Which rare birds did Prince Harry allegedly shoot according to a Natural England warder?

Hen Harriers

20.Which celebrity revealed on a US chat show that they don't use deodorant in order to protect the environment?

Julia Roberts

The UK

21.Which British warbler does not migrate?

Dartford

22.Identify the man-made entity in the United Kingdom that was stated in the House of Commons as being visible from the moon.

Tunstead Quarry (Hansard 23rd April, 2001)

23.Name the two counties in the United Kingdom that are currently both known as the smallest county in England but at different times – and explain why and when they are the smallest.

Isle of Wight (at low tide), Rutland (at high tide)

24.Which is the only species of bird that is found exclusively in the UK and nowhere else?

Scottish Crossbill

25.What type of livestock can't be confined with flat-barred cattle grids? Name two species of this livestock that are particularly adept at negotiating this type of cattle grid (3 points).

Sheep: Welsh Sheep, Polled Dorsets

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