“Furakha Dam” on Ganga river is disputed between:
- (A) India and China
- (B) Pakistan and India
- (C) India and Bangladesh
- (D) Burma and India
- (C) India and Bangladesh
India and Bangladesh mainly contend over the Farakka Barrage, located on the Ganges River. The barrage, situated in West Bengal, India, limits the flow of water into Bangladesh during dry periods, which has led to major disputes regarding water sharing, environmental issues, and agriculture.
Which artist is known for creating the famous painting “Night Watch”?
- (A) Vincent von Gogh
- (B) Pablo Picasso
- (C) Rembrandt van Rijn
- (D) Leonardo di Vinci
- (C) Rembrandt van Rijn
Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669) is the Dutch Baroque painter famous for his 1642 masterpiece, “The Night Watch” (Dutch: “De Nachtwacht”). This gigantic oil on canvas group portrait of a militia company is famous for its dramatic lighting effects (chiaroscuro) and dynamic composition. The painting is located in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
Which country consumes the most coal in the world?
- (A) Russia
- (B) United States
- (C) China
- (D) India
- (C) China
As a matter of fact, China takes the title of most prolific consumer of coal by a landslide, responsible for 56% or 58% of the global consumption of this potent energy source. The sheer size of its industrial market and power generation needs drives the demand for coal in China much higher than anywhere else in the world, with India and the United States coming in as the second and third biggest consumers of coal.
What is the largest living bird in the world?
- (A) Kiwi
- (B) Ostrich
- (C) Emu
- (D) Cassowary
- (B) Ostrich
The Common Ostrich (Struthio camelus) is the worlds’ biggest and heaviest bird. Their height can reach up to 9 feet (2.7 meters) with a maximum weight of 346 pounds (157 kg). Common Ostriches are flightless birds that originated from Africa. These flightless birds have the reputation for being one of the fastest land animals on the planet, running up to speeds of 43 mph (70 km/h).
ATM stands for:
- (A) Automatic Transfer Machine
- (B) Automatic Teller Machine
- (C) Automated Teller Machine
- (D) Automated Transfer Machine
- (C) Automated Teller Machine
An ATM, which is a shortcut for Automated Teller Machine, is an automatic, independent banking terminal that uses computer technology. It is basically designed to allow customers to perform all financial operations related to withdrawing money, depositing funds, checking balances, transferring funds, etc., without the interference of a bank teller.
Who was the first Muslim Nobel Prize winner?
- (A) Sheri Abadi
- (B) Anwar Sadat
- (C) Dr. Muhammad Younis
- (D) Yasser Arafat
- (B) Anwar Sadat
Egyptian president Anwar Sadat stands out as an early Muslim Nobel laureate. In 1978, he won a Nobel Peace Prize along with Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin for their achievement in the Camp David Accords. Sadat has been credited as the first Muslim Nobel laureate, winning the award in October 1978 for his efforts to achieve peace between Egypt and Israel.
What is meant by the word “Archipelago”?
- (A) Cluster of Islands
- (B) Rocks Under Sea
- (C) Cluster of Stars
- (D) Peak of Mountain
- (A) Cluster of Islands
An archipelago is a group of islands scattered over a body of water that is an ocean, sea, or lake. The world’s largest archipelago contains Indonesia and the Philippines.
“Helvetia” was the old name of which country?
- (A) Germany
- (B) Spain
- (C) Switzerland
- (D) Holland
- (C) Switzerland
“Helvetia” is the ancient Latin word for Switzerland, derived from the Helvetii, a Celtic tribe that used to inhabit the region. Nowadays, the name still appears as a female personification of the country, shows up on stamps and coins, and appears in the Latin name for the Swiss Confederation: Confoederatio Helvetica – CH.
Kigali is the capital city of which country?
- (A) Uganda
- (B) Rwanda
- (C) Guyana
- (D) Ethiopia
- (B) Rwanda
Kigali is the capital and largest city of Rwanda. Rwanda is a country in east-central Africa, known for its rolling hills and broad acupuncture grasslands, as well as its rapid development into a modern technology hub.
The title of “Father of Algebra” is frequently credited to:
- (A) Al-Khwarizmi
- (B) Zikriya Al-Razi
- (C) Jabar bin Hayyan
- (D) Ibn-e-Misri
- (A) Al-Khwarizmi
Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi is generally regarded as the “Father of Algebra.” This 9th-century Persian astronomer and mathematician laid out, in his Kitab al-Jabr wa-al-Muqabala book, probably the first systematic methods for solving linear and quadratic equations. The very word “algebra” comes from the title of this book. Some sources attribute the honor to the Greek scholar Diophantus, but al-Khwarizmi is generally considered to be the founder of algebra as an independent branch of mathematics.