Quizzes & Puzzles 18
Some new problems with which to exercise the brain. But first a look at answers and solutions to Quizzes & Puzzles 17. New problems below the image (cartoon).
The quizzes of “Quizzes & Puzzles 17”, were all in some way related to trains & railways – a common denominator leading us away from the trains themselves and into literature and music.
Answer to Quiz 17:1
In which country was the steam locomotive first introduced?
In 1802, Richard Trevithick introduced the Coalbrookdale Locomotive in the United Kingdom.
Answer to Quiz 17:2
Future trains may very well use magnetic levitation instead of wheels on rails. Currently, there is only one such train-link in the world carrying passengers, it also happens to be the world's fastest train. In which country can you find that train?
It is the Shanghai Maglev in China. The second magnetic levitation train carrying passengers might very well be the line Tokyo-Nagoya in Japan. It is scheduled to open in 2027. So far, however, Shanghai Maglev is the only one.
@SocialSatoshi gave the right answers to Quiz 1 & 2: United Kingdom & China.
Answer to Quiz 17:3
A famous Russian author died in a railway station. The main character of one of his most famous novels also had a death associated with trains.
Who was the author, it's one of the greatest novelists of all times, and who was the main character of this novel?
The author was Leo Tolstoy, who died on the 20th November 1910 at Astapovo railway station.
The main character, Anna Karenina, in the novel with the same name (published in 1878), committed suicide by throwing herself in front of an approaching train.
Answer to Quiz 17:4
Trains play a central role in several of Agatha Christie's books. I ask for the title of one of them, in which the bad main character goes under an alias, which is also a noble title. What is the name of this murder story?
The story is The Mystery of the Blue Train. The character I referred to was called "Le Marquis".
"Marquis" is a French noble title in rank above that of a "comte" and below that of a "Duc". Similarly in England: a Marquess is a noble in rank above an Earl (Count) and below a Duke.
When it comes to murder mysteries, Agatha Christie is a major classic; at her best moments, she is really good. In her huge production, however, quality is uneven. “The Mystery of the Blue Train” does not belong to her best books – not even her best books with relation to trains. Two other books where trains play major roles, “Murder on the Orient Express“ and “4:50 from Paddington“ are much better.
Answer to Quiz 17:5
In pop/rock music, synthesizers were gradually introduced during the 1970s. A German band, pioneers with their synthesizer-based music and machine-like style, made a song (in 1977) about a railway service, whose name is also the title of the song. Which band was it, and what is the name of the song?
The band is Kraftwerk, originally from Düsseldorf. They have had a monumental influence on subsequent music.
The song I asked for is Trans-Europe Express, which is the title track of Kraftwerk's sixth album.
Trans-Europe Express was a real railway network in Europe 1957-1995. It covered a large part of western and central Europe.
Answer to Quiz 17:6
In 1976, a famous English musician, one of the greatest rock artists of his era, released an album with a title indicating a train journey. The tile of this album (and title track) is mentioned in the lyrics to the song I asked for in the previous question. Who was the musician and what's the album called?
The rock artist is, of course, David Bowie, and the album and song is “Station to Station”. The title doesn't necessarily refer to railway stations; indeed, according to Bowie himself, everything in the lyrics of this song refers to the Kabbalah. However, the sounds of the intro imply a train, so it is impossible not to get that association. I think that was intentional by Bowie, even if there can be double or triple meanings of the phrase. Bowie was addicted to heavy drugs at the time, and he was deeply into occultism, it is not always possible to follow his thoughts rationally.
The first lines of the third verse of Trans-Europe Express refer to Bowie and his song:
“From station to station
Back to Dusseldorf City
Meet Iggy Pop and David Bowie”
And now some new exercises for brain & memory...
Quiz 18:1
What are the local names of the following countries:
Hungary?
Bhutan?
Finland?
Japan?
Quiz 18:2
E=mc^2
This must be the world's most famous equation. But what is it and what does it mean?
Quiz 18:3
Who was the Sultan who was the legendary opponent of Richard Cœur-de-Lion (Richard Lionheart). This Sultan founded a de facto Empire, covering Egypt, Syria, Mesopotamia and Yemen.
His name please?
Quiz 18:4
You have all heard about the famous Templars – the most famous knights in Christendom. Sometimes one can see the popular name of their order misspelt. So, how should it be, where should it be “s”? Of the expressions below, only one is correct; which one?
The Knight Templars
The Knights Templars
The Knights Templar
Quiz 18:5
Where can we find “solar plexus”?
Quiz 18:6
If you eat green potatoes, you risk to be poisoned, which in extreme cases can lead to death. What is the poison present in green potatoes called?
You'll find answers and solutions in the next “Quizzes & Puzzles”.
Quizzes & Puzzles has its own label in my Index, where all issues of the series can be found.
In my INDEX, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.
Copyright © 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved
(Cartoon by Christian Dorn/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain.)
from beginning to end the story is about trains and one of the most valuable things when there is a sophisticated train that will be published in Japan. The history that has been published in this article has added to my knowledge.