Prelims

25 Questions : 30 points Questions 11-20 are starred and will resolve ties if any. Questions 21-25 are two-pointers. If tie persists even after counting the starred ones, we

will have a sudden death from 25 to 1. Top 8 teams to the finals. Please keep your gadgets away. All the best.

Cochin Minerals and X Limited is a publicly listed chemicalscompany based in Aluva and was founded in 1989 by Dr.S.N. Sasidharan Kartha and Mathew M. Cherian withassistance from KSIDC. It is the only listed Indian entity inthe synthetic X space.

X is a mineral composed primarily of titanium dioxide(TiO2)and has among the highest refractive indices of any knowncrystal, making it suitable for the manufacture of manyoptical elements. It derives its name from a Latin word forred.

Identify X.

1

In his recent budget speech, FM Thomas Isaac made amplereferences to litterateur MT Vasudevan Nair’s works.

The cover page of the budget featured a painting titled HillWomen-1935.

Whose painting is this? Image follows

2

2

Henry Piddington was an English captain who sailed toEast India and China and later settled in Bengal where heworked as a curator of a geological museum. He haspublished many scientific papers on geology, botany,mineralogy, and meteorology in India.

Which word did he coin in 1848, meaning the coil of asnake?

3

4

Jack R Gannon’s book Deaf Heritage dates the origin ofthis sign to 1905. However, resident students of deafschools from the early 20th century do not recall seeingthe sign anywhere until the 1970s.

It got significant media exposure with Richard Dawson’suse of the sign for signing off from an episode of FamilyFeud. During his inauguration parade, Jimmy Carter usedthe sign to greet the deaf people who were assembled atthe sidewalk.

Which sign are we talking about?

Oniomania, also called Compulsive ______ Disorder is anobsession that causes adverse consequences. It is usuallycomorbid with anxiety, eating disorders and substanceabuse. It seems to represent a search for self in peoplewhose identity is neither firmly felt nor dependable, as itindicates the way this action often provides social orpersonal identity-markers. Those with associated disorderssuch as anxiety, depression and poor impulse control areparticularly likely to be attempting to treat symptoms oflow self-esteem through it.

So, what is people with Oniomania obsessed with?

5

6

This word is a portmanteau of two old Norse words thosemeaning house and occupy thus invoking the idea of ahouse occupier.

Which word?

7

Since the inception of modern Olympic games, only fivesports have been contested at every summer Olympics.They are:

1. Athletics2. Cycling3. Gymnastics4. Swimming

Which is the fifth sport?

This is Chakyathu Veedu, a house near MG Road,Kochi. What was the 1986 claim to fame of this house?

8

In 1984, singers Bod Geldof and Midge Ure formed a groupfeaturing mainly British and Irish singers aimed at raisingmoney for the anti-famine efforts at Ethiopia. In order toraise funds for the cause, they released the song Do TheyKnow It’sChristmas? which proved successful.

What was the name of the group, which alluded to theirmusical background and also had a medical connotation?

9

In 1902, Edward VII came down with appendicitis two daysbefore his scheduled coronation. The surgeons consulted Xbefore the surgery and followed his instructions to theletter. The survived king later told him: “ I know that if ithad not been for you and your work, I wouldn’t be sittinghere today.”

Whom did he tell this?

10

Jackson Pollock was an American abstract expressionistpainter known for his unique style of drip painting. Insteadof painting on an upright canvas, he laid the canvas on thefloor and dripped or poured the paint into it.

In 1956, an article in the TIME magazine described himwith a nickname that punned the name of another personwho is thought to have committed the acts for which weremember him even today, in the late 19th century.

What did TIME call Pollock?

11

Charles Thomas _____ was a19th century English dentistnotable for his advances inthe field of denture making.

What medical device in newsis named after him?

12

Legend has it that when Krishna went to the village ofBarsana and teased Radha and her friends playfully, thewomen of the village chased him away. Commemoratingthis, during every Holi, men from the village of Nandgaoncome to Barsana, only to be greeted with sticks by theladies. The ladies enthusiastically hurl sticks at the menwho try to shield themselves as much as they can. Theunlucky ones are captured by the enthusiastic women whothen, make the men wear female clothing and dance inpublic.

What is this celebration called?

13

Along with his wife, he cofounded Lotus Club in 1931 whichis said to be the first inter-racial club in the state. Baringthe prevailing social stigma, they opened the club topeople of all races and genders, doing full justice to itsobjective of being "a club where men, women and childrenof all communities would have the opportunity of meetingtogether and cultivating mutual acquaintance andpromoting good fellowship.“

Who was this, who was also involved in the maintenanceof Suez Canal?

14

He served as the leading electoral strategist for the USDemocratic party for more than two decades. In 1952, hewas appointed by JFK as the director of his campaign forthe election to US Senate from Massachusetts. In 1958,he was made the director of JFK’s presidential campaign.He served as the Postmaster General in the cabinet ofLyndon. B. Johnson.

What is his sporting connection?

15

Sheikh Chilli was a Qadriyya Sufi master of Dara Shikoh,famous as a character among children notorious for hisfollies and simplicity.

In his tales, there is a bigmouth who got his name from astory in which he scared away thieves as he was squattingflies. As he counted the dead, the thieves got so afraidand surrendered.

Name this character.

16

17

This country’s name is a combination of the two erstwhilestates that were unified to create it.

One of them translates to ‘sail in the wilderness’ in regionallanguage and is also a reference to a geographical featurewhich is the second largest of its kind in the world.

Which country?

18

Paul Krugman, the famous economist is also a lover of catsand literature. He has named one of his cats after a famousNobel laureate in literature.

In 1982, this author published two novels under the literarypseudonym Jane Somers to show the difficulty faced bynew authors in trying to get their work printed.

Identify the author.

19

He was voted by Gentleman Magazine as one of “50 menyou want to know better” and by Outlook as one of eightpeople who have changed the way their profession isperceived.

In 1992, he was rated as the possessor of the “sexiestvoice on radio” in Australia.

Who?

20

He was a friend and agent to the director of the movie andwas also instrumental in securing rights for the film. Hedied of AIDS before its release and hence, the movie wasdedicated to him. Which movie?

a) Which country’s passport?b) Which country’s name is blanked out?

21

In 1855, after finishing a scholarly, well researched andillustrated edition of Ain-i-Akbari to his satisfaction, Xapproached Y to write a laudatory foreword to it. Contraryto his belief that Y would appreciate his work, what he gotas a foreword was a Persian poem which criticized Ain-i-Akbari and the Mughal culture, implying that the book hadlittle value even as an antique document. Y also practicallyreprimanded X for wasting his time on dead things.Further, he praised the ‘sahibs of England’ for their work inIndia.

Identify X and Y.

22

Francis Barraud was an English painter. He bought a raremodel of phonograph, electrically driven and housed in adistinctive round-cornered case, known as the Edison-BellCommercial Phonograph produced by Edison’s factoryexclusively for the British market.

X was a mixed-breed dog owned by Barraud after thedeath of his brother Mark. Three years after the death ofthe dog, Barraud created a painting incorporating thephonograph and the painting.

Name the painting and the dog.

23

L’oevre is the fourteenth novel in the Rougon-Macquartseries by X. Literally translated as “The Work” (as in thework of art), it depicts the struggles of the protagonistClaude Lantier to paint a great work depicting his talentand genius. The novel is a fictional account of the author’sfriendship with Y and a fairly accurate portrayal the artworld of Paris in the mid 19th century. The book is oftenblamed for ending the relationship between X and Y.

Identify both.

24

Only some of the gold diggers (about 4 out of 1000) werefortunate enough to find gold during the California goldrush and this was often referred to as a _____ ______. In1871, the founder of a cigarette brand chose thisexpression as their product’s name, hinting that theconsumers who select this brand was fortunate as theywere choosing a top quality brand.

Which brand? Which famous advocate of equal rights, alsohaving an achievement to her claim to fame, do you seeendorsing the brand in the following image?

25

25

Cochin Minerals and X Limited is a publicly listed chemicalscompany based in Aluva and was founded in 1989 by Dr.S.N. Sasidharan Kartha and Mathew M. Cherian withassistance from KSIDC. It is the only listed Indian entity inthe synthetic X space.

X is a mineral composed primarily of titanium dioxide(TiO2)and has among the highest refractive indices of any knowncrystal, making it suitable for the manufacture of manyoptical elements. It derives its name from a Latin word forred.

Identify X.

1

Rutile1

In his recent budget speech, FM Thomas Isaac made amplereferences to litterateur MT Vasudevan Nair’s works.

The cover page of the budget featured a painting titled HillWomen-1935.

Whose painting is this? Image follows

2

2

Amrita Shergil2

Henry Piddington was an English captain who sailed toEast India and China and later settled in Bengal where heworked as a curator of a geological museum. He haspublished many scientific papers on geology, botany,mineralogy, and meteorology in India.

Which word did he coin in 1848, meaning the coil of asnake?

3

Cyclone3

4

Jack R Gannon’s book Deaf Heritage dates the origin ofthis sign to 1905. However, resident students of deafschools from the early 20th century do not recall seeingthe sign anywhere until the 1970s.

It got significant media exposure with Richard Dawson’suse of the sign for signing off from an episode of FamilyFeud. During his inauguration parade, Jimmy Carter usedthe sign to greet the deaf people who were assembled atthe sidewalk.

Which sign are we talking about?

4

Oniomania, also called Compulsive ______ Disorder is anobsession that causes adverse consequences. It is usuallycomorbid with anxiety, eating disorders and substanceabuse. It seems to represent a search for self in peoplewhose identity is neither firmly felt nor dependable, as itindicates the way this action often provides social orpersonal identity-markers. Those with associated disorderssuch as anxiety, depression and poor impulse control areparticularly likely to be attempting to treat symptoms oflow self-esteem through it.

So, what is people with Oniomania obsessed with?

5

Shopping5

6

This word is a portmanteau of two old Norse words thosemeaning house and occupy thus invoking the idea of ahouse occupier.

Which word?

6

Husband

7

Since the inception of modern Olympic games, only fivesports have been contested at every summer Olympics.They are:

1. Athletics2. Cycling3. Gymnastics4. Swimming

Which is the fifth sport?

Fencing7

This is Chakyathu Veedu, a house near MG Road,Kochi. What was the 1986 claim to fame of this house?

8

In 1984, singers Bod Geldof and Midge Ure formed a groupfeaturing mainly British and Irish singers aimed at raisingmoney for the anti-famine efforts at Ethiopia. In order toraise funds for the cause, they released the song Do TheyKnow It’sChristmas? which proved successful.

What was the name of the group, which alluded to theirmusical background and also had a medical connotation?

9

Band Aid9

In 1902, Edward VII came down with appendicitis two daysbefore his scheduled coronation. The surgeons consulted Xbefore the surgery and followed his instructions to theletter. The survived king later told him: “ I know that if ithad not been for you and your work, I wouldn’t be sittinghere today.”

Whom did he tell this?

10

Joseph Lister10

Jackson Pollock was an American abstract expressionistpainter known for his unique style of drip painting. Insteadof painting on an upright canvas, he laid the canvas on thefloor and dripped or poured the paint into it.

In 1956, an article in the TIME magazine described himwith a nickname that punned the name of another personwho is thought to have committed the acts for which weremember him even today, in the late 19th century.

What did TIME call Pollock?

11

Jack the Dripper11

Charles Thomas _____ was a19th century English dentistnotable for his advances inthe field of denture making.

What medical device in newsis named after him?

12

Stent12

Legend has it that when Krishna went to the village ofBarsana and teased Radha and her friends playfully, thewomen of the village chased him away. Commemoratingthis, during every Holi, men from the village of Nandgaoncome to Barsana, only to be greeted with sticks by theladies. The ladies enthusiastically hurl sticks at the menwho try to shield themselves as much as they can. Theunlucky ones are captured by the enthusiastic women whothen, make the men wear female clothing and dance inpublic.

What is this celebration called?

13

Lath Mar Holi13

Along with his wife, he cofounded Lotus Club in 1931 whichis said to be the first inter-racial club in the state. Baringthe prevailing social stigma, they opened the club topeople of all races and genders, doing full justice to itsobjective of being "a club where men, women and childrenof all communities would have the opportunity of meetingtogether and cultivating mutual acquaintance andpromoting good fellowship.“

Who was this, who was also involved in the maintenanceof Suez Canal?

14

Robert Bristow14

He served as the leading electoral strategist for the USDemocratic party for more than two decades. In 1952, hewas appointed by JFK as the director of his campaign forthe election to US Senate from Massachusetts. In 1958,he was made the director of JFK’s presidential campaign.He served as the Postmaster General in the cabinet ofLyndon. B. Johnson.

What is his sporting connection?

15

Larry O’Brien Trophy(given to NBA Winners)

15

Sheikh Chilli was a Qadriyya Sufi master of Dara Shikoh,famous as a character among children notorious for hisfollies and simplicity.

In his tales, there is a bigmouth who got his name from astory in which he scared away thieves as he was squattingflies. As he counted the dead, the thieves got so afraidand surrendered.

Name this character.

16

16

17

This country’s name is a combination of the two erstwhilestates that were unified to create it.

One of them translates to ‘sail in the wilderness’ in regionallanguage and is also a reference to a geographical featurewhich is the second largest of its kind in the world.

Which country?

17Tanzania

(Tanganyika and Zanzibar)

18

Paul Krugman, the famous economist is also a lover of catsand literature. He has named one of his cats after a famousNobel laureate in literature.

In 1982, this author published two novels under the literarypseudonym Jane Somers to show the difficulty faced bynew authors in trying to get their work printed.

Identify the author.

18 Doris Lessing

19

He was voted by Gentleman Magazine as one of “50 menyou want to know better” and by Outlook as one of eightpeople who have changed the way their profession isperceived.

In 1992, he was rated as the possessor of the “sexiestvoice on radio” in Australia.

Who?

19 Harsha Bhogle

20

He was a friend and agent to the director of the movie andwas also instrumental in securing rights for the film. Hedied of AIDS before its release and hence, the movie wasdedicated to him. Which movie?

20

a) Which country’s passport?b) Which country’s name is blanked out?

21

Pakistan (1 point)Israel (1 point)

21

In 1855, after finishing a scholarly, well researched andillustrated edition of Ain-i-Akbari to his satisfaction, Xapproached Y to write a laudatory foreword to it. Contraryto his belief that Y would appreciate his work, what he gotas a foreword was a Persian poem which criticized Ain-i-Akbari and the Mughal culture, implying that the book hadlittle value even as an antique document. Y also practicallyreprimanded X for wasting his time on dead things.Further, he praised the ‘sahibs of England’ for their work inIndia.

Identify X and Y.

22

X – Sir Syed Ahmed Khan (1 point)Y – Mirza Ghalib (1 point)

Francis Barraud was an English painter. He bought a raremodel of phonograph, electrically driven and housed in adistinctive round-cornered case, known as the Edison-BellCommercial Phonograph produced by Edison’s factoryexclusively for the British market.

X was a mixed-breed dog owned by Barraud after thedeath of his brother Mark. Three years after the death ofthe dog, Barraud created a painting incorporating thephonograph and the painting.

Name the painting and the dog.

23

His Master’s Voice (1 point)Nipper (1 point)

23

L’oevre is the fourteenth novel in the Rougon-Macquartseries by X. Literally translated as “The Work” (as in thework of art), it depicts the struggles of the protagonistClaude Lantier to paint a great work depicting his talentand genius. The novel is a fictional account of the author’sfriendship with Y and a fairly accurate portrayal the artworld of Paris in the mid 19th century. The book is oftenblamed for ending the relationship between X and Y.

Identify both.

24

X – Emile ZolaY – Paul Cezanne

24

Only some of the gold diggers (about 4 out of 1000) werefortunate enough to find gold during the California goldrush and this was often referred to as a _____ ______. In1871, the founder of a cigarette brand chose thisexpression as their product’s name, hinting that theconsumers who select this brand was fortunate as theywere choosing a top quality brand.

Which brand? Which famous advocate of equal rights, alsohaving an achievement to her claim to fame, do you seeendorsing the brand in the following image?

25

25

Lucky Strike (1 Point)Amelia Earhart (1 Point)

25