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President Pratibha Patil presenting Padma Award to Arcelor Mittal CEO Lakshmi Niwas Mittal at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on SaturdayNews Quiz (12.5.2008)
1. An aide to Hillary Clinton said the race for the Democratic nomination would be over by:1This week2June(correct answer)3The Democratic convention in August4It is already over
2. What did Myanmar's junta ask the rescue team from Qatar to do?1Distribute food in the delta regions hardest hit by the cyclone2Help rebuild homes3Help organize other aid flights4Turn back
3. Goldman Sachs said a "super-spike" in the next two years could lift the cost of oil to:1$1502$200(correct answer)3$5004$800
4. What did President Bush have built for his daughter Jenna's wedding?An altar made of limestone
5. Fewer than half of Americans can recognize the five warning signs of a stroke, the CDC said. Which of the following is not a warning sign:Sudden bitter taste in mouth
6. "Grand Theft Auto 4" was one of the most lucrative entertainment launches in history. What were its global sales for the first week?1$1 million2$50 million3$500 million(correct answer)4$1 billion
7. Drinks maker Dr Pepper Snapple Group began trading in New York this week. Dr Pepper demerged from which company?1Pepsi Co2Coca-Cola3Wrigley's4Cadbury Schweppes(correct answer)
8. Which of the following celebrity couples is still together?1Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson(correct answer)2Liv Tyler and Royston Langdon3Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams4Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee
9. A poll ahead of Mother's Day found that Americans' favorite TV mom was:1June Cleaver, from "Leave it to Beaver"(correct answer)2Peg Bundy, from "Married with Children"3Claire Huxtable, from "The Cosby Show"4Lucy Ricardo, from "I Love Lucy"
10. Canadian coffee chain Tim Hortons fired a single mother this week for:1Losing a band-aid in a tuna sandwich2Taking her cat to work3Giving a 16-cent donut to an agitated toddler(correct answer)4Stealing coffee to give to a local food bank
As the oldest, largest and deepest lake on planet Earth, ancient Lake Baikal is known as the “grand dame” of all lakes. UNESCO declared it a World Heritage due to its stunning bio-diversity. Most of its 2500 some odd plant and animal species, including the freshwater seal, evolved in pristine isolation and are found nowhere else on the planet. The Siberian lake contains an enormous 20 percent of the entire world's freshwater, and is large enough to hold all the water in the Great Lakes combined and then some. The lake has yielded many exciting aquatic wonders and likely holds many more undiscovered marvels in its incredibly deep waters. The 25 million year old lake predates the emergence of humans, but its splendor may not outlive us--------------hi5 web sites for civil services aspirants:-1. civilserviceindia.com2. upsc.gov.in3. onestopias.com4. civilservice.in5. indiacareer.com/competitiveexams/civil-service-ias.html
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What is inflation?
"Inflation is the most regressive form of taxation because it hits the poor the most." --Narendra Jadhav, Vice Chancellor, University of Pune. Inflation is a rise in the prices of a specific set of goods or services. In either case, it is measured as the percentage rate of change of a price index.
Food prices are soaring. . . all essential items like vegetables, oil, milk, sugar are getting costlier. Rentals and real estate rates have almost doubled in just a few months in most cities. The real estate prices are at record highs making life miserable, especially for people who have migrated to cities for jobs.
Inflation based on wholesale prices during the period January 1998-January 1999 was 4.6 percent, one of the lowest in the world. Today, India's inflation is rising at a fast pace and is set to cross 7%.****

1st April, 1936Formation of the Indian state of Orissa, formerly known as UTKAL.
April 1, 1973 - Project Tiger, a tiger conservation project, is launched in the Corbett National Park, India.
April 1, 2001 - Same-sex marriage becomes legal in the Netherlands, which is the first country to allow it.April 1, 2002 - The Netherlands legalizes euthanasia, becoming the first nation in the world to do so.
April 1, 1960 The first weather satellite, TIROS-1, was launched from Cape Canaveral.
***Friesland, Limburg and Zeeland are provinces in which European country?
Netherlands
A booming economy has given which European country the nickname the Celtic Tiger?Ireland
Which of the Earth's four oceans is the smallest?Arctic Ocean
Which island country of the Greater Antilles uses English as its official language?Jamaica
Which city, home to the Johns Hopkins University, is located near the northern end of the Chesapeake BayBaltimore
Which state has a large area of temperate rain forest - Nevada or Washington
Washington
Because the interior of an island country in the North Atlantic is covered by glaciers and volcanic features, most people live along the coast. Name this country.Iceland
Straw floor mats called tatami are part of the cultural tradition in which Asian country that occupies archipelago?Japan
Antwerp,Belgium,hasbeen acenterforwhichgenstoneindsutry for centuries?diamonds
Which country has ahigher lifeexpectancy- ChileorAfghanistan?Chile
Theworld'slongestsuspension brdigespanstheInland Sea,linking Shikoku towhich other major Japanese island?Honshu
***quiz1. Why was the “Druk Phuensum Tshogpa” party in the news on March 24?
2. Which legendary sportsperson wrote the following: My Cricketing Life (1938), Farewell to Cricket (1950) and The Art of Cricket (1958)?
3. Which Biblical patriarch was also known as Israel?
4. As of 2006-2007, which club holds the record for the most wins in an EPL season?
5. What was the nationality of the famous painter Jan Vermeer?
6. What is the biggest operational difference between a tortoise and a turtle?
7. Which telecom giant gets its name from a river in Finland?
8. How many stars on a table tennis ball indicate that it is of the highest quality?
9. Which famous cartoon ‘pair’ have had the Latin names Birdus Tastius and Poultrius Devourius?
10. In the Mauryan empire, who succeeded Ashoka the Great?
11. Which Indian actress’ paternal grandfather played cricket for two countries?
12. What is dvimudrakaara in Carnatic music?
13. How is red kidney beans referred to in Indian cooking?
14. Which dance form is performed in front of the Kalivilakku?
15. What was the subject of the world’s first jigsaw puzzles?
Answers
1. It won the first democratic
elections held in Bhutan
2. Sir Donald Bradman; 3. Jacob
4. Chelsea (38 wins); 5. Dutch
6. The former cannot swim or
float on water; 7. Nokia
8. Three; 9. Road Runner and
Wile E. Coyote; 10. Dasaratha
Maurya (after half-brother Kunala became blind); 11. Soha Ali Khan; 12. A composer who has used two kinds of ‘mudras’ in his
compositions; 13. ‘Rajma’
14. Kathakali; 15. Maps.
***Simran Kaur Mundi of Mumbai was crowned Miss India Universe 2008
machu Picchu is to Peri as Tikal is to what?GuatemalaWhich continent is the world's largest producer of Gold?AfricaWhat northern California city was reduced to ruins following a strong earthquake and disastrous fire in 1906San FranciscoMalawi, Mozambique, and what other country border Lake Malawi?Tanzania
The snake river and Sawtooth Mountains are located in which state - Ohio or IdahoIdaho
The economy of Brueni, a small country on the island of Borneo, is based on offshore oil and natural gas fields that lie beneath the waters of which ocean?Pacific
Which country, one of Africa's most densely populated, is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo?Rwanda
Which state is closer to the Pacific Ocean - Georgia or Kklahoma?Oklahoma
What is the term for the process by which ice sheets expand and reshape the physical landscape?Glaciation
In February 2005, heavy rains caused dam breaks and floods that wiped out villages in Baluchistan, a province bordering the Arabian Sea. Baluchistan province is on the southwest coast of which country?Pakistan
The Yenisey-Angara river system is the second longest river system on which continent?Asia
One of the world's most densely populated countries includes one of asia's busiest ports. Name this small island country at the edge of south china seasingapore
What term is used for the often triangular-shaped deposit of sediment sometimes found at the mouth of a river?delta
What is the term for process by which ice sheets expand and reshape the physical landscape?Glaciation.
Quiz:
1. An Indian soldier of the 34th Regiment of the Bengal Native Infantry, synonymous with the 1857 War of Independence, was executed on this date in 1857. Name him.
2. What culinary term associated with pig also means an amateur radio operator?
3. Where is the ‘fibrous tunic’ on the human face?
4. In literary fiction, Phileas Fogg’s manservant is…?
5. Which famous war began on June 5, 1967, and ended in less than a week?
6. How many locks does the Suez Canal have?
7. How would Rafael Nadal refer to a sauce in his native tongue?
8. Quantity-wise, how many teaspoons make up two tablespoons in the U.K. and the U.S.?
9. As part of his 12 labours, whose girdle was Hercules asked to get?
10. What do formicivore animals feed on?
11. Harald V is the present king of…?
12. If Salt Lake City was your capital, of which U.S. State would you be a resident?
13. Who is playing Dr. Bruce Banner in the upcoming flick “The Incredible Hulk”?
14. Which was the first planet found by mathematical prediction rather than regular observation?
15. What is a ‘Baumé scale’ used to measure?
1. Mangal Pandey2. Ham3. Also known as the tunica fibrosa oculi, it’s the outer layer of the eyeball consisting of the cornea and sclera4. Passepartout5. The Six-Day War6. No locks7. Salsa8. Six9. Hippolyte or Hippolyta, the Amazonian queen10. Ants and termites11. Norway12. Utah13. Edward Norton14. Neptune15. Density of liquids.
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Chapultepec Park, which was once the site of a residence for Aztec rulers, in what capital city?Mexico City
Oil production in the United Arab Emirates is centered on the country's capital city. Name this cityAbu Dhabi
Which country, once a region of nomadic tribes unified under Genghis Khan, has an economy dependent on animal producs such as cashmere and woolMongolia
Which country is bordered by Denmark and the Netherlands?Germany
Which state is known as the Ocean State because of its 400 miles o coastline - Rhode Island
The Jaffna, a region inhabited primarily by Tamils, forms the northern tip of what island country?Sri Lanka
Oasis farming and livestock raising are common in the Xinjiang Autonomous region in the arid western part of which Asian countryChina
Which agent of erosion creates V-shaped valleys?water
Transylvania is a region that was made famous by a fictional character, Count Dracula. This region is located in which European countryRomaniaWhat city, the most populous in Namibia, lies on a plateau between the Namib and Kalahari Deserts>Windhoek


What term is used for the imaginary line on Earth that marks the boundary where one day ends and the next begins?International Date Line
China and which Southeast Asian country border the Gulf of Tonkin?Vietnam
The inland sea borders three of the four major islands that make up which country in AsiaJapan
The Basilica of Our Lady of Peace, one of the world's largest churches, was built during the 1980's in the French-speaking country on Ghana's western border. Name this countryCote d'lvoire
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Charles Darwin works include:Voyage of the Beagle, Zoology, Descent of Man