Aristotle's Elements - 4: Water Quiz

Answer: Watership Down

Written by Richard Adams and published in 1972, "Watership Down" follows the adventures of a group of rabbits. They are seeking a new home after Fiver has a vision of the destruction of their existing warren; after overcoming many dangers they are able to establish their new home at Watership Down.

In many ways the story is an allegory of human struggle and indeed the rabbits have their own language, traditions and culture. The book was followed in 1978 by an animated film whose soundtrack included Art Garfunkel's "Bright Eyes".

Answer: Crystal ware

The origins of Waterford Crystal go back to the eighteenth century. The companies making it have had a chequered history with there being many changes of ownership. Until 2009 it was a subsidiary of the Wedgwood company.

The high reputation of the crystal ware has led to Waterford crystal being used to build chandeliers at Westminster Abbey and Windsor Castle, and Waterford Crystal was also used to build the Times Square, New York, New Year Crystal Ball. It has also been used to create sports trophies for prestigious events such as three Formula One races.

Answer: Bridge over Troubled Water

Featured on their wonderful 1970 album of the same name, "Bridge over Troubled Water" was written by Paul Simon and sung mainly by Art Garfunkel with Simon harmonising in the final verse. Its haunting melody and uplifting lyrics offer encouragement and support to anyone who is feeling sad or lonely. The message is simple - I am here for you, no matter what. It is supported by a beautiful arrangement which builds to a memorable climax.

The single went to number one in the US Billboard Hot 100, the UK charts and the charts of Canada, France and New Zealand.

The quality of both melody and lyrics has attracted many other renowned artistes, including Aretha Franklin, Elvis Presley and Willie Nelson to record cover versions. In 2017 it was recorded as a charity single for the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire in London and again went to number one in the UK charts.

Answer: Nitric Acid

Aqua regia is a highly volatile mix of hydrochloric and nitric acids which when mixed releases the yellow gas nitrosyl chloride and chlorine gas. It is a highly reactive, corrosive and toxic mixture.

The first reference to aqua regia goes back to the ninth century and it was a substance well known to medieval alchemists, who of course had the ambition to find a way of turning base metals into gold. Nowadays its most common use is in refining gold to reach high levels of purity.

Answer: The Shape of Water

Directed by Guillermo del Toro, who also won the Best Director Oscar, "The Shape of Water" received no less than 13 award nominations and four Oscars.

The film tells the story of Elisa Esposito, a cleaner in a secret laboratory operated by the US government in Maryland. Elisa, who was abandoned as a child, is mute and lives a very routine life until she discovers in the laboratory a humanoid amphibian who has been found in a river in South America. The story tells of the growing relationship between the two and Elisa's attempts to free the creature. No spoilers here so no revelation on how the story ends!

Answer: Norway

Situated on the river Vinnu, the falls are the sixth highest in the world. They are 119 metres lower than the Angel Falls in Venezuela, which are the highest of all.

Answer: Coniston Water

Coniston Water is only five miles long so it was quite an achievement for Donald Campbell to reach 260.35 miles per hour on his final successful run in May 1959. He went on to break the record again, reaching 276.33 mph in December 1964, but that run took place on Lake Dumbleyung in Western Australia.

In 1967 Campbell, whose father Malcolm had also held the world water speed record, went back to Coniston to try to reach 300 mph but was killed when, on the second leg of his attempt, the "Bluebird" lost stability and somersaulted at high speed.

Answer: Water chestnut

The name is misleading because the water chestnut is not a nut, but a type of vegetable which grows in marshland and produces edible corms. They are found in many parts of Asia as well as in Africa, Australia and islands in the Pacific Ocean.

The water chestnut has a high carbohydrate content but very little fat and the flesh remains crisp even when cooked. It is often eaten raw as well as cooked in dishes in Chinese cuisine.

Answer: Dennis Waterman

Best known for his television acting appearances, Dennis Waterman has also appeared in almost thirty feature films. He also sang the theme songs for two of the series in which he appeared, with "I Could Be So Good For You", the theme song to "Minder", in which he starred with George Cole, reaching the UK top ten in 1980.

His life has not been without controversy. Married four times, his marriage to Rula Lenska ended amid allegations that he had behaved violently towards her.

Answer: Snake

Native to the south eastern states of the USA, the water moccasin is a member of the pit viper family and is also known by various other names including "cottonmouth". It is found both in the water and on land, usually close to water courses, and it inhabits the southern and eastern states from Texas to Virginia.

Although it has a dangerous bite, the water moccasin does not usually attack humans unless it feels threatened by their actions.