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Great Balls of Fire! Trivia Quiz

A wide variety of things are called "great": let's find out how great our knowledge of them is!

A multiple-choice quiz by Cath8rine. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
Cath8rine

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
388,225

Updated
Feb 06 24

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
8 / 10

Plays
493

Awards
Top 20% Quiz

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Building on The Great Wall of China was started in in 221 BCE, by order of the Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi. What was the Emperor's purpose? Hint

To keep his people in

To create work for the expanding population

To keep plagues and other diseases out

To keep invaders out

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. The Great White Shark is perhaps the world's most feared marine predator. (Remember "Jaws"?) Which prominent sportsman is nicknamed "The Great White Shark"? Hint

Jack Nicklaus

Ian Thorpe

Greg Norman

David Beckham

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Question 3 of 10

3. The Great Dane is one of the tallest dog breeds in the world. An adult male can stand as tall as 43 inches at the shoulder. In which country was it first bred? Hint

Denmark

Spain

Germany

Scotland

4. The film "The Great Escape" tells the story of a mass escape from a POW camp during WW II. The film contains the legendary scene in which Steve McQueen leads his German pursuers in a cross-country motorcycle race which culminates in him jumping his bike over a barbed-wire fence. What kind of motorcycle was he riding? Hint

Triumph

Indian

BMW

Harley-Davidson

NEXT>

Question 5 of 10

5. "Great Expectations", by Charles Dickens, tells the story of the orphaned Pip, who was raised by his sister Georgiana and her husband Joe. Mr. Wopsle, Mr. and Mrs. Hubble, and Uncle Pumblechook were invited to their home on what occasion? Hint

Christmas dinner

Joe's wake

Pip's wedding

Pip's confirmation

NEXT>

Question 6 of 10

6. What activity is forbidden to tourists at The Great Pyramid of Giza? It incurs a big fine and possible imprisonment. Hint

Climbing the pyramid

Spitting

Smoking

Wearing scanty clothing

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, "The Great Gatsby", is considered a classic of 20th Century literature and has been filmed several times for the big screen and for television. To whom or what does the title, The Great Gatsby, refer? Hint

A racehorse

A large diamond

A champion wrestler

A wealthy young man

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. Catherine the Great was a German princess who married Peter III of Russia and ruled as Empress after his death. Where was Catherine the Great when she died? Hint

On the hunting field

On her throne

In her bed

In a stable

NEXT>

Question 9 of 10

9. The Great Barrier Reef, a 2,000 km long coral reef, is one of the natural wonders of the world. Where would you travel to if you wanted to visit it? Hint

The east coast of Madagascar

Queensland, Australia

Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa

Roturoa, New Zealand

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. "Great Balls of Fire" is a song written by Otis Blackwell and Jack Hammer in 1957. Over the years it has been recorded by many different artists. Whose exuberant version went right to the top of the charts, sold over five million copies and was ranked at Number 96 by Rolling Stone in their "All-time Greatest Songs" list? Hint

Fleetwood Mac

Aerosmith

Buddy Holly

Jerry Lee Lewis

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Building on The Great Wall of China was started in in 221 BCE, by order of the Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi. What was the Emperor's purpose?

Answer: To keep invaders out

It is a myth that the Great Wall is the only man-made object visible from the moon. In fact, no man-made objects are visible from the moon. Even from a low orbit in space, the Great Wall is not visible to the naked eye.

2. The Great White Shark is perhaps the world's most feared marine predator. (Remember "Jaws"?) Which prominent sportsman is nicknamed "The Great White Shark"?

Answer: Greg Norman

Australian golfer Greg Norman's nickname derived from his aggressive style of play and because Australian waters are a habitat of the Great White Shark.

3. The Great Dane is one of the tallest dog breeds in the world. An adult male can stand as tall as 43 inches at the shoulder. In which country was it first bred?

Answer: Germany

Pennsylvania adopted the Great Dane as its State Dog in 1965. The official designation of the State Dog in the Pennsylvania Statutes gives a list of reasons (all prefaced by "Whereas"...) The two Whereases that I like best are: "Whereas, the Great Dane is prominently depicted in the Governor's reception room painting by Pennsylvania artist Violet Oakley as the 'Best Friend' of the founder of this Commonwealth, William Penn" and "Whereas, the outline of the Great Dane's head resembles the outline of the Commonwealth's Boundaries."

Answer: Triumph

The prisoners dug three escape tunnels, which they named Tom, Dick and Harry. Tom was found and destroyed by the Germans. Harry was abandoned as an escape tunnel and used for storage, while Dick was the tunnel ultimately used for the escape.

Answer: Christmas dinner

Consternation ensued when it was discovered that the main course, a pork pie, was missing. Pip had stolen it to give to Magwich, an escaped convict.

6. What activity is forbidden to tourists at The Great Pyramid of Giza? It incurs a big fine and possible imprisonment.

Answer: Climbing the pyramid

The Great Pyramid of Giza is the only remaining one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. For nearly 4,000 years it was, at 146m, the world's highest man-made structure, until the tower of Lincoln Cathedral, 160m high, was completed in 1311.

Answer: A wealthy young man

Fitzgerald had a great deal of difficulty finding a suitable title for his novel. He was keen to have the name "Trimalchio" in the title, referencing the wealthy upstart in Petronius' "Satyricon". His wife and his publisher finally convinced him that the reference was too obscure, and unpronounceable besides.

He then toyed with "Among Ash-Heaps and Millionaires", "On the Road to West Egg", "Under the Red, White, and Blue", "Gold-Hatted Gatsby" and "The High-Bouncing Lover". Eventually his wife Zelda came up with "The Great Gatsby", which he reluctantly adopted under pressure from her and his publisher.

8. Catherine the Great was a German princess who married Peter III of Russia and ruled as Empress after his death. Where was Catherine the Great when she died?

Answer: In her bed

Russia flourished and became a great power under Catherine's rule, but she is remembered for her extravagant lifestyle and uninhibited love life, rather than for her good statesmanship.

9. The Great Barrier Reef, a 2,000 km long coral reef, is one of the natural wonders of the world. Where would you travel to if you wanted to visit it?

Answer: Queensland, Australia

The reef is a breeding ground for the humpback whale and is home to 10% of the world's fish species.

Answer: Jerry Lee Lewis

Jerry Lee Lewis had a very successful career in both rock and country music. He made an effective comeback after his popularity plummeted in the wake of the scandal created by his third marriage: he married his thirteen-year-old cousin when he was 23.

Source: Author Cath8rine

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