Rest on Some Laurels Trivia Quiz

Answer: PISA

PISA, short for Program for International Student Assessment, is an international exam taken in over 70 countries every three years to measure the level of education. Students take a test in Math, Reading, and Science. Singaporeans work very hard in school, as they study a very advanced curriculum.

Answer: Provided affordable housing

Through a public housing scheme, the government builds high-rise apartments and sells them off to the citizens at a subsidiary rate. By pricing the rest of the public properties such as condominiums and terrace houses higher, the government does not lose money while providing everyone with decent housing.

Answer: True

GDP, which stands for Gross Domestic Product, is measured by the total monetary value of goods and services produced by the economy in a certain period of time. Singapore's GDP went from 700 million in 1960 to a whopping 297 billion in 2016. Hong Kong's GDP is 321 billion, for reference. Singapore went from a tiny backwater island in 1965 to a developed city in a few decades.

Answer: Bubble/chewing gum

In 1992, Singapore banned the sale and import of all bubble and chewing gum. The government quoted numerous vandal cases of people sticking chewed gum on the train doors as a reason for the ban.

Answer: Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines was considered second in the world in 2017 and third in 2016 according to Skytrax, a benchmark of airline excellence. Emirates fell to fourth in 2017, losing its first position from 2016.

Answer: Changi Airport

One of the largest transport hubs in Southeast Asia, Changi Airport was named the World's Best Airport five years in a row in 2017. Haneda Airport in Toyko won the title for World's Cleanest Airport.

Answer: True

Besides a heavy fine, Singapore has a very interesting litterbug punishment, where a repeat offender for littering would have to wear a sign saying "I am a litterbug" when sweeping public areas. In a shame-based culture, that is a very effective punishment.

Answer: Fines

Littering fines can amount to a thousand SGD (around 800USD as of currency rates in 2018), and smoking in prohibited places can get you a fine of 1000 SGD too. Saying "Singapore is a fine city" is a very punny way of describing it.

Answer: Safety

Guns and drugs are illegal in Singapore, getting rid of a lot of crime. Getting caught with drugs or selling/smuggling drugs can get you a death sentence in Singapore.

Answer: False

As the government does not encourage citizens to buy cars due to the congested roads, it designed very efficient train and bus lines to facilitate traveling. You can get to nearly everywhere by bus or train, which people call MRT (Mass Rapid Transit for short), and other places by LRT (Light Rail Transit).

As of 2017, only about 10% of people own cars in Singapore, with the rest relying on public transport.