The Quiz of Knowledge: Volume A

Answer: Roots

Because they mature a year earlier than the seeds, year-old roots are usually planted. The planting is done in deep furrows with well fertilized soil. Crops are produced in such plantations in the third season, and continue to be produced for up to 20 years.

The part of the asparagus we eat is the young stem of the edible asparagus, which was first grown by the ancient Greeks and Romans. It was introduced to America in the 17th century.

The asparagus belongs to Liliaceae, the lily family, and is of two main types: the edible asparagus, A. officinalis, and the ornamental asparagus, A. plumosus.

Answer: A device that forces liquid out in tiny drops or mist

Atomizers are commonly found in carburetors, spray paint, insecticide cans, oil burning furnaces, and perfume. This is how atomizers work: when you squeeze the bulb, air is forced into the tube that extends down the container, creating pressure in the container, and forcing the liquid up the tube and through the nozzle in a fine spray.

Answer: Egyptian cobra

Asps belong to the cobra family, Elapidae, and are known by the scientific name Naja haje; but they do not have the peculiar markings on the hood of their neck like the Indian cobra. The snake was once worshipped by the ancient Egyptians.

Cleopatra supposedly killed herself using an asp. But horned vipers are also known as asps; hence, the confusion on whether she used an asp or a horned viper.

Answer: Mary

The Assumption is the doctrine which states that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was taken up to heaven by angels to be with her son. Its feast is on August 15 every year. The feast has long been celebrated by Catholics, but it only became a doctrine in 1950, during the reign of Pope Pius XII.

Titian, the Italian artist, made two paintings on the Assumption. One is in the Verona Cathedral; the other is in Venice. Other painters, like Rubens and Murillo, have made even more paintings and frescoes of the Assumption. Most of them show Mary floating upwards to heaven on a cloud, and accompanied by a host of angels, while people gaze up to them from below.

Answer: A universal substance

They also believed that this substance could become water, air, fire, or earth, the four elements, if it combined with either of hot, cold, wet, or dry. By changing the balance of the four elements in a substance, they believed they could change it into another substance, a process they called transmutation. So they started searching for the Philosopher's Stone, which was meant to aid transmutation. They also wanted to find the Elixir of Life, a potion for immortality.

Alchemy was first practised in India and in the Far East some centuries BC. It soon spread to Egypt and then Greece. Only in the late 12th and early 13th centuries did it enter Western Europe.

Answer: Science fiction

Asimov was born in a quaint Russian town named Petrovichi in 1920, and his family moved to New York three years later. At the age of 28, he began teaching Biochemistry at Boston University and left his post in 1958 when he became a full-time author.

He wrote more than a hundred books, most of which were sci-fi, featuring future men that live in the stars.

Arguably his most renowned work is the 'Foundation Trilogy', which consists of three books: 'Foundation', 'Foundation and Empire', and 'Second Foundation', published in 1951, 1952, and 1953 respectively.

Answer: Millard Fillmore

Millard Fillmore was the second vice president to ascend to the presidency upon the death of a president (the first had been John Tyler). He became the 13th US president after Zachary Taylor's death. During his 32 month presidency, his most important act was signing the Compromise of 1850.

Fillmore was born in the very beginning of the 19th century, on January 7, 1800, in Locke, New York; Herbert Hoover, the 31st US president, was born on August 10, 1874 in West Branch, Ohio; Benjamin Harrison, the 23rd US president, was born on 20th August, 1833, near North Bend, Ohio; Lyndon Johnson, the 36th US president, was born on 27th August, 1908, near Stonewall, Texas.

Answer: Aachen

The name means 'water of the churches', and refers to the numerous springs and churches in the city. Bad Aachen (Aachen bath) lies near the German border with Belgium and The Netherlands. The warmest sulphur springs in all of Central Europe can be found in the city. Since the ancient Romans built baths in the city and named it Aquisgranum after the god of warm springs, the town has remained important: it was Charlemagne's capital, his tomb and chair are still in the cathedral; 28 Holy Roman Emperors were crowned there; and the city hosted two important international peace treaties in 1668 and 1748.

During World War II, Aachen was heavily damaged. It was the first big German city liberated by American troops. Much of its fine treasures, architecture, and art were preserved, or rebuilt.

Answer: Jack Grealish

This meant that Grealish would overtake Paul Pogba's transfer record of £89.3 million and set a new record for the highest British transfer fee. He also became City's record buy and Villa's record sale.

But his life in City got off to a slow start, as he scored only twice in his first 21 games for the club. Jack had enjoyed the previous season with Villa. He had scored 17 goals and assisted 18 times in a total of 109 games for the Villans.

Answer: A summary of Martin Luther's religious teachings

This summary was actually written by Martin Luther's chief associate, Phillip Melanchthon. It was written for the then Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, and named so because Augsburg was the venue of a diet held by the emperor to end the religious quarrels of that time. Melanchthon wrote the confessions because a Roman Catholic theologian named Johann Eck had brought papers that criticized Luther.

The confession was meant to show that Luther's teachings upheld Christian beliefs and traditions. Luther, who had been denied permission to attend the diet, was angry at the confession's lack of clarity.

Many conservative Lutherans also rejected the confession, but it would later become the basic doctrine of the Lutheran Church.