You Can See It From Here! Common Bond Quiz

Answer: Trooper hat

The ancient trooper hat, or ushanka, is typically made of muskrat, rabbit or sheepskin, though fake fur is common. It's thick, to soften a blow to the head such as falling on ice, and keeps the head and face warm in deep cold. It has become so popular, though, that W.C. Fields, American rapper Jay-Z and a modern US President, just to name a few, enjoyed wearing this hat.

Answer: Mikhail Baryshnikov

Mikhail Baryshnikov (1948) is a ballet dancer, choreographer, actor and artistic director, one of the world's most recognized and beloved ballet dancers in history. He's been nominated for an Oscar, a Golden Globe, an Emmy and was awarded the National Medal of Arts. He brought astounding grace and style to film and stage, as well as a popular TV version of "The Nutcracker". An energetic supporter of the mature dancer, he starred in a new play in 2012 when he was 68.

Dev Patel is the star of the movie "Slumdog Millionaire". Pyotr Tchaikovsky is the composer of "The Nutcracker" score. Isaac Bashevis Singer is a famous Polish author.

Answer: Werran

"Werran" from the old High German, or in English "werre", originally meant "to cause chaos or confusion", morphing to our word "war". The first known wars occurred in the early civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt, and thereafter conquering, fending off, and putting down rebellions filled human history. "Cold War" developed when humans obtained such mind boggling destructive power, in the form of the atom bomb, maintaining a hostile and sustained tension was far preferable to going at it. Garrant became "warrant", waarloga became warlock, and weorthscipe became worship.

Answer: Tiger

The tiger, Panthera tigris, is the biggest of the cats, with a captivity lifespan of up to 26 years, and bursting speeds of 30-40 miles per hour (49-65 km/h). "What big teeth you have" could be said of this powerful predator, whose canines may reach 3.5 inches (90 mm).

These teeth, combined with massive strength, enable the tiger to take down pythons, yaks, leopards and crocodiles. The skin of the tiger is striped, and each animal has a unique stripe pattern. In 1977 China banned the killing of wild tigers, but may have been too late to save them. Six subspecies exist in the world, having lost more than 90% of their original range.

Many zoos created hybrids called ligers and tigons. Soon we may say, "Ligers and tigons and bears! Oh, my!"

Answer: International Space Station

The International Space Station (ISS) is an artificial and inhabitable satellite placed low in Earth's orbit (230 miles, 370 km) in 1998. It serves as a research laboratory, sustains humans in space over many years, and is visited by more than a dozen different nations. It can be seen without a telescope from many locations on Earth.

Answer: Olympics

US President Jimmy Carter urged a boycott of the Summer Olympics of 1980. Seemingly in retaliation, the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California were boycotted by several Eastern Bloc countries and their allies. Boycott, banning, suspension, relocation, un-inviting specific countries and athletes, cancellation due to war, withdrawal, animal quarantine, disqualification for cheating, and even violence and murder all take their place in the history of the Olympic Games.

Answer: Short story

Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) was a physician and author who earned a place among the greatest short story writers of all time. As a physician he observed and treated all manners of human suffering, which influenced his writing. He divided his time between treating the ill, helping the unfortunate, and writing about the human condition. "The Darling" is among his most famous short stories. "Uncle Vanya" and "The Cherry Orchard" are two of his great plays.

Answer: Chess

In chess, Deep Blue was the first computer to beat a human reigning chess champion, in this case Garry Kasparov in 1997. Kasparov remained a world champion however until 2000, easily defeating a newer computer, Deep Thought, in 1989. Computers advanced after this, though, becoming essentially unbeatable by even the strongest human player. "Checkmate" comes from an ancient term in Persia meaning "the king is helpless", or ambushed.

Answer: Faberge

Peter Carl Faberge made fifty-two "imperial" eggs for Alexander III, Nicholas II and other wealthy clients, from 1885 to 1917. The eggs were made of precious metals and jewels, often lined with satin and velvet, with increasingly elaborate designs. Each egg had a unique design such as a flower, clock, bird or palace, each has its own name, and sadly a few of these treasures were lost to time and history. Faberge's final egg was never finished, due to upheavals in his country.

Answer: Russia

The common bond is Russia. A ushanka is a cold weather hat which Russians invented; Russian ballet dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov who defected to the West; the Cold War which lasted 45 years; Siberian tigers; the International Space Station and space exploration; both the 1980 Summer Olympics in Russia, boycotted when Russia invaded Afghanistan; and the 2014 Sochi Olympics should come to mind. Anton Chekhov was a great short story writer of Russia; Russian dominance in the game of chess; and those exquisite Faberge eggs, made by Peter Carl Faberge of Russia, should also lead you to Russia. I hope you enjoyed a glimpse of a country so vast, you can see it from here.