Pearls of wisdom
Prove your worth in the monthly pop culture quiz
The birthstone for June is the pearl. Actually, June has two other birthstones as well – alexandrite and moonstone – but for the purposes of this quiz, we will focus on the pearl.
The ideal pearl is perfectly round and smooth, but many other shapes can occur. Natural (or wild) pearls are very rare. Cultured pearls are formed in pearl farms, using artificial as well as natural processes.
In jewelry, a pearl’s value is determined by its luster, color, size, symmetry and smoothness. The larger the pearl, the more valuable it is. The pearl is said to symbolize purity, generosity and integrity. Christians and Hindus adopted it as a symbol of purity. Hence the tradition of brides wearing pearls.
The theme of this quiz is “pearls” and “white.” Thus all the questions and/ or answers revolve around those concepts.
1. What country is called Pearl of the Orient Seas?
2. Who wrote the 1947 novella The Pearl? (a) John Steinbeck; (b) Ernest Hemingway; (c) George Orwell; (d) Chaim Potok
3. What is the source of the admonition “Do not cast your pearls before swine”? (a) Aesop’s fables; (b) Shakespeare; (c) Chaucer; (d) The New Testament
4. Who wrote the 1931 novel The Good Earth?
5. What artist painted Girl with a Pearl Earring? (a) Rembrandt; (b) Van Dyck; (c) Rubens; (d) Vermeer
6. What actress starred in the 2003 film Girl with a Pearl Earring? (a) Scarlett Johansson; (b) Angelina Jolie; (c) Keira Knightley; (d) Amanda Seyfried
7. What was the signature sight gag of country-western comedienne Minnie Pearl? (a) a missing front tooth; (b) a hole in her sweater; (c) a price tag hanging from her hat; (d) a banjo with a broken string
8. What is the address of the White House in Washington, DC? (a) 1200 Jefferson Street; (b) 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue; (c) 1400 Constitution Road; (d) 1700 Independence Boulevard 9. What song contains the lyrics “Oh, the shark, babe, has such teeth, dear/ And it shows them pearly white”? 10. On what date was the US naval base at Pearl Harbor attacked by the Japanese? 11. What actor starred in the 2001 film Pearl Harbor? 12. What city is home to the White Sox baseball team? (a) Calgary; (b) Chicago; (c) Cincinnati; (d) Cleveland 13. What two dancers/actors co-starred in the 1985 film White Nights? 14. Who was Perle Mesta (1889-1975)? (a) an athlete; (b) a socialite; (c) a dancer; (d) a poet 15. Who wrote the song “White Christmas”? (a) George Gershwin; (b) Irving Berlin; (c) Cole Porter; (d) Sammy Cahn 16. What cleaning product is advertised as “the white tornado”? (a) Ajax; (b) Mr. Clean; (c) Clorox; (d) Fantastic 17. What singer had an album titled Pearl? (a) Frank Sinatra; (b) Don Ho; (c) Barbra Streisand; (d) Janis Joplin 18. Who wrote the novel White Fang? (a) Bram Stoker; (b) Jack London; (c) Stephen King; (d) Joss Whedon 19. What actor starred in the 1970 boxing biopic The Great White Hope? (a) Denzel Washington; (b) Samuel L. Jackson; (c) James Earl Jones; (d) Wesley Snipes 20. How many “pearly whites” (teeth) does an adult have? 21. According to Christian belief, who guards the Pearly Gates of heaven? 22. What is the capital of Canada’s Yukon Territory? (a) White Plains; (b) White River; (c) Whitehorse; (d) Whitewater 23. According to the lyrics of the 1941 song made famous by Vera Lynn, what will be over the white cliffs of Dover? 24. What character did Betty White play on the sitcom Golden Girls? 25. What singer had a hit with “Can’t Get Enough of Your Love, Babe”?