The Sunday family quiz
Have a go around the lunch table, or share with friends and relatives online
Like a conversation around the table, the Family Quiz follows a thread and everyone can join in. We start with a question about this weekend, and then each question – sort of – leads to the next until we finish up (this week) at baked Alaska! Some questions suit younger quizzers, but really it’s a free-for-all. Don’t all shout at once!
?
1
2 3 4
?
Four astronauts arrived home from the International Space Station in the early hours of last Sunday morning. What was unusual about their return?
(a) They splashed down at night
(b) They splashed down in North Korean waters
(c) They did not splash down, they made a vertical landing
Which sea meets North Korea on its eastern coast?
(a) The Sea of Japan
(b) The Sea of Okhotsk
(c) The Yellow Sea
Which of these countries does not have yellow in its flag?
(a) South Africa
(b) Brazil
(c) Thailand
What is distinctive about Brasilia, the capital of Brazil, when the city is viewed from above?
(a) It is shaped like a bird
(b) It is shaped like a tree
(c) It is shaped like a plane 5 6
How long did it take Concorde to travel from London to New York?
(a) About two hours
(b) About three hours
(c) About one hour
The one-hour run is a minor athletic event that is not contested in major competitions. Mo Farah is the men’s record holder, but what distance did he cover in 2020?
(a) 18,330 metres (11.39 mi)
(b) 21,330 metres (13.25 mi)
(c) 23,330 metres (15.50 mi) 7 8
9 10 11
?
Which is the shortest mile?
(a) The imperial mile
(b) The Roman mile
(c) The Chinese mile
Which Roman emperor said the following? “If you must break the law, do it to seize power: in all other cases observe it.”
(a) Julius Caesar
(b) Marcus Aurelius
(c) Romulus Augustulus
Which is the oldest of these famous Marcuses?
(a) Marcus Rashford
(b) Marcus Wareing
(c) Marcus Fysh
How many people died in the Cod Wars contested by Britain and Iceland?
(a) 0
(b) 391
(c) 1
Which of the following mammals is indigenous to Iceland?
(a) The Arctic fox
(b) The Arctic sheep
(c) The Arctic chihuahua
12
13
14
15
?
In Wes Anderson’s film adaptation, released in 2009, of Fantastic Mr Fox, who voices the eponymous Mr Fox?
(a) Bill Murray
(b) Jason Isaacs
(c) George Clooney
Murray plays Phil Connors in the 1993 film Groundhog Day, a celebration that takes place in the town of...
(a) Chonxewteney
(b) Punxsutawney
(c) Thanxamatteney
Pennsylvania was one of the 13 original founding colonies of the United States. Which of the following was also a member of that group?
(a) Massachusetts
(b) Alaska
(c) Wyoming
The pudding known as baked Alaska contains ice cream but is put in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes, as per Mary Berry’s recipe, before serving. How does the ice cream stay frozen? The pressure of its tight wrapping The addition of liquid nitrogen The insulation of a meringue layer and its small air bubbles