Shooting like a Parthian

In ancient warfare, what was “The Parthian Shot”?

A) A duel in which archers fired in turn as they gradually drew nearer
B) A maneuver where a mounted archer turned to shoot behind him
C) A shot directed at the horse so the rider could be taken for ransom
D) A simultaneous volley of arrows meant to intimidate the enemy

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Three ladies

Who were the Shakespearean characters, Cordelia, Goneril and Regan?

A) In King Lear, the king’s three daughters
B) In Love’s Labors Lost, three young women who vow not to marry
C) In Macbeth, the three witches who predict Macbeth’s fate
D) In The Merry Wives of Windsor, three merry wives

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Celebrating a pioneer

In 1932, Carlton Cole Magee of the United States invented what was to become a familiar emblem of modern civilization. What was it?

A) The neon sign
B) The parking meter
C) The pay toilet
D) The roll-on deodorant

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Who were they?

Who were Gregg, Groote and Pitman?

A) Creators of “Joe”, a computer language that gave rise to Java
B) Inventors of “shorthand” writing systems
C) Producer, director and writer of the zany “Road” movies
D) Unlucky drivers in a rare triple head-on collision

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Elaterium

What is elaterium?

A) A fictitious metal in Cooper’s “Byzantium Nevermore”
B) A musical effect involving both high and low notes
C) A purgative drug extracted from the squirting cucumber
D) The afternoon rest period in a nunnery

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Household words

Of the fifteen novels written by the great Charles Dickens, five have for their title the full name of the main character — well-known names like Oliver Twist, Nicholas Nickleby and David Copperfield. Which of the following is one of the two slightly lesser-known Dickensian heroes in this group?

A) Coxton Cranwise
B) Havison Standish
C) Martin Chuzzlewit
D) Quentin Aylward

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Skara Brae

The village of Skara Brae is located on the west coast of The Mainland, the large central island of the Orkney Islands. What is unusual about Skara Brae?

A) For 4000 years, it was buried beneath the sands
B) Since 1650, it has been occupied only by women
C) Each spring, a town meeting hall is built, used once, and destroyed
D) On December 21, villagers perform the “Dance of the Ice King”

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Round robin

In the eighteenth century, “round robin” was a British Navy sailor’s term for:

A) A petition
B) A second-year midshipman
C) Circumnavigation of the world
D) Manning the capstan

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Friends? Romans? Countrymen?

Who were Casca and Cinna, and what did they have to do with Julius Caesar?

A) Astrologers — they warned Caesar of doom
B) Conspirators — they helped stab Caesar in the Capitol
C) Generals — their defeat by Caesar brought him to power
D) Historians — their insights molded Caesar’s military tactics

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Levity is brevity

One of the following is the complete text of Ogden Nash’s poem, “Reflection on a Wicked World”. Which one?

A) Biology is knowledgy
B) Charity is disparity
C) Humility is futility
D) Purity is obscurity

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