World Trivia Questions and Answers

Fun trivia questions and answers - World.

How many time zones are there in China?
A: Only one. Although the country covers 3,691,521 square miles and geographically could be in five different zones, the government requires clocks throughout the nation to conform to those in the capital (Beijing.)

What is the basic monetary unit of Zimbabwe called?
A: The dollar.

On what island are one-third of the world's languages spoken?
A: On New Guinea, where more than 700 distinct native languages can be heard.

What did 5 and 10-cent-store magnate F. W. Woolworth call the chain of stores he opened in England in 1909?
A: "Three-and-Sixpence" stores.

What famous French landmark is named after a German city?
A: The Eiffel Tower. It was built by Gustave Eiffel, whose upholsterer grandfather moved to Paris from Eifel, Germany, and became know as Eifel because his friends couldn't pronounce his name, Boenickhausen. Eventually granddad added another "f" and legally changed his name to Eiffel.

Archaeologists believe they have located the burial site of Boudicca, the British queen who led a bloody revolt against Roman rule in the first century A.D. Where is it?
A: Under Platform 8 of the King's Cross Railway Station in London.

When was the first kissaten--coffee shop --established in Tokyo?
A: In 1889.

What piece of construction equipment is named after an early seventeenth-century British hangman?
A: The derrick, which is named for Thomas Derrick--who carried out more than 3,000 executions during his career at Tyburn, near what is now the Marble Arch in London.

What Island nation was named after a Dutch province?
A: New Zealand, which was discovered by Dutch Explorer Abel Tasman in 1642 and named Nieuw Zeeland after Zeeland, a Dutch province bordering the North Sea.

What river is the longest in Europe?
A: The Volga, the principal waterway in Russia, which is approximately 2,293 miles long.

Where are the volcanoes Shira, Kibo and Mawenzi located?
A: In Tanzania--they are the three principal volcanoes that make up Mount Kilimanjaro.

What famous explorer included a photograph of his nude mistress in a book about his travels?
A: Robert Peary, discoverer of the North Pole. His Eskimo mistress, Aleqasia, was shown bathing.

The French knew the first ruler of the Holy Roman Empire as Charlemagne. What did the Germans call him?
A: Karl der Grosse--which, like Charlemagne, means Charles the Great.

What was the name of the pug that shared Napoleon and Josephine's bed?
A: Fortune.

What was the profession of Edmund Hillary, the New Zealander who conquered Mount Everest with Sherpa guide Tenzing Norkay in 1953?
A: Beekeeper, or apiarist.

How many beds were listed in the palace inventories of France's King Louis XIV?
A: 413.

The British prime minister's official residence is at Number 10 Downing Street. Whose official residence is at Number 11?
A: The Chancellor of the Exchequer's.

What Middle Eastern capital was once known as Philadelphia?
A: Amman, Jordan.

There was a major mistake in the 1968 film "Krakatoa, East of Java." What was it?
A: The location given in the title. The famous volcano is West of Java. The mistake was remedied when the movie was released on videocassette under a new title, "Volcano."

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The LM555 Timer

The 555 timer is a popular circuit used for timing purposes. It can be used in:

• Monostable mode in which the output is a high for a time determined by the external circuit.

• Astable mode in which the output changes continually.

The 555 timer is a small 8-pin integrated circuit, and we can add resistors and capacitors to an external circuit to make it act as a monostable or an astable.

The pin arrangement (pin-out) is shown below:

555 timer in Monostable Mode
The 555 timer in monostable mode is constructed using the circuit shown in this diagram.

555 timer in Astable Mode

The 555 timer can be wired up to produce a train of pulses by ensuring that the circuit is astable, which means that it is not in a stable state. We can make astable circuits from other components, but the 555 timer gives a train of digital pulses. The diagram shows the circuit.

What is Procrastination?

Procrastination is putting off or avoiding doing something that must be done. It is natural to procrastinate occasionally. However, excessive procrastination can result in guilt feelings about not doing a task when it should be done. It can also cause anxiety since the task still needs to be done. Further, excessive procrastination can cause poor performance if the task is completed without sufficient time to do it well. In short, excessive procrastination can interfere with school and personal success.

Why Do Students Procrastinate?

There are many reasons why students procrastinate. Here are the most common reasons:

1. Perfectionism. A student’s standard of performance may be so high for a task that it does not seem possible to meet that standard.
2. Fear of Failure. A student may lack confidence and fear that he/she will be unable to accomplish a task successfully.
3. Confusion. A student may be unsure about how to start a task or how it should be completed.
4. Task Difficulty. A student may lack the skills and abilities needed to accomplish a task.
5. Poor Motivation. A student may have little or no interest in completing a task because he/she finds the task boring or lacking in relevance.
6. Difficulty Concentrating. A student may have too many things around that distract him/her from doing a task.
7. Task Unpleasantness. A student may dislike doing what a task requires.
8. Lack of Priorities. A student may have little or no sense about which tasks are most important to do.

How Do I Know if I Procrastinate Excessively?

You procrastinate excessively if you agree with five or more of the following statements:

1. I often put off starting a task I find difficult
2. I often give up on a task as soon as I start to find it difficult.
3. I often wonder why I should be doing a task.
4. I often have difficulty getting started on a task.
5. I often try to do so many tasks at once that I cannot do any of them.
6. I often put off a task in which I have little or no interest.
7. I often try to come up with reasons to do something other than a task I have to do.
8. I often ignore a task when I am not certain about how to start it or complete it.
9. I often start a task but stop before completing it.
10. I often find myself thinking that if I ignore a task, it will go away.
11. I often cannot decide which of a number of tasks I should complete first.
12. I often find my mind wandering to things other that the task on which I am trying to work.

What Can I Do About Excessive Procrastination?

Here are some things you can do to control excessive procrastination.

1. Motivate yourself to work on a task with thoughts such as “There is no time like the present,” or “Nobody’s perfect.”
2. Prioritize the tasks you have to do.
3. Commit yourself to completing a task once started.
4. Reward yourself whenever you complete a task.
5. Work on tasks at the times you work best.
6. Break large tasks into small manageable parts.
7. Work on tasks as part of a study group.
8. Get help from teachers and other students when you find a task difficult.
9. Make a schedule of the tasks you have to do and stick to it.
10. Eliminate distractions that interfere with working on tasks.
11. Set reasonable standards that you can meet for a task.
12. Take breaks when working on a task so that you do not wear down.
13. Work on difficult and/or unpleasant tasks first.
14. Work on a task you find easier after you complete a difficult task.
15. Find a good place to work on tasks.

Above all, think positively and get going. Once you are into a task, you will probably find that it is more interesting than you thought it would be and not as difficult as you feared. You will feel increasingly relieved as you work toward its accomplishment and will come to look forward to the feeling of satisfaction you will experience when you have completed the task.

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