Quiz Questions
Hundreds of general knowledge questions for ESL lessons!
How many squares are there on a standard chessboard? 64
Which talk-show hostess appeared in The Color Purple? Oprah Winfrey
What is the smallest & shallowest ocean in the world? The Arctic
The acronym NASA stands for what? National Aeronautics & Space Administration
The Gobi Desert is mostly situated in which country? Mongolia
Which was the first song by the Beatles to go to No. 1 in the US? “I Want To Hold Your Hand”
If a coffee bean is darker, will its caffeine content be higher or lower? Lower
What is the only rock regularly eaten by humans? Salt
On what day of the week do the most auto accidents happen? Saturday
What is only one kind of fruit that has its seeds on the outside? Strawberry
What’s the cheapest and most popular fruit in the USA? bananas
What kind of bird is often seen running along the roads and highways of the southern USA and Mexico… hence its name? Roadrunner
Which part of a beetle’s body is a skeleton? The outside
The hard white material of elephant tusks is called what? Ivory
What is the most popular fruit in the world? Mango
What is the biggest animal to have inhabited the Earth? Blue Whale
What did people in the Middle Ages (476-1500s AD) throw at the bride and groom (instead of rice)? Eggs
What do you call a group of Donkeys? A pace, drove, or herd
A giraffe’s tongue is what color? Black
What nation was ejected from the Organization of American States in 1962? Cuba
What continent has the least number of flowering plants? Antarctica
What national holiday in Mexico has picnickers eating chocolate coffins and sugar skulls? The Day of the Dead
What was the first planet to be discovered using the telescope (in 1781)? Uranus
How many U.S. states border the Gulf of Mexico? Five
Who averaged one patent for every three weeks of his life? Thomas Edison
What continent is cut into two fairly equal halves by the Tropic of Capricorn? Australia
What is the world’s longest & busiest railway? The Trans-Siberian Railway (9,289 km long)
What is the minimum number of musicians a band needs to be considered a “big band”? Ten
Name the world’s largest island.? Greenland
What is the diameter of Earth? 12, 742 km (Almost 8,000 miles)
What is the capital city of Spain? Madrid
Which country is Prague in? Czech Republic
What are the three primary colors? Red, blue and yellow
Who invented the electric light bulb? Thomas Edison
Who invented the telephone? Alexander Graham Bell
What temperature does water boil at? 100c degrees
Name one mammal that can't jump. Elephant (also sloths, hippos, and rhinos; but they can have 4 feet off the ground when they run)
What does the Roman numeral C represent? 100
What's the smallest type of tree in the world? Bonsai
Who said E=mc2? Einstein
Which planet is nearest the sun? Mercury
What colors make purple? Red and blue
What's the hardest rock? Diamond
How much does a liter of water weigh? 1kg
What language has the most words? English (about 250,000 different words)
What money do they use in Japan? Yen
Where does the American president live? The White House in Washington D.C.
What is the first letter on a typewriter? Q
What do the opposite sides of a dice add up to? Seven
How long is a round in boxing? 3 minutes
What's the highest score in a gymnastics exercise? 10
How many months have 31 days? seven
How many eyes are there on a pack of 52 cards? 42
What are the Sun, the Independent and the Guardian? newspapers
How many players are there in a basketball team? five
How many lanes does an Olympic swimming pool have? eight
How many prongs are there on a fork? four
Who starts first in chess? white
How many players are there in a volleyball team? six
What are the five colors of the Olympic rings? red, yellow, green, blue, and black
How many dots are there on two dice? 42
How many wives did Henry the Eighth have? six
What year did the first man go into space? 1961
Where did the first atomic bomb explode for the first time (in Japan)? Hiroshima
When did the First World War start? 1914
When did the Second World War end? 1945
Who was the first president of the United States of America? George Washington
When did the Americans leave Vietnam? 1973
Who was the first man on the moon? Neil Armstrong
What's the name of the famous big clock in London? Big Ben
Who gave his name to the month of July? Julius Caesar
What's the capital of Kenya? Nairobi
What's the smallest country in the world? Vatican City
What's the largest city in India? Bombay / Mumbai
What's the highest mountain in Africa? Kilimanjaro
Which German city is famous for the perfume it produces? Cologne
What is 15 meters high, 8 meters wide and 240 kilometers long? The Great Wall
What's the highest mountain in the world? Everest
Which country has the largest area: Australia, Brazil or India? Brazil
In which city is Hollywood? Los Angeles
Who did John Lennon marry? Yoko Ono
What's the best known artificial international language? Esperanto
Who lived at 221B, Baker Street, London? Sherlock Holmes
Who cut Van Gogh's ear? he did it himself
Who wrote Julius Caesar, Macbeth and Hamlet? Shakespeare
What did the crocodile swallow in Peter Pan? alarm clock
What are the first three words of the bible? In the beginning
What did the 7 dwarves do for a job? miners
Who painted the Sistine Chapel? Michelangelo
What's the Hungarian word for pepper? paprika
With which sport did Michael Jordan become famous for? basketball
Who recorded the album ‘Dark Side of the Moon’? Pink Floyd
What does the N stand for in NATO? North
What is the main color on the Chinese flag? Red
What is a famous sitcom about an army hospital in Korea? M*A*S*H
A phlebotomist extracts what from the human body? Blood
Granadilla is another name for which fruit? Passion-fruit
Who was president of Vietnam from 1945-54? Ho Chi Minh
Who painted “Water Lilies”? Claude Monet
In the human body what is the hallux? big toe
In which year did Henry VIII become King of England? 1509
What search engine has the same name as the start of the name of the number 1 followed by 100 zeroes? Google
Which of Snow White's dwarf friends starts with the letter 'B'? Bashful
Which famous band had albums called 'Abbey Road,' 'Help!' and 'Let It Be'? The Beatles
What number is huit in French but ocho in Spanish? eight
On what temperature scale, are the boiling and freezing points of water 100° and 0°? Celsius or centigrade
What word follows Manchester, West Ham and Newcastle in English Premier League teams? United
What TV series had characters named Kirk, Spock, and Sulu? Star Trek
What double-reed musical instrument used to be called a hautbois? oboe
What female pop singer had #1 hits with 'Shake It Off' and 'Blank Space'? Taylor Swift
What is the only country to begin with the letter 'O'? Oman
What 1961 Disney movie's villain is Cruella de Vil? 101 Dalmatians
What TV sitcom featured an actor, a chef, a paleontologist, and a barista? Friends
What do you call a 6-sided geometric figure? hexagon
Which continent has the most countries on it? Africa (it has 53)
What is the secret identity of Peter Parker? Spiderman
What is the name of either of the two long bones in the human forearm? ulna or radius
Which planet has a moon named Titan? Saturn
Since 1940, Jay Garrick has been what red super-speedy DC hero? Flash
What unit is made up of 4 quarts? gallon
What holiday is the day before All Saints Day? Halloween
What singer of 'Dark Horse' and 'Hot and Cold' was married to Russell Brand? Katy Perry
How many lines are there in a limerick? five
What color is the 1 ball in billiards or pool? yellow
What is the capital of Canada? Ottawa
What country has a white flag with a red circle in the center? Japan
What landlocked country borders both Chile and Brazil? Bolivia
What space do all Monopoly games begin on? Go
Which language do 30-40% of people in India speak? Hindi
What is the patella bone more commonly known as? kneecap
Which Princess pal of Mario has a fruity name? Peach
What is one of the longest rivers in the world? The Nile or The Amazon
What percent of the human body is water? 60%
How many keys are there on a piano? 88
How long does an elephant’s pregnancy last? 22 months
What percent of people are left handed? 13%
A word or sentence that is the same front and back (racecar, kayak) is called what? Palindrome
What is the most common name in the world? Muhammad
What is the strongest muscle in the human body? Tongue
Which body part stays the same size from when we are born to when we die? Eyeball
What is the capital of Australia? Canberra
Are dolphins fish or mammals? Mammals
Which American state is nearest to the former Soviet Union? Alaska
How many arms/tentacles/limbs does a squid have? Ten (generally a squid is considered to have two tentacles and eight arms)
Which reggae singing star died 11th May 1981? Bob Marley
Name the two families in Romeo and Juliet? Montague & Capulet
The llama belongs to the family of animals commonly called what? Camels
Which guitarist is known as Slowhand? Eric Clapton
What is infant whale commonly called? Calf
What is the alternative common name for a Black Leopard? Panther
What do the British call the vegetables that Americans call zucchini? Courgettes
What is an otter's home called? Holt
In Roman mythology, Neptune is the equivalent to which Greek god? Poseidon
Which TV character said, 'Live long and prosper'? Mr. Spock (from Star Trek)
Complete the name of the American Football team: 'Dallas...........'? Cowboys
How old is a horse when it changes from a filly to a mare? Four years old
What is Canada's national animal? Beaver
Which toy company takes its name from the Danish phrase for "play well"? Lego
The French celebrate Bastille Day in which month? July
What is an NBA player deemed to be if he has received the Maurice Podoloff Trophy? The most valuable player (MVP)
What sport used the term ‘home run’ long before baseball? Cricket
What was the first sport in which women were invited to compete at the Olympics? Tennis
In cross-country bike racing, what do the initials BMX represent? Bicycle moto x (cross)
Which country dominates Olympics basketball like no one else? USA (has won the gold 14 times out of 18)
Which type of ball was basketball played with until 1929? Soccer ball
Which is the only country to have played in each and every FIFA World Cup? Brazil
Which country won the first FIFA Soccer World Cup held in 1930? Uruguay
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played 20 seasons in which sport? Basketball
How many players are on the field for each team in an Australian rules football match? 18
In sport, what is black, 1 inch thick, 3 inches in diameter, and weighs between 5.5 and 6 ounces? Ice hockey puck
How many players, including the goaltender, make up an ice hockey team? Six
In feet, how high is a basketball hoop? 10 feet
What nationality is tennis player Novak Djokovic? Serbian
Name the only major team sport in the USA with no game clock? Baseball
The American basketball team, ‘The Bulls’, represent which city? Chicago
Which sport is played on the biggest pitch in terms of area? Polo
What is the maximum time limit allowed to look for a lost ball in golf? 5 minutes
Name the European club David Beckham ended his career with? Paris Saint-Germain
What city of Asia hosted the Summer Olympics in 2008? Beijing
How many holes in a bowling ball? Three
Name a country which won its first ever gold medal in Rio? Bahrain, Fiji, Ivory Coast, Jordan, Kosovo, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Tajikistan, and Vietnam
Which countries border Vietnam? China, Laos, and Cambodia
What is Vietnam’s national animal? Water Buffalo
In what city does the president of Vietnam live? Hanoi
What is the capital of the USA? Washington DC
Which state has the largest land area in the USA? Alaska
What countries border the USA? Mexico and Canada
In what ocean is Hawaii located? Pacific Ocean
What is USA’s national animal? Bald Eagle
What do the stars on the USA’s flag represent? 50 states
What do the stripes on the USA’s flag represent? 13 original colonies
Who is the president of Korea? Park Geun-Hye
What is Korea’s national animal? Siberian Tiger
What does the center part of Korea’s flag mean? Yin and Yang (opposites)
When was the Korean flag adopted? January 25, 1950
What war was called ‘The War to End All Wars’? World War 1
Cleopatra was the queen of which country? Egypt
What is 15th century scientist Copernicus famous for? He said the Sun (not the Earth) was at the center of our universe.
What was King Sejong’s name at birth? Yi Do (Lee Do)
What restaurant did Ray Kroc make successful? McDonald’s
When did Israel officially become a country? 1948
How long did Nelson Mandela stay in prison? 27 years
The yo-yo was originally a weapon. True
Who discovered the law of gravity? Isaac Newton
Which country first used paper money? China
How long did it take Leonardo da Vinci to paint the ‘Mona Lisa’? 10 years
Tug-of-war used to be an Olympic sport. True
Indira Gandhi was prime minister of which country? India
Where was Audrey Hepburn born? Belgium
15th century Romanian ruler Vlad the Impaler was the inspiration for which horror character? Dracula
Before 1960, advertisements used to claim that smoking cigarettes was good for your health. True
How many members are in Girls Generation? eight
If a member of a group is the "maknae," then they are the... The youngest
Who is the leader of Big Bang? G-Dragon
Onew is a member of which Idol group? SHINee
What is the Wonder Girls' debut US single? Nobody
Which artist won the Grammy for Album of the Year with her album "1989" at the 2016 Grammy Awards? Taylor Swift
Which 2016 superhero film has the hero Wade Wilson looking for the man who gave him a scarred physical appearance? Deadpool
Both big hits in 2016, the songs "Sorry" and "Love Yourself" were released by which Canadian singer and songwriter? Justin Bieber
Rihanna hit number one on Billboard in March of 2016 with what album? Anti
Finish the title to this 2016 film- “Batman v _______ - Dawn of Justice.” Superman
The 2016 Summer Olympics took place in which South American city? Rio De Janeiro
Which singer had hits songs "When We Were Young" and "Hello" in 2016? Adele
What's the name of SHINee's debut song? Noona, You’re So Pretty/Beautiful
Which song won the Song of the Year at the 2016 Grammy Awards? Thinking Out Loud
Which Canadian rapper had Billboard hits with the songs "Hotline Bling" and "Summer Sixteen" in 2016? Drake
Making its 32nd season debut in February of 2016, Survivor was filmed in Koh Rong, which is located in which country? Thailand
Which Disney film made its debut in 2016? Zootopia
What K-Pop song has topped charts around the world with its catchy tune and 'horse dance'? Gangnam Style
Which K-pop boy group debuted with the album "Mama"? Exo
What does the boy group name ZE:A mean? Children of Empire
Which K-pop boy group contains two members who began as child actors? Teen Top
Which K-pop boy group has two members who starred in the drama "Dream High 2" before they debuted with this group? Got7
Which album by Big Bang was the first Korean album to chart on Billboard? Alive
Which K-pop boy won the survival rap program "Show Me the Money 3"? Bobby
What year was Facebook founded? 2004
Which BTOB member is known for his “aegyo”? Il Hoon
The Hundred Years War lasted 100 years. False
The horror story Frankenstein was written by a man. False
Iceland is really green and Greenland is really icy. True
Kublai Khan was the son of Genghis Khan. False
Leeches used to be used by doctors as a medical cure. True
The Great Famine of Ireland (1845~1852) was caused by the failure of which crop? Potatoes
Which legendary king lived in Camelot? King Arthur
Why was Rosa Parks arrested in 1955? She refused to give up her seat and move to the back of the bus.
Why are Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay famous? They were the first people to climb to the top of Mount Everest.
How did Alexander Graham Bell expect people to answer the telephone? “Ahoy-hoy.”
What is the nickname for the United Kingdom’s flag? The Union Jack
What is the world's third largest sea? Mediterranean
Name the capital city of Belgium? Brussels
Which country has the largest population? India (China until 2023)
Which country is the densest in population? Monaco
Which country is the sparsest in population? Greenland
Which country is the biggest in land area? Russia
Which country has the longest coastline? Canada
Where is the biggest desert on earth? Antarctica
The highest mountain of the world is in which two countries? China and Nepal
The lowest point of land on earth is on the border between which three countries? Palestine, Israel and Jordan
Which capital city in the world is at the highest altitude? La Paz, Bolivia
The most urbanised country in the world is… Singapore
Which planet is also known as the morning star? Venus
Which continent has the fewest people living on it? Antarctica
Which country is shaped like a boot? Italy
Which country is in South America; Brazil, Mexico, Spain, or India? Brazil
Name the most famous city centre in Europe with no cars? Venice
Name one city that is in two continents? Istanbul (or Panama City)
What is the name of the biggest ocean on Earth? Pacific Ocean
Helsinki is the capital city of which country? Finland
Where is the longest beach in the world? Bangladesh
Name the colors of the flags of these countries:
Argentina
Ireland
France
Germany