Author: Evelyn Beresford

Step 1 : Introduction to the question “Which composer and lyricist wrote the song “God Bless America”?” Irving Berlin was an American composer and lyricist, widely considered one of the greatest songwriters in American history. During his 60-year career he wrote an estimated 1,500 songs, including the scores for 19 Broadway shows and 18 Hollywood films. Many songs became popular themes and anthems, including “White Christmas”, “There’s No Business Like Show Business”, and “God Bless America.” Berlin wrote the patriotic song “God Bless America” in 1918 while serving in the U.S. Army at Camp Upton in Yaphank, New York. Step 2 : Answer…

Step 1 : Introduction to the question “Besides Cuba, what other country bans the sale of Coca-Cola?” There are only two countries in the world where Coca-Cola cannot be bought or sold. They are Cuba and North Korea, which are both under long-term US trade embargoes. Cuba was one of the first three countries outside the U.S. to bottle Coke back in 1906. But after the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro’s government began seizing private assets and the company liquidated and exited the country in 1960. Coca-Cola has never operated in North Korea. Coca-Cola claims that if any drinks are being sold in…

Step 1 : Introduction to the question “Which athlete’s real first name is Eldrick?” …Eldrick Tont Woods, better known as Tiger Woods, was born on December 30, 1975. Woods’ first name, Eldrick, was coined by his mother because it began with “E” (for Earl) and ended with “K” (for Kultida). His middle name Tont is a traditional Thai name. When Woods was a child, his father began calling him “Tiger” in honor of a fellow soldier and friend who had the same moniker. His father, Earl, served as his teacher and mentor. Tiger Woods set an amazing pro golf career in motion…

Step 1 : Introduction to the question “Which continent has the highest percentage of desert?” …When you think of deserts, what comes to mind? Chances are, you’re thinking of sun, sand, and perhaps camels or cacti. The truth is, to technically qualify as a desert, an area only needs to receive less than 25 centimeters of precipitation per year. The majority of Antarctica is too cold to allow for precipitation in the form of rain or snow, so approximately 5.5 million square miles of Antartica is a desert. How’s that for a curveball? It’s even theorized that some parts of the Antarctic…

Step 1 : Introduction to the question “Which scientist’s notebooks are still too radioactive to handle?” Marie Curie conducted pioneering research on radioactivity. Her efforts, along with her husband Pierre Curie, led to the discovery of the radioactive elements polonium and radium, while working with the mineral pitchblende. After years of extensive research handling highly radioactive materials with no safeguards, Curie succumbed to aplastic anemia—a disorder of brought on by her exposure to radiation—at the age of 66. The artifacts found within her laboratory, including her numerous research notebooks, are still so radioactive as to require special storage and protective equipment to…

Step 1 : Introduction to the question “Jackie Robinson’s middle name honors which U.S. president?” …On this day in 1947, Jackie Roosevelt Robinson broke the color barrier when he became the first Black athlete to play Major League Baseball in the 20th century. During his 10-year career with the Brooklyn Dogers, Robinson won the inaugural Rookie of the Year Award, and the National League Most Valuable Player Award in 1949—the first black player so honored. MLB retired his uniform number 42 across all major league teams; he was the first athlete in any sport to be so honored. Jackie Robinson’s middle name…

Step 1 : Introduction to the question “Which sport was derived from the Greek word meaning “to exercise naked”?” The term gymnastics, derived from a Greek word meaning “to exercise naked,” applied in ancient Greece to all exercises practiced in the gymnasium, the place where male athletes did indeed exercise unclothed. After the Roman invasion of Greece in the second century BC, gymnastics was adopted by the Roman army for training exercises, and the practice was spread across the ancient world through Roman conquest. The Romans developed the activities into a more formal sport, and they used the gymnasiums to physically prepare…

Step 1 : Introduction to the question “Which president is pictured on the U.S. paper currency that has the White House on the back?” …The seventh U.S. President, Andrew Jackson is featured on the front side of the $20 bill since 1928; the White House is featured on the reverse. The placement of Jackson on the $20 bill may be a historical irony; as president, he vehemently opposed both the National Bank and paper money and made the goal of his administration the destruction of the National Bank. In his farewell address to the nation, he cautioned the public about paper money.…

Step 1 : Introduction to the question “Which of these movies now lends its name to a specific psychological disorder?” …Truman Show delusion is a real psychological condition named after the 1998 film that starred Jim Carrey as a suburbanite whose every move was filmed and broadcast to the world. Patients suffering from Truman Show delusion believe their entire life is a staged reality show and they are being watched and filmed by cameras. They think their family, friends, and co-workers are all reading from scripts and their home and workplace are just backdrops. After hearing about the syndrome, Andrew Niccol, writer…

Step 1 : Introduction to the question “Where can you find these leaning medieval towers?” …1. Brussels, Belgium 2. Aberdeen, Scotland 3. Bologna, Italy 4. Madrid, Spain Step 2 : Answer to the question “Where can you find these leaning medieval towers?” Bologna, Italy – It’s no surprise that Italy is home to other famous leaning structures! The city of Bologna in Italy once had over 100 towers like these, and while several remain standing, none are as prominent as these two. In the 12th and 13th centuries, the city was in constant conflict between those who supported the pope, and those who…