Saturday 8 September 2012

Mastermind Show 5 - Wikipedia Challenge

When I took up my pen – er – laptop yesterday I hadn’t noticed that there was in fact NO Mastermind last night. That’s a pain in one way – ie. – no Mastermind, but at least it does give me a little time to have a look at the subject list with a view to taking the wiki challenge again. So, according to the BBC Mastermind website, these are the subjects we have to choose from : -

* Dr. Who – 1963 – 1989

* The Story of Moses in the King James Bible

* The History and Geography of Arkansas

* Terry Venables

A veritable cornucopia, and we seem spoiled for choice. For me, I’m going to rule out Dr. Who for the challenge. I really fancy having a go at that one myself, expecially since it’s only ‘classic Who’ . ( I think that’s what the serious fans call the pre – revival Dr. Who. albeit that the Davison, Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy seasons had precious little that deserved to be called classic). From which comment you may well gather that I fancy having a go at this one with no preparation.

The Story of Moses in the King James Bible – well, again, I’m not sure that this would be an ideal subject for the wiki challenge. Why not just read the King James Bible itself ? I quite fancy seeing whether I can get any points by myself, anyway. Not as many as on Dr. Who, I’ll be bound, but still.

So let me nominate the History and Geography of Arkansas, and Terry Venables as fit subjects for the challenge. Same as I did with The Shipping forecast last week . I’ll go through the Wikipedia pages, and post my own set of questions about both ( or if I only have time to do one, about that one. ) Watch this space.

----------------------------------------------------------

Supplementary

I've had a good look at the wiki articles on Arkansas, and I've culled 40 questions, all, some or none of which may be asked. Actually it can't possibly be all of them, but never mind. The answers are all to be found on the wiki page, but if you're desperate, drop me an email for the answers

Arkansas Wiki Challenge Questions

1. The name Arkansas was originally a word in which language ?
2. The name Arkansas was originally coined by which native American people ?
3. Arkansas sent troops to help which future state in it’s struggle for independence from Mexico in the 1830s ?
4. Which mountainous region extends into Arkansas from Southern Missouri ?
5. In terms of population, where does Arkansas rank among US States ?
6. Which Arkansas Major General in the Civil War was nicknamed the Stonewall of the West ?
7. In terms of area, where does Arkansas rank among US States ?
8. On which date in 1836 was the Territory of Arkansas admitted to the Union ?
9. Arkansas was accepted as which number state of the Union ?
10. Which is the most populous city of Arkansas ?
11. Which is the highest point of Arkansas ?
12. Which is the lowest point of Arkansas ?
13. Arkansas lies within which US Time zone ?
14. What name is given to the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Cree, Seminole and Choctaw , who all ived in Arkansas during its territorial period ?
15. Which river runs for part of the border with the state of Louisiana ?
16. How many other states border Arkansas ?
17. The United States Census Bureau classifies Arkansas within which sub category of states ?
18. Which river forms much of the eastern boundary of Arkansas ?
19. Which mountains rise in West Central Arkansas, and extend into southeastern Oklahoma ?
20. Who was the first European explorer to reach Arkansas ?
21. Which unusual geological formation rises 250 to 550 feet (170 m) above the alluvial plain of the Mississippi embayment in a 150-mile (240 km) line from southeastern Missouri to the Mississippi River near Helena, Arkansas ?
22. Which Battle of the US Civil War was fought on Crowley’s Ridge in May 1823 ?
23. Which treaty of 1821 made the Arkansas River a part of the US border with Mexico until the annexation of Texas ?
24. The Buffalo River, Little Red River, Black River and Cache River all serve as tributaries to which river ?
25. Evidence suggests that Sam Houston planned the Texas Revolution of 1835 – 6 in which Arkansas town ?
26. The Dripstone Trail runs through the upper level of which cavern system in the Ozark National Forest ?
27. Arkansas is currently the only US state where which precious mineral is mined ?
28. In which year was the territory of Arkansas organised ?
29. At the outbreak of the Mexican American war, which governor of Arkansas issued a proclamation calling on the state to furnish one regiment of cavalry and one battalion of infantry to join the United States Army ?
30. Which action of President Lincoln led directly to Arkansas seceding from the Union in on May 6, 1861 ?
31. Which act restored Arkansas to the Union in 1868 ?
32. What name was given to the political struggle in the capital Little Rock in 1874 ?
33. Little Rock replaced which town as the capital of the Territory of Arizona in 1821 ?
34. In 1957, which group of Afro American students enrolled in the Little Rock Central High school, and were originally prevented from entering it by Governor Orval Faubus ?
35. In which town was future President Bill Clinton born in 1946 ?
36. During the Civil War Washington and which other city replaced Little Rock as the state capital ?
37. Which is the largest Protestant denomination in Arkansas ?
38. Which huge retail group have their headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas ?
39. Residents of which city are exempt from Arkansas Income taxes ?
40. In the 1968 Presidential election, Arkansas was won by which candidate of the American Independent Party ?

7 comments:

DanielFullard said...

Hi Dave

Doctor Who could have been and may well be one of my SS's when I finally make on the show so Ill be keen on that as I will on Terry Venables.

Going to give the Arkansas one a good go and seeing as I have a week off I think Ill try the Moses one too

Londinius said...

Hi Dan
I put the Arkansas questions I'm learning on the post last night. I'll also have a go at El Tel if I get a chance .

AaronW said...

I fancy my chances in the Moses round.

Might try the Wiki challenge for Arkansas as my American knowledge is somewhat hopeless.

In the meantime here is a puzzle featuring Arkansas!

Minnesota is to Maine as South Carolina is to Ohio and Arkansas is to...?

What is unique about the third item in this sequence?

LisaH said...

Kansas and the fact that the other State name is spelt in order - except that West Virginia and Virginia works too?

AaronW said...

Yes!

And cheers - overlooked the Virginias.

'as W.Virginia is to Virginia' would definitely have made it too easy though!

Anyway full points and a bonus point for the extra pair :)

dxdtdemon said...

I'm not sure if the episode has aired yet or not, but either way, I have no knowledge of what they're going to ask, so I want to make two predictions on the Arkansas topic. The first is that the Bill Clinton question will be about the governor who had to compromise and make Jefferson Davis's birthday a state holiday in order for the Martin Luther King Day holiday to be ratified by the legislature. The second is that they'll ask which governor lived in a trailer while the governor's mansion was being renovated. Given what the Arkansas wiki article said, you wrote some pretty good questions, and I think a few will come up almost verbatim.

Londinius said...

Hi dxdtdemon

Thanks for your very kind comments regarding my questions . We'll see what does come up - the show's on in the UK later tonight.