Humanitas

Answers

N°1: Who was Dante Alighieri? 

  1. An Italian poet, writer and politician
  2. Italian singer of the 90s
  3. A Renaissance painter
  4. An Italian playwright

Dante Alighieri was an Italian poet, writer and politician who contributed in an indisputable way to the growth and development of the Italian language. In fact, he is considered by many to be the father of the Italian language. One of his most famous works is the Divine Comedy, considered one of the most important works of literature in the world.

 

N°2: How many Italian regions have a special status?

  1. 5
  2. 20
  3. 2
  4. 10

Italy is organized in 20 Regions, every Region may adopt its own statutes. There are 15 Regions with ordinary status: Piemonte, Lombardia, Veneto, Liguria, Emilia-Romagna, Toscana, Umbria, Marche, Lazio, Abruzzo, Molise, Campania, Puglia, Basilicata and Calabria; and 5 Regions with a Special status Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Sardinia, Sicily, Trentino-South Tyro and the Aosta Valley.

 

N°3: Which flower has been a symbol of revolution for the Portuguese?

  1. Lily
  2. Carnation
  3. Tulip
  4. Iris

On April 25, 1974, there was a glorious uprising by the Portuguese military, culminating in the fall of the dictatorial regime of Salazar, called Carnation Revolution. The name comes from the gesture of a florist who offered carnations to the soldiers in a Lisbon square. The flower were stuffed into the rifle rods like a symbol of the revolution and freedom.

 

N°4:  When did Italian women vote for the first time?

  1. 1945
  2. 1968
  3. 1918
  4. 1946

Women’s suffrage in Italy was introduced on the 1945; but just only on the 2nd of June 1946, the Italian women voted for the first time for the Institutional referendum the choice between monarchy and republic and for the constituent Assembly.

 

N°5: Who was Piersanti Mattarella, brother of the President of the Italian Republic?

  1. An actor who gain the Oscar
  2. A politician murdered by the Mafia
  3. A priest who fought against the injustice
  4. The first Sicilian swimmer to win Olympic Games

Piersanti Mattarela was an Italian politicians murdered by the Mafia while he was President of the Regional Government of Sicily. He is remembered like a good President who tried to clean the Sicilian political environment from the corruption. 

 

N°6: In which Italian city is Cous cous a typical dish?

  1. Trapani
  2. Bologna
  3. Rome
  4. Milan

When we taught to cous cous the common imagination immediately focus in North Africa but also in Italy there is a strong tradition of this dish. In Trapani, Sicily, it’s part of the culinary culture, thanks to the cultural mixtures at the times of Arab domination.

 

N°7:  What is the closest Italian island to Africa?

  1. Malta
  2. Lampedusa
  3. Isola d’Elba
  4.  Capri

Lampedusa is the last Italian land next the African continent; for this reason it is considered the “European door” for those who leave Africa in search to a better future. Lampedusa is known for the sad story of shipwrecked of migrants but also for its welcoming people

 

N°8: What was the first Italian capital?

  1. Rome
  2. Torino
  3. Milan
  4. Bari

After the unification of Italy in 1861, when Rome was still under the control of the Papal States, Turin was declared the first capital of Italy, as it was then the capital of the Piedmont region and home of ruling the monarchs, the Savoy. 

 

N°9: Where is the largest theatre in Italy?

  1. Milan
  2. Rome
  3. Naples
  4. Palermo

The Teatro Massimo, located in Palermo, is the biggest theater in Italy, and one of the largest in Europe after the Palais Garnier in Paris, and the K. K. Hof-Opernhaus in Vienna. Designed by architect Giovanni Battista Filippo Basile, the Massimo was built starting in 1875.

 

N°10: in Which Manzoni’s book is the main character called Renzo?

  1. Animal Farm
  2. The Betrothed
  3. Fantastic animals and where to find them
  4. Gattopardo

The Betrothed (in Italian: I Promessi Sposi) is generally ranked among the masterpieces of world literature. The novel is also a symbol of the Italian Risorgimento and it tells the story of two young lovers, Renzo and Lucia, prevented from marrying by the petty tyrant Don Rodrigo, who desires Lucia for himself.

 

N°11: What is the name of the largest Italian lake?

  1. Lake Como
  2. Lake Iseo
  3. Lake Garda
  4. Lake Maggiore

Lake Garda is located in the north of the Italy on the border of three Italian regions: Lombardy, Veneto and Trentino-South Tyrol. It is the largest lake of the country for size and the third deepest among all the Italian Lakes. It is an important tourist destination welcoming every years millions of people.

 

N°12 How many are the monarchies in Europe?

  1. 2
  2. 0
  3. 12
  4. 7

Actually there are twelve monarchies in Europe, seven of which are kingdoms: Denmark, Norway, Sweden, the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain. There are principalities such as Andorra, Lichtenstein and Monaco and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.  The Vatican City, instead, is the last absolute monarchy in Europe, ruled by the Pope.

N°13: Who is the Greek Nobel Prize-winning poet, some of his work is associated with Cyprus?

  1. Kostis Palamas
  2. George Seferis
  3. Yiannis Ritsos
  4. Tasos Livaditis

As the great poet not only lived in Cyprus, but Cyprus itself was a source of inspiration for some of his greatest poems, it is of great importance that this exhibition is shown in Cyprus.

 

N°14: Which metal was related with the name of Cyprus?

  1. Silver
  2. Gold
  3. Copper
  4. Iron

In Latin it is “Cuprum” and in English it is “copper”. The first Latin name of copper was “aes Cyprium” which means “metal of Cyprus”. Over the years it briefly became “Cuprum”.

 

N°15: When does Cyprus celebrate its Independence?

  1. 28th of May 1940
  2. 28th of October 1940
  3. 1st of October 1960
  4. 1st of May 1960

In Cyprus, Independence Day falls on 1 October. It is celebrated by festivals at schools and a large military parade in the capital. Cyprus became independent from the British in 1960 after Cyprus won full sovereignty from Britain. 

N°16: From when Cyprus is divided in two parts (North and South part)?

  1. 1821
  2. 1960
  3. 1963
  4. 1974 

From July 1974, Cyprus is divided in North and South part. 

N°17: Which is/are the official language/s of Cyprus?

  1. Greek
  2. Turkish
  3. Greek and Turkish
  4. Greek, Turkish, English

Cyprus has two official languages: Greek and Turkish; only Greek is an official EU language.

 

N°18: Cyprus is located at the crossroads of three continents. Which are the three continents?

  1. Europe, Africa, Asia
  2. Europe, Africa, South America
  3. Africa, Asia, Australia
  4. Europe, Africa, Australia

Cyprus is an island in the Eastern Mediterranean, located at the crossroads of three continents and cultures. The island is located in southeastern Europe, northern Africa and western Asia.

N°19: WHO WAS BURNT ALIVE IN HIS HIDEOUT DURING A BATTLE WITH BRITISH TROOPS IN 1957?

  1. Grivas Digenis
  2. Kyriakos Matsis
  3. Gregoris Afxentiou
  4. Fotis Pittas

Gregoris Afxentiou joined the E.O.K.A (National Organisations of Cypriot Fighters) and struggled for the liberation of the island from british occupation. He became one of the E.O.K.A leaders and, during a battle with british troops, he was burnt alive in his hideout (March 3, 1957).

 

N°20:  Which monument in Larnaca area has been listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO since 1998?  

  1. Church of Saint Lazarus
  2. Kolossi Medieval Castle
  3. Kourion
  4. Choirokoitia

The archaeological site of Choirokoitia is a remarkably well-preserved settlement from the Neolithic Age. Remains from all phases of the Neolithic Age are evident in the settlement, and provide an insight of living conditions in the region during prehistoric times, as well as how the Neolithic culture was spread throughout the region. 

N°21: Which monument in Cyprus is a venue for theatre and music performances? 

  1. Kourion
  2. Pattiheio
  3. Eleftheria
  4. Rialto

Kourion is an ancient amphotheatre that today is a venue for cultural events that include music and theatrical performances during the summer months.

 

N°22: Who Cypriot was awarded with the first Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 2010? 

  1. Harris Georgiadis
  2. George Vasiliou
  3. Makis Keravnos
  4. Christopher Pissarides 

Christopher Pissarides was awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 2010, jointly with with Peter Diamond from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Dale Mortensen from Northwestern University for their work on the economics of unemployment, especially job flows and the effects of being out of work.

 

N°23: What is the name of the traditional cheese in Cyprus? 

  1. Saganaki
  2. Gottage
  3. Halloumi
  4. Feta

Halloumi cheese is the traditional cheese of Cyprus, where it has been produced by a multi-ethnic population for many centuries.

 

N°24: Which Goddess was born in Petra tou Romiou from the sea? 

  1. Aphrodite
  2. Athena
  3. Artemis
  4. Hera

According to the Homeric legend Aphrodite was born in Petra tou Romiou from the sea, they wanted to say figuratively this is how Cyprus was born. Aphrodite is also known as Kyprida.

N°25: Who was El Greco?

  1. A Greek painter and sculptor
  2. A Greek singer of the 70s
  3. A medieval philosopher
  4. A famous byzantine emperor

Doménikos Theotokópoulos (1541 – 1614), most widely known as El Greco (“The Greek”), was a Greek painter, sculptor and architect of the Spanish Renaissance. “El Greco” was a nickname, a reference to his Greek origin, and the artist normally signed his paintings with his full birth name in Greek letters, Doménikos Theotokópoulos, often adding the word Κρής Krēs, Cretan. He was born in Crete, which was at that time part of the Republic of Venice, and the center of Post-Byzantine art. He trained and became a master within that tradition before traveling at age 26 to Venice before moving to Toledo, Spain in 1577 where we lived and worked until his death.

 

N°26: Since when is the Greek alphabet in use?

  1. since the 7th century BC
  2. since ever
  3. since the late ninth or early eight century BC
  4. since the 10th century BC

The Greek alphabet has been used to write the Greek language since the late ninth or early eighth century BC. It is derived from the earlier Phoenician alphabet, and was the first alphabetic script in history to have distinct letters for vowels as well as consonants. The 24 letters in the Greek alphabet are quite different from the letters of the Latin alphabet, despite the fact that the Latin alphabet is based on the Greek Alphabet.

 

N°27: Which one of the following poets wrote the Iliad?

  1. Aeschylus
  2. Homer
  3. Sophocles
  4. Agathon

The Iliad“ (Gr: “Iliás“) is an epic poem by the great ancient Greek poet Homer, which recounts some of the significant events of the final weeks of the Trojan War and the Greek siege of the city of Troy (which was also known as Ilion, Ilios or Ilium in ancient times). Written in the mid-8th Century BCE, “The Iliad” is usually considered to be the earliest work in the whole Western literary tradition, and one of the best known and loved stories of all time.

 

N°28: Who was Pericles?

  1. A Greek president of the 70s
  2. A Greek singer
  3. A Greek king in Antiquity
  4. A Greek politician in Antiquity

Pericles was a prominent and influential Greek statesman, orator and general of Athens during its golden age, specifically the time between the Persian and the Peloponnesian Wars. Pericles promoted the arts and literature, and it is principally through his efforts that Athens acquired the reputation of being the educational and cultural center of the ancient Greek world. He started an ambitious project that generated most of the surviving structures on the Acropolis, including the Parthenon. The period during which he led Athens, roughly from 461 to 429 BC, is sometimes known as the “Age of Pericles”.

 

N°29: Which of the following Greek poets has been awarded the Nobel Prize of Literature?

  1. Andreas Kalvos
  2. Kostis Palamas
  3. Konstantinos Kavafis
  4. Odysseas Elytis

Odysseus Elytis (Greek: Οδυσσέας Ελύτης [oðiˈseas eˈlitis], pen name of Odysseus Alepoudellis, Greek: Οδυσσέας Αλεπουδέλλης; 2 November 1911 – 18 March 1996) was a Greek poet, essayist and translator, regarded as a major exponent of romantic modernism in Greece and the world. He is one of the most praised poets of the second half of the twentieth century. In 1979, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.

N°30: Herodotus was a…

  1. Politician
  2. Poet
  3. Mathematician
  4. Historian

Herodotus (born c. 484 BCE), alternatively Herodotos, was one of the earliest Greek historians. Often referred to as “The Father of History” in Western society, his most famous work is the Histories, a chronicle of Greece that was later divided into nine books named after the Muses. Detractors, however, mocked him as “The Father of Lies” owing to his penchant for embellishment.

 

N°31: How many countries have Greek as official language?

  1. One
  2. Two
  3. Three
  4. Four

In its modern form, Greek is the official language in two countries, Greece and Cyprus, a recognized minority language in seven other countries, and is one of the 24 official languages of the European Union. Greek is spoken today by at least 13 million people, principally in Greece and Cyprus along with a sizable Greek-speaking minority in Albania near the Greek-Albanian border due to the since long migration flows from Albania to Greece.

 

N°32: What is Delph(o)i?

  1. A Skateboard Brand
  2. A mythological creature
  3. A sacred precinct in antiquity
  4. A famous summer festival in Crete

In ancient times was a sacred precinct that served as the seat of Pythia, the major oracle who was consulted about important decisions throughout the ancient classical world. The oracle was international in character and also fostered sentiments of Greek nationality, even though the nation of Greece was centuries away from realization. The ancient Greeks considered the center of the world to be in Delphi, marked by the stone monument known as the omphalos (navel). The precinct is recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in having had a great influence in the ancient world, as evidenced by the various monuments built there by most of the important ancient Greek city-states.

 

N°33: Since when is the Greek alphabet in use?

  1. since the 7th century BC
  2. since ever
  3. since the late ninth or early eight century BC
  4. since the 10th century BC

The Greek alphabet has been used to write the Greek language since the late ninth or early eighth century BC. It is derived from the earlier Phoenician alphabet, and was the first alphabetic script in history to have distinct letters for vowels as well as consonants. The 24 letters in the Greek alphabet are quite different from the letters of the Latin alphabet, despite the fact that the Latin alphabet is based on the Greek Alphabet.

 

N°34: Venus de Milos is…?

  1. A Greek poetess in Antiquity
  2. A famous lady in Antiquity
  3. A Greek actress in the 70s
  4. An ancient Greek statue

Is an ancient Greek statue and one of the most famous works of ancient Greek sculpture. Initially it was attributed to the sculptor Praxiteles, but based on an inscription that was on its plinth, the statue is now thought to be the work of Alexandros of Antioch. Created sometime between 130 and 100 BC, the statue is believed to depict Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and beauty. It is a marble sculpture, slightly larger than life size at 203 cm (6 ft 8 in) high. Part of an arm and the original plinth were lost following the statue’s discovery. It is currently on permanent display at the Louvre Museum in Paris.

 

N°35: The National Monument of Scotland on Calton Hill in Edinburgh is inspired from …

  1. The Parthenon of Athens
  2. The Temple of Poseidon at Sounion
  3. The Lindos Acropole on the island Rhodes
  4. The Temple of Zeus at Olympia

The National Monument of Scotland on Calton Hill in Edinburgh, is Scotland’s national memorial to the Scottish soldiers and sailors who died fighting in the Napoleonic Wars. The architecture of the monument greatly resembles the Temple of Athena or Parthenon of Athens, a reminder of the influence that ancient Greek civilization had on the British and European civilization. The construction of Parthenon started in 447 BC, when Athens of Pericles was at the peak of its power. It was completed in 438 BC, although decoration of the building continued until 432 BC. It is the most important surviving building of Classic Greece, generally considered the zenith of the Doric order. Its stunning architecture is the basis of classic European architecture.

 

N°36: The famous quote “Greeks don’t fight like heroes; heroes fight like Greeks” is attributed to …

  1. Winston Churchill
  2. Angela Merkel
  3. Adolf Hitler
  4. Joseph Stalin

This quote acknowledges the passion of armed and unarmed groups across the political spectrum who resisted the Axis occupation of Greece in the period 1941–1944. They are considered as one of the strongest resistance movements in Nazi-occupied Europe during WW2. Winston Churchill, who was the prime minister of Britain, praised the Greek contribution to the Allied Victory, without which Europe and the world would never be the same.

N°37: Who was Sigmound Freud?

  1. A famous musician
  2. A painter
  3. The founder of psychoanalysis
  4. A scientist

Sigmound Freud was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for treating psychopathology through dialogue between a patient and a psychoanalyst. He worked at the beginning of the 20th century and approach focused on achieving psychic and behavioural change through having his patients talk about their difficulties, and developing different therapeutic techniques. Even though his ideas and methods are quite controversial and criticized by many, psychoanalysis remains influential within many contemporary schools of psychotherapy and has led to innovative therapeutic work in schools and with families and groups

 

N°38: Where is the oldest zoo in the world?

  1. Berlin
  2. Vienna
  3. Dublin
  4. London

The Schönbrunn zoo is located on the grounds of the famous Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria. And it  was founded in 1752. The zoo is home to more than 700 animal species, some of them threatened.

 

N°39: Which country is represented by the flag: red white red horizontal stripes?

  1. Austria
  2. Germany
  3. Belarus
  4. Poland

Austria’s flag is one of, if not the, oldest national banners in the world. According to legend, the flag was invented by Duke Leopold V of Austria as a consequence of his fighting during the Siege of Acre. After a fierce battle, his white surcoat was completely drenched in blood. When he removed his belt, the cloth beneath remained unstained, revealing the combination of red-white-red. So taken was he by this singular sight that he adopted the colours and scheme as his banner.The incident was documented as early as 1260. In fact, the war flag of the Holy Roman Empire during the Crusades was a silver cross on a red field quite similar to the later Austrian arms. This sign was used by the Austrian capital Vienna from the late 13th century onwards. 

 

N°40:  Austria is:

  1. Monarchy
  2. Totalitarian regime
  3. Parliamentary democracy
  4. Presidential democracy

Austria is ruled by a parliamentary democracy with three branches of government. They are the executive branch which includes a President and a Chancellor, the legislative branch, which includes the National Council and the Federal Council, and the judicial branch, which is headed by the Supreme Judicial Court.

 

N°41: Which city is known as the “City of Music”?

  1. Madrid
  2. Prague
  3. Paris
  4. Vienna

Vienna is famous for being home to many prominent classical musicians such as Beethoven and Mozart. The city also hosts one of the most well-known operas in the world the Vienna State Opera.

 

N°42: What is “the Emperor´s Mess” (Kaiserschmarren)

  1. A ball game
  2. A pastry
  3. A mountain peak
  4. A nursery

Kaiserschmarrn or Kaiserschmarren (Emperor’s Mess) is a lightly sweetened pancake that takes its name from the Austrian emperor (Kaiser) Franz Joseph I, who was very fond of this kind of fluffy shredded pancake. It’s served as dessert or as a light lunch. It is generally agreed that the dish was first prepared for the Austrian Emperor Francis Joseph I (1830–1916). There are several stories for the origin of this pancake, one is that Francis Joseph and his wife were traveling the Alps and stopped by a farmer’s home for lunch. The farmer was so nervous that he threw all the fanciest ingredients he had into a pan to make a delicious pancake. But, due to his nervousness and shaky hands he scrambled the pancake. Trying to cover up the mess he then covered it with plum jam. Luckily, the Kaiser thought it was delicious.

 

N°43: Which country is not a NATO member?

  1. Austria
  2. Denmark
  3. Luxemburg
  4. Estonia

Along with just Finland, Ireland, Malta, Sweden and Switzerland, Austria is a European state that is not a member of NATO. The Austrian State Treaty and its constitution do not allow the country to enter into military alliances, and do not allow the establishment of foreign military bases on Austrian territory.

 

N°44: Who was the monarch who established the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary?

  1. Ferdinand I
  2. Francis Joseph I
  3. Charles I
  4. Maria Theresa

Francis Joseph I was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, Croatia, and Bohemia, and monarch of other states of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, from 2 December 1848 until his death. From 1 May 1850 to 24 August 1866 he was also President of the German Confederation. He was the longest-reigning ruler of Austria and Hungary, as well as the sixth-longest-reigning monarch of any country in European history Austria-Hungary, a dual monarchy that existed from 1867 to 1918 that spanned across parts of Central and Eastern Europe. e concluded the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, which granted greater autonomy to Hungary and transformed the Austrian Empire into the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary. The Compromise partially re-established the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Hungary, separate from, and no longer subject to the Austrian Empire. Instead, it was regarded as an equal partner with Austria. The compromise put an end to 18 years of absolutist rule and military dictatorship which had been introduced by Francis Joseph after the Hungarian Revolution of 1848. Franz Joseph was crowned King of Hungary on 8 June, and on 28 July he promulgated the laws that officially turned the Habsburg domains into the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary.

 

N°45: When did Austria became independent?

  1. 1938
  2. 1955
  3. 1945
  4. 1958

In 1938, Austria was incorporated into Nazi Germany and ceased to exist as an independent country until 1955 when it officially became independent again.

 

N°46: Who was the first Emperor of Austria?

  1. Rudolf I
  2. Leopold I the Glorious
  3. Francis II
  4. Maximilian II

Francis II was the last Holy Roman Emperor from 1792 to 1806 and, as Francis I, the first Emperor of Austria from 1804 to 1835. As the head of the Holy Roman Empire and the ruler of the vast multi-ethnic Habsburg hereditary lands, Francis felt threatened by the French revolutionaries and later Napoleon’s expansionism as well as their social and political reforms. On 11 August 1804, in response to Napoleon crowning himself as emperor of the French earlier that year, he announced that he would henceforth assume the title of hereditary emperor of Austria as Francis I, a move that technically was illegal in terms of imperial law.

 

N°47: When the coffee house tradition started in Austria?

  1. 1647
  2. 1720
  3. 1683
  4. 1856

Even if Vienna was not the pioneer in coffee house culture, it has – over the centuries – established a coffee house tradition. The history of Viennese coffee house culture is closely linked to the end of the Siege of Vienna in 1683. The story goes that during the Turkish siege of Vienna in the 1600s, a Polish man called Kolschitzky, who spoke excellent Turkish, strategically mingled with the Ottomans, taking them up on their numerous invitations of coffee. During the battle of Vienna with the Ottomans, Turkish food stores were raided and Kolschitzky searched for coffee sacks. He kept the secret of brewing to himself was the first to obtain a licence to serve coffee in the city. The first coffee house in Vienna was actually opened by the Armenian spy Diodato.

 

N°48: How many inhabitants does the smallest municipality in Austria have? 

  1. 134
  2. 107
  3. 89
  4. 41 

The smallest municipality in Austria: Gramais is a municipality with 41 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2020) in the district of Reutte in Tyrol (Austria). The municipality is located in the judicial district of Reutte. It is the smallest municipality in Austria.

N°49: How many islands are in the Azores? 

  1. Ten
  2. Five
  3. Nine
  4. Eight

Azores is an archipelago formed by three groups of islands: the western group, the central group and the eastern group. There are people who say that the nine islands of Azores belong truly to the Atlantic Ocean since their nature, history and climate all derive from their position in mid-Atlantic. 

 

N°50: How many people speak Portuguese in the world? 

  1. Around 10 million
  2. Around 214 million
  3. Around 248 million
  4. Around 300 million

Portuguese is estimated to have about 248 million speakers in total. It’s the ninth most-spoken language in the world. The number of people in the different countries are the following: Brazil 204 million, Angola 20 million, Mozambique 14 million, Portugal 10 million, Guinea-Bissau 272 thousand, Cape Verde 215 thousand, Sao Tome and Principe 200 thousand and Macao 7000. 

 

N°51: Which was the first university to be founded in Portugal? 

  1. University of Lisbon
  2. University of Porto
  3. University of Braga
  4. University of Coimbra

The Public University of Coimbra was founded in 1290 by King Dinis and it is one of the oldest higher education institution in Europe. Today it is organized into 8 faculties: Law, Medicine, Humanities, Sciences and Technology, Pharmacy, Economics, Psychology and Education Sciences, and Sports Sciences and Physical Education. The university is also on the World Heritage List of UNESCO. 

 

N°52: Portugal was the first country in the world to abolish slavery. 

  1. TRUE
  2. FALSE

The abolition of all forms of slavery occurred in 1761 on mainland Portugal and Portuguese India through a decree by the Marques of Pombal. The transatlantic slave trade was definitively outlawed altogether by Portugal in 1836, at the same time as other European powers. 

 

N°53: What is the oldest diplomatic alliance in the world that is still in force? 

  1. United Kingdom and Belgium
  2. United Kingdom and Portugal
  3. Canada and United States of America
  4. France and United Kingdom 

The oldest alliance based on known history in the world that is still in force between two countries is the Anglo-Portuguese Treaty (Kingdom of England and Kingdom of Portugal) that emerged back in 1373 (Treaty of Windsor). 

 

N°54: Who was the first Portuguese writer to win the Nobel Prize for Literature? 

  1. Luís de Camões
  2. Fernando Pessoa
  3. Paulo Coelho
  4. José Saramago

José Saramago was a Portuguese novelist and man of letters who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1998. Saramago grew up in great poverty in Lisbon and after began working in a publishing firm, eventually became a journalist and translator. One of Saramago’s most important novels is Memorial do Convento (1982; “Memoirs of the Convent”).

Source: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jose-Saramago 

 

N°55: Who was an influential female novelist writer in Portugal after 1950? 

  1. Isabel Alçada
  2. Agustina Bessa-Luís
  3. Dulce Maria Cardoso
  4. Ana Luísa Amaral

Agustina Bessa-Luís was a novelist and short-story writer whose fiction diverged from the predominantly neorealistic regionalism of mid-20th-century Portuguese literature to incorporate elements of surrealism. The best-known of Bessa-Luís’s early novels is A Sibila (1954; “The Sibyl”). In 2004, she received the Camões Prize, the most prestigious prize for literature in Portuguese. In addition, several of her works were adapted for film by Portuguese director Manoel de Oliveira.

 

Source: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Agustina-Bessa-Luis

 

N°56: Who was a famous Portuguese writer in the 20th century? 

  1. Afonso de Albuquerque
  2. Luís de Camões
  3. Miguel Torga
  4. Eça de Queiroz

Miguel Torga is considered one of the greatest Portuguese writers of the 20th century. He wrote poetry, short stories, theater and a 16 volume diary, written from 1932 to 1993. The recognition of his work earned him several important awards, as the Montaigne Prize in 1981, and the first ever Prémio Camões (he most important prize for literature in the Portuguese language) in 1989. He was several times nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature. 

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miguel_Torga

 

N°57: What was the monument built in Lisbon to commemorate the Portuguese Age of Discovery during the 15th and 16th centuries?

  1. Palácio da Pena (Pena Palace)
  2. Mosteiro dos Jerónimos (Jeronimos Monastery)
  3. Padrão dos Descobrimentos (Monument to the Discoveries)
  4. Torre de Belém (Belem Tower)

The Monument to the Discoveries evokes the Portuguese overseas expansion, recalls the country’s glorious past and symbolises the enormity of the work carried out by the Henrique the Navigator, the driving force behind the Discoveries. Architect José Angelo Cottinelli Telmo and sculptor Leopoldo de Almeida created the original statue for the 1940 Portuguese World Fair. 

Source: https://padraodosdescobrimentos.pt/en/monument-to-the-discoveries

 

N°58: The Monastery of Batalha in Portugal is a UNESCO World Heritage and one of the most beautiful examples of Portuguese and European architecture. Why was it build?

  1. It was gift from the King to the Church.
  2. To serve as a tomb for members of the Portuguese royal family.
  3. To praise an apparition of an angel.
  4. To celebrate the Portuguese victory in the battle of Aljubarrota.

The Monastery of Batalha was a promise of King João I in thanks for his victory against the Castilians, which assured him the throne and guaranteed independence for Portugal. It combines Gothic architecture and Manueline style (Portuguese late Gothic). It took around 150 years to build, spanning the reign of seven kings and the efforts of fifteen architects. The work began in 1386 and finished in 1562. 

Source: http://www.mosteirobatalha.gov.pt/en/index.php?s=white&pid=172&identificador=bt121_en

 

N°59: Portugal has the longest bridge in the European Union. 

  1. TRUE
  2. FALSE

The Vasco da Gama Bridge crosses the Tagus River to the north of Lisbon and was opened in 1998. It is around 12 kms long and carries six road lanes. It was built to eliminate the need for traffic between the country’s northern and southern regions to pass through the capital city.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasco_da_Gama_Bridge

 

N°60: The Portuguese were the first European people to reach Japan. 

  1. TRUE
  2. FALSE

In 1543, Portuguese reached the island of Tanegashima first establishing contact with Japan. The Japanese culture was exposed to several new European technologies and cultural practices in the military area (the arquebus, European-style cuirasses, European ships), religion (Christianity), decorative art, and culinary (the Portuguese introduced the tempura and above all the valuable refined sugar). Even in the language, the Japanese word for thank you “Arigato” comes from is the Portuguese word “Obrigado” 

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan%E2%80%93Portugal_relations