World Panorama (UPSC) Part-II

Total Questions: 50

1. For which one of the following countries is Spanish not an official language? [2005]

(a) Chile
(b) Colombia
(c) Republic of Congo
(d) Cuba

Correct Answer: (c) Republic of Congo

Solution:French is the official language of Republic of Congo, not Spanish. But spanish is the official language of chile, Columbia and Cuba.

2. What was Komagata Maru? [2005]

(a) A political party based in Taiwan.
(b) Peasant communist leader of China.
(c) A naval ship on yoyage to Canada.
(d) A Chinese village where Mao Tse lung began his long march.

Correct Answer: (c) A naval ship on yoyage to Canada.

Solution:Komagata Maru was a Japanese ship carrying passengers from Singapore to Vancouver. The ship was anchored at Calcutta in September 1914.

3. Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched? [2005]

British Prime	Political Party
(a) John Major	Conservative Party
(b) James Callaghan	Labour Party
(c) Harold Wilson	Conservative Party
(d) Margaret Thatcher	Conservative Party

Correct Answer: (c)

Solution:John Major Conservative Party 1990 James Callaghan Labour Party - 1976 Margaret Thatcher Conservative Party 1979 Edward Heath Conservative Party - 1970 Harold Wilson Labour Party - 1964

4. Which one of the following cities is the seat of Parliament of South Africa? [2005]

(a) Pretoria
(b) Dutban
(c) Johannesburg
(d) Cape Town

Correct Answer: (d) Cape Town

Solution:Since, 1910 as the seat of Parliament, Cape Town has been the legislative capital of South Africa, Pretoria the Administrative capital and Bloemfontein the Judicial Capital.

5. Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched? [2006]

(a) Slovenia - Bratislava
(b) Seychelles - Victoria
(c) Iserra Leone - Freetown
(d) Uzbekistan - Tashkent

Correct Answer: (a) Slovenia - Bratislava

Solution:Slovenia's Capital is Ljublijana, and Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia.

6. What is the Universal Product Code (UPC) adopted for? [2006]

(a) Fire safety code in buildings
(b) Earthquake-resistant building code
(c) Bar code
(d) Against adulteration in eatables

Correct Answer: (c) Bar code

Solution:The Universal Product Code (UPC) is a barcode symbology (i.e., a specific type of barcode) that is widely used in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and in other countries for tracking trade items in stores.

7. What is the new administrative capital proposed for Myanmar? [2006]

(a) Bassein
(b) Mandalay
(c) Myitkyina
(d) Pyinmana

Correct Answer: (d) Pyinmana

Solution:Pyinmana is a logging town and sugarcane refinery center in the Naypyidaw Union Territory of Myanmar. The administrative capital of Myanmar was officially moved to a militarized greenfield site two miles west of Pyinmana on November 6, 2005.

8. Consider the following statements: [2006]

1. Kofi Annan, the UN Secretary General is from Nigeria.

2. Kofi Annan is the First UN Secretary General to be appointed from the ranks of the United Nations Staff.

3. Kofi Annan was appointed for a second term to the office of the UN Secretary General.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1, 2 and 3
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1 and 3 only

Correct Answer: (c) 2 and 3 only

Solution:Kofi Annan of Ghana is the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations. The first Secretary-General to be elected from the ranks of United Nations staff, he began his term on 1 January 1997. On 29 June 2001, acting on a recommendation by the Security Council, the General Assembly appointed him by acclamation to a second term of office, beginning on 1 January 2002 and ending on 31 December 2006.

9. Consider the following statements: [2006]

1. The Nobel Prize Awarding Ceremony takes place on December 10, of every year.

2. The Nobel Prize for Literature was added later on to the other five areas: Physics, Chemistry, Physiology of Medicine, Peace and Economics.

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Correct Answer: (a) 1 only

Solution:Since 1901, the Nobel Prizes have been presented to the Laureates at ceremonies on 10 December, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death. As stipulated in the will of the Swedish-born inventor and international industrialist Alfred Nobel, which was opened after his death in 1896, the Nobel Prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine and Literature are awarded in Stockholm, Sweden, while the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo, Norway.

10. In which one of the following films did the Nobel Laureate Pearl S. Buck collaborate? [2006]

(a) Shatranj Ke Khilari
(b) Guide
(c) Lawrence of Arabia
(d) Titanic

Correct Answer: (b) Guide

Solution:The screenplay of the film 'The Guide' had been written by Nobel Laureate Pearl S Buck.

12 3 4 5 Next »