HFA College Trivia

What is the name of this Japanese food?

The world’s oldest bookstore is in this historic city.

_________ is the formation of words that imitate the sounds associated with the actions they refer to.

The famous novel “Don Quixote” was originally written in what language?

“Existential nihilism” is a philosophical belief that—

Which U.S. president was in office during the 1929 Wall Street crash?

This game was invented in India before being adapted by the Muslim world.

The Japanese language has six writing systems.

The Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776

Which HFA College faculty member wrote the acclaimed novel “On Earth, We're Briefly Gorgeous?”

In the Greek myth of Pandora's Box, what is it Pandora releases when she opens the box?

What is the oldest known musical instrument?

Montezuma ruled the Incan Empire.

Which character in “Hamilton” sings “The Room Where it Happens?”

According to this myth, Benjamin Franklin said this should be America's national bird.

What was the first national capital of the U.S.?

Neil Armstrong was the first person in space.

Who is regarded as the founder of modern linguistics?

The Russian city of St. Petersburg was formerly known as Stalingrad.

This work of Japanese literature is considered to be the world’s first novel.

The Russian language doesn’t use a Latin alphabet. It uses a ______ alphabet.

Who supposedly founded Rome with his brother Remus?

_____ has the most UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the world.

Macao, a Chinese city, was a colony of this European nation from 1557 until 1999.

What was the name of the novel that earned author Alice Walker a Pulitzer Prize?

What is the name for a decorative strip of wood across the top of a wall?

This Latin dance also shares a name with a spicy sauce.

A sentence containing every letter in a language is called a _____.

In 1974, 8,000 terra cotta warriors were discovered guarding the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang in this Chinese city.

Which one of these languages is NOT an official language of the United Nations?

“Philosophy” comes from the Greek word “philosophia,” meaning what?

In Greek mythology, who is the titan that holds up Earth?

_______ is the technique of painting small dots in order to form an image.

UMass alumna Keisha Turner was a stunt performer for this Marvel movie starring Chadwick Boseman.

What is the most commonly used letter in the English alphabet?

What is the name of Annie’s dog in the musical “Annie?”

________ is a branch of philosophy dedicated to art, beauty, and taste.

The Spanish alphabet has 27 letters.

What is considered the world’s oldest writing system?

Who was the first African-American woman elected to Congress?

This South American country was the first country to ban all McDonald’s franchises.

From 1639 to 1853, Japan underwent a period of self-isolation called “sakoku,” meaning...

Barcelona is the capital of Spain.

In terms of legal borders, Portugal is currently the oldest country in Europe.

Nicholas II was the last czar of the Russian Empire, having been abdicated in 1917.

Which of these landmarks is not located in France?

According to Plato, what is knowledge?

Who was the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?

The official name of Mexico is the United Mexican States.

The Torah was originally written in what language?

What part of speech is "arduous?"

The singing voice with the highest vocal range is a ______.

What are the two dots above the German letter Ü called?

In ancient Roman cities, the name of public gathering places was a ____

Which rock star wrote the music for “The Lion King?”

______ is the most spoken language in the world.

Yemen, a country in the Middle East, takes its name from an Arabic word meaning “northerly.”

In the classical ballet format, there are strictly only how many positions?

Justin Trudeau is the current prime minister of France.

What is the capital city of the United Arab Emirates?

What was the last imperial dynasty in Chinese history?

The four Beatles are John, Paul, George, and Ringo.

_________ is a branch of philosophy concerned with the question of being.

In what year was the Berlin Wall taken down?

The Mona Lisa is a painting made during the Renaissance Era.

Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian, and Romanian are all ______ languages.

The dot over the letter “i” and “j” is called a ______.

What is this painting by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch called?

In German, “schadenfreude” means deriving joy from someone else’s _____.

What is the longest-running Broadway show?

“O” is the Roman numeral for zero.

In 1698, Russian emperor Peter the Great imposed a tax on ______.

How much pressure do the strings in a grand piano exert on the frame?

This painting by Jacques-Louis David depicts the death of this Greek philosopher.

The meaning of the prefix hypo- is what?

What year was UMass Amherst founded?

This UMass alumna won a 2007 Pulitzer Prize in Poetry, and is a former Poet Laureate of Mississippi.

The UMass Campus Center is an example of _________ architecture.

Elvis Presley's estate in Memphis consists of a Colonial Revival architectural style. What is the name of his house?

What artist composed the two ballets Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker?