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About This Quiz
Think you are a general knowledge master? A lot of facts are considered basic knowledge, but that doesn't mean that everyone knows them as well as they should. While we all pick up certain things along the way, it is hard to tell who exactly knows what. In fact, many things which are considered basic common knowledge are actually incorrect, meaning that some people know a lot less than they think they do.
From science to health to politics and more, there is a lot of information that gets thrown at us on a daily basis. Facebook and other social media have made this even stronger. You could potentially be faced with a nonstop and unending flow of information about topics of all kinds if you wanted. While this provides learning opportunities, it can also make things muddy. After all, how much information can one person really retain? And where is all of it coming from? Knowing the source of a fact, account, or opinion can be even more important in many cases than knowing the fact itself.
If you think you are a general knowledge expert who has their facts straight, then put your brain to the test with this quiz!
What country is sushi from?
Thailand
Japan
Sushi comes from Japan. A traditional appetizer or main course, it features vinegared rice, cooked or raw seafood, vegetables and seaweed.
India
France
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According to the Old Testament, how many days did it take God to create the world?
1
6
In Genesis, God creates the world in 6 days. He rests on the 7th day.
7
11
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Which is the world's most populous country?
China
China is home to roughly 1.4 billion people, making it the world's most populous country. India is in a close second with roughly 1.3 billion people.
America
India
Brazil
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About what percentage of the earth's surface is water?
10%
50%
70%
About 70% of the earth's surface is covered with water, about 96% of which is contained in the world's oceans. The earth's surface is about 30% land.
95%
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Is Washington, D.C. a state?
Yes
No
Washington, D.C. is a federal district and not a state. It's the capital of the U.S.
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When should you take antibiotics?
For viruses
For bacterial infections
Antibiotics are effective at treating bacterial infections. They should not be taken if you have a virus because they cannot kill viruses.
Never
Whenever you feel sick
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Is is true that the shape of a pregnant belly can help parents predict the sex of their baby?
Yes
No
A popular myth is that if you carry your baby low, it's a boy and if it's higher up it's a girl. This is not true. If a woman is carrying her baby up higher she either has strong abdominal muscles or has not been pregnant before.
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Is Africa a country?
Yes
No
Africa is a continent containing 54 countries. It is the second-largest and second most populous continent on earth after Asia.
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Why are French, Spanish and Italian called Romance languages?
They sound romantic.
They have roots in Latin, which was spoken by Romans.
A number of languages which developed in Europe descended from the Latin spoken by Ancient Romans. These include Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, French, Romanian and a few others.
They are only spoken by the Romani.
They were spread by those who roam.
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How many moons does the earth have?
0
1
The Earth has only 1 moon. It plays a role in ocean tides.
2
5
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About how many countries are there in the world?
50
100
200
There are 195 countries on earth today. 193 of them are members of the United Nations.
400
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Is cancer usually contagious?
Yes
No
Cancer itself is not contagious. You cannot catch breast cancer, leukemia or any other type of cancer from someone who has it. However, certain types of viruses, which can be spread from person to person, can potentially result in cancer.
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Which of these is not a major world ocean?
Arctic
Pacific
Indian
American
There are 5 oceans which contain the majority of the world's water. These are the Arctic, Atlantic, Indian, Pacific and Southern.
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What is the official language of the U.S.?
English
Latin
Spanish
There isn't one.
At the federal level, there is no official language of America. However, English is the official language in some states.
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Is is true that only very pale people need to wear sunscreen?
No
Regardless of your skin tone, you need to wear sunscreen with SPF. People of all skin tones can experience negative health effects of too much sun.
Yes
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Can you drink ocean water?
Yes
No
Ocean water is so salty that it will cause you to eventually die of dehydration. This is because, in order for your body to process the salty ocean water, you have to urinate more than you drink.
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How many planets are there in the solar system?
2
8
There are 8 planets in our solar system. These are Earth, Jupiter, Neptune, Mars, Saturn, Uranus, Venus and Mercury.
9
11
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Is the death penalty legal in all U.S. states?
Yes
No
The death penalty is legal in 31 U.S. states and illegal in 19 states and Washington, D.C. In certain states, death row inmates can choose various ways to be executed.
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Where is the country of Egypt?
South America
Africa
Egypt is a country in the northern part of Africa. The famous Nile River runs through it.
Europe
Asia
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The Koran is the holy book of which religion?
Christianity
Hinduism
Judaism
Islam
The Koran is the holy book of Islam. It is believed to be the word of God as dictated to Muhammad by archangel Gabriel.
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Can most adults digest milk?
Yes
No
The majority of adults on earth are lactose intolerant. The ability to digest the lactose in milk as an adult is actually a genetic mutation that occurs in less than 40% of the world's adults.
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Is is true that it is more dangerous to fly on a plane than drive?
Yes
Statistically, it is far more dangerous to drive than fly. In 2015 alone, car accidents resulted in 35,000 deaths. Airline accidents resulted in 0 deaths in the U.S.
No
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Which of these rivers is often cited as the longest river on earth?
Nile
The Nile is a north-flowing river in northeast Africa. It is over 4,000 miles long.
Delaware
Ganges
Yamuna
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If a religion is polytheistic, it has:
1 God
Angels
Martyrs
Multiple gods
A polytheistic religion has many gods. Hinduism is the most popular polytheistic religion on the planet.
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Which of these things causes autism?
Genetic factors
Scientists believe that a number of factors can cause autism. These include a combination of genetic, biologic and environmental factors.
Vaccines
The common cold
A mother eating spicy food while pregnant
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Most of the world's ______ occur in the area known as the Pacific Ring of Fire.
Earthquakes
The Pacific Ring of fires spans the US and Asia around the Pacific Ocean and is an area known for its volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and other seismic activity. Most of the world's volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur in this area.
Floods
Droughts
Tornados
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Which is the world's largest desert?
Gobi
Sahara
The Sahara Desert in northern Africa is the world's largest desert. It has a surface area of about 3.5 million square miles.
Mojave
Thar
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Do sharks commonly eat people?
Yes
No
There are about 300 species of shark, and only about a dozen have been involved in attacks on humans. Many types of sharks are too docile, small or deep in the ocean to ever be a threat to humans.
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Which of these languages is English most closely related to?
Russian
German
English is a West Germanic language and so is German. English developed from the Anglo-Frisian branch of West Germanic languages and modern German developed from Old High German.
Gujarati
Spanish
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What country does yoga come from?
India
Yoga is a spiritual practice of India. In the west, it is largely used for exercise.
Japan
Canada
Guatamala
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Which of these countries is not a part of Scandinavia?
Denmark
Norway
Sweden
The Netherlands
Scandinavia is a region of Northern Europe that contains Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It can also refer to these countries with Finland and Iceland included.
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Which of these foods is most common in the standard Western diet?
Red meat
The Western pattern diet or standard American diet is known for being high in red meat, processed foods and sugar. It is low in fiber, and scientifically unhealthy.
Fruits
Vegetables
Fish
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Which country is shaped like a boot?
Canada
Rwanda
Italy
Italy is a country in southwestern Europe. It is famously shaped like a boot and sticks out into the Mediterranean Sea.
Qatar
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Is Puerto Rico a part of the U.S.?
Yes
Puerto Rico is an unincorporated U.S. territory. They use American dollars and those born in Puerto Rico have U.S. citizenship and can move between the mainland and Puerto Rico freely.
No
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What percentage of the world's population has red hair?
0%
About 2%
Less than 2% of the world's population has naturally red hair. This trait is associated with the rare gene MC1R, which is recessive.
10%
About 25%
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You Got:
/35
