Image: Alex Tihonov/Getty Images
About This Quiz
The zombie apocalypse might not be upon us just yet, but it's probably a good idea to be prepared. See if you're ready to face the living dead by trying your hand at this quiz.
Which of the following best describes a zombie, as depicted in popular culture?
a reanimated corpse
Also referred to as the "undead," zombies are popularly depicted as walking corpses who wander Earth feeding on human brains.
a creature with sharp fangs that feasts on human blood
Nicolas Cage's performance in "Drive Angry"
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This is one of two popular theories on how a person becomes a zombie.
lack of oxygen to the brain
voodoo curse
One theory is that people who are cursed while they are alive come back as zombies after they die.
looking in a mirror and repeating "I am Nicolas Cage" three times fast
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The term "zombie apocalypse" describes which of the following events:
waiting in line at the DMV
a zombie outbreak spreading around the world
In most of the zombie apocalypse scenarios captured on TV and the big screen, the undead multiply faster than they can be re-killed, slowly taking over a town, city or planet.
the world burning up in a fire and zombies rising from the ashes.
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According to Haitian lore, the powder used by sorcerers to turn humans into zombies includes which of the following ingredients?
a strand of hair from a witch
chili peppers
puffer fish
While ingredients vary by region, many of the powders believed to turn the living into the undead contain puffer fish, a spiky Nerf ball-esque creature named for its ability to "inflate."
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Zombies are human-like, but they don't possess all of the qualities of a living, breathing human being. Which of the following is something zombies usually are not able to do?
run
Zombies are typically depicted as walking and even stumbling, but rarely running or jogging.
chew
sit through all 149 minutes of "The Lone Ranger"
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Which of these movies is largely credited as launching the zombie apocalypse film genre?
"Halloween"
"Friday the 13th"
"Night of the Living Dead"
George Romero's 1968 classic tells the story of undead creatures who terrorize a Pennsylvania farmhouse.
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In 2012, this U.S. government agency officially denied the possibility of a zombie apocalypse.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
After the agency posted a tongue-in-cheek blog entry on tips for surviving a zombie apocalypse, CDC spokesman David Daigle had to clarify that the agency “does not know of a virus or condition that would reanimate the dead (or one that would present zombie-like symptoms).”
The Department of State
The Federal Bureau of Undead Investigation
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What is the best way to kill a zombie?
Aim for the head.
Only a shot (or blow) in the head can kill a zombie.
Aim for the heart.
Aim for the feet.
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The zombie apocalypse will be a lot more tolerable if we can still surf the Web. Which of these security measures is intended to help ensure the Internet survives the zombie apocalypse?
setting home pages to black when a zombie appears
requiring Facebook users to change their passwords
burying servers deep underground
Data centers are buried well below the surface in places like Norway and Sweden where they are protected from fire, flood, and even a potential apocalypse.
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What do zombies eat?
ice cream sandwiches
tendons and cartilage
brains
In books, on TV and in film, zombies typically feed on human brains.
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How many zombies does it take to start an apocalypse?
1
The second popular theory on how a person becomes a zombie is through the transfer of bodily fluids. Zombies turn humans into zombies by biting them. That means zombyism spreads fast.
5
17
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Rumors of a zombie apocalypse spread after a 2012 attack in which a Miami man was found gnawing on the face of a homeless person. What street drug was this incident initally linked to?
heroin
bath salts
Bath salts are hallucinogenic drugs that also mimic the effects of cocaine and methamphetamines.
methamphetamines
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Which of these is a brain parasite that causes rats to act like zombies?
myxoma virus
Trichinella spiralis
Toxoplasma gondii
Toxoplasma gondii is a single-celled parasite that makes rats attracted to the smell of cat urine -- which increases the risk of the rat being eaten by the cat. This wily parasite can only reproduce in a cat's gut.
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The word "zombie" is believed to originate from which of these terms?
zonbi
"Zonbi" is the Haitian term for "ghost."
gumby
bumby
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What are zombie apocalypses often used to symbolize?
the spread of plague
As the CDC recognized, zombies often represent widespread annihilation driven by the spread of infectious disease.
the spread of war
high school bullying
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Which of these is a parasitic fungi believed to cause ants to wander like zombies across Thai rainforests?
tapeworm
Ophiocordyceps
A species of Ophiocordyceps forces an infected ant (called a zombie ant) to climb up a tree and eat a leaf. The ant dies and a long stalk grows out of its head dropping fungal spores below so the cycle continues.
panang
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This musical artist made waves with a zombie-themed music video in 1984.
Frank Sinatra
Paula Abdul
Michael Jackson
Jackson's 13-minute "Thriller" video features dancing undead.
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"The Walking Dead" is a TV show in which hungry human zombies take over which of these U.S. cities?
Atlanta
The show follows a group of zombie survivors in the Atlanta metro area.
New Orleans
Seattle
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Which of these is a fictional zombie virus created by author Max Brooks?
dorsia
solanum
As described by Brooks in "The Zombie Survival Guide," solanum travels through the bloodstream and stops a person's heart while keeping the brain alive.
espace
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True or false: Zombies only come out at night.
true
false
depends on your source material
Zombies are night walkers only in films like "I am Legend," but are depicted as day walkers in "The Walking Dead."
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You Got:
/20
Alex Tihonov/Getty Images
