General knowledge quiz

One question from each corner of the game: nature, history, science, food, sport and pop culture. All ten are from the easy end, so this is the one to beat.

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10 questions
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Question 1 of 10
Which African animal is the tallest in the world?
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The answer is Giraffe. The giraffe is the tallest animal in the world, reaching up to 18 feet tall.
Question 2 of 10
Why do Americans carve jack-o'-lantern pumpkins with grim grins on Halloween?
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The answer is To scare off wandering spirits. The jack-o'-lantern traces to an Irish tale of Stingy Jack, with faces carved in turnips to ward off roaming spirits. In America, pumpkins replaced turnips, but the purpose (scaring spirits away) stuck.
Question 3 of 10
What is the best way to cool down after eating spicy food?
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The answer is Milk or dairy. Milk and dairy products contain casein, which helps neutralize capsaicin.
Question 4 of 10
Which Nordic capital sits farthest north, where summer nights glow like day?
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The answer is Reykjavik. Reykjavik lies near 64°N (farther north than Oslo, Stockholm, and Helsinki) making it Europe’s northernmost national capital.
Question 5 of 10
Which French king is portrayed in Hyacinthe Rigaud’s famous full-length coronation portrait of 1701?
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The answer is Louis XIV of France. Louis XIV cultivated a majestic image with full-bottom wigs, ermine, and red-heeled shoes, epitomized by a famous 1701 state portrait. He tightly controlled his portraits to project absolutist power across Europe.
Question 6 of 10
Which pantry staple brings the burn without capsaicin?
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The answer is Black pepper. Black pepper’s kick comes from piperine, not capsaicin. Chili powders and flakes get their heat from capsaicin in peppers.
Question 7 of 10
Who swept five speed skating golds at Lake Placid 1980?
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The answer is Eric Heiden. Eric Heiden won all five men’s distances, an unmatched feat in Olympic speed skating.
Question 8 of 10
Which bird rides rhinos like a living lint roller, picking ticks off their hides?
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The answer is Red-billed oxpecker. Red-billed oxpeckers cling to big mammals, eating ticks and sounding alarms. They’ll even sip blood from wounds, part helper, part freeloader.
Question 9 of 10
What’s the floating green diamond over Sims’ heads called?
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The answer is Plumbob. The Plumbob shows which Sim you’re controlling and how they’re doing, a true series icon.
Question 10 of 10
What’s the bubbly flour-and-water ‘pet’ bakers feed and keep alive in a jar?
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The answer is Sourdough starter. It’s a wild yeast-and-bacteria culture that ferments dough and makes bread rise. Bakers feed it flour and water, often for years.

10 more general knowledge questions

Which Taiwanese treat is a buttery square filled with sweet pineapple jam?
Sun cake · Mung bean cake · Egg tart · Pineapple cake
Answer: Pineapple cake. Pineapple cakes are beloved Taiwanese souvenirs, with crumbly pastry around jam.
Which English king beat armored knights in the mud with longbows at Agincourt?
Richard II · Henry VI · Henry IV · Henry V
Answer: Henry V. In 1415 at Agincourt, Henry V’s outnumbered army used massed longbow fire and clinging mud to cripple French knights. The cramped, boggy field turned heavy armor into a liability.
Which tiny chopper made the first powered flight on another world?
Spirit · Opportunity · Sojourner · Ingenuity
Answer: Ingenuity. Ingenuity’s 39-second hop in 2021 proved powered flight works in Mars’s thin air. It went on to make dozens more flights.
Whose 1912 decathlon and pentathlon golds were restored decades after being stripped?
Hugo Wieslander · Martin Sheridan · Paavo Nurmi · Jim Thorpe
Answer: Jim Thorpe. Jim Thorpe lost his 1912 titles under the amateur eligibility rules. His victories were later reinstated, and he is now recognized as the sole champion of both events.
Which bear is the largest in the world?
Kamchatka Brown Bear · Polar Bear · Grizzly Bear · Kodiak Bear
Answer: Polar Bear. The polar bear is the largest bear species, weighing up to 1,500 pounds.
Which bowler-hatted self-portrait hides its face behind a hovering green apple?
The Man in the Bowler Hat · The Son of Man · Golconda · The Lovers
Answer: The Son of Man. René Magritte painted The Son of Man as a self-portrait, with a floating green apple concealing his face to preserve its mystery. The bowler hat is his everyman motif.
Which street dumpling in Kathmandu is pinched with a topknot for grip and dunked in tomato-sesame chutney?
Jiaozi · Gyoza · Mandu · Momo
Answer: Momo. Kathmandu momos are pleated into a little handle so you can eat them on the move, then dunked in a tangy tomato-sesame achar. The quick pinched folds give finger-grip for crowded lanes.
What is the capital of India?
Mumbai · New Delhi · Kolkata · Chennai
Answer: New Delhi. New Delhi is the capital of India, part of the larger Delhi metropolitan area.
Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
John Adams · Thomas Jefferson · Benjamin Franklin · George Washington
Answer: Thomas Jefferson. Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence.
That 19-second zoo upload that launched YouTube: what was its title?
A day at the zoo · Trip to the zoo · At the zoo today · Me at the zoo
Answer: Me at the zoo. Uploaded by cofounder Jawed Karim on April 23, 2005, it’s a 19-second clip at the San Diego Zoo. He stands by the elephants and quips their trunks are “really, really, really long.”

What counts as general knowledge?

General knowledge is the mix of facts most people pick up along the way: famous people and places, how nature works, big moments in history and a bit of sport and pop culture.

The best way to get better is little and often. DoYouKno has a free daily quiz with a new set of questions every day, and a streak that grows as long as you keep playing.