QC posted on 02/22/2006

Trivia
Q. There is a tradition of inviting distinguished individuals from the corporate sector and the Governments around the world to formally inaugurate the NASDAQ stock exchange operation of the day by ‘ringing the bell’. However on 9th Nov 2005, they broke from tradition. How?
A. The iRobot PackBot became the first robot to open The NASDAQ Stock Market to celebrate iRobot’s listing on the NASDAQ. More than 300 PackBot Tactical Mobile Robots are at work in Iraq and Afghanistan. These robots can navigate in complex and dynamic real-world situations, including maneuvering around furniture and searching abandoned buildings.

1. Renowned designed watches by Tommy Hilfiger are sold in India by _________. Fill in the blank (Give the name of the company).
a. Titan Industries

2. This company was created by the merger of Aceralia, Arbed and Usinor with the ambition of becoming a major player in the steel industry. Officially launched on February 19, 2001, the merger became effective on February 18, 2002, when this company’s share was listed on several stock exchanges. The choice of the name X was announced on December 12, 2001. Name X.
a. X – Arcelor

3. X was born in Honolulu to parents of Scottish and Irish descent. She dropped out of school, when her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, to concentrate on her family responsibilities until her mother’s recovery. Her first movie appearance was in 1983 and she made her American debut in 1990. She and the lead star (who was married) began an affair at the time and they got married on Christmas Eve on 1990. Being one of the most distinguished actresses, she received her Star on the Walk of Fame in Hollywood in 2003. She won her first Academy Award in 2003. Apart from her professional success, she is also known for her support of various charities and causes. She has been a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF since 1994, was honoured as the ‘Citizen of the World’ by the UN in 2004 and was recently nominated Goodwill Ambassador for UNIFEM. Who is X? (Hint: ‘Swing When You’re Winning’)
a. Nicole Kidman. The hint is the name of the album by Robbie Williams, for which she had sung “Somethin’ Stupid” with him.

4. Bank of Baroda : Rahul Dravid
ICICI Bank : Shah Rukh Khan
Deutsche Bank : ?
a. Sania Mirza

5. Software giant Microsoft announced its new rural initiative to set up 50,000 IT kiosks in the next 3 years for providing a wide range of information and services related to health, education, communication and agriculture in villages. What is the name of this initiative?
a. Saksham (meaning ‘self-reliant’)

6. Born in Karnataka in 1950, she completed her MTech in Computer Science from IISc, stood first in her class and received a gold medal from the Indian Institute of Engineers. She also stood first in Karnataka in her graduation in Electrical Engineering done in Hubli, for which she received a silver medal from the Chief Minister of Karnataka. In 2004, she was awarded the Raja-Lakshmi Award and is a Padmashree Awardee of 2006. Who is she? (Hint: Sycamore)
a. Sudha Murthy. She received the Padmashree in 2006 for her contribution to social work. The hint: her sister Jaishree Deshpande is Gururaj Deshpande’s (co-founder of Sycamore) wife.

7. A new luxury train is all set to hit the tracks in Rajasthan. Tourists will get an opportunity to travel through the relatively unexplored Bikaner – Shekhawati regions of Rajasthan, known for its exquisitely beautiful havelis. It runs on meter gauge. What’s the train’s name?
a. Heritage on Wheels

8. ________, __________, Delhi – 6, Bhairavi. Fill in the blanks.
a. Aks and Rang De Basanti. Delhi – 6 and Bhairavi are the names of Rakeysh O. Mehra’s next ventures.

9. She was born on 29 April, 1970 in Boston. She and her siblings were given a Buddhist upbringing by her father and her middle name is Karuna. She was frequently teased for her large 6 ft frame, her size 11 feet, unique angular bone structure and unusual name. She began her career as a model at the age of 15 and made her film debut in 1988 with 3 films. Some of her movies include – The Avengers, Les Miserables and The Truth about Cats and Dogs. She met her husband on the sets of the movie named ‘Gattaca’. Once a spokesmodel for Lancome and the French fashion house Louis Vuitton, she was recently proclaimed a knight of the Order of the Arts and Letters by France. Enough hints! J Who is she?
a. Uma Thurman (In the question earlier sent, DOB was mentioned wrong, sorry for it.)

10. “_________ : Caught Napping” is a programme which uses secret footage from two reporters who trained as cabin crew to be aired on channels soon. It is expected to show pilots complaining about the number of hours they fly and the cabin crew members nodding off! The documentary is also expected to reveal security failings in which staff were told not to check passports and boarding passes properly at airports to save time. Fill in the blank.
a. Ryanair

Bonus Question (2 points)
Q. What is the term used to refer to “tightening up of the written word, editing to produce a clean, succinct piece of writing, taking out the extra words or ‘fat’ from what’s written”?
A. Typosuction