Languages & Cultures Quiz

1. How many official languages does the United Nations have?

1. 4
2. 5
3. 6
4. 8

2. What is the official language of Brazil?

1. English
2. French
3. Portuguese
4. Spanish

3. In Japan, what is the traditional art of paper folding called?

1. Bonsai
2. Ikebana
3. Manga
4. Origami

4. The word 'safari' means 'journey' in which language?

1. Amharic
2. Hausa
3. Swahili
4. Zulu

5. Which country has the most official languages?

1. India
2. Papua New Guinea
3. South Africa
4. Switzerland

6. Diwali is the Festival of Lights celebrated primarily by followers of which religion?

1. Buddhism
2. Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism
3. Islam
4. Sikhism and Hinduism

7. The currency of Japan is the:

1. Baht
2. Won
3. Yen
4. Yuan

8. What is the traditional Mexican celebration honouring deceased relatives?

1. Carnival
2. Cinco de Mayo
3. Día de los Muertos
4. Quinceanera

9. How many languages are estimated to exist in the world?

1. About 1,000
2. About 3,500
3. About 7,000
4. Over 20,000

10. In which country would you observe the tradition of 'Hanami' — cherry blossom viewing?

1. China
2. Japan
3. South Korea
4. Taiwan

11. The ancient language of Latin is the ancestor of which group of modern languages?

1. Celtic languages
2. Germanic languages
3. Romance languages
4. Slavic languages

12. What is the currency of the European Union's eurozone?

1. The Crown
2. The Euro
3. The Franc
4. The Mark

13. The ancient Egyptian writing system used pictorial symbols called:

1. Cuneiform
2. Hieroglyphs
3. Runes
4. Sanskrit

14. Ramadan is the Islamic holy month of fasting. During this month, Muslims fast between:

1. Dawn (Fajr) and sunset (Maghrib)
2. Midnight and noon
3. Noon and midnight
4. Sunrise and midnight

15. The Maori are the indigenous people of which country?

1. Australia
2. Fiji
3. New Zealand
4. Papua New Guinea

16. What is the oldest continuously spoken language still used today?

1. Greek
2. Hebrew
3. Sanskrit
4. Tamil

17. The Inca Empire was centred in which modern-day country?

1. Bolivia
2. Brazil
3. Mexico
4. Peru

18. Which language uses the Cyrillic alphabet?

1. Greek
2. Polish
3. Romanian
4. Russian

19. What is the traditional dress worn by Scottish men at formal occasions?

1. Kilt
2. Sporran
3. Tam o'shanter
4. Tartan jacket

20. Which country celebrates 'Nowruz' — the Persian New Year — on the spring equinox?

1. Iran
2. Iran and many Central Asian countries
3. Pakistan
4. Turkey