1 As per the recent Global Competitiveness Report from the World Economic Forum, which country replaced US as the most competitive economy in the world?


a. Canada

b. Sweden

c. Finland

d. Singapore

2 What is common to Bethlehem Steel, Polaroid and Swissair?


a. All companies owned by GE

b. All recently applied for bankruptcy protection

c. Their founders committed suicide

d. All of these companies were recently targets of

3 What famous brand name is derived from a combination of two words, which mean ?dead? in French and ?one? in German?


a. Dettol

b. Mortein

c. Martini

d. Ritter

4 Which is the longest running TV cartoon in history, first launched by Warner Brothers in 1969 exclusively for television, and is now a popular fare on the Cartoon Network?


a. Scooby Doo

b. Tom and Jerry

c. Popeye

d. Johnny Bravo

5 The post of Ombudsman was first introduced in which country?


a. USA

b. UK

c. Sweden

d. France

6 Who is the author of the book "Interpreter of Maladies"?


a. Salman Rushdie

b. Vikram Seth

c. Jhumpa Lahiri

d. Rafique Jakariya

7 Who is the world's first space tourist?


a. Hans Lerch

b. Lee Daley

c. Denis Tito

d. Richard Rushton

8 The astronomer who argued first that the sun, and not the earth, is the center of the solar system-


a. Galilio

b. Copernicus

c. Aryabhatta

d. Aristotle

9 The Ozone layer is situated in which region of atmosphere?


a. Troposphere

b. Stratosphere

c. Mesosphere

d. Ionosphere

10 The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) was established in the year


a. 1991

b. 1945

c. 1960

d. 1982

11 Which of the following countries is not a member of the SAARC?


a. China

b. Maldives

c. Sri Lanka

d. Bhutan

12 The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has 31 members including one special member. The special member is


a. European Union

b. Arab league

c. Palestine

d. Japan

13 What is the capital of Belgium?


a. Minsk

b. Brussels

c. Copenhagen

d. Budapest

14 Which of the following companies does not belong to the Hinduja group?


a. Induslnd Bank

b. Ashok Leyland

c. InCable

d. Eieher

15 Which is the world?s largest colour television manufacturer? Hints: It recently acquired the colour TV business of Thomson.


a. Haier

b. TCL

c. Videocon

d. Samsung

16 One of the following companies is not based in China. Identify it.


a. Ningbo Bird

b. Haier

c. TCL

d. NEC

17 Which international liquor company holds stake in the Vijay Mallya-pro-moted United Breweries?


a. InBev

b. Foster

c. Scottish & New Castle

d. Pernord Ricard

18 The US-based Gardes Energy Services has entered into a 50:50 joint venture for oil exploration business with which Indian company?


a. Reliance Industries

b. Essar Oil

c. BPCL

d. ONGC

19 Soil erosion can be prevented by


a. Terracing

b. Overgrazing

c. Leaching

d. Removal of vegetation

20 The Hawaii Islands are actually the tops of a submerged


a. Block mountain

b. Volcanic mountain

c. Coral reef

d. Fold mountain