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World Records & Firsts Quiz Worksheet

QUIZLINO
Set 1 · Mixed
Name:Class / Group:Score:     / 20

Choose the best answer for each question. The answer key is on the last page.

  1. Who was the first person to sail solo around the world?
    A. Ferdinand Magellan B. Joshua Slocum C. Robin Knox-Johnston D. Francis Drake
  2. What is the longest wall in the world?
    A. Great Wall of China B. Walls of Constantinople C. Berlin Wall D. Hadrian's Wall
  3. What is the coldest temperature ever officially recorded on Earth?
    A. −71°C in Greenland B. −67.8°C in Oymyakon, Russia C. −89.2°C at Vostok Station, Antarctica D. −100°C at the South Pole
  4. What is the most visited country in the world by international tourists?
    A. USA B. Spain C. France D. Italy
  5. What was the first animal to orbit the Earth?
    A. Ham the chimpanzee B. Laika the dog C. Albert the monkey D. Félicette the cat
  6. Which is the oldest known living individual tree, at over 4,800 years old?
    A. An olive tree in Jerusalem B. A Great Basin bristlecone pine named Methuselah C. A giant sequoia called General Sherman D. A baobab in Madagascar
  7. In 1953, who became the first people confirmed to reach the summit of Everest?
    A. George Mallory and Andrew Irvine B. Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler C. Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay D. Junko Tabei and Ang Tsering
  8. Who was the first person to fly non-stop solo across the Atlantic, in 1927?
    A. Amelia Earhart B. Louis Blériot C. Charles Lindbergh D. the Wright brothers
  9. Which is the longest-living land animal known, with some reaching over 180 years?
    A. Parrot B. Giant tortoise C. Elephant D. Crocodile
  10. What is the largest lake in the world by surface area?
    A. Lake Superior B. Lake Victoria C. Lake Baikal D. Caspian Sea
  11. Who was the first person to break the four-minute mile, in 1954?
    A. John Landy B. Hicham El Guerrouj C. Sebastian Coe D. Roger Bannister
  12. What is the world's largest coral reef system?
    A. Belize Barrier Reef B. New Caledonia Barrier Reef C. Red Sea Coral Reef D. Great Barrier Reef
  13. Which country built the world's first public railway to use steam locomotives, opened in 1825?
    A. Germany (Ludwigsbahn) B. Belgium (Brussels–Mechelen) C. England (Stockton and Darlington Railway) D. USA (Baltimore and Ohio)
  14. Which is the world's most spoken language by total number of speakers (native + learners)?
    A. Spanish B. English C. Hindi D. Mandarin Chinese
  15. What is the largest desert in the world, including cold deserts?
    A. Gobi B. Sahara C. Arabian Desert D. Antarctic Desert
  16. What is the largest animal that has ever lived?
    A. Argentinosaurus B. African elephant C. Megalodon D. Blue whale
  17. What is the tallest animal in the world?
    A. Ostrich B. Elephant C. Moose D. Giraffe
  18. Which country has the most ancient pyramids — around 200 or more?
    A. Egypt B. Peru C. Mexico D. Sudan
  19. Which country was the first to give women the right to vote in national elections, in 1893?
    A. United Kingdom B. Finland C. New Zealand D. USA
  20. Which country has the most islands in the world?
    A. Norway B. Indonesia C. Philippines D. Sweden
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Answer key – World Records & Firsts (Set 1)

  1. B. Joshua Slocum – Slocum completed his voyage in 1898. Knox-Johnston was the first to do it non-stop (1969).
  2. A. Great Wall of China – Including all its branches, it stretches over 21,000 km.
  3. C. −89.2°C at Vostok Station, Antarctica – It was recorded on 21 July 1983.
  4. C. France – France has welcomed close to 90–100 million international visitors a year.
  5. B. Laika the dog – Laika flew aboard Sputnik 2 in 1957.
  6. B. A Great Basin bristlecone pine named Methuselah – Methuselah grows in California's White Mountains; its exact location is kept secret.
  7. C. Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay – Hillary was from New Zealand and Tenzing was a Sherpa from Nepal.
  8. C. Charles Lindbergh – He flew the 'Spirit of St. Louis' from New York to Paris in about 33.5 hours.
  9. B. Giant tortoise – Jonathan, a Seychelles giant tortoise on St Helena, is believed to have hatched around 1832.
  10. D. Caspian Sea – Despite its name, the Caspian Sea is a lake. Lake Baikal is the deepest.
  11. D. Roger Bannister – Bannister ran 3:59.4 in Oxford, England.
  12. D. Great Barrier Reef – It is so big it can be seen from space.
  13. C. England (Stockton and Darlington Railway) – George Stephenson's Locomotion No. 1 pulled the first train.
  14. B. English – Mandarin has the most native speakers, but English has the most speakers overall.
  15. D. Antarctic Desert – A desert is defined by low rainfall, and Antarctica gets very little.
  16. D. Blue whale – Blue whales can be about 30 metres long and weigh up to 200 tonnes.
  17. D. Giraffe – Giraffes can reach around 5.5 metres tall.
  18. D. Sudan – The Nubian pyramids of ancient Kush in Sudan outnumber Egypt's, though they are smaller.
  19. C. New Zealand – Kate Sheppard led the campaign.
  20. D. Sweden – Sweden has around 267,000 islands, though most are uninhabited.