id int64 0 18.9k | biography stringlengths 151 1.51k | qa listlengths 1 25 |
|---|---|---|
17,399 | The distances passengers need to move within a large airport can be substantial. It is common for airports to provide moving walkways and buses. The Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport has a tram that takes people through the concourses and baggage claim. Major airports with more than one terminal offer in... | [
{
"answer": "buses",
"question": "It is common for airports to provide moving walkways and what?"
},
{
"answer": "Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport",
"question": "What airport has a tram that takes people through the concourses and baggage claim?"
},
{
"answer": "Mexico Ci... |
17,401 | Following the war, some of these military airfields added civil facilities for handling passenger traffic. One of the earliest such fields was Paris – Le Bourget Airport at Le Bourget, near Paris. The first airport to operate scheduled international commercial services was Hounslow Heath Aerodrome in August 1919, but i... | [
{
"answer": "for handling passenger traffic",
"question": "Following the war, why did some military airfields add civil facilities?"
},
{
"answer": "Le Bourget Airport",
"question": "Which airport near Paris was one of the first to add civil facilities for handling passenger traffic?"
},
{
... |
17,402 | The first lighting used on an airport was during the latter part of the 1920s; in the 1930s approach lighting came into use. These indicated the proper direction and angle of descent. The colours and flash intervals of these lights became standardized under the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). In the 1... | [
{
"answer": "latter part of the 1920s",
"question": "When was the first lighting used on an airport?"
},
{
"answer": "1930s",
"question": "When did approach lighting come into use?"
},
{
"answer": "1940s",
"question": "When was the slope-line approach system introduced?"
},
{
... |
17,403 | Airport construction boomed during the 1960s with the increase in jet aircraft traffic. Runways were extended out to 3,000 m (9,800 ft). The fields were constructed out of reinforced concrete using a slip-form machine that produces a continual slab with no disruptions along the length. The early 1960s also saw the intr... | [
{
"answer": "increase in jet aircraft traffic",
"question": "Why did airport construction boom during the 1960s?"
},
{
"answer": "9,800 ft",
"question": "How far were runways extended out?"
},
{
"answer": "The fields",
"question": "What was constructed out of reinforced concrete?"
... |
17,404 | The majority of the world's airports are non-towered, with no air traffic control presence. However, at particularly busy airports, or airports with other special requirements, there is an air traffic control (ATC) system whereby controllers (usually ground-based) direct aircraft movements via radio or other communicat... | [
{
"answer": "air traffic control",
"question": "What does ATC stand for?"
},
{
"answer": "two",
"question": "ATC responsibilities are usually divided into how many main areas?"
}
] |
17,405 | Ground Control is responsible for directing all ground traffic in designated "movement areas", except the traffic on runways. This includes planes, baggage trains, snowplows, grass cutters, fuel trucks, stair trucks, airline food trucks, conveyor belt vehicles and other vehicles. Ground Control will instruct these vehi... | [
{
"answer": "Ground Control",
"question": "What is responsible for directing all ground traffic in designated areas?"
},
{
"answer": "Ground Control",
"question": "Who instructs vehicles on which taxiways to use?"
},
{
"answer": "Tower Control",
"question": "When a plane is ready to ... |
17,406 | Tower Control controls aircraft on the runway and in the controlled airspace immediately surrounding the airport. Tower controllers may use radar to locate an aircraft's position in three-dimensional space, or they may rely on pilot position reports and visual observation. They coordinate the sequencing of aircraft in ... | [
{
"answer": "Tower Control",
"question": "Who controls aircraft on the runway?"
},
{
"answer": "radar",
"question": "Tower controllers use what to locate an aircraft's position in three-dimensional space?"
},
{
"answer": "Tower Control",
"question": "Who controls aircraft in the cont... |
17,407 | At all airports the use of a traffic pattern (often called a traffic circuit outside the U.S.) is possible. They may help to assure smooth traffic flow between departing and arriving aircraft. There is no technical need within modern aviation for performing this pattern, provided there is no queue. And due to the so-ca... | [
{
"answer": "traffic pattern",
"question": "What is a traffic pattern often called outside of the U.S.?"
},
{
"answer": "traffic pattern",
"question": "What assures smooth traffic flow between departing and arriving aircraft?"
},
{
"answer": "so-called SLOT-times",
"question": "Due t... |
17,408 | Generally, this pattern is a circuit consisting of five "legs" that form a rectangle (two legs and the runway form one side, with the remaining legs forming three more sides). Each leg is named (see diagram), and ATC directs pilots on how to join and leave the circuit. Traffic patterns are flown at one specific altitud... | [
{
"answer": "800 or 1,000 ft",
"question": "Traffic patterns are usually flown at what altitude above ground level?"
},
{
"answer": "left-handed",
"question": "Are standard traffic patterns right-handed or left-handed?"
},
{
"answer": "above ground level",
"question": "What does AGL ... |
17,409 | At extremely large airports, a circuit is in place but not usually used. Rather, aircraft (usually only commercial with long routes) request approach clearance while they are still hours away from the airport, often before they even take off from their departure point. Large airports have a frequency called Clearance D... | [
{
"answer": "a circuit",
"question": "At an extremely large airport, what is in place but not usually used?"
},
{
"answer": "Clearance Delivery",
"question": "What is the frequency called that is used by departing aircraft for the purpose of requesting approach clearance?"
},
{
"answer":... |
17,410 | There are a number of aids available to pilots, though not all airports are equipped with them. A visual approach slope indicator (VASI) helps pilots fly the approach for landing. Some airports are equipped with a VHF omnidirectional range (VOR) to help pilots find the direction to the airport. VORs are often accompani... | [
{
"answer": "visual approach slope indicator",
"question": "What helps pilots fly the approach for landing?"
},
{
"answer": "visual approach slope indicator",
"question": "What does VASI stand for?"
},
{
"answer": "VHF omnidirectional range",
"question": "What does VOR stand for?"
... |
17,411 | On runways, green lights indicate the beginning of the runway for landing, while red lights indicate the end of the runway. Runway edge lighting consists of white lights spaced out on both sides of the runway, indicating the edge. Some airports have more complicated lighting on the runways including lights that run dow... | [
{
"answer": "green lights",
"question": "On runways, what indicate the beginning of the runway for landing?"
},
{
"answer": "red lights",
"question": "On runways, what indicate the end of the runway?"
},
{
"answer": "white lights",
"question": "What indicates the edge of a runway?"
... |
17,412 | Hazards to aircraft include debris, nesting birds, and reduced friction levels due to environmental conditions such as ice, snow, or rain. Part of runway maintenance is airfield rubber removal which helps maintain friction levels. The fields must be kept clear of debris using cleaning equipment so that loose material d... | [
{
"answer": "Hazards to aircraft",
"question": "What includes debris and nesting birds?"
},
{
"answer": "ice and snow clearing equipment",
"question": "In adverse weather conditions, what can be used to improve traction on the landing strip?"
},
{
"answer": "airfield rubber removal",
... |
17,414 | An airbase, sometimes referred to as an air station or airfield, provides basing and support of military aircraft. Some airbases, known as military airports, provide facilities similar to their civilian counterparts. For example, RAF Brize Norton in the UK has a terminal which caters to passengers for the Royal Air For... | [
{
"answer": "airbase",
"question": "An airfield is also referred to as what?"
},
{
"answer": "airbase",
"question": "What provides basing and support of military aircraft?"
},
{
"answer": "the UK",
"question": "Where is RAF Brize Norton located?"
},
{
"answer": "Norway",
... |
17,415 | Airports have played major roles in films and television programs due to their very nature as a transport and international hub, and sometimes because of distinctive architectural features of particular airports. One such example of this is The Terminal, a film about a man who becomes permanently grounded in an airport... | [
{
"answer": "1970",
"question": "When was the movie Airport made?"
},
{
"answer": "The Terminal",
"question": "What is the title of the film where a man becomes permanently grounded in an airport terminal?"
},
{
"answer": "2000",
"question": "When was the movie Final Destination rele... |
17,416 | Most airports welcome filming on site, although it must be agreed in advance and may be subject to a fee. Landside, filming can take place in all public areas. However airside, filming is heavily restricted, the only airside locations where filming is permitted are the Departure Lounge and some outside areas. To film i... | [
{
"answer": "all public areas",
"question": "Landside, where can filming take place?"
},
{
"answer": "Departure Lounge and some outside areas",
"question": "What are the only airside locations where filming is allowed?"
},
{
"answer": "Filming",
"question": "What can not be undertake... |
17,417 | Kievan Rus' begins with the rule (882–912) of Prince Oleg, who extended his control from Novgorod south along the Dnieper river valley in order to protect trade from Khazar incursions from the east and moved his capital to the more strategic Kiev. Sviatoslav I (died 972) achieved the first major expansion of Kievan Rus... | [
{
"answer": "882",
"question": "What year was Kievan Rus became a territory?"
},
{
"answer": "Kiev. Sviatoslav I",
"question": "Who achieve the first major expansion of Kievan?"
},
{
"answer": "Prince Oleg",
"question": "Who was the ruler at the begining of Kievan?"
},
{
"ans... |
17,418 | The term "Kievan Rus'" (Ки́евская Русь Kievskaya Rus’) was coined in the 19th century in Russian historiography to refer to the period when the centre was in Kiev. In English, the term was introduced in the early 20th century, when it was found in the 1913 English translation of Vasily Klyuchevsky's A History of Russia... | [
{
"answer": "19th century",
"question": "When was the term Kievan Rus first coined?"
},
{
"answer": "1913",
"question": "When did the term Kievan Rus first appear in English?"
},
{
"answer": "Vasily Klyuchevsky",
"question": "Who first translated the term Kievan Rus into english from... |
17,419 | Prior to the emergence of Kievan Rus' in the 9th century AD, the lands between the Baltic Sea and Black Sea were primarily populated by eastern Slavic tribes. In the northern region around Novgorod were the Ilmen Slavs and neighboring Krivichi, who occupied territories surrounding the headwaters of the West Dvina, Dnie... | [
{
"answer": "Slavic tribes",
"question": "Who populated the area between the Baltic Sea and the Black sea before Kievan Rus?"
},
{
"answer": "Novgorod",
"question": "Where were the Limen Slavs located before Kievan Rus?"
},
{
"answer": "Ladoga and Karelia regions",
"question": "Where... |
17,421 | Ahmad ibn Fadlan, an Arab traveler during the 10th century, provided one of the earliest written descriptions of the Rus': "They are as tall as a date palm, blond and ruddy, so that they do not need to wear a tunic nor a cloak; rather the men among them wear garments that only cover half of his body and leaves one of h... | [
{
"answer": "Ahmad ibn Fadlan",
"question": "Which early traveler provided an early description of the Rus?"
},
{
"answer": "garments that only cover half of his body",
"question": "What did Ahmad say about the Rus when he described clothing?"
},
{
"answer": "Leo the Deacon",
"questi... |
17,422 | According to the Primary Chronicle, the territories of the East Slavs in the 9th century were divided between the Varangians and the Khazars. The Varangians are first mentioned imposing tribute from Slavic and Finnic tribes in 859. In 862, the Finnic and Slavic tribes in the area of Novgorod rebelled against the Varang... | [
{
"answer": "Varangians and the Khazars",
"question": "Which two groups were divided inn the territories of the East Slavs?"
},
{
"answer": "859",
"question": "In what year did the Varangians impose tribute from the Slavic and Finnic?"
},
{
"answer": "862",
"question": "In what year ... |
17,423 | The three brothers—Rurik, Sineus, and Truvor—established themselves in Novgorod, Beloozero, and Izborsk, respectively. Two of the brothers died, and Rurik became the sole ruler of the territory and progenitor of the Rurik Dynasty. A short time later, two of Rurik’s men, Askold and Dir, asked him for permission to go to... | [
{
"answer": "Rurik, Sineus, and Truvor",
"question": "What were the names of the three brothers that rulled Novgotod, Beloozero, and Izborsk?"
},
{
"answer": "Rurik",
"question": "Whoch of the three brothers become the sole ruller over all three of the teritories?"
},
{
"answer": "Kiev",... |
17,424 | The Chronicle reports that Askold and Dir continued to Constantinople with a navy to attack the city in 863–66, catching the Byzantines by surprise and ravaging the surrounding area, though other accounts date the attack in 860. Patriarch Photius vividly describes the "universal" devastation of the suburbs and nearby i... | [
{
"answer": "863–66",
"question": "Between what years did Askold and Dir continued to attack Kiev?"
},
{
"answer": "Patriarch to send missionaries north to engage",
"question": "What did the attack between Rus and Byzantines lead to?"
},
{
"answer": "to convert the Rus' and the Slavs.",
... |
17,425 | Rurik led the Rus' until his death in about 879, bequeathing his kingdom to his kinsman, Prince Oleg, as regent for his young son, Igor. In 880-82, Oleg led a military force south along the Dnieper river, capturing Smolensk and Lyubech before reaching Kiev, where he deposed and killed Askold and Dir, proclaimed himself... | [
{
"answer": "879",
"question": "When did Ruik past away?"
},
{
"answer": "Prince Oleg",
"question": "Who declared Kiev \"The mother of Rus citis'?"
},
{
"answer": "Prince Oleg",
"question": "When Rurik past away, who took over?"
},
{
"answer": "883",
"question": "What yea... |
17,426 | The new Kievan state prospered due to its abundant supply of furs, beeswax, honey, and slaves for export, and because it controlled three main trade routes of Eastern Europe. In the north, Novgorod served as a commercial link between the Baltic Sea and the Volga trade route to the lands of the Volga Bulgars, the Khazar... | [
{
"answer": "abundant supply of furs, beeswax, honey, and slaves for export",
"question": "Why did the Kievan state prosper?"
},
{
"answer": "three",
"question": "How many trade routes did the Kievan state control?"
},
{
"answer": "money-lending system",
"question": "What other means... |
17,427 | The rapid expansion of the Rus' to the south led to conflict and volatile relationships with the Khazars and other neighbors on the Pontic steppe. The Khazars dominated the Black Sea steppe during the 8th century, trading and frequently allying with the Byzantine Empire against Persians and Arabs. In the late 8th centu... | [
{
"answer": "rapid expansion of the Rus' to the south",
"question": "What led to constant problems with the Khazars?"
},
{
"answer": "Black Sea steppe",
"question": "Which area did the Khazars rule over?"
},
{
"answer": "Byzantine Empire",
"question": "Who were allies with the Khazar... |
17,428 | The Byzantine Empire was able to take advantage of the turmoil to expand its political influence and commercial relationships, first with the Khazars and later with the Rus' and other steppe groups. The Byzantines established the Theme of Cherson, formally known as Klimata, in the Crimea in the 830s to defend against r... | [
{
"answer": "turmoil",
"question": "What did the Byzantine empire use to expand its political influence?"
},
{
"answer": "Khazars",
"question": "What teritory did the Byzantine empire hit first with their political beliefs? "
},
{
"answer": "build a fortress at Sarkel",
"question": "... |
17,430 | As the 10th century progressed, the Khazars were no longer able to command tribute from the Volga Bulgars, and their relationship with the Byzantines deteriorated, as Byzantium increasingly allied with the Pechenegs against them. The Pechenegs were thus secure to raid the lands of the Khazars from their base between th... | [
{
"answer": "10th century",
"question": "Around what time did the Khazars unable to no longer command tribute from Volga?"
},
{
"answer": "Pechenegs",
"question": "Who did the Byzantium ally with against the Khazar's?"
},
{
"answer": "livestock",
"question": "What did the Pechenges t... |
17,431 | After the Rus' attack on Constantinople in 860, the Byzantine Patriarch Photius sent missionaries north to convert the Rus' and the Slavs. Prince Rastislav of Moravia had requested the Emperor to provide teachers to interpret the holy scriptures, so in 863 the brothers Cyril and Methodius were sent as missionaries, due... | [
{
"answer": "860",
"question": "In what year did the Rus attack Constantinople?"
},
{
"answer": "provide teachers",
"question": "What had Prince Rastislav requested?"
},
{
"answer": "devised the Glagolitic alphabet",
"question": "What did Cyril and Mehodius come up with to help with ... |
17,433 | The Chronicle provides a mythic tale of Oleg's death. A sorcerer prophesies that the death of the Grand Prince would be associated with a certain horse. Oleg has the horse sequestered, and it later dies. Oleg goes to visit the horse and stands over the carcass, gloating that he had outlived the threat, when a snake str... | [
{
"answer": "The Chronicle",
"question": "What known document tells of the death of Oleg?"
},
{
"answer": "certain horse",
"question": "What was prophesised by a sorcerer involving Oleg's death?"
},
{
"answer": "Prince Igor",
"question": "WHo succeeded Oleg in 913?"
},
{
"ans... |
17,435 | Igor returned to Kiev keen for revenge. He assembled a large force of warriors from among neighboring Slavs and Pecheneg allies, and sent for reinforcements of Varangians from “beyond the sea.” In 944 the Rus' force advanced again on the Greeks, by land and sea, and a Byzantine force from Cherson responded. The Emperor... | [
{
"answer": "Slavs and Pecheneg allies",
"question": "Where did Igor get warriors from after returning to Kiev after being drivin out by the Byzatines?"
},
{
"answer": "945",
"question": "IN what year was the peace treaty signed between the Rus, Byzantine and the Bulgarians."
},
{
"answ... |
17,436 | Following the death of Grand Prince Igor in 945, his wife Olga ruled as regent in Kiev until their son Sviatoslav reached maturity (ca. 963). His decade-long reign over Rus' was marked by rapid expansion through the conquest of the Khazars of the Pontic steppe and the invasion of the Balkans. By the end of his short li... | [
{
"answer": "945",
"question": "When did Prince Igor past away?"
},
{
"answer": "963",
"question": "In what year did Sviatoslav take over as leader?"
},
{
"answer": "his wife Olga",
"question": "Who ruled in Prince Oleg's place following his death?"
},
{
"answer": "Pereyaslav... |
17,437 | It is not clearly documented when the title of the Grand Duke was first introduced, but the importance of the Kiev principality was recognized after the death of Sviatoslav I in 972 and the ensuing struggle between Vladimir the Great and Yaropolk I. The region of Kiev dominated the state of Kievan Rus' for the next two... | [
{
"answer": "972",
"question": "What year did Sviatoslav pass away?"
},
{
"answer": "two centuries",
"question": "How long did the region of Kiev dominate the State of the Rus?"
},
{
"answer": "980–1015",
"question": "What years did Vladimir the Great reign as leader?"
}
] |
17,441 | An unconventional power succession system was established (rota system) whereby power was transferred to the eldest member of the ruling dynasty rather than from father to son, i.e. in most cases to the eldest brother of the ruler, fomenting constant hatred and rivalry within the royal family.[citation needed] Familici... | [
{
"answer": "power was transferred to the eldest member",
"question": "What did the rota system do?"
},
{
"answer": "rota system",
"question": "What was the name of the UN-conventional system that was implemented?"
},
{
"answer": "Familicide",
"question": "What was often deployed whe... |
17,443 | The decline of Constantinople – a main trading partner of Kievan Rus' – played a significant role in the decline of the Kievan Rus'. The trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks, along which the goods were moving from the Black Sea (mainly Byzantine) through eastern Europe to the Baltic, was a cornerstone of Kiev ... | [
{
"answer": "decline of Constantinople",
"question": "What played a major role in the decline of the Rus?"
},
{
"answer": "Kiev",
"question": "Which terrirory was the main power in this trade relatinship?"
},
{
"answer": "Byzantine",
"question": "What terriroty did the trade from the... |
17,444 | The last ruler to maintain united state was Mstislav the Great. After his death in 1132 the Kievan Rus' fell into recession and a rapid decline, and Mstislav's successor Yaropolk II of Kiev instead of focussing on the external threat of the Cumans was embroiled in conflicts with the growing power of the Novgorod Republ... | [
{
"answer": "Mstislav the Great",
"question": "Who was the last ruller to keep the region united?"
},
{
"answer": "1169",
"question": "When did Mstislav die?"
},
{
"answer": "12th century,",
"question": "When did the Kievan state break up into twelve seperate principalities?"
}
] |
17,445 | The Crusades brought a shift in European trade routes that accelerated the decline of Kievan Rus'. In 1204 the forces of the Fourth Crusade sacked Constantinople, making the Dnieper trade route marginal. At the same time the Teutonic Knights (of the Northern Crusades) were conquering the Baltic region and threatening t... | [
{
"answer": "The Crusades",
"question": "What helped speed up the decline of the Kievan Rus?"
},
{
"answer": "1204",
"question": "In what year did the Crusade sack Constantinople?"
},
{
"answer": "Teutonic Knights",
"question": "What group was attacking the the Baltic Region in 1204?... |
17,446 | In the north, the Republic of Novgorod prospered because it controlled trade routes from the River Volga to the Baltic Sea. As Kievan Rus' declined, Novgorod became more independent. A local oligarchy ruled Novgorod; major government decisions were made by a town assembly, which also elected a prince as the city's mili... | [
{
"answer": "became more independent",
"question": "What happened to Novgorod when Kievan Rus began to decline?"
},
{
"answer": "it controlled trade routes",
"question": "Why was the Republic of Novgorod doing so well while the Kievan Rus declined?"
},
{
"answer": "1169",
"question":... |
17,447 | In the northeast, Slavs from the Kievan region colonized the territory that later would become the Grand Duchy of Moscow by subjugating and merging with the Finnic tribes already occupying the area. The city of Rostov, the oldest centre of the northeast, was supplanted first by Suzdal and then by the city of Vladimir, ... | [
{
"answer": "Grand Duchy of Moscow",
"question": "The Slavs from Kievan would eventually settle in the North East of the region, What would this region later become?"
},
{
"answer": "Rostov",
"question": "What was the name of the oldest city in the north east?"
},
{
"answer": "In 1299",
... |
17,449 | Due to the expansion of trade and its geographical proximity, Kiev became the most important trade centre and chief among the communes; therefore the leader of Kiev gained political "control" over the surrounding areas. This princedom emerged from a coalition of traditional patriarchic family communes banded together i... | [
{
"answer": "Due to the expansion of trade",
"question": "How did the leader of Kiev gain political control?"
},
{
"answer": "from a coalition of traditional patriarchic family communes",
"question": "From what did this new princedom emerge from?"
},
{
"answer": "first notable form of se... |
17,450 | In the 11th century and the 12th century, the princes and their retinues, which were a mixture of Slavic and Scandinavian elites, dominated the society of Kievan Rus'. Leading soldiers and officials received income and land from the princes in return for their political and military services. Kievan society lacked the ... | [
{
"answer": "mixture of Slavic and Scandinavian elites",
"question": "Which two groups dominated the society of Kievan Rus?"
},
{
"answer": "class institutions and autonomous towns",
"question": "What was severely lacking in Kievan in the 12th century?"
},
{
"answer": "tribute-paying pea... |
17,451 | The change in political structure led to the inevitable development of the peasant class or smerdy. The smerdy were free un-landed people that found work by labouring for wages on the manors which began to develop around 1031 as the verv' began to dominate socio-political structure. The smerdy were initially given equa... | [
{
"answer": "change in political structure",
"question": "What eventually led to the creation of the peasant/smerdy class?"
},
{
"answer": "1031",
"question": "When did wages on the manors develop?"
},
{
"answer": "given equality",
"question": "What were the smerdy initially given in... |
17,452 | Kievan Rus', although sparsely populated compared to Western Europe, was not only the largest contemporary European state in terms of area but also culturally advanced. Literacy in Kiev, Novgorod and other large cities was high. As birch bark documents attest, they exchanged love letters and prepared cheat sheets for s... | [
{
"answer": "the largest contemporary European state",
"question": "Despite being much smaller than wester europe, what they known for being?"
},
{
"answer": "sewage system and wood paving",
"question": "What could you find in Novgorod that you couldn't in most other cities?"
},
{
"answe... |
17,453 | Kievan Rus' also played an important genealogical role in European politics. Yaroslav the Wise, whose stepmother belonged to the Macedonian dynasty, the greatest one to rule Byzantium, married the only legitimate daughter of the king who Christianized Sweden. His daughters became queens of Hungary, France and Norway, h... | [
{
"answer": "Macedonian dynasty",
"question": "To which dynasty did Yarolav's step mother belong to?"
},
{
"answer": "Hungary, France and Norway",
"question": "Which three countried did Yaroslav's daughters become queens of?"
},
{
"answer": "daughters of a Polish king and a Byzantine emp... |
17,454 | From the 9th century, the Pecheneg nomads began an uneasy relationship with Kievan Rus′. For over two centuries they launched sporadic raids into the lands of Rus′, which sometimes escalated into full-scale wars (such as the 920 war on the Pechenegs by Igor of Kiev reported in the Primary Chronicle), but there were als... | [
{
"answer": "9th century",
"question": "How early did the relationship begin between the Pecheneg and the Rus?"
},
{
"answer": "sporadic raids into the lands of Rus",
"question": "What did the Pecheneg frequesntly do over the span of two centuries?"
},
{
"answer": "968",
"question": ... |
17,455 | The exact date of creation of the Kiev Metropolis is uncertain, as well as who was the first leader of the church. Predominantly it is considered that the first head was Michael I of Kiev, however some sources also claim Leontiy who is often placed after Michael or Anastas Chersonesos, became the first bishop of the Ch... | [
{
"answer": "Michael I",
"question": "Although uncertian, who is considered to be the first head of Kiev?"
},
{
"answer": "Leontiy",
"question": "Who was considered to be the first bishop of the Church of the Titches?"
}
] |
17,456 | The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (officially abbreviated the Super NES[b] or SNES[c], and commonly shortened to Super Nintendo[d]) is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea, 1991 in North America, 1992 in Europe and Australasia (Oceania), and 199... | [
{
"answer": "1991",
"question": "When was the SNES released in the US?"
},
{
"answer": "Japan and South Korea",
"question": "Where was the SNES first released?"
},
{
"answer": "Super Famicom",
"question": "What was the SNES called in Japan?"
},
{
"answer": "Super Comboy",
... |
17,457 | To compete with the popular Family Computer in Japan, NEC Home Electronics launched the PC Engine in 1987, and Sega Enterprises followed suit with the Mega Drive in 1988. The two platforms were later launched in North America in 1989 as the TurboGrafx-16 and the Genesis respectively. Both systems were built on 16-bit a... | [
{
"answer": "PC Engine",
"question": "What was NEC's competitor to the NES called in Japan?"
},
{
"answer": "Mega Drive",
"question": "What was Sega's competitor to the NES called in Japan?"
},
{
"answer": "TurboGrafx-16",
"question": "What was NEC's competitor to the NES called in t... |
17,458 | Designed by Masayuki Uemura, the designer of the original Famicom, the Super Famicom was released in Japan on Wednesday, November 21, 1990 for ¥25,000 (US$210). It was an instant success; Nintendo's initial shipment of 300,000 units sold out within hours, and the resulting social disturbance led the Japanese government... | [
{
"answer": "Masayuki Uemura",
"question": "Who designed both the NES and SNES?"
},
{
"answer": "¥25,000",
"question": "How much in yen did the Super Famicom cost in Japan?"
},
{
"answer": "US$210",
"question": "How much in dollars did the Super Famicom cost in Japan?"
},
{
"... |
17,459 | On August 23, 1991,[a] Nintendo released the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, a redesigned version of the Super Famicom, in North America for US$199. The SNES was released in the United Kingdom and Ireland in April 1992 for GB£150, with a German release following a few weeks later. Most of the PAL region versions o... | [
{
"answer": "US$199",
"question": "How much did the SNES cost in the US?"
},
{
"answer": "GB£150",
"question": "How much did the SNES cost in the UK?"
},
{
"answer": "April 1992",
"question": "When was the SNES released in the UK?"
},
{
"answer": "1993",
"question": "When... |
17,460 | The rivalry between Nintendo and Sega resulted in what has been described as one of the most notable console wars in video game history, in which Sega positioned the Genesis as the "cool" console, with more mature titles aimed at older gamers, and edgy advertisements that occasionally attacked the competition. Nintendo... | [
{
"answer": "older gamers",
"question": "What market did the Genesis target?"
},
{
"answer": "over a year",
"question": "How much sooner than the Genesis did the Street Fighter II game come out for SNES?"
},
{
"answer": "60%",
"question": "How much of the US 16-bit console market did... |
17,461 | During the NES era, Nintendo maintained exclusive control over titles released for the system—the company had to approve every game, each third-party developer could only release up to five games per year (but some third parties got around this by using different names, for example Konami's "Ultra Games" brand), those ... | [
{
"answer": "five",
"question": "What was Nintendo's limit on games per developer per year on the NES?"
},
{
"answer": "Ultra Games",
"question": "What alternate name did Konami use to get around Nintendo's yearly limit?"
},
{
"answer": "two",
"question": "For how many years did Nint... |
17,462 | The company continued to carefully review submitted titles, giving them scores using a 40-point scale and allocating Nintendo's marketing resources accordingly. Each region performed separate evaluations. Nintendo of America also maintained a policy that, among other things, limited the amount of violence in the games ... | [
{
"answer": "using a 40-point scale",
"question": "How did Nintendo rank submitted games?"
},
{
"answer": "Mortal Kombat",
"question": "What game first challenged Nintendo's anti-violence policy?"
},
{
"answer": "1992",
"question": "When was Mortal Kombat released in arcades?"
},
... |
17,463 | Game players were not the only ones to notice the violence in this game; US Senators Herb Kohl and Joe Lieberman convened a Congressional hearing on December 9, 1993 to investigate the marketing of violent video games to children.[e] While Nintendo took the high ground with moderate success, the hearings led to the cre... | [
{
"answer": "Herb Kohl and Joe Lieberman",
"question": "Which senators held a hearing about video game violence in 1993?"
},
{
"answer": "the marketing of violent video games to children",
"question": "What was the focus of the hearing about video game violence in 1993?"
},
{
"answer": "... |
17,464 | While other companies were moving on to 32-bit systems, Rare and Nintendo proved that the SNES was still a strong contender in the market. In November 1994, Rare released Donkey Kong Country, a platform game featuring 3D models and textures pre-rendered on SGI workstations. With its detailed graphics, fluid animation a... | [
{
"answer": "Rare",
"question": "Which company developed Donkey Kong Country?"
},
{
"answer": "6.1 million",
"question": "How many copies of Donkey Kong Country were sold in its first 45 days?"
},
{
"answer": "SGI workstations",
"question": "What kind of computers were Donkey Kong Co... |
17,465 | In October 1997, Nintendo released a redesigned model of the SNES (the SNS-101 model) in North America for US$99, which sometimes included the pack-in game Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. Like the earlier redesign of the NES (the NES-101 model), the new model was slimmer and lighter than its predecessor, but it la... | [
{
"answer": "US$99",
"question": "How much did the SNS-101 cost in the US?"
},
{
"answer": "Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island",
"question": "What game was bundled with the SNS-101?"
},
{
"answer": "S-Video and RGB output",
"question": "What features were removed in the SNS-101?"
... |
17,466 | Internally, a regional lockout chip (CIC) within the console and in each cartridge prevents PAL region games from being played on Japanese or North American consoles and vice versa. The Japanese and North American machines have the same region chip. This can be overcome through the use of adapters, typically by inserti... | [
{
"answer": "by inserting the imported cartridge in one slot and a cartridge with the correct region chip in a second slot",
"question": "How were adapters used to get around PAL region restrictions?"
},
{
"answer": "disconnecting one pin of the console's lockout chip",
"question": "How was hard... |
17,467 | PAL consoles face another incompatibility when playing out-of-region cartridges: the NTSC video standard specifies video at 60 Hz while PAL operates at 50 Hz, resulting in approximately 16.7% slower gameplay. Additionally, PAL's higher resolution results in letterboxing of the output image. Some commercial PAL region r... | [
{
"answer": "60 Hz",
"question": "What video frequency does NTSC use?"
},
{
"answer": "50 Hz",
"question": "What video frequency does PAL use?"
},
{
"answer": "16.7% slower",
"question": "How much slower do games run on PAL consoles than NTSC due to frequency differences?"
},
{
... |
17,468 | All versions of the SNES are predominantly gray, although the exact shade may differ. The original North American version, designed by Nintendo of America industrial designer Lance Barr (who previously redesigned the Famicom to become the NES), has a boxy design with purple sliding switches and a dark gray eject lever.... | [
{
"answer": "predominantly gray",
"question": "What color is the SNES?"
},
{
"answer": "Lance Barr",
"question": "Who designed the North American SNES?"
},
{
"answer": "industrial designer",
"question": "What was Barr's job?"
},
{
"answer": "purple",
"question": "What col... |
17,469 | All versions incorporate a top-loading slot for game cartridges, although the shape of the slot differs between regions to match the different shapes of the cartridges. The MULTI OUT connector (later used on the Nintendo 64 and GameCube) can output composite video, S-Video and RGB signals, as well as RF with an externa... | [
{
"answer": "top-loading",
"question": "How is the SNES's slot positioned?"
},
{
"answer": "composite video, S-Video and RGB signals, as well as RF with an external RF modulator",
"question": "What connection types did MULTI OUT support?"
},
{
"answer": "28",
"question": "How many pi... |
17,470 | The ABS plastic used in the casing of some older SNES and Super Famicom consoles is particularly susceptible to oxidization on exposure to air, likely due to an incorrect mixture of the stabilizing or flame retarding additives. This, along with the particularly light color of the original plastic, causes affected conso... | [
{
"answer": "ABS plastic",
"question": "What material is the SNES case made of?"
},
{
"answer": "oxidization",
"question": "What chemical process turned some SNES cases yellow?"
},
{
"answer": "an incorrect mixture of the stabilizing or flame retarding additives",
"question": "What m... |
17,471 | The cartridge media of the console is officially referred to as Game Pak in most Western regions, and as Cassette (カセット, Kasetto?) in Japan and parts of Latin America. While the SNES can address 128 Mbit,[f] only 117.75 Mbit are actually available for cartridge use. A fairly normal mapping could easily address up to 95... | [
{
"answer": "Game Pak",
"question": "What are SNES game cartridges officially called in the US?"
},
{
"answer": "Cassette",
"question": "What are SNES game cartridges officially called in Japan?"
},
{
"answer": "117.75 Mbit",
"question": "How much data space can an SNES cartridge use... |
17,472 | The standard SNES controller adds two additional face buttons (X and Y) to the design of the NES iteration, arranging the four in a diamond shape, and introduces two shoulder buttons. It also features an ergonomic design by Lance Barr, later used for the NES-102 model controllers, also designed by Barr. The Japanese an... | [
{
"answer": "X and Y",
"question": "What face buttons do SNES controllers have that NES controllers didn't?"
},
{
"answer": "two",
"question": "How many shoulder buttons do SNES controllers have?"
},
{
"answer": "Lance Barr",
"question": "Who designed the SNES controllers?"
},
{
... |
17,473 | Throughout the course of its life, a number of peripherals were released which added to the functionality of the SNES. Many of these devices were modeled after earlier add-ons for the NES: the Super Scope is a light gun functionally similar to the NES Zapper (though the Super Scope features wireless capabilities) and t... | [
{
"answer": "Super Scope",
"question": "What game accessory was similar to the NES Zapper?"
},
{
"answer": "Super Advantage",
"question": "What game accessory was similar to the NES Advantage?"
},
{
"answer": "Mario Paint",
"question": "What game used the SNES Mouse?"
},
{
"a... |
17,474 | While Nintendo never released an adapter for playing NES games on the SNES (though the instructions included a way to connect both consoles to the same TV by either daisy chaining the RF switches or using AV outputs for one or both systems), the Super Game Boy adapter cartridge allows games designed for Nintendo's port... | [
{
"answer": "either daisy chaining the RF switches or using AV outputs for one or both systems",
"question": "How did Nintendo say an NES and SNES could be used on the same TV?"
},
{
"answer": "Game Boy",
"question": "Which other game system's cartridges could be adapted to the SNES?"
},
{
... |
17,475 | Japan saw the release of the Satellaview, a modem which attached to the Super Famicom's expansion port and connected to the St.GIGA satellite radio station. Users of the Satellaview could download gaming news and specially designed games, which were frequently either remakes of or sequels to older Famicom titles, relea... | [
{
"answer": "Satellaview",
"question": "What modem was available for the Japanese SNES?"
},
{
"answer": "the St.GIGA satellite radio station",
"question": "What service did the Satellaview connect to?"
},
{
"answer": "April 23, 1995",
"question": "When did the Satellaview begin opera... |
17,476 | During the SNES's life, Nintendo contracted with two different companies to develop a CD-ROM-based peripheral for the console to compete with Sega's CD-ROM based addon, Mega-CD. Ultimately, deals with both Sony and Philips fell through, (although a prototype console was produced by Sony) with Philips gaining the right ... | [
{
"answer": "Sony and Philips",
"question": "Which companies did Nintendo try to get to make a CD add-on for the SNES?"
},
{
"answer": "CD-i",
"question": "What was Philips' multimedia system?"
},
{
"answer": "PlayStation",
"question": "What competing console did Sony release after w... |
17,477 | Nintendo of America took the same stance against the distribution of SNES ROM image files and the use of emulators as it did with the NES, insisting that they represented flagrant software piracy. Proponents of SNES emulation cite discontinued production of the SNES constituting abandonware status, the right of the own... | [
{
"answer": "flagrant software piracy",
"question": "What did Nintendo consider emulators?"
},
{
"answer": "abandonware",
"question": "What is the term for a software product abandoned by its owners?"
},
{
"answer": "Retrode",
"question": "What device allows backing up SNES games?"
... |
17,478 | Emulation of the SNES is now available on handheld units, such as Android devices, Apple's iPhone and iPad, Sony's PlayStation Portable (PSP), the Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance, the Gizmondo, the Dingoo and the GP2X by GamePark Holdings, as well as PDAs. While individual games have been included with emulators on so... | [
{
"answer": "Android devices, Apple's iPhone and iPad",
"question": "What smartphones have SNES emulators?"
},
{
"answer": "Nintendo's Virtual Console service for the Wii",
"question": "What was Nintendo's first approved emulator?"
},
{
"answer": "Sony's PlayStation Portable (PSP), the N... |
17,480 | However, some scholars contest the idea of a Proto-Euphratean language or one substrate language. It has been suggested by them and others, that the Sumerian language was originally that of the hunter and fisher peoples, who lived in the marshland and the Eastern Arabia littoral region, and were part of the Arabian bif... | [
{
"answer": "substrate language",
"question": "Some scholars contest that there was only one what?"
},
{
"answer": "hunter and fisher peoples",
"question": "Who do some scholars think the Sumerian language originally belonged to?"
},
{
"answer": "marshland",
"question": "Where did th... |
17,481 | Native Sumerian rule re-emerged for about a century in the Neo-Sumerian Empire or Third Dynasty of Ur (Sumerian Renaissance) approximately 2100-2000 BC, but the Akkadian language also remained in use. The Sumerian city of Eridu, on the coast of the Persian Gulf, is considered to have been the world's first city, where ... | [
{
"answer": "about a century",
"question": "How long was there native Sumerian rule during the Third Dynasty of Ur?"
},
{
"answer": "approximately 2100-2000 BC",
"question": "When was the Third Dynasty of Ur?"
},
{
"answer": "Akkadian",
"question": "What language was in use in the Ne... |
17,482 | The term "Sumerian" is the common name given to the ancient non-Semitic inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Sumer, by the Semitic Akkadians. The Sumerians referred to themselves as ùĝ saĝ gíg-ga (cuneiform: 𒌦 𒊕 𒈪 𒂵), phonetically /uŋ saŋ giga/, literally meaning "the black-headed people", and to their land as ki-en-gi(-r) ... | [
{
"answer": "Sumerian",
"question": "What is the common name given to the non-Semitic dwellers of Mesopotamia by the Akkadians?"
},
{
"answer": "\"the black-headed people\"",
"question": "What did the Sumerians refer to themselves as in their language?"
},
{
"answer": "\"place of the nob... |
17,483 | The Sumerian city-states rose to power during the prehistoric Ubaid and Uruk periods. Sumerian written history reaches back to the 27th century BC and before, but the historical record remains obscure until the Early Dynastic III period, c. the 23rd century BC, when a now deciphered syllabary writing system was develop... | [
{
"answer": "prehistoric Ubaid and Uruk",
"question": "During what periods did the Sumerican city-states rise to power?"
},
{
"answer": "Sumerian written history",
"question": "What is obscure until the Early Dynastic III period around the 23rd century BC?"
},
{
"answer": "syllabary writ... |
17,484 | The Ubaid period is marked by a distinctive style of fine quality painted pottery which spread throughout Mesopotamia and the Persian Gulf. During this time, the first settlement in southern Mesopotamia was established at Eridu (Cuneiform: NUN.KI), c. 5300 BC, by farmers who brought with them the Hadji Muhammed culture... | [
{
"answer": "Ubaid",
"question": "Fine quality painted pottery is a distinctive style of what period in Sumerian history?"
},
{
"answer": "Mesopotamia and the Persian Gulf",
"question": "Where could the pottery be found spread throughout?"
},
{
"answer": "Eridu",
"question": "During ... |
17,485 | By the time of the Uruk period (c. 4100–2900 BC calibrated), the volume of trade goods transported along the canals and rivers of southern Mesopotamia facilitated the rise of many large, stratified, temple-centered cities (with populations of over 10,000 people) where centralized administrations employed specialized wo... | [
{
"answer": "transported along the canals and rivers",
"question": "How were trade goods transported in southern Mesopotamia?"
},
{
"answer": "trade goods",
"question": "What facilitated the rise of Sumerian cities?"
},
{
"answer": "over 10,000",
"question": "How many people lived in... |
17,486 | Sumerian cities during the Uruk period were probably theocratic and were most likely headed by a priest-king (ensi), assisted by a council of elders, including both men and women. It is quite possible that the later Sumerian pantheon was modeled upon this political structure. There was little evidence of organized warf... | [
{
"answer": "priest-king",
"question": "What is an \"ensi\"?"
},
{
"answer": "theocratic",
"question": "What type of leadership did Sumerian cities during the Uruk period probably have?"
},
{
"answer": "a council of elders",
"question": "Who assisted the ensi?"
},
{
"answer":... |
17,487 | The earliest dynastic king on the Sumerian king list whose name is known from any other legendary source is Etana, 13th king of the first dynasty of Kish. The earliest king authenticated through archaeological evidence is Enmebaragesi of Kish (c. 26th century BC), whose name is also mentioned in the Gilgamesh epic—lead... | [
{
"answer": "Enmebaragesi",
"question": "Who is the earliest king that is authenticated by actual physical evidence and not just legend?"
},
{
"answer": "Kish",
"question": "What dynasty was Etana the 13th king of?"
},
{
"answer": "Etana",
"question": "What is the name of the earlies... |
17,488 | Although short-lived, one of the first empires known to history was that of Eannatum of Lagash, who annexed practically all of Sumer, including Kish, Uruk, Ur, and Larsa, and reduced to tribute the city-state of Umma, arch-rival of Lagash. In addition, his realm extended to parts of Elam and along the Persian Gulf. He ... | [
{
"answer": "Umma",
"question": "What city-state was the rival of Lagash?"
},
{
"answer": "practically all of Sumer",
"question": "What did Eannatum annex?"
},
{
"answer": "Eannatum of Lagash,",
"question": "What is one of the first empires known in history?"
},
{
"answer": "... |
17,490 | Later, the 3rd dynasty of Ur under Ur-Nammu and Shulgi, whose power extended as far as southern Assyria, was the last great "Sumerian renaissance", but already the region was becoming more Semitic than Sumerian, with the rise in power of the Akkadian speaking Semites in Assyria and elsewhere, and the influx of waves of... | [
{
"answer": "3rd",
"question": "Which dynasty of Ur was the last great Sumerian renaissance?"
},
{
"answer": "Ur-Nammu and Shulgi",
"question": "Who guided Ur during the last gasp of power?"
},
{
"answer": "more Semitic than Sumerian",
"question": "Even during the 3rd dynasty, what w... |
17,491 | This period is generally taken to coincide with a major shift in population from southern Mesopotamia toward the north. Ecologically, the agricultural productivity of the Sumerian lands was being compromised as a result of rising salinity. Soil salinity in this region had been long recognized as a major problem. Poorly... | [
{
"answer": "compromised",
"question": "What effect was rising salinity having on the agricultural productivity of the Sumerian lands?"
},
{
"answer": "Soil",
"question": "The salinity of what in the region was long recognized as a major problem?"
},
{
"answer": "dissolved salts",
"q... |
17,492 | The Sumerians were a non-Semitic caucasoid people, and spoke a language isolate; a number of linguists believed they could detect a substrate language beneath Sumerian, because names of some of Sumer's major cities are not Sumerian, revealing influences of earlier inhabitants. However, the archaeological record shows c... | [
{
"answer": "The Sumerians",
"question": "Who were a non-Semitic caucasoid people?"
},
{
"answer": "earlier inhabitants",
"question": "What influences did the Sumerian language seem to retain?"
},
{
"answer": "uninterrupted cultural continuity",
"question": "What do archaeological re... |
17,493 | It is speculated by some archaeologists that Sumerian speakers were farmers who moved down from the north, after perfecting irrigation agriculture there. The Ubaid pottery of southern Mesopotamia has been connected via Choga Mami transitional ware to the pottery of the Samarra period culture (c. 5700 – 4900 BC C-14) in... | [
{
"answer": "the north",
"question": "Where do some archaeologists speculate Sumerians originally moved from?"
},
{
"answer": "irrigation agriculture",
"question": "What had the Sumerians perfected before coming south?"
},
{
"answer": "the Samarra",
"question": "Who were the first to... |
17,494 | Though women were protected by late Sumerian law and were able to achieve a higher status in Sumer than in other contemporary civilizations, the culture was male-dominated. The Code of Ur-Nammu, the oldest such codification yet discovered, dating to the Ur-III "Sumerian Renaissance", reveals a glimpse at societal struc... | [
{
"answer": "law",
"question": "How were women protected in Sumerian society?"
},
{
"answer": "male",
"question": "What gender dominated Sumerian culture?"
},
{
"answer": "Ur-Nammu",
"question": "Whose code reveals a bit about the societal structure through Sumerian law?"
},
{
... |
17,495 | The most important archaeological discoveries in Sumer are a large number of tablets written in cuneiform. Sumerian writing, while proven to be not the oldest example of writing on earth, is considered to be a great milestone in the development of man's ability to not only create historical records but also in creating... | [
{
"answer": "tablets written in cuneiform",
"question": "What were the most important discoveries for archaeologists from Sumer?"
},
{
"answer": "milestone",
"question": "What is Sumerian writing considered to be in the development of man's ability to create literature?"
},
{
"answer": "... |
17,496 | The Sumerian language is generally regarded as a language isolate in linguistics because it belongs to no known language family; Akkadian, by contrast, belongs to the Semitic branch of the Afroasiatic languages. There have been many failed attempts to connect Sumerian to other language groups. It is an agglutinative la... | [
{
"answer": "Afroasiatic",
"question": "Akkadian's language can be traced to the Semitic branch of what languages?"
},
{
"answer": "belongs to no known language family",
"question": "Why is the Sumerian language usually thought of as a language isolate in linguistics?"
},
{
"answer": "wo... |
17,498 | These deities formed a core pantheon; there were additionally hundreds of minor ones. Sumerian gods could thus have associations with different cities, and their religious importance often waxed and waned with those cities' political power. The gods were said to have created human beings from clay for the purpose of se... | [
{
"answer": "a core pantheon",
"question": "What did the Sumerian deities form?"
},
{
"answer": "for the purpose of serving them",
"question": "Why did the gods create human beings from clay?"
},
{
"answer": "different cities",
"question": "What could Sumerian gods be associated with... |
17,499 | Ziggurats (Sumerian temples) each had an individual name and consisted of a forecourt, with a central pond for purification. The temple itself had a central nave with aisles along either side. Flanking the aisles would be rooms for the priests. At one end would stand the podium and a mudbrick table for animal and veget... | [
{
"answer": "Ziggurats",
"question": "What were Sumerian temples known as?"
},
{
"answer": "purification",
"question": "What was the central pond in the forecourt of a Ziggurat for?"
},
{
"answer": "the priests",
"question": "Who were the rooms on either side of the aisles in the tem... |
17,500 | It was believed that when people died, they would be confined to a gloomy world of Ereshkigal, whose realm was guarded by gateways with various monsters designed to prevent people entering or leaving. The dead were buried outside the city walls in graveyards where a small mound covered the corpse, along with offerings ... | [
{
"answer": "confined to a gloomy world",
"question": "What type of afterlife could Sumerians look forward to?"
},
{
"answer": "outside the city walls in graveyards",
"question": "Where were dead Sumerians buried?"
},
{
"answer": "Ereshkigal",
"question": "What realm was guarded by g... |
17,501 | In the early Sumerian Uruk period, the primitive pictograms suggest that sheep, goats, cattle, and pigs were domesticated. They used oxen as their primary beasts of burden and donkeys or equids as their primary transport animal and "woollen clothing as well as rugs were made from the wool or hair of the animals. ... By... | [
{
"answer": "Uruk period",
"question": "When do the pictograms suggest Sumerians had domesticated livestock?"
},
{
"answer": "enclosed garden planted with trees and other plants",
"question": "What might be found by the side of a Sumerian house?"
},
{
"answer": "donkeys",
"question":... |
17,502 | The Sumerians were one of the first known beer drinking societies. Cereals were plentiful and were the key ingredient in their early brew. They brewed multiple kinds of beer consisting of wheat, barley, and mixed grain beers. Beer brewing was very important to the Sumerians. It was referenced in the Epic of Gilgamesh w... | [
{
"answer": "beer",
"question": "What was Sumerians one of the first societies known to consume?"
},
{
"answer": "Cereals",
"question": "What was the key ingredient in early Sumerian brews?"
},
{
"answer": "wheat, barley, and mixed grain",
"question": "What kinds of beer did the Sume... |
17,503 | As is known from the "Sumerian Farmer's Almanac", after the flood season and after the Spring Equinox and the Akitu or New Year Festival, using the canals, farmers would flood their fields and then drain the water. Next they made oxen stomp the ground and kill weeds. They then dragged the fields with pickaxes. After dr... | [
{
"answer": "kill weeds",
"question": "Why did the Sumerian farmers make their oxen stomp the ground?"
},
{
"answer": "from the \"Sumerian Farmer's Almanac\"",
"question": "How do archaeologists know about Sumerian agricultural practices? "
},
{
"answer": "three times",
"question": "... |
17,504 | According to Archibald Sayce, the primitive pictograms of the early Sumerian (i.e. Uruk) era suggest that "Stone was scarce, but was already cut into blocks and seals. Brick was the ordinary building material, and with it cities, forts, temples and houses were constructed. The city was provided with towers and stood on... | [
{
"answer": "was scarce",
"question": "What does Archibald Sayce think early Sumerian pictograms suggest about the availability of stone?"
},
{
"answer": "into blocks and seals",
"question": "How did the Sumerians fashion the stone they cut?"
},
{
"answer": "Brick",
"question": "What... |
17,505 | The most impressive and famous of Sumerian buildings are the ziggurats, large layered platforms which supported temples. Sumerian cylinder seals also depict houses built from reeds not unlike those built by the Marsh Arabs of Southern Iraq until as recently as 400 CE. The Sumerians also developed the arch, which enable... | [
{
"answer": "the ziggurats",
"question": "What is the most impressive and famous style of Sumerian buildings?"
},
{
"answer": "400 CE",
"question": "Sumerians also built houses from reeds not very different from ones built by inhabitants in Iraq as recently as when?"
},
{
"answer": "by c... |
17,506 | The Sumerians developed a complex system of metrology c. 4000 BC. This advanced metrology resulted in the creation of arithmetic, geometry, and algebra. From c. 2600 BC onwards, the Sumerians wrote multiplication tables on clay tablets and dealt with geometrical exercises and division problems. The earliest traces of t... | [
{
"answer": "metrology",
"question": "What did the Sumerians a complex system of around 4000 BC?"
},
{
"answer": "arithmetic, geometry, and algebra",
"question": "From the Sumerian metrology sprang forth the creation of what disciplines? "
},
{
"answer": "on clay tablets",
"question"... |
17,507 | Commercial credit and agricultural consumer loans were the main types of loans. The trade credit was usually extended by temples in order to finance trade expeditions and was nominated in silver. The interest rate was set at 1/60 a month (one shekel per mina) some time before 2000 BC and it remained at that level for a... | [
{
"answer": "Commercial credit and agricultural consumer",
"question": "What were the main types of loans in Sumerian society?"
},
{
"answer": "one",
"question": "How man shekel per mina was the interest rate for loans?"
},
{
"answer": "silver",
"question": "What was trade credit bac... |
17,508 | Periodically "clean slate" decrees were signed by rulers which cancelled all the rural (but not commercial) debt and allowed bondservants to return to their homes. Customarily rulers did it at the beginning of the first full year of their reign, but they could also be proclaimed at times of military conflict or crop fa... | [
{
"answer": "rural",
"question": "What type of debt did \"clean slate\" decrees cancel?"
},
{
"answer": "the first full year of their reign",
"question": "When did rulers typically proclaim \"clean slate\" decrees?"
},
{
"answer": "to prevent debts mounting to a degree that they threaten... |
17,509 | The almost constant wars among the Sumerian city-states for 2000 years helped to develop the military technology and techniques of Sumer to a high level. The first war recorded in any detail was between Lagash and Umma in c. 2525 BC on a stele called the Stele of the Vultures. It shows the king of Lagash leading a Sume... | [
{
"answer": "almost constant wars",
"question": "What contributed to developing military technology for Sumer?"
},
{
"answer": "2000 years",
"question": "How many years were the Sumerian city-states at war?"
},
{
"answer": "Lagash and Umma",
"question": "Who was the first war between... |
17,510 | Evidence of wheeled vehicles appeared in the mid 4th millennium BC, near-simultaneously in Mesopotamia, the Northern Caucasus (Maykop culture) and Central Europe. The wheel initially took the form of the potter's wheel. The new concept quickly led to wheeled vehicles and mill wheels. The Sumerians' cuneiform writing sy... | [
{
"answer": "mid 4th millennium BC",
"question": "When did evidence of wheeled vehicles appear throughout the world?"
},
{
"answer": "potter's wheel",
"question": "What form did wheels initially take?"
},
{
"answer": "been deciphered",
"question": "The writing system of the Sumerian'... |
17,511 | They invented and developed arithmetic by using several different number systems including a mixed radix system with an alternating base 10 and base 6. This sexagesimal system became the standard number system in Sumer and Babylonia. They may have invented military formations and introduced the basic divisions between ... | [
{
"answer": "base 10 and base 6",
"question": "Sumerians used number systems which included what alternating bases?"
},
{
"answer": "sexagesimal",
"question": "What type of number system was standard in Sumer and Babylonia?"
},
{
"answer": "military",
"question": "What type of format... |
17,512 | Tuvalu (i/tuːˈvɑːluː/ too-VAH-loo or /ˈtuːvəluː/ TOO-və-loo), formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is a Polynesian island nation located in the Pacific Ocean, midway between Hawaii and Australia. It comprises three reef islands and six true atolls spread out between the latitude of 5° to 10° south and longitude of 176... | [
{
"answer": "Ellice Islands",
"question": "What is the previous name of Tuvalu?"
},
{
"answer": "Pacific Ocean",
"question": "In which ocean is Tuvalu found?"
},
{
"answer": "Hawaii and Australia",
"question": "Between what land areas is Tuvalu located?"
},
{
"answer": "10,64... |
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