The End Of The World
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Because 21 December 2012 is the end-date of a 5,125-year-long cycle in the Mayan Long Count calendar, the date has been linked to many apocalyptic prophesies. The recent earthquake in Christchurch and spate of natural disasters elsewhere – Japan, Burma, Brazil to name a few, has ignited the question – are we nearing the end of the world? No matter whether the answer is yes or no, I think it would be smart of us all to be prepared. So get your emergency kits ready, just in case.
- 1.If an earthquake strikes, what are the first things you should do? Find the answer in Te Ara
- A.
Get to high ground
- B.
Drop, cover and hold
- C.
Get down. Get low. Get out.
- 2.People speak of ‘earthquake weather’ and animals behaving strangely before an earthquake, but scientists can’t accurately predict earthquakes yet. Before the volcanic eruption of Mt Tarawera, there was an omen possibly foretelling the eruption. What was it? Find the answer in Te Ara
- A.
A ghostly Maori war canoe was seen sailing across Lake Tarawera
- B.
The horses at Te Wairoa bolted from their stables and were not seen again
- C.
Dogs had been heard howling at the full moon days before the eruption
- 3.Tsunamis are often caused by earthquakes, though they have been known to be caused by what? Find the answer in Te Ara
- A.
Meteoroids
- B.
Meteorites
- C.
Meteors
- 4.Huge meteorites, along with volcanic activity, were responsible for the extinction of about half the plant and animal species, including dinosaurs. This happened at the end of which geological time period? Find the answer in Te Ara
- A.
Triassic
- B.
Jurassic
- C.
Cretaceous
- 5.If you think meteors are the only thing from space with apocalyptic effects, think again; alien invasions too have had similar effects in many films and stories. The ‘alien invasions’ that some New Zealanders were concerned about in the late 19th century were not about Martians though. What were they about? Find the answer in Te Ara
- A.
Proof of life on extraterrestrial objects found in geothermal hot pools
- B.
Outbreaks of lice
- C.
Non-British immigrants
- 6.Neville Cooper founded a conservative Christian community on the South Island's West Coast. It is unknown if, like many cult leaders, he has predicted doomsday. But, like other charismatic commune leaders, Neville Cooper was jailed in the 1990s on sexual abuse charges. What is the name of the community? Find the answer in Te Ara
- A.
Cooperville
- B.
Gloriavale
- C.
Centrepoint
- 7.Economic collapse is another doomsday indicator – spiralling public deficits, soaring food prices, and massive unemployment. The sub-prime loan crisis of 2008 in America had global effects, caused by investors putting their money into what? Find the answer in Te Ara
- A.
Sports teams
- B.
Houses
- C.
Gold
- 8.Financial meltdowns, while terrible, do not seem as apocalyptic as nuclear meltdowns. Explosions at a Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan, after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, caused concern over whether there would be a meltdown of the core. What is the name of the pioneering scientist from New Zealand who split the atom, leading the way for nuclear power? Find the answer in Te Ara
- A.
Ernest Rutherford
- B.
Alan McDiarmid
- C.
Albert Einstein
- 9.Fortunately, New Zealand doesn’t have any nuclear reactors, and we don’t allow nuclear ships in our waters. Many protests by New Zealanders contributed to the passing of the New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone Act in which year? Find the answer in Te Ara
- A.
1977
- B.
1987
- C.
1997
- 10.New Zealand has been described as ‘The land at the end of the world’, because it was one of the last habitable land masses to be settled. However, no one can really agree on exactly when this happened. So, when-ish did this happen? Find the answer in Te Ara
- A.
Between 1250 and 1300
- B.
Between 1500 and 1650
- C.
Between 1700 and 1850
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