Well said, old mole. Canst work i' th' earth so fast?— A worthy pioner!

Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act I, Scene 5

Tunnels have a long history. (Ask the mole in Freewayriding's garden.) What do you know about them?

Multiple choice.

1. What constitutes a tunnel? According the UK Department for Transport, a tunnel has to be more than ______ meters long.
   
   • 150
   • 23
   • 2
   • 500
2. One of the oldest kinds of tunnels is the Qanat. Which of these countries feature these water-transporting systems, which are more than 2500 years old?
   
   • Canada, Mexico, the US
   • Zimbabwe, South Africa, Mozambique
   • Iran, Armenia, Afghanistan
   • The UK, Sweden, Finland
3. Tunnels can be used to protect a city's water source in case of siege. What enemy was Jerusalem's Siloam Tunnel designed to deprive of water?
   
   • Romans
   • Crusaders
   • Assyrians
   • Nephilim
4. What is remarkable about the 1796 Stoddart Tunnel in Chapel-en-le-Frith in Derbyshire?
   
   • It isn't a real tunnel.
   • It's the oldest rail tunnel in the world.
   • It never used horses.
   • It connects Derbyshire with the Isle of Wight.
5. In 1801, enterprising people in Salem, Massachusetts, created a remarkable network of tunnels – three miles long, and connected to an underground railway. What was the purpose of this clandestine tunnel system?
   
   • To smuggle slaves to freedom.
   • To avoid witch hunters.
   • As a defence against the British.
   • To avoid paying President Jefferson's new import taxes.
6. The first tunnel to be bored under a city was in….
   
   • Southampton
   • Exeter
   • Liverpool
   • Pittsburgh
7. The Channel Tunnel was long a dream of engineers. As early as 1802, French engineer Albert Mathieu-Favier envisioned a double tunnel under the Channel. Mathieu-Favier wanted to build an artificial island in the middle of the Channel. What for?
   
   • To attract tourists.
   • To change horses.
   • To stabilise the tunnels.
   • To store supplies.
8. The Pennsylvania Turnpike, an east-west toll highway, has an abandoned section. Why was this section abandoned in the 1960s?
   
   • Nobody wanted to drive to those parts of Pennsylvania anymore.
   • There were too many tunnels, which slowed down travel.
   • The Turnpike grew too long trying to go around all the mountains.
   • The abandoned section crossed the same three rivers fourteen times.
9. Punarjani Guha is a natural tunnel in the earth in Kerala, India. Why do believers perform a ritual that involves crawling the 150-meter length of the tunnel?
   
   • To achieve enlightenment.
   • To obtain a long life.
   • To meet the goddess of the underground.
   • To achieve freedom from rebirth.
10. The Norwegian island of Torghatten has a long tunnel through its mountain. The sun shines through the tunnel twice a year for a few minutes each time. What does 'Torghatten' refer to?
    
    • A legend involving some trolls, a hat, and an arrow
    • The height of the mountain
    • A kind of smoked fish
    • The name of the company that owns the mountain

In the dark? Shed some light by clicking on the picture.

Click for answers.

Dmitri Gheorgheni

14.05.18 Front Page

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