Post Quiz: Tunnel Lore

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Post Quiz: Tunnel Lore

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.

A British- and French-style crossing signal 'green man' exchange places.
Click for answers.
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Dmitri Gheorgheni

14.05.18 Front Page

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