Grenades take their name from the French word for pomegranate, the fist-sized fruit that bursts forth with seeds when you open it. Pomegranates are a traditional symbol of fertility and vitality, which is why you’ll see them on the coats of arms of medical associations, such as the Royal College of Physicians in the United Kingdom.

The world’s longest and deepest train tunnel, the 35-mile Gotthard Base Tunnel, opened in Switzerland in June 2016. It runs directly through the Saint-Gotthard Massif in the Alps, with a flat track to accommodate high-speed trains. Drilling and blasting for the two-track tunnel started in 1999 and continued until the excavation crews at each end reached a “breakthrough” in October 2010.

New York has the dubious distinction of being the state where the most presidents have died. James Monroe, Martin Van Buren, Millard Fillmore, Ulysses S. Grant, Chester Arthur, William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, Herbert Hoover and Richard Nixon make a total of nine presidents who breathed their last in the Empire State.

1. What unfortunate Greek goddess was doomed to be queen of the underworld because she ate some pomegranate seeds?

A) Arachne

B) Penelope

C) Persephone

D) Rhea

2. Emmental, Gruyere and kirsch are principal ingredients in what traditional Swiss dish?

A) Fondue

B) Leckerli

C) Papet vaudois

D) Rosti

3. What’s the name of the fire truck character in the Pixar “Cars” film franchise?

A) Burnie

B) Dowser

C) Sparkz

D) Red

4. The largest mausoleum in North America houses the remains of which U.S. president and his wife?

A) Ulysses S. Grant

B) John F. Kennedy

C) Abraham Lincoln

D) Zachary Taylor

5. The 1981 film “Chariots of Fire” is about athletes competing in the 1924 Olympics, held in which city?

A) Amsterdam

B) Athens

C) London

D) Paris

6. The Alabama quarter in the U.S. Mint’s 50 State Quarters series incorporates what element into its design?

A) Braille writing

B) Confederate flag

C) Hologram

D) QR code

Answers

1) Eating pomegranate seeds locked Persephone into marriage with Hades, Greek god of the underworld.

2) Emmental and Gruyere cheeses and a splash of kirsch, which is a cherry brandy, are principal ingredients of Swiss fondue.

3) “Red” is the fire truck character in the Pixar “Cars” film franchise.

4) General Grant National Memorial, better known as Grant’s Tomb, in New York City is the largest mausoleum in North America.

5) The 1924 Summer Olympics were held in Paris.

6) The Alabama state quarter in the U.S. Mint’s 50 State Quarters series features a portrait of Helen Keller with her name written in Braille.