Language and Literature: 10 questions

1. What European language is the national language of Equatorial Guinea? It is the only country in Africa to have this language as its main language.
2. Which Ancient Greek playwright wrote plays called The Birds, The Clouds and The Assemblywomen?
3. South Africa has 11 official languages. Name any one of them, other than English and Afrikaans.
4. Which Japan-born British author won the Booker Prize in 1989 for The Remains of the Day? He was also nominated for the prize in 1986, 2000 and 2005.
5. Which German author wrote The Tin Drum?
6. The language of which alphabet is traditionally said to have been developed by King Sejong in the 15^th century?
7. Who wrote the hugely successful thrillers The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons?
8. Franz Kafka was a Czech novelist, but in which language did he write novels?
9. Who wrote Heart of Darkness, Lord Jim and The Secret Agent?
10. What is the Russian word for a train station? It takes its name from the name of a large station in London.

Answers below (scroll down)

1. What European language is the national language of Equatorial Guinea? It is the only country in Africa to have this language as its main language.
   A: Spain
2. Which Ancient Greek playwright wrote plays called The Birds, The Clouds and The Assemblywomen?
   A: Aristophanes
3. South Africa has 11 official languages. Name any one of them, other than English and Afrikaans.
   A: Any from Zulu, Xhosa, Ndebele, Sotho, Northern Sotho Swati, Tsonga, Setswana, Venda
4. Which Japan-born British author won the Booker Prize in 1989 for The Remains of the Day? He was also nominated for the prize in 1986, 2000 and 2005.
   A: Kazuo Ishiguro
5. Which German author wrote The Tin Drum?
   A: Gunter Grass
6. The language of which alphabet is traditionally said to have been developed by King Sejong in the 15^th century?
   A: Korean
7. Who wrote the hugely successful thrillers The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons?
   A: Dan Brown
8. Franz Kafka was a Czech novelist, but in which language did he write novels?
   A: German
9. Who wrote Heart of Darkness, Lord Jim and The Secret Agent?
   A: Joseph Conrad
10. What is the Russian word for a train station? It takes its name from the name of a large station in London.
    A: Vokzal (from the station Vauxhall)