Beyond the answers - interesting background to this quiz

The long journey of an old fisherman

Ernest Hemingway published The Old Man and the Sea in 1952, and it played a major role in his Nobel Prize in Literature two years later. The story of Santiago’s struggle with a giant marlin is often read as a meditation on endurance, pride, and isolation. It was one of Hemingway’s last major works of fiction published during his lifetime.

Why Leonardo still dominates art history

Leonardo da Vinci remains one of the most recognisable names in Western art, yet only a small number of paintings are widely attributed to him. His reputation rests not only on works like the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper but also on thousands of pages of notebooks covering anatomy, engineering, and natural science. That combination of art and inquiry set him apart from many of his contemporaries.

The first national vote for women

New Zealand became the first self-governing country to grant women the right to vote in parliamentary elections in 1893. The change followed years of organised campaigning, including petitions signed by a substantial share of the adult female population. Other places had experimented with limited voting rights earlier, but New Zealand’s national breakthrough became a reference point for suffrage movements elsewhere.

One river, one country

The Yangtze River is often associated with the many provinces and cities it passes through, yet it flows entirely within China. It is the longest river in Asia and one of the longest in the world. Its basin supports a huge share of China’s population and agricultural output, making it central to the country’s economy and history.