Beyond the answers - interesting background to this quiz

The tree that changed industry

Natural rubber comes from the sap of the rubber tree, often called latex. This milky fluid is tapped by making careful cuts in the bark. Most natural rubber today comes from plantations in Southeast Asia, though the tree originally grew in the Amazon region. Its discovery transformed transport, medicine and manufacturing.

A novel that shocked its author’s world

Gustave Flaubert published Madame Bovary in 1856, first as a serial. The story of Emma Bovary’s unhappy marriage and romantic illusions was considered so immoral that Flaubert faced a public trial. He was acquitted, and the novel became a landmark of literary realism, influencing generations of writers.

The fall of the Berlin Wall

The Berlin Wall fell in the 20th century, more precisely in November 1989. For nearly three decades it had divided East and West Berlin, symbolising the Cold War. Its sudden opening surprised much of the world and paved the way for German reunification less than a year later.

Bizet’s opera with a difficult start

Georges Bizet composed Carmen, based on a novella by Prosper Mérimée. At its 1875 premiere in Paris, the opera shocked audiences with its realistic characters and tragic ending. Bizet died shortly afterwards, never knowing that Carmen would become one of the most performed operas in history.