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Geo Quiz
Beckham likely to miss World Cup
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David Beckham’s dream of playing in a fourth soccer World Cup looks to be over after he tore his left Achilles tendon while playing for AC Milan on Sunday. The 34-year-old England midfielder had surgery in Finland today. The World Cup tournament starts in June in South Africa. The World’s William Troop tells us more. Download MP3 The heel of Italy’s boot
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The recipe for today’s Geo Quiz calls for some orecchiette and something called cima di rapa. The first is a type of pasta shaped like ears. The second is what Italians call turnip tops or greens. You may find both ingredients at your local grocery store. But if you want them freshly picked — and deliciously prepared — try south-eastern Italy.
Greek islands
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For today’s Geo Quiz, we’re looking for a group of Greek islands. They have names like Corfu, Paxos and Ithaca… Download MP3
The world’s fourth-largest island
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We head south from Somalia about 1600 miles for today’s Geo Quiz. We’re heading to the world’s fourth-largest island. Let’s give you a little help right off the bat. The three largest islands in the world are Greenland, New Guinea, and Borneo. So you can rule those out… Download MP3
Hot and dry
For today’s Geo Quiz we’re looking a parched part of the world. Where the skies have finally opened up. This country in the southern hemisphere has always been a hot, dry place. But lately it’s been even worse than usual. Much of it is in the grip of a 10-year drought… that’s left farms and cities alike seriously thirsty…
Scattered chips
For our Geo Quiz today we’re looking for one of Germany’s historic squares. This one’s just a short distance from the Brandenburg Gate.
Walking across the world’s deepest lake
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We’re tracking two Canadian adventurers for our Geo Quiz today. They’re attempting to cross a frozen lake in Siberia. It’s not just any lake – it’s about 400 miles across and its the deepest lake in the world. It’s the planet’s largest reservoir of fresh water. Download MP3
Birds rock
An art museum figures in today’s Geo Quiz. It’s not the Hermitage, the Louvre, or the Met. But its one of Europe’s largest performance art museums, home to an eclectic mix of music, theatre, and dance events.
Nuts for coconuts
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A state in south west India is on our radar for today’s Geo Quiz. It lies right in between the Laccadive Sea, that’s part of the Indian Ocean and the Western Ghats, the mountain range that runs down to the southern tip of India. By the way this state is famous for its coconuts as well as coconut oil, coconut cake, coconut toddy, coconut water..you get the idea…they go nuts for coconuts. We’ll hear about a possible creative solution to that problem and reveal the answer on today’s show. Download MP3 (Photo: Adithya Sambamurthy)
Economic woes
Another European country with economic woes figures in today’s Geo Quiz. We’re searching for a country at the edge of the Baltic Sea. Its neighbors include Russia, Estonia and Belarus. Its economy was on the upswing until about 2007.
Dangerous Mexican city
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In the Geo Quiz we’re looking for a Mexican city that has made headlines recently as one of the world’s most violent: registering thousands of homicides in the last two years alone. Yet a high school student exchange program continues there as usual, despite the dangers, and the exchange students say they couldn’t be happier as Monica Ortiz Uribe reports. Download MP3
Southernmost wind farm
Today’s Geo Quiz is wind powered. We’re looking for the world’s southernmost wind farm today. It’s located on Crater Hill, on Antarctica’s Ross Island. The three wind turbines can generate up to one megawatt of electricity. That’s enough to help power two nearby scientific research stations. We want you to name those stations. One’s operated by the US, the other by New Zealand. It’s a remote setting, but there’s a great view.
Simple scanner
Today’s Geo Quiz sends us to a landlocked country in Western Europe. This neighbor of Liechtenstein stretches out between the Jura Mountains and the Alps…
White Sun of the Desert
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The 1969 film is called “White Sun of the Desert.” It’s hailed as the first Soviet Western. It’s also one of the most popular Russian films of all time. Cosmonauts reportedly watch it before every launch from Russia’s cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazahkstan.
The landscape there is similar to that depicted in the movie.
The film was shot on location near a large body of water.
In fact, it’s considered THE largest enclosed body of water in the world.
But it’s actually a landlocked sea — bounded by Iran, Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan.
So — can you name the sea that figures in the Soviet-era film “White Sun of the Desert”?
Geo Answer:
For our Geo Quiz today — we want to note the passing of a distinguished Russian film director. Vladimir Motyl is remembered for creating the Soviet Union’s First Western.
That’s a bit of music from the 1969 film “White Sun of the Desert”, by the way. Let’s turn to Oleg Sulkin who writes about film for the Russian magasine Itogi…
Oleg — Is White Sun of the Desert one of the most popular Russian films of all time? Where is it set?
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Stone money
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On the Pacific Island of Yap, you can’t exactly keep change in your pocket when dealing in the local currency. It’s stone – and up to twelve feet across. Its origins go back millennia. The money is still used these days, but not to buy groceries. It’s for the bigger things in life – bestowing honor, asking forgiveness, or begging your daughter’s new in-laws to treat her well. The World’s Mary Kay Magistad reports from Yap. Download MP3
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