The following questions are from the “Microsoft Rewards Bing Homepage Quiz” for 10-26-2024. Let us know in the comments if you find the wrong answer to any question!!!
Question 1: Welcome to Germany’s eerie Gespensterwald. What does the name mean?
- Ghost forest
- Ghastly forest
- Grim forest
Correct Answer: Ghost forest
Fact: This spooky forest has a name to match its eerie appearance. The Gespensterwald lies on Germany’s northern coast, right next to the Baltic Sea. Its trees are particularly striking— some are twisted, with branches growing mainly on one side. The forest, near the small tourist resort of Nienhagen, is especially haunting at night.
Question 2: What natural force has shaped the unique appearance of the trees in Gespensterwald?
- Sea winds from the Baltic Sea
- Heavy snowfall
- Frequent lightning storms
Correct Answer: Sea winds from the Baltic Sea
Fact: Winds from the Baltic Sea contribute to the Gespensterwald forest’s appearance, giving its beech, hornbeam, ash trees a wind-swept shape and creating a ghostly landscape. This phenomenon results from constant exposure to salty, moist air and high humidity, which affects the growth of the trees, some of which are more than 200 years old.
Question 3: Another spooky location, the Island of the Dolls, is found where?
- Mexico
- Belize
- Guatemala
Correct Answer: Mexico
Fact: La Isla de las Muñecas, or the Island of the Dolls, is a small, eerie island situated in the canals of Xochimilco, south of Mexico City’s center. The island is known for an unsettling display of hundreds of dolls and doll parts hanging from trees. It’s thought that in the mid-20th century, the island’s caretaker, Don Julián Santana Barrera, began collecting dolls after finding a drowned girl in the canal. Believing the dolls would ward off evil spirits, he continued to hang them for more than 50 years.
— Additional Questions —
Question 4: The Mont Blanc massif, pictured, features in which famous horror novel?
- Frankenstein
- Dracula
- The Shining
Correct Answer: Frankenstein
Fact: ‘Frankenstein,’ or ‘The Modern Prometheus,’ was written by Mary Shelley while staying in Switzerland, near Mont Blanc, in 1816. Kept inside by incessant rain and stormy weather, she wrote her famous story, including a central scene on a glacier near the mountain. The story follows a scientist, who, devastated by his mother’s passing, becomes consumed by the desire to bring the dead back to life. Its first edition was published anonymously in 1818, with a preface by Mary’s husband, the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, leading many to believe that he wrote it.
Question 5: What narrative style does ‘Frankenstein’ employ?
- Allegorical
- Picaresque
- Epistolary
Correct Answer: Epistolary
Fact: In an epistolary novel, the story is told through letters between the characters. Frankenstein’s narrative unfolds through letters from explorer Robert Walton, who rescues Victor Frankenstein at sea, and his sister. This genre was used in several 18th-century works, including Samuel Richardson’s ‘Pamela’ (1740) and ‘Clarissa’ (1749). Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula,’ published in 1897, is also written in the epistolary format.
Question 6: Which cinematic retelling of ‘Frankenstein’ was directed by Tim Burton?
- Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
- Frankenweenie
- Bride of Frankenstein
Correct Answer: Frankenweenie
Fact: ‘Frankenweenie’ is a stop-motion animated movie that was released in 2012. The story follows young Victor Frankenstein, who brings his beloved dog, Sparky, back to life after a tragic accident. It is a remake of Burton’s short film of the same name, which came out in 1984. ‘Frankenweenie’ also parodies and pays homage to the 1931 classic ‘Frankenstein,’ directed by James Whale.