General Knowledge

The first formal cooking school was the Boston Cooking School, founded in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, in 1879. This predates other notable culinary institutions such as Le Cordon Bleu in France (founded in 1895) and the Culinary Institute of America (founded in 1946). Since France is not an option and the question asks for the country where the first cooking school was founded, the correct answer is America (USA).

Russia is ranked as the world's second largest weapons manufacturer after the USA, based on global arms production and exports data. China ranks third, making Russia the correct answer.

The first mobile phone was created in 1973 by Martin Cooper of Motorola, who made the first public call from a handheld mobile phone that year.

The Port of Mobile is a major seaport located in the state of Alabama, U.S.A. It serves as a key shipping and transportation hub on the Gulf Coast of the United States.

The State Intelligence Service (SHISH) is the primary intelligence agency of Albania, responsible for national security and intelligence gathering.

Google is a multinational technology company headquartered in the United States, making it an American company.

The capital of Bulgaria is Sofia, which is the largest city and the political, economic, and cultural center of the country.

The Sorbonne is a historic university in Paris, known for its significant role in higher education and scholarship. It is not a presidential palace, art gallery, or drama theater.

The national flower of Serbia is the Lily of the valley, not the Comet Orchid. However, Serbia also recognizes Natalie's ramonda (Ramonda nathaliae) as a significant national symbol, especially linked to World War I remembrance. The Comet Orchid is not the national flower of Serbia. The Lily of the valley is listed as Serbia's national flower in multiple authoritative sources on national symbols.

The Som is the official currency of Uzbekistan. The other countries listed use different currencies: Indonesia uses the Rupiah, Malaysia uses the Ringgit, and Azerbaijan uses the Manat.

The national flower of Scotland is the thistle, a symbol that has been associated with the country for centuries and is widely recognized as its emblematic flower.

Lawrence Gardens in Lahore were named after Sir John Lawrence, who was the Governor of Punjab. Hence, the garden was a gift from Governor Lawrence, making option C correct.

The national flower of San Marino is the Cyclamen. It is a symbol commonly associated with the country and is recognized as its national flower.

The national flower of Samoa is the Teuila, which is a type of red ginger flower and holds cultural significance in Samoa. The other options are flowers associated with different countries or regions.

The old name of Quetta was Shalkot, which is historically recognized as the earlier name of the city before it became known as Quetta.

The Maritime Security Agency is a branch of Pakistan's Coast Guard responsible for maritime law enforcement and security. Therefore, the correct answer is Pakistan.

Richard Branson is the founder of the Virgin Group, a multinational venture capital conglomerate known for its diverse businesses including music, airlines, and telecommunications.

The Port of Felixstowe is the largest container port in the United Kingdom, located on the east coast of England. Therefore, the correct answer is U.K.

The Zakat system was introduced in Pakistan in 1980 under the Zakat and Ushr Ordinance to institutionalize the collection and distribution of Zakat as a form of Islamic charity.

Brazil was the first country to cultivate cocoa on a large scale outside its native region. While cocoa originated in Central and South America, Brazil became a major early grower. Mexico is part of cocoa's native range but was not the first country to grow it commercially.

The Port of Montevideo is the main seaport of Uruguay, located in its capital city Montevideo. It is a key maritime hub in the region.

As of 2024, the European Union has 27 member countries. This is confirmed by the official European Union website and recent Eurostat data. The options provided include 27 as option B, which is the correct answer. The original question's correct_answer was D (28), which is incorrect. The correct answer is B (27).

"Islam at the Crossroads" was originally written in 1934 by Muhammad Iqbal. This work is a significant philosophical and political treatise written during that period.

Britain joined the European Economic Community (EEC), which later evolved into the European Union (EU), on 1 January 1973. It remained a member until it officially left the EU on 31 January 2020. This means Britain was a member for 47 years. Therefore, the correct answer is B (47 Years).

India is the largest exporter of rice globally, surpassing other countries like Pakistan, China, and Bangladesh in rice export volume.