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Geopolitics and World News Involving India (10 Questions) 1. On January 1, 2026, India and Pakistan exchanged lists of their nuclear installations under which bilateral agreement? A) Shimla Agreement B) Lahore Declaration C) Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear Installations and Facilities D) Tashkent Agreement Answer: C. Explanation: This annual exchange on New Year's Day is a confidence-building measure under the 1988 agreement, prohibiting attacks on each other's nuclear facilities. 2. Which country officially adopted the euro on January 1, 2026, becoming the 21st member of the eurozone? A) Croatia B) Bulgaria C) Romania D) Sweden Answer: B. ... Read more

Q1. What family of musical instruments does the historical spinet belong to? A. Piano family B. Harpsichord family C. Organ family D. String family Answer: B. Harpsichord family Q2. How is sound primarily produced on a historical spinet? A. By plectra plucking strings B. By hammers striking strings C. By air blowing through pipes D. By tangents striking strings Answer: A. By plectra plucking strings Q3. What is the typical shape of the most common type of historical spinet? A. Rectangular B. Oval C. Wing-shaped or bentside D. Square Answer: C. Wing-shaped or bentside

Q1. What is the primary sound production mechanism of the celesta? A. Vibrating strings struck by hammers B. Metal bars struck by felt hammers C. Tuning forks vibrated by keys D. Wooden plates bowed with a mechanism Answer: B. Metal bars struck by felt hammers Q2. The name "celesta" derives from a French word meaning what? A. Bell-like B. Sparkling C. Heavenly D. Mystic Answer: C. Heavenly Q3. In which year was the modern celesta patented? A. 1860 B. 1886 C. 1892 D. 1900 Answer: B. 1886

Q1. What is the primary distinguishing feature of the cornet's bore compared to the trumpet? A. Cylindrical throughout B. Conical, gradually widening C. Completely straight D. Narrower at the bell Answer: B. Conical, gradually widening Q2. The modern valved cornet was developed in which decade? A. 1600s B. 1750s C. 1820s D. 1900s Answer: C. 1820s Q3. Which instrument is the cornet historically derived from? A. Post horn B. Natural trumpet C. French horn D. Flugelhorn Answer: A. Post horn

Q1. What family of musical instruments does the bassoon belong to? A. Single-reed woodwinds B. Brass C. Double-reed woodwinds D. Percussion Answer: C. Double-reed woodwinds Q2. The bassoon is known for producing sound through which type of mouthpiece? A. Single reed B. Double reed C. Metal mouthpiece D. Open hole Answer: B. Double reed Q3. What is the primary material used to construct modern bassoons? A. Metal B. Plastic C. Maple wood D. Bamboo Answer: C. Maple wood

Q1. What is the primary material used for the bars of a modern marimba? A. Metal B. Wood C. Synthetic plastic D. Stone Answer: B. Wood Q2. The marimba belongs to which family of musical instruments? A. Chordophone B. Aerophone C. Idiophone D. Membranophone Answer: C. Idiophone Q3. What structure is suspended below each bar on a marimba to amplify the sound? A. Resonator pipes B. Metal bells C. Drum heads D. Strings Answer: A. Resonator pipes

Q1. What is the primary ancestor of the European lute? A. The Greek lyre B. The Arabic oud C. The Indian sitar D. The Persian tar Answer: B. The Arabic oud Q2. During which historical period was the lute the most important instrument for secular music in Europe? A. Medieval B. Classical C. Renaissance D. Romantic Answer: C. Renaissance Q3. How was the medieval lute typically played before the shift to fingerstyle? A. With fingernails B. With a plectrum C. Bowed like a violin D. Strummed with a pick Answer: B. With a plectrum

Q1. What does the name "piccolo" mean in Italian? A. High flute B. Small C. Octave flute D. Military flute Answer: B. Small Q2. The modern piccolo sounds how many octaves higher than written music? A. Two octaves B. The same pitch C. One octave D. Half an octave Answer: C. One octave Q3. Which family of musical instruments does the piccolo belong to? A. Woodwind B. String C. Brass D. Percussion Answer: A. Woodwind

Q1. What does the name "euphonium" derive from in ancient Greek? A. "Loud voice" B. "Sweet-voiced" or "beautiful sound" C. "Tenor horn" D. "Brass tube" Answer: B. "Sweet-voiced" or "beautiful sound" Q2. Who is credited with inventing the euphonium (originally called "euphonion") around 1843 in Weimar, Germany? A. Adolphe Sax B. John Philip Sousa C. Carl Moritz D. Ferdinand Sommer Answer: D. Ferdinand Sommer Q3. The euphonium is most commonly pitched in which key? A. C B. F C. Bb D. Eb Answer: C. Bb

Q1. Who are credited with patenting the modern tuba in 1835? A. Adolphe Sax and Vaclav Cerveny B. Wilhelm Wieprecht and Johann Gottfried Moritz C. John Philip Sousa and J.W. Pepper D. Richard Wagner and Ferdinand Sommer Answer: B. Wilhelm Wieprecht and Johann Gottfried Moritz Q2. What was the tuba's primary predecessor in orchestras before its invention? A. Serpent B. Euphonium C. Helicon D. Ophicleide Answer: D. Ophicleide Q3. In what year was the sousaphone developed for marching bands? A. 1835 B. 1845 C. 1893 D. 1913 Answer: C. 1893