Tropical Daydreams: Test Your Brazil Smarts

Every single one of us has at one time or another sat in a classroom during a lesson and wondered, "Is this going to be on the test?" Well, don’t be nervous, but I think it’s high time you were all tested on your knowledge of Brazil. This is particularly important for those of you who are planning to travel here for the World Cup and/or the Olympics, and who might want to have an actual conversation with a Brazilian. Let’s start with a Brazilian who’s who. So get out your pencils, settle back . . . and no Googling!

1. Of the six Brazilian artists in the following list, select the one who is still alive and working —

a. Vik Muniz
b. Cildo Meireles
c. Francisco Brennand
d. Beatriz Milhazes
e. Sebastião Salgado
f. Romero Britto

Beatriz Milhazes

Answer —
Gotcha! All six are alive and well, and still creating great works of art.

2. Staying in the art world, name three distinguished Brazilian painters not mentioned in Question #1. Okay, okay, name two. Can you name at least one?
_______________________________________________________________

Answer —

Tarsila do Amaral

There’s plenty to choose from: Tarsila do Amaral, Cândido Portinari, Lasar Segall, Alfredo Volpi, Cicero Dias, Hélio Oiticica, Anita Malfatti, Ione Saldanha, Claudio Kuperman, Gonçalo Ivo, Iberê Camargo, and many more.

3. Select the Brazilian actor(s) from the following list —

a. Gael García Bernal
b. Fernanda Montenegra
c. Javier Bardem
d. Rodrigo Santoro
e. Wagner Moura
f. Ricardo Darín

Fernanda Montenegra

Answer —
Bernal is Mexican, Bardem is Spanish, Darin is Argentine, so that leaves the Brazilians ...

4. Moving to the world of sports, whose name do you enter when the New York Times crossword puzzle clue is "famous Brazilian athlete" and the answer is four letters?

a. Pelé
b. Kaká
c. Giba
d. Zico
e. Guga

Answer —

Giba!

Any of them would do, depending on the puzzle’s crosses. (FYI, they play soccer, soccer, volleyball, soccer, tennis)

5. Besides sharing an initial letter, what sport do these guys share: Ronaldhino, Robinho, Ronaldo, Romário, Raí and Rivaldo?

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Answer —
Soccer, duh

6. Match the Brazilian author to his or her best-known work (that is, best-known outside of Brazil) —

a. Paulo Coelho.........................1. The Hour of the Star
b. Jorgo Amado.........................2. The Alchemist
c. Clarice Lispector...................3. Max and the Cats
d. Graciliano Ramos..................4. Barren Lives
e. Moacyr Scliar........................5. Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands

Answer —
a(2), b(5), c(1), d(4), e(3)

7. Which of the following Brazilian singer/songwriters is NOT a successful author as well?

a. Gilberto Gil
b. Chico Buarque
c. Caetano Veloso
d. Vinicius de Moraes
e. Tony Bellotto

Gilberto Gil

Answer — Gilberto Gil (though of the five named above, he’s the only one who has served as Minister of Culture)

8. Name as many Brazilian politicians as you can who are NOT the targets of some type of civil or criminal investigation.

___________________________________________________________________________

Answer — Sorry, can’t think of even one. Really.

　

FLASH QUIZ — Name the following personalities:

A. Brazilian fashion model and Mrs. Tom Brady __________________
B. Most famous Brazilian architect ever _________________________
C. Brazil’s classical ballerina _________________________________
D. Brazil’s premier plastic surgeon _____________________________
E. Brazilian businessman who just fell off the Forbes List of Billionaires
______________________________
F. Brazil’s current soccer deity _________________________________
G. Brazilian Tony-winning star of Broadway’s South Pacific _________
H. The real Girl from Ipanema _________________________________