| Hint | Answer | % Correct |
|---|---|---|
| In 1973, many Arab nations refused to sell this to the U.S. and other Israeli allies | Petroleum | 92%
|
| This crop was "king" in the U.S. south prior to the Civil War | Cotton | 87%
|
| Tubes of this gas were first used in eye-catching signs in the 1910s | Neon | 84%
|
| Sir Walter Raleigh brought this from Virginia to England. A small pouch was foundon his person after he was beheaded. | Tobacco | 76%
|
| This metal was mined in Cornwall in ancient times. Combine it with copper to make bronze. | Tin | 75%
|
| The Chinese discovered the formula for this saltpeter-based substance in the 9th century | Gunpowder | 74%
|
| Naturally-occurring mineral which was widely used for insulation and fire-proofing,now known to cause mesothelioma | Asbestos | 71%
|
| Radioactive element discovered by the Curies that was once used to illuminate watch dials | Radium | 71%
|
| The British held a monopoly over this substance in India so Gandhi marchedto the sea to make it | Salt | 71%
|
| Crop responsible for a huge amount of the Caribbean slave trade | Sugarcane | 71%
|
| The first evidence of people consuming this comes from Yemen, near the town of Mocha | Coffee | 66%
|
| Only nobles in the Incan Empire were allowed to chew this leaf. In the 19th century,it was added to wine and soft drinks. | Coca | 65%
|
| George Washington grew this useful rope-making plant which was later banned | Hemp | 64%
|
| A known antidepressant, it was first used to make batteries in the 1980s | Lithium | 60%
|
| Until the Japanese started to create "cultured" ones in the 1900s, people dovebelow the sea to get them | Pearls | 58%
|
| Bakelite, created in 1907, was the first synthetic variety of this substance madefrom carbon polymers | Plastic | 50%
|
| Egyptian mummies were wrapped in this white fabric, made from flax | Linen | 45%
|
| In ancient times, Pliny the Elder complained that the Roman taste for this spice wascausing a trade deficit with India | Pepper | 42%
|
| Used to make ancient sandals, Dom Pérignon found another use forthis tree-bark substance | Cork | 38%
|
| Violin strings were formerly made of this substance which, despite its name, is madefrom sheep or goat intestines, not those of a cat | Catgut | 36%
|