General Knowledge & Sports Trivia

To portray Jake LaMotta in the later scenes of Raging Bull (1980), Robert De Niro gained approximately 60 pounds (27 kg), transforming himself from the fit boxer to the overweight retired version. This dramatic physical transformation was widely praised and contributed to his Academy Award win for Best Actor. The film required De Niro to first get into fighting shape, then rapidly gain weight for the later scenes.

Martin Scorsese has directed Robert De Niro in 9 feature films: Mean Streets (1973), Taxi Driver (1976), New York, New York (1977), Raging Bull (1980), The King of Comedy (1983), Once Upon a Time in America (1984 segment only), The Untouchables (1987 - deleted scene), Casino (1995), and The Irishman (2019). This is one of the most iconic director-actor collaborations in cinema history.

Robert De Niro won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as the young Vito Corleone in The Godfather Part II (1947), making him the first actor to win an Oscar for portraying a character previously played by another actor (Marlon Brando). His performance captured Vito's rise from immigrant to mafia boss in early 20th century New York. He did not win for Taxi Driver, Cape Fear, or Casino despite acclaimed performances in those films.

Robert De Niro made his directorial debut with A Bronx Tale (1993) and also directed The Good Shepherd (2006), making both options correct. Meet the Fockers is a comedy where he starred but did not direct, and The Deer Hunter (1978) was directed by Michael Cimino, though De Niro starred in it. De Niro has primarily been known as an actor rather than a director, with only these two directorial credits in major studio films.

Kepler Wessels, who played for South Africa and Australia, had a unique record of never being out for a duck in over 100 ODI matches. The other options all had ducks in their ODI careers: Kapil Dev (India), Imran Khan (Pakistan), and Ian Botham (England) all recorded ducks during their distinguished careers. Wessels played 109 ODIs for South Africa without a duck, which is highly unusual for a top-order batsman.

Xavier Marshall of the West Indies holds the record for most sixes in an ODI innings, hitting 12 sixes against Canada in 2008. The other options are incorrect: Sanath Jayasuriya's record is fewer, Shahid Afridi has hit many but not the most, and MS Dhoni is not the record holder. Marshall's explosive innings scored 157 runs and broke Afridi's previous record of 11 sixes.

Sachin Tendulkar (0 vs Pakistan, 1989), MS Dhoni (0 vs Pakistan, 2004), and Salman Butt (0 vs Australia, 1999) were all dismissed for ducks in their ODI debuts. This is relatively rare for players who went on to have significant careers. Marwan Atapattu did not get a duck on his debut - he scored 7 runs in his first ODI appearance.

Charles Coventry of Zimbabwe scored 194 runs against Bangladesh in 2009, which is the highest individual ODI score by a batsman on the losing side. Despite his monumental effort, Zimbabwe lost the match. The other options are incorrect: Tendulkar's highest is 175*, Ponting scored 164, and Hayden's highest is 181*, but none of these were in losing causes.

Glenn Turner holds the record for facing the most balls in a single ODI innings - 201 balls against East Africa in the 1975 World Cup while scoring 171 not out. This remarkable innings lasted the full duration of the 60-over match.

Graeme Pollock averaged 60.97 in Test cricket, exceeding 60. Jack Hobbs averaged 56.94, Ricky Ponting 51.52, and Wally Hammond 58.45 - all below 60. Only Sir Donald Bradman (99.94) has a significantly higher average among legendary batsmen.

The first tied Test match was between Australia and West Indies at Brisbane in December 1960. The match ended with both teams scoring 453 runs. This was a historic game that set the standard for thrilling Test cricket finishes.

The record for highest Test partnership for the first wicket is 415 runs, set by Pankaj Roy and Vinoo Mankad for India against New Zealand in Chennai (then Madras) in 1956. This legendary opening partnership stood for decades.

Muttiah Muralitharan holds the record for most Man of the Series awards in Test cricket. The Sri Lankan spin legend's consistent match-winning performances across series earned him this unique distinction among all players.

Mandarin Chinese has the most native speakers in the world, with over 900 million speakers. English is the most spoken language overall including second-language speakers, while Spanish and Hindi have fewer speakers than Mandarin.

Beri-Beri is caused by Vitamin B1 (thiamine) deficiency. It affects the cardiovascular and nervous systems, causing symptoms like weakness, nerve damage, and heart problems. Other B vitamins play different roles - B5 (pantothenic acid) aids metabolism, Vitamin A supports vision and immunity, and Vitamin C is essential for collagen synthesis and immunity.

Fehmida Mirza (spelled as 'Mizza' in the question) was the first woman to serve as Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan, holding office from 2008 to 2013. She was a member of the Pakistan Peoples Party and made history as the first female speaker in Pakistan's parliamentary history.

The Lisbon Treaty (also known as the Treaty of Lisbon) was signed by European Union member states in 2007 and came into force in 2009. It amended the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty establishing the European Community, bringing significant reforms to EU institutions and decision-making processes. NATO, SAARC, and NSG are separate international organizations not related to this treaty.