1. Technology
(Note to moderator: IEEE is often pronounced ‘I Triple
E’.) Your answer should be the four-letter name most commonly used for this
technology. It often uses the IEEE 802.11b standard, but many sources are
upgrading to IEEE 802.11g. Identify this network connection from a central
source which uses radio waves to broadcast to computers within 300 feet or more.
It is used by some schools and internet cafes.
ANSWER: WiFi
2. British Literature
Jane falls in love with Bingley, and Collins marries
Charlotte Lucas. These events take place in which Jane Austen novel featuring
Elizabeth Bennet?
ANSWER: Pride And Prejudice
3. Physics
Which phenomenon was first discovered by Heinrich Hertz in
1887? Its study over the next eighteen years led to the discovery that frequency
is very closely related to energy for light. The explanation of this phenomenon
won a Nobel Prize for Albert Einstein.
ANSWER: Photoelectric (Effect)
4. Pop Culture
As an actor, who portrayed Mars Blackmon, a character
obsessed with Michael Jordan? He is better known for directing School Daze, Do
the Right Thing, Jungle Fever, Malcolm X, Summer of Sam, The Original Kings of
Comedy, and 25th Hour. Born with the first name Shelton, he often attends New
York Knicks games.
ANSWER: (Shelton ‘Spike’) Lee
5. Religion/Mythology
Though many church members think otherwise, which popular
Protestant denomination is probably an offshoot of Congregationalism? Adherents
claim that they have no human founder. Their most distinct belief is that the
act they are named after must be done only by believers and must involve
complete immersion.
ANSWER: Baptist(s)
6. United States History
Give the first and last name of the man who often said,
“Some men see things as they are and say why. I dream things that never were
and say why not.” He achieved national prominence in the late 1950s for
investigating Jimmy Hoffa and soon thereafter became Attorney General. While
running for President in 1968, he won the California primary. Just after giving
his victory speech, he was assassinated by Sirhan Sirhan.
ANSWER: Robert (or Bobby) Kennedy (prompt on Kennedy)
7. Algebra (30 Seconds)
Solve the equation: 0.2x
+ 1.4 =
0.7x – 1.2
ANSWER: 5.2 (or 5&1/5 or 26/5)
8. Current Events
Though his father was an Orthodox Jew, he was raised as a
Baptist and is now a Catholic. Two recent books he has written are Waging
Modern War and Winning Modern Wars. Name this former General who is
currently running for President.
ANSWER: (General Wesley) Clark
9. World Literature
Who was born with the name Jean-Baptiste Poquelin? This
seventeenth century Frenchman wrote many comedic plays, including The
Affected Young Ladies, The School for
Wives, Tartuffe, and The Misanthrope.
ANSWER: Moliere
10. Biology
(Note to
moderator: ‘Meave’ is pronounced Mave, with one syllable) The sons of the
family are Jonathan, Philip, and Richard. Richard married Meave, and their
oldest daughter is Louise. Identify this family headed by the now-deceased Louis
and Mary, who married in 1936. These Kenyan archeologists are famous for their
discoveries of many hominoids.
ANSWER: (The) Leakey(s)
11. Language Arts
It can be defined as something factual, empirical, actually
the case, or spatiotemporal. Name this two-letter word that confused Bill
Clinton which can also be defined as the present third person singular form of
to be.
ANSWER: Is
12. Music
Because there was not a lot of classical music written for
his favorite instrument, he spent a lot of time transcripting old works and
influencing living composers. Name this Spaniard who passed away in 1987 after
spending about ninety years playing the guitar.
ANSWER: (Andres) Segovia
13. Geometry/Trigonometry (30 Seconds)
Give your answers in degrees. Find all angles theta between
0 degrees and 360 degrees such that the tangent of theta is equal to the square
root of three.
ANSWER: 60 (degrees) & 240 (degrees) (either order)
14. World History
Which national leader launched the New Life Movement in
1934? He appeared to be at the peak of his powers at the end of World War Two
with the defeat of the Japanese, but he would be exiled only four years later.
Name the man who ruled China between Sun Yat-Sen and Mao Tse-Tung. His widow
passed away two weeks ago.
ANSWER: Chiang (Kai-shek) (prompt on Kai-shek or shek)
15. Astronomy/Earth Science/Geography
The name for which weather phenomenon came from a military
analogy? It can be classified as equatorial, polar, occluded, warm, or cold. It
is a transition zone between two air masses often accompanied by precipitation
and low barometric pressure.
ANSWER: Front (or Frontal Zone)
16. United States Literature
Who wrote a trilogy whose books were The Financier, The
Titan, and The Stoic? Often compared with Zola, this early twentieth
century author also wrote Sister Carrie and An American Tragedy.
ANSWER: (Theodore) Dreiser
17. Chemistry (30 Seconds)
For this problem, use 58.5 as the molar mass of sodium
chloride and round your answer to the nearest whole number. What is the molality
of a solution if 117 grams of sodium chloride are dissolved in 500 grams of
water?
ANSWER: 4 (Molal)
18. Calculus/Math History (10 Seconds)
Like Lobachevsky, this nineteenth century mathematician
devised alternative geometries, and there is a curve and a space named after
him. His name is also used for the process of approximating the area under a
curve by using thin rectangles. Name this German mathematician whose last name
begins with the letter R.
ANSWER: (Georg Friedrich Bernhard) Riemann
19. Art/Architecture
Though he died in 1891 at the age of 31, who left a lasting
effect on the art world? He was one of the first painters to move beyond both
classical painting and Impressionism, and his paintings are in a distinctive
style that may have been based on his early use of crayons. Name the artist of A
Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.
ANSWER: (Georges) Seurat
20. Nonfiction
Born in Transylvania, this writer has spent most of his
life in the United States. He has written several accounts of his life and the
philosophical issues it has raised, and doing so won him the 1986 Nobel Peace
Prize. Name the Holocaust survivor whose works include The Testament, The
Accident, and Night.
ANSWER: (Elie) Wiesel
NOTE: These questions are for breaking ties. If you need to replace a question, use the corresponding question from the Replacement packet. In a tiebreaker, the first correct answer wins the match.
Tiebreaker #1
The first commercial one in 1947 weighed 750 pounds, cost
five thousand dollars, and required plumbing in order to cool. It was not until
1976 that they became commercially successful in the United States. What now
common technology was invented when Percy Spencer, while playing with a
magnetron, noticed that the candy bar in his pocket had melted?
ANSWER: Microwave (Ovens)
Tiebreaker #2
It contains a mosque on one side and a jawab to balance it
on the other, both of which are red sandstone. The entire complex was built
during the seventeenth century and is best know for its mausoleum and minarets,
which are covered in white marble. Identify this site on the Jumna River in
Agra, India.
ANSWER: Taj Mahal
Tiebreaker #3
Which state uses the postal abbreviation NH?
ANSWER: New Hampshire