1. Technology
Which 1970s technology may soon be replaced by radio
frequency identification? The new technology will send messages saying when
products have expired or when prescriptions have not been picked up and may
eventually help people keep track of their home inventories. The old technology
can still be found on a very large percentage of commodities in stores.
ANSWER: (Universal Product Code) Bar Code(s) (accept equivalents)
2. British Literature
Who wrote The Corsair,
which sold ten thousand copies on its first day of publication in 1814? Very
popular during his own lifetime, he often wrote poems with protagonists who went
on many adventures. Identify the writer of Lara, Child Harold’s
Pilgrimage, and Don Juan.
ANSWER: (George Gordon ‘Lord’) Byron, (6th Baron)
3. Physics (30 Seconds)
Two children with masses of 30 kilograms and 40 kilograms
are playing on a seesaw and want it to be evenly balanced. How far away from the
pivot point should the larger child sit if the lighter child sits 12 feet away
from the pivot point?
ANSWER: 9 Feet
4. Pop Culture
Some recent box scores add a column for batting averages,
and others add even more columns. In order, however, what are the traditional
four columns used for batters in baseball box scores?
ANSWER: AB R H RBI (or At Bats / Runs / Hits / Runs Batted In) (be generous, but the order must be correct)
5. Religion/Mythology
The first speech is about wandering in the wilderness, the
second is about Israel’s obligation to God, and the third is about what God
will do for Israel. Together, these three speeches form a book, which if you are
Christian is in the Old Testament and if you are Jewish is in the Torah. Name
this book whose name translates as Second Law.
ANSWER: Deuteronomy
6. United States History
Who chaired the town committee formed after the Boston
Massacre to demand the removal of British troops? He was later forced to flee
British troops to Philadelphia, where he tried unsuccessfully to be appointed as
the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army. He instead became President of
the Continental Congress, which made him the first signer of the Declaration of
Independence.
ANSWER: (John) Hancock
7. Algebra (30 Seconds)
Find the coefficient for the term containing x7
in the simplified binomial expansion of the quantity x+1 end quantity raised to
the eighth power.
ANSWER: 8
8. Current Events
Which leader has a Bachelor’s Degree in geology from CCNY
and an MBA from George Washington University? He spent much of the nineteen
nineties as Chairman of America’s Promise: The Alliance for Youth, which
encourages volunteerism. This followed his tenure as Four-Star General and
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Name this member of President Bush’s
Cabinet.
ANSWER: (Colin) Powell
9. World Literature
Which early twentieth century writer’s first two novels
were about a failed student and a failed writer? Several of his later
protagonists were able to transcend their surroundings, including Harry Haller,
who chooses to be called Steppenwolf, and Siddhartha.
ANSWER: (Hermann) Hesse
10. Biology
Derived from the Greek word for home, what general term
refers to the scientific study of the interrelationship between organisms and
their environments? This seven-letter word begins with the letter E.
ANSWER: Ecology
11. Language Arts
Which word means ‘add’ when it refers to food but means
‘subtract’ when it refers to wages? It can also refer to making something
fancy. Name this seven-letter word beginning with the letter G.
ANSWER: Garnish
12. Music
In addition to four greatest hits albums, which 1970s
supergroup from Los Angeles produced the albums On The Border, The Long Run, One
Of These Nights, Desperado, and Hotel California?
ANSWER: (The) Eagles
13. Geometry/Trigonometry (30 Seconds)
Give your answer in degrees. A, B, and C are three points
on a circle. If A is at the highest point on the circle, C is at the leftmost
point on the circle, and B is not in the upper left quadrant of the circle, what
is the measure of angle ABC?
ANSWER: 45 (Degrees)
14. World History
Gaining control of his country in 1985, who often used two
terms which translate into openness and restructuring? He oversaw a great
reduction in power of his nation, which made him much more popular outside his
country than inside. Name the last leader of the Soviet Union.
ANSWER: (Mikhail) Gorbachev
15. Astronomy/Earth Science/Geography
Which mineralogist is well-known because of work he did in the early nineteenth century? He was controversial because he thought that physical characteristics were more important than chemical composition in classifying minerals, and he is best-known for classifying objects based on hardness.
ANSWER: (Friedrich) Mohs (do not accept Moh)
16. United States Literature
Which playwright had a big hit on Broadway in 1959 before
dying in 1965 at the age of 34? The hit, which was the first drama on Broadway
written by an African American woman, was A
Raisin In The Sun.
ANSWER: (Lorraine) Hansberry
17. Chemistry (10 Seconds)
What type of oxidation-reduction reaction is used on
gasoline or coal? These reactions involve oxygen and produce energy rapidly,
often creating a flame.
ANSWER: Combustion
18. Calculus/Math History (10 Seconds)
Which mathematician spent a lot of time raising the number
0.9999999 to higher powers? Doing so allowed him to make tables that would
simplify arithmetic for many people. This sixteenth and seventeenth century
Scottish mathematician developed logarithms.
ANSWER: (John) Napier
19. Art/Architecture
What style of architecture often refers to two-story
buildings with one-story wings? It uses horizontal lines and gently sloping
roofs. Often referring to early twentieth century houses built in the Midwest,
this style is associated with Frank Lloyd Wright.
ANSWER: (The) Prairie (Style or School)
20. Nonfiction
In 1952, who wrote The Books In My Life, which
described his favorite books? Many of this writer’s books profile his wild
life, which included extended stays in Paris and California after he grew up in
Brooklyn. Identify the author of Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of
Capricorn.
ANSWER: (Henry) Miller
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 (30 Seconds)
Evaluate the integral from x=0 to x=3 of x2dx.
ANSWER: 9
Tiebreaker #2
A biographer divided this composer’s career into three
periods. The first period ended in 1800 with his first symphony, the second
period ended in 1814 and included Moonlight Sonata, and the third period ended
with his death in 1827. Name this composer, almost unanimously considered the
greatest of his era, who completed nine symphonies.
ANSWER: (Ludwig van) Beethoven
Tiebreaker #3
Which state uses the postal abbreviation VT?
ANSWER: Vermont