1.
American Novels and Novelists
He
wrote two travel books, and his last novel was based on the life of Hurricane
Carter. Many of his novels and stories, however, take place in Chicago's Polish
neighborhoods. Who wrote about the characters Frankie Machine and Sparrow
Saltskin in his novel The Man With The Golden Arm?
ANSWER:
(Nelson) Algren
2.
Chemistry
What
is the common name for the systemic poison created by treating thiodiglycol with
gaseous hydrogen chloride or by treating ethylene with sulfur monochloride? It
attacks the eyes and lungs, and when it is impure it has a pungent odor. Name
this gas often associated with World War I that shares its name with a
condiment.
ANSWER:
Mustard Gas
3.
Visual Arts/Man-Made Structures
In
paintings by which fifteenth century artist can you find figures that float on
the forward plane of the picture against a decorative landscape backdrop? Some
of his works include Adoration of the Magi, Primavera, and Birth of Venus.
ANSWER:
(Sandro) Botticelli
4.
Algebra/General Math (30 Seconds)
(Note
to moderator: Do not say 'comma' as you read this question.) Multiply the
following matrices together. The first matrix has a first row of 2,3 and a
second row of 1,0. The second matrix has a first row of 1,0,1 and a second row
of 2,1,0.
ANSWER:
First row 8,3,2 and second row 1,0,1
5.
Pop Culture
In
a Simpsons episode, he threw passes for tourists outside the Super Bowl. In Ace
Ventura: Pet Detective, he was kidnapped just before the Super Bowl. Name this
future Hall of Fame quarterback who lost the only actual Super Bowl he played in
with the Miami Dolphins.
ANSWER:
(Dan) Marino
6.
United States History
Who
came to the United States from Russia in 1886 but was deported back to the
Soviet Union in 1919? After working in New York City sweatshops, she became an
outspoken anarchist who attracted thousands of people to her speeches.
ANSWER:
(Emma) Goldman
7.
Religion/Mythology
What
trickster fathered the wolf Fenrir? At the end of the world, this evil spirit
will utter a diabolical laugh of triumph. This companion of Odin and Thor has
the ability to change his gender and shape.
ANSWER:
Loki
8.
Physics (10 Seconds)
Named
after a British scientist who annoyed his colleagues by talking about it so
much, which subatomic particle is believed to confer mass to all other
particles? A lot of time and money has been used to search for this object, and
scientists are not in complete agreement over whether or not it has been found.
ANSWER:
Higgs (Particle)
9.
Current Events
Which
senator has been criticized by conservatives for being married to a lobbyist,
supporting arsenic in drinking water, holding an event for supporters on top of
Mount Rushmore, and making the Senate more partisan? These attacks have been
lessened ever since he got a big hug from President Bush. Name this South Dakota
Democrat and Senate Majority Leader who has been at the center of the anthrax
scare.
ANSWER:
(Tom) Daschle
10.
World Literature
What
object is referred to with the lines, "Thou still unravished bride of
quietness, Thou foster-child of silence and slow time"? This is the opening
to an 1819 ode written by John Keats.
ANSWER:
(Ode on a) Grecian Urn (prompt on urn)
11.
Precalculus/Calculus (30 Seconds)
What
is the x-intercept of the graph for the system of parametric equations given by
x=2t-5 and y=5t+10?
ANSWER:
-9 (also accept (-9,0) or x=-9)
12.
Geography/Earth Science/Astronomy
It
contained six wheels, each of which was 13 centimeters in diameter, and reached
a top speed of less than half a meter per minute. Which vehicle exited the
Pathfinder in July 1997 to explore a small part of the surface of Mars and send
pictures back to Earth?
ANSWER:
(Mars Rover) Sojourner (prompt on Rover)
13.
Language Arts/Reference Sources
The
name of this type of reference source comes from the Arabic word for weather,
and it traditionally contains weather forecasts and calendars. Recent ones,
however, seem to contain as many facts as the publishers can think of. Name this
reference of which Old Farmer's and Information Please are examples.
ANSWER:
Almanac
14.
Technology
Give
the ten-letter word for an applied science also known as human engineering. It
is concerned with designing and arranging things people use so that the people
and things interact most efficiently and safely. It is often used to describe
improvements in keyboards, automobiles, and other technologies.
ANSWER:
Ergonomics (prompt on ergonomic)
15.
Music
Which
jazz musician was known for playing with his back towards the audience and for
identifying and playing with future star musicians? These musicians included
Herbie Hancock and John Coltrane. His albums include In a Silent Way, Sketches
of Spain, and Kind of Blue.
ANSWER:
(Miles) Davis
16.
Nonfiction
Which
1651 book about the nature of the sovereign state and the role of politics in
curbing human nature was named after a sea serpent? It was written by Thomas
Hobbes.
ANSWER:
Leviathan
17.
Geometry/Trigonometry (30 Seconds)
What
do you get if you fully simplify the cosine of the quantity four hundred fifty
degrees minus theta?
ANSWER:
Sine Theta
18.
American Dramas, Poems, and Short Stories
Give
the exact seven-word line that is repeated at the end of Robert Frost's Stopping
by Woods on a Snowy Evening. It is preceded by the line, "But I have
promises to keep".
ANSWER:
"And miles to go before I sleep" (must be perfect)
19.
Biology
When
a cell is not dividing, what exists as very long, very thin fibers? When it does
divide, these condense and are divided between the two daughter cells. Name this
complex of DNA and proteins that makes up a eukaryotic chromosome.
ANSWER:
Chromatin
20.
World History
Which
Roman Emperor wrote books on dice playing, Etruscan and Carthaginian history,
and the Roman alphabet? Britain was made a province of the Roman Empire during
his reign, which ended when he was poisoned by his wife Agrippina. The next
emperor was his adopted son Nero.
ANSWER:
Claudius (accept Tiberius Claudius Nero Germanicus, Tiberius Claudius Caesar
Augustus Germanicus, or Claudius I, do not accept Nero)
TIEBREAKER
QUESTIONS
Ties
are sudden death--the first correct answer ends the match. If a question from
the match needs to be thrown out, it should be replaced by the corresponding
question from the replacement packet.
(30
Seconds) Find the coordinates of the vertex of the parabola given by the
equation y=x2-4x+7.
ANSWER:
(2,3) (prompt on x=2, but do not allow more than three seconds for a response)
Which
novel features two twins who are usually called by a combination of their names?
It also has a bunch of little boys referred to as 'littluns'. Much of the action
is related to a power struggle between Ralph and Jack. Ralph befriends an
awkward boy named Piggy. This novel is about a bunch of boys on an island and
was written by William Golding.
ANSWER:
Lord of the Flies
Spell
the seven-letter adjective beginning with the letter Z that means marked by a
fervent partisanship. Spell the word ZEALOUS.