I.B.A. Academic League Round 2 - Individual Questions - October 1990
1. It broke out in a baker's shop in Pudding Lane and lasted four days. It destroyed many public buildings, among them the Royal Exchange, and 87 churches, including St. Paul's Cathedral. For 10 pts. what was this disastrous event of 1666, chronicled by Samuel Pepys in his diary?
Answer: Great London Fire
2. Hermes used this staff to conduct the dead to the netherworld. It was made of olive wood and gold, was entwined with serpents and surmounted by wings. For 10 points, what is this wand, today the symbol of the medical profession?
Answer: Caduceus
3. One of the Russian Five, he taught Igor Stravinsky. He drew heavily from Russian history and legend while composing such operas as The Snow Maiden , The Maid of Pskov and Le Coq d'Or . His best-known orchestral work is Scheherezade and he also composed the humorous "Flight of the Bumblebee." For 10 pts. name this Russian composer.
Answer: Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov
4. This 1955 novel is a powerful combination of child's adventure story, anthropological insights, and the Christian concepts of Eden and Original Sin. Recently made into a film, it describes what happens to a group of boys, among them Ralph and Piggy, stranded on an island after a plane crash. For 10 pts. name this novel by William Golding.
Answer: Lord of the Flies
5. It was first scaled in 1913 by American explorer Hudson Stuck. Now called Denali, it is the highest peak in North America and was originally named for a U.S. President. For 10 pts. name this Alaskan mountain.
Answer: Mt. McKinley (if buzz in early with Denali, ask for more info)
6. Protein synthesized by ribosomes are passed through tubules of rough endoplasmic reticulum to this tubular structure, whose primary function is believed to be the concentration and packaging of that protein which will later be secreted by the cell. For 10 pts. what is this cell component?
Answer: Golgi Apparatus or Golgi body
7. Among the different tribal groups of these people are the Aranda, Gurindji, Yir-Yoront, Walbiri, and the Gunwinggu. They probably emigrated from Southeast Asia about 40,000 years ago. For 10 points, name these first human residents of Australia.
Answer: Aborigines
8. In recent testimony before Congress he stated, "The oil shock has clearly increased the probability of both inflation and recession." Not a cheery thought for a man who heads an agency whose job is to help prevent both. For 10 points, identify this man, the current head of the Federal Reserve board.
Answer: Alan Greenspa n
9. When Hours of Idleness was given bad reviews in Edinburgh, he wrote English Bards and Scottish Reviewers to retort. He died in 1824, at age 36, while fighting for Greek independence. For 10 pts. name this English romantic poet whose works include Childe Harold and Don Juan .
Answer: George Gordon Noel Byron , 6th Baron of Byron (if they say Gordon, ask
for more information)
10. About 1798, while producing muskets for the U.S. Army, he seized upon the idea of having machines make each part so that all parts would be interchangeable. For 10 pts. name this man, better known for inventing the cotton gin.
Answer: Eli Whitney
11. It was known as "electron" to the Greeks because a strong charge of static electricity can be built up on its surface when it is briskly rubbed. For 10 points, what is this fossilized and solidified pine sap?
Answer: amber
12. Born in Ur, he married his half-sister before moving to Haran in Mesopotamia. Under divine order, he became a nomadic chieftain and migrated to Canaan. For 10 points, name this man, father of Ishmael and Isaac.
Answer: Abraham
13. He claimed descent from Venus through Aeneas's son. Known for his activities against pirates and for financing lavish games, after a series of impressive military victories in the Gallic Wars, he was named dictator in 49 BC. For 10 points, who was this Roman?
Answer: Julius Caesar
14. Among its colleges are Clare, Christ's, Churchill, Corpus Christi, King's, Magdalene, St. Catherine's, Selwyn, and Sidney Sussex. There are 31 residential colleges in all. For 10 points, what is this British university founded in the 13th Century?
Answer: Cambridge
15. In men's competition the following events are featured: still rings, pommel horse, parallel bar, and floor exercise. For 10 points, what is this demanding Olympic venue?
Answer: Gymnastics
16. He took his doctorate at the age of 21 at the University of Pisa. At the University of Rome, using very simple equipment, he showed that neutrons could be used to make changes in nearly all atoms. From this, he became interested in the process of nuclear chain reactions. For 10 points, who is this scientist who defected from Italy when he travelled to Stockholm for the 1938 Nobel Prize?
Answer: Enrico Fermi
17. Written after the author's wife was raped by a gang of American GIs during World War II, it uses a language derived from Russian to set up a futuristic view of juvenile delinquency, but is better known in a film version by Stanley Kubrick. For 10 points, what is this short novel by Anthony Burgess about the young droog, Alex?
Answer: A Clockwork Orange
18. Among the fastest of sailing vessels, they are adapted from designs of dugout canoes used by peoples of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Usually constructed of pontoons tied together with diagonal braces and beams they can go faster than 20 knots. For 10 points, what are these twin hulled sailboats?
Answer: catamarans
19. His unpopularity among later Egyptian rulers might stem as much from his loss of territories in Syria and Palestine as from his insistence on a new type of religion. He left Thebes for a new capital at Amarna and effected major changes in art and literature. For 10 points, identify this monotheistic pharoah.
Answer: Akhenaten acc: Ikhnaten or Amenhotep IV
20. The founder of this wealthy American family was Pierre Samuel, French economist who fled to the US in 1799. His son, Eleuthere, opened a gunpowder mill in Wilmington, Delaware, and his great-grandson Pierre, bought a controlling interest in General Motors. For 10 points, who is this powerful Delaware family, known best for its chemical company?
Answer: Dupont
I.B.A. Academic League Round 2 - Consulation Questions - October 1990
1. (30 PTS.) Certain atomic nuclei are unstable and undergo radioactive decay. Three kinds of radiation may be emitted in such decay. Given the source of the decay, identify the type of radiation particles emitted, 10 pts. each.
a. Helium nuclei Answer: Alpha particles
b. High energy photons Answer: Gamma rays
c. Electrons Answer: Beta particles
2. (30 PTS.) Speaker of the House of Representatives is one of the more important and powerful jobs in government. Identify these past speakers for 10 pts. each.
a. After being a member of the House for only nine months, this man became Speaker in 1811.
Answer: Henry Clay
b. This speaker, who served from 1940-46, 49-52, and 55-61, held the post longer than anyone else.
Answer: Sam Rayburn
c. This Maine Republican served as speaker from 1869-75. He later made an unsuccessful run for the presidency in 1884.
Answer: James G. Blaine
3. (25 PTS.) Dissension within the various Soviet Republics has thrust them into the news of late. Let's test your knowledge of those republics. I'll give you a republic's capital, you identify the republic, 5 pts. each.
a. Vilnius Answer: Lithuania
b. Tashkent Answer: Uzbek
c. Tbilisi Answer: Georgia
d. Baku Answer: Azerbaijan
e. Riga Answer: Latvia
4. (30 PTS.) Ruth is one of the more notable women in the Bible. Identify these other Biblical women, 10 pts. each.
a. She was a prophet and a Judge. Answer: Deborah
b. She was freed from 7 devils by Jesus Answer: Mary Magdalene
c. She was the wicked wife of Ahab Answer: Jezebel
5. (30 PTS.) As you might guess, the adrenal gland secretes adrenalin. For 10 pts. each, tell me the gland that secretes these substances or hormones.
a. ACTH Answer: Pituitary Gland (specifically, anterior p.)
b. Glucagon Answer: Pancreas
c. Vasopressin Answer: Hypothalamus
6. (30 PTS.) The Persian Wars were fought between the Persian Empire and the Greek city-states between 500-449 B.C. For 10 pts. each, identify this battles which served as turning points in that war.
a. Persian forces pushing towards Athens were repelled by Athenian forces under Miltiades in 490 B.C.
Answer: Marathon
b. Xerxes' forces were delayed at this 480 B.C. battle fought in a narrow pass. Gallant Spartan forces seriously out manned managed to delay Xerxes advance, fighting gallantly until the last man died.
Answer: Thermopylae
c. Following Thermopylae, in 480 B.C., the Persian fleet was crushed by the Athenian fleet under Themistocles at this major naval battle.
Answer: Salamis
7. (30 PTS.) For 10 pts. each, identify these characters from Shakespeare's Macbeth .
a. The thane of Lochaber, he was slain by order of Macbeth. His ghost later appears to Macbeth at a banquet.
Answer: Banquo
b. The son of Banquo, he escapes to Wales after his father is assassinated.
Answer: Fleance
c. The thane of Fife, he joins Malcolm in England and returns with him to Scotland to unseat Macbeth, whom he eventually kills.
Answer: Macduff
8. (25 PTS.) For 5 pts. each, name the odd mascots for each of the following colleges and universities.
a. Texas Christian Answer: Horned Frogs
b. Wisconsin Answer: Badgers
c. Minnesota Answer: Golden Gophers
d. Delaware Answer: Blue Hens
e. Pace Answer: Setters
9. (20 PTS.) Built from 1354-91, it contains the Court of the Lions and the Hall of the Two Sisters. It is one of the finest examples of Islamic architecture with its columns, stucco, and calligraphic decorations. Located in Granada, Spain, it is now a museum and tourist attraction. For 20 pts. what is it?
Answer: the Alhambra
10. (25 PTS.) For 5 pts. each, identify the British authors of these novels with men's names in their titles.
a. Adam Bede Answer: George Eliot or Marianne Evans
b. Jude the Obscure Answer: Thomas Hardy
c. Joseph Andrews Answer: Henry Fielding
d. Tristram Shandy Answer: Laurence Sterne
e. The Picture of Dorian Gray Answer: Oscar Wilde
11. (25 PTS.) For 5 pts. each, identify the article in the Constitution which deals with the following.
a. It vests all judicial power in a Supreme Court.
Answer: Third or three
b. It guarantees a republican form of government to every state.
Answer: Fourth or four
c. It describes the process of amending the Constitution.
Answer: Fifth or five
d. It provided for the observance of treaties and debts acquired prior to the ratification of the Constitution.
Answer: Sixth or six
e. It describes the office of the president.
Answer: Second or two
12. (30 PTS.) Given an animal of class Mammalia, identify the order to which it belongs, 10 pts. each.
a. Rabbit Answer: Lagomorpha or Lagomorph
b. Mouse Answer: Rodentia or Rodent
c. Mole Answer: Edentata or Edentate
13. (20 PTS.) Even though Washington, DC is our nation's capital, it is not the most populous city in the U.S. This is also the case with several other nations. Given a national capital, identify that nation's most populous city. 5 pt. each.
a. Bern Answer: Zurich
b. Quito Answer: Guayaquil
c. New Delhi Answer: Bombay
d. Canberra Answer: Sydney
14. (30 PTS.) Identify this historical figure, 30-20-10.
a. Born in 1847, he entered the army as a 2nd lieutenant in 1866 and served in the 7 Weeks' War and the Franco-Prussian War. He retired from the military in 1911.
b. When World War I broke out, he was recalled to command the German troops in East Prussia and won the Battle of Tannenburg.
c. In 1916 he was made chief of the German general staff, in 1925 was elected president of the German Republic, and in 1932 saw Adolf Hitler supercede his power.
Answer: Paul Von Hindenburg
15. (30 PTS.) For 10 pts. each, identify these characters related to legendary King Arthur.
a. He was Arthur's adopted brother. In some stories he is depicted as a buffoon. He was, however, made Seneschal of the Palace.
Answer: Sir Kay
b. He was Arthur's father. Answer: Uther Pendragon
c. Arthur's son by his sister Morgana, he challenged Arthur for control of Camelot.
Answer: Mordred
16. (30 PTS.) You probably can name the various stages of mitosis, but can you identify them from the functions which occur during them? Do just that, and you'll receive 10 pts. each.
a. Chromosomes first appear as distinct units. Answer: Prophase
b. The nuclear membrane disintegrates. Answer: Metaphase
c. Chromosomes move toward the poles. Answer: Anaphase
17. (25 PTS.) A string quartet consists of two violins, a viola and a cello. For 5 pts. each, what instruments make up a woodwind quintet?
Answer: Flute , Clarinet , Bassoon , English horn , Oboe
18. (25 PTS.) Daniel Day-Lewis won the 1989 Best Actor Academy Award for his portrayal of Christie Brown in the film My Left Foot . Given another Academy Award winning actor or actress, identify the real-life person they portrayed to win their Oscar.
a. F. Murray Abraham Answer: Antonio Salieri
b. Robert De Niro Answer: Jake LaMotta
c. Gary Cooper Answer: Sgt. Alvin York
d. Cissy Spacek Answer: Loretta Lynn
e. Ben Kingsley Answer: Mahatma Gandhi
19. (20 PTS.) This was the name of the French political group originally known as Club Breton. Formed in 1789 by the liberal members of the National Assembly, its was the group with which Danton and Robespierre were associated. For 20 pts. by what name were they known?
Answer: Jacobins
20. (30 PTS.) Identify the American author, 30-20-10. You may guess after each clue.
a. Democratic Vistas
b. Drum Taps
c. "When Lilacs Last in the Door Yard Bloom'd"
Answer: Walt Whitman
I.B.A. Academic League Round 3 - Individual Questions - October 1990
1. It is an odorless, slightly bitter alkaloid, and increases the effectiveness of aspirin, but in large amounts can result in insomnia, restlessness, and anxiety. For 10 points what is this chemical found in the kola nut and tea leaves?
Answer: caffeine
2. Chris Costner Sizemore, Billy Milligan, and Truddi Chase all suffer from this psychological disorder, which is usually the result of severe child abuse. In it, the person becomes several other individuals usually in order to protect a "core" personality. For 10 points what is this psychological disorder?
Answer: multiple personality disorder
3. Making up the largest order of insects, they have four wings, the firs pair of which are ahrd and leathery, meeting on the back in a strait line, while the second pair is under them and used in flight. For 10 points what are these insects of the order Coleoptera?
Answer: beetles
4. Though he is considered a major American statesman he opposed both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. He refused to hold any office in the United States government though Washington offered him the posts of Secretary of State and Chief Justice. For 10 points who is this Virginian famous for his exclamation, "Give me liberty, or give me death."
Answer: Patrick Henry
5. By 1790, four thousand Canadian immigrants occupied the wetlands along Bayou LaFourche and Bayou Teche. By 1980, their descendants numbered 250,000. For 10 points, by what name do we know this group named after a derivation of their Canadian colony?
Answer: Cajuns
6. Its first directors were William Butler Yeats, Augusta Gregory, and J.M. Synge. It began producing plays about the Irish peasantry and led to a literary movement that stressed heavy realism. For 10 points, name this Dublin theatre.
Answer: Abbey Theatre
7. It was built from 221 to 206 B.C. by Emperor Shih Huang Ti. In runs from the Yellow Sea to the Nan Shan Mountains. For 10 points, what is this 1500 mile long Chinese defense system?
Answer: The Great Wall
8. This man is constantly finding himself in a desperate position. In addition to sharing one of the most unpopular names in the West right now, his nation shares a border with one of the most inhospitable nations in the Middle East. For 10 points, identify this man, ruler of the kingdom of Jordan.
Answer: King Hussein
9. Born in 1976, her Italian-born father worked for a while as a movie stuntman. She made her own professional debut two weeks prior to her 14th birthday. For 10 points, identify this Yugoslavian tennis sensation.
Answer: Monica Seles
10. It is involved in the transmission of impulses from nerve cells to smooth and cardiac muscles and glands, and from motor nerve cells to skeletal muscles. For 10 points what is this neurotransmitter?
Answer: acetylcholine
11. This Italian born explorer was backed by Henry VII of England and on his first voyage he landed at Newfoundland in 1497. For 10 points, name this explorer, lost at sea in 1498 while trying to find a route to Japan.
Answer: John Cabot
12. He first gained fame with his socially conscious one-acts about communication failure and human violence such as The Zoo Story and The Death of Bessie Smith . He was denied the Pulitzer Prize in 1962 because of the explicit sexual references in his Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf . For 10 points who is this American playwright of Seascape and A Delicate Balance ?
Answer: Edward Albee
13. Despite his influence on medicine and physiology, he never received even a Nobel Prize nomination in that category, only in literature for his theoretical writings such as Totem and Taboo and On the Interpretation of Dreams . For 10 points, who was this founder of psychoanalytical theory?
Answer: Sigmund Freud
14. Pear Brilliant, Rose Cut, Cushion Brilliant, Step Cut, Round Brilliant, and Cabochon are all, for 10 points, ways of cutting what?
Answer: Gems acc: diamonds, anything relevant here
15. It is essential to the study of any physical or social science dealing with changing quantities. When, in 1665, the close connection between finding areas under curves and finding tangents to curves was discovered, this mathematical discipline was born. For 10 points, what is this branch of mathematics?
Answer: Calculus
16. They always have two main parts, a frame and a rotor, or armature. The rotor turns by mechanical means, the frame has magnets built in to provide a magnetic field. For 10 points, what is this machine that changes mechanical energy into electrical energy.
Answer: generator
17. The main character is based on a Methodist missionary's stories of two girls who were found living with a pack of wild dogs in India. It features Bagheera the panther, Shere Khan the tiger, and Baloo the bear. For 10 points, what is this Rudyard Kipling series of stories?
Answer: The Jungle Book
18. This announcement was made five days after Lee's Army retreated from Maryland following the battle of Antietam. Actually Lincoln didn't have the authority to make the announcement since it freed all slaves in the Confederate States of America--another country! For 10 points what was this important announcement?
Answer: Emancipation Proclamation
19. I have a gyroscope whose axis is pointed toward the North Star. Over a period of time the axis of the gyroscope would appear to move in a circle around the star. This is because the direction in which the Earth's axis points is not completely fixed because of the gravitational pull of the moon and the sun. For 10 points what is this phenomenon called?
Answer: precession
20. Its motto is "To make the best better", and its pledge is "I pledge my Head to clearer thinking, my Heart to greater loyalty, my Hands to larger service, and my Health to better living, for my Club, my Community, and my Country. For 10 points, what is this club?
Answer: 4-H Club
I.B.A. Academic League Round 3 - Consultation Questions - October 1990
1. (25 PTS.) This Italian author experimented in form and theme in his plays which forshadowd theatre of the Absurd. His plays, such as Henry IV, As You Desire Me, It is so if you think it's so, reflect the mixture of fantasy and reality in people's minds. For 25 pts. name this Italian who also wrote Six Character in Search of an Author.
Answer: Luigi Pirandello
2. (30 PTS.) People become famous when they discover something. For each scientific discovery, name the discover 10 pt each
1. The controlled response of salivation in dogs.
Answer: Pavlov
2. Discovered specialized nerve cells and an apparatus in the cell.
Answer: Golgi
3. The greater distance between galaxies, the greater the speed of separation.
Answer: Hubble
3. (30 PTS.) Identify these women of the Bible, 10 pts each.
1. She was the only female prophet and judge.
Ans. Deborah
2. She thwarts her husband Ahasuerus's plans for a Jewish massacre.
Answer: Esther
3. She helps Ruth and Boaz find happiness.
Answer: Naomi
5. (25 PTS) Let's see how much you know about national capitals that begin with a vowel. For 5 pts. each, tell me the capitals of the following countries:
1. Pakistan Answer: Islamabad
2. Canada Answer: Ottawa
3. Ethiopia Answer: Addis Ababa
4. Turkey Answer: Ankara
5. Burkina Faso Answer: Ougadougou
6. (25 PTS.) Given a work of literature written by a woman, identify her for 5 pt. each.
1. Mrs Dalloway Answer: Virginia Woolf
2. Wuthering Heights Answer: Emily Bronte
3. Death Comes for the Archbishop Answer: Willa Cather
4. Middlemarch Answer: George Eliot or Marianne Evans
5. The Temple of My Familiar Answer: Alice Walker
7. (25 PTS.) There are many classes of vertebrates, seven in fact. For 5 pts. name two of these classes, 10 pts. for 4, and 5 pts. each for the last three, what are the 7 classes of vertebrates.
Answer: Agnatha (Acc. Cyclostomata), Chondrichthyes ; Osteichthyes ;
Amphibia , Reptilia , Aves , Mammalia
8. (30 PTS.) Identify these things about Islam, 10 pts. each.
1. What is the holy book of Islam?
Answer: Koran
2. The Koran is divided into chapters called what?
Answer: Suras
3. Who acted as middleman between God and Mohammed?
Answer: Gabriel
9. (25 PTS.) Sometimes one painting can epitomize all the artistic aspirations of a painter. For each of the following paintings, give the artist 5 pts. each.
1. Starry Night Answer: Van Gogh
2. Waterlilies Answer: Monet
3. Garden of Earthly Delights Answer: Bosch
4. Christina's World Answer: Wyeth
5. The Persistence of Memory Answer: Dali
10. (25 PTS.) Identify these law codes named for their creators, 10 pts. each, 25 for both.
1. This Greek code was very harsh and was adopted circa 621 BC.
Answer: Draconian or Draco
2. This Babylonian table of law was formulated in the 1700's BC by the emperor.
Answer: Code of Hammurabi
11. (30 PTS.) Identify this American author from works, 30-20-10.
1. What Maisie Knew and The Awkward Age
2. The Golden Bowl and Aspern Papers
3. Portrait of a Lady and The Turn of the Screw
Answer: Henry James
12. (30 PTS.) Certain unknown elements can be dipped into concentrated hydrochloric acid and then placed into a flame. Depending on the color they turn, one can identify the element. For 10 pts. each, tell me what element is indicated if the flame turns:
1. Fluffy yellow Answer: Sodium
2. Violet Answer: Potassium
3. Deep Scarlet Answer: Strontium
13. (30 PTS.) In the Odyssey Homer recounts the return of Ulysses to Ithaca. For 10 pts. each answer these questions about his journey.
1. She turned Ulysses' men into swines
Answer: Circe
2. This enchantress found Ulysses washed ashore and held him captive for seven years.
Answer: Calypso
3. Ulysses visited this good king of Pylos and consulted him about how to get home.
Answer: Nestor
14. (25 PTS.) He has been nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature several times and may actually win soon (if he lives). He has been nominated for his screenplays to the films he directs, such as The Seventh Seal , Wild Strawberries , Fanny and Alexander and Scenes From a Marriage . For 25 pts. name this Swedish film director.
Answer: Ingmar Bergman
15. (30 PTS.) For 10 pts. each, tell me the river upon which these European capital cities sit.
1. Lisbon Answer: Tagus
2. Belgrade Answer: Danube
3. Warsaw Answer: Vistula
16 . (25 PTS.) Everyone from the Greeks to the philosophers of the Middle Ages thought that nature was driven by four forces of earth, air, fire and water. Well, they weren't right about the elements, but, according to modern particle physics, they did have the right number. For 5 pts. each, 25 for all four, name the four fundamental forces of nature.
Answer: Weak Nuclear, Strong Nuclear, Gravity , Electromagnetic
17. (30 PTS.) Spartacus led a famous rebellion of slaves against their Roman masters in 72 A.D. For 10 pts. each, who led these slave revolts?
1. A slave revolt in Haiti in 1791.
Answer: Toussaint L'Ouverture
2. Either of the two leaders in the 1381 English Peasant Revolt.
Answer: Wat Tyler or John Ball
3. The leader of the 1831 insurrection in Virginia.
Answer: Nat Turner
18. (25 PTS.) Most of us are familiar with such names as Zeus and Jupiter from Greek and Roman mythology respectively. For 5 pts. each, from what culture do each of these names come?
1. Ahura Mazda Answer: Persian (accept Zoroastrian)
2. Thoth Answer: Egyptian
3. Ishtar Answer: Babylonian (accept Mesopotamian)
4. Janus Answer: Roman
5. Hoder Answer: Norse
19. (20 PTS.) For 5 pts. each answer these questions about our atmosphere.
1. That segment of the atmosphere beginning at the earth's surface and rising to the point where temperature ceases to fall.
Answer: Troposphere
2. The isothermal portion of the earth's atmosphere.
Answer: Stratosphere
3. The third segment of the atmosphere, the temperature here again begins to fall as the altitude increases.
Answer: Mesosphere
4. The fourth segment, it is where auroras generally appear.
Answer: Ionosphere
20. (25 PTS.) The names of birds are included in the titles of a number of literary masterpieces. For 5 pts. each, give the authors of these "bird" works.
1. Penguin Isla nd Answer: Anatole France
2. The Wild Duck Answer: Henrik Ibsen
3. The Seagull Answer: Anton Chekhov
4. The Owl in the Attic Answer: James Thurber
5. "Ode to a Nightingale" Answer: John Keats