Questions by Swarthmore
Edited by George Huang and Joseph Wu
Tossups
1. Tough best known today as a novelist, he made his fortune with his
short stories, such as "the rich boy,"
"Babylon Revisited," and "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz," collected in
volumes like Flappers and
Philosophers. FTP, name this American author, whose unfinished
masterwork was entitled The Last Tycoon.
Answer: F. Scott _FITZGERALD_
2. Arriving in Paris in 1778, he announced that he had discovered a
fluid which penetrated and surrounded all
bodies. He held sessions for patients in which he "used" this fluid to
put them into trances or epileptic-like
fits. Today, his name is the origin of a verb meaning "to hypnotize,
spellbind, or fascinate." For ten points,
name this Austrian physician who proposed a theory of animal magnetism.
Answer: Franz Anton _MESMER_
3. He was called "The Morning Star of the Reformation," because this
reformer attacked Church doctrine long
before it was chic. He condemned monasticism and denied
transubstantiation. FTP, name this Englishman,
who started the first English translation of the Bible, and whose
followers were known as Lollards.
Answer: John _WYCLIFFE_
4. Despite the awful failure of Space: Above and Beyond, television
moguls hope that the X-Files' Chris Carter
will strike gold again. His new show will feature Lance Henriksen as a
telepathic investigator in a creepy
Northwestern town. FTP, name this upcoming series, which seems to be 4
years ahead of its time.
Answer: _MILENNIUM_
5. It was first published in 1798 in seven parts. The title character
in this long poem grabs the narrator en route
to a wedding feast and tells him how his crewmates were slain by a
skeleton ship, because of his sin of killing
an albatross. FTP, name this Samuel Taylor Coleridge work.
Answer: _RIME OF THE ANCIENT MARINER_
6. In Greek mythology, she was the mother of Clytemnestra, Helen, and
the twins Castor and Pollux. She is best
known, however, for the cygnine form Zeus took to seduce her. FTP, name
this woman, the subject of
paintings by Michelangelo and Veronese, and a poem by Yeats, who was
swept away by a divine swan.
Answer: _LEDA_
7. In humans, when there are no outside cues, they are about 25 hours
long; the presence of a light source, or
zeitgeber, seems to fine-tune them so that they correspond with reality.
FTP, give the name for these rhythms,
like sleepiness and wakefulness, that guide animals from day to day.
Answer: _CIRCADIAN_ rhythms
8. WARNING: TWO ANSWERS REQUIRED. A hotly -contested senate race pits a
liberal 2-term Democratic
senator (known for his work on the BCCI scandal and his support of the
crime bill) against a popular
incumbent governor, a pro-choice and fiscally conservative Republican.
For ten points, name the two major-
party senate candidates in Massachusetts.
Answer: _JOHN KERRY_ (prompt on Kerry), William F. _WELD_
9. It is a toroidal apparatus for containing plasma by means two
magnetic fields; a strong magnetic field
surrounding a vacuum chamber, and a weak magnetic field created by an
intense electric current through the
plasma. It is often used in nuclear fusion. FTP, give this 7-letter
word, an amalgam of the Russian for "toroidal
magnetic chamber".
Answer: _TOKAMAK_
10. He was a nineteenth century congressman from South Carolina, whose
most famous act led to his censure by
the House. He became a hero in his home district, which elected him to
Congress again when he resigned.
For ten points, name the man who became so angry at Senator Charles
Sumner for denouncing his uncle that
he beat the Massachusetts senator nearly to death.
Answer: Preston _BROOKS_
11. Denying the reality of thoughts and cognition, its principles were
based on Pavlov's studies of dogs. Holding
that all actions could be explained in terms of punishments and rewards,
practitioners of this school of
psychology looked to pigeons and rats as models of human thought. FTP,
name this school, whose best-known
proponent was B. F. Skinner.
Answer: _BEHAVIORISM_
12. Table Mountain towers over this city, which was its country's
largest seaport until it was passed by Durban
about 15 years ago. The first white settlement on the spot was founded
in 1652, and the Castle of Good Hope,
built soon afterward by the Dutch, is the country's oldest monument.
For ten points, name this city, one of the
three capitals of South Africa, vying for the 2004 Summer Olympic games.
Answer: _CAPE TOWN_
13. Benjamin Bathurst was a gentleman, a diplomat, and a suspected
Napoleonic-era British secret agent. Judge
Crater was a well-respected and well-known 1930's-era lawman. Ambrose
Bierce was an author known for his
vicious satire. Amelia Aerhart was a famous female flier. FTP, what
trait do they all share?
Answer: _THEY ALL DISAPPEARED WITHOUT A TRACE_
14. Because of unbalanced molecular cohesive forces near the top of
liquid bodies, they appears to be covered by a
thin elastic membrane. FAQTP, name this property of liquids that allows
one to skip rocks, or allows water
striders to stride across lakes.
Answer: _SURFACE TENSION_
15. During his years in the U.S. House of Representatives, he was
known as a progressive and a friend of labor,
but by 1920 (when he wanted the Democratic nomination for president)
liberals derided him as a red-baiting
opportunist. For ten points, name this Swarthmore alum and attorney
general under Woodrow Wilson, who
launched the Red Scare of 1919.
Answer: A. Mitchell _PALMER_
16. It began by exploring the lands of Cron, following in the footsteps
of the great explorer Corak. Later
installments from this New World Computing product moved through Gates
to Another World to Xeen, and
the Darkside of Xeen. FTP, name this long-lived computer fantasy game
series, whose name is a pathetic rip-
off of Dungeons and Dragons.
Answer: _MIGHT AND MAGIC_
17. In economics, a good example of this type of good is national
security; something the government needs to
provide, since if it doesn't, no one can make a profit from it. For a
quick ten points, give the economic term for
a good that is nonrival in consumption, and which cannot be kept from
people who don't pay for it.
Answer: _PURE PUBLIC GOOD_ (Prompt on public good)
18. A contemporary of Aristotle, he was known for his refusal to
participate in Athenian politics. He held that one
should live in such a way as to reduce pain and anxiety and to maximize
psychic tranquillity and pleasure.
FTP, name this philosopher, whose name is now given to gourmets and
hedonists.
Answer: _EPICURUS_
19. The earliest form of the sonnet is named after this man, its
earliest major practitioner. A scholar of Greek and
Latin as well as a poet, he was rowned with a laurel in Rome in 1341.
FTP, name this author of the Scattered
Lyrics, whose dominant theme was Laura.
Answer: _PETRARCH_ or Francesco Petrarca
20. In the last few minutes of the game, he ran a brilliant dribble
along the goal line, and had he not handballed
the soccer ball, would have scored the winning goal in regulation.
Nonetheless, his team, the D.C. United,
won the inaugural MLS championship in overtime. FTP, name this soccer
player, the first MVP of the MLS
Cup.
Answer: Marco _ETCHEBERRY_
21. In a recent interview, this presidential candidate revealed that
he's not even talking with his campaign
managers! Attempting to run his campaign with under $5,000, this
left-winger advocates the socialization of
medicine, nuclear disarmament, and, of course, ever-vigilant government
monitoring of corporations. FTP,
name this Green Party nominee and consumer advocate, author of "Unsafe
at any Speed."
Answer: Ralph _NADER_
22. By plotting a star's brightness against its surface temperature,
aiding greatly in the classification of stars. FTP,
name this astronomical chart, named for its two creators.
Answer: _HERTZSPRUNG-RUSSELL_ diagram (or H-R diagram)
Bonuses
1. From 1700 to 1721, the bulk of the reign of Peter the Great, Russia,
Sweden, Denmark/Norway, and Poland
were engaged in a conflict that signalled the decline of Swedish
military power and the rise of Russia.
a. First, FTP, name the war
b. For another ten points, what brilliant tactician led the Swedish to
victory after victory in the early years of
the war?
c. For another ten points, at what battle did the forces of Peter the
Great finally defeat the Swedes, ending
their invasion of Russia?
Answer: a) the _GREAT NORTHERN WAR_ (also accept: the _SECOND NORTHERN
WAR_) b)
_CHARLES XII_ c) _POLTAVA_
2. Name the organ, 30-20-10
30: It is a compound racemose gland, analogous in its structure to the
salivary glands, though softer and less
compactly arranged than those organs.
20: It is situated transversely across the posterior wall of the
abdomen, at the back of the epigastric and left
hypochondriac regions. It's from 5-6 inches long, about a half inch
thick, and an inch and a half in breadth.
10: It produces insulin.
Answer: _PANCREAS_
3. Given the NHL trophy, tell me who receives it for five points each,
and five more for all correct.
c. Hart Trophy
d. Vezina
e. James Norris
f. Lady Bing
g. Art Ross
Answer: a) _MVP_ b) _LEADING GOALKEEPER_ c) _DEFENSEMEN_ d)
_SPORTSMANSHIP_ e)
_LEADI NG SCORER_
4. Answer the following question's about Boris Yeltsin's health and the
state of Kremlin politics FTP each.
a. Yeltsin was recently examined by what famed, octogenarian, U.S. heart
surgeon?
b. What general and security chief recently charged that acutal
decisionmaking in the Kremlin was being
done not by Yeltsin, but by subordinates taking advantage of the
president's ill health and then was
recently ousted?
c. What is the name of the presidential chief of staff (and former
privatization minister) who has been
accused of signing official documents with a stamp of Yeltsin's name,
w/o the president's permission?
Answer: a) Michael _DEBAKEY_ b) Aleksandr _LEBED_ c) Anatolii
_CHUBAIS_
5. Answer the following questions about scientology for the stated
number of points.
a. Scientology was developed by a former science fiction writer and
explained in an extraordinarily popular
self-help book. Name them, for five points each.
b. Scientology holds that there is a collection of "bad thoughts" that
engrain themself on you and make you
weak of mind. FTP each, name these "bad thoughts," and give the name of
the state in which you've
eliminated all your bad thoughts.
Answer: a) _DIANETICS_, L. Ron _HUBBARD_ b) _ENGRAMS_, _CLEAR_
6. Answer the following questions about proposed -but unenacted-
legislation concerning the Mexican War for
15 points each:
f. Proposed by a then-obscure opponent of the war, Rep. Abraham
Lincoln, these measures would have
required President Polk to provide the House with proof that the war had
begun with the shedding of
American blood on American soil.
g. This measure, passed by the House and killed in the Senate several,
would have banned slavery on all land
taken from Mexico.
Answer: a) _SPOT RESOLUTIONS_ b) _WILMOT PROVISO_
7. Given the composer and # of a symphony, give the name by which it is
more commonly known for five each
and five more for all correct.
g. Schubert's 8th
h. Beethoven�s 9th
i. Bruckner�s 4th
j. Tchaikovsky�s 6th
k. Mendelssohn�s 3rd
Answer: a) _UNFINISHED_ b) _CHORAL_ c) _ROMANTIC_ d) _PATHETIQUE_ e)
_SCOTTISH_
8. Identify the novel, 30-20-10
30: It's about sentient lightbulbs, psychics, and the powerful Jamf and
I.G. Farben pharmaceuticals
corporation.
20: It's about an international drug smuggler trying to smuggle primo
hash through a postwar Germany
under, and the sexual escapades of a boatload of international perverts.
10: It's about the adventures of Tyrone Slothrop, aka Rocketman, as he
attempts to track down a mystic V2
missile.
Answer: _GRAVITY'S RAINBOW_ by Thomas Pynchon
9. Identify the following types of solar activity for ten points each:
a. Dark areas of the solar surface, averaging twice the diameter of the
earth and containing intense magnetic
fields.
b. Eruptions on the solar surface, visible as red protrusions during
eclipses and apparently caused by the
sun's magnetic fields.
c. More violent eruptions, resulting in the emission of X-rays and
ultraviolent radiation (which can affect
radion signals on earth); they reach their maximum in a few minutes, and
decay within an hour.
Answer: a) _SUNSPOTS_ b) _PROMINENCES_ c) solar _FLARES_
10. Identify the following figures prominent in developmental psychology
FTP each.
a. After working with Binet to develop the IQ test, this Swiss
researcher developed a stage theory of
children's development, focusing on concepts like object permanence and
conservation of liquids and
solids.
b. Working in the early Soviet Union, he focused on the "developmental
gap" between children, and on how
one child teaches others; his work was later suppressed by the Soviet
government.
c. Working in the field of ethical development, this researcher
developed stages of moral maturity that he
believed evrry child worked through.
Answer: a) Jean _PIAGET_ b) _VYGOTSKY_ c) Lawrence _KOHLBERG_
11. Given a weapon wielded by a God, give, for five points each, the
type of weapon it was and, for ten points, the
deity who wielded it.
k. Gungnir
l. Mjolnir
Answer: a) weapon: _SPEAR_, god: _ODIN_ or _WOTAN_ b) weapon: _HAMMER_,
god _THOR_ or
_DONAR_
12. Boy, is Dilbert funny. For the stated number of points, name these
recurring Dilbert characters.
a. For five points, Dilbert's balding loser coworker with coke-bottle
glasses.
b. For ten points, Dilbert's male dinosaur buddy.
c. For fifteen points, Dilbert's girlfriend.
Answer: a) _WALLY_ b) _BOB_ c) _LIZ_
13. Only two presidents this century received the nomination of their
party for president or vice president five
times each.
m. First, for five points, name them.
n. FDR and Nixon had something else in common: each gave a well-known
speech about his dog. For ten
points each, name these two canine presidential pets.
Answer: a) Franklin Delano _ROOSEVELT_ (prompt on Roosevelt), Richard
Milhous _NIXON_ b)
_FALA_, _CHECKERS_
14. 30-20-10, name the author.
30: She may have been the lover of Fujiwara no Michinaga, who was the
power behind the throne for much of
the early Heian period.
20: In her diary, she bitterly criticized her bolder rival and fellow
author, Sei Shonagon.
10: The heroine of her great novel, _The Tale of Genji_, shares her
name.
Answer: _MURASAKI_ Shibiku
15. Name these seemingly unrelated movies from a brief description FTP
each.
o. In this movie the Hong Kong Cavaliers aided the title character in
defeating Emil Lizardo. Wherever you
go there you are.
p. Charles Bronson stared in this 1974 movie about an architect who
turns vigilante when his wife and
daughter are raped.
q. This 1985 film is known for several cameos by other directors. In
it, Michelle Pfeiffer must dispose of six
emeralds stolen from the Shah of Iran.
Answer: a) The Adventures of _BUCKAROO BONZAI_ across the Eighth
Dimension b) _DEATH WISH_
c) _INTO THE NIGHT_
Note: The common thread is that Jeff Goldblum is in all these movies.
16. In plants, chlorophyll interacts with proteins to allow the capture
of light. Chlorophyll best captures light of a
particular wavelength between yellow and red. Chlorophyll "A" and
chlorophyll "B" have different optimal
wavelengths for capture.
p. First, FTP, name them.
q. Secondly, for another ten points, chloroplasts contain additional
yellow and orange pigments to capture
other wavelengths of light. FTP, name these subsidiary pigments.
Answer: a) _680_ and _700 ANGSTROMS_ b) _CAROTENOIDS_
17. Its not cycling season, but we thought we�d throw in a cycling
bonus for fun. For ten points, name any three of
the for cycling legends who won the Tour de France five times.
Answer: (any three of these) Miguel _INDURAIN_, Jaques _ANQUETIL_, Eddy
_MERCKX_, Bernard
_HINAULT_
18. Charles Dickens wrote many great novels. Answer these questions
about one of his greatest novels for the
stated number of points each.
r. First, for five points, name this novel centered around the unending
probate case of Jarndyce vs. Jarndyce.
s. Secondly, for ten points, name the orphan ward who narrates much of
Bleak House and finds her mother
near the very end.
t. Finally, for fifteen points, name one of the cousins of John
Jarndyce who foolishly spends too much time
trying to resolve Jarndyce vs. Jarndyce and eventually dies the day the
case is resolved.
Answer: a) _BLEAK HOUSE_ b) _ESTHER SUMMERSON_ c) _RICHARD CARSTONE_
19. For ten points each, name these political figures of the Roman
Republic:
a. Two brothers active in Roman politics strove for agrarian reform,
were elected tribunes, and were
murdered by mobs. For ten points, give their common name.
b. This orator began his career by fighting corruption in Sicily, and
argued throughout his career for the
interests of the aristocracy; he is known today mainly for his eloquence
c. This statesman was a fierce opponent of Carthage; he ended every
speech with the words "Carthage must
be destroyed."
Answer: a) _GRACCHUS_ or _GRACCHI_ b) Marcus Tullius _CICERO_ c) _CATO
THE ELDER_
20. Given a highest point in a state, give the state for ten points
each.
t. Mount Ranier
u. Black Mesa
v. Mount Elbert
Answer: a) _WASHINGTON_ b) _OKLAHOMA_ c) _COLORADO_
21. The House ethics committee and a special counsel have recently been
looking into charges against Speaker
Newt Gingrich. Answer the following questions, FTPE:
u. Some of the complaints stem from alleged improper spending by what
political action committee once
headed by Gingrich?
v. What Connecticut rep and ethics committee chair has been accused of
trying to delay serious
consideration of the charges until after the election?
w. Finally, what special counsel recently announced that he was
broadening his investigation of Gingrich?
Answer: a) _GO-PAC_ b) Nancy _JOHNSON_ c) James _COLE_
22. Given the name of a famous work of art, give the painter FTPE:
a. The Third of May, 1808: The Execution of the Defenders of Madrid
b. series of woodcuts, including The Apocalypse, the Great Passion, and
The Life of the Virgin
c. The Last Judgment, The Descent from the Cross
Answer: a) _GOYA_ b) Albrecht _DURER_ c) Peter Paul _RUBENS_