MACC English Questions
February 13, 2017
Please Read Aloud: All of the questions in this match are 5-second questions.
This is the first directed question for team A.
1A.
In the play Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw, name one article of clothing that Eliza is
wearing when she comes to ask Professor Higgins to give her speech lessons? Begin (One
of the following – a hat with three ostrich feathers, a nearly clean apron, or a shoddy coat)
This is the first directed question for team B.
1B.
In the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, who takes care of Victor after he falls ill after
creating the monster? Begin ( Henry Clerval)
This is the second directed question for team A.
2A.
In the nonfiction selection A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote, why did Buddy’s
friend want a tree “twice as tall as a boy.”? Begin (So the star could not be stolen.)
This is the second directed question for team B.
2B.
In the short story Homeland by Barbara Kingsolver, where did Great Mam smoke her pipe
in the evenings? Begin (On the front porch)
This is the third directed question for team A.
3A.
In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, what was the one thing that Jem feared
he wouldn’t get to do due to his broken arm? Begin (Play football)
This is the third directed question for team B.
3B.
In the play Sorry Wrong Number by Lucille Fletcher, why does Mrs. Stevenson call
Henchley Hospital? Begin (She wants to hire a trained nurse to come and stay with her)
This is the fourth directed question for team A.
4A.
In the poem The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe, as the poem begins, what is the narrator doing
when he hears the tapping sound? Begin (Reading)
This is the fourth directed question for team B.
4B.
In the nonfiction selection Why McDonald’s Fries Taste So Good by Eric Schlosser, what
factor greatly affects how taste of food is perceived? Begin (Its color)
This is the fifth directed question for team A.
5A.
In the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding, what did Jack, Ralph, and Simon find
tangled in the creepers when they were exploring the island? Begin (A piglet, or pig)
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This is the fifth directed question for team B.
5B.
In the play The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, why had Amanda not gone to her
D.A.R. meeting? Begin (She had visited Laura’s college and found out Laura had quit
school. This had upset Amanda and she did not go to the meeting)
This is the sixth directed question for team A.
6A.
In the short story The Lottery by Shirley Jackson, who was the oldest man in town? Begin
(Mr. Warner, or Old Man Warner)
This is the sixth directed question for team B.
6B.
In the novel The Pearl by John Steinbeck, when Juan Tomás asked Kino if he would give
up the pearl, Kino told him that the pearl had become his what? Begin (Soul)
This is the seventh directed question for team A.
7A.
In the short story Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., what had Harrison Bergeron
done to get on the television news in the first place? Begin (He had escaped from jail)
This is the seventh directed question for team B.
7B.
In the nonfiction selection What Wendell Wants Chapter 2 by Jenny Lee, what was the
author describing when she said “Friday the 13th meets Toy Story.”? Begin (Cosmas
attacking the ball)
This is the eighth directed question for team A.
8A.
In the novel Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, what equals students divided by confusion?
Begin (Algebra)
This is the eighth directed question for team B.
8B.
In the short story The Jelly-Fish by David H. Keller, what emotion did all of the students
have towards Professor Queirling? Begin (Hatred)
This is the ninth directed question for team A.
9A.
In the play Death Knocks by Woody Allen, what does Death tell Nat about how
experienced he is? Begin (He says it’s his first job)
This is the ninth directed question for team B.
9B.
In the novel The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, what does the
recording that Arthur sees have? Begin (Subtitles)
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This is the tenth and final directed question for team A.
10A.
In the nonfiction selection Night by Elie Wiesel, where were the Jews forced to wait the
entire day before deportation? Begin (In the synagogue)
This is the tenth and final directed question for team B.
10B.
In the poem Oranges by Gary Soto, the candies are described as tiered like what? Begin
(Bleachers)
That ends the portion of the match with directed questions. Coaches, if you have any team
member substitutions, please send those team members to the stage at this time. (Note:
Allow time for substitutes to be seated, introduce substitute team members.)
No form of conferring is allowed during the tossup portion of the match. Conferring includes
sharing of written or verbal information or signals. Please remove all written material
from your team tables. Writing is not permitted during tossup rounds, except in the math
round.
We will now have ten tossup questions. Remember, the person who buzzes in must give the
answer immediately. Please wait until I recognize the team before you give an answer. The
penalty for buzzing in early and giving a wrong answer is minus 2 points, and the question
will then be reread in its entirety to the other team.
This is the first tossup question.
1.
From what selection, by what author, is the following quote: “If you tell everybody that
you are not very good at what you are going to do, you have let yourself off the hook in case
you don’t do it well. If, on the other hand, you do as well as you think you’re going to do
anyhow, then everybody is pleasantly surprised.”? Begin (Born Modest by Loyal Jones)
This is the second tossup question.
2.
In the short story By the Waters of Babylon by Stephen Vincent Benet, when the priest’s son
entered what he called “a place of great riches” what made him think that the god who had
lived there was “wise”? Begin (There were many books there)
This is the third tossup question.
3.
In the play Trifles by Susan Glaspell, what was the sticky mess the County Attorney found
inside one of the cabinets? Begin (Fruit where the fruit jars had frozen and cracked)
This is the fourth tossup question.
4.
In the novel The Help by Kathryn Stockett, what occupation did Treelore want to pursue?
Begin (He wanted to be a writer)
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This is the fifth tossup question.
5.
From what poem by what author is the following quote taken:
“And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.”
Begin (The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost)
This is the sixth tossup question.
6.
In the nonfiction selection Third World Driving Hints and Tips by P.J. O’Rourke, what is
the most important rule when driving at night? Begin (Turn off your lights)
This is the seventh tossup question.
7.
In the novel The Fault In Our Stars by John Green, what does Hazel think about religious
belief? Begin (That it's intellectual disengagement)
This is the eighth tossup question.
8.
In the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare, what is the name of
Hermia’s father? Begin (Egeus)
This is the ninth tossup question.
9.
In the short story The Monkey’s Paw by W. W. Jacobs, what two startling sounds occurred
as soon as the first wish was made? Begin (The piano crashed and Mr. White shrieked)
This is the tenth and final tossup question.
(Emcee note – if match is tied after this question go to the three tie breakers at the end of these
questions – use all three, even if tie is broken on first or second question!)
10.
What literary term means a four line stanza in poetry? Begin (Quatrain)
EMERGENCY QUESTIONS (To be used in an emergency only –DO NOT USE AS EXTRA TIE
BREAKERS – but they can be used in place of tie breakers as they would be used if a
question has a mistake, if the emcee “flubs” a question, etc.):
You have 5 seconds to answer this question.
1.
In the novel The Help by Kathryn Stockett, what secret did Minny finally reveal to Celia as
they waited for the doctor to come? Begin (That Johnny knew about her)
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You have 5 seconds to answer this question.
2.
In the short story Rikki-Tikki-Tavi by Rudyard Kipling, what character claims to be death?
Begin (Karait)
TIE BREAKERS (To be used in cases of tie games – use all three questions, even if the tie is
broken with the first or second question; in case teams are still tied at the end of these
three questions – the game remains a tie.):
This is the first tiebreaker question.
1.
In the short story The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell, what is the name of the
"evil" island that the sailors fear? Begin (Ship-Trap Island)
This is the second tiebreaker question.
2.
In the play Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw, who is Mrs. Pearce? Begin (Professor
Higgins’ housekeeper)
This is the third tiebreaker question.
3.
In the novel The Pearl by John Steinbeck, what was Kino’s brother and sister-in-law’s
names? Begin (Juan Thomás and Apolonia)