JH WEEKLIES ISSUE #24
2012-2013
TOSS-UP QUESTIONS
1. SOCIAL STUDIES (Geography)
For many years, this mountain peak boasted the highest wind gusts of any location on the
Earth’s surface at 231 miles per hour. Located in the Presidential Range of the White Mountains, what
is the name of this summit that is the highest point in New Hampshire and all of New England?
ANSWER: Mount Washington
2. LANGUAGE ARTS (Literature)
This poet penned the 1923 Pulitzer Prize-winning volume of poems titled New Hampshire,
which includes such well known poems as “Nothing Gold Can Stay,” “Fire and Ice,” and “Stopping by
Woods on a Snowy Evening.” Who was this New England poet who would go on to collect three
more Pulitzer Prizes for his poetry, and would recite a poem at the inauguration of John F. Kennedy?
ANSWER: Robert Frost
3. MATHEMATICS (Algebra) 30 SECOND QUESTION
What is the value of the variable x in the following equation, if y = 13 and z = -2?
3x + 2y = 4z – 11
ANSWER: -15
4. SCIENCE (Health)
This ocular condition is most often caused by an infection but can also form as a result from an
allergic reaction. The proper technical term for this medical condition is conjunctivitis. What is the
name for this inflammation of the outermost layer of the eye and surface of the eyelid that produces a
sticky film that can cause the lids to stick together?
ANSWER: pink eye
© Questions Galore 2012
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5. MISCELLANEOUS (Sports)
When this NBA superstar was drafted in 1995, he became the first player picked directly out of
high school in 20 years. Drafted by the Timberwolves, he spent his first 12 seasons with the club
before being traded to the Boston Celtics in 2007, where he led the team to the 2008 NBA
Championship. What is the name of this basketball forward nicknamed “The Big Ticket” and “KG”?
ANSWER: Kevin Garnett
6. SOCIAL STUDIES (History)
On April 9, 1865, in Appomattox, Virginia, this man officially signed documents indicating the
surrender of his military forces. While Jefferson Davis was the president of the Confederate States of
America, this military leader served as the commander and general of the entire Confederate Army.
Identify this career military officer who was known after the American Civil War as the great Southern
hero of the War?
ANSWER: Robert E. Lee
7. FINE ARTS (Music)
This learning technique is often used to instruct young singers on the basics of pitch. It helps
inexperienced musicians to learn how to sight read and reinforces intervals by assigning specific
syllables to each note of a scale. What French word identifies the musical sequences containing the
syllables do, re, and mi?
ANSWER: solfege (accept solfeggio)
8. SCIENCE (General Science)
This key figure of the scientific revolution owes many of his discoveries to astronomer Tycho
Brahe, for whom he worked as an assistant. His work also provided the foundation for Isaac Newton’s
theory of universal gravitation. Who was this 17th-century German mathematician and astronomer
best known for formulating his three laws of planetary motion?
ANSWER: Johannes Kepler
9. MISCELLANEOUS (Popular Music)
This singer’s seventh and latest studio album is titled Lotus, which includes a duet “Just a Fool”
with her co-star from The Voice, Blake Shelton. This ex-Mouseketeer scored several huge hits off of
her self-titled debut album in 1999 including “Genie in a Bottle” and “What a Girl Wants.” Who is
this pop star who recently teamed with the band Maroon 5 to make the song “Moves Like Jagger”?
ANSWER: Christina Aguilera
10. LANGUAGE ARTS (Vocabulary)
This four-letter word is most commonly used to describe a person who lacks intelligence.
What is this “d” word that originally was used to identify the inability to speak?
ANSWER: dumb
© Questions Galore 2012
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11. MATHEMATICS (Geometry) 30 SECOND QUESTION
How much greater is the perimeter of a regular heptagon with sides that each measure 8 inches,
than the perimeter of an equilateral triangle with sides that each measure 12 inches?
ANSWER: 20 inches
12. FINE ARTS (Art)
Georges Seurat was one of the most famous artists to popularize this art technique. It can
clearly be seen in many Seurat pieces, including his masterpiece A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of
La Grande Jatte. What is this technique that is created by painting with small dots that, when viewed
from a distant, bring an image into a more focused pattern?
ANSWER: pointillism
13. SOCIAL STUDIES (Civics)
Give the full name of the following government entity. This agency has been headed by such
men as Porter Goss, Leon Panetta, and David Petraeus. In early 2013, President Obama nominated
John Brennan to become the next director, but his nomination was held up in the Senate. With its
headquarters in Langley, Virginia, what is the name of this independent civilian agency tasked with the
responsibility for providing national security assessments to the federal government?
ANSWER: Central Intelligence Agency
14. SCIENCE (Earth Science)
Italian astronomer Giuseppe Piazzi discovered this space object in 1801. It is named for the
Roman goddess of the harvest, and it is the only dwarf planet located in the inner Solar System. What
is the name of this dwarf planet that is the largest object in the asteroid belt?
ANSWER: Ceres
15. LANGUAGE ARTS (Spelling)
Spell the second word in the following sentence that begins with the letter “s.” Worried for his
safety, the psychiatrist installed cameras at the doorways to his building and from the corners of the
ceiling in his office to provide additional surveillance. Spell surveillance.
ANSWER: s-u-r-v-e-i-l-l-a-n-c-e
16. MATHEMATICS (Computer Science)
Ethernet was introduced in the 1980s to meet the growing need for these types of networks.
What is the three-word term for a network that interconnects computers in a limited space, such as in a
small office, school, or laboratory, and is abbreviated LAN?
ANSWER: local area network
17. MISCELLANEOUS (Home Economics)
The name for this soup is derived from an Italian word meaning “to serve.” It is commonly
served using chicken stock and may be accompanied by pasta or rice. Often containing, herbs, beans,
and a variety of vegetables in season, what is the name for this popular, thick, Italian soup?
ANSWER: minestrone
© Questions Galore 2012
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18. FINE ARTS (Drama)
Andrew Lloyd Webber originally conceived this musical character, but lyricist Tim Rice was
the first to perform the role on stage. Despite being a supporting character, his humorous songs and
Elvis-like persona make him one of the most popular characters in the entire show. What is this
dynamic ruler in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat who asks Joseph to tell him the
meaning to his dreams?
ANSWER: Pharaoh
19. SOCIAL STUDIES (Economics)
This model of car began rolling off the production line in Detroit, Michigan in 1908.
Recognized as the first affordable automobile because of its reasonable price, this car was the first to
be mass produced on an assembly line rather than being individually hand crafted. Known by the
nickname “Tin Lizzie,” what was this car that was marketed as “the car you can have in any color, as
long as it’s black?”
ANSWER: Model T
20. SCIENCE (Life Science)
The human heart features four chambers. Two of these chambers are known as the atria.
Which specific chamber receives deoxygenated blood from the right atrium via the tricuspid valve, and
pumps it into the pulmonary artery?
ANSWER: right ventricle
© Questions Galore 2012
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BONUS QUESTIONS
1. LANGUAGE ARTS (4 Parts in Literature)
Identify these characters from Norman Juster’s The Phantom Tollbooth.
1. The main character who takes a trip through the mysterious make-believe tollbooth that
appears in his bedroom one day.
2. The main character’s friend who patrols the Doldrums and stops people from wasting time.
3. The ruler of the realm of letters and words who sends the main character to rescue the
princesses Rhyme and Reason.
4. The Not-So-Wicked-Which who has been imprisoned since Rhyme and Reason
disappeared.
ANSWERS: 1. Milo
2. Tock
3. King Azaz
4. Faintly Macabre
2. MATHEMATICS (4 Parts in Algebra)
Find the product of the binomials.
1. (2x – 7) times (x + 5)
2. (4x – 7) times (3x – 5)
3. (3x2 – 1) times (x – 4)
4. (2x3 – 8) times (3x2 + 1)
ANSWERS: 1. 2x2 + 3x – 35
3. 3x3 – 12x2 – x + 4
2. 12x2 – 41x + 35
4. 6x5 + 2x3 – 24x2 – 8
3. SOCIAL STUDIES (4 Parts in Geography)
Identify the state that falls “in between” each of the following states.
1. Minnesota and Michigan
2. Nebraska and Oklahoma
3. Pennsylvania and Vermont
4. Washington and Montana
ANSWERS: 1. Wisconsin
2. Kansas
3. New York
4. Idaho
4. SCIENCE (4 Parts in Earth Science)
Answer these questions about the water cycle.
1. During what process does liquid water on the Earth’s surface convert to a gas and enter the
atmosphere?
2. What phase in the water cycle follows condensation?
3. Plants emit water into the atmosphere through tiny pores in the underside of their leaves.
What is this process called?
4. What is the name for the flow of water that takes place after soil is fully saturated with water
and excess amounts continue in motion?
ANSWER: 1. evaporation
2. precipitation
3. transpiration
4. runoff
© Questions Galore 2012
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5. MISCELLANEOUS (4 Parts in Sports)
Identify the professional sports league that takes home the following championship trophies.
1. Stanley Cup
2. Vince Lombardi Trophy
3. Commissioner’s Trophy
4. Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy
ANSWER: 1. NHL
2. NFL
3. MLB
4. NBA
6. LANGUAGE ARTS (4 Parts in Vocabulary)
Identify these words that end with the letters “o-n-y-m.”
1. Words that share the same spelling and the same pronunciation but have different meanings.
2. Words having opposite meanings, such as male and female, or tall and short.
3. A word or name formed by combining the first letters of words in a phrase, such as NASA
or sonar.
4. A person after whom a discovery, invention, or place is named, such as Louis Braille whose
name is used for the Braille word system, or John Phillip Sousa, whose name is used for the
sousaphone.
ANSWERS: 1. homonym
2. antonym
3. acronym
4. eponym
7. SOCIAL STUDIES (4 Parts in Civics)
Identify these members of President Obama’s cabinet that were appointed in 2013 based on
their position.
1. Secretary of State
2. Secretary of the Treasury
3. Secretary of Defense
4. Secretary of Labor
ANSWER: 1. John Kerry
2. Jack Lew
3. Chuck Hagel
4. Seth Harris
8. FINE ARTS (4 Parts in Music)
Identify the relative minor key to each of these major keys.
1. C Major
2. B flat major
3. E Major
4. G flat major
ANSWER: 1. A minor
2. G minor
3. C# minor
4. E flat minor
© Questions Galore 2012
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9. SCIENCE (4 Parts in Physical Science)
Identify these physical science terms that begin with a vowel.
1. The unit of measurement that measures the amount of resistance in an electrical circuit.
2. An object’s resistance to change in motion.
3. An adjective that describes any sound frequency higher than 20,000 hertz, which cannot be
heard by the human ear.
4. A two-syllable scientific adjective that describes a noble gas or atom that does not react with
other atoms.
ANSWERS: 1. ohm
2. inertia
3. ultrasonic
4. inert
10. MATHEMATICS (4 Parts in Geometry)
Answer these questions about a circle having endpoints of a diameter at (-8, -2) and (16, 8).
1. What are the coordinates of the center of the circle?
2. What is the length of the radius of the circle?
3. What is the circumference of the circle?
4. What is the area of the circle?
ANSWERS: 1. (4, 3)
2. 13 centimeters
3. 26 pi centimeters
4. 169 pi square centimeters
© Questions Galore 2012
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