Answers here
1. Sweetness is one of the five basic tastes for which humans have receptors. What are the others? [half point for getting three, full point for getting all four]
2. What country, producing about 30 million tons a year, was the world’s leading sugar producer in 2007, just beating second-place India?
3. Which pop superstars united on the 1996 duet “One Sweet Day,” which, despite being called “melisma throwing up a pound of Splenda into the face of schmaltz” by Entertainment Weekly writer Michael Slezak, continues as of 2008 to hold the record for the most weeks (16) atop Billboard’s Hot 100?
4. Which artificial sweetener held a near monopoly on the US market from its introduction in 1957 until the early 1980s? Name both the brand name and its primary ingredient. [half point each]
5. What pastime is sometimes referred to as the “sweet science”?
6. What is the name of the Sweet 16-like party held by girls celebrating their 15th birthdays in Mexico and some other Latin American countries?
7. Place the following sweets in order of when they were first marketed, earliest to latest. [half a point if one is out of order, full point if all are in the correct order]
(a) Hershey bar; (b) SweeTarts (c) Reese's Pieces (d) Red Hots (e) Life Savers
8. What typically replaces ordinary sugar (sucrose) as a sweetener in commercially processed soft drinks and other foods in the United States and Canada? Why, aside from geographic farming patterns, is this not the case in most other countries? [half point each]
9. What series of teenage-oriented novels ended in 2003 with the publication of the 152nd book, Sweet 18?
10. Swee’Pea was a character in which comic and cartoon series?
Friday, September 26, 2008
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
“Perfect” Questions [Quiz #9]
Answers here
1. In bowling, what is a perfect score, and how many consecutive strikes must a player roll to achieve it?
2. In mathematics, what is a perfect number?
3 What Romanian gymnast became the first to score a perfect 10, a feat she repeated six times, at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal?
4. In music, what is perfect (or absolute) pitch?
5. What currently constitutes a perfect score on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)? What is it on the rival ACT test? [half point each]
6. Which classic comedy film ends with a character, upon learning that his girlfriend is actually a man, uttering the immortal line “Well, nobody’s perfect.”
7. Fill in the blanks:
Coincidentally, as of this date, both the longest-running off-Broadway play and the longest-running play in New York City history fit today’s theme. The first, I Love You, You’re Perfect, _____, is a comedic musical that opened in 1996 and had its 5000th performance in July 2008. The second, Perfect _____, opened in 1987 off-Broadway and, having later moved to Broadway, has played over 8700 times with the same lead actress (Catherine Russell, who’s missed only four performances in that time). [half point each]
8. In economics, what does the phrase “perfect competition” refer to in describing a market? [Name at least two characteristics of such a market for full credit.]
9. Using the verb “to finish,” provide an example of past perfect, present perfect, and future perfect grammatical tenses. [full point for getting all three, half point for getting one or two]
10. Which famous document begins with the phrase, “We, the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union…,” and what year was that document created? [half point each]
1. In bowling, what is a perfect score, and how many consecutive strikes must a player roll to achieve it?
2. In mathematics, what is a perfect number?
3 What Romanian gymnast became the first to score a perfect 10, a feat she repeated six times, at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal?
4. In music, what is perfect (or absolute) pitch?
5. What currently constitutes a perfect score on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)? What is it on the rival ACT test? [half point each]
6. Which classic comedy film ends with a character, upon learning that his girlfriend is actually a man, uttering the immortal line “Well, nobody’s perfect.”
7. Fill in the blanks:
Coincidentally, as of this date, both the longest-running off-Broadway play and the longest-running play in New York City history fit today’s theme. The first, I Love You, You’re Perfect, _____, is a comedic musical that opened in 1996 and had its 5000th performance in July 2008. The second, Perfect _____, opened in 1987 off-Broadway and, having later moved to Broadway, has played over 8700 times with the same lead actress (Catherine Russell, who’s missed only four performances in that time). [half point each]
8. In economics, what does the phrase “perfect competition” refer to in describing a market? [Name at least two characteristics of such a market for full credit.]
9. Using the verb “to finish,” provide an example of past perfect, present perfect, and future perfect grammatical tenses. [full point for getting all three, half point for getting one or two]
10. Which famous document begins with the phrase, “We, the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union…,” and what year was that document created? [half point each]
Sunday, September 14, 2008
“Small” Questions [Quiz #8]
Answers here
1. Let’s Get Small was the 1977 debut album by what stand-up comic, later to become a popular movie actor?
2. Complete this sentence:
A human small intestine is typically about six _____ (inches; feet; yards*) long, approximately _____ (a quarter; half; equivalent to; twice; four times) the length of the large intestine. [half a point each]
*or (15 cm/1.83 m/5.49 m)
3. What country is the world’s smallest independent nation as measured by both area and population?
4. For what purpose did songwriters Richard and Roger Sherman write the oft-sung “It’s a Small World”?
5. Which English doctor introduced the use of cowpox as a vaccination against smallpox in 1796?
6. What’s the name for the elementary particles that make up the protons and neutrons in an atom?
7. Which automobile introduced the influential “Think Small” series of advertisements in 1959? [name the make and model]
8. A nanosecond is what fraction of a second?
9. Who sang these big hits about small things? [half point each]
1. Let’s Get Small was the 1977 debut album by what stand-up comic, later to become a popular movie actor?
2. Complete this sentence:
A human small intestine is typically about six _____ (inches; feet; yards*) long, approximately _____ (a quarter; half; equivalent to; twice; four times) the length of the large intestine. [half a point each]
*or (15 cm/1.83 m/5.49 m)
3. What country is the world’s smallest independent nation as measured by both area and population?
4. For what purpose did songwriters Richard and Roger Sherman write the oft-sung “It’s a Small World”?
5. Which English doctor introduced the use of cowpox as a vaccination against smallpox in 1796?
6. What’s the name for the elementary particles that make up the protons and neutrons in an atom?
7. Which automobile introduced the influential “Think Small” series of advertisements in 1959? [name the make and model]
8. A nanosecond is what fraction of a second?
9. Who sang these big hits about small things? [half point each]
(a) “In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning” (1955)
(b) “Small Town” (1985)
(c) “All the Small Things” (1999 as an album track, or 2000 as a single)
(d) “So Small” (2007)
Friday, September 12, 2008
Giant Questions [Quiz #7]
Answers here
1. This Giant was born in France in 1946 and died there in 1993. Standing at over seven feet tall, he achieved fame in the world of professional wrestling as well as in Hollywood, where he may be best remembered for his role in The Princess Bride. Who was he?
2. This giant is one of the few animals that typically outlives humans. One of them named Harriet died in 2006, aged 176, in Australia, having been transported from the Galápagos shortly after Charles Darwin’s voyage there. The largest population of them today, well over 100,000, is in islands of the Aldabra Atoll in the Seychelles. Name this species.
3. This giant is said to be the world’s largest by volume, though not quite the tallest. One example, the General Sherman, found in the Sierra Nevada, stands at 84 meters (275 feet) high with a diameter of up to 12 meters (39 feet) at ground level. Name this species. [half a point, and another half for spelling it correctly]
4. This American giant, who died August 13, 2008, at age 53, reached over 7 feet, 7 inches tall. Recognized as the world’s tallest woman by the Guinness Book of World Records, she was the subject of a documentary as well as a song by New Zealand band Split Enz. Who was she?
5. This giant was the mythical lumberjack in many a tall tale dating back to the early years of the 20th century. His companion is a big blue ox. Name the giant and the ox. [half point each]
6. This Giant, known as the Say Hey Kid, swatted 660 home runs in a Major League baseball career that spanned the years 1951–1973. Name this Giant, and name the two cities where he played his home games. [half point each]
7. This Giant was ten feet (three meters) tall and made of stone. Named for the place (in New York state) that it was uncovered in 1869, it was thought to be either a petrified man or an ancient statue. Despite being revealed within months as a hoax, it and a replica created for P.T. Barnum continued to draw paying crowds for some time afterward.
8. This giant’s very name became synonymous with huge. He and his son Pantagruel are the subjects of five satirical 16th-century novels by François Rabelais, and his name was used for, among other things, a Marvel Comics villain and a creature in the video game Half Life. [must provide the exact name to get full credit]
9. These are things with giant in the name. Name them. [half a point each]
(a) 1956 film featuring the final performance by James Dean
(b) classic John Coltrane album
(c) Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, or Neptune, for example
(d) General Mills-owned food company whose mascot is jolly and says “ho ho ho” yet isn’t Santa.
1. This Giant was born in France in 1946 and died there in 1993. Standing at over seven feet tall, he achieved fame in the world of professional wrestling as well as in Hollywood, where he may be best remembered for his role in The Princess Bride. Who was he?
2. This giant is one of the few animals that typically outlives humans. One of them named Harriet died in 2006, aged 176, in Australia, having been transported from the Galápagos shortly after Charles Darwin’s voyage there. The largest population of them today, well over 100,000, is in islands of the Aldabra Atoll in the Seychelles. Name this species.
3. This giant is said to be the world’s largest by volume, though not quite the tallest. One example, the General Sherman, found in the Sierra Nevada, stands at 84 meters (275 feet) high with a diameter of up to 12 meters (39 feet) at ground level. Name this species. [half a point, and another half for spelling it correctly]
4. This American giant, who died August 13, 2008, at age 53, reached over 7 feet, 7 inches tall. Recognized as the world’s tallest woman by the Guinness Book of World Records, she was the subject of a documentary as well as a song by New Zealand band Split Enz. Who was she?
5. This giant was the mythical lumberjack in many a tall tale dating back to the early years of the 20th century. His companion is a big blue ox. Name the giant and the ox. [half point each]
6. This Giant, known as the Say Hey Kid, swatted 660 home runs in a Major League baseball career that spanned the years 1951–1973. Name this Giant, and name the two cities where he played his home games. [half point each]
7. This Giant was ten feet (three meters) tall and made of stone. Named for the place (in New York state) that it was uncovered in 1869, it was thought to be either a petrified man or an ancient statue. Despite being revealed within months as a hoax, it and a replica created for P.T. Barnum continued to draw paying crowds for some time afterward.
8. This giant’s very name became synonymous with huge. He and his son Pantagruel are the subjects of five satirical 16th-century novels by François Rabelais, and his name was used for, among other things, a Marvel Comics villain and a creature in the video game Half Life. [must provide the exact name to get full credit]
9. These are things with giant in the name. Name them. [half a point each]
(a) 1956 film featuring the final performance by James Dean
(b) classic John Coltrane album
(c) Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, or Neptune, for example
(d) General Mills-owned food company whose mascot is jolly and says “ho ho ho” yet isn’t Santa.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
9/11 Questions [Quiz #6]
Each question refers to an event that occurred on September 11 in the given year. Fill in the blanks. Answers here
1. In 1847, the song “Oh! Susanna” by _____ was first performed at a saloon in Pittsburgh.
2. In 1857, the Mountain Meadows Massacre resulted in the deaths of 120 people at the hands of _____.
3. In 1926, an assassination attempt on future Italian dictator _____ failed.
4. In 1960, American runner _____ won her third gold medal at the Olympics in _____, anchoring the 4 x 100 relay team after winning the 100 and 200 meters on her own. [half point each]
5. In 1973, a CIA-backed coup in _____ toppled the democratically elected Salvadore Allende and installed _____, who would rule for 17 years, but later be indicted for crimes committed during his dictatorship.
6. In 1978, US President Jimmy Carter, President Anwar Sadat of _____, and Prime Minister Menachem Begin of Israel, met at _____ and agreed on a peace deal. [half point each; second answer must be a specific place (not a country)]
7. In 1985, Pete Rose broke the Major League baseball record for _____, previously held by _____, that had stood for over 60 years. [half point each]
8. In 1990, US President George Bush introduced the term “New World Order” in threatening to use military force against the nation of ____.
9. In 1998, independent counsel _____ sent a report to Congress accusing US President Bill Clinton of 11 possible impeachable offenses.
10. In 2007, ____, testifying for a second day before Congress, recommended returning American troop levels in Iraq to the pre-surge level of 130,000 by the summer of 2008.
1. In 1847, the song “Oh! Susanna” by _____ was first performed at a saloon in Pittsburgh.
2. In 1857, the Mountain Meadows Massacre resulted in the deaths of 120 people at the hands of _____.
3. In 1926, an assassination attempt on future Italian dictator _____ failed.
4. In 1960, American runner _____ won her third gold medal at the Olympics in _____, anchoring the 4 x 100 relay team after winning the 100 and 200 meters on her own. [half point each]
5. In 1973, a CIA-backed coup in _____ toppled the democratically elected Salvadore Allende and installed _____, who would rule for 17 years, but later be indicted for crimes committed during his dictatorship.
6. In 1978, US President Jimmy Carter, President Anwar Sadat of _____, and Prime Minister Menachem Begin of Israel, met at _____ and agreed on a peace deal. [half point each; second answer must be a specific place (not a country)]
7. In 1985, Pete Rose broke the Major League baseball record for _____, previously held by _____, that had stood for over 60 years. [half point each]
8. In 1990, US President George Bush introduced the term “New World Order” in threatening to use military force against the nation of ____.
9. In 1998, independent counsel _____ sent a report to Congress accusing US President Bill Clinton of 11 possible impeachable offenses.
10. In 2007, ____, testifying for a second day before Congress, recommended returning American troop levels in Iraq to the pre-surge level of 130,000 by the summer of 2008.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Pepper/Hamilton Questions [Quiz #5]
Answers here [also can be found by highlighting the area below each question]
1. The law firm of Pepper Hamilton was founded (and headed for the next 60 years) by Penn alumnus George Wharton Pepper in what year?
a) 1845 b) 1860 c) 1875 d) 1890
(d)
2. Pepper Hamilton made news in 2005 by successfully co-representing the plaintiffs in Kitzmiller v. Dover School District. In that case, the US District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania barred the teaching of what doctrine in Dover public schools?
intelligent design; half a point if you said "creationism."
3. In 2008, Pepper Hamilton represented a Philadelphia news anchor, who wound up pleading guilty to one felony charge? Who was the anchor, and what was he accused of? [half point each]
Larry Mendte; he was accused of repeatedly accessing his former co-anchor Alycia Lane's e-mail accounts with a stolen password.
4. Hamilton is the name of several cities around the world, the largest being one of about half a million people in what Canadian province?
Ontario
5. How did Alexander Hamilton, founding father and first US Secretary of the Treasury, die, and who else was to blame? [half point each]
He was shot in a duel by Aaron Burr, the sitting vice president.
6. Alexander Hamilton appears on which U.S. banknote?
The ten-dollar bill
7. Said to be a mix of 23 flavors, what drink was patented in 1885, served to a national audience at the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis, lost its period in 1950, has a cherry vanilla variety, and is now among the top ten carbonated soft drinks in the US?
Dr Pepper
8. Which of the following statements about pepper (the spice) is incorrect?
(a) Both black and white pepper are typically made from berries of the same plant, piper nigrum, the difference being in the degree of ripening and the method of preparation.
(b) Pepper was used as a spice in India from about the fifth century; European explorers brought it to other parts of the world.
(c) Americans consume roughly four ounces of pepper a year, grown domestically or imported from countries such as Vietnam, Indonesia, India, and Brazil.
(d) Pepper spray, of the kind used for riot control or personal protection, is not made from the plant that is used to make black pepper.
c. Pepper has been in use at least 4000 years in India, and was also in use in Europe and Asia in ancient times, although it is true that European explorers helped to spread its use further.
9. Match these famous Peppers/Hamiltons with their descriptions: [half point each]
(a) Art Pepper
(b) Claude Pepper
(c) Scott Hamilton
(d) George Hamilton
(1) US figure skater
(2) Longtime US Senate and House member from Florida known for his advocacy on behalf of the elderly
(3) jazz saxophonist
(4) actor and tanning aficionado
(a) 3; (b) 2; (c) 1; (d) 4
1. The law firm of Pepper Hamilton was founded (and headed for the next 60 years) by Penn alumnus George Wharton Pepper in what year?
a) 1845 b) 1860 c) 1875 d) 1890
(d)
2. Pepper Hamilton made news in 2005 by successfully co-representing the plaintiffs in Kitzmiller v. Dover School District. In that case, the US District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania barred the teaching of what doctrine in Dover public schools?
intelligent design; half a point if you said "creationism."
3. In 2008, Pepper Hamilton represented a Philadelphia news anchor, who wound up pleading guilty to one felony charge? Who was the anchor, and what was he accused of? [half point each]
Larry Mendte; he was accused of repeatedly accessing his former co-anchor Alycia Lane's e-mail accounts with a stolen password.
4. Hamilton is the name of several cities around the world, the largest being one of about half a million people in what Canadian province?
Ontario
5. How did Alexander Hamilton, founding father and first US Secretary of the Treasury, die, and who else was to blame? [half point each]
He was shot in a duel by Aaron Burr, the sitting vice president.
6. Alexander Hamilton appears on which U.S. banknote?
The ten-dollar bill
7. Said to be a mix of 23 flavors, what drink was patented in 1885, served to a national audience at the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis, lost its period in 1950, has a cherry vanilla variety, and is now among the top ten carbonated soft drinks in the US?
Dr Pepper
8. Which of the following statements about pepper (the spice) is incorrect?
(a) Both black and white pepper are typically made from berries of the same plant, piper nigrum, the difference being in the degree of ripening and the method of preparation.
(b) Pepper was used as a spice in India from about the fifth century; European explorers brought it to other parts of the world.
(c) Americans consume roughly four ounces of pepper a year, grown domestically or imported from countries such as Vietnam, Indonesia, India, and Brazil.
(d) Pepper spray, of the kind used for riot control or personal protection, is not made from the plant that is used to make black pepper.
c. Pepper has been in use at least 4000 years in India, and was also in use in Europe and Asia in ancient times, although it is true that European explorers helped to spread its use further.
9. Match these famous Peppers/Hamiltons with their descriptions: [half point each]
(a) Art Pepper
(b) Claude Pepper
(c) Scott Hamilton
(d) George Hamilton
(1) US figure skater
(2) Longtime US Senate and House member from Florida known for his advocacy on behalf of the elderly
(3) jazz saxophonist
(4) actor and tanning aficionado
(a) 3; (b) 2; (c) 1; (d) 4
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Eli/Lilly Questions [Quiz #4]
Use cursor to highlight the line below each question, or use link, to see answers.
1. Chemist Eli Lilly founded the eponymous pharmaceutical company in:
a) 1876 b) 1896 c) 1916 d) 1936
a) 1876
2. In 1953, the US Central Intelligence Agency gave Eli Lilly a $400,000 grant to supply what chemical substance? What did the CIA use it for? [half point each]
LSD; mind-control experiments
3. Eli Lilly made news in August 2008 when it agreed to purchase what controversial product line from what chemical giant? [half point each]
Polisac, including the articificial hormone rBGH to boost milk production in cows, purchased from Monsanto.
4. “Eli” is a nickname for a student of which college or university? Where does the nickname come from? [half point each]
Yale; the nickname comes from benefactor and namesake Elihu Yale.
5. Who invented the cotton gin? What is a cotton gin? [half point each]
Eli Whitney; a cotton gin is a machine that separates the cottonseed from the fiber surrounding it.
6. Match the person with the description: [half point each; one number doesn’t match any letter]
(a) Eli Manning
(b) Eli Wallach
(c) Eli Sunday
(d) Eli Stone
(1) title character of ABC lawyer show
(2) NFL quarterback
(3) preacher character in the movie There Will be Blood
(4) Actor in movies like The Magnificent Seven, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, and Nuts who continues to act into his 90s.
(5) architect who designed the Burj Dubai, set to become the world’s tallest building
(a)(2); (b)(4); (c)(3); (d)(1)
7. Match the person with the description: [half point each; one number doesn’t match any letter]
(a) Evangeline Lilly
(b) Lilly Ledbetter
(c) Kristine Lilly
(d) Lilly Truscott
(1) losing plaintiff in a sex-discrimination case and speaker at the 2008 Democratic National Convention
(2) fictional character Hannah Montana's best friend, aka Lola
(3) actress on TV's Lost
(4) president of Argentina since 2005
(5) captain of US women's national soccer team
(a)(3); (b)(1); (c)(5); (d)(2)
8. Lille is a city of over 200,0000 people in what country?
France
1. Chemist Eli Lilly founded the eponymous pharmaceutical company in:
a) 1876 b) 1896 c) 1916 d) 1936
a) 1876
2. In 1953, the US Central Intelligence Agency gave Eli Lilly a $400,000 grant to supply what chemical substance? What did the CIA use it for? [half point each]
LSD; mind-control experiments
3. Eli Lilly made news in August 2008 when it agreed to purchase what controversial product line from what chemical giant? [half point each]
Polisac, including the articificial hormone rBGH to boost milk production in cows, purchased from Monsanto.
4. “Eli” is a nickname for a student of which college or university? Where does the nickname come from? [half point each]
Yale; the nickname comes from benefactor and namesake Elihu Yale.
5. Who invented the cotton gin? What is a cotton gin? [half point each]
Eli Whitney; a cotton gin is a machine that separates the cottonseed from the fiber surrounding it.
6. Match the person with the description: [half point each; one number doesn’t match any letter]
(a) Eli Manning
(b) Eli Wallach
(c) Eli Sunday
(d) Eli Stone
(1) title character of ABC lawyer show
(2) NFL quarterback
(3) preacher character in the movie There Will be Blood
(4) Actor in movies like The Magnificent Seven, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, and Nuts who continues to act into his 90s.
(5) architect who designed the Burj Dubai, set to become the world’s tallest building
(a)(2); (b)(4); (c)(3); (d)(1)
7. Match the person with the description: [half point each; one number doesn’t match any letter]
(a) Evangeline Lilly
(b) Lilly Ledbetter
(c) Kristine Lilly
(d) Lilly Truscott
(1) losing plaintiff in a sex-discrimination case and speaker at the 2008 Democratic National Convention
(2) fictional character Hannah Montana's best friend, aka Lola
(3) actress on TV's Lost
(4) president of Argentina since 2005
(5) captain of US women's national soccer team
(a)(3); (b)(1); (c)(5); (d)(2)
8. Lille is a city of over 200,0000 people in what country?
France
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