Northern Kentucky Academic League
Freshman Packet 1
-First Half1. This man’s most famous work, finished upon his death in 1274, is a compilation of the Catholic Church’s
teachings and serves as a guide to his contemporary theologians. Who was this 13 th century Italian figure, the
author of Summa contra Gentiles and Summa Theologica?
(Thomas) Aquinas
2. Evaluate the exponential expression, quantity sixteen ninths close quantity raised to the negative one half
power.
Three-fourths (or three over four)
3. At its greatest extent, it is believed that this land region was approximately one thousand miles wide and served
as the pathway for groups to move from Asia into the Western Hemisphere, allowing them to populate North and
South America. What is this stretch of exposed land that is believed to have existed from 35,000 to 20,000 years
ago in the area now lying between Russia and Alaska?
Bering Land Bridge
4. This species was named after the valley in which the first specimen was found. A member of the genus Homo,
they are not a direct ancestor of Homo Sapians but instead, researchers believe they are a second branch from a
common ancestor. What is this extinct species found across Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia?
Neanderthal
5. A stunning example of art deco architecture, this skyscraper is now the fourth-tallest in the United States but
was the tallest in the world at the time of its creation. The design for this building was created by William Lamb.
What is this New York City landmark, the first building in the world to have more than one-hundred floors?
The Empire State Building
6. This conquistador failed in his first two attempts to conquer land in the eastern part of South America. However
after gaining the King’s ear directly, he led a final attempt to conquer modern-day Peru and was successful in 1533.
The founder of Lima, who was this Spanish conquistador that conquered the Incan Empire?
(Francisco) Pizarro
7. Find the sum of the first ten terms of the arithmetic series with first term one, and common difference two.
One-hundred
8. His most famous collection of plays are known as the Theban plays, a reference to the land of which his most
famous character is king. Who was this author of Antigone, Oedipus the King, and Oedipus at Colonus?
Sophocles
9. This instrument is most closely associated with the tuba and was invented in the 1890’s. What is this brass
instrument, named for the marching band leader that called for its invention, which is designed to wrap around
the performer’s body, making it easier to be carried?
Sousaphone
10. The first example of this species was discovered in Claverack, New York in 1705. Its body was shorter and
longer than that of the woolly mammoth and lived in North and Central America. What was this animal, now
extinct, which has two large tusks, and is believed to have become extinct around 10,500 years ago?
Mastodon
11. The title character of this English play is based on a German story in which a man sells his soul to the devil in
return for power and great knowledge. What is this 1604 play by Elizabethan dramatist Christopher Marlowe?
Doctor Faustus
12. While it may mean to cook in a shallow pan with oil over high temperatures, this is also a term used in dance.
What is this ballet movement, literally meaning “jump”, which is typically used as an adjective alongside another
step or movement to indicate that the other movement is performed while jumping or leaping?
Saute
13. Most often found on Earth in brine pools and in the ocean, this element has a named derived from the Greek
for purple, its color when in the gas phase. At atomic number fifty-three and a weight of almost 127, this is the
heaviest essential element for most life. What is this member of period five and the halogen group?
Iodine
14. Taking place in New Jersey, this was this first battle after Washington’s troops’ had wintered at Valley Forge.
Neither side earned a victory, but British General Henry Clinton was forced to withdraw from the fight providing
for an impending American victory had the sun not set. What was this battle in which the colonials demonstrated a
step forward as a military unit resulting from the training they received in the preceding months?
(Battle of) Monmouth
15. X and Y vary directly. X equals three when y equals twenty-seven. Find the value of y when x equals eight.
(Y =) 72
16. One of these bodies will emit radiation when held at a constant temperature. The absorption of energy in
discrete packets by one of these bodies when struck with various wavelengths of life led to the discovery of the
photon. What is this body in physics that absorbs all light at all frequencies?
Black Body
17. Gendun Drup was the first person to hold this positin, doing so from 1391 until 1474. The fifth person to hold
this position was the first to rule Tibet. What is this position currently held by Tenzin Gyatso, who went into exile in
the face of a Chinese threat?
Dali Lama
18. What is the domain of the function f of x equals the square root of the quantity x plus four?
X is greater than or equal to negative four
19. This government agency’s mission is to protect the public health of the United States through the regulation
and oversight of products that are produced or sold within the country. What was this organization that was
created in 1906 in response to public outcry following the publication of Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle and the work
of other muckrakers?
FDA
20. This 19th century author of The Chimes and The Battle of Life, is buried in Poets’ Corner at Westminster Abbey.
In the 1850’s he wrote Hard Times, David Copperfield, and Great Expectations. Often publishing his works as serials
in magazines, who was this English author of A Tale of Two Cities and A Christmas Carol?
(Charles) Dickens
21. The Etruscan god Tinia, is typically viewed as this Roman god’s counterpart. He was the father of Minerva,
Hercules, and Mars among many others. He was also the husband of Juno. Who was this Roman King of the Gods,
the equivalent of the Greek god, Zeus?
Jupiter
22. The function, f of x, has a horizontal asymptote. What is this asymptote if f of x equals the quantity three x
squared plus five x plus seven close quantity over the quantity two x squared minus five x plus eleven?
Y = 3/2 (must include “y equals”)
23. It was his actions during the Boston Police Strike of 1919 while serving as Governor of Massachusetts that
brought acclaim at the national level. He pushed for civil rights for African-Americans and made it a point to ensure
that none of his appointees where members of the KKK. Who was this Republican, the 30th President of the United
States, who had the nickname “silent”?
(Calvin) Coolidge
24. Though it has since been changed, this SI unit was originally defines as the mass of one cubic centimeter of
water at four degrees Celsius. Equivalent to approximately two point two pounds, what is this standard SI unit of
mass, the only one with a prefix?
Kilogram
25. This literary genius died at the age of 36 in Greece, a nation for which he helped fight a war of independence.
Best known for his long narrative poems, he left his satirical poem Don Juan unfinished at the time of his death.
Who is this English-born author Child Harold’s Pilgrimage?
Lord Byron (accept: George Gordon Byron or Baron Byron)
26. The hypotenuse of a right triangle measures 40 inches in length. One leg of the triangle measures thirty-two
inches. Find the length of the other leg.
24 inches
27. The SI unit of this quantity is given in kilogram meters per second and it is equal to the mass of an object
multiplied by its velocity. What is this physical attribute of an object that results in newton’s Second Law of Motion
and explains why a car travelling at the same speed as a pebble will deliver more force upon impacting something?
Momentum
28. Set in a Parisian cathedral, this story follows the main character’s attempts to protect a gypsy street dancer
that is falsely accused of attempted murder. What is this Victor Hugo novel in which Esmeralda is eventually
hanged and Quasimodo, the title character, refuses to leave the side of the deceased resulting in his own death?
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
29. This theatre was first built by Lord Chamberlain’s Men in 1599 only to be destroyed by fire fourteen years later
and then rebuilt. What was this theatre of 17th century London where many of Shakespeare’s plays were first
performed?
Globe Theatre
30. This United States Senator was a member of the Democratic Party until they pushed for the passing of the 1964
Civil Rights Act, which he opposed. Who was this 47-year Senator from South Carolina that ran on the States Rights
Democratic Party, or Dixiecrat, ticket in 1948?
(Strom) Thurmond
-End of First Half-Second Half1. This astronomical body will be visited for the first time by a man-made object in June of 2015 when the New
Horizon craft passes closely by. What is this spherical body that was demoted to a dwarf planet in 2006 when a
new definition for the word “planet” was created by the International Astronomers Union?
Pluto
2. This word comes from the Greek for “double proposition” and is often used as a rhetorical device. What is this
word which describes a difficult decision, often in which the person will not be happy with either outcome?
Dilemma
3. After his vice presidency he travelled west and conspired to create a new nation out of lands that were part of
the Louisiana Purchase and Mexico. Who was this Third Vice President of the United States, who shot and killed
Alexander Hamilton in a duel?
(Aaron) Burr
4. The American Film Institute has rated this Francis Ford Coppola drama as the second greatest film of all time. It
starred Al Pacino and Marlon Brando in the roles of Michael and Vito Corleone. What was this 1972 film
adaptation of a Mario Puzo authored book about crime families in New York City?
The Godfather
5. Find the area of a rhombus with diagonals measuring 10 centimeters and 8 centimeters.
40 square centimeters (or centimeters squared)
6. How many words in the following sentence should be capitalized: “The man from Toledo, Ohio was required to
present a United States passport to the customs agent.”?
5
7. California has gone through one of these events since 2011 and it is beginning to take its toll. The Dust Bowl
during the 1930’s across the Plains states was caused by an extended one of these events that can sometimes
change a region’s climate. What are these extended periods of a lack of precipitation that can turn a region arid?
Drought
8. This specific religion’s teachings hold that the Holy Trinity is three separate person and that they are the
continuation of the original church of Jesus and his apostles. Most of this church’s adherents live in Eastern Europe
and Russia. What is this second largest church in the Christian world after the Roman Catholic Church?
Eastern Orthodox Church (accept: Orthodox Catholic Church)
9. This movement’s leaders included Samuel Davies, George Whitefield, and Jonathan Edwards. What was this
religious movement across Europe and the British colonies in which evangelical preachers created emotional
sermons that moved church attendees and as a result added to the social importance of religious events?
(First) Great Awakening
10. A cube has sides measuring 3 inches long each. What is the surface area of this cube?
54 square inches (or inches squared)
11. This man choreographed nine different ballets for the Ballets Russes before immigrating to the United States.
In New York, he choreographed The Firebird, Swan Lake, and The Nutcracker. Who was this co-founder of the New
York City Ballet that served as its ballet master for thirty-five years?
(George) Balanchine
12. This portion of the Earth’s interior is divided into the asthenosphere and the lithosphere. Over eighty percent
of the Earth’s volume is located here. Found between the outer core and the crust, what is this 1800 mile thick
layer of the Earth’s interior?
Mantle
13. This American woman married Ted Hughes, a British poet, in 1956. Two of this woman’s poetry collections
were The Colossus and Other Poems and Ariel, the latter being published two years after her suicide. Who was this
author of the semi-autobiographical novel The Bell Jar?
(Sylvia) Plath
14. This island is also known as Rapa Nui and Hanga Roa on its western shore is its largest village. It is best known
for the very large monoliths known as Moai which are intended to be human figures representing the ancestors of
the Rapa Nui people. What is this island that was discovered by Jacob Roggeveen on the Christian holiday for
which it is named?
Easter Island
15. Find the arclength of a sixty degree arc on the circumference of a circle with a diameter of 18 inches.
3 pi inches
16. This 19th century Russian author used the stream of consciousness technique before James Joyce and others.
While an early financial success, it is his final four plays, including The Seagull and Uncle Vanya for which the
author is best known. Who was this Russian playwright of The Cherry Orchard and Three Sisters?
(Anton) Chekhov
17. It took place between July and October of 1940, and is often referred to as the turning of the tide of World War
II in Europe. Due to this battle’s failure, Hitler was unable to launch Operation Sea Lion, a cross channel invasion of
the United Kingdom. What was this battle of World War II in which the German Luftwaffe bombed the cities of
Southeastern England while the RAF attempted to repel the force?
Battle of Britain
18. Wildly successful during his career, this composer based his two-act opera Ermione on Jean Racine’s play
Andromaque. He also created the opera La Cenerentola, based on the Cindarella fairy tale. Who was this 19th
century Italian composer of almost forty operas including The Barber of Seville and William Tell?
(Gioachino) Rossini
19. In Ohm’s law this quantity is equal to the voltage of a circuit divided by the current running through it. The SI
unit of this measurable trait of a conductor is ohms. What is this attribute of an electrical conductor which serves
to oppose the passage of current?
Resistance
20. Find the distance between the point -2, 6 and 4, 8.
2 radical 10 (units)
21. This author and journalist has been the subject of plagiarism claims, with the most often cited target of his
plagiarism being a novel called The African, Harold Courlander. Who is this American author that assisted in the
writing of Malcolm X’s autobiography and published Roots, a saga about the members of his family dating back to
their passage to the colonies via a slave ship?
(Alex) Haley
22. This nation was the site of the Maurya Empire that existed from the 322 to 185 BC, extending into parts of
Pakistan. What is this modern-day nation that was also the site of the Maratha, Gupta, and Mughal Empires?
India
23. A closed Ziploc bag filled with air will seem about to pop when you squeeze it ever so slightly. This is a result of
this law of physics. What is this gas law that states that there exists an inverse relationship between the volume of
a gas and the pressure exerted on that gas when held at a constant temperature?
Boyle’s Law
24. This time period in music took began at the turn of the 19th century and attempted to arouse emotion in the
listener and, often, an association with nature. What is this musical style exhibited in the works of Claude Debussy,
Niccolo Paganini, and Gioachino Rossini?
Romantic(ism)
25. In how many different ways can 6 runners in a race finish in the first three spots?
120
26. Originally, she was not eligible for the crown due to the annulment of her parents’ marriage. After her father’s
death, Edward the Sixth, Lady Jane Grey, and her half-sister Mary all sat on the throne before her. Who was this
virgin Queen of England, the daughter of King Henry the Eighth and Anne Boleyn and last of the Tudor Dynasty?
Elizabeth the First
27. Electrolytes are an example of these compounds. Other examples of these electrically neutral compounds are
sodium chloride, potassium dichromate, and copper sulfate. What are these compounds that, in addition to water,
are the result of the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base?
Salts
28. This woman’s most famous works were a collection of novels meant for children that depicted life in pioneer
country during the middle of the 19th century. Two of the works in this collection were By the Shores of Silver Lake
and On the Banks of Plum Creek. Who is this author of the Little House series including Little House on the Prairie?
(Laura Ingalls) Wilder
29. What is the volume of a pyramid with a height of 15 centimeters and a square base with 4 centimeters on each
side?
80 cubic centimeters (or centimeters cubed)
30. Often, this musical piece is heard without the accompanying singing by the Swan-Bird at its beginning. Noted
for its extremely fast tempo, what is this orchestral interlude heard in the opera The Tale of Tsar Saltan by Nikolai
Rimsky-Korsakov?
“The Flight of the Bumblebee”
-End of Second Half-Tiebreakers1. Calcium plus water yields Calcium hydroxide and hydrogen. This is an example of this type of chemical reaction.
What type of chemical reaction can be written as AB plus C yields AC plus B?
Single Replacement
2. The father of another famous explorer, he was driven out of Iceland after murdering a neighbor. He and his
family then sailed west. Who was this 10th century Viking that founded the first settlement on the island now
known as Greenland?
Erik the Red
3. Three of this man’s best known novellas are Hadji Murad, Family Happiness and The Death of Ivan Ilych. Like
Fyodor Dostoyevsky, a contemporary, this man too had to finish a novel to pay his gambling debts, that novel
being The Cossacks. Who is this 19th century, Russian author of Anna Karenina and War and Peace?
(Leo) Tolstoy
4. This attribute of a musical piece is measured by a metronome and is typically described in beats per minute.
What term describes the pace at which a piece is to be played?
Tempo
5. Find the derivative of the trigonometric function f of x equals 6 cosine of 3x.
(f prime of x equals) -18 sine 3x
-End of Tiebreakers-