SWAC English Questions
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, Sorry Wrong Number, with the murderer in the house Mrs. Stevenson calls the
police again but she is murdered before the police answer. What does the killer say when
he hangs up after the police answer? Begin (Sorry, wrong number)
This is the first directed question for team B.
1B.
In the play, Death Knocks by Woody Allen, what movie star does Death mention when Nat
tells him he does not believe he is Death? Begin (Rock Hudson)
This is the second directed question for team A.
2A.
In the nonfiction selection, Campus Racism 101 by Nikki Giovanni, what was on the
bumper sticker that Dr. Giovanni mentions at the beginning of the work? Begin (Too bad
ignorance isn’t painful)
This is the second directed question for team B.
2B.
In the short story, The Monkey’s Paw, warning Mr. White of the consequences, what did
Sergeant-Major Morris advise him to wish for? Begin (something sensible)
This is the third directed question for team A.
3A.
In the novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, who pretends to be the son of the King
of France? Begin (the Dauphin)
This is the third directed question for team B.
3B.
In the short story, The Lottery by Shirley Jackson, why did the town hold the Lottery?
Begin (accept either tradition or to ensure a good harvest)
This is the fourth directed question for team A.
4A.
In the short story, The Monkey’s Paw, in what country did Sergeant-Major Morris do most
of his traveling? Begin (India)
This is the fourth directed question for team B.
4B.
In the poem, Courage by Anne Sexton, what is as “awesome as an earthquake”? Begin (a
child’s first step)
This is the fifth directed question for team A.
5A.
In the poem, Courage by Anne Sexton, what was the child doing when he was “wallowing
up the sidewalk”? Begin (riding a bicycle or riding a bicycle for the first time)
SWAC English Questions Page 2
This is the fifth directed question for team B.
5B.
In the nonfiction selection, Campus Racism 101 by Nikki Giovanni, finish the quote that
was on a postcard on her corkboard, “Too cool for school.” Begin (“Yet too stupid for the
real world.”)
This is the sixth directed question for team A.
6A.
In the play, Death Knocks by Woody Allen, what piece of literature does Death ask Nat if
he had read when Death is talking about adding drama to his entrance? Begin (Faust)
This is the sixth directed question for team B.
6B.
In the poem, Where I’m From by George Ella Lyon, name one of the things the poet says
she is from that has to do with laundry. Begin (one of the following – clothespins, Chlorox
or carbon tetrachloride)
This is the seventh directed question for team A.
7A.
In the poem, Where I’m From by George Ella Lyon, what did the poet say was “black,
glistening, it tasted like beets”? Begin (dirt under the back porch)
This is the seventh directed question for team B.
7B.
In the novel, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, what happened the first time they lit the
signal fire? Begin (the fire got too big and spread out of control and one of the littluns was
killed)
This is the eighth directed question for team A.
8A.
In the poem, Reapers by Jean Toomer, what literary term is used in the phrase, “sound of
steel on stone”? Begin (alliteration)
This is the eighth directed question for team B.
8B.
In the poem, Reapers by Jean Toomer, what are the black reapers doing at the beginning of
the poem? Begin (sharpening scythes)
This is the ninth directed question for team A.
9A.
In the novel, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, at the first meeting what two things did
Ralph say were the most important things they had to do? Begin (both must be given –
have fun and be rescued)
This is the ninth directed question for team B.
9B.
In the play, Sorry Wrong Number, why does the Hospital say they will be unable to send a
nurse to Mrs. Stevenson’s home? Begin (registered nurses are scarce and they can’t send
them unless the physician in charge feels it is absolutely necessary)
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This is the tenth and final directed question for team A.
10A.
What literary term describes the character that represents the opposite view to the hero
such as Jack in Lord of the Flies? Begin (antagonist)
This is the tenth and final directed question for team B.
10B.
In the novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, down what river do Huck and Jim
travel for the majority of the novel? Begin (Mississippi)
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 you 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.
In the play, Twelve Angry Men, what is the legal term for a jury that cannot come to a
unanimous verdict? Begin (hung jury)
This is the second tossup question.
2.
From what work by what author is the following quote: “ We’re English, and the English
are the best at everything.”? Begin (Lord of the Flies by William Golding)
This is the third tossup question.
3.
From what work by what author is the following quote:
“I am from those moments-snapped before I budded -leaf-fall from the family tree.”?
Begin (Where I’m From by George Ella Lyon)
This is the fourth tossup question.
4.
From what selection by what author is the following quote: “I aim to go down there bright
and early in the mornin' and get all this straight! I aim to see about bug larnin' and this
runnin' all over God's creation huntin' snakes, lizards, and frogs. Ransackin' th' country
and goin' through cherry orchards and breakin' th' trees down atter lizards!”? Begin
(Split Cherry Tree by Jesse Stuart)
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This is the fifth tossup question.
5.
In the following sentence what part of speech is the word “immediately”? “He seemed
sorry since he almost immediately apologized to us.” Begin (adverb)
This is the sixth tossup question.
6.
From what work by what author is the following quote: “Now, women forget all the things
they don’t want to remember, and remember everything they don’t want to forget.”? Begin
(Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston or Zora Hurston)
This is the seventh tossup question.
7.
In the nonfiction selection, The Mullet Girls, how were the Mullet girls dressed the first
time they appeared at the beach house? Begin (bikini tops and short shorts)
This is the eighth tossup question.
8.
In an excerpt from the nonfiction selection, Into Thin Air, the Sherpas organized a party to
recover the bodies of the missing; whose was the first body found? Begin (Namba or
Yasuko Namba)
This is the ninth tossup question.
9.
In the novel, The Bean Trees, what date is Lou Ann’s baby born on and what does she
name him? Begin (January 1 and Dwayne Ray)
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.
In the novel, St. Dale by Sharyn McCrumb, Justine asked the man who fixed her car on the
deserted road if he had any messages for anybody. Who did he want to give a message to
and what was the message? Begin (Mike or Michael Waltrip and the message was “Next
February, pray for rain”)
(SWAC Emcees only – Ask if there are any appeals)
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.):
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You have 5 seconds to answer this question.
1.
In the short story, Through the Tunnel, when his mother insisted that he not swim any
more on their last day of vacation, why did Jerry not put up a fight? Begin (he had
achieved his goal of swimming through the tunnel and there was no longer any need to
prove himself – answers do not have to be exact)
You have 5 seconds to answer this question.
2.
In the poem, The Bells by Edgar Allan Poe, what type of bells does the author talk about in
the second stanza of the poem that he describes as mellow and golden? Begin (wedding
bells)
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 poem, I’m Nobody, Who Are You? by Emily Dickenson, why should the poet and the
addressee not tell that they are nobody? Begin (they’d advertise)
This is the second tiebreaker question.
2.
In the short story, The Lottery by Shirley Jackson, what happened to Mrs. Hutchinson at
the end of the story? Begin (She was stoned or she was stoned to death by the townspeople)
This is the third tiebreaker question.
3.
What is an aside? Begin (a technique used in literature or dramatic performances where
the speaker steps away from the action and delivers a soliloquy or talks directly to the
audience – answers do not have to be exact)