Valencia’s Delta Burke Invitational
Round 2
Questions by Chris Borglum, Cory Edwards, and Brian Rooney
Toss-Ups
1) In the 16th century, this mathematician, the Baron of Merchiston, simplified the processes of
multiplication and division by creating logarithms. Name this man, FTP, known for his logarithm
calculating device, which is referred to as his “rods” or “bones.”
A. John Napier
2) His most famous work in mathematics, his day job, was refining the Venn diagram by enclosing
it to represent the universal set. However, he was also an early photographer with a penchant for
shooting sensuous photos of young girls. Name this man, FTP, whose fondness for one such girl
led him to write fantastic tales, such as Through the Looking Glass.
A. Lewis Carroll
3) The only four floating pontoon bridges in the U. S. are located in this state. It entered the union
in 1889, and two of its most famous natives are Bing Crosby and Jimi Hendrix. FTP, name this
home to the cities of Bellingham and Yakima, nicknamed the Evergreen State.
A. Washington
4) From 1960 to 1983, it was defined as 1, 650, 763.3 times the wavelength of orange light emitted
when a gas consisting of the pure krypton isotope of mass number 86 was excited in an electrical
discharge. It is currently defined as the distance light travels in a vacuum in roughly one
three-hundred thousandth of a second. Name this unit of distance, FTP, which is more commonly
reckoned as equivalent to 39.37 inches.
A. meter
5) This musical form is based on the contrapuntal principal of imitation, and has a few fixed rules:
the subject, or tune, is expected to outline the three basic harmonies of the key; the answer, or
counterpoint, enters with the same tune but at a different pitch level, and the third voice enters on
the same notes as the first. FTP name this classical form perfected by Bach, often played after one
of his toccatas.
A. fugue
6) It was formed in New York in 1848, and its foremost aim was to stop the extension of slavery
into the new U. S. territories. Its candidates didn’t do well in the elections of ‘48 and ‘52, despite
the support of former President Martin van Buren. FTP name this defunct political party which
merged into the Republican party in 1854, and which despite its name has little to do with cheap
land.
A. Free Soil party
7) This novel’s protagonist is annoyed by people who don’t whistle well. After running off from
his private school, he goes to New York where he is briefly reunited with his ex-girlfriend, Sally
Hayes. Later that night, he assumes his former teacher, Mr. Antolini, makes a pass at him. FTP
put on your trusty hunting cap and name this novel featuring Holden Caulfield.
A. Catcher in the Rye
8) Its technical name is arachnodactyly, meaning “spider-limbed.” An inherited degenerative
disease of the connective tissue, it can lead to chest deformities, scoliosis, and an arm span which
exceeds height. Name this genetic disease, FTP, from which Abraham Lincoln is thought to have
suffered.
A. Marfan’s Syndrome
9) He won his ninth track and field World Championship gold medal in August, surpassing Carl
Lewis’s record of eight. He didn’t, however, run the 200 meters in Seville, prompting some to
wonder if he was avoiding fellow American Maurice Greene. Nonetheless, FTP, who is this
golden-shoed sprinter who lowered the 400-meter world record to 43.20 seconds?
A. Michael Johnson
10) Three Selims, six Mehmeds, and three Mustafas held the throne of this former power. The
first to hold it was Osman, who began the empire in 1281, and the last was Mehmed the Sixth, who
lost power in 1922. FTP what empire, centered in Asia Minor and nicknamed the “sick old man
of Europe” in the 20th century, was headed by these men?
A. Ottoman Empire
11) His painting “Nocturne in Black and Gold: The Falling Rocket,” led the critic John Ruskin to
accuse him of throwing a “pot of paint in the public’s face.” His late 19th century paintings verge
on expressionism, and he was one of the first western artists to be greatly influenced by Japanese
painting. FTP name this painter of “Arrangement in Black and Gray,” commonly referred to as
his “Mother.”
A. James Whistler
12) For a quick ten points, find the derivative with respect to x of the hyperbolic sine of 2x.
A. 2 cosh 2x (2 times the hyperbolic cosine of 2x)
13) As a nautical term, it refers to a depth of two fathoms, which many riverboats found to be
barely safe for navigation. Otherwise this two-word term is associated with works such as “The
Old Ram” and “Letters from the Earth.” FTP give the two words which provide the pseudonym
of the author of “Puddn’head Wilson” and “Innocents Abroad.”
A. Mark Twain
14) It is the conceptual basis of the radar guns used by police to apprehend speeders. Radio waves
are transmitted from the gun, bounce off the targeted vehicle, and the difference between their
frequencies is measured. Name this effect, FTP, named for its German observer, more often
associated with the change in pitch made by moving objects as they pass a stationary object.
A. Doppler effect
15) As a group, they do not welcome outsiders to their coastal or island enclaves. They are
descendants of freed slaves with their own distinct language, a combination of various African
tongues and English that resembles none of these predecessors very closely. FTP name these
tight-knit residents of coastal South Carolina.
A. Gullahs
16) Between the 13th and 18th centuries, this small nation passed through German, Swedish, and
finally Russian rule. Strategically important because of its access to the Baltic Sea, it was first
granted independence under the treaty of Brest-Litovsk in 1918, though the Hitler-Stalin
non-aggression pact of 1938 placed it firmly under Soviet control. In 1991 it became the second
of the Baltic states to declare independence. FTP name this country with capital at Riga.
A. Latvia
17) A subset of the opiod group, related to opiates, they too have pain-killing and
euphoria-inducing capabilities. Unlike opiates, however, these chemicals are created by the
human body. FTP what are these chemicals, the beta variety of which are released by intensive
exercise?
A. endorphins
18) There were really two separate types or races of these creatures in Greek mythology. Three of
them--Argus, Steropes, and Brontes--worked in the forge of Hephaestus and were considered
generally good. Others, such as Polyphemus, were considered ill-mannered and violent. FTP
name these creatures defined by their single eye.
A. Cyclops
19) Jane, the only known female to serve in this position, entertained Mary the First. Richard
Tarleton served Elizabeth I, and Will Somers worked for Henry VIII. Feste and Touchstone,
though fictitious, also worked in this profession. FTP what was the common trade of these
supposedly humorous entertainers?
A. Court Jester (acc. Fool, Jester)
20) A former medical student, he established a radical newspaper called “The Friend of the
People” after the French Revolution. His virulent views often provoked hatred, and an itchy skin
condition led to his spending a lot of time soaking in baths. Name this radical, FTP, who was
fatally stabbed by Charlotte Corday, a demise depicted in a famed painting by Jacques-Louis
David (dah-veed).
A. Jean Paul Marat
21) It contains the tomb of famed Seminole Chief Osceola, who was incarcerated there until his
death. It is overshadowed by famous neighbor Fort Sumter, which is often considered the site of
the first engagement in the Civil War. FTP, name this Fort from which Fort Sumter was
bombarded by troops under P. T. Beauregard.
A. Fort Moultrie
Bonus Questions
1) 30-20-10 Name the chemical element
30
20
10
Isolated by Humphrey Davy in 1808, it is a group two element common in the Earth’s
crust. It’s boiling point is 1,484 degrees celsius.
Part of the compounds gypsum, limestone, and marble, it is essential for the development
and growth of living organisms.
It has atomic number 20 and is an important constituent of bone and teeth.
A. calcium
2) In 1493, Pope Alexander VI drew an imaginary north-south line through the Atlantic Ocean to
prevent conflicts in claims over newly discovered lands. FTP each:
What was this division line called?
A. Papal Line of Demarcation
Name both of the European countries (five points each) who benefitted from the pope’s division of
the world into two spheres of influence.
A. Spain and Portugal
Finally, one year after issuing the Line of Demarcation, the Portugese forced the line to be moved
270 leagues further west so they could found and claim what colony on the western portion of the
south Atlantic?
A. Brazil
3) In honor of the football season being in full swing, name the college for which the following
Heisman Trophy winners played.
Eddie George
Rashaan Salaam
Barry Sanders
Doug Flutie
Ty Detmer
Danny Wuerffel
A.
A.
A.
A.
A.
A.
Ohio State
Colorado
Oklahoma State
Boston College
Brigham Young (BYU)
Florida
4) Identify the Shakespeare play from characters who appear in it on a 10-5 basis.
10
5
Sir Oliver Martext; Rosalind; Oliver
Jacques (Jakes); Touchstone
A. As You Like It
10
5
Tubal; Lorenzo; Bassanio; Portia
Shylock
A. The Merchant of Venice
10
5
Edgar; Oswald; Edmund
Regan; Cordelia
A. King Lear
5) Provided a definition, supply the computer term that best fits it for ten points each.
Any memory location where data can be stored temporarily while the computer is doing something
else.
A. Buffer
The rate of transmission from one computer to another equal to approximately one bit per second.
A. Baud (rate)
The flat-panel display monitor used in most portable computers, such as laptops.
A. Liquid Crystal Display (acc. LCD)
6) Differentiate the following for five points each. You’ll get a bonus of ten points if you get all
four correct.
hyperbolic cosine of x
A. hyperbolic sine of x
hyperbolic tangent of x
A. hyperbolic secant squared of x
hyperbolic secant of x
A. negative hyperbolic secant x
times hyperbolic
tangent x
A. negative hyperbolic cosecant x times hyperbolic
cotangent x
hyperbolic cosecant of x
7) Given a famous Supreme Court case, name the Chief Justice who presided FSNOP.
5
10
15
Marbury v. Madison
Roe v. Wade
Dred Scott v. Sandford
A. John Marshall
A. Warren Burger
A. Roger Taney
8) By now you’ve probably seen ABC’s “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” To get you ready for
your appearance, order the following lists as directed. Remember, each successive list will be
harder than the first, and will therefore be worth more points. Each item in each list will be
numbered, so give your answer as a list of numbers.
Put the following works by James Joyce into chronological order of publication for five points.
1. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
2. Finnegan’s Wake 3. Dubliners 4.
Ulysses
A. 3142
Order the following mountains by height for ten point (hint: they’re each the tallest on their
respective continents).
1. Mt. Aconcagua 2. Mt. McKinley
3. Mt. Kosciusko 4. Mt. Everest
A. 4123
8) (cont’d) Place the following American novels in order by their authors’ last names for 15 points.
1. The Sun Also Rises 2. Light in August 3. Cat’s Cradle 4. The Winter of Our
Discontent
A. 2143
9) 30-20-10 Name the British author from works.
30
20
10
Stalky and Co.; Puck of Pook’s Hill
Barrack-Room Ballads; If
Kim; Just So Stories
A. Rudyard Kipling
10) 30-20-10 Name the composer from works.
30
20
10
Three Nocturnes for Orchestra; Dances Sacred and Profane
La Mer; Pelleas and Melisande
Claire de Lune; Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun
A. Claude Debussy
11) Name the taxonomic order into which the following mammals fall for five points each.
mole
squirrel
whale
armadillo
cat
Delta Burke
A.
A.
A.
A.
A.
A.
insectivores
rodent
cetacea
edentata
carnivore
primate
12) Answer the following questions about the first successful ascent of Mount Everest for ten
points each.
Within one, in what year did man reach the peak?
A. 1953 (acc. 1952-54)
Name the two men, one from New Zealand and the other from Nepal, who achieved the feat.
A. Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary
13) Here comes some analytic geometry. Give all answers in radians for ten points each.
What is the arcsine of ½?
A. pi/6 (pi over six)
What is the arcsine of 2?
A. Does not exist
What is the arcsecant of 2?
A. pi/3 (pi over three)
14) 30-20-10 Name the U. S. President.
30
20
10
He commanded a battery in World War I and later served as a county Judge.
He was elected to the senate in 1935.
He defeated Strom Thurmond, Henry Wallace, and Thomas Dewey to win his only
presidential election.
A. Harry S. Truman
15) Provide the authors of the following short stories common to freshman composition courses
for five points each.
Araby
A. James Joyce
The Chrysanthemums A. John Steinbeck
The Catbird Seat
A. James Thurber
Big Black Good Man
A. Richard Wright
Why I Live at the P. O.
A. Eudora Welty
Good Country People
A. Flannery O’Connor
16) Identify the following parts of our sun for ten points each.
This is the layer of ionized gases extending from the sun, visible as a halo in a solar eclipse.
A. corona
This term designates the visible surface of the sun.
A. photosphere
This is the layer of the sun’s atmosphere between the photosphere and the corona.
A. chromosphere
17) Given a presidential cabinet position, name its current inhabitant FSNOP.
5) Secretary of State
5) Secretary of Defense
10) Secretary of Health/Human Services
10) Secretary of Housing/Urban Development
A.
A.
A.
A.
Madeleine Albright
William Cohen
Donna Shalala
Andrew Cuomo
18) Given a book of the Bible, name the book that follows it for five points each.
Joshua
Leviticus
Ruth
Deuteronomy
Esther
Second Chronicles
A.
A.
A.
A.
A.
A.
Judges
Numbers
First Samuel
Joshua
Job
Ezra
19) Tell me the state in which you’d find the following U. S. National Parks.
Isle Royale
Joshua Tree
Shenendoah
Zion
Acadia
Big Bend
A.
A.
A.
A.
A. Maine
A.
Michigan
California
Virginia
Utah
Texas
20) 30-20-10 Name the novelist from works.
30
20
10
Requiem for a Nun
A Fable
Absalom, Absalom
A. William Faulkner