>> JOE HANSON: Major funding for High School Quiz Show is provided by Safety Insurance.

Coming up, it's Andover High School... (cheers and applause) ...taking on Sharon High School.

(cheers and applause) That's next on High School Quiz Show!

(cheers and applause) ♪ ♪ (cheers and applause) >> HANSON: Hi, everybody, and welcome to High School Quiz Show.

I'm Joe Hanson, your host.

We've got a great match on tap today, and we start with the toss-up round.

All answers are worth ten points, there are no point deductions for wrong answers, and players, you may confer.

All right, good luck, teams.

If you're ready, here we go.

Polluted for more than a century, what river was cleaned up to host open-water swimming events for the 2024 Paris Olympics?

Liam.

>> Seine.

>> HANSON: Seine is right.

What is the southernmost of the 13 original British colonies in America?

Luke.

>> Georgia.

>> HANSON: Georgia is correct.

Named after the Norse god of mischief, what name was given to what may be a new species of Ceratops discovered in Montana in 2024?

Andrew.

>> Loki.

>> HANSON: Loki is right.

Lokiceratops is that dinosaur.

The Hundred Years' War was an intermittent conflict between England and what other country?

Liam.

>> France.

>> HANSON: France is correct.

For the next question, take a look at your monitors.

Seen here is the Palácio da Alvorada, the official residence of the Brazilian president.

It's located in what capital city noted for its Modernist architecture?

Luke.

>> Brasília.

>> HANSON: Brasília is correct.

On March 7, 2024, two years after applying for membership in the wake of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, what became the 32nd country to join NATO?

Luke.

>> Finland.

>> HANSON: No.

Sharon?

Josh.

>> Sweden.

>> HANSON: Sweden is correct.

Led by Batu Khan, a grandson of Genghis Khan, the Golden Horde was part of what empire that invaded Russia around the year 1240?

Luke.

>> The Mongol Empire.

>> HANSON: The Mongol Empire is correct.

Which NFL team won back-to-back Super Bowls in 2023 and 2024?

Luke.

>> Kansas City.

>> HANSON: Kansas City Chiefs is correct.

What three-letter abbreviation refers to the energy-carrying molecule found in the cells of all living things?

Liam.

>> ATP.

>> HANSON: ATP-- adenosine triphosphate.

For our next question, we've got a special video guest.

>> Hello.

I'm Maurizio Marcoccio, director of marketing for Safety Insurance.

Here's my question: managing risk in the insurance industry is highly mathematical and quantitive.

In statistics, what metric calculates the square root of a variance to tell you how far a result deviates from the average?

Is it bell curve, normal distribution, or standard deviation?

>> HANSON: Luke.

>> Standard deviation.

>> HANSON: Standard deviation is correct.

And don't worry, you guys are anything but average, so... (audience chuckles) Old English had a system of grammatical gender similar to that of modern German, with masculine, feminine, and what third gender?

Josh.

>> Neutral.

>> HANSON: No.

Andover?

Aniketh?

>> Neuter.

>> HANSON: Neuter is correct.

According to the Sierra Club, what is the most littered object in the world, with roughly 4.5 trillion being tossed each year: cigarettes, plastic bottles, or food wrappers?

Andrew.

>> Cigarettes.

>> HANSON: Cigarettes is correct, sadly.

Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" and "I'm Every Woman" are from what 1992 film soundtrack that is the best-selling soundtrack of all time?

Josh.

>> Titanic.

>> HANSON: No.

Andover, opportunity?

(buzzer sounds) The Bodyguard.

The first CD I ever bought.

(audience laughs) That dates me-- oh, boy.

The all-time scoring leader across both men's and women's NCAA Division I basketball, what WNBA No.

1 draft pick signed with the Indiana Fever in 2024?

Liam.

>> Caitlin Clark.

>> HANSON: Caitlin Clark is correct.

Jim Parsons and Katie Holmes starred in a recent Broadway revival of what Thornton Wilder play set in a fictional town called Grover's Corners?

Julius.

>> Our Town.

>> HANSON: Our Town is correct.

We're off to an exciting start, but now we're going to take a moment to thank the folks who make this show possible.

Major funding for High School Quiz Show is provided by Safety Insurance.

>> From "Whoops"... (fire alarm blaring) ...to "Uh-oh" to "Oh, no," Safety Insurance can help you manage life's storms.

Even the indoor kind.

>> HANSON: Additional funding is provided by the Museum of Science.

♪ ♪ (crowd cheers and applauds) ♪ ♪ (cheers and applause) >> HANSON: All right, welcome back.

The score is Andover with 100 points.

Sharon's got 40 points.

Let's get back to the game.

New Shoreham is the only town on what island located 13 miles south of mainland Rhode Island?

Alex.

>> Block Island.

>> HANSON: Block Island is right.

In January 2023, who became the first Black woman to be sworn in as attorney general of Massachusetts?

Josh.

>> Oh, um, Andrea Joy Campbell.

>> HANSON: That is correct.

Malta has the highest population density in the European Union.

Which country comes in second: the Netherlands, Italy, or Denmark?

Liam.

>> Netherlands.

>> HANSON: Netherlands is correct.

On April 18, 1775, to warn his compatriots that the British were coming by sea, who gave the order to hang two lanterns in Old North Church in Boston?

Julius.

>> Revere.

>> HANSON: Paul Revere is right.

Coffee is thought to have originated in what country in Eastern Africa with a capital city of Addis Ababa?

Julius.

>> Ethiopia.

>> HANSON: Ethiopia is right.

And I think we can all thank them for what they did for the world.

(audience chuckles) "There are deeds, crimes that may be forgiven, but this is not among them."

Walt Whitman wrote this about what notorious Confederate prisoner-of-war camp in Georgia?

Collin.

>> Andersonville.

>> HANSON: Andersonville is correct.

In a surprise move in March 2024, Leo Varadkar announced his resignation as the prime minister of what country?

Julius.

>> Ireland.

>> HANSON: Ireland is right.

Also known as Danaus plexippus, what type of milkweed butterfly is known for its orange and black wings and its long annual migrations?

Andrew.

>> Monarch butterfly.

>> HANSON: Monarch butterfly is correct.

The oldest intercollegiate sporting event in the United States took place on August 3, 1852, when Harvard beat Yale in which sport: football, rowing, or rugby?

Alex.

>> Rowing.

>> HANSON: Rowing is correct.

In 1959, the Soviets began launching the first space probes to the moon.

They were named after what Latin word for moon?

Alex.

>> Luna.

>> HANSON: Luna is right.

What author is known for her young adult novels Everything, Everything and The Sun Is Also a Star, both of which were adapted for film?

(buzzer sounds) Looking for Nicola Yoon.

With widespread bipartisan support, the Americans With Disabilities Act was signed into law in the 1990s under which president?

Liam.

>> Clinton.

>> HANSON: No.

Sharon?

Josh.

>> George H.W.

Bush.

>> HANSON: George H.W.

Bush is correct.

What H.G.

Wells science-fiction novel about an alien invasion has never been out of print since it was first published in 1898?

Julius.

>> War of the Worlds.

>> HANSON: War of the Worlds is correct.

Known for its dunes, mountains, and rare animals like snow leopards, what desert stretches across Northern China and Southern Mongolia?

Alex.

>> The Gobi.

>> HANSON: The Gobi Desert is correct.

Which U.S. president signed the Immigration Act of 1924, a stringent policy to limit immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe in the wake of World War I?

Julius.

>> Coolidge.

>> HANSON: Calvin Coolidge is correct.

(bell ringing) That is the end of the toss-up round, with the score Andover 120 points, Sharon has 160 points.

It's a close one.

Let's hear it for both teams.

(cheers and applause) Last week, Milton Academy beat Deerfield Academy to earn a spot in the quarterfinals.

In today's match, Andover and Sharon are both hoping to advance.

The head-to-head round is next, but first, we're going to take a minute to get to know our players.

Andover, we'll start with you.

Collin, I'm told that you like spending your vacations on the French Riviera.

What draws you to that area?

>> Probably, like, the beautiful scenery.

I mean, it's, like, the rolling mountains, the beautiful beaches, and really just the sea itself is really what, you know, draws me to it.

>> HANSON: How's the cheese?

>> Good.

Very good.

(audience chuckles) >> HANSON: Liam, you had an internship with the attorney general.

What did you learn there?

Any important lessons?

>> I'm very proud of being able to work with such an incredible office and to learn about how they operate to really be an advocate for the people of Massachusetts.

>> HANSON: What kind of stuff did they have you doing?

>> So we're right now researching issues that are tackling, you know, kids in Massachusetts.

I'm actually working on problem sports betting among kids and adults in Massachusetts.

>> HANSON: That is impressive.

Luke, you run your own tutoring company.

>> Yes, I do.

So, in our local area, I found that we don't have many affordable and high-quality tutoring options.

>> HANSON: So do you go across all subjects?

Do you have kind of a specialty?

>> It's mostly math and science, but I can work alongside my other tutors.

We can work with the client just to see what they want.

>> HANSON: So what do you think?

Is that gonna take you into, like, a teaching direction someday?

How does that feel?

>> I don't quite know about teaching yet, but I do know that in whatever job that I do, I want to be of use to my community and help other people out.

>> HANSON: Well, that's awesome.

Aniketh, you just got a pet cat.

>> Mm-hmm.

>> HANSON: What's the cat's name?

>> Oh, it's Mia, but it's kind of devolved into me calling her just "Meow-Meow," but... >> HANSON: I mean, that, that was coming.

>> Yeah.

>> HANSON: What kind of cat?

We got a longhair?

Shorthair?

>> Longhair, black and white, yeah.

>> HANSON: And is this one of, one of many, or is, or are you going to stop at one, do you think?

>> My sister might want more, but I think I'm good for the one just now.

(audience chuckles) >> HANSON: Okay.

Also on the Andover team, we have the Andover Warrior Eagle, alternate Jackson, and coach Alan Hibino.

(cheers and applause) Okay, Sharon, it's your turn.

Julius, you can draw an accurate world map from memory.

Is that right?

>> Yes.

>> HANSON: Which countries border the Black Sea?

>> It's Ukraine, Russia, Turkey... >> HANSON: Sounds fine to me.

I mean, we're not gonna check that, and no extra points, but that's impressive.

(audience laughter) How'd you start doing that?

Was that kind of a, like, a COVID time-killer?

You just really love geography?

>> (stammering): Every, every day during COVID, I would just look at Google Maps, and look, look around the world, and it went into my head.

>> HANSON: Nice.

Josh, you received a letter from President Obama.

Congratulations, but I have to know, like, did, did you write him first, or did he just, like, look you up in the phone book and be, like, "I'm gonna write a letter to Josh today."

>> So, this was in, like, mid- to late 2016.

And one of my friends' moms, she was denied entry to, back to the U.S. after visiting India.

So I figured I had to, like, write the president and ask, like, "What the heck, man?

What's up with that?"

>> HANSON: So what did he say in his letter?

>> So since this was late in his second term, he was, like, "You know, "our immigration system's really broken, "and hard-working people like your friend's mother deserve to, you know, come and live and work in the United States."

And he was, like, "You know, "it's up to you and the next generation "to build an immigration system and a country that, like, we can all be proud of."

>> HANSON: You know, that's awesome.

Way to use your voice.

Alex, you enjoy gaming with friends.

Do you have a favorite game?

>> Not really.

I just sort of play whatever they play.

>> HANSON: So are we talking tabletop, video games...?

>> Mostly video games, I suppose.

Getting together with your friends is a really important way of, like, building friendships, and I think, definitely, video games is one of the ways that you can do that.

>> HANSON: That's great.

I love that bonding experience-- keep it up.

Andrew, you own a six-year-old dog.

What kind of dog?

>> I think there's been a mistake.

It's a frog.

>> HANSON: It's a frog.

(audience laughter) See, so there's a D on here.

I'm going to change that to an F-R. You own a six-year-old frog.

>> Yeah.

>> HANSON: I have to be honest, I didn't know frogs lived that long.

What kind of frog?

>> It's an African dwarf frog.

And these frogs live so long that I might have to bring an aquarium to college.

>> HANSON: So what's it like taking care of a six-year-old frog?

Do you have to, like, hang flies off fishing line and just sort of go, "Hey, come on.

Come on, get it."

>> I'm sure my frog would enjoy that, but unfortunately, I don't really spend a lot of my time catching flies.

So we mostly use the food from the pet store.

>> HANSON: All right, that's a better plan.

Rounding out the Sharon team, we have alternates Esme and Daniel, and coach Zach Snow.

Let's hear it for both teams.

(cheers and applause) Okay, it's time for the head-to-head round.

In this round, correct answers add ten points to the team total and wrong answers result in a ten-point deduction.

Clock is set at 90 seconds.

Guys want to shake hands?

Okay.

Here we go.

What famous document begins, "When in the course of human events"?

(buzzer sounds) Looking for the Declaration of Independence.

The 2022 film "Blonde" is about what American icon who starred in "Some Like It Hot" and "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes"?

>> Marilyn Monroe.

>> HANSON: Yes.

What is the official currency of Russia?

>> The ruble.

>> HANSON: Yes.

The ancient Babylonian Empire was founded by what king remembered for his set of laws?

>> Hammurabi.

>> HANSON: Yes.

The 2024 Republican National Convention was held in which city in Wisconsin?

>> Um... (sighs) (buzzer sounds) >> HANSON: Milwaukee.

Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Yemen all have ports on which sea?

>> Red Sea.

>> HANSON: Yes.

Which letter of the Greek alphabet is also known as Archimedes' constant?

(buzzer sounds) Pi.

Beginning in the late 11th century, Western Christians led Crusades to reclaim what holy city?

>> Jerusalem.

>> HANSON: Yes.

A typical human body cell has how many chromosomes?

>> 21.

>> HANSON: No, 46.

Season two of The White Lotus features what capital city of Sicily?

>> Palermo.

>> HANSON: Yes.

In June 2024, the climate protest group Just Stop Oil sprayed orange powder paint on what prehistoric monument in England?

>> Stonehenge.

>> HANSON: Yes.

Commonly used in Greek and Latin epic poetry, the hexameter consists of how many feet?

>> Eight.

>> HANSON: No, six.

After Antarctica, which continent has the fewest people per square mile?

(bell ringing) We're looking for Australia there.

That's the end of the round.

Let's take a look at our score.

Andover has 160.

Sharon's got 160.

It's a tie match, folks.

Let's give it up for both our teams.

(cheers and applause) All right, teams, it's time for the category round.

Today's categories are: Nine Black Robes, A Breath of Fresh Eyre, I Need My Space, America's Best Idea, Missouri Loves Company, and Rh Factor.

All categories have five questions with increasing point value.

Teams will choose two five-question categories each, and have the option to toss one question per category to the other team that the other team must answer.

Players, you are able to confer.

Andover, who's your spokesperson?

Liam.

Sharon?

Julius.

Well, since the score's tied, the first team to choose a category was determined by a coin toss, which Andover won.

So what's your first category gonna be?

>> (whispering): Rh.

>> We're gonna do Rh Factor.

>> HANSON: Rh Factor.

In this category, all answers start with the letters R-H. For ten points: what word refers to a parallelogram with four equal straight sides?

>> Rhombus.

>> HANSON: Rhombus is correct.

For 15 points: what virus is the most frequent cause of the common cold?

>> Rhinovirus.

>> HANSON: Rhinovirus is correct.

For 20 points: if you have a positive blood type, for example, A- or B-positive, then your red blood cells have a protein called the Rh factor.

Rh stands for what type of monkey?

>> Rhesus.

>> HANSON: Rhesus monkey is right.

For 25 points in Rh Factor: divided in 1911 into what is now Zambia and Zimbabwe, what region in South-Central Africa was exploited in the 19th century mainly for its gold, copper, and coal deposits?

>> Rhodesia.

>> HANSON: Rhodesia is right.

For 30 points: named after an Earth goddess in Greek mythology, what is the second-largest moon of Saturn, after Titan?

>> Rhea.

>> HANSON: Correct.

Sharon, what is your first category?

>> (whispering): I think space.

>> (whispering): Space.

>> We'd like I Need My Space.

>> HANSON: I Need My Space.

These are questions about astronomy.

For ten points: what is the smallest planet in the solar system in regards to both mass and volume?

>> (whispering): Mercury.

>> Mercury.

>> HANSON: Mercury is right.

For 15 points: what former Soviet street dog made history in 1957 as the first living creature to orbit the Earth, blasting off on a one-way journey aboard Sputnik 2?

>> Laika.

>> HANSON: Laika is right.

For 20 points: the atmosphere of Mars is composed primarily of what gas?

>> (whispering): Carbon di... CO2?

>> (whispering): Sure, yeah.

>> CO2.

>> HANSON: Carbon dioxide is correct.

For 25 points in I Need My Space: in 1927, what Belgian astronomer formulated the modern Big Bang theory, the leading explanation for how the universe began?

>> (whispering): Toss?

>> (whispering): Pass?

>> (whispering): Pass.

>> (softly): We'll pass.

(aloud): We'll pass.

>> HANSON: The answer is Georges Lemaître.

And for 30 points: in 1848, what Nantucket astronomer became the first woman elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a year after discovering her namesake comet?

>> (whispering): I think toss.

>> (whispering): Halley's Comet.

Halley's Comet.

>> (whispering): Toss it?

>> (whispering): That's not, that's not... Toss.

>> We'll toss.

>> HANSON: Gonna toss to you, Andover, and I do need an answer.

>> We'll say Johnson's.

>> HANSON: Maria Mitchell is the answer we're looking for.

Andover, second category.

>> We're gonna do Missouri Loves Company.

>> HANSON: Missouri Loves Company.

In this category, questions about the great state of Missouri.

For ten points: during the Civil War, loyalties were split among the residents of what Missouri capital?

>> (whispering): Jefferson.

>> (whispering): Jefferson City.

>> Jefferson City.

>> HANSON: Jefferson City is correct.

For 15 points: which U.S. president had a sign on his desk that said "The buck stops here" on one side and "I'm from Missouri" on the other?

>> Truman.

>> HANSON: Harry S. Truman is correct.

For 20 points in Missouri Loves Company: what prominent Black scientist and educator from Diamond, Missouri, is remembered for helping to turn peanuts into a major cash crop throughout the South after the Civil War?

>> Carver.

>> HANSON: George Washington Carver is right.

For 25 points: the nation's tallest man-made monument at 630 feet, what iconic arch in St. Louis honors the starting point of the Lewis and Clark Expedition?

>> Gateway Arch.

>> HANSON: That is correct.

And for 30 points: the Missouri Compromise was a law that tried to address growing national tensions over the issue of slavery.

It was signed by President James Monroe on March 6 of what year?

>> 1820.

>> HANSON: 1820 is correct.

Sharon, final category.

>> (whispers): America's Best Idea.

>> America's Best Idea.

>> HANSON: America's Best Idea.

These are questions about our national parks.

For ten points: Old Faithful is a famous geyser that erupts on average every 92 minutes.

It's located in what protected area that was established in 1872 as America's first national park?

>> Yellowstone National Park.

>> HANSON: That is correct.

For 15 points: what national park in Eastern California has the distinction of being the hottest, driest, and lowest place in the United States?

>> (whispering): Valley.

>> Valley?

Death Valley.

>> HANSON: Death Valley is correct.

For 20 points: White Sands National Park, an expanse of dazzling white gypsum sands, is located in what U.S. state?

>> (whispering): Utah.

>> Utah.

>> HANSON: No, New Mexico is the answer.

For 25 points in America's Best Idea: what destination in Tennessee and North Carolina is the most visited national park in the United States, with more than ten million visitors each year?

>> (whispers): Great Smoky.

>> Great Smoky.

>> HANSON: Need the full name.

>> (whispering): Great... Sure.

>> Great Smoky Mountain.

>> HANSON: Great Smoky Mountains is correct.

And for 30 points: Lake McDonald is one of the most photographed spots in what national park in Montana?

(team whispering) >> No.

>> (whispering): Pass.

>> Pass.

>> HANSON: Glacier National Park.

(bell ringing) That's the end of our category round.

The score is Andover: 330 points.

Sharon has 235 points.

Let's hear it for both these teams.

(cheers and applause) Okay, we're heading into the final round of play, the lightning round.

Correct answers add 20 points to the team total and there is a 20-point deduction for incorrect answers.

The clock is set.

Here we go.

In the Moana film sequel, Dwayne Johnson reprises his role as what Hawaiian demi-god?

Liam.

>> Maui.

>> HANSON: Correct.

One billion is written as a one followed by how many zeroes?

Josh.

>> Nine.

>> HANSON: Nine is correct.

In 2024, what country elected its first female president, Claudia Sheinbaum?

Liam.

>> Mexico.

>> HANSON: Mexico is right.

Which chemical element has atomic number 4?

Julius.

>> Beryllium.

>> HANSON: That is correct.

Veronica Roth's debut novel Divergent is set in the post-apocalyptic future in what American city?

Luke.

>> Chicago.

>> HANSON: Chicago is right.

What highly influential jazz trumpeter from New Orleans was nicknamed "Satchmo"?

Josh.

>> Louis Armstrong.

>> HANSON: Correct.

The ancient city of Rome was built on how many hills?

Liam.

>> Seven.

>> HANSON: Seven is right.

What 1859 Charles Dickens title is a historical novel set during the French Revolution?

Luke.

>> Tale of Two Cities.

>> HANSON: Correct.

In the Northern Hemisphere, the winter solstice occurs around the 21st of what month?

Liam.

>> December.

>> HANSON: Correct.

What bright star cluster is also known as the Seven Sisters?

Alex.

>> Pleiades.

>> HANSON: Yes.

The U.S. Constitution has how many amendments?

Luke.

>> Uh, 27.

>> HANSON: Yes.

What was the first country in the Western Hemisphere to become a communist republic?

Josh.

>> Cuba.

>> HANSON: Yes.

The Mark Twain House and Museum is located in what capital city of Connecticut?

Julius.

>> Hartford.

>> HANSON: Hartford is correct.

At the Battle of Gettysburg, General... Liam.

(bell ringing) We're looking for General George Meade there.

And the winning team this week is Andover with a final score of 450.

Sharon finishes with 355 points.

Congratulations to both our teams for a great game.

Andover now moves on to the quarterfinals.

Join us next week for the match between Milton Academy and Somerville High-- that's gonna be a good one-- right here, on High School Quiz Show.

(cheers and applause) Major funding for High School Quiz Show is provided by Safety Insurance.

>> Boston traffic is the worst.

Safety Insurance offers auto insurance policies designed to help for when the worst happens.

You can ask an independent agent about Safety Insurance.

Safety Insurance: we'll help you manage life's storms.

>> HANSON: Additional funding is provided by UMass Amherst.

>> At the University of Massachusetts Amherst, a revolutionary spirit runs through our veins.

>> It inspires us.

>> To think in new ways.

>> To challenge convention.

>> We are committed... >> ...to the relentless pursuit of progress.

>> Be revolutionary.

♪ ♪ (cheers and applause) ♪ ♪