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

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

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

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

I'm Joe Hanson, your host.

In today's match, Weston goes up against the defending champs, Lexington.

And as always, 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, teams.

If you're ready, good luck-- here we go.

The first act of Shakespeare's "Othello" takes place in what Italian city noted for its canals?

Alvan.

- Venice.

HANSON: Yes.

General John Stark, a veteran of the American Revolutionary War, penned what phrase that later became the state motto of New Hampshire?

Ben.

- "Live free or die."

HANSON: Correct.

Charon is the largest moon of what dwarf planet?

Aadi.

- Pluto.

HANSON: Yes.

Who wrote the lyrics to our national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner"?

Aadi.

- Francis Scott Key.

HANSON: Yes.

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

Pictured here is the 11th hole at Augusta National Golf Club, the venue for what major tournament in men's golf held annually in April?

Alvan.

- Masters.

HANSON: The Masters is right.

What landlocked country in South America has two capital cities, La Paz and Sucre?

Johan.

- Bolivia.

HANSON: Correct.

Due to intense public backlash, largely fueled by the documentary film "Blackfish," in 2016, SeaWorld announced it would phase out its theatrical shows featuring what marine mammal?

Johan.

- Orca.

HANSON: Correct.

The Tour de France is an annual cycling race traditionally held in which month?

Ben.

- August.

HANSON: No.

Lexington, you have a chance here.

Max.

- July.

HANSON: July is right.

Our next question comes to us from a special guest.

Take a look at your monitors.

- Hi, I'm Max Page, president of the Massachusetts Teachers Association.

I'm also a professor of architecture at UMass Amherst.

Here's my question: America's Founding Fathers made a conscious choice to use Neoclassical architecture to reflect the nation's democratic ideals.

The Massachusetts State House is a prime example, with its domed roof, columns, and strong emphasis on symmetry-- all hallmarks of Neoclassicism.

The State House was completed in 1798 and designed by what noted architect and Boston native?

HANSON: Ben.

- Bulfinch.

HANSON: Charles Bulfinch is right.

Which country has the most islands in the world, with a total of 267,570: Sweden, Chile, or Canada?

James.

- Sweden.

HANSON: Sweden is right.

A googol is the number 1 followed by how many zeros?

James.

- 100.

HANSON: Correct.

In 2025, the Southern Baptist Convention voted overwhelmingly to call for the reversal of Obergefell v. Hodges, the Supreme Court ruling that legalized what?

Shishir.

- Gay marriage.

HANSON: Same-sex marriage is right.

In 1969, during the historic Apollo 11 mission, what U.S.

president phoned Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the moon to congratulate them?

James.

- Nixon.

HANSON: Nixon is right.

We're off to a great start, but let's take a moment to thank the folks who make this show possible.

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

- Welcome to another edition of New England Survivalists, the game we all get to play.

You can ask an independent agent about Safety Insurance and learn more at the resource center at SafetyInsurance.com.

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

- 29,200.

That's how many days most of us have here on Earth.

If we see a better future, it's on us to lead the way.

At UMass, be the future you want to see.

Be revolutionary.

(cheers and applause) HANSON: Welcome back.

The score is Lexington with 60 points.

Weston with 70 points.

Let's get back to the game.

What is the only U.S.

state that borders just one other state?

Ben.

- Maine.

HANSON: Correct.

Described as "Jane Eyre meets Dracula," what recent thriller by Silvia Moreno-Garcia is set in the 1950s in a mysterious, decaying mansion in a small town south of the border?

Max.

- "Nosferatu."

HANSON: No.

Weston, you do have a chance here.

(buzzer sounds) That is "Mexican Gothic."

Which type of bond is formed when an electron is transferred from one neutral atom, usually a metal, to another atom, usually nonmetallic: covalent, ionic, or electronegative?

James.

- Ionic.

HANSON: Correct.

What Hindi word for "rule" or "kingdom" refers to the period of British rule in India?

Ben.

- Raj.

HANSON: Correct.

The story of a budding romance between two outdated robots, what Broadway show starring Darren Criss won six Tony Awards in 2025, including Best Musical?

Shishir.

- "Stereophonic."

HANSON: No.

Weston, you do have a chance.

(buzzer sounds) That Broadway show is "Maybe Happy Ending."

Named after a British monarch, what is the largest lake in Africa and the main reservoir of the Nile?

James.

- Victoria.

HANSON: Correct, Lake Victoria.

Bordered by China to the north and Laos and Cambodia to the west, which country is shaped like a thin, elongated letter S?

Alvan.

- Vietnam.

HANSON: Yes.

Titled after a biblical book of the same name, what Toni Morrison novel follows the life of an African American man nicknamed "Milkman"?

Alvan.

- "Song of Solomon."

HANSON: Yes, that's correct.

The Sykes-Picot Agreement of 1916 was a secret pact between Britain and France to partition which of the following areas after World War I: Central America, the Middle East, or the Far East?

James.

- Middle East.

HANSON: Correct.

Which children's book author created the characters Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman?

Shishir.

- Irving.

HANSON: Washington Irving is right.

In the "Aeneid," Dido is the legendary founder and first queen of what Phoenician city-state?

Shishir.

- Carthage.

HANSON: Yes.

In 1993, Nelson Mandela and F.W.

de Klerk were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to end what policy of racial segregation in South Africa?

Madeline.

- "A-par-thide."

HANSON: Yes, apartheid.

Also known as the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, what political alliance of six Native American nations is often cited as one of the world's oldest participatory democracies?

Shishir.

- Iroquois.

HANSON: Correct, the Iroquois League, or Iroquois Confederacy.

On August 15, 1947, who became the first prime minister of independent India?

Alvan.

- Nehru.

HANSON: Correct.

(bell ringing) And that is the end of the round.

The score is Lexington: 120 points.

Weston has 130 points.

Let's hear it for both teams.

(cheers and applause) Last week, Charlemont beat Andover to advance to the quarterfinals.

In today's match, Lexington and Weston are both hoping to advance.

The head-to-head round is next, but first, we're gonna take a minute to get to know the players a little bit.

Lexington, start with you.

Max, I hear you have taken a big hike.

The last 100 miles of the Appalachian Trail.

- Yeah, it was a lot of fun.

HANSON: So where is that last hundred miles?

- It's up in Maine.

So it ends on, on Mount Katahdin.

HANSON: How long did that take you?

- It took us six days.

HANSON: What's the toughest part of a hike like that?

- Just kind of staying in it mentally.

It's, you know, long hours on the trail, but, you know, same... You had good conversation with your friends, and just kind of enjoying being out in the woods and, and the scenery is, really helps you get through it.

HANSON: You have plans to maybe one day try the whole thing?

- Maybe, I'd... You know, depends.

(chuckles) It's quite a hike, so we'll see.

HANSON: You definitely got your 10,000 steps that day.

- Sure did.

(laughter) HANSON: Alvan, you got a cool nickname.

The Formidable A.Z.H.

- Yeah.

HANSON: Did you give yourself this nickname or was it given to you?

- I, I gave it to myself.

HANSON: Are we allowed to know what it means?

- So A.Z.H.

are, are my initials.

And formidable, I want to, like, intimidate my, my opponents, so I thought it was fitting.

(audience chuckling) HANSON: Weston, is it working?

(laughter) Shishir, you're a drummer.

- Mm-hmm.

HANSON: And do you play, like, the full kit?

- Yeah, I do play the full kit.

HANSON: Do your parents enjoy having a drummer in the house?

- I don't think so, but we're all musicians in my family, so it's kind of a cacophony, I guess.

HANSON: Do you have a favorite drummer out there?

- I think I like John Bonham from Led Zeppelin.

He's incredible.

HANSON: Always one of the greats.

Aadi, you've got a very special skill.

You're pretty good at rock, paper, scissors?

- Yes, I am.

HANSON: Can we do a best of three?

- You're on.

HANSON: Okay.

One, two, three, shoot.

(exclaims) Okay.

One, two, three, shoot.

(grunts) He got me!

(laughter) Now, are there kind of secrets and strategies to winning?

- Yeah, I was looking at your body language, and your shoulders kind of dropped.

And when your shoulders drop, I know you're gonna play, you're gonna play something.

HANSON: Ooh, I'm never playing poker against you, man.

(laughter) Also on the Lexington team, we have alternates Jai and Alex, and coach David Hough.

(cheers and applause) Now over to Weston.

Johan, your favorite subject is Latin.

- Yeah, it is.

HANSON: What do you love about Latin?

- Well, for one, I like my teacher.

And I just like how a lot of the English language is derived from it, right?

It helps you, like, with vocab and stuff like that.

HANSON: Do you have a favorite Latin phrase or saying?

- Probably "carpe diem."

HANSON: Want to tell our audience what it means?

- Seize the day.

HANSON: Well, you're doing a good job so far.

Ben, you're a very good whistler and you can spin a basketball on your finger.

- Yeah.

HANSON: How do you decide that those are things that you want to kind of, like, get good at?

- Just decided one day that I wanted to learn to whistle and some practice.

And basketball, I mean, like, if you spend enough time playing basketball, you want to do something other than, like, just shoot, so you learn some skills, and spinning a basketball is a pretty obvious first one.

HANSON: Can you whistle and spin a basketball at the same time?

- I'll try it and report back to you.

HANSON: Okay.

(laughter) James, you are into maps.

- Yes.

HANSON: So you can estimate the age of maps?

- I can estimate the age that they're representing.

So if I look at... I can look at the country borders and place names, and I can generally get within five years just off my own memory.

And then knowing what to Google can generally take me within a few months.

HANSON: Do you have a... Like, are there any, like, really favorite tells about when a map was from?

- Generally, the first place I look is Europe, just 'cause I know, I know kind of the last hundred years of European history pretty well.

I'd say the first country I look at is Germany, to just see if we're before or after the reunification.

HANSON: All right.

Madeline, you swim for the high school, as well.

- I do the 500 freestyle.

HANSON: That is a long way to swim.

- Yes, it, it's tiring, but it's fun.

HANSON: You've had a busy day today, I hear, too.

- I did, I came straight from the DCL's meet.

HANSON: Can I ask, how did the meet go?

- I'm not sure, it's not over yet, but so far, we're doing pretty good.

HANSON: So what you're saying is, we got to get along with this match so you can get back over to the pool?

(laughter) - Yeah, yeah.

HANSON: Okay-- well, filling out the Weston team are alternates Timothy and Jason, and coaches Rebecca D'Angelo and Alison Langsdorf.

Let's hear it for both teams.

(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.

The clock is set at 90 seconds.

How about a little friendly handshake?

Good luck, here we go.

What sitcom that premiered in 2007 features a character named Sheldon Cooper?

- Uh... (sighs) (buzzer sounds) HANSON: "The Big Bang Theory."

World War II began when Nazi Germany invaded what country... - Belgium.

HANSON: No, Poland.

In 1964, after converting to Islam, American boxer Cassius Clay... - Muhammad Ali.

HANSON: Yes.

What real town in Massachusetts is widely understood to be the main setting for the novel "Little Women"?

- Waltham.

HANSON: No, Concord.

The Olympic symbol consists of how many interlocking... - Five.

HANSON: Yes.

Madagascar is an island nation located in which ocean?

- Indian.

HANSON: Yes.

What four-letter word refers to a baby kangaroo?

- Joey.

HANSON: Yes.

In "The Lord of the Rings," what younger relative of Bilbo Baggins inherits the One Ring?

- Gollum.

HANSON: No, Frodo.

The Roman numeral M represents what number?

- 1,000.

HANSON: Yes.

Dante's "Inferno" mentions how many deadly sins?

- Seven.

HANSON: Yes.

The C.I.A.

was established in 1947 by which U.S.

president?

- Truman.

HANSON: Yes.

Which U.S.

state has the most active volcanoes?

- Hawaii.

HANSON: No, Alaska.

What collective noun is used for a group of lions that live together?

- Pride.

HANSON: Yes.

How many stripes are on the national flag of the United... - 13.

HANSON: Yes.

Medicare and Medicaid were enacted by the U.S.

government during which decade?

(buzzer sounds) The 1960s.

(bell ringing) And that is the end of the round.

Let's take a look at the score.

Lexington has 130 points.

Weston has 160 points.

Let's give it up for both teams.

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

Today's categories are: Team Slytherin, Repeat the Sounding Joy, Take a Number, Choose Your Battles, These Are the Voyages, and A Pain in the Neck.

All categories have five questions with increasing point value.

Teams will choose two 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.

All right, Lexington, who's your spokesperson?

Shishir?

All right.

Weston, how about you?

Ben.

Lexington, you have some ground to make up.

The first category goes to you.

- We'll take Choose Your Battles.

HANSON: Choose Your Battles.

These are questions about battles.

For ten points: in nine short hours on October 14, 1066, William the Conqueror and his Norman army defeated the English at what historic battle?

- Battle of Hastings.

HANSON: Correct.

HANSON: For 15 points: during the first Persian invasion of Greece, the citizens of Athens defeated Persia's King Darius at what decisive battle that was a defining moment in the history of Greece?

(team whispering) - (aloud): Salamis.

HANSON: No, that is the Battle of Marathon.

For 20 points: fought from August 1942 to February 1943, what battle that stopped the German advance into the Soviet Union was the bloodiest battle of World War II?

- (whispers): Stalingrad.

- (aloud): Stalingrad.

HANSON: Battle of Stalingrad is right.

For 25 points: Joan of Arc led the French army in a momentous victory at what 1429 battle that stopped an English attempt to conquer France during the Hundred Years' War?

(team whispering) - (whispers): Oh, Orléans.

- (aloud): "Or-lee-ons."

HANSON: Yes, the Siege of "Or-leens."

And for 30 points in Choose Your Battles: the Confederate general Stonewall Jackson was accidentally shot and killed by his own men at what major battle fought in 1863 in Virginia?

- (whispers): Chancellorsville.

I think it's Chancellorsville.

- Oh, yeah.

- (aloud): Chancellorsville.

HANSON: The Battle of Chancellorsville is right.

Weston, your category.

- (whispers): Take a Number.

- (aloud): Take a Number.

HANSON: Take a Number.

All answers in this category feature a number.

For ten points: what Motown act was the first group to debut with four consecutive No.

1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, with "I Want You Back," "ABC," "The Love You Save," and "I'll Be There"?

- (whispers): I have no idea.

- I've got nothing.

- Just pass it, then?

- Just pass.

- Pass.

- (aloud): We're gonna pass.

HANSON: Looking for The Jackson 5.

For 15 points: "Don't you see that the whole aim of Newspeak is to narrow the range of thought?"

This quote is from what dystopian novel?

- "1984."

HANSON: That is correct.

For 20 points in Take a Number: according to "Britannica" and "Forbes," what pioneer of the news magazine format is the longest-running primetime show in American television history?

- (whispers): "60 Minutes"?

- Yeah, I think that makes sense.

- (aloud): "60 Minutes."

HANSON: Correct.

For 25 points: what best-selling novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid is about an Old Hollywood movie star whose many marriages were often a cover for her true enduring love?

- (whispers): Oh, "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo."

- (aloud): "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo."

HANSON: That's right.

And for 30 points: one of the most popular pieces of Baroque music is Vivaldi's "Le Quattro Stagioni," which is known in English by what title?

- "The Four Seasons."

HANSON: That is correct.

Lexington, next category to you.

(team whispering) - (aloud): We'll go with Repeat the Sounding Joy.

HANSON: Repeat the Sounding Joy.

All answers in this category are words that repeat.

For ten points: what maximum-security prison in Ossining, New York, became notorious for its executions with the advent of the electric chair in 1891?

- (whispers): Let us pass.

- (aloud): We'll pass.

HANSON: That is Sing Sing prison.

For 15 points: in the Pixar film "Incredibles 2," what youngest child of the Parr family is discovered to have various superpowers?

- Jack-Jack.

HANSON: Correct.

For 20 points: what young adult novel by Nicola Yoon follows Madeline Whittier, a girl who hasn't left the house in 17 years because she has virtually no immune system?

(team whispering) - (aloud): We'll toss.

HANSON: All right, Weston, this question goes to you.

(team whispering) - (aloud): No.

HANSON: That novel is "Everything, Everything."

For 25 points in Repeat the Sounding Joy: known as "the Fab Five," in 1984, what British New Wave band won the first ever Grammy Award for Best Music Video, for "Hungry Like the Wolf"?

- (whispers): Is it Duran Duran?

- (aloud): Duran Duran.

HANSON: That's right.

For 30 points: in 2022, California Governor Gavin Newsom denied parole to what convicted assassin of Robert F. Kennedy?

- (whispers): Sirhan Sirhan.

- Sirhan Sirhan, yeah.

- I'm sorry, what is it?

- Sirhan Sirhan.

- (aloud): Sirhan Sirhan.

HANSON: Yes, that's right.

And Weston, final category to you.

- Team Slytherin.

HANSON: Team Slytherin.

These are questions about snakes.

For ten points: according to popular myth, what fifth-century monk banished all the snakes from Ireland by chasing them into the sea?

- (whispers): St.

Patrick.

- St.

Patrick.

(aloud): St.

Patrick.

HANSON: Yes.

For 15 points: weighing up to 550 pounds, the green anaconda is the heaviest and one of the largest snakes in the world.

It's native to which continent?

- (whispers): South America, I think.

- Sure.

- (aloud): South America.

HANSON: That's right.

For 20 points in Team Slytherin: in the "Harry Potter" series, what snake is a companion and a Horcrux for Lord Voldemort?

- (whispers): It starts with an N.

- "Najeenee."

- Yes!

- (aloud): "Najeenee."

HANSON: Nagini is how it's usually said, but we will take that.

For 25 points in Team Slytherin: only about 15% of snake species are venomous.

What is the only country in the world where venomous snakes outnumber non-venomous ones?

- (whispers): Australia.

- Are you confident?

- I mean, we gotta take a guess.

- Yeah, that sounds right.

- (aloud): Australia.

HANSON: Australia is right.

And for 30 points: what snake is a father figure to Mowgli in the original "Jungle Book" stories, but a villain who tries to eat Mowgli in the 1967 Disney adaptation?

- (whispers): Pass that, then?

- Should we just pass?

- Gotta pass that.

- All right, pass.

- (aloud): Pass.

HANSON: That snake is Kaa.

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

Lexington has 270 points.

Weston with 300 points.

Anything could happen.

Let's hear it for both 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.

How many presidents are depicted on Mount Rushmore?

Ben.

- Four.

HANSON: Yes.

Introduced by DC Comics in 1939, what superhero is known as the Caped Crusader?

Ben.

- Batman.

HANSON: Yes.

In computer science, what does the L stand for in HTML?

Aadi.

- Uh... Language.

HANSON: Yes.

What fairy tale character is the protagonist of the 2010 animated film "Tangled"?

Alvan.

- "Braveheart."

HANSON: No, Rapunzel.

For his determined efforts to unify Germany, who was known as the Iron... Max.

- Otto von Bismarck.

HANSON: Yes.

What country is the setting of the Broadway musical "Buena Vista Social Club"?

(buzzer sounds) That's Cuba.

For both plant and animal cells, DNA is mainly found in which part... Ben.

- Nucleus.

HANSON: Yes.

"Phenomenal Woman" is one of the best-known works of which American... James.

- Maya Angelou.

HANSON: Yes.

What year marked the beginning of the Irish Potato Famine, also known as the Great Famine?

(buzzer sounds) 1845.

In a standard concert orchestra, which brass instrument has a slide instead of valves?

Shishir.

- Trombone.

HANSON: Yes.

Darwin is the capital city of the... Alvan.

- Tas... (clears throat) (buzzer sounds) Victoria.

HANSON: Australia is what we're looking for.

What theocratic regime overthrows the U.S.

government in the dystopian novel "The Handmaid's Tale"?

Shishir.

- Gilead.

HANSON: Yes.

The Pact of Steel was a 1939 alliance between Germany and what country?

(bell ringing) That was Italy.

And the winning team this week is Weston with a final score of 380 points.

Lexington finishes with 310 points.

Congratulations to both teams for a great game.

Weston now moves on to the quarterfinals.

Join us next week for our first quarterfinal match between Mansfield and Milton Academy, right here on "High School Quiz Show."

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

- It happens every day-- someone falls for a phishing scam.

Cyber risk coverage from Safety Insurance is designed to help protect businesses from data breaches, ransomware, and other cyberattacks.

Safety Insurance.

We'll help you manage life's storms-- even the cyber kind.

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

- Curiosity runs wild at the Museum of Science, Boston.

Feel the power of indoor lightning, see robots dance and navigate obstacles, and meet Cliff, a 65-million-year-old Triceratops.

Unleash your curiosity.

Tickets available at mos.org/fun.

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