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

Coming up, it's the quarterfinals, with Lexington High School... (cheers and applause) ...taking on Saint John's High School.

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

(cheers and applause) ♪ ♪ (cheers and applause) >> HANSON: Hi, everybody.

Welcome to "High School Quiz Show."

I'm Joe Hanson, your host.

We have had some incredible matches so far.

Today's quarterfinal match should be another good one.

We start, as always, 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 sidekick introduced by DC Comics, what fictional character was created so that Batman would have someone to talk to, much like Watson to Sherlock Holmes?

Owen.

>> Robin.

>> HANSON: Robin is correct.

"Women hold up half the sky" is a famous quote by what former Chinese Communist Party leader?

Atreya.

>> Mao Zedong.

>> HANSON: That's correct.

Potatoes originate from South America, where they were first cultivated about 10,000 years ago by what ancient civilization of Peru?

Shishir.

>> Inca.

>> HANSON: Inca is correct.

"It's not necessary to tell all you know.

It's not ladylike."

A strict but loving housekeeper named Calpurnia says this to Scout in what 1960 novel?

Lawson.

>> "Old Yeller."

>> HANSON: No.

Lexington?

You have an opportunity here.

Owen.

>> "To Kill a Mockingbird."

>> HANSON: "To Kill a Mockingbird" is correct.

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

What politician, seen here, made a trailblazing run for the 1972 Democratic presidential nomination after becoming the first Black woman elected to Congress?

Lawson.

>> Maxine Waters.

>> HANSON: No.

Lexington?

Owen.

>> Coretta Scott King.

>> HANSON: No.

That is Shirley Chisholm there.

Dutch spectacle maker Hans Lippershey is generally credited with inventing what scientific instrument in 1608?

Lawson.

>> Microscope.

>> HANSON: No.

Lexington, to you.

Owen.

>> Telescope.

>> HANSON: The telescope is right.

Dedicated to failed love affairs, the Museum of Broken Relationships is the most popular museum in what capital city of Croatia?

Alvan.

>> Zagreb.

>> HANSON: That's correct.

The most nominated artist at the 2024 Grammys, who won three of the nine awards she was up for, including Best R&B Song for "Snooze"?

Jackson.

>> SZA.

>> HANSON: SZA is right.

What is the Earth's largest continent, covering approximately 17 million square miles, which is about 30% of the world's total land area?

Owen.

>> Asia.

>> HANSON: Asia is right.

What film starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande was one of the top-grossing films of 2024?

Jackson.

>> "Wicked."

>> HANSON: "Wicked" is right.

You might say it was... popular.

(audience laughter) Titled after a famous speech from "Macbeth," what 2022 novel by Gabrielle Zevin is about three friends who start a successful video game company together?

(buzzer sounds) We're looking for "Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow."

Most of Earth's oxygen comes from which of the following: the sun, the ocean, or the trees?

Teddy.

>> The ocean.

>> HANSON: The ocean is correct.

In his 1835 book "Democracy in America," what French political scientist was impressed by America's spirit of equality, but noted the irony of its mistreatment of Native Americans and its embrace of slavery?

Alvan.

>> Alexis de Tocqueville.

>> HANSON: That is correct.

In 2024, what entertainment company that owns Ticketmaster was sued by the U.S. Justice Department for running an illegal monopoly?

Teddy.

>> GameStop.

>> HANSON: No.

Lexington, to you.

Atreya.

>> StubHub.

>> HANSON: No, we're looking for Live Nation.

The metric prefix mega- denotes what number?

Teddy.

>> Six.

>> HANSON: No.

Lexington, to you.

Owen.

>> A million.

>> HANSON: A million is correct.

We're off to a great start, but let's take a moment to thank the folks who make "High School Quiz 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 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) >> HANSON: All right, welcome back, everybody.

The score is Lexington in the lead with 90.

Saint John's has 30.

And plenty of game to play.

Let's get back to it.

Yggdrasil is the giant tree of life that encompasses all nine worlds in Norse mythology and cosmology.

What type of tree is it?

Alvan.

>> World Tree.

>> HANSON: No.

Saint John's, to you.

Teddy.

>> A willow.

>> HANSON: No.

It is an ash tree.

The grandson of Philip the Fair of France, what was the first name of the English king who started the Hundred Years' War in 1337 by asserting his claim to the French throne?

Atreya.

>> Henry.

>> HANSON: No.

Saint John's, you have an opportunity here.

Lawson.

>> Edward.

>> HANSON: Edward is correct.

Who is the first person ever to make a billion dollars from writing books: Agatha Christie, J.K. Rowling, or James Patterson?

Owen.

>> J.K. Rowling.

>> HANSON: That's correct.

Meaning "equal night," what term refers to the two times a year-- once in spring and once in autumn-- when the sun is directly over the Equator?

Jackson.

>> Equinox.

>> HANSON: Equinox is right.

In her first performance since announcing she has a rare neurological disorder called stiff-person syndrome, what French Canadian singer closed out the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics?

Lawson.

>> Celine Dion.

>> HANSON: Correct.

What two-word Latin phrase is commonly used in English to mean "let the buyer beware"?

Teddy.

>> Laissez-faire.

>> HANSON: No.

Lexington, you have an opportunity here.

(buzzer sounds) We're looking for caveat emptor.

In the late tenth century, Prince Vladimir of Kiev sent representatives to learn about Islam, Judaism, Roman Catholicism, and Orthodox Christianity.

Which did he choose as the state religion of Russia?

Jackson.

>> Orthodox.

>> HANSON: Yes, Orthodox Christianity.

Prominently featured in the documentary series "Formula 1: Drive to Survive," what Dutch racing driver set a new record in 2023 by winning 19 out of 22 Grand Prix races in a single season?

Aarav.

>> Verstappen.

>> HANSON: That's correct.

In his book "Natural History," Pliny the Elder remarked that of all the things the Romans had accomplished, which was the "most noteworthy": the roads, the sewers, or the aqueducts?

Teddy.

>> Sewage.

>> HANSON: The sewers is right.

In 1868, what secretary of war barricaded himself in his office for more than two months after President Andrew Johnson illegally tried to fire him?

Teddy.

>> Stanton.

>> HANSON: Edwin Stanton is correct.

The film "Girl You Know It's True" tells the scandalous story of what pop duo stripped of their 1989 Grammy Award after it was revealed they did not sing on their own album?

Jackson.

>> Uh, Malachai.

>> HANSON: No.

Lexington, to you.

(buzzer sounds) We're looking for Milli Vanilli.

First published in 1932, what dystopian novel by Aldous Huxley warns of the dangers of giving the state control over new and powerful technologies?

Atreya.

>> "Brave New World."

>> HANSON: Correct.

Las Vegas is located in what desert that receives less than two inches of rain a year, making it the driest desert in North America?

Teddy.

>> The Mojave.

>> HANSON: That's correct.

The Decembrist Revolt was a failed coup d'état led by political and military dissidents against the Russian Empire.

It took place on December 14, 1825, in what Russian city?

Alvan.

>> St. Petersburg.

>> HANSON: That is correct.

(bell ringing) That is the end of the round.

And the score is Lexington: 120 points.

Saint John's just behind with 110 points.

Let's hear it for both teams.

(cheers and applause) Last week, Acton-Boxborough beat Hopkinton to move on to the semifinals.

In today's match, Lexington High and Saint John's High from Shrewsbury are both looking to advance.

The head-to-head round is next, but first, we're gonna take a minute to get to know the players-- one of my favorite parts of every match.

Lexington, we'll start with you.

Atreya, I hear you've been to over 30 states.

>> I have, yeah.

>> HANSON: How many is it, exactly?

>> 31.

>> HANSON: So is this something, are you trying to check them all off the list?

Do you have one of those cool maps where you're putting pins in all of them?

>> Um, the map's in my head, but, um, not really.

Like, I want to, I want to go to all the states in the future.

>> HANSON: Totally unfair question, but is there a favorite state so far?

>> I used to live in Colorado.

I really like the scenery-- the mountains and also the Great Sand Dunes.

Like, they have a lot of diverse ecosystems, so I like Colorado.

>> HANSON: They've got a lot to offer there.

>> Yeah.

>> HANSON: Great choice.

Alvan, you grew up in Kansas.

Any, um, tough days with a tornado, a weird wizard, long journeys on a yellow brick road, anything like that?

>> Oddly enough, when I was in Kansas, I actually never saw a tornado warning.

(audience laughter) >> HANSON: What's something that people don't know about Kansas?

>> I think it's what everyone expects.

(audience laughter) >> HANSON: There's lots of crops?

>> Oh, yeah, there's tons of cows.

>> HANSON (chuckling): Okay.

And cows.

Shishir, you're a die-hard NBA fan.

>> I am, yeah.

>> HANSON: For which team?

>> The Minnesota Timberwolves.

>> HANSON: Okay, why the Minnesota Timberwolves?

>> I grew up in Minnesota, so I gotta, I gotta rep the Timberwolves.

>> HANSON: Okay.

Favorite player?

>> Anthony Edwards.

>> HANSON: All right.

I like it.

Owen, you play piano and, and another instrument?

>> Yes, and trumpet.

>> HANSON: Now, can you do them at the same time?

>> Someone else would have to hold the trumpet, I think.

(audience laughter) >> HANSON: So, do you have a particular style that you, that you gravitate toward with either instrument?

>> For piano, it's sometimes classical, sometimes, uh, post-modern, but for trumpet, it's honestly jazz, I would say.

>> HANSON: Nice.

Also on the Lexington team, we have alternates Adam and Eric and coaches Andrew Baker and Josh Olivier-Mason.

(cheers and applause) Okay, let's move over to Saint John's-- welcome.

Lawson, I hear you're a big fan of Formula 1.

>> I am.

>> HANSON: Do you have a favorite driver?

Favorite team?

>> Favorite team has to be Ferrari, but favorite driver has to be the world champion, Max Verstappen.

>> HANSON: So have you ever been to a Grand Prix race?

>> No, but it's on my bucket list.

>> HANSON: Awesome.

Take some earplugs.

(audience laughter) Teddy, you have heterochromia.

>> Yeah.

>> HANSON: For those who don't know what that is, can you define it?

>> Basically, just means I have two different-colored eyes.

But I like to tell people, 'cause they're, like, "Oh, that sounds like a really serious disease."

Like, "Are you okay?"

And I'm, like, "Oh, yeah, no, I just-- like, my eyes are two different colors."

And it's really slight.

One's more green and one's more blue.

>> HANSON: So is that a cool conversation starter with people?

>> Yeah, it's my, it's my go-to fun fact.

>> HANSON: Awesome.

(audience laughter) Aarav, you've played tennis your whole life.

>> Yeah.

I've been watching tennis for a lot of my life.

My parents have gotten me into it.

My friends try to convince me that it's not a real sport, but, you know, I think the intensity is there.

It's, it's such a fun sport.

And there's nothing better than it.

>> HANSON: So do you have any favorite tennis players?

>> I'd have to say Novak Djokovic.

He's a great player.

>> HANSON: So are we gonna see you out there at any of those big matches?

>> (chuckles): We'll see.

We'll see.

>> HANSON: Okay.

Good luck.

(audience chuckles) Jackson, you shred a little bit?

You play guitar?

>> Yeah.

Yeah.

>> HANSON: Any favorite guitar players?

>> Uh, I usually don't play, like-- I usually play along with, like, modern pop singers, so that usually what I, I go to.

>> HANSON: Well, hey, that's a great way to, you know, meet people.

Good romantic thing in the future, perhaps.

>> Yeah.

(audience laughter) >> HANSON: Rounding out the Saint John's team are alternates Kirpal and Ronan and coaches Jennifer Mitchell and Dr. Jennifer Wig.

Let's hear it for both teams.

(cheers and applause) Next, we're going head-to-head.

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

All right, the clock is set at 90 seconds.

Let's get a little handshake before we start.

>> Good luck.

>> HANSON: Good luck.

Here we go.

During photosynthesis, green plants use what compound in their leaves to capture... >> Chlorophyll.

>> HANSON: Yes.

In Greek drama, what group of performers comments on the action as a collective voice?

>> Chorus.

>> HANSON: Yes.

What 1862 act opened up settlement in the Western United States by granting 160 free acres of federal land?

(buzzer sounds) Homestead Act.

What pale blue gas has the chemical formula O3?

>> Ozone.

>> HANSON: Yes.

In 1921, Russia and Poland signed a peace treaty in what capital city of Latvia?

>> Riga.

>> HANSON: Yes.

How many lines are in a Shakespearean sonnet?

>> Uh, 14.

>> HANSON: Yes.

Since the 1870s, which continent has produced most of the world's gem-quality diamonds?

>> Africa.

>> HANSON: Yes.

What Texas city hosts the annual South by Southwest music festival?

>> Houston.

>> HANSON: Austin.

In 2003, U.S. forces captured what Iraqi dictator?

>> Hussein.

>> HANSON: Yes.

What organ in the human body contains cells that produce hydrochloric acid?

(buzzer sounds) The stomach.

What special administrative region of China was a Portuguese... >> Tibet.

>> HANSON: No, Macau.

What broad-brimmed hat takes its name from the Spanish for "shade"?

>> Fedora.

>> HANSON: No, sombrero.

The first civil rights sit-in took place in 1960 at a Woolworth's lunch counter in what North Carolina... >> Raleigh.

>> HANSON: No, Greensboro.

Which American president outlined a peace proposal called the Fourteen Points?

>> Wilson.

>> HANSON: Yes.

What Arctic marine mammal with a single tusk is sometimes called... (bell ringing) Did he make it?

Ooh, sorry, just missed it.

We're looking for narwhal there.

That's the end of the round.

Let's take a look at the score.

Lexington has 160 points.

Saint John's with 110 points.

Let's give it up for both teams.

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

Today's categories are: In the Clink, By the Dawn's Early Light, Echo Chamber, I Am the Walrus, Nothing but the Truth, and And Then There Were Nuns.

(audience chuckling) 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.

All right, Lexington, who's your spokesperson?

Owen.

Saint John's, how about you?

Lawson.

Okay, Saint John's, you're trailing by a little, so the first category goes to you.

>> We'll do And Then There Were Nuns.

>> HANSON: And Then There Were Nuns.

These are questions about world religions.

For ten points: in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim belief, who led enslaved Hebrews out of Egypt and into the Promised Land?

>> Moses.

>> HANSON: That is correct.

For 15 points: what birthplace of the prophet Muhammad is considered the holiest city in Islam?

>> (whispers): Mecca.

>> (whispers): Mecca.

>> (whispers): It's Mecca.

It's Mecca.

>> Mecca.

>> HANSON: Mecca is right.

For 20 points: Mardi Gras is a Christian holiday that precedes what 40-day period of prayer and fasting that begins on Ash Wednesday?

>> Lent.

>> HANSON: Lent is right.

For 25 points in And Then There Were Nuns: the shamash is the ninth candle on what special candelabrum used for the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah?

>> (whispers): It's menorah.

>> (whispers): Menorah.

>> (whispers): Menorah.

>> Menorah.

>> HANSON: That's correct.

And for 30 points: during Diwali, most Hindus pray to what goddess of wealth and good fortune?

>> (whispers): It's Vishnu the Destroyer.

>> (whispers): Goddess.

>> (whispers): Vishnu.

>> (whispers): Vishnu.

>> (whispers): Vishnu.

>> Vishnu.

>> HANSON: No, we're looking for Lakshmi.

Lexington, your category.

>> By the Dawn's Early Light.

>> HANSON: By the Dawn's Early Light.

These are questions about the War of 1812.

For ten points: in March of 1812, the United States had only 16 warships and the Royal Navy had over 500.

Fortunately for the U.S., most of Britain's ships were busy fighting what European leader?

>> (whispers): Napoleon.

>> (whispers): Napoleon.

>> (whispers): Yeah, Napoleon.

>> Napoleon.

>> HANSON: Napoleon is right.

For 15 points: the British impressment of American sailors and the seizure of cargo compelled what president to declare war on Britain on June 1, 1812?

>> James Madison.

>> HANSON: That's correct.

For 20 points: the lyrics to "The Star-Spangled Banner" were penned by Francis Scott Key on September 14, 1814, after he watched the British attack what fort in Baltimore?

>> (whispers): Yeah, McHenry.

>> (whispers): McHenry.

>> Fort McHenry.

>> HANSON: Fort McHenry is right.

For 25 points in By the Dawn's Early Light: killed in 1813 at the Battle of the Thames in Ontario, what Shawnee Indian chief had been fighting the Americans well before the war in order to keep settlers off Native land?

>> Tecumseh.

>> HANSON: Tecumseh is right.

For 30 points: in 1813, the dying Captain James Lawrence of the U.S.S.

Chesapeake gave what final five-word command that became a rallying cry for the Americans?

>> (whispers): What else could it possibly be?

>> (whispers): I don't know.

>> (whispers): Do we risk it?

>> (whispers): I don't think so.

>> (whispers): Risk it.

>> (whispers): Pass it.

>> Pass.

>> HANSON: "Don't give up the ship."

Saint John's, next category to you.

>> We'll do Nothing but the Truth.

>> HANSON: Nothing but the Truth.

These are questions about nonfiction.

For ten points: what 1962 book by Rachel Carson exposed the hazards of the pesticide DDT and helped set the stage for the environmental movement?

>> (whispers): Pass.

Pass.

>> We'll pass.

>> HANSON: "Silent Spring" is that book.

For 15 points: director of the Hayden Planetarium in New York City, what noted astrophysicist has written over a dozen books, including "StarTalk" and "Astrophysics for People in a Hurry"?

>> (whispers): Neil deGrasse Tyson.

>> Neil deGrasse Tyson.

>> HANSON: That is correct.

For 20 points in Nothing but the Truth: in "Oath and Honor: A Memoir and a Warning," what former Republican representative from Wyoming gives a firsthand account of the January 6 insurrection from inside the halls of Congress?

>> Liz Cheney.

>> HANSON: Liz Cheney is correct.

For 25 points: adapted into an Oscar-nominated film starring Lily Gladstone, what best-selling book by David Grann is subtitled "The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI"?

>> (whispers): Of the flower moon?

>> (whispers): Yeah.

>> (whispers): "Killer of the Flower Moon."

>> "Killer of the Flower Moon."

>> HANSON: No, it's "Killers of the Flower Moon."

For 30 points: in 2015, who won a National Book Award for "Between the World and Me," written as a letter to his teenage son about what it means to be Black and male in America?

>> (whispers): Do you want to toss?

>> (whispers): Pass.

Pass.

>> (whispers): Pass?

>> (whispers): Pass.

>> (whispers): Pass or toss?

I would toss it.

>> Toss.

>> HANSON: All right, Lexington, goes to you.

>> (whispers): Coates.

>> (whispers): C-A-O... >> (whispers): C-O-A-T-E-S. >> (whispers): Yeah.

(aloud): Coates.

>> HANSON: Ta-Nehisi Coates is correct.

Lexington, the final category goes to you.

>> I Am the Walrus.

>> HANSON: I Am the Walrus.

These are questions about ocean life.

For ten points: what is the common name for Carcharodon carcharias, the largest predatory fish on Earth?

>> (whispers): Oh, um...

Right now or in history?

(team whispering) (aloud): Great white shark.

>> HANSON: That is correct.

For 15 points: known for hunting in groups, what is the largest member of the dolphin family?

>> (softly): Killer whale-- orca, yeah.

>> Orca.

>> HANSON: Orca is correct.

For 20 points: sharks have no bones.

Instead, their skeleton is made of what tough, fibrous substance?

>> Cartilage.

>> HANSON: Cartilage is right.

For 25 points in I Am the Walrus: an orange fish with three white stripes, what fish eats debris from the sea anemone's tentacles in a classic example of a symbiotic relationship?

>> (whispers): Clownfish.

>> (whispers): Clownfish.

>> Clownfish.

>> HANSON: Clownfish is right.

For 30 points: the European eel travels about 3,000 miles to spawn in what sea in the North Atlantic known for its masses of seaweed?

>> (whispers): Sargasso.

>> (whispers): Sargasso.

>> Sargasso Sea.

>> HANSON: That is correct.

(bell ringing) That is the end of the category round, with the score Lexington High School: 360 points.

Saint John's has 160 points.

Let's hear it for both teams.

(cheers and applause) Okay, we're heading into our 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.

The most followed person on Instagram is what Portuguese... Aarav.

>> Ronaldo.

>> HANSON: That's correct.

How many syllables are in a line of iambic pentameter?

Shishir.

>> Ten.

>> HANSON: Yes.

Jazz originated in the late 1800s in which... Lawson.

>> Harlem.

>> HANSON: No, New Orleans.

In taxonomy, mollusks like snails and slugs belong to what class that means "stomach foot"?

Teddy.

>> Crustaceans.

>> HANSON: No, gastropod.

In the "Peanuts" comic strip, Lucy has an unrequited crush on what musical... Aarav.

>> Linus.

>> HANSON: No, Schroeder.

What Bantu language is the most widely spoken language... Alvan.

>> Swahili.

>> HANSON: Yes.

What five-letter Italian word for "time" refers to the speed... Owen.

>> Tempo.

>> HANSON: Yes.

The World War I poem "In Flanders Fields" mentions what red flower that... Lawson.

>> Poppy.

>> HANSON: That's correct.

The Chinese zodiac includes what mythical creature that was historically... Teddy.

>> Dragon.

>> HANSON: Yes.

The Spanish-American War was fought during what year?

Atreya.

>> 1898.

>> HANSON: Yes.

What one-word campaign slogan used by Barack Obama in 2008... Lawson.

>> Hope.

>> HANSON: Yes.

In 1889, what Dutch artist created a famous painting titled "The Starry Night"?

Teddy.

>> Van Gogh.

>> HANSON: Yes.

In the "Harry Potter" books, what is the first name of Harry's mother?

Teddy.

>> Lily.

>> HANSON: Yes.

True brass is an alloy of copper and what other metal?

Teddy.

>> Iron.

>> HANSON: No, zinc.

Who drew on his experience as an ambulance driver during World War I... Shishir.

>> Hemingway.

>> HANSON: That's correct.

What is the largest city in New Zealand by population?

Alvan.

>> Wellingt... Auckland.

>> HANSON: Yes.

Which day of the week is considered holy in Islam?

(bell ringing) We were looking for Friday there.

And the winning team this week is Lexington with 480 points.

Saint John's finishes with 200 points.

A huge congratulations to both teams for a great game.

Lexington now moves on to the semifinals to play Acton-Boxborough.

Join us next week as we kick off the semifinals with the match between Buckingham Browne & Nichols and Somerville.

You won't want to miss it.

That's 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 the Museum of Science.

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