TOSS-UPS
1.On October 25, 2005, a construction accident killed a technician in its tunnel. An injunction filed in Hawaii to prevent its activation will be heard in 2009, but it will already be in operation. Designed to explore the validity of the Standard Model through particle acceleration, it is located under the France-Switzerland border and overseen by the European Organization for Nuclear Research. FTP name this controversial physics apparatus, which has the potential to create black holes and strangelets, named for a subatomic particle:
Answer: The Large Hadron Collider
2. First used on the STS-2 mission in 1981, since the Columbia explosion it has been fitted with the Orbiter Boom Sensor System to inspect the thermal protection system. 15.2 metres long and 38 centimetres in diameter, it weighs 410 kilograms and has a system of 6 joints, roughly analogous to a human arm. It is capable of deploying or retrieving payloads of up to 29 tons in space. FTP name this space shuttle appendage, developed by Canadian Company Spar Aerospace:
Answer: The Canadarm (Accept: Shuttle Remote Manipulator System , SRMS, or Canadarm 1 Do not accept: Canadarm 2)
3. In July 2007, he upset Andy Roddick at the Indianapolis Tennis Championships to reach the final before losing to Dmitry Tursonov. In August 2007, he reached the quarterfinals of the Rogers Cup before losing to Rafael Nadal. FTP name this rising Canadian tennis player, the highest ranked Canadian singles player in the world today, who upset seventh seed David Nalbandian in the first round of Wimbledon 2008:
Answer: Frank Dancevic
4. It is the highest point in both Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador, although the summit is located entirely within Labrador and thus the two elevations are not even. A peak in the Selamiut Range of the Torngat Mountains, it was the scene of a fatal climbing accident that killed two climbers in 2003. Ftp name the highest point in mainland Canada east of Alberta, given two different names by two different governments:
Answer: Mount Caubvick (Accept: Mont d’Iberville)
5. Published in 1965, this work by a prominent Canadian sociologist challenged the idea that Canada was a non-hierarchical society with no glass ceilings for opportunity. The title refers in part to the social stratification of Canadian society, and in part to the role that immigration plays in determining who the controlling elite is. FTP name this work by John Porter, which concludes that “If power and decision-making must always rest with elite groups, there can at least be open recruitment from all classes into the elite.”
Answer: The Vertical Mosaic: An Analysis of Social Class and Power in Canada
6. Introduced in the fifth book in the Series, they are described by Hagrid as being “dead clever an’ useful.” This is indirectly a pun, as only those who have seen someone die can see them, including Luna Lovegood, Theodore Nott, and of course Harry Potter. Having the skeletal body of a great, black, winged horse, ftp name these plot devices of the Order of the Phoenix, the pullers of the Hogwarts carriages:
Answer: Thestrals
7. Their assassination plot, carried out in 514 B.C., had nothing to do with political philosophy and was instead partly for Hipparchus, the victim, making advances to the younger of the couple, and partly for Hipparchus insulting the younger person’s sister at the Panathenaea festival. Whatever their true motives, they became symbols of Athenian democracy. Ftp name this couple, whose successful assassination destroyed the Peisistratid tyranny and set in motion the events leading to the Battle of Marathon:
Answer: Harmodios and Aristogeiton (Accept: the Tyrannicides)
8. Set in Bombay in 1971, this novel follows the life of Parsi bank clerk Gustad, as he struggles to co-exist with his estranged son Sohrab, and his ill young daughter Roshan. The story also encompasses a turning point in Indian history, with narratives involving the War of Independence of Bangladesh. FTP name this novel made into a 1998 film, published in 1991, which won author Rohinton Mistry the Governor General’s Award for English language fiction:
Answer: Such a Long Journey
9. With the protagonist Jia Baoyu, this 18th century novel, written in vernacular and not classical Chinese, follows approximately 30 main characters and over 400 minor ones. It is a narrative of the powerful Jia Clan, which gradually loses Imperial favour and loses its wealth and prestige. It draws on Buddhist and Taoist philosophy, including as a character a sentient stone. FTP name this work attributed to Cao Xueqin [Sow Sheh-chin], one of the four great Chinese classical novels:
Answer: Dream of the Red Chamber (Accept: The Red Chamber Dreams ,A Dream of Red Mansions, Hónglóu mèng , The Story of the Stone or Shítóu jì)
10. Theatre scholar Kurt Gänzl called it "probably the most successful British one-act operetta of all time”. Lyrics were produced by the barrister W.S. Gilbert, in his second collaboration with Arthur Sullivan after Thespis. First produced in 1875 and outrunning its companion piece, Offenbach’s Perichole, it is a civil trial on “breach of a promise to marry”, and concludes with the Judge promising to marry the jilted fiancee, Angelina. FTP name this one-act comic opera, which predates the Mikado and HMS Pinafore:
Answer: Trial by Jury
11. They are the subject of nephrology. Important regulators of blood pressure and the creation of red blood cells, the left is slightly larger than the right, and both sit under an adrenal gland at the vertebral level of T12 to L3. It is possible to congenitally lack one or both, known as renal agenesis. FTP name these organs encased in two layers of fat, which excrete hormones such as urodilatin and vitamin D, as well as more notably waste such as urea:
Answer: Kidneys
12. It first opened in 1954, in Toronto at 234 Bloor West, a location that was in operation until 2006. Owned by Cara Operations Limited and has over 200 locations in Canada, many of them no longer using the architectural style that gives the restaurant its name. FTP name this restaurant sometimes sharing space with Harvey’s, which features Toblerones at Christmas, known for its signature chicken dishes, whose current motto indicates that “Family Happens” at its restaurants:
Answer: Swiss Chalet
13. Taking place on April 27, 1521, it inspired a shrine on Cebu with a 20-metre bronze statue of Lapu Lapu, the native chieftain who led his people, the Visayans, to victory over the Spanish. Often portrayed by the Phillipines as the first successful resistance against foreign invaders, ftp name this battle, instigated by neighbouring ruler Rajah Humabon, which saw the death of Ferdinand Magellan on its namesake island:
Answer: The Battle of Mactan
14. It was summoned by Pope Pius IX by the Papal Bull Pastor Aeternus, and was the 20th ecumenical Council held by the Roman Catholic Church. Held in Rome, it featured over 800 church leaders engaging in 93 meetings over the period of approximately one year. The only member of the council to be canonized, the confessor to the Spanish throne, denounced the “blasphemies and heresies uttered on the floor of this Council.” FTP name this meeting held from December 1869 to September 1870:
Answer: The First Vatican Council (Accept: Vatican I)
15. Together with Timothy 1 and 2, it forms the 3 so-called pastoral epistles. Ostensibly written by Paul to the titular recipient, its first chapter contains the Epimenides Paradox, translated to “One of them, a prophet of their own, said, 'Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, and idle gluttons.' This testimony is true." FTP name this canonical New Testament Book which sets out the requirements and duties of elders and bishops, set between Second Timothy and Philemon:
Answer: the Epistle to Titus (Answer: Accept reasonable alternatives, such as Book of Titus)
16. If a group of people are all deemed deserving of this award, it is awarded by ballot amongst them, although it has not been awarded in this way since 1918. Since 2002, the British government awards £1,495 per year to any winner, while Canadian winners receive $3,000 per year. FTP name this award of which over 10 percent are in the collection of Lord Ashcroft, supposedly coming from Bronze Russian cannons captured in Sebastopol, awarded for valour in the face of the enemy:
Answer: The Victoria Cross
17. Its title originates from Pilgrim’s Progress, which describes the titular event. Serialized in 20 instalments by Punch between January 1847 and July 1848, it was also illustrated by its author. It tells the story of Becky Sharp and Amelia Sedley as they navigate through Victorian society and the Napoleonic wars. FTP name this work, subtitled a “novel without a hero”, written by William Thackeray:
Answer: Vanity Fair
18. Its current name was chosen by its founder, Dee Hock, to connote international recognition and acceptance. Founded in 1958, it was originally intended only for use in California, but has since spread to over 21,000 financial institutions worldwide. In France it is sometimes known as Carte Bleue and in the UK it is associated with the Barclaycard. FTP name this company which received $3.59 billion U.S. in revenue in 2007, the official card of the 2010 FIFA World Cup:
Answer: Visa
19.This novel contains one of the earliest occurrences of the word "baseball" in print (probably referring to a variant of rounders, played by Catherine Morland with other children). It follows Catherine Morland and family friends the Allens as they visit Bath, England, and includes characters such as Henry Tilney, Catherine’s love interest, and John Thorpe, her enemy. Ftp name this parody of the Gothic novel published in 1817, written by Jane Austen:
Answer: Northanger Abbey
20. Named for the Urdu word for Daffodil, it formed on April 27, 2008, and dissipated on May 3. In that time, it made landfall on a Southeast Asian nation, killing approximately 150,000 people and causing an estimated $10 billion in total damage, although censorship in some of the affected areas makes accurate reporting difficult. Ftp name this second deadliest meteorological phenomenon of its kind after Nina in 1975, whose effects were heightened when the Burmese government initially refused international aid to its survivors:
Answer: Cyclone Nargis (Accept: 01B, Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Nargis)
21. A major outbreak in 1934 at the Los Angeles County Hospital was referred to as Atypical Poliomyelitis, and was generally believed to be a form of polio. The Center for Disease Control states that approximately 1 million Americans have this disease, of which 80% are undiagnosed, and this ailment, characterised by malaise and tiredness,is controversial considering there is no current agreement on diagnosis, treatment, or cure. Ftp name this “yuppie flu” which first entered the International Classification of Diseases in 1969 under “diseases of the nervous system”:
Answer: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (Accept: Myalgic encephalomyelitis)
22. It took place against the backdrop of over 4,000 attendees gathered in Las Vegas in 1991 to discuss Naval Aviation during Operation Desert Storm. However, the event developed into a public relations disaster, as 90 people stated that they had been the victims of assault, sexual assault or harassment. PBS reported that this scandal had damaged the careers of over 300 naval servicemen, including 14 Admirals amid accusations of a “witchhunt”. FTP, name this infamous Navy scandal:
Answer: The Tailhook Scandal
23. He served as the 35th Solicitor General of the United States, acting Attorney General of the United States, and a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. His most famous moment came in 1987, when nominated by Ronald Reagan to the Supreme Court, he was blocked from that appointment by the Senate, causing his name to become a verb denoting blocking a person from a public office. FTP name this conservative legal scholar, author of Slouching Towards Gomorrah:
Answer: Robert Heron Bork
24.With some 786,000 km² of tropical land, it is the only home of animals such as the Western Crowned Pigeon and long-beaked echidna. It was fully divided between the Dutch, British and Germans in 1884, and has since been hotly contested, part of it receiving independence from Australia on September 16, 1975. Ftp name this island with the highest point of any island in the world, divided between its namesake country and Indonesia:
Answer: The island of New Guinea
BONUSES
1.Multimedia Question:
For the next 15 seconds, take a look at the following six (6) outlines of a current country’s political boundaries. The star is the capital. For five points each, identify the country Note: Drawings are not necessarily to scale:
Answer: Republic of Uzbekistan, Arab Republic of Egypt, Republica Argentina, Republic of Mali, Tunisia (Accept Tunisian Republic), Republic of Costa Rica
2. Now that that’s out of the way, answer the following questions about these famous (or infamous) Varsity football teams, ftp each:
a) This team, hailing from Texas, lost a record 86 consecutive games in NCAA football between 1989 and 1998:
Answer: Prairie View A&M Panthers
b) This Varsity team won four consecutive Yates Cups from 2000 to 2003, lost four straight National Semifinals and still has never won the Vanier Cup:
Answer: McMaster University Marauders (Accept either underlined portion)
c) A 2005 hazing scandal including “nudity, degrading positions and behaviours, gagging, [and] touching in inappropriate manners with a broomstick” forced the cancellation of part of this CIS team’s 2005 season:
Answer: McGill University Redmen
3. Answer the following questions with a common thread, ftp each:
a) The first Governor of the Hudson’s Bay Company, he is well known for his part in the English Civil War, as commander of the Royalist cavalry:
Answer: Rupert, Count Palatine of the Rhine, Duke of Bavaria, Duke of Cumberland and Earl of Holderness (Accept: Ruprecht Pfalzgraf bei Rhein, Herzog von Bayern, Prince Rupert of the Rhine)
b) This title character of a sequel to the Prisoner of Zenda is a villain who kills Rudolf V of Ruritania, before being killed by Rudolf Rassendyll:
Answer: Rupert of Hentzau
c) Rupert Bear, the lovable English cartoon character, resides in this idyllic English countryside town:
Answer: Nutwood
4. Answer the following questions about the Hobbit, ftp each:
a) Able to shift his shape into that of a bear, this ambiguous character is tricked into giving Gandalf the Grey and his party shelter for the night:
Answer: Beorn
b) His father was slain by Dain Ironfoot in Moria, and this goblin leader forces the climactic Battle of Five Armies in the novel:
Answer: Bolg, son of Azog
c) The slayer of Smaug, this “grim faced” man later became King of Dale:
Answer: Bard the Bowman (Accept: King Bard, Bard the First, King Bard the First)
5. Answer the following questions about lesser known rivers, ftp each:
a) Giving its name to a minor African country, this river has its source in Northern Guinea and meets the Atlantic Ocean near James Island and the city of Banjul:
Answer: The Gambia River
b)It flows from Lake Champlain approximately 171 kilometres north, meeting the St. Lawrence River at Sorel. It was an important route for the Iroquois and later the French, who built several forts, including Fort St. Jean and Fort Ste. Anne along it:
Answer: The Richelieu River
c)This river runs through the Grand Canyon on its way to its mouth in the Gulf of California:
Answer: The Colorado River
6. Dig your way through these questions on moles, for ten points each:
a) A 2005 article in the journal Nature found that this North American mole can detect, catch and eat food faster than the human eye can follow:
Answer: Star-nosed Mole (Accept: Condylura cristata)
b) Jacobites used to drink to moles, since this King died in 1702 of complications after his horse stumbled over a molehill and he fell:
Answer: William III of England (Accept: William of Orange, William II of Scotland, Prince of Orange; William Stadtholder of Holland and Zealand, Utrecht, Guelders and Overijssel, William and Mary)
c) This order, from the Greek for “shrew-like”, is the biological Order in which true moles are found:
Answer: Soricomorphora
7. Two Answers Required: Given the following quotation from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, identify the speaker for 5 points each and the person being described for five points:
a) Those that understood him smiled at one another, and shook their heads; but, for mine own part, it was Greek to me.
Answer: Speaker: Casca Speaking of: Cicero
b) His life was gentle; and the elements
So mix'd in him that Nature might stand up
And say to all the world, This was a man!
Answer: Speaker: Mark Antony Speaking of: Brutus
c) Hated by one he loves; braved by his brother;
Cheque'd like a bondman; all his faults observed,
Set in a note-book, learn'd, and conn'd by rote,
Answer: Speaker: Cassius Speaking of: Cassius
8. Answer the following questions about Mughal Emperors, ftp each: