Questions By ***

Fifth Annual Chacko Cup Questions

Tossups

GENERAL COMMENTS:

• One person says that any question s/he would have gotten right, s/he would have powered. One person called it one of the worst s/he has ever seen, but another person said that it was interesting and would have been fun to play on.
• The set is way to wordy for a timed event. I could have cut at least one full line on every single tossup and most of the boni, and no one would have noticed.
• Two questions on American buildings from US history.
• Two questions on American legislation.
• While good teams would do fine, I feel that middle-level or weaker teams might not have a good time playing this packet. In my opinion, it does NOT hurt to make the giveaway clue obvious in most tournaments. If you want to blabber obscurity about George Washington and not divulge that he was the first president, save it for ACF Nationals, where people will appreciate it.
• The difficulty level varied in places, but since it was a singles tournament packet, I don't think the accessiblity of the answers to novice players is quite as critical to the extent of an invitational or junior bird tournament. Therefore, I don't have much of a problem with the occasional question from left field. (Then again, unlike the NBA, expansion of the canon is a good thing, IMHO).
• As for the grammatical comments, I didn't see too much of a problem with what was written, since I could probably understand the packet clearly if I heard it during competition or if I was moderating the round.
• Too many instances of two questions on basically the same topic. Needs wider range of reference sources. Writer needs to work on giveaways. Several instances of obvious facts being omitted. I always figured that a toss-up should be as gettable as possible by the end, given the limitations of a topic. If the answer is something like "Battle of Poltava" that a lot of people just plain don't know, fair enough. But if it's something like "Abraham Lincoln" that everyone knows something about, put in that something.

1). (Literature-19^th Century-English)

According to Gene Roddenberry, he was the primary inspiration for Captain James T. Kirk. The hero of 11 novels and five short stories, it traces the career of a British sailor from his days as a midshipman through his promotion to Lord Admiral during the Napoleonic era. FTP, name the character created by C. S. Forester and the subject of four recent movies on A&E.

Answer: Horatio Hornblower

• This question is "not-so-lit."
• What's 'recent?' Also, screws those without cable, which is fine, if it's the only question in the packet that requires $39.99 per month. :)
• Poor grammar in the second sentence-- what is the word "it" referring to? In general you have to be very careful with pronouns in tossups. Pronouns should almost always refer to the answer.
• Good topic, but the pronoun does shift erratically
• Skip the A&E part, C.S. Forester's the giveaway.

2). (Social Science-Linguistics-Phrase Origins)

It first made its way into English from the Latin in 1760, as the literal of the name of a Roman Catholic official whose duty is to examine critically the evidence on which a demand for beatification or canonization rests, after which his evidence is presented, the conclave makes their decision. FTP, what is this phrase, now used as any person who champions a cause for the sake of argument, especially when they disagree with the position.

Answer: The Devil's Advocate

• "after which his..." This seems nongrammatical. The first sentence is too long. Cut it after "rests" and say "After his evidence is presented, ...:.
• The power point is probably at best possible place. I think you'll get a lot of buzzes after Latin/English name, Roman Catholic office.
• What does "the literal of the name" mean? Needs proofreading.
• There are basically two clues here. One of them is obscure and one of which is vague. You could give a specific clue: "As Al Pacino and Keanu Reeves could tell you."
• Just as a pedantic point: the office of "devil's advocate" had some official, generic-sounding name that I don't just now remember, and it was abolished at some time in the 1980s, so that part should be in the past tense

3). (Geography-United States-Buildings)

To its northeast lie the Russell, Dirksen, and Hart Buildings. To its south the Cannon, Ford, Rayburn, Longworth, and O'Neill Buildings. To the East, the Adams, Jefferson, and Madison Buildings which make up the Library of Congress, as well as the Supreme Court Building. FTP, name this building, whose site was selected at the East End of the National Mall in 1792 by Pierre L'Enfant.

Answer: United States Capitol Building

• I would rewrite it, "FTP, Pierre L'Enfant selected the site for what building, located at the East End of the National Mall?"
• This is a well-structured question. I could see the wheels turning in players' brains, as I read it at practice.
• How about some kind of a history-type clue. This is a pretty darn famous building, and you can certainly write a question on it that doesn't give a huge advantage to anyone who's lived in DC.

4). (History-Chinese-Ancient)

It was has been theorized that her love for lychee nuts almost bankrupted China, and perhaps caused the An Lu Shan rebellion. She used her power to employ many of her relatives, and even snuck men into the imperial palace. Her murder while on the run from the An Lu Shan rebellion caused the Xuan Zong (Shu-an Zong) emperor to abdicate to his son. FTP, name this famous Tang imperial concubine and one of the four great beauties in Chinese history.

Answer: Lady Yang or Yang Gui Fei or Yang Yu-Huan (Yang Yu He-wan)

• Very obscure.
• "I have never heard of this person in the context of quizbowl or otherwise. I could not name three other Chinese beauties, and think that that is not a clue at all, much less the giveaway."
• Yeah, it's obscure as can be. On the other hand, if one's determined to expand the canon regardless of whether anyone knows the stuff, Chinese history is a great area in which to do it. This is one of the oldest, best-documented cultures in the world, and no-one in the English-speaking world knows anything specific about its history before white people showed up, except for a few memorized dynasty names.
  [Editor's note: Who are the four great beauties of Chinese history, and if this question is answered, will that expand the so-called canon?]

5). (Science-Multiple-Terms)

In biology, it is the term for the division of a zygote, occurring spirally in protostomes and radially in deuterostomes. In mineralogy, it is the splitting of a mineral along planar surfaces determined by the crystal structure, ranging from perfect in muscovite to fair in beryls. FTP, what is this common term?

Answer: Cleavage

• Where's the Pamela Anderson clue? :) Questions should not end with "FTP name it." This is a waste of moderator breath. Put FTP earlier in the question and end with the second definition.
• The last sentence is not a clue and is just there to pad the question out a bit. This question is okay but could use another clue. Maybe something about DNA--or mammary glands?
• Oh come on, don't put in a clue with a suggestive answer without at least trying to amuse players with a dirty joke.
• There are some minerals that have no cleavage because they aren't crystalline (e.g. obsidian). I guess one could say that if it isn't crystalline, it's not technically a mineral. I don't believe there's a real consensus on that point.
• Overasked question.

6). (Sports-Baseball-Owners)

"We plan absentee ownership as far as running the team is concerned. We're not going to pretend we're something we aren't. We'll stick to building ships... I won't be active in the day-to-day operations of the club at all. I can't spread myself so thin. I've got enough headaches with my shipping contract." This ironic statement was uttered in 1973 FTP, by what baseball owner, upon completion of his $10 million purchase from CBS of the New York Yankees.

Answer: George Steinbrenner

• Should end with a question mark. FTP should be before "by." (as in "by, FTP, what...?"
• Could use either "He said" affixed to the beginning of the question, or a prompt on New York Yankees, just in case.
• The last two sentences of the quote provide no further context and wouldn't help anyone get it. Better to use the space for something like "within two years of saying it, he had already fired [whatever large number] of managers."
• Cute, cool question.

7). (Religion-Catholic-Pontiffs)

He had a hobby that is rare among Italian ecclesiastics: English literature, with special attention to Mark Twain. In the largest conclave ever, he was elected on just the third ballot on the first day of voting; the third Cardinal of Venice this century to be elected Pontiff. FTP, name this Pope who died suddenly of a heart attack on September 28, 1978.

Answer: Pope John Paul I

• Mark Twain is a fixture of English-language literature, not English literature.
• Needs real name as alternate answer. [Editor's note: His real name is Albino Luciani .]
• This is the second question that hangs heavily on one's knowledge of inside Vatican processes and gossip.

8). (Computers and Society-Viruses-Headlines)

Tatung Institute of Technology in Taiwan claimed that it punished Chen Ing-hau in April 1998 after an investigation into his authorship of it. He was given a demerit but not expelled because he warned other students not to spread the fruits of his labor. Turkey and South Korea were both heavily affected by it, while the U.S. however, only reported some 10,000 "meltdowns." FTP, name this virus, which struck hard drives on April 26 and was suffixed CIH for the student's initials.

Answer: Chernobyl-CIH virus

• The first "it" does not refer to the answer, which is unclear. Perhaps "TIT in Taiwan claimed Chen Ing-Hau was punished in April 1998 after an investigation into his authorship of this."
• Good and topical, but the giveaway should be something specific to the nuclear disaster.

9). (Pop Culture-Music-Bands)

They had a tough 1998, as Nick McCabe announced that he would no longer tour with the band. Then Massive Attack quit as the opening act for their U.S. tour, which forced the band to downsize the venues they were playing. Then Richard Ashcroft, the front man of the band had to share his Grammy nomination for Best Rock Song with the Glimmer Twins when it was learned that Ashcroft had sampled "The Last Time." FTP, name this band that called it quits on April 29, 1999, a bittersweet day for their fans.

Answer: The Verve

• Very obscure.
• Aw, man, no more Verve? Comma after "band".
• This was current events pop culture at the time, so I guess it's okay. Otherwise, song/album should be the giveaway.
• If someone's a fan, this is probably easy. If not, it's impossible.
• This band is not obscure. However, why not mention Urban Hymns (the last album) or Bittersweet Symphony in the giveaway?

10). (Current Events-U.S.-Buzz Words)

Its current manifestation began in the British punk scene of the early '80s. Musically, it was propagated by bands like Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and Joy Division, while it's couture was heavily influenced by Anne Rice's novels. Some acolytes took an academic interest in subjects such as Satanism and blood drinking, but most just seek to romanticize the darkness of humanity. FTP, name this "sub-culture" which was frequently incorrectly linked to violence in wake of the Columbine tragedy.

Answer: Goths, Goth Culture, Gothics (accept equivalents)

• The Goth question could easily have a hose answer of "vampire" after the Anne Rice and blood-drinking clues.
• Power on "Goth" after Bauhaus?
• Might put in a reference to the German tribe or the architectural movement for the pop-culture clueless.
• The music part keeps it from being a vampire hose. Bauhaus is a giveaway, not power knowledge.

11). (History-European-Roman)

In the spring of AD 37, he wrenched his shoulder, took to his bed, became ill, and lapsed into a coma. His physicians declared that he would die within the day. His successor was sent for and the elite Guard declared their support for the new emperor. He then recovered consciousness, sat up, and asked for something to eat. FTP, name this Roman Emperor, who was smothered by blankets by the Praetorian commander Macro to alleviate the confusion of succession.

Answer: Tiberius Claudius Nero

• The "giveaway clue" isn't, really -- I think it belongs earlier in the question. I think it can never hurt for the giveaway clue to be truly obvious. At least tell who his successor was, to make it easier.
• Not really a pyramid structure. After the word "emperor," people who know dates or have read I Claudius will get it. No-one else ever will, except by guessing.
• Power should probably be after "coma."

12). (General Knowledge-Weapons-Production)

Roll gunpowder into toilet paper and make a 1-inch diameter ball. Insert a cloth fuse into the ball and use wax to hold the fuse in place. Then fill a 6 oz. bottle 1/3 of the way with a mixture of rubbing alcohol, paint thinner and lighter fluid. Suspend the ball in the mixture and attach the cap. Light and throw. FTP, the previous was the recipe for what explosive incendiary device, first used by the Finns in 1939 during the Winter War.

Answer: Molotov Cocktail

• Power on "Molotov" after "bottle"?
• End with a question mark! Nifty question, BTW.
• Nifty, but early power. Might have a specific reference to Molotov, just so that "hand-held firebomb" isn't a completely acceptable answer.

13). (Literature-American-Jazz Age)

Boy meets girl. Boy flirts with girl. Boy gets hit by shrapnel. Girl gets transferred to American hospital in Milan. Girl treats boy. Boy gets girl pregnant. Boy gets shipped back to front. Boy gets stuck in chaotic retreat. Boy escapes MPs by jumping in river. Boy reunites with girl at Swiss border. Boy rows girl to neutral Switzerland. Boy escapes execution. Girl gives birth to stillborn, then hemorrhages to death. Boy walks home in the rain. FTP, this is the bare-bones plot outline of what 1929 Hemingway novel.

Answer: A Farewell to Arms

(Author's note: In a perhaps ill-advised homage to Hemingway, the previous sentences were written as succinctly as possible.)

• Question mark! Much easier than reading the damn novel. :)
• After a certain point, the plot summary is wasted. If people know the plot, they'll get it. Better use of space would be to throw in a character name for list-memorizers.
• Cool question.

14). (Pop Culture-Television-Actors)

Among his television credits are playing President Eisenhower in the CBC TV movie The Arrow. A Dartmouth grad and Fulbright Scholar, among his other roles are Hull Barret in Pale Rider, General Hershberg in Courage Under Fire, and in an odd coincidence, he played Jim O'Connor in the TV adaptation of The Glass Menagerie, where he co-starred with Sam Waterston. FTP, name this Detroit-born actor who left "Law & Order" in 1994 only to be replaced by Waterston.

Answer: Michael Moriarty

15). (History-American-Crime)

J. Edgar Hoover called her "one of the most vicious, dangerous and resourceful criminal brains" of the era. While there is no proof that she herself ever actually committed any crimes or even planned any, she did condone the criminal lifestyle of her four sons, all of whom made the FBI "Most Wanted" List in the 1930's. FTP, name this woman, the supposed ringleader of one of the Depressions most notorious gangs.

Answer: Kate "Ma" Barker

• The names of her sons might be a decent clue.
• "The era" is unnecessarily vauge. Some people will reflexively power on "female gangster."

16). (Current Events-U.S.-Legislative)

According to the National Governors' Association, it is the first bill in more than a decade that all 50 state governors have endorsed. Allowing states to waive certain federal education requirements in order to improve student performance, it also allows governors broader discretion in federal education grants spending, provided the state establishes strict standards which schools must meet to receive this kind of elasticity. FTP, name this bill, hailed as part of the "Congressional healing process" signed into law on April 29 by President Clinton.

Answer: Ed-Flex or the Education Flexibility Partnership Act

• Way too obscure. Did anyone at the entire tournament get it? The question makes the bill seem much more important than it really is--politicians have a way of "hailing" one bill every week as the greatest thing since the Sherman Antitrust Act. (Which was a dud, as well.)
• This is the second tossup which mentions April 29, 1999 as a clue.
• What's wrong with writing two questions out of the same newspaper?

17). (Fine Arts-Architecture-American)

Designed by architect John Duncan, it was completed in 1897 and is the largest mausoleum in North America. Lying along Riverside Drive at 122^nd Street in Manhattan, it also features some of the best surviving examples of 19^th Century murals and mosaics in the United States. FTP, name this National Memorial and final resting place of the former Julia Dent and her husband.

Answer: Grant's Tomb or General Grant National Memorial

• The second "landmark" question of the packet--still fairly interesting.
• Murals and National Memorial are unhelpful. Might say "subject of a famously self-answering question" or something like that.

18). (Sports-Soccer-Women)

Born in Selma, Alabama on St. Patrick's Day, 1973; she is the only player ever to win both the Missouri Athletic Club Award and the Hermann Trophy twice. One of People's 50 Most Beautiful People in 1997, like her fellow Chapel Hill alum and commercial co-star Michael Jordan, she wears #9 in international competition. FTP, name this American striker, who also shares the world record for international goals by a female soccer player with 107.

Answer: Mia Hamm (Mariel Margaret Hamm)

• Probably the statistic "107 goals" should come earlier and the last words in the tossup should be "female soccer player."

19). (Science-Biology-Animals)

It is a colony of polyplike organisms that are attached to a gas-filled, floating membrane, which floats above the water and acts as a sail. When the whether gets bad, it can deflate and float just beneath the surface. Its sting can cause shock, fever, and heart and respiratory distress. FTP, identify this creature of genus Phrysalia, occasionally called a "blue bottle."

Answer: Portuguese man-of-war

• Should accept or prompt on "jellyfish" before the power mark.
• Power on "Portuguese man-of-war" after "gas-filled sac"?
• Again: could have a specific giveaway, and scientific names are very rarely good giveaways.

20). (General Knowledge-Words and Phrases-Multiple Meanings)

This word means a class of English freeholders below the gentry who own and cultivate small farms. It is also a naval petty officer who performs clerical duties or a person who performs a great and loyal service beyond the call of duty. The "of the guard" ones are ceremonial attendants to the sovereign and warders of the Tower of London. FTP, name this word, of whom Janice Rand was Captain Kirk's.

Answer: Yeoman (Yo-Man)

• "The 'of the guard' ones..." is pretty poor. Perhaps "Those designated as 'of the guard'..."?
• The last two sentences have prepostions in confusing places.
• I suggest this: "The ones 'of the guard' are ceremonial attendants to the sovereign and warders of the Tower of London. FTP, name this title which was held by Janice Rand on the starship Enterprise."
• First sentence should be in the past tense, as the distinction no longer reflects much of any reality.

21). (Literature-Modern American-Rivalries)

In what amounts to the one of best literary feud of the 1990's, in a 1994 book review, Chris Buckley referred to him as "the James Fenimore Cooper of his day, which is to say, the most successful bad writer." Then in his latest book, Little Green Men, Buckley created an obsessive, right-wing pseudo-defense expert turned author. FTP, name the real-life scribe whom Buckley correctly points out "that sales of my best selling book are little more than one of his accounting errors."

Answer: Tom Clancy

• This question is "not-so-lit."
• Eliminate "what amounts to."
• It'd be nice to have an actual book by Clancy as a clue. It's guessable based on the description of the character from Little Green Men, but tough unless you know about the literary feud.
• Second-sentence pronoun is confusing. Better to merge it into one sentence.

22). (Geography-Ireland-Cities)

The region that bears this name is comprised of the counties of Kerry, Clare, Tipperary, and Limerick, the largest city of the region. The river that bears the name is just over 200 miles long, Ireland's longest. The airport that bears the name is the largest on Ireland's West Coast. FTP, give the common name, which also names an ancient Gaelic god.

Answer: Shannon

• I've heard of everything EXCEPT the giveaway.
• I'd reorder the clues so that it reads "The region that bears this name....It is the name of an ancient Gaelic god and an airport...FTP, name this river...."
• First sentence is a hose for "Munster" if you know Irish geography, which I don't guess a hell of a lot of people do.

23). (Literature-Non-Fiction-20^th Century)

President Kennedy credited it with providing him a perspective on the past during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The author believed in communing with the areas that she was writing about, deciding to take walking tours of World War I battlegrounds as part of her research. Her conclusion was that every side was at fault because they all made one form of mistake or miscalculation. FTP, name this Pulitzer Prize winning book by Barbara Tuchman, #16 on the Modern Library's Best Non-Fiction List.

Answer: The Guns of August

• Are we really at the point where a work's place on the Modern Library list is a giveaway clue? Please, God, no.
• The last clue should be the easiest clue. It would indeed be sad if someone could answer this question based on the last clue but not on the earlier clues.
• Tuchman + WWI is a pretty adequate giveaway.
• Wasn't there a question last year at NAQT sectionals on "The March of Folly"? I'm all in favor of historiography as a question topic, but Barbara Tuchman is an odd choice to be the one historian who reliably comes up.
• End after Barbara Tuchman.

24). (Current Events-Business-American)

In a press release, Ford praised the integrity of this division of one of their rivals when they announced that they had falsified sales figures for December of 1998. They, under pressure, admitted that the division faked sales figures make it appear as though they had outsold their leading competitor for 1998, maintaining claims of their long-held dominance over Lincoln. FTP, name this luxury car division of GM, named for the founder of the city of Detroit.

Answer: Cadillac (prompt on GM before it is mentioned)

• End prompt after "division." GM isn't a division of anything.

25). (History-American-20^th Century)

"The most dangerous power of the prosecutor is that he will pick people that he thinks he should get, rather than cases that need to be prosecuted." This quote is attributed to a man who rose from IRS legal counsel to Assistant Attorney General, to Solicitor General, and finally, to Attorney General all during FDR's first two terms before being appointed to the Supreme Court in 1941. FTP, name this man, who may be best remembered today as the chief American prosecutor at the Nuremberg trials.

Answer: Robert H. Jackson

• Very obscure.
• NOT very obscure, but I would put the power marks a little later in the question.
• Make it clear earlier you're looking for the person.
• This is not obscure to anyone who knows 20th Century history. However, why not more on Nuremberg before the giveaway; you're just creating a buzzer race at the end. Power mark should be after Attorney General.

26). (General Knowledge-Business and Industry-Terms)

As part of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, many companies now must include one of these in any financial report released to investors. It states that any statements which are not historical facts to be those containing forward-looking information with respect to plans or future performance and points out that there are no guarantees that these plans of the Company as indicated will be achieved. FTP, name this kind of statement that gives companies "a port in the storm" against litigation.

Answer: Safe Harbor Statement

• I don't know. Is this tough?
• The practice itself is fairly pointless. Is this something that is mentioned in business school classes?
• It's not obscure to anyone who reads financial filings and documents, but I have no clue how anyone else would get it.
• Do they teach this in business courses? This is tough, law students don't learn this til 2nd year.

27). (Current Events-Obits-Recent)

During his teenage years, he served three years in a federal reformatory for stealing cars, but after doing some time as a ranch hand; he was convinced by Western star Alan Ladd to take a screen test. He became a B-Movie star, featured in such films as Way of a Gaucho, Four Guns to the Border, The Hired Gun, and the TV series "The Texan." FTP, name this screen cowboy, best remembered by Monty Burns as always standing and walking, just like his little greyhound.

Answer: Rory Calhoun

28). (History-American-20^th Century)

"Together, the united forces of our communication and transportation systems are dynamic elements in the very name we bear - United States. Without them, we would be a mere alliance of many separate parts." The President said this after he signed this 1956 act, as he knew the importance of whence he spoke, after all, in 1919 he participated in the U.S. Army's first transcontinental motor convoy. FTP, name this act which established the Dwight D. Eisenhower System of Interstate and Defense Highways.

Answer: Federal Highway Act of 1956

• I would accept Interstate Highway Act for tossup 28 or at least prompt on the word "interstate" before it's said.
• Semicolon after "spoke."
• It could use an identifier of some osrt, so we know if we are going for the subject of the quotation or the speaker, going in.

29). (Social Sciences-Economics-Terms)

In the early 1970s, it was thought that Keynesianism (cane-zee-anne-is-z-umm) had been proven wrong by this existence of this condition, for which this word had been coined in the late in the previous decade. FTP, what is this three syllable economic term describing the simultaneous condition of declining productivity growth and an acceleration in the rising of prices.

Answer: Stagflation

• Please let questions on stagflation die!
• I'd like to see fewer pop econ questions and more based on what people learn in intermediate and upper level classes. This one is pop econ. There should be some caveats in the first sentence, e.g. "some thought that" rather than "it was thought that." The more general definition of stagflation is "a combination of a rise in the price level and a fall in real GDP/GNP." The wording seems to confuse an acceleration in inflation with inflation itself. The pronunciation guide to Keynesianism is messed up--no need for the-z-.

30). (Fine Arts-Cinema-Films)

As odd as it may seem, the final award scene in Star Wars parallels a shot for shot sequence in this film. Called the most dangerous propaganda film ever made, it is also noted for being one of the greatest cinematic achievements by a woman director in the first half of the century. FTP, name this 1934 film, which according to the Onion's Our Dumb Century also won Best Picture for a 4^th straight year at the Nazi-Occupied 1944 Cannes Film Festival.