(bright music) - It's quarter final time!

One of today's teams will move unto the semifinals in their quest for the $1,000 grand prize.

In today's match we have the Huskies of Gould Academy.

(triumphant music) Taking on the Blue Blazes of Westbrook.

(triumphant music) That's next on "High School Quiz Show Maine."

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That means investing in communities they serve and supporting families and businesses.

You matter more.

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Thank you.

- Welcome to "High School Quiz Show Maine."

I'm your host Todd Gutner.

Well, we've made it through the preliminary rounds and whittled our 16 teams down to eight.

We now head into the quarter finals to see who will continue on their way to the season eight championship.

Quiz show veterans Gould Academy in Bethel have yet to make it to the finals, but they need to get past rookie Westbrook, who would love to score a championship in their first year on the show.

Let's get things going by meeting the teams.

For Gould we have Will, Lucas, Ingrid, and Ian with alternates Noah, Andy, and Dia and coached by Adam Left.

And for Westbrook we have Zachary, Logan, Finn, and Ezra with alternates Lance and Isaac.

And they're coached by Rebecca Bigg.

The competition has four rounds.

The tossup round, the head to head round, the category round, and the fun lightning round.

We'll start things off with the tossup round.

All answers are worth 10 points and this is the only round with no point deductions for wrong answers.

Players must wait for me to complete the question, and if one team answers incorrectly, the other team will be given a chance to answer.

I wish good luck to both of you.

Gould, Westbrook we're off and running with the first question.

"The Trouble with Tribbles," and "The City on the Edge of Forever," are classic episodes in the original series of what TV franchise?

Logan, Westbrook.

- "The Twilight Zone?"

- That's incorrect.

Gould do you want to try?

No, too afraid.

It's Star Trek, Star Trek.

Next question.

In which European capital city would you see the Trevi Fountain and the Palantine Hill?

Logan?

- Rome?

- Rome is right.

What word that begins with S is the name for the transitional biome of warm grassy plains that covers most of Africa?

Finn, Westbrook.

- Sahara.

- [Todd] That's incorrect.

Gould?

Go ahead, Will.

- Savannah.

- Savannah, yes.

The women's heptathlon at the summer Olympic games consists of how many track and field events?

Ingrid?

- Seven.

- Seven is right.

Up next, we have a picture question.

The monitor is right over here.

Name this flamboyant British singer-songwriter and pianist known for his extensive song catalog that includes hits like "Rocket Man," "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road," and "Bennie and the Jets."

And Lucas.

- Elton John.

- Elton John, right.

Which actress who voiced an AI character in the movie "Her," claimed that OpenAI used her voice without permission for its ChatGPT function in 2024?

Go ahead, Logan.

- Scarlett Johansson.

- That is right.

Also called the ear drum, what is the scientific name for the membrane that separates the outer ear from the middle ear?

Finn, Westbrook.

- Cochlea.

- Incorrect.

Gould?

Tympanic membrane is the right answer.

Our next question, what Labour Party candidate was elected Prime Minister of the UK in July 2024?

Lucas?

- Keir Starmer.

- That is right.

Meaning don't worry about things that can't be changed, a 17th century proverb says, don't cry over what spilled liquid?

Logan?

- Milk.

- Milk is right.

Next up we have a video question, so let's look at the monitor.

- I'm Aislinn Sarnacki, host of "Borealis" on Maine Public and here's my question for you.

The Orono Bog is one of the 14 national natural landmarks in Maine.

And much of its 616 acres is made up of sphagnum moss.

What is the more common name for that type of moss?

- Logan.

- Peat.

- Peat, yes.

Nice job.

12-year-old Ralph tries to organize a group of boys stranded on a remote island into a civilized society in what novel by William Golding?

Finn.

- "Lord of the Flies."

- That is also right.

In 1938, Germany annexed which region of northern Czechoslovakia where most of the residents were people of German heritage?

Go ahead, Logan.

- Rhineland.

- That's incorrect, Gould?

The answer is Sudetenland.

We move on.

In English the punctuation mark consisting of three dots in a row is called which of these?

Antithesis, ellipsis, or parentheses?

Go ahead, Lucas.

- Ellipsis.

- Ellipsis is right.

We have a math question now, the first one of the round.

Here it is.

What is the value of 20 cubed minus 10 cubed?

Will, I think you got in there.

- 600.

- [Todd] One more time.

- 600.

- [Todd] That's incorrect.

Westbrook you have a chance here.

Go ahead, Ezra.

- Negative 96.

- The answer is 7,000.

7,000.

What Spanish tennis champion who has 22 career Grand Slam victories is known as Rafa to his friends?

Zachary.

- Rafael Nadal.

- That is right.

Since 2007, China's Chang'e space program has sent six robotic probes to collect samples of rock from what celestial body?

Ingrid?

- Mars.

- [Todd] That's incorrect.

Go ahead Westbrook.

Logan?

- The moon.

- The moon is right.

Which city in England where Jane Austen lived between 1801 and 1806 shares a name with a city on the Kennebec River in Maine nicknamed the City of Ships?

Ezra?

- Bath.

- One more time?

- Bath.

- Bath, nice job.

In June 2024, the Lakota People considered it to be a positive sign when a rare, white type of what animal was born in the wild at Yellowstone National Park?

Go ahead, Will.

- Wolf.

- [Todd] Incorrect.

Westbrook.

Logan?

- Deer?

- The answer is a buffalo or bison.

For which of these reasons, is a honey bee most likely to do a waggle dance?

It is looking for a mate.

It has found a source of nectar.

Or it is reacting to a loud noise.

Ian?

- Looking for a mate.

- [Todd] Incorrect.

Westbrook?

Go ahead, Logan.

- Found a source of nectar.

- That's the right answer.

Published in 1532, "The Prince" was written by what Italian political philosopher?

You got in there, Logan.

- Dante Alighieri?

- Incorrect.

Gould?

Machiavelli.

Next question.

An anti-catholic, anti-immigration political party of the 1850s was officially called the American Party but better known by what name that refers to how many members responded when asked about their political affiliation?

Finn, Westbrook.

- The Know Nothings.

- The Know Nothings is right.

Our second math question is now.

You have the paper, you've got a pencil.

Here's the question.

A cord of a circle measures eight centimeters and is three centimeters from the center of the circle.

What is the length of the radius of this circle in centimeters?

Logan.

- Three centimeters.

- Incorrect, Gould.

Go for it, Lucas.

- Five centimeters.

- You got it!

Nice job.

Oo, and that's the end of our round.

Got in there just barely.

We have a score, Gould 60, Westbrook 100.

Great match underway.

Don't go anywhere.

We'll meet the players when we get back.

(triumphant music) Before we go to our head to head round, we like to pause and get to know our players with a slightly off the wall question, which is, if you were tasked with designing a new car, what innovative, never before seen feature would you include?

We'll begin over here with Gould.

Will, what's your idea?

- So, I think I would take a little bit of inspiration from Wonder Woman's invisible jet.

And this would greatly reduce the stress of parallel parking, as you could clearly see the curb and the cars in front and behind you.

So, with an invisible car.

- An invisible car?

- That you can turn on and off.

- [Todd] Oh, oh, oh.

- That's very important, because you wouldn't want someone to back into you when they're trying to parallel park.

- Right, yes.

Or it could cause some problems.

Like, if you didn't know there was a car there and you tried to back into it, right?

- Yeah.

- We need to work on this a little bit, right, Will?

But it's still in the production phase.

- [Will] Yep.

- Okay, Lucas.

- Yeah, so I think the most important thing is fuel efficiency.

So instead of four wheels, I would go with two.

Instead of an engine, I would do a pedal and chain.

And instead of a steering wheel, it would be a handlebar.

- Sounds like a bike.

- [Lucas] Similar.

- Similar to a bike.

Ingrid, your turn.

- I think I gotta go classic, put an ice cream machine in the glove compartment.

- That would be pretty amazing.

Might cause some road distraction also, right?

- I don't think so.

- No, not at all?

What flavor ice cream, Ingrid?

- Oh, coffee.

- Coffee's your favorite?

- Yeah.

- That's a good choice.

Ian?

- I would take a classic lawnmower, which some people wouldn't consider a car, but I'd add a coal powered jet engine, a pair of wings, and 100 seats first class and economy so everyone can enjoy the new car.

- First class and economy?

Is that what you said?

What would first class include?

Like all the perks of... - Everything, yeah.

- Everything you could think of, right?

- Yep, everything.

- Thanks a lot, Ian.

Westbrook, we'll head over to you.

Zachary, what do you think?

- I would add some solar panels on top of the car to make it like electric and more fuel efficient.

- Yeah, and better for the environment probably too, right?

Yeah, all right, Zachary, thank you.

Logan, your turn.

- Have you ever seen "Wacky Races?"

- I haven't, no.

- Well, they've got these race cars with oil slicks and tacks.

- Oh, yeah so... - [Logan] I think I would add that.

- Have you guys every played the video game Spy Hunter?

- No.

- It's probably way before your time.

When I grew up there's was a video game called Spy Hunter and you could release oil slicks.

- [Logan] Yeah, yeah, yeah!

- And all these cars behind you would wipe out.

It was pretty awesome.

- Yeah.

- Finn, what do you think?

- I gotta go with a closet.

You never know.

- [Todd] A closet?

- At noon you want to go to the beach.

At three o'clock you got a business meeting.

You won't even have to stop at home.

- No.

You just have your whole wardrobe with you.

It's like a house car.

Ha, ha!

Thanks, Finn.

Ezra?

- I would probably add curtains to the backseat windows.

You know, like if you're ever in the backseat trying to take a nap, the glaring sun's in your eyes.

It's like, put up the curtains, take a nap.

- Yeah.

Curtains, that's an interesting... Yeah, or like tinted windows, right?

- It would be better.

- Almost like tinted windows.

But way better.

Way more, yes, aesthetically pleasing.

All right, guys, thanks a lot.

That was a lot of fun.

The head to head round is next, but let's see how well you do with our viewer question of the week.

(triumphant music) - Hi, I'm Paul Reilly from Safety Insurance and this is your viewer question of the week.

Maine is over 35,000 square miles in total area.

What number does it rank in size among all 50 states?

Keep track of your answers and tune into the semifinals for part two of the viewer question challenge.

(triumphant music) - It's time for the head to head round.

Players alternate facing off one on one, right here at the desk.

Correct answers are worth 10 points.

Incorrect answers will cost you 10 points.

There are 90 seconds on the clock, players ready?

Here we go with the first question.

With approximately 84.5 million people, what country has the highest population in Western Europe?

- Germany.

- Germany is right.

The 24th and last letter of the Greek alphabet means large O.

- Omega.

- Omega is correct.

Who was president of the United States when the Panama Canal effectively completed-- - Teddy Roosevelt.

- Incorrect.

Woodrow Wilson.

In 1215, under threat of civil war, England's King John was forced to sign what document-- - Magna Carta.

- Magna Carta, correct.

What country has more poisonous animals per square mile-- - Australia.

- Australia, yes.

What Maine athlete won the gold medal at the women's first Olympic marathon in Los Angeles 1984?

Joan Benoit Samuelson.

The currency in Panama is named after what Spanish explorer who crossed the Isthmus of Panama in the Pacific Ocean in 1513?

Balboa.

In Louisa May Alcott's novel "Little Women," the March family has how many daughters?

Four.

Invented by an Italian scientist in the 1600s, what device measures atmospheric-- - Barometer.

- Barometer, right.

In his book, "50 Secrets of Magic Craftsmanship," which artist described a process for waking himself just after falling asleep to harness his dreams for art?

Dali.

Famously depicted in a large oil portrait, George Washington crossed which icy river-- Right here.

- The Potomac.

- That's incorrect, it's the Delaware.

And that's the end of our round.

We have a score, Gould 90, Westbrook 100.

The category round is next, don't go anywhere.

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And thanking Maine's educators and schools for preparing the workforce of tomorrow.

- [Speaker] And by viewers like you.

Thank you.

(triumphant music) - Next up is the category round with the following choices.

High and Dry.

Large and in Charge.

Chillin' Like a Villain.

Pedal to the Metal.

Blast From the Past.

And Sometimes it Rhymes.

Each team will alternate control of two categories.

Questions have increasing point values.

With each question, they can choose to answer and either gain or lose points.

They can skip it and neither gain nor lose points.

Or once per category, they can toss it over to the other team and force them to answer.

Players will have about five seconds to confer and decide what to do.

Gould, you're trailing by like this much.

Will, what's your first category gonna be?

- Can we do Chillin' Like a Villain?

- Chillin' Like a Villain, yes you can.

These will be questions about villains in popular culture.

Here's the first one for 10.

A song about what villain in Disney's "101 Dalmatians" says, "If she doesn't scare you, no evil thing will?"

- Can I defer to Ingrid?

Can she say it?

- Cruella de Vil.

- That is correct.

Ha, ha.

Well done.

Chillin' Like a Villain for 15.

In the Avengers comic book and film franchise, the main antagonist is what robotic super villain seeking to destroy humanity?

- Ultron.

- Uh, pass.

Skip.

- You want to skip it?

Okay, the answer is Ultron.

Ultron.

Here's our next one.

Chillin' Like a Villain for 20.

The main antagonist of the Sonic the Hedgehog video game series is Dr. Ivo Robotnik.

Also known by what name?

What would you like to do, Will?

- Toss.

- You want to toss over to Westbrook.

Okay.

We're gonna toss over to Westbrook here.

Westbrook, I'm gonna re-read the question.

Chillin' Like a Villain for 20.

The main antagonist of the Sonic the Hedgehog video game series is Dr. Ivo Robotnik.

Also known by what name?

- Eggman.

- Eggman is right.

Nice job, Westbrook.

We're going back to Gould.

This will be like Chillin' Like a Villain for 25.

In Stephen King's novel "It" the main villain is a shape-shifting creature who takes the form of a dancing clown who lives in the sewers.

Although he's sometimes called It or Bob Gray, the clown is most often known by what name?

- Pennywise.

- Pennywise, nice job.

Chillin' Like a Villain for 30.

In Shakespeare's "Hamlet" the villain is which character who kills Hamlet's father in order to make himself King of Denmark?

- Duncan.

- Oo, that's incorrect.

It's Claudius.

Claudius.

That wraps up our first category with Gould.

We now go over to Westbrook and Finn, you get to choose your first category.

- [Finn] We're gonna do Blast From the Past.

- Okay, Blast From the Past.

These will be questions related to events in history.

Here's the first one.

In American history, the shot heard round the world refers to military engagements that happened 1775 in which two towns about 20 miles from Boston.

You must name both towns to receive the points.

- Lexington and Concord.

- You got 'em both.

Blast From the Past for 15.

The age of terrestrial dinosaurs ended 66 million years ago when an asteroid struck the earth at a place called Chicxulub.

In what country would you find the impact crater caused by that asteroid?

- Mexico.

- Mexico is also right.

Blast From the Past for 20.

The most serious nuclear accident in US history occurred in 1979 at a power plant on which island on the Susquehanna River near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania?

- Three Mile Island.

- That is the right answer.

Blast From the Past for 25.

The eruption of Mount Vesuvius in the year 79 destroys the city of Pompeii Stabiae and which other neighboring city that was a resort destination for wealthy Roman citizens?

- Skip.

- You want to skip that.

All right, the answer is Herculaneum.

Herculaneum.

Blast From the Past for 30, this is the last one.

An explosion that sunk the battleship USS Maine in Havana Harbor on February 15th, 1898 led to the start of which war?

- The Spanish-American.

- The Spanish-American War.

- And you got it.

All right, that wraps up your first category.

We're headed back to Gould for your second.

And Will, what will it be?

- [Will] You guys want to do Large and in Charge?

- Yeah.

- Sure.

- [Will] Large and in Charge.

- Okay, Large and in Charge.

These will be questions about big things in nature.

Here's the first one.

What large, heavy land mammal, whose name comes from the Greek for river horse, is found in the wild around lakes and rivers of sub-Saharan Africa?

- Hippo.

- The hippopotamus.

- That is right.

Large and in Charge for 15.

A member of the boa family, what dark green spotted snake of the Amazon region is the heaviest snake on earth and is known to kill crocodiles by coiling its body around them and suffocating them?

- The anaconda.

- The anaconda, yes.

Large and in Charge, 20.

The largest rodent in North America is which semi-aquatic herbivore that builds its home in and around lakes.

- North America?

- North America, correct.

- Beaver.

- Beaver, nice job.

Large and in Charge for 25.

One of the largest single organisms on earth is Pando, the trembling giant.

Pando, whose name means I spread, is an enormous interconnected mass of what things, covering more than 100 acres in Utah?

- Aspen trees.

- Uh, yes, we'll take it.

Yep, good job.

Large and in Charge for 30, the last one.

In 2014 scientists found fossilized remains near Antarctica of Palaeeudyptes Klekowskii, a six-foot tall, 250 pound extinct species of what flightless bird of the southern hemisphere?

- Ostrich.

- Oo, that's incorrect.

It's a penguin.

It's a penguin.

That's the second category for Gould.

We head back to Finn and Westbrook for your second category.

- [Finn] Pedal to the Metal.

- Pedal to the Metal.

These are all questions related to cars.

Here's the first one.

The first mass produced automobile, intended to be affordable for the general public, was which model car that Ford Motor Company started making in 1908?

- Model T. - Model T, yes.

Pedal to the Metal for 15.

Motor vehicle laws in Maine require cars, trucks, and motorcycles to be equipped with what device to prevent excessive or unusual noise?

- Muffler.

- Muffler is right again.

Pedal to the Metal, 20.

Two cars reach an intersection at the same time from opposite sides.

One is signaling a left turn.

One is going straight.

Which one has the right of way?

- Straight.

- Straight is the right answer.

Here's Pedal to the Metal for 25.

Max Verstappen of the Netherlands is among the top ranking drivers in what class of auto-racing that involves open cockpits, single seater cars made from ultra light materials?

- F1.

- F1, nice.

And Pedal to the Metal for 30, the last one.

To improve performance, tires on NASCAR race cars are filled with what inert, nonflammable gas that is drier and has more consistent pressure than ordinary ambient air?

- We're gonna toss.

- You want to toss over to Gould?

All right, Gould.

I'll re-read it.

To improve performance, tires on NASCAR race cars are filled with what inert, nonflammable gas that is drier and has more consistent pressure than ordinary ambient air?

- Is it nitrogen?

- It is nitrogen, nice job, Gould!

That wraps up our category round.

We have a score.

Gould 165, Westbrook 265.

Everything could change in the lightning round, though, so sit tight and we will be right back.

(triumphant music) Okay, we're heading into the final 90 seconds of game play.

It's the lightning round.

Players, you do not have to wait for me to finish the question.

You can buzz in at anytime, but do not answer until I call your name.

You get 20 points for each correct answer, an incorrect answer though will cost you 20.

And the other team will not get a chance to answer.

Our clock is set.

Good luck, here we go.

The national flag of Japan has a white background with a circle of what color-- Ingrid.

- Red.

- [Todd] Red is right.

What singer-songwriter had her first number one hit with "Driver's License" in 2020... Logan.

- Olivia Rodrigo.

- [Todd] That is correct.

What is the capital city of New Hampshire?

Ingrid.

- Concord.

- [Todd] Concord, right.

In Greek mythology, a centaur has the upper body of a-- Will?

- Horse.

- [Todd] Horse, good job.

What's the common name for FDR's policy to improve-- - New Deal.

- Ian, no.

Good Neighbor Policy.

What do we call the layer of trees above the canopy in a rainforest?

Logan, you got in there.

- Foliage?

- Emergent layer.

Before becoming president, Bill Clinton was governor of-- Finn.

- Arkansas.

- [Todd] Yes.

The first opium war was fought between Great Britain and which other-- Finn.

- China.

- [Todd] China, nice.

The Davis Cup is an international team competition for professional athletes in which sport?

Go ahead, Ingrid.

- Tennis.

- Yes!

What Spanish explorer led an expedition to the Mississippi River in May, 1541?

Will.

- Ferdinand?

- No, de Soto.

Actor Jim Parsons is best known for playing what character-- Go ahead, Finn.

- Sheldon.

- [Todd] Sheldon, right.

The Nutcracker and the 1812 Overture are famous works by which-- Uh, Lucas.

- Tchaikovsky.

- We'll take it.

Dry ice is the common name for-- Uh, I heard the bell first.

The answer would have been carbon dioxide.

And we have a final here.

Our winning team is... Westbrook with 325 points.

They'll be moving on to the semifinals in a few weeks.

Our runner up, Gould, you had 225 points.

Great job today.

Thank you both for playing and congratulations.

Be sure to tune in next time, for our second quarterfinal match between Fryeburg and Orono.

Thanks for watching and we'll see you next time on "High School Quiz Show Maine."

(audience applauding) - [Announcer] Production support for "High School Quiz Show Maine" is provided by... Energy is about more than just keeping the lights on.

It's about living life.

As parents, friends, and teammates.

Unitil is proud to support "High School Quiz Show Maine."

Unitil, more than a utility.

Part of your community.

- [Commentator] Home renovations can increase the value of your home.

Safety Insurance offers a variety of home insurance products to cover your home's increased value.

You can ask an independent agent about Safety Insurance.

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

- [Speaker] Since 1852, Bangor Savings Bank has been dedicated to keeping New Englanders at the heart of what they do.

That means investing in communities they serve and supporting families and businesses.

You matter more.

- [Announcer] And by viewers like you.

Thank you.

(triumphant music)