>> JOE HANSON: Coming up on High School Quiz Show, it's South High... (cheers and applause) ...taking on Commonwealth!

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

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

>> 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.

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

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

I'm your host, Joe Hanson.

Last week we kicked off the season with the wild card match between Maynard High School and Saint John's High School in Shrewsbury.

Saint John's defeated Maynard to claim the final spot in the bracket.

Today we welcome the Commonwealth School from Boston and South High Community School from Worcester.

On the Commonwealth team we have: Ben, Henry, Aritra, and Anto, with alternate Aaron and coach David Gold.

(cheers and applause) Competing for South High we have: Laura, Benedict, Phoebe, and Muriel.

With alternate William and coaches Kayla Avellino and Kitren Farrell.

(cheers and applause) The competition has four rounds: a toss-up, head-to-head, category, and the lightning round.

We start with the toss-up round.

Now all answers are worth ten points, there are no point deductions for wrong answers, and players may confer.

So teams, if you're ready, good luck.

Here we go.

What mechanical engineer born in Westboro, Massachusetts, is best known for inventing the cotton gin, a device that mechanized the process of removing seeds from cotton?

Laura.

>> Eli Whitney.

>> HANSON: That is correct.

The first underground subway system in Latin America opened in 1913 in what capital city of Argentina?

Ben.

>> Buenos Aires.

>> HANSON: Correct.

A dominant figure in global affairs in the 1970s, what diplomat who served as U.S. secretary of state and national security adviser in the Nixon and Ford administrations passed away in 2023 at age 100?

Phoebe.

>> Henry Kissinger.

>> HANSON: Correct.

Take a look at your screens now.

Pictured here is a scene from the D-Day invasion at Normandy, widely acknowledged as the largest amphibious attack in military history.

D-Day took place on what date in 1944?

Benedict.

>> July 1st.

>> HANSON: No.

Commonwealth?

The opportunity to buzz in.

Henry.

>> August 1st.

>> HANSON: No, the answer's June 6, 1944.

In 2023, a European spacecraft set off on an eight-year journey to explore Europa, Callisto, and Ganymede, three ice-encrusted moons of which planet?

Henry.

>> Jupiter.

>> HANSON: That is correct.

The original concept of the zombie-- a person raised from the dead and controlled by a sorcerer-- has been popularly associated with what folk religion of Haiti?

Henry.

>> Voodoo.

>> HANSON: Correct.

Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio made history in 2023 as the first Latin solo act to headline the Coachella music festival in California.

The Puerto Rican rapper is better known by what stage name?

Phoebe.

>> Bad Bunny.

>> HANSON: Correct.

What river that flows across the northern part of Austria is the second-longest river in Europe, after the Volga?

Aritra.

>> Danube.

>> HANSON: The Danube River is correct.

Take a look at your screens, we have a question from a very special guest.

>> Hi.

I'm Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, and here's my question.

In 2023, a wood-paneled bar was sold at auction for $675,000.

It's part of the set of what long-running sitcom based in a bar in Boston where "everybody knows your name"?

>> HANSON: Muriel.

>> Cheers.

>> HANSON: That is correct.

In 2022, what 6-foot-9 defenseman from Slovakia and former captain of the Boston Bruins announced his retirement after 21 seasons in the NHL?

Henry.

>> Porzingis.

>> HANSON: No.

South High, opportunity if you want.

>> (whispering): Is it Marchand?

>> (whispering): Just ask.

>> Marchand.

>> HANSON: Marchand is incorrect.

It's Zdeno Chara.

Prosaic means which of the following: is it ancient, unimaginative, or costly?

Laura.

>> Ancient.

>> HANSON: No.

Commonwealth, opportunity-- Henry?

>> Unimaginative.

>> HANSON: Unimaginative is correct.

In the 1920 U.S. election, what Socialist Party candidate received 3.4% of the votes while imprisoned for speaking out against the draft?

Ben.

>> Eugene Debs.

>> HANSON: Eugene Debs is correct.

Almost all of the honeybees in a hive are female.

Male honeybees, whose one main purpose is to mate with the queen, are called what?

Phoebe.

>> Drones.

>> HANSON: Drones is correct.

In 2023, what Malaysian action star won an Oscar for Best Actress for her lead role in the film Everything Everywhere All at Once?

Henry.

>> Michelle Yeoh.

>> HANSON: Michelle Yeoh is correct.

What mountain range has long been considered the traditional dividing line between Europe and Asia?

Anto.

>> Caucus Mountains.

>> HANSON: No.

South High?

Phoebe.

>> The Urals.

>> HANSON: The Urals is correct.

Handwashing is one of the best ways to protect yourself from catching diseases like COVID-19.

According to the CDC, you should wash your hands for at least how many seconds?

Phoebe.

>> 20.

>> HANSON: 20 seconds, that's right.

Which of the following math properties says we can move numbers around and still get the same answer?

For example: 6 + 3 = 3 + 6.

Is it: commutative, distributive, or associative?

Anto.

>> Commutative.

>> HANSON: Commutative, correct.

An Oscar winner for her lead role in the film Moonstruck, what pop diva is the only solo artist to have a number one single on a Billboard chart in seven consecutive decades?

Henry.

>> Madonna.

>> HANSON: No.

South High, opportunity?

Benedict.

>> Dolly Parton.

>> HANSON: No, the answer is Cher.

>> (whispering): Cher!

>> (whispering): Oh.

>> HANSON: The Kingdom of Spain was formed when Isabella of Castille and Ferdinand of Aragon were married during what century?

Henry.

>> Fifteenth.

>> HANSON: 15th century, that is right.

Nobel Peace Prize laureate and democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi was ousted from power in a military coup in 2021.

She was the leader of what country in Southeast Asia?

Aritra.

>> Myanmar.

>> HANSON: Myanmar is right.

At Oxford in the 1940s, author J.R.R.

Tolkien was friends with what fellow faculty member best known for writing the Chronicles of Narnia series?

Henry.

>> C.S.

Lewis.

>> HANSON: Yes.

Which of the following can be measured in units of bars, pascals, or torrs?

Is it: radiation, pressure, or sound?

Laura.

>> Pressure.

>> HANSON: Correct.

In 2003, what celebrity announced on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno that he was running for governor of California?

Phoebe.

>> Arnold Schwarzenegger >> HANSON: Yes.

Franz Kafka lived in Prague but wrote all of his works-- including The Trial and Metamorphosis-- in what language?

Aritra.

>> German.

>> HANSON: Yes.

On October 15, 1945, what former prime minister of Vichy France was executed for treason?

Aritra.

>> Philippe Pétain.

>> HANSON: No.

South High, opportunity.

>> What's his name?

(buzzer) >> HANSON: Pierre Laval.

>> Yeah.

>> HANSON: A father-son story set mainly in Afghanistan, what 2003 debut novel by Khaled Hosseini spent more than two years on the New York Times bestseller list?

Laura.

>> The Kite Runner.

>> HANSON: Yes.

In taxonomy, seals and walruses belong to what suborder derived from the Latin term for "fin-footed" or "flipper-footed"?

Henry.

>> Cephalid.

>> HANSON: No.

South High, opportunity if you like.

>> (whispering): No clue.

>> (whispering): No idea.

(buzzer) >> HANSON: Pinniped.

In 1964, a jury in Dallas found what nightclub owner guilty of murdering Lee Harvey Oswald, the accused assassin of President John F. Kennedy?

Ben.

>> Jack Ruby.

>> HANSON: Jack Ruby is correct.

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

Let's take a look at the score.

Commonwealth has 130 points; South High, 100 points.

This is a close one.

Let's have a round of applause for both teams.

(cheers and applause) The head-to-head round is next, but first, we're going to take a few minutes to get to know our players.

And we do that with a question.

Commonwealth, we'll start with you.

You've just been hired to the marketing team at a major cereal brand and need to decide what to place in a new cereal as a gimmick to increase sales.

What would you recommend and why-- Ben?

>> I would recommend fortune cookies.

I think it would be cool if every morning you got to wake up and like learn a little prophecy about your day.

>> HANSON: A snack in your snack.

I kind of like that.

Henry.

>> I would add more of the Lucky Charms or... Lucky Charms marshmallows because that's the part people like eating.

>> HANSON: I'm with you, box of marshmallows.

Aritra.

>> I would add some kind of tropical fruit because looking at modern advertising for all those soda drinks it seems like adding something bizarre in a drink and calling it healthy is all what goes.

>> HANSON: Make it weird, make it healthy, always works.

Anto?

>> Well, you've heard of donut holes, now get ready for Cheerio holes.

(laughter) >> HANSON: The leftovers.

Laura.

>> See, I went more with the action figure route.

I would go with a Megan Thee Stallion action figure.

I think she's had some good collaborations recently, and that could be a good one.

>> HANSON: All right, I'm curious what cereal that would go in.

>> Ya know, I think all of them.

(laughter) Cheerios, Corn Flakes, whatever you want.

>> HANSON: Benedict.

>> I would put in a single piece of cereal that was really, really, really spicy to appeal to like that 12-year-old boy market.

>> HANSON: I mean, that is the key demographic for cereal.

That's a good one.

Phoebe.

>> I also sort of went the action figure-ish route.

I was thinking-- not an action figure-- but Beyblades.

(laughter) >> HANSON: Okay.

Muriel.

>> I went the classic golden ticket route.

You know, with some kind of reward.

Because Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, people went insane for that, so.

>> HANSON: The tour of the factory didn't turn out very well for all the kids though, unfortunately.

(laughter) All right, teams, it's time to go head to head.

(cheers and applause) In this round, correct answers add ten points to the team total.

And wrong answers result in a ten-point deduction.

The clock is set at 90 seconds.

Let's shake hands.

Here we go.

Name the world's largest nonpolar desert.

(buzzer) The Sahara.

What is the last letter of the classical Greek alphabet?

>> Omega.

>> HANSON: Yes.

By 1868, Great Britain had sent more than 160,000 convicts to what remote continent?

>> Australia.

>> HANSON: Yes.

A room at the U.S. Department of the Interior is named for what conservationist and author of the book Silent Spring?

(buzzer) Rachel Carson.

In chemistry, the pH scale ranges from zero to what number?

>> 14.

>> HANSON: Yes.

In a standard four-part chorus, what is the second-highest voice?

>> Alto.

>> HANSON: Yes.

The Left Bank and Right Bank neighborhoods of Paris are divided by what river?

>> The Seine.

>> HANSON: Yes.

Massachusetts abolished slavery during what century?

>> 19th.

>> HANSON: No, the 18th century.

What Greek hero is best known for slaying the Gorgon Medusa?

>> Perseus.

>> HANSON: Yes.

From 2005 to 2021, who served as the chancellor of Germany?

>> Angela Merkel.

>> HANSON: Yes.

Tai chi is an ancient form of exercise that originated in what country?

>> China.

>> HANSON: Yes.

Who advocated ruthless cunning in his 1532 political treatise The Prince?

>> Machavellius.

>> HANSON: No, Machiavelli.

John Kerry was the Democratic nominee for U.S. president in what year?

(buzzer) 2004.

What prominent Marxist was the leader of Russia's 1917-- >> Lenin.

>> HANSON: Yes.

The Titanic struck an iceberg and began sinking on the night of April 14 of what year?

>> 1912.

>> HANSON: Yes.

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

Let's take a look at the score.

Commonwealth has 180 points; South High has 130 points.

Let's have a round of applause for both teams.

(cheers and applause) Up next, the category round, with the following categories: Strike Zone, George vs. George, Building Big, To Boldly Go, That's All She Wrote, and Scam Likely.

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 are able to confer.

Commonwealth, who's your spokesperson?

Henry.

South High, your spokesperson?

Laura.

South High, you've got some ground to make up, so you get to choose the first category.

>> We'll take George vs. George.

>> HANSON: George vs. George.

These are questions about the American Revolution.

For ten points: early in 1776, King George III hired thousands of Hessian mercenaries to help British troops crush the American rebellion.

These mercenaries were from what present-day country?

>> (whispering): Germany.

>> Germany.

>> HANSON: Correct.

For 15 points: George Washington was appointed commander of the Continental Army in 1775.

Though he lost more battles than he won, Washington was victorious at the pivotal Battle of Trenton, and at what 1781 battle that marked Britain's final defeat?

>> (whispering): That's Hamilton.

>> The Battle of Yorktown.

>> HANSON: Yorktown is correct.

For 20 points: published anonymously in January 1776, what pamphlet by Thomas Paine convinced many Americans to declare their independence from Britain?

>> Common Sense.

>> HANSON: Yes.

For 25 points in George vs. George: France forged an alliance with America after what 1777 battle in New York that was a critical turning point in the war against the British?

>> Saratoga.

>> HANSON: Yes.

For 30 points: after his Defeat at Yorktown, what British commander refused to surrender his sword, feigning illness and sending a deputy in his place?

>> (whispering): Uh... >> (whispering): Cornwallis.

>> (whispering): Cornwallis.

>> Cornwallis.

>> HANSON: Cornwallis is correct.

Commonwealth, what's your first category?

>> We'll take Building Big.

>> HANSON: Building Big is questions about world landmarks.

For ten points: originally pitched to the city of Barcelona, which rejected it as an unwieldy eyesore, what iconic Paris landmark was constructed for the International Exposition of 1889?

>> (whispering): Eiffel Tower.

>> Eiffel Tower.

>> HANSON: That is correct.

For 15 points: also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, what giant arena in Rome could seat up to 50,000 spectators?

>> (whispering): Colosseum.

>> Colosseum.

>> HANSON: Correct.

For 20 points: the largest Art Deco statue in the world, Christ the Redeemer is a giant statue at the summit of Mount Corcovado in what South American city?

>> Rio de Janeiro.

>> HANSON: That is correct.

For 25 points in Building Big: built in the late 18th century and composed of 12 Doric columns, what historic gate in Berlin has served as a symbol of both the division of Germany and its unification?

>> Brandenburg.

>> HANSON: The Brandenburg Gate is correct.

For 30 points: what imperial palace complex in Beijing is the largest cluster of ancient buildings in the world?

>> (whispering): Forbidden.

>> Forbidden Palace.

>> HANSON: The Forbidden City is what we're looking there.

South High, your next category.

>> (whispering): Strike Zone.

>> Strike Zone.

>> HANSON: Strike Zone.

These are questions about baseball.

For ten points: "I will always be there for you, Boston."

What former Red Sox slugger said this when he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2022?

>> David Ortiz.

>> HANSON: That's right.

For 15 points: forced to step away from the game because he suffered from what's now known as ALS, in 1939, who became the first Major League player to have his jersey number retired?

>> Lou Gehrig.

>> HANSON: Correct.

For 20 points: in 1972, 12-year-old Maria Pepe sued Little League Baseball for not allowing girls to play.

This helped pave the way for what 1972 law guaranteeing women and girls equal education opportunities, including sports?

>> Title IX.

>> HANSON: That is correct.

For 25 points: one of the greatest skits of all time, what Abbott and Costello comedy routine has been on video display at the National Baseball Hall of Fame since 1967?

>> "Who's on First?"

>> HANSON: That's correct.

For 30 points in Strike Zone: Shohei Ohtani is the first player in Major League history to be named an All-Star as both a pitcher and a position player.

In 2023, he left the Angels and signed a ten-year, $700 million deal with what team?

>> The Dodgers.

>> HANSON: That's correct.

The Los Angeles Dodgers.

Commonwealth, final category.

>> Scam Likely.

>> HANSON: Scam Likely.

In this category, the questions are about famous frauds.

For ten points: in 2009, what American money manager was sentenced to 150 years in prison for running the largest Ponzi scheme in history?

>> Bernie Madoff.

>> HANSON: Correct.

For 15 points: at least five women-- all imposters-- have claimed to be what Romanov princess falsely rumored to have escaped her family's brutal murder in 1918?

>> Anastasia.

>> HANSON: That's correct.

For 20 points: The Greatest Party That Never Happened is the subtitle of a documentary about what fraudulent music festival billed by con man Billy McFarland as a luxury experience on a posh private island?

>> Fyre Festival.

>> HANSON: Correct.

For 25 points: played by Amanda Seyfried in the TV series The Dropout, what founder and C.E.O.

of the failed blood-testing start-up Theranos was found guilty of four counts of fraud in 2022?

>> Elizabeth Holmes.

>> HANSON: That's correct.

For 30 points in Scam Likely: in 2019, what California-based counselor admitted he was the mastermind of the Varsity Blues college admissions bribery scandal?

>> (whispering): Pass or toss?

>> (whispering): Pass.

>> HANSON: We'll need a decision, Commonwealth.

>> Um, we'll pass.

>> HANSON: Pass.

The answer is Rick Singer.

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

The score is Commonwealth, 290 points; South High, 330 points.

This one's staying close.

Let's hear it for both teams.

(cheers and applause) Okay, we're heading into the final round of play.

But before we start, we have a score correction.

Commonwealth's answer Forbidden Palace was accepted by the judges, so the score now stands: Commonwealth, 350; South High, 330.

Now onto 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.

Marie Antoinette was born in 1755 in what European capital city?

Benedict.

>> Vienna.

>> HANSON: That is correct.

What is the scientific name for the voice box?

Benedict.

>> Larynx.

>> HANSON: Yes.

In 1944, Iceland gained independence from what country?

Aritra.

>> Denmark.

>> HANSON: Denmark is correct.

In basketball, what violation occurs when a player takes too many steps without dribbling?

Phoebe.

>> Traveling.

>> HANSON: Yes.

What is the tallest and largest member of the deer family?

Benedict.

>> Moose.

>> HANSON: Yes.

Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn takes place primarily in what U.S. state?

Henry.

>> Mississippi.

>> HANSON: No, Missouri.

In 2022, climate protesters at London's National Gallery threw soup on Sunflowers, a famous painting... Phoebe.

>> Van Gogh.

>> HANSON: Yes.

What is the only U.S. state with no confirmed, resident populations of any snake-- Benedict.

>> New Hampshire.

>> HANSON: No, Alaska.

How many lines are in a traditional English sonnet?

Henry.

>> 14.

>> HANSON: Yes.

What Twilight star plays the title role in the 2022 film The Batman?

Ben.

>> Robert Pattinson.

>> HANSON: Yes.

Catherine the Great ruled Russia for more than 30 years during which century?

Benedict.

>> The 18th.

>> HANSON: Yes.

What major U.S. city is located at the confluence of the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers?

Benedict.

>> Philadelphia.

>> HANSON: Yes.

What American author wrote about a fictional schoolteacher named Ichabod Crane?

Benedict.

>> Oh my-- (indistinct chatter, Benedict groans) (buzzer) >> HANSON: Washington Irving.

What number is represented by the Roman numeral D?

Henry?

>> 500.

>> HANSON: Yes.

What English admiral was knighted by... (bell ringing, buzz-in bell dings) Did he make it?

No.

We were looking for Sir Francis Drake there.

And the winning team this week with a final score of 430 points is South High.

Commonwealth finishes with 410 points.

Congratulations to both teams for a great game.

South High now moves on to play the winner of next week's match between returning champions Buckingham Browne & Nichols and Saint John's.

We'll see you next week 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 UMass Amherst.

>> At the University of Massachusetts Amherst... >> ...a revolutionary spirit runs through our veins.

>> As pioneers... >> Builders... >> Unconventional doers... >> We dream bigger... >> ...reach higher... >> ...and commit ourselves to the relentless pursuit of progress.

♪ ♪ (cheers and applause) ♪ ♪