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

Coming up, it's the semifinals with Acton-Boxborough Regional High School... (cheers and applause) ...taking on Lexington High School.

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

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

I'm Joe Hanson, your host.

We have had some real nail-biters so far this season.

Today's contest between Acton-Boxborough and Lexington, both past champions, should be another great match.

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.

What legal drama starring the future Duchess of Sussex was the most streamed show of 2023?

Ryon.

>> "Suits."

>> HANSON: "Suits" is right.

The display on a computer screen uses pixels that emit RGB, which stands for what?

Alvan.

>> Red, green, blue.

>> HANSON: Correct.

Coined by CBS reporter Harry Butcher, what term refers to President Franklin D. Roosevelt's evening radio addresses to restore Americans' confidence in the banking system?

Atreya.

>> Fireside chats.

>> HANSON: Correct.

Members of the genus Helianthus, what large yellow flowers were planted to soak up radiation from the Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear disasters?

Shishir.

>> Sunflowers.

>> HANSON: Sunflowers is right.

Take a look at your monitors for our next question.

This is an illustration of the Battle of Tours, a pivotal event that stopped the Islamic invasion of Europe.

This battle was led in the year 732 by what Frankish ruler known as "the Hammer"?

Nathaniel.

>> Roland.

>> HANSON: No.

Lexington, you have an opportunity here.

Alvan.

>> Charles Martel.

>> HANSON: Charles Martel is right.

Played by Una Stubbs in the PBS series "Sherlock," who is the landlady of 221B Baker Street, the London residence of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson?

Shishir.

>> Adler.

>> HANSON: No.

Acton-Boxborough, you have a chance here.

Nathaniel.

>> Miss Grunnings.

>> HANSON: No, we're looking for Mrs. Hudson.

The largest volcanic eruption of the last 100 years occurred on June 15, 1991, with the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in what Asian country?

Alvan.

>> Philippines.

>> HANSON: Philippines is right.

In "A Tramp Abroad," Mark Twain wrote that capitalizing every noun is one of the few good qualities of what language that he called "awful"?

Nathaniel.

>> German.

>> HANSON: German is right.

At the 2024 Euro Cup, what country made history by defeating England to win its record fourth European soccer championship?

Eric.

>> Spain.

>> HANSON: Spain is right.

Next question, a special video guest.

>> Hi, I'm Amanda Shea.

I'm a spoken word artist based in Boston and here's my question.

"When day comes, we ask ourselves where we can find light in this never-ending shade?"

At President Biden's inauguration in 2021, what National Youth Poet Laureate read these lines from her poem "The Hill We Climb."

>> HANSON: Nathaniel.

>> Gorman.

>> HANSON: Amanda Gorman is correct.

Completed in 1762 and fed by an ancient aqueduct, what famous Roman fountain got its name from its location at the convergence of three roads?

Owen.

>> Trevi.

>> HANSON: The Trevi Fountain is right.

Which of the following types of cloud is most likely to produce hail?

Cumulonimbus, altocumulus, or stratus?

Zayd.

>> "A."

>> HANSON: Cumulonimbus is correct.

"Anne of Avonlea" is a sequel to what classic children's novel by Lucy Maud Montgomery?

Alvan.

>> "Anne of Green Gables."

>> HANSON: Correct.

On August 6, 1945, an atomic bomb codenamed Little Boy was dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima.

Three days later, what atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki?

Alvan.

>> Fat Boy.

>> HANSON: No.

Acton-Boxborough, you have a chance here.

Eric.

>> Fat Man.

>> HANSON: Fat Man is correct.

What lead guitarist and vocalist for the Grateful Dead lost most of his right middle finger in a wood-chopping accident when he was four years old?

Zayd.

>> Garcia.

>> HANSON: Jerry Garcia is right.

We're off to a hot start.

Let's take a moment to thank the folks who make this 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.

Our score is tied.

Acton-Boxborough and Lexington both have 70 points.

Let's get back to the game.

The Underland Chronicles is a fantasy series from what author of "The Hunger Games"?

Eric.

>> Suzanne Rowlings.

>> HANSON: No.

Lexington.

Owen.

>> Suzanne Collins.

>> HANSON: Suzanne Collins is right.

Known for their extreme conservatism and support of the monarchy, what term beginning with the letter J refers to landowning aristocrats under the German Empire and Weimar Republic?

Shishir.

>> "Junk-ers."

>> HANSON: "Yunk-ers" is correct.

In analytic geometry, which of the following is a line that a curve approaches as it moves towards infinity?

Apothem, asymptote, or involute?

Shishir.

>> Asymptote.

>> HANSON: Asymptote is correct.

Recently adapted into a musical starring Kristin Chenoweth, what 2012 documentary film is about Jackie Siegel, a Florida woman who dreamed of building the largest private home in the United States?

(buzzer) "The Queen of Versailles."

The Folger Library in Washington, D.C., is the largest collection of works by what author?

Eric.

>> Shakespeare.

>> HANSON: William Shakespeare is correct.

What French philosopher is the author of the 1949 book "The Second Sex," a foundational text of European feminism?

Owen.

>> Simone de Beauvoir.

>> HANSON: That is correct.

What television network created "Shark Week," which it has aired every summer since 1988?

Alvan.

>> Adult Swim.

>> HANSON: No.

Acton-Boxborough, you have a chance here.

Nathaniel.

>> Animal Planet.

>> HANSON: No, it is the Discovery Channel.

What Minnesota city is the only Northern capital located on the Mississippi River?

Owen.

>> St. Paul.

>> HANSON: St. Paul is right.

Best known for her hit song "The Glamorous Life," in 2023 what legendary drummer and Prince protégée became the first female solo percussionist to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame?

Apollonia, Shelia E., or Vanity?

Atreya.

>> "C." >> HANSON: No.

Acton-Boxborough, you have a chance here.

Ryon.

>> "B."

>> HANSON: Sheila E. is correct.

Adopted in 1804 after two chaotic elections, what constitutional amendment mandates that electors in the Electoral College cast separate votes for president and vice president?

Atreya.

>> 12.

>> HANSON: The 12th amendment is right.

From the Greek meaning "yoked," what term refers to a fertilized female egg before it becomes an embryo?

Owen.

>> Zygote.

>> HANSON: Zygote is right.

One of the few public places left where women could congregate outside the home, women-only beauty salons were shut down by the Taliban administration in 2023 in what country?

Ryon.

>> Afghanistan.

>> HANSON: Afghanistan is right.

What American sculptor is best known for his statue of "The Minute Man" in Concord, Massachusetts, and his monumental statue of Abraham Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.?

Owen.

>> French.

>> HANSON: Daniel Chester French is right.

The Peasants' Revolt of 1381 was the first great popular rebellion in English history.

What leader of the revolt met with King Richard II to protest harsh taxation of the poorer classes?

Nathaniel.

>> Tyler.

>> HANSON: Wat Tyler is correct.

One of the few places in Africa to be colonized only briefly, what country was occupied by the Italians from 1936 to 1941?

Alvan.

>> Ethiopia.

>> HANSON: Ethiopia is correct.

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

And the score is Acton-Boxborough, 110 points; Lexington in the lead with 160 points.

Let's hear it for both teams.

(cheers and applause) Last week, Buckingham Browne & Nichols defeated Somerville to move on to the finals.

In today's match, Acton-Boxborough and Lexington are both looking to advance as well.

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

Acton-Boxborough, we start with you.

Today's question is what fab four, supergroup, or heroic team in any genre do you think you best embody and who would each of you represent?

Zayd.

>> So we would like to think of ourselves as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

I would be Leonardo 'cause I'm the leader of the group.

I keep these guys in check.

>> HANSON: Is that true?

Okay.

Okay.

(audience laughter) Nathaniel, how about you?

>> And of course, I'm Raphael, the youngest one.

Also, most... energetic.

>> HANSON: All right.

(laughs) Ryon.

>> I'm Michelangelo.

I'm kind of the joker of the group.

Like to have a good time, so, yeah.

>> HANSON: How are you at skateboarding?

>> Not great, but I'm working on it.

>> HANSON: Eric.

>> And I'd say I'm Donatello.

I love the sciences and I love to create.

>> HANSON: You guys just need some cool colored headbands and then we'd be set.

(audience laughter) Also on the Acton-Boxborough team we have alternates Sid and Siddarth and coach Peter Montalbano.

(cheers and applause) Okay, let's move over to Lexington.

What fab four, supergroup, or heroic team would you guys be and what character would you be on that team?

Atreya?

>> We would be the Celtics starting line up from last year's championship run.

Honorable mentions to Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford, but I would be Derrick White, 'cause just like him I'm also from Colorado.

>> HANSON: All right.

Shishir.

>> Yeah.

I'd be Jayson Tatum.

Not many you know... might know this about him, but he loves tacos, and I do too, so.

(audience laughter) >> HANSON: Well, that makes three of us.

Okay, Alvan?

>> I'd be Jrue Holiday 'cause I like the holidays.

(audience laughter) >> HANSON: I don't think that's why he got that name, but I like it.

Owen?

>> I'd be Jaylen Brown because he's the kind of person who does a lot of things, and I also like to do a lot of things.

>> HANSON: Okay, are you guys more of three-point guys or dunks?

>> Oh... oh, I meant 'cause he got an internship at NASA.

And I thought that is... (audience laughter) >> HANSON: As most NBA players do.

>> Yeah, definitely.

>> HANSON: Right.

Yeah.

Rounding out the Lexington team are alternates Adam and Eric and coaches Andrew Baker and Josh Olivier-Mason.

Let's hear it for both teams.

(cheers and applause) All right, it's time to go head to head.

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

Okay, the clock is set at 90 seconds.

Let's get a friendly handshake before we begin.

Good luck.

Here we go.

Which American Founding Father is credited with inventing bifocals?

>> Benjamin Franklin.

>> HANSON: Yes.

What is the official number of planets in our solar system?

>> Nine.

>> HANSON: No, eight.

The Statue of Liberty was a gift to the United States-- >> France.

>> HANSON: Yes.

The Rembrandts' "I'll Be There for You" is the theme song to what '90s sitcom?

(audience laughter) (buzzer) "Friends."

What is the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet?

>> Kappa.

>> HANSON: No, delta.

What capital city of Michigan is the-- >> Lansing.

>> HANSON: Yes.

In 2024, what Irish musician earned his first No.

1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, with "Too Sweet"?

>> Hozier.

>> HANSON: Yes.

With the ability to reach up to 45 miles per hour, what breed is the world's fastest dog?

>> Retriever.

>> HANSON: No, greyhound.

In 1939, who received a mountaintop chalet called the "Eagle's Nest" for his 50th birthday?

(buzzer) Hitler.

Tweedledum and Tweedledee appear in what sequel-- (buzzer) >> "Through the Looking-Glass."

>> HANSON: Did he make it in time?

No.

In 1957, Daisy Bates led the charge to desegregate Central High School in what Arkansas city?

>> Little Rock.

>> HANSON: Little Rock is right.

In genetics, what does the "A" in-- >> Adenine.

>> HANSON: No, acid.

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir was founded in 1847 in what U.S. city?

>> Salt Lake City.

>> HANSON: Yes.

What Ayn Rand novel asks the question-- >> "Atlas Shrugged."

>> HANSON: Yes.

Edam and Gouda are cities in what country?

(buzzer) The Netherlands.

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

Let's take a look at our scores.

Acton-Boxborough has 130 points; Lexington in the lead with 160 points.

Let's give it up for both teams.

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

And today's categories are: What's My Line?, The Mod Squad, Hail to the Veep, Blame It on Rio, Meet the Flintstones, and Battle of the Mascots.

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, Acton-Boxborough, who is your spokesperson?

Zayd.

Lexington, how about you?

Shishir.

All right.

Acton-Boxborough, you've got a little ground to make up.

The first category goes to you.

>> (whispering): The Veep?

>> (whispering): Yeah.

>> We'll take Hail to the Veep.

>> HANSON: Hail to the Veep.

These are questions about vice presidents.

For ten points: what vice president under Thomas Jefferson shot and killed Alexander Hamilton during a duel?

>> Aaron Burr.

>> HANSON: That is correct.

For 15 points: before she was elected vice president in 2020, Kamala Harris served as a U.S. senator from which state?

>> (whispering): California.

>> (whispering): California.

>> California.

>> HANSON: California is right.

For 20 points: The Manhattan Project was a secret plan to develop an atomic bomb.

What vice president did not know about it until he assumed the presidency upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt?

>> Truman.

>> HANSON: Truman is right.

For 25 points in Hail to the Veep: who was the first Catholic to ever serve as vice president of the United States?

>> (whispering): Biden.

Joe Biden.

>> (whispering): Right.

>> (whispering): Biden.

>> (whispering): Because JFK was never a VP.

>> (whispering): Yeah.

Biden.

>> Joe Biden.

>> HANSON: Joe Biden is correct.

For 30 points: the last president to have been a member of the Whig Party while in office, who assumed the presidency upon the death of Zachary Taylor in 1850?

>> (whispering): James K. Polk.

>> (whispering): No.

>> (whispering): No?

>> (whispering): Fillmore.

>> (whispering): Oh, yeah.

>> (whispering): Fillmore?

>> (whispering): Yeah.

>> Fillmore.

>> HANSON: Millard Fillmore is correct.

Lexington, your category.

(indistinct whispering) >> We're gonna go Blame It on Rio.

>> HANSON: Blame It on Rio.

These are questions about Brazil.

For ten points: regarded by many as the greatest soccer player of all time, what Brazilian player is the only person to ever win the World Cup three times?

>> (whispering): Pelé.

>> Pelé.

>> HANSON: Pelé is right.

For 15 points: Brazil has one of the world's most extensive river systems, with eight major drainage basins.

They all drain into which ocean?

>> (whispering): Atlantic.

>> (whispering): Atlantic.

>> (whispering): Atlantic.

>> Atlantic.

>> HANSON: The Atlantic Ocean is right.

For 20 points: one of the highest-paid models in the world, what Brazilian fashion model is the author of the best-selling cookbook "Nourish"?

>> (whispering): Bündchen.

B-U-N-D-C-H-E-N. >> (whispering): Should we go for it?

>> (whispering): Just go.

>> Bündchen.

>> HANSON: Gisele Bündchen is correct.

For 25 points in Blame It on Rio: in 2023, what former Brazilian president was barred from running for office until 2030 for abuse of power?

>> (whispering): Bolsonaro.

>> Bolsonaro.

>> HANSON: That's correct.

Jair Bolsonaro.

And for 30 points: performed by thousands of elaborately dressed dancers during Carnival in Rio, what national dance of Brazil and accompanying music is heavily influenced by African drumming traditions?

>> (whispering): I think it's this one, yeah.

>> Samba.

>> HANSON: Samba is correct.

Acton-Boxborough, next category to you.

>> (whispering): Meet the Flintstones.

(normal): We'll take Meet the Flintstones.

>> HANSON: Meet the Flintstones.

These are questions about prehistory.

For ten points: prehistory is generally divided into three major periods: the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, and what third age?

>> (whispering): Iron Age.

>> (whispering): Iron Age?

(normal): Iron Age.

>> HANSON: The Iron Age is correct.

For 15 points: the birth of agriculture took Homo sapiens from scattered groups of hunter-gatherers to permanent villages with a reliable food supply.

This occurred during what period also known as the New Stone Age?

>> (whispering): Neolithic?

>> (whispering): Neolithic.

>> (whispering): Neolithic.

>> (whispering): Neolithic.

>> Neolithic.

>> HANSON: Neolithic is correct.

For 20 points: in 2021, archeologists in Italy discovered the fossilized remains of nine archaic humans.

They belonged to what species that co-existed with Homo sapiens until about 40,000 years ago?

>> (whispering): Neanderthal.

>> (whispering): Neanderthal.

>> (whispering): Neanderthals.

>> Neanderthals.

>> HANSON: That is correct.

For 25 points in Meet the Flintstones: meaning "upright man" in Latin, what early human species was the first to walk upright, the first to migrate out of Africa, and possibly the first to cook food?

>> (whispering): Homo erectus.

>> (whispering): Yes.

>> Homo erectus.

>> HANSON: Homo erectus is correct.

For 30 points: prehistory ends with the invention of writing.

About 5,000 years ago, the Sumerians invented what writing system of wedge-shaped marks on clay tablets?

>> (whispering): Cuneiform.

>> (whispering): Yeah.

>> Cuneiform.

>> HANSON: Correct.

Lexington, final category to you.

>> Mod Squad.

>> HANSON: The Mod Squad.

These are questions about modern art.

For ten points: best known for her striking self-portraits, such as 1940's "Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird," what artist was influenced by pre-Colombian and Mexican folk art?

>> Kahlo.

>> HANSON: Frida Kahlo is correct.

For 15 points: "Lavender Mist" is a famous drip painting created in 1950 by what American artist closely associated with Abstract Expressionism?

>> Pollock.

>> HANSON: Jackson Pollock is right.

For 20 points: the iconic logo for Chupa Chups lollipops was designed in 1969 by what renowned Spanish surrealist artist?

>> (whispering): Dalí.

>> (whispering): Dalí.

(normal): Dalí.

>> HANSON: That is correct.

Salvador Dalí.

For 25 points in The Mod Squad: what American pop artist is known for his silkscreen paintings of celebrities, for example 1962's "Marilyn Diptych" and 1963's "Eight Elvises"?

>> Warhol.

>> HANSON: Andy Warhol is right.

And for 30 points: known especially for her portraits of mothers caring for small children, for example "The Child's Bath," who was the only American to exhibit with the French Impressionists?

>> (whispering): Cassatt.

>> (whispering): Are you sure?

>> Cassatt.

>> HANSON: Mary Cassatt is right.

(bell ringing) That is the end of the category round with the score, Acton-Boxborough, 330 points; Lexington in the lead with 360 points.

We've got a high-scoring match here.

Let's hear it for both teams.

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

Okay, clock is set.

Here we go.

The Irish Sea is part of what ocean?

Nathaniel.

>> Atlantic.

>> HANSON: Yes.

In a standard symphony orchestra, what instrument is played by the concertmaster?

Owen.

>> Violin.

>> HANSON: Yes.

Deuterium is an isotope of what-- Eric.

>> Hydrogen.

>> HANSON: Yes.

Mount Etna is an active volcano-- Nathaniel.

>> Italy.

>> HANSON: No, Sicily.

What raven-haired star of "Beverly Hills, 90210," and "Charmed" passed away in 2024 at the age of 53?

(buzzer) Shannen Doherty.

What novel by Robert Louis Stevenson features a pirate-- Nathaniel.

>> "Treasure Island."

>> HANSON: Yes.

Name the only British prime minister to have earned a chemistry degree.

(buzzer) Margaret Thatcher.

Who is the author of the memoir "Hillbilly Elegy?"

Ryon.

>> J.D.

Vance.

>> HANSON: Yes.

Mercury is one of two planets in our solar system-- Owen.

>> Venus.

>> HANSON: Yes.

Vladimir and Estragon are the two main characters-- Shishir.

>> "Waiting for Godot."

>> HANSON: Yes.

Moravia and Bohemia are historical regions-- Alvan.

>> Czechia.

>> HANSON: Yes.

What common three-word French phrase means "on the menu"?

Nathaniel.

>> (whispering): À la carte.

>> À la carte.

>> HANSON: Yes, but there's no conferring.

Launched by NASA in 1990, what was the first telescope designed to be serviced-- Owen.

>> Hubble.

>> HANSON: Yes.

A hexagonal prism has how many faces?

Eric.

>> Uh, 18.

>> HANSON: No, eight.

What American pamphleteer wrote the 1791 book the "Rights of Man," a defense-- Alvan.

>> Paine.

>> HANSON: Yes.

Honor, self-discipline, and bravery are the basis of what samurai code of conduct-- Nathaniel.

>> Bushido.

>> HANSON: Yes.

South Africa has how many capital cities?

Ryon.

>> Three.

>> HANSON: Yes.

(bell ringing) (exhales) And the winning team this week is Lexington with 480 points.

Acton-Boxborough finishes with 390 points.

A huge congratulations to both teams for a great game.

Lexington now moves on to play Buckingham Browne & Nichols in the championship match.

You will not want to miss that one.

That's right here, on the next "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.

♪ ♪ (crowd cheers and applauds) ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (cheering and applause) (cheers and applause) ♪ ♪