Movies & TV
What movie features a snowman named Olaf?
Frozen
How many players from one basketball team are on the court at once?
5
What is the capital of Canada?
Ottawa
In Minecraft, what material is needed to build a Nether portal frame?
Obsidian
Which ancient civilization built the pyramids at Giza?
Ancient Egyptians
What Broadway musical features the songs “Defying Gravity” and “Popular”?
Wicked
What is the capital city of Scotland?
Edinburgh
What type of pasta is shaped like small grains of rice?
Orzo
What does the NSDA stand for?
The National Speech and Debate Association
What is the only mammal capable of true flight?
Bat
What superhero is also known as Peter Parker?
Spiderman
In Formula 1, what color flag signals that a race or session has been stopped?
Red
Which river runs through the city of London?
The Thames
What is the best-selling video game console of all time?
Playstation 2
What document signed in 1215 limited the power of the English king?
Magna Carta
What is the name for the area of the stage closest to the audience?
Downstage
Which Scottish warrior defeated the English at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297?
William Wallace
What Japanese word describes the savory “fifth taste”?
Unami
In what year was the organization now known as the NSDA founded?
1925
How many hearts does an octopus have?
3
In Back to the Future, what speed must the DeLorean reach to time travel?
88 mph
How many holes are played in a standard full round of golf?
18
Which country is completely surrounded by South Africa?
Lesotho
What was the name of Nintendo’s first major home console released in North America?
Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)
Which empire captured Constantinople in 1453, bringing the Byzantine Empire to an end?
The Ottoman Empire
What musical is the longest-running show in Broadway history?
The Phantom of the Opera
Which Scottish king defeated the English at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314?
Robert the Bruce
What French culinary term means having all ingredients measured, prepared, and ready before cooking begins?
Mise en place
What event continued during World War II even while the National Tournament was suspended?
National Student Congress
What is the only letter that does not appear in the name of any U.S. state?
Q
What actor voiced both Darth Vader and Mufasa?
James Earl Jones
In baseball, what is it called when a pitcher strikes out three batters on nine pitches?
An immaculate inning
Which two countries share the longest international border in the world?
Canada and the United States
What video game franchise features the fictional kingdom of Hyrule?
The Legend of Zelda
Which West African empire became famous for the extraordinary wealth of its ruler Mansa Musa in the 1300s?
The Mali Empire
What ancient Greek playwright wrote Oedipus Rex?
Sophocles
Which Scottish queen was executed in 1587 after being imprisoned by her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I?
Mary, Queen of Scots
What Japanese cooking term refers to frying food in a light, crisp batter?
Tempura
Before it became the NSDA, what was the organization called?
The NFL (National Forensics Association)
What is the name of the deepest known point in Earth’s oceans?
Challenger Deep
What film won the first Academy Award for Best Animated Feature?
Shrek
Which club has won the most Premier League titles since the league began in 1992?
Manchester United
What is the only country in the world that borders both the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf?
Iran
The original Mario Party series had ten numbered mainline games. Which console was the only one to receive fournumbered Mario Party titles?
Nintendo GameCube — Mario Party 4, 5, 6, and 7
Which 1648 peace settlement ended the Thirty Years’ War and helped establish the modern idea of national sovereignty?
Peace of Westphalia
Mamma Mia! is built around the songs of which Swedish pop group?
ABBA
What traditional Scottish dish is made from sheep’s offal, oatmeal, onions, and spices?
Haggis
What French sauce made from egg yolks, butter, and lemon juice is one of the five classical “mother sauces”?
Hollandaise
Which NSDA speech event, first added to the National Tournament in 2015, focuses on explaining a topic using research, organization, and optional visual aids?
Informative Speaking
Which planet has the shortest day in our solar system?
Jupiter
In The Wizard of Oz, what color are Dorothy’s slippers in the original book?
Silver
Which two countries have never won the Six Nations Championship in Rugby since it began in its current six-team format in 2000?
Scotland and Italy
Which country has the most time zones when all of its overseas territories are included?
France
What 1972 home video game console is widely considered the first commercially available home video game console?
Magnavox Odyssey
What ancient civilization is credited with creating cuneiform, one of the earliest known writing systems?
Sumerians
Traditionally, how many plays are credited to William Shakespeare?
37-39
Burns Night is celebrated each January in honor of which Scottish poet who wrote “Auld Lang Syne”?
Robert Burns
What is the name of the Japanese pufferfish that can be deadly if prepared incorrectly?
The first National Tournament was held in 1931. How many schools from how many states competed?
49 schools from 17 states
What element has the chemical symbol W, even though its English name does not begin with W?
Tungsten