Science
In this portion of the atmosphere, the temperature drops as altitude increases. Airplanes fly near the top of the layer, which extends to seven miles above the earth's surface. Weather occurs in what lowest atmospheric layer?
TROPOSPHERE
This art medium comes in powdered, compressed, and vine varieties. Fixative reduces the smudging of this substance, which was used in cave drawings and in the preliminary stages of murals. What is this dark organic material made by burning animal or vegetable products?
CHARCOAL
A square has a side length of 1.1 units. Give the area, in square units, of this square.
1.21 (SQUARE UNITS)
Our Federal Constitution forbids Congress and the states from passing this kind of law. Such a law might increase the penalty for a crime already committed. What kind of law might punish someone for doing something wrong that wasn't illegal when he did it?
EX POST FACTO (LAW)
Spelled one way, this word means "a device for joining together a pair of draft animals, especially oxen." Spelled another way, it is the yellow part of an egg. Give these words' shared pronunciation.
YOKE/YOLK
In humans, this organ has four chambers, called the atria and ventricles. Identify this primary organ of the circulatory system.
Michelangelo used this specific painting technique to deocrate the Sistine Chapel ceiling. The "dry" type consists of painting with watercolor on dry plaster, but in the "true" kind, the pigments become a permanent fixture of the wall. Identify this method of painting with water-based pigments on wet plaster.
FRESCO
A fair coin flipped 250 times. How many times would you expect tails to appear in these 250 flips?
125
This Pennsylvania conflict was the bloodiest battle of the Civil War, and is often described as the war's "turning point." Name this battle, which led to a speech by Abraham Lincoln addressing the soldiers who died there.
(BATTLE OF) GETTYSBURG
Name the following sentence's predicate nominative: After graduation, Ben became a firefighter.
FIREFIGHTER
Entomologists only apply this word to insects that undergo complete metamorphosis. Other scientists apply it to a stage of incomplete metamorphosis, including the tadpole. Identify this developmental stage between birth and adulthood, which applies to maggots, nymphs, and caterpillars.
LARVA
Eastern Woodlands tribes used this antiphonal [an-TIF-uh-nul] technique in many dance songs. African tribes have traditionally used it in religious ceremonies, as well as in the discussion of civic affairs. In what singing style does one person sing a melody that is echoed or otherwise answered by a group?
CALL AND RESPONSE
A 24-foot-long wall is being divided into sections, each with a length of 8 inches. How many 8-inch sections will this wall contain?
35 (SECTIONS)
Allegedly, the first words spoken on this device were, "Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you." It was invented by Alexander Graham Bell. Identify this communication device, which now has a mobile type.
(TELE)PHONE
In America, a comma always goes inside paired punctuation marks. Also in America, the double type are most commonly seen, whereas Britain uses their single counterparts. What are these punctuation marks that appear around dialogue?
In meteorology, this event occurs when transpiration and evaporation exceed the amount of precipitation for an extended period of time. When one occurs, crops are often damaged or have difficulty growing because of the lack of water. What do we call this event caused by very little rain over a significant amount of time?
DROUGHT (DROUTH)
This building houses frescoes of Jesus's ancestors, prophets, and sibyls, as well as Old Testament scenes. Possibly its most famous individual works are The Deluge, The Creation of Adam, and The Last Judgment. Give the name of this papal /pāpəl/ chapel in the Vatican Palace, which was largely decorated by Michelangelo.
SISTINE CHAPEL
Joe's workbook contains fifty pages, and he has completed twenty pages. As a reduced fraction, how much of it has he completed?
TWO-FIFTHS
In Kentucky counties, this elected official is responsible for collecting taxes on real property. He or she is also responsible for providing security during court sessions. What is this official who acts as a law enforcement official within the county?
SHERIFF
The first portion of this word is an antonym of "dull" and synonym of "pointed." The second part might refer to an athlete who aims a ball at a goal, or someone who uses a gun. Give this compound word, which applied to Wild West figures like Calamity Jane, Buffalo Bill, and Annie Oakley.
SHARPSHOOTER
In this type of current, the flow of electricity does not change directions, as with an alternating current. What is this type of current, usually abbreviated DC?
DIRECT (CURRENT)
This ballet's best-known section is the set of variations based on the Shaker hymn "Simple Gifts." It is set in rural 19th-Century Pennsylvania at a barn raising attended by pioneer families. Give the title of this masterpiec by Aaron Copland /COPE-land/.
APPALACHIAN SPRING
On the Celsius scale, a temperature of 0 degrees converts to 32 degrees on the Fahrenheit scale. If every increase of 10 degrees Celsius converts to an increase of 18 degrees on the Fahrenheit scale, what Fahrenheit temperature is equivalent to 20 degrees Celsius?
68 (DEGREES FAHRENHEIT)
These Frenchmen fled to America when the French king revoked their religious rights in 1685. Many were urban people skilled in commerce which made them useful in the colonies. By what name were these French Protestants known?
HUGUENOT(S)
This sound device appears in the sentence, "The egg yolk landed with a splat in the mixing bowl." It is also present in sentences containing words such as "buzz," "boo," "zip," and "roar." Name this device, in which a word imitates its sound.
ONOMATOPOEIA