Scholastic Bowl Practice Questions

Beginning of Geography

Name this island country in the Indian Ocean is known for its unique wildlife, including lemurs. Its capital is Antananarivo.

Madagascar

Name this river, the longest in the world, flows through northeastern Africa and is a lifeline for several countries, including Egypt.

Nile River

The Pyrenees mountain range forms a natural border between France and this neighboring country. Name this country Barcelona is one of the major cities of.

Spain

Name this Asian country, known as the “Land of the Rising Sun,” that has Tokyo as its capital. Mount Fuji is a prominent symbol of this country.

Japan

The Andes mountain range runs through several South American countries, including this country with its capitol at Quito.

Ecuador

This island nation in the Caribbean is known for its vibrant music, including reggae. Its capitol is Kingston.

Jamaica

Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world, is located on the border of Peru and which other country?

Bolivia

The city of Istanbul is located on two continents. Which two continents are connected by the Bosporus Strait in Istanbul?

Europe and Asia

The Great Victoria Desert, one of the largest deserts in the world, is located in which country known for its kangaroos and koalas?

Australia

This African country is home to the Serengeti National Park and Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa.

Tanzania

This country is known for its fjords, Viking history, and the Northern Lights. Its capital is Oslo.

Norway

The Himalayas, the world’s highest mountain range, are located in several countries, including this South Asian country. Kathmandu is its capital

Nepal

This African country, located on the equator, is known for its diverse wildlife, including mountain gorillas. Its capital is Kigali

Rwanda

This European country is known for its windmills, tulip fields, and cycling culture. Its capital is Amsterdam.

Netherlands

Lake Baikal, the deepest freshwater lake, is located in Siberia in this country. Its capital is Moscow.

Russia

The Great Dividing Range, a series of mountain ranges, stretches along the eastern coast of this country. Its capital is Canberra.

Australia

This South American country is home to the Andes mountain range and the Amazon rainforest. Its capital is Lima.

Peru

The city of Marrakech is a major tourist destination in this North African country known for the Atlas Mountains and Sahara Desert.

Morocco

What is the term for a narrow strip of land that connects two larger land masses and has water on both sides?

Isthmus

In which mountain range would you find the second-highest peak in the world, K2, and and what is the name of this mountain?

Karakoram Range

Beginning of Mathematics

Solve the following algebraic equation for x: 3x + 5 = 20

x = 5

In geometry, a polygon with eight sides is known as what?

Octagon

If a right-angled triangle has legs of length 3 units and 4 units, what is the length of the hypotenuse?

5 units

What is the value of pi (π) to two decimal places?

3.14

If a rectangle has angles measuring 45 degrees, 45 degrees, and 90 degrees, what type of triangle is it?

Isosceles right triangle

Solve the quadratic equation: x2 - 6x + 9 = 0

x = 3 (double root)

In probability, what is the formula for calculating the probability of an event A, denoted as P(A)?

P (A) = Number of favorable outcomes/ Total number of outcomes

A cylinder has a radius of 4 units and a height of 10 units. What is the volume of the cylinder?

V = πr2h = 160π cubic units

If f(x) = 2×2 + 3x - 5, what is the value?

f(-2) = 15

Solve the system of equations: 2x + 3y = 7 and 4x - 2y = 6

x = 2, y = 1

In trigonometry, what is the cosecant of an angle equal to?

the reciprocal of the sine

If a circle has a radius of 5 units what is its circumference?

C = 2πr = 10π units

Evaluate the expression: 25 + 3² -1/2

5 + 9 - ½ = 13.5

If a quadratic equation is written in the form ax2 + bx + c = 0, what is the discriminant?

b2 - 4ac

If a polynomial has degree 3, what is its classification?

Cubic polynomial

In trigonometry, what is the reciprocal of the tangent function?

Cotangent

If a parallelogram has sides of lenght 8 units and 15 units, what is the area of the parallelogram

A = bh = 120 square units

Solve the logarithmic equation: log2(x) = 3

(x) = 8

Beginning of Science

This celestial body is Earth’s natural satellite.

Moon

What is the chemical symbol for the element with atomic number 6?

Carbon (C)

In physics, what term is used to describe the resistance of an object to a change in its state of motion?

Inertia

Which gas makes up the majority of Earth’s atmosphere?

Nitrogen (N2)

The process by which plants make their own food using sunlight is called what?

Photosynethesis

What is the function of the mitochondria in a cell?

Powerhouse of the cell; produces energy (ATP) through cellular respiration

Name the process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods with the help of chlorophyll.

Photosynthesis…again

In physics, what is the unit of measurement for electric current?

Ampere, Amp (A)

The Earth’s outermost layer is divided into several pieces called tectonic plates. What is the name of the theory that explains this?

Plate tectonics

Name the process by which a cell engulfs a particle by wrapping extensions, forming a vesicle.

Phagocytosis

What is the chemical symbol for the element with atomic number 79?

Gold (Au)

In chemistry, what law states that the total pressure exerted by a mixture of gases is equal to the sum of the partial pressures of individual gases?

Dalton’s Law of Partial Pressures

The process of converting glucose into energy in the presence of oxygen is known as what?

Cellular respiration

Which subatomic particle is shared in a covalent bond?

Electrons

The Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium is a principle in population genetics that describes the stability of what?

Allele frequencies in a population

In chemistry, what is the term for a substance that speeds up a chemical reaction without being consumed in the process?

Catalyst

Name the fundamental particles that make up an atom.

Protons, neutrons, electrons

The Earth’s atmosphere is primarily composed of which two gases?

Nitrogen and Oxygen

What is the name of the process in which a substance transitions directly from a solid to a gas phase, without passing through the intermediate liquid phase, under certain conditions of temperature?

Sublimation

Beginning of History

This ancient civilization developed along the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.

Mesopotamia

The Battle of Gettysburg was a significant event during which war?

American Civil War

In 1066, the Battle of Hastings took place in England. Who was the Norman leader that emerged victorious?

William the Conquerer

The French Revolution, characterized by the storming of Bastille, began in wich year?

1789

Who was the leader of the Soviet Union during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962?

Nikita Khrushchev

This ancient civilization, known for its pyramids and sphynx, flourished along the Nile River.

Ancient Egypt

Who was the Roman general and statesman responsible for the conquest of Gaul and later became the dictator of Rome?

Julius Caesar

The Battle of Waterloo in 1815 marked the final defeat of which military leader?

Napoleon Bonaparte

The 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1920, granted women the right to do what?

Vote

The Cuban Revolution led to the rise of which revolutionary leader who became the Prime Minister and later the President?

Fidel Castro

The Battle of Stalingrad was a major turning point during which war?

World War II

Who was the Egyptian queen known for her relationships with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony

Cleopatra

The Magna Carta, signed in 1215, was a pivotal document in the development of what?

Constitutional law

The Enlightenment, a cultural and intellectual movement, had its roots in which century?

18th century

The Emancipation Proclamation, issued by Abraham Lincoln, had a significant impact on which issue?

Abolition of slavery in the United States

The Mayflower Compact, signed in 1620, is considered one of the earliest examples of what in American history?

Written constitution or social contract

The Bolshevik Revolution in 1917 led to the establishment of what kind of government in Russia?

Communist government

The Berlin Wall, which separated East and West Berlin during the Cold War, fell in which year?

1989

The Treaty of Versailles, signed in 1919, marked the end of which war?

World War I

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a landmark piece of legislation aimed at combating what in the United States?

Racial segregation and discrimination

Beginning of Literature

In the book “Charlotte’s Web,” what type of animal is Charlotte?

Spider

What is the first book in C.S. Lewis’s “The Chronicles of Narnia” series?

“The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe”

In the Dr. Seuss book “Green Eggs and Ham,” what is the main character reluctant to try?

Green eggs and ham

Who is the author of the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series?

Jeff Kinney

What book series features a young boy named Percy Jackson who discovers he is a demigod?

“Percy Jackson and the Olympians” series by Rick Riordan

In “Matilda” by Roald Dahl, what special ability does Matilda possess?

Telekinesis (the ability to move things with her mind)

What classic children’s book by E.B. White tells the story of a pig named Wilbur and his friendship with a spider named Charlotte?

“Charlotte’s Web”

Which famous detective solves crimes with the help of his friend Dr. John Watson in stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle?

Sherlock Holmes

What is the first book in the “A Series of Unfortunate Events” series by Lemony Snicket?

“The Bad Beginning”

Who wrote the series of books featuring a young orphan named Anne Shirley, starting with “Anne of Green Gables”?

Lucy Maud Montgomery (L.M. Montgomery)

What novel follows the adventures of a boy named Max who sails to the land of the Wild Things?

“Where the Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak

In which novel would you find the character Holden Caulfield?

“The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger

What classic novel is set in the fictional Maycomb County and deals with racial injustice?

“To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee

In which Shakespearean play would you find the character Ophelia?

“Hamlet”

Name the dystopian novel where the protagonist, Winston Smith, rebels against the Party led by Big Brother.

“1984” by George Orwell

Which novel tells the story of a young orphan named Pip and his coming of age in Victorian England?

“Great Expectations” by Charles Dickens

In what work of literature would you find the characters Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy?

“Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen

Identify the Greek epic poem attributed to Homer that recounts the adventures of Odysseus during his journey home from the Trojan War.

“The Odyssey”

In which play by Shakespeare do the characters Rosencrantz and Guildenstern appear?

“Hamlet”

Name the novel set in the Southern United States during the Great Depression, focusing on the Finch family.

“To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee

Beginning of Fine Arts

Who painted the famous portrait of the young girl with a pearl earring?

Johannes Vermeer

In which city can you find the famous painting “The Last Supper” by Leonardo da Vinci?

Milan, Italy

Which sculptor is known for creating the Statue of Liberty, located in New York Harbor?

Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi