ROUND 1: CURRENT EVENTS / HISTORY / GEOGRAPHY / SCIENCE / LITERATURE

1. To support a U.S. bid to host the 2016 Olympics, President Obama spoke at a meeting of the International Olympic Committee. What U.S. city was bidding for the Olympics?
Chicago

2. That U.S. city failed to the clear the first round. What city ultimately won the bid for the 2016 Games?
Rio (OR Rio de Janeiro)

3. Who has replaced Paula Abdul as a judge on American Idol for this upcoming season?
Ellen DeGeneres [Ellen acceptable]

4. A representative from South Carolina yelled out "You Lie!" during President Obama's health care speech to a joint session of Congress. Name him.
Joe Wilson

5. The two U.S. journalists held in North Korea were captured and arrested along a river on the border between China and North Korea. Name the river.
The Tumen River

6. The pair's release was finalized by former President Bill Clinton, who flew back with them on a private jet to Burbank. Name the financier who provided the jet.
Steve Bing

7. What is the name of the fertility doctor who implanted the embryos that resulted in octuplets for Nadya Suleman?
Dr. Michael M. Kamrava

8. What is the Indonesia city that experience the brunt of a 7.6 magnitude earthquake last week off the coast of Sumatra?
Padang

9. This narrow path through the Appalachian Mountains where Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee meet allowed hundreds of thousands of American settlers to move west into Kentucky and the Ohio Valley. What is this place called?
Cumberland Gap or Cumberland Water Gap (Cumberland Narrows NOT acceptable; that's in Maryland).

10. The September Station Fire in Southern California produced giant towering clouds, frighteningly reminiscent of an atomic bomb explosion, which could be seen throughout the Southland. What is the name for this type of cloud?
Pyrocumulus

11. There are five members of the G-20 group of nations that have capital cities south of the Equator. Of the five, name the three countries that are not located in South America.
Indonesia, South Africa and Australia

12. What is the more commonly known name of the equatorial calms, a region around the Equator where the winds are light?
The Doldrums

13. The first authorized Winnie the Pooh book in more than 80 years went on sale this week. It included a new character named Lottie. What kind of animal is Lottie?
An otter

14. What is the largest U.S. city that shares a border with Canada?
Detroit

15. In 1996, Oprah Winfrey started her now hugely influential book club with her selection of a novel by Jacquelyn Pritchard. Name the novel.
The Deep End of the Ocean

16. In the 1830s, a Frenchman visited young America to observe the country and upon his return, wrote an influential two-volume book called "Democracy in America." What was his name?
Alexis de Tocqueville

17. What city and state was King of Pop Michael Jackson born in?
Gary, Indiana

18. What is the nickname researchers have given the skeleton made from fossils found in Ethiopia dating back 4.4 million years ago?
Ardi

19. In 2010, NASA will retire the 33-year-old space shuttle program. Name the three space shuttle orbiters currently operational and in use.
Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavor

20. The symbol for the element Tungsten is W because of the German name it also goes by. What is that name?
Wolfram

ROUND 2: SPORTS and WASHINGTON DC LIVING

1. Just like he did at the Beijing Olympics, Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt set jaw-dropping world records en route to gold medals in the 100 and 200-meter sprints at the 2009 World Track and Field championships. What city did the championships take place in?
Berlin

2. Tennis great Serena Williams lost a semifinal match at the 2009 U.S. Open because she was deducted a point, during match point, for unsportsmanlike behavior after yelling at a line judge for a disputed foot-fault call. Who was Serena playing against?
Kim Clijsters

3. Maryland Terrapins head basketball coach Gary Williams started his college coaching career at American University. In order, name the next two universities he was head coach at before coming to Maryland.
Boston College, Ohio State

4. Washington Nationals baseball team continued their losing streak during the 2009 sesason. What was the team's record?
59-103

5. Name the Nationals coach who was fired.
Manny Acta

6. What TV star is New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter currently dating, and what film star is Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez currently dating?
Minka Kelly and Kate Hudson

7. Who defeated Tiger Woods at the PGA Championships in August?
Y.E. Yang

8. What is the Washington Wizards star Gilbert Arena's nickname?
Agent Zero

9. What team snapped its 19-game losing streak against the Washington Redskins this season?
The Detroit Lions

10. What is the name of the running-back centered offense the Miami Dolphins introduced to the NFL in 2008?
The Wildcat

11. In his former life, the mayor of Sacramento was an all-star guard in the National Basketball Association. Name him.
Kevin Johnson

12. All 50 states have roads named after them in DC. What two states are not avenues as in Wisconsin Avenue?
California and Ohio

13. Reagon National Airport is named for former president Ronald Reagon. Who is Washington's other major airport named for - full name and title?
John Foster Dulles, secretary of state (during the Eisenhower administration)

14. Name the Washington Capitals star player, who plays left wing.
Alexander Ovechkin

15. Washington's RFK Stadium hosted the city's first bowl game last year. What is the name of the bowl game?
EagleBank Bowl (Congressional Bowl is also acceptable)

16. This DC institution is known as "America's Attic."
The Smithsonian Institute

17. At the Lincoln Memorial, there are two speeches inscribed on the walls. What are they?
Lincoln's Gettysburg Address and Lincoln's 2nd inaugural speech

18. These steps in Georgetown are featured in what 1973 horror classic?
The Exorcist

19. Name the nine members of the US Supreme Court. (last names are acceptable)
John Roberts, John Paul Stevens, Antonin Scalia, Anthony Kennedy, Clarence Thomas, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Samuel Alito and Sonia Sotomayor

20. Name the Racing Presidents you'll see at a Washington Nationals game. Use first and last names, and list all four.
George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore ("Teddy" acceptable) Roosevelt.

ROUND 3: ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

1. Garrison Keillor signs off the Prairie Home Companion's news from Lake Woebegon each week by describing the women, men and children of the town. In order from women, to men, to children, give the words or phrases that describe each.
Strong, good-looking, above-average

2. At the MTV 2009 Video Music Awards, artist Lady Gaga arrived with a famous date, who among his long list of credits, was the performer on a 1970's Academy Award-nominated song. Name Lady Gaga's date, and name his well-known song.
Kermit the Frog, "The Rainbow Connection"

3. The Nickelodeon show "Ni Hao, Kai Lan" stars a young girl, her wise grandfather, and her animal friends. What is the name of her Tiger Friend?
Rintoo

4. Susan Boyle of Scotland became an international sensation when she first performed on Britain's Got Talent. What was the name of the song that first catapulted her into Internet stardom?
"I Dreamed A Dream" from Les Miserables

5. Hip hop artist Flo Rida had a hit this year with "Right Round," a song that sampled from '80s hit "You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)." What is the name of the group that originally recorded that hit?
Dead or Alive

6. Langly, Frohike and Byers is not a law firm, but a popular trio from the hit '90s TV series The X-Files. What are they better known as?
The Lone Gunmen

7. Stump became the oldest dog ever to win Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Dog Show this year. What breed is Stump? Be specific.
Sussex spaniel

8. Australian artist and designer Yiying Lu is well known for her illustration used by Twitter when its services are unavailable. What's the nickname of this well-known illustration?
Fail Whale

9. A 26-year-old fashion designer, born in Taiwan, found instant fame earlier this year when First Lady Michelle Obama chose to wear his one-shouldered white chiffon ball gown for the inauguration night festivities. Name him.
Jason Wu

10. Although Samantha Harris is the current co-host of Dancing With the Stars, paired with Emmy-nominated Tom Bergeron, what was the name of Bergeron's original co-host for the show's first season?
Lisa Canning

11. Name former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin's husband, oldest son, youngest son, and grandson, in that order. First names only.
Todd, Track, Trig, Tripp

12. Farrah Fawcett, famous for playing Jill Munroe on Charlie's Angels, died this year. What is the name of the detective agency for which Jill and the other Angels worked?
Townsend Agency

13. Helen Phillips became the oldest winner ever of NBC's The Biggest Loser when she dropped 140 lbs. during season seven. How old was Helen?
48 years old

14. What is the name of the film in which Angelina Jolie starred with her first husband, Jonny Lee Miller?
Hackers

15. Swedish furniture giant Ikea found itself under siege by design critics last month when it switched the font in its ubiquitous catalog. Name the former font, then the new font.
Futura, Verdana

16. John Cho of Harold and Kumar fame stars on the new TV show FlashFoward, in which all of earth's population blacks out for a short period of time. How long is this time period?
2 minutes, 17 seconds OR 137 seconds

17. Kal Penn of Harold and Kumar fame made news this year when he left his acting career for a job in the Obama administration. His last role was on the show House. What was his character's name?
Dr. Lawrence Kutner

18. On the new FOX series Glee, what is the name of McKinley High School's glee club?
New Directions

19. In John Hughes' hit film Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Ferris alters a reservation at the Chez Quis restaurant and adopts the identity of the Sausage King of Chicago. What is the name of the Sausage King of Chicago?
Abe Frohman

20. Who was the director of the 1939 film "Mr Smith Goes to Washington" starring Jimmy Stewart?
Frank Capra