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Ten Questions: That Won’t Appear in Trivial Pursuit

QUICK HITS:

1) What is Rep. John Boozman’s (R-Ark.) stated profession?
a) optometrist
b) ophthalmologist
c) orthopedic surgeon
d) ornithologist

2) Which Member represents Newport, R.I., in the House?
a) James Langevin
b) Buddy Cianci Jr.
c) Patrick Kennedy
d) Roger Williams

3) In 1994, Rep. George Nethercutt (R-Wash.) unseated which Speaker, and who is he challenging this year for Senate?
a) Tip O’Neill, Patty Murray
b) Tom Foley, Patty Murray
c) Patty Murray, Patty Murray
d) D.B. Cooper, Laura Palmer

4) Which current Cabinet secretary, who is a former Member of Congress, has an international airport named in their honor in California?
a) Elaine Chao
b) Gale Norton
c) Elizabeth Dole
d) Norm Mineta

5) In 1976, Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wis.) bought a Wyoming ranch from which GOP Senator?
a) Orrin Hatch
b) Mike Enzi
c) Clifford Hansen
d) Alan Simpson

CAPITOL KNOWLEDGE:

6a) The intricate tile work in the Senate’s Brumidi Corridor was manufactured by what English tile works?
a) Pewabic
b) Minton
c) Olde English Tile Factory
d) Jackfield

6b) Those tiles were primarily laid in which decade?
a) 1840s
b) 1850s
c) 1870s
d) 1920s

6c) What was the average cost of the tile work, per square foot?
a) $1.75
b) 80 cents
c) $3.15
d) $1.25

ROAD RULES:

7) What was the last state to have a District of Columbia thoroughfare named or renamed in its honor?
a) Alaska
b) Hawaii
c) Washington
d) Texas

8) Constitution and Independence avenues took the place of what letter of the alphabet in the District street grid?
a) A
b) B
c) J
d) X

9a) Reps. Robert Matsui (D-Calif.) and Wayne Gilchrest (R-Md.) have little in common except a U.S. highway that has its western and eastern termini in their respective Congressional districts. What is the name of that highway?
a) Interstate 80
b) Interstate 99
c) U.S. Route 50
d) Lincoln Highway

9b) What are their respective Congressional districts?
a) California’s 5th, Maryland’s 2nd
b) California’s 1st, Maryland’s 6th
c) California’s 5th, Maryland’s 1st
d) California’s 6th, Maryland’s 1st

9c) The highway in question starts and ends in which two cities in their districts?
a) Sacramento, Baltimore
b) Rancho Cordova, Easton
c) Sacramento, Ocean City
d) Folsom, Princess Anne

WASHINGTON MATH:
10) Northeast of the Capitol, there is a park that shares the same name of President Abraham Lincoln’s secretary of War. Two state avenues intersect with the park. Multiply the number of syllables in those two states. Then add to that the number of the street that connects the Lincoln Memorial with Washington Circle. Take that sum and divide by 5. Multiply that figure by the address number of The Palm on 19th Street Northwest. Divide that figure by the number of Congressional districts in Florida. If you add 97 to that figure, you come up with what total?
a) The total of states in the union at the time of the 1876 Centennial.
b) The total number of Members in the House, including Delegates and Puerto Rico’s Resident Commissioner (assuming no vacancies).
c) The combined number of Wal-Marts in the districts of Reps. Tom DeLay (R-Texas), Marilyn Musgrave (R-Colo.), Mike Michaud (D-Maine) and John Spratt (D-S.C.).
d) The total number of terms Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) and Rep. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) have served.

ANSWERS:

1) a; 2) c; 3) b; 4) d; 5) c; 6a) b; 6b) b; 6c) a; 7) c; 8) b; 9) all c; 10) b

(In case you wondered how Roll Call determined question 10 … Massachusetts and Maryland avenues meet at Stanton Park [4×3=12] … add in 23rd Street [12+23=35 … 35/5=7] … multiply The Palm’s address [7×1225=8575] … divide by the number of Florida’s Congressional districts [8575/25=343] … add 97 [343+97=440]).

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