Answers to ConTest Quiz
QUESTIONS
ANSWERS
1. The contest was started in honor of the founder's adoptive mother. What was her name?
A. Mabel B. Martha C. Rosemary
B. Because of her support and courage in her son’s search for his birth origins, Martha Watson will always be known as the first mother who inspired this contest.
2. When was the first contest held?
A. 1862 B. 1943 C. 1993
C.
3. What was the name of the very first DiamondWinner?
A. Margaret B. Emily C. Megan
A. Margaret Ketchersid’s magical winning essay chanted: “My mother, my guide, and gemstone so rare, deserves out of likeness a diamond as fair.”
4. What words are used the most when describing mom?
A. smile & face B. hands & touch. C. eyes & heart
C. The words “eyes and heart" are used twice as many times as these other words.
5. How many essays have been submitted since the contest began?
A. 10,000
B. 50,000
C. Over 250,000
C. That's enough contest writers to fill the Anaheim Stadium 4 1/2 times!
6. If every essay submitted were stacked in a single pile, they would climb as high as:
A. 3 telephone poles.
B. The Statue of Liberty.
C. The Empire State Building.
A.
7. How many essays are submitted every year?
A. 1,000 B. 7,000 C. Over 20,000
C. And when these words of love are shared with moms everywhere, millions of people are positively touched.
8. Who reads all those essays?
A. Teachers
B. Secret agent moms
C. Retired principals
A. In 2009, nineteen Orange County teachers selected as Contest Panel Judges evaluated every essay. Contest rules state that a teacher “ is not allowed to read essays from his/her own school.”
9. How many kids have been a DiamondWinner?
A. 22 B. 50 C. 88
B. Eight kids from six states won a diamond in 2001!
10. Why is there only a 25-word limit?
A. Judges get dizzy reading too many words.
B. 25 is a magic number.
C. Increases the challenge to honor mom in a few chosen words.
C. If the limit were higher, the judges would still be reading them today!
11. On Diamond Day, 2003, the contest founder-
A. Forgot to give corsages to Diamond Moms before their photographs were taken.
B. Tripped over a ring box
C. Lost voice. Could not give ceremony speech.
A. But he remembered to give them before they went home.
12. If every essay submitted were stacked in a single pile, how high would they go?
A. Top of your school.
B. The Eiffell Tower.
C. 1/2 height of Leaning Tower of Pisa.
C. That would be 86 feet high!
13. What shape of diamond was awarded to the DiamondWinners in 2007?
A. heart B. princess C. marquise
A. In honor of the life of Martha Watson (1920-2006), a diamond cut into the shape of a heart was presented to DiamondWinners.
14. If every essay submitted were laid side by side, how far would they go?
A. The length of 10 school busses.
B. The length of your school
C. 27 miles
B. Which is the same length as 139 Queen Marys.
A whisper of words, like velvety lace.
Jennifer Plankenhorn. Grade 8. 1998 DiamondWinner.