This match day pulls you through a wide sweep of topics: a Latin legal‑financial term (pro rata), a contemporary blockbuster video game franchise (Monster Hunter), 19th‑century imperial Brazil’s early adoption of the telephone, cinema sound branding (THX’s Deep Note), classic Heian‑period Japanese literature (The Pillow Book), and comparative military institutions (West Point, Sandhurst, Saint‑Cyr). Pro rata is a Latin phrase meaning “in proportion,” widely used in law and finance to describe distributions such as dividends according to each holder’s share of the whole.1 The Monster Hunter series is Capcom’s long‑running action role‑playing franchise, with Monster Hunter Wilds (2025) becoming the fastest‑selling title in company history, outperforming earlier hits Monster Hunter: World (2018) and Monster Hunter Rise (2021).

The day also rewards historical and cultural breadth. Emperor Pedro II of Brazil was famous for his enthusiasm for science and technology and helped bring Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone to Brazil; in 1877 a line was installed linking his summer palace in Petrópolis to other imperial properties, often described as the first telephone line outside the United States.2 In film/audio, the Deep Note—composed in the early 1980s by Lucasfilm engineer James A. Moorer—serves as the sound trademark for THX, a certification standard created at Lucasfilm in 1983 to guarantee high‑quality audio/visual reproduction in cinemas and later in home and car systems.3 Literary players had to recognize Makura no Sōshi, the c. 1000 CE miscellany by court lady Sei Shōnagon, best known in English as The Pillow Book, a foundational work in the Japanese zuihitsu (“random jottings”) tradition describing Heian court life.4 On the institutions side, the tiny community of West Point, New York, houses the United States Military Academy—founded in 1802 and often treated as the U.S. functional equivalent of Britain’s Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and France’s École spéciale militaire de Saint‑Cyr, each serving as their army’s primary officer‑training academy.5

Seen as a whole, this set emphasizes how names and labels encode a lot of information: a Latin phrase that signals proportional fairness, a franchise title that must be matched to its newest hit entry, a three‑letter certification mark you “hear” before films, a Japanese diary title that hides a metaphor in translation, and place‑names that stand in for entire officer‑training systems. Learning to map these names to their underlying concepts—and to notice contextual clues like dates (1877, 2018/2021/2025), languages (Latin, Japanese, acronyms), or institutional roles—is the main transferable skill this match day tests.

📄 View Full Podcast Script

Study Notes

Question 1: Pro Rata Allocations

Q1. BUS/ECON - What two-word Latin term, seven letters in total, is used in business and finance (and elsewhere) to denote a proportionate allocation according to one’s share of the whole? One example is in the distribution of dividends to shareholders.

Core concept:
Pro rata is a Latin phrase meaning “in proportion,” used in law, business, and finance to describe allocations made according to each party’s fractional share—for example, dividends paid to shareholders in proportion to the number of shares they own.1

  • In a pro rata dividend, if a company distributes a fixed pool of money, each share receives the same amount, so a shareholder’s payout equals their share count times the pro rata amount.2

Reasoning Tips

  • Decode the letter constraint: “Two-word Latin term, seven letters in total” strongly narrows options—per diem (7 letters) is time‑based daily pay, but the clue specifies proportionate allocation to a share of the whole, pointing instead to pro rata (3+4).1
  • Key semantic clue – proportionality: Phrases like “proportionate allocation” and “according to one’s share of the whole” are stock textbook language for pro rata distributions; many finance glossaries define pro rata exactly this way.12
  • Domain cue – dividends example: The explicit mention of dividend distributions is classic; legal/finance references use pro rata dividends as their primary illustration (e.g., 100 shares, $1,000 total dividend → $10 per share).2
  • Latin in business jargon: LearnedLeague often leans on Latin terms that migrated into English professional vocab (e.g., pro bono, per capita, caveat emptor). “Used in business and finance (and elsewhere)” hints you’re looking for that sort of cross‑domain Latinism.
  • Watch for adverb vs adjective usage: In English, “pro rata” functions both as adverb (“dividends will be paid pro rata”) and adjective (“pro‑rata share”), with “prorated” as the Americanized form—knowing these variants can help confirm you’re on the right track.13

Sources

Question 2: Monster Hunter Wilds and the Capcom Franchise

Q2. GAMES/SPORT - The smash 2025 hit Wilds is the fastest-selling entry in what Capcom action RPG series, surpassing 2018’s World and 2021’s Rise?

Core concept:
Monster Hunter is Capcom’s long‑running action role‑playing game (ARPG) series, begun in 2004, in which players hunt giant monsters and craft gear from their remains.4 Monster Hunter Wilds, released February 28, 2025, is the latest mainline entry and sold over 8 million copies in its first three days—Capcom’s fastest‑selling title ever—surpassing earlier launch records for Monster Hunter: World (2018) and Monster Hunter Rise (2021).56

Reasoning Tips

  • Identify “Wilds” as a subtitle: The question assumes you know Wilds is a subtitle, not a standalone franchise, and that you can connect it to its parent series. Current‑events gamer knowledge pays off here.
  • Use the comparison titles as anchors: “Surpassing 2018’s World and 2021’s Rise” tells you Wilds belongs to the same series as Monster Hunter: World and Monster Hunter Rise; recognizing those as Monster Hunter games gets you to the umbrella answer Monster Hunter.47
  • Publisher and genre clue: “Capcom action RPG series” narrows things further—Capcom has other big series (Resident Evil, Street Fighter, Devil May Cry) but their flagship ARPG hunting franchise is Monster Hunter.4
  • Fastest‑selling angle: Articles covering Wilds’ launch repeatedly highlight that it hit 8 million units in 3 days and became Capcom’s fastest‑selling game, while recap pieces list World and Rise’s earlier launch tallies (5 million and 4 million in three days, respectively).56
  • Future‑proofing for similar clues: LearnedLeague often references “fastest‑selling” or “best‑selling” entries to test franchise literacy. For Monster Hunter it’s useful to remember: World is the all‑time best‑seller, while Wilds holds the record for fastest launch.

Sources

Question 3: Pedro II, Petrópolis, and Early Telephones

Q3. WORLD HIST - In 1877, one of the first telephones in a private residence, and reportedly the first phone line outside the United States, was installed at a summer palace in a town called Petrópolis, for an enthusiastic supporter of science and technology who was emperor of what country?

Core concept:
The emperor was Brazil’s Emperor Pedro II. Pedro II was renowned for his passion for science and technology; after trying Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition, he had telephone lines installed in Brazil in 1877, including a line between his summer retreat in Petrópolis and other imperial sites—widely reported as the first telephone line outside the United States.89

Reasoning Tips

  • Geography as a clue: Petrópolis is a well‑known mountain city in the state of Rio de Janeiro that served as the summer residence of Brazil’s imperial family in the 19th century; recognizing that place leads directly to Brazil.10
  • “Enthusiastic supporter of science and technology”: Biographies of Pedro II emphasize that he considered himself “born to devote [himself] to culture and sciences,” maintained labs and observatories, and eagerly adopted new technologies such as photography and telegraphy—matching the description far better than most contemporary monarchs.8
  • Telephone exhibition connection: Accounts of the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition relate how Pedro II enthusiastically tested Bell’s prototype telephone and exclaimed in amazement, which in turn spurred him to bring the technology to Brazil soon after.911
  • “First phone line outside the United States”: Local histories of Petrópolis and Brazilian telecom often note that in 1877 a line was installed connecting Pedro II’s palace with other imperial properties, describing it as the first telephone line in Brazil and (reportedly) the first outside the U.S.—wording that the question mirrors.910
  • Process of elimination on emperors: In 1877, options for “emperor” include Brazil, Russia, Germany, Austria‑Hungary, Japan, China, and a few others. Combining “Petrópolis” (Portuguese toponym) with the science‑loving early adopter narrows the field decisively to Pedro II of Brazil.

Sources

  • Pedro II of Brazil – Wikipedia – Biographical overview emphasizing his role as a patron of arts and sciences and quoting his remark that he was “born to devote [himself] to culture and sciences.”
  • Brazil Telecom Participações S.A. – Company History – Corporate history summarizing Pedro II’s encounter with Bell’s telephone in 1876 and noting that he had a telephone line installed in his palace that same year, marking the start of telephone history in Brazil.
  • History – Rio the Guide – Travel‑history article recounting Pedro II’s visit to the U.S., meeting with Bell, and the installation of a telephone line between Rio and Petrópolis that became “the first telephone line in the world outside the US,” with one of the original phones still displayed in the imperial palace museum.
  • Petrópolis – Wikipedia – Notes the city’s role as Pedro II’s summer residence and mentions that in 1877 the first telephone line in Brazil—and reportedly the first outside the United States—was built connecting his summer palace to his farm headquarters (marked with [citation needed] but widely repeated in secondary sources).
  • Pedro II do Brasil – Portuguese Wikipedia – Describes Pedro II’s experience with Bell’s telephone at the 1876 Philadelphia Exposition and notes that the first telephone models in Brazil were installed in Rio de Janeiro and Petrópolis in 1877.

Question 4: THX and the Deep Note

Q4. FILM - The “Deep Note”, a distinctive synthesized and deeply resonant crescendo that glissandos from a low rumble to a high pitch, was composed in 1983 by Lucasfilm sound engineer Dr. James A. Moorer. It serves as the audio trademark for what three-letter sound system certification?

Core concept:
The Deep Note is the famous synthesized crescendo used as the audio logo for THX, a sound (and broader AV) certification system originally developed at Lucasfilm in 1983 to ensure that theaters met strict technical standards so films—especially Star Wars: Return of the Jedi—would sound as intended. Dr. James A. Moorer created the Deep Note as THX’s sound trademark, first heard before THX‑certified screenings of Return of the Jedi in 1983.1213

Reasoning Tips

  • Iconic sound description: Even without the name “Deep Note,” the description—a synthesized rumble that glissandos into a massive chord—is so distinctive that many filmgoers immediately associate it with THX trailers.
  • “Audio trademark” and “three-letter sound system certification”: The question telegraphs that we’re dealing with a mark rather than a technology format. THX is a certification/quality standard, not an encoding format like Dolby Digital or DTS.14
  • Link to Lucasfilm and 1983: THX was developed at Lucasfilm around 1983 specifically to guarantee presentation quality for Return of the Jedi; knowing that, pairing “Lucasfilm sound engineer” + “1983” + “three‑letter certification” almost forces THX.1315
  • Avoid distractors: Other three‑letter audio names (e.g., DTS) are codecs, not certification programs tied to a single famous “audio logo.” Dolby’s “train” and other trailers are recognizable but not described this way, and Dolby is five letters.
  • Brand memory: Trivia writers love THX because it sits at the intersection of film history, branding, and audio tech. If you remember ever seeing the THX logo and hearing “that huge chord” in a theater, filing that under “Deep Note → THX” is useful.

Sources

  • THX Deep Note – Official THX page – Explains that the Deep Note is the resonant chord played at the start of THX‑certified performances, composed by Lucasfilm sound engineer Dr. James “Andy” Moorer and premiered with the 1983 release of Return of the Jedi.
  • Deep Note – Wikipedia – Describes the Deep Note as THX’s sound logo/audio trademark, a synthesized crescendo from ~200–400 Hz up across several octaves, created by James A. Moorer and debuted before Return of the Jedi.
  • THX – Wikipedia – Provides background on THX as a Lucasfilm‑developed audiovisual reproduction standard founded in 1983, notes its role as a certification system (not a recording format), and attributes Deep Note to Moorer.
  • Lucasfilm Originals: THX – Lucasfilm history article explaining why THX was created, how early THX‑certified theaters were inspected, and how Moorer’s Deep Note introduced the system.
  • THX Certification – THX – Outlines THX’s role today as a suite of certification standards for theaters, home theaters, and other systems, emphasizing its quality‑assurance nature.

Question 5: Makura no Sōshi / The Pillow Book

Q5. LITERATURE - Makura no Sōshi, a miscellaneous literary collection detailing court life in 10th-century Japan by lady-in-waiting Sei Shōnagon, is most often translated as The [REDACTED] Book, indicating its origin as a personal bedside book, like a diary. What word is redacted?

Core concept:
Makura no Sōshi is the Japanese title of The Pillow Book, an early‑11th‑century miscellany of observations, lists, and anecdotes about Heian‑period court life written by the lady‑in‑waiting Sei Shōnagon; the English title “Pillow Book” reflects the custom of keeping such notebooks near one’s pillow as a kind of private bedside diary.1617

Reasoning Tips

  • Translate the title components: Makura means “pillow” in Japanese, and sōshi can mean “notes” or “book/scroll.” Many literary references explicitly gloss Makura no Sōshi as “The Pillow Book,” so if you’ve seen the work mentioned in English, “pillow” is the natural fill‑in.1617
  • Genre and function clue: The question stresses that it was a “personal bedside book, like a diary.” Articles on The Pillow Book explain that such journals were kept in one’s sleeping quarters or by the pillow, hence the name.1618
  • Author and period cross‑check: Knowing that Sei Shōnagon was a court lady serving Empress Teishi (Sadako) around the year 1000 and that her best‑known work is The Pillow Book lets you confirm the association quickly.19
  • Miscellany/zuihitsu style: References describe The Pillow Book as a classic example of zuihitsu—“random jottings”—mixing lists like “Hateful Things” with anecdotes and court gossip; that miscellany structure also matches the “miscellaneous literary collection” phrasing in the question.1617
  • Don’t confuse with The Tale of Genji: Another famous Heian‑period court work is Murasaki Shikibu’s The Tale of Genji, but that is a long narrative novel, not a pillow/diary miscellany, and the Japanese title (Genji monogatari) does not contain “makura.”

Sources

  • Pillow Book – Britannica – Identifies Makura no sōshi as The Pillow Book, a c. 1000 collection of reminiscences by Sei Shōnagon; explains that similar diaries were kept in sleeping quarters “hence the name,” and classifies it as zuihitsu.
  • The Pillow Book – Wikipedia – Describes the work’s content (lists, anecdotes, observations), its completion around 1002, its association with Heian court life, and its importance in the zuihitsu tradition.
  • “The Lists of a Lady‑in‑Waiting” – Kyoto Journal – Explains that the title comes from Heian aristocrats’ habit of keeping notepaper near their pillows and notes that Shōnagon herself called her work sōshi (“random notes”).
  • The Pillow Book – Japanese Wiki Corpus – Discusses scholarly views on the meaning of “pillow” in the title (bedside notebook, treasured book, etc.) and its association with private jottings kept by one’s pillow.
  • The Pillow Book – World History Encyclopedia – Provides a historical overview of The Pillow Book, noting its Heian‑court context, zuihitsu style, and significance in Japanese literature.
  • Sei Shōnagon – Wikipedia – Biographical sketch identifying her as a court lady to Empress Teishi and author of The Pillow Book.

Question 6: West Point, Sandhurst, and Saint‑Cyr

Q6. GEOGRAPHY - What location with roughly 6,500 permanent residents is the functional American institutional equivalent to Britain’s Sandhurst and France’s Saint-Cyr?

Core concept:
The location is West Point, New York, home of the United States Military Academy (USMA). West Point is a small census‑designated place on the Hudson River (population 7,341 in the 2020 census) whose primary institution is the U.S. Army’s federal service academy, which educates and commissions Army officers—functionally analogous to Britain’s Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and France’s École spéciale militaire de Saint‑Cyr as their main army officer‑training schools.20212223

Reasoning Tips

  • Match institutions, not just geography: The key is the phrase “functional American institutional equivalent.” Sandhurst is the British Army’s central initial officer‑training academy, and Saint‑Cyr plays that role for the French Army.2223 The obvious U.S. parallel is the Army’s preeminent officer‑training school: the United States Military Academy at West Point.21
  • Population clue: The question’s “roughly 6,500 permanent residents” points to a small town dominated by one installation. Census data put West Point’s population at just over 7,000 in 2020, close enough for this approximate clue, and most of that population is connected to the academy.20
  • Name vs. place: The answer is the location, not the academy’s full name. Saying “West Point” aligns with how Sandhurst and Saint‑Cyr are also commonly used metonymically to refer both to the place and the academy.
  • Know your service academies: The U.S. has several service academies (Naval Academy at Annapolis, Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Coast Guard Academy in New London, etc.), but Sandhurst and Saint‑Cyr are specifically army institutions, steering you to the Army’s academy rather than the Naval or Air Force academies.24
  • Time/age contextual support: West Point, founded in 1802, is the oldest U.S. service academy and a historic officer‑training institution, which is why across reference works it is commonly grouped conceptually with Sandhurst (founded in its current form in 1947 but with earlier roots) and Saint‑Cyr (founded 1802).212223

Sources

  1. See the general definition and Latin etymology in Wikipedia and legal dictionaries. ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  2. See the Cornell LII dividend example and similar worked examples in finance guides. ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  3. Many style and usage notes (e.g., Wikipedia, business guides) discuss “pro‑rata” as an adjective and “prorated” in American English. ↩︎ ↩︎

  4. See the series overview for its ARPG nature and long history with Capcom. ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  5. See Capcom’s own press release and recap pieces on Wilds’ record‑breaking launch. ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  6. See comparative launch sales in Game World Observer and GameSpot coverage. ↩︎ ↩︎

  7. The Monster Hunter article’s chronology section helpfully lines up World (2018), Rise (2021), and Wilds (2025). ↩︎

  8. See biographical sections on Pedro II’s patronage of science and technology. ↩︎ ↩︎

  9. See telecom histories and Rio/Petrópolis histories linking Pedro II’s enthusiasm to early Brazilian telephone lines. ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  10. See Petrópolis’ role as imperial summer capital and the 1877 line noted in local histories. ↩︎ ↩︎

  11. Multiple accounts of the 1876 exposition recount Pedro II’s enthusiastic reaction to Bell’s demonstration. ↩︎

  12. See THX’s own Deep Note page and the Deep Note article for authorship and premiere details. ↩︎

  13. THX histories consistently place the program’s founding in 1983 at Lucasfilm to support Return of the Jedi. ↩︎ ↩︎

  14. THX documentation repeatedly stresses that it is a certification/quality standard, not an encoding format. ↩︎

  15. Lucasfilm and THX historical pieces tie the first THX trailers and Deep Note to the 1983 theatrical release of Return of the Jedi. ↩︎

  16. See Britannica and major reference works for the translation “The Pillow Book” and the pillow/bedside explanation. ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  17. Modern scholarship on zuihitsu regularly The Pillow Book as the foundational example of the genre. ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  18. Kyoto Journal and Japanese reference works elaborate on the “pillow‑side notes” custom. ↩︎

  19. Biographical references connect Sei Shōnagon, Empress Teishi’s court, and Makura no Sōshi. ↩︎

  20. See census figures for West Point, NY, and descriptions of it as a CDP centered on the academy. ↩︎ ↩︎

  21. USMA’s mission statements and historical summaries make clear its role in training Army officers. ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  22. British Army resources describe Sandhurst as the central commissioning academy. ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  23. French and English references describe Saint‑Cyr as the main officer school for the French Army. ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  24. The “United States service academies” overview helps distinguish which academy corresponds to which service. ↩︎