Triple title for Geo Bee winner Triple title for Geo Bee winner (April 13, 2005)

What language is spoken the most in North Africa?

Stumped?

"Arabic." That's the correct answer eighth-grader Tony Armendariz gave recently to cinch the Hillview Middle School's annual Geography Bee title for the third year in a row.

That's a school record, says Mike Moore, who runs the contest and is principal of the Menlo Park school.

Tony, 14, who enjoys browsing geographical Web sites and atlases, says his mom and dad, Leslie and Ed Armendariz, love maps and often ask him where a particular place is located.

Hillview's Geography Bee is unlike a spelling bee. It begins with students in each class at the 6-8 middle school writing down answers to a series of questions. The three students in each class with the most correct answers go to the next round.

The final elimination round starts with the top nine, who write down answers to questions posed by Mr. Moore. About half the questions are based on the United States, and the other half, the rest of the world.

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