Questions
U.S. News:
1. Many toys that were made in China were recalled this year because
a) they were made with lead paint
b) they were too expensive
c) they had sharp edges
d) they were counterfeit
2. Former Vice President Al Gore won the Nobel Peace Prize for
a) his role in bringing peace to the Middle East
b) his work in alerting people to the impending environmental catastrophes that will be caused by man-made global warming
c) his work in ending the genocide in Darfur
d) inventing the internet
3. The Journal of the American Medical Association released a significant study that revealed researchers were able to reverse the effects of juvenile diabetes using
a) embryonic stem cells
b) adult stem cells
c) animal stem cells
d) improved medication
4. Two research teams announced that they may have found methods to turn a common part of the human body into virtually any type of human tissue, thus eliminating the need to use embryonic stem cells. What part of the body did they say could be used in such a way?
a) skin cells
b) toe nails
c) blood
d) hair
5. A series of large wildfires across Southern California caused several deaths, consumed more than 1,500 homes and threatened thousands more. The blazes were fanned by a local land-to-sea wind. What is it called?
a) Santa Ana
b) Chinook
c) Mistral
d) Diablo
6. During a status report on Iraq at the Pentagon in July, who said: “The security situation in Iraq is improving, and Iraqi elements are slowly taking on more of the responsibility for protecting their citizens…As a result, the United States will be in a position to reduce its forces in Iraq in the months ahead.”
a) Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice
b) Senate Majority leader Harry Reid (Democrat, NV)
c) General David Petraeus, Chief U.S. Commander in Iraq
d) Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki
7. Which one of the following people is not a 2008 Democratic presidential candidate?
a) Dennis Kucinich
b) Bill Richardson
c) Joe Biden
d) Al Gore
8. Which one of the following people is not a 2008 Republican presidential candidate?
a) Duncan Hunter
b) Fred Thompson
c) Ron Paul
d) Jeb Bush
9. Which political party currently holds the majority in the House of Representatives?
a) Democratic
b) Republican
10. In August, a bridge collapsed and fell into the Mississippi River, killing 13 people. Where did the disaster occur?
a) Chicago
b) San Francisco
c) Minneapolis
d) Baltimore
11. At which U.S. university did Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad make a controversial appearance in September?
a) Columbia
b) Duke
c) Kent State
d) Virginia Tech
12. During his speech at the university, which statement did Mr. Ahmadinejad make?
a) “The Holocaust was the most heinous act of barbarism that has ever occurred.”
b) “We are working on a nuclear weapons program that will make us the most feared country in the world.”
c) “I wish I had gotten my degree from an American university.”
d) “In Iran we don’t have homosexuals like in your country.”
13. Prodded by the White House, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert traveled to a summit in the United States, where they agreed to resume peace talks with a view to achieving a final deal in 2008. Where did the summit take place?
a) Annapolis, MD
b) Camp David, MD
c) Lake Placid, NY
d) Hilton Head, SC
14. Severe drought in which state caused the governor to call for a prayer service to pray for rain in November?
a) North Carolina
b) Georgia
c) Arkansas
d) Massachusetts
15. In October, President Bush presented Lt. Michael P. Murphy’s parents this week with the ________________, the highest award for valor in action against an enemy force for their son who had died as he risked his own life to save his Navy SEAL team in Afghanistan.
a) the Purple Heart
b) the Medal of Honor
c) the Silver Star
d) the Distinguished Service Medal
16. To be permitted to continue doing business in China, what did U.S. company Yahoo do that resulted in the arrest of two Chinese journalists?
a) it gave the Chinese government information on two men who had been bribing company executives
b) it gave the Chinese government a discounted rate on all Yahoo transactions
c) it gave the Chinese government confidential information which allowed the police to track down the two men who had been writing pro-democracy articles anonymously
d) it gave the Chinese government confidential information which allowed the police to track down the two men who had been writing anti-American articles anonymously
17. The National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) released in December made the following conclusion on Iran’s nuclear program:
a) Iran halted its nuclear-weapons program in 2003
b) Iran continues its secret program to develop a nuclear weapon
c) Iran has moved its nuclear weapons program to North Korea
d) sanctions against Iran have successfully caused that country to permanently dismantle its nuclear weapons program
18. Despite the NIE report on Iran’s nuclear weapons program, the _____________ government still insists that Iran is building nuclear weapons and will have them completed in less than two years:
a) American
b) British
c) Iranian
d) Israeli
19. Enriched _________________ is needed to build nuclear weapons
a) plutonium
b) zinc
c) kryptonite
d) uranium
20. In a report that shook major league baseball, former U.S. Senator George Mitchell named more than 50 players, past and present, linked to the illegal use of steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs. Which of these players was NOT named in the report?
a) Roger Clemens
b) Alex Rodriguez
c) Eric Gagne
d) Gary Sheffield
21. Identify the following leaders:
__________ U.S. Secretary of Defense a. Jay Rockefeller
__________ Director of National Intelligence b. Michael McConnell
__________ Director of U.S. Secret Service c. Michael Mullen
__________ Chairman – U.S. Senate d. Robert Gates
Select Committee on Intelligence e. Mark Sullivan
__________ Chairman – Joint Chiefs of Staff
World News:
22. Match the following leaders who were elected (or appointed) in 2007 with the countries they govern:
a. Nigeria __________ President Nicolas Sarkozy
b. Australia __________ Prime Minister Gordon Brown
c. Argentina __________ Prime Minister Kevin Rudd
d. Latvia __________ President Abdullah Gul
e. France __________ President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua
f. India __________ President Valdis Zatlers
g. Turkey __________ Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov
h. South Korea __________ President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner
i. Great Britain __________ Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda
j. Russia __________ President Lee Myung-bak
k. Japan __________ President Pratibha Patil
23. Match the following world leaders who resigned or were voted out of office in 2007:
__________ Prime Minister of Great Britain a. Romano Prodi
__________ Prime Minister of Japan b. Mikhail Fradkov
__________ Prime Minister of Russia c. John Howard
__________ Prime Minister of Italy d. Tony Blair
__________ Prime Minister of Australia e. Shinzo Abe
24. Which country will host the 2008 Summer Olympics?
a) Russia
b) Canada
c) China
d) France
25. The leader of which country declared a national state of emergency after a series of devastating wildfires ravaged parts of the country, killing 68 people?
a) Kostas Karamanlis of Greece
b) Viktor Yushchenko of Ukraine
c) Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia
d) John Howard of Australia
26. In which South American country did an 8.0 earthquake strike in August, killing 512 people, injuring more than 1,500, and causing tsunami warnings in the Pacific Ocean?
a) Honduras
b) Brazil
c) Peru
d) Ecuador
27. In March, British sailors and marines were captured and held captive for 13 days by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard in the Gulf off the coast of Iraq during
a) a standoff with the Iranians over military personnel the British had taken hostage
b) a secret operation to infiltrate the Iranian Revolutionary Guard
c) a routine inspection of a merchant ship suspected of smuggling
d) none of the above
28. Also in March, _______________ stormed Gaza City using weapons reportedly smuggled through Egypt, captured security compounds of Fatah, the governing Palestinian faction, and took control of Gaza.
a) Iran’s Revolutionary Guard
b) Palestinian Hamas fighters
c) the Israeli military
d) al Qaeda
29. Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf declared a state of emergency in November because of internal pressure and unrest that was brought on by:
a) Musharraf’s dismissal of the country’s popular Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry
b) the possible return of former prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif to Pakistan to challenge Musharraf’s hold on power
c) continuing tribal rule and support of Al Qaeda and Taliban elements in the North-West Frontier of Pakistan
d) Musharraf’s continuing support of the Bush administration’s War on Terror
30. Before ending the state of emergency in December, President Musharraf:
a) had Chief Justice Chaudhry executed
b) appointed his wife prime minister
c) asked the U.S. to help restore law and order to Pakistan
d) resigned as head of the Pakistan Army
31. After returning to Pakistan following eight years in exile, what was former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto doing when she was assassinated?
a) visiting her ailing mother in Lahore
b) plotting with Nawaz Sharif to oust President Musharraf in a coup
c) campaigning for her bid as Prime Minister
d) giving a speech about the need for Democracy in Pakistan
32. Which two Latin American presidents attempted changes to their constitutions that would, among other things, eliminate presidential term limits?
a) Evo Morales of Bolivia and Hugo Chavez of Venezuela
b) Nestor Kirchner of Argentina and Fidel Castro of Cuba
c) Alan Garcia of Peru and Felipe Calderon of Mexico
d) Alvaro Uribe Velez of Columbia and Hugo Chavez of Venezuela
33. Days of peaceful protest by Buddhist monks and their supporters became violent when forces controlled by the military government of Myanmar cracked down on the protesters, resulting in several deaths. What name did Myanmar have before the junta changed it in 1989?
a) Siam
b) Burma
c) Ceylon
d) Mandalay
34. Hamas, the militant Muslim group that has taken over as the ruling Palestinian group in the Gaza Strip, suspended a TV program in which a Disney-like character was seen urging children to fight Israel and work for global Islamic domination. Which Disney character was it similar to?
a) Mickey Mouse
b) Minnie Mouse
c) Donald Duck
d) Goofy
35. The new leader of which country is surprisingly pro-American?
a) Great Britain
b) Australia
c) Japan
d) France
36. In July, which country’s capital city witnessed its first snowfall in 89 years?
a) Greece
b) New Zealand
c) Argentina
d) Chile
37. In November Cyclone Sidr, with winds over 100 miles per hour, killed 3,500 people in what country?
a) Indonesia
b) Bangladesh
c) Ethiopia
d) Laos
38. Gillian Gibbons, a British teacher working abroad, was arrested in which country for allowing her students to name a teddy bear Muhammad?
a) Afghanistan
b) Pakistan
c) Sudan
d) Canada
39. Riots near the capital of this country were sparked in November following the death of two youths in a motorcycle collision with a police vehicle.
a) U.S.
b) Ireland
c) France
d) Pakistan
40. In November, this country’s special committee to reform jihadists released 1,500 al Qaeda members from prison stating that the prisoners had been reformed.
a) Saudi Arabia
b) Iran
c) Pakistan
d) Great Britain
41. One of the rebel groups in Darfur threatened to pull out of scheduled peace talks. Which of the following statements about the Darfur conflict is not true?
a) Darfur is a region in Sudan
b) the Janjaweed militia are fighting on the side of the government
c) the conflict has been going on since 2003
d) the United Nations has been successful in ending the genocide in Darfur and saving many lives there
42. Spain’s King Juan Carlos told Hugo Chavez to “shut up” at a summit in Chile in November, after Mr. Chavez called former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar a “fascist”. What happened next?
a) the King’s microphone was switched off
b) delegates started brawling
c) Juan Carlos stormed out
d) Juan Carlos was arrested
43. Which European Union member state in September went against the E.U. consensus pushing for a moratorium on the death penalty?
a) Great Britain
b) Germany
c) France
d) Poland
44. The main focus of the summit held in October between North Korea and South Korea, only the second time leaders from these two countries have met since the end of the Korean war, was:
a) a peaceful dismantling of North Korea’s nuclear program
b) peace between the two countries, including an end to military hostility
c) the starvation of many North Koreans due to leader Kim Jong-Il’s actions
d) the imprisonment of Christian and political opponents in the North’s notorious prison camps
45. ________________ has claimed sovereignty over the Northwest Passage
a) the U.S.
b) the U.N.
c) Canada
d) the European Union
46. The ________________ government has sent troops into Iraq to track down Kurdish rebels who have been performing terrorist attacks in their country.
a) Iranian
b) Syrian
c) Armenian
d) Turkish
47. Russian President Vladimir Putin strongly opposes a U.S. deal with which two countries to install U.S. interceptor missiles and a radar station?
a) Bulgaria and Poland
b) The Czech Republic and Bulgaria
c) Poland and the Czech Republic
d) Ukraine and Belarus
48. Which one of the following countries not authorized to possess nuclear weapons under the U.N.’s nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT) has not publicly acknowledged that it has nuclear weapons?
a) India
b) Israel
c) North Korea
d) Pakistan
49. Which one of the following is not a real news story from 2007?
a) Four men were arrested and charged with conspiring to blow up jet fuel supply tanks and pipelines at John F. Kennedy International Airport. An FBI wiretap transcript indicated that the alleged plotters targeted the airport because of the popularity its namesake, John F. Kennedy
b) The U.S. Navy guided missile destroyer USS Cole was attacked by a suicide bomber while it was harbored in a Yemeni port for a routine fuel stop. 17 sailors were killed and 39 others were injured in the blast.
c) a Jeep Cherokee loaded with propane canisters was driven into the entrance of the main terminal of the Glasgow International Airport and set ablaze in the first terrorist attack in Scotland since the Lockerbie bombing in 1988 and the first terrorist attack ever on Scottish soil
d) six radical Islamist men were arrested by the FBI and charged with planning an attack against U.S. soldiers at Fort Dix military base in New Jersey. The alleged aim of the six men was said to be to “kill as many soldiers as possible”.
50. Which one of the following headlines is fake?
a) “Americans Set Record for Charity, Donating $300 Billion”
b) “U.S. Cancer Death Rates Continue to Fall for Men, Women and Children”
c) “Iraq Troop Surge Declared a Failure”
d) “Baghdad’s Weary Start to Exhale as Security Improves”
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