Questions
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PEOPLE IN THE NEWS – WORLD:
Multiple choice. There is one correct answer for each question. Circle the correct answer.
(2 points each)
1. Which of the following people held captive in 2010 was not freed by the end of the year?
a) British retirees Paul and Rachel Chandler who were on a vacation on their yacht when Somali pirates captured them and then held them for ransom in Somalia
b) U.S. hiker Sarah Shourd accused of spying and imprisoned by the Iranian government along with her boyfriend and another friend
c) Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, taken captive when he was 19 by Palestinian militants who attacked his guard post in Israel in 2006
d) Sgt. Pablo Emilio Moncayo, who was captured as a 19-year-old corporal when Marxist guerrillas from the rebel group FARC attacked his unit, killing 22 of his colleagues and capturing him and 18 others in 1997
2. Ali Hassan al-Majid, Saddam Hussein’s notorious henchman known as __________________ was executed by hanging after receiving four death sentences for his crimes against humanity, including ordering the use of poison gas against civilians, which killed 5,600 people in the town of Halabja.
a) the Butcher of Baghdad
b) Chemical Ali
c) al-Majid the Murderer
d) Assassin Ali
3. In Cuba, the wives and mothers of 75 activists imprisoned since 2003, who held silent protest walks every Sunday against the imprisonment, were known as:
a) the Ladies in White
b) Damas de Banco
c) the Women who are loco
d) the Protesters
4. The government of President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela took action against opponents in the media by: 1) pulling a cable TV channel from the air for defying new government regulations requiring it to televise some of Chavez’s speeches, and 2) arresting the owner of Venezuela’s only remaining independent TV channel for airing remarks that were deemed “offensive” to the president. Chavez is most often referred to as, and has referred to himself as:
a) a socialist
b) a capitalist
c) a philanthropist
d) a dear leader
5. Liu XiaoBo, the Chinese human rights activist who was sentenced to 11 years in prison for calling for democratic reforms and the end of one-party rule in China won the ___________ this year.
a) lottery
b) Academy Award for best documentary film
c) Nobel Peace Prize
d) Human Rights award for prisoners
6. As a way of introducing him as his future successor, North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il appointed _______________ as a four-star general in the North Korean army.
a) himself
b) his oldest son Kim Jong-nam
c) his brother-in-law Chang Sung-taek
d) his youngest son Kim Jong-un
7. President Lech Kaczynski died this year in a plane crash in Russia along with top Polish political, military and religious leaders on their way to a memorial ceremony for
a) Vladimir Lenin, leader of the Soviet state during its initial years
b) Joseph Stalin, who became the unchallenged leader of the Soviet Union after Lenin’s death
c) the thousands of Polish military officers executed by Stalin’s secret police in 1940
d) Pope John Paul II, the first Pole ever to become pope of the Roman Catholic Church
8. Conservative Party leader _________________ won the 2010 election in Great Britain, but his party was still 20 seats short of an overall majority, resulting in the nation’s first hung parliament since 1974. Talks between the winner and Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg led to an agreed Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition.
a) David Cameron
b) Tony Blair
c) Winston Churchill
d) Gordon Brown
9. Conservative billionaire __________________ won Chile’s 2010 presidential election, ending two decades of center-left rule in Latin America’s most stable economy.
a) Che Guevera
b) Manuel Noriega
c) Sebastian Pinera
d) Evo Morales
10. Citizens of this country put aside their political animosity in May (between the prime minister and his opponent’s supporters the “Red Shirts”) to honor their highly revered ailing monarch King Bhumibol Adulyadej on the 60th anniversary of his coronation. His rare public appearance inspired thousands lining the streets to chant “Long live the king!”
a) Thailand
b) the Philippines
c) Taiwan
d) Indonesia
11. The election of Laura Chinchilla as president of Costa Rica is significant because:
a) she is the first woman to be elected president in Latin America
b) she is the first woman to be elected president in Costa Rica
c) she is the first Latin American president to support a law prohibiting abortion
d) she is the first Latin American leader to earn a master’s degree from a U.S. university
12. Julian Assange of WikiLeaks obtained the confidential government documents he made public from:
a) an Islamic terrorist from an undisclosed Middle Eastern country
b) Russian spies who posed as average American parents living in the suburbs
c) a U.S. Army private who was working as an intelligence analyst in Iraq
d) Chinese government operatives who had infiltrated the Pentagon
PEOPLE IN THE NEWS – NATIONAL:
Multiple choice. There is one correct answer for each question. Circle the correct answer.
(2 points each)
13. _________________ was Commander of U.S. Forces Afghanistan but resigned after an interview he gave to Rolling Stone Magazine was published, in which he was critical of White House officials. Days after being relieved of his duties in Afghanistan, the General announced his retirement.
a) Stanley McChrystal
b) Mike Mullen
c) David Petraeus
d) Robert Gates
14. Gov. Jan Brewer of Arizona stirred up a huge controversy with the federal government by signing into law a bill approved by 70% of Arizona residents regarding:
a) global warming
b) illegal immigration
c) abortion
d) same-sex marriage
15. The 2010 midterm elections were historic because Republicans won more seats than any party has won in any single election since 1948. As a result, Republican Congressman ___________ has been elected to be the new Speaker of the House.
a) John Boehner
b) Nancy Pelosi
c) Ron Paul
d) Eric Cantor
16. U.S. Army Sgt. Salvatore Giunta is the first living person to receive the United States Armed Forces’ highest decoration for valor, ________________, for actions that occurred since the Vietnam War. Giunta was cited for saving the lives of members of his squad on October 25, 2007 during the War in Afghanistan.
a) the Purple Heart
b) the Presidential Medal of Freedom
c) the Medal of Honor
d) the Silver Star
17. American-Yemeni cleric _________________ advocated the killing of American civilians in an al Qaeda video released in May. His internet sermons are believed to have helped inspire attacks on the U.S. He was identified by the U.S. as a key terrorist threat and was added to the CIA’s list of targets for assassination despite his American citizenship.
a) Mohammed bin Mohammed
b) Anwar al-Awlaki
c) Khalid Sheikh Mohammed
d) Faisal Shazad
18. Faisal Shazad is the Pakistani immigrant who became a U.S. citizen in 2009 and in 2010 unsuccessfully attempted to detonate a car bomb in a failed terrorist attack in ______________. Shazad pled guilty and was sentenced in October to life in prison.
a) Times Square
b) the Mall of America
c) a Dallas skyscraper
d) the Lincoln Tunnel
19. Ahmed Ghailani, the first ___________________, was accused of being an al Qaeda operative involved in the 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania that killed 224 people. In November, he was he was acquitted on all counts but one. The case has been seen as a test of President Obama’s goal of trying detainees in federal (civilian) court whenever feasible, and the result seems certain to fuel debate over whether civilian courts are appropriate for trying terrorists.
a) identified “homegrown terrorist”
b) terrorist radicalized at a mosque in Brooklyn
c) terrorist to publicly apologize for his terrorist activities
d) GITMO prisoner to be tried in civilian court
PLACES:
Multiple choice. There is one correct answer for each question. Circle the correct answer.
(2 points each)
20. The world’s tallest skyscraper, which officially opened this year, is over 2,700 feet high and cost approximately $1.5 billion to build, is in the city of:
a) Hong Kong
b) Buenos Aires
c) Dubai
d) Melbourne
21. Identify the location of the bridge in the photo below, which was dedicated in October 2010:
a) at the Hoover Dam bordering Nevada and Arizona
b) at the Grand Canyon in Arizona
c) at the mouth of the Yangtze River in China
d) at the Panama Canal in Panama
22. Skywalks were built above the streets of ________________ in an effort to ease commuter congestion during rush hour.
a) Paris
b) Minneapolis
c) Mumbai
d) Madrid
23. The world’s largest telescope will be built at 10,040 feet above sea level on a mountain in _____________’s northern, mine-rich Atacama desert, which is favored for major telescopes because of low levels of water vapor and clear night skies. The telescope is set to begin operations in 2018.
a) Nevada
b) Egypt
c) Chile
d) Utah
24. The ______________ government is opening Chernobyl as a tourist destination. The area around the notorious nuclear power plant, site of a massive explosion that blanketed Europe with radioactive material nearly 25 years ago, will be open to the public in 2011.
a) Russian
b) Polish
c) Ukrainian
d) French
25. Identify the place and cause of the flood disaster in the video below:
a) Hungary – a reservoir at an aluminum factory burst its banks and the toxic sludge stored there poured out into the farms and towns around the factory
b) India – a giant explosion at the country’s largest red brick clay factory caused the mud being mixed for bricks to pour out into the streets around the factory
c) Louisiana – oil from the giant oil spill/leak in the Gulf of Mexico washed up onto shore and into inland farms and towns
d) Indonesia – volcanic mud from the eruption of Mount Merapi covered the countryside
26. Since launching in _____________, Google has censored certain search results the government of that country requested be blocked from its citizens. Yahoo also abides by the government’s censorship rules by blocking certain information searched for by its citizens.
a) North Korea
b) Russia
c) Saudi Arabia
d) China
27. ___________ officials called the rescue of 115 coal miners trapped underground in this country for 8 days “a miracle.” Coal provides 70% of the country’s electricity.
a) U.S.
b) Ukrainian
c) Chilean
d) Chinese
28. ___________ and _____________ experienced major volcanic eruptions this year.
a) Japan and Indonesia
b) Russia and Indonesia
c) Indonesia and Iceland
d) Alaska and Egypt
29. Identify the location of the before and after photos below:
a) Los Angeles – average spring pollution
b) San Francisco – evening fog
c) Beijing – covered with “yellow dust” from Northern China’s spring sandstorms
d) Tehran – during one of the unusually high number of sandstorms in 2010
30. Widespread strikes and protests took place across this country, causing disruption to airline and train service, as well as gas shortages. The goal of protesters was to prevent the government from reforming the pension system and passing a law that would increase the retirement age from 60 to 62.
a) Kyrgyzstan
b) China
c) Cuba
d) France
FIRSTS (or almost firsts):
Multiple choice. There is one correct answer for each question. Circle the correct answer.
(2 points each)
31. Which football team won the 2010 Superbowl in its first time ever playing in this championship game?
a) New York Jets
b) New Orleans Saints
c) New York Giants
d) New England Patriots
32. A no-hitter in baseball is a game where no batter gets to base by hitting, but may get there because the pitcher walks a batter or accidentally hits the batter with a pitch. Which MLB pitcher pitched a no-hitter in a division series game in 2010, making him only the second pitcher in history to throw a no-hitter in the postseason?
a) Cliff Lee of the Texas Rangers
b) Tim Lincecum of the San Francisco Giants
c) Roy Halladay of the Philadelphia Phillies
d) C.C. Sabathia of the New York Yankees
OTHER EVENTS:
Multiple choice. There is one correct answer for each question. Circle the correct answer.
(2 points each)
33. In January, calling for transparency, the head of ____________ asked Congress to open up the final Congressional health care reform negotiations to the public, even as top Democrats planned to finalize the bill among themselves. Democrats declined the media outlet’s request and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said “There has never been a more open process for any legislation in anyone who’s served here’s experience.”
a) CNN
b) the Associated Press
c) C-SPAN
d) FOX News
34. Which of the following statements about the U.S. military is not true?
a) the Air Force has proposed a new tactical training zone for Special Ops pilots that includes a huge area of southwest Colorado and northern New Mexico
b) the U.S. is building a $12.7 billion super military base on the Pacific island of Guam
c) due to a lack of analysts, the military is training prisoners at Fort Leavenworth to analyze the vast amounts of video footage collected by drones in Afghanistan
d) U.S. military commanders are considering procuring flying cars to transport troops around the battlefield
35. The __________ virus, believed to be spread by Israel, attacked the computer system at Iran’s nuclear facilities and set back their nuclear program by a few years.
a) Avian
b) Star Wars
c) Swine flu
d) Stuxnet
36. Which company was responsible for the Oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico this year?
a) BP
b) Shell
c) Exxon-Mobil
d) Texaco
37. Identify the photo below:
a) a Cuban refugee in Miami, kneeling to give thanks that he made it safely to the U.S.
b) Toyota’s CEO asking customers for forgiveness after the 1.5 million car recall
c) Chilean miner Esteban Rojas kneeling to thank God after he was freed from the mine
d) the Secretary of Education leading a prayer service for our nation’s schools
38. In December, student protestors in England attacked Prince Charles’ car as he was driven through a neighborhood near their protest. The students were protesting:
a) the government’s plan to impose an increase in university tuition fees
b) the government’s plan to raise the retirement age from 60 to 62
c) the poor quality of medical care received under Britain’s universal health care system
d) the amount of debt the government has amassed
39. ___________ have made an annoying comeback in major U.S. cities. They had been totally eradicated in the 1950’s due to the widespread use of the now-banned pesticide DDT.
a) bed-bugs
b) malaria carrying mosquitoes
c) horse-flies
d) fleas
40. What effect did extending the Bush-era tax cuts have on taxes?
a) lowered taxes of all Americans
b) kept the tax rates at the same level they had been at since the cuts were implemented
c) lowered taxes for Wall Street Bankers
d) bankrupt the federal government
TRUE/FALSE:
DIRECTIONS: Decide whether the bolded part of the statement is true or false. Write TRUE or FALSE next to each statement. Rewrite each false statement to make it true. (2 points each)
41. __________________ The largest floods of 2010 were in Pakistan, where 20 million people were affected by the flooding.
42. __________________ The earthquake that hit Haiti in January was the largest magnitude earthquake of 2010.
43. __________________ Haiti had the largest number of deaths from an earthquake in 2010.
44. __________________ The 8.8 magnitude earthquake that hit Chile this year killed less than 500 people.
45. __________________ The U.S. government spent almost $100 million in 2010 to rebuild Port-au-Prince houses destroyed by the earthquake.
46. __________________ The biggest hurdle to rebuilding Haiti in the aftermath of the earthquake is the removal of rubble from all of the destroyed buildings.
47. __________________ A massive volcanic ash cloud caused by the eruption of a long dormant volcano in Indonesia caused all flights to and from the U.K. to be suspended for days in April.
48. __________________ Apple growers in the Northeast worried in 2010 about the early bloom of their trees because the buds could easily be killed off by a hard frost.
49. __________________ The prolonged cold weather in Florida destroyed most of its tomato crop in the spring of 2010.
50. __________________ 33 miners were trapped in a mine in Chile for 69 days.
EXTRA CREDIT:
Which do you think was the most important issue of 2010? Explain your answer.
a) the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico
b) the implementation of full-body scanners by the TSA in airports across the country
c) the passage of the health care reform bill
d) Google Street View and FaceBook privacy issues
e) other – name the issue
Daily “Answers” emails are provided for Daily News Articles, Tuesday’s World Events and Friday’s News Quiz.
