Academic World Quest 2013
We wish to thank the staff of the Henry A. Wallace
Center at the FDR Presidential Library and Home for
their generous assistance and historic setting.
Special thanks to
IBM and the Handel
Foundation
for their generous
contributions toward
making the Academic
World Quest 2013
possible.
Academic World Quest Committee
Rita Alterman
Martin Charwat
Joe Lombardi
Karen Nichols
Christopher Wieda
Judges
Seemi Ahmad
Martin Charwat
Joe Lombardi
Special Thanks to: Seemi Ahmad, and Sev and
Betty Oaktay for their kind assistance
Participating High Schools
Arlington High School
Cornwall High School
Kingston High School
Oakwood Friends School
Poughkeepsie Day School
Roy C Ketcham High School
Spackenkill High School
Washingtonville High School
Any team found with any means of assistance other
than brain power will be DISQUALIFIED.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CELLULAR PHONES AND
REMOVE ANY HAND-HELD DEVICES.
The only items on your table should be the answer
sheets and the pad and pencil supplied by the
committee.
Current Events
Round 1
1. In early January, 2013, France sent
troops and aircraft to defend the
Government of which African country that
is under threat from Islamic militants?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Malawi
Chad
Senegal
Mali
2. Recently the United Nations estimated
that no fewer than ______people, mostly
civilians, had been killed in the ongoing
civil war in Syria.
A.
B.
C.
D.
30,000
45,000
60,000
75,000
3. The inauguration of Venezuela’s newly
elected President, Hugo Chavez, was
delayed because
A. Of demonstrations by supporters of the
opposition
B. He is recuperating from an infection
following surgery
C. He is facing criminal charges involving
corruption
D. The legality of his election had not been
decided by the Supreme Court
4. Regarding the news about China &
Japan, which of the following statements
is INCORRECT?
A. Xi Jinping is the new president of China
B. Shinzo Abe was recently elected prime minister
of Japan
C. There is conflict between China & Japan over
oil deposits in the Celebes Sea
D. Both countries claim to own tiny islands in the
East China Sea
5. Complete the following sentence.
America's debt has reached
A. $ 8 trillion
B. $11 trillion
C. $13 trillion
D. $16 trillion
6. Which leader is INCORRECTLY
paired with her/his country?
A. Stephen Harper ----Canada
B. Christina Fernandez ----Brazil
C. Julia Gillard --- Australia
D. Muhammad Morsi --- Egypt
7. Three of the following countries have
received bail-outs from the European
Union, the International Monetary Fund
and the European Central Bank recently.
Which of the listed countries DID NOT?
A. Italy
B. Greece
C. Ireland
D. Portugal
8. British Prime Minister David Cameron
recently announced a referendum to be
placed before the British people by 2017,
assuming that he is still the prime
minister. The 'yes' or 'no' vote will be on
whether Britain should
A. Adopt the euro as its currency
B. Remain in the European Union
C. Grant independence to Scotland
D. Withdraw from NATO
9. Russian President Vladimir Putin recently
signed into law a measure that bans the
adoption of Russian children by U.S. families.
The move is widely seen as retaliation for
A. A law that U.S. President Obama signed that would impose
life imprisonment on Russian citizens caught spying in the
U.S.
B. The U.S. government’s position on the Syrian conflict
C. A law that U.S. President Obama signed that imposes U.S.
travel and financial restrictions on human rights abusers in
Russia
D. News stories in the U.S. media that depict widespread
abuse of children in Russian orphanages
Education
Round 2
1. According to Engage to Excel: Producing One
Million Additional College Graduates with Degrees in
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
(STEM), three-quarters of the 1 million additional
STEM degree recipients that are needed could be
generated over the next decade if the retention rate
of students who enter STEM majors were increased
from
A.
B.
C.
D.
10% to 20%
20% to 60%
40% to 50%
50% to 60%
2. According to STEM Education:
Preparing for the Jobs of the Future, the
share of students graduating with STEM
degrees has:
A. Declined
B. Stayed the Same
C. Increased Slightly
D. Increased Significantly
3. In STEM education, international
comparisons of U.S. students with
those in other developed countries
place U.S. students
A. In the top third of the field.
B. In the middle of the pack or lower
C. Improving, especially among women and
minorities
D. At the very bottom of the pack
4. A 2009 OECD Program for
International Student Assessment
(PISA) report ranked U.S. 15 year olds
_______ in mathematics among OECD
countries.
A. 12th
B. 25th
C. 31st
D. 45th
5. According to STEM Education:
Preparing for the Jobs of the Future,
what country produces the greatest
number of STEM degree recipients
among OECD countries?
A. Germany
B. Japan
C. United States
D. South Korea
6. According to STEM Education:
Preparing for the Jobs of the Future, what
was the U.S. rank among OECD countries,
regarding the following measure: “STEM
Graduates as a Share of All Bachelor's
Degree Equivalent Graduates”?
A.
B.
C.
D.
7th
17th
27th
34th
7. According to Everything You Need to
Know: Waivers, Flexibility, and Reforming
No Child Left Behind, which of the
following WAS NOT one of the serious
flaws in the No Child Left Behind law?
A. It set goals and held schools accountable for
meeting them
B. It determined whether schools were falling
behind based on test scores
C. It established federal mandates for fixing failing
schools
D. It led states to focus on teaching to the test
8. According to Educate to Innovate, five
major public-private partnerships were
established to improve education in the
U.S. Which of the following actions did
they undertake?
A. Created the “STEM Institutional Transformation Awards”
grant program.
B. Sponsored the Department of Education summer STEM
learning program.
C. Supported a national experiment in mathematics
education.
D. Used media, interactive games, hands-on-learning, and
community volunteers to encourage students to be the next
generation of inventors and innovators.
9. According to Engage to Excel, why
is it important to replace traditional
laboratory courses with discoverybased research courses?
A. Traditional laboratory courses do not encourage
partnerships among students
B. Students find traditional laboratory courses
difficult
C. Traditional laboratory courses often involve
repeating classical experiments to reproduce
known results
D. None of the above
U.S. Energy Policy
Round 3
1. According to the U.S. Energy
Information Agency, the single largest
source of U.S. energy in 2011 was
derived from?
A. Coal
B. Natural gas
C. Petroleum
D. Nuclear power
2. According to the U.S. Energy
Information Agency, renewable energy
supplied 9% of U.S. energy consumed in
2011. Which of the following produced
the largest amount within this sector?
A. Wind
B. Solar
C. Hydropower
D. Geothermal
3. For each unit of energy produced,
natural gas emits less carbon dioxide
than coal. Natural Gas emits _____
percent less carbon dioxide than
coal?
A.
B.
C.
D.
20%
35%
50%
75%
4. Recycling saves energy in producing
new products. Using recycled aluminum
to make new aluminum cans uses how
much less energy compared to making
new cans from bauxite ore?
A.
B.
C.
D.
55%
70%
90%
95%
5. The sector of the U.S. economy that
consumed the largest amount of
energy in 2011 was:
A. Industrial
B. Transportation
C. Residential
D. Commercial
6. What percentage of the World’s
energy is consumed by the U.S.?
A.
B.
C.
D.
5%
10%
15%
20%
7. According to Who’s Winning the
Clean Energy Race, since 1978 total
energy use per person in the U.S. has
A. Remained the same
B. Decreased Modestly
C. Decreased substantially
D. Increased
8. According to Who’s Winning the Clean
Energy Race, which European country
now obtains more energy from renewable
sources than it does from nuclear power,
coal or natural gas?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Germany
France
The United Kingdom
Spain
9. The Blue Ribbon Commission on
America’s Nuclear Future was formed by
the U.S. Secretary of Energy at the request
of President Obama to address which of
the following?
A. The safety of our nation’s nuclear power plants
B. Reviewing policies for managing the back end
of the nuclear fuel cycle
C. The issue of terrorism as it relates to nuclear
power
D. All of the above
US Economic Competitiveness
Round 4
1. According to the 2011-2012 Global
Competitiveness Report, all but one of its 12
pillars of competitiveness “eventually seem to
run into diminishing returns.” According to the
report, which pillar of competitiveness is the
only one capable of enhancing standards of
living in the long run?
A. Infrastructure
B. Technological Readiness
C. Human Capital
D. Innovation
2. In the 2011-2012 Global Competitiveness
Report, the United States was ranked 5th in
overall competitiveness. Which of the following
WAS NOT among the four countries ranked
ahead of the US?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Germany
Singapore
Switzerland
Finland
3. According to U.S Corporate Tax Reform, the
U.S. has a higher statutory tax rate compared
to other countries in the Organization for
Economic Cooperation and Development
(OECD). How does its average effective tax
rate compare?
A.
B.
C.
D.
About the same
The U.S. has a lower rate
The U.S. has a higher rate
None of the above
4. According to U.S Entrepreneurship
and Venture Capital, net job creation
by startups has been
A. Higher than established firms in all years since
1977
B. Lower than establish firms since 1977
C. Higher than established firms since 1977,
except during recessions
D. Lower than established firms, except during
recessions
5. According to U.S Entrepreneurship and
Venture Capital, critics of the Jumpstart Our
Business Startups Act (JOBS Act) are concerned
that the legislation will
A. Cost too much to implement
B. Increase regulations on small business, and
thereby reduce incentives to invest
C. Have a negligible effect on job growth
D. Harm investors and encourage fraud and abuse
6. According to the Council on Foreign
Relations the Dodd-Frank Act, which
of the following provisions IS NOT
included in the act?
A. Volcker Rule
B. Orderly Liquidation Authority
C. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
D. Financial Stability Fund
7. According to the Council on Foreign
Relations the Dodd-Frank Act, one of
the main criticisms of the Consumer
Financial Protection Bureau is that
A. It will destroy the ability of the banks to
hedge risks
B. It will have unprecedented authority
without any checks on its power
C. It will do little to limit the growth of banks
D. It will reduce consumers’ access to capital
8. According to the House Committee on
Education and the Workforce, Testimony
of Hilda Solis, U.S. Secretary of Labor,
what is the estimate for the number of
U.S. workers killed on the job in 2012?
A. 4,500
B. 14,000
C. 40,000
D. 140,000
9. According to Rising Above the Gathering
Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a
Brighter Economic Future, what is the
estimated return on investment for publicly
funded research & development?
A.
B.
C.
D.
5 percent to 27 percent
20 percent to 67 percent
40 percent to 87 percent
50 percent to 97 percent
Middle East
Round 5
1. According to the White House Fact
Sheet: G-8 Action on Deauville
Partnership with Arab Countries in
Transition, which of the following WAS
NOT one of the four key priority areas
identified by the G8 leaders at the Camp
David summit?
A. Stabilization
B. Job creation
C. Participation/governance
D. The fight against terrorism
2. According to Underlying Causes of
Stability & Unrest in the Middle East and
North Africa, how much did the
population of Egypt grow from 1950 to
2010?
A. 16 million to 65 million
B. 21 million to 80 million
C. 24 million to 70 million
D. 29 million to 87 million
3. According to Underlying Causes of Stability &
Unrest in the Middle East and North Africa,
between 2010 and 2050 which Middle Eastern
country is expected to have the SMALLEST
percentage demographic growth?
A. Egypt
B. Israel
C. Jordan
D. Lebanon
4. According to the Center for
Strategic and International Studies,
which North African country is
anticipated to have the largest
population in 2050?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Tunisia
Morocco
Algeria
Libya
5. According to the Center for Strategic and
International Studies, the so-called “youth
bulge” among young people in the Middle East
and North Africa poses all of the following
problems EXCEPT
A. Good high-paying jobs in the oil sector
B. A breakdown in educational quality and
relevance
C. A major lag in jobs, marriage and housing
D. Low expectations for the future
6. According to U.S. Secretary of Defense, Leon
Panetta speaking to the Senate Armed Services
Committee on March 7, 2012, the U.S. response
to the Middle East is guided by all of the
following principles EXCEPT
A. Opposition to the use of violence and repression
by regimes of their own people
B. Support for the exercise of universal human rights
C. Support for democratic regimes over monarchies
D. Support for political and economic reforms that
can meet the legitimate aspirations of ordinary
people throughout the region
7. According to the Council on Foreign
Relations, Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood won
what percentage of the seats in the country’s
first post-revolution parliament and made its
candidate ____ the winner of the presidency?
A.
B.
C.
D.
54%
48%
47%
49%
Mohamed Morsi
Mohamed el Baradei
Mohamed Morsi
Ayman Nour
8. According to Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood,
the strength of the Muslim Brotherhood has
derived from its combination of all of the
following EXCEPT:
A.
B.
C.
D.
Religion
Charismatic leaders
Political activism
Social welfare in its work
9. According to Egypt’s Muslim
Brotherhood, the most important U.S.
foreign policy goals in Egypt include all of
the following EXCEPT:
A. Establishment of a Middle East
Development Bank
B. Egypt’s peace with Israel
C. U.S. access to the Suez Canal
D. General bilateral military cooperation
Afghanistan & Pakistan
Round 6
1. According to Pakistan-U.S. Relations,
the 1,600 mile border dividing Pakistan &
Afghanistan was drawn by
A.
B.
C.
D.
The Ottomans in 1580
The Russians in 1753
The British in 1893
The newly-independent nations of Pakistan
& Afghanistan in 1947
2. According to Exit from Afghanistan
& Iraq: right time, right pace, all of
the following statements are true
EXCEPT
A. The invasion of Iraq occurred fifteen months
after the start of the war in Afghanistan
B. In Iraq, violence has decreased more than 95%
since 2004-2006
C. U.S. & Allied combined forces shrank
dramatically in Afghanistan after 2008
D. Since 2008, Afghanistan has become a much
more dangerous place for American soldiers
3. According to Exit from Afghanistan
& Iraq: right time, right pace, the
following statements are true EXCEPT
A. The Taliban is a Pashtun-based movement
B. The Taliban is willing to use drug smuggling
to finance its operations
C. Most Afghans support the Taliban
D. The Taliban have a shadow government
structure in Pakistan
4. According to the Afghanistan Index,
what was the total number of Afghan
security forces on duty as of March 2012?
A. 194,466
B. 244,466
C. 344,108
D. 444,466
5. According to Pakistan-U.S. Relations,
Pakistan’s reaction to the killing of Bin
Laden by American forces include all of
the following EXCEPT
A. A public demand for a return to military rule
B. A strong condemnation of the raid
C. Bellicose anti-American demonstrations in
the streets of Pakistan
D. A demand that the United States halt drone
strikes in west Pakistan
6. According to Pakistan-U.S.
Relations, which country is Pakistan's
largest trading partner?
A. China
B. Indonesia
C. Japan
D. Azerbaijan
7. In President Obama's Address to the Nation,
May 1, 2012, he cited several reasons why the
war in Afghanistan was the longest war in
American history. Which of the following WAS
NOT mentioned in the President’s speech?
A. America became involved in Iraq while still
fighting in Afghanistan
B. For many years, the Afghan war was fought
with minimal effort
C. Al Qaeda has allies within the Taliban who
waged a brutal insurgency
D. Bin Laden & his lieutenants established a safe
haven in Haqqani
8. According to the statement of General John
Allen, Commander US Forces-Afghanistan, to
the House Armed Services Committee on
March 20, 2012, how many of the 60 Coalition
troops who lost their lives between January
and March appear to have been killed at the
hands of the Afghan security forces?
A. 3
B. 13
C. 23
D. None of the above
9. According to Pakistan-U.S. Relations,
Pakistan's pre-requisites for “resetting” its
relationship with the U.S., as expressed by
its Ambassador to the U.S. include all the
following EXCEPT
A.
B.
C.
D.
An apology for the Salala incident
A robust increase in military aid
Halting drone strikes
Enhancing Pakistan's access to U.S. markets
China
Round 7
1. According to Military and Security
Developments Involving the People’s Republic
of China 2012, the People’s Liberation Army’s
modernization efforts focus primarily on
building a force capable of
A. Dominating the Asia-Pacific region
B. Deterring, disrupting or denying United
States intervention in the Persian Gulf
C. Invading Taiwan to compel unification
D. Fighting and winning local wars
2. According to Military and Security
Developments Involving the People’s
Republic of China 2012, the People’s
Liberation Army has roughly the following
number of ground force personnel:
A. 400,000
B. 1,250,000
C. 2,250,000
D. 10,250,000
3. According to Understanding China’s
Political System, the most powerful
policy- and decision- making entity in
China is the
A. Presidency
B. Politburo
C. Politburo Standing Committee
D. Central Military Commission
4. According to Timeline: U.S. Relations with
China, during the “First Taiwan Strait Crisis”
(1954-1955) what action did the Eisenhower
Administration take in the spring of 1955?
A. Threatened to attack Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalist
army on Taiwan
B. Attacked mainland China’s People’s Liberation Army
on the islands of Quemoy and Matsu
C. Threatened a nuclear attack on China
D. Remained neutral in the conflict between the
Nationalists and People’s Liberation Army
5. According to Timeline: U.S. Relations
with China, the Taiwan Relations Act
A. Allows for continued commercial and cultural
relations between the United States and
Taiwan
B. Granted the People’s Republic of China full
diplomatic recognition.
C. Granted Taiwan full diplomatic recognition.
D. Asserted the United State’s neutrality in the
conflict between the Nationalists and People’s
Liberation Army
6. According to A New Framework for US-China
Economic Relations, the broad consensus
among U.S. policy makers that China’s success
will be good for the United States is now
fraying. Which of the following WAS NOT
among the reasons cited for this development?
A. China’s increased spending on health and welfare
B. The United States’ recent economic challenges
C. The potential for some Chinese firms to compete
globally, particularly in areas that touch core
American advantages
D. China’s military buildup
7. According to China 2030 – Building a
Modern, Harmonious, and Creative HighIncome Society, why does China need a
new development strategy?
A. So that it can improve the standard of living of
its citizens that live in coastal provinces
B. So that it can maintain rapid economic growth
while minimizing disruption to the
environment and the fabric of its own society
C. So that it can provide for an aging population
D. None of the above
8. One of the concerns raised by the
World Bank in its report, China 2030, is
that China could become stuck in a
“middle-income trap.” According to the
World Bank how should China avoid this
pitfall?
A. By reducing its overreliance on investment in
infrastructure and manufacturing
B. By improving health care and social security
C. By increasing competition in the economy
D. By increasing productivity through innovation
9. According to China 2030, which of the
following best describes World Bank
estimates regarding changes in China’s
GDP?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Decline steeply from an average near 8.6 percent
in 2011-2015 to around 1 percent in 2026-2030
Decline gradually from an average near 8.6
percent in 2011-2015 to around 5 percent in
2026-2030
Continue to increase at a rate of 8.6 percent per
year through 2026-2030
None of the above
Millennium Development Goals
Round 8
1. According to the Millennium
Development Goals Report 2012, Asia’s
net gain in forest area between 2000 and
2010 was attributable to large-scale
reforestation programs in China, India and
which other country?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Burma
Thailand
Indonesia
Vietnam
2. What conclusion did the Millennium
Development Goals Report 2012, reach
regarding the status of biodiversity?
A. Biodiversity is still being lost.
B. Biodiversity has not changed substantially in
the last five years.
C. Biodiversity has increased slightly.
D. Biodiversity has increased significantly.
3. According to the Millennium
Development Goals (MDG), 2011 Progress
Chart for Goal 7, which of the following
regions was rated as having “low
coverage” AND showed “no progress” in
two of the three targets?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Northern Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa
Oceania
Southern Asia
4. According to, Why Sanitation, the the
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s
investments in sanitation are primarily
focused on:
A. Providing everyone with flush toilets
B. Increasing the number of sewers and waste
treatment facilities
C. Complementing its investments in clean water
development
D. Finding new ways to manage human waste
5. According to Water, Sanitation & Hygiene
Strategy Overview, every year food and water
tainted with fecal matter cause up to 2.5 billion
cases of diarrhea among children under 5 and
result in _____ child deaths each year.
A.
B.
C.
D.
1.5 million
2.5 million
5.5 million
20.5 million
6. According to Global Costs and Benefits of
Drinking-water Supply and Sanitation
Interventions, in 2010, the United Nations
General Assembly recognized access to safe
drinking-water and sanitation as a
A. A Human Right
B. A goal of the international community
C. A responsibility of each individual
government to fulfill
D. None of the above
7. According to Global Costs and Benefits
of Drinking-water Supply and Sanitation
Interventions, which region had the
greatest investment needs for both water
and sanitation?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Sub-Saharan Africa
North Africa
South Asia
East Asia
8. According to the World Health
Organization, what is the estimated
financial capital cost of achieving the
drinking-water and sanitation MDG
target by 2015?
A. $14 billion
B. $65 billion
C. $145 billion
D. $161 billion
9. According 2011: A Year in Review the
purpose of the UN-REDD program is to
A. Improve water conservation and sanitation in
developing countries
B. Implement employment programs in
developing countries
C. Reduce emissions from deforestation and
forest degradation in developing countries
D. Develop forest resources in developing
countries
Cuban Missile Crisis
Round 9
1. According to Soviet Deception in the Cuban
Missile Crisis: Learning from the Past, the
Russian term to describe “deceiving an
opponent about the nature, scope and timing
of an operation,” a tactic effectively used
during and before the CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS
(1962) is
A. Perestroika
B. Maskirovka
C. Narodniki
D. Malni paket
2. President Obama has described nuclear
terrorism as “The most immediate and extreme
threat to global security”. A study by Rand
Corporation estimated that the direct economic
costs of a nuclear terrorist attack on a U.S. port
would cost:
A. As much as the September 11, World Trade
Center attack
B. About $1 billion
C. About $500 million
D. More than $1 trillion
3. The Cuban Missile Crisis was a pivotal
moment in the Cold War. President Kennedy
and Chairman Khrushchev confronted each
other with the power of mutual destruction. If
neither side backed down, it is estimated that
nuclear exchange between the U.S. and the
USSR would have meant deaths of
A. 100 Million Americans and Russians
B. 150 million Americans and Russians
C. 200 million Americans and Russians
D. 250 million Americans and Russians
4. According to the Harvard Kennedy School,
which of the following WAS NOT a reason for
the Soviet Union’s placement of missiles in
Cuba in 1962
A. To bolster the bargaining position of the Soviet
Union with respect to West Berlin
B. To boost Soviet power in the Caribbean
C. To better defend Cuba from an American invasion
D. To prepare for a first strike against the U.S. with
nuclear tipped missiles
5. According to the Harvard Kennedy School,
among the options President Kennedy had
before him during the Cuban Missile Crisis was
a U.S. invasion of Cuba. Had the U.S. invaded,
the local Cuban commander on the site was
A. Authorized to use tactical nuclear weapons to
defend the island
B. Prohibited from using tactical nuclear weapons
C. Instructed to move to a more secure perimeter
D. Instructed to implement a “scorched earth”
policy to slow the invading forces
6. As a result of the failed “BAY OF PIGS”
invasion in 1961, Fidel Castro accepted the
Soviet offer to install missiles in Cuba as a
deterrent to another invasion. Believing A U.S.
invasion was imminent during the crisis, Castro
urged Khrushchev to
A. Withdraw the Soviet missiles from Cuba
B. Negotiate a truce to buy time
C. Blockade Guantanamo Bay
D. Initiate a nuclear first strike against the U.S.
7. President Kennedy announced to the nation
on October 22, 1962 that he would impose a
naval blockade on further shipments of
armaments to Cuba. He opted for the blockade
because
A. It would allow the President time to
consider other courses of action
B. It would be least offensive to our allies
C. A blockade would not escalate to war as
quickly as a military strike
D. All of the above
8. According to the Harvard Kennedy School,
the reason why Khrushchev agreed to
withdraw missiles from Cuba is still uncertain.
All of the following factors were believed to
play a role EXCEPT
A. A war over Cuba would escalate into a nuclear
war that would destroy both superpowers.
B. The U.S. pledged never to invade Cuba
C. U.S. pledged to remove American missiles from
Turkey
D. Khrushchev wanted to challenge the U.S.
9. According to The Global Nuclear
Nonproliferation Regime, the problem of
nuclear proliferation is global. Nine states are
known or believed to have nuclear weapons.
Which of the following IS NOT believed to have
nuclear weapons
A. North Korea
B. Israel
C. Iran
D. Pakistan
Geography
Round 10
1. According to World Urbanization
Prospects 2011 Revision, half of the
population of Asia will live in urban
areas by _____.
A. 2015
B. 2020
C. 2030
D. 2040
2. According to World Urbanization Prospects
2011 Revision, between 2011 and 2050, the
urban areas of the world are expected to
absorb ____ percent of the population growth
expected over the next four decades.
A. 50
B. 60
C. 75
D. 100
3. According to the United Nations,
between 1970 and 2011, the number of
people living in megacities multiplied
almost 10 times to 359 million. It is
expected that this number will _____ by
2025.
A. Decrease
B. Increase by 100 million
C. Almost double
D. More than double
4. According to the United Nations,
between 2011 and 2030 almost onethird of the increase in world urban
population will occur in which 2
countries?
A. India and China
B. China and Indonesia
C. India and Nigeria
D. China and Brazil
5. According to Migration and Development:
Policy Perspectives from the United States, in
1970 about 1 out of every 29 people lived in a
country where international migrants
comprised a tenth or more of the total
population. By 2010, the ratio was nearly 1 in
___.
A. 5
B. 9
C. 13
D. 15
6. According to Migration and Development:
Policy Perspectives from the United States,
immigration policies are designed
overwhelmingly in response to ____ concerns
and rarely take into account the well-being of
foreign countries.
A.
B.
C.
D.
Technology
Domestic
Foreign Policy
Ethnic
7. According to Migration and Development:
Policy Perspectives from the United States,
while the promise of opportunity and higher
wages are key drivers of migration, other
perceived benefits include all of the following
EXCEPT
A.
B.
C.
D.
Human security
Rule of law
Reliable public services
Safe drinking water
8. According to National Geographic /Roper
Public Affairs 2006 Geographic Literacy Study,
young American adults between 18 and 24
have a weak knowledge of the geography of
the Middle East.
_____ in ten COULD NOT find Iraq or Saudi Arabia,
while _____% COULD NOT find Iran or Israel on a
map.
A. 4, 50
B. 5, 60
C. 6, 75
D. 7, 70
9. According to National Geographic/
Roper Public Affairs 2006 Geographic
Literacy Study what percentage of 18-24
year old Americans COULD NOT find
North Korea on a map?
A. 40
B. 50
C. 60
D. 70
Tie Breakers
Tiebreakers-Round 1
1. The quantity of heat required to raise
the temperature of one pound of water
(liquid) by 1 degree Fahrenheit (F) at the
temperature that water has its greatest
density, (approx. 39 degrees F) is
A. 1 watt
B. 1kilowatt
C. 1 erg
D. 1 BTU
2. According to The Competitiveness and
Innovative Capacity of the United States,
between the fourth quarter 1979 and the
fourth quarter 2010 real median weekly
earnings of full‐time wage and salary workers
increased
A. 0.9 percent
B. 4.9 percent
C. 9.9 percent
D. 15.9 percent
3. In 1962, which member of the
National Security Council
recommended to the President that
he authorize a surprise military strike
on the missiles in Cuba?
A. Dean Rusk, Secretary of State
B. Vice President Lyndon Johnson
C. Adlai Stevenson, UN Ambassador
D. Robert Kennedy
Tiebreakers-Round 2
1. According to the World Bank, China will need
“to strengthen innovation and creativity.” What
is the single most important policy that the
Chinese government can pursue to encourage
innovation?
A. Increase government intervention to ensure that
markets allocate resources efficiently
B. Improve education, health care, and social security
C. Increase competition in the economy
D. Provide tax incentives to encourage firms to invest in
new technology
2. In November 1961, President Kennedy
approved: “Operation Mongoose.” Its
purpose was to
A. Collect intelligence on Cuba through U-2
flights
B. Prepare for the “Bay of Pigs” invasion
C. Stimulate rebellion in Cuba that the U.S.
could then support
D. Interdict Soviet transports bringing weapons
to Cuba
3. According to the Congressional
Research Service, after two decades of
negotiation, Pakistan and India signed
pacts with ______ to build a pipeline
through Afghanistan. Name the country
that completes the sentence.
A. Iraq
B. Turkmenistan
C. Azerbaijan
D. Kazakhstan
Sudden Death
1. Which country DOES NOT share a
border with Afghanistan?
A. Uzbekistan
B. Tajikistan
C. Turkmenistan
D. Kazakhstan
Roosevelt Round
1. The first elected position held by
Franklin Roosevelt was
A.
B.
C.
D.
Governor
State Senator
Vice President
President
2. What was the “Brain Trust”?
A. Roosevelt’s Presidential Cabinet
Members
B. A select few members of Roosevelt’s
family he could confide in
C. A select group of external academic and
legal advisors for FDR
D. Ordinary citizens who gave the president
advice on his legislation ideas
3. What was the first piece of
legislation signed into law by Franklin
Roosevelt in 1933?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Federal Emergency Relief Act
Glass-Steagall Banking Act
Government Economy Act
Emergency Banking Act
4. What was the main objective of the
Agricultural Adjustment Act?
A. Move farmers into other professions
so they could make money in other
ways
B. Give more income to farmers
C. Utilize as much farmland as possible
D. Produce more food to feed the many
Americans suffering from the
Depression
5. What was the “Roosevelt
Recession”?
A. Economic downturn resulting from
Roosevelt’s attempts to balance the federal
budget
B. The improvement of the Great Depression
into only a recession
C. Roosevelt’s withdrawal from politics
following his bout with Polio
D. A federal stimulus plan to decrease the need
for consumers to spend their own money
6. In 1936, support for the New Deal
was undermined by
A. The Supreme Court deeming some New
Deal legislation unconstitutional
B. The American public, which felt the nation
was improving and did not need as much
legislation
C. Americans who were preoccupied with
foreign conflicts
D. Eleanor Roosevelt convincing Franklin to
drop some of his programs
7. Why did FDR propose the LendLease Act?
A. He was trying to make the American
people more used to the idea of war
B. Britain was going bankrupt and could
not pay for US supplies
C. Britain had given all of their weapons to
other countries
D. He wanted specific supplies from Britain
in return
8. At what wartime conference was
the opening of the so called “Second
Front” decided?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Teheran
Yalta
Atlantic
Potsdam
9. Which of the following pursuits did
Eleanor Roosevelt NOT undertake as
First Lady?
A. Development of a close relationship
with the American people
B. Increased opportunities for minorities
C. Challenging of Franklin’s ideas and
policies
D. Preservation of traditional gender
roles
10. What solidified Eleanor
Roosevelt’s endorsement of John F.
Kennedy for president in the 1960
election?
A. His stance on foreign relations
B. His being against racial discrimination
C. His firm support of the United Nations
D. His policies for improving the situations of
World War II veterans
Roosevelt Round Tiebreakers
1. In response to Japan’s territorial
invasion and expansion, Roosevelt
A. Froze Japan’s assets and banned purchases
of American oil
B. Mobilized troops for war
C. Began planning for offensive attacks on
Japan and its territories
D. Restricted Japan’s access to European goods
and supplies
2. What was the room where
Roosevelt monitored the military
activities of other nations called?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Military Intelligence Room
Diplomatic Decoding Room
Map Room
Message Room
3. What did Eleanor Roosevelt
consider her most notable
achievement at the UN?
A. Being nominated as a delegate by
president Harry Truman
B. Leading the draft of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights
C. Coming to an agreement with Soviet
delegates over the definition of human
liberties
D. Continuing her husband’s legacy
4. Legislation that gave workers the
right to form unions and gave better
ways to mediate disputes was called
the
A.
B.
C.
D.
Wagner Act
Union Reform Act
Fair Labor Act
Union Standards Act