Junior/Senior Division
Current Events
Round 1
2013-2014 Local Tournament Questions
1. National News and Politics
On August 7, President Obama canceled a
planned summit meeting to discuss arms control,
missile defense, Syria, trade and human rights.
The immediate cause was Russia’s decision to
grant temporary asylum to Edward J. Snowden.
Who was the person that President Obama
cancelled on?
A.
Vladimir Putin
B.
C.
D.
Sergey V. Lavrov
Dmitry Medvedev
Alexander Novak
2. Science/Technology
NASA spacecraft has made an out-of-this-world
achievement! This spacecraft has become the first
object made by people to travel into interstellar
space. Launched in September 1977, the 36-yearold probe has equipment considered low technology
by today’s standards. Its computers have much less
memory than a smart phone. What is the name of
the spacecraft?
A.
Voyager 1
B.
Apollo 3
C.
Explorer 1
D.
Gemini 1
3. National News and Politics
In September, an economist of national fame,
Treasury Secretary under President Bill Clinton,
President of Harvard and Director of President
Obama’s National Economic Council, withdrew
his name from being considered as the head of
the Federal Reserve Board. Who is he?
A.
Ray Dolby
B.
C.
D.
Timothy Geithner
Ben Bernanke
Larry Summers
4. People in the News
The longest-serving British Prime Minister of the 20th
Century died at 87 of a stroke. On April 17, 2013, this
person was buried in the largest funeral production
since that of Winston Churchill, half a century before.
Among the honors accorded to her was a gun salute
from the Tower of London every minute, a military
band playing, and the silence of the Big Ben bells.
Who was she?
A.
Angela Merkel
B.
Barbara Boxer
C.
Margaret Thatcher
D.
Olivia Snowe
5. Sports
On June 20, the Miami Heat beat the San
Antonio Spurs for a 95-88 victory in Game 7 of
the N.B.A. finals. Which player shot an 18footer, then a pair of free throws, to win the
game?
A.
B.
Dwayne Wade
Chris Bosch
C.
D.
LeBron James
Shane Battier
6. International News and Politics
On February 11, 2013, the former Cardinal
Joseph Ratzinger announced his retirement,
becoming the first Pope to do so since 1415.
He cited advancing age and a growing physical
weakness as his reasons for retirement. Which
pope retired?
A.
Benedict XVI
B.
John XXIII
C.
Innocent II
D.
Pius X
7. International News and Politics
On July 12, 2013, Malala Yousafzai gave a speech
at the United Nations headquarters in New York
City. It was her sixteenth birthday and the first time
she had spoken publicly since being attacked by
the Taliban. In her speech, she called on world
leaders to make sure that
A. The Taliban is disbanded.
B. Pakistan receives humanitarian aid for families.
C. Every child has the opportunity to go to school.
D. Girls receive job training.
8. National News and Politics
She is the first female governor of New Mexico in
the state’s 100-year history. Her heritage also
makes her the first Latino, or Hispanic female,
governor in the United States. Who is she?
A.
Sonia Sotomayer
B.
Susana Martinez
C.
Valeria Perez
D.
Ana Rodriquez
9. Science and Technology
Scientists often find new species of plants and insects,
but finding a new mammal is rare. Dr. Kristofer Helgen
was the main scientist who discovered the new
mammal. The scientists named it olinguito
(oh•lin•GEE•toh) because it looks similar to an animal
called the olingo. Dr. Helgen has identified other new
animal species, but he says that this is his most
important discovery. Where did he find this new
species?
A.
Madagascar
B.
The cloud forests of Colombia and Ecuador
C.
The Amazon rain forest
D.
A temperate rain forest in Canada
10. People in the News
This self-proclaimed queen of Southern cooking
faced criticism over admissions made in a
deposition about workplace discrimination. She
admitted that she had used racial epithets. On
June 21, the Food Network dropped her shows
and several of her sponsors followed suit. The
case was eventually thrown out. Who is this
celebrity chef?
A.
Rachael Ray
B.
Ree Drummond
C.
Paula Deen
D.
Nathalie Dupree
Extra: Sports
This American heavyweight boxer and WBC world
heavyweight champion died in September 2013 at age
70. He was best known for his 12-round victory over
Muhammad Ali when he famously broke Ali's jaw. Who
is he?
A.
B.
C.
D.
George Forman
Ken Norton
Jack Lomax
Larry Holmes