AUGUST 23 QUIZ
1) Two weeks ago, Ed Stafford became the first man in history to do what?
a) Walk the entire length of the Amazon River
b) Reach an altitude of 10,000 feet in a hot air balloon
c) Fast for 200 days
d) Complete a transatlantic flight in a solar plane
2) On Tuesday August 10, the House of Representatives passed (and Pres. Obama signed) a $26 billion spending bill. Which of the following is the best description of the bill?
a) Money to Pakistan for flood relief
b) Money to states to re-hire laid off teachers and fund state Medicaid obligations
c) Money to banks to be used for small business loans
d) Money to prevent AMTRAK form discontinuing service from New York to Boston
3) On Monday August 9, former U.S. Senator Ted Stevens and four others died in a plane crash. What state did Stevens represent for 40 years?
a) Texas
b) Kentucky
c) Colorado
d) Alaska
4) Steven Slater was arrested recently and charged with felony counts of criminal mischief and reckless endangerment. What did he do to bring about the charges?
a) Brought a gun to his daughter’s “Meet the Teacher” night
b) Drove 140 miles per hour on the Long Island Expressway
c) Exited a plane through the emergency chute as it taxied on the runway.
d) Refused to wear a helmet while driving his motorcycle on Martha’s Vineyard.
5) Last week, this former Major League baseball player was indicted for allegedly lying to Congress when he testified in 2008 that he had never used performance enhancing drugs. Who is he?
a) Barry Bonds
b) Andy Pettitte
c) Rafael Palmeiro
d) Roger Clemens
6) Last week, the last American combat forces left this country. What country?
a) Iraq
b) Afghanistan
c) Pakistan
d) South Korea
7) What type of product was recently recalled as a result of an outbreak of salmonella?
a) Chicken
b) Pork
c) Eggs
d) Salmon
8) What country began loading fuel into its first nuclear power plant last week?
a) North Korea
b) Iran
c) Israel
d) Brazil
9) This country had a cliffhanger national election last week and the outcome is still in doubt. What country?
a) Mexico
b) Australia
c) Germany
d) India
10) The Obama Administration announced last week that environmental reviews will now be required before companies can do what?
a) Drill for oil in deep water
b) Make cars that get less than 25 mpg on the highway
c) Strip mine for coal on mountaintops
d) Release greenhouse gasses into the environment
11) A US District Court Judge in what state recently ruled that it violates the U.S. Constitution to prevent a gay couple from marrying?
a) Massachusetts
b) Hawaii
c) California
d) Iowa
12) A new study shows that 1 in 5 American teens has what?
a) Slight hearing loss
b) A sexually transmitted disease
c) A Twitter account
d) A silly band
13) Former Gov Rod Blagojevich was convicted on only 1 of 24 counts brought against him by the federal government. Blagojevich was formerly the governor of what state?
a) Ohio
b) Illinois
c) New York
d) Idaho
14) The Obama administration announced recently that it is going to ease restrictions on travel to what country?
a) Russia
b) Iran
c) Afghanistan
d) Cuba
15) What company – 61% of whose stock is currently owned by the US government – is planning to offer a stock sale to the public in the fall?
a) Ford
b) General Motors
c) Lehman Brothers
d) Merrill Lynch
16) What economic indicator reached its highest level sine November last week?
a) Jobless claims
b) The Dow Jones industrial average
c) New housing starts
d) Mortgage foreclosures
17) In an effort to cut costs in his department, Defense Secretary Robert Gates recently announced that he intends to close what high-tech military training operation in Norfolk, Virginia?
a) Joint Forces Command
b) Special Auxiliary Forces Center
c) Center for Disease Control
d) U.S. Central Command