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This is www.acurioustraveler.com, P. 28
WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE WORLD, PAST & PRESENT ? Exam to be Given to Each Candidate for National Office in the U.S.A. The results on this exam for any candidate for national office should be made public, although there is no minimum score. Perhaps, in the future, we will not elect candidates who know little about the rest of the planet. Note: Total the correct points. To discourage guessing, deduct 1 point for each three incorrect answers. (No deduction for one or two incorrect answers.) This is a test of your present knowledge, do not look at maps or other information before answering. Subjects: I-Geography, II-Religion, III-History, IV-Languages & Culture, V-Economics I. GEOGRAPHY I. 1. Q. What countries directly border Kazakhstan ? [up to 6 points] my score = I.2. Q. What countries directly border Iraq? [up to 5 points] my score = I. 3. Q. What countries directly border Afghanistan? [up to 6 points] my score = I. 4.Q What is the capital of Uzbekistan? [ 1 point] my score = I. 5. Q. What is the capital of Syria? [ 1 point] my score = I. 6.Q. What countries directly border the Persian Gulf? [up to 8 points] my score = !.7.Q. Where was the Great Silk Road, what did it accomplish, and when did it begin? [up to 4 points] my score = I..8.Q. What countries directly border Slovenia? [up to 4 points] my score = I. 9.Q. What countries directly border Switzerland? [up to 4 points] my score = I. 10.Q. What countries directly border the Slovak Republic? [up to 6 points] = I. 11.Q. What countries directly border Russia? [up to 13 points] my score = I. 12.Q. What countries directly border Burkina Faso? [up to 6 points] my score = I. 13.Q. What countries directly border Central African Republic? [up to 5 points] my score = I. 14.Q. What countries directly border Zambia? [up to 8 points] my score = I. 15.Q. What countries border The Federated States of Micronesia, with no country, but only the ocean in between? [up to 7 points] my score = I. 16.Q. What independent countries border New Zealand, with no country, but only the ocean, which can be many miles, in between? Hint: include some of the Americas [up to 17 points] my score = I. 17. Q. What countries border Guatemala? [up to 4 points] my score = I. 18.Q. What countries border Colombia? [up to 4 points] my score = I. 19.Q. What countries border Paraguay? [up to 3 points] my score = I. 20.Q. What is the capital of Brazil? [1 point] my score = I. .21.Q. What is the capital of Uruguay? [ 1 point] my score = I. 22.Q. Name all of Canada’s provinces you would go through if you drove, including by ferry, from the eastern-most province to the western-most province, without making a detour to Prince Edward Island. .. [up to 9 points] my score = I. 23.Q. Which US states border Ontario, Canada? [up to 8 points] my score = I. 24.Q. Name Canada’s six largest cities [up to 6 points] my score = I. 25.Q. What is the capital city of Canada? [1 point] my score = I. 26.Q. Name the 4 largest cities in Mexico. [up to 4 points] my score = I. 27.Q. Name the 26 states of the USA, all or substantially all, east of the Mississippi River, in rough order, northeast to southeast, then north [up to 26 points] my score = I. 28.Q. Name the 24 states of the USA, all or substantially all, west of the Mississippi River, in rough order, north to south, then west [up to 24 points] my score = I. 29 Q. Name the 10 most populous cities in the USA [up to 10 points] my score = I. 30 Q. Name the 15 most populous cities, metropolitan area, in the world: [up to 15 points] my score = I. 31.Q. What are the 10 largest countries in the world, in land area ? [up to 10 points] my score = I. 32.Q. Name the 11 longest rivers in the world [up to 11 points] my score = I.33.Q. Which 2 rivers put the greatest amount of water into the sea each year? [up to 2 points] my score = I. 34.Q. Name the 9 largest, by area, fresh water natural lakes in the world. [up to 9 points] my score = I. 35.Q. Name the world’s 7 highest mountains: [up to 7 points] my score = I. 36.Q. Name North America’s 5 highest mountains [up to 5 points] my score = I. 37.Q. Name South America’s 2 highest peaks [up to 2 points] my score = I. 38.Q.Name Europe’s highest peak [1 point] my score = I. 1.39. Q. Name Africa’s 2 highest peaks: [up to 2 points] my score = I.40.Q. Name the continents on Earth [6 points ] my score = !.41.Q How many independent countries are there on Earth? [1 point] my score = I. 42 Q. What is global warming? What causes it ? [3 points] my score = I. 43 Q. Please list all foreign countries you have traveled in, with the year(s) you were there. If you did not sleep at least one night in that country please put a “NS“ after the year. If that travel was only by ship, please put an ”S” after the year. If you were a a U.S.A. politician then holding any national office, please put a “P“ after the year. [2 points for each country you have visited, but only 1 point each if you did not sleep at least one night in that country, or if you visited a country only while a passenger on a ship, or while you were a U.S.A. politician holding any national office.]. I.43.A. my score =
II. RELIGION II.1.Q. Who was the founder of the Islamic (Moslem or Muslim) religion? [up to 1 point] my score = II..2.Q.When did he live? [up to 1 point] my score = II.3.Q. Where was he born? [ 1 point] my score = II.4. Q. Mohammed’s leaving Mecca for Medina (Yathrib) is the beginning time for the Islamic calendar. What is his leaving called by Moslems? [1 point] my score = II.5.Q. When was that on the Christian calendar? [1 point] my score = II.6.Q. Mohammed’s visions, written by his friend, became what religious text? [up to 1 point] my score = II.7.Q. Islam is the principal religion in which Asian countries? [up to 25 points] my score = II.8.Q. Islam is the principal religion in which African countries? [up to 15 points] my score = II.9.Q. What are the main 2 sects of Islam? [up to 2 points] my score = II.10.Q. When an Islamic man or woman returns from Mecca, what is he/she then called? [2 points] my score = II.11.Q. Is it common for an Islamic man to have 4 wives? Why? [up to 3 points] my score = II.12.Q. Who was the founder of Buddhism, the Buddhist religion? [1 point] my score = II..13.Q. When did he live? [1 point] my score = II.14,Q. When did he have his religious “awakening?” [1 point] my score = II..15.Q. Where was the founder of Buddhism born? [1 point] my score = II.16.Q. Buddhism is the principal religion in which countries? [up to 10 points] my score = II.17.Q. What are the main sects of Buddhism? [up to 4 points] my score = II..18.Q. Hinduism is the main religion in which countries? [up to 2 points] my score = II.19.Q. When was the third general Council of Ephesus, & what happened then? [up to 2 points] my score = II.20.Q. When were the Crusades, what were the causes & results? [up to 5 points] my score = II.21.Q. When was the Spanish Inquisition & what happened then? [up to 3 points] my score = II.22.Q. Who was Martin Luther, what is he famous for, and during what period of time? [up to 3 points] my score = II.23.Q. What years was the Council of Trent, and what happened there? [up to 5 points] my score = II.24.Q. Is the Old Testament’s Book of Genesis only one of many theories about the origin of Earth and mankind? [up to 2 points] my score = II.25.Q. Did the story of the Flood and many other stories in the Old Testament apparently come from an earlier religion or belief? [up to 3 points] my score = II.26.Q. Were there important women, other than Mary, who are said to have had a virgin birth? Who? [up to 4 points] my score = III. HISTORY IIII.1.Q. The ancient Indus River Civilization ruins are in what modern countries? [up to 2 points] my score = III.2.Q.What were some of the main cities of the ancient Indus River Civilization? [up to 2 points] my score = III.3.Q. During what period of time were Egypt’s pyramids built? [1 point] my score = III.4.Q. Who was the last “great” Egyptian Pharaoh & when did he reign? [up to 2 points] my score = III.5.Q. Who was the Egyptian Sun God, often claimed to be the father of the Pharaoh? [1 point] my score = III.6.Q. When was the Classical Period of the Ancient Greek Civilization? [1 point] my score = III.7.Q. What were the 2 main rival cities in Ancient Greece? [up to 2 points] my score = III.8.Q. Where was Alexander the Great born? [1 point] my score = III.9.Q. What was the main military accomplishment of Alexander the Great? = [1 point] my score = III.10.Q. At the time of his death in 323 B.C., Alexander the Great controlled what parts of modern Africa, Europe, & Asia? [ 4 points] my score = III.11.Q. Which peoples fought Ancient Rome in the First, Second, & Third Punic Wars? [1 point] my score = III.12.Q. What areas did Julius Caesar conquer? [up to 5 points] my score = III..13.Q. Who was the first Roman Emperor, & when did he rule? [up to 2 points] my score = III.14.Q. At the height of its power, what area did the Roman Empire control, northwest to southeast ? [up to 10 points] my score = III.15.Q. What are some of the important reasons for the breakup of the Roman Empire in the 5th Century? [up to 10 points] my score = III.16.Q. In addition to Egyptians, what other great ancient civilization built pyramids, not mounds? [1 point] my score. = III.17.Q.What role did Spanish priests play during Spain’s conquest of much of South and Central America, Mexico, and Caribbean islands in the 15th to 18th centuries? [up to 3 points] my score = III.18.Q. When was Europe’s Renaissance, and what were the results? [up to 3 points] my score = III.19.Q. When was Europe’s Reformation and what were the results? [up to 3 points] my score = IIIK.20.Q. When was Europe’s Thirty Years’ War? What were the results? [up to 3 points] my score = III..21.Q. When was America’s Revolutionary War, which countries fought, and why? [up to 3 points] my score = III.22.Q. When was the French Revolution, and what were the results? [up to 3 points] III.23.Q. When was the Louisiana Purchase, what were the reasons, and what was the result? [up to 3 points] my score = III..24.Q. What caused the War of 1812, and which countries fought? [up to 3 points] my score. = III.25.Q. When was the 19th Century war between the U.S. and Mexico, and what were the causes and results of the war? [up to 3 points] my score = III.26.Q. When was the U.S. Civil War, and what were the causes and results of the war? [up to 10 points] my score = III.27.Q. When was the Spanish-American War, and what were the causes and results of the war? [up to 3 points] my score = III.28.Q. When was the first World War, what were the causes and the results? [up to 5 points] my score = III.2.Q. When was the Russian Revolution, what were the causes, and what were the results? [up to 4 points] my score = III.30.Q. When was the Great Depression in the U.S., what were the causes and results, and how was recovery made? [up to 4 points] my score = III.31.Q. When was the Dust Bowl in the U.S., where was it worst, and what were the results? [up to 4 points] my score = III.32.Q. What were the causes and results of World War II, 1941-1945? [up to 10 points] my score = III.33.Q. When was the Korean War, and what were the causes and results of the war? [up to 3 points] my score = III.34.Q. When was the US-Vietnam War, and what were the causes and results of the war? [up to points] my score = III.35.Q. Summarize the history of Iraq. When and how was Iraq as a country created? What caused the first Iraq War, 1990-1901 ? What happened? What were the causes of the US-Iraq War, 2003- ?, and what were (are) the results of the war? What percent of today’s Iraqis are Kurds, Sunnis, and Shias (Shiites)? [up to 10 points] my score = III.36.Q. How and when did the universe form, according to experts? How old is planet Earth? [up to 3 points] my score = III. 37 Q. Have the continents remained in place since Earth was formed, or have continents migrated or moved to other places? What are tectonic plates? [up to 2 points] my score = III.38.Q. When and where did the oldest man on earth live, according to experts? III.39.Q. When was the United Nations formed? Where is U.N. headquarters today? What are the main organs of the U N..? How is each comprised, and what does it do? [up to 8 points] my score = III.40.Q. Approximately how many people did planet Earth have in 1650? In 1800, 150 years later? In 1900, only 100 years later? Today, 107 years later? Today, how many of those people exist on less than a dollar a day? How many exist on less than two dollars a day ? What can be done to avoid mass starvation? [up to 6 points] my score = IV LANGUAGES & CULTURE IV.1.Q. Where was the world’s first alphabet developed? [1 point] my score = IV.2.Q. In what countries is Portuguese the main language? [up to 2 points] my score = IV.3.Q. In what independent countries is Spanish the main language? [up to 17 points] my score = IV.4.Q. Which modern languages have Latin as their main ancestor? [up to 6 points] my score = IV.5.Q. Which foreign languages, if any, do you speak? How do you rate your proficiency in each foreign language--poor, good, or fluent? Are you willing to take a proficiency exam in each of your foreign languages? [1 point for poor in each language, 2 points for good in each language, 3 points for fluent in each language, up to 18 points] . My score = V. ECONOMICS V. Q.1. What is the gross domestic product (GDP) of a country? [up to 2 points] my score = V. Q. 2. What is not included in GDP? [up to 2 points] my score = V. Q..3. What is per capita income of a country? [up to 1 point] my score = V.Q.4. What is the money supply of a country? [up to 1 point] my score = V.Q.5. What is the national debt of a country? [up to 1 point] my score = V.Q.6. What is the public debt of a country? [up to 1 point] my score = V. Q.7. What are total exports of a country? [up to 1 point] my score = V. Q.8. What are total imports of a country? [up to 1 point] my score = V. Q. 9. What is the balance of payments of a country? When is it favorable, and when is it unfavorable? [up to 3 points] my score = V. Q.10. What typically causes a country’s unfavorable balance of payments? [up to points] my score = V.Q.11. What is the balance of trade of a country? [up to 3 points] my score = V. Q.12. What is inflation? What are causes of inflation ? How can it be controlled? [up to 5 points] my score = V. Q.13. Who is typically harmed by inflation? [up to 4 points] my score = V. Q.14. Who is typically helped by inflation? [up to 2 points] my score = V.Q.15.What is the cost of living? In the U.S. what is the Consumer Price Index (CPI )? [up to 2 points ] my score = V. Q.16. What are the causes of high interest rates--the cost of borrowing money? [up to 4 points] my score = V. Q. 17.What advantages are there to a country whose currency (money) is valued below its true value, in relation to other currencies ? [up to 2 points] my score = V. Q. 18. What advantages are there to a country whose currency (money) is valued above its true value, in relation to other currencies ? [up to 3 points] my score = V. Q, 19 What is a balanced budget? What is a deficit? A surplus? [up to 3 points] my score V. Q. 20. What is “full employment” in a country? [up to 1 point] my score =
Total possible score: I- 376, II -149 , III-150 , !V -26 , V -45, = 746 My score: I- , II- , III - , IV - , V - , = total; , My percent of possible points % __________________________________________ Exam prepared 5/31/07 by Wesley M. Wilson, B.S., M.B.A., J.D., author of 8 books: Five Languages Made Simpler, Countries & Cultures of the World Then & Now ( 3 volumes), Curious Customs & Bizarre Beliefs Around the World, & 3 books on U.S. labor and employment laws. He wrote a daily journal during travels in 217 countries (only 159 independent countries). Website: www.acurioustraveler.com
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