AD Testing Services
UIL Current Events Test
Released: 9/16/13
1. What is Tamu Massif?
a. A rather large dog
b. The new mascot of Texas A&M
c. A large volcano off the coast of Japan
d. A deep crevice within the Atlantic Ocean
e. A new volcano discovered on the surface of Mars
2. A Russian diplomatic proposal proposes that Syria’s government release control of
what?
a. Their chemical weapons
b. Their national army
c. Their national media
d. The right to vote
e. Diplomatic relations with the United States
3. Which popular American athlete appears to have forged a friendship with Kim Jongun?
a. Mia Hamm
b. Tony Romo
c. Dennis Rodman
d. Serena Williams
e. Peyton Manning
4. Where are the 2020 Olympics going to be held?
a. Beijing
b. Buenos Aires
c. Madrid
d. Istanbul
e. Tokyo
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5. Which state is currently battling massive amounts of deadly flooding?
a. New York
b. Colorado
c. Kentucky
d. New Jersey
e. Texas
6. Which tech company is preparing to release its initial public offering of stock?
a. Microsoft
b. Apple
c. Facebook
d. Twitter
e. Macintosh
7. How is the Chinese Government addressing the issue of air pollution?
a. By rewarding companies that cut back on pollution
b. By outlawing any burning of fossil fuels.
c. By limiting the amount of pollution allowed and taking high pollution vehicles off the
road
d. By joining forces with the American EPA
e. By appealing to the United Nations for assistance
8. What is currently happening regarding the Costa Concordia?
a. A national memorial is being planned
b. An attempt to move the ship
c. A new shipwreck
d. Nothing. It remains of the Tuscan Island of Giglio until further notice.
e. There are plans to turn it into an artificial reef.
9. Who is Hun Sen?
a. An Chinese activist
b. The Chinese ambassador to the United States
c. The prime minister of Cambodia
d. The Cambodian ambassador to the United States
e. A Cambodian activist
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10. Which nuclear plant is slated to be shut down in Japan/
a. Oi plant
b. Hokkaido Plant
c. Tomari Plant
d. Fukushima Plant
e. Lanai Plant
11. Who is seeking a third year term as Chancellor in Germany?
a. Wolfgang Schauble
b. Angela Merkel
c. Guido Westerwelle
d. Gerhard Schroder
e. Helmut Kohl
12. Which energy type does Brazil intend to revive?
a. Nuclear Power
b. Coal
c. Fossil Fuels
d. Standard electric grids
e. Wind Power
13. Who is Sergei Lavrov?
a. Russia’s prime minister
b. The United State’s Russian ambassador
c. The Foreign Minister of Russia
d. Secretary to Vladimir Putin
e. An up and coming Russian politician
14. Which Mexican congressman was recently killed in a gang violence attack?
a. Osbaldo Esquivel Lucatero
b. Enrique Pena Nieto
c. Vincente Fox
d. Felipe Calderon
e. Carlos Salinas de Gortari
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15. Dutch telecoms KPN is in talks regarding a merger with which Mexican company?
a. Axtel
b. Satmex
c. Telmex
d. America Movil
e. Carso Global Telecom
16. The Mexican government wants to hike taxes to 32 % (up from 30%) for those who
make more than _____.
a. 100,000 pesos/year
b. 50,000 pesos/year
c. 500,000 pesos/year
d. 700,000 pesos/year
e. 600,000 pesos/year
17. Which popular American TV show recently donated hundreds of props from its set to
Goodwill?
a. Duck Dynasty
b. Breaking Bad
c. The Big Bang Theory
d. The Walking Dead
e. Two and a Half Men
18. Who is the Archbishop of Nigeria?
a. Enoch Adeboye
b. Benson Idahosa
c. Helen Ukpabio
d. David W. Eka
e. Ignatius Kattey
19. Who is dissolving the Seleka rebel alliance in the Central African Republic?
a. Michel Djotodia
b. Nicolas Tiangaye
c. Francois Bozize
d. Abel Goumba
e. Jean-Jacques Demafouth
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20. Why has Suzuki recalled close to 200,000 Grand Vitara SUVs?
a. The engine is prone to catching fire
b. The braking system is faulty
c. The air bag sensors are defective
d. The gear box keeps getting stuck
e. The power steering is defective
21. Which two nations are currently in a dispute over ownership of a group of islands in
the East China Sea?
a. North Korea and South Korea
b. The United States and Russia
c. Japan and China
d. North Korea and Japan
e. South Korea and China
22. What is the Epsilon?
a. A new car model set to roll out in Japan
b. The name of an invasive tax plan in the Chinese government
c. The name of the newest U.S. Air Force Fighter Jet
d. Japan’s newest rocket
e. The United State’s newest rocket
23. What are Japan’s plans regarding the contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear
plant?
a. To store it in a secure underground bunker
b. To release it into the Pacific Ocean
c. To release it into circulation for public consumption
d. To retain it and transfer it to a new reactor
e. Nothing. Simply leave it within the reactor.
24. Businesses along the New Jersey boardwalk are set to receive how much in
compensation following a destructive blaze?
a. $13 million
b. $60 million
c. $14 million
d. $15 million
e. $1 million
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25. The world’s oldest man recently died in New York State. How old was he?
a. 110
b. 111
c. 112
d. 113
e. 114
26. What is the name of Michelle Obama’s newest public health campaign?
a. Drink Up
b. Get Up and Move
c. You Are What You Drink
d. You Are What You Eat
e. New Day
27. Who is Lei Jun?
a. Vice President of Apple
b. A new appointee to the Microsoft Board of Regents
c. The founder of Xiaomi
d. The founder of Linux
e. The mastermind behind the iPhone 5
28. Why has Voyager 1 been making headlines?
a. It has crash landed into Pluto
b. It has finished its mission, and is headed back to Earth for analyses
c. It has left the solar system, and entered interstellar space
d. It has gone offline, and NASA cannot regain control
e. It has collided with a meteoroid, effectively ending its mission
29. Which two American tech companies want more public transparency with their deals
made with the NSA?
a. Microsoft and Apple
b. Yahoo and Facebook
c. Twitter and Facebook
d. Yahoo and Microsoft
e. Twitter and Apple
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30. Who is Marissa Mayer?
a. An up and coming inventor
b. An appointed replacement for Mark Zuckerberg
c. CEO of Yahoo
d. CEO of Microsoft
e. CEO of Linux
31. A petition has reached a Pakistani Court to end what?
a. Internet censorship
b. Unequal rights
c. The lack of government transparency
d. An upcoming trade deal with the United States
e. Alcohol prohibition in the country
32. The nation recently remembered the 50 year anniversary of a bombing staged by the
Klu Klux Klan in the 16th Street Baptist Church, killing 4 girls. What state was this in?
a. Georgia
b. Texas
c. Louisiana
d. Alabama
e. Kentucky
33. Who is Larry Summers?
a. The US Treasury Secretary
b. Head of the US Central Bank
c. Obama’s former nominated candidate as head of the US Central Bank
d. Obama’s former nominated candidate as the US Treasury Secretary
e. A potential presidential candidate
34. Who is Mexico’s first openly gay mayor?
a. Benjamin Medrano
b. Felipe Calderon
c. Marcelo Ebrand
d. Andres Obrador
e. Jose Portillo
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35. Due to a budget shortfall, NPR is being forced to cut how much of its staff?
a. 8%
b. 9%
c. 10%
d. 11%
e. 12%
36. Which soccer (football) player has extended his contract with Real Madrid until 2018?
a. Gareth Bale
b. Iker Casillas
c. Karim Benzema
d. Sergio Ramos
e. Cristiano Ronaldo
37. A gang of computer hackers was caught targeting international money transfers and
gambling websites. Who was the head of the gang?
a. A 19 year old teenager
b. An MIT college student
c. An employee of Apple
d. Edward Snowden
e. The NSA
38. Microsoft has introduced an exchange offer for which product?
a. The iPhone
b. The iPad
c. The iMac
d. The iPod
e. Any technological product
39. What has Pope Francis used to drive himself around the Vatican?
a. A limo
b. The ‘popemobile’
c. A 1984 Renault
d. A 1990 Chevy
e. A 200 Dasia Sandero
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40. Why is the Goggle Street View Car making headlines?
a. It has completed its mission to map the world
b. It has sustained an accident in Indonesia
c. It has been discontinued
d. Google has decided to move on to a different project
e. Google is rolling out a new line of Street View Cars
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Essay Question:
Given the current situation in Syria and the United States’ and Russia’s combined responses, is a
safe, stable Syria an attainable reality in the near future? Why or why not?
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