Here are the answers for this week’s news quiz. Good luck to those extempers competing at the Wake Forest National Early Bird and elsewhere around the country this weekend.
1. What is the current U.S. unemployment rate?
a. 9.3%
b. 9.6%
c. 9.8%
d. 10.2%
2. This state fired its commissioner of education after messing up its Race to the Top application.
a. New Jersey
b. Massachusetts
c. Mississippi
d. Arkansas
3. Government agencies are looking to remove this animal from the Northern Rockies and Great Lakes despite questions about the animal’s endangered status.
a. Asian carp
b. Black bear
c. Grey wolf
d. Bald eagle
4. Last week a mufti in this Middle East nation slammed Mahmoud Ahmadjinejad’s comments about wiping Israel off the map, saying that it would also eliminate Palestinians.
a. Iraq
b. Lebanon
c. Jordan
d. Egypt
5. Who is the GOP’s House Minority whip, who some say could challenge John Boehner for Speaker of the House if the Republicans win control of the chamber in the midterm elections?
a. Chris Lee
b. Thaddeus McCotter
c. Geoff Davis
d. Eric Cantor
6. This Caucasus republic was home to a suicide attack that killed three Russian soldiers over the weekend.
a. North Ossetia-Alania
b. Ingushetia
c. Dagestan
d. Stavropol Krai
7. The governor of this state has announced that they don’t want another debate with their opponent this November after blanking out during their first debate.
a. New Mexico
b. Colorado
c. California
d. Arizona
8. A terrorist group in this European nation declared a ceasefire over the weekend.
a. The Netherlands
b. Spain
c. Italy
d. Germany
9. A 7.1 magnitude earthquake in this area over the weekend created a state of emergency and potentially billions of dollars in damage.
a. Philippines
b. New Zealand
c. Japan
d. Nepal
10. This official went to China last weekend for a series of meetings over China’s economic practices.
a. Christine Romer
b. Hillary Clinton
c. Larry Summers
d. Timothy Geithner