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Here is this week’s Extemp Central news quiz. Good luck!
To access a list of all our old quizzes, click here.
1. Why were the recent Serbian parliamentary elections historically significant?
[toggle title_open=”Close Me” title_closed=”Open Me” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]If the results of the election hold and the Serbian Progressive Party’s (SNS) vote total stands it would be the first time in Serbian history that a party has won an overall majority in parliament. The SNS is projected to occupy 157 of the 250 seats in the Serbian parliament. The SNS ran on a platform of starting EU membership talks and eliminating corruption that it argues has hampered the Serbian economy, where one in three Serbians are unemployed.[/toggle]
2. Former Alaska governor and Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin is launching a new media platform. What is it and what is it called?
[toggle title_open=”Close Me” title_closed=”Open Me” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]Palin plans to launch a pay TV channel called “Rogue TV”, which will feature video commentary on news, parenting tips, and video of her family activities. The channel will cost $10 a month.[/toggle]
3. Why has General Motors recently had to issue a recall of up to 3.1 million vehicles, which will cost the company nearly $300 million?
[toggle title_open=”Close Me” title_closed=”Open Me” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]General Motors has issued the recalls over faulty ignition switches that could disable airbags, as well as vehicles that have side airbag deployment problems, fail to comply with head impact requirements for unrestrained occupants, and could overheat and create an engine compartment fire. GM has had to issue two recalls this year so far and is facing a congressional inquiry into its handling of the recalls.[/toggle]
4. The mayors of these two American cities refused to march in St. Patrick’s Day parades due to their exclusion of gay groups.
[toggle title_open=”Close Me” title_closed=”Open Me” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Boston Mayor Martin Walsh decided not to participate in their city’s celebrations of St. Patrick’s Day in a show of solidarity with LGBT groups.[/toggle]
5. On Monday, Los Angeles was hit by a “Shamrock Shake” earthquake. What was the magnitude of this earthquake?
[toggle title_open=”Close Me” title_closed=”Open Me” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]The earthquake registered as a 4.4-magnitude earthquake and occurred at 6:25 a.m. on Monday morning. It caused no harm, but rattled local Angelenos.[/toggle]
6. Who is Salvador Sanchez Ceren?
[toggle title_open=”Close Me” title_closed=”Open Me” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]Mr. Sanchez Ceren is the new president of El Salvador, winning a runoff election by a slim margin (50.11%-49.89%) against conservative candidate Norman Quijano. He was a former left-wing rebel and is the first ex-rebel to serve as the country’s president.[/toggle]
7. What kind of sanctions have the United States and the European Union imposed on Russian and Crimean officials who have interfered in the Ukrainian political upheaval?
[toggle title_open=”Close Me” title_closed=”Open Me” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]The sanctions, which go against twenty-one Russian and Ukrainian officials (e.g. acting prime minister of Crimea, speaker of Crimea’s parliament, and three senior Russian commanders) are trade bans and asset freezes.[/toggle]
8. An international incident was provoked on Sunday when Libyan militants sold oil to this rogue state.
[toggle title_open=”Close Me” title_closed=”Open Me” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]North Korea. A North Korean tanker was boarded by U.S. Navy SEALS on Sunday evening in the Mediterranean Sea after militants in Eastern Libya attempted to sell millions of dollars in oil in defiance of government orders.[/toggle]
9. This European city recently did a 24-hour experiment to cut traffic by half in order to reduce air pollution.
[toggle title_open=”Close Me” title_closed=”Open Me” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]Paris, France. The French government only allowed vehicles with odd-numbered license plates to be driven within the city on Monday after five straight days of smog hunt over the capital.[/toggle]
10. What percentage of Crimeans voted to join Russia in a referendum on Sunday?
[toggle title_open=”Close Me” title_closed=”Open Me” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]95% of Crimean voters according to exit polls voted for the peninsula to become part of Russia. Western leaders have criticized the vote as a violation of Ukraine’s constitution and international law. Non-Russian minorities in Crimea boycotted the vote.[/toggle]