What in the World?

Think you’ve been keeping a close eye on the whole wide world this week? Take our news quiz to test your knowledge of the latest global events.

1. This week marked the first visit to Israel by a U.S. cabinet official since the new administration took office. Which member of Team Biden made the trip?

(A) Secretary of State Antony Blinken
(B) Vice President Kamala Harris
(C) Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm
(D) Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin

2. It also marked the first visit by a Biden cabinet member to China. Who was sent for that mission?

(A) Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin
(B) Education Secretary Miguel Cardona
(C) Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry
(D) Secretary of State Antony Blinken

3. On Friday, Cuba’s Raúl Castro was set to step down as leader of the country’s ruling party. Who is replacing Castro atop the Communist Party, after having assumed the Cuban presidency in 2019?

(A) Fidel Castro
(B) Manuel Marrero
(C) Salvador Valdés Mesa
(D) Miguel Díaz-Canel

4. As COVID-19 cases skyrocket in India, pilgrims are gathering for what is often described as the world’s largest religious festival. What is this ongoing Hindu festival, which happens approximately once every three years, called?

(A) Vijayadashami
(B) Kumbh Mela
(C) Bhogi
(D) The Arbaeen Walk

5. The conservative Guillermo Lasso won out in Ecuador’s election last week, but the vote was marked by a high proportion of Ecuadorians submitting blank or nullified ballots. What percentage of voters chose “none of the above”?

(A) 17 percent
(B) 24 percent
(C) 10 percent
(D) 41 percent

6. Prince Philip, the husband of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, died last week at age 99. Beginning in the 1970s, a religious movement that venerates the late prince as a god developed in which island nation?

(A) Tuvalu
(B) Cyprus
(C) Vanuatu
(D) Barbados

7. Tensions spiked this week between Russia and Ukraine as thousands of Russian troops massed near the border. When did the ongoing stalemated conflict between the two countries begin?

(A) 2010
(B) 2014
(C) 2019
(D) 2015

8. The United States is pushing Japan to sign a joint statement of support for Taiwan. When was the last time Taiwan was even mentioned in a joint U.S.-Japanese statement?

(A) 1949
(B) 1969
(C) 1989
(D) Never

9. U.S. President Joe Biden announced the United States will withdraw all troops from Afghanistan this year—by which date?

(A) Aug. 31
(B) May 1
(C) Dec. 31
(D) Sept. 11

10. Dutch supermarkets are currently experiencing a widespread cheese shortage. What’s causing the gouda gap?

(A) Hackers conducted a ransomware attack on a company that stocks grocery stores.
(B) The Suez Canal blockage set back delivery times from international vendors.
(C) An impending lockdown order prompted a run on dairy products among Dutch cheese-lovers.
(D) A gang of Dutch mice made off with all of it.

Answers:

1. D
2. C
3. D
4. B
5. A
6. C
7. B
8. B
9. D
10. A

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