Academic World Q uest 2013

1. Academic World Quest 2013

2. We wish to thank the staff of the Henry A. Wallace Center at the FDR Presidential Library and Home for their generous assistance and historic setting.

3. Special thanks toIBM and the Handel Foundation for their generous contributions toward making the Academic World Quest 2013 possible.

4. Academic World Quest Committee Rita Alterman  Martin Charwat Joe Lombardi Karen Nichols Christopher Wieda

5. Judges Seemi Ahmad Martin Charwat Joe Lombardi Special Thanks to: Seemi Ahmad, and Sev and Betty Oaktay for their kind assistance

6. Participating High Schools Arlington High School Cornwall High School Kingston High School Oakwood Friends School Poughkeepsie Day School Roy C Ketcham High School Spackenkill High School Washingtonville High School

7. Any team found with any means of assistance other than brain power will be DISQUALIFIED. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CELLULAR PHONES AND REMOVE ANY HAND-HELD DEVICES. The only items on your table should be the answer sheets and the pad and pencil supplied by the committee.

8. Current EventsRound 1

9. 1. In early January, 2013, France sent troops and aircraft to defend the Government of which African country that is under threat from Islamic militants? • Malawi • Chad • Senegal • Mali

10. 2.Recently the United Nations estimated that no fewer than ______people, mostly civilians, had been killed in the ongoing civil war in Syria. • 30,000 • 45,000 • 60,000 • 75,000

11. 3. The inauguration of Venezuela’s newly elected President, Hugo Chavez, was delayed because • Of demonstrations by supporters of the opposition • He is recuperating from an infection following surgery • He is facing criminal charges involving corruption • The legality of his election had not been decided by the Supreme Court

12. 4. Regarding the news about China & Japan, which of the following statements is INCORRECT? • Xi Jinping is the new president of China • Shinzo Abe was recently elected prime minister of Japan • There is conflict between China & Japan over oil deposits in the Celebes Sea • Both countries claim to own tiny islands in the East China Sea

13. 5. Complete the following sentence. America's debt has reached • $ 8 trillion • $11 trillion • $13 trillion • $16 trillion

14. 6. Which leader is INCORRECTLY paired with her/his country? • Stephen Harper ----Canada • Christina Fernandez ----Brazil • Julia Gillard --- Australia • Muhammad Morsi --- Egypt

15. 7. Three of the following countries have received bail-outs from the European Union, the International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank recently. Which of the listed countries DID NOT? • Italy • Greece • Ireland • Portugal

16. 8. British Prime Minister David Cameron recently announced a referendum to be placed before the British people by 2017, assuming that he is still the prime minister. The 'yes' or 'no' vote will be on whether Britain should • Adopt the euro as its currency • Remain in the European Union • Grant independence to Scotland • Withdraw from NATO

17. 9. Russian President Vladimir Putin recently signed into law a measure that bans the adoption of Russian children by U.S. families. The move is widely seen as retaliation for • A law that U.S. President Obama signed that would impose life imprisonment on Russian citizens caught spying in the U.S. • The U.S. government’s position on the Syrian conflict • A law that U.S. President Obama signed that imposes U.S. travel and financial restrictions on human rights abusers in Russia • News stories in the U.S. media that depict widespread abuse of children in Russian orphanages

18. EducationRound 2

19. 1. According to Engage to Excel: Producing One Million Additional College Graduates with Degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), three-quarters of the 1 million additional STEM degree recipients that are needed could be generated over the next decade if the retention rate of students who enter STEM majors were increased from • 10% to 20% • 20% to 60% • 40% to 50% • 50% to 60%

20. 2. According to STEM Education: Preparing for the Jobs of the Future, the share of students graduating with STEM degrees has: • Declined •  Stayed the Same •  Increased Slightly •  Increased Significantly

21. 3. In STEM education, international comparisons of U.S. students with those in other developed countries place U.S. students • In the top third of the field. • In the middle of the pack or lower • Improving, especially among women and minorities •  At the very bottom of the pack

22. 4. A 2009 OECD Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) report ranked U.S. 15 year olds _______ in mathematics among OECD countries. • 12th • 25th • 31st • 45th

23. 5. According to STEM Education: Preparing for the Jobs of the Future, what country produces the greatest number of STEM degree recipients among OECD countries? • Germany • Japan • United States • South Korea

24. 6. According to STEM Education: Preparing for the Jobs of the Future, what was the U.S. rank among OECD countries, regarding the following measure: “STEM Graduates as a Share of All Bachelor's Degree Equivalent Graduates”? • 7th • 17th • 27th • 34th

25. 7. According to Everything You Need to Know: Waivers, Flexibility, and Reforming No Child Left Behind, which of the following WAS NOT one of the serious flaws in the No Child Left Behind law? • It set goals and held schools accountable for meeting them • It determined whether schools were falling behind based on test scores • It established federal mandates for fixing failing schools • It led states to focus on teaching to the test

26. 8. According to Educate to Innovate, five major public-private partnerships were established to improve education in the U.S. Which of the following actions did they undertake? • Created the “STEM Institutional Transformation Awards” grant program. • Sponsored the Department of Education summer STEM learning program. • Supported a national experiment in mathematics education. • Used media, interactive games, hands-on-learning, and community volunteers to encourage students to be the next generation of inventors and innovators.

27. 9. According to Engage to Excel, why is it important to replace traditional laboratory courses with discovery-based research courses? • Traditional laboratory courses do not encourage partnerships among students • Students find traditional laboratory courses difficult • Traditional laboratory courses often involve repeating classical experiments to reproduce known results • None of the above

28. U.S. Energy PolicyRound 3

29. 1. According to the U.S. Energy Information Agency, the single largest source of U.S. energy in 2011 was derived from? • Coal • Natural gas • Petroleum • Nuclear power

30. 2. According to the U.S. Energy Information Agency, renewable energy supplied 9% of U.S. energy consumed in 2011. Which of the following produced the largest amount within this sector? • Wind • Solar • Hydropower • Geothermal

31. 3. For each unit of energy produced, natural gas emits less carbon dioxide than coal. Natural Gas emits _____ percent less carbon dioxide than coal? • 20% • 35% • 50% • 75%

32. 4. Recycling saves energy in producing new products. Using recycled aluminum to make new aluminum cans uses how much less energy compared to making new cans from bauxite ore? • 55% • 70% • 90% • 95%

33. 5. The sector of the U.S. economy that consumed the largest amount of energy in 2011 was: • Industrial • Transportation • Residential • Commercial

34. 6. What percentage of the World’s energy is consumed by the U.S.? • 5% • 10% • 15% • 20%

35. 7. According to Who’s Winning the Clean Energy Race, since 1978 total energy use per person in the U.S. has • Remained the same • Decreased Modestly • Decreased substantially • Increased

36. 8. According to Who’s Winning the Clean Energy Race, which European country now obtains more energy from renewable sources than it does from nuclear power, coal or natural gas? • Germany • France • The United Kingdom • Spain

37. 9. The Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future was formed by the U.S. Secretary of Energy at the request of President Obama to address which of the following? • The safety of our nation’s nuclear power plants • Reviewing policies for managing the back end of the nuclear fuel cycle • The issue of terrorism as it relates to nuclear power • All of the above

38. US Economic CompetitivenessRound 4

39. 1. According to the 2011-2012 Global Competitiveness Report, all but one of its 12 pillars of competitiveness “eventually seem to run into diminishing returns.” According to the report, which pillar of competitiveness is the only one capable of enhancing standards of living in the long run? • Infrastructure • Technological Readiness • Human Capital • Innovation

40. 2. In the 2011-2012 Global Competitiveness Report, the United States was ranked 5th in overall competitiveness. Which of the following WAS NOT among the four countries ranked ahead of the US? • Germany • Singapore • Switzerland • Finland

41. 3. According to U.S Corporate Tax Reform, the U.S. has a higher statutory tax rate compared to other countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). How does its average effective tax rate compare? • About the same • The U.S. has a lower rate • The U.S. has a higher rate • None of the above

42. 4. According to U.S Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital, net job creation by startups has been • Higher than established firms in all years since 1977 • Lower than establish firms since 1977 • Higher than established firms since 1977, except during recessions • Lower than established firms, except during recessions

43. 5. According to U.S Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital, critics of the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (JOBS Act) are concerned that the legislation will • Cost too much to implement • Increase regulations on small business, and thereby reduce incentives to invest • Have a negligible effect on job growth • Harm investors and encourage fraud and abuse

44. 6. According to the Council on Foreign Relations the Dodd-Frank Act, which of the following provisions IS NOT included in the act? • Volcker Rule • Orderly Liquidation Authority • Consumer Financial Protection Bureau • Financial Stability Fund

45. 7. According to the Council on Foreign Relations the Dodd-Frank Act, one of the main criticisms of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is that • It will destroy the ability of the banks to hedge risks • It will have unprecedented authority without any checks on its power • It will do little to limit the growth of banks  • It will reduce consumers’ access to capital

46. 8. According to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, Testimony of Hilda Solis, U.S. Secretary of Labor, what is the estimate for the number of U.S. workers killed on the job in 2012? • 4,500 • 14,000 • 40,000 • 140,000

47. 9. According to Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future, what is the estimated return on investment for publicly funded research & development? • 5 percent to 27 percent • 20 percent to 67 percent • 40 percent to 87 percent • 50 percent to 97 percent

48. Middle EastRound 5

49. 1. According to the White House Fact Sheet: G-8 Action on Deauville Partnership with Arab Countries in Transition, which of the following WAS NOT one of the four key priority areas identified by the G8 leaders at the Camp David summit? • Stabilization • Job creation • Participation/governance • The fight against terrorism

50. 2. According to Underlying Causes of Stability & Unrest in the Middle East and North Africa, how much did the population of Egypt grow from 1950 to 2010? • 16 million to 65 million • 21 million to 80 million • 24 million to 70 million • 29 million to 87 million