Deck 8: World History

Question 1

The adult prevalence rate for AIDS, or the proportion of people aged 15 to 49 years old living with HIV/AIDS, is lowest in which of the following world regions?

A)East Asia
B)Latin America
C)South and Southeast Asia
D)Sub-Saharan Africa

Answer 1

East Asia

Question 2

Anti-globalization social movement organizations meet annually at which of the following gatherings?

A)The World Economic Forum
B)The Aspen Institute
C)The Doha Round
D)The World Social Forum

Answer 2

The World Social Forum

Question 3

Proportional representation in voting has had the greatest impact on governing in which of the following countries?

A)Australia
B)Ireland
C)Israel
D)New Zealand

Answer 3

Israel

Question 4

In the Islamic Republic of Iran, the most significant executive authority is represented by which officeholder?

A)Chairman of the Expediency Council
B)President
C)Supreme Leader
D)The Council of Guardians

Question 5

Which of the following organs of the United Nations (UN) has the power to make decisions that member states are obligated to carry out?

A)Economic and Social Council
B)General Assembly
C)Security Council
D)Trusteeship Council

Question 6

Multilateral patent treaties are primarily administered by which of the following institutions?

A)The World Trade Organization
B)The World Bank
C)The World Intellectual Property Organization
D)The International Monetary Fund

Question 7

Which of the following countries is a member of the World Bank?

A)Cuba
B)Liechtenstein
C)North Korea
D)Syria

Question 8

When speaking to business leaders in the Foreign Service Officer's (FSO) host country about their country signing the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), the FSO should focus the discussion on how corruption:

A)hurts the development of poor sections of the host country and that the U.S. was the first country to ratify UNCAC
B)is a barrier to trade and investment in the host country and that the U.S. has programs to assist the host country fight corruption
C)is a major obstacle to democratic transition in the host country and that the U.S. presents disincentives for countries with pervasive corruption
D)hurts U.S. interests and investment in the host country and that the U.S. supports grant programs for private businesses

Question 9

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) funds projects that address any one of six global environmental problems. Which of the following problem areas was added most recently to the GEF's mandate?

A)Long-range transboundary air pollution
B)Persistent organic pollutants
C)Climate change
D)Biological diversity loss

Question 10

Which UN body has the authority under the UN Charter to make decisions that all member states are obliged to carry out?

A)The Economic and Social Council
B)The General Assembly
C)The Secretariat
D)The Security Council

Question 11

What is the principal mandate of the World Trade Organization?

A)To remove barriers to the international trade of goods through the creation, monitoring, and enforcement of market access rules
B)To promote the development of trading partnerships between developing and fully industrialized countries
C)To facilitate large-scale trades between currency markets and monitor balance-of-payments imbalances for individual nations
D)To establish and enforce trading partnerships between government and private sector organizations

Question 12

The Anti-Bribery Convention, an international treaty designed to limit corruption, is administered by which international entity?

A)The International Criminal Court
B)The World Trade Organization
C)The Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development
D)The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

Question 13

World Heritage Sites are protected under conventions established by which of the following institutions?

A)United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
B)United Nations Development Project (UNDP)
C)The World Wildlife Fund
D)Human Rights Watch

Question 14

Which of the following organizations coordinates the development of telephony standards between governments and the private sector?

A)The Federal Communications Commission
B)The International Telecommunications Union
C)The United Nations Development Program
D)The World Trade Organization

Question 15

The International Monetary Fund currently uses which of the following methods to facilitate economic recovery?

A)Provides structural adjustment packages for countries seeking to correct balance-of-payment difficulties
B)Ensures that all currencies are fixed to maintain a stable monetary environment
C)Coordinates economic development packages and targeted program investments to stimulate growth
D)Manages production and consumption levels to reduce balance-of-trade deficits

Question 16

Non-permanent members of the UN Security Council are elected based on which of the following voting results?

A)A simple majority of the General Assembly
B)A 2/3 majority of the General Assembly
C)A 9/15 majority of the Security Council
D)A unanimous vote of the Security Council's permanent members

Question 17

Which of the following election criteria apply to the non-permanent members of the UN Security Council?

A)2 members elected for 10-year terms
B)4 members elected for 5-year terms
C)5 members elected for 4-year terms
D)10 members elected for 2-year terms

Question 18

Given that nine of the 15 members of the UN Security Council have affirmed a decision on a procedural matter, how many of the five permanent members must concur with the decision?

A)Five
B)Four
C)Three
D)None

Question 19

Which of the following multilateral organizations formally operates under a "one member, one vote" rule?

A)The World Trade Organization
B)The International Monetary Fund
C)The Global Environment Facility
D)The United Nations Development Program

Question 20

In 2000, the United Nations Millennium Summit adopted the eight Millennium Development Goals, which set development-related policy goals with a target date of 2015. Which of the following statements would be most appropriate for a U.S. delegate to make at an international meeting reviewing progress on the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals?

A)"The U.S. recognizes that economic development is a central aspiration of all countries, but believes that each country has the individual responsibility to achieve this goal."
B)"The U.S. government recognizes that many Americans continue to live below the poverty line, and we hope to address this issue with the help of the international community."
C)"The U.S. is one of the wealthiest countries in the world and has a special responsibility to lift the poorest countries out of the poverty trap, and the U.S. promises to do so."
D)"International development issues are an integral part of U.S. foreign policy and the U.S. believes that a more prosperous world is a more secure world."

Question 21

Accused war criminals are being tried in national courts in a number of European states under the concept of

A)states rights
B)national priority
C)transnational justice
D)universal jurisdiction

Question 22

Member states' votes in the World Bank are decided based on

A)the principle of one country-one vote
B)the size of a country's economy measured in gross domestic product as part of the size of the total world econom
C)the amount of economic funds donated to the organization
D)political negotiations setting a formula for vote distribution every five years

Question 23

The World Bank has adopted a policy that all of its development projects and programs should be guided by the principle of sustainable development, which is generally considered to be economic development that

A)generates a yearly profit margin of at least 3 percent
B)increases prosperity for developing countries
C)is integrated with social and environmental considerations
D)reduces dependency on fossil fuels

Question 24

In sub-Saharan Africa, rates of HIV infection are highest in the countries

A)that are the poorest in the region
B)that have experienced the most conflict in the last two decades
C)with non-democratic regimes
D)with the greatest income inequality

Question 25

The United Nations' Millennium Development Goals, announced in 2000, include which of the following items?

A)Diminishing discrimination against gays and lesbians
B)Promoting gender equality and empowering women
C)Reducing worldwide defense spending to half its present level
D)Doubling per capita income in the world's 20 poorest countries

Question 26

The Cartagena Protocol of the Convention on Biological Diversity establishes

A)an international network of protected areas to conserve biological diversity hotspots
B)lists of protected species subject to different levels of trade restriction
C)controls on international trade in genetically modified organisms.
D)national targets for biodiversity conservation that parties have to meet by a given date

Question 27

In which of the following environmental issue areas did international negotiations fail to result in a treaty or other multilateral agreement?

A)Desertification
B)Persistent organic pollutants
C)Deforestation
D)Marine pollution

Question 28

A formerly centrally planned economy can be encouraged on its path of liberalization by which of the following?

A)World Trade Organization membership
B)Supporting UN resolutions
C)International Monetary Fund conditionality
D)NATO pressure

Question 29

The premise of the Millennium Challenge Account is to

A)provide additional U.S. foreign aid to poor countries with open economies and good governance
B)create an international consortium of donor countries to build infrastructure in poor countries
C)forgive the international debt of the world's poorest countries
D)spur U.S. direct foreign investment in poor countries

Question 30

The principal mission of the World Trade Organization (WTO) is to

A)serve as a clearinghouse for international commerce, guaranteeing trade contracts
B)arrange short-term financing to facilitate smooth trade
C)provide a venue for the negotiation of multilateral trade agreements
D)serve as the economic development agency of the United Nations

Question 31

In which city is the United Nations headquarters located?

A)New York
B)London
C)Brussels
D)Stockholm

Question 32

What was the economic practice of many European nations in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries in which they sought cheap raw materials from which to create finished products that could be exported to build the nation's wealth, justifying their colonial empires?

A)free enterprise
B)mecantilism
C)barter systems
D)socialism

Question 33

Enlightenment thinker John Locke is most noted for his writings concerning:

A)human rights
B)free enterprise
C)the scientific method
D)slavery

Question 34

Which of the following nations was not once part of the British colonial empire?

A)Australia
B)India
C)Nigeria
D)Haiti

Question 35

The IAEA was founded in 1957, has a current membership of 140 nations, and states as one of its goals:

A)The safeguarding of nuclear materials
B)The eradication of human rights violations
C)The equality of women in all aspects of society
D)The creation of educational institutions in developing nations

Question 36

All of the following countries have permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council except:

A)China
B)France
C)Russia
D)Germany

Question 37

Portuguese is the official language of all the following countries except:

A)Mozambique
B)Brazil
C)Angola
D)Peru

Question 38

Which of the following was a Nobel Peace Prize recipient in 1994 for his efforts to bring peace to the Middle East?

A)Yassar Arafat
B)Ariel Sharon
C)William (Bill) Clinton
D)Anwar al-Sadat

Question 39

Which of the following nations was not invaded or occupied by German forces during WWII?

A)Belgium
B)Norway
C)Sweden
D)Russia

Question 40

The trials of accused Nazi war criminals took place in front of an international tribunal in which city?

A)Berlin
B)Yalta
C)Nuremberg
D)New York

Question 41

During the most active years of the Atlantic slave trade, from the late fifteenth century through the middle of the nineteenth century, the region that saw the highest numbers of slaves imported was:

A)British North America
B)Spanish America
C)British Caribbean
D)Continental Europe

Question 42

The Magna Carta, a series of agreements first signed by an English king in 1215, has been most influential in world history in the area of:

A)preserving monarchial succession
B)advancing constitutional law
C)promoting a socialist society
D)building the British empire

Question 43

Which nation gained freedom from Turkish control in treaties following WWI, existing as a mandate of Britain until full independence was granted in 1932?

A)Syria
B)Iran
C)Iraq
D)Pakistan

Question 44

What does a map's legend help you do?

A)Understand the purpose of the map
B)Calculate the real distance shown on the map
C)Locate specific cities or rivers on the map
D)Read the map's symbols correctly
E)Fold the map neatly

Question 45

Which of the following was a church practice condemned in the works of Martin Luther fueling the Protestant Reformation?

A)The selling of indulgences
B)The confiscation of property by local churches
C)The selection process for the pope
D)The corruption of kings condoned by the church

Question 46

The ancient practice known as primogeniture applied to both property and monarchial succession resulting in the:

A)possible disinheritance of all children except the eldest
B)constant division of land holdings in Europe
C)absolute disinheritance of all female children
D)uncertainty of transfer of power upon the death of a monarch

Question 47

Which of the following was not a goal of the Spanish colonial system in the Americas in the sixteenth through the eighteenth centuries?

A)Accumulation of wealth by conquering indigenous populations
B)Expanding the influence of the Roman Catholic Church
C)Educating native populations to govern Spanish cities in the Americas
D)Advancing Spanish interests in the global climate of competition

Question 48

The removal of U.S. sanctions against South Africa followed the election to the office of President of:

A)Frederik de Clerk
B)Nelson Mandela
C)Kofi Annan
D)Joseph Kabila

Question 49

Which of the following was a country considered to be behind the "Iron Curtain" in post-WWII Europe?

A)Belgium
B)Poland
C)Austria
D)Greece

Question 50

The catastrophic 1972 Summer Olympics in which terrorists killed eleven Israeli athletes was held in:

A)Mexico City
B)Moscow
C)Munich
D)Montreal

Question 51

In which conflict did the United States defend its Monroe Doctrine, declaring war after the sinking of the U.S.S. Maine?

A)War of 1812
B)Spanish American War
C)World War II
D)World War I

Question 52

Since the organization's creation in 1992, which eligible nation has not joined the European Union?

A)Switzerland
B)Poland
C)Slovenia
D)Greece

Question 53

What event precipitated the 1973 oil crisis in which Arab members of OPEC as well as Egypt and Syria refused to sell oil to the United States and numerous other western nations?

A)The Yom Kippur War
B)U)S. military forces shot down Libyan fighter jets
C)Suez War
D)U)S. invasion of Grenada

Question 54

What event prompted Russia's withdrawal from WWI and subsequent peace treaty with Germany?

A)The Bolshevik Revolution
B)The death of Lenin
C)The German occupation of Moscow
D)The German-Japanese alliance

Question 55

Devout Muslims, by religious teachings, are expected at least once in a lifetime to make a trip or pilgrimage to the holy city of:

A)Jeruselem
B)Medina
C)Mecca
D)Riyadh

Question 56

All of the following countries were members of the Allied Coalition in the Persian Gulf War except:

A)Canada
B)Saudi Arabia
C)Syria
D)India

Question 57

Each of the following nations, once part of Yugoslavia, emerged as an independent country at the end of the Balkan conflict that dominated much of the 1990's, except:

A)Slovenia
B)Serbia
C)Macedonia
D)Latvia

Question 58

The dinar is the official currency of which of the following nations?

A)Portugal
B)Kuwait
C)Colombia
D)Sudan

Question 59

Which nation would not be considered a constitutional monarchy today?

A)Great Britain
B)Portugal
C)Sweden
D)Australia

Question 60

After the historic Battle of Midway during WWII, the United States' navy:

A)Was the equal of or superior to Japanese naval forces
B)Completely controlled the Pacific Ocean for the remainder of the war
C)Was forced to withdraw from the Pacific theater for a short time
D)Suffered defeats in most naval battles with Japan fought over the next year

Question 61

Which of the following Latin American nations did not win independence from European control until the twentieth century?

A)Venezuela
B)Ecuador
C)Paraguay
D)Grenada

Question 62

Which of the following conflicts resulted from European trade practices with China in the eighteenth century?

A)The Opium Wars
B)The War of the Roses
C)The Napoleonic Wars
D)The Crusades

Question 63

Which Southern Pacific island(s) is not considered a United States ' territory or protectorate?

A)Palmyra Atoll
B)Guam
C)Northern Mariana Islands
D)Cook Islands

Question 64

During the collapse of the Roman Empire in the west, the Byzantine Empire rose to power in the east centered around the capital city of Constantinople now located in which country?

A)Greece
B)Macedonia
C)Turkey
D)Egypt

Question 65

Islam is the official state religion of all of the following nations except:

A)Somalia
B)Tunisia
C)Kuwait
D)Turkey