Unit 13 Quiz: The Contemporary World

Which organization focuses primarily on removing barriers to international trade?

• NATO

• United Nations

• European Union

• Warsaw Pact

Answer explanation

The European Union forms economic ties among European countries by using a common currency and reducing restrictions on the movement of people and goods across international borders.

The events in the list below were part of which larger trend?

Slovenia’s war of independence

Croatia’s war of independence

Serbian ethnic cleansing of Albanians

• the changing role of NATO

• the breakup of Yugoslavia

• Russia’s return to authoritarianism

• the creation of the European Union

Answer explanation

Yugoslavia broke into multiple countries as various ethnic groups declared independence and clashed with the ethnic Serbian authorities.

Which factors helped India become a major world economy?

Select two correct answers.

• The country became a major provider of outsourced work.

• India’s population declined, reducing competition for jobs.

• Many of its people spoke English and could do business with English speakers.

• India changed from a mixed economy to a free market economy.

Answer explanation

Many people in India can speak English, making international business easier. Many companies around the world outsource work to Indian companies, meaning they pay Indian companies to do part of their work. India has a mixed economy and has experienced major population growth.

Based on the predictions shown in the graph in the image, what problem might worsen for Japan in the future?

• Parents in Japan will struggle to provide for their children.

• Japan will not have enough working people to support retired people.

• Cities in Japan will become increasingly overcrowded.

• Japan will not have enough jobs available for its population.

Answer explanation

Japan’s population is shrinking and aging. More people are retired, and fewer people are at working age. There are fewer medical workers to meet elderly people's healthcare needs, and there are fewer working people paying into Japan's system to fund retirement payments.

Which term refers to the idea that principles of Islam should be part of politics?

• Islamism

• Jihadism

• Sharia law

• Islamic State

Answer explanation

Islamism is a political ideology that advocates for the principles of Islam to guide public and political life.

The description below describes which event?

"The United States militarily intervened in Southwest Asia as a direct response to 9/11. U.S. troops remained involved for 20 years."

• Israeli-Palestinian conflict

• Iraq War

• War in Afghanistan

• Arab Spring

Answer explanation

The United States invaded Afghanistan because the Taliban, who controlled much of Afghanistan, was cooperating with al-Qaeda, the group behind the 9/11 attacks.

What was the main cause of tension between Hutus and Tutsis?

• Hutus migrated into territory where Tutsis lived.

• Tutsis blamed Hutus for Rwanda’s economic problems.

• Tutsis had more political power and opportunities than Hutus did.

• Hutus and Tutsis both claimed ownership of the same territory.

Answer explanation

Tension developed when European colonizers favored the Tutsis, gave Tutsis positions of power, and enacted discriminatory policies against Hutus. Hutus’ resentment toward Tutsis led to continuing conflict after the end of colonization.

The graph in the image supports which conclusion?

• GDP per capita in Sub-Saharan Africa will likely reach $6,000 by 2040.

• GDP per capita in Sub-Saharan Africa varies widely from decade to decade.

• GDP per capita in Sub-Saharan Africa has been steadily declining since 1950.

• GDP per capita in Sub-Saharan Africa is significantly lower than in most of the world.

Answer explanation

The graph shows that Sub-Saharan Africa’s GDP per capita has been significantly lower than the world’s GDP per capita for many decades.

In the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, many Latin American countries moved away from which form of government?

• democracy

• monarchy

• communism

• military dictatorship

Answer explanation

Many Latin American countries moved away from military dictatorships and toward more democratic forms of government with elected leaders.

What is a tariff?

• the prohibition of all trade with a nation

• penalties relating to economic activity used to effect a change in another nation's policies

• a tax on goods that are imported to a nation