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The United States in Today's World

Total questions: 37

Worksheet time: 44mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Which situation is an example of a person using technology initially designed for the military?

a)

A teenager pumps gasoline into a new car.

b)

A man uses a credit card to pay for new purchases.

c)

A woman uses a Global Positioning System to navigate around town

d)

A pediatrician vaccinates patients against polio.

2.

What was the primary goal of the 2009 Affordable Care Act under President Barrack Obama

a)

To eliminate state medical programs

b)

To nationalize medical care for the elderly

c)

To ease restrictions on healthcare providers

d)

To expand access to health insurance

3.

How have computer technology entrepreneurs such as Steve Jobs and Jeff Bezos most directly affected the twenty-first-century economy?

a)

More people are able to shop for goods online.

b)

Restaurant owners are able to open fast-food franchises overseas.

c)

More people are able to get hired after graduating from high school

d)

Bankers are able to offer customized loans for potential home buyers.

4.

Which situation demonstrates one way that U.S. culture has spread to other parts of the world?

a)

A young boy in Great Britain watches anime

b)

A teenage girl buys a hip-hop CD in China

c)

A businesswoman eats at a sushi restaurant in Canada

d)

A college athlete in Brazil trains for the Olympics

5.

Which statement best describes a major impact Bill Gates has had on U.S. business and technology?

a)

He set up the first computer network systems for the military

b)

He designed the heat-shield technology used on space shuttles

c)

He started the company that provides operating software for most personal computers

d)

He created an online store that changed the way people purchase consumer goods

6.

One advantage offered by hybrid cars is that they -

a)

Shorten the driving time to destinations

b)

Decrease household electricity usage

c)

Reduce the amount of money spent on gasoline

d)

Expand the use of carpools

7.

One reason the 2008 presidential election was historically significant is that it was the first time -

a)

Traditionally Republican states voted Democratic

b)

Voters used computerized ballots

c)

An African American won the presidency

d)

A Southerner won the vice-presidency

8.

Which factor contributed most to the flooding in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina?

a)

The location of the surrounding barrier islands

b)

The city’s low elevation

c)

The presence of offshore oil rigs

d)

The buildup of silt in the Mississippi

9.

Which of the following is an example of using a renewable resource to generate electricity?

a)

Building pipelines to maximize the efficiency of transporting oil and gas

b)

Placing large wind turbines in areas with strong, steady winds

c)

Using hydraulic fracturing with water and sand to release oil and gas

d)

Conducting open-pit mining in areas where coal is found near the surface

10.

What major natural disaster occurred in the 21st century?

a)

Hurricane Katrina

b)

Dust Bowl

c)

California Earthquake

d)

Southern Blizzard

11.

Who was the 1st Latino Supreme Court Judge

a)

Sandra Day O'Connor

b)

Nancy Martinez

c)

Sonia Sotomayor

d)

Hillary Clinton

12.

How did people alter the naturally scenery?

a)

Started National Parks

b)

Urbanization of areas

c)

Deforestation of the Northeast

d)

Created zoos and sanctuary

13.

Who are the 2 big technology people of the 21st Century?

a)

Steve Jobs & Bill Clinton

b)

Bill Gates & Mark Zuckerberg

c)

Bill Gates & Steve Jobs

d)

Mark Zuckerberg & Bill Clinton

14.

Why did the US join the Persian Gulf War?

a)

Iraq invaded Israel

b)

Persian invaded Kuwait

c)

Iraq invaded Kuwait

d)

Persian invaded Israel

15.

What eliminated tariffs for trade between Mexico, US and Canada

a)

WTO

b)

HUAC

c)

NAACP

d)

NAFTA

16.
The artist of this 2002 political cartoon was most likely opposed to
a)
A war in Iraq
b)
the USA Patriot Act
c)
the No Child Left Behind Act
d)
the privatization of Social Security
17.
Who is most closely associated with the development of computer operating systems?
a)
Robert L Johnson
b)
Ralph Nader
c)
Al Gore
d)
Bill Gates
18.
Which statement accurately describes a result of the 1993 adoption of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)?
a)
Tariff barriers were reduced between the three largest nations of North America.
b)
A single currency was created for the nations of North America.
c)
Immigration restrictions between North American nations were eliminated.
d)
The United States stopped importing oil from other North American nations
19.
How did Ralph Nader’s candidacy for the Green Party affect the 2000 presidential election in the United States?
a)
a.  As the candidate of a centrist third party, Nader had very little effect on the outcome of the election
b)
a.  As the candidate of a centrist third party, Nader inspired Republican Bush to embrace bipartisanship to secure an easy win
c)
a.  As a candidate of a right-leaning third party, Nader took the votes away from Bush, causing the election to be the closest in history
d)
a.  As a candidate of a left-leaning third party, Nader took votes away from Democratic candidate Gore, who narrowly lost the electoral vote
20.
The terrorists attacks on September 11, 2001 led the federal government to pass the 
a)
Endangered Species Act
b)
Community Reinvestment Act
c)
USA Patriot Act
d)
No Child Left Behind Act
21.
An immediate response by the United States to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 was to -
a)
invade Iraq and end the rule of Saddam Hussein
b)
boycott Iran for supporting global terrorism
c)
overthrow Taliban rule in Afghanistan for shielding Osama bin Laden
d)
end trade with Middle Eastern nations
22.
Which explains the underlying reason for the greater involvement of the United States in Central Asia and the Middle East following September 11, 2001?
a)
the need to wage war against global terrorism
b)
a desire to annex new territories in the Middle East
c)
an attempt to prevent the spread of the Arab Spring
d)
a wish to expand American culture throughout the world
23.
The United States continues to benefit from its free-enterprise system, which applies technological innovation in the marketplace. Digital technology in the form of cell phones, laptops, and tablet devices have all brought about rapid change in our way of life and have improved our standard of living. 
How has this computer technology affected the overall economic development of the United States?
a)
It has promoted consumer use of online retailers, making "brick and mortar" stores a thing of the past.
b)
It has enabled retailers to use barcode scanners to make tracking business inventory an automated job.
c)
It has made American workplaces more productive and provided many technological products for U.S. manufacturers to export.
d)
It has made information available at the touch of a keypad, enabling free exchange of business ideas and inventions throughout the nation.
24.
What pros and cons did American citizens raise about the USA Patriot Act of 2001?
a)
Some claimed the act violated civil liberties, but others felt that national security was worth giving up some freedoms.
b)
Some claimed the act would target international financial institutions, but most Americans were more concerned with domestic security.
c)
Some claimed that the act gave the CIA too much power over the FBI and the IRS, but local law enforcement agencies welcomed the chance for full cooperation.
d)
Some claimed that law enforcement would take advantage of the act to conduct unconstitutional searches, but the law provides for financial compensation in those cases.
25.
How did entrepreneurs such as Bill Gates and Steve Jobs transform American daily life and the economy?
a)
They perfected the use of living organisms in medical treatments.
b)
They made computers and software affordable for average Americans.
c)
They invested in car designs that were more fuel efficient than older models.
d)
They invented satellite systems that transformed global television communications.
26.
The main goal of the General Agreement of Tariffs and Trade (GATT) was to —
a)
negotiate international trade agreements
b)
settle trade disputes between trading nations
c)
enforce international compliance with trade agreements
d)
lower tariffs as a way to promote international free trade
27.

Which situation is an example of a person using technology initially designed for the military?

a)

A teenager pumps gasoline into a new car.

b)

A man uses a credit card to pay for new purchases.

c)

A woman uses a Global Positioning System to navigate around town

d)

A pediatrician vaccinates patients against polio.

28.

Which event prompted this speech by President Bush?

a)

The attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

b)

The attack on the USS Cole.

c)

The mail-bombing campaign of the Unabomber.

d)

The bombing of a federal building in Oklahoma City.

29.

Under the U.S. Constitution, the government may not take private property unless —

a)

The land requires extensive restoration.

b)

The government determines that the land is critical to developers’ profits.

c)

The landowner refuses to build a home on the land.

d)

The government pays the owner fair compensation for the land.

30.

Which of the following is most responsible for the differences shown on the table?

a)

Robert L. Johnson’s creation of a major television network

b)

Tim Berners-Lee’s invention of the World Wide Web

c)

Jeff Bezos’ founding of Amazon.com

d)

Michael Dell’s use of just-in-time manufacturing

31.

The Supreme Court’s actions in agreeing to hear this case illustrate —

a)

Key aspects of a democracy based on popular sovereignty.

b)

Checks and balances between branches of the federal government.

c)

Legal rulings of a partisan nature as a result of judicial activism.

d)

Separate roles of state and national governments in a federal system.

32.

Who is the recipient of this award?

a)

Frances Perkins

b)

Hillary Clinton

c)

Sandra Day O’Connor

d)

Barbara Jordan

33.

A student could use this excerpt in a paper about the —

a)

Challenges of preserving American Indian traditional clothing.

b)

Movement to reform American Indian schools.

c)

Contributions of American Indians to U.S. culture.

d)

Pressure on American Indians to assimilate.

34.

Which of the following is an example of using a renewable resource to generate electricity?

a)

Building pipelines to maximize the efficiency of transporting oil and gas.

b)

Placing large wind turbines in areas with strong, steady winds.

c)

Using hydraulic fracturing with water and sand to release oil and gas.

d)

Conducting open-pit mining in areas where coal is found near the surface.

35.

What were two reasons for the population patterns shown on this graph?

a)

More passenger trains and better subway systems in the Sun Belt.

b)

More government regulation and fewer natural disasters in the Sun Belt.

c)

More job opportunities and lower cost of living in the Sun Belt.

d)

More cultural diversity and better funding for public education in the Sun Belt.

36.

What has been one effect of population growth on the physical environment?

a)

Increased supplies of underground water.

b)

Increased damage to coastal ecosystems.

c)

Decreased greenhouse gas emissions.

d)

Decreased air pollution levels.

37.

How has use of the technology described in this excerpt impacted the United States?

a)

By increasing the number of workers in the agricultural sector.

b)

By increasing the amount of time used to manufacture goods.

c)

By increasing the efficiency of workers and businesses.

d)

By increasing the health and safety risks faced by industrial workers.