What Caught My Eye Today

Global IQ - Here's an interesting little poll, courtesy of Newsweek, to test your knowledge of current events. Answers appear at the bottom. My score: 12 out of 17. Enjoy.

1. What will be the world's biggest city in 20 years?
a) Mexico City b) Mumbai c) Tokyo

2. When was the last time the U.S. had an elction without a sitting president or vice president seeking his party's nomination?
a) 1928 b) 1936 c) 1952 d) 1960

3. What color is the woman's face in Matisse's painting 'Femme au Chapeau
a) Pink b) Blue c) Green d) Brown

4. Which is the top-selling music in history?
a) Michael Jackson, 'Thriller'
b) The Eagles, 'Their Greatest Hits'
c) The Beatles, 'The White Album'
d) Pink Floyd, 'The Wall

5. How many Americans die each year from food-borne illnesses?
a) 200 b) 1,500 c) 5,000

6. How many people contract the AIDS virus every day?
a) 5,000 b) 13,000 c) 201,000

7. Who is regarded as the founder of the modern Olympics?
a) Avery Brundage
b) Pierre de Coubertin
c) Juan Antonio Samaranch
d) Demetrius Vikelas

8. Which car company currently sells the largest number of automobiles worldwide?
a) Toyota b) Ford c) General Motors d) Volkswagen

9. According to the Jewish calendar, what year is it?
a) 2007 b) 5767 c) 8023

10. Which religion is atheistic, at least in its earliest form?
a) Buddhism b) Hinduism c) Islam d) Christianity

11. James Joyce based 'Ulysses' on which classical work?
a) Homer, The Iliad
b) Coccoccia, The Decameron
c) Homer, The Odyssey
d) Virgil, The Aeneid

12. How old is the known universe?
a) 6,000 years b) 4.5 billion years c) 13.7 billion years

13. How many genes do humans have?
a) 20,000 b) 50,000 c) 100,000

14. About how many bloggers will there be by the end of 2007?
a) 25 million b) 50 million c) 100 million d) 6.7 billion

15. What is the most visited Web portal worldwide?
a) Yahoo b) MSN c) Excite d) Google

16. Who was the first African-American man to win an Oscar?
a) Denzel Washington b) Paul Robeson c) Sidney Poiter d) James Baskett

17. What fraction of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere comes from natural sources?
a) One sixth b) One fourth c) One half d) Two thirds


ANSWERS

1. What will be the world's biggest city in 20 years?
c) Tokyo

2. When was the last time the U.S. had an elction without a sitting president or vice president seeking his party's nomination?
a) 1928

3. What color is the woman's face in Matisse's painting 'Femme au Chapeau
c) Green

4. Which is the top-selling music in history?
a) Michael Jackson, 'Thriller'

5. How many Americans die each year from food-borne illnesses?
c) 5,000

6. How many people contract the AIDS virus every day?
b) 13,000

7. Who is regarded as the founder of the modern Olympics?
b) Pierre de Coubertin

8. Which car company currently sells the largest number of automobiles worldwide?
a) Toyota

9. According to the Jewish calendar, what year is it?
b) 5767

10. Which religion is atheistic, at least in its earliest form?
a) Buddhism

11. James Joyce based 'Ulysses' on which classical work?
c) Homer, The Odyssey

12. How old is the known universe?
c) 13.7 billion years

13. How many genes do humans have?
a) 20,000

14. About how many bloggers will there be by the end of 2007?
c) 100 million

15. What is the most visited Web portal worldwide?
a) Yahoo

16. Who was the first African-American man to win an Oscar?
d) James Baskett

17. What fraction of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere comes from natural sources?
d) Two thirds