With every new economic milestone reached by China, other countries are becoming increasingly nervous about China’s economic rise. India is also on track to attain a much more significant role in the global economy. We wonder: What share of world GDP did China and India account for two centuries ago – back in 1820?
A. 18%
B. 25%
C. 30%
D. 50%
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Hillary Clinton came closest to becoming the first woman elected President of the United States of America. We wonder: Among the world’s 10 most populous nations, how many have so far had a woman as head of government or state in modern times?
A. 1
B. 2
C. 4
D. 5
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Immigration and the rights of citizenship remain hot topics of debate in the United States and also the world beyond. We wonder: Excluding newborns, in which year were the most people granted U.S. citizenship?
A. 2008
B. 1991
C. 1957
D. 1944
E. 1868
For some 1,500 years, the Silk Road linked trade networks that spanned about 4,000 miles from China to the Middle East and Europe. It has remained in people’s imaginations even longer. We wonder: Which of the following statements about the Silk Road today are true?
A. China is promoting a new Silk Road to expand global trade.
B. A modern Silk Road would use both land and sea routes.
C. Central Asian nations could prove to be a stumbling block.
Recent acts of police brutality in various U.S. states as well as the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday during the Civil Rights Movement have underscored what still needs to be achieved before true equality is reached for African-Americans. We wonder: Which of the following statements are true?
A. There are more African-American men in prison today than there were in slavery at its height.
B. North America was the world’s biggest importer of African slaves.
C. The African-American population is proportionally about the same today as it was just after slavery.
D. African Americans are still discriminated against on voting rights.
With southern Sudan set to secede from Sudan pending a widely expected "yes" vote in its independence referendum — becoming the world's first new country this decade — it should soon seek to join the ranks of the 192 countries recognized by the United Nations. We wonder: Which of these decades saw the biggest increase in the number of UN members?
The number eight is considered a lucky number in Chinese tradition. As a recent example, the Beijing Olympics commenced at 8:00 PM on August 8, 2008. However, considering the occurrences of unrest throughout China's modern history, the number nine — and therefore the year 2009 — may not be so lucky. We wonder: How many major anniversaries of important uprisings will China observe (or, as the case may be, not observe) this year?
March 20, 2007 marked the beginning of the fifth year of the war in Iraq. We wonder: At this point, the United States' engagement in Iraq has lasted longer than its involvement in which of the following wars?