MyUserID 0 #1 November 20, 2002 The subject says it all. http://www.cnn.com/2002/EDUCATION/11/20/geography.quiz/index.html ------------------------------------------------------ Remember kids, eagles may soar, but at least weasels dont get sucked into jet engines. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Muenkel 0 #2 November 20, 2002 There's a possibility that in the near future there will be no Iraq. So why put in the effort? _________________________________________ Chris Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ernokaikkonen 0 #3 November 20, 2002 Wow. Those are pretty bad scores. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sharpfive 0 #4 November 20, 2002 I hope they're not in charge of aiming the missiles. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #5 November 20, 2002 Good thing our youth is the future. Hopefully we can give them enough time to pull their heads out of their ass before they have to run things. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TomAiello 26 #6 November 20, 2002 When I was in college, I lived with three other guys, in a house largely decorated with maps. We were all fairly knowledgeable about world affairs, we were all honors students, one of us was studying Political Science, and one was studying International Relations. One day, I saw an article in the New York Times (we got that, the Economist, and Newsweek--and they all got read by everyone religiously). The article was along similar lines. As I recall, the tag line was "despite near revolution in the world's most populous nation, U.S. schoolchildren can't even identify the capitol of China..." Duh, Beijing, you know, where that guy is standing in front of the row of tanks... My inital reaction was much like yours. Amazement. Disgust. Disdain. Then one of my roommates grabbed National Geographic, which had printed the quiz given to the schoolchildren. All four of us took the simple, five question quiz. Our total score: 0/20. We all got exactly zero of five points on the quiz. How? The rules of the quiz. Here's how it worked: There are five questions, increasing in difficulty from easiest to hardest. Answer the first. If you are correct, proceed to question 2. if not, you score Zero. If you answer question 2 correctly, proceed to question 3, if not, you score 1--and so on. Here are the questions from the quiz: 1) What is the capitol of Canada? 2) What is the capitol of the United Kingdom? 3) What is the capitol of Australia? 4) What is the capitol of France? 5) What is the capitol of China? Remember, if you don't get the easy question (number 1) right, you don't get to proceed to the rest of them, and score zero. Pop quiz, hot shot--how many people at DZ.com scored zero? What was your score? How many people "knew" the capitol of China for purposes of this quiz (and how many actually knew it for real)? When was the last time that news of global significance took place in Ottawa (no offense to the Canucks here, but it has to be a really slow news day in California for news from Canada to get noticed--it's just too nice, peaceful and friendly up there). Tell the truth. What was your score? Still think we're surrounded by Dumbasses? "There are lies, damn lies, and statistics." - Mark Twain-- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Muenkel 0 #7 November 20, 2002 I scored a zero. But then again, I was too busy getting laid in college. I didn't have time for maps.Somehow, I did graduate summa cum laude. _________________________________________ Chris Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sharpfive 0 #8 November 20, 2002 I scored 100%. Do you have one a little more challenging? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #9 November 20, 2002 I would have gotten zero. Funny....I knew all of them EXCEPT Canada without even having to think hard. Your right....it's Canada......not really newsworthy. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TomAiello 26 #10 November 20, 2002 QuoteI scored 100%. Do you have one a little more challenging? What's the capitol of Burkina Faso?-- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sharpfive 0 #11 November 20, 2002 Burkina Faso! Formerly Upper Volta? ouugadogou, forgive my spelling. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #12 November 20, 2002 Quote Burkina Faso! Formerly Upper Volta? ouugadogou, forgive my spelling Google searches don't count..... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sharpfive 0 #13 November 20, 2002 Hey, not a Google search! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #14 November 20, 2002 Quote Hey, not a Google search! Then you are a sad little man if you actually knew that off the top of your head... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lippy 918 #15 November 20, 2002 Ottawa is the capital of this great country. Come on people, get your shit together or we'll stop sending you comedians and beer!!! I got nuthin Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sharpfive 0 #16 November 20, 2002 I cheated, lived in Africa for a little while. Hey, we don't know if I was right yet, anyway! And, the only thing I can give off the top of my head is skin Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #17 November 20, 2002 Quote lived in Africa for a little while OK...you're off the hook. You actually have an excuse for knowing that. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sharpfive 0 #18 November 20, 2002 Actually, you were right regardless Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TomAiello 26 #19 November 20, 2002 QuoteHey, we don't know if I was right yet, anyway! You are correct sir. The other major city is Bobo Dialaso. For some reason, those names just stick in my head.-- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sharpfive 0 #20 November 20, 2002 Now, if only we could come up with a use for this knowledge... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wmw999 2,566 #21 November 20, 2002 You're right. It always had one of the more rhythmic names... Tegucigalpa, Nicaragua is another. As long as Burkina Faso used to be Upper Volta. Wendy W.There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SpeedRacer 1 #22 November 20, 2002 Why the f&*k would anyone name their capital city Ottawa? Reminds me of when I was driving through rural Pennsylvania, and there was this tiny town of just a few hundred people. The town was called Shunk. It made me wonder about the founders of this town: What were the other choices for the town's name?? Speed Racer -------------------------------------------------- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #23 November 20, 2002 Quote Tegucigalpa, Nicaragua Uuummm...isn't that the capitol of Honduras? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sharpfive 0 #24 November 20, 2002 Yeah, those city names sound almost musical, kinda like Timbouktu or Detroit Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wmw999 2,566 #25 November 20, 2002 That was a test -- you knew that off the top of your head, didn't you? What does that make you? Actually, obviously a couple of facts have gotten misaligned over the years. Too much room, too few facts, they slide around some. Wendy W. There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
