The Wall Street Journal Weekly Quiz s14

The Wall Street Journal Weekly Quiz

Answer Key

Covering front-page articles from Feb 14 – 18, 2005

Developed by: Scott R. Homan Ph.D., Purdue University

1. The boards of Verizon Communications Inc. and MCI Inc. last night approved the acquisition of the nation's No. 2 long-distance carrier for about $______in cash, shares and dividends

a. 1 million

b. 6 million

c. 6.8 billion Correct

d. 600 billion

2. Identify which company launched its own bid for MCI before the weekend, and who could still try to break up any deal between MCI and Verizon.

a. Sprint Corp

b. Nextel Communications Inc

c. AT&T Corp

d. Qwest Communications International Inc Correct

3. More middle-class American workers are choosing to enroll their children in ______-funded health-insurance programs.

a. parent

b. taxpayer Correct

c. workplace

d. grandparent

4. Private health insurance premiums may rise as people enter the public insurance system since the public system often ______providers who pass costs back to consumers

a. cancels

b. denies

c. overpays

d. underpays Correct

5. Japan claims ownership of Okinotori Shima, an uninhabited coral reef that sits isolated in the deep blue Pacific Ocean 1,100 miles south of Tokyo. What country also wants to claim ownership of Okinotori Shima?

a. China Correct

b. Korea

c. North Korea

d. Russia

6. For years, Japan has called Okinotori an island, which allows Japan to claim not only sovereignty but also exclusive economic control of waters extending out ______.

a. 3 miles

b. 1 mile

c. 100 miles

d. 230 miles Correct

7. In New Jersey four years ago Domino's Pizza store managers were leaving every ______months.

a. 36 to 42

b. 20 to 26

c. 1 to 2

d. 3 to 6 Correct

8. Without a steady boss, workers who answered phones, made pizzas and delivered orders had a turnover rate as high as _____ % a year.

a. 120

b. 50

c. 20

d. 300 Correct

9. Congress sent President Bush a landmark bill that will reshape the American legal landscape by making it easier for defendants to move many multi-state class actions into ______court.

a. traffic

b. local

c. state appeals

d. federal Correct

10. The ______lobby, has spent millions of dollars in a seven-year campaign to prevent plaintiffs' lawyers from shopping among local jurisdictions in search of big awards.

a. business Correct

b. retail

c. consumer

d. legal industry

11. Lawrence H. Summers was hired more than three years ago to retool Harvard for the 21st century. The former Treasury secretary has found the hierarchical management style common in corporations and cabinet agencies to be a ______for a storied university.

a. great change

b. welcomed change

c. perfect fit

d. tough fit Correct

12. Lawrence H. Summers has met strong resistance from the ______.

a. students

b. alumni

c. board of directors

d. Harvard faculty Correct

Questions 13 – 17 from Marketplace, Section B

13. J.C. Penney Co. will set out to better target the tastes of middle-income ____.

a. children between ages 2 and 16

b. men between ages 50 and 70

c. women between ages 15 and 25

d. women between ages 35 and 54 Correct

14. With the demise of long-distance stalwarts MCI and AT&T, most agree that SBC and Verizon will turn into nationwide giants that will go to battle against ____ companies.

a. internet phone

b. radio

c. movie

d. cable TV Correct

15. Mr. Sampath's Mercora Inc. helps people swap free music with each other with what he calls ______.

a. peer-to-client TV

b. client to client TV

c. client to client radio

d. peer-to-peer radio Correct

16. According to Walter Mossberg of the WSJ those who use their computers overwhelmingly for common, mainstream consumer tasks such as e-mail, instant messaging and Web browsing; word processing, spreadsheets and presentations; working with photos, home videos and digital music; and playing and creating CDs and DVDs. Should consider using a ______computer.

a. Windows XP

b. Unix

c. Linux

d. Macintosh Correct

17. Name the company that compiles and sells private records on Americans who recently sold information to an identity-theft ring.

a. WeScamU Inc

b. NoChoice Inc

c. ChoicePoint Inc Correct

d. BadChoices Inc

Questions 18 – 22 from Money & Investing, Section C

18. Typically January is a time when retirement money and other new cash floods ___the investment market.

a. among

b. thru

c. out of

d. into Correct

19. The January retail-sales figures are to come out today and economists think that as long as car sales don't get counted in the box score, the news will be ____.

a. good Correct

b. bad

c. average

d. critical

20. Gillette CEO James Kilts is slated to receive an over $______million pay package for having offloaded the razor maker to Procter & Gamble.

a. 5

b. 10

c. 50

d. 170 Correct

21. Generally the cost of imported goods in the U.S. has been ____.

a. decreasing dramatically

b. staying exactly the same

c. falling

d. rising Correct

22. Raymond James economist Scott Brown thinks that consumer surveys ___.

a. aren't very confusing

b. are very confusing

c. are very useful

d. aren't very useful Correct

Questions 23 – 25 from Personal Journal, Section D

23. From 1983 to 2000, the National Transportation Safety Board investigated 26 major commercial accidents involving 2,739 people. ______% of the passengers survived.

a. 36

b. 50

c. 56 Correct

d. 75

24. A new generation of artists and gallery owners wants you to think of flat screen TV’s as _____.

a. art deco sculptures

b. boring design elements

c. dust collectors

d. picture frames Correct

25. In photography SLR stands for ______

a. Standard long return

b. Standard-lens relay

c. Six-lens reducing

d. Single-lens reflex Correct