1. The 2022 World Cup final produced a dramatic victory for Argentina in a penalty shoot-out over THIS national team. The final match showcased global talents Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé.
A. Italy
B. France
C. Brazil
D. Nigeria
Correct Response: B. France
https://www.cnn.com/sport/live-news/world-cup-final-argentina-france-12-18-22/index.html
2. The end of the most stringent of “Zero-Covid” measures in THIS country is seeing widespread disease outbreaks in major cities yet many people remain vaccine skeptics. The country has rejected effective Western vaccines in favor of those like the Sinovac CoronaVac.
A. Russia
B. China
C. India
D. Brazil
Correct Response: B. China
https://www.reuters.com/world/china/i-dont-trust-it-vaccine-hesitancy-lingers-even-china-covid-cases-surge-2022-12-19/
3. Indian troops battled forces from THIS rival it said had “encroached into Indian territory” along the Arunachal Pradesh mountain region in the northeast of India. The two nuclear armed states have sought to deescalate in the area since the 2020 clash that killed over 20 troops.
A. Afghanistan
B. Pakistan
C. China
D. Kazakhstan
Correct Response: C. China
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-63953400
4. Tariffs imposed during the Trump Administration on steel and aluminum imports by the United States were found to violate global trade rules according to THIS organization. The Biden Administration said it has no plans to change the tariff scheme which was originally based on national security concerns.
A. International Labor Organization
B. UN Committee on Global Trade
C. World Trade Organization
D. Group of Twenty
Correct Response: C. World Trade Organization
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-63920063
5. Vladimir Putin is visiting Minsk to urge THIS former Soviet republic and ally to participate in an expanded ground campaign on a new front against Ukraine.
A. Moldova
B. Crimea
C. Belarus
D. Romania
Correct Response: C. Belarus
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/putin-heads-belarus-amid-fears-new-assault-ukraine-2022-12-19
6. The nearly 200 countries represented at the United Nation’s COP15 conference in Montreal reached a landmark agreement in THIS critical area of global survival.
A. Climate change
B. Sea level rise
C. Meteorology
D. Biodiversity
Correct Response: D. Biodiversity
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/2022/12/19/cop15-biodiversity-wildlife-extinction/
7. World leader Binance reported $6 billion in withdrawals over several days last week as THIS phenomenon continued to collapse.
A. International currency exchange
B. SWIFT banking system
C. Crypto
D. Exchange traded funds
Correct Response: C. Crypto
https://www.npr.org/2022/12/16/1143086648/binance-cz-ftx-crypto-bankruptcy-fallout-alameda-bitcoin
8. President Biden met with leaders representing 49 nations in the first summit of its kind in eight years as the United States sought to reassert its influence in an area where China has advanced its soft power efforts. Biden pledged to support THIS organization’s permanent membership in the G-20.
A. African Union
B. Association of South East Asian Nations
C. Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation group
D. Organization of American States
Correct Response: A. African Union
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-63982818
9. Millions of fans of the K-pop super band BTS were sent into a frenzy, according to the BBC, at news that Jin, the band’s oldest member, entered the military in THIS country. Observers opined that Jin would likely not be assigned to serve on the DMZ.
A. Japan
B. Malaysia
C. South Korea
D. Bangladesh
Correct Response: C. South Korea
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-63944860
10. The legend of Santa Claus is traced to the monk St. Nicholas believed to have been born around 280 A.D. near modern-day Myra on THIS country’s Mediterranean coast.
A. Turkey
B. Romania
C. Netherlands
D. Lebanon
Correct Response: A. Turkey
https://www.history.com/topics/christmas/santa-claus