NEWS QUIZ 11/29

QUESTIONS:

1. Mauna Loa, the world’s largest active volcano, erupted on Nov. 27 in Hawaii. When was the last time it erupted?
A. 1977
B. 1933
C. 1984
D. 2004

2. What is the Merriam Webster dictionary’s word of the year?
A. Gaslighting
B. Omicron
C. Queen consort
D. Vaccine

3. What recent Disney film grossed a dismal $11.8 million at the box office this past weekend?
A. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
B. Strange World
C. Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
D. Lightyear

4. A recent bird flu outbreak in Nebraska has prompted the slaughter of how many chickens?
A. 33.1 million
B. 1.8 million
C. 3.2 million
D. 2.4 million

ANSWERS:
1. The answer is C, 1984. According to CNN, the last time Mauna Loa erupted was in 1984, nearly 40 years ago. The eruption prompted an ashfall advisory for Hawaii’s Big Island. The state of Hawaii insists that while there are no threats to local communities, and no evacuations have been ordered, but people with respiratory illnesses should remain indoors to avoid inhaling the ash particles.

2. The answer is A, Gaslighting. According to CNN, the term is defined as “the act or practice of grossly misleading someone especially for one’s own advantage.” It was chosen as the top word of the year because it has become the “favored word for the perception of deception.” The term “gaslighting” is owed to the 1938 play and 1944 film “Gaslight.” In this, a nefarious man attempts to trick his new wife into thinking she’s losing her mind, in part by telling her that the gaslights in their home, which dim while he’s in the attic doing dastardly deeds, are not fading at all.

3. The answer is B. According to Variety, “Strange World” was expected to gross $30-40 million on Thanksgiving weekend. Normally, Disney movies draw a huge crowd during the Thanksgiving holiday, but the numbers showed that families are still recovering from the constraints of the pandemic, according to analysts. Disney is expected to lose over $100 million due to the movie’s poor performance.

4. The answer is B, 1.8 million. According to KSL, during Nebraska’s 13th case of bird flu, 1.8 million chickens were slaughtered to stop the spread. This has been a common practice during bird flu outbreaks so they didn’t affect all fowl in the area. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says more than 52.3 million birds in 46 states — mostly chickens and turkeys on commercial farms — have been slaughtered as part of this year’s outbreak. Nebraska is second only to Iowa’s 15.5 million birds killed with 6.8 million birds now affected at 13 farms.