The Wall Street Journal Weekly Quiz s17

The Wall Street Journal Education Program

Weekly Review & Quiz

Covering front-page articles from Feb 3-9, 2007

Quiz Spring 2007

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

1. Outdoor ads brought in an estimated ______in the U.S. last year, up 9% over the year before.

a. $4.9 billion

b. $5.9 million

c. $6.9 billion

d. $7.9 million

2. The ______was signed into law in 1965, calling for a reduction in the number of billboards.

a. Outdoor Advertising Act

b. Highway Beautification Act

c. Billboard Reduction Act

d. Highway Billboard Act

3. The Chinese government has made an effort to make sure signs are

a. amusing to tourists

b. translated into approximate English

c. incomprehensible

d. translated into comprehensible and English

4. The effort to make changes to signs is motivated by

a. the preparation for the 2008 Olympics

b. wanting to appear unsophisticated

c. a new form of language called “Chinglish”

d. public employees learning English

5. The crackdown in Shanghai is a reminder that China's system leaves great power in the hands of______, whose decisions can ripple unchecked through the economy

a. local governments

b. local Communist leaders

c. business leaders

d. foreign developers

6. The Chinese have a saying: Kill a _____ to scare the monkeys.

a. chicken

b. pig

c. cow

d. dream

7. In an 1,800 word online essay, the chief executive of Apple said the world's major music companies should consider allowing Apple and others to sell songs _____.

a. for less than 1 dollar

b. to China

c. on 2 inch CD’s

d. unfettered by anticopying software

8. Music heavyweights have long required Apple and others to use the technology known as ____ if they wish to sell their songs online.

a. ADM

b. MRD

c. DRM

d. MDD

9. The Public Health Service, part of the Department of Health and Human Services, issued guidelines in 2000 calling for smokers to use ______to help stop smoking.

a. pharmaceutical aids

b. nicotine gums

c. nicotine patches

d. All of the above

10. The position of Dr. Fiore is somewhat in question because

a. he strongly believes “cold turkey” is the only way to quit

b. he is still a smoker himself

c. he runs an academic research center funded in part by drug companies that make quit-smoking aids

d. Both a and b

11. Rather than build to suit customer tastes, US auto makers churn out ____, and then use incentives and rebates to lure buyers.

a. expensive cars with few options

b. expensive trucks with lots of options

c. expensive SUVs with few options

d. what makes sense for their plants

12. Due to _____ auto companies often feel the need to keep plants running regardless of demand.

a. global competition

b. union contracts

c. mounting health-care and pension costs

d. seasonal changes in consumer tastes

13. Smaller companies have adopted intensive management training programs because

a. retiring baby boomers need to be replaced

b. it helps retain their top talent

c. it is difficult to hone skills in a lean corporate structure

d. all of the above

14. Printer makers, led by Hewlett Packard Co, have long used the razor-and-blade pricing model in which

a. the ink is sold for little or no profit

b. the hardware is sold for little or no profit

c. the paper is sold for little or no profit

d. the blade is sold for little or no profit

15. AT&T's U verse service provides ______in 11 cities.

a. discounted cell phones

b. free cell phones

c. satellite radio

d. television

16. Disney plans on expanding in the following ways

a. adding ships to the cruise line

b. create stand-alone versions of the Downtown Disney dining and shopping districts

c. "Adventures by Disney" in which travelers pay for guided Disney tours to popular destinations

d. All of the above

17. On the streets of China ______is a frequent occurrence.

a. nudity

b. selling hot dogs

c. cursing out loud

d. spitting

18. _____throughout much of the US, has sent crude-oil prices surging anew, up nearly 17% from its mid-January lows

a. Strong SUV sales

b. Strong auto sales

c. Colder weather

d. Extensive winter vacation travel

19. In October and November, seven executives of Harley Davidson ___.

a. retired

b. toured China for new plant locations

c. purchased a record number of stock shares

d. sold a record number of stock shares

20. Mr. Elvin is a vice president at PNC, overseeing the Pittsburgh based bank's ______efforts.

a. anti terrorism

b. anti counterfeit laundering

c. anti money laundering

d. takeover

21. Combining results from companies that have already reported with analyst estimates for companies that haven't, Thomson Financial estimates earnings per share for companies in the S&P 500 were ______in the fourth quarter than a year earlier.

a. 9.9% lower

b. 9.9% higher

c. 10.4% lower

d. 10.4% higher

22. The next time you hear advice from an investment expert about a hot sector, the best strategy might be ______.

a. to ignore it

b. to overweight it

c. to underweight it

d. to fund it

23. The SEC first proposed and passed the ______in 2004, but a federal appeals court sent it back for reconsideration.

a. dependent chairman rule

b. independent chairman rule

c. independent observer law

d. dependent observer law

24. John Edwards became the latest entrant in the health overhaul derby, announcing that he would _____ to expand coverage.

a. raise taxes

b. force companies

c. force individual doctors

d. require states

25. A product like Trillian lets you _____.

a. log into numerous email accounts simultaneously

b. log into numerous IM accounts simultaneously

c. brush teeth faster

d. listen to phone messages over the internet

26. Monitoring _____ has become increasingly important for mass retailers as consumers have become more fashion savvy.

a. blog sites

b. beach attire

c. runway trends

d. television commercials