North American Culture and Society Test
Introduction and American Beginnings 1) Who do most Americans look to as the discoverer of America?
A) Columbus B) Magellan C) Zheng He
D) Hernando de Soto
2) What religious group came to America on the Mayflower?
A) Catholics B) Puritans C) Jews D) Jesuits
3) How many original American colonies were there?
A) 25 B) 18 C) 13 D) 3
4) When was the Declaration of Independence signed?
A) Sept 11, 1756 B) July 4, 1876
C) January 12, 1775 D) July 4, 1776
5) What was the largest ever land purchase by the USA?
A) The purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867 B) The Louisiana Purchase from France in 1803 C) Acquisition of Florida from the Spanish in 1822 D) Annexation of lands from Mexico in the
present SW United States in 1847.
6) How many stripes and stars are present on the US flag?
A) 40 stars and 15 stripes B) 50 stars and 13 stripes C) 60 stars and 10 stripes D) 52 stars and 15 stripes
Political Systems in the USA 7) How many branches of government are there in the USA?
A) Three B) Five C) Four D) Six
8) How many prominent political parties exist in the USA?
A) Three B) Five C) Four D) Two
9) When are elections held in the USA?
A) Third Tuesday in January
B) Second Tuesday in November C) First Saturday in February
D) July 4th
10) What form of government does the USA have?
A) Democracy B) Republic C) Monarchy D) Dictatorship
11) What is the capitol city of the USA?
A) New York B) Philadelphia C) Washington DC D) Los Angeles
12) What is the name of the US national anthem?
A) Stars and Stripes Forever B) The Star Spangled Banner C) My Country Tis of Thee
D) Oh Beautiful for Spacious Skies
American Geography 13) What are the largest bodies of fresh water in the USA and in the World?
A) Lake Mead
B) The Great Lakes C) Lake Okeechobee D) Lake Louise
14) What mountain range runs along the east coast of the USA?
A) The Rocky Mountains
B) The Appalachian Mountains C) The Sierra Nevada Mountains D) The Wasatch Mountains
15) What state is known as the sunshine state?
A) California B) Nevada C) Arizona D) Florida
16) What is the largest state in the USA?
A) Texas B) California C) Utah D) Alaska
17) What is the most populous state in the USA?
A) New York B) Florida C) California D) Utah
18) What is the smallest state in the USA?
A) Wyoming B) Montana
C) Rhode Island D) Vermont
19) The USA is the world’s ____largest country by area?
A) Second B) Third C) Fourth D) Fifth
20) What are the highest and lowest points in the United States?
A) Mount Hood and the Great Salt Lake B) Mount Timpanogos and Death Valley,
California
C) Mount McKinley and Death Valley
D) Mount Olympus and the Great Salt Lake 21) What is the current US population?
A) 310,232,863 B) 350,395,071 C) 198,295,002 D) 545,998,736
The North American Economy 22) What is the fundamental principle of the US economy?
A) Free Markets B) Free Trade C) Capitalism
D) Strong stock market 23) What is NAFTA?
A) North American Financial Trading Association B) North American Free Trade Agreement C) North American Federal Trust Authority D) North Atlantic Free Trade Association 24) Who is the largest trading partner of the USA?
A) Canada B) Mexico C) China D) Japan
25) What percent of American work in Agriculture?
A) 27% B) 12% C) 1% D) 5%
26) What is the Gross Domestic Procuct (GDP) of the USA?
A) 5 trillion dollars B) 8 trillion dollars C) 3 trillion dollars D) 14 trillion dollars
27) What percent of the US population is below the poverty line (<$21,000/year)?
A) 33% B) 8% C) 12% D) 2%
28) What is the average per capita income in the USA?
A) $21,749 B) $37,500 C) $16,300 D) $68,300
Religion in America 29) Which is an American born religion?
A) Catholicism B) Lutheranism C) Mormonism D) Judaism
30) What percent of Americans is Christian?
A) 25% B) 50% C) 67% D) 79%
31) What percent of Americans attend worship services weekly?
A) 80% B) 20% C) 40% D) 100%
32) What percent of Americans are agnostics or atheists?
A) 12% B) 1% C) 25% D) 4%
33) What is the largest US religion?
A) Catholic B) Mormon C) Lutheran D) Baptist
Education in America 34) School is publically funded through what level?
A) Grade 9 B) Grade 12
C) 4th
year of college
D) 6th
grade
35) What % of Americans receives a bachelor’s degree?
A) 27% B) 54% C) 20% D) 5%
36) How many universities are there in America?
A) 4,352 B) 12,849 C) 2,100 D) 795
37) What percent of American complete High School?
A) 100% B) 50% C) 85% D) 30%
38) What percent of high school graduates enroll in college?
A) 10% B) 25% C) 70% D) 3%
Social Character in America 39) What are the two largest minorities in the USA?
A) Hispanics, Native Americans B) African Americans, Hispanics C) Asians and Hispanics
D) Native Americans and Asians
40) What race or social group has the highest per capita income?
A) Caucasians B) Asians C) Blacks D) Hispanics
41) What is the second most commonly spoken language in the USA?
A) German B) Spanish C) Chinese D) French
42) What percent of Americans live in cities or city suburbs?
A) 11% B) 33% C) 45% D) 82%
43) The average American spends how much time driving every day?
A) 55 minutes B) 24 minutes C) 120 minutes D) 15 minutes
Technology in America 44) Which of the following were either first invented in the United States and/or first widely adopted by Americans? (mark all that apply)
A) the lightbulb B) the telephone C) the television D) the radio
E) the steam engine F) the automobile G) the airplane
H) the sewing machine I) photography J) the transistor K) nuclear power
L) the personal computer M) video games N) online shopping O) the Internet
P) social networking Q) the microwave oven
45) Which country was the first to send a man into space?
A) Soviet Union B) United States C) Great Britain D) China
46) What year did a man first walk on the moon?
A) 1959 B) 1969 C) 1973 D) 1980
47) Which of the following is not an American high tech company?
A) Microsoft B) Siemens C) Google D) Intel
American foreign policy 48) Who is the highest US official related specifically to foreign policy?
A) The Vice President B) The Secretary of State
C) The Ambassador to the United Nations D) The Secretary of Trade
49) Who is the current US Secretary of State?
A) George Bush B) Hillary Clinton C) Ronald Regan D) Mitt Romney
50) Who was the first American President to visit China?
A) Franklin D Roosevelt B) John F Kennedy C) Richard M Nixon D) Ronald Regan
51) Who is the US Ambassador to China?
A) John Huntsman B) Mitt Romney
C) Condoleezza Rice D) Orin Hatch
52) Where are the headquarters of the United Nations?
A) Los Angeles
B) Washington DC C) London
D) New York City
Sports in America 53) What is the most popular sport in America?
A) Baseball B) Basketball C) Football D) Kick the can
54) What sport is called America’s pastime?
A) Baseball B) Basketball C) Football D) Kick the can
55) What is the championship game of American Football called?
A) The World Series B) The Super Bowl
C) The NFL Championship D) Armageddon
56) The world’s most popular sport, which is not overly popular in the US or Canada is what?
A) Baseball
B) Soccer/Football C) American Football D) Basketball
57) What sport did Babe Ruth play in America?
A) Baseball B) Football C) Basketball D) Tennis
National Parks and scenic places in America 58) What was the first national park in the USA?
A) The Grand Canyon B) Yellowstone C) Yosemite D) Arches
59) How many national parks are there in the USA?
A) 12 B) 28 C) 44 D) 58
60) How many national parks are there in Utah?
A) 2 B) 5 C) 12 D) 1
61) What two states have the most national parks?
A) Utah and Alaska B) California and Utah C) Alaska and California D) Arizona and Wyoming
62) What is the most visited national park?
A) Yellowstone
B) Blue Ridge Parkway C) Yosemite D) Zion
Music in America 63) What music genre is considered to be most American?
A) Rock and Roll B) Country C) Hip Hop D) Classical
64) Who is the “King of Rock and Roll”?
A) Michael Jackson B) Mick Jagger C) Elvis Presley D) Elton John
65) Who is the “King of Pop” music?
A) Michael Jackson B) Mick Jagger C) Elvis Presley D) Elton John
66) The so called “British Invasion” of popular music in America was lead by whom?
A) The Birds
B) The Beach Boys C) The Beatles
D) Dusty Springfield
67) Which of the following is not an American Music star?
A) Whitney Houston B) Michael Jackson C) Frank Sinatra D) John Lennon
American Food 68) What would Americans typically eat for breakfast?
A) Rice, dumplings, tea and steamed buns B) Chocolate, hamburgers, hotdogs C) Eggs, bacon, pancakes, coffee D) Macaroni and cheese
69) What type of pie is considered truly American?
A) Cherry B) Apple C) Pumpkin D) Chocolate
70) What is the most popular fast food in America?
A) Chicken B) Tacos C) Pizza
D) Hamburgers
71) What ethnic food is most popular in the USA?
A) Italian B) Chinese C) Mexican D) English
72) What restaurant chain is most popular in the USA?
A) Kentucky Fried Chicken B) Taco Bell C) McDonalds D) Subway
Transportation in America 73) Who is the father of the American automobile?
A) Karl Benz B) Henry Ford
C) Gottlieb Damlier D) George B Selden
74) When was the first transcontinental railway completed?
A) 1869
B) 1812 C) 1893 D) 1923
75) How many airline flights are there per day in the USA?
A) more than 27,000 B) more than 3,000 C) more than 139,000 D) more than 321,000
76) How many cars are there in America?
A) 150 million B) 12 million C) 254 million D) 400 million
77) What percentage of households owns a car in the USA?
A) 80% B) 60% C) 95% D) 55%
Entertainment in America 78) How many hours does the average American spend watching TV every day?
A) 6 hours B) 12 hours C) 4 hours D) 1 hour
79) What is the most watched TV event in the USA?
A) NBA Title game B) Olympics C) Super Bowl D) Nightly News
80) What is America’s most popular individual winter sport?
A) Skiing
B) Ice Fishing C) Snow Shoeing D) Hockey
81) What is America’s most famous choir?
A) Harvard University Choir B) Chicago Mass Choir
C) Mormon Tabernacle Choir D) Dessoff Choir
82) What summer pastime does your teacher like most?
A) Hiking B) Fishing C) Golf D) Boating
Holidays in America 83) What is the biggest holiday in America?
A) The Fourth of July B) Thanksgiving C) Easter D) Christmas
84) What is the significance of April 1st
for many Americans?
A) Independence Day
B) The beginning of Spring C) April Fool’s Day D) Easter
85) When is Independence Day?
A) July 4th
B) May 1st
C) January 12th
D) October 31
86) What holiday do children wear costumes for?
A) Memorial Day B) Halloween
C) St. Patrick’s Day D) New Years
87) Which two presidents to we honor on “President’s Day” in February?
A) Regan and Lincoln
B) Kennedy and Roosevelt C) Clinton and Bush
D) Washington and Lincoln
st
B) C) D) E) F) G) H) I) J) K) L) M) N)
Cucumbers Rice Squash Corn Melons Weeds Lettuce Wheat Soy beans Pumpkins Peppers Tobacco Hay
American pastime activities 88) What family activities, usually enjoyed at home, have expanded significantly in the recent past?
A) Eating B) Sleeping C) Games D) Working
89) Which is not a popular hobby in the USA?
A) Coin collecting B) Quilting
C) Wood working D) Tai Chi
90) Collecting is a popular hobby in the USA. Which of the following is not a popular item for collectors?
A) Rocks B) Paper C) Coins D) Dolls
91) How many books does the average American read every year?
A) Four B) One C) Eight D) Twenty
92) Many American households grow their own gardens?
A) 3.6 million B) 12.5 million C) 36 million D) 145 million
93) Which of the following are popular foods grown in home vegetable gardens in the USA?
A) Tomatoes
Security, Defense and Terrorism 94) What is the most infamous day in America relative to terrorism?
th
A) January 12
th
B) September 11
th
C) July 4
st
D) October 31
95) What percent of the American GDP is spent on defense?
A) 4% B) 1% C) 12% D) 25%
96) How many active service men are there in the US military?
A) 13.5 million B) 8.4 million C) 2.3 million D) 1.4 million
97) Which of the following government agencies are responsible for security?
A) Central Intelligence Agency B) National Security Agency
C) Federal Bureau of Investigation D) Department of Homeland Security E) All of the above
98) Who is the commander of the military forces in the USA?
A) Commander of the Joint Chiefs of Staff B) The Commander of the Army
C) The President of the United States D) The Secretary of State
99) What are some of the things about American Culture and Society you would like to learn this semester?
100) What are some of the main areas that American Culture differs from Chinese culture?