Answer as many of the following questions as you
can in the time allotted by your instructor. Include the URL(s) for the site or sites
where you find the answer. The number of points each question is worth is stated at the
beginning of the question. Your score will be the sum of the points for the questions you
answer correctly.
| 1. |
(2 points) Corporations frequently
collect data on their competitors. This data might be used in the corporation to improve
products and services. Alternatively, it might be used in advertising to promote one
company's strengths as compared to the competition. Suppose you worked for the United
States Postal Service (USPS)and you wanted data that you could use to compare the number
of trucks in the USPS fleet with those used by UPS and FedEx. How many trucks are owned
respectively by USPS, UPS, and FedEx? |
| 2. |
(1 point) Every year millions of
high school graduates apply to colleges and universities, and college graduates apply to
graduate schools. The reputation of these schools often travels by word of mouth; but to
get the facts, applicants are advised to gather information about the degree programs,
faculty, facilities, and student life at prospective schools. Many colleges have Web sites
where they post such information. How many graduate and how many undergraduate students
are enrolled at Cornell University? |
| 3. |
(2 points) The founder of
cybernetics viewed a bureaucracy and a factory as automated machines. The whole world, he
said, was essentially "one big feedback system subject to the relentless advance of
entropy . . ." [Entropy, loosely, is the steady deterioration of a system.] Who was
the founder of cybernetics and when was he born? |
| 4. |
(2 point) Business, the economy, and
society are becoming increasingly globalized. A business person might interact with
colleagues in many different countries. In such a global village, it is useful to be aware
of other countries' customs. For example, in Japan, business is not usually conducted on
national holidays. Explain whether December 23rd would be a good day to conduct business
in Japan. |
| 5. |
(2 points) In the world of sports,
the scores printed in your local paper are only the tip of the iceberg. All over the
world, many teams are playing diverse games; many athletes are making records; and fans
are creating stars. In many parts of the world cricket, not football, captures the
interest of sports enthusiasts. Among cricket fans, who is generally accepted as the
greatest player of all time--Donald Bradman or Graeme Hick? |
| 6. |
(3 points) Monuments are a part of
our culture; and most people are familiar with the Washington Monument, Mount Rushmore,
the Taj Mahal, the Eifel Tower. But in what city is there a monument to the northern
lights? |
| 7. |
(2 points) Neil Young, a prolific
rock singer and composer, is remembered for his band Crazy Horse and his collaboration
with Crosby, Stills, and Nash. As with many musicians, however, the background and issues
involving his work are less well-known. What is the connection between Neil Young's song
"Southern Man" and Lynyrd Skynyrd's song "Sweet Home, Alabama?" |
| 8. |
(3 points) As World War II heated up
in Europe, U.S. scientists were on the trail of some significant advances in weapons
research. Enrico Fermi was the first to actually produce nuclear fission in the laboratory
and won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1938 for his efforts. On the basis of this work and
a supportive letter from Albert Einstein, the U.S. government plunged wholesale into
research on creating an atomic bomb. On the brink of success, President Truman used the
Potsdam conference to reveal to Stalin that the United States had a new and powerful
weapon. Why wasn't Stalin surprised by this news? |
| 9. |
(5 points) Software designers often
include an "Easter egg"--a secret message or graphic--in their programs. What
steps would you take to look at the Easter egg in the software Microsoft Excel 7 for
Windows 95? |
| 10. |
(3 points) Comic books are a popular
staple of American culture. In the 1960s a new style of "alternative" comics
appeared, featuring a long-bearded, robed, and booted character. What was the name of this
comic character and who was his creator? |
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