Here are the answers to our March quiz on key news topics, plus some additional background information.
1. The Canadian government repatriated almost 300 Canadians from Wuhan, the epicentre of the coronavirus. Where did they go?
Answer: b
Additional notes: They were required to be in quarantine for 14 days to ensure they would not be bringing the virus into their communities.
2. In February 2020 Antarctica recorded its warmest temperature ever. What was it?
Answer: d
Additional notes: On February 9 Antarctica recorded its warmest day on record. Rapid melting ensues when there are sustained temperatures above freezing.
3. Which of these social media celebrated its 16th anniversary in February?
Answer: b
Additional notes: Facebook was launched in a university dorm room in 2004. There has been controversy over who actually founded Facebook; however, Mark Zuckerberg has prevailed.
4. What provided a rare celestial show on February 27, 2020?
Answer: a
Additional notes: Venus is referred to as the evening star when it is this bright and we are currently in an ‘apparition’ of Venus, a period of time when it is furthest from the sun. The moon and the planets follow the same elliptical path in the sky and occasionally appear to pass closely in the night sky, as did Venus and the moon on February 27.
5. What is the Solar Orbiter?
Answer: b
Additional notes: it is a scientific instrument that was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, to study the sun from new perspectives.
6. What is Parasite?
Answer: c
Additional notes: Parasite is the first foreign film to win an Academy Award for best picture.
7. What does it mean when a pandemic is declared?
Answer: d
Additional notes: If the WHO declares a pandemic it means that there is a large number of person-to-person transfers of the coronavirus within communities worldwide.
8. Which country is holding its third election in eleven months?
Answer: c
Additional notes: Benjamin Netanyahu was still short of a majority after this third election. Minority governments keep getting elected and the leading party has been unable to form a coalition.
9. What does Super Tuesday mean?
Answer: b
Additional notes: Approximately one third of the delegates to the presidential nominating conventions can be won on Super Tuesday.
10. Why does February have an extra day every four years?
Answer: a
Additional notes: This extra day helps to synchronize our human-created calendars with Earth’s orbit around the sun, which takes approximately 365.25 days. It is the .25 that causes the need for an extra day every four years.
11. Which woman holds the record for most days at a space station?
Answer: d
Additional notes: Koch spent 328 days in space.
Click here to view the questions.