Questions

1. A 2008 federal law cut off federal subsidies for _______________________ starting Oct. 1, 2013.
a) short Amtrak routes across the U.S.
b) all public transportation
c) all Amtrak trains across the U.S.
d) Amtrak routes between major cities including Boston, New York, and Washington DC

2. Those who support the 2008 law which ends federal subsidies for Amtrak train fare say:
a) they don't like train travel
b) train travel is a part of our American heritage, and should not be eliminated
c) train service must be maintained as a viable alternative to airplanes and cars
d) the short routes waste tax dollars on a small number of passengers, money they say would be better spent on things like fixing roads and upgrading schools

3. During the flooding in ________________ this past week, multiple houses, businesses, roads and bridges have been destroyed or damaged, and at least seven people have lost their lives.
a) Arizona
b) California
c) Colorado
d) New Mexico

4. The widespread flooding was caused by __________________________ combined with the area in which it fell.
a) the time of year
b) the extreme amount of rain that fell over a 3 day period
c) a tsunami
d) none of the above

5. The National Bridge Inventory (NBI) is a database with information on all bridges and tunnels in the U.S. that have roads passing above or below. The data is often used to:
a) analyze bridges and judge their conditions
b) determine if any federal money should be spent on highway improvement
c) scout out locations to build new bridges
d) all of the above

6. Some cities and states having bridges in need of repair or replacement don't do so because:
a) they don't have the money needed to do so
b) they want the federal government to pay 100% of the cost for bridge repair or replacement
c) they don't want to waste the money it would cost to fix the bridges
d) commuters don't want lengthy construction to cause a lot of traffic delays on their way to work

7. Denver's CBS4 investigation uncovered the fact that government agencies at all levels are selling personal information to:
a) marketing companies
b) Facebook
c) the NSA
d) Nigerians who need help cashing a check

8. The CBS News investigation found that Colorado government agencies sell information to marketers including:
a) voter registration information
b) a "Master Death Index" which lists the names of people who have died in the state
c) business registration data
d) all of the above

9. Chili's Restaurant chain announced this week that it will install tabletop screens in most of its U.S. restaurants by early next year. The computers will provide pictures of menu items, as well as a credit-card swipe device for customers to pay their bill and:
a) games that can be played for 99 cents
b) video conferencing to speak directly to the cook in the kitchen
c) a karaoke machine
d) free video games

10. In addition to increased profit, Chili's will also use the computers to _________________________ because more people are willing to provide their email addresses and answer survey-style questions at the end of a meal.
a) rate their waitstaff
b) accept job applications
c) give away free meals
d) none of the above