These stories all made headlines this past week. Were you paying attention? Take this short quiz to determine how much you retain from what you heard on the news this past week. By the way, I'm not revealing my scrore; but I will say this. I will be paying much closer attention in the future.


1. Prosecutors cleared JonBenet Ramsey's parents and brother in the 1996 killing of the 6-year-old beauty queen, saying they were "deeply sorry" for putting the family under a cloud of suspicion for more than a decade. What led to the development?

a. A new letter received by prosecutors that contained information only the killer could know

b. Recently discovered surveillance video that proved that JonBenet’s parents and brother could not have been present at the time of her killing

c. New DNA evidence, made possible by recently developed techniques, that identified tiny skin cells left on JonBet’s garments that did not belong to the family

d. A jailhouse confession by an associate of the killer, who confirmed details that cleared the Ramseys; the associate, however, died without identifying the murderer

2. The Rev. Jesse Jackson found himself in deep water for remarks he made about Barack Obama, saying that the presumptive Democratic presidential candidate’s speeches come off as talking down to black people. He also made a crude remark referring to part of Obama’s anatomy. Where were the comments made?


a. After delivering a sermon at a Chicago church but before removing the clip-on microphone he had been using

b. During a break in a FOX news program in which the remarks were picked up by a live microphone

c. In a conversation with a British journalist that he maintains was off the record

d. In a speech to a NAACP branch in South Carolina

3. Iran caused concern in the Mideast and around the world by test-firing several missiles in the Persian Gulf. One of the missiles is supposedly capable of reaching Israel as well as U.S. bases in Turkey and other nations. What is the name of the weapon?


a. Sosna-1

b. Sineva-2

c. Shahab-3

d. Shadoz-4

4. After a storm of criticism over the awarding of a $35 billion contract to replace aging Air Force tanker planes, Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced that the deal would be reopened to bidding. What firm had won the contract and must now resubmit its offer?


a. Boeing

b. Lockheed

c. Northrop Grumman

d. McDonnell-Douglas

5. In what many observers described as one of the finest-ever tennis matches, Rafael Nadal ended Roger Federer’s run of five consecutive Wimbledon championships. The five-set game ended in dramatic style as darkness fell over Centre Court. What was the score in the final set?


a. 6-4

b. 7-5

c. 7-6 (tie-breaker)

d. 9-7

6. Jesse Helms, the conservative Republican who served in the U.S. Senate from 1973 to 2003, died at age 86 after being in declining health for several years. He was buried in the capital city of the state he represented in Congress. Which one?


a. Alabama

b. Mississippi

c. North Carolina

d. South Carolina

7. A money-strapped United States airline found yet another way to balance its bottom line -- and infuriate customers already being hit by a slew of add-on fees -- by announcing that it will remove in-flight movies. Which carrier, saying that the move would take 500 pounds of equipment from each plane and thus save fuel, is making the change?


a. United

b. American

c. Continental

d. US Airways

8. Actress Nicole Kidman and her husband, country singer Keith Urban, became parents of a baby girl. In Hollywood tradition they gave her a somewhat unusual name. What is it?


a. Tuesday

b. Wednesday

c. Saturday

d. Sunday

9. In a highly anticipated poll -- OK, it wasn’t -- pet owners were asked their preference for president between Barack Obama and John McCain. Which of the candidates carried the fur-and-feather vote in the survey?


a. John McCain

b. Barack Obama

c. They split the vote equally

d. Neither -- most pet owners wrote in that they preferred third-party candidate Ralph Nader

10. Christie Brinkley’s lurid divorce trial came to an abrupt end when the former model and her fourth husband announced they had reached an out-of-court settlement. What is the name of the soon-to-be ex-spouse, whose dalliances with teen girls and Internet porn were aired at the trial?


a. Peter Cook

b. James Cook

c. Richard Cook

d. William Cook



Here are the correct answers.

Here's how all readers fared:
Score 0-19 % 20-39 % 40-59 % 60-79 % 80-100 %
Readers 3 % 10 % 37 % 39 % 12 %
* 36515 total responses

1. Prosecutors cleared JonBenet Ramsey's parents and brother in the 1996 killing of the 6-year-old beauty queen, saying they were "deeply sorry" for putting the family under a cloud of suspicion for more than a decade. What led to the development?

New DNA evidence, made possible by recently developed techniques, that identified tiny skin cells left on JonBet’s garments that did not belong to the family. See the video.

2. The Rev. Jesse Jackson found himself in deep water for remarks he made about Barack Obama, saying that the presumptive Democratic presidential candidate’s speeches come off as talking down to black people. He also made a crude remark referring to part of Obama’s anatomy. Where were the comments made?

During a break in a FOX news program in which the remarks were picked up by a live microphone. Read the story.

3. Iran caused concern in the Mideast and around the world by test-firing several missiles in the Persian Gulf. One of the missiles is supposedly capable of reaching Israel as well as U.S. bases in Turkey and other nations. What is the name of the weapon?

Shahab-3.

4. After a storm of criticism over the awarding of a $35 billion contract to replace aging Air Force tanker planes, Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced that the deal would be reopened to bidding. What firm had won the contract and must now resubmit its offer?

Northrop Grumman.

5. In what many observers described as one of the finest-ever tennis matches, Rafael Nadal ended Roger Federer’s run of five consecutive Wimbledon championships. The five-set game ended in dramatic style as darkness fell over Centre Court. What was the score in the final set?

9-7.

6. Jesse Helms, the conservative Republican who served in the U.S. Senate from 1973 to 2003, died at age 86 after being in declining health for several years. He was buried in the capital city of the state he represented in Congress. Which one?

North Carolina.

7. A money-strapped United States airline found yet another way to balance its bottom line -- and infuriate customers already being hit by a slew of add-on fees -- by announcing that it will remove in-flight movies. Which carrier, saying that the move would take 500 pounds of equipment from each plane

U.S. Airways

8. Actress Nicole Kidman and her husband, country singer Keith Urban, became parents of a baby girl. In Hollywood tradition they gave her a somewhat unusual name. What is it?

Sunday.

9. In a highly anticipated poll -- OK, it wasn’t -- pet owners were asked their preference for president between Barack Obama and John McCain. Which of the candidates carried the fur-and-feather poll?

John McCain

10. Christie Brinkley’s lurid divorce trial came to an abrupt end when the former model and her fourth husband announced they had reached an out-of-court settlement. What is the name of the soon-to-be ex-spouse, whose dalliances with teen girls and Internet porn were aired at the trial?

Peter Cook.