Part 2 — Answer key

Compare your answers after you have finished Part 1.

1. In recent coverage of the 2024 Summer Olympic Games, which country was the host nation?
   France
2. The James Webb Space Telescope is designed mainly to observe the universe in infrared light rather than visible light.
   True
3. Your older cousin complains that their loan got more expensive after central banks raised interest rates in the news. Which major problem were those rate hikes mainly trying to fight in many countries?
   High inflation
4. Finland joined the NATO military alliance in 2023.
   True
5. Climate news often mentions a goal to keep global warming close to a certain limit above pre‑industrial temperatures. What target are many countries trying hardest to stay near?
   1.5 degrees
6. In recent years, central banks in several major economies raised interest rates mainly to slow down high inflation.
   True
7. You read a headline about a new law in Europe called the "AI Act." What is this law mainly about?
   Setting rules for artificial intelligence
8. Solar and wind power currently generate more electricity worldwide than all fossil fuels combined.
   False
9. A teacher asks which two countries are fighting in the large European war that has been in the headlines since early 2022. What should you answer?
   Russia and Ukraine
10. You watch a livestream of a SpaceX Starship test flight. Commentators keep mentioning its long‑term mission. What is Starship primarily being developed to do?
    Enable long‑distance space travel
11. The world’s population passed 8 billion people during 2024.
    False
12. Your class is discussing climate pledges, and a news article mentions a country’s "net zero" target. What does it mean if a country reaches net zero greenhouse gas emissions?
    It balances what it emits with what it removes from the atmosphere
13. In 2024, the European Union reached a final agreement on a broad law that regulates the use of artificial intelligence.
    True
14. You see highlights from the women’s global football tournament that ended in 2023. Which national team won that World Cup?
    Spain
15. All cryptocurrencies are backed by a central bank in the same way as traditional national currencies.
    False
16. Your social studies project looks at international groups like BRICS. Which of the original BRICS members is located in Africa?
    South Africa
17. You hear a debate about a "carbon border" policy that the European Union has been testing. What main idea are politicians discussing with a carbon border adjustment?
    Adding fees to imported goods based on their carbon emissions
18. In a news interview about the latest climate science reports, a researcher says human activity is "unequivocally" warming the planet. Which activity contributes the most to this warming?
    Burning coal, oil, and gas
19. Put these typical steps for reaching a big international climate agreement in the most logical order, from first to last.
    Correct order: Countries begin informal discussions and share position papers → Negotiators meet at a climate conference to draft compromise text → Governments formally adopt the agreed text at the conference → Each country approves the agreement at home and starts changing its laws
20. Streaming platforms and TV networks have been bidding huge sums for live sports rights. What is one key reason these rights have become so expensive?
    Live sports still attract very large real‑time audiences that advertisers pay to reach
21. Science news has reported that researchers achieved "fusion ignition" in experimental reactors. If fusion power could eventually be used on a large scale, what is a major advantage it could offer compared with today’s nuclear fission plants?
    It would create far less long‑lived radioactive waste
22. You read an article about central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) being tested in several countries. Which feature most clearly distinguishes a CBDC from popular cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin?
    It is issued by a country’s central bank as official money