2. 3o. SOL Review Contemporary America (VUS.14a-c)

3. 1. In the contemporary (recent) era, American women: A. Have returned to the traditional role of wife, mother, and homemaker B. Have increasingly entered the labor force in traditional and nontraditional occupations C. Have confined themselves to the traditional female work roles of secretary, nurse, and teacher D. Have proven themselves to be inferior to men in the workforce

4. 1. B Have increasingly entered the labor force in traditional and nontraditional occupations This has created a real problem for women: balancing a career and a family.

5. 2. Who was the first woman to serve as a United States Supreme Court Justice? A. Hillary Clinton B. Judge Martha Stewart C. Sandra Day O’Connor D. Sally Ride

6. 2. C Sandra Day O’Connor Just as Thurgood Marshall broke the racial barrier on the Supreme Court, Sandra O’Connor broke the gender barrier.

7. 3. Which of the following was America’s first female astronaut? A. Martha Stewart B. Sally Ride C. Johana Glenn D. Abigail Adams

8. 3. B Sally Ride Martha Stewart = business woman John Glenn = male astronaut Abigail Adams = wife of 2nd President John Adams

9. 4. Which is not a problem facing women in the workforce? A. Equal pay for equal work B. Need for affordable day care for their children C. “Pink collar” jobs and the “glass ceiling” D. Lack of education on the part of women

10. 4. D Lack of education on the part of women Women are educated. Among minority groups, there are more females, who graduate from high school, than males. In the nation’s colleges, there are more female students than males. “pink collar” = traditionally female jobs “glass ceiling” = artificial barrier that keeps females from being promoted

11. 5. Most immigrants in America today come from: A. Africa B. Asian and Latin American countries C. Northern and western Europe D. Southern and eastern Europe

12. 5. B Asian and Latin American countries Remember: Prior to 1870 -- from northern and western Europe From 1870 - WWI -- from southern and eastern Europe

13. 6. Although political freedom is an issue, the main force driving immigration is: A. Economic opportunity B. Freedom of religion C. Freedom from the persecution of totalitarian regimes (dictatorships) D. Terrorism

14. 6. A Economic opportunity Once again, all of the answers are correct. You were to find the most correct answer. Regardless of what is said, the main reason people immigrate to America is money: a chance to make a living.

15. 7. The most visible effect of immigration on the public schools is: A. Overcrowding of public schools B. Taxpayers are not as willing to pay for the cost of public schooling for immigrant children C. ESL (English as a Second Language) courses D. Improvement of standardized scores

16. 7. C ESL (English as a Second Language) courses These have become increasingly necessary due to the large number of immigrant children who have limited or no English.

17. 8. If you were a politician in Florida, what ethnic issue would you have to pay close attention to? A. Rights of Seminole Indians to lands seized by Spanish and English colonial settlers B. America’s relationship with Cuba C. Fishing rights in the Gulf of Mexico D. Insurance coverage for hurricane victims

18. 8. B America’s relationship with Cuba Ethnicity can influence American foreign policy: Cuban-American in Florida -- with Cuba Jewish-American in New York and Florida -- with Israel Mexican-American in the southwest -- with Mexico Etc.

19. 9. The main role of immigrants in the labor force is to: A. Take service and manual labor jobs B. Take technical, skilled jobs C. Take jobs that require higher education D. Take union jobs

20. 9. A Take service and manual labor jobs Many people complain that immigrants take jobs from Americans. While this is true, immigrants usually take jobs that Americans don’t want: low-prestige, low-paying, manual labor and service jobs.

21. 10. The President, who supported the American space program and set as a goal putting a man on the moon, was: A. Eisenhower B. Kennedy C. Nixon D. Reagan

22. 10. B John F. Kennedy Kennedy inspired the nation with his youthful enthusiasm and optimism. For the space program, he set a goal: placing a man on the moon and bringing him home safely. We did: the only nation to ever do so.

23. 11. The first American astronaut, who orbited the Earth, was: A. Alan Shepard B. Sally Ride C. John Glenn D. Neil Armstrong

24. 11. C John Glenn Look at the back of one of the new quarters. The Ohio quarter shows the Wright Brothers’ first airplane and an astronaut (John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth). Alan Shepard = first American astronaut in space Sally Ride = first female astronaut

25. 12. The first man on the moon was: A. Yuri Gregarian B. John Glenn C. Alan Shepard D. Neil Armstrong

26. 12. D Neil Armstrong Yuri Gregarian was a Soviet cosmonaut (astronaut).

27. 13. When the first man stepped onto the moon, he said: A. “…one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” B. “…Lafayette, we are here” C. “…I have a dream, and that dream is fulfilled” D. “…we’re not in Kansas anymore”

28. 13. A “…one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” All over America and the world, people watched their television sets as history was being made. But, what words would commemorate man’s landing on the moon? In a garbled transmission, Armstrong made that statement.

29. 14. Which of the following is not a recent technological advance? A. Cable t.v. and the world wide web B. Atomic energy to power electrical power plants C. Cellular phones D. Personal computers, especially laptops

30. 14. B Atomic energy to power electrical power plants This technology is between four and six decades old.

31. 15. Jonas Salk developed a vaccine for: A. AIDS B. Smallpox and anthrax C. Cancer D. Polio

32. 15. D Polio It was summertime in 1950 (to pick a pre-Salk date at random). The public swimming pool was closed. The local movie theater was closed. Public gatherings were discouraged. Someone in the area had contracted polio. Children lost the use of their legs, or had to wear heavy braces in order to walk; some had to be placed in “iron lungs” (cylinders that helped you breath because your own lungs could not function on their own). That was polio. Jonas Salk helped end it.

33. This is the end of the SOL review of Contemporary America.

34. This is the end of the Social Studies Deptment’s “Comprehensive Review: Multiple-choice questions” section of the SOL review for United States/Virginia History.