Post by kri on Feb 7, 2005 10:01:33 GMT -6
Azul!
A project that Márcüs Cantaloûr and I have been discussing for months, is a thorough revision of the Talossan Citizenship Exam or "Civics Exam" as it is often referred to.
I am happy to announce that the work has been completed, and sent to the Prime Minister and Immigration Minister for their official approval or disapproval.
The previous test, administered since 1996, is hopelessly out of date. Although people still pass it routinely, it hasn't been revised since February, 1998!
In the new version of the Civics Exam, there are still 40 questions and (by law) you need to pass 30 or more in order to pass the test. There is more or less one question for each chapter in Ar Pats. The early part gets a bit more attention than the middle part. (That's my experience talking to people about the test and about Ar Pats -- people tend to study the early stuff and the later stuff more than the middle stuff. So detailed questions about Bob Murphy just aren't that relevant.) Also, unlike the previous edition, the questions are now more or less in chronological order. This works well with Ar Pats, seeing as how it's an open-book test.
To see how the test fares in practice, I read it aloud to Amy last Friday as we walked downtown for a soccer game. She passed the test from memory, despite not being able to look the answers up.
Without revealing the actual text of the questions (or the four multiple-choice answers attached to each question), the 40 questions have to deal with:
[NOTE: PLEASE DO NOT ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS ON WITTENBERG. THAT WOULD BE GIVING HINTS TO PROSPECTIVE CITIZENS.]
1. Why was Talossa founded?
2. What does the word "Talossa" mean?
3. What does "RT" mean and stand for?
4. How did Talossa first attract public attention?
5. Why did Ben briefly kill Talossa off in 1981? (No snickering, I.M.!)
6. Who won Talossa's very first democratic election?
7. What was the name of the 'ideology' that everybody should have their own country?
8. For a decade after 1985, Talossan politics was dominated by conflict and rivalry between what three individuals?
9. Talossa’s first democratic constitution was called what?
10. The photocopied Talossan media consisted mainly of what two newspapers?
11. What is a “Cestoûr”?<br>12. King Robert I returned to the Throne upon the abdication of what monarch?
13. Talossa’s informal, amorphous social life was first revived and focused by what Prime Minister and at what event(s)?
14. Who was the famous Marxist Prime Minister?
15. Around 1990, what two 'ideologies' did battle for the hearts and minds of the RT electorate?
16. In 1990, Talossa nearly collapsed due to what?
17. Dave Kuenn and Ron Rosáis were known as...?
18. What was the “National Destiny Referendum”?
19. Who revitalized Talossa after the worst stretch of apathy in Talossa’s history?
20. What province seceded from Talossa after a philosophical disagreement with Tom Buffone?
21. Name the megalomaniacal mastermind of the Clockwork Orange Party, who was famous for his hilarious anti-internet, anti-government plots, schemes, and antics.
22. Talossa’s spiritual ancestors were supposedly what ancient ethnic group?
23. Name the political party that returned to power in 1993 and dominated most aspects of Talossan life for the next decade.
24. What name, used by several unrelated political parties, has probably become permanently discredited in Talossa because of its association with apathy, treason, and trickery?
25. What was the “You Can Run But You Can’t Hide” law?
26. Name the PC party Prime Minister who helped lead Talossa into Cyberspace, and later opposed an internet-based minority takeover of the country.
27. RT citizens whose primary form of contact with other Talossans is the internet, are called...?
28. A tiny handful of less active citizens, scapegoated by various internet-based political parties, were called...?
29. The earliest hint of actual, violent opposition in Talossa came from _____, who threatened to _____.
30. Disgruntled quitters broke off from Talossa and harassed us for years under what name?
31. Name the PC Prime Minister who signed (and lost) a “peace treaty”, destroyed Støtanneu, and was denounced by his own friends as a “vicious, sycophantic, homophobic thug” and an “evil nutcase”.
32. “Micronations” that are obsessed with having ‘relations’ with Talossa, or who get their jollies attacking or plagiarizing from Talossa, are called...?
33. Who led a bizarre attempt to ban divorce in Talossa?
34. Talossa’s websites and government business gradually fell into the hands of what individual?
35. The formation of what existing political party ended a decade of one-party hegemony in Talossa?
36. What was “EM200” all about?
37. King Robert’s second marriage to what woman led to conflict with Talossans who resented having a woman’s voice in Talossan politics?
38. Name the former anti-Talossan villain who attempted to peacefully purchase Talossa’s web sites from a cyber-squatter in the interests of uniting and reviving the Kingdom. (Hint: he later became Prime Minister.)
39. A mean-spirited plot to steal Talossa’s websites and wreck Talossa was launched at what time, in order to cause the maximum amount of damage?
40. What is the Talossan language?
***********
Ben
A project that Márcüs Cantaloûr and I have been discussing for months, is a thorough revision of the Talossan Citizenship Exam or "Civics Exam" as it is often referred to.
I am happy to announce that the work has been completed, and sent to the Prime Minister and Immigration Minister for their official approval or disapproval.
The previous test, administered since 1996, is hopelessly out of date. Although people still pass it routinely, it hasn't been revised since February, 1998!
In the new version of the Civics Exam, there are still 40 questions and (by law) you need to pass 30 or more in order to pass the test. There is more or less one question for each chapter in Ar Pats. The early part gets a bit more attention than the middle part. (That's my experience talking to people about the test and about Ar Pats -- people tend to study the early stuff and the later stuff more than the middle stuff. So detailed questions about Bob Murphy just aren't that relevant.) Also, unlike the previous edition, the questions are now more or less in chronological order. This works well with Ar Pats, seeing as how it's an open-book test.
To see how the test fares in practice, I read it aloud to Amy last Friday as we walked downtown for a soccer game. She passed the test from memory, despite not being able to look the answers up.
Without revealing the actual text of the questions (or the four multiple-choice answers attached to each question), the 40 questions have to deal with:
[NOTE: PLEASE DO NOT ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS ON WITTENBERG. THAT WOULD BE GIVING HINTS TO PROSPECTIVE CITIZENS.]
1. Why was Talossa founded?
2. What does the word "Talossa" mean?
3. What does "RT" mean and stand for?
4. How did Talossa first attract public attention?
5. Why did Ben briefly kill Talossa off in 1981? (No snickering, I.M.!)
6. Who won Talossa's very first democratic election?
7. What was the name of the 'ideology' that everybody should have their own country?
8. For a decade after 1985, Talossan politics was dominated by conflict and rivalry between what three individuals?
9. Talossa’s first democratic constitution was called what?
10. The photocopied Talossan media consisted mainly of what two newspapers?
11. What is a “Cestoûr”?<br>12. King Robert I returned to the Throne upon the abdication of what monarch?
13. Talossa’s informal, amorphous social life was first revived and focused by what Prime Minister and at what event(s)?
14. Who was the famous Marxist Prime Minister?
15. Around 1990, what two 'ideologies' did battle for the hearts and minds of the RT electorate?
16. In 1990, Talossa nearly collapsed due to what?
17. Dave Kuenn and Ron Rosáis were known as...?
18. What was the “National Destiny Referendum”?
19. Who revitalized Talossa after the worst stretch of apathy in Talossa’s history?
20. What province seceded from Talossa after a philosophical disagreement with Tom Buffone?
21. Name the megalomaniacal mastermind of the Clockwork Orange Party, who was famous for his hilarious anti-internet, anti-government plots, schemes, and antics.
22. Talossa’s spiritual ancestors were supposedly what ancient ethnic group?
23. Name the political party that returned to power in 1993 and dominated most aspects of Talossan life for the next decade.
24. What name, used by several unrelated political parties, has probably become permanently discredited in Talossa because of its association with apathy, treason, and trickery?
25. What was the “You Can Run But You Can’t Hide” law?
26. Name the PC party Prime Minister who helped lead Talossa into Cyberspace, and later opposed an internet-based minority takeover of the country.
27. RT citizens whose primary form of contact with other Talossans is the internet, are called...?
28. A tiny handful of less active citizens, scapegoated by various internet-based political parties, were called...?
29. The earliest hint of actual, violent opposition in Talossa came from _____, who threatened to _____.
30. Disgruntled quitters broke off from Talossa and harassed us for years under what name?
31. Name the PC Prime Minister who signed (and lost) a “peace treaty”, destroyed Støtanneu, and was denounced by his own friends as a “vicious, sycophantic, homophobic thug” and an “evil nutcase”.
32. “Micronations” that are obsessed with having ‘relations’ with Talossa, or who get their jollies attacking or plagiarizing from Talossa, are called...?
33. Who led a bizarre attempt to ban divorce in Talossa?
34. Talossa’s websites and government business gradually fell into the hands of what individual?
35. The formation of what existing political party ended a decade of one-party hegemony in Talossa?
36. What was “EM200” all about?
37. King Robert’s second marriage to what woman led to conflict with Talossans who resented having a woman’s voice in Talossan politics?
38. Name the former anti-Talossan villain who attempted to peacefully purchase Talossa’s web sites from a cyber-squatter in the interests of uniting and reviving the Kingdom. (Hint: he later became Prime Minister.)
39. A mean-spirited plot to steal Talossa’s websites and wreck Talossa was launched at what time, in order to cause the maximum amount of damage?
40. What is the Talossan language?
***********
Ben
