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uiltexas.org/academics/current-‐issues-‐and-‐events
It’s all found here! All the CI&E dates and materials
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WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT ME
• ReAred UT journalism professor who headed the magazine program for 24 years.
• Taught wriAng and reporAng classes. • Wrote for Texas Monthly, Texas Highways, Southern Living, Texas Paren9ng, Adver9sing Age, Associated Press, Aus9n American-‐Statesman.
• Currently working on two book projects. • Here are some previous things I did.
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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE TESTS
They are hard -‐-‐-‐ but fair
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QUESTIONS DRAWN FROM FOLLOWING DATE RANGES
• INVITATIONAL: Sept. 1, 2013 – Jan. 1, 2014 • Test A given January; Test B given February
• DISTRICT: Sept. 1, 2013 – Feb. 1, 2014 • District 1 test March 17-‐22; District 2 given March 24 -‐ 29
• REGION: Nov. 1, 2013 – April 1, 2014 • Region test given May 1 -‐2
• STATE: Dec. 1, 2013 – May 1, 2014 • State test given May 20-‐21
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40 QUESTIONS & AN ESSAY ONE HOUR TEST
1 point for each answer. No penalty for guessing. Bring #2 pencils and erasers. No electronic devices allowed, smart phones, dumb phones, robots. Essay counts 10 points.
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I TRY AND DO THE QUESTIONS AT THE SAME TIME
On #1 and #2 tests (InvitaAonal and District)
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DON’T GOOGLE TO LOOK FOR A BETTER ANSWER!
Important studies can only be trumped if they were wrong
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“MOST” QUESTIONS WILL BE FROM THE TEST CYCLE
Also if something is published during the cycle it is fair game even if it
relates to something older
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INVITATIONAL IS LESS CHALLENGING THAN DISTRICT
The tests get more demanding as the year goes on
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QUESTIONS: Half Internaaonal, half domesac
At least that is the goal!
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INTERNATIONAL QUESTION FROM PREVIOUS TEST
• Which German officer, born to an aristocraAc Prussian family and was the last known surviving conspirator to the 1944 assassinaAon plot that failed to kill Adolf Hitler, died in March at the age of 90? (NOTE: Operaaon Valkyrie was made into a 2008 movie starring Tom Cruise.)
• A. Ludwig Beck • B. Ewald-‐Heinrich von Kleist • C. Claus von Stauffenberg • D. Friedrich Fromm
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DOMESTIC QUESTION FROM PREVIOUS TEST
• Which controversial 1987 Supreme Court nominee by President Reagan died in December 2012 at the age of 85? This candidate, who advocated a form of judging known as strict “construcaonism,” or originalism,” was later rejected by the Senate.
• A. Robert Bork • B. G. Harrold Carswell • C. Abe Fortas • D. Harriet Miers
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WHAT TEST QUESTIONS ARE NOT NEWS
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MILEY CYRUS MIGHT HAVE A MOOD DISORDER
Not sure about Robin Thicke
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LADY GAGA MAY MARRY MADONNA
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CULTURE CAN BE IMPORTANT: “BREAKING BAD” WAS INFLUENTIAL
Miley Cyrus has to do more than just be controversial and shocking to make real news.
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WHAT IS REAL NEWS?
Anything that is covered in the world’s media
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Internaaonal news and Domesac news Conflict/War/Terror Economy Science/Technology/ Health / Environment Poliacs/Security /Defense Disasters/Business History / Scandal The courts -‐-‐-‐Texas
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NEWS IS ALSO
• Poliacs, music, art, science, media, movies, history, astronomy, health.
• Anyone famous who dies, “even” writers or musicians: Ray Bradbury, Ravi Shankar, Dave Brubeck all died the same year.
• If it is on the front page of the New York Times the world considers it big news.
• Facebook buying Instagram for $1 billion!
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TEXAS IS IN PLAY ON THE TESTS
But the quesAons have to have statewide “legs” with importance to
Texas and/or the U.S.
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WHAT DO I NEED TO STUDY?
EIGHT MAJOR MEDIA SITES. THE QUESTIONS WILL USUALLY BE FOUND IN 2-‐3 OR MORE OF THESE
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THE MAIN MEDIA LIST ny/mes.com theweek.com /me.com ap.org reuters.com bbc.co.uk pbs.org/newshour/ npr.com 27
THE SECONDARY LIST
Also useful to study. Note the Texas list again (some Texas quesAons may not be found
elsewhere).
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• New York Times “Science secaon” on Tuesdays
• CNN, CBS, NBC, ABC • Wall Street Journal • Huffington Post • Atlan/c • USA TODAY
• The Texas Tribune • Texas Monthly • Houston Chronicle • Dallas Morning News
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READING THINGS NOT ON ANY OF THESE LISTS WILL ALSO HELP
Twiner, Drudge … there are no bad sources of informaAon … just
different ones
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EVEN EDITORIAL CARTOONS AND EDITORIALS
Sarcasm and mockery can inform about current events: SNL, The Daily Show, The Simpsons, South Park.
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EDITORIAL SARCASM FROM GAIL COLLINS
• This month, the Pope made some sensible remarks about sex and the president of Iran made some reasonable comments about nuclear weapons. Meanwhile, on the home front, our Congress appears too crazed by internal conflict to keep the lights on.
• Our elected officials are loonier than Iran or the Pope on sex … less useful than PuAn.
• Oh, dear.
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MORE SARCASM FROM NICHOLAS KRISTOF
• When Sen. Ted Cruz of La Mancha jumped on his trusty steed and charged the windmills, he explained: “everyone knows Obamacare is destroying the economy.”
• He added that accepAng the Affordable Care Act would be like ‘appeasing the Nazis.’
• Aser spending too much Ame in the Republican echo chamber, he may believe what he says.
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STUDY A NATIONAL NEWSPAPER EVERY MORNING
The New York Times is by far the best (and on the desk in every world capital each morning). The front pages change
linle over the years.
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READ ‘ABOVE THE FOLD’ FIRST FOR THE MOST IMPORTANT STORIES
Then read the linle sub headlines for more details; a sub-‐head usually means the story has naAonal or internaAonal
‘legs’
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READ THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE AND DALLAS MORNING NEWS
Texas stories have to be important enough to have
statewide legs
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I LIKE TIME AND THE WEEK MAGAZINE
The Week shows you how the media covered certain stories, which is important for tests like this
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TEXAS MONTHLY AND THE ATLANTIC
I only use the Atlan9c for ideas (babies using the iPad). When Texas Monthly rates something, the U.S. takes noAce. Example: BBQ, Bum Steers, poliAcians
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OTHER STUDY TOOLS
• LOOK AT MANY ONLINE SITES AND TOOLS.
• CREATE A DATABANK OF NAMES AND ISSUES.
• COMPETE IN AT LEAST ONE INVITATIONAL CONTEST TO GET A FEEL FOR HOW TO STUDY.
• SUBSCRIBE TO A SAMPLE TEST SERVICE.
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WHO|WHAT||WHEN WHERE|WHY|HOW
HOW REPORTERS DECIDE ON NEWS
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WHO AND WHAT MATTER THE MOST IN A NEWS STORY
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RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN CRITICIZES THE U.S.
This is mostly a WHO
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WHAT DID HE SAY?
It is dangerous for any country, including America, to see itself as
excepAonal, whatever its moAvaAon.
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LOOK FOR THE WHO AND WHAT IN MOST OF MY QUESTIONS
They will usually be the key things … or lead you to the answer
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THE WHEN IS NOT USUALLY THE WORRY
Except in rare cases (9/11, Dec. 7, 1941)
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THE WHY COULD BE IMPORTANT BUT NOT IN EVERY CASE
As in PuAn taunAng the U.S. in reference to claims of American “excepAonalism” … or in cases of anacks as retribuAon
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LOOK FOR THE HOW (WILL) THIS IMPACT ME … OR OTHERS? Osen something reporters look at when wriAng a story -‐-‐-‐ so it is logical to assume I will pay anenAon to that as well.
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HOW TO SEE WHAT THE WRITER FELT WAS IMPORTANT
A linle Ap to see how reporter’s think
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THEY FREQUENTLY USE A S-‐V-‐O MODEL
The Subject-‐Verb-‐Object can tell writers and readers what’s
important in a story
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S-‐V-‐O EXAMPLE
• SUBJECT: VLADIMIR PUTIN
• VERB: SAID
• OBJECT: U.S “EXCEPTIONALISM” IS DANGEROUS
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HOW I WRITE THE QUESTIONS
Some thoughts … it takes me longer than you might think
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10 THINGS TO KNOW • I WATCH A LOT OF NEWS (CNN AND LOCAL NEWS) AND READ
A LOT OF NEWSPAPERS, MAGAZINES AND ONLINE SITES. • I ‘SKIM’ THE ONLINE NEW YORK TIMES IN THE MORNING
AND ‘READ’ THE PRINT EDITION LATER. • THE FRONT PAGE OF THE TIMES IS CRUCIAL, ESPECIALLY
‘ABOVE THE FOLD.’ OBITUARIES ARE ON PAGE 1 FOR A REASON!
• THE TIMES’ FACT CHECKS MORE THAN OTHE PAPERS AND IS OBSESSIVE ABOUT ACCURACY AND FAIRNESS.
• HARD NEWS IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN SOFT BUT THE TIMES LOOKS FOR THE ODD/UNUSUAL/ WHIMSICAL IF POSSIBLE.
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10 THINGS TO KNOW • ROTE MEMORIZATION AND GOTCHA QUESTIONS ARE NOT
MY DEAL. THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN KNOWLEDGE AND MEMORIZATION.
• THERE IS ONLY ONE CORRECT ANSWER. • I TRY AND CORRECT CHANGING INFORMATION BUT AM NOT
INFALLIBLE-‐-‐-‐ WHAT IS KILLING THE BEES IN 2013 -‐-‐-‐ BUT THE RIGHT ANSWER AT THE TIME IS STILL CORRECT.
• NEWS IS NEWS. IRAN TALKING TO THE U.S. IS IMPORTANT FOR THE TEST EVEN IF IT QUICKLY ENDS.
• LISTENING CAREFULLY TO WHAT I SAY, AND WHAT YOUR TEACHER SAYS, WILL INCREASE YOUR SCORES!
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SOME TEST QUESTIONS CAN BE ANSWERED IN SECONDS
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• During the 2012 elecAons, a Texas judge halted (at least temporarily) plans to purge some 70,000 people from the state’s voAng rolls because of fears they might be:
• A. Dead • B. Felons • C. Illegal • D. Unregistered
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HINTS ARE EVERYWHERE I CAN GET THEM IN
• Which legendary American pianist (who died in February) gained worldwide fame in 1958 by winning the inaugural Tchaikovsky Internaaonal Compeaaon in Moscow? He later became the first musician to receive a acker-‐tape parade in lower Manhanan on Broadway. He once said the piano-‐loving Russians, “reminded me of Texans.”
• A. Van Cliburn • B. Leon Fleisher • C. Vladimir Horowitz • D. Byron Janis
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• Which nuclear reactor announced in March that six tanks of radioacAve waste (out of 177) were confirmed to be leaking as much as 1,000 gallons a year?
• A. Fukushima Daiichi • B. Chooz-‐B-‐1 • C. Hanover Nuclear ReservaAon • D. Philippsburg-‐2 •
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• Which U.S. Senator, once a vice presidenaal candidate and open considered estranged from his party, stepped down from the Senate aser four terms, poinAng out much had changed in his nearly 25 years? (NOTE: The candidate’s farewell address included the following memorable phrase: “When I started in the Senate, a blackberry was a fruit and tweeang was something only birds do.”)
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MORE HINTS THAN QUESTION HERE!
• Divers have found the wreckage of one the U.S. military’s worst fighter planes ever, the chubby, snub-‐nosed Brewster Buffalo, dubbed the “flying coffin” by pilots who dreaded flying it during WW II. It was found in 10 feet of water some 1,300 miles Northwest of Honolulu near which small atoll where a legendary 1942 basle was fought?
• A. Bikini • B. Kamajalein • C. Midway • D. Tarawa
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SOME QUESTIONS ARE A LITTLE HARDER -‐-‐-‐ BUT NOT TRICKY
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DISTRICT AND BEYOND • One of the most important sites in TenochAtlan, the capital of the ancient Aztec empire, was called the Templo Mayor (main temple). This vast underground ruin, where a 90-‐foot tall ceremonial structure stood, is currently being excavated. What modern day city sits over the Temple Mayor?
• A. Puebla • B. Guadalajara • C. Mexico City • D. Oaxaca
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• Which moon to a major planet in our galaxy has a vast, globe-‐girdling ocean up to 100 miles deep, beneath a rind of fractured ice as linle as 10 miles thick? New surveys indicate the ocean is like Earth's, with salt and organic compounds. (NOTE: One Caltech planetary scienAst said: “I'm not an expert on life, but I do know that if you dip a net in (this) ocean, you're bound to pick up something.")
• A. Ganymede • B. Triton • C. Europa • D. Enceladus
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A REGION OR STATE QUESTION • When a meteorite dubbed the Tissint arrived from Mars and slammed into Tata, Morocco in July 2011, scienAsts had ample reasons to quickly examine the chemistry and mineralogy les behind to search for possible signs of life. Which parts of the organic-‐chemistry set had scienasts already found in space, or on arriving rocks?
• A. Amino acids, carbon • B. Glycine, hydrogen • C. Sugars • D. All of the above
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AN ODD QUESTION
Could appear on any test.
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• According to the Associated Press, Researchers from Aberystwyth University in Wales have discovered which famous writer from ‘back in the day’ now seem to have been a food hoarder, tax dodger, grain dealer and ruthless businessman? (NOTE: On later examinaAon, some of his business savvy seems to have worked its way into his work.)
• A. Ben Jonson • B. Christopher Marlow • C. William Shakespeare • D. Sir Walter Raleigh
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THE ESSAY Best essay manual ever wrinen can be found in the 2013 CONTEST MANUAL online
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DON’T GUESS ON THE TOPIC
It will likely be related to one of the major issues during the test dates
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WE DON’T WANT EDITORIALIZING
Analyzing and interpretaAon is best: A clear topic sentence, followed by supporAng
detail, finishing with a concluding sentence that Aes back to the original reference
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Essay thoughts 101
• Think first: Pay anenAon to the quesAon and then formulate an answer.
• Don’t rewrite the prompt. Make your piece flow clearly and smoothly (a page should be enough).
• Develop a plan and outline it quickly. • State your thesis/topic early and provide supporAng informaAon.
• Embrace the opposiAon.
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Essay thoughts 102
• It is fine to analyze and interpret -‐-‐-‐ but don’t write an editorial.
• Showing a grasp of current events is a posiAve, not a negaAve.
• Typos and grammaAcal errors are literary killers!
• Make a list of points you want to state if it helps.
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MISTAKES!
• No substance; skimming the surface of a topic. • Dealing in absolutes: good/bad; right/wrong. • Editorializing rather than analyzing/interpreAng. • Rambling, repeaAng, ranAng. • Not looking at a variety of perspecAves: economic, cultural, social, poliAcal.
• CiAng the usual sources: anything on the AP English list, quotes from MLK, JFK, Gandhi, Churchill, etc.
• Arbitrarily menAoning Rosa Parks, the Holocaust, 9/11, WWll with no reason.
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Useless words to put in an essay
Unless you can show a direct connecAon to the English royal family … surgically remove most words ending with st!
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• amongst • amidst • heretofore • nay • unbeknownst • alas • whilst
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I WILL GIVE JUDGES A RUBRIC
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SOME NEWSWRITING TIPS THAT MAY HELP IF YOU ARE INTERESTED
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SOME NEWSWRITING SECRETS
(Inverted Pyramid)
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FIND THE ‘NUT GRAF’ IT TELLS WHAT IT ALL MEANS
Why should anyone care? Why is this important?
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Asribuaon
• Tells you who or what is the source for the story
• And where to go to find the documents or research. Can be a valuable tool.
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