Gran Torino / Short Stories U.K.
What is a "Gran Torino"?
a car (Ford Gran Torino)
What is the difference between media and social media?
the media is a general term and refers to the varipus ways in which information is gathered and passed on, e.g. print media, broadcasting, etc.
social media includes websites and applications, which allow us to connect and communicate online.
What is the difference between an utopia and a dystopia?
utopia = an imaginery beautiful and good place or state of perfection, the opposite of a dystopia / dystopia = a fictious, terrible place, people live a fearful and often dehumanized life
What are the two dominating political parties in the U.S.?
Democratic Party & Republican Party
What is the difference between the terms "England" and "United Kingdom"?
Who is Bettina in the short story "My Son the Fanatic"?
She is a prostitute, and Parvez drives her home nearly every night after she’s done working. Parvez talks more openly with Bettina than he does with his wife.
Name the three (ex-)love interests of Mae Holland.
Ty/Kalden, Francis, Mercer
What is the difference between a problem and a dilemma?
In which year was the Declaration of Independence approved?
1776
Name four countries that were once part of the British Empire.
e.g. India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt, Australia, Canada, Jamaica, the original 13 American colonies
In which country does the short story "Shooting an Elephant" by George Orwell take place?
Burma (today: Myanmar)
Name three inventions/apps by the Circle.
examples: oppressive government, surveillance, overpopulation, control of information and truth, lack on individual freedom,dehumanization
What does the lithograph known as "The Ladder of Fortune" or "Ladder of Success"(1875) show?
It illustrates the American ethos of the values of thrift, hard work and morality.
What is the the system of triangle trading?
Triangular trade is a historical term that refers to trade among three ports or regions and countries. The transatlantic trade operated from the seventeenth until the early nineteenth century, carrying manufactured goods, raw materials, cash crops – and slaves – between West Africa, the Caribbean and American colonies and the European colonial powers.
How does Walt die in the movie "Gran Torino" and how is his death related to Christianity?
He confronts the Hmong gang that’s been terrorizing his neighbors Thao and Sue, but instead of fighting, he reaches into his jacket as if pulling a weapon. The gang members panic and shoot him. It turns out he was unarmed.
Walt’s last words “Me, I’ve got a light” and his Christ-like death --> he lays on the ground like Christ on the cross
Why is privacy portrayed as suspicious in the novel "The Circle"?
“Secrets are lies. --> This Circle mantra suggests that if you keep anything to yourself, you must be hiding wrongdoing. Therefore, wanting privacy automatically creates suspicion.
Watching becomes normalized. As SeeChange cameras spread, constant visibility becomes the default. Anyone who steps outside that expectation appears abnormal or untrustworthy.
What is the solution to overpopulation in the short story "2BR02B" by Kurt Vonnegut?
every birth requires a death, “one in – one out” policy, an official institution (gas chambers) helps to control population growth,one can call them when one is ready to die
What is special about "Ellis Island"?
Ellis Island was the headquarters of the US immigration authority from 1892 to 1954.
What was Rudyard Kipling’s phrase “the white man’s burden” used to describe?
The supposed duty of Europeans to govern and civilize non-European people
In which four countries does Fatou from "The Embassy of Cambodia" live in?
Ivory Coast, Ghana, Italy, England
What is "surveillance capitalism"?
Surveillance capitalism is an economic system in which companies collect and analyze massive amounts of personal data—often without explicit consent—in order to predict and influence people’s behavior, primarily for profit.
What is the name of the futuristic theme park in Katy Perry's music video "Chained to the Rythm"?
Oblivia
The election day is usually the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November. Why is it on a Tuesday?
U.S. elections are on Tuesday because of 19th-century farm life. After Congress set a national Election Day in 1845 (under James K. Polk):
Sunday was for church
Monday was for traveling to the polls
Wednesday was market day
So Tuesday was the most practical day for voters.
Who is Sadiq Khan?
Mayor of London