Prereading Quiz: It’s Time for Good News!

Before you read “It’s Time for Good News!,” take this five-question quiz to find out how much you already know.

1

What percentage of the world population, ages 15 and older, could read in 2020?

In 2020, the global literacy rate reached 87 percent, up from 74 percent in 1990.

2

What is the average number of years someone born in 2020 can be expected to live?

Life expectancy reached 73 years in 2020, up from 65 years in 1990.

3

True or False: The percentage of people worldwide who live in extreme poverty fell from 29 percent in 2000 to an estimated 9 percent in 2020.

True. Both percentages are lower than in the year 1990, when about 38 percent of people worldwide lived in extreme poverty.

4

Which of these words means “a growth or increase that takes place after a period when there was a decline or no growth”?

Resurgence means “a growth or increase that takes place after a period when there was a decline or no growth.” Europe’s gray wolf population has experienced a resurgence in the past 50 years.

5

Singapore, which is working to improve its people’s access to clean water, is a country in ____.

Singapore is a small island nation in Southeast Asia that is using technology and conservation to make the most of its limited water sources.

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