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Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
Are you smarter than a US diplomat? Take our Foreign Service Exam.
Diplomats working for the US Foreign Service are responsible for carrying out the policy of the United States. In order to serve at one of the 265 US diplomatic missions around the world, applicants must pass a series of examinations.
The tests consist of a job knowledge test, English language test, essays, oral exams, and a qualifications panel. Our 20 questions are modeled after the job knowledge portion of the Foreign Service Officer's test. The real examination consists of 60 questions and is administered over 40 minutes. Think you know enough to become a US diplomat? Take our quiz.
- Jacob Turcotte
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Foreign...xam/US-History
I missed 4, including one I probably shouldn't have, because I overthought it. :bang
Interesting to see what the test might be like.
The question about what makes for "persuasive speech" was particularly interesting.
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
Quote:
Originally Posted by
coyotes_geek
16 out of 20.
What did you think of the test?
It was an interesting assortment of topics, and not quite what I expected.
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
Quote:
Originally Posted by
RandomGuy
What did you think of the test?
It was an interesting assortment of topics, and not quite what I expected.
I agree. The art question was one I wasn't expecting, and one I missed.
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
I did so terribly, I decided to not finish.
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
What does title ix have to do with being a diplomat?
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Blake
What does title ix have to do with being a diplomat?
they have to peek under the burka's to confirm gender, silly.
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
I never understood exactly what they were getting at with the currency question. Pretty proud that I knew that Jackson Pollock question though.
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Blake
What does title ix have to do with being a diplomat?
I guess one has to have a basic grounding in human rights type legislation in the US.
If someone were to ask you about gender equality in your country, being able to speak generally on the topic on the spot would probably be a good thing.
Just a guess.
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
Quote:
Originally Posted by
sickdsm
I never understood exactly what they were getting at with the currency question. Pretty proud that I knew that Jackson Pollock question though.
You start off at you starting dollar amount, and they want you to find how much money you spent/gained in the course of spending in one currency, and given money in another.
All you had to do was convert the amounts to the "common denominator" of US currency.
Given the importance of currency conversion rates to trade, understanding some basic interrelationships seems reasonable for someone working in an embassy.
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
Quote:
Originally Posted by
RandomGuy
I guess one has to have a basic grounding in human rights type legislation in the US.
If someone were to ask you about gender equality in your country, being able to speak generally on the topic on the spot would probably be a good thing.
Just a guess.
seems like a good guess
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
They said starting money or currency, i didn't know if they meant how much american dollars you had originally or how much american dollars you had at the second country or whatnot. I can't remember, I didn't spend too much time on it.
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
Quote:
Originally Posted by
sickdsm
They said starting money or currency, i didn't know if they meant how much american dollars you had originally or how much american dollars you had at the second country or whatnot. I can't remember, I didn't spend too much time on it.
$320/$8=$40
$66/12=$5.50
40-5.5=$34.50 iirc
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
I take issue with this question and answer:
12. Which of the following elements is NOT likely to increase the effectiveness of persuasive speech?
ANS: strongly stated opinions and logical fallacy
Can anyone really believe that in our political climate?
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
Quote:
Originally Posted by
baseline bum
I take issue with this question and answer:
12. Which of the following elements is NOT likely to increase the effectiveness of persuasive speech?
ANS: strongly stated opinions and logical fallacy
Can anyone really believe that in our political climate?
in the real world, good point.
I didn't even think twice about it because I'm used to the political forum climate where we know this to be true.
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
I missed 8 and guessed right on two of them I had no clue about. Thanks for posting RG.
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
Quote:
Originally Posted by
baseline bum
I take issue with this question and answer:
12. Which of the following elements is NOT likely to increase the effectiveness of persuasive speech?
ANS: strongly stated opinions and logical fallacy
Can anyone really believe that in our political climate?
lmao
I was about to come here and post that exact observation.
how many politicians, even in the Presidency ala W Bush, do this shit all the time?
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
14 out of 20
missed some dumb ones I already knew, but tbh, some of the questions have questionable answers.
i legitimately didn't know about the "blind interview"... because why would anyone give that a term for something so irrelevant?
who cares who is doing the interview? the questions are what's important...i figured "not seeing the questions beforehand" was what it meant.
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Blake
$320/$8=$40
$66/12=$5.50
40-5.5=$34.50 iirc
My accounting professors would not approve. "sign integrity" and "unit integrity" they would say.
-320unitsA/8unitsA/$ = -$40 = how much you spent.
66unitsB/12unitsB/$= $5.50 = how much you were given.
-$40+$5.5= -$34.50
You end up with $34.50 less than when you started, or -$34.50
:toast
(well meant in good humor)
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
Quote:
Originally Posted by
MiamiHeat
14 out of 20
missed some dumb ones I already knew, but tbh, some of the questions have questionable answers.
i legitimately didn't know about the "blind interview"... because why would anyone give that a term for something so irrelevant?
who cares who is doing the interview? the questions are what's important...i figured "not seeing the questions beforehand" was what it meant.
That one didn't make sense to me either. Tough quiz.
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
Quote:
Originally Posted by
MiamiHeat
14 out of 20
missed some dumb ones I already knew, but tbh, some of the questions have questionable answers.
i legitimately didn't know about the "blind interview"... because why would anyone give that a term for something so irrelevant?
who cares who is doing the interview? the questions are what's important...i figured "not seeing the questions beforehand" was what it meant.
Well, when a journalist calls you and uses certain terms, you should know if your name will pop up in the article as a source. Kinda makes sense that a diplomat would need to know the lingo of journalists.
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
Quote:
Originally Posted by
RandomGuy
Well, when a journalist calls you and uses certain terms, you should know if your name will pop up in the article as a source. Kinda makes sense that a diplomat would need to know the lingo of journalists.
I gurantee you every politician knew what it meant.
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
Quote:
Originally Posted by
RandomGuy
My accounting professors would not approve. "sign integrity" and "unit integrity" they would say.
-320unitsA/8unitsA/$ = -$40 = how much you spent.
66unitsB/12unitsB/$= $5.50 = how much you were given.
-$40+$5.5= -$34.50
You end up with $34.50 less than when you started, or -$34.50
:toast
(well meant in good humor)
LOL, they have to give something a name just remind you accountants not to flip your signs? No wonder y'all weren't allowed in the real calc classes. :downspin:
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
Quote:
Originally Posted by
baseline bum
I take issue with this question and answer:
12. Which of the following elements is NOT likely to increase the effectiveness of persuasive speech?
ANS: strongly stated opinions and logical fallacy
Can anyone really believe that in our political climate?
That was one of the questions that stood out to me as well.
Provable logical fallacies tend to make for bad arguments, because they have very ready-made refutations, especially if you are trying to convince someone who hasn't already made up their mind.
As for "strongly stated opinions", the old adage that "you catch more flies with honey than vinegar" probably holds true.
Be interesting to see what the principles of persuasive speech are. Probably find them on wiki or something.
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
Quote:
Originally Posted by
RandomGuy
My accounting professors would not approve. "sign integrity" and "unit integrity" they would say.
-320unitsA/8unitsA/$ = -$40 = how much you spent.
66unitsB/12unitsB/$= $5.50 = how much you were given.
-$40+$5.5= -$34.50
You end up with $34.50 less than when you started, or -$34.50
:toast
(well meant in good humor)
ah yeah, it was $5.50-$40
luckily I'm only going for my diplomat diploma here and not an accounting one.
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
Quote:
Originally Posted by
jack sommerset
I gurantee you every politician knew what it meant.
Maybe so, it was one of the questions I missed.
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
Quote:
Originally Posted by
jack sommerset
I missed 8 and guessed right on two of them I had no clue about. Thanks for posting RG.
You're welcome. It seemed to be an intresting insight into what it takes to work at the State Department.
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
Quote:
Originally Posted by
baseline bum
I take issue with this question and answer:
12. Which of the following elements is NOT likely to increase the effectiveness of persuasive speech?
ANS: strongly stated opinions and logical fallacy
Can anyone really believe that in our political climate?
A diplomat's audience isn't really the same as a politician's though. Different tactics are neccessary. A politician's audience is large mass of people and the goal is to persuade 50%+1 of them. A diplomat's audience is a much smaller crowd and the goal is to persuade 100% of them.
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
Quote:
Originally Posted by
sickdsm
I never understood exactly what they were getting at with the currency question. Pretty proud that I knew that Jackson Pollock question though.
Yeah, that currency question was poorly worded.
Quote:
10. You spend 320.00 in a foreign currency while traveling. The exchange rate is 8.00 = $1.00. The next country you visit has an exchange rate of 12.00 = $1.00. You receive 66.00 of the next country's currency from a friend. How much has your original amount of money changed?
Is the first "320" the amount of dollars you have? Or the amount of foreign currency? And when they ask how much the "original" amount changed, are they also including the money you "spent" or not?
Edit: I'm retarded! It says so in the question. I kept reading "currency" as "country". :lol
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
Also, I got 12 of 20. Good quiz.
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
Quote:
Originally Posted by
coyotes_geek
A diplomat's audience isn't really the same as a politician's though. Different tactics are neccessary. A politician's audience is large mass of people and the goal is to persuade 50%+1 of them. A diplomat's audience is a much smaller crowd and the goal is to persuade 100% of them.
good point.
not to mention, a politician's audience is usually fellow countrymen.
strongly stated opinions probably would just piss off foreign dignitaries
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
Quote:
Originally Posted by
coyotes_geek
A diplomat's audience isn't really the same as a politician's though. Different tactics are neccessary. A politician's audience is large mass of people and the goal is to persuade 50%+1 of them. A diplomat's audience is a much smaller crowd and the goal is to persuade 100% of them.
In that context it makes a lot more sense. They should probably have added it to the question though. :lol
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
Ouch...
I missed six. Some of my history isn't so hot.
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
Quote:
Originally Posted by
LnGrrrR
Yeah, that currency question was poorly worded.
Is the first "320" the amount of dollars you have? Or the amount of foreign currency? And when they ask how much the "original" amount changed, are they also including the money you "spent" or not?
Edit: I'm retarded! It says so in the question. I kept reading "currency" as "country". :lol
LOL...
There were a few questions that you had to watch the wording on. Easy once you think about "exactly" what they are saying. Not assuming.
I missed the artist question, guessed the river. Didn't have a clue about the artist. The correct answer for the river would have been my second guess. Two questions with defined wording screwed me up because I didn't cheat, to look them up.
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
I think that the State dep't. exam is one of the most difficult in the government. The wording on some of these was puposely obtuse, I think, simply to see if the respondent could think through the issue.
The currency question was purposely awkward, I think.
The 'persuasive speech' question would have been familiar to anyone familiar with debate judging in high school or college.
I missed the one on the river from Germany to the Black Sea. Had no idea.
Guessed the volga but I was wrong.
Got the other 19 right mostly because I'm so old I lived through most of the events.
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
I've heard of a lot of folks a lot smarter than me who couldn't get through the State Department test. I think the CSM version is a "State Department Lite".
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
14 of 20. Couple of boneheaded misses, couple of lucky guesses. I was tripped up by some of the wording.
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
15 of 20. Missed some of the history ones and of course the art one.
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
Quote:
Originally Posted by
EVAY
I think that the State dep't. exam is one of the most difficult in the government. The wording on some of these was puposely obtuse, I think, simply to see if the respondent could think through the issue.
The currency question was purposely awkward, I think.
The 'persuasive speech' question would have been familiar to anyone familiar with debate judging in high school or college.
I missed the one on the river from Germany to the Black Sea. Had no idea.
Guessed the volga but I was wrong.
Got the other 19 right mostly because I'm so old I lived through most of the events.
You got 19 right? :wow
As for the river, one just needs a familiarity with Stauss. :)
"An der Schoene Blaue Donau"
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
Quote:
Originally Posted by
EVAY
I've heard of a lot of folks a lot smarter than me who couldn't get through the State Department test. I think the CSM version is a "State Department Lite".
Yup. Only 60 questions though. Not too onerous. I would guess the other steps in the process would also weed out a few.
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
Quote:
Originally Posted by
RandomGuy
You got 19 right? :wow
As for the river, one just needs a familiarity with Stauss. :)
"An der Schoene Blaue Donau"
:lolWell, yeah, but like I said, I lived through most of this stuff.
You know, I know about Strauss and the Blue Danube, but I didn't know it went to the black sea. So what I was thinking was "what river do I know is in Russia (black sea) so I came up with Volga. Totally wrong.
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
Quote:
Originally Posted by
RandomGuy
Yup. Only 60 questions though. Not too onerous. I would guess the other steps in the process would also weed out a few.
You may be right, but I would expect that whereas the CSM version asked about the House Ways and Means Committee as a test of an applicant's knowledge of the structure of the legislative process, the real test would ask something about some really obscure committee or sub-committee that funds state department issues.
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
Quote:
Originally Posted by
RandomGuy
Yup. Only 60 questions though. Not too onerous. I would guess the other steps in the process would also weed out a few.
I wonder what a passing score for this test is? A typical government job requires only 70%...
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
16 out of 20, but I missed that Fox and the Grapes question when I had no business getting it wrong. :(
So I really got 17 right, tbh :p
That currency question was worded oddly too.
EDIT: 60 questions in 40 minutes is the challenge, not the questions themselves. I think most people could get half of the questions right if they had a lot of time, but working through it on a time limit is all about how fast you decipher the information.
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Stringer_Bell
That currency question was worded oddly too.
I think that's intentional, since a diplomat would likely encounter translation and cultural differences.
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Wild Cobra
I think that's intentional, since a diplomat would likely encounter translation and cultural differences.
Seriously, that might be it. It was written like a bad translation haha
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
Why is the answer to this
Quote:
Which of the following is an example of extrinsic motivation?
this
Quote:
An actor gives a great performance in the hopes of winning an Academy Award.
and not this
Quote:
An activist gives a speech decrying an unfair act by his government.
?
What's the difference between the two?
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Pero
Why is the answer to this
this
and not this
?
What's the difference between the two?
I didn't try to figure out the difference, but I did answer the second as well. Our understanding of extrinsic motivation must not be the same as theirs.
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Wild Cobra
LOL...
There were a few questions that you had to watch the wording on. Easy once you think about "exactly" what they are saying. Not assuming.
I missed the artist question, guessed the river. Didn't have a clue about the artist. The correct answer for the river would have been my second guess. Two questions with defined wording screwed me up because I didn't cheat, to look them up.
I almost missed the artist question, until I caught the "abstract" qualifier. And yeah, I picked the Rhine instead of the Danube. I had a few 50/50 questions, some I got right, some I didn't.
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Pero
Why is the answer to this
this
and not this
?
What's the difference between the two?
Well, extrinsic motivation is motivation from an outside source. In this case, the motivation to win may be INTRINSIC, but it's validated by an EXTRINSIC source.
The other three answers are all examples of a person motivated intrinsically to do something. The actor may not necessarily care about the role, but cares about the attention/Grammy he will receive from external sources.
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
Quote:
Originally Posted by
LnGrrrR
Well, extrinsic motivation is motivation from an outside source. In this case, the motivation to win may be INTRINSIC, but it's validated by an EXTRINSIC source.
The other three answers are all examples of a person motivated intrinsically to do something. The actor may not necessarily care about the role, but cares about the attention/Grammy he will receive from external sources.
Activism isn't always personal. It becomes how one believes in the issue, and is addressing an external source. I guess right or wrong, the act makes activists feel better.
That was a difficult one for me.
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Wild Cobra
Activism isn't always personal. It becomes how one believes in the issue, and is addressing an external source. I guess right or wrong, the act makes activists feel better.
That was a difficult one for me.
I had the same thought process and missed the question. Oh well.
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Wild Cobra
Activism isn't always personal. It becomes how one believes in the issue, and is addressing an external source. I guess right or wrong, the act makes activists feel better.
That was a difficult one for me.
Right, but I think in this case, they're trying to say that the activist does things out of a personal desire/motivation to see things changed. (Self-actualization or something like that.)
The whole point to me was that the activist's actions are validated whether or not government is changed, because the activist is still espousing what he/she believes. That doesn't seem to be the case for the actor (as the question seemed to be worded that the actor is doing the role for the possibility of a Grammy, not because he think it personally validates him.)
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
Look at the way the question was worded:
"An actor gives a great performance in the hopes of winning an Academy award"
He's not doing it because he thinks the subject is powerful, because he personally believes in the role he played, etc etc. He's acting well for an outside confirmation of his abilities.
The activist isn't saying, "I'll rail against the government in hopes that the audience will agree with me."
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
Quote:
Originally Posted by
LnGrrrR
Look at the way the question was worded:
"An actor gives a great performance in the hopes of winning an Academy award"
He's not doing it because he thinks the subject is powerful, because he personally believes in the role he played, etc etc. He's acting well for an outside confirmation of his abilities.
The activist isn't saying, "I'll rail against the government in hopes that the audience will agree with me."
But he is doing it for himself. the activist is more likely doing it for others.
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Wild Cobra
But he is doing it for himself. the activist is more likely doing it for others.
Let me dumb it down.
It's the difference between a kid doing well at school because they want to achieve their best, and a kid doing well at school because their parents told them they could get a new toy if they got straight A's.
They both are "doing it for themselves", but the second kid wouldn't be personally motivated without outside influences.
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
Quote:
Originally Posted by
LnGrrrR
Let me dumb it down.
It's the difference between a kid doing well at school because they want to achieve their best, and a kid doing well at school because their parents told them they could get a new toy if they got straight A's.
They both are "doing it for themselves", but the second kid wouldn't be personally motivated without outside influences.
I get that. My problem is over reading the idea. I am to take the question an an actual fact that some deity level of understanding knows the reasons to be as said.
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Wild Cobra
I get that. My problem is over reading the idea. I am to take the question an an actual fact that some deity level of understanding knows the reasons to be as said.
This is why most tests say "Choose the BEST answer" and not "Choose the CORRECT answer". :lol
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
Quote:
Originally Posted by
LnGrrrR
This is why most tests say "Choose the BEST answer" and not "Choose the CORRECT answer". :lol
I never was good at most tests. I am great with factual based tests, but not those that require you to choose from someone else's perspective, or one that makes you think in such manners.
When I was a senior in high school, I never took an electronics elective. Studied it at home, but never in school. I challenged the Electronics II class and took a term of Electronics III. My passing score was 97%. That is scientific factual stuff though. I get screwed up with more abstract concepts. When I took my testing for my current employment, I got a 95.7%. There were some rather interesting problems as well. Give me something that is even partially abstract, and I am lucky to get 80% or so. In the Army, my MOS qualification scores were always in the 90's.
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
Quote:
Originally Posted by
LnGrrrR
Well, extrinsic motivation is motivation from an outside source. In this case, the motivation to win may be INTRINSIC, but it's validated by an EXTRINSIC source.
The other three answers are all examples of a person motivated intrinsically to do something. The actor may not necessarily care about the role, but cares about the attention/Grammy he will receive from external sources.
That one was not too hard to figure. you had to know what the word extrinsic meant and compare all the answers you could tell one had outside motivation( winning an award ).
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
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Re: Are you smarter than a US diplomat: quiz
Quote:
Originally Posted by
LnGrrrR
Well, extrinsic motivation is motivation from an outside source. In this case, the motivation to win may be INTRINSIC, but it's validated by an EXTRINSIC source.
The other three answers are all examples of a person motivated intrinsically to do something. The actor may not necessarily care about the role, but cares about the attention/Grammy he will receive from external sources.
That's how I understood it too, and answered correctly.