WSC-2025 Exam
World Scholars Cup 2025 Exam Study Guide
Questions with Correct Answers
What is odd about Rip Van Winkle? -Correct Answer ✔Slept for 100 years and yet woke
up with no impact whatsoever to his health.
Who is Rip Van Winkle? -Correct Answer ✔A Dutch American villager living in the
Catskill Mountains with his wife and children. He is a fictional character.
Where did Rip Van Winkle first appear? -Correct Answer ✔In 1819 in a collection called
"The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent" by author Washington Irving.
What happened to Rip Van Winkle? -Correct Answer ✔He wanders into the mountains
with his dog, Wolf. He encounters a group of oddly dressed men playing ninepins. He
drinks some of their alcohol and falls into a deep sleep.
What is the message of Rip Van Winkle? -Correct Answer ✔It's often seen as a
commentary on the passage of time and the changes brought about by the American
Revolution.
How has life changed between 1825 to 1925? -Correct Answer ✔Technological
advances like railways and telephones, increased urbanization, and movements for
labor and women's rights. Democratic reforms expanded, colonial empires grew, and
medical science improved health. Global trade expanded despite challenges like the
Great Depression.
How has life changed between 1925 to now? -Correct Answer ✔Technology like the
internet and smartphones revolutionized life. Civil rights movements promoted equality.
Space exploration, medical advances, and environmental awareness grew.
Reignite -Correct Answer ✔To give to life or energy to someone or something; to ignite
or cause to ignite again.
Burning up -Correct Answer ✔It can mean you're very hot, either due to physical
exertion or fever. It can also be used metaphorically to describe someone who is very
excited or passionate about something.
Burning down -Correct Answer ✔This generally refers to the destruction of something
by fire, usually a building.
Burning with -Correct Answer ✔This phrase is often used metaphorically to describe a
strong feeling or emotion.
WSC-2025 Exam
,WSC-2025 Exam
Ezra Klein -Correct Answer ✔American journalist, political commentator, and podcast
host. He was born on May 9, 1984, in Irvine, California. He is currently a columnist for
The New York Times and the host of The Ezra Klein Show podcast. He co-founded
Vox.
Sam Altman -Correct Answer ✔An American entrepreneur and investor, best known as
the CEO of OpenAI, the artificial intelligence company behind ChatGPT. Born on April
22, 1985, in Chicago, Illinois, Altman co-founded OpenAI in 2015 and has been a
leading figure in the AI industry.
Moore's Law -Correct Answer ✔States that the number of transistors on a microchip
doubles every two years, making computers faster and cheaper.
Sam Altman's interview with Ezra Klein -Correct Answer ✔Sam Altman discusses how
AI could make everything better and cheaper, but also warns of job losses and wealth
concentration. He suggests responsible management and political measures like wealth
taxes to ensure fair distribution of benefits.
Purpose of Altman's essay -Correct Answer ✔To design a system that embraces our
technological future and taxes the assets that will make up most of the value in that
world-companies and land-in order to fairly distribute some of the coming wealth.
The AI Revolution (Altman's essay) -Correct Answer ✔We are entering the fourth
technological revolution (information age) after agricultural, industrial and
computational. More progress will be made in the next 100 years than any progress up
to this point.
Moore's Law for Everything (Altman's essay) -Correct Answer ✔Altman predicts that
thanks to AI, we will reach a point when everything is getting 50% cheaper every 2
years.
Capitalism for Everyone (Altman's essay) -Correct Answer ✔Sam Altman predicts that
taxing income will become ineffective as AI transforms the economy. He proposes a
national equity fund, funded by taxing large companies' capital and privately held land,
and distributing it to all citizens over 18.
Implementation and Troubleshooting (Altman's essay) -Correct Answer ✔Ten years
after the equity fund's implementation, each American citizen would receive $13,500
annually. He believes this amount will provide greater purchasing power due to
decreased prices.
Shifting to the New System (Altman's essay) -Correct Answer ✔A gradual
implementation of the proposed taxes on capital and land, tied to GDP growth. He
believes this approach will make policymakers popular and concludes, "The future can
be almost unimaginably great."
WSC-2025 Exam
, WSC-2025 Exam
Author's opinion on Altman's essay -Correct Answer ✔They wish he provided more
concrete examples of AI benefits. They feel his proposal is vague and have concerns
about income comparisons and AI-driven cost reductions. They think he should make a
stronger case for AI's potential benefits over risks.
Michael Crawford -Correct Answer ✔English actor and singer, best known for his roles
in Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em and The Phantom of the Opera.
Counting Up To Twenty (Michael Crawford) -Correct Answer ✔A song by Michael
Crawford from his album EFX, which was the original cast album for his hit Vegas show
of the same name. The song is a whimsical and reflective tune that talks about
overcoming challenges and looking forward to a brighter future.
Trump's verbal tic -Correct Answer ✔In an interview with podcaster Ezra Klein, Trump
repeated the phrase "many people are saying...". Klein does not believe this to be an
effect of old age.
Why has Trump been under scrutiny lately? -Correct Answer ✔Trump's speech has
been under scrutiny by his rival, Vice President Kamala Harris, and her running mate,
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who have questioned his cognitive state and suggested
he is too old to be president.
Donald Trump -Correct Answer ✔Born June 14, 1946, is an American politician,
businessman, and media personality. He served as the 45th President of the United
States from 2017 to 2021 and was re-elected in 2024, making him the 47th President.
What is different about Trump's 'style', according to Klein? -Correct Answer ✔"Trump
moves through the world without the behavioral inhibition most of us labor under," Klein
said, after stating the Republican showed signs of being low on conscientiousness but
high in disinhibition.
The 2016 Presidential Race -Correct Answer ✔Jeb Bush looked likely to become the
nominee, but Trump came along and said what many of them had been afraid to say.
"George Bush made a mistake. We can make mistakes, but that one was a beauty. We
should have never been in Iraq. We have destabilized the Middle East," Trump said in a
debate in February 2016.
Jeb Bush -Correct Answer ✔Jeb Bush, born February 11, 1953, is an American
politician and businessman. He served as the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 to
2007 and ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016.
George W. Bush -Correct Answer ✔George W. Bush, born July 6, 1946, is an American
politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States from 2001 to 2009 and
was the 46th Governor of Texas from 1995 to 2000.
WSC-2025 Exam
World Scholars Cup 2025 Exam Study Guide
Questions with Correct Answers
What is odd about Rip Van Winkle? -Correct Answer ✔Slept for 100 years and yet woke
up with no impact whatsoever to his health.
Who is Rip Van Winkle? -Correct Answer ✔A Dutch American villager living in the
Catskill Mountains with his wife and children. He is a fictional character.
Where did Rip Van Winkle first appear? -Correct Answer ✔In 1819 in a collection called
"The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent" by author Washington Irving.
What happened to Rip Van Winkle? -Correct Answer ✔He wanders into the mountains
with his dog, Wolf. He encounters a group of oddly dressed men playing ninepins. He
drinks some of their alcohol and falls into a deep sleep.
What is the message of Rip Van Winkle? -Correct Answer ✔It's often seen as a
commentary on the passage of time and the changes brought about by the American
Revolution.
How has life changed between 1825 to 1925? -Correct Answer ✔Technological
advances like railways and telephones, increased urbanization, and movements for
labor and women's rights. Democratic reforms expanded, colonial empires grew, and
medical science improved health. Global trade expanded despite challenges like the
Great Depression.
How has life changed between 1925 to now? -Correct Answer ✔Technology like the
internet and smartphones revolutionized life. Civil rights movements promoted equality.
Space exploration, medical advances, and environmental awareness grew.
Reignite -Correct Answer ✔To give to life or energy to someone or something; to ignite
or cause to ignite again.
Burning up -Correct Answer ✔It can mean you're very hot, either due to physical
exertion or fever. It can also be used metaphorically to describe someone who is very
excited or passionate about something.
Burning down -Correct Answer ✔This generally refers to the destruction of something
by fire, usually a building.
Burning with -Correct Answer ✔This phrase is often used metaphorically to describe a
strong feeling or emotion.
WSC-2025 Exam
,WSC-2025 Exam
Ezra Klein -Correct Answer ✔American journalist, political commentator, and podcast
host. He was born on May 9, 1984, in Irvine, California. He is currently a columnist for
The New York Times and the host of The Ezra Klein Show podcast. He co-founded
Vox.
Sam Altman -Correct Answer ✔An American entrepreneur and investor, best known as
the CEO of OpenAI, the artificial intelligence company behind ChatGPT. Born on April
22, 1985, in Chicago, Illinois, Altman co-founded OpenAI in 2015 and has been a
leading figure in the AI industry.
Moore's Law -Correct Answer ✔States that the number of transistors on a microchip
doubles every two years, making computers faster and cheaper.
Sam Altman's interview with Ezra Klein -Correct Answer ✔Sam Altman discusses how
AI could make everything better and cheaper, but also warns of job losses and wealth
concentration. He suggests responsible management and political measures like wealth
taxes to ensure fair distribution of benefits.
Purpose of Altman's essay -Correct Answer ✔To design a system that embraces our
technological future and taxes the assets that will make up most of the value in that
world-companies and land-in order to fairly distribute some of the coming wealth.
The AI Revolution (Altman's essay) -Correct Answer ✔We are entering the fourth
technological revolution (information age) after agricultural, industrial and
computational. More progress will be made in the next 100 years than any progress up
to this point.
Moore's Law for Everything (Altman's essay) -Correct Answer ✔Altman predicts that
thanks to AI, we will reach a point when everything is getting 50% cheaper every 2
years.
Capitalism for Everyone (Altman's essay) -Correct Answer ✔Sam Altman predicts that
taxing income will become ineffective as AI transforms the economy. He proposes a
national equity fund, funded by taxing large companies' capital and privately held land,
and distributing it to all citizens over 18.
Implementation and Troubleshooting (Altman's essay) -Correct Answer ✔Ten years
after the equity fund's implementation, each American citizen would receive $13,500
annually. He believes this amount will provide greater purchasing power due to
decreased prices.
Shifting to the New System (Altman's essay) -Correct Answer ✔A gradual
implementation of the proposed taxes on capital and land, tied to GDP growth. He
believes this approach will make policymakers popular and concludes, "The future can
be almost unimaginably great."
WSC-2025 Exam
, WSC-2025 Exam
Author's opinion on Altman's essay -Correct Answer ✔They wish he provided more
concrete examples of AI benefits. They feel his proposal is vague and have concerns
about income comparisons and AI-driven cost reductions. They think he should make a
stronger case for AI's potential benefits over risks.
Michael Crawford -Correct Answer ✔English actor and singer, best known for his roles
in Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em and The Phantom of the Opera.
Counting Up To Twenty (Michael Crawford) -Correct Answer ✔A song by Michael
Crawford from his album EFX, which was the original cast album for his hit Vegas show
of the same name. The song is a whimsical and reflective tune that talks about
overcoming challenges and looking forward to a brighter future.
Trump's verbal tic -Correct Answer ✔In an interview with podcaster Ezra Klein, Trump
repeated the phrase "many people are saying...". Klein does not believe this to be an
effect of old age.
Why has Trump been under scrutiny lately? -Correct Answer ✔Trump's speech has
been under scrutiny by his rival, Vice President Kamala Harris, and her running mate,
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who have questioned his cognitive state and suggested
he is too old to be president.
Donald Trump -Correct Answer ✔Born June 14, 1946, is an American politician,
businessman, and media personality. He served as the 45th President of the United
States from 2017 to 2021 and was re-elected in 2024, making him the 47th President.
What is different about Trump's 'style', according to Klein? -Correct Answer ✔"Trump
moves through the world without the behavioral inhibition most of us labor under," Klein
said, after stating the Republican showed signs of being low on conscientiousness but
high in disinhibition.
The 2016 Presidential Race -Correct Answer ✔Jeb Bush looked likely to become the
nominee, but Trump came along and said what many of them had been afraid to say.
"George Bush made a mistake. We can make mistakes, but that one was a beauty. We
should have never been in Iraq. We have destabilized the Middle East," Trump said in a
debate in February 2016.
Jeb Bush -Correct Answer ✔Jeb Bush, born February 11, 1953, is an American
politician and businessman. He served as the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 to
2007 and ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016.
George W. Bush -Correct Answer ✔George W. Bush, born July 6, 1946, is an American
politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States from 2001 to 2009 and
was the 46th Governor of Texas from 1995 to 2000.
WSC-2025 Exam
