NewsTracker Answers for week of May 14, 2012

Q: A new-model Russian passenger jet crashed into the side of an Indonesian volcano last week during a flight to impress potential buyers. All 45 people on board -- Indonesian reporters and businessmen, eight Russians, two Italians, a French citizen and an American -- were killed. Where is Indonesia on this map?

Circle the area on this map

Q: Russia has pinned its hopes of reviving its once mighty aerospace industry on the new Sukhoi Superjet 100. The jetliner crashed on the island of Java, which is the world's . . .

A. Largest island

B. Smallest island

C. Most populous island

D. Most mountainous island

C. With a population of 135 million, Java is the world's most populous island and one of the most densely populated places on earth. It is the world's 13th largest island.

Q: Just before disappearing from radar, the Russian pilot asked for air traffic controllers permission to drop from 10,000 feet to 6,000 feet. That was 21 minutes after the plane took off from the Indonesian capital of . . .

A. Jakarta

B. Kuala Lampur

C. Port Moresby

D. Singapore

A. If pilot or controller error caused the crash about 46 miles south of Jakarta, sales of the new jetliner may not be hurt much. The crash investigation will help determine if three Indonesian airlines will proceed with plans to buy at least 48 Superjets.

Q: Mount Salak, the 7,000-foot volcano where the Superjet crashed, was called an "airplane graveyard" by The Jakarta Post. Salak is dormant, but Indonesia has at least 150 active volcanoes on its 17,508 islands and is part of an area known as the . . .

A. Islands of Death

B. Lava Archipelago

C. Oceania Hot Zone

D. Pacific Ring of Fire

D. The Pacific Ring of Fire is an area where a large number of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur around the basin of the Pacific Ocean. Indonesia has been the site of colossal volcanic eruptions and some of the deadliest earthquakes in history.

Q: The search at the crash site initially was hampered by heavy fog. The climate of Indonesia is . . .

A. Arid

B. Tropical

C. Continental

D. Temperate

B. Indonesia straddles the equator and its climate is almost entirely tropical. The uniformly warm waters that make up 81 percent of Indonesia's area ensure that temperatures on land remain fairly constant.