NewsTracker Answers for week of Jan. 17, 2022

Q: Novak Djokovic, the world’s top men’s tennis player, left Australia Sunday after the government canceled his visa for "health and good order," arguing that his presence risked fanning anti-vaccine sentiment. Where is Australia?

Circle the area on this map

Q: Djokovic had arrived in the country 10 days earlier to defend his title in the Australian Open, which began Monday. The unvaccinated tennis star is from what nation on Europe’s Balkan Peninsula?

A. Serbia

B. Slovakia

C. Spain

D. Sweden

A. Serbia’s president blasted Australian authorities for harassing his nation’s top athlete. Serbia is one of 13 nations on the Balkan Peninsula in Southeast Europe. Slovakia is in Central Europe, while Spain is on the Iberian Peninsula in the west and Sweden is on the Scandinavian Peninsula in the north.

Q: The Serbian president also blamed Australia for not being clear about its vaccination requirements. Australian Open organizers had told Djokovic he could come to the tennis tournament in Melbourne, the nation’s second most populous city. What is Australia’s largest city?

A. Adelaide

B. Brisbane

C. Perth

D. Sydney

D. Australia’s most populous city is Sydney, followed by Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. Djokovic reported testing positive for COVID-19 in December, so tournament organizers said he could play despite being unvaccinated. The organizers consulted with officials in the state where Melbourne is located, but Australia’s federal officials rejected the decision after public outrage over the deal.

Q: Melbourne is in the state of Victoria in southeast Australia. How many states are in Australia?

A. 3

B. 6

C. 9

D. 12

B. The Federation of Australia has six states – Western Australia, South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania – and 10 territories.

Q: Humans first arrived on the Australian continent about 65,000 years ago. What event led to the arrival of European settlers starting in 1787?

A. American Revolution

B. English Civil War

C. French Revolution

D. Irish Famine

A. Britain transported about 50,000 convicts to its American colonies as indentured servants during the 18th century. But after the American Revolutionary War cut off that outlet, Britain began clearing out its overcrowded prisons by shipping convicts to Australia.