<p>I like this quiz… had to brush up on some of the states.<br>
[Test</a> your geography knowledge - USA states | Lizard Point](<a href=“http://www.lizardpoint.com/geography/usa-quiz.php]Test”>Test your geography knowledge - USA: states quiz | Lizard Point Quizzes)</p>
<p>That quiz reinforced what I already knew: the NE is a big blur of "I don’t know"s and "I don’t care"s.</p>
<p>Another, nonshocker: I did better on the Central and South America quizzes than the US quiz.</p>
<p>I used to teach high school and I remember being stunned at how many students had no idea where Afghanistan and Iraq were – in 2002 and in a town that is mostly an extension of the nearby military base.</p>
<p>My daughter and I recently sat down to draw the United States map with states. Our performance was pretty similar–and it wasn’t all that great. I think I would have done much better at just labeling the states on a map (and I would have known most of the capitals, too). I think I’d do pretty will labeling European countries–except for the parts that used to be Yugoslavia.</p>
<p>Colorado-mom, I’d like to thank you for my newest procrastination tool!</p>
<p>Geography quiz: Can you locate the following:</p>
<p>Aspen
Avalon
Bel Air
Bonneville
California
Catalina
Colorado
Cordoba
Corsica
Durango
Granada
Malibu
Milan
Monaco
Monte Carlo
Montego
Monterey
Newport
Pacifica
Phoenix
Sebring
Silverado
Tacoma
Tahoe
Torino
Ventura
Yukon</p>
<p>Bonus: what do these names have in common?</p>
<p>Once upon a time I knew every US state and capital, now I don’t. I don’t feel guilty about it. I think it’s more important to know that Iowa and Ohio are in the midwest than which is which. I’m actually quite good at the US since I took a 9 month driving tour of them in 1979 and only missed 9 states on the continental US. I can still draw an outline map of Europe like my Mom taught me in 4th grade, but I have not kept up with all the new countries in Europe. So I know more or less where Serbia, Croatia, Macedonia and Slovenia are (northwest of Greece!), but not which is which. I’m not going to beat myself up about it.</p>
<p>You could have added Aurora, Concord and Daytona. </p>
<p>Shows they like geography in Motor City.</p>
<p>Speaking of trivia, which car uses every vowel in its name?</p>
<p>What do these names have in common
Scirocco
Bora
Golf<br>
Jetta<br>
Passat<br>
Vento<br>
Polo</p>
<p>@ucb <em>jumps up and down</em> Oh, I know! Places I have never been and don’t think about on a daily basis!</p>
<p>/sarcasm</p>
<p>@xiggi I know this one! Lamborghini Murcielago.</p>
<p>Re: #29</p>
<p>They are all Volkswagen model names.</p>
<p>I think the ones in #26 are all names of kids in the local elementary school.</p>
<p>Hunt. You are a genius. Absolute genius.</p>
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<p>Yep, but that is the easy part. They have something else in common. </p>
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<p>Good one. I should have added in “English.” The answer I knew was Sequoia. </p>
<p>By the way, if the College Board had been tasked to name the car, they might have used the word abstemious, and pointed out that they used the vowels in their natural order. In a facetious way. Oops, that makes two such words. :)</p>
<p>Are you referring to the Volkwagen wind theme for many of its model names?</p>
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<p>Yep, although there are a few different theories regarding Polo and Golf. On the one hand, Polo refers to Polar Winds and Golf to Gulfstream. On the other hand, VW has played with the sports theme as well with limited editions such as Driver and Derby where Golf and Polo would fit. </p>
<p>And there are the animals a la Fox, Rabbit, Beetle, etc.</p>
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<p>When we moved from NYC to Ohio an acquaintance, lifelong NYer, said “Ohio? That’s where they grow potatoes, right?”.</p>
<p>I can even remember which is which if I remember that the C and O canal must have originally ended up in Ohio not Iowa!</p>
<p>Trust me, I am a College Geography prof. and these kids are not getting much geography of any kind in High School. Thank God I teach physical geography!</p>
<p>When my son took World History his teacher stressed geography big time. Lots of maps. He can name just about any country today. At the time he didn’t like it much but now he has a greater interest and grasp of world politics and current events because of it.</p>