Name: Josie B.
Class: 21st Century History
Mods: 3-4

Chapter 8 Test
The Epidemic of 2027

Part 1: Short Answer

1.
What was the Duct Tape Virus and the circumstance of its name?

It was the disease that affected most of the world in 2027. Its main symptom was the inability to lie or withhold the truth. For example, if someone wearing a ridiculous orange hat walked up to an infected victim, the victim would be obligated to say, “That looks more like thrown up mangos on your head than a hat.” It was named from the fact that people would wear duct tape over their mouths to prevent unwanted words from escaping.

2.
What were symptoms of the virus?

By itself, the Duct Tape Virus didn’t show any physical signs, but it was still easy to tell when someone was infected. They were often seen with something covering their mouths (usually duct tape) or, if not, they were constantly speaking. Also, companions of an infected person usually looked highly irritated and stressed. A victim without something to stop the constant noise pollution leaking from their mouths was often seen with bumps and bruises from people who had a temper and were in the close proximity to the unfortunate infected person.

3.
How did the Virus affect the economy and the population at large?

The Virus led to household tension and more divorces occurred during the Epidemic. Also violence in the streets increased but organized crime decreased. More people got into brawls on the street over petty insults but crimes like shoplifting decreased because the shoplifters were forced to shout out, “I am about to take this without paying for it!” Also unemployment shot up after employees started to admit their laziness or criticize their bosses to their faces.

4.
What was the Worldwide Convention?

It was the assembly of the various presidents and leaders of the world who met to discuss possible solution for the dilemma. Unfortunately, it was unsuccessful and almost led to World War 3 after the infected prime minister of France declared the president of the United States a “snorting baboon with an inflated opinion of itself.”

Part 2: True or False

1.
The Duct Tape Virus was air borne.

True. This made it almost impossible to stop from spreading and its highly contagious nature caused various outbreaks worldwide in only a few weeks. About one in five people on the globe were affected by the Virus at the peak of the Epidemic.

2.
The virus was hated by every person who contracted it.

False. The general consensus was dislike of the disease but a few people enjoyed the truthfulness of the virus. A group called “Pro Hon” which stood for Pro Honesty liked the integrity of the virus and said it “deepened relationships and prevented false connections.”

Part 3: Essay

1.
How was the Duct Tape Virus finally cured?

The disease was cured accidently by a mother, Malinda Crow, who was sick of hearing her teenage son’s virus-induced rants. Everything she did was criticized, from her cooking (“that must have been a desert chicken, it was so dry”) to her driving (“I would feel safer with an ostrich in the driver’s seat”). Crow was usually a very sensible and reasonable woman and knew that her son was affected by a disease, but she still snapped. Perhaps it was because her son seemed much too pleased to be saying what was on his mind or perhaps she contracted a different virus that causes people to overreact to the Duct Tape Virus. Whatever the reason, Malinda Crow went on a rampage and shouted something like “I am so sick of your criticism! The Virus causes you to say bad things but it doesn’t stop you from giving compliments! You have such a foul mouth and do you know what we do with filthy mouths….” at this point, she stormed out of the room and headed toward the bathroom “...we clean them.” Malinda returned and handed her son a bar of soap. “Eat it!” Her son was more afraid than when he watched “The Night of the Living Dead” when he was five because his mother had never spoken like that before, so he obediently took a bite. Miraculously, it worked. There was something in the soap that killed the Duct Tape Virus and cures people of the awful side effects of the disease. The news spread quickly and in a few weeks almost everybody was cured. A few people were immune to the vaccine or, more likely, they pretended to be immune and continue to speak everything on their minds. Or perhaps they never even had the Virus. Anyway, the Duct Tape Virus became almost obsolete except in the expression “When the Tape gets too sticky, someone always finds the soap.”