Practice Questions

1.     Which statement is an opinion?

a.     Russian athletes are successful because their nation has superior culture.

b.     The gross domestic product (GDP) of Japan is greater than that of Thailand.

c.      China and India are the two most populous nations in the world.

d.     The majority of people in the Republic of South Africa are black.

2.     Which document is an example of a primary source?

a.     A novel on the Age of Discovery

b.     A diary of a Holocaust survivor

c.      A textbook on Latin American history

d.     An encyclopedia article on Songhai

3.     In which field of study do people learn about the development of early human beings?

a.     Economics

b.     Cartography

c.      Political science

d.     Anthropology

4.     Which factor is most characteristic of a market economy?

a.     Frequent shortages of consumer goods

b.     Prices determined by supply and demand

c.      Government control of heavy industry

d.     Lack of free enterprise

5.     The term “mercantilism” is defined as an economic system in which

a.     Prices are determined by the laws of supply and demand

b.     Colonies exist for the benefit of the colonial power

c.      Factors of production are owned by the government

d.     The proletariat benefit at the expense of the bourgeoisie

6.     Which statement best describes a mixed economy?

a.     The government determines the production and distribution of goods and services

b.     The products that consumers demand determine what goods are produced

c.      Some industries are owned by the state, and others are privately owned

d.     People produce the same goods, but in different amounts, every year

7.     A topographical map would most likely be used to

a.     Identify the major agricultural products of Egypt

b.     Determine the population of Beijing, China

c.      Estimate the elevation of Bangkok, Thailand

d.     Count the number of provinces in India

8.     Italy, Korea, Spain, and India are similar in that each is considered

a.     An archipelago

b.     A peninsula

c.      A landlocked nation

d.     An island nation

9.     Both Inca farmers and Japanese farmers adapted a geographic feature of their countries by

a.     Engaging in overseas expansion

b.     Growing crops suited to desert climates

c.      Building terraces into the mountainsides

d.     Reclaiming land from the sea by building dikes

10.   Which geographic factor has most strongly influenced Russia’s foreign policies and economic development?

a.     Lack of natural resources

b.     Vast desert regions

c.      Limited access to warm-water ports

d.     Extensive mountain ranges

1.     In the Middle East during Neolithic times, the development of farming brought about

a.     The establishment of permanent settlements

b.     A return to a nomadic lifestyle

c.      The rise of hunting as an important occupation

d.     Increased dependence on the exportation of oil

2.     The caste system in India was characterized by

a.     Toleration for various religious beliefs

b.     Equality between men and women

c.      A lack of social mobility

d.     The right of people to choose the occupations

3.     The Eightfold Path, the Four Noble Truths, and the concept of nirvana are associated with the religion of

a.     Islam

b.     Janism

c.      Shinto

d.     Buddhism

4.     The Code of Hammurabi of Sumeria, the Twelve Tables of Rome, and the Justinian Code of the Byzantine Empire were similar in that they

a.     Provided a basis for behavior for medieval knights and Japanese samurai

b.     Are legal systems developed to create order for the society

c.      Are documents that maintained the position of the upper classes

d.     Became examples of religious doctrine for other societies

5.     Taoism and Shintoism are similar in that both religions stress

a.     Adhering to the five Confucian relationships

b.     Following the Eightfold Path

c.      Developing harmony between humans and nature

d.     Believing in one God

6.     Why did the ancient city-states of Athens and Sparta develop different political systems?

a.     The Byzantine Empire dictated government policies

b.     Foreign travelers introduced new philosophies

c.      The mountainous topography resulted in the isolation of these city-states

d.     For over three centuries, civil wars rages in these city-states

7.     A similarity between the ancient western African kingdoms of Mali, Ghana, and Songhai is that these kingdoms

a.     Limited the power of their rulers

b.     Practiced Christianity

c.      Established economies based on trade

d.     Isolated themselves from contact with other cultures

§  Developed a tribute system

§  Reestablished trade along the Silk Roads

§  Created an empire from Eastern Europe to the Pacific coast of Asia

8.     Which group was responsible for the results described above?

a.     Huns

b.     Japanese

c.      Koreans

d.     Mongols

9.     In Japan between 1603 and 1863, the most notable action taken by the Tokugawa Shogunate was the

a.     Military conquest of China

b.     Development of extensive trade with the Americas

c.      Formation of cultural links with Europe

d.     Virtual isolation of the country from the outside world

10.   Alexander the Greats conquests of Greece, Asia Minor, Egypt, and Persia led to the

a.     Spread of Hellenistic culture

b.     Adoption of a feudal system

c.      Establishment of representative democracy

d.     Spread of Islamic culture throughout Europe

1.     The introduction of banking letters of credit, joint stock companies, and guilds contributed to the start of the

a.     Renaissance

b.     Agricultural Revolution

c.      Enlightenment

d.     Commercial Revolution

2.     Which idea about leadership would Niccolo Machiavelli most likely support?

a.     Leaders should do whatever is necessary to achieve their goals

b.     Leaders should fight against discrimination and intolerance

c.      Leaders should listen to the desires of the people

d.     Elected leaders should be fair and good

3.     A major goal of the Christian Church during the Crusades (1096-1291) was to

a.     Establish Christianity in western Europe

b.     Capture the Holy Land from Islamic rulers

c.      Unite warring Arab people

d.     Strengthen English dominance in the Arab world

4.     One factor that enabled the Renaissance to flourish in Northern Italy was that the region had

a.     W wealthy class that invested in the arts

b.     A socialist form of government

c.      Limited contact with the Byzantine Empire

d.     A shrinking middle class

5.     Francis Bacon, Galileo, and Isaac Newton promoted the idea that knowledge should be based on

a.     The experiences of past civilizations

b.     Experimentation and observation

c.      Emotions and feelings

d.     The teachings of the Catholic Church

6.     The primary goal of most of Europe’s absolute monarchs was to

a.     Support political freedom for the new middle classes

b.     Prevent contact with areas beyond Europe’s borders

c.      Centralize their political control over their nations

d.     Maintain peaceful relations with neighboring nations

7.     Base your answer to the following question on the quotation below and on your knowledge of social studies.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness…”

This statement best expresses the philosophy of

a.     Adam Smith

b.     Karl Marx

c.      Thomas Hobbes

d.     John Locke

8.     Which long-term effect did the Magna Carta and the establishment of Parliament have on England?

a.     The system of mercantilism was strengthened

b.     The power of the monarchy was limited

c.      The new American form of government was adopted

d.     The influence of the middle class was reduced

9.     What was a major cause of the French Revolution?

a.     Inequalities in the tax structure

b.     Economic success of mercantilism

c.      Failure of the Congress of Vienna

d.     Continental System of Europe

10.   One political objective of both Otto von Bismarck and Giuseppe Garibaldi was to

a.     Overthrow divine right monarchies

b.     Unify their nations

c.      Establish communist systems

d.     Form an alliance with Great Britain

1.     Which statement would Social Darwinists most likely support?

a.     Universal suffrage is a basic human right

b.     Political equality strengthens the effectiveness of government

c.      Stronger groups have the right to rule and control weaker groups

d.     Public education should be guaranteed to all members of a society

2.     Which was a result of the Industrial Revolution in England during the 19^th century?

a.     The number of farmers increased as the demand for wool in the textile industry rose

b.     Democratic principles were weakened as the power of the working class increased

c.      Workers became more secure in their jobs and less dependent on employers

d.     The structure of society changed to include a growing middle class

3.     Which statement is supported by the ideas of Karl Marx?

a.     Private ownership of businesses help workers

b.     Industrialization benefits the wealthy and exploits the poor

c.      Countries should benefit from the wealth of their colonies

d.     Industrial capitalism allows workers and employers to work together for a common purpose

4.     An immediate result of Commodore Matthew Perry’s visit to Japan in 1853 was

a.     An alliance between Japan and Russia

b.     The development of trade between Japan and the West

c.      A war between Japan and the United States

d.     The continued isolation of Japan

5.     In 19^th century China, the Opium War resulted in

a.     The control of Hong Kong being returned to China

b.     The removal of all British naval forces from China

c.      An increase in European spheres of influence in China

d.     The rejection of Buddhism by the Chinese people

6.     Why was the Balkan region referred to as the “Powder Keg of Europe” prior to World War I?

a.     The aggression of the Ottoman Empire was disrupting the balance of power

b.     Yugoslavia was invading its neighboring countries

c.      Nationalistic and imperialistic rivalries were increasing

d.     The area was the leading supplier of military equipment to the rest of the world

7.     Russian peasants supported the Bolsheviks in 1917 primarily because the Bolsheviks pledged to

a.     Establish and maintain collective farms

b.     Redistribute land and make peace

c.      Keep crop yields low

d.     Limit the income of the nobility

8.     A major goal of Joseph Stalin’s five-year plans was to

a.     Encourage communist revolutions in the colonies of the European powers

b.     Transform the Soviet Union into an industrial power

c.      Expand the Soviet Union’s borders to include warm-water ports

d.     Reduce the amount of foreign aid coming from the Western Hemisphere

9.     Which factor contributed most to the rise of totalitarian governments in Europe before World War II?

a.     Improved educational systems

b.     Expanding democratic reforms

c.      Increasing political stability

d.     Worsening economic conditions

10.   Which idea was included in the provisions of the Treaty of Versailles to show the intent of the Allies to punish the Central Powers for their role in World War I?

a.     All nations shall maintain open covenants of peace

b.     Freedom of the seas will be maintained

c.      Germany will accept full responsibility for causing the war

d.     Territorial settlements shall be made along clearly recognizable lines of nationality

1.     World War II is often considered to be a turning point in history because

a.     The League of Nations demonstrated that an international organization could maintain world peace

b.     The war brought an end to dictatorships as a form of government

c.      European domination of the world began to weaken as nationalism in colonies increased

d.     Religious and ethnic differences were no longer a source of conflict between nations

2.     The Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan were designed to

a.     Promote economic and political stability in Europe

b.     End German demands for the Sudetenland

c.      Restore democratic rule in Haiti

d.     Prevent Iraq’s takeover of Kuwait

3.     In the 30 years after World War II, which area was most influenced by the Soviet Union?

a.     Southeast Asia

b.     North Africa

c.      Eastern Europe

d.     Central America

4.     One similarity between Mikhail Gorbachev’s perestroika and Deng Xiaoping’s Four Modernizations is that each

a.     Allowed elements of capitalism

b.     Maintained the democratic process

c.      Strengthened communism

d.     Increased global tensions

5.     In China, the terms :commune,” “Great Leap Forward,: and “Cultural Revolution” are associated with the

a.     Economic success of the Manchu dynasty

b.     Mandate of Heaven

c.      Confucian emphasis on the five human relationships

d.     Leadership of Mao Zedong

6.     Sun Yat-sen’s “Three Principles of the People” (1911) and the demonstrations in Tiananmen Square (1989) were similar in that they both demanded that the Chinese government

a.     Achieve global interdependence

b.     Restore dynastic rule

c.      Introduce democratic reforms

d.     End foreign influences in China

7.     Genocide in Rwanda, apartheid in South Africa, and labor camps for dissidents in the Soviet Union are all examples of

a.     War crimes

b.     Acts of international terrorism

c.      Violations of human rights

d.     Civil disobedience

8.     The first Arab nation in the Middle East to reach a formal peace agreement with Israel under the Camp David accords (1979) was

a.     Saudi Arabia

b.     Lebanon

c.      Egypt

d.     Syria

9.     Which statement concerning the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is a fact rather than an opinion?

a.     Canada, Mexico, and the United States have benefitted equally from this agreement

b.     Canada, Mexico, and the United States have agreed to remove trade barriers between their countries

c.      Canada has been hurt the most by this agreement

d.     The United States wanted to sign this agreement more than Mexico did

10.   Which environmental problem affects large areas in both the Amazon Basin and Central Africa?

a.     Deforestation

b.     Nuclear waste

c.      Acid rain

d.     Air pollution