MidTerm Fall 2015

1.

2 points

A characteristic that the Shang shared with the Egyptian civilization was the

principle of the mandate of heaven

ancestor worship

lack of social hierarchy

development of walled settlements to defend against invaders

development of a writing system

2.

2 points

Which group was most likely to be literate in the period of European history often called the Dark Ages?

Monks

Aristocrats

Knights

Monarchs

Peasants

3.

2 points

Which of the following was NOT a common trait of early civilizations?

Formal state structures

Nomadism

Urban life

Monument building

Writing

4.

2 points

What happened in western Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire was similar to what occurred in

Byzantium after the end of the Eastern Empire

the Andes when the Spanish ousted the Inca

China after the fall of the Han Dynasty

Japan after the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate

the Holy Land after the unsuccessful Crusades ended

5.

2 points

Which of the following reasons motivated both the Abbasids and the Mongols to expand their empires?

The conversion of nonbelievers to their faith

The need to gain a port on the Baltic Sea

The desire for wealth and plunder

The desire to attack first to keep invaders from their own territories

Population pressures within their own empires

6.

2 points

In what respects did pastoralism pay important foundations for subsequent stages of human development?

Human societies first began to follow the leadership of recognized spiritual guides

Groups learned how to select seeds and grains that over time yielded more bountiful harvests

Settled living formed the basis for early writing systems

The American continents were first populated by pastoral peoples

Domesticate mammals began to provide more consistent sources of hides, bone, and protein

7.

2 points

River valley civilizations such as Egyptians or Sumerians developed all of the following EXCEPT

Complex religious rituals

Constitutional monarchy

Social stratification

Craft specialization

Long-distance trade

8.

2 points

The Aztec civilization's militaristic tone and use of human sacrifice was based on the earlier culture of the

Khazars

Totles

Maya

Inca

Mound Builders

9.

2 points

All of the following were characteristics borrowed by Kievan Russian from the Byzantine Empire EXCEPT

having the church dependent on the state

art and architectural styles

the Orthodox Church version of Christianity

the concept of a divine monarchy

a large and highly trained bureaucracy

10.

2 points

The period 8000BCE to 600CE saw all of the following EXCEPT

Birth of major world religions

Use of gunpowder

Origin of agriculture

Development of writing

Urbanization

11.

2 points

Which of the following was not a characteristic of early settled agricultural communities?

A fertility goddess as an important element in religious worship

The division of labor and the development of specialized skills

The development of immunity to contagious diseases over time

Cooperative public works projects

Equal status for men and women

12.

2 points

Which of the following trade networks is limited to the confines of the African continent?

Triangular trade routes

Trans-Saharan

East Asian Sea

Indian Ocean

Silk Roads

13.

2 points

All of the following states are accurate about both the Mayan and Aztec civilizations EXCEPT

the exact nature of the decline of the Mayan civilization, whereas the Aztec empire fell to the Spanish

the priest class in both empires were powerful

most of the ordinary people in both civilizations were farmers

the Mayans lived in independent city-states, whereas the Aztecs had one ruler over the entire empire

neither civilization had very advanced technologies or scientific understanding

14.

2 points

Which of the following best describes the region where the Inca civilization flourished?

Pacific coast and Valley of Mexico

Mississippi River basin and Andean highlands

Amazon basin and Valley of Mexico

Valley of Mexico and Andean highlands

Andean highland and Pacific coast

15.

2 points

Ghana in the 900s and France in the 1600s had which of the following characteristics in common?

Matrilineal descent

Parliamentary government

Divine monarchy

Islam

Trade based on gold and manufactured goods

16.

2 points

Which of the following best describes the spread of Islam in East Africa and Christianity in China?

Through the trans-Saharan trading network, Islam reached West Africa, but Christianity with its reliance on priests did not travel as easily along the Chinese inlands trade routes

Islam had a decided impact on the trading centers of East Africa but little impact on the interior whereas Christianity had little impact on either urban or rural areas in China

Neither religion made inroads in the cities of the interior of either area

The East African trading centers became a blend of African and Islamic society and culture

Christianity was confined to the cities in China while Islam made converts in the interior through the Swahili trading networks

17.

2 points

Which of the following was the most decisive change Mongol rule brought to Russia?

Emancipation of the serfs

Permanent separation of Russian culture from that of the West

Adoption of Buddhism among Russian elite

Abandonment of the Cyrillic alphabet

Migration of the center of power from Kiev to Moscow

18.

2 points

All of the following were characteristics of western Europe in the 1400s and 1500s EXCEPT

an increasingly urban population

the decline of the feudalism

the development of improved weaponry

the continued strength of the Roman Catholic Church

the growth of capitalism

19.

2 points

Which was the most densely populated region of the Americas by the end of the postclassical era?

Eastern woodlands region of North America

Valley of Mexico in Mesoamerica

Amazon river basin of South America

Southern cone of South America

Pacific northwest region of North America

20.

2 points

Which choice best characterizes the relationship between early civilizations and writing?

Writing permitted record keeping for trade and governments

There is no important relationship between civilization and writing

No sophisticated civilizations developed without a system of writing

Most civilizations developed without writing systems

Writing led to the development of civilization more than sedentary agriculture

21.

2 points

All of the following characteristics are true of the Tang and Song dynasties EXCEPT

the Confucian-educated scholar-gentry increased its power in government and society

Buddhism appeared in China for the first time

the urban population continued to grow

the subordinate role of women was symbolized by the practice of foot-binding

artistic and scientific innovations flourished

22.

2 points

Which indigenous African ethnic group adopted and vigorously spread Islam?

Berber

Khoisan

Ethiopian

Bedouin

Zulu

23.

2 points

Which West African leadership figure is best known for his lavish 14th century pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina?

Sundiata Keita

Sunni Ali

Leopold Senghor

Kwame Nkrumah

Mansa Kankan Musa

24.

2 points

Of the postclassical cities listed below, which was the most sophisticated?

London

Timbuktu

Paris

Rome

Moscow

25.

2 points

Which of the following developments most directly resulted from the Crusades?

Growth of Italian city-states

Columbian Exchange

Vasco da Gama's voyage to India

Restriction of European traders to treaty ports

Spread of the Black Death

26.

2 points

A major problem for developing countries in general is a

static rural/urban population distribution

stagnant population growth

lack of natural resources

lack of foreign economic aid

weak industrial base

27.

2 points

The most significant effect of Russia's conversion to Eastern Orthodox Christianity was

the way the Church's teachings that God vests power in the ruler strengthened the Russian tsars' control over the state

its influence on Russian architecture

the way it slowed the development of a Russian national identity

the trade network that Russia's acceptance of Christianity opened for it

the power it gave the Eastern Church in dealing with the Roman Catholic Church

28.

2 points

By which route would medieval women have been the most likely to find an alternative path in life outside of marriage?

Practicing witchcraft

Entering banking

Joining the priesthood

Becoming a nun

Joining a crusade

29.

2 points

The blending of Islamic culture traits with Indian practices resulted in the

development of a new religion, Sikhism

end of the caste system in the Delhi sultanate

end of Sufism

loss of Urdu as a language of the Indian subcontinent

use of Indian art styles to render Islamic subjects

30.

2 points

Which of the following is a fundamental teaching of Islam

Everyone is equal under Islam

Muslim converts may continue to worship their former deities

The 5 times a day prayer services that Muslims must observe are led by a priest called an imam

The Sharia is a compilation of the Sunna, the teachings of Muhammad, and the Quran

Social responsibility is less important than adherence to ritual

31.

2 points

The Mandate of Heaven governed the relationship between ruler and the ruled in

China

Japan

Russia

Ghana

France

32.

2 points

Which African society held on most fiercely to Christianity in the period of Islam's expansion into Africa?

Tunisia

Ghana

Egypt and Ethiopia

Mali

Songhai

33.

2 points

"And what, O priests, is the noble truth of the path leading to the cessation of misery? It is ...right belief, right resolve, right speech, right behavior, right occupation, right effort, right contemplation, right concentration." These words describe a teaching of which religion?

Hinduism

Judaism

Islam

Christianity

Buddhism

34.

2 points

A major influence on the development of western Europe was

the emergence of a unified Frankish kingdom

the spread of Islam into Spain by the Moors

the pressure put on Germanic peoples by the movement of the Huns

Attila's advance against Rome

the movements of the Mongols

35.

2 points

Which of the following doe NOT belong in a list of features of a stateless society?

Difficulty in undertaking large building projects

Mass slave revolts

Delayed ability to respond to external threats

Lack of stability required for consistent and growing long-distance trade

Limited ability to mobilize for war

36.

2 points

All of the following are true of the major Amerindian civilizations in Central and South America prior to the arrival of Europeans EXCEPT:

differentiation of labor

economies based on trade

monumental building

social stratification

urban centers

37.

2 points

Which practice dates from the Song era?

One-child policy

Concubinage

Foot binding

Divorce rights

Arranged marriage

38.

2 points

Monasticism was an important aspect of which two of the following religions?

Hinduism and Buddhism

Daoism and Shintoism

Christianity and Hinduism

Buddhism and Christianity

Islam and Buddhism

39.

2 points

Which of the following does NOT belong in a list of military tactics or equipment employed by the Mongol armies?

Phalanx infantry formations

Use of crossbow and short bow

Extensive spy network

Lightweight armor of leather, iron, or silk

Combination of light and heavy cavalry

40.

2 points

Which would have been outside the sphere of Mongol control at its height?

Mesopotamia

Germany

Persia

China

Anatolia

41.

2 points

Which of the following statements best describes the relationship between European and Asian commercial interests in the 1500s?

Europeans took over the Asian trading network by force

The trading network in Asia was divided into three zones: Arab, Indian, and Chinese

Europeans imposed a monopoly system on the spice trade

Europeans abandoned any idea of colonizing or trading directly with Asians in favor of using Asian intermediaries

Europeans found, after trial and error, that the only way to benefit from the Asian trading network was to join it as a peaceful partner

42.

2 points

Of those listed below, which civilization existed in the most complete state of isolation in the period 600-1450?

Delhi Sultanate

Kievan Rus

Ming China

Carolingian France

Aztec Empire

43.

2 points

Where did the earliest civilizations tend to develop?

Grassland steppes

Archipelagoes

Mountain plateaus

Coastlines

River valleys

44.

2 points

Which of the following two vied for influence in China during the Tang Dynasty?

Buddhism and Hinduism

Buddhism and Confucianism

Confucianism and Hinduism

Buddhism and Shintoism

Shintoism and Hinduism

45.

2 points

The introduction of papermaking into Europe is an example of cultural diffusion

from Japan by way of the Arab-Indian trade route

through the Triangular Trade route

from China by way of the Eurasian trade route

from the Middle East as part of the Eurasian trade route

through the Columbian Exchange

46.

2 points

Which of the following terms for a political unit does NOT have the title of its leader in its root word?

Country

Shogunate

Nation

Caliphate

Khanate

47.

2 points

Which of the following statements is an accurate description of both Buddhism and Hinduism?

Buddhism made use of formal rituals, but Hinduism did not

The caste system was an outgrowth of Hinduism but became identified with Buddhism

Both religions taught the importance of karma in affecting a person's fate

Neither religion placed importance on the individual's efforts to seek release from rebirth

Nirvana was a major aspect of the belief system of both Buddhism and Hinduism

48.

2 points

Which of the following was true for ALL of the early agricultural systems?

Economic activity based on raising a combination of domesticated plants and draft animals

Abandonment of sedentary agriculture

Wheat and barley cultivation

Domestication of perennial plants each region

Primary reliance on pastoral forms of social organization

49.

2 points

Which of he following was not true of nomadic groups?

Nomadic societies had little positive influence on settled people

They had some social hierarchy

Most of the themes of nomadic art centered on their animals

Nomadic societies were patriarchal

Nomadic societies engaged in peaceful trade

50.

2 points

What is the name of the peninsula that served as the homeland of the Byzantine and, later, the Ottoman Empire?

Horn of Africa

Anatolia

Italian

Iberian

Florida