Social Studies 6th Grade
Interim 3
Name: ______________________________________________________
Teacher: _________________________________ Class: ___________
1.
Which religious characteristic is shared by Jews, Christians, and Muslims?
a. belief in monotheism
c. belief in participation in hajj
b. belief in Jesus and the Messiah
d. belief in Muhammad as the Prophet of Allah
2.
What information might an archaeologist learn from the painting above?
a. the height of the humans living in the region
c. types of animals found in the region
b. the names of gods worshiped here
d. the time of year this cave was visited
3.
Why did farming lead to permanent villages?
a. people grew too much food to travel
b. people needed to build storage for crops
c. people needed to stay and tend their crops
d. people had to be able to make pottery to hold food
4.
Which feature of geography was the most important in the development of early river valley civilizations?
a. fertile soil from the rivers
c. vast deserts
b. high mountains
d. smooth coastlines
5.
As migration occurs, aspects of people’s lifestyles blend together. This is an example of what?
a. cultural diffusion
c. human environment interaction
b. ecological interaction
d. innovation
6. How did the invasion of the Aryans change the Indus River Valley?
a. equality spread in society
c. the Caste System formed
b. people started to marry outside of caste
d. trading with other civilizations began
7.
‘The number system developed by the Gupta mathematicians spread around the world largely as a result of
Middle Eastern traders’
Which factor contributed most to the spread of the mathematical system developed in India during the Gupta Empire?
a. the travels of foreign merchants
c. the spread of Buddhism by missionaries
b. the construction of universities
d. the conquest of the empire by outside invaders
8.
What were the two major cities that developed in the Indus River Valley?
a. Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro
c. Sumer and Babylonia
b. Mecca and Jerusalem
d. Egypt and Kush
9.
Why might ancient cultures have been more likely to settle in northern India than southern India?
a. northern India contained two major rivers.
b. the mountains prevented rain from reaching the southern portion of India.
c. northern India provided better access to the sea.
d. the southern climate was not as temperate as the northern climate.
10. Which statement best explains how the monsoons affected the development of early Indian civilizations?
a. The flooding caused by monsoons slowed the growth of the population in early Indian civilizations.
b. the water brought by monsoon rains allowed agriculture to develop away from India’s major rivers.
c. the wetness from the monsoons pushed many to migrate farther south in search of a better climate.
d. the harsh winters caused by strong monsoon winds blowing in from Central Asia made life more difficult.
11. How did Hinduism develop as a religion?
a. Indian leaders were considered to be gods, and they established Hinduism.
b. Aryan invaders brought their religion to India, and it combined with other local religions to form Hinduism.
c. a prophet lived among the people and taught them the basic beliefs of Hinduism.
d. the first people to settle in India had a creation story that developed into Hinduism.
12. What similarity did the Indus and Ganges Rivers share?
a. they provided water that made the monsoons stronger.
b. they created canyons that protected the Indian subcontinent.
c. they added important nutrients to the soil that improved farming.
d. they provided transportation routes that connected distant peoples.
13. Which factor most contributed to the improvement of trade in India during the period of Gupta rule?
a. the development of better ships
c. the construction of a network of roads
b. the rapid growth of the population
d. the establishment of colleges and universities
14. Which statement best explains this feature of the caste system?
‘The Indian caste system places warriors and soldiers at a higher level than merchants and farmers.’
a. the priests who occupy the highest caste are first trained as soldiers.
b. security was a concern in ancient India because of its vulnerability to invasion.
c. there were fewer merchants and farmers in ancient India than warriors and soldiers.
d. military strength and security were important to the Aryans when they were nomads.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Caste System
The caste system developed during the Gupta period in India, about 400 AD. Castes created social and political
order. People could not rise to another caste or change caste by marriage. A person could fall to a lower caste by
behaving badly. The rules of the caste system covered marriage, jobs and social habits, such as the way someone
ate or drank. There was little need to have powerful local leaders because the strict rules of the caste system kept
order.
15. What did the caste system create?
a. a set of rules for the Brahmin
b. social and political order
c. fairness and equality for all people
d. chaos and disorder
16. The reason local leaders (a government) were unnecessary in villages was probably due to
a. no one would listen to the leaders
b. the lack of a written language
c. people did not want to become politicians
d. the existence of a caste system kept order on its own
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
17. Which factor restricted trade between China and civilizations to its west and southwest?
a. shortages of natural resources
c. constant fighting among local rulers
b. significant geographic obstacles
d. conflict over a limited number of customers
18. Which statement best demonstrates how the structure of the government in ancient China was similar to the structure of
the traditional Chinese family?
a. women and men both contributed to the state but served in separate types of jobs.
b. moving up the ranks of government service was directly tied to age and family status. _
c. the emperor was given the same respect by citizens as fathers were by their children.
d. government officials were expected to live in dormitories with others in their ministry
19. The concept of the “Mandate of Heaven” was used to justify
a. the existence of slavery
b. the takeover of foreign peoples
c. the right of the father to rule the family
d. the emperor's control over the government
20. Which problem contributed most to the construction of the Great Wall during the Qin dynasty?
a. civil war
c. trade competition
b. foreign invasion
d. high unemployment
21. Which statement best explains how the ancient Chinese civilization was similar to other early human civilizations?
a. Chinese civilization united a diverse set of populations.
b. Chinese civilization first developed in a fertile river valley.
c. Chinese civilization was originally centered around trading posts.
d. Chinese civilization was brought by nomadic peoples from the Middle East.
22. Which statement explains why the development of the Silk Road benefited the Chinese economy?
a. it decreased the cost of exporting goods.
b. it enabled Chinese workers to migrate to job locations.
c. it created access to an abundant supply of raw materials.
d. it opened new markets for Chinese producers.
23. Which factor contributed most to the spread of Buddhism from India to China?
a. trade connections
c. military conquests
b. forced migrations
d. religious intolerance
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Silk Road
The Silk Road connected China with far-off lands. It was the first major trade system of its kind. Trade became a major
part of the early Chinese economy. The Silk Road was a series of trade routes that connected China with markets in
Europe, Central Asia, South Asia, North Africa, and the Middle East.
The Silk Road was not a continuous road but rather a series of trade routes that connected China with Europe, India,
the Middle East, and northern Africa. One of the main routes to the West extended about 4,000 miles. The sea routes
of the Silk Road traveled via the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean to Iraq or Egypt. On the other side, merchants
brought the goods to Alexandria, Egypt, and other places Europeans used for trade.
24. According to the passage, what was the Silk Road?
a. one paved road that people in Ancient China used to travel to work
b. a series of trade routes that connected China with other parts of the world.
c. a place to worship and celebrate culture
d. a series roads that connected North and South America
25. According to the passage, what were two water ways used for trading along the sea routes of the Silk Road?
a. Yellow River and Nile River
c. Southern Ocean and Ganges River
b. Arabian Sea and Atlantic Ocean
d. South China Sea and Indian Ocean
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
26. Due to its geography, which civilization would be most likely invaded?
a. Sumer
c. Indus Valley
b. Egypt
d. China
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
27. ‘Mansa Musa made Timbuktu a cultural center by supporting the arts and learning. He established mosques as
centers of learning and hired an Egyptian architect to design mosques in two of the empire’s major cities.’
Based on this information, the reforms of Mansa Musa suggest that, for him, Islam was largely a matter of what?
a. education and culture
c. conquest and conversion of non-Muslim peoples
b. making a pilgrimage to Mecca
d. the political advantage of being part of the Caliphate
28. Which physical feature divides Africa into two distinct regions?
a. the Atlas Mountains
c. the Persian Gulf
b. the Nile River
d. the Sahara Desert
29. Which factor had the greatest influence over the type of agriculture that developed in the forest regions of Africa?
a. poor quality of the soil
c. lack of water for irrigation
b. mildness of the climate
d. abundance of game animals
30. Which factor most contributed to the spread of the Bantu languages?
a. trade
c. cultural diffusion
b. migration
d. religious conversion
31. What contribution did Mansa Musa make to the religion of the Mali Empire?
a. he used customs and beliefs from the many local religions in the empire to create a new religion.
b. he established laws to create religious tolerance throughout the empire, which led to the introduction of Islam.
c. he converted to Islam and made it the official religion of the empire.
d. he used the empire’s vast trade routes and its conquests to increase the spread of local religions.
32. How are most indigenous African religions similar?
a. they are practiced across large areas of the continent.
b. they center on prayers and sacrifices to a supreme being.
c. they involve worship of devotion to a “mother goddess.”
d. they involve the belief in and worship of many gods
33. What is the main difference between the savannas and the semiarid regions of Africa?
a. the abundance of salt
c. the elevation above sea level
b. the type of grain crops grown
d. the amount of water available
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Rulers of West African Empires
Tenkamenin King of Ghana 1037-1075 A.D.
The country of Ghana reached the height of its greatness during the reign of Tenkamenin. Through his careful management of
the gold trade across the Sahara Desert into West Africa, Tenkamenin’s empire flourished economically. But his greatest
strength was in government. Each day he would ride out on horseback and listen to the problems and concerns of his people.
He insisted that no one be denied an audience and that they be allowed to remain in his presence until satisfied that justice
had been done. His principles of democratic monarchy and religious tolerance made Tenkamenin’s reign one of the greatest
examples of African rule.
Mansa Kankan Musa King of Mali 1306 – 1332 A.D.
A leader and world figure, Mansa Musa distinguished himself as a man who did everything on a grand scale. An accomplished
businessman, he managed vast resources to benefit his entire kingdom. He was also a scholar, and imported noteworthy
artists to heighten the cultural awareness of his people.
In 1324 he led his people on the hadj, a holy pilgrimage from Timbuktu to Mecca. His caravan consisted of 60,000 people
whom he led safely across the Sahara Desert and back, a total distance of 6,496 miles. So spectacular was this event that Mansa
Musa gained the respect of scholars and traders throughout Europe, and won international prestige for Mali as one of the
world’s largest and wealthiest kingdoms.
34. How did Tenkamenin help Ghana reach the height of their greatness?
a. he led them into battle against Macedonia
b. his careful management of the gold trade
c. his agricultural skills that helped create a surplus
d. his strict code of laws that focused on social structure
35. According to the passage, how can you infer why Tenkamenin was respected by his people?
a. he listened to the problems of his people and made them feel valued
b. he used force and strict punishments to make examples of people who disobeyed him
c. he gave money to his people to help them survive
d. he required that all men join the military
36. From the reading passage, what do you think the word hadj means?
a. holy war
c. a holy pilgrimage
b. the language of Mali
d. the resource most traded by Mansa Musa
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
37. What place separates Northern Africa from Southern Africa?
a. the Sahara Desert
b. Mount Kilimanjaro
c. the Senegal River
d. the Nile River
38. Which of the following best describes Africa?
a. a small continent with only one major river
b. a large continent where most of the land is rocky
c. a medium-sized continent with only a tropical climate
d. a large continent with many different climates
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
39. How did the geography of ancient Greece effect its early development?
a. the mountains led to the creation of independent city-states
b. a lack of natural seaports limited communication
c. an inland location hurt trade and colonization
d. the scattered small islands made it easy for communication
40. Socrates was a philosopher whose method of teaching involved what?
a. asking open-ended questions, so students learned using reasoning.
b. using fear and embarrassment to force students to learn.
c. students gaining knowledge only through personal experiences.
d. giving lectures attended by hundreds of students.
41. In which way was life in Athens different from life in Sparta?
a. life in Athens involved more farming, while life in Sparta involved more fishing and sailing.
b. life in Athens was influenced by religious thought, while life in Sparta did not allow religion.
c. life in Athens praised exercise and strength, while life in Sparta praised democratic citizenship.
d. life in Athens was focused on education, while life in Sparta was focused on the military
42. How did Alexander the Great change the world?
a. he passed along the idea of tyranny
b. he used fear to take over land
c. he spread Hellenistic / Greek culture and the love of learning
d. he spread disease to wipe out civilizations
43. What was the primary purpose of education for young boys in Ancient Sparta?
A. to give them an understanding of history
B. to educate them on religious thought
C. to ready for further study in college
D. to train them to serve in the army
44. ‘Aristotle was a Greek philosopher. He lived between 384 - 322 BC. He once said that all art, all investigation and
every human pursuit or undertaking seems to aim at some good. He also said that 'the good' is that at which all
things aim. He applied this idea to government. He explained that "The good of man must be the purpose of
politics."’
What is the main idea of Aristotle's quote?
a. the aim of good government should be the protection of the people.
b. scientists should be politicians.
c. philosophers make the best politicians.
d. art and music are very important to good government.
45. By 300 BC, this location boasted of being a democracy, with citizens elected by councils, running the court system and
participating as judges and jury. Yet, this same system had slaves. Also, most women could not take part in government.
Where was this?
a. Sparta
c. Rome
b. Athens
d. Constantinople
46. ‘Unlike other ancient civilizations, which developed in fertile river valleys, ancient Greek civilization developed
on mountainous islands and peninsulas.’
This statement suggests that:
a. the ancient Greeks had all of the resources required to sustain their civilization
b. conquest and trade were more important than farming in the development of Greece
c. the ancient Greeks produced a wider variety of crops than other ancient civilizations
d. ancient Greek farmers were more innovative in developing agricultural technologies than farmers from other
ancient civilizations
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Greek Mythology
In Greek mythology, the gods are seen as great and powerful beings. However, they are given human qualities and
interact with humans, also known as mortals, a great deal. They help mortals win contests, they fall in love with
mortals, and they even save mortals from monsters. Mythology makes it seem like humans would be lost without the
gods. This is especially apparent in the tale of Prometheus. In Greek mythology, Prometheus is not only seen as a
great supporter of humans, but he is also responsible for their appearance and survival in the world.
47. According to the passage, how are gods viewed in Greek mythology?
a. they were evil and caused only harm to humans
b. they were great and powerful with human qualities
c. they were less powerful and more weak than humans
d. they did not resemble humans and were hard to identify
48. How does Greek mythology view the relationship between humans and the gods?
a. gods and humans were unable to maintain positive relationships because humans were greedy
b. humans and gods fought each other over territory
c. humans were dependent on the gods and were lost without their guidance
d. gods and humans never interacted with each other because they lived in different worlds
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
49. The Geeks influenced later societies in what way?
a. the majority of citizens can lead the government
b. kings are the best rulers in most places
c. after Ancient Greece was overthrown, the Greek language died out
d. oligarchies became the type of government found during most of the Roman Empire
50. By looking at the structure in the diagram above, it is evident that Ancient Greeks had an influence on modern day what?
a. art
c. military
b. transportation
d. architecture