AAS 261/UGC211-Summer 2009/Test No. 3,
NAME (Last,)
Write your names on all sheets IF they are not stapled!
(First): ___________________________________________________________________
INSTRUCTIONS: DO NOT PROCEED until you have read and understood the following:
(1) Answer all questions. (2) Select responses that reflect comprehension of class discussions and readings. (3) In those instances where there may be more
than one correct response to a question SELECT THE RESPONSE THAT PROVIDES THE MOST COMPLETE INFORMATION RELATIVE TO
THE OTHER RESPONSES. (4) For each question select only ONE response. (5) Time allocated for this test: NO MORE THAN 70 minutes! (6) All
questions are of equal value. (7) If a scantron sheet has been provided, then fill in the appropriate bubbles carefully--including your name and ID # on the
back. (Failure to comply with this requirement will earn you an automatic zero on the test--the computer will see to that). (8) On the test itself
circle the letter next to the correct option AND write it in CAPITALS on the appropriate lines in the margin as well. (9) Always check to see if the test
continues on the other side of the sheet. (10) In some instances selection of a correct option may render the entire question ungrammatical--don't have a
cow over this, just relax. (11) If you are allowed to look at a dictionary in this test, then you are NOT permitted to bug me about the meaning of a word;
you should bring a dictionary with you. (12). You must write your names on ALL the test sheets. (I will not be responsible for misplaced sheets without
names on them).(13) Failure to adhere to these instructions may render your test VOID. (14) This test covers material specified on your class home page.
There are no "trick" questions in this test. If you think you have found a trick question then it simply means you do not know the material.
This is not an intelligence test. I am not a psychologist--I am not in the business of trying to measure your intelligence with my tests. My tests only
measure how much studying you did (if any!) of course material.
No test can cover everything that is assigned in a course. Moreover, you are not doing this course in order to take tests. Therefore, if there are no
questions on material that you bust your guts studying, do not despair; you have not wasted your time because you are now more knowledgeable than you
were before. (Smile)
1. _____ In the introduction to the glossary I talk about the
internal combustion engine. What is my point? (A) This is a
trick question because I do not mention anything about the internal
combustion engine. (B) I refer to it as an example of how an
invention can lead to both progress and retrogression at one and
the same time. (C) I use it as an example to draw a distinction
between knowledge and information (D) I refer to it in order to
explain what hegemony is.
2. _____ The ideology of “whiteness” has its roots in (A) skin
color. *(B) the European colonization of other peoples. (C)
capitalism. (D) Christian theological beliefs.
3. _____ The ideology of whiteness is organized around a
number of principles; which among the following is not one
of them: (A) whiteness as “property”. (B) knowledge is rooted in
whiteness, anything else is superstition. (C) whiteness defines what
it means to be human. (D) Eurocentrist hubris. *(E) the belief that
males are superior to females.
4. ______ The issue of “illegal immigration” is not a raceneutral issue. (Thought experiment: If “illegal” immigrants
were mostly white Canadians or Europeans would it be as big
an issue as it is now?) Of the many canards surrounding this
issue is the one that such immigrants take away jobs from
U.S. citizens. What illustration did I use to point this out. (A)
I stated that everyone in this country, with the exception of Native
Americans and African Americans, are illegal immigrants or
descendents of illegal immigrants. *(B) I discussed the matter of
harvesting strawberries. (C) I brought out a series of employment
statistics. (D) I talked about the chicken processing industry, and
Walmart. (E) None of the above. (Something to chew over: Except
for U.S. First Americans and African Americans, everyone else is
an illegal immigrant.)
5. ________ Government ownership of a business does not
necessarily imply the existence of socialism. Why? Because a
society can be considered socialist only when, among other
things, (A) the government does not engage in any economic
activity. (B) there is the absence of democracy in that society. *(C)
the entire economic system is driven not by profit-making, but by
social needs. (D) individuals in that society are not allowed to have
personal possessions.
6. ________ There are a number of different types of
capitalism: state capitalism, transnational corporate
capitalism, mercantile capitalism, and industrial capitalism.
The common bond between all these different forms of
capitalism is *(A) the limitless acquisition of wealth through
profit-making. (B) that they can only exist in societies that permit
equality of opportunity in ownership of the principal means of
production. (C) that they can only exist in societies where workers
are not only allowed to form trade unions, but they are guaranteed
a minimum wage. (D) that they can only exist in societies that have
democracy.
7. ________ The apparent inability by many in this society to
develop human relationships outside of exploitative or
dominative parameters is one of the constant themes in this
course. What, PRINCIPALLY, does this suggest to us? (A)
we must learn to love each other, because without love we lose all
our humanity in all its dimensions: intellectual, altruistic, creative,
etc. *(B) One of the costs that a society with a capitalist system as
advanced as the one in this country must be bear, is the corruption
of interpersonal relations by capitalist principles. (C) the tragedy of
human societies is that we are still, uncivilized, regardless of
technological advances. (D) courses, such as this one, are ultimately
a waste of time because people can never change--violence,
exploitation, oppression, domination, etc., are biologically intrinsic
to the human condition.
8. ________ Which among the following statements is
correct: (A) Capitalism, as a universal economic system, was first
invented by Western Europeans. (B) Capitalists have existed almost
through out human history. (C) Without the invention of money,
capitalism can not arise. (D) The essential motive force behind
capitalism is the limitless acquisition of wealth, not the creation of
jobs, or the creation of democracy, etc. *(E) All of the above.
9. ________ Which among the following statements is NOT
correct: (A) The mere buying and selling of goods by merchants
does not in of itself signify the existence of capitalism as a
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universal economic system. (B) It is quite possible for a society to
have capitalists in the absence of capitalism. (C) The
universalization of capitalism required the transition from
mercantile capitalism to industrial capitalism. *(D) Capitalism
cannot exist without democracy. (E) The transition to capitalism in
Europe could not have occurred without massive and brutal
suffering being unleashed on the European peasantry by the
capitalist class.
10. ________ A capitalist society can never be a class-less
society. Why? *(A) Capitalism requires the existence of a labor
market and a capital market, which presupposes the existence of
classes. (B) All human societies have classes independent of their
economic system. (C) Democracy can not exist without classes and
capitalism cannot exist without democracy. (D) Because capitalism
arose out of feudalism which was a class-based society.
11. ________ The term “capitalist class” today also includes
(A) workers. (B) the middle class. *(C) business corporations. (D)
banks.
12. ________ Business corporations cannot exist in socialist
societies. Why? (A) Because such societies abhor democracy. *(B)
Socialism requires a classless, centrally planned economic system.
(C) Socialism is opposed to the acquisition of any form of wealth
at any level. (D) Socialist societies are economically too inefficient
to permit the existence of business corporations.
13. ________ The example of China serves to make the point
that *(A) because business corporations can not exist in socialist
societies, China today is socialist only in name not in fact. (B) the
Chinese were the first to engage in capitalist activities because they
invented money. (C) China is a communist country without classes.
(D) by the end of this century, the Chinese economy will be the
largest in the world. (E) All of the above.
14. ________ A society can be considered capitalist only
when, among other things, (A) there is democracy in that society.
*(B) the acquisition of wealth in that society is based on profitmaking. (C) there is equality of opportunity for everyone to own a
business. (D) workers are permitted to form trade unions.
17. _______ Which of the following religions have always
prohibited slavery? (A) Islam. (B) Christianity. (C) Judaism. *(D)
None of the above.
18. _______ Where the race of the slaves did not coincide
with that of their masters, it was quite likely that (A) the slaves
would rarely, if ever, see manumission. (B) slave/non-slave
boundary was very rigid in terms of social relations (marriage,
sexual intercourse, etc.). (C) racism was an important ideological
framework that enmeshed the slaves. *(D) All of the above.
19. _______ Which one of the following statements does
NOT apply to "slave-owning societies" (when compared with
"slave societies”): Slaves were (A) most likely to be a drain on
the economy. *(B) less likely to have opportunities for
manumission. (C) owned more for status reasons than economic
reasons.
20. _______ In which of the following regions of the world
slavery was unknown (A) The Americas, prior to the arrival of
the Europeans. (B) Asia. (C) Africa, prior to the arrival of the
Europeans. (D) Europe. *(E) None of the above.
21. _______ In human history the origins of slavery (A)
began with the establishment of the Roman empire. (B) are rooted
in the development of capitalist greed. *(C) are lost to human
memory. (D) began with the development of racism.
22. _______ Which from among the following were paths to
enslavement in slave owning societies: (A) capture in war. (B)
self-sale. (C) enslavement due to indebtedness of kin. (D) capture
in slave-raiding expeditions. *(E) All of the above.
23. _______ Slavery was first abolished by law in 1777 in the
U.S. in the state of (A) Virginia. *(B) Vermont. (C) Rhode
Island. (D) North Carolina.
24. _______ The first country in the world to begin a
campaign to abolish the international slave trade was (A) the
U.S. (B) France. *(C) Britain. (D) Canada.
15. ________ This footnote is part of the entry on capitalism
in the glossary: “While this course is heavily critical of the
capitalist system...this should not be taken to imply that there
is a surreptitious plea here for the wholesale abandonment of
the capitalist system.” So what exactly is the issue about
capitalism in this course, then? *(A) Democracy is not intrinsic
to capitalist societies, it must be constructed in spite of (and often
in opposition to the dictates of) capitalism. (B) Profit-making is the
source of all evil. (C) Capitalism is at the root of racism and
sexism. (D) All of the above.
25. _______ In Europe, most of the slaves who were freed in
time became *(A) serfs. (B) freehold peasants. (C) workers in
factories. (D) indentured servants.
16. ________ The example of the Soviet Union is given in the
reading to make the point that (A) the origins of the Cold War
were rooted in the fact that the Soviet Union was a highly
oppressive country, engaging in massive violations of the human
rights of its citizenry. (B) socialism and democracy are
fundamentally incompatible. (C) it was the first country to give rise
to a form of capitalism called state capitalism. *(D) by championing
socialism in the world it interfered with the profit-making activities
of the transnationals—hence the emergence of the Cold War. (E)
None of the above.
27. _______ Which of the following statements is accurate
regarding the Atlantic slave trade: (A) African rulers who
acquired slaves, preferred to keep women and children for
themselves, while the men were sold to European slave traders. (B)
Europeans rarely ventured into the African interior for slaves,
rather it is Africans who brought the slaves to the coast. (C) The
death rate among the crews of the slave ships was almost as high as
the death rate among the slaves themselves. (D) The propensity to
overload slave ships was an outcome of the fact that the ship
captains were paid on the basis of numbers of slaves taken on
26. _______ The source of most of the slaves involved in the
international slave trade originated out of three major
"population reservoirs." Which from among the following
was not a population reservoir: (A) Western Europe. (B) The
Slavic region of Eastern Europe. (C) Sub-Saharan Africa. *(D)
Central America.
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board at the start of the journey rather than the number actually
delivered at the end of the journey. *(E) All of the above, except
option D.
28. _______ Slavery was first introduced to Africa by (A) the
Europeans. (B) the Muslims (Arabs). (C) Jews. *(D) Africans
themselves.
29. _______ In which of the following countries of Europe
slavery was unknown (A) England. (B) France and Germany. (C)
Russia. (D) Scandinavian countries. *(E) None of the above; that
is slavery existed in all these countries.
30. _______ Which of the following statements is NOT
accurate (A) Slavery existed in Ancient Egypt, as well as in the
Greek and Roman Empires. (B) Most of today’s European
Working classes in Europe and North America can trace their roots
to ancestors who were once slaves. (C) It is quite possible that the
total numbers of African slaves taken to the Middle East, Asia and
Europe were twice as many as the total taken to the Caribbean and
the Americas. *(D) Although slavery existed among Native
Americans in Central and South America, slavery never existed
among Native Americans in North America. (E) None of the
above (that is all the above statements are correct).
31. _____ The MAIN purpose of Reading 12 is to explain (A)
why Columbus left Europe on a sea voyage. (B) how Europeans
conquered the Americas. *(C) the origins of the worldview held by
Columbus. (D) the origins of the Crusades. (E) how Christianity,
and Eastern religion, became Westernized.
32. _____ The reference to the ship log of Columbus's first
voyage is to show (A) the error Columbus made in assuming that
he had discovered a sea route to the East. *(B) the character of the
worldview held by Columbus. (C) the natural hostility of the
Arawaks toward all foreigners, including Columbus and his men,
which in the end led to the tragedy of their annihilation. (D) that
Columbus was first and foremost a capitalist.
33. _____ The real origins of the Schism of 1054 lay in *(A) the
launching of the Crusades. (B) the belief by Roman Catholics that
the Holy Ghost issued from both God and Christ. (C) the decision
by the Pope to support Columbus's voyage. (D) the refusal by
Eastern Christians to participate in the Crusades.
34. _____ The Schism itself refers to the split (A) among
Europeans on whether to launch the Crusades or not. *(B) in
Christianity that led to the emergence of the Eastern and Western
wings. (C) in the Roman Catholic Church that led to the emergence
of the Protestant Church. (D) in the Roman Catholic Church over
the geographic location of the papacy: specifically whether it
should be in France or in Italy.
religion. *(B) racism was an integral part of the Crusader's
worldview. (C) the tragedy of Christianity is that the first to
convert to this religion were Europeans. (D) the appropriation of
Greek culture by Westerners masks the fact that the Greeks were
never considered as Europeans for most of European history (and
neither did the Greeks themselves subscribe to the view that they
were Europeans).
37. _____ The MAIN point behind the discussion about the
Crusades is that *(A) their impact on the development of the
European worldview has been long-lasting. (B) God was hijacked
for the purposes of a racist attack on Muslims. (C) it was the
principal factor that motivated Columbus to embark on his sea
voyage. (D) their origins lay in the Schism.
38. _____ The motivations behind the launching of the
Crusades, going by Reading 12, lay (A) in the desire to
recapture Jerusalem from the Muslims. (B) in putting a stop to the
harassment of Christian pilgrims visiting Jerusalem. *(C) in
expanding Christendom (as a political, economic and religious
entity). (D) in a racist perception of Muslims.
39. _____ In launching the Crusades, the papacy had to
confront “the very small problem of how to convince a
superstitious, highly parochial, illiterate and ignorant
peasantry (and the nobility was not too far behind either in
these terms) to abandon their fields and villages and journey
hundreds of miles to a foreign land—in an age where there
were no trains, planes, cars or bicycles, to do battle with the
infidel; and what is more at one’s own expense!” So, how was
this problem resolved? By, among other things, *(A) promising
the forgiveness of all sins. (B) offering a substantial monetary
reward to every Crusader who returned home with a relic from
Jerusalem (proving he had been there). (C) offering land to all
Crusaders (which their families were allowed to occupy in
perpetuity the moment the Crusaders embarked on their mission).
(D) None of the above.
40. _____ “Mission” (meaning converting people to
Christianity) was, ironically, never a part of the intent of the
Crusades. Why? Because (A) the Crusaders knew that the
Muslims would not convert to Christianity since the Muslims
already accepted the legitimacy of Christianity as part of their
religious beliefs. (B) the Crusaders were soldiers, not missionaries.
*(C) the purpose of the Crusades had little to do with religion per
se. (D) the Pope did not believe that anyone who was not a
European could ever be a true Christian. (E) All of the above.
35. _____ The Schism is discussed in the reading in order to
explain (A) why Christianity is so divided. *(B) the
Europeanization of Christianity. (C) the origins of the Crusades.
(D) why Columbus was a staunch Roman Catholic. (D) how the
Roman Empire collapsed.
41. _____ The reading talks about “Christian love” to make
the point that *(A) it was a concept that perverted the teachings
of Christ. (B) at the heart of Christianity is the idea of love—
specifically the love of God. (C) Christians have always considered
themselves to be superior to people of other religions because of
their love of humanity. (D) this concept was invented by the Pope
for the purposes of convincing the Crusaders that the Muslims
were an inhumane people because they (the Muslims) did not
subscribe to a similar kind of love—that is a love that encompassed
all of humanity.
36. _____ “One may legitimately conjecture here that had the
Crusaders come across Christ himself, they would have
probably killed him too....” The point behind this statement is
that (A) from the very beginning Christianity was never a unified
42. _____ The reading refers to Zimbabwe to make the point
that (A) it is an example of a country where the presence of
Christian love has helped to prevent it from disintegrating into civil
war (unlike in the case of such Muslim countries as the Sudan and
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Somalia). (B) in that country Christian missionaries did a great deal
of harm to the African peoples. (C) among the deep problems
confronting that country is the conflict between Muslims and
Christians. (D) Roman Catholics in that country have been calling
for the election of an African pope and the transfer of the seat of
papacy from Rome to Ethiopia (a country whose rulers accepted
Christianity before the Europeans did centuries ago). *(E) None of
the above.
43. _____ Which one of the following statements is NOT true
going by the reading: (A) What is often forgotten that on a
smaller scale crusades were also launched against others who were
not Muslims (or Jews), including groups from among Europeans
themselves. (B) The current U.S.-led so-called War on Terror is
viewed by many in both the Muslim world and among some circles
in the West as a continuation of the Crusades. *(C) Among the
main reasons for the launching of the Crusades against the
Muslims was the fierce opposition by the Muslims to Christian
missionary work in Muslim lands. (D) Anti-Islamic propaganda
during the medieval period was not restricted only to those who
may have been considered as the ignorant, even the leading thinkers
of the day became embroiled in it—including people such as St.
Francis of Assisi, Roger Bacon, St. Thomas Aquinas, Dante
Alighieri, and so on. (E) None of the above; the correct option is
not here.
44. _____ Constantinople is mentioned to make the point that
(A) it was the capital of the Byzantines. *(B) it also became the
target of a crusade, despite the fact that it was a Christian city. (C)
when the Muslims conquered it they renamed it Istanbul (which is
the name it is known by today). (D) it is during the period of Latin
rule that the city saw its greatest flowering—marked by the
construction of architecturally inspiring buildings and monuments;
parks; thoroughfares; and the like.
Documentary: Day the Universe Changed: In the Light of the Above
(I hope you took notes!—smile. You don’t feel like smiling… Oh
well, if you had done what I had asked you to do you would be
smiling now, right? Always, always take notes in my classes.)
45. ________ Among the purposes of showing you this
documentary was (A) to make the point that Eurocentrism
(meaning Western Civilization is an entirely European construct) is
a fallacy. (B) to show the magnitude of the Islamic contribution to
the development of Western civilization. (C) to examine the
historical antecedents of the ideology of “whiteness.” *(D) All of
the above. (E) None of the above.
46. ________ Why is this segment titled "In the Light of the
Above?" Because a major theme of the documentary
concerns (A) the role of religion (and God is considered the
source of all light). (B) the beginnings of the modern scientific
method (involving experiments with light). (C) the invention of
electricity and traffic lights. *(D) Options A and B are correct, but
not C. (E) None of the above.
47. ________ The closing scene ends with (A) a view of
Roman ruins in Africa. *(B) traffic lights in the Tunisian desert.
(C) A sketch on how rainbows are formed. (D) None of the
above.
48. ________ Why does the documentary open with traffic
lights? (A) To make the point that the invention of electricity has
been critical to industrial progress. (B) They are a symbol of law
and order without which progress is not possible. *(C) They
represent progress as an outcome of the marriage of science and
innovation with law and order. (D) Traffic lights were first invented
in England--the place where the industrial revolution first began.
49. ________ Two men, Augustine and Martianus Capella,
who lived in Carthage, the capital of Rome's North African
province, are featured in the introductory part of the
documentary. Why? (A) They were the first scientists responsible
for bringing about an end to the Dark Ages. *(B) Their thoughts
helped to shape the highly limited European perspective on
knowledge and education during the Dark Ages. (C) They helped
to save the great library of Carthage from destruction by the
Barbarians from Scandinavia--thereby making it possible for
Muslims to inherit and preserve Greek knowledge. (D) All of the
above.
50. ________ The teachings of Augustine in particular *(A)
were a great hindrance to scientific progress. (B) were the
foundation for the beginnings of industrial revolution in Europe.
(C) helped shape modern law in Europe. (D) helped to expand
capitalism throughout Europe.
51. ________ Which of the following lists is chronologically
accurate? (A) Demise of the Greek Civilization; Dark Ages; Fall
of the Roman Empire; Middle Ages + Islamic Civilization in
Europe; The Renaissance; Industrial Revolution. (B) Dark Ages +
Islamic Civilization in Europe; Fall of the Roman Empire; Demise
of the Greek Civilization; Middle Ages; The Renaissance; Industrial
Revolution. *(C) Demise of the Greek Civilization; Fall of the
Roman Empire; Dark Ages; Middle Ages + Islamic Civilization in
Europe; The Renaissance; Industrial Revolution. (D) Demise of
the Greek Civilization; Fall of the Roman Empire; Dark Ages; The
Renaissance; Middle Ages + Islamic Civilization in Europe;
Industrial Revolution.
52. ________ The seven liberal arts (rhetoric, grammar,
argument, music, geometry, arithmetic and astronomy)
formed the basis of the educational curriculum in the Dark
Ages. Who designed this curriculum? (A) The Christian Monks.
*(B) The Romans. (C) The Muslims. (D) The Greeks.
53. ________ In this documentary we learn that the Muslims
gave the Europeans (A) Knowledge passed down from the
Greeks. (B) The mathematical concept of zero. (C) New
agricultural products (ranging from bananas, grapes and lemons to
sugar-cane, cotton and rice). (D) Their own scientific knowledge.
*(E) All of the above.
54. ________ From the perspective of the development of
Western Civilization as we know it today, the most important
event was probably (A) the fall of the Roman Empire. *(B) the
invasion of Europe by Muslims. (C) the arrival of Christianity in
Europe. (D) the demise of the Greek civilization.
55. ________ If we can pin down a date to mark the end of
the Dark Ages in Europe then it would be (A) 711, when the
Muslims arrive in Spain. (B) 1492, when Columbus sets out from
Spain. *(C) 1085, when Toledo in Muslim Spain is overrun by
Christian Europeans. (D) 410, when Alaric the Goth captured
Rome.
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56. ________ What architectural technique did the
Europeans learn from the Muslims that would permit them to
build huge cathedrals? *(A) The vaulted arch. (B) The use of
cement and glass. (C) The use of center columns. (D) None of the
above.
57. ________ Scientific progress is not possible without the
use of syllogisms (which involve deductive and inductive
reasoning), such as "Skin gets wet with perspiration...etc."
From who did the Europeans learn to use syllogisms? (A) The
Romans, via Augustine. *(B) Aristotle, via the Muslims. (C) The
Greeks, via Capella. (D) Copernicus, via the Muslims.
58. ________ This documentary series was written and
presented by (A) Paul Sandby. (B) George Morland. (C) James
Digby. (D) John Holt. (*E) None of the above.
59. ________ There is humor in this documentary. How does
it show up? (A) In the way the images are put together. (B) Some
cartoon characters appear in the documentary. (C) In the way the
narrator talks (his phrasing of things). (D) In the way he describes
some of the characters in history. *(E) All of the above, except B.
(What? You didn't see any humor? I think you need to loosen up,
buddy. Learn to appreciate some intelligent humor.)
60. ________ Who brought about the Dark Ages in Europe?
(A) The Muslims. *(B) the European Barbarians. (C) No one
brought about the Dark Ages, rather, it came into being as a result
of a plague called the Bubonic plague. (D) The Romans. (E) The
Greeks.
61. ________ The presenter plucks a rose stem to
demonstrate a point. What point? *(A) That to medieval
Christians the study of nature was to be restricted only to
interpretation of its symbolic significance as an aid to faith. (B)
That until botanical knowledge flowed out of Islamic Spain,
Europeans did not even know how plants grew. (C) Roses have
always symbolized love and purity from ancient times. (D) It was
the Muslims who first introduced the rose in Europe among many
other horticultural items. (E) None of the above.
62. ________ The discussion of the University of Paris brings
out the point that (A) it was the first European university to allow
Muslims to teach in European institutions. *(B) that under pressure
of the new knowledge flowing out of Islamic Spain, the Church
was eventually forced to accept the legitimacy of scientific thought.
(C) It is students who were responsible for the creation of the early
European universities. (D) France was ahead of all other European
countries in the journey toward modernity.
63. ________ The work of which Muslim philosopher,
mentioned in this documentary, helped to revolutionize the
curriculum of medieval European universities, despite initial
resistance from the Church? (A) Siger of Brabant. (B) Ibn Sina
(Avicenna). (C) Ibn Da’ud. *(D) Ibn Rushd (Averroes).
64. ________ Theodoric of Freiburg is credited in the
documentary with (A) providing the first translations of the work
of Muslim philosophers to European universities. *(B) conducting
the first scientific experiment. (C) coming up with the observation
that light could reflect and refract. (D) discovering the Digest, an
important reference work on Roman Law.
65. ________ The alphabet we use today is based on a system
of writing called the Carolingian Miniscule which was first
developed during the reign of (A) Justinian. (B) Constantine.
(C) Augustus. *(D) Charlemagne. (E) Martianus Capella.
66. ________ The documentary visits a number of countries.
From among the following, which country is NOT one of
them: (A) France. *(B) Portugal. (C) Spain. (D) Germany. (E)
Italy.
67. ________ In the documentary a melon is sliced up to
make the point that *(A) at the time of the beginning of the
Spanish Reconquista, Muslim Spain had fragmented into petty and
weak rival kingdoms. (B) food became plentiful in Europe as a
result of the development of markets. (C) Melons are among the
exotic fruits that were first introduced to Europeans by Muslim
farmers in Spain. (D) None of the above.
68. ________ We are shown tall towers around the city square
in Bologna to make the point that (A) Bologna was the first city
in Europe to feature high rise buildings. *(B) rivalries among the
newly emergent urban elites created a need for law. (C) tall towers
were a status symbol for their owners in Medieval European cities.
(D) without the new building techniques introduced to Europe by
Muslim architects, high rise buildings would not have been possible.
69. ________ Why does the documentary feature a band of
knights led by El Cid? (A) They were responsible for the
conquest of Toledo. *(B) Their prominence in European Christian
folklore about the Reconquista is based on myths. (C) Knights
were an important element in the struggle to bring peace to
European cities at the end of the Dark Ages. (D) Knighthood was
one avenue by which the European elites sought favors from the
Pope.
Amistad (Do not forget to see the other two films you have to see
outside class. See your syllabus schedule)
70. ________ Where does the title of the film come from? It
was the name of (A) the U.S. naval ship that captured the slave
ship. (B) the slave-trading fortress in Africa where the Africans
came from. (C) the Spanish name given to the leader of the
Africans. *(D) the merchant ship from Havana.
71. ________ How did Cinque himself come to be enslaved?
(A) He was captured on the outskirts of his village by European
slave raiders. (B) He was sold into slavery by his village chief for
committing murder. (C) He was captured in battle when his people
went to war with another ethnic group. *(D) None of the above.
72. ________ The Abolitionists are often portrayed in history
books as comprising only white people. Yet the Abolitionists
also included African-Americans who were willing to struggle
for the freedom of their enslaved brothers and sisters. Who
was the African-American abolitionist in this film? *(A) One
of the two people who hired the lawyer. (B) The translator. (C)
The lawyer himself. (D) The person who provided the actual
money to hire the lawyer: the businessman (E) None of the above.
73. ________ Why was it serendipitous for the Africans that
their lawyer turned out to be a not too successful real-estate
lawyer? (A) He was willing to work for only a small fee. (B) He
was able to devote his full attention to their case because he did not
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have other clients. *(C) Except, of course, the Africans themselves
and the Abolitionists, the Africans were viewed as property by all
the parties involved. (D) None of the above.
74. ________ On what legal basis did the judge in the lower
court free the Africans? (A) International slave trade was illegal.
(B) Under U.S. law, only a person born a slave could be bought and
sold as a slave. (C) The Africans were not slaves born in Cuba, but
rather they were free persons who had been captured in their
homeland. *(D) All of the above.
75. ________ The history of African-Americans (as is the case
with other minorities too in this country) shows that the
judicial system is quite often subverted so as to work against
their interests. How is this shown in the film? *(A) The jury
was dismissed and an honest judge replaced with another in the
hope of ensuring a verdict that would be against the Africans. (B)
The court would not accept the credentials of a highly qualified
lawyer that the Abolitionists wanted, consequently they had to
accept the court appointed lawyer: an unemployed real-estate
lawyer who knew nothing about slavery. (C) The judge agreed to
accept forged documents presented by the government lawyer even
though he knew fully well that they were forged. (D) The judge
refused to allow the Africans to present witnesses, such as a British
officer, to validate their story.
80. ________ Where do the principal credits for this film
appear? (A) At the very beginning, before the appearance of any
image on the screen. (B) At the very beginning, but simultaneously
with the images. (C) Some time into the film, after the story is well
under way. *(D) At the end of the film.
81. ________ When does this story take place? *(A) Shortly
before the Civil War. (B) Immediately after the Civil War. (C)
Immediately after the War of Independence. (D) Shortly after the
establishment of the Jamestown settlement in Virginia.
82. ________ Language was an important issue, especially
from the perspective of the defense. How did the defense find
an interpreter? (A) They put an ad in the papers. *(B) By reciting
numbers in public. (C) One of the ship's crew members
volunteered. (D) None of the above
83. ________ What was the language of the Africans? (A)
Yoruba. (B) Ibo. (C) Tumbuka. (D) Swahili. *(E) The correct
option is not here.
84. ________ Which country did the Africans come from? (A)
Nigeria. *(B) Sierra Leone. (C) Liberia. (D) Ghana. (E) The
correct option is not here.
85. ________ Besides the Africans, their lawyer, and the
Abolitionists, many parties were highly interested in the
outcome of this case. Who among the following was NOT
among them? (A) The Queen of Spain. (B) The U.S. President.
(C) The surviving ship's crew members. (D) The Southern States.
*(E) The correct option is not here.
76. ________ The Africans had named, pejoratively, one of
the key whites as the "the dung-scraper." Who was this
person? (A) The judge. (B) The Spanish ship pilot. *(C) Their
lawyer. (D) The prison warden.
77. ________ The first scene that we are shown in this film is
that of (A) Cinque being captured for sale into slavery. (B) The
slave ship arriving in Havana to take on board the African slaves.
(C) A slave auction in Havana. (D) The capture of the slave ship
by the U.S. naval ship. *(E) None of the above.
78. ________ An important feature of the Atlantic slave trade
was the complete dehumanization of the slaves involving the
perpetration on them of unimaginable brutality. This is
shown at one point in the film when the crew of the slave ship
realized that they did not have enough gruel to feed the
Africans. What did they, consequently, do? They (A) separated
the women from the men and shot the women. (B) allowed the
sick to starve to death. (C) threw all the children into the sea. (D)
arranged fights between the slaves so that the stronger could kill
the weaker. *(E) chained the sick and the weak together and threw
them into the sea with a weight attached at one end of the chain.
79. ________ Sex is a very powerful force of nature,
consequently, even racist white men have throughout history
used black women as sex partners. Where in this film do we
see white men fraternizing (in a sexual sense) with black
women? *(A) On the slave ship itself. (B) On the plantation in
Cuba. (C) In prison (some white prison guards were fraternizing
with the female slaves). (D) This is not shown anywhere in the
film.
86. ________ In the film, the defense of the Africans before
the Supreme Court rested in part on calling upon ancestors by
drawing attention to the fact that "who we are is who were"
(or to use my favorite phrase: the present is always a product
of the past). What exactly was being argued here in
presenting this truism? *(A) Freedom is natural, but
enslavement is not. (B) Ancestor worship was an important
element of African religious beliefs. (C) Christ had died for the sins
of others. (D) Africans had never enslaved, Europeans, so why
should Europeans enslave Africans.
87. ________ The freedom of the enslaved Africans relied
heavily on establishing (A) whether they could be charged with
murder or not. *(B) the truth of the claim of the Spanish
government that they were Cuban born. (C) whether Abolitionists
had a right to represent them in court. (D) whether the owners of
the ship were the real owners of the enslaved Africans or whether
they now belonged to the U.S. Naval officers who had found them.
La Haine
Questions on the next test (Test 4)
Bonus Questions
If you would like bonus questions, then let me know. We will have
them on Thursday. But you will not be allowed to consult each
other.
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