Student Generated Thematic Questions
1.The crowning of Charlemagne as the Roman Emperor in 800 CE by the Pope specifically contributed most to which of the following?
A) expansion of caesaropapism beyond the realm of the Byzantine Empire
B) acceptance of lay investiture in which kings appointed church officials
C) belief that papal authority was superior to political authority
D) demand of a tithe to be paid to both the church and the government
2. Which of the following could have been an example of an average serf in Europe during the Dark Ages (500-800)?
A) A middle class peasant living on a privately owned farm
B) A low-class male that has a job in forestry for the local count
C) A slave that is the property of a high-class noblewoman
D) A peasant that was bound to the land on which he worked
3. Between 600-1450 CE, which of the following accurately describes the preferred method of governance of both the Maya & Inca?
A) Government leaders provided various sacrifices to appease the gods
B) Recorded government information with a complicated written language
C) Demanded tribute from conquered provinces
D) Ruled with aid of a powerful military derived from their provinces
4. During the period from 600-1450, the Chinese government benefited from which of the following feats of engineering?
A) The excavation of massive gold mines in Tibet
B) The exploitation of salt flats in the Yangtze Delta
C) Development of extensive waterways and canals throughout the country
D) Naval control of various natural waterways such as the straits of Malacca
5. Between 600 and 1450 CE, all of the following demonstrate how religion influenced Aztec practices EXCEPT…
A) Construction of hundreds of temples dedicated to different gods
B) Warriors who took captives were rewarded with land and privileges
C) Daily human sacrifices ensured the continuation of the world
D) Built many large cities to support their diverse religious population
6. Between 500 and 1200 CE, each of the following caused a series of changes in the Western European economy EXCEPT…
A) Invasions from land and sea causing businesses to collapse
B) Populations across Europe became more urban
C) Crusades reintroduced Europeans to luxury goods from Asia
D) Nobles retreated to rural areas and controlled peasant populations
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7. In the late 9 century CE, which of the following contributed MOST to the decline of the Mayan civilization?
A) Civil war and famine lead to de-urbanization
B) Small pox introduced by European explorers
C) Decease in trade due to the emergence of competitors
D) Migration of the Mexica into the Valley of the Sun
8. How do the location of empires like Ghana, Mali, and Byzantine most impact their ability to seize and maintain power?
A) Strategic locations protected them from invasions
B) Central location provided abundant income from taxing trade
C) Central location helped Christianity to spread
D) Out posts led to the assimilation of neighboring groups
9. All of the following are examples of how the Japanese adapted Chinese ideas to fit their needs during the late 600’s except…
A) Japanese adapted Chinese method for gardening and cooking
B) Japanese borrowed the concept of the Samurai from the Chinese
C) The Japanese modeled their government after the Chinese
D) Japanese adapted the Chinese written language
10. Prior to the crowing of Montezuma II, the Aztec civilization had all of the following traits except…
A) Religious belief in many gods, including some that required blood sacrifices
B) Collected tribute from conquered peoples from various parts of Mesoamerica
C) A government in which the ruler was viewed by the populace as a divine figure
D) Constructed roads throughout the empire to aid in government controlled trade
11. What was the primary reason for the foundation of the triple alliance in 1438 that eventually led to the Aztec Empire?
A) To acquire a broader base of tributary states
B) To acquire a more powerful standing army
C) To acquire a larger surplus of agricultural goods
D) To acquire preferential trading status with the Europeans
12. Which of the following was a similarity between the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Church?
A) Religious services were conducted in Latin
B) Revered the teachings of early saints
C) Priests were allowed to be married
D) Head of church was superior to secular authorities
13. Which of the following is not an example of social structures in South America during the Incan Empire?
A) Labor tribute, or mita, from subjects
B) The adoption of Quechua as the official language
C) The organization of families into groups called ayllu
D) The drafting of yamacuna at an early age for a life of religious service
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14. During the 14 century the Bubonic Plague devastated Europe. What was the most probable source of the plague?
A) Poor water quality allowed bacteria to multiply
B) Increased trade with Asia allowed it to spread via merchants
C) Corruption in the Church brought about God’s wrath
D) Tran-Saharan traders contracted it from jungles in Africa
15. Between 900 and 1200 CE, social status of Chinese women declined as evidenced by…
A) Peasant women laboring tirelessly in fields
B) Wives’ responsibility for packing/moving houses while men tended herds
C) Changing attitudes that affected noble/peasant families
D) Rich men preferring impractical wives with bound feet
16. From 800-950 CE, which of the following made it easier for the Vikings to migrate to the region between the Black & Baltic Seas?
A) The use of camels made it easier to traverse the desert
B) Their skill as horsemen allowed them to travel long distances
C) Waterways, including rivers and seas allowed movement from one place to another
D) The extensive network of Slavic roads allowed easier travel
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17. Between the 13 and 15 centuries CE, which of the following accurately describes the treatment of conquered peoples by both
the Aztec civilization and Mongol Empire?
A) Aggressively forced conquered people to assimilate through excessive violence
B) Presented conquered peoples with a strict choice between death, cooperation, or high tax
C) Allowed conquered people to maintain their own rulers as long as they paid an expensive tribute
D) Promoted an environment of tolerance with no demand of any religious or monetary obligations
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18. During the 13 century, Kublai Khan worked to increase trade throughout China as evidenced by all of the following EXCEPT…
A) Lowered taxes on peasants so they had a larger surplus of crops to sell
B) Built a grand canal and paved highways across China
C) Invited foreign diplomats and merchants to visit his court
D) Helped maintain the Mongol Peace which provided safe travel for merchants
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19. Between the 13 and 16 centuries, which of the following represent an accurate similarity in the roles of women in both the
Incan and Mongol societies?
A) they were responsible for maintaining the terraces and tending crops
B) they raised and educated their children in their society’s values
C) they maintained public health by utilizing various medicines
D) they were considered possessions of either their father or husband
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20. Which of the following BEST represents the purpose for monumental pyramid structures in both 8 century Mesoamerica and
ancient Egypt?
A) platforms for offering sacrifices to the gods
B) tools to mark the days of the year
C) beacons to identify the “land of the dead”
D) tombs for the deceased royalty
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21. In the 11 century CE, which of the following had the greatest impact on the financial prosperity of Great Zimbabwe?
A) Its position atop a fertile plateau
B) Its isolated position in the African rain forests
C) Its proximity to gold producing states
D) Its deep water port welcomed larger ships
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22. What is the primary role played by the enslaved Mameluks (Turks) within the Abbasid Caliphate by the mid-9 century CE?
A) They served as educated government bureaucrats
B) They served as merchants to the Asian steppes
C) They served as warriors in the Abbasid armies
D) They served as farmers and goat herders
23. Which of the following had the biggest impact on the success or failure of African states, kingdoms, and empires during the
period from 600 – 1450 CE?
A) Ability to generate a surplus of agricultural goods
B) Ability to enforce taxation of trade commodities
C) Ability to maintain religious homogeneity
D) Ability to sustain military domination over neighbors
24. Which of the following BEST identified an East Asian woman as a member of the upper class?
A) She wore a veil covering her face
B) She worked alongside the farmhands
C) She taught the children of the local peasants
D) She endured the pain of bound-feet
25. What was the primary reason why the Japanese needed to trade with other societies in order to obtain sufficient food?
A) The percentage of Japanese soil that was suitable for farming was very small
B) The Shinto religion frowned on the disruption of the “natural state” of the land
C) The primary form of sacrifice for their animistic gods was agricultural products
D) The population grew so dense there was little room to farm near most villages
26. The theme of the Popul Vuh, one of the most important Mayan texts, is best represented by which of the following?
A) A story about the destruction of humanity through a great flood
B) A story about the creation of the world and the universe
C) A story about the founding of royal power through military conquest
D) A story about the unlikely romance between members of rival families
27. Which of the following most effectively illustrates the fundamental cause of the Bantu migrations into eastern and sourthern
Africa?
A) The discovery of iron smelting technology
B) Population outgrew their agricultural production
C) The discovery of gold moved the trade routes
D) The tsetse fly made utilizing cows impossible
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28. Which of the following best represents why Kilwa emerged as the leading port city of East Africa prior to the 15 century CE?
A) Its direction connection with the people of Great Zimbabwe
B) Its proximity to the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf
C) Its cultural assimilation of Bantu and Arab traditions
D) Its utilization of a deep water harbor for larger ships
29. Throughout Africa and Asia between 600-1450 CE, many countries sought exotic new commodities from foreign lands. What
was the most important component of international trade during this time period?
A) Cooperative relationships with merchants in foreign cities
B) Emergence of credit houses and banks to finance trips
C) Large ships loaded with canons to ward off pirates
D) Growth of the Knights Templar who protected Christian interests
30. In West Africa between 600-1450 CE, the empires of Ghana and Mali gained excess wealth primarily through which of the
following methods?
A) Trading crops with other African groups for gold and ivory
B) Exporting jade and tortoise shells to India using the monsoons
C) Acting as middlemen and taxing trade that came through their territory
D) Being self sufficient and using their own natural resources
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31. Between the fall of Rome and the 9 century CE, in which of the following ways did Charlemagne differentiate himself from
other European rulers?
A) He encouraged the spread of education throughout his realm
B) He horded the wealth of his realm through heavy taxation
C) He sought to control both the spiritual and secular realm
D) He divided his lands equally among his sons upon his death
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32. By the 11 century CE, how was the difference between the main sects of Islam (Sunni and Shi’a) similar to the difference
between the main branches of Christianity (Catholic and Eastern Orthodox)?
A) Both were based on whether or not priests should be allowed to marry
B) Both stemmed from a controversy over who had ultimate religious authority
C) Both argued over the implementation of religious symbols in worship
D) Both disagreed on the divine nature of the religion’s founder
33. Srivijaya ruled the Strait of Malacca and other waters around the islands of Sumatra, Borneo, and Java. How did its location aid
in its ability to accumulate wealth?
A) Oil reserves were discovered in the shallow waters under their control
B) This area is one of the largest fish populations in the world
C) Indonesia is one of the primary destinations for Buddhist pilgrims
D) Regulating the flow of maritime traffic between China and India
34. Which of the following does NOT show how family organization was central to African society from 800- 1500 CE?
A) Many African societies organized members into lineages
B) Stateless societies were deemed patrilineal or matrilineal
C) The age-set system was used in many African societies
D) The Efe traveled in groups of 10-100 people who were related
35. Since early European kings were mostly unable to protect their lands from foreign invaders like the Magyars, Muslims, and
Vikings, many peasants began to exchange which of the following for military protection?
A) Wealth gathered through trade
C) land they had inherited from their fathers
B) Obsidian collected from volcanoes
D) manual labor raising crops or herding sheep
Good Luck
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ANSWERS
1. C
2. D
3. A
4. C
5. D
6. B
7. A
8. B
9. B
10. D
11. A
12. B
13. B
14. B
15. D
16. C
17. C
18. A
19. B
20. D
21. C
22. C
23. B
24. D
25. A
26. B
27. B
28. D
29. A
30. C
31. A
32. B
33. D
34. C
35. D