Transcript Foundations Era

Foundations Era
Sample Questions
1. Which technologies are generally thought to have
been acquired by Paleolithic societies?
I. fire
II. stone tools
III. iron
IV. bronze
(A) I
(B) I and II
(C) I, II and III
(D) I, II, and IV
(E) none of the above
B
2. The emergence of agriculture, or the Neolithic
Revolution, caused all of the following EXCEPT
A) the ability of humans to settle more
permanently in one spot.
B) a population explosion.
C) an increase in the specialization of political,
economic, and religious functions.
D) the introduction of artistic expression.
E) the disappearance of hunter-gatherer
communities.
E
3. Women were important contributors to the
Agricultural Revolution because they were likely
the ones who
(A) traded grains for meat
(B) made tools and containers
(C) gathered edible plants and knew where grains
grew
(D) performed essential agricultural tasks such as
plowing and irrigation
(E) found that farming required less work and less
time
C
4. All early agricultural societies:
(A) were traders.
(B) settled in river valleys.
(C) used pictographs as their form of writing.
(D) were polytheistic.
(E) were nomadic.
D
5. Metal tools were preferred over wood and stone
tools for all of the following reasons EXCEPT
(A) metal hoes & other tools allowed farmers to
work the ground more efficiently.
(B) they made superior weapons.
(C) they were easier for ordinary people to produce
in mass at home.
(D) they allowed some artisans to become
specialists in metal-working who could then trade
with the farmers.
(E) they were sharper and more precise.
C
6. All of the following are contributions of the
river valley civilizations EXCEPT:
(A) the formal divisions of time into a calendar
(B) the wheel
(C) written language
(D) the development of important mathematical
concepts such as square roots
(E) monotheistic religions
E
7. The Gupta Dynasty was much like the Zhou
Dynasty in that
(A) they both used religion to support their political
power.
(B) they were both made up of feudal regions with
weak central governments
(C) both of them fell to Hun invaders.
(D) both used bureaucrats who specialized in their
areas of service to the state
(E) they tended not to trade with other civilizations
B
8. To regulate the social life of their empire, the
Romans depended on
(A) its world religion
(B) its strictly enforced caste system
(C) its code of laws
(D) its highly efficient bureaucracy
(E) its disciplined army
C
9. Compared with a Chinese nobleman, a
peasant in classical China differed in all of the
following EXCEPT
A) likelihood of literacy.
B) level of wealth.
C) likelihood of belief in a number of gods or
spirits of nature.
D) dependence on land as the basic economic
resource.
E) daily economic activity.
D
10. Roman emperors tried to content the
masses by
(A) dividing the great landed estates.
(B) avoiding war.
(C) granting the vote.
(D) abolishing slavery.
(E) organizing food supplies and distribution.
E
11. Which of the following societies’ social
hierarchies was overall the most constrictive
and gave the least room for social mobility?
(A) India.
(B) China.
(C) Persia.
(D) Greece.
(E) Rome.
A
12. Which of the following BEST encapsulates Confucian
thought?
(A) Political power is given to rulers by the gods;
therefore, rulers may treat their people as they please.
(B) Husbands and wives should share the responsibility
for family leadership equally.
(C) Social harmony is attained when superiors treat those
below them with kindness, while inferiors respect
those above them.
(D) Only members of the aristocracy are capable of
cultivating the qualities of etiquette and grace.
(E) Society functions best when people are free to realize
their individuality.
C
13. What is a major similarity between Hinduism
and Buddhism?
(A) Both religions support a caste system.
(B) Both religions accept that souls reach
spiritual perfection.
(C) Both embrace the Four Noble Truths.
(D) Both follow the Eightfold Path.
(E) These two religions are diametrically
opposed
B
14. The statuary above was produced in:
(A) ancient Persia.
(B) medieval Europe.
(C) Mughal India.
(D) ancient Greece.
(E) prehistoric France.
D
15. The photograph above is an example of:
(A) Incan highland commerce.
(B) Japanese Shinto animism.
(C) Plains tribes shamanism.
(D) Post Columbian colonial influence.
(E) Mayan temple architecture.
E
16. "Shape clay into a vessel; It is the space
within that makes it useful. . . Therefore
benefit comes from what is there; usefulness
from what is not there."
Which religion or belief system is most closely
associated with this quote?
A. Confucianism
B. Daoism
C. Legalism
D. Buddhism
E. Hinduism
B
17. Which of the following statements would LEAST
likely fit in with the ORIGINAL teachings of the
Buddha?
(A) All human suffering is caused by desire.
(B) Enlightenment can most effectively be attained
by coming to realize the Four Noble Truths and
practicing the Eightfold Path.
(C) Enlightenment leads to a moment of awakening
and transcendent consciousness known as
nirvana.
(D) Enlightenment can most effectively be attained
by venerating many gods and bodhisattvas.
(E) none of the above
D
18. How did the collapse of Han China most
resemble the Roman Empire's loss of its
European lands?
(A) Both were later devoured by the Byzantine
Empire.
(B) Their leaders began to rely on Buddhism to
guide their decision making.
(C) Both fell as a result of depletion of natural
resources.
(D) Outside invaders contributed to the collapse of
both empires.
(E) Both collapsed due to lack of technological
innovation.
D
19. In regard to level of toleration and respect
for conquered parts of the empire, the
Romans were most similar to the
(A) Assyrians.
(B) Greeks.
(C) Persians.
(D) Chinese under Qin Shi huang di.
(E) Aryans.
C
20. The map above shows
(A) Indian Ocean Trading System
(B) The Silk Road
(C) The Han Empire system of roads
(D) The Amber road
(E) Trans-Saharan trade routes.
B
21. A major difference between the teachings of
Buddhism and Hinduism is
(A) belief in nirvana.
(B) the cycle of rebirth.
(C) the principle of nonviolence.
(D) belief in karma.
(E) belief in castes.
E
22. In the classical period, both China and India
A) showed considerable tolerance for different
religions.
B) attempted to conquer the most territory
possible.
C) developed a lasting tradition of strong,
centralized government.
D) welcomed influences from other cultures.
E) focused on expanding trade.
A
23. In which river valleys did the first civilizations
on the Eurasian and African continents
develop?
(A) Niger, Tigris / Euphrates, Nile, Indus
(B) Tigris / Euphrates, Nile, Ganges, Huang He
(C) Nile, Tigris / Euphrates, Huang He, Indus
(D) Amazon, Huang He, Indus, Yellow
(E) Nile, Amazon, Huang He, Ganges
C
24. A major impact of ancient Greece and Rome on
western civilization was that
(A) the Greeks and Romans achieved a classless society,
which was later copied in Western Europe.
(B) Greek sculpture and Roman architecture were much
admired and copied in Western Europe in later
centuries.
(C) Greece and Rome transmitted Islamic philosophy to
the areas they conquered.
(D) they established empires which lasted longer than
their neighbors.
(E) Greek and Latin are still widely spoken in universities
throughout the West.
B
25. Which statement refers the best to
Alexander the Great?
(A) he forced conquered peoples to worship
Greek gods and goddesses
(B) he typically ruled through local hierarchies
(C) he saw his empire slowly disintegrate during
the last years of his life
(D) he never managed to conquer Egypt
(E) he was amazed by the riches and goods he
found in China
B
26. The Aryan conquerors brought to India
(A) its first civilization.
(B) distinctive religious ideas.
(C) long-lasting peace and stability.
(D) admiration for India's earlier inhabitants.
(E) new agricultural techniques.
B
27. The Hindu concept of samsara is BEST described
by which of the following statements?
(A) a belief that the wicked are punished by
everlasting torment after death
(B) a belief that one's soul lives, dies, and is reborn
many times, until it is pure enough to escape the
cycle of rebirth
(C) a doctrine that justifies the caste system of India
(D) a declaration of non-belief in the old Vedic gods
and goddesses
(E) a belief that all actions, good and evil, have
consequences in future lives to come
B
28. Confucianism is characterized by all of the
following beliefs except:
(A) nobility is acquired through virtue, not birth
(B) people should treat others as they themselves
would be treated
(C) everyone should carry out his social duties with
devotion
(D) government must have the confidence of the
people
(E) devotion to one’s family is not as important as
devotion to oneself
E
29. Which of the following is an accurate
description of a cultural characteristic that the
Slavs and Germans of northern Europe had in
common around 200 C.E.?
(A) These peoples were primarily hunters and
gatherers.
(B) The overall political organization of the Slavs and
Germans evolved into regional kingdoms.
(C) These cultures lacked all knowledge of
metallurgy.
(D) The Celts, Slavs, and Germans were matriarchal.
(E) Their social organization was highly stratified.
B
30. Which civilization had to import most of its
food and grain from colonies?
(A) Gupta India
(B) Han China
(C) Zhou China
(D) The Greeks
(E) The Indus River civilization
D