Question 1

During the Cold War era, what was the main reason why were the United States and the Soviet Union reluctant to engage in direct military conflict?
A)There was a great potential for global nuclear destruction.
B)East and West German had been re-unified.
C)Nonaligned nations were pressuring the United States and the Soviet Union to avoid fighting.
D)There were greatly increased tensions in the Middle East.

Accepted Answer

During the Cold War era, the main reason why the United States and the Soviet Union were reluctant to engage in direct military conflict because there was a great potential for global nuclear destruction.
Key Takeaway: For the first four and a half decades after World War II, much of the world was divided into two hostile camps, led by the Soviet Union and the United States. This gigantic global struggle was known as the Cold War. During this time, the superpowers engaged in a nuclear arms race, which was the most expensive and largest buildup of weapons in history. The Soviet Union and the United States were reluctant to engage with each other precisely because of this nuclear arms race and the devastating effect it could have upon the world. Although they themselves never warred against each other, they instead used other nations as proxies to do so.

Question 2

During the third century BCE, which of the following was the biggest change in the Chinese political state under Emperor Qin Shihuangdi?
A)The Chinese empire widely accepted Buddhism.
B)The Chinese empire became centralized.
C)Emperor Qin Shihuangdi had artisans create elaborate tomb sculptures.
D)Emperor Qin Shihuangdi established civil service exams.

Accepted Answer

During the third century BCE, the biggest change in the Chinese political state under Emperor Qin Shihuangdi was the centralization of rule of the Chinese empire.
Key Takeaway: Emperor Qin Shihuangdi established the Qin dynasty and is famous for proclaiming himself as the "first emperor" of China. Although emperors had actually existed before, none had fully established a centralized government with military defense, a government-regulated written language, and law. Qin Shihuangdi ruled using Legalism, a philosophical system that was very different from Confucianism or Buddhism.

Question 3

What was the largest environmental problem for ancient Mesopotamia?
A)Poor soil
B)Polluted water
C)Rising sea levels
D)Deforestation

Accepted Answer

The largest environmental problem for ancient Mesopotamia was that the soil was no longer as fertile as it used to be.
Key Takeaway: Early civilizations that were of any significant size greatly relied upon the fertility of the soil in order to achieve a desired population density. Ancient Mesopotamians used farming practices and irrigation that caused the soil to dramatically lose its fertility. Much of this was due to the fact that the water used in irrigation evaporated, leaving behind a great amount of salt residue.

Question 4

What does the Swahili language demonstrate about African civilization during the 1200s and 1300s?
A)Great influence from Mediterranean culture
B)Great influence from Europe culture
C)Connection to trade routes in Asia and the Middle East
D)Continuance of the great Egyptian culture

Accepted Answer

The Swahili language demonstrates the connection between African civilization with trade routes in Asia and the Middle East during the 1200s and 1300s.
Key Takeaway: Largely a blended language, Swahili developed in cities on the east coast of Africa that engaged with trade with Arab merchants and people from the Indian Ocean area. In general, Africa had a great amount of diversity in its spoken languages, but Swahili especially shows a large connection to the rest of the Indian Ocean basin.

Question 5

Which of the following caused the Second Age of Islamic conquest, which began in the 1200s?
A)The Mongols were defeated in Persia and the Caliphate's power was restored.
B)The Crusades had brought about new militaristic dynasties.
C)The popularization of the Qur'an allowed Islam to spread further into Europe and Africa.
D)A long period of peace had allowed Islamic trade routes to spread to the west and the north.

Accepted Answer

In the 1200s, the Second Age of Islamic conquest began. This was largely due to the Crusades and the fact that they had brought about new militaristic dynasties.
Key Takeaway: The Islamic Empire was in a great state of decline and fragmentation before the Crusades. A succession of weak and corrupt rulers had left the Empire vulnerable to attacks and invasion from the Byzantines, Turks, Crusaders, and the Mongols. As a result of this, leaders such as Saladin created strong military dynasties which gave rise to a new era of conversions and conquests for the Muslims in Africa and Eastern Europe.

Question 6

Who were the majority of people living in Russia during the 1600s?
A)Muslims
B)Serfs
C)Mongols
D)Free peasants

Accepted Answer

The majority of people living in Russia during the 1600s were Serfs.
Key Takeaway: In the 1600s, Russian society was formed around large agricultural estates. These estates were run by nobles and members of the Russian Orthodox Church, but were farmed by the forced labor of serfs. Serfs made up the great majority of the Russian population. Free peasants only became a factor in Russia after 1861, when the serfs were emancipated.

Question 7

Which of the following most influenced the economic changes during the Meiji Restoration in Japan?
A)Industrialists from Great Britain and Germany
B)The Samurai
C)Traders from Portugal
D)Merchants from China

Accepted Answer

Industrialists from Great Britain and Germany most influenced the economic changes during the Meiji Restoration in Japan.
Key Takeaway: Starting in the 1860s, Japan came out of a long period of isolation and began to pursue rapid industrialization and westernization. To do this, the Meiji officials hired a number of consultants from Great Britain and Germany. As the country westernized, traditional figures of power, such as the samurai, lost their cultural influence.

Question 8

Which of the following conditions affected Cambodia in the 1970s and Rwanda in the 1990s?
A)High rates of infection from AIDS
B)Communist revolution
C)Violence due to genocide
D)Invasion by Europeans

Accepted Answer

Both Cambodia and Rwanda experienced violence due to genocide in the 1970s and 1990s respectfully.
Key Takeaway: The dictator Pol Pot led the Khmer Rouge in the systematic murder of more than two million people in Cambodia during the mid-1970s. Similarly, more than one million people were murdered in Rwanda in 1994, in systematic violence directed toward ethnic Tutsis. Note that although AIDS did kill huge numbers of people in Africa in the 1990s, it was not yet a worldwide epidemic in the 1970s.

Question 9

Most likely, what was the main reason for the Jewish migration out of Hungary, Germany, and Crimea?
A)Russia and Poland had much more tolerant policies towards minorities and immigrants.
B)Ghettos and pogroms were established in places where Jews were forced to live.
C)Access to Eastern Europe became easier with the expansion of the railroads.
D)The crusades had a distinct impact upon Jewish settlements in Eastern Europe.

Accepted Answer

Most likely, the main reason for the Jewish migration out of Hungary, Germany, and Crimea was that Russia and Poland had much more tolerant policies towards minorities and immigrants.
Key Takeaway: Religious tolerance in Western Europe-or lack thereof-played a large role in the migration of Jews. Places like Russia and Poland were much more tolerant and readily opened their borders to welcome more settlers. During this time, Jews left places like Germany, Hungary, and Crimea for eastern European nations like Poland, Russia, and Lithuania.

Question 10

Why did the development of agriculture lead to a dramatic increase in population?
A)The development of agriculture led to the end of the nomadic life.
B)People no longer had to hunt and gather, which was highly dangerous.
C)Farming led to a more stable source of food, which allowed for larger families and permanent homes.
D)Agriculture and farming provided a much healthier diet than hunting and gathering did.

Accepted Answer

The development of agriculture led to a dramatic increase in population because farming led to a more stable source of food, which allowed for larger families and permanent homes.
Key Takeaway: Population stayed low in hunting and gathering communities due to a general scarcity of food and the need to keep on the move. Once agriculture developed, populations could grow because communities could develop permanent settlements and have larger families, due to a more stable food supply.

Question 11

Why are rivers thought to be so important to the development of the first civilizations?
A)Rivers slowed down the growth of cities.
B)Rivers greatly discouraged ocean travel.
C)Rivers encouraged growth of urban areas and agriculture.
D)River slowed down the invention of agriculture.

Accepted Answer

Rivers are thought to be so important to the development of the first civilizations because they encouraged growth of urban areas and agriculture.
Key Takeaway: Rivers have been greatly important from the earliest times due to their facilitation of trade, movement, social development, and cultural interaction. Additionally, rivers make agriculture more feasible, providing irrigation and drinking water for humans and domesticated animals.

Question 12

Why did the Zhou dynasty in China last so long?
A)The leaders of the Zhou dynasty were positively ruthless.
B)The Zhou dynasty's leaders prevented average citizens from acquiring weapons.
C)The Zhou dynasty innovated technology and obligated leaders to rule fairly, due to an increase in political sophistication.
D)The Zhou dynasty did not have to deal with the issues of Confucianism.

Accepted Answer

The Zhou dynasty in China lasted so long because the dynasty innovated technology and obligated its leaders to rule fairly, due to an increase in political sophistication.
Key Takeaway: The Zhou dynasty obligated its leaders to rule fairly. The new Mandate of Heaven required the emperor to treat his people well if they obeyed. This mandate became one of the most powerful political concepts in all of China and allowed the Zhou dynasty to rule for a very long period.

Question 13

Under the social hierarchies of Hinduism and Confucianism, the value of what group is demonstrated?
A)Scholars
B)Women
C)Government officials
D)Peasants

Accepted Answer

The value of scholars is demonstrated under the social hierarchies of both Hinduism and Confucianism.
Key Takeaway: In both Hinduism and Confucianism, scholars are guarded very highly. In Hinduism, the highest caste is the Brahmin class, which consists of scholars and priests. As for Confucianism, Confucius himself taught that learning and education are what separated inferior humans from their superiors.

Question 14

Of the following groups of religious, which two gave women access to spiritual salvation?
A)Christianity and Buddhism
B)Christianity and Judaism
C)Confucianism and Buddhism
D)Daoism and Christianity

Accepted Answer

Both Christianity and Buddhism gave women access to spiritual salvation.
Key Takeaway: Both Christianity and Buddhism maintained that women and men had equal access to salvation. It is of important note, however, that in these religious, equality on earth was never guaranteed. Christianity has traditionally given men control and power in marriage, politics, and church leadership. Still, many argue that both Buddhism and Christianity have universally regarded women with dignity and respect.

Question 15

Which of the following was the principal god of the Aztecs?
A)The sun god
B)The lion god
C)The feather serpent god
D)The moon god

Accepted Answer

The sun god was the principal god of the Aztecs.
Key Takeaway: The Aztecs mainly worshipped the sun god Huitzilopochtli, who appeared to them in the shape of a very large hummingbird. It was feared that every 52 years, the world would end. So o appease Huitzilopochtli and to stop the impending death of the world, the Aztecs performed large-scale human sacrifice.

Question 16

What was the primary goal of the Christian Crusades?
A)The conquer Asia Minor
B)To spread Christianity to Africa
C)To share Jerusalem with the Turks
D)To retake the Holy Land from the Muslims.

Accepted Answer

The primary goal of the Christian Crusades was to retake the Holy Land from the Muslims.
Key Takeaway: In 1095, Pope Urban II encouraged Christian soldiers to liberate the Holy Land from the Muslims. To encourage people to go on this crusade, he offered what was called an "indulgence," or pardoning of sins for people who answered his call to arms. Urban II also encouraged solidarity with the Byzantines and sought to retake the holy sites, especially Jerusalem, for the Christians.

Question 17

Who brought Islam to India?
A)The Sunni Caliphate
B)The Delhi Sultanate
C)The Ottomans
D)The Umayyads

Accepted Answer

The Delhi Sultanate brought Islam to India.
Key Takeaway: The Delhi Sultanate was established around 1200 C.E. by the Muslims, who had gradually conquered the Indian subcontinent. Also known as the "slave" dynasty in its early years, this sultanate was a succession of Muslim rulers who controlled the northern parts of India from the 13th century.

Question 18

Despite the rapid spread of Islam on the continent of Africa, which of the following places remained Christian?
A)Marrakesh
B)Mali
C)Ethiopia
D)Tunisia

Accepted Answer

Despite the rapid spread of Islam on the continent of Africa, Ethiopia remained Christian.
Key Takeaway: With the emergence of Islam in the seventh century, Christians in Ethiopia became increasingly isolated from the rest of the Christian world. The head of the Ethiopian church was appointed by the patriarch of the Coptic Church in Egypt and Ethiopian monks had certain rights in the church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. Although much of the population of Africa became Muslim as Islam spread, Ethiopia remained Christian, as did the Egyptian Copts.

Question 19

Lutheran doctrine states that good works are sufficient to achieve salvation. True or False?
A)True
B)False

Accepted Answer

False. Lutherans do not believe that completing good works would ensure a place in heaven.
Key Takeaway: Lutheran doctrine does not recognize that a person completing good works will ensure one's place in heaven. Lutherans believe that individuals receive the gift of salvation through faith alone. If an individual places trust in God that he or she will be saved, that person will achieve salvation.

Question 20

Which of the following is true about the Black Death?
A)It was basically confined to South Asia and China.
B)It was mostly only deadly in northern Europe.
C)It was spread along the Euro-Asian trade routes.
D)It stopped before reaching the Mediterranean.

Accepted Answer

The Black Death was spread along the Euro-Asian trade routes.
Key Takeaway: The Black Death, or the bubonic plague, was believed to have originated in China in the 1330s. The plague came to Europe on trading ships and is estimated to have killed more than 25 million people throughout the areas where the Euro-Asian trade routes ran.

Quiz 50: (AP) World History: History: Part C

During the Cold War era, what was the main reason why were the United States and the Soviet Union reluctant to engage in direct military conflict?

During the third century BCE, which of the following was the biggest change in the Chinese political state under Emperor Qin Shihuangdi?

What was the largest environmental problem for ancient Mesopotamia?

What does the Swahili language demonstrate about African civilization during the 1200s and 1300s?

Which of the following caused the Second Age of Islamic conquest, which began in the 1200s?

Who were the majority of people living in Russia during the 1600s?

Which of the following most influenced the economic changes during the Meiji Restoration in Japan?

Which of the following conditions affected Cambodia in the 1970s and Rwanda in the 1990s?

Most likely, what was the main reason for the Jewish migration out of Hungary, Germany, and Crimea?

Why did the development of agriculture lead to a dramatic increase in population?

Why are rivers thought to be so important to the development of the first civilizations?

Why did the Zhou dynasty in China last so long?

Under the social hierarchies of Hinduism and Confucianism, the value of what group is demonstrated?

Of the following groups of religious, which two gave women access to spiritual salvation?

Which of the following was the principal god of the Aztecs?

What was the primary goal of the Christian Crusades?

Who brought Islam to India?

Despite the rapid spread of Islam on the continent of Africa, which of the following places remained Christian?

Lutheran doctrine states that good works are sufficient to achieve salvation. True or False?

Which of the following is true about the Black Death?