Question 1

Why were explorers fascinated by artifacts from the New World?
A) The Europeans wanted to "Christianize" indigenous cultures and artifacts would help them communicate with those cultures.
B) Treasure hunters were encouraged by stories they heard of a mythical city of gold called El Dorado.
C) Archeology was a new field, and those studying it were interested in excavating El Dorado, which was rumored to be like the hanging gardens of Babylon.
D) The artifacts were clues to advanced medicinal practices, promising cures for fatal illnesses.

Accepted Answer

Treasure hunters were fascinated by the stories of El Dorado, a mythical city of gold in the New World. They believed that artifacts from the New World could lead them to this treasure.

Question 2

Which of the following is the Aztec king whom the Spanish defeated through an act of deception?
A) Quetzalcóatl
B) Montecuhzoma
C) Atahuallpa
D) Tezcatlipoca

Accepted Answer

Montecuhzoma (also known as Moctezuma) was the Aztec king who was deceived by the Spanish conquistador, Hernán Cortés. Cortés and his men were welcomed into the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan by Montecuhzoma, but they eventually took him captive and used him as a pawn to control the Aztec Empire. The other choices, Quetzalcóatl, Atahuallpa, and Tezcatlipoca, were all important figures in Mesoamerican history but were not defeated by the Spanish through deception.

Question 3

Who led the Spanish expedition that conquered the Inca Empire in Peru in 1533 with an army of only 180 men?
A) Francisco Pizarro
B) Hernán Cortés
C) Diego de Durán
D) Bernardino de Sahagún

Accepted Answer

Francisco Pizarro led the Spanish expedition that conquered the Inca Empire in Peru in 1533 with an army of only 180 men.

Question 4

Which of the following refers to the purely Japanese writing system in which Murasaki Shikibu composed her poems?
A) waka
B) hiragana
C) zuihitsu
D) haiku

Accepted Answer

Hiragana is the purely Japanese writing system used to write words of native Japanese origin, grammatical particles, and verb inflections. Murasaki Shikibu composed her poems in this writing system. Waka and haiku are types of Japanese poetry, while zuihitsu is a genre of Japanese literature.

Question 5

During the reign of Zhu Di,the appearance and quality of Chinese porcelain improved dramatically.Why?
A) The court official Zheng He expanded the style and subject of images used in the porcelain.
B) The "treasure fleet" of Chinese trade vessels acquired cobalt ore, creating a rich color in the porcelain.
C) Zheng He perfected a new firing process for porcelain.
D) Raw materials and minerals used in the new porcelain were imported from Europe.

Accepted Answer

The acquisition of cobalt ore allowed for the creation of a rich blue color in Chinese porcelain, which improved its appearance and quality. The other options, while significant in Chinese history, do not directly explain the improvement of porcelain during Zhu Di's reign.

Question 6

Which of the following terms refers to the supreme traditional head of a Benin town?
A) oba
B) lyalode
C) manilla
D) bwoom

Accepted Answer

The term oba refers to the supreme traditional head of a Benin town.

Question 7

Why was the explorer Marco Polo impressed with Hangzho?
A) the extensive gardens and civic architectural beauty and the variety of fresh food
B) the order of the political structure and leadership
C) the great educational system open to the middle classes and even to a select few in the servant class
D) the strategic military positioning of the city's defensive systems

Accepted Answer

Marco Polo was impressed with Hangzhou's extensive gardens and civic architectural beauty, as well as the variety of fresh food, according to his accounts.

Question 8

Who commissioned the compilation of an authoritative encyclopedia of Chinese learning that comprised thousands of volumes?
A) Zhu Di
B) Confucius
C) Kublai Khan
D) Zheng He

Accepted Answer

Zhu Di, also known as Yongle Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, commissioned the compilation of the Yongle Encyclopedia, which is an authoritative encyclopedia of Chinese learning that comprised thousands of volumes.

Question 9

Why is the Ife culture considered so important?
A) It is the oldest in Africa.
B) It has had a strategic military location.
C) It held the majority of the wealth in the region.
D) The indigenous people of Ife assisted the Portuguese in desert survival.

Accepted Answer

The Ife culture is considered important because it is one of the oldest in Africa, with artifacts dating back to the 4th century. Its art and spiritual traditions have influenced other cultures in West Africa and beyond.

Question 10

Which of the following dynasties developed movable type,allowing them to print books on paper-approximately 400 years before Gutenberg introduced his movable type printing press in the West?
A) the Ming dynasty
B) the Song dynasty
C) the Yuan dynasty
D) the Tang dynasty

Accepted Answer

The Song dynasty developed movable type, which allowed them to print books on paper around the 11th century, about 400 years before Gutenberg introduced his movable type printing press in the West.

Question 11

Which of the following European navigators sailed around the Cape of Good Hope and reached Calicut,India,in approximately 1497?
A) Christopher Columbus
B) Pedro Cabral
C) Bartholomeu Dias
D) Vasco da Gama

Accepted Answer

Vasco da Gama is the only navigator who sailed around the Cape of Good Hope and reached Calicut, India in approximately 1497. Christopher Columbus sailed to the Caribbean and Central America and Pedro Cabral landed in Brazil, while Bartholomeu Dias reached the southern tip of Africa, but did not continue on to India.

Question 12

Which of the following terms identifies a horseshoe-shaped copper or brass object,which served as the standard medium of exchange in the Benin culture?
A) oba
B) lyalode
C) manilla
D) bwoom

Accepted Answer

Manillas were the horseshoe-shaped copper or brass objects that were used as the standard medium of exchange in the Benin culture. Oba is the title of the king of the Benin Kingdom, lyalode refers to a female leader among the Yoruba people, and bwoom is not a term associated with the Benin culture.

Question 13

During most of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries,which of the following religions was dominant among India's leaders?
A) Christianity
B) Hinduism
C) Islam
D) Buddhism

Accepted Answer

During most of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, Islam was the dominant religion among India's leaders, largely due to the rule of the Mughal Empire, which was a Muslim dynasty that ruled over large parts of the Indian subcontinent.

Question 14

Who is memorialized by the Taj Mahal?
A) Jumna
B) Jahangir
C) Mumtaz-i-Mahal
D) Abu Bakhir

Accepted Answer

The Taj Mahal was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife, Mumtaz-i-Mahal, who died during childbirth.

Question 15

Which of the following became the favorite motif used by Ming artists because they symbolized the emperor?
A) sea monsters
B) waves
C) fish
D) dragons

Accepted Answer

Dragons became the favorite motif used by Ming artists because they symbolized the emperor, who was considered the Son of Heaven and had the power of the mythical creature.

Question 16

Which of the following was a factor in the collapse of the Mayan culture?
A) war
B) harsh weather
C) disease
D) invasions by European explorers

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following was a factor...

Question 17

Which of the following Mesoamerican cultures depended on an elaborate calendar system that included a 260-day calendar as well as a 365-day calendar?
A) the Mayan culture
B) the Moche culture
C) the Incan culture
D)the Zapotec culture

Accepted Answer

The Mayan culture is known for their complex and sophisticated calendar system, which included both a 260-day ritual calendar and a 365-day solar calendar. They believed that these calendars helped them understand the cycles of time and the divine will of the gods.

Question 18

Who led the Spanish expedition that conquered the Aztec empire of Mexico in the first quarter of the sixteenth century?
A) Hernán Cortés
B) Francisco Pizarro
C) Diego de Durán
D) Bernardino de Sahagún

Accepted Answer

Hernán Cortés led the Spanish expedition that conquered the Aztec empire of Mexico in the first quarter of the sixteenth century. The other options either refer to individuals who did not have a prominent role in the conquest (Diego de Durán and Bernardino de Sahagún) or refer to conquests in other parts of the Americas (Francisco Pizarro in Peru).

Question 19

Why was the apse of Santo Domingo built in its current location?
A) to intentionally impose the symbol of Christian power over the circular wall of the Coricancha, a site of Inca worship
B) to establish a place of Christian worship as the locals requested
C) to appease the local traditions of sacred ground
D) to use the land directed specifically from the Spanish monarchy

Accepted Answer

The apse of Santo Domingo was intentionally built in its current location to impose the symbol of Christian power over the circular wall of the Coricancha, a site of Inca worship. The Spanish colonizers aimed to assert their dominance over the local religion and establish Christianity as the dominant faith.

Question 20

The new Mongol ruler,Akbar,ascended the throne at just fourteen years old.How did he demonstrate his ability to lead a diverse polution?
A) He established and practiced a policy of religious toleration.
B) He eased the tax burden on the poor within his region.
C) He bolstered economic growth through expansive trade routes.
D) He established a college for religious scholars.

Accepted Answer

Akbar established and practiced a policy of religious tolerance, which allowed people of different religions to live and worship freely. This showed his ability to lead a diverse population by promoting harmony and respect among different religious and cultural groups.

Quiz 9: Encounter and Confrontation

Why were explorers fascinated by artifacts from the New World?

Which of the following is the Aztec king whom the Spanish defeated through an act of deception?

Who led the Spanish expedition that conquered the Inca Empire in Peru in 1533 with an army of only 180 men?

Which of the following refers to the purely Japanese writing system in which Murasaki Shikibu composed her poems?

During the reign of Zhu Di,the appearance and quality of Chinese porcelain improved dramatically.Why?

Which of the following terms refers to the supreme traditional head of a Benin town?

Why was the explorer Marco Polo impressed with Hangzho?

Who commissioned the compilation of an authoritative encyclopedia of Chinese learning that comprised thousands of volumes?

Why is the Ife culture considered so important?

Which of the following dynasties developed movable type,allowing them to print books on paper-approximately 400 years before Gutenberg introduced his movable type printing press in the West?

Which of the following European navigators sailed around the Cape of Good Hope and reached Calicut,India,in approximately 1497?

Which of the following terms identifies a horseshoe-shaped copper or brass object,which served as the standard medium of exchange in the Benin culture?

During most of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries,which of the following religions was dominant among India's leaders?

Who is memorialized by the Taj Mahal?

Which of the following became the favorite motif used by Ming artists because they symbolized the emperor?

Which of the following was a factor in the collapse of the Mayan culture?

Which of the following Mesoamerican cultures depended on an elaborate calendar system that included a 260-day calendar as well as a 365-day calendar?

Who led the Spanish expedition that conquered the Aztec empire of Mexico in the first quarter of the sixteenth century?

Why was the apse of Santo Domingo built in its current location?

The new Mongol ruler,Akbar,ascended the throne at just fourteen years old.How did he demonstrate his ability to lead a diverse polution?