World History - California Standards Test Released Items

Why did Stone Age people practice slash-andburn agriculture?
1. to fulfill spiritual beliefs
2. to make irrigation easier
3. to drive away wild animals
4. to clear land for farming
Which development most enabled early peoples to form permanent settlements?
1. advances in agricultural production
2. the creation of democratic government
3. the spread of monotheism
4. advances in written language
Hammurabi’s Code of ancient Mesopotamian society was important because it
1. listed the laws and the corresponding punishments.
2. explained how government officials were chosen.
3. established a single currency for use across the empire.
4. described how to perform formal religious ceremonies.
The art and architecture of ancient Egypt were designed to emphasize the
1. value of the arts in daily life.
2. role of the individual as an artist.
3. idea of beauty as seen by the artist.
4. religious idea of eternal life.
The speaker in the passage above is referring to the
1. Greek tyrant and the Parthenon.
2. Egyptian pharaoh and his pyramid.
3. Assyrian king and his lighthouse.
4. Hebrew king and the Temple.
Cuneiform and hieroglyphics were important achievements in the development of
1. written language.
2. religious beliefs.
3. agricultural production.
4. representative government.
The Ten Commandments of the ancient Hebrews has had the greatest influence on the development of Western
1. parliamentary democracies.
2. moral and ethical teachings.
3. feudal social class systems.
4. styles in art and literature.
Jewish scripture says that God’s laws were delivered to the ancient Hebrews by
1. Abraham.
2. Solomon.
3. Moses.
4. David.
The diaspora, the dispersing of the Jewish people, refers to their
1. exile from their homeland.
2. collection of their sacred writings.
3. effort to convert nonbelievers.
4. opposition to the Crusades.
Greece’s mountainous terrain and its series of small islands influenced the ancient Greeks to develop
1. a political system based on independent city-states.
2. a culture that was uniform throughout its vast empire.
3. an economic system based on mining precious metals.
4. a society completely isolated from other civilizations.
The quotation above illustrates the importance ancient Athenians placed on individual participation in the
1. education of young children.
2. religious rituals of the community.
3. political process of the city-state.
4. economic activities of the household.
The legacy of ancient Greek myths and epics, such as the Iliad, continues to provide people with
1. accurate descriptions of historical events.
2. heroic figures and great adventures.
3. real life stories about everyday people.
4. objective studies of ancient civilizations.
All of these words used in the English language today originated in myths of the
1. Chinese.
2. Romans.
3. Greeks.
4. Egyptians.
Ancient Greeks used myths about their gods primarily to
1. strike fear in their enemies.
2. explain events in the natural world.
3. justify their type of government.
4. undermine the Persian religion.
In 480 B.C., the independent Greek city-states formed an alliance under the leadership of Athens and Sparta during their conflict with the
1. Persians.
2. Egyptians.
3. Romans.
4. Huns.
How did the rise to power and reign of Alexander most affect Greece?
1. He established a peaceful relationship with the Persian Empire.
2. He strengthened greatly the concept of democratic rule.
3. He made Macedonia into the intellectual center of the Hellenistic world.
4. He ended the power of the city-states and established a unified nation.
Which letter on the map above is the location of the Indus River Valley and the early civilization it supported?
1. location A
2. location B
3. location C
4. location D
Which statement about the Hindu caste system in India is accurate?
1. Different castes shared the same rules for governing their behavior.
2. Foreigners were treated as members of the lowest caste.
3. Castes were encouraged to interact with one another.
4. People were required to stay in the same caste to which they were born.
Which individual was responsible for the Chinese social movement described in the text box above?
1. Buddha
2. Asoka
3. Confucius
4. Shi Huangdi
The Chinese people turned to the teachings of Confucius because his ideas were thought to help
1. unify the Chinese against foreign enemies.
2. restore order in China.
3. stop the Chinese people from converting to Islam.
4. create democratic institutions.
What was the main contribution of Emperor Shi Huangdi to China?
1. He unified most of China under one government.
2. He established a public education system in China.
3. He established a public education system in China.
4. He encouraged acceptance of the Hindu religion.
What effect did Julius Caesar’s seizure of power have on the Roman political system?
1. It secured the rights of the commoners against the nobles.
2. It allowed for control of the state by the Senate.
3. It marked the transition from a republic to an empire.
4. It standardized the system by which emperors were chosen.
The origins of checks and balances in the U.S. political system can be traced to the
1. French monarchy.
2. Roman Republic.
3. Greek aristocracy.
4. Aztec Empire.
The wars with Carthage (264–146 B.C.) gave the Roman Empire control of
1. North Africa.
2. Asia Minor.
3. Northern Europe.
4. the Middle East.
The map above represents the military conquests associated with the spread of what major world religion?
1. Christianity
2. Judaism
3. Islam
4. Hinduism
In the 700s A.D., Arabian merchants played an important role in
1. spreading new technology among Asia, Africa, and Europe.
2. converting large numbers of Western Europeans to Islam.
3. uniting most of Asia and Europe under a single religion.
4. stopping the invasions of nomadic people from Central Asia.
Which shows the importance the Mongols placed on improving trade contacts with other civilizations?
1. the conquest of Constantinople
2. the establishment of caravan routes
3. the construction of large merchant fl eets
4. the creation of a national currency
Which of these describes how paper was introduced into medieval Europe?
1. The Chinese introduced it to the Arabs, who passed it on to Europeans.
2. The Swedes bought it from Russians, who learned about it from Indians.
3. The Turks learned to make it and sold the process to Europeans.
4. The Arabs learned about paper making from the Japanese and taught Europeans.
The examinations described in the quotation above were necessary for a position as a Chinese
1. soldier.
2. priest.
3. silk merchant.
4. government official.
How did the location of cities in the West African empires of Ghana and Mali infl uence their growth?
1. Their location in river valleys allowed for extensive farming.
2. Their coastal location made the cities major ports for maritime trade.
3. Their location on major trade routes allowed them to prosper economically.
4. Their mountainous location made the cities easily defensible.
The contacts between civilizations shown in the map above were primarily made by
1. explorers who were mapping Central Africa.
2. traders who crossed the Sahara desert into West Africa.
3. Christian missionaries from the Middle East.
4. barbarians migrating from North Africa.
China’s influence on Medieval Japan is illustrated by Japan’s development of
1. a writing system.
2. the samurai tradition.
3. haiku poetry.
4. a civil service exam.
Endurance, cunning, physical strength, and courage were the ideal characteristics of
1. Confucian offi cials.
2. Buddhist priests.
3. Japanese samurai.
4. Hindu governors.
In medieval Europe, law and order were maintained by the
1. legions.
2. merchants.
3. nobility.
4. serfs.
During medieval times, which of these groups was legally tied to the land?
1. serfs
2. knights
3. parish priests
4. minor nobility
During the medieval period in Europe, the political power of the kings and great nobles was often constrained by the actions of
1. elected parliaments.
2. high Church officials.
3. the growing middle class.
4. organized groups of serfs.
Use the timeline to complete the following statement.

The timeline shows events related to the
1. conflict between the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor.
2. Catholic Church’s expansion of influence in government.
3. evolution towards constitutional government in England.
4. establishment of an absolute monarchy in France.
How did the Crusades affect the economies of Central and Western Europe?
1. Gold and silver brought back by crusaders caused monetary inflation.
2. The Crusades led to a decline in the production of crafts and food crops.
3. Cloth and spices brought back by crusaders led to greater interest in trade.
4. The Crusades limited access to luxury goods from China and India.
Use the quotation to complete the following statement.

The Pope is issuing a call for
1. help in fighting Martin Luther and the Protestants.
2. Crusaders to regain the Holy Land from Muslims.
3. the Emperor to restore the glory of the Frankish Empire.
4. armies to fight against the Mongol invaders.
The map above illustrates the spread of what disease?
1. yellow fever
2. cholera
3. bubonic plague
4. malaria
Use the map to answer the following question.

Which of the areas on the map was the center of Inca civilization?
1. J
2. K
3. L
4. M
Which characteristic did Aztec and Incan societies share?
1. laws that made slavery illegal
2. families dominated by women
3. government by direct democracy
4. complex religious ceremonies
Which members of Aztec society were responsible for the tasks outlined above?
1. merchants
2. soldiers
3. farmers
4. priests
What was the main cause of the population change shown on the chart above?
1. the migration of several culture groups to North America
2. losses due to Spanish military actions against native peoples
3. starvation resulting from declining agricultural production
4. the introduction of disease by contact with Europeans
The Maya, Aztec, and Inca civilizations each developed
1. powerful seafaring traditions.
2. monotheistic religious systems.
3. democratic governments.
4. complex architectural structures.
The stories from Marco Polo’s travels encouraged Europeans to
1. journey to Asia in search of wealth.
2. abandon the feudal land system.
3. launch the Crusades against Muslims.
4. isolate themselves from foreigners.
Which of these is not a characteristic of Renaissance painting?
1. subject matter limited to Christian themes
2. realistic portrait painting
3. settings reflecting the world of the artists
4. paintings showing depth and perspective
The information in the chart above best describes which of these individuals of the Renaissance?
1. Raphael
2. Michelangelo
3. da Vinci
4. Botticelli
The poems and plays of which person are representative of the English Renaissance?
1. Johann Gutenberg
2. William Shakespeare
3. Dante Alighieri
4. Miguel de Cervantes
England became a Protestant country during the Reformation when its
1. king declared himself head of the Church of England.
2. people demanded the adoption of Lutheran beliefs.
3. priests opposed reforms implemented by the Pope.
4. armies were exposed to Calvinist beliefs while in France.
What was the Spanish Inquisition (1478–1834)?
1. a system designed to establish new colonies in the Americas
2. the exchange of goods between Spain and Central and South America
3. the religious court established to find and punish heretics
4. a military campaign to drive the Muslim armies out of Spain
What was the cause for the movement of the Jewish population shown above?
1. the invasion of Europe and Africa by the Moors
2. the spread of the Black Death through Europe
3. the establishment of new colonies by the Jews to the west
4. the forced removal of the Jews by church and government authorities
The findings of Galileo and Newton were significant because, from their time on, scientific thought was based upon
1. traditional ways of thinking.
2. the ideas of the classic philosophers.
3. the authority of the Church.
4. observation and experimentation.
The systematic collection and articulation of natural laws, such as gravity and motion, was done by
1. Galileo.
2. Isaac Newton.
3. Kepler.
4. van Leeuwenhoek.
Which Scientific Revolution-era invention led to an increased understanding of diseases?
1. the telescope
2. the thermometer
3. the barometer
4. the microscope
What was one effect of Copernicus’ theory of a sun-centered solar system?
1. It required a revision of the Christian calendar.
2. It disputed Church teachings regarding the universe.
3. It allowed sailors to predict tides more accurately.
4. It resulted in a decline in pagan religions.
The “Triangle Trade” and “Columbian Exchange” are terms used to describe the movement of goods between Western Europe, West Africa, and
1. Central Asia.
2. the Americas.
3. Australia.
4. the Middle East.
The Scientific Revolution contributed to Enlightenment thought by influencing people to
1. believe in the power of human reason.
2. reject belief in the organized church.
3. study the ideas of past civilizations.
4. oppose individuality in favor of social order.
Based on the quotation above, which form of government would John Locke most oppose?
1. republic
2. dictatorship
3. representative democracy
4. constitutional monarchy
The teachings of Enlightenment thinking listed above provided the basis for the
1. establishment of democratic government.
2. teaching of the Protestant Reformation.
3. calling of the crusades.
4. development of feudalism.
What were both the Magna Carta and the English Bill of Rights designed to do?
1. limit the power of the monarch
2. provide for religious freedom
3. accept the theory of divine right
4. give commoners the right to vote

World History - California Standards Test Released Items

Choose the correct answer for each question.

Why did Stone Age people practice slash-andburn agriculture?

Which development most enabled early peoples to form permanent settlements?

Hammurabi’s Code of ancient Mesopotamian society was important because it

The art and architecture of ancient Egypt were designed to emphasize the

The speaker in the passage above is referring to the

Cuneiform and hieroglyphics were important achievements in the development of

The Ten Commandments of the ancient Hebrews has had the greatest influence on the development of Western

Jewish scripture says that God’s laws were delivered to the ancient Hebrews by

The diaspora, the dispersing of the Jewish people, refers to their

Greece’s mountainous terrain and its series of small islands influenced the ancient Greeks to develop

The quotation above illustrates the importance ancient Athenians placed on individual participation in the

The legacy of ancient Greek myths and epics, such as the Iliad, continues to provide people with

All of these words used in the English language today originated in myths of the

Ancient Greeks used myths about their gods primarily to

In 480 B.C., the independent Greek city-states formed an alliance under the leadership of Athens and Sparta during their conflict with the

How did the rise to power and reign of Alexander most affect Greece?

Which letter on the map above is the location of the Indus River Valley and the early civilization it supported?

Which statement about the Hindu caste system in India is accurate?

Which individual was responsible for the Chinese social movement described in the text box above?

The Chinese people turned to the teachings of Confucius because his ideas were thought to help

What was the main contribution of Emperor Shi Huangdi to China?

What effect did Julius Caesar’s seizure of power have on the Roman political system?

The origins of checks and balances in the U.S. political system can be traced to the

The wars with Carthage (264–146 B.C.) gave the Roman Empire control of

The map above represents the military conquests associated with the spread of what major world religion?

In the 700s A.D., Arabian merchants played an important role in

Which shows the importance the Mongols placed on improving trade contacts with other civilizations?

Which of these describes how paper was introduced into medieval Europe?

The examinations described in the quotation above were necessary for a position as a Chinese

How did the location of cities in the West African empires of Ghana and Mali infl uence their growth?

The contacts between civilizations shown in the map above were primarily made by

China’s influence on Medieval Japan is illustrated by Japan’s development of

Endurance, cunning, physical strength, and courage were the ideal characteristics of

In medieval Europe, law and order were maintained by the

During medieval times, which of these groups was legally tied to the land?

During the medieval period in Europe, the political power of the kings and great nobles was often constrained by the actions of

Use the timeline to complete the following statement.

The timeline shows events related to the

How did the Crusades affect the economies of Central and Western Europe?

Use the quotation to complete the following statement.

The Pope is issuing a call for

The map above illustrates the spread of what disease?

Use the map to answer the following question.

Which of the areas on the map was the center of Inca civilization?

Which characteristic did Aztec and Incan societies share?

Which members of Aztec society were responsible for the tasks outlined above?

What was the main cause of the population change shown on the chart above?

The Maya, Aztec, and Inca civilizations each developed

The stories from Marco Polo’s travels encouraged Europeans to

Which of these is not a characteristic of Renaissance painting?

The information in the chart above best describes which of these individuals of the Renaissance?

The poems and plays of which person are representative of the English Renaissance?

England became a Protestant country during the Reformation when its

What was the Spanish Inquisition (1478–1834)?

What was the cause for the movement of the Jewish population shown above?

The findings of Galileo and Newton were significant because, from their time on, scientific thought was based upon

The systematic collection and articulation of natural laws, such as gravity and motion, was done by

Which Scientific Revolution-era invention led to an increased understanding of diseases?

What was one effect of Copernicus’ theory of a sun-centered solar system?

The “Triangle Trade” and “Columbian Exchange” are terms used to describe the movement of goods between Western Europe, West Africa, and

The Scientific Revolution contributed to Enlightenment thought by influencing people to

Based on the quotation above, which form of government would John Locke most oppose?

The teachings of Enlightenment thinking listed above provided the basis for the

What were both the Magna Carta and the English Bill of Rights designed to do?

**Which development most enabled early peoples to form permanent settlements?**

**The legacy of ancient Greek myths and epics, such as the Iliad, continues to provide people with**

**Ancient Greeks used myths about their gods primarily to**

**How did the rise to power and reign of Alexander most affect Greece?**

**The contacts between civilizations shown in the map above were primarily made by**

**What was the main cause of the population change shown on the chart above?**

**Which of these is not a characteristic of Renaissance painting?**

**Based on the quotation above, which form of government would John Locke most oppose?**