Use the following statements about change in Renaissance Europe to answer Question 4.
Statement I: Humanism and the revival of
Statement II: One of the most significant
classical learning in Renaissance Europe were
developments of the Renaissance was that it
only possible because the growth of trade
was the start of a change in Europe from a
brought the Europeans into contact with
traditional, agricultural society to a more urban
Muslim learning, civilization and technology.
society in which rapid change was taking place.
1. Which of the choices below is accurate?
a) Statements I and II are both false
b) Statements I and II are both true
c) Statement I is true, but Statement II is false
d) Statement I is false, but Statement II is true
2. Which of the following statements was typical of the greatest criticism of the Catholic
Church in the period before the Reformation?
a) The teachings and beliefs of the Church needed to be changed.
b) The Church should have been less involved in helping the poor.
c) The Church had become too powerful and corrupt.
d) The leaders of the Church needed more authority than they had.
Use the following characteristics of the European worldview which developed during the
Age of the Renaissance and Exploration to answer Questions 6 and 7.
Characteristic 1: A desire to find new trading partners and new sources of precious metals.
Characteristic 2: The wish to spread the ideas of the Church to new people, and to convert the
people they encountered to Christianity.
Characteristic 3: The aim to spread European political and military power to new areas of the
world.
Characteristic 4: The belief in the superiority of European culture and values.
3. To the Indigenous people of the Americas, the most appropriate title for the characteristics
listed above would have been
a) Motives for the European conquest of the Americas
b) Causes of the increase in trade between Europe and the Americas
c) The results of humanism on the worldview of Europeans
d) The effects of classical ideas on European expansion
4. A Spanish writer from the Age of Exploration who wrote that Indigenous people need to
benefit from the “might, wisdom, and law of their conquerors, to practise better morals,…and
a more civilized way of life.” most reflects which of the characteristics of the European
worldview listed above?
a) Characteristic 1
b) Characteristic 2
c) Characteristic 3
d) Characteristic 4
Use the following quotation from Bartolomé de Las Casas to answer Question 8.
One time the Indians came to meet us and greet us with food and good cheer and
entertainment…[T]hey presented us with a great quantity of fish and bread and other food,
together with everything else they could think to do for us. But the Devil entered into the
Spaniards, and they put them all to the sword in my presence, without any cause whatsoever.
More than three thousand souls were laid out before us, men, women, and children. I saw such
great cruelties that no man alive either has or shall see the like.
5. The quotation above, written by a Spanish missionary in the area of the New World taken
over by Spain, best supports the conclusion that
a) citizens of a society will usually agree with the beliefs that form their worldview
b) members of the same society will not necessarily agree on all the elements of their
worldview
c) beliefs that make up a worldview will not have their origin in acts of violence
d) elements that form a worldview encourage people to act with toleration of other
perspectives
6. Andreas Vesalius, Johannes Kepler and Leonardo da Vinci were all Renaissance figures
most associated with the
a) creation of the new ideas of civic humanism
b) discovery and production of new instruments for navigation
c) application of a new scientific method to the study of the world around them
d) production of works of art using the new techniques and styles popular in Italy
7. Three of the following choices describe features of Renaissance art that were unique to that
time period. Select the choice that describes a feature that was not unique to Renaissance
art.
a) Painters began to sign their art, in order to gain recognition and fame for their work.
b) Painters and sculptors often chose religious themes for their work.
c) Perspective was used in order to add a sense of depth and realism to paintings.
d) People were often depicted with books, musical instruments and other aspects of life that
were considered important to the Renaissance worldview.
8. The humanist ideal which encouraged individuals to seek truth through questioning and
observation most weakened the Catholic Church as a result of the
a) use of indulgences to increase the wealth of the Church
b) number of Renaissance Christians who converted to Islam
c) new religions which emerged during the Protestant Reformation
d) Crusades to regain the Holy Land for the Christians
Use the following information to answer Question 12.
A historian decided that there were four main explanations for an event. They were
Explanation 1: Although usually outnumbered, Europeans often had cannon and armour to help
them.
Explanation 2: Europeans were convinced of the necessity for spreading their worldview to other
people of the world.
Explanation 3: The groups with whom the Europeans came into contact were often disunited
and fighting among themselves.
Explanation 4: European technology included large, advanced ships and scientific instruments
for navigation.
9. The Explanations would be most useful in attempting to identify
a) reasons for the victory of European imperialism
b) results of the expansion of Europe
c) factors that led to the Renaissance in Europe
d) consequences of the European trade with Asia
10. What area of Europe was first to benefit from the revival of trade which occurred in the early
Renaissance?
a) The Kingdom of Spain
b) The Kingdom of Portugal
c) The city-states of northern Italy
d) The ports of northern Europe, on the Atlantic coast
11. At the time of the Renaissance in Europe, people believed that the era they lived in most
represented a
a) growth in new ideas in agriculture and commerce
b) renewed interest in the culture and styles of the ancient world
c) period of greater devotion to the study of Christianity
d) time of tolerance and understanding of other worldviews
Use the following reading to answer Questions 15 and 16.
Under the guidance of Prince Henry the Navigator, the small kingdom of Portugal sent a number
of expeditions south along the coast of Africa. Each voyage provided information for the next, as
the Portuguese slowly worked their way toward the southern tip of Africa. Meanwhile, the King
and Queen of Spain financed an Italian sailor, Christopher Columbus, who believed sailing west
would be a shorter and easier route to where both he and the Portuguese wanted to go.
12. The destination that the sailors from Spain and Portugal were both trying to reach was the
a) New World
b) West Indies
c) Middle East
d) Far East
13. By the end of the Age of Exploration, which of the two routes mentioned in the reading
actually proved to be the shorter and more practical route?
a) Columbus’ route was shorter, because the Earth is round.
b) The Portuguese route was shorter, because Columbus did not know about the
existence of the Pacific Ocean.
c) Columbus’s route was shorter, because he was able to avoid the need to sail around the
treacherous African coast.
d) The Portuguese route was shorter, because Columbus had to sail through more
dangerous waters.
14. From the perspective of loss of life, the greatest impact of the Europeans on the Indigenous
people of the New World was a result of death through
a) battle
b) disease
c) forced labour
d) random killings
15. The greatest cause of the European change from the manorialism of the Middle Ages to the
larger amount of urbanization during the Renaissance was the
a) strength of the feudal system
b) increase in the authority of the Pope
c) growth in trade as a result of the Crusades
d) invention of the printing press and the growth of literacy
16. Which of the following statements accurately describes a change in the European worldview
which was directly associated with the Renaissance?
a) European thinkers began to realize that other nations of the world had greater industrial
and technological development.
b) European artists and writers were reluctant to challenge medieval superstitions and
beliefs.
c) Humanism encouraged individuals to accept traditional explanations of the world around
them.
d) Humanism encouraged individuals to be educated and involved in all aspects of
civic life.
1. At the time of the conflict between the Aztecs and Spanish in 1519, the worldviews of the two
societies could both be described as being based upon
a) tolerance of cultural differences
b) expansion through the conquest of groups they encountered
c) interest in understanding the ways of other cultures
d) willingness to adapt the cultures of groups they encountered
Use the following passage to answer Question 2.
Nation X has an old and long established tradition of not interfering with its neighbours. For many
years, Nation X has not fought in any wars; it has a policy of not taking sides in outside conflicts,
thereby not making any enemies and not being seen as a threat to any nation. However, Nation X
does maintain a strong military, so it is able to defend itself if attacked.
2. Which of the following statements accurately describes how the policy of Nation X in the
reading above compares to the policies of the Spanish and Aztec nations at the time of their
contact in 1519?
a) Nation X was similar to Spain, but not to the Aztec Empire.
b) Nation X was similar to the Aztec Empire, but not to Spain.
c) Nation X’s policy was similar to both the Aztec Empire and the Spanish.
d) Nation X’s policy was different from both the Aztec Empire and the Spanish.
3. From the perspective of the modern Canadian worldview, the Aztec practice of human
sacrifice and the use of the Inquisition by the Spanish Church could both be used as
evidence to suggest that
a) both nations often resorted to violence in their religious practices
b) both nations allowed their citizens freedom of religious thought
c) neither nation wanted to control its citizens’ religious beliefs
d) neither nation held strong views on preserving religious traditions
4. The Aztec concept of citizenship placed the highest value on the need for citizens to
a) take part in the political activity of the nation by voting regularly
b) work hard at their jobs in order to increase the wealth of the nation
c) place the needs of the state above individual needs
d) understand the culture and traditions of neighbouring groups
5. When the Spanish under Cortes first encountered the indigenous people in Mexico, which
feature of the Aztec Empire made the greatest impression upon them?
a) The trading network which had been established by the Aztecs
b) The success of the Aztec military in the battle of Tenochtitlan
c) The power of Moctezuma over the people of the Aztec Empire
d) The large population and wealth of the Aztec capital city
6. A major result of the Spanish reconquest of Spain from Muslim invaders was the creation of
a Spanish society which
a) encouraged a variety of ethnic and religious groups
b) allowed Muslim, Jewish and Spanish groups to live together
c) prevented the worship of religions other than Christianity
d) ceased expansion in order to improve the Spanish economy
7. Three of the following are factors which led King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella to decide to
support the venture proposed by Columbus. Choose the exception.
a) The Spanish monarchs wanted to expand the influence of Christianity by making new
converts.
b) Spain was in need of new sources of gold and precious metals to support the Spanish
economy.
c) The Spanish monarchs were looking for new nations with which they could form
alliances.
d) Spanish military success in the reconquest of Spain encouraged other expeditions of
conquest.
8. The most convincing evidence that could be used to identify the motives of Ferdinand and
Isabella in supporting Columbus would be that, when Columbus returned from the New
World, in his reports to the King and Queen he emphasized the
a) number of people in the New World who could be converted to Christianity
b) variety of different cultures and people he witnessed in the New World
c) amount of gold which could be easily found in the New World
d) quantity of goods in the New World which could be traded with Spain
9. The quest for glory in the Spanish discovery and conquest of new worlds was most
encouraged by the Spanish
a) code of chivalry
b) tradition of the Reconquista
c) expulsion of Muslims and Jews
d) belief in the Inquisition
10. The conquest and destruction of the Aztec Empire by a relatively small number of Spanish
adventurers was most directly a result of the
a) superior wealth and resources of the conquistadores
b) inferior fighting skills of the Aztec warriors
c) ability of the conquistadors to take advantage of Aztec disunity
d) willingness of the Aztec leaders to surrender to Spanish invaders
11. The military advantage which proved the most useful to the Spanish invaders in the conquest
of the Aztecs could best be described as being the
a) larger and more powerful naval vessels
b) more efficient means of communication and command
c) better tactics and advanced planning
d) superior steel armour and firearms
Use the following steps in the conquest of the Aztec Empire to answer Questions 12 and
13.
Step 1: Spanish conquistadors make alliances with groups which had been previously conquered
by the Aztecs.
Step 2: Cortés, while in Cuba, hears rumours of a large and wealthy civilization in the interior of
Mexico.
Step 3: Spanish conquistadors are welcomed as guests into Tenochtitlan, where they seize
Moctezuma as a hostage.
Step 4: Cortés sails to the Mexican coast, and burns his ships to prevent any of his soldiers from
deserting the expedition.
12. The correct chronological order of the steps is ___, ___, ___ and ___.
a) Step 1, 2, 4 and 3
b) Step 2, 3, 1 and 4
c) Step 2, 4, 1 and 3
d) Step 3, 2, 4 and 1
13. Which of the above steps resulted in the greatest amount of violence?
a) Step 1
b) Step 2
c) Step 3
d) Step 4
14. The demolition of the Aztec calendar stones and temples by the Spanish was a deliberate
attempt to
a) remove all traces of the Aztec religion
b) control every aspect of the Aztec economy
c) destroy the social hierarchy of the Aztec culture
d) eliminate political leadership of the Aztec society
15. The economy established in New Spain after the conquest of the Aztecs had the primary
purpose of
a) creating wealth by starting a wide variety of industries
b) using the labour of Indigenous people to enrich the conquerors
c) enriching the leaders of the Aztec community at the expense of the common people
d) allowing settlers to move to Mexico from Spain to work on newly-created farms
Use the statements of the following speakers to answer Questions 1, 2, and 3.
Speaker 1: “Westerners do not respect us for adopting their styles, they laugh at us. What we
need to do in Japan is to stop this mad rush to become just like the West; we need to look closely
at what the West has to offer, then take the best features and adapt them to our Japanese ways.”
Speaker 2: “The Shogun must remain strong in order to ensure that harmony, security and
respect for tradition continue in Japan as they always have. The Exclusion Laws will guarantee
the protection of Japanese culture from foreign contamination.
Speaker 3: “The compulsory seclusion of the Japanese is a wrong, not only to themselves but to
the civilized world…The Japanese undoubtedly have an exclusive right to the possession of their
territory; but they must not abuse that right to the extent of the barring of all other nations from a
participation in its riches and virtues.”
Speaker 4: “We have no choice but to Westernize. If we do not build our industrial and military
strength quickly there is a good chance that Japan will end in the same state as China. We must,
in a sense, beat the West at the West’s own game.”
1. Which question best describes the issue being addressed by all the speakers?
a) Should the West be given control of Japan?
b) How should the leaders of Japan ensure that they have the power they need to govern
Japan?
c) To what extent should Japan adopt a policy of imperialism?
d) How should Japan respond to contact with influences from outside its borders?
2. In which of the following choices is one of the above speakers correctly identified?
a) Speaker 1— a Japanese supporter of Western democratic government
b) Speaker 2 – a supporter of the traditions of Edo Japan
c) Speaker 3 – an American opponent of trade with Japan
d) Speaker 4 – a member of the conservative backlash to changes in Meiji Japan
3. Which Speakers express opinions which are most similar?
a) Speakers 1 and 2
b) Speakers 1 and 3
c) Speakers 2 and 3
d) Speakers 3 and 4
Use the following map to answer Question 4.
4. Using the map above, which statement about Japan is incorrect?
a) Japan is more than 1000 km from the nearest country.
b) Japan and three other nations border the Sea of Japan.
c) Koreans are the closest neighbours to the Japanese.
d) The bulk of Japan’s population is on the island of Honshu.
5. Which of the following features was originally a Japanese creation or idea, and was not
adapted by the Japanese from other cultures?
a) The use of characters for writing
b) The principles of Confucianism
c) The floating world of the arts and culture
d) The cannon used in the Russo-Japanese War
6. The samurai, the daimyo and the shogun all share the common experience of
a) loss of social status after the end of Edo Japan
b) increase in political power during the Meiji Restoration
c) decrease in economic wealth during the Edo period
d) gain in social influence during the Meiji Restoration
Use the following descriptions to answer Question 7.
Description A: The Exclusion Laws which helped to create the isolation of Edo Japan were
designed to expel all foreigners from Japan, along with their cultural and religious ideas. The aim
was to cut off contact between Japan and the outside world.
Description B: The Unequal Treaties opened Japanese ports to trade with Western nations,
guaranteed that Japan would supply coal to foreign ships and included the promise that any
privilege or agreement that Japan made with any other nation would automatically be given to the
United States as well.
7. Which of the following statements about the descriptions is correct?
a) Both the descriptions are true.
b) Both the descriptions are false.
c) Description A is true, but description B is false
d) Description B is true, but description A is false
8. In Japan, the immediate response to the signing of the Unequal Treaties was
a) an increase in support for the Shogun
b) the onset of civil war and disorder
c) the end of Japanese independence
d) a decrease in trade and industry
9. Which of the following characteristics of Japan was most useful in Japanese westernization?
a) Japan’s isolated location in the world
b) The limited amount of arable land in Japan promoted efficient agriculture
c) The religious traditions of the Japanese encouraged change
d) Japan’s practice of borrowing and adapting from other cultures
10. Three of the following statements about the Ainu people of Japan describe aspects of their
history and culture which are similar to the history of the First Nations people of Canada.
Choose the statement that is the exception.
a) Gods for each group were often associated with features of the physical world, such as
fire, water, wind or animals.
b) Members of each group were pushed off much of their land by settlers and were often
restricted to living in specific areas.
c) Each group has agreed with its government on the first steps toward more selfgovernment.
d) Attempts were made by each government to assimilate the indigenous people, by getting
rid of their language, customs and dress.
11. In which of the following choices dealing with Japanese history is a cause correctly paired
with a result which followed?
Cause
Result
a) The Japanese Shogun felt threatened by
a) The Unequal Treaties are signed by the
the increase in Christianity and foreign
Japanese and Western nations.
influence in Japan.
b) Commodore Perry arrives in Japan
b) The Exclusion Laws are passed in Japan
demanding trading arrangements with the
to close access to the island.
Japanese government.
c) The Meiji Restoration aims at
c) The daimyo and the samurai are
reestablishing the strong, central
stripped of their local political and
government, led by the Emperor.
taxation duties.
d) Japanese military forces capture Korea
d) Japanese Westernization aims to create a
after a war with Russia.
Japan capable of competing with the West.
Use the following quotation to answer Questions 12 and 13.
We recognize the excellence of Western civilization. We value the Western theories of rights,
liberty and equality; and we respect Western philosophy and morals….Above all, we esteem
Western science, economics and industry. These, however, ought not to be adopted simply
because they are Western; they ought to be adopted only if they can contribute to Japan’s
welfare.
12. The writer of the quotation, taken from a Japanese newspaper in 1889, was most likely a
supporter of
a) Japanese isolationism from outside influences
b) Westernization of Japanese culture and industry
c) Japanese borrowing of Western economic and political ideas
d) Democratization of the Japanese political system
13. The writer of this quotation and people who hold the same belief would have seen the early
actions of the Meiji Restoration as
a) acceptable, because they led to industrial growth in Japan
b) acceptable, because Japan’s government was made to resemble that of the United
States
c) unacceptable, because Japanese traditions were followed too closely
d) unacceptable, because Japanese traditions were often ignored in implementing
foreign practices
14. The Japanese creation of terraces for crops, use of silkworms for clothing material and
harvesting of seaweed and soybeans would all be most useful in explaining how, during the
Edo period, Japan was
a) able to exist self-sufficiently
b) capable of feeding a large population
c) dependant upon foreign trade
d) reliant upon industrial production
15. Which of the following statements correctly describes the changing role of the Emperor in
the history of Japan?
a) The Emperor and the Shogun were seen as gods, but with the end of the shogunate, only
the Emperor ran the government of Japan.
b) The Emperor of Japan has always been seen as having god-like status, but his
actual role in daily government has been small.
c) In Edo Japan, the Emperor controlled the daily government of Japan, while the Shogun
was seen as a distant figurehead.
d) In Meiji Japan, the role of the Emperor was reduced from the position that he had held
during the Edo period.
16. The story of the 47 ronin is most used to illustrate the importance in Japanese culture of the
values of
a) military service and obedience
b) duty and honour
c) revenge and power
d) harmony and peace
17. To the rulers of Edo Japan, the element of Christianity seen as the greatest threat to the
control of the Shogun was the
a) moral code that was followed by Christians
b) Christian belief in using missionaries to convert new people
c) Christian belief that God’s word is higher than the laws of political leaders
d) corruption and wealth of the Christian Church
18. Three of the following statements identify reasons for the success of Japanese
industrialization during the Meiji period. Choose the exception.
a) Japan had a long tradition of adapting foreign features to Japanese culture
b) Japanese society has encouraged hard work and sacrifice for the good of the community
or nation.
c) Japan’s naturally abundant resources allowed rapid industrial and economic
growth.
d) Japanese government leaders coordinated and organized a national effort to develop
new industry.
Use the following answer to respond to Question 19.
The Japanese were forced, rather unwillingly, to change from an isolated society, controlled by a
rigid refusal to change, to a nation which had to adapt to Western
society quickly or risk being taken over by the Western nations.
19. Which of the following is the question to which the above answer provides the correct
response?
a) How was the Japanese worldview changed by the arrival of Western influences?
b) How was the role of the Emperor altered by the changes caused by Westernization?
c) How did contact with Japan change the way in which the West viewed the Japanese?
d) How did cultural contact with the West help to enrich Japanese traditions?
20. The case study of Japanese contact with other cultures could best be used as evidence to
suggest that
a) contacts between cultures usually ends with one of the cultures being overwhelmed by
the other
b) only isolation from outside cultural contact is effective in preserving cultural traditions of a
nation
c) cultures must be willing to accept the beliefs and values of the new worldviews with which
they come into contact
d) cultural ideas and values can be successfully borrowed and adapted without the
destruction of either culture