World History I 2003 SOL Test
1. The first crops most likely to have been planted by Neolithic people were
a. berry bushes
c. fruit trees
b. spices and herbs
d. grains
2. Which of the following was emphasized in the education of Spartan youths in ancient Greece?
An appreciation for the fine arts and
a.
c. Physical strength and military skill
literature
The accumulation of wealth through
Mathematical and scientific
b. business
d.
knowledge
3. The end of the Neolithic period in Southwest Asia and Egypt is generally accepted to be when
tools and weapons were made from
a. the use of mathematics began
c.
iron
b. a system of writing developed
d. civilizations developed
4. Which major religion was born during a time when the Roman Empire was near its height?
a. Judaism
c. Islam
b. Hinduism
d. Christianity
5. Which best describes the origin of the religion of Buddhism?
It was brought by the Aryans from
It was developed by Siddhartha
a.
c.
Central Asia.
Gautama as a reform of Hinduism.
It was based on traditional Dravidian It was the religion of the early
b.
d.
beliefs.
civilizations of the Indus Valley.
6. During the glacial periods, Old Stone Age people kept warm by all of the following means,
EXCEPT by
a. wearing animal skins
c. wearing women woolen clothing
b. building fires
d. building shelters
7. The democracy of ancient Athens was different from democracy today in the United States,
because in Athens
slaves could participate in
only male citizens could vote
a.
c.
government
directly on proposed laws
women were the complete equals of
most people living in the city-state
b.
d.
men politically and economically
could vote
8. Scribes were important in Sumerian and Egyptian life because they
were the only people who could read taught the priests and nobles to read
a.
c.
and write
and write
judged property disputes after the
were the poets, authors, and
b.
d.
annual floods receded
scholars of the time
9. All of the following are necessary for a Neolithic culture to evolve into a civiization, EXCEPT
the development of a system of
the growth of a settlement large
a.
c.
public education for the community
enough to be a city
job specialization with different
a centralized government for the
b.
d.
groups performing different tasks
city
10. Which culture is MOST closely associated with seafaring, trading, and establishing colonies
on other continents that border the Mediterranean Sea?
a. Phoenicians
c. Hittites
b. Assyrians
d. Egyptians
11. The early cities of Mohenjo-daro and Harappy were located
a. along the Indus River
c. along the Ganges River
b. on the coast of India
d. in the valleys of the Himalaya Mountains
12. What do yin and yang represent in Chinese culture?
a. two ancient Chinese painters
c. two rivers in China
b. opposing forces in nature
d. an ancient Chinese musical system
13. As a result of the Peloponnesian War, Sparta
a. conquered Asia Minor
c. became an ally of Athens
b. was conquered by Persia
d. dominated Greece for a number of years
14. Which statement about women in the Roman Republic is CORRECT?
The mother was considered the
a. Women could vote and hold office. c.
head of the Roman family
Women could own and sell
b. Women were restricted to the home. d.
property
15. What group invaded Rome, finally putting an end to the Empire?
a. Carthage
c. Barbarians
b. Egypt
d. Greek rebels
16. Neolithic farmers found that the soil along rivers was especially fertile because
they slashed and burned the
a.
c. they added fertilizers to the soil
vegetation along the rivers
annual flooding replenished the land
animals deposited their manure
b.
d.
with a layer of topsoil
more frequently along the rivers
17. What was the prominent concept for Western civilization that was established in Roman law?
All members of society would be
a. Slavery would be abolished
c.
provided for by the government
All citizens would be equal before
Gruesome gladiator matches would
b.
d.
the law
not be allowed in public places
18. Archaeologists learn about prehistoric cultures by studying all of the following, EXCEPT:
a. fossils
c. written records
b. tools and weapons
d. pottery
19. Why was the capital of the Empire moved from Rome to Byzantium?
Constantine wanted to be closer to
For the purposes of trade and
a.
c.
the Holy Land
commerce
It was easier to defend and was not
Future emperors were interested in
b.
d.
corrupt like Rome
exploring Africa
20. How did Islam spread across Africa, Asia, and into Spain?
a. letters
c. warfare
b. travelers
d. isolation
21. The source of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers is in
The mountains of Turkey (then
a. the mountains of Iran (then Persia) c.
Anatolia)
b. Mesopotamia
d. The Persian Gulf
22. Solon is an important figure in the history of ancient Athens because he
made Athenian government more
a. made himself tyrant of the city
c.
democratic
led an army that defeated the
put down a revolt by the poor
b.
d.
Persians
farmers of the city-state
23. Which of the following is the HIGHEST caste in the Hindu caste system?
a. Brahmans
c. Merchants
b. Warriors and nobles
d. Landowners
24. The study of the surface of the earth and the relationship of people to their natural and
physical environment is known as
a. history
c. geography
b. economics
d. politics
25. The attitude of respect and devotion to one's family observed in Chinese society, especially
in the Imperial era, is known as
a. animism
c. ethnocentrism
b. reincarnation
d. filial piety
26. How did the plebeians gain the right to vote and hold political office in the Roman Republic?
They threatened to leave Rome and
They refused to work on the large farms of the
a.
c.
build a new city
patricians
They attacked the Senate and began
They created an alliance with Rome's enemies and
b.
d.
a bloody civil war
attacked the city
27. The Islamic and Christian faiths share a belief in:
a. the divinity of Jesus
c. Mohammad as the most recent prophet
b. polytheistic gods
d. A monotheistic god
28. The famous battle of Tours in 732 CE halted the Muslim advance into Europe. In which
modern country did this battle occur?
a. England
c. France
b. Spain
d. Italy
29. What was the major economic and social structure in medieval Europe?
a. pastorialism
c. feudalism
b. manorialism
d. industrialism
30. As a result of the Persian Wars of the 5th century B.C.
Greece became a part of the Persian
a.
c. The Persian Empire was destroyed
Empire
The influence of Athens increased in Spartan power in Creece declined
b.
d.
Greece
greatly
31. Which of the following conquered people influenced Rome the most?
a. Greeks
c. Gauls
b. Carthaginians
d. Britons
32. Why was the Roman Empire divided in half during the 3rd century CE?
a. invaders had conquered the western half c. to make it easier to administer
so that land could be given to retired
to prevent a civil war between
b.
d.
Roman soldiers
rival emperors
33. Who held the highest social position on an estate in medieval Europe?
a. a lord
c. a serf
b. a vassal
d. a knight
34. What river gave rise to Egyptian civilization?
a. Tigris
c. Indus
b. Euphrates
d. Nile
35. What major religion teaches both reincarnationa dn the conformity to a caste system?
a. Hinduism
c. Taoism
b. Christianity
d. Buddhism
36. The trading route from China to the Mediterranean was called the
a. Appian Way
c. Transcontinental Road
b. Silk Road
d. Gold-Salt Trade Routes
37. A period of lawlessness and disunity followed the fall of the Roman Empire. What served as
the only unifying force in Europe?
a. Emperor of Rome
c. Christian Church
b. Roman legions
d. Localized kings
38. The "Illiad" and the "Odyssey" are important because they
tell the true history of the Trojan
present factual accounts of the
a.
c.
War
beginnings of Greek civilization
are great works of literature that help are factual accounts of the Persian
b.
d.
us understand life in ancient Greece
invasion of Greece
39. Which of the following waterways provided a pathway between ancient Greece and Egypt?
a. Atlantic Ocean
c. Indian Ocean
b. Black Sea
d. Mediterranean Sea
40. Many city-states developed in ancient Greece largely because
the Greek peninsula is divided by
the peoples of Greece came from
a.
c. mountains and inlets that separated
different cultures
people
the peoples of Greece were divided
religious differences tended to keep
b. by the many different languages they d.
people from uniting
spoke
41. The city-states of Sumer, the world's earliest civilization, developed in
a. Mesopotamia
c. The Levant
b. Egypt
d. Anatolia
42. Geographically, Greece is a
a. hilly and mountainous peninsula
b. series of large islands
fertile river valley surrounded by
deserts
d. high plateau enclosed by mountains
c.
43. Which best describes nirvana as a goal of Buddhists?
the forgiveness of sins granted by
the eternal bliss the soul
a. Buddhist priests for performing
c. experiences when it escapes from
religious rituals
the cycle of death and rebirth
the peace of mind that one
the respect received by peers for
b.
d. experiences after spending ayear in
following the Eightfold Path
a Buddhist monastery
44. India before the mid-20th century included what are now the independent nations of India
and
a. Tibet
c. Sri Lanka
b. Afghanistan and Burma
d. Pakistan and Bangladesh
45. Which modern European country occupies the homeland of the ancient Romans?
a. Germany
c. France
b. Italy
d. England
46. An immediate result of the fall of the Roman Empire was
a. an increase in trade and industry
c. the weakening of law and order
the rise of many new towns and
improvements in transportation and
b.
d.
cities
communication
47. Which of the following led to the early spread of Christianity?
its message of peace and hope for
its willingness to accept the ogds of
a.
c.
eternal life
other religions
the support given to it by Roman
b. the conquests of Julius Caesar
d.
emperors
48. What did the Chinese emperor do to protect China from foreign invaders from the North?
a. Construct a large army
c. Ignore them
b. Invade and take them over
d. Build a large wall
49. What trade made the West African kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai rich and
powerful?
a. spice trade
c. slave trade
b. gold-salt trade
d. Columbian Exchange
50. This civilization located on the Yucatan peninsula developed a system of mathematics and a
calendar, and made human sacrifices to please the gods. Who were they?
a. Olmecs
c. Mayas
b. Incas
d. Aztecs
51. What Japanese religion practices ancestor worship and animism?
a. Hinduism
c. Shinto
b. Buddhism
d. Taoism
52. The term "Pax Romana" refers to the period of
peace and prosperity during the first
democratic government following
a.
c.
two centuries of the Roman Empire
the abolition of the Senate
civil wars between Roman generals
slave revolts which weakened the
b.
d.
which destroyed the Republic
Republic
53. What is the Hellenistic Age known for?
a. diffusion of Greek ideas eastward c. Egypt conquers Nubia
supremacy of Athens in the
b.
d. Rome establishes an empire
Mediterranean
54. All maps are:
flat representations of the earth's
a.
surface
b. more accurate than globes
Three-dimensional representations
of the earth's surface
d. Used for the same purpose
c.
55. Which of the following statements is true about distortion on maps?
All maps are distorted because it is
impossible to accurately represent a
Since all maps are distorted, they
a.
c.
three-dimensional object like the
are not very useful to geographers
earth on a flat surface
Some maps are distorted because
b. Only maps of the world are distorted d.
the earth is not perfectly round
56. A political map shows
boundaries of areas such as
a.
countries, states, and cities
features such as lakes, rivers,
b.
mountains, relief, and elevation
c. the major leaders of a nation
d.
the major political parties of a
nation
57. Which was an important cause of the decline of the Roman Empire?
revolts by the Senate against
a.
c. weakening of the middle class
emperors
frequent slave uprisings against their disappearance of Christianity in the
b.
d.
owners
empire
58. How did Rome's conquests in the Mediterranean affect the Roman Republic?
Roman government became more
Christianity spread throughout the
a.
c.
democratic
Mediterranean world
Conflicts developed between the rich Economic opportunities for poor
b.
d.
and the poor
people increased
59. Which of the following characteristics could be used to label a physical region?
government, religion, major
a. climate, vegetation, landforms
c.
products
farming techniques, landforms,
b.
d. language, religion, ethnic groups
climate
60. How has the use of fertilizer and domesticated plants affected the environment?
They have made farming feasible in
They have created many new
a.
c.
many new areas
forests
They have reduced the need for
They have turned many areas into
b.
d.
irrigation projects
deserts
61. The Twelve Tables were important in Rome because they
laid the basis for the Roman
gave Rome its first written code of
a.
c.
Republic
laws
b. freed all the slaves in Rome
d. gave the emperor the status of a god
62. A cultural region is an area with
a common climate and common
a.
landforms
c. one or more common cultural traits
b. conflict created by cultural diffusion d.
people who have a wide variety of
unrelated cultural traits
63. Which of the following is NOT true about human migration?
Migration and invasion have very
Migration and invasion cause the spread
a. little impact on places in modern c. and change of architecture and urban
society
designs
Migration and invasion can change Migration and invasion cause the spread
b.
d.
the natural environment of a place
of language and religion