8th Grade History Name________________________________________ Chapter 1 Test 1. What characteristics distinguish different regional ecosystems? a. The major types of landforms b. The long-term weather patterns c. The native plants and animals that live there d. The primary language and religious groups 2. In which region did the Native Americans rely on animal skins to build their houses? a. The Northwest b. The Great Plains c. The Southwest d. The Great Lakes 3. Which statement best describes the attitudes of political leaders in Medieval Europe towards the Catholic Church? a. Opposed to its wars but pleased with its stability b. Resentful of its wealth and concerned about its power c. Distrustful of its motives but supportive of its principals d. Convinced of its integrity and happy to have its blessings 4. Where did Amerigo Vespucci primarily explore? a. Pacific Ocean b. African coast c. Caribbean islands d. South American coast 5. All regions are areas containing common a. Cultural traditions b. Weather patterns c. Natural boundaries d. Geographic characteristics 6. A person born in Pennsylvania Dutch Country who moved to Los Angeles would notice which of the following changes? a. A wider diversity of ethnic groups b. A more varied climate throughout the year c. A greater evidence of rural and farming culture d. A larger variety of native plants and animals 7. The Ancestral Pueblo developed which of these techniques? a. building roads b. irrigating fields c. digging burial mounds d. carving stone spearheads 8. Read the text below. By 4000 BCE, many Native American tribes in what is now the Southwestern United States grew less nomadic as they learned to make better use of the dry land on which they lived. How did the ability to irrigate the land lead to the establishment of permanent a. settlements? It supported planting trees to make sturdy bows for hunting. b. It supported growing grass for producing nets and baskets. c. It supported the construction of dams to create permanent fishing locations. d. It supported the use of mud to create clay and build sturdy homes. 9. Which of these characteristics would most likely be used to define a climate region? a. variety of native plant species b. height of the tallest mountains c. proximity to saltwater seas d. average summer temperatures 10. Which of these ecosystem regions experiences all four seasonal climates a. Desert b. Grassland c. deciduous forest d. temperate rain forest 11. The voyages of Bartolomeu Dias and Vasco da Gama were largely the result of Portugal’s desire a. Find an all-sea route to Asia b. Dominate the African slave trade c. Produce accurate maps of the New World 12. Where did Christopher Columbus’s first voyage land? a. Cuba b. Hispaniola c. Puerto Rico d. Florida 13. Without an accurate clock, the key to finding longitude at sea was finding the precise physical distance between one’s current location and a fixed location on land. Advances in time measurement helped enable transatlantic voyages because mariners who could accurately measure time were able to a. Know when to change directions to take advantage of ocean currents b. Keep scheduled arrival and departure times c. Use the position of the sun to determine their ship’s position d. Calculate their speed and distance traveled 14. The voyages of exploration that led to European’s discovery of the New World were sponsored by a. Renaissance scientists b. The rulers of Spain and Portugal c. Franciscan and Jesuit Monks d. The leaders of the Catholic Church 15. Which of these intellectual developments took place during the Renaissance? a. Significant advances in hospitals and surgery b. Rapid improvements in manufacturing processes c. A rediscovery of the culture of ancient Greece and Rome d. A strengthening of religious belief 16. Whales provide the Native Americans of the Arctic region with both food and a. Heat b. Shelter c. medicine d. Entertainment 17. Read the Text Below. Native Americans lived differently depending on the resources available In the part of the continent in which they settled. Which statement about crafts of Native Americans in the Arctic demonstrate their use of materials unavailable in most other regions of the Americas? a. They built canoes out of large tree trunks b. The cut grasses to weave baskets c. They gathered ivory to carve tools and utensils. d. They used wood, grass, and sod to build houses. 18. All regions are areas containing common a. Cultural traditions b. Weather patterns c. Natural boundaries d. Geographic characteristics 19. Native American cultures (the Arctic, Woodland, and Great Plains People) were able to survive and even thrive in a variety of locations with different environmental conditions. In a proper paragraph below, select one Native American culture. How did this group’s ability to adapt to and modify its environment contribute to its growth and development? Be sure to provide details and examples in your response.
