Name_________________________
Date______________
Class___________
Beginnings of Civilization Test
KEY TERMS (DOK 1)
Fill in the blank by writing the letter of the correct term below.
a. nomad
b. civilization
c. archaeologist
d. history
e. irrigation
f. fertile
g. oral tradition
h. artisan
_____1. To find out about the past, you can study ____, which are the recorded events of
people.
_____2. A person who has no settled home is considered a ______.
_____3. People who pass stories by word of mouth from generation to generation have a(n)
____.
_____4. People in the ancient world sometimes used a(n) ____ system to water their crops
during the dry summer months.
_____5. Farmers prefer to grow crops in ____ soil, because it contains substances that plants
need in order to grow well.
Multiple Choice
Identify the letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
6. Which of the following represents an example of the word oral tradition? (DOK 2)
a. a written record of a battle fought in 2458 B.C.
b. your textbook
c. a grandfather telling family stories to his grandchildren
d. a letter written from a son to his mother
7. Which of the following cannot be related to the word nomad? (DOK 2)
a. wandering
b. tents
c. hunter-gatherer
d. cities
Read the following passage and answer questions 8-11.
The fundamental tool set of the Paleolithic hominids consisted of flake knives and
hand axes with spears developed in the later periods. Bone was increasingly used to
create smaller tools and both sewing and nets were developed. With the Neolithic came
the development of further "hafted" stone tools particularly the polished stone axe and the
adze. Though still Stone Age technology, the Neolithic manufacturing was much more
consistent and produced a far wider range of specialized tools.
Beginnings of Civilization
Test Form A
Beginnings of Civilization Test
8. Which of the following titles correctly captures the main idea of the passage? (DOK 2)
a. Tools in the Stone Age
b. From Nomads to Cities
c. Hafted Tools
d. Specialized Tools of Paleolithic Peoples
9. Read the following sentence, and then answer the question. (DOK 2)
The fundamental tool set of the Paleolithic hominids consisted of flake knives and
hand axes with spears developed in the later periods.
Based on the sentence, one can conclude that the word hominids is referring to _____?
a. tools
b. the Neolithic period
c. Paleolithic people
d. animals in the Stone Age
10. Based on the paragraph’s description of Paleolithic tools, the tools could be described
by which of the following? (DOK 2)
a. polished
b. rough or basic
c. refined
d. advanced
11. If the differences between Paleolithic and Neolithic tools were put into today’s terms,
which of the following would be an example of a Paleolithic tool? (DOK 2)
a. laptop
b. Promethean Board
c. I-phone
d. chalkboard
12. Which of the following words closely resembles an artisan? (DOK 2)
a. a hunter-gatherer
b. a potter or a painter
c. a fisherman
d. a principal
13. Which of the following is a synonym for the word surplus? (DOK 2)
a. extra
b. less than is needed
c. enough
d. lack
Beginnings of Civilization
Test Form A
Beginnings of Civilization Test
Read the following sentence, and then answer 14 and 15.
In the Neolithic Period, social classes formed in society. This created a hierarchy
where the wealthier people had more power and control over the people who did not
have as much wealth.
14. Based on the sentence, which of the following correctly relates to the words social
classes? (DOK 2)
a. single groups
b. everyone has the same
c. groups separated into divisions based on wealth
d. different groups of people that possess virtually the same amount of everything
15. Based on the passage, the reader can infer what about the word hierarchy?
(DOK 2)
a. it deals with the positive effects of something
b. it refers to having different levels of something
c. it means negative or harmful
d. it refers to surpluses and fertility
Read the following passage and then answer questions 16-18.
The real difference between Paleolithic and Neolithic cultures was the
domestication of plants and animals and the resultant agricultural revolution. Whereas the
Paleolithic people were nomads, moving in search of both game and edible plant
material, the Neolithic farmers began to settle down into organized communities. Wheat,
barley and rye and other cereal grains became crucial sources of food along with sheep
and goats. Dogs were almost certainly the earliest domesticated animals presumably used
in hunting but they were certainly eaten as well. Cattle and pigs came later in the
Neolithic period and added a tremendous amount of protein to the possible diets. The
stability and surplus of food supply then lead to the development of the first large scale
societies in the Middle East.
16. Which of the following correctly identifies the main idea of the passage? (DOK 2)
a. Paleolithic hunter-gatherers
b. the growth of nomadic bands
c. changes due to domestication
d. the Middle East
Beginnings of Civilization
Test Form A
Beginnings of Civilization Test
17. Which of the following supports the conclusion that the formation of civilizations was
due in large part to the agricultural revolution of the Neolithic period? (DOK 3)
a. Dogs were almost certainly the earliest domesticated animals.
b. Wheat, barley and rye and other cereal grains became crucial sources of food
along with sheep and goats.
c. The real difference between Paleolithic and Neolithic cultures was the
domestication of plants and animals.
d. The stability and surplus of food supply then lead to the development of the
first large scale societies in the Middle East.
18. Read the following sentence, and then answer the question.
Whereas the Paleolithic people were nomads moving in search of both game and
edible plant material, the Neolithic farmers began to settle down into organized
communities.
Based on the sentence, the reader can infer what about the word communities? (DOK 3)
a. They were single families on their own.
b. They were groups of settled people living in the same area.
c. They were remote people with little organization.
d. They were nomadic tribes.
Read the following passage and then answer questions 19-20.
The single, decisive factor that made it possible for mankind to settle in
permanent communities was agriculture. After farming was developed in the Middle East
in about 6500 BC, people living in tribes or family units did not have to be on the move
continually searching for food or herding their animals. Once people could control the
production of food and be assured of a reliable annual supply of it, their lives changed
completely.
People began to found permanent communities in fertile river valleys. Settlers
learned to use the water supply to irrigate the land. Settling in one place made it possible
to domesticate animals in order to provide other sources of food and clothing.
Farming was a revolutionary discovery. It not only made settlements possible--and
ultimately the building of cities--but it also made available a reliable food supply. With
more food available, more people could be fed. Populations therefore increased. The
growing number of people available for more kinds of work led to the development of
more complex social structures. With a food surplus, a community could support a
variety of workers who were not farmers.
Farming the world over has always relied upon a dependable water supply. For
the earliest societies this meant rivers and streams or regular rainfall. The first great
civilizations grew up along rivers. Later communities were able to develop by taking
advantage of the rainy seasons.
Beginnings of Civilization
Test Form A
Beginnings of Civilization Test
19. Based on the passage, the word permanent would most likely have described which
of the following? (DOK 2)
a. something that was temporary
b. a momentary adjustment
c. something meant to be long-term
d. brief
20. Based on the passage, one can conclude what about agriculture? (DOK 3)
a. It refers to the development of tools that made farming better.
b. It deals with the combination of farming and domesticating animals.
c. It is identified by the population increase.
d. It points to communities and cities.
21. Which of the following details from the passage best supports the idea that farming
totally altered the way that people lived in the Stone Age? (DOK 3)
a. Farming the world over has always relied upon a dependable water supply.
b. Once people could control the production of food and be assured of a reliable
annual supply of it, their lives changed completely.
c. Populations therefore increased.
d. The first great civilizations grew up along rivers. Later communities were able
to develop by taking advantage of the rainy seasons.
22. Based on the information in the third paragraph, which of the following would most
likely have been the most successful? (DOK 2)
a. a desert community
b. a group of plains Indians far away from the Great Lakes
c. the Egyptians living near the Nile River
d. nomadic groups in the dense forests of Western Europe
23. Which of the following represents a synonym for the word domesticate? (DOK 2)
a. wild
b. pursue
c. natural
d. tame
Essay
Use the document provided to answer the following question. Provide details from the
document that support your answer. (DOK 3)
24. The Stone Age is broken into two different eras, the Paleolithic and the Neolithic.
Both have distinct characteristics that set them apart. Explain the “revolution” that
moved the Paleolithic into the Neolithic. Then, justify this statement: “The Neolithic
period was much more tamed and settled than the Paleolithic period.” Be sure to support
your answer with details from the document.
Beginnings of Civilization
Test Form A
Beginnings of Civilization Test
Stone Age Answer Key
1. D
2. A
3. G
4. E
5. F
6. C
7. D
8. A
9. C
10. B
11. D
12. B
13. A
14. C
15. B
16. C
17. D
18. B
19. C
20. B
21. B
22. C
23. D
Discussion Question
Answers will vary.
Beginnings of Civilization
Test Form A
Beginnings of Civilization Test
Study Guide
The Beginnings of Civilization
Key Terms
surplus
irrigation
fertile
artisan
social class
history
civilization
domesticate
oral tradition
Stone Age
archeologist
nomad
1. What were some of the characteristics of life in the Paleolithic Period or Old Stone
Age?
2. What new invention marked the beginning of the Neolithic Period or New Stone Age?
3. What helped lead to the spreading of ideas in the Neolithic period?
4. What was the key to the success of large-scale farming and bringing water to crops?
5. How did farming change the way that people lived in the Stone Age?
Discussion
1. Explain the differences between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic time periods.
Study Guide
The Beginnings of Civilization
Key Terms
surplus
irrigation
fertile
artisan
social class
history
civilization
domesticate
oral tradition
Stone Age
archeologist
nomad
1. What were some of the characteristics of life in the Paleolithic Period or Old Stone
Age?
2. What new invention marked the beginning of the Neolithic Period or New Stone Age?
3. What helped lead to the spreading of ideas in the Neolithic period?
4. What was the key to the success of large-scale farming and bringing water to crops?
5. How did farming change the way that people lived in the Stone Age?
Discussion
1. Explain the differences between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic time periods.
Beginnings of Civilization
Test Form A