Buzzer Benchmark
Based on the map shown
below, where do scientists
believe that homo sapiens first
developed?
Which item best completes the chart?
•
•
•
•
A
B
C
D
Created the loom to make clothing
Migrated in search of food and water
Lived in large social groups
Ate a diet consisting of animals they tamed and raised
What was an important effect of the
changes during the Neolithic Era?
• A People began to create permanent
settlements.
• B Scientific knowledge spread through their
writings.
• C Societies collapsed and the population
declined.
• D Money was used rather than trading
goods.
Which of the following is NOT a way civilizations
preserved knowledge in a written form?
•
•
•
•
A
B
C
D
Mayan calendar
Phoenician alphabet
Egyptian hieroglyphics
Byzantine mosaics
Which early civilization developed a network of
overseas trade routes around the Mediterranean Sea?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Mesopotamia
Phoenicia
Egypt
Hebrews
Which early civilization was the first
to practice monotheism?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Zhou
Egyptians
Hebrews
Assyrians
The Indus and Huang He (Yellow) Rivers
are both closely associated with
•
•
•
•
A
B
C
D
border disputes
sacred biblical sites
cradles of early civilization
routes that spread Islam to the east
The civil service system, paper, silk
and porcelain were all contributions
of –
A.
B.
C.
D.
China
India
Japan
Korea
The symbol below is important in –
A.
B.
C.
D.
Judaism and Christianity
Hinduism and Buddhism
Confucianism and Taoism
Islam and Shintoism
Which of the following is most closely
associated with the spread of
Buddhism?
• A war
• B the Indo-Aryan migration
• C the missionaries Shi Huangdi sent out after
his conversion to Buddhism
• D trade
Which civilization built an elaborate
road system and an imperial
bureaucracy in order to effectively
govern their large empire?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Persia
Babylonia
Egypt
Mohenjo Daro
What impact did the Himalayas, the
Hindu Kush and the Indian Ocean
have on the development of
civilizations in India?
• A Better communication developed with other
cultures
• B Trade with other Asian civilizations flourished
• C Allowed the government to greatly expand
the empire
• D Gave increased protection from outside
invasions
The Hindu faith believes in –
A.
B.
C.
D.
many forms of one main god
two opposing forces of good and evil
making the most of the one life given
a savior to rescue people from suffering
The purpose of following the
Eightfold Path is to –
•
•
•
•
A
B
C
D
be reborn in a higher form
achieve enlightenment
spread Buddha’s beliefs
become a spiritual leader
The geographic feature that both
isolated and protected the Greek citystates was its –
• A lack of arable land for farming
• B location on the Mediterranean Sea
• C mountainous terrain throughout the
region
• D many natural harbors and irregular
coastline
What purpose did mythology serve in
early Greek civilizations?
• A It helped explain the natural world and life
events.
• B It gave them a set of rules to follow to reach
heaven.
• C It provided courage to conquer and expand
their empire.
• D It honored the perfection of the gods and
goddesses.
What impact did the Peloponnesian
War have on Greece?
• A Athens and Sparta defeated the Persians and
dominated the Aegean Sea.
• B Sparta defeated Athens, but most of the
Greek city-states were weakened.
• C Athens defeated Sparta, but lost many of
their great leaders in battle.
• D The Persians defeated the Greeks and took
control of all the city-states.
Both Herodotus and Thucydides were
Greek –
A.
B.
C.
D.
philosophers
historians
playwrights
sculptors
By establishing an empire from
Greece to Egypt and India, Alexander
caused a blending of these cultures
called –
A.
B.
C.
D.
Persian
Hellenic
Hellenistic
Macedonian
When Christianity first began the
beliefs were –
• A rejected because they conflicted with the
polytheistic beliefs of Rome
• B incorporated into the existing religion to
be more acceptable to all
• C accepted by the Emperor, but the people
refused to follow them
• D accepted quickly by the Roman people as
well as the Emperor
The many problems within the
Roman Empire led to –
• A the collapse of the western part of the
empire
• B a revolution and the restoration of a
republic
• C a drastic increase in morals and faith
• D an overhaul of the monetary system
In the Roman Republic the majority of
the population were –
A.
B.
C.
D.
slaves
consuls
patricians
plebeians
How were the Punic Wars a turning
point for Rome?
A. Rome lost all power in the region and had to
give up their colonies.
B. Rome gained access to a new trade route and
improved their economy.
C. Rome suffered incredible losses and could
not recover from the destruction.
D. Rome acquired new territory and wealth and
greatly increased their influence
Based on the Pantheon, Colosseum
and aqueducts, which conclusion can
be drawn about the Roman Empire?
• A Government and the law were at the heart
of civic life.
• B Religion was an extremely important part
of their culture.
• C Many advances were made in engineering
and architecture.
• D There was little interest in scientific and
medical achievements.
Political conflict in the Roman
Republic was usually between
•
•
•
•
A
B
C
D
patricians and slaves
Augustus Caesar and Marc Antony
plebeians and Carthaginians
patricians and plebeians
How was citizenship in the Roman
Republic and Athens similar?
• A Both allowed citizens to vote directly on
laws
• B Adult, free men were citizens
• C Patricians held most of the power
• D All citizens were expected to gather to
debate and vote on laws.
A key difference that led to the split
of the Roman Catholic Church and the
Greek Orthodox Church was that they
did not agree on the –
•
•
•
•
A
B
C
D
role of Jesus as the son of God
extent of the Pope’s authority
day to have religious services
methods for achieving salvation
Byzantine art generally focused on –
A.
B.
C.
D.
historic scenes
everyday life
religious subjects
nature landscapes
Cyril’s purpose in developing the
Cyrillic alphabet was to –
•
•
•
•
A
B
C
D
spread Christianity
record Byzantine laws
teach Greek to the Slavs
expand the Byzantine Empire
Constantine chose the location of
Constantinople because it was –
• A a religious pilgrimage site for all followers
of Christianity
• B at the crossroads of several trade routes
and easily protected
• C in close proximity to Rome which provided
easier communication
• D the location of many great military
successes for the Roman Empire
Which term is most closely associated
with these statements:
• Cyrillic alphabet adopted for use in Russia
• Russians accepted the teachings of the Orthodox
Christian Church
• Onion-shaped domes dotted the skyline of
Kievan Russia
A
B
C
D
ethnocentrism
cultural diffusion
interdependence
military conquest
Islamic civilization helped preserve
ancient learning by• A developing a number system
• B tolerating all faiths
• C translating the works of classical scholars
into Arabic
• D using ancient manuscripts in religious
services
What event led to the division of
Islam into Sunni and Shi’a?
• A The decision by Muhammad to leave
Mecca and migrate to Medina
• B The death of Ali and the dispute over who
was the rightful successor
• C The conquering of Baghdad and the
establishment as the new capital
• D The loss at the Battle of Tours and
argument over who was to blame
The guidelines followed by Muslims
are outlined in the –
A.
B.
C.
D.
Four Noble Truths
Five Pillars of Faith
Ten Commandments
Twelve Tables
The inventions of the lateen sail and
compass were important because
they allowed –
A. The navigation of the Mediterranean Sea
B. improved communication between regions
C. more goods to be traded between
civilizations
D. increased migration across the continents
The gold and salt trade in Africa took
place along the –
•
•
•
•
A
B
C
D
Silk Road
Trans-Saharan Route
Northern Baltic Route
Royal Road
What was the main cause for the
widespread expansion of Islam?
A. Missionaries praising the word of Allah
B. Forced conversion by the leaders of the
empire
C. Migration of new followers to Mecca and
Medina
D. Diffusion along the trade routes in the
Middle East
Timbuktu was an important city
because it was –
A.
B.
C.
D.
a former capital of the Islamic Empire
a center of learning and Islamic culture
the only city to survive the Muslim invasions
the site of the final battle between Ghana and
Mali
Which African civilization had the
advantage of being located near the
Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers and the
Indian Ocean coast?
•
•
•
•
A
B
C
D
Axum
Kush
Songhai
Zimbabwe
Which civilization is not matched with
the correct geographic area?
•
•
•
•
A
B
C
D
Maya- Yucatan Peninsula
Inca- Andes Mountains
Mali- Sahel
Aksum- Sahara Desert
What did the Maya, Aztec and Inca all
have in common?
•
•
•
•
A
B
C
D
Belief in polytheism
Elaborate road systems
Destruction by earthquakes
Government ruled by an emperor
An important role of the Church
during the Middle Ages was –
• A maintaining an army to protect the people
• B preserving ancient literature and
knowledge
• C developing new scientific and medical
theories
• D providing food for all people in the
communities
A key reason for the spread of
Renaissance ideas was the –
• A invention of the movable type printing
press
• B support of the Pope and Catholic Church
• C impressive beauty of the works of art
• D encouragement of the Italian princes
During the Renaissance there was a
movement to celebrate the individual
and secular life. This was called –
•
•
•
•
A
B
C
D
Monasticism
Romanticism
Humanism
Deism
What was an important effect of the
Crusades?
A. An increase in the power of the Pope and the
nobles.
B. A decline in trade throughout Europe and the
Middle East.
C. A legacy of bitterness among Christians, Jews
and Muslims.
D. A stronger Byzantine Empire that dominated
the Middle East.
The feudal system was based on a
series of obligations in order to
function. What was the relationship
between the vassal and serf?
• A The serf provided political protection while
the vassal offered loyalty.
• B The vassal gave the serf a fief while the
serf performed military service.
• C The vassal protected the serf while the serf
provided food and paid taxes.
• D The serf granted the use of an army while
the vassal conquered new lands.
Shintoism can best be described as
believing in –
A. one god and offering human and animal
sacrifices to him
B. forces of nature and worshipping ancestors
and the emperor
C. many powerful gods with human
characteristics and flaws
D. one universal spirit that chooses who gains
access to heaven
Why did the Renaissance begin in the
Italian city-states?
A. Many European scholars had migrated to the
area.
B. The Black Plague had not spread to southern
Europe.
C. The merchants lost power to leaders of the
Catholic Church.
D. They had grown wealthy from trade between
Europe and Asia.
Who was the king of the Franks that
united much of Western Europe and
revived the idea of the Roman
Empire?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Clovis
Charlemagne
Pepin
Lothair
• After the fall of Rome, the unifying force in
Europe was the –
• A Viking invasions
• B Islamic Empire
• C Catholic Church
• D Byzantine Empire
Which type of government best
completes the stages of government
in Athens?
•
•
•
•
A
B
C
D
Republic
Theocracy
Democracy
Dictatorship
Which title best completes the chart?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Greek Gods and Goddesses
Roman Gods and Goddesses
Egyptian Gods and Goddesses
Indian Gods and Goddesses
Which leader best completes the
chart?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Constantine
Justinian
Theodosius
Arcadius
What is the significance of the
building shown below?
• A It was part of the reconstruction of Athens after the
Persian Wars.
• B It was where the treaty was signed that ended the
Persian Wars.
• C It was a center of learning and education for all
citizens.
• D It was the temple to all of the Roman gods and
goddesses.
The terraces created by the Inca are
an example of –
A.
B.
C.
D.
creating a different way to worship their gods
developing new defenses for better protection
physically showing the differences in social classes
adapting their farming methods to fit the environment
What conclusion about the Roman world around AD
526 can be drawn from the information on this map?
•
•
•
•
A
The Gauls dominated trade on the Mediterranean Sea
B
Rome was the capital of the entire western region
C
The eastern region was unified under the Byzantine Empire
D
The division between eastern and western Rome followed natural
boundaries
Which event best completes the
timeline shown below?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Charlemagne unifies France and England
Pope Urban II calls for the First Crusade
Charles Martel defeats the Muslims at Tours
Joan of Arc leads the French army into battle
The event this passage is referring to is
the –
A.
B.
C.
D.
Black Death
Crusades
Great Famine
Inquisition
Which statement accurately describes the
civilization shown on the map below?
• A
As an archipelago, Japan was protected from invasion.
• B
Because of its protected position, Japan was never influenced by
nearby civilizations
• C
China was able to repeatedly invade Japan because of its
vulnerability.
• D
Mountains protected Japan from seaborne invasions.