Ch.11 and 12 Exam
1.What is the best title for this list? • Ghana • Songhai • Mali
A. Trading Cities of the Sahara
B. Tribes Who Ruled the Desert
C. Early Kingdoms of West Africa
D. Animal Gods of the Niger Valley
2. Which of these clues about the African past describes an artifact?
A. a palm forest
B. a farming tool
C. a family legend
D. a traditional dance
3. Few large settlements developed in the Sahara because it was too
A. dry.
B. hilly.
C. large.
D. rocky.
4. Compared to the West African savanna, the Sahel has
A. better soil.
B. taller grass.
C. more cattle.
D. less rainfall.
5. Suppose a West African community produces these goods: • yams • palm oil • kola nuts That community is most likely in which vegetation zone?
A. forest
B. desert
C. savanna
D. semidesert
6. What is the main reason why people in different vegetation zones traded with each other?
A. Large empires ruled over different zones.
B. Different resources were found in each zone.
C. The Niger River passed through different zones.
D. The zones were home to different cultural groups.
7. How did the Niger River encourage trade?
A. It was a source of food.
B. It was a transportation route.
C. Its annual floods provided rich soil.
D. It provided water for baking.
8. Why did extended-family groups first settle south of the Sahara?
A. to farm
B. to trade
C. to mine gold
D. to fight enemies
9. What did extended-family groups do for defense against dangerous floods or enemies?
A. They dug ditches around their communities.
B. They lived in isolated areas far from danger.
C. They joined other communities to form villages.
D. They offered gifts to the leaders of hostile bands.
10. Archeologists have found remains of high walls around one ancient West African community. What does this suggest about it?
A. The inhabitants made metal tools.
B. The inhabitants had too little water.
C. The inhabitants faced a threat of attacks.
D. The inhabitants did not need to grow crops.
11. Which technology did the Nok people adopt as early as 500 B.C.E.?
A. the wheel
B. the aqueduct
C. iron smelting
D. paper making
12. From the discovery of Jenne-jeno, what did historians learn about the history of West Africa?
A. It was a vast area with four zones.
B. It became organized into kingdoms.
C. It depended on several kinds of crops.
D. It had cities two thousand years ago.
13. Archeologists found copper at Jenne-jeno. The nearest copper mines are 600 miles away. What does this indicate about the people of Jenne-jeno?
A. They often engaged in war.
B. They understood how to mine.
C. They built hot fires withouT charcoal.
D. They carried on long-distance trade.
14. Which of these was an advantage of becoming part of an empire?
A. paying tribute to the king
B. trading with the governor
C. having to serve in the army
D. getting protection from raiders
15. Which product of West Africa was most important in the trade across the Sahara?
A. oil
B. gold
C. timber
D. clothing
16. Jenne-jeno was located in the ______vegetation zone.
17. The principal barrier to trade between Jenne-Jeno and cities on the north coast of Africa was
18. How have historians learned about the kingdom of Ghana?
A. from writings of Arab scholars
B. from wood carvings in the forest
C. from royal tax collection records
D. from paintings on salt mine walls
Early travelers described Ghana as a land
19.A. of gold.
B. of taxes.
C. of oases.
D. of wonder.
20. How did Ghana raise money to pay government officials?
A. by mining salt
B. by selling gold
C. by taxing goods
D. by buying camels
21. How did the king conduct imperial business and address the people’s concerns?
A. in secret councils
B. in a grand daily court
C. in one large yearly meeting
D. in a room nobody else could ente
22. Which phrase best describes Ghana’s military troops?
A. slaves chosen for their skill and strength
B. adult male members of the king's family
C. regular career army plus trained reserves
D. free soldiers from conquered kingdoms
23. Which factor contributed most to Ghana’s power?
A. resources
B. water routes
C. education system
D. central location
24. The trans-Saharan trade increased after about 300 C.E. as a result of the
A. growth of cities.
B. discovery of salt.
C. population increase.
D. introduction of camels.
25. What is the best title for this list? • ability to hold large amount of water • double rows of eyelashes • hairy ear openings
A. Donkey: The Best Pack Animal
B. Desert Survival Traits of Camels
C. Skills Used in Dry Environments
D. Characteristics of Arabian Horses
26. How did the spread of Islam in the 600s contribute to the growth of trade?
A. The hajj promoted international travel.
B. Arabs conquered the kingdom of Ghana.
C. Muslims became merchants in West African towns.
D. North African nomads refused to convert.
27. Why do historians not know the location of the gold mines of Wangara?
A. The written records were lost.
B. Arab traders agreed not to tell.
C. Oral traditions name two places.
D. The miners kept the site a secret.
28. People who lived in the southern forests had to trade to get which essential product?
A. salt
B. gold
C. leather
D. iron
29. Which term best describes the role of Ghana in the trans-Saharan trade?
A. consumer
B. gold miner
C. middleman
D. salt merchant
30. Caravans were very important to the people of Taghaza, because without caravans the people would
A. die for lack of food.
B. get hot for lack of salt.
C. become poor for lack of gold.
D. grow isolated for lack of contact.
31. Which of these factors caused the resources of Ghana to decline?
A. decrease in the population able to produce food
B. raids that captured Ghanaian people for the slave trade
C. heavy rains that carried away the fertile topsoil
D. iron furnaces for which people cut trees for fuel
32. To which group did Kumbi fall in 1240?
A. Mande people of Mali
B. Arab sailors of Guinea
C. gold miners of Wangara
D. Almoravids of North Africa