Global Regents Multiple Choice Questions
Unit I: The Ancient World – Civilizations and Belief Systems (4000 BC – 500 AD)
Unit I begins with geography and early man. It then moves through the river valley civilizations inMesopotamia,Egypt,IndiaandChina, the early Middle Eastern and Indian empires, and ends with the classical civilizations ofIndia,ChinaandEurope. Major belief systems are addressed in context.
Early Humans (1) / Leakeys
Neolithic Revolution (11) / Permanent settlements (3), Domestication of animals and plants (3), farming, Civilization developed, Opinion v fact
Bantu Migration (8) / Slash-and-burn, find land, language and metallurgy (2), Change in climate, Opinion v fact, migration (3)
Mesopotamia (16) / Hammurabi Code (7), irrigation (3), RiverValley, Epic of Gilgamesh, Tigris, Justinian Code, legal standard
China (26) / Civil service exam and filial piety (Confucianism) (7), isolation – Himalaya (India) (4), Yellow Sea, location- near Korea and Japan, legalism, gun powder and compass, opinion v fact, 5 relationships, river-Huang He, Mandate of Heaven, Han’s decline
Egypt (6) / River valley (3), irrigation (2), written language
Ancient India (27) / Gupta – advanced math-zero (11), Himalaya-isolation-China, IndusRiver, Buddhism, Hinduism, monsoons, opinion v fact, caste, literature - Mahabharata
Greek (Classical Golden Age) (10) / Mountainous-city states(4), literature – Odyssey (2), philosophy, opinion v fact, democracy,
Hellenistic civilization (2) / Cultural diffusion, Alexander the Great
Roman civilization (18) / Twelve Tables(5), barbarians and corruption (3), Mediterranean Sea, stable government – Pax Romana, roads, influence-Byzantine, Constantine
First Humans
Where does the archaeological evidence gathered by Louis and Mary Leakey suggest the earliest humans developed?
(1) Great Rift Valley
(2) Amazon rain forest
(3) Himalaya Mountains
(4) Philippine archipelago
(Jan 09 Q3)
Neolithic Revolution
The Neolithic Revolution is considered a turning point in history because it
(1) influenced climatic changes
(2) included the domestication of plants and animals
(3) encouraged a nomadic lifestyle
(4) caused a decline in population
(Aug 08 Q4)
A direct result of the Neolithic Revolution is that people
(1) began living in permanent settlements
(2) developed a nomadic way of life
(3) depended on hunting and gathering
(4) used crop rotation to increase agricultural output
(Jan 09 Q4)
What was a result of the Neolithic Revolution?
(1) Civilizations developed.
(2) Humans first learned to use fire.
(3) Life expectancy declined.
(4) People began hunting and gathering for food
(June 09 Q3)
Which Neolithic Revolution development led to the other three?
(1) complex civilizations
(2) surplus of food
(3) division of labor
(4) domestication of plants and animals
(June 10 Q3)
The Neolithic Revolution is often considered a turning point in history because
(1) city dwellers learned to control fire
(2) societies became more nomadic
(3) nuclear families evolved into extended families
(4) permanent settlements developed in river valleys
(Jan 11 Q4)
Which statement about the Neolithic Revolution is an opinion rather than a fact?
(1) Early peoples made greater cultural advancements than did people of later civilizations.
(2) The Neolithic Revolution resulted in changes for nomadic peoples.
(3) New technology was developed during the Neolithic Revolution.
(4) Agricultural developments resulted in the establishment of permanent settlements.
(June 11 Q7)
The Neolithic Revolution was a turning point in history because
(1) factories began to use assembly-line techniques
(2) new inventions led to overseas exploration
(3) alternatives to hunting and gathering developed
(4) the use of chemical fertilizers increased agricultural production
(Jan 12 Q46)
Which heading best completes the partial outline below?
I. ______
A. Development of a stable food supply
B. Establishment of permanent settlements
C. Development of writing systems and religions
(1) Effects of the Migration of People
(2) Results of the Neolithic Revolution
(3) Achievements During Feudalism
(4) Causes of the Green Revolution in Agriculture
(June 12 Q45)
Base your answer to question 47 on the quotation below and on your knowledge of social studies.
Long before the rule of pharaohs, Egyptians grew wheat and barley and raised pigs, goats, sheep and cattle. Spotty evidence had suggested that agriculture was practiced there more than 7,000 years ago, two millenniums earlier than the first royal dynasties.…
— John Noble Wilford, New York Times, February 12, 2008
47 Which period in history is referred to in this excerpt?
(1) Industrial Revolution (2) Neolithic Revolution
(3) Scientific Revolution (4) Green Revolution
(Aug 13 Q47)
The Neolithic Revolution is most closely associated with
(1) using child labor in factories (2) domesticating plants and animals
(3) learning to control fire (4) developing iron technology
(Jan 14 Q42)
Which description best fits the Neolithic Revolution?
(1) moving from urban centers to rural centers
(2) using petrochemical fertilizers and pesticides to increase production
(3) replacing human laborers with machines
(4) shifting from hunting and gathering to farming as a way of life
(Aug 14 Q43)
Bantu Migration
The Bantu cleared the land, then fertilized it with ashes. When the land could no longer support their families, the Bantu moved further south. By 1110 B.C., the Bantu had spread their rich culture throughout central and southern Africa. Which agricultural technique is described in this passage?
(1) irrigation (2) terrace farming
(3) slash-and-burn (4) crop rotation
(June 08 Q4)
The primary reason the Bantu-speaking people of West Africa migrated southward and eastward between 500 B.C. and A.D. 1500 was to
(1) flee warfare (2) seek religious freedom
(3) establish a colonial empire (4) find land for farming and grazing
(Aug 08 Q5)
. . .“One theory is that there were waves of migration, one moving through the east of Africa and another making its way through the centre of the continent. In Zambia, there is evidence of at least three routes of migration – from the great lakes, from the Congo forest and from Angola.” . . . Source: BBC, The Story of Africa: Early History
This passage about the early history of Africa describes migrations associated with which group of people?
(1) Phoenicians (2) Bantu
(3) Moors (4) Babylonians
(June 09 Q4)
The Bantu migrations in Africa (500 B.C.– A.D. 1500) had the greatest impact on the development of modern African
(1) languages (2) market systems
(3) transportation systems (4) architecture
(Jan 13 Q4)
Between 500 B.C. and A.D. 1500, the migration of the Bantu people of Africa led to the diffusion of
(1) languages and metallurgical skills (2) porcelain and cannons
(3) camels and Islam (4) cuneiform and galley ships
(June 13 Q4)
Which statement about the Bantu migration is an opinion rather than a fact?
(1) The migration occurred gradually over a long period of time.
(2) Language and knowledge spread from northwestern to southern and eastern Africa. (3) The lack of primary documents makes it difficult to determine the exact cause of the migration.
(4) Bantu civilization was superior to those civilizations that it displaced.
(June 14 Q5)
Which movement of African people was primarily caused by changes in climate and vegetation?
(1) migration of the Bantu people out of West Africa in 1000 B.C.
(2) journey of Mansa Musa’s followers to Mecca in 1324
(3) resettlement of the Zulus within South Africa in 1843
(4) flight of the Tutsis from Rwanda in 1994
(Aug 11 Q42)
One way in which the Bantu people of West Africa (500 B.C.–A.D. 1500) and the people of Ireland (1840s) are similar is that both groups
(1) carried out successful conquests (2) supported nationalist movements
(3) experienced large migrations (4) represented early civilizations
(Aug 12 Q48)
Mesopotamia
Which geographic factor had a major influence on the development of both Egyptian and Babylonian civilizations?
(1) river valleys (2) cool temperatures
(3) locations near a strait (4) mountains
(Jan 08 Q4)
One way in which the Code of Hammurabi, the Twelve Tables, and the Justinian Code are similar is that each
(1) legalized monotheistic beliefs (2) established legal standards
(3) provided records of economic activity (4) supported republican governments
(Jan 08 Q8)
One similarity found in both Egyptian and Sumerian civilizations is that each developed a (1) monotheistic religion (2) compass
(3) ziggurat (4) written language
(Aug 09 Q7)
The Code of Hammurabi and Chinese legalism both rely on the idea that
(1) governments must provide their people with rights
(2) harsh laws are needed to control society
(3) all subjects are equal under the law
(4) religion and government must be brought closer together
(Jan 10 Q6)
One way in which The Epic of Gilgamesh, The Odyssey, and The Mah¯abh¯arata are similar is that they are
(1) sets of written legal principles that spell out the rights of citizens
(2) stories that are tied to monotheistic religious beliefs
(3) paintings that depict heroes and cultural values
(4) works of literature that give historians information about early civilizations
(Aug 10 Q6)
Which name identifies the region located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers?
(1) Cape of Good Hope (2) Sinai Peninsula
(3) Mesopotamia (4) Horn of Africa
(Jan 11 Q6)
• If a son has struck his father, they shall cut off his hand.
• If a seignior has destroyed the eye of a member of the aristocracy, they shall destroy his eye.
• If he has broken another seignior’s bone, they shall break his bone.
Which document contains these statements?
(1) Ten Commandments (2) Code of Hammurabi
(3) Edicts of Asoka (4) Twelve Tables
(Aug 11 Q4)
The development of which early civilization was influenced most directly by the TigrisRiver, the Zagros Mountains, and the Syrian Desert?
(1) Chinese (2) Maya
(3) Egyptian (4) Mesopotamian
(Aug 11 Q7)
The Code of Hammurabi, the Twelve Tables, and the Justinian Code are examples of
(1) religious edicts (2) written laws
(3) epic poems (4) democratic constitutions
(Aug 12 Q41)
The ancient Sumerians modified their environment to increase food production by
(1) building terraces (2) removing rain forests
(3) digging irrigation canals (4) developing chinampas
(Aug 12 Q5)
Which river system is found in Mesopotamia?
(1) NileRiver (2) Yellow River
(3) Tigris and Euphrates rivers (4) Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers
(Jan 13 Q3)
One way in which the ancient Sumerians, Egyptians, and Mayas are similar is that these civilizations developed
(1) irrigation systems (2) iron weapons
(3) wheeled vehicles (4) block printing systems
(Aug 13 Q3)
The Code of Hammurabi of Babylon and the Justinian Code of the Byzantine Empire served functions similar to the
(1) Ziggurats of the Sumerians (2) Buddhist stupas
(3) Maya hieroglyphics (4) Twelve Tables of the Romans
(June 12 Q46)
One way in which Hammurabi and Justinian are similar is that they successfully
(1) established public education systems
(2) codified the laws of their empire
(3) instituted democratic governments
(4) separated church and state
(June 13 Q44)
One way in which the ancient Sumerians, Egyptians, and Mayas are similar is that these civilizations developed
(1) irrigation systems (2) iron weapons (3) wheeled vehicles (4) block printing systems
(Aug 13 Q3)
Which sequence places these laws in the correct chronological order?
(1) Code of Hammurabi → Justinian Code → Napoleonic Code → Twelve Tables
(2) Justinian Code → Twelve Tables → Napoleonic Code → Code of Hammurabi
(3) Code of Hammurabi → Twelve Tables → Justinian Code → Napoleonic Code
(4) Twelve Tables → Napoleonic Code → Code of Hammurabi → Justinian Code
(Jan 14 Q43)
Ancient China (Golden Age)
In China, the development of civil service examinations and a belief in filial piety reflect the influence of
(1) Shinto (2) Jainism
(3) Confucianism (4) Buddhism
(Jan 08 Q7)
• The east is bordered by the Yellow Sea.
• The population is concentrated along the coast and in the river valleys.
• Mountains, plateaus, and deserts dominate the western region.
To which country do all of these geographic statements apply?
(1) England (2) China
(3) Nicaragua (4) Philippines
(Aug 08 Q2)
Which geographic factor directly influenced the early interactions between China and Korea?
(1) location (2) monsoons
(3) arid climate (4) tropical savannas
(Aug 09 Q10)
The Indus and Huang He (Yellow) rivers are both closely associated with
(1) border disputes (2) sacred biblical sites
(3) cradles of early civilization (4) oil discoveries
(Jan 10 Q4)
The Code of Hammurabi and Chinese legalism both rely on the idea that
(1) governments must provide their people with rights
(2) harsh laws are needed to control society
(3) all subjects are equal under the law
(4) religion and government must be brought closer together
(Jan 10 Q6)
Which culture is credited with the development of gunpowder, the abacus, and the compass?
(1) Chinese (2) Persian
(3) Indian (4) Japanese
(Jan 10 Q9)
China’s image of itself as the Middle Kingdom is associated with
(1) welcoming foreign ideas and influences
(2) mixing Western religions with traditional Chinese philosophies
(3) controlling how contact occurs with other cultures
(4) building the Grand Canal to expand trade within China
(June 10 Q13)
Which geographic feature served as a barrier that protected ancient China and was used as an invasion route by the Aryans into ancient India?
(1) deserts (2) rivers (3) mountains (4) plateaus
(Aug 10 Q4)
Which statement about China is a fact rather than an opinion?
(1) Flooding was the worst disaster to affect ancient Chinese civilizations.
(2) The Mandate of Heaven was an idea developed in ancient China.
(3) Early Chinese civilizations were the most important civilizations in the world. (
4) Dynastic governments were highly effective in China.
(Aug 10 Q8)
Filial piety and the five relationships are most often associated with
(1) Hinduism (2) Daoism (3) animism (4) Confucianism
(Jan 11 Q5)
Which geographic feature has helped isolate China?
(1) AndesMountains (2) Kalahari Desert
(3) Himalaya Mountains (4) Great Rift Valley
(Aug 11 Q5)
The rule of Shi Huangdi, legalism, and the tomb of terra cotta soldiers are most closely associated with the
(1) Maurya Empire (2) Qin dynasty
(3) Persian Empire (4) Hellenistic culture
(Aug 11 Q6)
Which philosophy is most closely associated with the development of the Chinese civil service system?
(1) legalism (2) Buddhism (3) Daoism (4) Confucianism
(Jan 12 Q9)
Which geographic feature did the earliest civilizations in Egypt, India, and China have in common?
(1) mountains that provided protection from invasion
(2) rivers that increased the fertility of the land by flooding
(3) vast forests that supplied lumber for building
(4) tropical climates that included monsoons
(Aug 12 Q3)
Oracle bones, Daoism, and the Mandate of Heaven are all associated with early civilizations in
(1) Egypt (2) Russia (3) India (4) China
(Jan 13 Q5)
What was one reason for the decline of both the Han dynasty and the western Roman Empire?
(1) outbreak of war between religious groups
(2) inability to force back foreign invaders
(3) efforts of the middle class to gain power
(4) lack of a common currency
(June 13 Q5)
Which belief system was the basis for the civil service exams given during the Han, Tang, and Song dynasties?
(1) legalism (2) Daoism (3) Buddhism (4) Confucianism
(Jan 14 Q5)
Which major geographic feature has hindered cultural diffusion between India and China?
(1) Himalaya Mountains (2) Deccan Plateau
(3) GobiDesert (4) Great Rift Valley
(June 14 Q4)
Historically, the Huang He has also been known as the “River of Sorrows” because
(1) frozen ports have made trade difficult
(2) cataracts have made transportation impossible
(3) floods have destroyed crops and villages
(4) burials have taken place at the sacred waters
(June 14 Q6)
Both the Han dynasty and the Roman Empire were known for
(1) developing decentralized political structures
(2) having governments dominated by a merchant class
(3) using examinations to select officials
(4) having long periods of stable government
(June 14 Q7)
One way in which filial piety in Confucian China and citizenship in ancient Athens are similar is that both
(1) emphasized duties and responsibilities in society
(2) encouraged the development of advanced technology
(3) promoted respect for the physical environment
(4) required that legalist principles be followed
(Aug 14 Q5)
Which individual developed an Asian philosophy associated with the five relationships, filial piety, and the Analects?
(1) Laozi (Lao Tzu) (2) Confucius
(3) Han Wudi (4) Siddhartha Gautama
(Jan 15 Q7)
Base your answer to question 43 on the diagram below and on your knowledge of social studies.
Rulers should set Families are the Children should
an example for the people core of society honor their parents
?______
43 Which Chinese philosophy best completes this graphic organizer?
(1) Maoism (2) Daoism
(3) legalism (4) Confucianism
(June 11 Q43)
“River of Sorrows Floods Again”
“Thousands Missing After Huang He Overflows”
“Over 10 Million Reported Homeless After 1931 Flooding”
These newspaper headlines describe the effects of geography on the people of
(1) China (2) Japan (3) India (4) Vietnam
(Jan 14 Q50)
Which major geographic feature has hindered cultural diffusion between India and China?
(1) Himalaya Mountains (2) DeccanPlateau (3) GobiDesert (4) Great Rift Valley
(June 14 Q4)
Which geographic factor best explains China’s ability to influence the cultural development of Japan?
(1) tropical climate (2) location (3) mountains (4) navigable rivers
(Jan 15 Q11)
Egypt
Which geographic factor had a major influence on the development of both Egyptian and Babylonian civilizations?
(1) river valleys (2) cool temperatures
(3) locations near a strait (4) mountains
(Jan 08 Q4)
One similarity found in both Egyptian and Sumerian civilizations is that each developed a (1) monotheistic religion (2) compass
(3) ziggurat (4) written language
(Aug 09 Q7)
Which geographic feature did the earliest civilizations in Egypt, India, and China have in common?
(1) mountains that provided protection from invasion
(2) rivers that increased the fertility of the land by flooding
(3) vast forests that supplied lumber for building
(4) tropical climates that included monsoons
(Aug 12 Q3)
One way in which the ancient Sumerians, Egyptians, and Mayas are similar is that these civilizations developed
(1) irrigation systems (2) iron weapons
(3) wheeled vehicles (4) block printing systems
(Aug 13 Q3)
One similarity between the NileRiver valley and savanna lands in Africa is that they both (1) served as major barriers to the movement of people and goods
(2) provided necessary resources for settlement
(3) are located on the western side of the continent
(4) had little effect on the lives of the people who lived in these regions
(Jan 11 Q15)
One way in which the ancient Sumerians, Egyptians, and Mayas are similar is that these civilizations developed