chapters 1 AP World Questions

Christianity is to Judaism as Buddhism is to (A) Islam (B) Hinduism (C) Jainism (D) Zoroastrianism

B

Phoenician ships, were primarily used for trade, settlement, and warfare in which of the following areas? (A) The Yellow Sea (B) The Indian Ocean (C) The Mediterranean Sea (D) The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers

C

The best example of a blending of cultures would be (A) The Lydians conquering the Persians (B) The Peloponnesian War (C) King Philip of Macedon conquering the Greek city states (D) The Hellenistic civilization

D

The first animal to be domesticated was probably the: (A) Horse. (B) Cow. (C) Chicken. (D) Dog.

D

The three great Greek classical philosophers are a. Euripides, Pericles, and Darius. b. Diogenes, Euclid, and Ptolemy. c. Achilles, Hippocrates, and Sappho. d. Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.

D

"Comfort, therefore, not condolence, is what I have to offer to the parents of the dead who may be here. Numberless are the chances to which, as they know, the life of man is subject; but fortunate indeed are they who draw for their lot a death so glorious as that which has caused your mourning, and to whom life has been so exactly measured as to terminate in the happiness in which it has been passed." - Pericles, The Funeral Oration, 431 B.C.E. The quote above is intended to convince parents of those who died in the Peloponnesian War that a. Their children died for the worthy cause of defending Athens b. They should protest the war to save the lives of young Athenian men c. There is no glory in death, even in war d. The Peloponnesian League is winning the war

A

"For the sake of the preservation of this entire creation, Purusha, the exceedingly resplendent one, assigned separate duties to the classes which had sprung from his mouth, arms, thighs, and feet." - Code of Manu, circa 300 B.C.E. The passage above most reflects which of the following cultural traditions? (A) The concept of caste in the Hindu religion (B) The Daoist emphasis on the balance between humans and nature (C) Buddha' s teaching about the search for enlightenment (D) Confucius' teaching on social harmony

A

"Wheels are the archetype of a primitive, caveman-level technology. But in fact, they're so ingenious that it took until 3500 B.C. for someone to invent them . . . . The tricky thing about the wheel is not conceiving of a cylinder rolling on its edge. It's figuring out how to connect a stable, stationary platform to that cylinder. The stroke of brilliance was the wheel-and-axle concept" said David Anthony, a professor of anthropology at Hartwick College and author of The Horse, the Wheel, and Language (Princeton, 2007). But then making it was also difficult. —Natalie Wolchover Using the excerpt and information in the text, which statement best describes the advances in technology made by Paleolithic people? (A) Technological advances showed their creativity. (B) They invented new forms of technology systematically. (C) The wheel was developed in different regions at the same time. (D) They viewed advances in technology as a sign of luck.

A

A historian researching international migration patterns of the nineteenth century would find which of the following sources most useful? a. Census records from New York and Buenos Aires detailing the birthplaces of individuals b. The diary of a German coal miner who emigrated to Canada c. Letters from an East Asian migrant to the Caribbean to his family back home d. A British factory's invoices and its shipping and tax records

A

An egalitarian society would a. Believe in the principle that all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities b. Separate people of different races and genders into separate spheres

A

Athens differed from the city-states of ancient Mesopotamia because it a. Was a democracy at times b. Carried on trade with Egypt c. Included a large slave population d. Had a religion with many deities

A

In Roman society a. The father's word was law in his household. b. Women inherited property. c. Daughters were not allowed to speak at family gatherings. d. There was complete segregation of the sexes.

A

In most of the early agricultural societies, people had an average life expectancy of 25 years at birth but would live until 50 on average if they managed to reach age 20. These facts primarily reflect a. High rates of infant mortality b. Income gaps between wealthy minorities and impoverished masses c. Lack of mass education d. The widespread availability of medicines for adult diseases

A

Most early civilizations before 600 B.C.E. shared which of the following characteristics? a. Animal herds and portable houses b. Large standing armies and elected governments c. Urban centers, growing populations, and writing systems d. Caravan trade, underground cities, and large ships

A

One of the major impacts of the Pax Romana was a. The facilitation of trade b. Major wars against Persia c. The conquest of Arabia d. The rise of tenant farming

A

Sparta became a highly militarized society primarily because (A) They feared an uprising by the helots. (B) They sought to recreate the far-flung empire of the Assyrians. (C) Repeated raids by Athens forced Spartans to adopt defensive measures. (D) Significant mineral wealth, which allowed them to support a large army.

A

The Roman Republic featured which of the following? a. Senate, representative government, rule of law b. Mandate of Heaven and civil service exams c. Rule by two tyrants and an oligarchy d. Separation of religious functions from those of the state

A

The Sumerian and Olmec civilizations are most alike a. In their creation of long-lasting cultural foundations for later societies. b. Because of the way they used horseback warfare to conquer neighboring territories. c. In their early commitment to representative political systems. d. Because they each developed monotheistic religions.

A

The existence of slavery in the Roman Empire discouraged (A) Industrial development (B) Trade (C) Christianity (D) Gender equality

A

What resources did southern Greece and the Aegean have most a. Grapes, olives, and some grains b. Flax, dates, and fish c. Gold, copper, and reeds d. Fish, meat, and grain

A

Which of the following is not a characteristic of early civilization? (A) Caravan trade (B) Urban centers (C) Growing populations (D) Agricultural surplus

A

Which statement best summarizes the variety of changes that resulted from people learning to use fire? (A) Fire improved the diet of early humans. (B) Fire made domestication of animals easier. (C) Fire allowed people to use metals for the first time. (D) Fire altered the relationship between men and women.

A

Why might historians use 8000 B.C.E. to mark the beginning of a period in human history? (A) People began to practice agriculture for the first time. (B) People moved out of Africa for the first time. (C) People domesticated animals for the first time. (D) People developed writing for the first time.

A

"Romantic glorifications of Greece create the impression that the Greeks sought rational solutions . . . actually, far from being devoted to the risks of rationality, the vast majority of the Greeks sought always the safe haven of superstition and the comfort of magic charms." - Finley Hooper,historian of ancient Greece, 1967 "I do not believe that the 'Sacred Disease' [epilepsy] is any more divine or sacred than any other disease, but, on the contrary, I believe it has specific demonstrable characteristics and a definite cause." - Hippocrates of Kos, Greek physician, circa 350 B.C.E. The passage by Hippocrates weakens Hooper's claim in the first passage by (A) suggesting that medicine was a thriving discipline in ancient Greece (B) expressing a mistrust for supernatural causes of medical conditions (C) seeking to understand a disease that does not have an obvious external cause (D) implying that Greek physicians did not have effective treatments for some diseases

B

"We can no longer be content with writing only the history of the victorious elites, or with detailing the subjugation of dominated ethnic groups . . . We thus need to uncover the history of 'the people without a history.' - Eric Wolf, anthropologist, 1982 Research on which of the following subjects would be the best example of the approach described in the excerpt above? a. The decision of the Ming emperor to send Zheng He on voyages to the Indian Ocean b. The lives of Amerindians engaged in the North American fur trade c. The motivations for conversion to Islam in Spain after the Muslim conquest d. The economics of the transatlantic slave trade

B

A historian of ancient Greece would probably find Athenian dramas to be most useful as a source of information about which of the following aspects of Greek society? (A) Life expectancies in ancient Greece (B) Greek religious beliefs and moral values (C) Military tactics of ancient Greek armies (D) Agricultural productivity in ancient Greece

B

Before 600 C.E., large centralized empires, such as the Han, Persian, and Roman empires, extended their military power by a. giving more political power to the common people in conquered territories, thus eliminating the need for large armies of occupation b. developing supply lines and building infrastructure, including defensive walls and roads c. creating open societies inclusive of different religious and cultural practices, thus decreasing the chance of revolts d. recruiting their armies entirely from inhabitants of their core territories and excluding members of newly conquered lands

B

Egyptians viewed the universe as an orderly and beneficent place because (A) Their gods protected them from bad things. (B) Their environment was largely stable and predictable, unlike Mesopotamia's. (C) They thought they were alone in the world. (D) They had specific delineations into red land and black land.

B

I am imperishable time; The Creator whose face is everywhere; Death that devours all things; The source of all things to come - The god Krishna speaks, Bhagavad Gita, Vedic sacred text, circa fifth century B.C.E. The excerpt above best represents which aspect of Hinduism?' (A) The desire to escape worldly suffering (B) The cyclical nature of death and rebirth (C) The belief in karma (D) The importance of caste

B

The Hittites successfully conquered their neighbors because they (A) Invented the bow and arrow (B) Used iron weapons extensively (C) Were experts in guerilla warfare (D) Had more soldiers than other groups

B

The Mandate of Heaven meant that the ruler retained the right to rule as long as a. He remained the strongest in the kingdom. b. He remained a wise and principled guardian of his people. c. He produced a male heir. d. He kept the loyalty of the military.

B

The Roman sculpture above, depicting the sacking of Jerusalem by a Roman army in 70 C.E., was most likely intended for which of the following purposes? (A) To show the Romans' respect for the religious symbols of Judaism (B) To convey the power of the Roman Empire (C) To express sympathy for defeated enemies (D) To portray the value of all ranks of Roman society

B

The development of classes of people specializing in particular types of labor, such as artisans, priests, scribes, and merchants, in early civilizations was most likely made possible by a. The invention of writing b. Surplus food c. Patriarchal relationships d. Trade between groups

B

The first people who migrated to North America came by way of a land bridge across the present- day a. Rocky Mountains. b. Bering Strait. c. Mississippi River. d. Yucatán Peninsula.

B

The writing form depicted above is illustrates which of the following advances in human civilization? (A) The ability of the Sumerians to create published texts that were widely available for the masses (B) The ability of the Sumerians to organize their society more effectively by keeping written records of economic transactions (C) The ability of the Sumerians to travel to others parts of the world using advanced wagon-wheel technology (D) The ability of the Sumerians to domesticate wild animals for human use.

B

Which of the following best describes the significance of legal codes to early civilizations? (A) They granted citizens the right to choose their rulers and representatives. (B) They reflected and reinforced existing social and political hierarchies. (C) They facilitated the introduction of monotheistic religions. (D) They effectively settled disputes between pastoralist and agrarian communities.

B

Which of the following describes an important distinction between the core beliefs of Confucianism and Daoism as developed in the period 600 B.C.E. to 600 C.E.? (A) Confucianism emphasized the search for enlightenment, but Daoism centered on the material world. (B) Confucianism focused on social cohesion, but Daoism centered on the human connection to nature. (C) Confucianism was polytheistic, but Daoism was monotheistic. (D) Confucianism advocated belief in reincarnation, but Daoism advocated belief in Nirvana.

B

Which of the following was a major factor in the centralization of the Han dynasty in China? a. The adoption of Mongol methods of political organization b. The reliance on a merit-based bureaucracy c. The use of Buddhist beliefs to encourage loyalty to the emperor d. The dependence on Daoist rituals

B

Which of the following was a major long-term effect of the Roman Empire's construction of an extensive network of roads? (A) Diminished importance of Roman maritime trade in the Mediterranean (B) Integration of conquered peoples and suppression of resistance to Roman rule (C) Reduction in the size of the Roman army (D) Increased trade with Han China

B

"'I cannot make a tree grow or flourish' [said the gardener]. . . . 'All I do is avoid hindering a tree's growth—I have no power to make it grow.' 'Would it be possible to apply this philosophy of yours to the art of government?' asked the questioner. 'My only art is the growing of trees,' said [the gardener]. 'Government is not my business.' " - Liu Zongyuan, Chinese scholar-official, circa 800 C.E. The ideas expressed in the passage were most strongly influenced by which of the following? (A) Buddhism (B) Confucianism (C) Daoism (D) Environmentalism

C

"Augustus seduced the army with bonuses, and his cheap food policy was successful bait for civilians. Indeed, he attracted everybody's goodwill by the enjoyable gift of peace. Then he gradually pushed ahead and absorbed the functions of the senate, the officials, and even the law. Opposition did not exist. War or judicial murder had disposed of all men of spirit." - Tacitus, Roman historian, circa 100 C.E., commenting on the reign of Augustus Caesar first emperor of Rome In the excerpt above, Tacitus' main purpose is to point out that a. There was a great deal of political upheaval during the reign of Augustus b. Romans continued to remain loyal to the ideals of the Republic during the reign of Augustus c. Augustus used the peace and prosperity of his reign to enact sweeping political changes d. Augustus was an exceptional figure, without parallel in Roman history

C

"If anyone steals from a temple or the court, he shall be put to death, and also the one who receives the stolen thing from him shall be put to death. "If anyone buys from the son or the slave of another man, without witnesses or a contract, silver or gold, . . . he is considered a thief and shall be put to death." - Code of Hammurabi, Babylon, circa 1780 B.C.E. The laws cited above are evidence of which of the following in Babylonian society? (A) Reliance on divine intervention to resolve legal disputes (B) Social and economic equality (C) The protection of property (D) Regularized coinage of precious metals

C

A historian researching the effects of the Crusades on the diffusion of technology would probably find which of the following sources most useful? a. European crusaders' accounts of Islamic religious practices b. Muslim accounts of European royal marriages c. Monks' translations of Arabic mathematics texts brought from conquered territories d. Birth records from villages along the routes used by the Crusaders

C

A historian researching the trans-Atlantic slave trade in the period 1600-1800 would find which of the following sources most useful for determining patterns in the points of origin, the destinations, and the numbers of slaves involved in the trade? a. Census and tax records of European settlers in the Americas b. Legal regulations pertaining to enslaved and freed Africans in British colonies c. Records of the cargoes of Spanish and British ships in the trans-Atlantic trade d. Pamphlets published by antislavery societies

C

Although Greece is described as resource poor, it economically prospered (A) Because of successful manufacturing. (B) By using a large population as a large service sector. (C) Through access to foreign resources, markets, and ideas. (D) By frequently raiding its neighbors.

C

Between 200 B.C.E. and 1450 C.E., the Silk Roads linked which of the following? a. The Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean b. North Africa and western Europe c. East Asia and the Mediterranean Sea d. The Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea

C

Between 200 B.C.E. and 200 C.E., the Silk Roads facilitated commodity trade between which of the following pairs of empires? a. The Roman and Incan b. The Han and Spanish c. The Roman and Han d. The Mali and Byzantine

C

During the Paleolithic Era, which gender was primarily responsible for most food acquisition? a. Men who practiced gathering b. Men who practiced hunting c. Women who practiced gathering d. Women who practiced hunting

C

Fossil, linguistic, and genetic (DNA) evidence support which of the following hypotheses about early human migrations? (A) Early humans migrated from western Africa across the Atlantic to South America. (B) Central Polynesia was settled by peoples sailing from the western coast of South America (C) Homoerectus and Homo sapiens migrated out of Africa. (D) Anatomically modern humans spread from their origins in western European regions.

C

The Roman aqueduct in France (pictured above) best exemplifies which of the following phenomena? a. Cultural borrowing b. Religious syncretism c. Technological diffusion d. Intellectual imperialism

C

The Royal Road differed from the Silk Road in that (A) Only royalty could travel on it (B) Goods that travelled along this route were intended to be delivered to royalty (C) While the Silk Road crossed several empires, the Royal Road was within one empire (D) It carried philosophers, disease, religions, as well as objects for sale

C

The key development that allowed people to begin settling into permanent communities was (A) The use of stone tools (B) The advent of the pastoral lifestyle (C) The development of agriculture (D) The invention of writing

C

Which of the following best explains why myths are useful to historians? a. Myths clarify how ancient technology worked. b. Myths analyze how great heroes created the first societies. c. Myths provide insights into the values and traditions of their societies. d. Myths give detailed plans showing how ancient leaders achieved power.

C

Which of the following best reflects the use of diplomacy by an empire during the period 600 B.C.E. to 600 C.E.? a. The conquest of the Carthaginian Empire by the Roman Republic b. The creation of written laws by the Babylonian ruler Hammurabi c. The exchange of tribute between Han China and neighboring states d. The unification of China by Qin emperor Shi Huangdi

C

Which of the following describes an important similarity between the ancient Persian Empire and the Roman Empire? a. Both attempted to impose an exclusive state religion on their subjects. b. Both had economies that relied heavily on overseas trade. c. Both were multiethnic empires that incorporated local elites in the imperial government. d. Both were centered on the Mediterranean Sea.

C

Which of the following developed later than the others? (A) Agriculture (B) Burial rituals (C) Writing (D) Art

C

Which of the following is an important legacy of the Phoenicians? a. Their monotheistic beliefs inspired Judeo-Christian religion. b. Their establishment of a centralized bureaucratic state influenced the political structure of the Persian Empire. c. Their development of an alphabetic writing system was adapted by the Greeks. d. Their system of legal codification was adopted in its entirety by the Romans.

C

Which of the following is most accurate about the spread of Buddhism? a. It grew after it began to emphasize the worship of local deities. b. It remained closely linked to Hinduism. c. It became more popular outside the country of its origin than inside. d. It did not change as it spread from one culture to another.

C

Which of the following types of evidence would most strongly support the theory that the Americas were first populated by people migrating across a land bridge that connected Northeast Asia and North America? (A) The discovery of pottery from Ming China at a pre-Columbian site in Peru (B) American Indians' lack of immunity to many diseases endemic to Afro-Eurasia (C) Data showing a close genetic relationship between American Indians and indigenous peoples of Siberia (D) Architectural similarities between the pyramids of Teotihuacán, Mexico, and Giza, Egypt

C

Which of the following was the most significant development of the Neolithic Revolution? a. Improved human nutrition resulting from enhanced hunting skills b. Dramatically altered weapons and warfare caused by the use of bronze technology c. The adoption of settled agriculture that allowed more densely populated societies d. Major advances in human brain function

C

Which statement best summarizes the relationship of Jainism to Hinduism and Buddhism? a. Jainism is a variation of Hinduism. b. Jainism shares all of the traits that Hinduism and Buddhism share. c. Jainism shares aspects of Hinduism and Buddhism, but is separate from them. d. Jainism is unlike Hinduism and Buddhism in all of its basic beliefs and practices.

C

"What is recorded in the Buddhist scriptures is analogous to the teachings contained in the scripture of Laozi the founder of Daoism] in China, and it is actually believed that Laozi, after having gone to India, instructed the barbarians and became the Buddha." - Yu Huan, Chinese historian, circa 250 C.E. In the fictionalized account of the origins of Buddhism outlined in the passage above, Yu Huan's purpose was most likely to a. make it easier for his Buddhist readers to convert to Daoism b. hint at the existence of an alternate set of Buddhist scriptures that were different from the officially accepted ones c. demonstrate the extent of missionary and trade links between China and India d. assert the superiority of Chinese culture over non-Chinese cultures

D

Assimilation of multiple cultures was achieved most by (A) Augustus Caesar (B) Shi Huang-di (C) Hammurabi (D) Alexander the Great

D

Basalt stela showing King Hammurabi of Babylon (circa 1750 b.c.e.) on the left and the sun god Shamash on the right. The Code of Hammurabi is inscribed at the bottom of the stela. The relationship between Hammurabi and Shamash as depicted in the image best illustrates which of the following features of ancient civilizations? (A) Rulers deferred to the priestly class for religious guidance. (B) Rulers asserted that royal laws were superior to divine laws. (C) Rulers created new religions to unify conquered peoples. (D) Rulers claimed that their authority derived directly from divine power.

D

If a man knocks the teeth out of another man, his own teeth will be knocked out. The above excerpt from the Code of Hammurabi is based on the idea of (A) One's punishment depends on one's status (B) A person should not put another person to death (C) One will go to heaven or hell depending on how one behaves in life (D) The punishment should fit the crime

D

In addition to commissioning the creation of objects such as the one shown in the image, rulers of early civilizations most commonly used which of the following activities to demonstrate their religious authority? (A) The creation of systems of record keeping (B) The creation of epic mythologies (C) The construction of water-control systems (D) The construction of monumental architecture

D

In recent decades, many world historians have challenged the commonly held view that Europeans controlled the largest share of world trade in the seventeenth through the eighteenth centuries. Which of the following evidence from the period would best support this historical reinterpretation? a. Prices for Chinese goods were much higher in Europe than in China. b. European trading companies often backed their long-distance trading ventures with the threat of military force. c. Asian trading companies dominated trade in the Indian Ocean region. d. European merchants transported only a fraction of the goods shipped globally.

D

The African proverb, "Until the lions have their historians, tales of hunting will always glorify the hunter," conveys which of the following? (A) Common people need to learn how to write so they can tell their story. (B) Hunting is a sport that brings glory only to the hunter. (C) The concept of history is much different in Africa than in Europe or the United States. (D) History usually reflects the viewpoint of the victors.

D

Which of the following best explains why Gupta rulers were able to unify much of South Asia but did not achieve lasting political stability? (A) Monsoons that regularly flooded the region, causing poverty and disorder (B) Constant civil wars between Hindus and Buddhists (C) The spread of Christianity that rivaled Hinduism (D) The invasion of nomadic Huns from Central Asia

D

Which of the following contributed significantly to the fall of both the western Roman and the Han empires? a. The destruction of overland trade routes b. Irregularities in the flow of the silver trade c. New military technologies d. Invasions by borderland peoples

D

Which of the following is the best example of the type of question the Chinese would use oracle bones to help them answer? a. Why does the moon change its appearance? b. Why does rain become snow? c. How long is a trip from one city to another? d. Which day is best for the army to attack an enemy?

D

Which of the following religions both used missionaries to spread their message? a. Hinduism and Buddhism b. Judaism and Christianity c. Confucianism and Daoism d. Christianity and Buddhism

D

List the Chinese dynasties in chronological order.

Sheng Zhou Qin Han Sui Tang Song Yao Min Qing Republic Mao Zedong