Human Ancestors and Ancient Civilizations

1. Where did human ancestors walk upright about 3 to 4 million years ago? A. Nile River Valley B. Eastern Asia C. Western Europe D. Eastern Africa Answer D

2. Human ancestors known as Homo Sapiens emerged between – A. 1 billion to 5 billion years ago B.1 million to 4 million years ago C. 100, 000 to 400,000 years ago D. 25,000 to 1,000 years ago Answer C

3. Which of the following best describes the migration of Homo Sapiens? A.Africa to Eurasia, Australia, and the Americas B.Africa to India, Australia, and the Americas C.Europe to Africa, Australia, and the Americas D. Australia to Africa, Eurasia, and the Americas Answer A

4. Which of the following is not a method used by archaeologists to study early peoples? A.Locate human remains B.Analyze fossils and artifacts C.Use scientific testing such as carbon dating D.Rely on folklore and historical novels Answer D

5. During the New Stone Age, people learned to do all of the following except – A. Grow crops B. Make cloth C. Read and write D. Domesticate animals Answer C

6. Old Stone Age people moved from place to place in order to find – A. Pastures for their herds B. Places to build cities C. Fertile farmland D. New food supplies Answer D

7. Early humans were able to survive in a harsh environment because – A. They traveled individually B. They created primitive tools C. They stayed mobile, with no base camp D. They had highly developed brains Answer B

8. Which map projection is most used by airline pilots’? A. Mercator B. Interrupted C. Robinson D. Polar Answer D

9. Lines that run vertically from north to south used to locate places on a map are lines of – A. Longitude B. Place C. Latitude D. Projections Answer A

10. Lines that run from east to west used to locate places on a map are lines of – A. Direction B. Latitude C. Longitude D. Place Answer B

11. The early writings of the Egyptians using pictures to stand for objects was called— A. Cuneiform B. Alphabetic C. Clay tablet D. Hieroglyphics Answer D

12. The Sumerian writing system of wedge – shaped markings is called— A. Cuneiform B. Alphabetic C. Clay tablets D. Hieroglyphics Answer A

13. The ancient Egyptian civilization was located on the – A. Ganges in Asia B. Nile in Africa C. Hwang He in Asia D. Congo in Africa Answer B

14. Which of the following is not a characteristic of a civilization? A. Writing and record keeping B. Specialized workers C. Nomadic hunters and gatherers D. Cities Answer C

15. In early societies, leadership was often provided by – A. Priests B. Craftsmen C. Artisans D. Farmers Answer A

16. The Phoenicians improved upon hieroglyphics and cuneiform to create— A. The alphabet B. The number system C. The standing loom D. The first maps Answer A

17. Where did the first cities emerge? A. Along trade routes B. In river valleys C. Along the Mediterranean coast D. In the Americas Answer B

18. “If the Nile smells the earth is joyous, every stomach is full of rejoicing.” This quotation from an ancient Egyptian hymn shows that the Egyptians regarded the Nile as the – A. Source of all their troubles B. Main highway connecting Upper and Lower Egypt C. Barrier that protected them from foreign attack D. Geographic feature that made agriculture possible Answer D

19. Which of the following is a true statement about the pharaohs? A. They were believed to be sons of the god Osiris B. Their power was limited by Egyptian law C. They owned and controlled all of the land in Egypt D. Only men could rule in Egypt Answer C

20. The Fertile Crescent extended from the – A. Pacific Ocean to the Yellow River B. Red Sea to the Nile Delta C. Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea D. Bay of Bengal to the Indus River Answer C

21. One important difference between the Hebrews and other people of ancient Middle East was that they (the Hebrews) – A. Believed in the principle of “an eye for an eye” B. Were monotheistic C. Migrated into the Jordan River Valley D. Built a massive temple Answer B

22. Hammurabi’s code was a major achievement because it – A. Was a record of all existing laws B. Treated citizens and slaves as equals C. Ended all physical punishment D. Rejected the principle of “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” Answer A

23. Which ancient civilization was most known for this structure? A. Babylonia B. Rome C. Egypt D. Greece Answer C

24. Read the excerpt from the book of Genesis and answer the questions that follow “I will give you many descendants, and some of them will be kings. You will have so many descendants that they will become nations…. I will keep my promise to you and your descendants in the future generations as an everlasting covenant. I will be the god and the god of your descendants.” From this passage, there is evidence to support that the Hebrew became— A. Atheist B. Agnostic C. Polytheistic D. Monotheistic Answer D

25. Below are laws from the Hammurabi’s Code. Read the code and answer the following questions. 21. If a man make a breach in [breaks into] a house, they shall put him to death in front of that breach, and they shall bury him there. 25. If a fire breaks out in a man’s house and a man who goes to extinguish it cast his eye on the household property of the owner of the house, that man shall be thrown into the fire. 26. If either an officer or a constable who is ordered to go on an errand of the king do not go, or if he hire a substitute and he carry out his task, that officer or constable shall be put to death. His hired substitute shall take himself his house. 128. If a man takes a wife and do not draw up a contact with her, that woman is not a wife.

26. What do laws 21 and 25 tell you about the importance Babylonians placed on household property? A. Little importance B. Great importance C. No importance D. Cannot be answered from this reading Answer B

27. What law indicated that a legal contract was necessary between husband and wife? A. 21 B. 25 C. 26 D. 128 Answer D

28. What law suggests that the power of the king was absolute? A. 21 B. 25 C. 26 D. 128 Answer C

29. What was the penalty for disobeying the king? A. Death B. Exile C. Imprisonment D. Enslavement Answer A

30. About 1500 BC, the Aryans traveled through Hindu Kush Mountains to invade— A. Eastern Europe B. The Indus River Valley C. The Deccan Plateau D. East Asia Answer B

31. Which of the following mountain ranges formed a barrier across northern India? A. Vindhyas B. Eastern Ghats C. Western Ghats D. Himalayas Answer D

32. The first Indian civilization developed in the – A. Deccan Plateau B. Indus River Valley C. Ganges River Valley D. Hindu Kush Answer B

33. Hinduism developed out of the – A. Buddhist tradition B. Teachings of Vishnu C. Religious beliefs of the Aryans D. Zoroastrian tradition Answer C

34. Hindus believe that the cycle of reincarnation continues for an individual soul until— A. All souls reach perfection B. The end of the world C. The god Shiva returns to reward the good and punish the wicked D. That soul achieve moksha or union with Brahman Answer D

35. To learn about the basic beliefs of Buddhism, a scholar would study— A. The Vedas and Upanishads B. The collected writings of Confucius C. The Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path D. The Way and its Power Answer C

36. The emperor Asoka’s most lasting achievement was – A. Conquering Kalinga B. Encouraging the spread of Buddhism C. Writing a code of ethics for doctors D. Uniting the Gupta Empire Answer B

37. Which of the following was not a characteristic of the Aryan social system? A. The system was composed of four major classes B. People could move freely from one group to another C. Certain duties were assigned to each group D. Each large group was composed of smaller groups based on occupation Answer B

38. Which of the following was not a characteristic of the Gupta Empire? A. Achievements in mathematics and literature B. New textiles C. Support for Christianity D. Movement of ideas to other countries Answer C

39. When the Aryan and Indian culture blended, what religion resulted? A. Vedic B. Buddhism C. Hinduism D. Christianity Answer C

40. The figure shown above represents which major world religion? A. Christianity B. Buddhism C. Islam D. Hinduism Answer B

41. The figure pictured above represents what religion? A. Shinto B. Christianity C. Hinduism D. Judaism Answer C

42. The Zhou claimed they were given the Mandate of Heaven, which meant— A. The Zhou people would go straight to heaven if they died B. They could establish a feudalism system without asking a high priest. C. They had the approval of the gods to rule. D. They could communicate with the gods by using dragon bones. Answer C

43. Where did the first civilization in China develop? A. In Manchuria B. Along the Yangtze River C. Along the Hwang He D. In the foothills of the Himalayas Answer C

44. Confucius was most concerned with – A. Teaching a code of moral conduct B. Increasing the power of the emperor C. Abolishing social classes D. Showing people how to reach nirvana Answer A

45. The Great Wall of China was built to protect China from invasion by – A. Huns B. Nomadic tribes C. Japanese samurai D. Russian Cossacks Answer A

46. Candidates for the Chinese civil service needed a thorough knowledge of— A. Science and mathematics B. The Confucian classics C. The teachings of Buddha D. World Geography Answer B

47. Who was the founder of the Taoist system of thought practiced in Ancient China? A. Laozi B. Sima Quian C. Emperor Wudi D. King Yu Answer A

48. Taoism was most concerned with – A. Family relationships B. The individual in society C. The individual in harmony with nature D. Social order and structure Answer C

49. Which of the following was not a contribution of the Tang dynasty to the Golden Age of China? A. Development of printing B. Encouragement of literature C. Development of Shintoism D. Influencing of Korea and Japan Answer C

50. Which of the following connected China to the Western World and Rome? A. Grand Canal B. Suez Canal C. South China Road D. Silk Road Answer D