World History Exam Name:

1. What helped Ghana, Mali, and Songhai to become large and powerful West African Kingdoms?
a. the discovery of gunpowder
b. advanced navigational tools
c. control of gold-salt trade routes
d. development of irrigation systems

2. Between 632 and 750, the religion of Islam was spread primarily through
a. foreign missionaries
b. trade routes
c. imperial expansion
d. peace treaties

3. How did prosperity resulting from the gold-salt trade affect West African empires during the 1300s?
a. the influence of foreign merchants declined
b. Islamic centers of learning emerged
c. the demand for European goods increased
d. regional rulers’ political authority decreased

4. Why was Emperor Constantine historically significant to the Roman Empire?

a. democratic rule was established in the capital
b. official policies promoted the spread of Christianity
c. merchants established contact with Islamic civilization
d. overland trade routes were expanded

5. What was one result of European merchants trading along the Silk Road?
a. the expansion of democratic governments
b. the development of modern banking practices
c. the diffusion of cultural ideas
d. the spread of mapmaking skills

6. Which feature best explains how major river valley civilizations influenced the development of Greece
and Rome?
a. creation of paved road systems
b. enforcement of a code of laws
c. construction of a water system
d. establishment of direct democracy

7. Which cause contributed to the collapse of both the Han Dynasty in China and ancient Rome?
a. territory became too large to govern effectively
b. citizens suffered from poor internal transportation systems
c. cities were vulnerable to invasion by sea
d. economies suffered due to lack of a common currency

8. How did Spanish expansion affect the Inca civilization in Peru?

a. traditional culture was preserved
b. the population of the Inca declined
c. trade with competing tribes expanded
d. the territory of the Inca civilization expanded
9. Which factor most enabled people to establish permanent settlements along the Nile River?
a. the development of tools necessary to adapt to climatic extremes
b. the military skills needed to defend against desert invaders
c. the knowledge of how to produce food on a flood plain
d. the technical ability to construct large buildings

10. Where did the monotheistic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam originate?
a. Central America
b. Northern Europe
c. Middle East
d. Southeast Asia

11. Who first introduced innovations from Ancient India like Arabic numerals and the concept of zero to
Europe?
a. soldiers from the Roman Empire who traveled across Europe
b. mathematicians from India who set up schools in Europe
c. merchants from the Islamic world who traded with Europeans
d. scholars from Ancient Greece who studied at Asian universities

12. Which phrase best explains a major result of the fall of the Roman Empire?
a. development of the Renaissance in Northern Europe
b. expansion of the authority of the Catholic Church
c. beginning of the European age of exploration
d. start of the Crusades in the Middle East

13. Why did the Tang Dynasty use the examination system to choose government officials?
a. to promote greater cultural diversity
b. to ensure the influence of noble families
c. to measure the effectiveness of the imperial education system
d. to provide the civil service with qualified leaders

14. Which architectural feature did the ancient Greeks commonly use?
a. columns
b. domes
c. arches
d. ziggurats

15. Which characteristics do Buddhism and Hinduism share?

a. a rigid social system
b. the belief in a single deity
c. a faith in divine salvation
d. the concept of karma

16. How did its location near the sea most contribute to the growth of Ancient Greece?
a. by supplying water for irrigating crops
b. by providing easy access to trade routes
c. by creating a natural barrier from enemies
d. by generating power for watermills
17. Which change resulted from the fall of the western Roman Empire?
a. new farming techniques were developed
b. the role of religious institutions in society declined
c. the use of established trade routes declined
d. new military tactics were developed

18. How were the Maya and Inca economies similar to earlier Latin American civilizations?
a. they relied on the trade of precious metals
b. they were influenced by foreign markets
c. they focused on manufactured goods
d. they were based on agricultural trade

19. During the Middle Ages, which characteristic did western Europe and the Byzantine Empire have in
common?
a. control by a single ruler
b. education in local languages
c. development of a middle class
d. practice of a common religion

20. Which was a direct effect of the feudal system in medieval Europe?
a. development of early trade routes
b. creation of a capitalist economy
c. establishment of a rigid class structure
d. requirement of church donations

21. Which action helped uphold roman Catholic doctrine after the fall of the Roman Empire?
a. prohibiting the practice of rituals in rural areas
b. limiting the number of ordained priests
c. holding services in local languages
d. creating a hierarchical church structure

22. What effect did the expansion of Christianity have on western Europe during the Middle Ages?
a. a common culture helped unify groups separated by geography
b. the region was provided with a common language
c. a confederation of nations with one government was formed
d. regional economies expanded because of trade treaties

23. What was one major effect of the invention of the printing press?
a. it helped Catholic leaders increase power
b. it helped facilitate the spread of religious ideas
c. it helped popularize reforms in the Catholic Church
d. it helped introduce new leadership roles in the church

24. Which conclusion about the effects of the Black Death on medieval European society is most accurate?
a. nobles were largely unaffected because they lived in rural areas instead of urban areas
b. prices for crops fell dramatically because the disease could spread to plants
c. the number of serfs declined because the labor shortage gave them new opportunities
d. the middle class expanded because they could afford medical treatments
25. Which statement best explains how corruption in the Catholic Church affected Europeans during the
1400s?
a. groups sought religious freedom in North America
b. trade declined because of religious restrictions
c. monarchs began to lose control of land to the Church
d. individuals began to question the Pope’s authority

26. How did the bubonic plague change the social structure of Europe in the Middle Ages?
a. the shortage of labor empowered the peasant class
b. the rise of nationalism increased the influence of the nobility
c. the decline in demand ensured the success of the merchants
d. the increased demand for labor strengthened feudalism

27. The Reformation was a major historical turning point because it

a. caused a reinstatement of Catholic authority
b. increased interest in the study of Islam
c. encouraged individual interpretation of sacred scriptures
d. increased the popularity of secularism

28. What was one major effect of the Columbian Exchange?

a. it created a new source of revenue for European farmers
b. it led to the widespread adoption of the institution of slavery
c. it enhanced the technology used in the Industrial Revolution
d. it improved political relations between competing countries

29. How did European exploration of the Americas most affect the Inca and Aztec Empires?
a. it caused the population to move inland from coastal locations
b. it encouraged tribal leaders to create alliances
c. it introduced diseases that resulted in a population decline
d. it reduced native reliance on agricultural production

30. During the Commercial Revolution, new institutions like joint-stock companies and capital markets
were created in order to raise large sums of cash. Why were these large sums of cash needed?
a. to fund overseas trade ventures
b. to build great cathedrals
c. to prevent the spread of disease
d. to establish universal education

31. Which transition occurred during Europe’s Commercial Revolution?

a. markets began to use paper currency instead of gold coins
b. manufacturers began to rely on unskilled labor
c. trade unions began to develop in urban areas
d. investors began to combine resources to reduce risk

32. Which modern-day country was a French colony during the 18th century?
a. Mexico
b. Cuba
c. Argentina
d. Haiti
33. The language and religion of Central and South America have been most influenced by
a. indigenous populations
b. alliances with the United States
c. Spanish colonization
d. free trade agreements

34. How did joint-stock companies encourage international trade in the Age of Exploration?
a. by raising large sums of money and reducing the financial risk to individual investors
b. by developing advanced navigational technology for merchant sailors
c. by providing colonists with sufficient resources to ensure their success
d. by publishing maps and detailed accounts of overseas voyages

35. Which factor contributed to the decline of the Aztec Empire?

a. famines caused by poor farming techniques
b. diseases introduced by foreigners
c. invasions by nomadic tribes
d. instability resulting form civil wars
WORLD HISTORY SEMESTER 1 - FINAL EXAM ANSWER KEY
1. C
2. C
3. D
4. B
5. B
6. B
7. A
8. B
9. C
10. C
11. C
12. B
13. D
14. A
15. D
16. B
17. C
18. D
19. D
20. C
21. D
22. A
23. B
24. C
25. D
26. A
27. C
28. B
29. C
30. A
31. D
32. D
33. C
34. A
35. B