PRAXIS Elementary Education: Multiple Subjects Social Studies (5004) Practice Test Questions (form 3)

Which of the following ancient civilizations used hieroglyphics as a way to communicate?

A.Greece

B.Rome

C.Egypt

D.China

C. Egypt

The Egyptians used hieroglyphics as their form of writing.

Which of the following events of the American Revolution occurred last?

A.The passage of the Intolerable Acts

B.The dumping of tea into Boston Harbor

C.The signing of the Declaration of Independence

D.The Battle of Yorktown

D. The Battle of Yorktown

In 1781, General George Washington and the Continental army attacked and captured the British fort at Yorktown, Virginia. This victory led to the surrender of British General Cornwallis and peace negotiations to end the American Revolution began soon after.

Which of the following forms of government consists of a union of several countries with some or most power shared between them?

A.Dictatorship

B.Republic

C.Confederation

D.Monarchy

C. Confederation

A confederation consists of a union of several states or countries, united for a common purpose. Confederations occasionally have a central authority, but the majority of the power lies with the states or countries.

Which of the following statements describes a characteristic of Turkey's largest city?

A.It has a very high altitude.

B.It has a tropical climate.

C.It is the country's largest manufacturing center.

D.It is considered part of Europe and Asia.

D. It is considered part of Europe and Asia.

Turkey is geographically and politically part of Europe and Asia. Part of Turkey lies in Europe and the remainder of the landmass, including Anatolia, lies in Asia. Istanbul is the only city in the world that is considered part of two continents.

Which of the following actions contained a controversial fugitive slave provision?

A.The Compromise of 1850

B.The Missouri Compromise

C.The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854

D.The Three-Fifths Compromise

A. The Compromise of 1850

Part of the Compromise of 1850 was the provision that any runaway slave found in a non-slave state had to be sent back to the South.

Which of the following documents was the initial attempt by the American colonists to establish an independent government?

A.The Bill of Rights

B.The Articles of Confederation

C.The Declaration of Independence

D.The Constitution of the United States

B. The Articles of Confederation

The Articles of Confederation were the first attempt by the colonists to create a government. They were ratified in 1781 and created a confederation of states and a weak central government. The states held the majority of the governmental power.

Which of the following individuals helped end the system of apartheid in South Africa?

A.Mohandas Gandhi

B.Mother Teresa

C.Nelson Mandela

D.The Dalai Lama

C. Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela was the first black president of South Africa. He was elected after the system of apartheid was abolished.

Which of the following American Civil War battles immediately preceded the issuing of the Emancipation Proclamation?

A.Battle of Gettysburg

B.Battle of Bull Run

C.Battle of Antietam

D.Battle of Vicksburg

C. Battle of Antietam

Lincoln was advised to wait for a decisive Union victory before issuing the Emancipation Proclamation to show that the Union could enforce the Proclamation. The Battle of Antietam ended with the Confederates being driven out of Maryland. Lincoln felt comfortable enough with this to issue the Proclamation five days after the battle.

A local clothing store offers customers fifty percent off the price of all inventory items. Which of the following economic terms best describes this example?

A.Incentive

B.Production

C.Consumption

D.Scarcity

A. Incentive

This is an example of an incentive because the consumer is being motivated to shop at the store.

Which of the following rulers was most responsible for ending the persecution of Christians in Ancient Rome?

A.Alexander the Great

B.Julius Caesar

C.Constantine

D.Nero

C. Constantine

Constantine was the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity, and he also ended the persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire through the Edict of Milan in 313.

Which of the following European nations was the first to colonize the southwestern United States?

A.Spain

B.Portugal

C.France

D.England

A. Spain

Spain was the first European nation to explore and colonize the Southwestern United States as early as the mid 1500s.

Which of the following was a reaction by the American public to tensions created by the Cold War?

A.A decline in entrepreneurship

B.The mass migration of minorities to rural areas

C.The construction of private bomb shelters

D.A reduction in consumer spending

C. The construction of private bomb shelters.

During the 1950s and 1960s people in the United States built private bomb shelters because of the fear of a nuclear attack during the Cold War.

Question:Which of the following amendments to the United States Constitution gave women the right to vote?

A.Thirteenth

B.Fifteenth

C.Seventeenth

D.Nineteenth

D. Nineteenth

The Nineteenth Amendment was ratified on August 18, 1920, giving women the right to vote in the United States.

The Ring of Fire region is best known for which of the following characteristics?

A.Slash-and-burn agriculture

B.High levels of seismic activity

C.Severe drought conditions

D.High number of wildfires

B. High levels of seismic activity

The Ring of Fire is a major area in the basin of the Pacific Ocean where a large number of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur.

Which of the following statements is correct about the Battles of Lexington and Concord?

A.The battles convinced the French to aid the Continental army.

B.General Washington crossed the Potomac to engage in the battles.

C.The battles marked the start of the war with Great Britain.

D.General Cornwallis agreed to surrender after the battles.

C. The battles marked the start of the war with Great Britain.

Although the Americans had not yet declared independence, the Battles of Lexington and Concord are known as the first battles of the war.

Which of the following are the main religions in Nepal?

A.Sikhism and Buddhism

B.Buddhism and Confucianism

C.Hinduism and Buddhism

D.Christianity and Judaism

C. Hinduism and Buddhism

Hinduism and Buddhism are the two main religions practiced in Nepal.

Which of the following events took place as a result of the Indian Removal Act of 1830 ?

A.Members of the Seminole tribe peaceably relocated to Florida.

B.The United States Army relocated members of the Creek Nation to Georgia.

C.The Sioux were the only remaining tribes in the southeastern United States.

D.Members of the Cherokee Nation were forced to move to the western United States.

D. Members of the Cherokee Nation were forced to move to the western United States.

The Cherokee refused to leave their land, even suing for their rights. However, they were eventually forced to relocate in 1838 and 1839 in a migration that is known as the Trail of Tears.

Which of the following reasons explains why Russia withdrew from the First World War?

A.The Archduke Ferdinand was assassinated.

B.The Bolshevik Revolution started.

C.Nicolas II was crowned czar.

D.Warsaw was captured by Germany.

B. The Bolshevik Revolution started.

The Bolshevik uprising caused the Russian government to pull out of the war in 1917.

Which of the following is a shared power between state and federal governments?

A.Making treaties with nations

B.Appointing local judges

C.Raising taxes

D.Passing city ordinances

C. Raising taxes.

Both the federal government and state government can levy and raise taxes.

Which of the following is a key component in determining the economic growth of a country?

A.The landmass of the country

B.The per capita national output

C.The amount of natural resources

D.The size of the country's population

B. The per capita national output

Economic growth is directly related to percentage increase in GNP of a country.

Which of the following statements best describes indentured servants during the American colonial period?

A.They obtained their freedom once their contract was completed.

B.They consisted primarily of young women and children.

C.The majority served in wealthy homes in the northern colonies.

D.They paid higher taxes to offset the cost of their trip to the Americas.

A. They obtained their freedom once their contract was completed.

Indentured servants in the American colonies typically served for seven years and received their freedom and a plot of land when their service was complete.

Which of the following countries is known as the breadbasket of Europe?

A.Ukraine

B.France

C.Ireland

D.Poland

A. Ukraine

The rich dark soil and the vast fields of wheat and other food products have earned Ukraine the nickname "breadbasket of Europe."

Question:Which of the following rights did Thomas Jefferson believe John Adams violated when he signed the Alien and Sedition Acts into law?

A.The right to bear arms

B.Freedom of the press

C.The right to assemble peacefully

D.Unreasonable searches and seizures

B. Freedom of the press

Thomas Jefferson argued that the Alien and Sedition Acts violated the freedom of speech and press.

Which of the following statements describes an advantage the South had over the North during the Civil War?

A.They had a larger population to provide troops for their army.

B.They had greater access to railroads to move their troops.

C.They had more manufacturing centers to produce munitions.

D.They had more experienced generals to lead their troops.

D. They had more experienced generals to lead their troops.

The South had commanders which included Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson. Their military leaders had more experience than the Northern military leaders.

Which of the following demonstrates one way the government can promote competition?

A.Implementing a tariff on foreign products

B.Enacting and enforcing antitrust legislation

C.Providing tax breaks for consumers

D.Creating a national minimum wage

B. Enacting and enforcing antitrust legislation

In order to promote competition, the government must ensure that one company does not have an unfair advantage over its competitors.

Which of the following events had the greatest impact on the size of the United States?

A.The Gadsden Purchase

B.The Louisiana Purchase

C.The Oregon Treaty

D.The annexation of Texas

B. The Louisiana Purchase

The Louisiana Purchase in 1803 for $15 million increased the size of the United States by adding 828,000 square miles.

Which of the following did Thomas Malthus theorize?

A.An increase in population will stimulate society to increase food production.

B.If left unchecked, a population will exhaust its available resources, resulting in naturally occurring checks on the population, such as famine, disease, and war.

C.Overpopulation can lead to unsuitable farming practices that may degrade the land.

D.Optimum population is achieved when the number of people working with available resources produces the highest economic return, resulting in the highest standard of living.

B. If left unchecked, a population will exhaust its available resources, resulting in naturally occurring checks on the population, such as famine, disease, and war.

According to Malthus, if allowed to grow unchecked, a population would outstrip its available resources, resulting in what came to be known as Malthusian catastrophes: naturally occurring checks on population growth such as famine, disease, and war.

Which of the following are the most common geological threats to the country of Mexico?

A.Hurricanes and tsunamis

B.Tornadoes and blizzards

C.Volcanoes and earthquakes

D.Tsunamis and landslides

C. Volcanoes and earthquakes

The biggest geological threats to Mexico faces are volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.

In which of the following nations did the conflict between the Hutu and the Tutsi take place?

A.Rwanda

B.South Africa

C.Ethiopia

D.Uganda

A. Rwanda

The conflict between the Hutu and the Tutsi took place in the country of Rwanda.

Which of the following is a responsibility of the executive branch?

A.Ratifying proposed amendments to the Constitution

B.Declaring war on countries that threaten national security

C.Signing proposed bills into law

D.Declaring laws that infringe on personal freedoms unconstitutional

C. Signing proposed bills into laws.

It is a responsibility of the president to sign bills into law.

Which of the following has occurred as a result of China's rapid economic growth?

A.China is no longer one of the world's largest miners of natural resources.

B.China has become the world's largest exporter of agricultural products.

C.China has become the world's largest importer of consumer goods.

D.China has become one of the world's largest emitters of carbon dioxide.

D. China has become one of the world's largest emitters of carbon dioxide.

China's industrial expansion has increased its use of fossil fuels, and consequently increased its carbon dioxide emissions.

The destruction of the USS Maine led to the start of which of the following events?

A.Spanish-American War

B.First World War

C.Mexican-American War

D.War of 1812

A. Spanish-American War

The sinking of the USS Maine in Havana, Cuba, in February 1898 prompted the United States to declare war on Spain, beginning the Spanish-American War.

Which of the following best explains why the expansion of the American colonies was limited under British rule?

A.The Spanish held the territory west of the Appalachian Mountains.

B.Bad weather and poor soil prevented crops from growing south of the colonies.

C.Most of the American colonists were fishermen and lived along the eastern shoreline.

D.The Proclamation of 1763 prevented the colonists from migrating west.

D. The Proclamation of 1763 prevented the colonists from migrating west.

The Proclamation of 1763 forbade any settlement by English colonists west of the Appalachian Mountains. The British refused to provide protection to colonists settling in this area.

Which of the following is accurate about the geography of Peru?

A.Its coastal region is comprised of desert.

B.The majority of the country is made up of grasslands.

C.The country has mostly rolling hills and very few mountains.

D.It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and has few water features.

A. Its coastal region is comprised of desert.

The coast of Peru is comprised of close to 3,000 kilometers of desert.

"The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude."

Which of the following amendments to the Constitution contains this text?

A.Thirteenth

B.Fourteenth

C.Fifteenth

D.Nineteenth

C. Fifteenth

The Fifteenth Amendment granted the right to vote to all male citizens.

Which of the following time zones is located between California and Texas?

A.Mountain

B.Central

C.Eastern

D.Pacific

A. Mountain

California is located in the Pacific time zone and Texas is in the Central time zone. The Mountain time zone is located between the Pacific and Central time zones.

Which of the following countries have territorial claims in Kashmir?

A.India, Pakistan, and China

B.Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran

C.Iran, Iraq, and Russia

D.Russia, China, and India

A. India, Pakistan, and China

The countries of India, Pakistan, and China are in a triangular conflict in Kashmir because all three countries make territorial claims in Kashmir.

In which of the following types of economies does the government have the most control of the country's resources?

A.Traditional

B.Free market

C.Command

D.Mixed

C. Command

In a command economy the means of production and resources are owned by the government.

Which of the following best explains how intensive agriculture, poor irrigation practices, and overgrazing have affected the environment?

A.They have contributed to the desertification of areas.

B.They have increased the potential for droughts to occur.

C.They have prevented deforestation from occurring in tropical regions.

D.They have caused carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere to decline.

A. They have contributed to the desertification of areas.

Human activities that contribute to desertification include the expansion and intensive use of agricultural lands, poor irrigation practices, deforestation, and overgrazing. These practices place enormous pressure on the land by changing its soil chemistry and hydrology. Overexploited lands suffer from erosion, soil salinization, loss of productivity, and decreased resilience to climatic variations.

Which of the following individuals is most known for his contributions to aviation?

A.Henry Ford

B.Andrew Carnegie

C.Mark Twain

D.Charles Lindbergh

D. Charles Lindbergh

Charles Lindbergh contributed to aviation by making the first solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean in 1927.

Following the Civil War, poll taxes were primarily used in the South to deny access to which of the following?

A.Voting

B.Public education

C.Employment

D.Military service

A. Voting

Poll taxes were passed to deny many African Americans the right to vote.

Which of the following is the best example of how humans impact topography?

A.Using technology to predict earthquakes

B.Mapping a local river system

C.Strip-mining an area for minerals

D.Migrating from rural to urban areas

C. Strip-mining an area for minerals

Strip-mining removes large sections of land from an area. It can remove the tops from mountains, altering their elevation and the way precipitation runoff sculpts the remainder of the landscape.

Which of the following events most contributed to the start of the American Revolution?

A.The British taxing the colonists to pay for the French and Indian War

B.The blockade of the American colonies by the British navy

C.The drafting of the Constitution by the Continental Congress in Philadelphia

D.The commissioning of George Washington as commander of the Continental army

A. The British taxing the colonists to pay for the French and Indian War

At the conclusion of the French and Indian War, the British imposed taxes to help pay debts from the war. As a result of these taxes, American colonists began resisting British rule.

Which of the following is correct based on the law of supply?

A.A decrease in the demand of a product will result in an increase in supply.

B.An increase in the demand for one product leads to a fall in the demand for another.

C.A decrease in the value of a currency will cause the value of another currency to decline.

D.An increase in the price of a product will result in an increase in supply.

D. An increase in the price of a product will result in an increase in supply.

Based on the law of supply, if the price of a product increases, then it is advantageous for the providers of that product to increase production.

Which of the following helped many homesteaders to establish farms on the Great Plains during the 1800s?

A.Windmills to pump water for irrigation

B.Levees to control flooding

C.Steel to construct cities to withstand earthquakes

D.Cars to transport crops to markets

A. Windmills to pump water for irrigation.

Homesteaders utilized windmills to pump water for irrigation on the Great Plains.

Which of the following best describes one result of the introduction of robotics into manufacturing centers?

A.Workers will need to be retrained to perform different jobs.

B.Additional assembly-line workers will be needed to work in automated factories.

C.The price of goods created through automation will increase.

D.Additional management personnel will be needed to make decisions about production levels.

A. Workers will need to be retrained to perform different jobs.

The introduction of robotics in factories has reduced the need for human laborers, which has resulted in the need to retrain workers to perform different jobs.

Which of the following best explains the significance of the Suez Canal?

A.It is an important shipping gateway in Europe linking the North Sea to the Black Sea.

B.It connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, expediting trade between North America, South America, and Asia.

C.It is an important shipping route connecting the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico.

D.It connects the Mediterranean and Red Seas, expediting trade between Europe and Asia.

D. It connects the Mediterranean and Red Seas, expediting trade between Europe and Asia.

The Suez Canal connects the Mediterranean and Red Seas, providing the shortest maritime route between Europe and the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean.

An agricultural town experiences a drought and is not able to produce as many crops as it typically does. As a result, the farmers are unable to provide grocery stores the amount of products they had promised. Which of the following economic situations does the scenario create?

A.Competition

B.Scarcity

C.Opportunity cost

D.Absolute advantage

B. Scarcity

Scarcity is a situation where resources are limited. In this example, the crops are limited because of the drought.

"Segregation of white and colored children in public schools has a detrimental effect upon the colored children. The impact is greater when it has the sanction of the law, for the policy of separating the races is usually interpreted as denoting the inferiority of the Negro group. . . . Any language in contrary to this finding is rejected. We conclude that in the field of public education the doctrine of 'separate but equal' has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal."

Earl Warren, chief justice of the United States Supreme Court

Which of the following court cases did this ruling overturn?

A.Plessy v. Ferguson

B.Regents of the University of California v. Bakke

C.Dred Scott v. Sandford

D.Korematsu v.United States

A. Plessy v. Ferguson

The Brown vversus. Board of Education ruling overturned the Plessy vversus. Ferguson ruling, declaring "separate but equal" to be unconstitutional.

Which of the following accurately compares two ancient civilizations?

A.The Egyptians and Aztecs both practiced monotheistic religions.

B.The Sumerian civilization used cuneiform, and the Egyptians used hieroglyphics.

C.The Phoenicians traded mostly by land routes, and the Chinese traded mostly by sea routes.

D.The Egyptian and Mesopotamian civilizations lacked reliable sources of water.

B. The Sumerian civilization used cuneiform, and the Egyptians used hieroglyphics.

The form of writing used by the Sumerians was cuneiform, and the Egyptians used hieroglyphics.

Which of the following actions would be taken by the Federal Reserve?

A.Printing money to introduce into circulation

B.Restricting the buying and selling of stocks on Wall Street

C.Creating a national budget to present to Congress

D.Adjusting interest rates to prevent inflation

D. Adjusting interest rates to prevent inflation.

Adjusting interest rates to limit inflation is a responsibility of the Federal Reserve Bank.

Which of the following describes the compromise over slavery that the delegates agreed upon during the Constitutional Convention?

A.Delegates agreed on how slaves would be counted in the census.

B.People in a territory could vote on whether slavery would be permitted.

C.Once a territory became a state, slavery would not be permitted.

D.The government agreed to use federal troops to capture escaped slaves.

A. Delegates agreed on how slaves would be counted in the census.

During the Constitutional Convention of 1787, the northern and southern states debated how slaves should be counted when determining a state's total population. A state's population determined the number of representatives per state. A compromise was reached where each slave would be counted as three-fifths of a person. This measure was called the Three-Fifths Compromise.

Which of the following regions is the vast, cold, dry region of eastern Russia?

A.Beringia

B.Siberia

C.The Ural Mountains

D.The Baltic coast

B. Siberia

Siberia is the vast Russian province encompassing most of Northern Asia with extremely cold winters and low precipitation.

-Founded by people who escaped religious persecution in England

-Engaged in farming, fishing, and whaling

-Led by John Winthrop

Which of the following American colonies does the information describe?

A.Georgia

B.Virginia

C.Massachusetts

D.Pennsylvania

C. Massachusetts

Led by John Winthrop, the Massachusetts Bay Colony was founded by colonists who were escaping religious persecution in England and whose livelihoods in the new colony primarily consisted of farming, fishing, and whaling.

In which of the following regions is Islam the predominant religion?

A.Northern Africa

B.Western Europe

C.Northern South America

D.Eastern Asia

A. Northern Africa

A large portion of the population in the northern region of Africa is Muslim.

Which of the following regions has the greatest frequency of tornadoes?

A.The Middle East

B.The east coast of Australia

C.The midwestern United States

D.The Far East

C. The midwestern United States

Which of the following elements is contained in the United States Constitution but not in the Articles of Confederation?

A.A process to propose and approve amendments

B.The power for Congress to declare war

C.The establishment of an executive branch

D.A unicameral legislative structure

C. The establishment of an executive branch.

Under the Articles of Confederation there was no executive branch. There was a president, but he had a primarily ceremonial role within Congress.

Which of the following countries received its independence from Great Britain in 1947?

A.India

B.Argentina

C.The Philippines

D.Peru

A. India

India was a colony of Great Britain and received its independence in 1947.

-Held the first Olympics

-Polytheistic

-Practiced direct democracy

Which of the following ancient civilizations is described?

A.Greece

B.Egypt

C.Rome

D.China

A. Greece

The Greeks developed the Olympics. They also believed in many gods. In addition, they had a form of direct democracy.

-Boston Tea Party

-Boston Massacre

-Intolerable Acts

The actions listed contributed to which of the following events?

A.The French and Indian War

B.The American Revolution

C.The Proclamation of 1763

D.The War of 1812

B. The American Revolution

The three actions listed contributed to the start of the American Revolutionary War.