AP World History Unit 1: Stimulus Based MCQs

Based on the passage, which of the statements concerning the trading city of Hangzhou is most accurate?

a) Foreigners were not welcome in Chinese trading cities, because they were considered barbarians and had nothing of value to trade.

b) Many of the people coming to trade in cities in China were Europeans traveling along the Silk Roads.

c) Hangzhou was a vital trading city because it had foreign merchants and was also accessible by the Grand Canal for internal trade.

d) Chinese imperial governments limited the number of markets in Hangzhou to just a few centrally-located areas of the city.

c) Hangzhou was a vital trading City because it had foreign merchants and was also accessible by the Grand Canale for internal trade.

What development, which began before the passage above was written, allowed Europeans to obtain the products of East Asia?

a) Chinese dynasties, such as the Tang and the Song, grew stronger, so long-distance trade could be conducted with less risk.

b) New maritime technology allowed for ocean-going ships to establish trade routes from Asia to Europe via Southern Africa.

c) The Tang Dynasty expanded into the Middle East, so the trade routes between Europe and Africa were under one ruler.

d) With the defeat of the Islamic caliphates, Europeans were able to establish direct contact with the Tang and the Song dynasties.

b) New maritime technology allowed for ocean-going ships to import and export goods

What products would Indians and other non-Chinese merchants be most likely to purchase in a market such as the one described in the passage?

a) silk, porcelain, tea

b) rugs, parchment, horses

c) pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon

d) cows, pigs, oxen

a) silk, porcelain, tea

Which trait of Islamic rule described in the passage was evident in al-Andalus?

a) the persecution of other religions by Islamic leaders.

b) the toleration of other religions by Muslims in conquered territory.

c) the conflict between Romans and Byzantines over territory.

d) the cooperation between Jewish and Muslim leaders in Jerusalem.

b) the toleration of other religions by Muslims in conquered territory

What viewpoint led Umar to this trait of Islamic rule during the period of Dar Al-Islam?

a) he did not actively seek converts to his faith.

b) He believed Christians and Jews were only a small threat to his faith.

c) He was more concerned with political than religious issues.

d) He considered Christians and Jews to be "people of the book".

d) He considered Christians and Jews to be "people of the book"

Which development resulted from a change in Umar's policy toward Jerusalem by the Selijuks?

a) the beginning of the Crusades by the European Christians

b) A shift in trade patterns

c) An increase in the power of the Byzantine Empire

d) A decrease in taxes paid by Jerusalem residents

a) the beginning of the Crusades by the European Christians

Which element of Al-Beruni's point of view does he express most clearly in the passage?

b) He was a Muslim who was writing about Hindus.

Which historical development most supports the interpretation of early Indian culture by Muslim authors?

a) the development of the caste system

b) the policies on religion of Ashoka

c) the expansion of the Umayyads in the Sind

d) the raids by Mahmus of Ghanzi

d) the raids by Mahmus of Ghanzi

Which historical development most directly supports al-Beruni's interpretation of earlier Indian culture?

A)the development of the caste system.

B)the policies on religion of Ashoka.

C)the expansion of the Umayyads in the Sind.

D)the raids by Mahmud of Ghazni.

a) the development of the caste system

The intended audience of this excerpt most likely consisted of?

a) Young Hindus in Khorasan and Persia

b) The older generation of Vaishyas in South Asia

c) Buddhists who might not be familiar with Hindus

d) Muslims who lived in South Asia

d) Muslims who lived in South Asia

Why were the Inca able to achieve the accomplishment described in the passage?

a) They divided their empire into four provinces, so it would be easier to govern.

b) They routinely sent armies through the empire to collect tribute.

c) They demanded heavy tribute from conquered groups living on the edges of their empire.

d) They allowed conquered people to retain their own customs, language, and religion.

a) They divided their empires into four provinces, so it would be easier to govern.

The Carpa Nan demonstrates the main point expressed by the writer in the excerpt because?

a) it made living in the rainforest possible

b) it provided a common system of written communication

c) it provided irrigation for terraced farmlands

d) it connected the parts of the empire

d) it connected the parts of the empire

When the author of the passage describes the Incan civilization as the "greatest empire on earth," he means that they?

a) constructed great buildings and other structures.

b) conquered other empires, including the Aztecs.

c) adapted successfully to diverse environments.

d) were the wealthiest civilization in the world in 1491.

a) constructed great buildings and other structures.

One achievement represented by the structure in the image was that it was built?

a) with techniques used by Arabs and the Portuguese

b) without mortar

c) without slave labor

d) away from any large settlement of people

b) without mortar

What trend among cities around the world of that era is reflected in this image?

a) cities relied on walls for protection against attackers

b) cities were being formed in increasingly dry reasons

c) cities were becoming less dependent on trade

d) cities were founded in open areas that were easier to defend

a) cities relied on walls for protection against attackers

One factor that contributed to the declines of both Great Zimbabwe and of the Mayans was?

a) invasions by neighbors with iron weapons

b) contact with Europeans

c) environmental damage

d) ethnic conflicts within the community

c) environmental damage

Which trend followed the temperature pattern shown in the graph?

B) The rate of growth in the urban populatio

Which statement accurately reflects an effect of the temperature pattern shown in the graph?

A) The Little Ice Age caused shortages of food and reduced the amount of agricultural surplus available for trade.

A historian would most likely use the chart to research which of the following developments in the period 1450-1750?

A) The decline of Norse colonies in Greenland.

B) Native American transfer from dependence on agriculture to hunting

C) European civil unrest and weakened economies.

D) A surge in witch trials on both sides of the Atlantic.

C) European civil unrest and weakened economies

The disintegration of the Abbasid Caliphate most directly led to which of the following political developments in the Islamic world in the thirteenth century?

a) The Russian conquest of Central Asia

b) The rise of Turkic states

c) The conversion of most of the Islamic world to Shi'a Islam

d) The collapse of trade along the Silk Road networks

b) The rise of Turkic states

Despite the disintegration of the Abbasid Caliphate, Islam continued to spread across Afro-Eurasia in the period 1200-1450 primarily because of which of the following?

a) The conquest of the Christian Crusader States in the Levant

b) The activities of Sufi missionaries

c) The voyages of the Muslim eunuch Zheng He

d) The translation activities of Muslim scholars

b) The activities of Sufi missionaries

The combination between religious and political aspects in the Abbasid state's concept of rulership is best reflected in which of the following?

a) The Abbasid state had an influential Sunni religious class that often came into conflict with the state.

b) The Abbasid state often allowed local rulers considerable autonomy.

c) The Abbasid state patronized the construction of religious buildings such as mosques.

d) The Abbasid state was headed by a caliph who was theoretically the state's supreme religious and political leader.

d) The Abbasid state was headed by a caliph who was theoretically the state's supreme religious and political leader.

Which of the following best describes a claim made in the first paragraph of the inscription?

a) King Adityawarman was a bodhisattva.

b) King Adityawarman was a Buddhist teacher.

c) Statues of Buddhist divine figures could spiritually benefit everyone.

d) Statues of Buddhist teachers were revered by rulers and common people.

c) Statues of Buddhist divine figures could spiritually benefit everyone.

The claim in the second paragraph that the king has become "free from all physical desire" can best be understood to mean that

a) Southeast Asian states' ruling elites were very wealthy.

b) in Vedic religions, rejecting worldly concerns in order to attain spiritual perfection was considered a virtue.

c) Buddhist monks and nuns in Southeast Asian societies were required to maintain an ascetic lifestyle.

d) Hindus believed that members of each caste had different rights and responsibilities.

b) in Vedic religions, rejecting worldly concerns in order to attain spiritual perfection was considered a virtue.

Sanskrit inscription on a statue of a bodhisattva produced in the Malayapura kingdom, Sumatra, Indonesia, circa 1350 c.e.

a) His spiritual attributes and worldly achievements made him a powerful and legitimate ruler.

b) His attention to the welfare of all of his subjects made him a caring and legitimate ruler.

c) His conquest of all of the surrounding kingdoms in Indonesia made him a legitimate ruler.

d) His knowledge of science and ships in an island kingdom made him an effective and legitimate ruler.

a) His spiritual attributes and worldly achievements made him a powerful and legitimate ruler.

Which of the following pieces of evidence most strongly supports the author's conclusion about the importance of exotic goods to the Maya region's economy?

a) Exotic goods were exchanged over long distances within the Maya lowlands.

b) Exotic goods were traded between the Maya city-states and neighboring states.

c) The exchange of exotic goods went hand in hand with the exchange of information.

d) The Maya region depended on the trade in exotic goods because of relatively low levels of agricultural production.

a) Exotic goods were exchanged over long distances within the Maya lowlands.

The author directly uses all of the following pieces of evidence to support his argument about the relationship between exotic goods and the power of Maya rulers EXCEPT that Maya rulers

a) used exotic goods to carry out rituals that their subjects expected them to performused exotic goods to carry out rituals that their subjects expected them to perform

b) prohibited nobles and priests from wearing certain types of exotic goods reserved for rulers

c) used exotic goods in royal coronations

d) received exotic goods as tribute payments from vassals

b) prohibited nobles and priests from wearing certain types of

Which of the following does the author cite most directly to support his argument in the third paragraph about the importance of exotic goods in the Maya region?

a) The existence of sophisticated astronomical tables

b) The emergence of a unified Maya kingdom based on new political models

c) The emergence of new systems of writing based on earlier Mesoamerican systems

d) The existence of unified patterns of behavior in warfare, science, and religion

d) The existence of unified patterns of behavior in warfare, science, and religion

Which of the following was a continuity in the development of African states in the period circa 1200-1450 ?

a) African states such as Ethiopia maintained close contacts with South and East Asian states across the Indian Ocean but rarely had contacts with Europe.

b) Despite geographical barriers, some African states were able to maintain diplomatic and cultural contacts with the broader Afro-Eurasian world.

c) Most African states rejected traditional forms of international diplomacy, such as dynastic marriages and tribute payments.

d) African states needed to maintain friendly diplomatic relations with Europe in order to expand their empires.

b) Despite geographical barriers, some African states were able to maintain diplomatic and cultural contacts with the broader Afro-Eurasian world.

Which of the following continuities in the development of African states in the period circa 1200-1450 most likely explains the prevalence of Christianity in Ethiopia?

a) Some African states' religious traditions continued to be influenced by cultural transfers dating back to earlier centuries.

b) Some African states were famous for their religious toleration and for allowing multiple religious traditions to coexist in their territories.

c) African states' official religions were typically syncretic mixtures of several different religious traditions.

d) While African populations mostly continued to adhere to indigenous polytheistic religions, African political elites often adopted monotheistic religions such as Christianity and Islam.

a) Some African states' religious traditions continued to be influenced by cultural transfers dating back to earlier centuries.

Which of the following was a key similarity in the policies of the rulers of African states such as Ethiopia in the period circa 1200-1450?

a) They granted their subjects unrestricted freedom of speech.

b) They used religion and laws to bolster their legitimacy.

c) They faced challenges to their power from powerful merchant elites.

d) They sought to achieve economic self-sufficiency by restricting trade contacts with other societies.

b) They used religion and laws to bolster their legitimacy.

The terminology used in the opening sentence of the decree was most directly influenced by which of the following?

a) The notion that the Pope is the supreme leader of the Church

b) The medieval rules of chivalry and courtly etiquette

c) The deep influence of Christianity on medieval society and culture

d) The slow and uncertain nature of communications in medieval Europe

c) The deep influence of Christianity on medieval society and culture

The process of "consultations with the nobles and clergy of the realm" in the making of Edward III's decree best reflects which of the following?

a) The emergence of the concept that parliaments, rather than kings, had ultimate political authority in European states

b) The fragmented, decentralized nature of European feudal monarchies

c) The legacy of Roman imperial political traditions on medieval European states

d) European rulers' practice of making harsh legislation more palatable by claiming it was part of God's will

b) The fragmented, decentralized nature of European feudal monarchies

The need for legal action to address the "grave inconveniences" that might result from the labor shortages described in the passage most likely resulted from

a) the agrarian nature of medieval European economies and their reliance on coerced labor

b) the inability of members of the nobility and other feudal lords to take direct legal action against their workers and serfs

c) the high social rank and economic standing of plowmen in medieval English society

d) the presence of guild regulations prohibiting agricultural laborers from working more than a certain number of hours each week

a) the agrarian nature of medieval European economies and their reliance on coerced labor

What achievement was made during the time of development in Africa, especially in building the Great Zimbabwe buildings?

a. with techniques used by Arabs and the Portuguese

b. without mortar

c. without slave labor

d. away from any large settlement of people

Made with mortar

What trend among cities around the world of that era is reflected in this image?

a. cities relied on walls for protection against attackers

b. cities were being founded in increasingly dry regions

c. cities were becoming less dependent on trade

d. cities were founded in open areas that were easier to defend

a. cities relied on walls for protection against attackers

Which statement about China and trade does this passage best support?

a. Trade between Europe and Cathay was greatly enhanced by the security established by the Mongol Empire.

b.Merchants rarely traveled between Tana and Sara because the road was more dangerous than the route between Tana and Cathay.

c. Cambalec was an important trading hub, but it was not a large city

d. The author felt the risks of trade with China outweighed the rewards.

a. Trade between Europe and Cathay was greatly enhanced by the security established by the Mongol Empire

The period of development in Asia such as the Song Dynasty was most known for which of the following:

a) Chinese imperial governments limiting the markets especially near the Grand Canal

b) Europeans entering the trading cities to trade spices and herbs

c) The Chine Imperial government forbidding foreign trade

d) The abundance of foreign trade in trading cities accessible by the Grand Canal

d) The abundance of foreign trade in trading cities accessible by the Grand Canal

Which part of India's history most directly supports al-Beruni's claim about how the Hindu culture he observed differed from the earlier culture in India.

The decreasing importance of the caste system.

What was the intended audience?

Muslims who lived in the South

Which of the following pieces of evidence most strongly supports the author's arguments about the quality of the highways described in the passage?

a) They were built by men with tools.

b) They were very broad, and some extended across the entire kingdom.

c) There were many roads throughout the kingdom.

d) Their construction was supervised by government officials.

b) They were very broad, and some extended across the entire kingdom.

Which of the following pieces of evidence does the author most directly use to support his argument about the king of Spain following the Inca method of highway construction?

a) the Inca rulers constructed roads to help complete conquests.

b) The Inca rulers only had to command their officials to construct a highway, and it was completed quickly.

c) The Inca rulers clearly marked their kingdom with boundaries.

d) The Inca rulers could acquire specialized tools to cut through mountains.

b) The Inca rulers only had to command their officials to construct a highway, and it was completed quickly.

Which of the following pieces of evidence does the author use to support his argument about the pride of Inca rulers in the second paragraph?

A) Inca rulers followed the method of dynastic succession for passing political authority from one ruler to another.

B) Inca rulers performed religious ceremonies to bless the highways and those who traveled on them.

C) Inca rulers had officials assign men from the provinces to construct the highways.

D) Inca rulers typically tried to construct bigger and broader highways than their predecessors if they wanted to undertake conquests.

D) Inca rulers typically tried to construct bigger and broader highways than their predecessors if they wanted to undertake conquests.

The example of an ancient Arabian state that traded extensively and controlled territories on the East African coast can best be used as evidence of

A) the contributions of East Africa to the development of Eurasian religions

B) the long-term continuities in state building in coastal East Africa

C) the importance of the East African coast in the development of African national identities

D) the technological and logistical challenges faced by Eurasian merchants trying to reach the East African coast

B) the long-term continuities in state building in coastal East Africa

The interregional connections of states such as those on the East African coast can best be used as an illustration of the continued importance of which of the following?

A) International diplomacy

B) Polytheistic religions

C) Long-distance trade

D) Patriarchal gender norms

C) Long-distance trade

The coexistence of rulers and councils of elders in African states in the period circa 1200-1450 best demonstrates

A) an attempt to imitate the feudal governments of European states and East Asian empires

B) the influence of indigenous African political practices

C) an adaptation to the climatic conditions of the East African coast

D) a reflection of the hardships and uncertainties faced by Muslim seaborne traders

B) the influence of indigenous African political practices

The act of the countess of Béarn in the image is most closely identified with which of the following political systems?

A) Manorialism

B) Serfdom

C) Monasticism

D) Feudalism

D) Feudalism

The image most directly illustrates which of the following features of the political development of medieval Europe?

A) Its bureaucratization, as European rulers developed sophisticated systems of record keeping to strengthen their authority.

B) Its decentralization, as European rulers frequently delegated authority to local subordinates.

C) Its reliance on Roman traditions, as European rulers used ancient customs to demonstrate their legitimacy.

D) Its ethnic and cultural diversity, as European rulers granted ethnic and religious groups the right to use their own laws and traditions.

B) Its decentralization, as European rulers frequently delegated authority to local subordinates.

In Europe, political relationships of the type depicted in the image emerged most directly on account of which of the following developments?

A) Local elites' need for military protection from more powerful lords

B) Local elites' desire to expand the commercial power of local towns

C) Local elites' need for military assistance to eliminate religious heresies

D) Local elites' desire to attract new settlers to their territories

A) Local elites' need for military protection from more powerful lords

Which of the following best describes a claim made in the first paragraph?

A) Hindu rulers had constructed irrigation works to control the Kaveri River.

B) Wild animals destroyed Madurai's Hindu temple.

C) The Kaveri River flooded and destroyed the city of Madurai.

D) The city of Madurai's Hindu temple was renowned for its beauty.

A) Hindu rulers had constructed irrigation works to control the Kaveri River.

Hindu teachings influenced the development of South Asian societies?

A) There is no agriculture left because Indra now supports the Muslims.

B) The absence of dharma has caused nobleness and character to disappear.

C) The Hindu citizens of Madurai are perturbed by hearing parrots speaking Persian.

D) The Hindu citizens of Madurai protect the owls in their gardens because they are considered to be sacred birds.

B) The absence of dharma has caused nobleness and character to disappear.

The sponsoring of scholarship by Turkic dynasties, such as the Timurids, best shows that, in the period circa 1200-1450, scholarly activities in the Muslim world continued despite the

A) conquest of Baghdad by the European Crusaders

B) expansion of the Song dynasty into Muslim Central Asia

C) Byzantine reconquest of Palestine and Lebanon

D) fragmentation of the Abbasid Caliphate

D) fragmentation of the Abbasid Caliphate

Muslim scholars' incorporation of cultural and intellectual influences from pre-Islamic societies can best be used as evidence that

A) most educated Muslims continued to speak European languages well into the fifteenth century

B) European merchants had established trade outposts throughout Muslim Central Asia

C) Muslim scientists rejected the contributions of scientists from other cultures as heretical

D) Muslim states and empires were central to the processes of intellectual transfer in Eurasia

D) Muslim states and empires were central to the processes of intellectual transfer in Eurasia

Muslim scientists in the period before 1450 c.e. generally participated in intellectual and scholarly exchanges with neighboring cultures by

A) being the recipients of funding from foreign rulers

B) serving strictly as copyists of earlier works that otherwise would have been lost

C) expanding upon the legacy of earlier scientific works by conducting their own research

D) learning from the superior scientific knowledge of medieval western European scientists

C) expanding upon the legacy of earlier scientific works by conducting their own research