Geography & Environment
1. Because of its large size and its position in relation to large masses of land and water, India is called _______.
A. a plateau.
B. an isthmus.
C. an ecosystem.
D. a subcontinent.
D. a subcontinent. CORRECT
13. The name “Buddha” meant one who was ____.
A. sorrowful.
B. awakened.
C. everlasting.
D. all-powerful.
B. awakened. CORRECT
11. Which of these sentences is true of most Hindu temples?
A. They contain elaborate sculptures.
B. They face west toward the setting sun.
C. They are placed as far from cities as possible.
D. They are small so as not to distract worshipers.
A. They contain elaborate sculptures. CORRECT
6. How did modern scholars learn that Mohenjodaro had ever existed?
A. Astronauts saw it from space.
B. Historians read ancient scrolls.
C. Archaeologists found its ruins.
D. Geographers studied old maps.
C. Archaeologists found its ruins. CORRECT
7. The discovery of a scale, stone weights, and a marked rod suggests that the people of Mohenjodaro _______.
A. had uniform ways to measure.
B. knew how to make tools of iron.
C. traded with people from far away.
D. started a new kind of mathematics.
A. had uniform ways to measure. CORRECT
3. How has the location of the Himalaya Mountains benefited India?
A. roads for trade routes
B. consistent water supply
C. protection from enemies
D. prevention of earthquakes
C. protection from enemies CORRECT
14. Which goal did Buddhism teach people to move toward?
A. converting everybody
B. reaching enlightenment
C. making elaborate sacrifices
D. completing a big pilgrimage
B. reaching enlightenment CORRECT
12. The festival of Diwali, which begins the Hindu New Year, celebrates ______.
A. the changing of the seasons.
B. the victory of good over evil.
C. the food from a good harvest.
D. the long life of the wise elders.
B. the victory of good over evil. CORRECT
10. Why were Untouchables excluded from other Indians?
A. They wanted to stay pure.
B. They shared all their goods.
C. They had to eat a special diet.
D. They did work others considered lowly.
D. They did work others considered lowly. CORRECT
8. Which feature of Mohenjodaro was quite different from other settlements of that time?
A. high wall
B. dirt roads
C. brick homes
D. sewer system
D. sewer system CORRECT
4. How are the Indus and Ganges rivers similar to the Nile River in Egypt?
A. They begin in the same general area.
B. They carry silt that enriches the soil.
C. They flow in the same general direction.
D. They have big floods that prevented early settlement
B. They carry silt that enriches the soil. CORRECT
15. What troubled the Buddha on his first few trips out into the world?
A. inequality of wealth
B. aging, sickness, and death
C. prejudice against lower castes
D. cruelty, evil, and lack of caring
B. aging, sickness, and death CORRECT
21. Which of Ashoka’s actions best expressed his Buddhist values?
allowing slavery
B. keeping a strong army
C. putting criminals to death
D. treating all of his servants well
D. treating all of his servants well CORRECT
18. How did Chandragupta Maurya begin building his empire?
A. He sent ships to far-off islands.
B. He conquered neighboring kingdoms.
C. He sponsored settlements by colonists.
D. He persuaded other rulers to unite with him.
B. He conquered neighboring kingdoms. CORRECT
25. Why were wells constructed along trade routes?
A. so deities would be pleased
B. so roads would not get muddy
C. so travelers could cook and drink
D. so merchants could pay for water
C. so travelers could cook and drink CORRECT
2. Farmers in the Deccan Plateau use the iron-rich black soil principally to raise _________.
A. tea.
B. sheep.
C. cotton.
D. oranges.
C. cotton. CORRECT
16. Why did the Buddha decide to follow a “middle way”?
A. Neither riches nor being an ascetic led to nirvana.
B. Neither struggle nor acceptance summed up all of life.
C. Neither life on Earth nor life after death seemed most important.
D. Neither the Four Truths nor the Eightfold Path worked without the other.
A. Neither riches nor being an ascetic led to nirvana. CORRECT
19. Why was Chandragupta Maurya poor in his later years?
A. He put a stop to foreign trade.
B. He was overthrown by his son.
C. He decided to live as an ascetic.
D. He lost the conquered territories.
C. He decided to live as an ascetic. CORRECT
20. Ashoka expanded the Mauryan Empire until he _____.
A. moved to China.
B. gave up violence.
C. reached the mountains.
D. surrendered to his cousin.
B. gave up violence. CORRECT
23. Which of these finds by an archaeologist would be evidence of a golden age?
A. walled cities
B. fine sculptures
C. metal weapons
D. animal skeletons
B. fine sculptures CORRECT
5. Harappan civilization, which included ancient Mohenjodaro, developed in the _____.
A. Western Ghats.
B. Deccan Plateau.
C. Indus River valley.
D. Ganges River valley.
C. Indus River valley. CORRECT
17. Why did the Buddha decide not to escape into enlightenment right away?
A. He preferred to follow a middle way.
B. He forgot his dream when he woke up.
C. He wanted to teach people the path he had found.
D. He did not want to leave his wife and child behind.
C. He wanted to teach people the path he had found. CORRECT
9. Which of these is the best reason for someone in India to study Sanskrit?
A. to read the ancient texts
B. to understand road signs
C. to run for political office
D. to talk to ordinary people
A. to read the ancient texts CORRECT
22. What happened on the Indian subcontinent in the time period between the Mauryan and Gupta empires?
A. It went through a golden age.
B. It experienced a great famine.
C. It was filled with small kingdoms.
D. It was conquered by the Sumerians.
C. It was filled with small kingdoms. CORRECT
24. Which of the following groups of people made it possible to construct complex buildings like this one?
A. historians
B. monks
C. astrologers
D. mathematicians
D. mathematicians CORRECT