Multiple Choice Questions Flashcards

Question 1

Q

Solon brought which of the following reforms
to Athens after 594 B.C.E.?
A) Representative democracy
B)The creation of debt slavery as a way of
helping the poor pay off loans
C)The right of all citizens to participate in
the Assembly
D)Limited political rights for elite Athenian
women

Question 2

Q

Which of the following represents a defining
characteristic of an empire?
A) A state that forms as a democratic
republic but is eventually seized and
ruled over by a single ruler
B) A state formed through conquest and
maintained through the extraction of
resources from conquered states and
peoples
C) A single ethnic group with a single
language, religion, and identity
D)A conglomeration of independent states
that form temporary alliances

Question 3

Q

In contrast to the Persian Empire, the political
culture of classical Greek civilization
A )emphasized the absolute power of the monarch.
B) allowed for the limited participation of
women in public assemblies.
C) featured popular participation in politics.
D) relied heavily on satraps to administer
their states.

Question 4

Q

Which of the following was a unique feature of
political life in classical Greece?
A
)
The granting of limited political rights to
slaves
B
)
Representative democracy
C
)
The idea of free male citizens running the
affairs of state
D
)
The universal right to vote for all men
and women above the age of sixteen

Question 5

Q

Which of the following was true of both the
Roman and the Chinese Empires?
A
)
They exhausted themselves through
frequent indecisive wars with India.
B
)
They invoked supernatural sanctions to
support their rule.
C
)
They evolved from republican traditions
into empires ruled by single rulers.
D
)
Their economies relied heavily on slave
labor.

Question 6

Q

Persian political organization included which
of the following features?
A
)
An emperor who was little more than a
figurehead
B
)
Lower-level officials drawn from local
authorities
C
)
A civil service examination system
D
)
A written constitution

Question 7

Q

A major development that occurred during the
Hellenistic era was
A
)
Sparta’s defeat of Athens in the
Peloponnesian War.
B
)
the spread of Greek culture throughout
most of the ancient world.
C
)
the Mongol conquest of Europe.
D
)
the expansion of the Roman Empire to its
greatest height.

Question 8

Q

What did the Persian Empire share in common
with classical Greece in 500 B.C.E.?
A
)
Both had a centralized political system.
B
)
Both were expansive civilizations.
C
)
Both possessed a strong sense of
citizenship.
D
)
Both were ethnically homogenous.

Question 9

Q

The Persian Empire and the Mauryan dynasty
were similar in that both

A
)
defined the right of the emperor to rule
through the Mandate of Heaven.
B
)
controlled parts of eastern China.
C
)
relied on imperial spies to keep tabs on
distant provinces.
D
)
ultimately evolved into republican
governments.

Question 10

Q

Which of the following was a motivation for
the expansion of the Roman Empire?
A
)
The wealth of the eastern Mediterranean
societies
B
)
The spread of Roman religion
C
)
Rejection of Greek culture and
philosophy
D
)
The threat of Persia

Question 11

Q

Which of the following represents a value of
the Roman Republic, idealized as “the way of
the ancestors”?
A
)
Aristocratic privilege
B
)
Rule of law
C
)
Liberty
D
)
Benevolence

Question 12

Q

Which of the following was a major avenue for
the spread of Greek culture in the empire
established by the Macedonians?
A Cities

)
B
)
Rivers
C
)
Legalism
D
)
Public assemblies

Question 13

Q

When Germanic tribes entered into the western
part of the Roman Empire, they
A
)
were rapidly assimilated into Roman
culture.
B
)
ensured that slaves continued to make up
a large portion of society.
C
)
rejected all of Roman culture, instead
imposing their own culture.
D )produced a hybrid culture that drew on both Germanic and Roman elements.

Question 14

Q

Which of the following was a characteristic of
all classical empires?
A
)
There was equality under the law for all
subjects.
B
)
Emperors were constrained by the
Mandate of Heaven.
C
)
They all imposed a single religion and
language for the empire.
D
)
They were powerful states capable of
coercing resources from subjects.

Question 15

Q

Which of the following describes the Persian
policy towards people with different cultural
traditions who lived within the empire?
A
)
Taxation of those who continued to
practice non-Persian traditions
B
)
Suppression and elimination of non-
Persian traditions
C
)
Respect and tolerance for non-Persian
traditions
D
)
Forced assimilation to the Persian way of
life

Question 16

Q

Which foreign religious tradition was absorbed
into China during the classical period?
A
)
Hinduism
B
)
The Isis cult
C
)
Buddhism
D
)
Christianity

Question 17

Q

Which of the following has been put forward to
explain why empires were much less prominent
in India than in China?
A
)
India’s unparalleled cultural diversity
B
)
The lack of invasions from Central Asia
into the Indian subcontinent
C
)
India’s lack of a well-defined social
structure
D
)
The absence of any tradition of large
states in India

Question 18

Q

Which of the following is an example of the
centralization of the Chinese state under Qin
Shihuangdi?
A
)
Establishment of the Senate, consuls, and
public assemblies
B
)
Participation of the lower classes in
shaping public policy
C
)
Standardization of weights, measures,
and currency
D
)
Elimination of the office of tribune

Question 19

Q

Which of the following was a consequence of
the Greco-Persian Wars?
A
)
The decline of Athenian democracy
B
)
The end of the Golden Age of Greek
culture
C
)
The Greek settlement of Ionia
D
)
The notion of an East/West divide

Question 20

Q

In contrast to the Roman Empire, the process
of empire formation in China
A
)
was less dependent on military force.
B
)
had precedents to follow.
C
)
involved the absorption of a foreign
religious tradition.
D
)
took centuries to complete.

Question 21

Q

Which of the following expresses the basic
difference between what the Roman Empire
and the Han dynasty believed was the key to
good government?
A
)
The Roman Empire empowered the
bureaucracy while the Han dynasty
empowered the people.
B
)
The Roman Empire depended on a merit-
based system of political recruitment
while the Han dynasty limited political
office to the aristocracy.
C
)
The Roman Empire believed in the
separation of church and state while the
Han dynasty made religion the basis of
government.
D
)
The Roman Empire emphasized good
laws while the Han dynasty emphasized
good men.

Question 22

Q

The conquests of which leader contributed to
the widespread dissemination of Greek culture
during the Hellenistic era?
A
)
Qin Shihuangdi
B
)
Ashoka
C
)
Caesar Augustus
D
)
Alexander the Great

Question 23

Q

In what respect did India’s political history
resemble that of Western Europe?
A
)
Both enjoyed long periods of peace and
stability under republican forms of
government.
B
)
Both created enduring civilizations in the
absence of a consistent, encompassing
imperial state.
C
)
Both successfully resisted foreign rule
and domination.
D
)
Both possessed a high degree of ethnic
and cultural homogeneity that found
expression in a centralized state.

Question 24

Q

Based on the information provided in Map 3.5
in the textbook, the leaders of China were most
concerned about a foreign invasion coming
from which direction?
A
)
North
B

)

East
C
)
South
D
)
West

Question 25

Q

Which of the following had an important
influence on the Chinese imperial state?
A
)
Democracy
B
)
Republicanism
C
)
Legalism
D
)
Caste system

Question 26

Q

Which of the following represents a period
during which most of the South Asian
subcontinent was unified under a single
imperial state?
A
)
Han dynasty
B
)
Roman Empire
C
)
Mauryan Empire
D
)
Persian Empire

Question 27

Q

Athens’ leadership in which event launched
Athens on a path to establish its dominance
over other city-states in the region?
A
)
Greco-Persian Wars
B
)
Peloponnesian War
C
)
Pax Romana
D
)
The Macedonian invasion of Greece

Question 28

Q

When the Roman Empire disintegrated in 476
C.E., the eastern part of the empire came to be
known as
A
)
the Holy Roman Empire.
B
)
the Byzantine Empire.
C
)
the Gupta Empire.
D
)
Macedonia.

Question 29

Q

Which of the following had the weakest
tradition of rule by monarchs?
A
)
Persian Empire
B
)
Han dynasty
C
)
Gupta Empire
D
)
Athens

Question 30

Q

In contrast to what followed after the collapse
of the Han dynasty in China, the collapse of the
Roman Empire
A
)
led to the emergence of highly
decentralized political systems.
B
)
caused an increase in population growth.
C
)
ushered in a new phase of stability.
D
)
produced a culturally homogenous
civilization.

Question 31

Q

“It is true that we are called a democracy, for
the administration is in the hands of the many
and not of the few.” This statement was made
in reference to
A
)
the Persian Empire.
B
)
the Roman Empire.
C
)
Sparta.
D
)
Athens.

Question 32

Q

The Chinese scholar Han Fei’s definition of the
“two handles” of chastisement and
commendation refers to
A
)
the use of moral principles instead of
legal principles to control people’s
behavior.
B
)
the blending of democratic and autocratic
elements in republican forms of
government.
C
)
a system of rewards and punishments
controlled by the sovereign.
D
)
the triumph of Confucianism over
Legalism in the Qin Dynasty.

Question 33

Q

Which ruler during the classical era espoused a
philosophical view on government that was
religiously inspired?
A
)
Qin Shihuangdi
B
)
Pericles
C
)
Caesar Augustus
D
)
Ashoka

Question 34

Q

The portrayal of the winged disk symbol
known as the Faravahar in the Bihustun
inscription from the Persian Empire links it to
which religious tradition?
A
)
Zoroastrianism
B Christianity

)
C
)
Hinduism
D
)
Buddhism

Question 35

Q

In classical Greece, Athenian authorities
commissioned the statue of Harmodius and
Aristogeiton to
A
)
emphasize the sexual rivalries that led to
the murder of the tyrant Hipparchus.
B
)
focus on the role of Sparta in facilitating
the transition to democracy in Athens.
C
)
celebrate the role the two men played in
restoring freedom to Athens.
D
)
publicize Athenian victories over foreign
enemies and domestic rebels.

Question 36

Q

The funerary complex constructed for the
Chinese emperor Qin Shihuangdi in the
second-wave era reflects a
A
)
cyclical view of time that drew on the
changing phases of the moon and on the
cycles of female fertility.
B
)
belief that the living and the dead formed
a single community existing in parallel
societies.
C
)
conception of time moving in a straight
line toward some predetermined goal.
D
)
sharp distinction between the material
and spiritual worlds.

Question 37

Q

What is the significance of the depiction of
figures from Roman mythology on the
breastplate of the statue of Augustus?
A
)
To place Augustus in a long line of
ancient sage kings who had ruled over
Rome
B
)
To show how Augustus offered sacrifices
to the various spirits in order to bring
unity and harmony to Rome
C
)
To acknowledge the role of Ahuramazda
in Augustus’ military victories
D
)
To suggest that Augustus’ political
authority was divinely ordained

Question 38

Q

Which of the following contained no religious
symbolism?
A
)
The Bihustun inscription

B
)
The statue of Harmodius and
Aristogeiton
C
)
The tomb of Qin Shihuangdi
D
)
The statue of Augustus

Question 39

Q

Which of the following classical religions and
philosophies focused more on affairs of this
world than on the realm of the divine and its
relationship to human life?
A
)
Confucianism
B
)
Buddhism
C
)
Zoroastrianism
D
)
Christianity

Question 40

Q

Zoroastrianism most probably influenced
which of the following philosophical or
religious traditions?
A
)
Daoism
B
)
Confucianism
C
)
Judaism
D
)
Hinduism

Question 41

Q

Buddhism and Hinduism are similar in that
they both
A
)
rejected the religious authority of the
Brahmins.
B
)
rejected the concept of karma.
C
)
offered hope for final release from the
cycle of rebirth.
D
)
promoted monotheism.

Question 42

Q

Which of the following systems of thought
provided inspiration for the harsh reunification
of China under Qin Shihuangdi?
A
)
Confucianism
B
)
Daoism
C
)
Buddhism

D
)
Legalism

Question 43

Q

A follower of Daoism would
A
)
engage in public life.
B
)
withdraw from politics.
C
)
pursue higher education.
D
)
work for social change.

Question 44

Q

Which of the following reflects a Zoroastrian
idea that can be found in Judaism, Christianity,
and Islam?
A
)
The concepts of heaven and hell
B
)
The idea of Brahman (World Soul)
C
)
The notion of reincarnation
D
)
The unity of opposites

Question 45

Q

Which cultural tradition is particularly noted
for its emphasis on logic and relentless
questioning of received wisdom, without
giving much role to the gods?
A
)
Confucian philosophy
B
)
Greek philosophy
C
)
Daoism
D
)
Zoroastrianism

Question 46

Q

The cosmic struggle between Ahura Mazda and
Angra Mainyu lies at the heart of which
religion?
A
)
Buddhism
B
)
Hinduism
C
)
Judaism
D
)
Zoroastrianism

Question 47

Q

Which of the following was a distinctive
feature of the Greek way of thinking in the
classical era?
A

) Reverence for organized religion
B
)
Confidence in human reason
C
)
Respect for received wisdom
D
)
Deference to established authority

Question 48

Q

Which of the following statements is true of the
religious and philosophical traditions that
developed in Eurasia in the centuries
surrounding 500 B.C.E.?
A
)
All sought to define a single source of
order and meaning in the universe.
B
)
All played down the value of humankind.
C
)
All drew on rationalism to explain the
universe.
D
)
All favored communal ritual.

Question 49

Q

Which of the following describes how
Confucianism affected Chinese society?
A
)
Confucianism was adopted as the state
religion of China.
B
)
The civil service examination system was
based on Confucian texts.
C
)
Confucianism encouraged individualistic
values.
D
)
Confucianism challenged social and
gender hierarchies.

Question 50

Q

Which of the following may have played a role
in the decline of Buddhism in India?
A
)
Buddhism was absorbed into a reviving
Hinduism.
B
)
India failed to establish Buddhist
monasteries.
C
)
Buddhism was suppressed by Emperor
Ashoka.
D
)
There was too much competition from
Confucianism.

Question 51

Q

Both the Buddha and Jesus
A
)
were transformed by their followers into
gods.
B
)
actively opposed Zoroastrianism.
C
)
actively sought to found new religions
during their lifetimes.

D
)
allied themselves with religious
authorities in their regions.

Question 52

Q

In the four centuries following Jesus’s death,
Christianity
A
)
excluded women from leadership roles in
the Church.
B
)
rejected all the teachings and writings of
Jews.
C
)
created a church without a hierarchy
where all members were equal.
D
)
defined Christianity as a religion open
only to Jews.

Question 53

Q

Which of the following statements best
describes the relationship between Daoism and
Confucianism, as understood by Chinese
elites?
A
)
Daoism is an offshoot of Confucianism
that develops the mystical elements
inherent in Confucius’s teachings.
B
)
Daoism and Confucianism were regarded
as complementary rather than
contradictory.
C
)
Most Confucians dismissed Daoism as
meaningless superstition.
D
)
Most Daoists despised Confucians
because their policies fostered cosmic
chaos.

Question 54

Q

Which of the following is considered a sacred
text of Hinduism?
A
)
Daodejing
B
)
Lessons for Women
C
)
Analects
D
)
Upanishads

Question 55

Q

Which of the following is a central feature of
the Hindu notion of karma?
A
)
Moksha (liberation)
B
)
Atman (soul)
C
)
Nirvana (enlightenment)
D
)
Samsara (rebirth)

Question 56

Q

Which element of Hinduism did Buddhism
reject?
A
)
The idea that ordinary life is an illusion
B
)
The practice of meditation
C
)
The religious authority of the Brahmins
D
)
The goal of overcoming the demands of
the ego

Question 57

Q

In contrast to the Theravada Buddhism, the
Mahayana version portrayed the Buddha as a
A
)
god.
B
)
teacher.
C
)
priest.
D
)
bodhisattva.

Question 58

Q

Which of the following refers to a feature of
the conception of the divine found in Judaism?
A
)
A view of heaven as a state in which
individual identity is extinguished
B
)
An understanding of God as engaged in
history and demanding social justice
C
)
A notion that primal unitary energy
creates divine reality
D
)
A principle of the way of nature underlies
everything and never changes

Question 59

Q

What did Confucianism and Greek rationalism
share in common?
A
)
A fervent belief in the supernatural
B
)
A diverse pantheon of gods
C
)
A monotheistic perspective on religion
D
)
A secular approach to understanding the
world

Question 60

Q

Which one of the following represents a way
that Greek scholarship influenced the world?
A
)
Greek learning was incorporated into
Confucianism, creating a hybrid
philosophy.
B
)
Greek knowledge became a central
element in an emerging “Eastern”

civilization.
C
)
Greek texts were translated into Arabic
and stimulated Muslim intellectuals.
D
)
Greek ideas entered India and were
absorbed into Hinduism.

Question 61

Q

What did Buddhism and Christianity have in
common?
A
)
They both ultimately died out in the land
of their birth as their ideas were absorbed
into other religious traditions.
B
)
They both started out as an effort to
reform the religions from they which
they had come, but soon emerged as
separate religions.
C
)
They were both associated with a
particular people and territory.
D
)
Neither ever became an active missionary
religion and did not spread widely
beyond the region of their birth.

Question 62

Q

Which of the following statements reflects the
state of Christianity by 500 C.E.?
A
)
It was clear to all that the future of
Christianity would be in Europe.
B
)
States questioned the political loyalty of
Christian converts and adopted a policy
of religious persecution.
C
)
Christianity became more unified as it
spread, with Rome as its undisputed
center.
D
)
Christianity was endorsed by states in
Europe and North Africa.

Question 63

Q

Disagreements over the meaning of the
Buddha’s teachings led to
A
)
clear-cut distinctions between “right” and
“wrong” ideas.

B
)
numerous wars among clashing groups.
C
)
a proliferation of different sects,
practices, and meditation techniques.
D
)
the development of a religious hierarchy
headed by the orthodox church.

Question 64

Q

How did Christianity change in the first 500
years since its emergence?
A
)
The egalitarian small house churches
during Jesus’s lifetime evolved into a
male-dominated hierarchical Christian
church.
B
)
Christianity changed from a religion of
ritual and sacrifice to one of devotion and
worship.
C
)
Christianity evolved from philosophical
reflections on the meaning of life to a
fascination with the supernatural.
D
)
Reason replaced faith as the means of
discovering the truth about the universe.