WH Benchmark

Question 1

According the the Five Pillars of Islam, every Muslim must

Answer 1

give charity to the poor

Question 2

The first prophet of Islam was

Answer 2

Muhammad

Question 3

The birthplace of Islam was

Answer 3

Mecca

Question 4

The holy book of Islam is the

Answer 4

Quran

Question 5

The two main groups within Islam are

Answer 5

Shiites and Sunnis

Question 6

The Renaissance began in:

Answer 6

Italy

Question 7

How did Italy’s location help make it the starting point for the Renaissance?

Answer 7

its location allowed trade with Muslim world

Question 8

The Renaissance was characterized by:

Answer 8

• the idea that people can shape their own destinies
• revival of interest in Greek and Roman civilizations
• the emphasis on humanism

Question 9

Groups that revolted against the Catholic Church and formed separate Christian churches during the
Reformation were known as:

Answer 9

Protestants

Question 10

The Reformation began when:

Answer 10

Martin Luther publicly criticized the Church for selling indulgences

Question 11

What is one belief of Luther that differed from Church practices?

Answer 11

he believed Christians would be saved only by faith

Question 12

The English Reformation began as a result of the:

Answer 12

Pope’s refusal to annul Henry VIII’s marriage

Question 13

Which of the following inventions contributed to the spread of ideas in the late Renaissance,
Reformation and Scientific Revolution?

Answer 13

the printing press

Question 14

Why was Copernicus’s theory revolutionary?

Answer 14

It contradicted the teachings of the Church

Question 15

The English Bill of Rights:

Answer 15

• gave the House of Commons “the power of the purse”
• forbid the us of cruel and unusual punishment against English citizens
• created a limited (constitutional) monarchy

Question 16

The defeat of the Spanish Armada by the English in 1588:

Answer 16

• brought an end to Spain’s colonial monopoly in North America
• signaled the decline of Spain as a major power
• marked the rise of England as a major power

Question 17

The formation of the Holy Roman Empire was a very significant event in European history because it:

Answer 17

• created the world’s first “superpower” of the modern era
• delayed the development of German unification
• led to the start of the Crimean War

Question 18

What European nation was the first to seek an all water route to Asia by sailing around Africa?

Answer 18

Portugal

Question 19

What European nation established colonies along the Mississippi River in present day United States and
along the St. Lawrence River in present day Canada?

Answer 19

France

Question 20

The European nations that first attempted to sail west across the Atlantic and establish colonies
throughout the Americas?

Answer 20

Spain

Question 21

What European nation established colonies along the eastern coast of North America?

Answer 21

England

Question 22

Who wrote that people have a natural right to overthrow the government?

Answer 22

John Locke

Question 23

Voltaire was a philosopher who defended

Answer 23

freedom of speech

Question 24

What idea of Montesquieu influenced the United States Constitution?

Answer 24

separation of powers

Question 25

What British writer favored an absolute monarchy as the best form of government?

Answer 25

Hobbes.

Question 26

The Enlightenment:

Answer 26

-served as an inspiration for both American and French Revolution
-championed the belief that social problems could be solved by applying reason and
Scientific method
-changed the relationship between rulers and the state to one where the ruler served the
state to support the people

Question 27

The symbolic start of the French revolution, which occurred on _____, and is celebrated as
French Independence Day is:

Answer 27

July 14, 1789, the storming of the Bastille

Question 28

Many people saw the Bastille as a symbol of

Answer 28

tyranny

Question 29

The first estate was made up of

Answer 29

clergy

Question 30

The second estate consisted of

Answer 30

nobles

Question 31

The third estate consisted of

Answer 31

Bourgeoisie and peasants

Question 32

The economic crisis in France was caused by

Answer 32

• failure to reform
• policies of the Estates-General
• bad harvests, costly wars and deficit spending

Question 33

The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen proclaimed all of the following EXCEPT

Answer 33

-equal rights for women

Question 34

The Committee of Public Safety was headed by:

Answer 34

Maximiian Robespierre

Question 35

Who invented the Guillotine?

Answer 35

Dr. Guillotin

Question 36

Which of the following helped Napoleon rise to power?

Answer 36

his military successes

Question 37

Napoleon’s Continental System was designed to

Answer 37

stops British trade with Europe

Question 38

What tactic helped the Russians defeat Napoleon?

Answer 38

scorched earth policy

Question 39

Napoleon’s final defeat in 1815 occurred at

Answer 39

Battle of Waterloo

Question 40

The Industrial Revolution began in ______________.

Answer 40

Britain

Question 41

The first industry to develop at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution was the ______industry.

Answer 41

textiles

Question 42

Industrialization brought about poor working conditions for workers that included:

Answer 42

• working with dangerous machinery
• unhealthy environments in factories
• low wages and long hours

Question 43

What is one way agriculture helped the population explosion?

Answer 43

-it created a surplus of food

Question 44

At the beginning of the Industrial Age, labor unions:

Answer 44

• offered workers protection from unfair working conditions
• were helped by the government through legislation
• relied on vandalism and violence as a tactic

Question 45

How did the Industrial Revolution contribute to imperialism?

Answer 45

Western nations needed natural resources

Question 46

Many western leaders felt they needed colonies and global empire to

Answer 46

• supply manufactured goods
• create strong nation states
• strengthen national security

Question 47

During the Industrial Revolution, child labor was used because

Answer 47

• it was previously used on family farms
• they worked for lower wages than adults
• they were easier to control by management