Middle Ages Reading Comprehension

Middle Ages Reading Comprehension

By Gino Paradela

🏰 Question 1: Understanding Feudalism

The following passage describes the political system called feudalism that was common in the Middle Ages. Read the description. Then answer the question below.

Passage Source: Adapted from A Short History of France by Mary Macgregor (1911), which is in the public domain.

"In the Middle Ages, kings in Europe did not have much power. A system called feudalism was used to govern the land. Under this system, the King gave land, called a fief, to important lords. These lords promised to give the King money and soldiers for his army. The lords then gave some of their land to lesser nobles, or vassals. The vassals promised to serve the lord. At the bottom of this system were the peasants and serfs, who worked the land and gave food to the nobles in exchange for protection and a place to live."

Multiple Choice

Based on the passage, what did a vassal promise to do in exchange for receiving land?

• Vassals promised to protect the peasants on the land they received.

• Vassals promised to work the land and give food to the nobles.

• Vassals promised to give money and soldiers to the King.

• Vassals promised to serve the lord who gave them the land.

Multiple Choice

What was a serf?

• the level you were before you could be a knight
• a servant in the manor house
• a peasant who couldn't leave the land
• a nobleman

🛡️ Question 2: Identifying Roles in Medieval Society

Historians study different groups of people to understand how society worked in the Middle Ages. Read the description of different roles in medieval society. Then answer the question below.

Passage Source: Adapted from The Story of the Middle Ages by Samuel B. Harding (1901), which is in the public domain.

"Society in the Middle Ages was often divided into three main groups. The first group was the nobility, which included kings, lords, and knights. Their job was to fight and protect the land. The second group was the clergy, which included priests and monks. Their job was to pray and lead the religious life of the community. The largest group was the peasantry, which included farmers and laborers. Their job was to work the land and provide food for everyone else."

Multiple Choice

Which group's main job was to fight and provide protection?

• Clergy

• Peasantry

• Knights

• Nobility

Labelling

Label the feudal pyramid

Drag labels to their correct position on the image

Lord

King

clergy

knight

serf

Merchant

barron

Duke

peasant

⚔️ Question 3: Primary vs. Secondary Sources (The Battle of Hastings)

Historians use different kinds of sources to study the past. Primary sources are firsthand accounts, like letters or objects created at the time of an event. Secondary sources are secondhand accounts, like textbooks written much later, that use primary sources.

Imagine you are a historian studying the Battle of Hastings in 1066. You find the source described below. Read the description of the source. Then complete the sentence below.

"The Bayeux Tapestry is a long, embroidered cloth made in the 1070s. It shows scenes and figures from the Battle of Hastings and the events leading up to it."

Multiple Choice

Complete the sentence: In this case, the Bayeux Tapestry is a _____ source because it _____.

• Secondary... was made in the 2000s by a modern artist showing the battle.

• Primary... was made only a few years after the battle took place and shows the events.

⛪ Question 4: Understanding the Role of the Church

The Church (the Roman Catholic Church) was a very important and powerful institution in the Middle Ages. Read the following description of its role. Then answer the question below.

Passage Source: Adapted from Medieval Europe by Ephraim Emerton (1894), which is in the public domain.

"The Church was the center of life for most people in the Middle Ages. It was a place for worship, but it did much more than that. The Church had its own courts to decide legal cases and collected money, or taxes, from people. Monasteries, run by monks, served as schools where people learned to read and write. The Church helped the poor and sick, and its leaders were advisors to the kings and lords. The Church’s power grew because it did so many important things for society."

Multiple Choice

Based on the passage, what is one example of a role the Church had in the Middle Ages besides worship?

• The Church fought many wars for the King.

• The Church started new systems of feudalism.

• The Church ran schools and helped the poor.

• The Church created new kinds of farms for the peasants.

Multiple Choice

The Leader of the Catholic Church was the

• King
• Pope
• Bishop
• Priest

👧 Question 5: Finding the Main Idea of a Text

The Middle Ages are often called the Medieval Period and lasted from about the 5th century to the 15th century. Read the following description of the time period. Then answer the question below.

Passage Source: Adapted from The Story of the Middle Ages by Samuel B. Harding (1901), which is in the public domain.

"The Middle Ages was a time of great change. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Europe was divided into many small kingdoms. Powerful rulers like Charlemagne tried to bring parts of Europe together again. It was a period when the Christian Church became very strong. New ideas about government, like feudalism, developed. It was also a time when great castles and beautiful cathedrals were built. New trade routes opened, and small towns slowly grew into larger cities."

Multiple Choice

Based on the passage, what is the main idea about the Middle Ages?

• The Middle Ages was a long period of history with many different political and social changes.

• 
  The Middle Ages was a time when the Roman Empire was at its most powerful.

• 
  The Middle Ages was a time when people only built small, simple villages.

• 
  The Middle Ages was a period when kings were stronger than the Church.