Centuries of Peace

What is this passage mainly about?

• the treatment of people of different faiths during the Muslim empire in Spain

• the culture of the al-Andalus empire in Spain

• the life and work of Averroes

• the resurgence of Greek philosophy during the Muslim empire in Spain

According to the passage, where did Muslims, Jews, and Christians live in peace together for hundreds of years?

• the Iberian Peninsula

• the Middle East

• Southern France

• Northern Africa

Averroes translated most of the known works by Aristotle from Greek into Arabic. What effect did Averroes's translations have?

• Aristotle's translated works circulated throughout Europe, sparking a resurgence of interest in Aristotle's philosophy.

• Aristotle's translated works circulated throughout Europe, sparking widespread criticism of Aristotle's philosophy in the Muslim empire.

• The Iberian caliphate asked Averroes to create versions of Greek texts that were clearer and easier to understand than previous translations.

• Averroes formed a defense of the rational mind over religious belief as the root of wisdom and knowledge.

The word "secular" is used to describe something that is not based on or connected to religion. Why is Averroes considered the "founding father of secular thought"?

• He argued for the greater plurality of world views.

• Many of his works were kept at the personal library of the local caliph, or emperor, who was estimated to have collected around 400,000 books.

• He took a risky positions during a time when Islamic leaders were trying to enact a stricter version of religious law across the empire.

• He defended the rational mind over religious belief as the root of wisdom and knowledge.

The Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba is a symbol of peaceful religious coexistence. What evidence from the passage best support this conclusion?

• The emir purchased the other half of the Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba from the Christians and allowed the Catholics to rebuild churches that had been destroyed during the invasion.

• The Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba included some of the tallest and most ornate indoor structure in all of medieval Europe.

• The Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba was founded in the year 600 by the Visigoths as a Catholic church.

• The Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba was divided by Muslim leaders into Muslim and Christian sections after the Muslim conquest.

Read the following sentence:

"Given the regular outbreaks of religious and political violence in the Middle East, it’s easy to think of Muslims, Jews, and Christians as natural antagonists. This wasn’t always the case, however. For hundreds of years, Muslims, Jews, and Christians lived in peace on the Iberian Peninsula, in what is now Spain."

What does the world "antagonist" most nearly mean?

• friend

• opponent

• supporter

• neighbor

What is the Convivencia?

• the family of prominent civic leaders

• the group of scholars from Jews, and Christians.

• the rich and multicultural culture that existed during the Muslim empire in Spain

• the translated version of Aristotle by Averroes

What is not one thing that Averroes support the peaceful collaboration between Muslims, Jews and Christians during the Muslim empire in Spain?

• He argued for greater plurality of world views and defended the rational mind over religious belief as the root of wisdom and knowledge.

• He protected people from other religion under Islamic law.

• He delivered the forgotten wisdom of Aristotle to the rest of the world.

• He started translating Aristotle from Greek into Arabic.

What is the appropriate word for the blank?

The Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba eventually had sections for Muslims and Christians, _____________ it was originally built as a Catholic Church.

• thus

• yet

• also

• hence

According to the passage, choose one thing that is not true.

• Jews and Christians were never fully equal to Muslims under Islamic law.

• Their treatment varied based on changing political and religious decisions of Muslim leaders.

• Coexistence between Jews, Christians, and Muslims during Islamic control of Spain was perfect.

• Thanks to the relative tolerance of the Muslim al-Andalus empire, Western Society rediscovered some of the philosophy and art that would become its foundation.