Chapter 2 Test Review

Which tool helped European sailors know how far they had sailed from the equator?

• Modern Maps

• The astrolabe

• The telescope

• The magnetic compass

How did the compass help European explorers navigate their ships?

• It allowed them to sail at night.

• It told them which direction they were going.

• It helped sailors control the wind on their ships.

• It measured the distance north or south from the equator

Who started a Portuguese navigation school around 1419?

• Vasco de Gama

• Bartolomeu Dias

• Ferdinand Magellan

• Prince Henry the Navigator

Who was probably the first European to sail to North America?

• Eric the Red

• Lief Ericsson

• Vasco de Gama

• Christopher Columbus

Why did the Portuguese set up trading posts along the west coast of Africa in the early 1400s?

• To supply the Portuguese ships sailing to Brazil

• To make trading with nearby African countries easier

• To challenge the power of Prince Henry's navigation school

• To create a central location for the buying and selling of goods

Which of the following was an improvement in shipbuilding in the 1400s?

• Triangular sails that controlled the wind

• Wooden decks that resisted waterproofing

• Rudderless ships that didn't require steering

• Smaller cargo areas that made ships weigh less

Which direction did Columbus sail in his attempt to reach Asia?

• South

• North

• East

• West

"The crew...saw signs of land, and a small branch covered with berries. Everyone breathed afresh and rejoiced at these signs."

Draw and inference from the excerpt and identify the most likely reason why Columbus's crew reacted the way they did upon landing in North America.

• The crew was relieved that they could fulfill Queen Isabella's order

• The crew had been sailing for many days and was extremely tired and hungry

• THe crew realized they had struck it rich in Asia and could help Spain pay its debts

• The crew was aware that Portugal's king didn't believe in their mission and they were excited to prove him wrong

Which of the following identifies what Columbus named the general area where he landed on his first voyage and why he named it that?

• America; the word means "freedom" in Portuguese

• New Spain; Columbus's voyage was paid for by Spanish royalty

• West Indies; Columbus thought he had landed on an island near India

• Taino; the word refers to a precious Asian spice Columbus hoped to find

Which of the following was a reason Cortes took Moctezuma prisoner?

• Cortes wanted to conquer the Aztecs

• Cortes wanted to take Moctezuma back to Spain

• Cortes was afraid of the Aztecs' superior weapons

• Cortes was furious Moctezuma had not welcomed him