World History NCFE Released Test Items

How did geographic features influence the diffusion and settlement of both the Phoenician and Greek traders?

• Russia′s rivers provided ease of travel.

• The arid climate encouraged migration.

• The monsoon winds made ocean travel easier.

• Both had access to the Mediterranean Sea.

"The epilogue laws of justice which Hammurabi, the wise king, established; a righteous law, and pious statute did he teach the land...the decisions which I have made will this inscription show him; let him rule his subjects accordingly, speak justice to them, give right decisions, root out the miscreants and criminals from this land, and grant prosperity to his subjects. Hammurabi, the king of righteousness, on whom Shamash has conferred right (or law) am I. My words are well considered; my deeds are not equaled; to bring low those that were high; to humble the proud, to expel insolence."

How did implementation of codified laws such as the Code of Hammurabi affect the people of ancient societies?

• It reduced the authority of the king over the citizens.

• It unified the various peoples and laws within the empire.

• It limited the role of government in the lives of citizens.

• It established the separation of government and religion.

Which geographic features determined the location of the early civilizations of Egypt, Mesopotamia, China, and India?

• rivers and valleys

• fertile soils and plains

• rainy seasons and forests

• oceans and coastlines

How did Pericles influence the functioning of Athenian government?

• He greatly strengthened the authority of military leaders in society

• He expanded direct democracy to new classes of free men.

• He increased the salaries of government officials.

• He introduced representative democracy

In the Middle Ages, European monarchs claimed to rule by “divine right”. What purpose was served by this claim?

• It enabled the separation of church and state.

• It enabled rulers to seize church lands.

• It demonstrated that religion was stronger than political power.

• It strengthened the monarch′s authority to rule.

All merchants, are to have safe and secure conduct, save in time of war, until it is established in what way the merchants of our land are treated, and if our merchants are safe there, the other merchants are to be safe in our land.

Magna Carta, 1297

Based on this passage from the Magna Carta, which basic rights were improved by the English barons?

• trading rights

• rights of the accused

• civil rights

• religious rights

How did the printing revolution contribute to increased global interaction?

• by making texts available to broader audiences, leading to the spread of new ideas

• by creating interchangeable parts that made repairing the printing press easier

• by mass producing the press to make it available to small towns

• by using color to gain the interest of more people

Effects of the Plague (Black Death)

 Europe lost a third of its population.

 Labor shortages brought higher wages for many workers.

 Peasants left their manors, weakening the feudal system.

Which conclusion about effects of the plague can be drawn from the listed information?

• Catastrophic events can trigger changes in human institutions.

• Tragic events strengthen religion as people seek answers in their faith.

• People seek the comfort of traditional, familiar ways following traumatic events.

• Societies flourish during many types of disasters and epidemics.

Which is an effect of European exploration of the Americas?

• Germany extended its New World empire.

• Spain dominated North and South America.

• Africans were enslaved to work in mines and on plantations.

• American Indians maintained resistance to African and Eurasian diseases.

What was a significant result of European exploration through the Columbian Exchange?

• Europeans became dependent on crops from America.

• The bubonic plague spread throughout Europe.

• European diseases caused millions of deaths among American Indians.

• Raw materials from America became very expensive due to scarcity.