History-STAAR-Practice-Release-Spring-2018-Q11-20

11. Which statement best explains how bank failures contributed to the Great Depression?

• F. The government passed the Sherman Antitrust Act.
• G. Private companies refused to import foreign foods.
• H. The government passed the Pure Food and Drug Act.
• J. Labor unions protested unsafe working conditions.

12. How did the event in this headline impact the Civil Rights movement? “Martin Luther King, Jr. Assassinated in Memphis”

• A. People lost their savings because the government did not insure bank deposits.
• B. Business could not be done when President Franklin Roosevelt declared a bank holiday.
• C. The interest rates on bank loans were too high.
• D. Foreign investors did not invest enough in U.S. banks.


13. Which American value is described in this excerpt? As social conditions become more equal, the number of persons increases who, although they are neither rich enough nor powerful enough to exercise any great influence over their fellow-creatures, have nevertheless acquired or retained sufficient education and fortune to satisfy their own wants. They owe nothing to any man, they expect nothing from any man; they acquire the habit of always considering themselves as standing alone, and they are apt to imagine that their whole destiny is in their own hands.-Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America, 1835

• A. Individualism
• B. Populism
• C. Liberty
• D. Laissez-faire

14. In the World War II era, what was the major reason for Jewish immigration to the United States?

• F. To seek guaranteed universal suffrage
• G. To escape famine and drought caused by natural disaster
• H. To seek better educational opportunities
• J. To escape state-sponsored genocide

15. How did the process shown in this photograph enhance the automobile industry? Magneto Assembly Line
at Ford Motor Company, 1913

• A. By speeding up production of automobiles at lower costs
• B. By requiring only licensed workers to produce the automobiles
• C. By ensuring high-quality automobiles for consumers at higher prices
• D. By developing new designs to test automobile safety standards


16. What was the most likely purpose of this National War Labor Board order? In November 1942, the National War Labor Board (NWLB) adopted the policy of equal pay for equal work,” which had not been standard practice in industry.

• F. To prevent unions from discriminating against unskilled workers during the war
• G. To weaken the “Rosie the Riveter” image for women working on the home front
• H. To double the output of equipment needed to support U.S. troops overseas
• J. To ensure fair treatment for women in the workplace during the war

17. What was the goal of the actions on this time line? Selected Events in the History of the Gold Standard

• A. To ensure deposits into customer savings accounts
• B. To increase government regulation of business
• C. To end speculation in the stock market
• D. To stabilize the national economy

18. This excerpt is from a book written by a Norwegian man who immigrated to the United States in the late 1800s. Then west by train on road and route not known to us. We saw mountains, which must have been the Alleghenies, and felt much depressed. Was that America? Had we been fooled? We expected to see flat ground with no timber or boulders to clear. When we came far enough to see that kind of country our spirits rose again. . . . -Andreas Ueland, Recollections of an Immigrant. -These immigrants were relieved when they saw the type of land they were expecting because they-

• hoped to establish farms
• wanted to build factories
• planned to mine for gold
• wanted to work for the railroad

19. Which challenges prompted New York City to take these actions? In 2015 the New York City Mayor’s office reported that the city had recently accomplished the following: Reduced carbon emissions by one-fifth and achieved the city’s cleanest air in 50 years. Upgraded building codes to prepare for extreme weather like flooding and high winds. -Added nearly one million trees and six million square feet of reflective rooftop to the city landscape

• A. Increasing threats to large urban areas by foreign and domestic terrorism
• B. A widening gap in income levels between socioeconomic groups in society
• C. Escalating costs of providing health care and social services for senior citizens
• D. Aging infrastructure and pollution caused by high population density

20. How did Bill Gates earn the title “World’s Richest Man”?

• F. By creating social media sites
• G. By investing in global satellite communications
• H. By developing computer software
• J. By creating innovations in cell phone technology