World History Semester exam Review

Why was Egypt called the "Gift of the Nile"? 

• Irrigation from the Nile provided for farming in a desert region.

• Protection from the Nile kept invaders from entering from the north.

• Fish and wildlife from the Nile were traded with neighboring civilizations.

• Egyptians believed the gods had placed the Nile in Egypt as a sign of supremacy.

The domestication of plants and animals in areas near the Indus, Huang He, Nile, and Tigris-Euphrates rivers

resulted in the development of villages and cities. The growth of early settled communities contributed to —

• the rise of industrial production methods

• a nomadic lifestyle of hunters and gatherers

• cave paintings showing early man using tools

• the development of political and religious institutions

Which geographic factor likely contributed to the beginning of the Neolithic Revolution?

• Climate changes produced longer growing seasons.

• Spread of disease caused a reduction in the population.

• Natural disasters created a change in migration patterns.

• Changing sea levels forced hunter-gather societies to relocate.

Christianity and Islam were important institutions in the reconsolidation of Europe following the collapse of the Roman Empire because both —

• commanded believers to act morally

• served as unifying influences on culture

• attracted many nonbelievers to convert

• provided a model for political organization

The development of the Ottoman Empire in the early eleventh century signified the re-formation of a political

empire controlled by —

• Arabs

• Byzantines

• Mongols

• Muslims

There can be little doubt, however, that the [Islamic] conquests were made easier by the

exhaustion of the Byzantine and Sasanian Empires due to prolonged warfare, the confusion

that reigned in the Sasanian ruling house, the disruption caused by recent enemy

occupation in Syria and Iraq, the destruction wrought by immense floods in southern Iraq,

the disaffection of many of the subjects of the two empires for religious or other reasons,

the convenience of inner lines of communication that the Muslims enjoyed, and the like.

—Fred Donner, The Early Islamic Conquests, Princeton University Press, 1981

According to the information in the excerpt, one reason Islam was able to spread was because —

• geography made invasion easy

• neighboring empires were weak

• nearby revolts were taking place

• Muslim soldiers were highly trained

Which of the following was politically characteristic of many civilizations during the Classical Era (500 BC-600 AD)?

• Voting rights were given to more and more people.

• Representative governments evolved throughout the world.

• Small feudal kingdoms spread across Eurasia.

• Complex empires with bureaucracies developed.

Which of the following most directly resulted in the growth of ancient cities?

• development of mathematics

• development of military organization

• stable surplus food supplies from farming

• division of labor and specialization

Which of the following is one change that directly resulted from the development of farming approximately 10,000 years ago?

• It led to the production of stone tools.

• It led to the creation of settled communities.

• It led to the expansion of political rights for women.

• It led to the growth in the number of nomadic groups.

Which of the following best explains how river valley civilizations influenced the development of Classical

civilizations?

• The belief in monotheism was advanced by the river valley civilizations.

• The idea of religious freedom was promoted by the river valley civilizations.

• The tradition of hunting and gathering was introduced by the river valley civilizations.

• The foundations of political centralization were established by the river valley civilizations.