The Black Death Quiz

What is the Black Death?

• A war that occurred in the Middle Ages

• A terrible disease that spread throughout Europe from 1347 to 1350

• A natural disaster that happened in medieval Europe

• The name of a famous battle during the Middle Ages

How did the Black Death likely start?

• Through contaminated water sources

• As a result of a famine

• It started in Asia and traveled westward along the Silk Road

• It was a man-made disease released during a conflict

What were the carriers of the Black Death?

• Mosquitoes and wild animals

• Fleas that lived on rats

• Infected birds

• Contaminated food

Which cities did the Black Death strike by the middle of 1348?

• Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon, and London

• Madrid, Lisbon, Berlin, and Vienna

• Athens, Istanbul, Moscow, and Copenhagen

• Rome, Venice, Naples, and Milan

Why was the Black Death particularly at home aboard ships?

• Because ships were used for transporting medicine

• Because ships were immune to the disease

• Because ships had better living conditions than the cities

• Because ships were a common means of trade and travel, carrying both rats and fleas

Approximately what fraction of the population in Europe was killed by the Black Death by the time the disease ran its course?

• One-tenth

• One-fourth

• One-third

• Half

How many people died a day in Paris, France, during the Black Death?

• Around 500 people

• Around 800 people

• Around 1000 people

• Around 1200 people

What was a common misconception about the transmission of the Black Death in the Middle Ages?

• It was believed to be caused by bad air

• It was known to be spread by rats

• It was understood to be a hereditary disease

• It was thought to be spread by looking at the sick

Why were larger cities and towns particularly dangerous during the Middle Ages when the Black Death occurred?

• They had better sanitation

• They were less populated

• They were very dirty

• They had more doctors

What did healthy people do to avoid the sick during the Black Death?

• They offered help to the sick

• They locked their doors and stayed inside

• They moved to the countryside

• They held public gatherings to pray