Trade Networks and the Black Death

Which statement best describes the Silk Road in the 14th century, according to the passage?

• A single road stretching from China to Europe

• A network of merchants, cities, posts, ports, and paths linked by trade

• Only a sea route connecting Indian Ocean ports

• A Roman-built highway used only by armies

What does the passage compare the spread of diseases along the Silk Road to?

• Forest fires

• Computer viruses

• Earthquakes

• Droughts

What does the term Pax Mongolica mean?

• Mongol War

• Mongol Peace

• Eternal Khan

• Great Road

During Pax Mongolica, what major effect occurred across Afro-Eurasia?

• Trade connections declined due to constant warfare

• Trade connections expanded and connected more people than ever

• The Silk Road was destroyed

• European isolation from Asia increased

Why did the Mongol Khans work to make trade easier and safer during Pax Mongolica?

• They wanted to recruit more soldiers

• They were focused on earning tax money from trade

• They planned to abandon cities

• They wanted to stop the spread of religions

According to the text, what unintended consequence accompanied the flowering of trade connections under the Mongols?

• Decline of seafaring technology

• Spread of democratic ideas

• Seeds of disaster through disease spread

• End of merchant activity

What is the name of the bacteria that caused the Black Death?

• Mycobacterium leprae

• Yersinia pestis

• Vibrio cholerae

• Bacillus anthracis

How did the plague likely arrive in the Mediterranean, according to the passage?

• Overland with Crusader armies

• Onboard Italian merchant ships

• Carried by Mongol cavalry

• Through migrating birds

Which Italian city-states became super-wealthy and powerful due to trade during Pax Mongolica?

• Florence and Rome

• Pisa and Amalfi

• Venice and Genoa

• Naples and Palermo

Approximately how many people across Afro-Eurasia might have died from the Black Death in the 14th century?

• 1–2 million

• 10–20 million

• As many as 100 million

• Over 500 million