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Mexico & Central America Test

Total questions: 54

Worksheet time: 2hrs 42mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

An unequal distribution of wealth and resources...

a)

Socialism

b)

Urbanization

c)

Metropolitan

d)

Spatial inequality

2.

Term that refers to people's overall level of well-being.

a)

Standard of living

b)

Prime Meridian

c)

Precipitation

d)

Elevation

3.

About ____% of the land in Mexico is suitable for farming.

a)

15%

b)

50%

c)

75%

d)

95%

4.

Which of these is NOT a problem Mexico faced as it grew rapidly?

a)

Not enough clean water.

b)

Traffic jams

c)

Smog

d)

More jobs than they had people to fill them.

5.

Which of the following is a FALSE statement?

a)

The Valley of Mexico has a mild climate.

b)

Most of the land in Mexico is well-suited for farming.

c)

Mexico has a mountain range running down each coastline.

d)

Mexico City sits about 7,000 feet above sea level.

6.
Which city was built on the remains of the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan?
a)
Guadalajara
b)
Puebla
c)
Mexico City
d)
Toluca
7.
Which of the following is an example of urbanization?
a)
growing rural populations
b)
populations moving from cities to rural areas
c)
populations moving from rural areas to cities
d)
shrinking metropolitan areas
8.
Rural decline occurs when rural populations experience
a)
growing wealth.
b)
high wages
c)
increasing pollution.
d)
increasing poverty
9.
What advantage do large commercial farms have over most common Mexican farmers?
a)
They own most of the rocky and mountainous land in Mexico.
b)
They have more money and can produce more crops on their land.
c)
They own many large tenements and slums in metropolitan areas.
d)
all of the above
10.

About what percentage of citizens of Mexico City are considered Upper Class?

a)

40%

b)

80%

c)

25%

d)

100%

11.
Many farmers in Mexico have migrated to metropolitan areas in order to
a)
find better paying jobs.
b)
give their families a higher standard of living.
c)
improve their children's education.
d)
all of the above
12.
What is the movement of many people to cities?
a)
Emission
b)
Distortion
c)
Immigration
d)
Urbanization
13.
Which of these is a major cause of rural decline?
a)
Crowding
b)
Floodoing
c)
Pollution
d)
Hard to compete with big farms/wealthy landowners
14.
Which group in Mexico City enjoys the highest standard of living?
a)

the upper class

b)

the recent migrants

c)
the middle class
d)
the working poor
15.
What group of native people built a great civilization in the Valley of Mexico and founded a great city called Tenochtitlan?
a)
Viking
b)
Incas
c)
Aztecs
d)
Russians
16.
What people conquered Tenochtitlan in 1521 and ruled over Mexico for 300 years?
a)
Spanish
b)
British
c)
French
d)
Chinese
17.

which group is most likely to live in slums on the edges of the city?

a)

Working Poor

b)

Recent Migrants

c)

Business Owners

d)

Government Officials

18.
Why can't children in Mexico city go to school?
a)
They need to work for the family 
b)
public school costs too much
c)
there aren't schools where they live
d)
Parents don't believe in school
19.

A major cause of rural decline in Mexico is increased:

a)

poverty

b)

crime rate

c)

pollution

d)

urbanization

20.

As Mexico City has grown, air pollution, crime rates, and poor slum neighborhoods have increased. The size of the average family however has gone ___________.

a)

up

b)

down

c)

stayed the same

21.

Two major causes of rural decline in Mexico are _____________ and _________________.

a)

crime rates and urbanization

b)

pollution and crime rates

c)

unemployment and poverty

d)

poverty and crime rates

22.

One pull factor that draws farm families to Mexico City is economic opportunity because they hope to find ___________ that pay them a decent __________.

a)

homes, protection

b)

jobs, wage

c)

restaurants, food

23.

The upper class live in:

a)

castle-like estates

b)

tenement apartments

c)

slum neighborhoods

d)

cinder-block homes

24.

The middle class hold jobs in:

a)

business, education, government

b)

maids, drivers, gardeners

c)

bus drivers, cooks, maintenance

d)

leaders in government and business

25.

Which group has the lowest standard of living in Mexico City?

a)

The middle class

b)

Recent migrants

c)

The working poor

d)

Government Officials

26.

Which term describes a group that has lived in an area since before it was taken over by outsiders?

a)

foreign immigrants

b)

indigenous peoples

c)

plural society

d)

political refugees

27.

Mayan judges often require a person who does something wrong to another person to...

a)

go to jail

b)

visit a healer

c)

pay restitution

d)

leave the community

28.

A traditional culture is based mainly on which of the following?

a)

speaking two languages

b)

ancestors' ways of life

c)

slash and burn agriculture

d)

adapting to modern society

29.

Which group is most likely to use the slash-and-burn method of clearing land?

a)

commercial growers

b)

migrant workers

c)

plantation owners

d)

subsistence farmers

30.

What has happened to the traditional Mayan religious beliefs in Guatemala?

a)

they have disappeared

b)

they are followed in secret

c)

they have blended with Catholicism

d)

they have replaced the Catholic face

31.

About 2,000 years ago, the Maya...

a)

abandoned their cities, and their civilization collapsed.

b)

arrived in Mesoamerica and conquered the Spanish.

c)

created a remarkable civilization in Mesoamerica.

d)

were nearly wiped out by erupting volcanoes.

32.

Where do most Maya live?

a)

in the lowlands, especially Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula

b)

in the land along the borders of El Salvador and Honduras

c)

in the greater Mexico City metropolitan area

d)

in the highlands of Guatemala, and the Mexican state of Chiapas

33.

What does it mean when we say that the Maya practice subsistence farming?

a)

They export most of the food they produce to other nations.

b)

They raise only livestock and do not grow any fruits or vegetables.

c)

They sell most of the food they grow in local farmers markets.

d)

They farm mainly to provide food for themselves and their families

34.

What binds the various Mayan groups together as a single ethnic group?

a)

They abandon their traditional lifestyle and embrace modern ways of living.

b)

They live in thriving towns with many opportunities to meet new people.

c)

They share common physical features and cultural identity

d)

all of the above

35.

What is one example of how the Maya have adapted to the demands of national life?

a)

Most Maya have abandoned their local villages and live in large cities.

b)

Most Mayan towns are governed by non-Mayan mayors and council members.

c)

Most highland towns have a mayor who governs according to national laws

d)

Most municipal councils of Mayan towns no longer follow Mayan customs.

36.

Do all Mayan speak the same language?

a)

Yes, they all speak Spanish

b)

No, they all speak Quichea

c)

Yes, they all speak English

d)

No, they can speak many different languages depending on where they live

37.

What religious object can be found in traditional Mayan houses?

a)

a family altar for religious worship

b)

a special chair set aside for the local priest

c)

a chapel room dedicated to religious worship

d)

a crucifix affixed outside the front door

38.

Why do "daykeepers" perform rituals on key days in the ancient Mayan calendar?

a)

to heal the sick in the absence of modern doctors

b)

to maintain harmony among people, the gods, and the natural world

c)

to increase their knowledge of the use of medicinal plants

d)

to strengthen their connections with the Catholic Church

39.

What is an ethnic group?

a)

a group of people in a country who share a unique culture and identity

b)

Americans are an ethnic group

c)

natives of an area who have been conquered or dominated by others who came later.

d)

a group of people who look alike

40.

In Guatemala, the brotherhoods are called

a)

milpas

b)

cargos

c)

cofradias

d)

restitution

41.

Which mountains do the Maya people live?

a)

Andes

b)

Appalachian

c)

Himalaya

d)

Rocky Mountains

42.
Which group of people conquered the Maya in the 1500's
a)
Spanish
b)
Portuguese
c)
French
d)
British
43.
Why was the slash and burn method used in farming?
a)
to fertilize crops
b)
to end disease
c)
as pesticide
d)
to add flavor
44.
Which means customs and ways of life handed down from ancestors
a)
traditional culture
b)
adaptation
c)
Cargos
d)
Chiapas
45.
In addition to physical causes of illnesses, the Mayan healers also believe in which kind of cause for illness?
a)
spiritual
b)
mental
c)
environmental
d)
supernatural
46.

How have Mayan markets adapted to the modern world?

a)

Food stalls are located in one area

b)

Markets are on Saturday

c)

Money has replaced barter

d)

Only traditional Mayan products are sold to tourists

47.

What is one purpose of the Mayan religious brotherhoods?

a)

They govern the community according to national laws

b)

they guard the images of Catholic saints and organize ceremonies

c)

they help many Maya leave the villages in search of work

d)

they serve as judge and jury for those accused of crimes

48.

Why do Maya judges rarely send offenders to jail?

a)

crime is rare, so they don't have jails

b)

they believe only God can punish

c)

judges are afraid of offender's families

d)

they prefer community service

49.

What are Maya children expected to do?

a)

learn traditional skills from parents

b)

go to school

c)

learn the old customs to pass on

d)

work on plantations

50.

What do men primarily do in Maya communities?

a)

cook the meals

b)

work in the fields

c)

care for the children

d)

wave clothes

51.

Which group would most likely live in tenements or cinder block homes?

a)

upper class

b)

middle class

c)

working poor

d)

recent migrants

52.

Which group usually holds jobs like cook, gardener, maid, or nanny

a)

upper class

b)

middle class

c)

working poor

d)

recent migrant

53.

Which group usually lives in homes or apartments in the city or in modern suburbs?

a)

upper class

b)

middle class

c)

working poor

d)

recent migrants

54.

Why does spatial inequality exist in urban areas?

a)

too many people, not enough resources

b)

too many resources, not enough people

c)

too many people, too many resources

d)

not enough people, not enough resources