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Mesoamerican Civilization

Total questions: 14

Worksheet time: 25mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

What did the various groups that made up the Aztec Empire have in common?

a)

They were all wiped out by Maya invaders.

b)

They all came from the same local area.

c)

They all spoke the Nahuatl language.

d)

They all worshiped a single god.

2.

The city of Tenochtitlan was located atop what geographical feature?

a)

A volcano

b)

a desert

c)

a mountain

d)

A lake

3.

Why was Tenochtitlan chosen as the capital of the Aztec Empire?

a)

It was the oldest of the various city-states comprising the empire.

b)

It had the best transportation and sanitation services around.

c)

It was the home of the Mexicas, the most powerful society in the empire.

d)

It was located close to the exact geographic center of the empire.

4.

How did the Aztecs and the conquistadors differ in their treatment of conquered people?

a)

The conquistadors established a more complex system of taxation than the Aztecs did

b)

The Aztecs were peaceful and uninterested in conquest; conquistadors acted with much violence

c)

The conquistadors spread democracy to the people they conquered; the Aztecs didn't

d)

The Aztecs included conquered people in their empire; the conquistadors destroyed the societies they conquered

5.

Which country would you visit if you wanted to see Inca ruins?

a)

Brazil

b)

Peru

c)

Mexico

d)

Spain

6.

What aspect of Inca culture continues to the present day?

a)

Millions of people still speak the Quechua language

b)

Most South Americans still practice the Inca religion

c)

Cars still drive over old Inca roads and bridges

d)

Most South American architecture is still in traditional Inca style

7.

Why were roads and bridges so important to the Inca empire? Choose the best answer.

a)

They served as examples of the empire's wealth, inspiring awe in newly conquered people

b)

Their construction provided important jobs for the empire's citizens

c)

They made it easier for messengers, soldiers, and tradesmen to move across large areas

d)

They allowed horses to easily cross the Andes Mountains for the first time

8.

What was unique about Inca architecture?

a)

Most structures were built from petrified wood

b)

The temples were taller than the Egyptian pyramids

c)

The stones were cut so they fit together perfectly

d)

It featured perfectly spherical domes

9.

How was the Inca tax system different from ours?

a)

The Inca empire's tax system changed every few years; ours is constant

b)

The Incas paid taxes in labor; we pay taxes with money

c)

The Incas paid taxes in cloth and grain; we pay taxes with money

d)

The Inca empire had no tax system; we do

10.

Which term best describes the relationships between neighboring Mayan city-states?

a)

Commercial (traded with each other)

b)

Harmonious (peaceful)

c)

Competitive (compete with each other)

d)

Nonexistent (did not have a relationship)

11.

The function of a Mayan step pyramid was most similar to the function of:

a)

A grain silo

b)

A royal palace

c)

A royal cemetery

d)

A church or synagogue

12.

Which of the following natural occurrences would probably be most interesting to a Mayan priest?

a)

A hurricane

b)

An unusual alignment of the planets

c)

The flooding of a nearby river

d)

A cloud formation on the horizon

13.

Which of the following best characterizes how the Maya civilization was conquered?

a)

By degrees (little by little)

b)

In a domino effect (one situation caused another)

c)

All of a sudden

d)

Without rhyme or reason (no reason for it to happen)

14.

A 15th-century Inca citadel, located in southern Peru, is called

a)

Mount Rushmore

b)

Machu Picchu

c)

The Grand Canyon

d)

The Sears Tower