WorksheetsJSN: The Bling King
Total questions: 20
Worksheet time: 15mins
What is the central idea of this article?
Mansa Musa was an extremely wealthy African emperor who build a major trading empire.
Mansa Musa has more money and larger net worth than Rihanna.
Mansa Musa took a hajj or pilgrimage to Mecca which brought Mali fame and fortune.
Mansa Musa had access to large gold and salt mines.
Which statement from the article best supports the central idea of the article?
"Musa was nicknamed the Lion of Mali."
"After Musa's hajj, he and his empire were included in the 1375 Catalan Atlas, a map of the world that was important in Medieval Europe."
The emperor was a skilled leader who transformed Mali into one of the largest empires in African history."
"By 1500, almost all of Mansa's kingdom, along with his gold and riches, had disappeared."
What was one reason the author referred to Mansa Musa as a "skilled leader?"
Musa conquered many cities along his trade routes.
Musa had an empire that was established with land rich in natural resources.
Musa had thousands of servants at his disposal.
Musa decreased the value of gold in Cario, Egypt.
What does the term, teemed, mean in the following sentence? - "The fertile soil produced abundant crops and the area teemed with natural resources like salt and gold."
drove away
lacked
had a surplus of
was sold
How did Musa promote the religion of Islam within his empire?
He oversaw the construction of schools and mosques his cities so people could learn to read the Qu'ran.
He made sure Mali's economy stayed strong, which meant people had more free time for prayer.
He gave away more than $100 million worth of gold during his pilgrimage.
He conquered major trading cities like Timbuktu and Gao.
What conclusion can be drawn about the importance of Gao after reading the section, "What happened to Mansa Musa's empire after he died"?
Musa's successors cared more about Gao than the city of Timbuktu.
Keeping control of Gao was key to maintaining the Mali Empire.
Gao was no longer an important trading hub after the year 1365.
After Musa's death, Gao and Timbuktu began falling at the hands of invaders.
Which of the following statements is a fact?
History classes should teach about Mansa Musa's empire.
Mansa Musa remains the the richest person of all time.
Today's billionaires should be more generous and charitable.
Mansa Musa should have spend less money while in Egypt.
In what way is Mali today similar to the Mali Empire of the 14th century?
About half of the population still live in poverty.
The country still has access to large deposits of gold.
Islam continues to be the dominant religion of the area.
The people are still plagued with violence and disease.
Why might the author have chosen this headline for the article?
The author wanted to highlight one of Mansa Musa's various nicknames.
The author wanted to illustrate Mansa Musa's interest in diamond and gold.
The author wanted to emphasize that Mansa Musa enjoyed listening to hip-hop music.
The author wanted to grab the reader's attention and immediately engage them within the article.
How much of Africa’s gold was controlled by the king?
50%
65%
80%
95%
How much money did Mansa Musa give to the poor during his hajj (pilgrimage)?
$100,000
$1,000,000
$100 million
$100 billion
In what direction did Mansa Musa travel (from Cairo, Egypt) to reach the holy city of Mecca?
northeast
northwest
southeast
southwest
What does the straight purple line on the map represent?
Trans-Saharan Trade Routes
Present-day country borders
Degrees of latitude and longitude
Mansa Musa's hajj to Mecca
Near which river did Mansa Musa’s journey begin?
Nile River
Tigris River
Niger River
Zambezi River
What is the name of the famous mosque that still stands even today in the city of Timbuktu?
Al-Azhar Mosque
Blue Mosque
Great Mosque of Djenne
Djinguereber Mosque
Based on the context clues, what does the term “net worth” mean?
Net worth means that something is in high demand or valued.
Net worth means the total wealth or value of someone.
Net worth means a long journey or pilgrimage to Mecca.
Net worth means to raise the value of gold and silver currency.
Which of following statements about "Mali Today" is NOT true?
About one half of Mali's population live in poverty.
Islam remains the dominant religion of the area.
Mali has continued to be at peace since the reign of Mansa Musa.
Most of the area's gold deposits were used up before the 19th century.
Which trade-route city was located southwest of Timbuktu?
Gao
Marrakech
Taghaza
Djenne
What factor(s) contributed to fall of the Mali Empire after the death of Mansa Musa?
Spread of Islam
Invasion from Outsiders
Disappearance of Gold/Riches
Lack of Effective Leadership
The wealth of Mali's Empire relied heavily on their access to...
gold and salt mines
libraries and mosques
a network of trade routes
political instability and violence
