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Semester 2 Exam Review

Total questions: 53

Worksheet time: 2hrs 46mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Use the passage below to answer the question.

...For Ukraine, however, contamination via river water is still a major problem, since most of the rivers flow southwards. To slow the spread of radiation, protective dams were built along the Dnieper after the accident. "But of course not all riverbanks could be protected in this way," as the Ukrainian government agency Chernobyl Interinform points out in its summary of the situation. "Particularly during flooding, radiation is still leached into rivers. This is a particular threat for the 30 million people who obtain their drinking water from the Dnieper basin. 

The aftermath of which problem is being described in this passage?

a)

volcanic eruption

b)

nuclear disaster

c)

global warming

d)

deforestation

2.

In the mid-twentieth century, the United States supported military dictatorships in Zaire, Somalia, Nigeria, and other newly independent nations in Africa. Which is the main reason the United States gave this support?

a)

to protect the rights of European colonists remaining in Africa

b)

to encourage the development of Marxist economies in Africa

c)

to block the influence of the European imperial powers in Africa

d)

to counter the spread of communism by the Soviet Union in Africa

3.

Base your answer to the question on the map below and on your knowledge of social studies.

Based on the information provided by this map, how did the growth of the Japanese Empire affect China?

a)

China acquired Japanese military technology.

b)

China invaded French Indochina.

c)

China was forced to adopt Korean culture.

d)

China lost control of many of its eastern seaports.

4.

Characteristics of the Government in Iraq in 2012

-Parliamentary democracy based on federalism

-President and prime minister share powers

-Legislative branch consists of elected members

-Judicial ranch has a structured hierarchy

Why was this type of government established in Iraq?

a)

to localize economic authority

b)

to empower military leaders

c)

to enable judges to approve legislation

d)

to protect the basic rights of citizens

5.

How did Nazi leaders address the concern expressed by Goebbels?

 

The Jewish question is again giving us a headache; this time, however, not because we have gone too far, but because we are not going far enough. Among large sections of German people the idea is gaining headway that the Jewish question cannot be regarded as solved until all Jews have left the Reich.

--Joseph Goebels, 1942

a)

close supervision of Jewish immigration

b)

implementation of the Final Solution

c)

policies encouraging the creation of Israel

d)

permanent segregation of Jewish neighborhoods

6.

Base your answer to the following question on the maps below and on your knowledge of social studies.

Which claim is best supported by the evidence included in these maps?

a)

Egypt and Ethiopia are no longer part of Africa.

b)

By 1980, most African countries had become independent. 

c)

By 1950, most of Africa was controlled by Russia or the United States.

d)

The Union of South Africa was renamed Namibia.

7.

Use the list below to answer the question.

1943: Lebanon gained independence from France

1956: The Suez Crisis strengthened Arab nationalism

1958: Revolution in Iraq ended the monarchy

1975-1990: Civil war occurred in Lebanon

Which phrase BEST explains one cause of the events described in this list?

a)

rejection of European imperialism

b)

creation of an international military alliance

c)

negotiation between ethnic groups

d)

rebellion against democratic governments

8.

Base your answer to the question on the chart below and on your knowledge of social studies.

Which generalization can best be supported using the data in this chart?

a)

The more globalized a country is, the more literate its inhabitants are.

b)

The more interconnected a country is with other countries, the higher its life expectancy is.

c)

The higher population a country has, the more globalized it is.

d)

Countries in Europe and Asia have higher life expectancy than countries in South America

9.

Which was a major result of World War II?

a)

The Allies created a united Germany with free elections.

b)

The Allies installed democratic governments in Eastern Europe.

c)

The Allies founded the United Nations to ensure peace.

d)

The Allies established new colonial empires in Asia for political stability.

10.

Base your answer to the question on the cartoon below and your knowledge of social studies.

Which statement best describes the author’s point of view?

a)

Nuclear proliferation occurs in all societies.

b)

Actions of one nation often affect other nations.

c)

Nuclear technology should be limited to the global superpowers.

d)

Most governments are critical of India's nuclear tests.

11.

Which factor was MOST responsible for the genocide that occurred in the Balkan countries in the latter part of the 20th century?

a)

environmental degradation

b)

unequal distribution of resources

c)

high unemployment rates

d)

rivalries between ethnic groups

12.

Use the cartoon below to answer the question.

The leaders in this 1936 cartoon are depicted as “spineless” because they

a)

signed the Treaty of Versailles.

b)

wanted to avoid global conflict at any cost.

c)

depended on economic measures to stop aggression.

d)

recognized the communist government in the Soviet Union.

13.

The Non-Aligned Movement of the 1950s and 1960s was organized by countries that had no strong alliance with either

a)

the Axis or Allied powers during World War II.

b)

he United States or Soviet Union during the Cold War.

c)

the Arab states or Israel in the Arab-Israeli Conflict.

d)

the Nationalists or Republicans in the Spanish Civil War.

14.

These graphs show data from Europe in the months prior to World War I.

What thesis could be supported by the information in the above graphs?

a)

The British military was weak at the beginning of the war.

b)

The Russian military had superior strength at the beginning of the war.

c)

The German economy and military were too weak to support the war effort.

d)

The French economy was strong enough to fight a war for many years.

15.

Which is a major reason that the outcome of World War I contributed to the outbreak of World War II?

a)

Germany resented losing territory and having to pay huge reparations after World War I.

b)

Germany demanded France allow Germans to settle in Alsace and Lorraine after World War I.

c)

The League of Nations tried to impose economic sanctions on Germany following World War I.

d)

The League of Nations demanded that Poland return to Germany territory lost following World War I.

16.

Use the excerpt below to answer the question.

 

When the Defense Department issues a $19,800 contract on December 6, 1967, for the purpose of studying the 'design and specification of a computer network,' the world didn't take notice. But it should have. For, from that small, four-month study grew the ARPANET. And, from ARPANET emerged the Internet.

   --Federal Communications Commission, 2005

 

What was one effect of this Cold War technology?

a)

Data could be stored more securely.

b)

Global communications became instantaneous.

c)

Troop deployments became more frequent.

d)

Combat strategies could be better tested.

17.

Base your answers to the question on the passage below and on your knowledge of social studies.

"The important lesson wasn't so much the Nazis' extraordinary evil but that it could happen with the participation of so many, the indifference of many more, that humanity has no guarantees against its vicious streaks except its own conscience, for which each individual is responsible . . . the effort for decency and justice must go on every day, everywhere."

–Flora Lewis, the New York Times, July 7, 1987

In the passage, the term "extraordinary evil" refers to the

a)

Berlin Blockade

b)

Cold War Era

c)

Marshall Plan

d)

Holocaust

18.

Use the passage below to answer the question.

 

Even if economic and social [stability] is reestablished, it will be to the [disadvantage] of the Arabs. The superior capital resources at the disposal of the Jews, their greater experience of modern economic technique, and the existence of a deliberate policy of expansion and domination have already gone far toward giving them the economic mastery of Palestine.  

   --Arab presentation to an America and British committee Investigating the Arab-Israeli Conflict (1945)

 

Based on the passage, for which reason might this source be considered reliable?

a)

The writer supports the statements he makes.

b)

The writer favors economic and social justice.

c)

The writer provides statistics for his arguments.

d)

The writer is an unbiased observer of the conflict.

19.

Use the information below to answer the question.

 

          Key Events in the Middle East

1973-1974:

The Arab-Israeli War results in embargo on oil shipments to the United States.

1978-1979:

The revolution in Iran results in reduced oil exports, creating a shortage.

1980-1981:

The Iran-Iraq War results in a 6% reduction of global oil output.

 

What has been the effect of these events on the United States? 

a)

adoption of energy rationing

b)

uncertain access to energy resources

c)

regulations on energy prices

d)

adoption of tariffs on energy imports

20.

Which title BEST completes the partial outline below?

 

     I.    __________________________________

 

a.  Berlin blockade

b.  Cuban missile crisis

c.  Vietnam War

a)

Path to World War I

b)

Victories for Democracy

c)

Cold War Confrontations

d)

Terrorism in the 20th Century

21.

Base your answers to the question on the passage below and on your knowledge of social studies.

. . . One of the most important effects on the environment is indirect, and therefore less obvious: Industrial meat production is a key factor behind deforestation of the Amazon and other tropical rain forests. They’re being cleared to create fields to grow the feed needed for all those cows, especially corn and soy, which the cows eat instead of the grass they’d munch on if they were grazing in fields as they used to do. In fact, most of the corn and soy grown today goes to feed cattle, pigs, and chickens, not people. And all that grain requires vast quantities of chemical fertilizer, which in turn takes vast quantities of oil—1.2 gallons to create the fertilizer for every bushel. Finally, cutting down rainforests, which are full of carbon-absorbing trees, further exacerbates [worsens] climate change by reducing the planet’s ability to soak up carbon. . . .

--Source: Elisabeth Rosenthal, New York Times Upfront, January 18, 2010

 

In which way have many countries joined together to address the problems described in this passage?

a)

signing international environmental agreements

b)

supporting the exportation of surplus corn and soy

c)

genetically modifying crops to increase production

d)

increasing the amount of land under cultivation

22.

The negotiations at the Yalta Conference led to

a)

a disagreement over the function of the United Nations.

b)

an agreement on the type of government to be established in defeated Italy.

c)

a disagreement about the Soviet Union negotiating for a separate peace.

d)

an agreement on a division of Germany into four zones.

23.

Based on this excerpt, which term describes the Ottoman treatment of Armenians?

 

The deportation of and excesses against peaceful Armenians is increasing, and from harrowing reports of eyewitnesses, it appears that a campaign of race extermination is in progress...

   --Henry Morgenthau, Sr., U.S. Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, 1916

a)

forced conversation

b)

genocide

c)

extradition

d)

territorial occupation

24.

The Warsaw Pact was established to offset the

a)

actions of the United Nations Security Council.

b)

organization of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

c)

development of the Marshall Plan.

d)

creation of the League of Nations.

25.

What is a valid conclusion based on the information shown in this chart?

a)

The primary cause of soil degradation throughout the world is bio-industrial.

b)

Deforestation causes soil degradation to more hectares of land in South America than in Asia.

c)

The largest number of hectares affected by soil degradation due to overgrazing is located in Africa.

d)

The fewest number of hectares affected by soil degradation due to arable farming is located in North America.

26.

Use the information below to answer the question.

 

Created at the Bretton Woods Conference in 1944, the World Bank today focuses on development and poverty reduction. It was originally founded to help with postwar reconstruction.

 

What was the primary concern that resulted in the establishment of this institution?

a)

the division of Germany

b)

the occupation of Japan`

c)

the misuse of funds by communist countries

d)

the fear of a global economic depression

27.

Base your answer to the question on the passage below and on your knowledge of social studies.

 

We, the People of South Africa, declare for all our country and the world to know: 

that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black and white, and that no government can justly claim authority unless it is based on the will of all the people; 

that our people have been robbed of their birthright to land, liberty and peace by a form of government founded on injustice and inequality; 

that our country will never be prosperous or free until all our people live in brotherhood, enjoying equal rights and opportunities; 

that only a democratic state, based on the will of all the people, can secure to all their birthright without distinction of colour, race, sex or belief; 

And therefore, we, the people of South Africa, black and white together equals, countrymen and brothers adopt this Freedom Charter; 

And we pledge ourselves to strive together, sparing neither strength nor courage, until the democratic changes here set out have been won.

Source: The Freedom Charter, adopted at the Congress of the People, Kliptown, South Africa, June 26, 1955

 

What are the signers of the Freedom Charter demanding of their country?

a)

distinct economic reforms

b)

separate sovereign states

c)

equality for all citizens

d)

opportunities to combat enemies

28.

Which event was a major cause of the development of Palestinian terrorism?

a)

creation of the European Union

b)

United States entry into the United Nations

c)

creation of a Jewish state in the Middle East

d)

United States deployment of troops to Vietnam

29.

Use the excerpt below to answer the question.

 

...the Fascist conception of life stresses the importance of the State and accepts the individual only in so far as his interests coincide with those of the State. ...It is opposed to classical liberalism. ...Liberalism denied the State in the name of the individual. ...

    --The Doctrine of Fascism, Benito Mussolini, 1932

 

 

Which statement BEST supports this philosophy?

a)

The government has a responsibility to its citizens.

b)

Individual rights are secondary to government concerns.

c)

The government gives inalienable rights to its citizens.

d)

Individual actions are protected by the government.

30.

Which BEST explains the cause of the genocide in Rwanda?

a)

ethnic tensions

b)

religious conflicts

c)

revolutionary ideology

d)

foreign invasion

31.

F. W. de Klerk and Nelson Mandela received the Nobel Peace Prize for their work to end the

a)

foreign control of the diamond mines

b)

discriminatory policy of apartheid

c)

anarchy in Somalia

d)

Boer War

32.

Which factor MOST hindered democratic reform in South Africa until the 1990s?

a)

policies of discrimination against female citizens

b)

strict control by an outside colonial power

c)

leaders respresenting religious institutions

d)

laws enforcing deep racial divisions

33.

Use the passage below to answer the question

 

Elizabeth Robles Ortega began working in the maquilas (foreign factories) at the age of fourteen and was blacklisted from employment after participating in independent union drives on Mexico’s northern border. She later worked as an organizer for the Service, Development, and Peace organization.

NAFTA [North American Free Trade Agreement] has led to an increase in the workforce, as foreign industry has grown. They are reforming labor laws and our constitution to favor even more foreign investment, which is unfair against our labor rights. For example, they are now trying to take away from us free organization which was guaranteed by Mexican law. Because foreign capital is investing in Mexico and is dominating, we must have guarantees. The government is just there with its hands held out; it’s always had them out but now even more shamelessly. . . . Ecological problems are increasing. A majority of women are coming down with cancer — skin and breast cancer, leukemia, and lung and heart problems. There are daily deaths of worker women. You can see and feel the contamination of the water and the air. As soon as you arrive and start breathing the air in Acuña and Piedras Negras [border cities between the states of Coahuila and Texas], you sense the heavy air, making you feel like vomiting. . . .

Source: Interview with Elizabeth “Beti” Robles Ortega in Worlds of History: A Comparative Reader, Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2007

 

Based on this document, what is the author’s primary goal? 

a)

to increase profit ts for factory owners and investors

b)

to gain protection of workers’ rights and improve the workplace

c)

to reduce taxes levied on foreign investments in Mexico

d)

intervene in world conflicts to prevent another war such as World War II.

34.

Use the passage below to answer the question.

 

[The French] have acted contrary to the ideals of humanity and justice. In the field of politics, they have deprived our people of every democratic liberty ... In the field of economics, they ... have robbed s of our rice fields, our mines, our forests, and our raw materials. ... For these reasons, we...declare t the world that Vietnam has the right to be a free and independent country...

  --Ho Chi Mihn (1945)

 

In this passage, Ho Chi Minh is MOST likely making an argument against

a)

accepting a trade agreement with France.

b)

removing French peacekeeping forces from Vietnam.

c)

peacefully accepting French colonial control.

d)

the modernization of the Vietnamese economy with the help of France.

35.

Use the cartoon below to answer the question.

What is the subject of this 1994 cartoon? 

a)

usage of high-yield seeds

b)

removal of economic sanctions

c)

spread of nuclear materials

d)

violation of détente agreements

36.

Use the bulleted list below to answer the question.

-a system of one-party rule

-a militaristic state

-a powerful secret police

-a ministry of propaganda

-a cult of personality

The list MOST likely describes which system of government that existed between World War I and World War II in Europe?

a)

theocracy

b)

constitutional monarchy

c)

dictatorship

d)

parliamentary democracy

37.

Use the excerpt below to answer the question.

 

To achieve international co-operation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character...

   --United Nations Charter, Articles 1, Section 3

 

Based upon the excerpt, which statement BEST explains the motivation for the founding of the organization in 1945?

a)

Europeans hoped to gain access to restricted foreign markets.

b)

Former Axis nations hoped to play a larger role in the post-WWII world.

c)

Nations hoped to find a way to avoid another large-scale war.

d)

Countries hoped to set up a system that supported international immigration.

38.

Base your answers to the question in the excerpt below and your knowledge of social studies. 

 

Sixty percent of Hiroshima was obliterated [destroyed] by the lone atomic bomb dropped on Sunday, it was announced in Guam last night. Five major industrial plants disappeared, and additional damage was done beyond the wiped-out area. Only 2.8 square miles of the city’s 6.9 square miles remained. The city disappeared in a cloud of smoke, flame, and dust that rose 40,000 feet. The missile struck the center of the target, a flash brighter than sunlight covered the city and several minutes later the smoke cloud reached up to the stratosphere. ...

Source: “War News Summarized,” New York Times, August 8, 1945

 

Which event is described in this excerpt from the New York Times? 

a)

use of a deadly new weapon against Japan

b)

invasion of Guam by the United States

c)

firebombing of Tokyo by the United States

d)

attack by the Soviet Union on Germany

39.

Use the timeline below to answer the question.

 

1986-Soviet Leader Declares Perestroika and Glasnost.

1987-Hungary encourages growth of the private sector.

1988-Soviet leader Gorbachev announces a unilateral reduction in armed forces.

1989-The East German government collapses.

The communist government in Poland collapses and new elections are held.

1990-Lech Walesa becomes president of Poland.

Lithuania declares independence.

 

Which was the main consequence of the events described in the timeline?

a)

the spread of Islamic terrorism in Europe

b)

the collapse of the Soviet empire in Eastern Europe

c)

the formation of the European Community

d)

the breakup of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization

40.

Base your answer to the question on the passage below and your knowledge of social studies.

 

The genius of apartheid was convincing people who were the overwhelming majority to turn on each other. Apart hate, is what it was. You separate people into groups and make them hate one another so you can run them all. At the time, black South Africans outnumbered white South Africans nearly five to one, yet we were divided into different tribes with different languages: Zulu, Xhosa, Tswana, Sotho, Venda, Ndebele, Tsonga, Pedi, and more. Long before apartheid existed these tribal factions clashed and warred with one another. Then white rule used that animosity [hatred] to divide and conquer. All nonwhites were systematically classified into various groups and subgroups. Then these groups were given differing levels of rights and privileges in order to keep them at odds...

 

---Trevor Noah, Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood, Spiegel & Grau, 2016

 

According to this author, how did the minority white population maintain control over the majority black population in South Africa? 

a)

through military conscription of black South Africans

b)

through divide and conquer techniques that kept tribes at odds

c)

by enforcing the use of tribal languages so that tribes could not communicate

d)

by allowing democracy within localized areas in the black South African community

41.

Which source of information would be the MOST credible (least biased) in determining durability of various brands of computers?

a)

a salesman at a computer products store

b)

a neighbor who works for a computer manufacturing company

c)

a television advertisement for the most popular brand of computer

d)

an independent survey of consumers who have purchased computers

42.

Base your answer to the question on the cartoon below and on your knowledge of social studies.

What is the main idea of this cartoon? 

a)

Nuclear proliferation continues to threaten the world.

b)

Different people have varying perspectives on artistic values.

c)

Most nations have forgotten the impact of Hiroshima.

d)

Members of the International Atomic Energy Agency support a strategic defense initiative.

43.

Use the flow chart below to answer the question.

 

Establishment of the Nazi Government→Passage of the Nuremberg Laws and building of concentration camps→Harassment and forced emigration of Jewish citizens→Building extermination camps and Genocide

 

Based on the flow chart, which BEST describes the policy of the Nazi government toward German Jews?

a)

The Nazi government wanted the Jewish population to convert to Christianity.

b)

The Nazi government wanted to integrate the Jewish population into German society.

c)

The Nazi government planned to eliminate the Jewish population.

d)

The Nazi government believed the Jewish population would willingly move to another country.

44.

Use the excerpt below to answer the question.

 

The United Kingdom, the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Social Republics shall possess supreme authority with respect to Germany. In exercise of such authority they will take such steps, including the complete dismemberment of Germany as they deem requisite for future peace and security. 

   --Protocol of Proceedings of Crimea (Yalta) Conference, 1945

 

Which event helped fulfill the provisions in this excerpt?

a)

the creation of the United Nations

b)

the formation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization

c)

the creation of Allied occupation zones

d)

the implementation of the Marshall Plan

45.

One reason Mao Zedong, Ho Chi Minh, and Fidel Castro rose to power was that these leaders 

a)

promoted capitalism and democracy

b)

gained the support of the peasants

c)

represented the interests of rich landowners

d)

wanted their countries to stress religious values

46.

What is the key idea of this cartoon?

a)

Genocide in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, and Darfur has been stopped.

b)

Human rights issues are best dealt with by the United Nations.

c)

The United Nations has not been effective in ending genocide.

d)

Fear of war crimes trials has brought peace to troubled regions.

47.

A major goal of both the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has been to 

a)

control oil prices

b)

promote the development of rainforests

c)

expand governmental control of industry

d)

encourage economic development

48.

Selected International Organizations

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)

Red Cross

Doctors Without Borders

 

The growth of these organizations best reflects which social impacts of globalization?

a)

the loosening of immigration restrictions

b)

the modernization of medical science

c)

the centralization of international diplomacy

d)

the growth of humanitarian aid efforts

49.

Use the bulleted list and your knowledge of social studies to answer the question.

 

• Sale of nuclear materials on the black market

• Reassertion of cultural identities in Ukraine and Moldova

• Application for membership in the European Union by the Czech Republic

 

Which event most directly influenced these conditions? 

a)

failure of the Berlin blockade

b)

revolution in Iran

c)

pro-democracy protests in Tiananmen Square

d)

collapse of the Soviet Union

50.

Base your answer to the question on the map and graph below and on your knowledge of social studies.

Based on the information provided by this map and graph, which statement is accurate?

a)

Women have gained national leadership positions only in Western democracies.

b)

The political power of women has declined steadily since the 1960s.

c)

Women have been national leaders in nearly every world region.

d)

Women national leaders have been dominant in African governments.

51.

Use the passage below to answer the question.

 

...The expansion of communications meant that the world got more deeply connected and became "flat." in Thomas Friedman's famous formulation. Cheap phone calls and broadband made it possible for people to do jobs for one country in another country--- marking the next stage in the ongoing story of capitalism. With the arrival of big ships in the fifteenth century, goods became mobile. In the 1990s, labor became mobile. People could not necessarily go where the jobs were, but jobs could go to where people were. And they went to programmers in India, telephone operators in the Philippines, and radiologists in Thailand. The cost of transporting goods and services has been falling for centuries. With the advent [coming] of broadband, it has dropped to zero for many services. Not all jobs can be outsourced----not by a long shot---but the effect of outsourcing can be felt everywhere...

--Fareed Zakaria The Post-American World, W.W. Norton & Company, 2008 

 

Which conclusion about the global economy is BEST supported by this 2008 passage?

a)

The labor market in Asia relies on child labor.

b)

Technology has decreased the cost of doing business.

c)

Capitalism has not met the needs of the working class.

d)

Globalization is creating fewer jobs.

52.

These countries saw major changes in governance as a result of which action?

 

           Eastern European Revolutions of 1989

Poland

Hungary

East Germany

Bulgaria

Czechoslovakia

a)

participation in the global economy

b)

approval of democratic constitutions

c)

widespread demonstrations for political rights

d)

assistance from foreign occupying powers

53.

Use the information in the list to answer the question.

 

                   World Wildlife Fund History

-Organizers recognize a world wildlife emergency

-Committed in 1961 to advocate for joint efforts to protect wildlife around the world

-Pushed for shared responsibility in bringing the emergency to the attention of people worldwide

 

Based on the above information, how did the World Wildlife Fund hope to achieve its goal of protecting endangered animals?

a)

by using military action against those who opposed its efforts

b)

by appealing to like-minded individuals around the globe

c)

by working with individual states to bring about change

d)

by providing local police forces to patrol national parks