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History of SW Asia

Total questions: 34

Worksheet time: 35mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

What would be the BEST title for the image?

a)

Kurdish Dream for Homeland

b)

Country of the Kurds

c)

Partial Control of Kurdish territories

d)

Mesopotamia

2.

Europeans created artificial borders in the Middle East causing conflict between ethnic and religious groups. How were Europeans able to partition the land?

a)

Europeans persecuted Jews through the Holocaust

b)

Europeans won land from the Ottoman Empire concluding WWI

c)

Jews were forced to leave by the Romans in the Diaspora

d)

Immigrants moved to Palestine after WWII

3.

US is attacked on September 11th, 2001 US invades country harboring terrorists responsible for 9/11 US overthrows Taliban government


Which of the events is described in the list?

a)

Persian Gulf War

b)

Operation Iraqi Freedom

c)

Invasion of Afghanistan

d)

World War II

4.

Sunni & Shia conflict in Iraq and Syria

Kurdish nationalism

Israeli Jew & Palestinian Arab Conflict


Which THEME unites the items above?

a)

US Involvement in the Middle East

b)

Land & Religion conflicts in the Middle East

c)

Conflicts prior to WWI

d)

Anti-Semitism and the Holocaust

5.

Why did the international community feel sympathetic for a Jewish homeland?

a)

WWI

b)

The Holocaust

c)

Balfour Declaration

d)

Jewish Diaspora

6.

The US invaded ________ again in 2003 in order to destroy the nuclear weapons program and overthrow Saddam Hussein.

a)

Afghanistan

b)

Israel

c)

Iraq

d)

Iran

7.

Diaspora ----> Zionism ----> ____________ ----> Establishment of Israel


Which event is missing from the timeline above?

a)

Six Day War

b)

Kurdish Nationalism

c)

WWI

d)

Holocaust

8.

Why is the US involved in the Middle East?

a)

protection against terrorism and oil interests

b)

so we can spread western influence on the eastern world

c)

to acquire colonies

d)

to enhance trade agreements

9.

Which war is described in this newspaper's headlines?

a)

Operation Iraqi Freedom

b)

Operation Desert Storm

c)

Invasion of Afghanistan

d)

Sunni Shia Conflict in Iraq

10.

___________: Arab ; Israeli: Jew

a)

Palestinian

b)

Shia

c)

Iraqi

d)

Kurd

11.

Why are the Sunni and Shia in conflict in Iraq and Syria today?

  • more than 1 correct answer
a)

The Shia believe the leader should be Muhammad's bloodline and the Sunni do not.

b)

The Sunni are the minority group that are more strict.

c)

The Sunni believe Christ is divine while the Shia do not.

d)

They were lumped together reluctantly after WWI.

12.

Who was upset with with the Balfour Declaration and increased momentum of the Zionist movement?

a)

Shia Muslims

b)

Israeli Jews

c)

Palestinian Arabs

d)

Kurds

13.

Oil is the natural resource that US decided to protect in the Middle East

a)
b)
14.

Which of the following ethnic groups would like to have their own homeland in the area where Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Syria come together?

a)

Palestinians

b)

Arabs

c)

Persians

d)

Kurds

15.

Which of the following would help you identify a person's ethnic group?

a)

the holy book they read

b)

the political party they support

c)

the language their family speaks at home

d)

how many gods they believe in

16.

Which of the following ethnic groups would most likely speak Arabic as their first language?

a)

Kurds

b)

Arabs

c)

Persians

d)

Jews

17.

What is the most common language of the Persian ethnic group?

a)

Arabic

b)

Kurdish

c)

Farsi

d)

Hebrew

18.

If you wanted to find a Persian person, which region below would be the best place to look?

a)

Iran

b)

Iraq

c)

the area where Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey come together

d)

the West Bank

19.

What religion do most of the Arabs follow?

a)

Protestant Christianity

b)

Orthodox Judaism

c)

Shia Islam

d)

Sunni Islam

20.

Which of the following BEST explains why most Arabs are Muslims?

a)

The religion was founded in Israel, an area the Arabs conquered in the 600s and they converted to the faith of the people they conquered.

b)

Islam was founded in the Arabian Peninsula which is where the Arab ethnic group is from.

c)

The Ottoman Turks brought the Muslim religion to the Arabian Peninsula in the 1500s when they conquered the region.

d)

Traders from India brought Islam to the Arabian Peninsula in the early 1400s and converted the Arabs.

21.

Which group shares the same history, ancestry, language, traditions, beliefs, food?

a)

Ethnic Groups

b)

Religious Groups

22.

Which ethnic group can be found in SW Asia (Middle East)?

a)

Arabs

b)

Kurds

c)

Persians

d)

All of them

23.

This is a group of people who share the same beliefs and practices

a)

Ethnic Group

b)

Religious Group

24.

The majority of people in the Middle East are

a)

Arab

b)

Persian

c)

Kurd

25.

Most Arabs practice which religion?

a)

Judaism

b)

Christianity

c)

Islam

26.

What language do Arabs speak?

a)

Latin

b)

Farsi

c)

Persian

d)

Arabic

27.

The Kurds are the largest ethnic group in the world without:

a)

a written language.

b)

their own country.

c)

a leader.

d)

none of the above

28.

How does the diversity of religious groups and ethnic groups impact life in Southwest Asia today?

a)

Diversity has little effect on the region because the groups avoid interaction today.

b)

Diversity encourages peace and cooperation throughout the region.

c)

Diversity contributes to ongoing conflict and fighting throughout the region

d)

Diversity attracts many tourists who visit the region's many varied cultures.

29.

All of the following are characteristics of Arabs EXCEPT for:

a)

Originally nomads before forming villages along rivers long ago

b)

Many converted to Islam following the teachings of the prophet Muhammad

c)

Their language is the prominent and unifying language of the region

d)

Most are found in Israel, read out of the Torah, and worship in Synagogues or Temples

30.

Identify the ethnic group being described here:


  • Have no official homeland, but would like one
  • Speak both Kurdish and Arabic
  • Forced to abandon nomadic lifestyle post-WWI
a)

Arabs

b)

Kurds

c)

Persians

d)

Muslims

31.

Identify the ethnic group being described here:


  • Largest ethnic group in Iran
  • Unified by their language, Farsi
  • Originally practiced Zoroastrianism
  • Today most are Muslims
a)

Arabs

b)

Persians

c)

Kurds

d)

Muslims

32.

When did Israel declare its statehood?

a)

1948

b)

1972

c)

1929

d)

1914

33.

Whish two groups of people claim the land of Israel?

a)

Sunnis and Shias

b)

Israeli Jews and Palestinian Arabs

c)

Catholics and Christians

d)

Zoroastrians and Kurds

34.

Which organization first drew the dividing lines of a Palestinian State and an Israeli State in 1947?

a)

The League of Nations

b)

NATO

c)

The United Nations