wayground logo

Free Printable Worksheets

Font size

S
M
L
XL
Worksheets

Semester Test

Total questions: 150

Worksheet time: 1hrs 29mins

Name
Class
Date
1.
Sumer is important because it was...
a)
the world's first civilization
b)
the world's largest empire
c)
where humans evolved
d)
where fishing villages first developed
2.
The Fertile Crescent soil is...
a)
dry
b)
rich
c)
rocky
d)
unproductive
3.
The Fertile Crescent is present-day...
a)
Egypt
b)
Iran
c)
Iraq
d)
Persia
4.
The only people in Mesopotamia who could read or write were...
a)
kings
b)
merchants
c)
priests
d)
scribes
5.
A system of watering crops is...
a)
cuneiform
b)
irrigation
c)
levees
d)
ziggurats
6.
The Babylonian King who wrote 282 laws...
a)
Cyrus
b)
Abraham
c)
Hammurabi
d)
Moses
7.
City-states offered protection to their citizens with...
a)
irrigation systems
b)
strong armies
c)
good record keeping
d)
walls around the city
8.
The three main crops of Mesopotamia are barley, ____________, and sesame seeds.
a)
apples
b)
dates
c)
prunes
d)
raisins
9.
Priest in Sumer...
a)
communicated with the Gods
b)
Introduced new technology
c)
lead the economy
d)
ran farms
10.
Why did historians name the area Mesopotamia?
a)
It has highly fertile soil.
b)
It is bordered by rivers on two sides.
c)
It contained the first unified nation.
d)
A diverse group of people lived there.
11.
What is first needed for the development of a civilization?
a)
architectural knowledge
b)
food production
c)
military power
d)
mineral resources
12.
What tool (made with metal) did the Sumerians invent that aided farmers?
a)
irrigation pipes
b)
lighter wagons
c)
strong plows
d)
farm fences
13.
Polytheism is the belief that...
a)
spirits that control your life.
b)
the universe controls your life.
c)
there are many gods.
d)
there is a heaven.
14.
Ziggurats were built to...
a)
give gods a place to better protect the people.
b)
show people the city-states were wealthy.
c)
serve as public meeting places for government officials.
d)
provide food and shelter for the poor.
15.
The Code of Hammurabi was carved into stone and placed around Babylon to...
a)
allow people to comment and change unjust laws.
b)
help visitors understand their customs.
c)
make sure everyone could see and follow the same laws.
d)
show his power for punishment over his people.
16.
The Epic of Gilgamesh shows that gods/goddesses were...
a)
remote and uninterested in humans.
b)
behaved like humans but had superhuman powers.
c)
were actually under control of humans.
d)
controlled humans thoughts and actions.
17.
The floods benefited Mesopotamia by...
a)
supplying fresh drinking water.
b)
giving highly fertile soil.
c)
removing waste-generated pollution.
d)
giving strong natural defenses.
18.
Mesopotamia had a surplus of food because...
a)
everyone had some kind of agricultural job during the year.
b)
they used metal tools and irrigation systems to increase crop yields.
c)
scientists developed hybrid crops that resisted diseases.
d)
trade networks brought grain and animal products.
19.
What led to the conquest of Sumer?
a)
unification of city-states
b)
peace among city-states
c)
fighting among city states
d)
wealth of city-states
20.
How did Cyrus the Great treat the Jews?
a)
allowed them to continue living in Jerusalem
b)
banished them from Jerusalem
21.

Dangerous, rocky, fast moving water.

a)

Papyrus

b)

Cataract

c)

Delta

d)

Dynasty

22.

A line of rulers from one family.

a)

Papyrus

b)

Hieroglyphics

c)

Dynasty

d)

Delta

23.

A reed plant used to make paper.

a)

Hieroglyphics

b)

Cataract

c)

Dynasty

d)

Papyrus

24.

A fan-shaped area of fertile marshland formed where the Nile River meets the Mediterranean Sea

a)

Delta

b)

Dynasty

c)

Cataract

d)

Papyrus

25.

The Egyptian writing system that uses thousands of picture symbols representing objects and ideas.

a)

Cataract

b)

Delta

c)

Papyrus

d)

Hieroglyphics

26.

How did the Egyptians take advantage of the Nile’s yearly spring flooding?

a)

They became successful farmers.

b)

They created hieroglyphics.

c)

They grew papyrus.

d)

They irrigated during the dry season.

27.

To learn how to obtain life after death, the Egyptians studied the.

a)

Book of Life After Death.

b)

Book of Prayers.

c)

Book of Spells.

d)

Book of the Dead.

28.

During the Middle Kingdom, Egypt conquered new territories, the pharaohs made many improvements, and

a)

a civil war divided Egypt.

b)

many pyramids were built.

c)

Memphis became the capital.

d)

the arts flourished.

29.

The Egyptian invention to prevent the pharaoh’s body from decomposing was

a)

creating a dummy stuffed with straw.

b)

the act of embalming.

c)

surveying the pyramid.

d)

removing only the eyes.

30.

A line of rulers that passes power from father to son is a

a)

delta.

b)

dynasty.

c)

reign.

d)

scimitar.

31.

The Egyptians practiced a _________________ religion believing in many Gods.

a)

Monotheistic

b)

Hieroglyphic

c)

Agnostic

d)

Polytheistic

32.

Hatshepsut was Pharaoh along side who?

a)

Her husband Thutmose II

b)

Her father Amon

c)

Her step-son Thutmose III

d)

Her grandson Amenhotep II

33.

King Tut, along with many Pharaohs of the New Kingdom was buried where?

a)

In a pyramid

b)

In the Valley of the Kings

c)

In the Nile River Valley

d)

In a secret tomb

34.

The Old Kingdom of Egypt is characterized by _________________________.

a)

Conquering nearby civilizations

b)

Developing art and literature

c)

Building pyramids for Pharaohs

d)

Having a strong military

35.

How long is the Nile River?

a)

1,000 miles

b)

4,000 miles

c)

8,000 miles

d)

12,000 miles

36.

What is a Theocracy?

a)

A ruler controls both religious and political affairs.

b)

Power is passed down from father to son.

c)

Rulers are voted on by the public.

d)

Representatives are elected from each region.

37.

What skills did the Egyptians learn from the Hyksos?

a)

Making silk and colored dyes

b)

Creating sculptures and jewelry for nobles

c)

Using iron weapons and horse-drawn chariots

d)

Constructing temples and shrines

38.

Which statement about Meroe is NOT true.

a)

It was the center of iron production

b)

It was an agricultural village

c)

It was the heart of a trade network

d)

It had small pyramids for rulers

39.

Which of the following was NOT a lifestyle during prehistoric times?

a)

hunting/gathering

b)

nomadic

c)

industrial

d)

scavenging

40.

Archaeology means:

a)

the study of ancient people and their culture

b)

the study of the human brain

c)

the study of the past

d)

the study of social interactions

41.

Radiocarbon Dating tells scientists:

a)

how big something is

b)

how old something is

c)

how to dig

d)

where to dig

42.

Which of the following groups were known for burying their dead with various items?

a)

Neanderthals

b)

Homo Nomadic

c)

Homo Habilis

d)

Cro-Magnons

43.

Which prehistoric gender were most responsible for gathering fruits, nuts and seeds?

a)

males

b)

females

44.

Which prehistoric gender were most responsible for hunting animals for food?

a)

males

b)

females

45.

Which of the following words is Latin for “made with skill?”

a)

archaeology

b)

carbon

c)

artifact

d)

museum

46.

Which continent do historians believe all human beings originate from?

a)

Antarctica

b)

Australia

c)

Asia

d)

Africa

47.

The Stone Age was three periods including the Paleolithic, Mesolithic, and ___________ period.

a)

Neolithic

b)

Mesolithic

c)

Paleolithic

48.

Most prehistoric people were nomadic meaning they built permanent houses to live in.

a)

True

b)

False

49.

What was the most important discovery in human history?

a)

ice

b)

water

c)

stone

d)

fire

50.

Which of the following would be an ideal tool for hunting?

a)

an awl

b)

bow and arrows

c)

fungi

d)

chewing tobacco

51.

Cartographers, people who draw maps, use lines of the longitude and latitude to determine ___.

a)

absolute location

b)

relative location

c)

place

d)

region

52.

Development of agriculture allowed prehistoric humans to settle down and grow crops for food.

a)

True

b)

False

53.

What is prehistory?

a)

period of history when hieroglyphics were used

b)

period of history when cuneiform was used

c)

period of history before written language was invented

54.

Event that increased the demand for trade goods, developed banking principles and led to the Renaissance.

a)

Black Death

b)

Pax Romana

c)

Crusades

d)

Hundred Years' War

55.

Development in Renaissance art that states distant objects appear smaller than closer objects.

a)

Contrast

b)

Perspective

c)

Calligraphy

d)

Mosaic

56.

A political, social, economic, and cultural "rebirth" from the 1300's to the 1500's C.E.

a)

Middle Ages

b)

Reformation

c)

Classical Era

d)

Renaissance

57.

Painted the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper

a)

Jan van Eyck

b)

Machiavelli

c)

Michelangelo

d)

Leonardo da Vinci

58.

Author of The Prince who believed rulers should have absolute power.

a)

Machiavelli

b)

Erasmus

c)

Sir Thomas More

d)

Petrarch

59.

Renaissance artist who painted the Sistine Chapel ceiling and sculpted The David.

a)

Jan van Eyck

b)

Michelangelo

c)

Machiavelli

d)

Leonardo da Vinci

60.

"Father of Humanism" who wrote sonnets to Laura and preserved Greco-Roman manuscripts.

a)

Petrarch

b)

Johann Gutenberg

c)

Erasmus

d)

Sir Thomas More

61.

The Renaissance emerged from Italian city-states like Florence, Venice, and Genoa.

a)

True

b)

False

62.

Invented the movable type printing press.

a)

Petrarch

b)

Johann Gutenberg

c)

Erasmus

d)

Sir Thomas More

63.

Which is NOT an impact of the Gutenberg Press

a)

Books were cheaper

b)

Literacy rates increased

c)

People began to study the Bible for themselves

d)

Literacy rates decreased

64.

Who wrote The Praise of Folly?

a)

Petrarch

b)

Johann Gutenberg

c)

Erasmus

d)

Sir Thomas More

65.

Who wrote Utopia?

a)

Petrarch

b)

Johann Gutenberg

c)

Erasmus

d)

Sir Thomas More

66.

Who wrote Hamlet, Romeo & Juliet, and Macbeth?

a)

Machiavelli

b)

Shakespeare

c)

Virgil

d)

Homer

67.

Believed the end justifies the means, do good if possible, evil if necessary.

a)

Charlemagne

b)

William the Conqueror

c)

Machiavelli

d)

Petrarch

68.

Renaissance art focused on the individual and worldly matters as well as Christianity.

a)

True

b)

False

69.

Intellectual movement that focused on human potential and studying subjects like rhetoric, history, poetry, and grammar.

a)

Humanism

b)

Middle Ages

c)

Classical Era

d)

Crusades

70.

Following the collapse of Rome, there was a loss of what in Western Europe

a)

Local Governments

b)

Strong Central Government

c)

Barbarian Invasions

d)

Religion

71.

Which of these is NOT a characteristic of the middle ages

a)

Disruption in Trade

b)

Loss of common language

c)

Decline in learning

d)

Lack of Progress

e)

Lack of Culture and societal values

72.

People started moving into _____ settings during the middle ages

a)

Urban

b)

Suburban

c)

Rural

d)

Townships

73.

What was the dominate religion in Western Europe during the Middle Ages

a)

Christianity

b)

Islam

c)

Judaism

d)

Paganism

74.

Who led the European Army against the Muslims in the Battle of Tours

a)

Charlamagne

b)

Charles the Great

c)

Charles Martel

d)

William of Orange

75.

What was the consequences of the European victory at the Battle of Tours?

a)

Stopped Papal progress

b)

Boosted the Church's authority

c)

Stopped the advance of Islam

d)

The Spanish are now in retreat.

76.

He was crowned Holy Roman Emperor on 12/25/800

a)

Charles Martel

b)

William II

c)

George VI

d)

Charlamagne

77.

What types of reforms did Charlamagne institute in the Holy Roman Empire?

(a)  

78.

This treaty split up the Holy Roman Empire

a)

Treaty of Paris

b)

Treaty of Versaille

c)

Treaty of Verdun

d)

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

79.

In exchange for their loyalty, lords would provide what to their serfs?

(a)  

80.

(a)   was a code of ethics and morals among knights

81.

What did noble women get when their husbands died

a)

Fiefdom

b)

Castle

c)

Manor

d)

Lordship

82.

What happens when you violate church law

a)

Go to hell

b)

Ostracized

c)

Excommunicated

d)

Purgatory

83.

The author who wrote about his journey through hell

a)

Chaucer

b)

Dante

c)

Shakespear

d)

Virgil

84.

Series of holy wars waged against the muslims

(a)  

85.

What were the knights inspired by to go crusading?

(Select all that apply)

a)

Promise of salvation

b)

Spoils of war

c)

Relief from debt and taxes

d)

God!

e)

The pope urged it

86.

What were some of the benefits to come out of the crusades for Western Europeans?

4 lines
87.

What year did plague reach the shores of Europe?

a)

1450

b)

1349

c)

1348

d)

1347

88.

About how many people were killed from the plague

(a)  

89.

What did they catapult over the walls in Caffa

(a)  

90.

How did the term quarantine come about?

(a)  

91.

Who was the patron saint of the plague victims

a)

Joseph

b)

Assisi

c)

Sebastian

d)

Leo

92.

Who did the flagellant blame for the plague

a)

Catholics

b)

Christians

c)

Jews

d)

Muslims

93.

Who were the flagellants?

(a)  

94.

Physician turned future predictor had some good ideas on how to combat plague

a)

Chaucer

b)

Flamel

c)

Nostradamus

d)

Rasputin

95.

The idea that the land is self sustainable, worked by the people and protected by the lord

a)

Manorialism

b)

Fiefdoms

c)

Lordism

d)

King Breckyn

96.

The Middle ages was just a thousand years of darkness and nothing

a)

True

b)

False

97.

The cause of the Black Death was not discovered until hundreds of years later.

a)

True

b)

False

c)

I mean...maybe

d)

Plague??? What plague.. Follow the science!

98.

What are the four classes in feudalism

4 lines
99.

Fill out this chart

4 lines
100.

Where did the Maya settle?

a)

high in the Himalaya Mountains

b)

Mesopotamia

c)

Yucatan Peninsula

d)

Andes Mountains of modern day Peru

101.
In which ecological zone did the Maya live?
a)
desert
b)
mountains
c)
rainforest
d)
savanna
102.
Religious worship was led by priest-kings but all Mayans worshiped many Gods.  This type of religion is known as
a)

monotheism

b)

polytheism

103.

Which were the tallest and most important buildings in Maya cities?

a)

houses

b)

observatories to study the stars

c)

pyramids

d)

ball courts

104.
The game played at Mayan ball courts was called
a)
stellas
b)
pok-a-tok
c)
glyph
105.
The pictures and symbols used in Mayan writing are called
a)
numbers
b)
letters
c)
hieroglyphics
d)
lines
106.
The Ruler of the Mayans was seen as a...
a)
War-Leader
b)
God-King
c)
Weak-Man
d)
Priest
107.
Choose the correct order of the Mayan Social Pyramid
a)
slaves, ruler, peasants, merchants/artisans, nobles/priests
b)
nobles/priests, slaves, ruler, peasants, artisans/merchants
c)
Ruler, nobles/priests, merchants/artisans, peasants, slaves
d)
Rich dudes, poor dudes, average dudes
108.
Why were human sacrifices made?
a)
too many people loved in the city
b)
a punishment for not following the rules
c)
to please the gods
d)
animals were considered sacred so humans were used
109.
What led to the demise of the Maya
a)
possible drought
b)
possible invasion
c)
possible overuse of the land
d)
possibly all of the above
110.
Were considered the backbone of Mayan society because they grew  most of the food.
a)
artisans
b)
slaves
c)
merchants
d)
peasants
111.
A farming technique in which vegetation is cut away and burned to clear land  for growing crops
a)
slash and burn agriculture
b)
earth platforms
c)
terraces
d)
plowing
112.

Which of these modern countries is in the area where Maya civilization developed and is home to large numbers of Maya today?

a)

Panama

b)

Venezuela

c)

Guatemala

d)

Costa Rica

113.

Which was the primary Maya food?

a)

corn

b)

beans

c)

squash

d)

chili peppers

114.

Where did Aztec nomads settle around a.d. 1300?

a)

Copan

b)

Yucatan

c)

Tenochtitlán

d)

Valley of México

115.

What did the city-states under Aztec control get in return for the tribute they paid?

a)

protection

b)

the right to govern themselves

c)

temples to worship Aztec gods

d)

better farmland

116.

How did Aztec nobles get their positions?

a)

They made sacrifices at the temples.

b)

They bought them from the king.

c)

They inherited them

d)

The people elected them.

117.

What shows that the Aztec were polytheistic?

a)

The Aztec worshipped up to 1,000 gods.

b)

Religion was central at all levels of society.

c)

Religion was central at all levels of society.

d)

Sometimes the Aztec sacrificed humans in religious ceremonies.

118.

What were the Warrior Schools?

a)

Military training schools from a young age. At these schools, boys learned read and build weapons.

b)

Military training schools from as teenagers. At these schools, boys learned to fight in formation and use weapons.

c)

Military training schools from a young age. At these schools, boys learned to fight in formation and use weapons.

119.

What's the name of the Aztec Capital?

a)

Texcoco

b)

Chinapa

c)

Templo Mayor

d)

Tenochtitlan

120.

A city with its surrounding territory forms an independent state is

a)

a city state

b)

a chinapas

c)

a temple

d)

a city capital

121.

Which color represents where the Aztec civilization was?

a)

blue

b)

red

c)

gray

d)

green

122.

Which best describes how the Aztecs spread their power?

a)

Conquest

b)

Trade

c)

Diplomacy

d)

Alliances

123.

The __ god seemed to be most important to the Aztec.

a)

Sun

b)

Jaguar

c)

Serpent

d)

Quetzal

124.

Where was the Inca Empire located?

a)

The Yucatán Peninsula

b)

The Valley of Cuzco

c)

The Sierra Madre Mountains

d)

The Amazon Basin

125.

Whats the name of the stone city built high up in the Andes including religious temples, royal residences, and houses for workers?

a)

Andes

b)

Cusco

c)

Machu Picchu

d)

Nahuatl

126.

Cutting flat steps or terraces into the side of a mountain to have more land to cultivate is known as

a)

tribute

b)

quechua

c)

terrace farming

d)

chinampas farming

127.

Their bridges built of wood, stone, and thick rope, as well as their extensive network and roads, plus their entire cities built out of stone show us that the Inca were

a)

lazy

b)

gifted engineers and builders

c)

using a lot of help from the Maya

d)

skilled readers and writers

128.

In the Inca Empire, commoners

a)

carved terraces and planted crops

b)

farmed communal lands and worked on state-owned farms

c)

served in the army and on building projects

d)

all of the above

129.
What does the term "mesoamerican" mean?
a)
Middle Passage
b)
Middle America, between North and South America
c)
Middle America, including states like Texas and Oklahoma
d)
Messy America
130.
The Buddha stresses that each person should seek enlightenment through
a)
self-denial
b)
reincarnation
c)
meditation
d)
acculturation
131.
1.  In Hinduism _____ refers to all the actions of a person’s life that affects his or her fate in the next life.
a)
Ahimsa
b)
Dharma
c)
Karma
d)
Reincarnation
132.
Confucius developed a philosophy that was concerned with__________. 
a)
 Ensuring social order and good government
b)
Ensuring unity and joint family structure 
c)
Expanding a country’s territory
d)
Ensuring people lived in harmony with nature 
133.
Which term refers to seasonal winds that regularly blow across the Indian subcontinent?
a)
Tornado
b)
Deccan
c)
Monsoon
d)
Sirocco
134.
A medical treatment during the Han Dynasty which involves inserting needles into the skin to treat is known as
a)
Stitches
b)
Acupressure
c)
Shiatsu
d)
Acupuncture 
135.
Which term refers to the Buddhists belief of union with the universe and release from the cycle of rebirth? 
a)
Moksha
b)
Atman
c)
Ahimsa
d)
Nirvana
136.
 The Hindu belief that your soul will be reborn into another form is called____
a)
Reincarnation
b)
Atman
c)
Moksha
d)
Nirvana
137.
Which job would a peasant in ancient China NOT have? 
a)
Farming
b)
Creating jewelry and weapons
c)
Fighting in battles
d)
 Fixing dams and canals
138.
The _____ Cycle refers to the rise and fall of ruling families in China 
a)
Mandate of Heaven
b)
Oracle
c)
Dynastic
d)
Fuedal
139.
Which describe the Mandate of Heaven? 
a)
Interpretations made by priests by reading oracle bones
b)
Where lords are given land to rule in exchange for military service
c)
The rise and fall of dynasties
d)
The divine right to rule
140.
The trade routes that allowed the movement of textiles, horses, and food from China to the west is called 
a)
The Dynastic Cycle
b)
The Silk Road
c)
The Great Wall
d)
Mandate of Heaven
141.

The Indus and Huang He Rivers are both closely associated with

a)

border disputes

b)

biblical sites

c)

river valley civilizations

d)

oil discoveries

142.

Which of the following best explains how Qin rule affected China?

a)

China had more problems under Qin rule.

b)

China became unified under Qin rule.

c)

China had more poverty under Qin rule.

d)

China became divided under Qin rule.

143.

Which of the following were the Shang the first to develop in China?

a)

use advanced metal tools.

b)

develop a writing system.

c)

hunt with bows and arrows.

d)

domesticate pigs and sheep.

144.

What was the purpose of the Great Wall?

a)

to unify the nation

b)

to protect the nation

c)

to beautify the nation

d)

to energize the nation

145.

What did Confucius belief about government?

a)

Leaders should lead by example.

b)

Leaders should lead as little as possible.

c)

Leaders should set strict rules and punish harshly.

d)

There should be no leaders at all.

146.
What continent is India in?
a)
Europe
b)
Africa
c)
Asia
d)
Australia
147.
What religion came to China from India and gained many followers?
a)
Catholicism
b)
Buddhism
c)
Hinduism
d)
Jainism
148.
Who is the founder of Buddhism?
a)
Siddhartha Gautama
b)
Chandragupta
c)
Gautama Chandra
d)
Gupta Gautama
149.
What are the basic beliefs of Buddhism?
a)
Eight Fold Path
b)
Enlightened Path
c)
Four Noble Truths
d)
Four Noble Paths
150.

What religion forms the basis of the caste system?

a)

Buddhism

b)

Hinduism

c)

Christianity

d)

Judaism