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Ancient Oceania

Total questions: 21

Worksheet time: 11mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

What is the primary tool used by Polynesian navigators to find their way across the ocean?

a)

Compass

b)

Stars

c)

GPS

d)

Maps

2.

Which European explorer is known for his voyages to the Pacific and contact with the Maori people?

a)

Christopher Columbus

b)

Ferdinand Magellan

c)

James Cook

d)

Vasco da Gama

3.

Describe one way in which European contact impacted the indigenous people of Oceania.

a)

Introduction of new technologies

b)

Increase in native population

c)

Preservation of traditional cultures

d)

Isolation from the rest of the world

4.

Explain how the Maori people of New Zealand traditionally navigated the seas.

a)

By using modern maps

b)

By following the flight patterns of birds

c)

By using the position of the sun and stars

d)

By using compasses

5.

Identify the region where the Maori people are indigenous.

a)

Hawaii

b)

New Zealand

c)

Fiji

d)

Samoa

6.

Discuss the role of oral traditions in preserving the history of ancient Papua New Guinea.

a)

They were written down in books.

b)

They were passed down through generations by storytelling.

c)

They were recorded on stone tablets.

d)

They were forgotten over time.

7.

Which geographic feature is most associated with Polynesia?

a)

Deserts

b)

Mountains

c)

Islands

d)

Forests

8.

Analyze the impact of James Cook's voyages on European knowledge of the Pacific.

a)

They had little impact.

b)

They confirmed existing maps.

c)

They greatly expanded European knowledge of the region.

d)

They discouraged further exploration.

9.

Evaluate the effects of European diseases on the indigenous populations of Oceania.

a)

They had no effect.

b)

They led to population growth.

c)

They caused significant population decline.

d)

They improved health conditions.

10.

What is the primary reason for the vast spread of Polynesian culture across the Pacific?

a)

Military conquest

b)

Trade with Europeans

c)

Advanced navigation techniques

d)

Isolation from other cultures

11.

Which island group is not part of Polynesia?

a)

Hawaii

b)

Easter Island

c)

Fiji

d)

Samoa

12.

How do scientists know the Malagasy and the Indonesian people are related?

a)
They are related through shared agricultural practices.
b)
They share a common ancestry from ancient Egypt.
c)

Malagasy and Indonesian people are related through shared DNA. Scientists compared their DNA and found similarities.

d)
Their relationship is based solely on trade history.
13.

Where did early people who settled the many islands of the Pacific originally come from?

a)
Central Asia
b)
North Africa
c)
South America
d)
Southeast Asia
14.

Why was Captain James Cook killed by natives on the island of Hawai'i?

a)
He was killed for stealing food from the natives.
b)

He was killed because he took the king of the island hostage.

c)
He was killed by a rival explorer.
d)
He was killed during a storm at sea.
15.

What famous landmark in Australia is believed by Aboriginal people to house the spirits who helped create the world?

a)
Great Barrier Reef
b)
Uluru
c)

Moai

d)
Bondi Beach
16.

Most of the islands of Oceania fall between what two lines of latitude?

a)

The Arctic Circle and the Tropic of Cancer

b)

The Equator and the Tropic of Capricorn

c)

The International Date Line and the Prime Meridian

d)

The Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn

17.

The Māori of New Zealand originally named their island Aotearoa. What does Aotearoa mean?

a)
Home of the Great Spirits
b)

Land of the Maori

c)
Land of the Long White Cloud
d)
Land of the Rising Sun
18.

Why did the natives of Papua New Guinea long ago practice cannibalism?

a)

They had no choice

b)

They believed they gained the powers of their dead victim.

c)

They were starving

d)

They had moved to cities, where it was a popular practice.

19.

What are the three groups of Pacific Islands?

a)

Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia

b)

Indonesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia

c)

Indonesia, Melanesia, and Mirconesia

d)

Indonesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia

20.

There are more islands in the Pacific than in all other oceans combined. How many islands are there?

a)

5,000

b)

15,000

c)

25,000

d)

10,000

21.

Which of the following is NOT an invention of ancient Oceania?

a)

Scurvy prevention

b)

Boomerang

c)

Didgeridoo

d)

Surfing