WorksheetsAncient India and Indus Valley BENCHMARK REVIEW
Total questions: 22
Worksheet time: 11mins
Describe how Ancient India’s geography likely affected the development of early civilizations in the region?
The tall mountains made farming easier.
The rivers and fertile land helped people grow crops and build cities.
The dry land and deserts encouraged people to move away.
The high mountains were good for trade and transportation.
What can you infer about the importance of rivers like the Indus and Ganges to ancient Indian life?
They were mostly used for transportation and building homes.
People avoided living near them because of flooding.
The rivers helped people farm and supported entire civilizations.
Ancient people used rivers only for drinking water.
Why might India’s location near oceans and seas have helped it become connected to other ancient lands?
Oceans kept ancient India isolated from the rest of the world.
The water made it harder for other civilizations to reach India.
Sailors preferred rivers over oceans for long-distance travel.
Being near water made trade and travel with other places easier.
How do the tall mountains most likely help shape the climate in India?
They keep cold air from the north out, making India warmer.
They block warm air from reaching India.
They make the summers colder and longer.
They cause rainstorms in every season.
What could happen if the summer monsoon brings too much rain?
It could cool down the land too much.
Crops might not grow at all.
The land could flood and damage crops and homes.
There would be no dry season in the winter.
Determine why archaeologists might have believed that the Harappan cities had strong leadership?
The people were the first to grow cotton in Asia.
Harappan people used stone tools for farming.
The cities were built near the Saraswati River.
The cities had carefully planned streets, buildings, and sewer systems.
What does the use of underground sewers in Harappan cities tell us about the people who lived there?
They only lived near rivers.
They had no way to remove waste.
They valued cleanliness and had advanced technology.
They didn’t trade with other regions.
How was the development of cities in the Indus Valley similar to those in Ancient Mesopotamia?
They all began with farming along rivers.
They all started near the oceans.
They all used cotton first.
They traded only within their villages.
Which of the following 2 answers best explain how trade helped the Harappan civilization grow?
Trade allowed them to discover new rivers.
Trade gave them more food and clothing.
Trade brought wealth, which helped develop more complex cities and culture.
Trade taught them how to build with bricks.
Describe how archaeologists can learn from the fact that Harappan cities had standard weights and similar artifacts across the region?
Harappans were very good at building with stone.
That each Harappan city traded only with nearby villages.
Harappans spoke many different languages.
The Harappans had a shared culture and strong communication across cities.
How does the mystery of Harappan writing affect what we know about their civilization today?
We can still read everything because of the pictures.
We know less about their beliefs and daily life because we can't read their writing.
It doesn't affect anything because we have videos.
Their writing is the same as modern Indian writing.
Explain why archaeologists think religion was important to the people of Mohenjo-Daro?
Because they found jewelry and tools.
Because they found a huge public bath and animal figures that may have had religious meaning.
Because they found gold and silver in the ruins.
Because people lived in tall buildings.
According to Source 3, why was it difficult for historians to fully understand Harappan religious beliefs?
Because they did not have any religious practices.
Because Harappan writing hasn’t been decoded yet.
Because archaeologists haven’t found anything from their cities.
Because no temples have been clearly identified.
What is the best conclusion we can draw from the discovery of animal figures and clay figurines?
Animals were used only for farming.
These objects might have been part of religious worship or everyday life, showing a mix of belief and culture.
These items were toys with no meaning.
Harappans didn’t like animals.
PART A: How might flooding of the Indus River have both helped and hurt the people living nearby?
Flooding helped clean the cities and streets.
Flooding made it easier to travel between cities.
Flooding brought water and rich soil but also could destroy homes and farms.
Flooding allowed people to build more rivers.
Part B: Which detail from the text best supports your answer to Part A?
These quakes probably caused the Saraswati River to dry up.
Harappan civilization went into decline.
The problems forced people to leave their cities.
The same natural disaster may have caused the Indus River to flood.
Which of the following best describes city planning in the Indus Valley civilization of Harappa?
It was known for its sewer systems in terms of city planning.
It was known for its skyscrapers in terms of city planning.
It was known for its roundabouts in terms of city planning.
It was known for its tunnels in terms of city planning.
Which of the following best describes one of the significant contributions of ancient India to the field of medicine?
Advances in surgical techniques.
Invention of the stethoscope.
Discovery of penicillin.
Development of X-ray technology.
The Indus Valley societies are characterized as a civilization. Which of the following statements is true about civilizations such as the Indus Valley Civilization?
They developed a stable food supply.
They did not have a government.
There was a lack of technology.
There was an absence of writing systems.
Which ancient Indian belief system focused on the cycle of rebirth?
Christianity.
Greek Mythology.
Hinduism.
Polytheism.
Why did people in early cultures think that river flooding was a good thing?
Because it made the land flat and brought fish for food.
Because it cleared away rocks and harmful animals.
Because it helped them know when to harvest crops and got rid of harmful insects.
Because it left behind rich soil for planting and provided fresh water for farming.
Which of the following best describes the Agricultural Revolution?
A gradual change in the way people lived that included the domestication of plants and animals.
An instant replacement of hunter-gatherer societies with complex farming civilizations.
A civil war between early people over available land and crops.
It led to the end of farming and an increase in hunting.
