A Princeton Review Practice Test

1. A Princeton Review Practice Test And answer explanations

2. 1. IA/which of the following is NOT a characteristic of all • early civilizations? • (A) Written communication • (B) Agricultural surplus • (C) Some economic specialization • (D) Water resources • (E) Use of tools

3. 1.A • This question is a broad generalization about early societies. Remember to read the question • carefully because you need to eliminate the four answer choices that are characteristics of • early societies. And, be careful when you see the word all-that means you should be critically • searching for the exception to the rule. The correct answer is (A). Not all early societies developed • written communications. For example, while Sumer and Mesopotamia had a system • of writing, pre-Columbian civilizations such as the Inca did not. You should use POE to get • rid of (B) and (D). The Neolithic Revolution brought about sweeping changes in technology • that allowed for irrigated agricultural activities in river valleys. (C) is not the correct answer • because as permanent settlements arose, some people worked primarily as farmers, while • others worked on monument building or as artisans. (E) isn't the answer either, because tools • were essential to civilizations' development.

4. 2. "The books of those heresiarchs...are absolutely • forbidden. The books of other heretics, however, • which deal professedly with religion are absolutely • condemned. Those on the other hand, which do not • deal with religion...are permitted. Likewise, Catholic • books written by those who afterward fell into • heresy...may be permitted..." • source: internet Modern History Sourcebook, Council of Trent, • "Rules on Prohibited Books." • Why was the above ruling issued by the Council of • Trent in 1545 ? • (A) It was part of establishing the king of England • as head of the Anglican Church. • (B) It was a response to the scientific advances • made by Copernicus and Galileo. • (C) It was part of the reforms to Roman • Catholicism called for by Luther and Calvin. • (D) It was part of the strict behavioral code • endorsed by Calvinists. • (E) It was an attempt during the Catholic • Reformation to respond to Protestantism

5. EThe Council of Trent (1545) was an attempt by the Roman Catholic Church to institute its own • "reformation." The Council upheld many of the church's practices and beliefs (in opposition to • Protestant faiths). However, it did outlaw, some of the more heinous practices, such as selling • indulgences • Using POE, you can eliminate (A), (C), and (D) because Luther, Calvin, and the Anglican • Church were all Protestant. (B) is a smart guess, yet while Copemicus and Galileo did come • up against strong church opposition, the Council of Trent's edict was written before either of • those scientists published their works.

6. 3. \A/which of these were considered the Gunpowder Empires in the Islamic world? (A) Ming China, Mughal lndia, Seljuk Turks (B) Tokugawa Shogunate, Ming China, Yuan China (C) Ottoman Turkey, Delhi Sultanate, Khmer Cambodia (D) Safavid Persia, Ottoman Turkey, Mughal India (E) Aryan India, Mughal India, Delhi Sultanate

7. DEven if you are not sure what a Gunpowder Empire is, the question asks you about something • that pertains to the Islamic world. Using this information, eliminate any answer choices that • include non-Muslim empires. Ming China was not Muslim, and neither was Aryan India, so • get rid of (A), (B), and (E). • The Gunpowder Empires are associated with nations who had been able to take advantage of • new military technologies. Those who had guns included the following: • The Czars of Muskovy Russia • The Ottoman Turks • The Tokugawa Shogunate • Safavid Persia • Mughal lndia • The Ming Dynasty • The Spanish and the Portuguese

8. 4. All of the following were features of the civilizations • in Mesopotamia, Mesoamerica, the Indus River Valley, • and the Yellow River Valley EXCEPT • (A) a degree of craft specialization • (B) development of irrigation systems • (C) construction of architectural monuments • (D) religious systems that included sacrifice rituals • (E) gendered division of labor

9. D\{while Mesoamerican religious rites were known to include sacrifice, the ceremonial use of • sacrifice in the other civilizations is either unknown or untrue. To use POE on an EXCEPT • question, first remember that you need to eliminate the four features that are true of all of the • societies mentioned. You can get rid of (B) because all of these early societies developed ways • to provide a constant source of water for agriculture. Likewise, they all developed specialization • in craftwork, built monuments (pyramids, temples, ziggwats), and divided labor duties • by gender, so (A), (C), and (E) are also not the right answer.

10. 5. Which of the following statements about the rule of • Peter the Great is accurate? • (A) Under Peter the Great, Russia became a strong • military nation but failed to modernize or • industrialize. • (B) Peter the Great was able to build a strong, • centralized government based on militaristic • principles. • (C) The lives of ordinary Russian citizens were • greatly improved as a result of the Western • influences imported by Peter the Great. • (D) Peter the Great was considered the first • enlightened despot in the history of Russia. • (E) Peter the Great faced a socialist revolt that led • ultimately to his execution

11. BPeter the Great modernized eighteenth-century Russia by adopting Western-style culture and • ideas, establishing a central bureaucratic govemment, building a strong military, and increasing • agricultural and industrial productivity. He was also a strict dictatorial ruler, willing to • use force to achieve his ends. • Using POE, you can eliminate (A)because Peter's economic reforms were successful, and (D) • because Peter the Great could noi be considered categorically enlightened during his rule. (C) • is also incorrect because ordinary citizens' lives were not greatly improved. There were few • civil rights, increased restrictions were placed on organized religion, and people in the lower • classes still had few opportunities to improve their status. If the story in (E) sounds familiar, • that was Nicholas II, the last czar of Russia-not Peter.

12. 6. The factors destabilizing the balance of power in • Europe in the late 1800s and early 1900s included all • of the following EXCEPT • (A) the strong sense of nationalism held by many • European nations • (B) European colonial rivalries in Africa and Asia • (C) German aggression on the continent under • Bismarck • (D) the rise of socialist and communist movements • in European nations • (E) imperial nations 'refusal to allow self-determination • for subject peoples

13. DAlthough socialism and communism were on the rise in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth • centuries, they were not factors that destabilized the balance of power. They were • certainly factors that led to the destabilization of internal developments in countries like • Russia near the end of World War I, but during the time period in question, European balance • of power was more greatly impacted by the developments listed in the other four answer • choices. • Using POE, you can eliminate any answer choice that describes a reason that one country • became more or less powerful ttrin another country in Europe during the late 1800s. You • should definitely know that nationalism was impacting the balance of power, so eliminate • (A). Nationalism led to unification in Italy and Germany, for example. The newly unified • country of Germany quickly became an industrial power and eyed its neighbors enviously, • so eliminate (C). The European powers also eagerly gobbled up Africa and Asia, extending • their collective influence across the globe even as they individually competed with each other • and felt threatened by the increasing size of each others 'empires, so get rid of (B). The subject • peoples of the Ottoman Empire and Austro--Hungarian Empires, in particular, channeled their • sense of nationalism into sometimes violent attacks against the imperial authorities.

14. 7. \A/which of the following terms is NOT associated 11. • with the Cold War? • (A) Brinkmanship • (B) Peaceful coexistence • (C) Mutual assured destruction • (D) Appeasement • (E) Containment

15. DUsing POE, remember that (A),brinksmanship,refers to the period when each side brandished • its massive powers in a game of military chicken, such as in Cuba. (B), peaceful coexistence, is • also a Cold War term. Based on the recognition that the world was never going to be 100 percent • democratic or communist, either way, the goal was to peacefully coexist (fully armed, of • course), because the alternative was (C),mutual assured destruction, which justified the massive • investment in weapons and war machines on both sides of the conflict. The U.S. went to war • in Korea, Vietnam, and other places to prevent the spread of communism, a policy known as • (E), containment. (D), appeasement, was the term used to describe European leaders 'willingness • to allow Adolf Hitler to seize territory in Europe without repercussions prior to World War II'

16. 8Amajor difference between Spanish and French • colonization efforts was • (A) only the Spanish were interested in resource • extraction in their colonies • (B) while Spain sent expeditions around the world, • French exploration was limited to North • America • (C) the French did not form as many permanent . • settlements in their colonies as the Spanish • (D) the French were less successful than the • Spanish at religious conversion of people in • their colonies • (E) the French were more interested than the • Spanish in land-based expansion

17. CIn general, all Europeans played the colonization game for the same reasons: wealth, power, • and racial and religious superiority. However, while the Spanish established large, permanent • settlements in their colonies and encouraged Spaniards to move to the Americas through land • grants, the French either had less success or less interest in these activities. • Using POE, you can eliminate (A) because everyone was interested in resource extractions. You • can also eliminate (B) once you recall that France also held colonies in Africa (Guinea, Upper • Volta, and Congo) and Southeast Asia (Indochina), plus "shared custody" of Lydia for a time. • The French encountered fewer natives than the Spanish because their mode of colonization • usually did not involve expansive land-based development, meaning the French may even • have converted a larger percentage of the (smaller number of) natives they encountered-so • cross out (D) and (E).

18. 9One major difference between European and Japanese • feudalism during the Middle Ages was that • (A) there was no ]Japanese equivalent to the • position of the European lord • (B) European feudalism was far more militaristic • than ]Japanese feudalism • (C) while Japanese emperors maintained power • during feudalism, European kings were • symbolic leaders only • (D) there were far fewer agricultural workers in the • Japanese feudal system than in the European • system • (E) there was more potential for upward mobility • for peasants in the Japanese feudal system

19. D Feudalism was the primary political system in western Europe, and Japan during the medieval • period. Its main characteristics was a decentralized power structure that stressed alliances • between nobles and monarchs. The main difference between Japanese and European feudalism • was that the size of the peasant population in |apan was considerably smaller than that • in European nations. • Use POE and common sense to eliminate (B). (Think of one word: samurai.) (A) is not the correct • answer because there was a hierarchy of power in Japan similar to that in Europe. The • Japanese daimyo wassimilartotheEuropeanlard. (C) isalsoincorrect. InbothEuropeand • lapan, feudalism represented a decentralized system of governance, and, in both, the power • of the ruler was inextricably tied to the bonds he forged with lords. In ]apan, the emperor • probably had even less power with the rise of the shogunate (a military government). Upward • mobility did not characterize the lot of peasants under either Japanese or European feudalism, • so eliminate (E).

20. 10The Glorious Revolution was unique because it • (A) was a movement that began in the peasant and • farmer classes • (B) was the first time England had seen a leader • deposed • was the first instance of the removal of a sitting • monarch • resulted in Europe's first completely secular • govemment • did not involve a significant amount of • violence

21. EThe Glorious Revolution (1688) represented a change in political power that occurred as a • result of a peaceful coup. James II, the Catholic brother of Charles II, dissolved Parliament • over religious differences. Parliamentary leaders led an uprising against James, and, in his • place, installed a dual monarchy held by James' Protestant daughtel, Mary, and her husband, • William. • Using POE, you can immediately eliminate (C)because wars of succession were the norm in • many European nations. It certainly wasn't the first tirne a monarch had ever been deposed, • so it isn't (B). (A) is incorrect because the movement started with Parliament. (D) is also incorfect • because the new government was not secular-it replaced a Catholic monarchy with a • Protestant one.

22. 11.The globalization of American culture has resulted • in • (A) anti-Western backlash in some developing • nations • (B) increased access to health care and education • (C) additional tariffs on American-made goods • (D) more cultural tolerance around the world • (E) an increase in quality of life in all nations

23. AMake sure you read the question carefully. While certain Western knowledge and technology • have probably contributed to better health care and education, (B), this is not a by-produit • of the spread of American culture. American culture is responsible for the proliferation of • fast food restaurants in Kenya and weekly broadcasts of Baywatch in Russia. The influence of • multinational corporations also spreads Western culture. And, in a significant number of • nations, Western culture has replaced, or conflicts with, religion and local culture. Protests at • World Bank meetings and acts of terrorism against Western interests are some of the ways in • which this anti-American backlash has been expressed. But wouldn't it be nice if (D) and (E) • were true?

24. 12. The major impact of the Delhi Sultanate on India • was the • (A) introduction of a new'religion into Indian • culture • (B) decline in importance of sub-Saharan trade • routes • (C) elimination of the caste system • (D) decline in importance of overland trade routes • (E) military alliance of India wiih China

25. AThe Delhi Sultanate did not leave a long-lasting political or economic legacy after the fourteenth • century. Its one contribution was the introduction of Islam into Indian society. There was • a tremendous migration of Muslims into India as a result of instability in other Isiamic lands, • and many Indians embraced Islam. (For one thing, women had more rights under Muslim • rule as opposed to Hindu rule.) • Use POE and common sense to eliminate (B) and (D). African and central Eurasian hade • routes grew under Muslim occupation of India, and the Mamluks consolidated lndia into a • strong, centralized state. The caste system remained an important part of Indian life into the • twentieth century, so (C) is also incorrect. China and Islam historically don't go together, so • you can cross off (E), too.

26. 13. As a result of Bismarck's Berlin Congress'plan to • partition Africa • (A) Germany controlled a substantial portion of • Africa • (B) the United Sthtes entered the scramble for • Africa • (C) the slave trade with Europe, North America, • and SouthAmerica was halted • (D) only two African nations remained free at the • begirning of the twentieth century • (E) African nations were broadly granted • independence

27. DThe outcome of Bismarck's plan was that every nation in sub-Saharan Africa fell into foreign • hands, except Ethiopia and Liberia. It was Bismarck's goal to maintain that elusive "balance • of power" among European nations, and the orderly division of African land was seen as one • way of averting war. The Berlin Conference of 1884 and 1885 laid down the rules for future • colonization. • Using POE, you can eliminate (B) because, while the United States attended the meetings • where decisions about Africa were made, America did not participate in imperialism in that • part of the world. You can also eliminate (A)because while Germany did gain some lands in • Africa (Togoland, Cameroon, German Southwest Africa), the French and British held much • more territory in Africa. (C) is out because economic and social pressures led to an end to • slavery not the plan to partition Africa. Broad independence for African nations was a dream • not realized until the second half of the twentieth century, so there goes (E).

28. 14. The ability of nations to industrialize required all of • the following conditions EXCEPT • (A) a reliable source of fuel • (B) surplus population • (C) improved farming techniques • (D) a network of colonies • (E) a relatively stable power shucture

29. D\ /hile many European nations relied on their colonies to be a steady source of raw materials • and cheap labor and a ready market for manufactured goods, imperialism was not a necessary • component of industrialization, so (D) is the answer. Remember on EXCEPT questions, four • of the choices are true while the one that is not is the answer.

30. 15. In which of the following ways was the Hindu • Upanishad movement similar to the Protestant • Reformation? • (A) Both were movements started by religious • leaders that quickly spread to the upper • classes. • (B) Neither was considered a significant threat to • the established religion and its authorities. • (C) Over time, both became more concerrred with • rituals and dogma than with individualistic • expression. • (D) Neither involved episodes of violence. • (E) A factor behind both movements was the • perceived exploitation of power by religious • leaders.

31. EThe Upanishad movement was prompted by the focus of religious leaders on ritual instead • of substance. The Protestant Reformation was sparked by the sale of indulgences and other • perceived abuses among religious leaders. • If you know nothing of the Upanishad movement but know a little about the Protestant Reformation, • you can use POE to eliminate both (B), (C), and (D)because none of these was entirely • true of the Protestant Reformation. (A) is out because the appeal of both reform movements • was really to the lower classes who could not afford to buy salvation (Protestantism) or who • wanted a more individualistic approach to religions (Upanishad).

32. 16. The Four Noble Truths are associated with • (A) Buddhism • (B) Legalism • (C) Judaism • (D) Islam • (E) Zoroastrianism

33. A The Four Noble Truths are associated with Buddhism. (C), Judaism, has the Ten Commandments. • (D), Islam, has Five Pillars. (B), Legalism, is not a religion. Zoroastrianism, (E), is • another world religion from Iran, but its basis is not four noble truths.

34. 17. \ /hich of the following is an accurate characterization • of both the Incan and Yuan dynasties? • (A) Both civilizations developed strict social class • hierarchies, in which upward mobility was • difficult. • (B) Peasant uprisings were responsible for the • establishment of both civilizations. • (C) Both the Yuarr and the Inca depended on trade • as their primary economic activity. • (D) Both civilizations flourished under the conhol • of outside invaders. • (E) Both civilizations were conquered by the • Spanish.

35. 18. The movement to industrialize Russia was most • dependent on • (A) emancipating serfs to provide a substantial • labor pool for industry • (B) becoming more active in colonizing other lands • to obtain raw materials and develop new • markets • (C) importing coal and other fuel sources plus the • equipment necessary to build manufacturing • factories • (D) developing a capitalistic systern with laissezfaire • and free market economic policies • (E) constant military and territorial expansion • to provide new opportunities to employ • workers

36. AThe Emancipation Act of 186L "freed" the serfs and allowed them to work in nonagricultural • jobs. It was this pool of labor that made industrialization possible in Russia. Use POE and • common sense to eliminate (D). You know that Russia did not embrace capitalism, even during • the nineteenth century, and you also know that the improvement in the standard of living • realized in Western nations was never achieved in Russia. While Russia did become more • interested in expansionism, it was primarily to gain access to water routes, not develop new • markets or provide employment for the working class, so eliminate (B) and (E). If you didn't • remember that Russia had large deposits of coal within its own borders and also a significant • steel industry, (C) is a smart guess.

37. 19. Which of the following was NOT a result of the • Black Death? • (A) Labor shortages in agriculture and industry in • England • (B) Population decline in China • (C) Scarcity of goods throughout Europe • (D) Rise of feudalism in western Europe • (E) Rise of humanism in philosophical thought

38. DThe Black Death was an important historical event because of the number of European deaths and • because of its impact on other parts of the world. It serves as an illustration of how the world became • more interdependent during the late medievalperiod and how toade routes were responsible not • only for moving goods and ideas, but also for spreading disease. Howevel, the Black Death occurred • as feudalism was ending in westem Europe. During this period there was more urbanization, more • proto-industrialization, and more contact with other lands through hade and conquest. • The other four choices are true and therefore not the answer. Starting with the plague's impact • on Europe, (A) and (C) are tied together. The staggering number of deaths in Europe did have • a negative (albeit temporary) impact on productivity, which would then obviously have an • impact on supply. The bubonic plague actually originated in China and then spread through • central Eurasia before finally landing in Sicily in 1347. (B) was a result of the Black Death's • arrival in China, and therefore cannot be the correct answer. (E) might have been hard to • eliminate if you don't know much about humanism, but because religious faith did not seem • to have diminished the horrors of the Black Death, Western European thinkers were confronted • with their own mortality and began to study and extol the virtues of human existence. Thus, • this is true and therefore not the answer either.

39. 20. Which of the following was NOT a Cold War • strategy? • (A) The Soviet Union provided Middle Eastern • nations with military supplies and advisors. • (B) The United States supported totalitarian • dictatorships in some Latin American and • Middle Eastern countries. • (C) The Soviet Union enforced strict immigration • controls, keeping its populations behind an • "iron curtain." • (D) The United States and the Soviet Union built • up huge arsenals of traditional, biological, • and nuclear weapons in order to prevent • war. • (E) Both the Soviet Union and the United States • renewed colonization of lands in Latin • . America and the Middle East.

40. EDirect colonization of less-developed countries did not occur during the Cold War. The other • four answers are true and therefore not correct. Common sense tells you (D) is true, as is (B)- • support for dictatorial regimes in Nicaragua (Somoza) and Panama (Noriega) and the support • for rebel groups in Cuba and post-somoza Nicaragua show the United States'determination • to prevent the spread of communism to Latin America. The Soviet Union provided arms and • military advisors to Lebanon, Iraq, and Afghanistan, so (A) is true. h1946, Winston Churchill • used the phrase "iron curtain" to describe the Soviet lockdown of its peoples within Eastern • Europe, so (C) is also true and therefore wrong.

41. 22. The Mongol Empire was divided into four Khanates, • which governed all of the following lands • EXCEPT • (A) China • (B) Russia • (C) Persia • (D) Japan • (E) Ukraine

42. D Japan was one of the few nations able to withstand foreign dominance during the thirteenth and • fourteenth centuries. Use POE to get rid of the nations that you know were part of the Empire. • The Mongol Empire included China (Yuan), Ukraine and Russia (Muscovy),India (Delhi and • Mughal), and Persia (Safavid).

43. 23.Which of the following is an accurate statement • about the Heian period in ]apan in the ninth • century? • (A) The Heian period was a time of exploration • and conquest for |apan. • (B) The focus of Heian civilization was on cultural • independence. • (C) Mongol invaders, under the rule of Ghengis • Khan, ruled |apan during the Heian period. • (D) Shintoism was replaced by Confucianism in • . ]apan during the Heian period. • (E) The invention of mechanized printing spawned • a literary

44. BDuring this period, the |apanese cut ties with China and focused on the study of art and literature. • As a result, ]apan developed its own cultural identity. Use common sense and POE to • eliminate (C) because Japan was never occupied by the Mongols, and (D) because Japan never • adopted Confucianism as a state religion/philosophybut rather embraced Shintoism and Buddhism, • both of which remain major influences in Japan today. \{hile (E) may be difficult to get • rid of because it sounds logical, remember that mechanized printing was a Western invention • (Gutenberg!), so cross that off. As for (A), japan didn'i start to explore and conquer until after • the Meiji Restoration, but if you're unsure when the Meiji Restoration was in relation to the • Heian period, guess and go.

45. 24.The changes brought about by the Council of Trent • did NOT include • (A) outlawing the sale of indulgences • (B) the commissioning of art and architecture • (C) the reiection of predestination • (D) less emphasis on saints in religious ceremonies • (E) defined Church tradition on scripture

46. DTheCouncil of Trent was formed as part of the Catholic Counter-Reformation to combat the • rise of Protestantism by instituting reforms in the Catholic Church. \tVhile it failed to end the • spread of Protestant beliefs, certain fundamental changes were adopted. Because (D) was not • a result of the Council, it is the correct answer, but the other four choices are true. The Council • did define Church tradition on scriptures, (E). The Council outlawed the sale of indulgences, • (A), in response to Luther's attacks. In order to reinforce the perception of its power and majesty, • the church commissioned religious art and architecture, (B), much of it in the baroque • style. One of the most significant actions of the Council of Trent came in its affirmation of all • of the church doctrines, including the rejection of the Calvinist belief in predestination, (C).

47. 25. The capacities of women are supposed to be • greater, and their senses quicker than those of the • men; and what they might be capable of being bred • to, is plain from some instances of female wit, which • this age is not without." • Source: Daniel Dafoe, On the Education of Women, 7779' • The author of this passage ryould agree most with • which of these statements? • (A) Because of their ability, women are stronger • than men. • (B) It is acceptable for women to display humor in • public. • (C) The intelligence of women is hypothetical only • and not supported by evidence. • (D) With the proper education, women have the • abilify to be as smart as men. • (E) It is acceptable for men to belittle women for • their talents.

48. DThis quote deals with the potential of women, which was clearly not being realized under • the contemporary social and governmental restrictions. Using POE, don't be misled by bits • and pieces of the quote. While "senses quicker" might imply strength and "female wit" could • insinuate humor, neither (A) nor (B) are correct. Furthermore, he's not telling men it's OK to • make fun of women-he gives women more credit than that, so cross out (E). • While Dafoe is saying that women's true abilities are not well documented, he does not mean to • say that no evidence has been offered to show such intelligence. Instead, he is rallying against • the policies that have prevented women from realizing their potential, and he deems the best • way io allow women to demonstrate their abilities will be through education. (C) is a smart • guess but incorrect.

49. 26.The concept of "total war" in World War I refers to • the • (A) use of troops from African colonies by England, • France, and Germany • (B) entry of Pacific Rim nations into the tiple • Alliance • (C) involvement of the United States and Canada • in a conflict that did not take place within • , their borders • (D) mobilization of economic, natural, and human • resources for the war effort • (E) the use of "take no prisoners" tactics

50. DWhile more nations and soldiers were involved in World War I than in any previous military • action, the term "lotalwa{'does not apply to answer choices (A), (B), or (C). Additionally, • the history of World War I is rife with the taking of prisoners, so the answer isn't (E) either. • Instead, it refers to the massive mobilization of resources necessary to carry out a military • action of this size. Some of the tools nations used to achieve this level of mobilization were: • nationalization of key industries, central economic planning, and wartime rationing.