Regents Prep: Global History & Geography
Multiple-Choice Questions
Regents Prep Global History & Geography: Topical Multiple-Choice Question Archive
Use of Topical Archive Multiple-Choice Questions
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Rise & Fall of Great Empires: Question 1 of 24
A major impact of Ancient Greece and Rome on Western Civilization was that
  1. the Greeks and Romans succeeded in achieving a classless society, which was later copied in Western Europe
  2. Greek sculpture and Roman architecture were much admired and copied in the 18th and 19th centuries
  3. Greece and Rome transmitted Islamic philosophy to the areas they conquered
  4. Greek and Latin are still widely spoken in universities throughout the West

Correct Answer Number: 2

Explanation: With the reemergence of democracy, classical Greek and Roman architecture was copied during the 1700s and 1800s.

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Rise & Fall of Great Empires: Question 2 of 24
The Ancient Romans’ most significant contribution to Europe has been in the area of
  1. economics
  2. poetry
  3. drama
  4. law

Correct Answer Number: 4

Explanation: The Twelve Tables of Law are considered the first example of codified law in Europe and were created in Ancient Rome.

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Rise & Fall of Great Empires: Question 3 of 24
An immediate result of the fall of the Roman Empire was
  1. a renewed interest in education and the arts
  2. a period of disorder and weak central government
  3. an increase in trade and manufacturing
  4. the growth of cities and dominance by the middle class

Correct Answer Number: 2

Explanation: The period after the fall of Rome in Europe is often referred to as the Dark Ages because of the lack of learning and establishment of feudalism.


Rise & Fall of Great Empires: Question 4 of 24
The Ancient Athenians are credited with
  1. inventing and using the wheel
  2. eliminating slavery
  3. establishing governments that had democratic elements
  4. inventing the printing press

Correct Answer Number: 3

Explanation: The Greek city-state of Athens was one of the earliest known places to incorporate direct democracy.

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Rise & Fall of Great Empires: Question 5 of 24
Both the Ancient Romans and the Ancient Chinese viewed foreigners as barbarians. This is an example of
  1. cultural diffusion
  2. materialism
  3. imperialism
  4. ethnocentrism

Correct Answer Number: 4

Explanation: Ethnocentrism is the belief that one’s own group is superior to others. Both the Ancient Romans and Ancient Chinese exhibited this by referring to outsiders as barbarians.


Rise & Fall of Great Empires: Question 6 of 24
A major contribution of the Roman Republic to Western European culture was the
  1. concept of government by laws
  2. belief that political power should be controlled by the military
  3. establishment of agricultural communes
  4. rejection of the concept of slavery

Correct Answer Number: 1

Explanation: The Twelve Tables of Roman Law contributed greatly to Western European culture because it set the precedent that government should follow certain laws.

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Rise & Fall of Great Empires: Question 7 of 24
Which ancient civilization established the basis of western democracy?
  1. Phoenician
  2. Egyptian
  3. Sumerian
  4. Greek

Correct Answer Number: 4

Explanation: The Greek city-state of Athens was one of the earliest known places to incorporate direct democracy.

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Rise & Fall of Great Empires: Question 8 of 24
The political system of the Ancient Roman Empire was characterized by
  1. a strong central government
  2. rule by a coalition of emperors and religious leaders
  3. universal suffrage in national elections
  4. a strict adherence to constitutional principles

Correct Answer Number: 1

Explanation: The Roman Empire was ruled by one person called an emperor, and is therefore an example of a strong central government.

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Rise & Fall of Great Empires: Question 9 of 24
Which societal condition was basic to the development of Greek philosophy?
  1. rigid social classes
  2. emphasis on individualism
  3. religious uniformity
  4. mass education

Correct Answer Number: 4

Explanation: Education was an important part of life in the Greek City-State of Athens. However, education was limited to male citizens.

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Rise & Fall of Great Empires: Question 10 of 24
Important long-term contributions of Ancient Greek and Roman civilizations are primarily found in the area of
  1. military technology
  2. religious doctrine
  3. economic policy and planning
  4. government and law

Correct Answer Number: 4

Explanation: Both Ancient Greece and the Roman Republic are known for their use of democracy in government. Rome also contributed to the area of law through the creation of the Twelve Tables of Law.

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Rise & Fall of Great Empires: Question 11 of 24
The Ancient Greek city-state of Sparta
  1. was primarily concerned with the health of their people
  2. was a powerful military state
  3. granted universal suffrage to their people
  4. placed great emphasis on literature and the arts

Correct Answer Number: 2

Explanation: Sparta was a totalitarian Greek city-state that required all males to serve in the military.


Rise & Fall of Great Empires: Question 12 of 24
An immediate result of the fall of the Roman Empire was
  1. a renewed interest in education and the arts
  2. a period of disorder and weak central government
  3. an increase in trade and manufacturing
  4. the growth of cities and dominance by the middle class

Correct Answer Number: 2

Explanation: The fall of Rome led to an extended period of disunity during the Middle Ages that was characterized by feudalism.


Rise & Fall of Great Empires: Question 13 of 24
Which societal condition was basic to the development of Greek philosophy and Renaissance art?
  1. rigid social classes
  2. emphasis on individualism
  3. religious uniformity
  4. mass education

Correct Answer Number: 2

Explanation: The flowering of civilization that occurred during Ancient Greece and Renaissance Italy can be attributed to the emphasis that both societies placed on individual worth. This emphasis caused contemporaries of both periods to excel in their endeavors and contributions to the world.

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Rise & Fall of Great Empires: Question 14 of 24
An influence that spread from the Byzantine Empire to Early Russia was the
  1. Orthodox Christian religion
  2. use of the Latin alphabet
  3. beginning of democracy
  4. factory system

Correct Answer Number: 1

Explanation: Orthodox Christianity has its roots in the Byzantine Empire, which was transmitted to Russia when its rulers concerted to the religion around the turn of the first millennium.


Rise & Fall of Great Empires: Question 15 of 24
The adoption of the Eastern Orthodox religion and the Cyrillic alphabet by the Russian people occurred as a result of
  1. territorial expansion during the reign of Catherine the Great
  2. the westernization policies of Peter the Great
  3. contact with Byzantine culture in the 10th century
  4. the influence of the Crusaders during the Middle Ages

Correct Answer Number: 3

Explanation: These cultural elements were transmitted from the Byzantine to Russia around the turn of the first millennium.


Rise & Fall of Great Empires: Question 16 of 24
One similarity between Axum, Kush, and Nubia was that they were
  1. military leaders in the Neolithic Age
  2. rivers along which early trade developed
  3. writers of epic poems about Greek cities
  4. early civilizations in Africa

Correct Answer Number: 4

Explanation: All of these civilizations were located in Africa.

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Rise & Fall of Great Empires: Question 17 of 24
One similarity between the decline of the Roman Empire and the fall of the Manchu Dynasty was that both initially led to
  1. improved economic conditions
  2. democratically elected governments
  3. political chaos and decentralization of government
  4. major accomplishments in art, science, and technology

Correct Answer Number: 3

Explanation: The fall of the Roman Empire led to the outgrowth of feudalism during the Middle Ages in Europe, while the fall of the Manchu Dynasty in China led to an extended period of warlord control that was not ended until Mao Zedong’s communist victory in 1949.


Rise & Fall of Great Empires: Question 18 of 24
A major contribution of the Roman Empire to Western society was the development of
  1. gunpowder
  2. the principles of revolutionary socialism
  3. monotheism
  4. an effective legal system

Correct Answer Number: 4

Explanation: The Twelve Tables of Rome were the first codified laws in Europe, and thus led to the development of an effective legal system.

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Rise & Fall of Great Empires: Question 19 of 24
After the fall of Rome, the eastern portion of the Roman Empire became known as the
  1. Persian Empire
  2. Byzantine Empire
  3. Mongol Empire
  4. Gupta Empire

Correct Answer Number: 2

Explanation: The eastern portion of the Roman Empire, with its capital at Constantinople in modern-day Istanbul, Turkey, was known as the Byzantine Empire after the fall of Rome.


Rise & Fall of Great Empires: Question 20 of 24
Which conclusion can be drawn from a study of the early civilizations of Axum, Kush, Mali and Songhai?
  1. these African societies flourished at the same time
  2. farming was more extensive in the Nile River Valley than it was in the Fertile Crescent
  3. the Neolithic Revolution occurred in Africa
  4. these societies had a long and rich history before their first contact with Europeans

Correct Answer Number: 4

Explanation: Evidence of the African civilizations of Axum, Kush, Mali, Songhai, and Great Zimbabwe indicates that many parts of Africa had a long and rich history before Europeans arrived in the 1600’s.

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Rise & Fall of Great Empires: Question 21 of 24
A major effect of the decline of the Roman Empire was that Western Europe
  1. came under the control of the Muslims
  2. was absorbed by the Byzantine Empire
  3. returned to a republican form of government
  4. entered a period of chaos and disorder

Correct Answer Number: 4

Explanation: For nearly 1,000 years after the fall of Rome, Europe experienced the Dark Ages which was characterized by a lack of learning or progress and the institution of feudalism.


Rise & Fall of Great Empires: Question 22 of 24
Which characteristic was common to the Golden Age of Greece and the Italian Renaissance?
  1. a strong military led to national unity
  2. written constitutions led to the establishment of democratic governments
  3. prosperity led to the creation of many works of art
  4. political instability led directly to the formation of unified nation-states

Correct Answer Number: 3

Explanation: The wealth of both the Golden Age of Greece and the Italian Renaissance allowed these societies to concentrate on culture and support the arts.

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Rise & Fall of Great Empires: Question 23 of 24
During the centuries of dynastic rule, the Chinese rejected other cultures as inferior to their own. This situation illustrates the concept of
  1. ethnocentrism
  2. imperialism
  3. social mobility
  4. cultural diffusion

Correct Answer Number: 1

Explanation: Ethnocentrism is defined as the belief that one’s own culture or group is superior to another.


Rise & Fall of Great Empires: Question 24 of 24
Alexander the Great’s conquests of Greece, Asia Minor, Egypt, and Persia led to the
  1. spread of Hellenic culture
  2. adoption of a feudal system
  3. establishment of representative democracy
  4. spread of Islamic culture throughout Europe

Correct Answer Number: 1

Explanation: Hellenistic culture was a blending of Greek, Asian, Persian, and Egyptian traditions. This culture was developed and spread as Alexander made his conquests across the ancient world.

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