The Early Americas

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The Early Americas

Multiple Choice

Identify the letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.

The first people to arrive in the Americas were

a.	fishers from the west coast of Africa.	c.	hunter-gatherers.
b.	farmers from northern Europe.	d.	herders from Asia.

Which of the following land features are not found in North America?

a.	high mountains	c.	desert plateaus
b.	grassy plains	d.	hot and wet rain forests

How does the climate change as one moves from the northernmost part of North America to the south?

a.	It changes from cold and icy to warmer temperatures.
b.	It changes from dry and hot to wet and cold.
c.	It changes from wet and mild to dry and very hot.
d.	The climate is similar with no noticeable changes.

Where is Mesoamerica?

a.	the southern part of what is now Mexico and parts of the northern countries of Central America
b.	the central United States and the northern part of Mexico
c.	from present-day Panama to the southern end of the Amazon
d.	from the southeastern United States and encompassing the islands of the Caribbean

Why were farmers in Mesoamerica successful at domesticating plants in this region?

a.	The rain forests provided plenty of diverse plants to grow.
b.	It had long growing seasons and a cool, wet climate.
c.	It had a warm climate and very fertile soil.
d.	Rain and snow from the mountains provided water for irrigation.

What is the most accepted theory as to how the first people arrived in the Americas?

a.	Sea travelers from islands in the South Pacific sailed to the Americas.
b.	People walked across a land bridge that crossed the Bering Strait.
c.	People traveled over frozen seas from northern Europe and then into North America.
d.	Sea travelers sailed across the Atlantic Ocean from Africa.

What were the main sources of food of the early people in the Americas?

a.	early types of corn and other vegetables that they could grow
b.	various types of large birds such as turkeys, ducks, and geese
c.	fish and other foods from the sea
d.	bison, woolly mammoths, fruits, nuts, and wild grains

When early people learned to plant seeds and farm, what major impact did this have on their lives?

a.	They were able to settle in one place.
b.	They could bring their seeds with them as they moved from place to place.
c.	They could then focus on finding other sources of food.
d.	They had to set up food distribution systems.

Which of the following peoples formed the first urban civilization in Mesoamerica?

a.	the Maya	c.	the Chavín
b.	the Olmec	d.	the Zuni

10.

What inference can you make from the fact that the stones the Olmec used in building and sculpture were not native to their region?

a.	The Olmec were resourceful diggers.
b.	People other than the Olmec must have built and carved the ruins and artifacts.
c.	The Olmec had a large trading network.
d.	The Olmec moved from place to place.

11.

The Olmec are considered a complex civilization because they

a.	built impressive towns, buildings, and artwork and had writing and scientific study.
b.	grew crops and gathered fruits and nuts.
c.	developed stories and myths.
d.	interacted with other groups of people.

12.

Which crop helped establish a reliable food source for the early people in Mesoamerica?

a.	cacao beans	c.	beans
b.	maize	d.	squash

13.

Why did the Maya live in heavily forested areas even though they needed cleared land for crops?

a.	Forest environments provided additional food and wood from trees and other plants.
b.	Very hard work was an important aspect of their religion.
c.	There was no other region where the Maya could have lived.
d.	The forests provided the best protection against their enemies.

14.

What is obsidian?

a.	a spice used throughout the Maya civilization
b.	a type of seashell that the Maya used as money
c.	a rare and valuable tree that produces the most beautiful lumber
d.	a glasslike volcanic rock that the Maya traded

15.

The period during which the Maya spread to the Yucatán Peninsula is called the

a.	Great Migration.	c.	Classic Age.
b.	Yucatán Era.	d.	Golden Age.

16.

The trading between highland and lowland communities was important mainly because

a.	news from outside the Maya region was circulated.
b.	this is how they obtained essential things that they couldn’t get in their own areas.
c.	people learned how to do new things from the people in the other areas.
d.	people made new partnerships this way.

17.

What was special about cacao beans?

a.	They had great value, were restricted to only the most important Maya, and used as money.
b.	They were used in very important religious ceremonies.
c.	They were used as the primary food for children throughout the Maya world.
d.	People in the highlands needed cacao beans for dietary purposes.

18.

Which of the following types of buildings did the Maya not build in their large cities?

a.	stone pyramids	c.	public universities
b.	temples	d.	large public plazas

19.

For what purpose was the temple in the city of Palenque built?

a.	to mark the anniversary of the king’s marriage
b.	to be the main temple of the Maya religion
c.	to mark the independence of the Maya kingdom
d.	to record the achievements of the king Pacal

20.

In order to increase the amount of land to cultivate, farmers

a.	filled in large portions of swampland to create new crop fields.
b.	shaped nearby hillsides into flat terraces on which to plant crops.
c.	invaded neighboring peoples to take over cropland.
d.	flattened hills.

21.

What sport did the Maya learn from the Olmec?

a.	a game in which players kicked a rubber ball into holes dug into the court
b.	swimming races
c.	a ball game in which players tried to bounce a ball through a stone ring above their heads
d.	running races and other track and field events

22.

The Maya civilization included many cities, but no ruler united them into one empire. Each city had its own government and king.

Which of the following is a likely inference based on the information in the quote?

a.	Because they weren’t united, conflicts between cities and kings were common.
b.	Cities worked closely with one another for the common good of all Maya.
c.	Cities shared customs, traditions, and laws.
d.	Independence from other cities allowed each community to prosper and grow.

23.

What did cities hope to gain from fighting with enemy cities?

a.	power and land	c.	trade routes and slaves
b.	prestige and personal satisfaction	d.	bragging rights

24.

Which of the following is an accurate description of Maya warfare?

a.	bloodless, usually with very few casualties
b.	long tactical battles involving thousands of troop movements
c.	fought on horseback with bows and arrows and other projectiles
d.	very bloody, involving hand-to-hand fighting with clubs and spears

25.

What caused the collapse of the Maya civilization?

a.	European countries invaded.
b.	Diseases wiped out most of the population.
c.	Historians aren’t sure but think it was a mix of several factors.
d.	Several large earthquakes destroyed the Maya cities.

26.

Which of the following is not a theory that explains the decline of the Maya?

a.	The Maya mixed in with other cultures and simply disappeared.
b.	A long period of drought made it impossible for the Maya to feed their population.
c.	Rebellion against harsh treatment from kings led most citizens to leave the cities.
d.	Increased warfare between cities eventually drained and destroyed necessary resources.

27.

How did Maya rulers and religious leaders maintain their control of society?

a.	They watched citizens very closely.
b.	They restricted access to education for those in the lower class.
c.	They limited free speech and did not allow any type of news distribution systems.
d.	Rulers and priests were born into their roles, which excluded others from these positions.

28.

The vast majority of Maya people within the lower class were

a.	slaves.	c.	farmers.
b.	warriors.	d.	merchants.

29.

Which of the following was not a responsibility of a member of the lower class?

a.	had to give some crops to the rulers
b.	had to help construct buildings, temples, palaces, and other buildings
c.	had to serve in the army during times of war
d.	had to organize trading expeditions

30.

Of all the groups in Maya society, who held the lowest position?

a.	children	c.	slaves
b.	elderly	d.	farmers

31.

What very important religious ability did the Maya believe their kings had?

a.	the ability to become a god upon dying
b.	the ability to communicate with the gods
c.	the ability to return to life after dying
d.	the ability to predict the future

32.

In order to prevent disasters, the Maya believed their gods needed

a.	blood.	c.	stone carvings.
b.	money.	d.	songs performed in their honor.

33.

How did the Maya people usually supply the gods with blood?

a.	People used water that was colored red.
b.	People pierced their tongues or skin and offered blood.
c.	People used blood from farm animals and pets as offerings to the gods.
d.	People used the blood from soldiers killed in battle.

34.

What is the significance of Maya buildings and sculptures?

a.	They were larger than anything done previously.
b.	The Maya accomplished the work without using plans.
c.	The Maya did all the work without using metal tools.
d.	The Maya did not have mathematics to help them make and record measurements.

35.

Which of the following is not a discovery made by Maya astronomers?

a.	They figured out that a year is about 365 days long.
b.	They figured out and learned the cycles of the moon.
c.	They learned how to predict eclipses.
d.	They discovered how to predict solar flares.

36.

For what two main purposes did the Maya use calendars?

a.	to coordinate planting and harvesting and for planning religious events
b.	to identify ocean tides and to plan fishing voyages
c.	to plan building schedules and to identify migration patterns of animals
d.	to coordinate trading expeditions and to plan military attacks

37.

What significant mathematical concept did the Maya help develop?

a.	They developed geometry.
b.	They were one of the first peoples with a symbol for zero.
c.	They discovered pi.
d.	They were the first to work with algebra.

38.

In what way was the Maya writing system similar to Egyptian hieroglyphics?

a.	Only symbols of animals were used.
b.	They did not have symbols for sounds.
c.	They did not record historical events.
d.	They used symbols to represent both objects and sounds.

39.

How did the Maya create records of their culture?

a.	Calendars were the only type of records they kept.
b.	They carved symbols into large stone tablets or wrote in bark-paper books.
c.	They created songs that recounted historical events.
d.	They used a form of mathematics as a code to record what happened.

40.

What is the significance of the Popol Vuh?

a.	This book is a valuable source of information about the Maya.
b.	This book details the Spanish expeditions to the Americas.
c.	This book explains Maya mathematics.
d.	This book is a collection of all the important Maya songs.