NCSS 1, 3, 6, 8, 9
Test: The Age of Exploration Name: _______________________
Date: ________________________
Section 1: Multiple Choice. Please choose the response that BEST answers the question. Color in the letter of the response you select.
1. Which two inventions helped explorers determine their relative location in reference to the stars and the direction of their travel?
(A) The caravel and the compass
(B) The astrolabe and the compass
(C) The compass and papyrus
(D) The caravel and the astrolabe
2. Spices, one of the motivators of the Age of Exploration, became popular in Europe after what event?
(F) The development of refrigeration
(G) The discovery of the Americas
(H) The Crusades
(J) Their discovery by the Ancient Egyptians
3. The caravel, a ship designed by the Portuguese, was designed for what purpose?
(A) Providing safe, long-distance travel on rough ocean waters
(B) Trading in the Mediterranean Sea
(C) Fishing in the Atlantic Ocean
(D) Carrying colonists to the Americas very quickly
4. Which of the following did NOT motivate the Age of Exploration?
(F) Finding spices and luxury goods
(G) Spreading Christianity
(H) The establishment of a European trade organization
(J) Weakening Italy’s monopoly on the spice trade
5. What helped improve European sea travel?
(A) The desire of Europeans to trade with people in the Americas
(B) The discovery of a northwest passage that shortened sailing time
(C) The lack of competition among trading nations for new markets
(D) New shipbuilding and navigational advances
6. Vasco de Gama sailed around which continent to get to the Indian Ocean?
(F) Australia
(G) Africa
(H) South America
(J) North America
7. Which nation first reached India, China, and Japan by sea?
(A) England
(B) France
(C) Spain
(D) Portugal
8. What is NOT a reason that European nations initially had to negotiate peacefully to trade with India and China?
(F) Indian and Chinese textiles were far superior to European textiles
(G) Indian and Chinese rulers were strong and were supported by their people
(H) Indians and Chinese only wanted to trade with each other
(J) Indians and Chinese thought they were more civilized than Europeans
9. What disease, caused by a lack of Vitamin C, killed many sailors during long voyages?
(A) Scurvy
(B) Rickets
(C) Tetanus
(D) Gangrene
10. Portugal’s Prince Henry “The Navigator” created a school to teach what?
(F) Astrology, accounting, and diplomacy
(G) Navigation, cartography, and astronomy
(H) Cartography, astrology, and zoology
(J) Navigation, accounting, and languages
11. What did the Japanese do when Europeans first reached Japan to trade?
(A) The Japanese sent the Europeans away with a warning never to come back
(B) The Japanese traded all of their best goods first, limiting future trade
(C) The Japanese attacked and sank all European ships that attempted to dock in Japan
(D) The Japanese welcomed European trade, especially to gain firearms
12. Which religious groups did the Portuguese encounter when trading with India?
(F) Muslims and Hindus
(G) Taoists and Jews
(H) Buddhists and Confucians
(J) Confucians and Muslims
13. The Indian population of Mexico in 1492 has been estimated at 25 million; the population in 1608 has been estimated at 1.7 million. What was the main cause of this dramatic decrease in population?
(A) Indians were taken back to Europe for traveling shows
(B) European diseases were brought to Mexico by the Spanish
(C) Severe weather caused crops to fail and mass starvation
(D) Indians moved out of Mexico and into South America
14. In the 1500s, European nations were mainly interested in Africa for what?
(F) Converting Africans to Christianity
(G) Ports for stopping places during long voyages to Asia
(H) Coal and Iron deposits found throughout Africa
(J) Advanced pottery made by Muslims in northern Africa
15. In the 1600s, European nations were mainly interested in Africa for what?
(A) Plants used as medicine found along the Congo River
(B) Converting Africans to Christianity
(C) Large silver deposits found in the Sahara Desert
(D) Slaves to work in their American colonies
16. Which of the following is a definition for capitalism?
(F) Printing more paper money to increase wealth
(G) Betting money to make a profit
(H) Creating new capital cities to increase tourism
(J) Investing money to make a profit
17. What was the Columbian Exchange?
(A) Exchange of goods, people, technology, and disease between Europe and the Americas
(B) Exchange of goods and services between Europe and Colombia
(C) Exchange of spices and fine arts between Europe, India, Chin, and Japan
(D) Exchange of illegal smuggled goods between Europe, Africa, and the Americas
18. Which of the following was NOT a lasting effect of the Columbian Exchange?
(F) The growth of capitalism
(G) The growth of mercantilism
(H) Indian populations grew
(J) European populations grew
19. Which of the following WAS a result of Europeans gaining American gold and silver?
(A) Europeans created jobs in the Americas that paid Indians well
(B) Europeans exploited the Indians even worse to get more gold and silver
(C) African slave labor was not needed because Europeans could pay workers
(D) Chinese silk making secrets were purchased by Europeans
20. Which of the following was NOT a result of the triangular trade?
(F) Slavery was introduced to the Americas and lasted until after the Civil War
(G) Plantations were created by destroying large sections of woodland areas
(H) Africans gained a powerful position as the labor force in European colonies
(J) Indians were removed from their lands so Europeans could create colonies
Section 2: Matching. Read the descriptions on the right, and then find the term that is being described on the left. Write the letter of the term in the blank following the description. Terms might be used more than once, or not used at all.
Description Term
21. Instrument used to find one’s latitude at sea ____. (A) Amerigo Vespucci
22. Gathered scientists and naval experts to create a (B) Cartographer
dominant exploration program for Portugal ____ (C) Compass
23. Portuguese sailor who first reached India for trade ____ (D) Moctezuma
24. A mapmaker ____ (F) Prince Henry
25. Instrument that always points north ____ (G) Mercantilism
26. Belief that nations need to export more than (H) Astrolabe
they import to make money ____ (J) Vasco de Gama
27. Leader of the Aztec empire when Cortes arrived ____
Section 3: Map. This map of Europe has the major countries that took part in the Age of Exploration numbered. Match the name of the country by writing the letter in the blank next to the number.
Countries
1. ____ (A) Portugal
2. ____ (B) France
3. ____ (C) Spain
4. ____ (D) England
5. ____ (F) Netherlands
6. ____ (J) Italy
This Map of East Asia has the major countries that European countries traded with. Match the name of the country by writing the letter in the blank next to the number.
Countries
1.____ (A) East Indies
2.____ (B) Philippine Islands
3.____ (C) Japan
4.____ (D) China