The Black Death

There were _______ different kinds of plague.

• two

• three

• four

• five

The bubonic plague was the most __________.

• common

• contagious

• deadly

The pneumonic plague was the most _____________.

• common

• contagious

• deadly

The pneumonic plague was the most contagious because...

• it could be spread from rat to rat through rat-bites.

• it could be spread from person to person through droplet infection.

• it could be spread from flea to person through flea-bites.

• it attacked the bloodstream of both rats and humans.

The septicaemic plague was the _________________ form of the Black Death.

• most common

• most contagious

• most deadly

• most harmless

What is now believed to have been the direct cause of the plague?

• A virus called "Yersinia Pestis"

• A bacterium called "Yersinia Pestis".

• The number of black rats that inhabited the unsanitary cities of medieval Europe

• The "bad air" that people were forced to breathe

Which sentence is an accurate description of the situation in Europe in 1348?

• The Christian doctors of Europe knew exactly how to react to the plague.

• The medical profession knew about bacteria but was unable to identify the bacterium "Yersinia Pestis".

• The medical profession, like the public, did not know of the existence of bacteria and therefore did not know what to do.

• The Church provided every possible support to the medical profession to help doctors identify the cause of the plague.

How did the Church respond to the crisis of the plague?

• All of the powerful men, along with priests and monks, secluded themselves from the common people, in order to avoid infection.

• The Church swiftly lifted its ban on dissections, thus allowing doctors to undertake more thorough studies of anatomy.

• The Church immediately donated huge amounts of gold in order to help doctors identify a cure.

• Most Church authorities and priests asserted that God had sent the plague as a punishment for the people's sins.

A mysterious, shrouded figure, carrying a scythe and considered as a symbol of the nearness of death, was first observed at this time in history. This personification of death is called the ________________.

• Grim Reaper

• Grim Harvester

• Harbinger of Horror

• Messenger of Doom

Giovanni Boccaccio wrote a description of the plague in Florence in 1348. His account is therefore a _________________________.

• primary source

• secondary source