Topic 6

1      Why did farmers in Mesoamerica move their farms from time to time?

• A      As their families grew larger, farmers needed larger farms.

• B      Conquering armies confiscated their land and forced them to leave.

• C      Heavy rains flooded their fields, forcing them to find new land.

• D      The soil would wear out and could no longer support farming.

2      What was one factor that may have caused Mayan cities to fall into ruin between 800 and 1000 bce?

• A      The Olmec invaded Mayan cities.

• B      The Spanish conquered the Maya.

• C      Mayan buildings were poorly constructed.

• D      Food shortages occurred due to drought.

   

3      Which concept did the Maya understand before Europeans did?

• A      architecture

• B      calendars

• C      hieroglyphics

• D      the number zero

4      How have modern scholars learned much of their information about the Maya?

• A      from printed books

• B      from oral history

• C      from glyphs carved in stone

• D      from Spanish records

5 Why did Mayan commoners seek to please priests and nobles?

• A They were afraid of being sacrificed to the gods.

• B They believed priests and nobles could communicate with the gods.

• C They believed priests and nobles were gods in human form.

• D They depended on priests and nobles to supply them with food.

6 Why did the Aztecs settle in the Valley of Mexico?

• A They wanted to take over abandoned Mayan cities.

• B The area was located near a major river system.

• C The valley had a warmer climate than the Mayan lowlands.

• D Surrounding volcanoes created fertile soil in the valley.

7 What are chinampas?

• A artificial islands used for farming

• B crops grown by Aztec farmers

• C birds sacred to the Aztec people

• D walls built to hold back flood waters

8 The majority of Aztecs belonged to what social class?

• A nobles

• B commoners

• C slaves

• D priests

9 Why did the Aztecs engage in human sacrifice?

• A to punish people who broke the law

• B to keep their chief god strong

• C to determine who would be the next emperor

• D to punish their enemies who also engaged in human sacrifice

10 The Aztecs build aqueducts in order to

• A please their gods.

• B supply Tenochtitlan with fresh water.

• C move trade goods.

• D connect Tenochtitlan to the lakeshore.