SAT II World History : North and South America Prior to 500 C.E.

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SAT II World History

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Example Questions

Example Question #1 : North And South America Prior To 500 C.E.

The Hopewell Native Americans are most well known for which of the following?

Possible Answers:

Their burial mounds

Their weapons

Their dwellings

Their works of literature

Their pottery

Correct answer:

Their burial mounds

Explanation:

The Hopewell people lived in modern-day Midwest United States. They are most famous for their burial mounds that exist to this day.

Example Question #1 : North And South America Prior To 500 C.E.

Which of the following native people of the Americas are famous for their system of calendars based on their deep knowledge of astronomy?

Possible Answers:

The Inca

The Shoshone

The Pueblo

The Olmec

The Maya

Correct answer:

The Maya

Explanation:

The Maya had a very profound understanding of astronomy, the movement of the stars, and the passage of time. Their calendars went back to 3000 B.C.E. and were much more accurate than any other calendars on Earth during the height of Maya civilization. Their calendar is known today as "the Long Count calendar."

Example Question #121 : Sat Subject Test In World History

Which of the following groups are indigenous people who have inhabited the tundra of North America since at least 3000 B.C.E.?

Possible Answers:

The Inuit

The Pueblo

The Sioux

The Iroquois

The Shoshone

Correct answer:

The Inuit

Explanation:

The Inuit people (often popularly called "Eskimos") have inhabited the Arctic tundra since at least 3000 B.C.E. Their society was based around hunting caribou and seals, and they survive in the very coldest regions of North America to this day.

Example Question #122 : Sat Subject Test In World History

Which of these is the earliest known Mesoamerican civilization? 

Possible Answers:

The Aztecs

The Maya

The Olmecs

The Incas

The Nazcas

Correct answer:

The Olmecs

Explanation:

The earliest known civilization in Mesoamerica is the Olmec Empire. The Olmec Empire emerged approximately 1500 BCE and lasted as an empire until approximately 400 BCE. The Olmec people are known for their unique art and architecture.

Example Question #123 : Sat Subject Test In World History

Tehuacan was an early agricultural community in which moden-day country?

Possible Answers:

Brazil

Colombia

Costa Rica

Mexico

United States of America

Correct answer:

Mexico

Explanation:

The Agricultural Revolution took place in Mesoamerica around 5,000 B.C.E. The earliest known agricultural site in the Americas is at Tehuacan in modern-day Mexico. Even if you did not know the answer to this question you could have reasonably inferred from the similarities between Tehuacan and Teotihuacan (a well-known Aztec community). 

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