SAT II World History : Southwest Asia and Africa

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

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Example Questions

Example Question #1 : Ancient Egypt

A pharaoh was __________.

Possible Answers:

a slave in ancient Egypt

a religious leader in ancient Egypt

a mythological figure in ancient Egypt

the leader of a rebellion in ancient Egypt

a ruler of ancient Egypt

Correct answer:

a ruler of ancient Egypt

Explanation:

Kings and queens of ancient Egypt were called pharoahs. Examples of notable pharaohs include Rameses II, Hatshepsut, Tutankhamen, and Cleopatra.

Example Question #2 : Ancient Egypt

The Rosetta Stone was used to __________.

Possible Answers:

locate the source of the Nile river

learn about ancient Sumerian religion

translate ancient Egyptian writing

locate the pyramids of Giza

All of the other answer choices are correct. 

Correct answer:

translate ancient Egyptian writing

Explanation:

Prior to the discovery of the Rosetta Stone, the written language of ancient Egypt had proven indecipherable. With the Rosetta Stone, people were able to understand the ancient Egyptian written language for the first time in the 1820s.

Example Question #1 : Ancient Egypt

The ancient Egyptians often wrote on __________.

Possible Answers:

bronze

silk

cotton

papyrus

palm leaves. 

Correct answer:

papyrus

Explanation:

The ancient Egyptians wrote on paper that they made from reeds. This paper is called "papyrus."

Example Question #1 : Ancient Egypt

King Menes is generally credited with __________.

Possible Answers:

building the pyramids of Giza 

overthrowing the Egyptian Empire and establishing the Kush Empire 

founding the first Ancient Egyptian dynasty

spreading Christianity into Ancient Egypt 

repelling Roman invasions into Ancient Egypt 

Correct answer:

founding the first Ancient Egyptian dynasty

Explanation:

Menes is an Ancient Egyptian Pharoah who is usually credited with founding the first Egyptian dynasty and uniting Lower and Upper Egypt. 

Example Question #2 : Ancient Egypt

The pyramids of Ancient Egypt were built to __________.

Possible Answers:

serve as government administration buildings during the Middle Kingdom. 

demonstrate the might of the Egyptian Empire to would-be conquerers and travellers 

house grain and other food supplies during times of surplus 

house the bodies of pharoahs after they had died

provide a grand place of worship for the Egyptian people

Correct answer:

house the bodies of pharoahs after they had died

Explanation:

The Pyramids were built during the Middle Kingdom of Ancient Egyptian history to house the bodies of Pharoahs after they had died. 

Example Question #21 : Southwest Asia And Africa

Nineveh was the capital of __________.

Possible Answers:

the Shang Dynasty

the Hittite Empire

the Zhou Dynasty

the Assyrian Empire

the Sumerian Empire

Correct answer:

the Assyrian Empire

Explanation:

Nineveh was the capital of the bellicose Assyrian Empire. It is most famous for its Royal Library, built under the reign of the most famous Assyrian ruler, Ashurbanipal. It was in the Royal Library that the famous work The Epic of Gilgamesh was kept and preserved. The Epic of Gilgamesh is considered the oldest known work of literature in human history.

Example Question #102 : Sat Subject Test In World History

Which King of the Hebrew people is known for the conquest of Jerusalem? 

Possible Answers:

Solomon

Joseph

David

Abraham

Saul

Correct answer:

David

Explanation:

Saul was the first king of the Hebrews and is best remembered for facing off against the Philistines. David followed Saul and is remembered as the conqueror of Jerusalem. 

Example Question #22 : Southwest Asia And Africa

The Akkadian Empire, sometimes called the earliest empire in human history, was formed by __________.

Possible Answers:

Ashurbanipal

Menes

Hammurabi

Nebuchadnezzar

Sargon the Great

Correct answer:

Sargon the Great

Explanation:

The Akkadian Empire is sometimes called the earliest empire in human history, although of course this is somewhat subjective as it is dependent on how exactly you define an empire. It was founded and dramatically expanded by Sargon the Great from 2234 B.C.E. until his death sixty years later. The Akkadian Empire was relatively short-lived and over time split into the Northern Assyrian Kingdom and the Southern Babylonian Kingdom. 

Example Question #26 : Southwest Asia And Africa

Which of the following groups flourished in Southern Egypt and Sudan around 2000 BCE?

Possible Answers:

The Carthaginians

The Malinese

The Nubians

The Zulu

The Numidians

Correct answer:

The Nubians

Explanation:

The Nubian civilization is one of the earliest known civilizations in African history. It arose in modern-day Southern Egypt and Sudan in approximately 2000 BCE. 

Example Question #23 : Southwest Asia And Africa

Studying the Bantu people reveals all of the following except _____________.

Possible Answers:

the transmission of technical knowledge, like how to smelt iron

the importance of kinship groups and communal property

the spread and evolution of language, as seen in the language Swahili

early oral traditions that would influence the development of Christianity

early trade connections between Malay, Madagascar, and Africa, as seen in the spread of the banana

Correct answer:

early oral traditions that would influence the development of Christianity

Explanation:

Although Bantu society valued oral traditions-as seen in the importance of griots, or those who told the oral history of the Bantu-these traditions did not directly influence Christianity. 

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