Download 1. The Aztec belief system and worldview was greatly impacted

Name: ___________________
Class: ____
Date: _________________________
Social Studies 8 – Final Exam MC Review (from Exambank)
Instructions: Read through the following questions and choose the best answer
1. The Aztec belief system and worldview was greatly impacted following the Spanish conquest
because the Aztecs came to believe that:
A) The gods had abandoned them and that the Spanish God must be stronger.
B) They must increase their number of sacrifices to strengthen their gods and defeat the
Spanish.
C) The end of the world had come and the Aztec prepared for the end of time by building
elaborate temples.
D) The gods had delivered them into the hands of a superior empire
2. The Tokugawa Shogunate in power through Japan's Edo period banned most foreign traders
and expelled all Christian missionaries and foreigners in Japan. The Shogunate felt these
actions were necessary to do which of the following?
A) To eliminate possible threats to its power and protect the Japanese culture from
foreign influence.
B) To prevent Japan's natural resources from being depleted by so many foreigners
settling in Japan.
C) To prevent the Japanese race from being racially contaminated by Europeans, who the
Japanese saw as an inferior and primitive culture.
D) To prevent conflict with European nations who were upset that they were losing so
many talented merchants and missionaries to Japan.
3. Which of the following was a major factor which created conditions that favoured change in
Japan toward the end of Japan's Edo Period?
A) Changes in the political situation. With the defeat of the Tokugawa Shogun of the Edo \
Palace, the Mutsuhito Shogun of the Meiji Palace took control of Japan.
B) Changes in social situation. With the influence of Western ideals such as 'Enlightenment',
well educated daimyos began to pressure the government to end Japan's feudal system and
create a more democratic one.
C) Changes in economic situation. High taxation, alternate attendance laws, lack of work and
natural disasters led the Japanese people to become critical of the Tokugawa Shogunate
and caused a breakdown in the feudal structure of society.
D) Changes in leadership. The last Tokugawa Shogun died leaving no heirs and leadership of
Japan fell to the Emperor who modeled Japanese society and government on the political
styles found in Europe at the time.
4. The Aztec worldview contained many strong beliefs about conflict and battle. The Aztec
worldview saw conflict and battle as:
A) The greatest sin
B) To be avoided at all costs
C) A necessary evil
D) Of great importance
5.
When Cortez led the Spanish attack on the Aztecs, he brought with him 400 Spaniards, 12
horses and 6000 Mesoamerican allies. The Aztecs of Tenochtitlan numbered near 200,000
and were an experienced warlike society.
The Spanish worldview led Cortez to think he could successfully conquer the Aztecs given these
odds because it:
A) valued the pursuit of fame and glory in the face of adversity
B) was based on the Islamic belief that good always triumphs over evil
C) was developed in Spain during a period of isolation so the Spanish did not realize how
many Aztecs they would be fighting against.
D) was that of Renaissance Europe and valued careful exploration and organization.
6. The Aztec worldview believed that the practice of this ritual was the highest expression of
devotion to the gods. Without this ritual, the gods would weaken, die and the world would
end. What was the ritual?
A) Baptism.
B) The Codex.
C) The New Fire.
D) Human sacrifice.
7. Which of the following was not a factor in the altering worldview of the Japanese people,
making them desire changes in Japanese society in the early years of the Meiji Period?
A) Spread of education.
B) Increased wealth and power of the merchant class.
C) A corrupt and inefficient ruling Emperor.
D) Increased trade and contact with foreign nations.
8. Despite it being a less than ideal location, the Aztecs settled in Tenochtitlan in 1325 after a
150 year search for a new home. Why did the Aztecs select Tenochtitlan as their new home
even though its physical geography made the area difficult to settle?
A) After a long period of being nomads, the Aztec population was weak and could travel no
further.
B) The Aztecs believed that they were directed to settle in Tenochtitlan by their god
Huitzilopochtli.
C) Tenochtitlan was the ruins of a city built by another Mesoamerican tribe so they wouldn't
need a whole new city.
D) Encounters with many cultures by the Aztecs while searching for a new homeland left the
Aztecs vulnerable to attack.
9. Because most foreign trade was banned during the Edo Period in Japan by the Tokugawa
Shogunate, Japan had to be economically self-sufficient. Funds needed were raised through
which of the following?
A) Selling of goods to other nations.
B) Trading of rice, the 'currency' of the time.
C) High levels of taxation.
D) Donations from wealthy daimyo.
10. During Japan's Edo Period, the teachings of Confucius were taught in schools for both
samurai and commoners. The Shogunate considered the teachings of Confucius important to
Japanese society in this era because Confucius taught:
A) Loyalty to one common god which would help to unify Japanese society.
B) Modesty, proper behaviour, and acceptance of duties, obligations and class distinctions.
C) Japanese history and reminded Japanese society of the important events in their history.
D) The value of personal freedom and expression.
11. The Aztec's built their temples in the shape of a pyramid. The pyramid an important shape in
the Aztec worldview because it was
A) to be the sign of the Aztec god Huitzilopochtli.
B) by Aztec engineers, because it allowed for a large building that had a small top so it
would not absorb too much sun or heat.
C) to resemble the shape of a mountain; a place where the Aztec's believed the physical met
the sacred.
D) to represent the flow of energy from the many Aztec people upwards into their god,
Tenochtitlan.
12.
Aztec society placed great value on success in military ventures, and courage was well rewarded
in Aztec society, because it was believed that cowardly behaviour threatened the Aztec empire.
Courage, bravery and military skill were rewarded in Aztec society in that demonstrating these
skills was the main way in which:
A) Money in the form of gold and silver was earned.
B) Aztec men could join the calpolli
C) Aztec's could move up the social hierarchy.
D) Slaves could win their freedom.
13. The new rules and expectations for the Japanese people under Meiji leadership were focused
on attempting to 'Westernize' and 'civilize' Japan. These new rules and expectations created a
lot of:
A) Poverty – as the cost to the Japanese people of modernizing their homes, acquiring
Western style clothing and importing Western food left them very poor.
B) Emigration – many people left Japan as many Japanese, having experienced Western
ideas and technology, wanted to go live in Europe or North America where they could be
a part of Western culture without the strict social hierarchy of Japan.
C) Conflict – between generations of Japanese families as members of the older generation
attempted to retain traditional values and practices, while members of the younger
generation were quicker to adopt new ideas which they believed would advance Japan
globally.
D) Riots – as the Japanese people protested violently against the Meiji government who they
felt was trying to destroy Japan's culture in a vain attempt to win the favour and respect of
Western nations.
14.
The enrollment of all Aztec citizens of all social classes and genders into institutions like the
calmaecac and the telpochcalli, reflect the value the Aztec's placed on ___________ and the use
of this system in maintaining the Aztec social structure.
Which of the words listed below best fills in the blank shown above and makes the above
statement most accurate?
A) Religion.
B) Education.
C) Military service.
D) Law and order.
15.
Spanish nobles had traditionally supported themselves through military service or land
ownership. By the end of the Reconquista, many Spanish nobles had fallen on hard times; the
centuries old battle with the Islamic Empire was over and there was not enough farmland in
Spain to support all the nobility who now looked to land ownership as their sole means to
support themselves.
Many Spanish nobles solved their financial problems by doing which of the following?
A) Learning a trade or art
B) Becoming Conquistadors and going to the Americas
C) Leaving Spain for other European nations
D) Initiating the Spanish Civil War
16. With 80% of the landmass of Japan being forested mountains or steep valleys, the population
of Japan has always been primarily located along the coastline. The sea provided a way to
exchange goods, information, ideas and beliefs among the spread out Japanese population.
This led to the Japanese having which of the following?
A) A diet, religion and culture built on resources from the sea and one which honours the
sea and the gods of the sea above all things.
B) Several different, distinct cultural groups which each developed their own language,
traditions and culture.
C) A 'maritime worldview' which sees the sea as the center of the world, and all life on the
edge of a great ocean which connects all people.
D) A shared, collective worldview of beliefs and values, and a similar culture.
17. The abolishment of the samurai class and the pressure placed on the daimyo to return their
land to the state by Meiji leaders of Japan was done to accomplish which of the following?
A) To increase the power of the government and Emperor.
B) To create a classless Japanese society where each citizen was equal in status and wealth.
C) To encourage the members of the daimyo and samurai classes not to work, but rather to be
nobility of leisure who could entertain and impress visiting foreigners.
D) To place the daimyo and samurai classes at the bottom of the social hierarchy and allow
the working class (peasants and merchants) to rise to the top.
18. In addition to trade, an important component of the Aztec economy was which of the
following and why?
A) Barter
B) Gold mining
C) War
D) Slavery
19. Before Spanish conquest, the Aztec economy was based on farming, trade, war and tribute,
which were all used to increase the wealth of the Aztecs. Politically this style of economic
system helped contribute to the Aztecs downfall and made them susceptible to conquest
because:
A) The Aztecs were poor farmers and could not produce enough food
B) The Aztecs turned many of their neighbours into enemies who allied with the Spanish.
C) Much of the wealth the Aztecs accumulated went to pay the army and the Aztec economy
could not grow.
D) After the Aztecs plundered all neighbouring tribes, those tribes were left destitute with
nothing left to trade.
20. In Aztec culture social mobility was:
A) was earned through good military service and success.
B) was based on financial wealth.
C) non-existent, social class was hereditary and individuals spent their entire life in the
social class in which they were born.
D) not an issue in Aztec society, as Aztec society was 'classless'
21. The Imperial Council (Emperor's advisors) of the Meiji Period outlined a new vision for
Japan in the Five Charter Oath. Which of the following was not one of the values presented
in their Five Charter Oath?
A) Scientific knowledge and advancement was to be sought from other countries to
strengthen Japan.
B) All people were to become involved in public discussion of political decisions.
C) Rehabilitation of the feudal system so that feudal class distinctions were clearer and the
power and wealth of the merchant class would be controlled.
D) Greater personal freedom for all citizens.
Name: ___________________
Class: ____
Date: _________________________
Social Studies 8 – Final Exam MC Review (from Exambank)
KEY
Instructions: Read through the following questions and choose the best answer
2. The Aztec belief system and worldview was greatly impacted following the Spanish
conquest because the Aztecs came to believe that:
A) The gods had abandoned them and that the Spanish God must be stronger.
B) They must increase their number of sacrifices to strengthen their gods and defeat the
Spanish.
C) The end of the world had come and the Aztec prepared for the end of time by building
elaborate temples.
D) The gods had delivered them into the hands of a superior empire
The Aztec worldview placed a great deal of value and importance on religion. The Aztec's believed their
gods controlled the world and directed the Aztec people how to live, and a close relationship existed
between the Aztec people and their gods. The Aztec worldview also placed great importance on the ritual
of human sacrifice, and contained the belief that their gods were nourished by human blood, and without
it, the gods would weaken and die. If the gods died, the world would end. Because of this belief, the
Aztec's viewed human sacrifice with deep religious significance and believed it to be the highest
expression of devotion to the gods. During the siege of Tenochtitlan by the Spanish, Aztec priests
repeatedly told the Aztec people that if they continued to offer up human sacrifices and prayers to the
gods, the gods would see that the Aztecs would be victorious. When Tenochtitlan finally fell, the Aztecs
felt that their gods had abandoned them or were in some way weakened or powerless against the Spanish.
This challenge to their belief of the nature and strength of their gods helped contribute to a change of
worldview for the Aztec people.
2. The Tokugawa Shogunate in power through Japan's Edo period banned most foreign traders
and expelled all Christian missionaries and foreigners in Japan. The Shogunate felt these
actions were necessary to do which of the following?
A) To eliminate possible threats to its power and protect the Japanese culture from
foreign influence.
B) To prevent Japan's natural resources from being depleted by so many foreigners
settling in Japan.
C) To prevent the Japanese race from being racially contaminated by Europeans, who the
Japanese saw as an inferior and primitive culture.
D) To prevent conflict with European nations who were upset that they were losing so
many talented merchants and missionaries to Japan.
During Japan's Edo Period (1600-1868), Japan was controlled by the Tokugawa Shogunate; councils of
advisors, administrators and officials. With the arrival of Europeans, new beliefs like Christianity, and
technology (weapons) in the 1500's the Shogunate began to fear these new things posed a threat to their
military control and the future independence of Japan. To eliminate this threat and to keep the Japanese
culture pure from foreign influences, foreigners were banned from entering Japan, most foreign trade was
ended and the Japanese people were banned from leaving Japan.
3. Which of the following was a major factor which created conditions that favoured change in
Japan toward the end of Japan's Edo Period?
A) Changes in the political situation. With the defeat of the Tokugawa Shogun of the Edo \
Palace, the Mutsuhito Shogun of the Meiji Palace took control of Japan.
B) Changes in social situation. With the influence of Western ideals such as 'Enlightenment',
well educated daimyos began to pressure the government to end Japan's feudal system and
create a more democratic one.
C) Changes in economic situation. High taxation, alternate attendance laws, lack of work and
natural disasters led the Japanese people to become critical of the Tokugawa Shogunate
and caused a breakdown in the feudal structure of society.
D) Changes in leadership. The last Tokugawa Shogun died leaving no heirs and leadership of
Japan fell to the Emperor who modeled Japanese society and government on the political
styles found in Europe at the time.
The feudal society which saw social classes like the daimyo, merchants, peasants and samurai existed during Japan's Edo Period (1600-­‐1868). Toward the end of this period, the economic situation changed. High taxation and natural disasters adversely affected the peasant class, forcing them into cities to find work. Alternate attendance laws were bankrupting some daimyo and they could no longer employ samurai. This caused an upheaval in the class system and a need for change in order for Japan to survive economically and maintain order and peace within Japanese society. 4. The Aztec worldview contained many strong beliefs about conflict and battle. The Aztec
worldview saw conflict and battle as:
A) The greatest sin
B) To be avoided at all costs
C) A necessary evil
D) Of great importance
The Aztecs valued the warrior lifestyle and saw war and conflict as of great importance and
necessary to the continuation of the world and the good of Aztec society and economy.
5.
When Cortez led the Spanish attack on the Aztecs, he brought with him 400 Spaniards, 12
horses and 6000 Mesoamerican allies. The Aztecs of Tenochtitlan numbered near 200,000
and were an experienced warlike society.
The Spanish worldview led Cortez to think he could successfully conquer the Aztecs given these
odds because it:
A) valued the pursuit of fame and glory in the face of adversity
B) was based on the Islamic belief that good always triumphs over evil
C) was developed in Spain during a period of isolation so the Spanish did not realize how
many Aztecs they would be fighting against.
D) was that of Renaissance Europe and valued careful exploration and organization.
The Spanish worldview incorporated the concept of chivalry – skill in battle, loyalty, fairness and faith in God, which developed during the Spanish Reconquista. Chivalrous knights who sacrificed themselves for their fellow soldiers and overcame great obstacles in achieving their goals were celebrated and gained fame and respect from the Spanish people. These values combined with the belief brought to Spain by their devote Catholic Monarchs, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella that they had a duty to spread Christianity and the Catholic faith throughout the world gave Cortez and the Spanish Conquistadors the confidence that they could take on the Aztecs and win, despite being outmatched. The Spanish also possessed the worldview of Renaissance Europe which contained the belief that white, Christian Europeans were intellectually and morally superior to the more primitive and inferior indigenous people found in new lands. With these beliefs, the Spanish would not have expected the Aztecs to have skills, technology or strategies which would led them to victory over the Spanish. 6. The Aztec worldview believed that the practice of this ritual was the highest expression of
devotion to the gods. Without this ritual, the gods would weaken, die and the world would
end. What was the ritual?
A) Baptism.
B) The Codex.
C) The New Fire.
D) Human sacrifice.
The Aztec worldview placed great importance on the ritual of human sacrifice. The Aztecs
believed their gods controlled the world and directed the Aztec people how to live, and a close
relationship existed between the Aztec people and their gods. The Aztec worldview contained the
belief that the gods were nourished by human blood, and without it, the gods would weaken and
die. If the gods died, the world would end. Because of this belief, the Aztec's viewed human
sacrifice with deep religious significance and believed it to be the highest expression of devotion
to the gods.
7. Which of the following was not a factor in the altering worldview of the Japanese people,
making them desire changes in Japanese society in the early years of the Meiji Period?
A) Spread of education.
B) Increased wealth and power of the merchant class.
C) A corrupt and inefficient ruling Emperor.
D) Increased trade and contact with foreign nations.
Toward the end of the Edo Period in Japan, there was change among the power and wealth of the social classes. Three classes of the social hierarchy (daimyo, samurai and peasants) began to experience financial difficulties compounded by natural disasters and famine. The merchant class, traditionally the lowest social class, gained power as people required their service of storing rice and exchanging it for cash or credit. The Japanese people also felt the ruling Shogunate was inefficient and corrupt and had lead Japan into signing 'unequal treaties' with powerful western nations. The Japanese people also saw a need to change the structure of their society and government so that Japan could recover economically, retain its independence and gain more equality in its trade relationships. 8. Despite it being a less than ideal location, the Aztecs settled in Tenochtitlan in 1325 after a
150 year search for a new home. Why did the Aztecs select Tenochtitlan as their new home
even though its physical geography made the area difficult to settle?
A) After a long period of being nomads, the Aztec population was weak and could travel no
further.
B) The Aztecs believed that they were directed to settle in Tenochtitlan by their god
Huitzilopochtli.
C) Tenochtitlan was the ruins of a city built by another Mesoamerican tribe so they wouldn't
need a whole new city.
D) Encounters with many cultures by the Aztecs while searching for a new homeland left the
Aztecs vulnerable to attack.
The Aztecs culture originated in northern Mexico. In 1168, the Aztecs believed that their god
Huitzilopochtli had commanded them to find a new place in which to settle and build a great
city. After 150 years of searching, in the year 1325 CE, the Aztec's settled in Tenochtitlan in the
Valley of Mexico, a location they felt Huitzilopochtli had led them to, and one (according to
Aztec philosophers) was a special place located in the center of the world.
9. Because most foreign trade was banned during the Edo Period in Japan by the Tokugawa
Shogunate, Japan had to be economically self-sufficient. Funds needed were raised through
which of the following?
A) Selling of goods to other nations.
B) Trading of rice, the 'currency' of the time.
C) High levels of taxation.
D) Donations from wealthy daimyo.
To eliminate the threat to Japan's independence and the power of the Shogunate by foreign
nations, Tokugawa Iemitsu created a series of Exclusion Laws which banned foreign trade. With
no profits or capital coming into Japan, Japan had to raise necessary funds for projects from
within its own population. This was achieved through over-taxation of the peasant class, as well
as requiring daimyos to pay for projects within their own territories.
10. During Japan's Edo Period, the teachings of Confucius were taught in schools for both
samurai and commoners. The Shogunate considered the teachings of Confucius important to
Japanese society in this era because Confucius taught:
A) Loyalty to one common god which would help to unify Japanese society.
B) Modesty, proper behaviour, and acceptance of duties, obligations and class distinctions.
C) Japanese history and reminded Japanese society of the important events in their history.
D) The value of personal freedom and expression.
Confucius was a Chinese scholar who developed teachings for moral living. Confucius believed
that everyone had a place and role in society, and if each person accepted their role and its
duties and obligations, there would be peace and order. Peace and order would end chaos and
suffering. The Shogun felt the teachings of Confucius were valuable to Japanese society because
they helped the Japanese accept class distinctions, and obey the rules set down by the
Shogunate.
11. The Aztec's built their temples in the shape of a pyramid. The pyramid an important shape in
the Aztec worldview because it was
A) to be the sign of the Aztec god Huitzilopochtli.
B) by Aztec engineers, because it allowed for a large building that had a small top so it
would not absorb too much sun or heat.
C) to resemble the shape of a mountain; a place where the Aztec's believed the physical met
the sacred.
D) to represent the flow of energy from the many Aztec people upwards into their god,
Tenochtitlan.
The Aztec worldview placed a great deal of value and importance on religion. The Aztecs
believed their gods controlled the world and directed the Aztec people how to live, and a close
relationship existed between the Aztec people and their gods. The Aztec worldview saw
mountains as the location where the physical world met the sacred realm of the gods. In cities
such as Tenochtitlan, worship was held in temples, and the temples were often constructed in the
shape of a pyramid to resemble a mountain.
12.
Aztec society placed great value on success in military ventures, and courage was well rewarded
in Aztec society, because it was believed that cowardly behaviour threatened the Aztec empire.
Courage, bravery and military skill were rewarded in Aztec society in that demonstrating these
skills was the main way in which:
A) Money in the form of gold and silver was earned.
B) Aztec men could join the calpolli
C) Aztec's could move up the social hierarchy.
D) Slaves could win their freedom.
Aztec society was military society where warriors were greatly respected. Military service was
compulsory for all Aztec men, as the Aztecs believed that the future of the Aztec empire depended
on having a society comprised of strong warriors, and every Aztec man should be prepared to
sacrifice his life in battle for the good of society and the growth of the Aztec empire. War was
important to the Aztec culture not just as a means of defense or to gain new territory, but also to
gain captives for use as human sacrifices to the Aztec gods, to ensure the continuation of the
world. A warrior who could demonstrate excellent ability in capturing enemy prisoners was
rewarded for his contribution to Aztec society by becoming eligible to become a member of a
higher social class – even a member of the nobility.
13. The new rules and expectations for the Japanese people under Meiji leadership were focused
on attempting to 'Westernize' and 'civilize' Japan. These new rules and expectations created a
lot of:
A) Poverty – as the cost to the Japanese people of modernizing their homes, acquiring
Western style clothing and importing Western food left them very poor.
B) Emigration – many people left Japan as many Japanese, having experienced Western
ideas and technology, wanted to go live in Europe or North America where they could be
a part of Western culture without the strict social hierarchy of Japan.
C) Conflict – between generations of Japanese families as members of the older generation
attempted to retain traditional values and practices, while members of the younger
generation were quicker to adopt new ideas which they believed would advance Japan
globally.
D) Riots – as the Japanese people protested violently against the Meiji government who they
felt was trying to destroy Japan's culture in a vain attempt to win the favour and respect of
Western nations.
The rapid Westernization was not well accepted by all Japanese who felt their culture and
traditions were being rejected, forgotten and made to be a source of shame for Japan. The older
generations were particularly resistant to change and adopting new ways of living and thinking
from those they had been raised with. They worried that Japan's culture and traditions would be
lost if the younger generation was too eager to adopt new and more Western ideas, values and
customs.
14.
The enrollment of all Aztec citizens of all social classes and genders into institutions like the
calmaecac and the telpochcalli, reflect the value the Aztec's placed on ___________ and the use
of this system in maintaining the Aztec social structure.
Which of the words listed below best fills in the blank shown above and makes the above
statement most accurate?
A) Religion.
B) Education.
C) Military service.
D) Law and order.
The Aztec worldview placed special value on education. As a result, all Aztec citizens, regardless of social class or gender were given free schooling, and expected to attend school. Although all Aztec citizens were given an education, all did not receive an equal education. Nobles attended different schools (calmecac) than did commoners (telpochcalli) and were instructed in different subjects, with each social group receiving instruction that helped prepare them for their future role in Aztec society and helped maintain the structure of Aztec society and protected the political and social power held by the noble class. 15.
Spanish nobles had traditionally supported themselves through military service or land
ownership. By the end of the Reconquista, many Spanish nobles had fallen on hard times; the
centuries old battle with the Islamic Empire was over and there was not enough farmland in
Spain to support all the nobility who now looked to land ownership as their sole means to
support themselves.
Many Spanish nobles solved their financial problems by doing which of the following?
A) Learning a trade or art
B) Becoming Conquistadors and going to the Americas
C) Leaving Spain for other European nations
D) Initiating the Spanish Civil War
The end of the Reconquista decreased Spain's need for a large military force, and Spanish nobles
were forced to look to land ownership as a means to support themselves financially. Since
farmland was in limited supply in Spain, many Spanish nobles had no means to make an income.
In addition, the Spanish nobility had a sense of honour which prevented them from taking jobs
that involved learning a trade or physical labour. Some Spanish nobles who could not attain
land ownership became businessmen or entered commerce. Others turned their attention to
Spain's activity in the New World as a means to support themselves and possibly find gold and
great wealth. In addition to wealth, many Spanish nobles hoped to achieve fame, glory and to
make a name for themselves and earn increased respect from Spanish society, by becoming
Conquistadors in the New World.
16. With 80% of the landmass of Japan being forested mountains or steep valleys, the population
of Japan has always been primarily located along the coastline. The sea provided a way to
exchange goods, information, ideas and beliefs among the spread out Japanese population.
This led to the Japanese having which of the following?
A) A diet, religion and culture built on resources from the sea and one which honours the
sea and the gods of the sea above all things.
B) Several different, distinct cultural groups which each developed their own language,
traditions and culture.
C) A 'maritime worldview' which sees the sea as the center of the world, and all life on the
edge of a great ocean which connects all people.
D) A shared, collective worldview of beliefs and values, and a similar culture.
Since much of Japan is unsuitable for settlement due to its physical geography, much of the
Japanese population lives in the coastal regions of Japan. The sea provided a way of
transporting and sharing resources, and communicating news, ideas, values and beliefs. Due to
this level of contact and communication amongst the Japanese they developed a worldview
which included the image of themselves as a homogeneous society, a great unified family of a
similar nature and character, with shared common values and beliefs.
17. The abolishment of the samurai class and the pressure placed on the daimyo to return their
land to the state by Meiji leaders of Japan was done to accomplish which of the following?
A) To increase the power of the government and Emperor.
B) To create a classless Japanese society where each citizen was equal in status and wealth.
C) To encourage the members of the daimyo and samurai classes not to work, but rather to be
nobility of leisure who could entertain and impress visiting foreigners.
D) To place the daimyo and samurai classes at the bottom of the social hierarchy and allow
the working class (peasants and merchants) to rise to the top.
In the early Meiji Period, the Meiji leaders focused on increasing the power of the government
and Emperor in order to bring stability to -and strengthen -Japan. The daimyo, wealthy
landowners, were encouraged to return their land to the state in return for a pension. This would
limit the wealth of the daimyo and put them under the control of the state The Meiji leaders also
abolished the samurai class, forcing them to find other jobs.
18. In addition to trade, an important component of the Aztec economy was which of the
following and why?
A) Barter
B) Gold mining
C) War
D) Slavery
The Aztec economy was closely linked to the Aztecs main focus of expanding their territory and
forming an Empire. The Aztec expanded their territory in two main ways; war with the conquest
of other tribes, their lands and resources, and trade, where the Aztecs formed trade alliances
with surrounding tribes. Through trade, the Aztecs could obtain the necessary and desired goods
that they could not produce or acquire for themselves in Tenochtitlan. Through war, once the
Aztec's conquered another groups, they collected tributes (valuable gifts and taxes) from the
other group.
19. Before Spanish conquest, the Aztec economy was based on farming, trade, war and tribute,
which were all used to increase the wealth of the Aztecs. Politically this style of economic
system helped contribute to the Aztecs downfall and made them susceptible to conquest
because:
A) The Aztecs were poor farmers and could not produce enough food
B) The Aztecs turned many of their neighbours into enemies who allied with the Spanish.
C) Much of the wealth the Aztecs accumulated went to pay the army and the Aztec economy
could not grow.
D) After the Aztecs plundered all neighbouring tribes, those tribes were left destitute with
nothing left to trade.
The two aspects of Aztec character that were greatly celebrated by the Aztecs; warrior and
trader, reflect the Aztec identity and basis of the Aztec economy. The Aztec economy was based
on farming, trade of items produced for items needed, and engaging in wars with other tribes to
gain captives used for sacrifice and tribute (payments or gifts the Aztecs demanded from those
nations they conquered.) While this system served the Aztecs well for some time and the Aztec
economy grew and the Aztecs became wealthy, it had the negative effect of making many of their
neighbouring tribes into enemies of the Aztecs. Cortez befriended these nations and many were
eager to become allies of Spain and take up arms against the Aztecs to reduce the power of the
Aztecs.
20. In Aztec culture social mobility was:
A) was earned through good military service and success.
B) was based on financial wealth.
C) non-existent, social class was hereditary and individuals spent their entire life in the
social class in which they were born.
D) not an issue in Aztec society, as Aztec society was 'classless'
Aztec society was military society where warriors were greatly respected, and it was believed
that the future of the Aztec empire depended on having a society comprised of strong warriors,
and every Aztec man should be prepared to sacrifice his life in battle for the good of society and
the growth of the Aztec empire. War was important to the Aztec economy, religion and goal to
create an Aztec empire. Reflecting this importance, a warrior who could demonstrate excellent
ability in capturing enemy prisoners was rewarded for his contribution to Aztec society by
becoming eligible to become a member of a higher social class – even entering the nobility, and
the main way to gain social mobility in Aztec society was through success as a warrior.
21. The Imperial Council (Emperor's advisors) of the Meiji Period outlined a new vision for
Japan in the Five Charter Oath. Which of the following was not one of the values presented
in their Five Charter Oath?
A) Scientific knowledge and advancement was to be sought from other countries to
strengthen Japan.
B) All people were to become involved in public discussion of political decisions.
C) Rehabilitation of the feudal system so that feudal class distinctions were clearer and the
power and wealth of the merchant class would be controlled.
D) Greater personal freedom for all citizens.
The goals for Japanese society during the Meiji Period were outlined in the Five Charter Oath
created by the Imperial Council. The Five Charter Oath focused on giving Japanese citizens
greater personal freedom and equality, involvement in the political process and decisionmaking, an end to restrictive, discriminatory laws and customs, and a greater focus on gathering
knowledge from around the world to strengthen Japan.