Download Assessment: The Renaissance Begins

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Assessment: The Renaissance Begins
Mastering the Content
Fill in the circle next to the best answer
1. Based on the meaning of the French word renaissance, the period called the Renaissance refers to the
A. rebirth of classical culture.
B. restoration of basic human values.
C. remainder of learning not yet lost.
D. remembrance of better times.
2. How did the Crusades contribute to the Renaissance in Europe?
A. Crusaders destroyed the libraries of Muslim scholars.
B. Crusaders rebelled against the Roman Catholic Church.
C. Crusaders developed an interest in painting and sculpture.
D. Crusaders brought back learning from the East.
3. Which art had the greatest influence on Renaissance artists?
A. early medieval art
B. ancient Greek and Roman art
C. medieval Islamic art
D. ancient Chinese art
4. Suppose you could look at several paintings made in Italy before 1600. Which was most likely painted
during the Renaissance?
A. one in which nature is important
B. one in which people appear stiff
C. one with a solid blue background
D. one that looks two-dimensional
5. How did trade on the Silk Road help to cause the Renaissance?
A. Armies from Europe were able to defeat the Mongols.
B. Italian cities on the trade routes to the East became wealthy.
C. Ideas of Chinese philosophers became popular in the West.
D. Merchants paid painters to paint them in fine new silk clothes.
6. What economic change during the Renaissance made bankers more important?
A. Jobs became more specialized.
B. Craftspeople set out signs to advertise their wares.
C. People began to buy goods with money instead of bartering.
D. Food for people in the cities began to be grown in the countryside.
7. Why did craftspeople become more important during the Renaissance?
A. Universities hired them.
B. They worked for feudal lords.
C. They made stained glass for churches.
D. Merchants traded their goods all over Europe.
8. Who would have been most likely to speak these words?
I have made a lot of money in business. I’ve hired a talented painter to decorate the inner
walls of the church. I’m sure he’ll do a good job.
A. a priest
B. a patron
C. a scholar
D. a craftsperson
9. What is a major reason why the Renaissance began in northern and central Italy?
A. Nobles there led the Crusades.
B. Peasants there learned to read.
C. City-states there became wealthy.
D. Kings there fought one another.
10. Independent republics in Italy were governed by elected councils. Who often held the most power in those
republics?
A. rich merchants
B. factory workers
C. groups of priests
D. guilds of painters
11. Which geographic factor contributed most to Italy’s economic success?
A. its forests
B. its climate
C. its location
D. its mountains
12. How did wealthy Italian families encourage learning?
A. They trained girls to teach school.
B. They donated books to poor families.
C. They rejected ideas that weren't new.
D. They established universities.
13. The Renaissance philosophy of humanism included a belief in the
A. need for foreign trade.
B. worth of the individual.
C. importance of tradition.
D. authority of government.
14. Which subject of study belongs to the humanities?
A. literature
B. navigation
C. anatomy
D. mathematics
15. Which of these methods did humanist scholars teach as a way to learn about the world?
A. Listen to the pope.
B. Read the newspaper.
C. Observe and experiment.
D. Sit quietly and meditate.
16. Which of these would be valued most by a Renaissance thinker who emphasized individualism?
A. a nation's strength
B. a family's ancestors
C. a person's achievements
D. an army's success in battle
Applying Social Studies Skills
Use the chart, the map, and your knowledge of history to complete the sentences.
17. The southernmost of the four cities on the map specialized in
____________________________ and _____________________________.
18. Goods that were shipped into Europe by way of the Adriatic Sea included
19. Suppose a manufacturer of metal goods and armor wanted to send his or her products to a customer by ship,
using the nearest port. The manufacturer would most likely send the goods overland to the port city of
Exploring the Essential Question: What changes in Europe led to the Renaissance?
20. In the computer screen below, design a simple Web site home page about the Renaissance. Your home page
should express in words, symbols, and drawings your overall thesis that answers the Essential Question:
What changes in Europe led to the Renaissance? Include a sentence that explains what you see as the most
important cause of the Renaissance.