Download sample assessment tasks for the revised secondary

SAMPLE ASSESSMENT TASKS
FOR THE REVISED
SECONDARY ONE SYLLABUS
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THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG
LIBRARIES
This book was received
in accordance with the Books
Registration Ordinance
Section
TEACHING THINKING
EFFECTIVE LEARNING
SAMPLE ASSESSMENT TASKS
FOR THE REVISED
SECONDARY ONE SYLLABUS
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Curriculum Development in^titut^
Education Department
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History Sample Assessment Tasks for the Revised Secondary One Syllabus
Prepared by
Humanities Unit,
Curriculum Development Institute,
Education Department, Hong Kong.
BOOKS REGISTRATION ORDINANCE
Chapter !42
No.: HK
49
385.,
H
First Print: 1999
© 1999 Copyright belongs to the Education Department, Hong Kong. Except for teaching and
other non-profit-making purposes, no part of this book should be duplicated without the written
consent of the Education Department.
ISBN 962-8103-43-1
PREFACE
Assessment of Thinking Skills and
Understanding of Historical Concepts
A. Multiple Choice Questions
Multi-purpose multiple choice questions
A. Life in the Main Centres of Early Civilization
B. life in Ancient Greco-Roman Civilization
C. Life in Medieval Times
B.True or False
A. Life in the Main Centres of Early Civilization
B. life in Ancient Greco-Roman Civilization
C.Fill in the Blanks
A. Life in the Main Centres of Early Civilization
B. life in Ancient Greco-Roman Civilization
D. Matching
A. life in the Main Centres of Early Civilization
B. life in Medieval Times
E. Fact or Opinion
A, life in the Main Centres of Early Civilization
B. life in Ancient Greco-Roman Civilization
F. Long Questions
A. life in the Main Centres of Early Civilization
B. life in Ancient Greco-Roman Civilization
C. life in Medieval Times
15
16
20
23
28
32
33
35
37
38
40
43
44
45
46
47
49
50
51
55
66
G. Design Questions
70
Appendix
73
In June 1998 and April 1999, the Humanities Unit of Curriculum Development Institute
published two series of "Teaching Thinking for Effective Learning in History - Sample Tasks for
the Revised Secondary One Syllabus" to support the implementation of the revised Sl-3 History
Syllabus and the teaching of critical thinking skills in classrooms.
Meanwhile, in the aspect of assessment, which is an important component of the
curriculum, the traditional emphasis on rote learning is no longer appropriate to the new teaching mode. This handbook provides some examples of examination questions which are considered more effective in assessing students' thinking skills, historical concepts and basic historical
knowledge. It is hoped that the change in the format of assessment will further arouse students'
interest in History and enhance their thinking and creative ability.
Teachers are welcome to send their comments on this work to the following address:
Principal Inspector,
Humanities Unit,
Curriculum Development Institute,
13/F, Wu Chung House,
213 Queen's Road East,
Hong Kong.
May 1999
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Why should questions on thinking skills be included in examinations or tests?
1. Realisation of the spirit of the curriculum
........ *-*
C aims and objectives^!
*
c
examinations and
assessment
History
Subject
'**,
I scope and content
V__
_
j
» Reaching and learning^ <
The curriculum of this subject generally comprises the above 4 inter-related elements. It
has been clearly stated that the aims and objectives of the curriculum are to enhance students'
critical thinking skills, and corresponding adjustments have already been made to the scope and
content of the curriculum as well as to the mode of teaching and learning. Can the mode of
examination and assessment remain unchanged?
Students
Teachers
New
objectives
Reducin:
content
Acquisition of knowledge
Spare more time to realise
Mastery of skills
the above objectives by taiDevelopment of attitudes taring the content and narrowing down the scope.
Objective
- Content
Teaching
Teaching knowledge, skills
and attitude
Memory-based questions
might hamper the effectiveness of learning
PAssessrnent
Hence, it is more reasonable to study and to test what has been taught. Since the
development of critical thinking skills and understanding of historical concepts have been included in the aims and objectives of the History syllabus, questions related with these topics
should also be included in examinations.
Come on! Let me teach you
Shao-lin Quan
Let's begin the test! Let me first
test your Wu-dang Jian
PowerPoint I
Sir, your class is
fascinating, with IT,
|| workingsheets, and it's
thought-provoking,
but
All the students said:"... but, it's completely something else when it comes to examination.
What you taught never appear in the exam questions
Sir, how about something more
realistic? Just help us to memorize the texts will do."
A fair examination means not only fair marking of papers, but also consistency in what
is being tested and the stated aims and objectives of the curriculum. The exam should not
exceed the scope and content of the curriculum too. If the curriculum aims at developing
students' thinking skills, and classroom teaching can also attain this, but examinations test only
their memory, how can such examinations be regarded as fair?
2. Make use of the mode of assessment to change students' mode of learning
If exam questions merely focus on
testing the memory of students, and teachers
while marking the exam papers only take
into account whether students have succeeded in providing the required information,
then students would ...
Learning
without
understanding!
Surface Learning
This is the
writer's
opinion.
This point of
view is
ungrounded!
If thinking skills and the understanding of historical concepts would be tested in
examinations, then we could make use of
this opportunity to change the mode of learning of students.
If students all shift from surface
learning to deep learning, how great would
be the impact on them? Just think about it.
Deep Learning
3. Rectify students1 or even the public's perception of History
sheer memorization!
' Whv can't we simt>lv test the memory of students?
1. Rote learning is of little use
One will forget what j
was memorized I
shortly after the /
examination.
J
What's the use of
memorizing without
understanding?
2. Repeating our predecessors' mistakes
The shortcomings of civil service
examinations in the Qing Dynasty
Mode of examinations - limited to 8-legged essays,
innovation was suppressed.
Scope of examinations -focussing on the classics.
It's no use to study in depth.
f If we just test whether
students can memorize the
information given in
the textbooks, are we
making the same mistakes
as our predecessors did?
3- This mode of assessment will simply strangle students' interest in learning
4. Ignoring the aspirations of parents
A groxip of parents declared
their wish for
Hong Kong's
education
c
We have a wish :
May our children have the time
and opportunity to learn how to
think, instead of memorizing
model answers and excessive textbook knowledge ...
Is memorization totally useless?
School A
SchoolB
Outstanding scholars all have
encyclopaedic
knowledge and a
good memory, The
standard of our
students is high and
they have strong
incentive and good
memory. Why not
let them memorize
more information?
According to educational
psychologists, memorization is a
skill of the lowest order. The
standard of our students is low,
and so is their motivation. It is
difficult to ask them to understand
the questions. It'd be better to
lower the examination requirements and ask them to answer the
questions by memorization.
This still gives them some sense of
achievement!
Response 1
The faculty of memory comes from concentration on certain matters.
If this concentration is to be prolonged, the impetus usually comes from
the student's interest. For example, some students can fully memorize
television programmes and some students can remember every detail of
their electronic games. They can do these because they are interested in
these matters. But subjects which only focus on memorization cannot
arouse the interest of capable students. In order to maintain the interest of
students in a subject, the content of the subject should be challenging as
well as practical. If the students find interest in the subject, they will take
the initiative to study it and in time, will be able to memorize a lot of
related knowledge.
Academically low achievers usually lack the motivation rather than the
ability to learn. If we just ask them to memorize what they have been
taught, this would be equivalent to asking them to achieve the least challenging goal by means of a most boring method. So, how is it possible to
enhance their motivation to learn? If we are to stop this vicious circle, we
have to start with enhancing their motivation to learn. If we just ask them
to memorize what they have been taught, it might be effective for a while
but would eventually lead to negative results.
Response 2
Is there any middle course of action?
Since the students have already got used to the old way of assessment, can we ask them
to adapt themselves to another mode of assessment within a short time? Can we increase the
number of questions that assess students' thinking skills and understanding of historical concepts
gradually? How about a '50/50' option?
Eh, half of the
questions require
memorization? Do I want
to score high marks in the
examination? OK, let me
memorize them!
This way of learning is not
very meaningful to students
who are capable and
confident.
No improvement will be made
by students who lack confidence or are reluctant to
change.
No reform can be achieved in one step. Nevertheless, a step-by-step approach does not
work sometimes.
Tsing Ma Bridge
Let's do things
steadily and
build half of the
bridge first1
If we want to encourage students to adopt deep learning by changing the mode of examination,
this change must be powerful enough. It'd have little effect if we only go halfway in the reform
process.
-F
J^,^ Three Precautionary Measures to be Taken in Setting Questions
1. sBeware of "shams"
Paper A
1 Analyze the
reasons for XXX
1. Source A...
2. Source B...
3. Source C...
Head the above
sources careMly and
state the reasons for
XXX.
A pseudo-synthetical question
A pseudo-analytical question
already memorized the relevant
text, so I can just
information provided is irrelevant to
answer. I still
Multiple choices
1 Which of the
, following is the
r consequence of XXX?
"A. MAA
B. -BBBB*
C. CCCC
D. DDDD
A pseudo cause
and effect question
I haven't
studied them
thoroughly.
memorization
In general, if students are able to give the answer by memorizing the text, then it is clear that
memorizing ability, rather than thinking skills, is required in answering the question.
2. Beware of Total Failure
Some teachers indicated that they had once set questions testing thinking skills only,
and all students failed. Therefore, when it came to the final examination, only questions testing
students' memory were set, or it might give rise to queries from school heads and protest from
parents,
To avoid the above situation, teachers may adopt the following measures :
a. Give advance notice - this can reduce students' stress in memorizing the
text (but not necessarily reduce the stress in examination), and will motivate students to adopt the "Deep learning mode". When students are well
prepared, they can naturally pass the examination smoothly.
b. Practice makes perfect - if students are unable to adapt to the new mode
of examination or still have doubts, teachers can use the sample tasks
provided in this booklet for mock tests, When students become used to
such mode of examination, the possibility of total failure will be reduced.
c. Good practices should persist - try to obtain endorsement from colleagues,
parents, school head and students, then persist in adopting the new mode.
3. Beware of Over-correction
Assessment in the subject of History does not emphasize testing students' spelling skills.
Thus, even if students make spelling mistakes, as long as they can communicate effectively, their
answers should not be totally rejected. However, people generally expect that students who
have completed basic education would not misspell important historical terms and should have
some basic knowledge of the development of world history and its chronological order.
You've studied history.!
Have you any idea
what Marxism and
Communism are?
'Mark's sum? Is it a theory
about Mark Six? "Commune needs some"? Is it
a kind of community
service?
v Jf
Conclusion
It is difficult to define which is the basic historical knowledge that students must acquire
and which are trivial details that they need not memorize. This booklet has compiled a list of
sample questions which can be used to assess students' thinking skills, understanding of historical concepts and basic historical knowledge, but not their knowledge of trivial historical details.
Teachers are welcome to use them and to make any necessary modifications and give us some
feedback afterwards.
It is hoped that the above suggested change in the mode of assessment can motivate
students to adopt the deep learning mode. This will help to enhance their interest in learning
and hence, promote their critical thinking skills and creativity, and will eventually benefit our
society and country.
A. Multiple Choice Questions
Foreword
What are the
purposes of
examinations?
But examinations can also...
f Force us to study. J
( Influence the way we study.
As a means to drive students to learn.
To influence the way students learn, e.g. superficial/
deep learning.
Evaluate the results of students' learning.
Evaluate the effectiveness
of teaching.
\
But, do you know
that examinations
can also be a part
of teaching?
To t e a c h by
examinations?
|
I
that really
work?
Oh! He means
that we don't work hard
regularly. We never read anything
except the exam papers. So, he
has to teach us through exam
papers.
,../iffH
:4i<>f^mm
Examinations serve multiple purposes. Here we are to explore how to help students
familiarize with important historical concepts through specially designed examination questions.
What are the special purposes?
A few dozens of multiple choice questions are designed to encourage students to get
familiarized with important historical concepts, so that they are better equipped for more
difficult questions in senior forms.
Quite some History exam papers of the senior forms have these problems.
The examination question asks why a certain event happened. Students write down
everything about the course of development and its influence.
The examination question asks students to write
down their views and give reasonable explanation,
But students write down only the whole story of the
historical event.
*!|i
These multiple choice questions are mainly for assessing students' understanding of
History concepts. We explicitly highlight the History concepts to be assessed so that students'
attention is drawn and thus facilitate them to choose the correct answer from the four options.
In the design of these examination questions, we make an effort not to assess students on the tedious details in history so as to discourage rote-learning, We hope students
would firstly understand the questions and then pick the correct option which corresponds to
the stated historical concepts. One question is analysed below for illustration purpose.
Why did the Pharaohs of Egypt build Pyramids?
A. They built Pyramids as their tombs.
B. The Pyramid is the greatest building
constructed by mankind.
C. The Egyptians built Pyramids with .
huge stones
D. The Egyptians used the Pyramids as
temples to worship Zeus.
cause & effect
This is a reason.
This is the result, not a reason.
This is the process, not a reason.
This can be taken as a reason. But
this is historically untrue.
Through this type of questions, students are trained to grasp the historical concepts
of "Cause and Effect", "Evidence", "Interpretation" and "Evaluation". Understanding these concepts would contribute to students' logical thinking and lay a foundation for further studies in
History.
Ah1 But this is only a tesS
on language analysis.
How can this be a history
examination?
Language analysis is the foundation of
logical thinking. Senior form students often
give an answer irrelevant to the question.
One of the reasons is weak language
analytical ability Furthermore, the
development of analytical power is one of
the aims and objectives of learning History.¥
Hey! But those who have analytical
ability but no knowledge in history
can also give the correct answer.
This type of questions in fact have
nothing to do with knowledge in
There are four choices in each multiple choice &
question. Only two are logical. And in these 1
two, only one is historically correct. There is
50% probability of giving the wrong answer if
one has only the analytical ability but not the
knowledge in history. Furthermore, multiple
choice questions constitute only one part of the
paper.
Note : Answer for each of the following
multiple choice question is A. Teachers who want to adopt these questions are reminded to rearrange the
order of the options.
Life in the Main Centres of Early Civilization
For questions 1 to 4, select the option that can provide the best evidence to the
statement given.
1. The Sumenans lived on agriculture.
A Archaeologists discovered farming tools there.
B Soil along the River Tigris and Euphrates was fertile.
C. The hair decoration and jewelry of the noble women were
found in the city of Ur.
D The temple was the most important building.
2 Ancient Babylon had laws.
A. Archaeologists discovered a stone pillar engraved with the
"Code of Hammurabi".
B. Not every one was equal under the laws of Babylon.
C. "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" was the basic principle
of this set of laws.
D. The "Code of Hammurabi" was engraved in cuneiform on the stone pillars.
3. The ancient Egyptians believed in a future life and in that
the soul could have eternal life.
Mummy
Sphinx
D The gold mask
of Pharaoh
Tutankhamun
4. The Dravidians might have experienced massive massacre.
A. Most of the skeletons the archaeologists discovered in Mohenjo-daro
and Harappa were those of women and children. And the skulls
showed axing wounds.
B. The civilization of the River Indus fell abruptly.
C. The Aryans in the north of these cities were stronger than the
Dravidians and were better fighters.
D. Until now we are unable to comprehend the language of the Dravidians.
5. Why did Pharaohs of Egypt built pyramids?
A They built pyramids to keep out tomb robbers.
B. Pyramids were the largest monuments built by humankind.
C. They built pyramids made of very large stone blocks.
D. Pyramids were used as temples to worship Zeus.
6. Pharaohs stopped building pyramids after around 1700 BC because
A. pyramids could not keep out tomb robbers.
B. pharoahs began to build tombs deep in the ground.
C. workers arranged hidden rooms and secret passages inside the
pyramids.
D Egypt was conquered by Greece and accepted Greek culture.
7. We know that the ancient Egyptians believed in many gods because
A. we found pictures and writings about the gods from tomb walls
and papyrus.
B. they cared very much about their lives after death.
C. many drawings of the gods had a human body but an animal head.
D.all peoples in ancient time believed in many gods.
8. Choose the option that provides the best explanation to the statement
given. "Pharaohs in ancient Egypt were all-powerful."
A. They could order as many as 1 million Egyptians to build
tombs for them.
B. They could live veiy luxurious lives.
C. 'Pharaoh' means 'great house1, the place where Egyptian rulers lived
D.They were able to extend the Egyptian Empire to as far as India.
9. Egyptian priests turned dead bodies into mummies. This shows that
A. they believe in life after death.
B. priests were even more powerful than pharaohs.
C. human being can be divided in two parts: the body and the soul.
D. Egyptians did not want their dead bodies cut open. So they
wrapped dead bodies with long pieces of cloth.
Interpretation/
nation.
10. The Egyptians were the greatest builders of anicent time. Which option below
provides the best evidence for this?
A. They were able to build pyramids, underground tombs and great
temples,
B. Their belief in the next world drove them to build great buildings
as tombs or places of worship.
C. They used a lot of workers to build large buildings.
D.They were able to build great ziggurats, temples and well planned cities.
11 Archaeologists found a lot of household utencils and
models in the tombs. This tells us that
A. the Egyptians believed in a second life which
still required all sorts of supplies.
B there were great differences among different
classes in ancient Egypt.
C. the Egyptians were the greatest builders of ancient times.
D. many Egyptians were so poor that they had to live in the tombs.
12. Great buildings, beautiful models and ornaments, colourful wall
pictures etc. were discovered in Egypt. These indicate that
I. there were a lot of builders and craftsmen in ancient Egypt.
II. farmers could produce enough food to support the builders
and craftsmen
III the pharaohs1 rule in ancient Egypt was very cruel.
IV.the pharaohs had to conquer many places to get enough money
for these projects.
A. I and II only
B. II and III only
C. I, II and III only
C. I, II and IV only
13 The government of ancient Egypt was very efficient (capable).
What evidence can support this?
A. It could organise thousands of workers to build
pyramids for the pharaohs.
B. The pharaohs were worshipped as the sons of
the god-sun.
C. The pharaohs were the richest people in ancient Egypt.
D. A very good network of roads linked all parts of Egypt together.
14. The River Nile was a blessing to ancient Egypt because
I. its annual floods made the Egyptian land fertile.
II. it provided the Egyptians with the main source of food and
means of transportation.
IILit made the building of pyramids easier.
IV.the trade along the Nile provided the pharaohs with the
main tax income.
A. I and II only
B. II and III only
C. I, II and III only
C. I, II and IV only
nterpretation/
Explanation
Interpretation/
Explanation
Life in Ancient Greco-Roman Civilization
1. The Greek city-states were very different from one another. This was because
A. the Greek Peninsula was very mountainous and it was difficult to
travel from one town to another.
B. they had different laws and governments.
C. they often fought against each other.
D. there was no common language or common culture among
the Greeks.
2 As a result of the Persian Wars,
A. the Persian army dared not continue to invade Greece.
B. Greek culture reached its 'Golden Age.1
C. the Greeks held Olympic Games every four years to honour Zeus.
D the Greek city-states were united by Athens.
3. "The Spartans cared only about wars." Which option below provides
evidence to support this statement?
A. All Spartan men were soldiers for most of their lives.
B. The Spartans did not build beautiful buildings.
They also cared Isittle about art,
C. The Athenians cared very much about buildings,
writings and other artistic things.
D. All Spartans, men and women, had to live in
army camps and fight in the war.
4. Democracy was practised in Athens. Which option below provides
evidence to support this statement?
A. All citizens could vote in the Assembly to make government
decisions.
B. Sparta was ruled by a few kings and judges.
C. The Athenians were the first to practise democracy
and many countries now also have democratic
government.
D. All citizens could elect leaders who would run the government for them.
5. The Greeks exported manufactured goods to the colonies and imported food
and raw materials from them. In this way
A. much wealth was produced so that the Greeks could develop
art, science and technology and build many fine buildings
B. sports became an important part of the Greek everyday life.
C. Greek colonies were able to copy the Greek way of life.
D. Greece was influenced by many cultures of other lands.
6 In the Greek Olympic Games, sportsmen did not wear any clothes. Many
Greek statues are also nude figures. This shows that
A. the Greeks believed that human bodies were beautiful
, B^
'Interpretation/
B most Greeks did not wear any clothes at all
Explanation
C. Greek culture was superior to all other cultures at that time.
D. in the Greek philosophy the 'body1 was more superior to the 'spirit.
7 The Greeks were famous for their buildings. Many of these buildings can still be
seen today. This shows that
A. the design and materials for these buildings were both good.
interpretation/
B. most Greeks lived in simple houses.
Explanation
C. the Greek philosophers also cared about practical matters.
D Greece was free from wars and earthquakes.
8 Alexander was called 'the Great1 because
A. he was a great soldier, founder and ruler of a great empire.
B he lived a very long life.
C. people after the Middle Ages were very fond of Greek culture.
D. he created and kept for a long time the largest empire in Europe.
iterpretation/
Explanation
9. The Greek states won most of the wars against Persia. What can we
conclude from this?
A. The Greeks had better armies and navies They also had
better ways of fighting.
B Persia gave up her plans of invading Greece.
C. Alexander the Great was able to conquer the Persian Empire in a few years.
D. The Greek culture was more superior. The Greeks applied their science and
technology in military affairs.
10. Citizens in ancient Athens made up only around 15% of her total population.
Women and children, slaves and foreigners all had no right to vote or
be elected. This tells us that
A. democracy in Athens had limitation.
^RT J [Interpretati°n/^
B. absolute kings and nobles ruled Athens.
^L^m <£ Explanation
C. the Spartan government was better than the Athenian's^
D. Athens was weakened when the slaves rose to demand their citizen rights.
11. The Greeks were very religious. Which option below does not agree with this
saying?
A. The Greek priests did not have political power
B. Sport games were held to honour the gods.
C. Many Greek legends were about gods and goddesses.
D. A lot of temples were built for the worship of the gods.
12. "Democracy in Athens had limitations". Which option below provides evidence
to support this statement?
A. Only citizens of Athens had the right to vote. They made up only
15% of the population there.
B. Other Greek states did not practise democracy
C. There were kings in Athens.
D. Slaves in Athens could not be elected as officials, but they could overthrow
them with their votes.
13. After the Punic Wars, or the wars between Rome and Carthage, no one was
strong enough to stop the Roman expansion. This means that...
A. Before the Punic Wars, the only strong rival of Rome left was Carthage.
B. Carthage expanded rapidly after the Punic Wars.
C. There was a period of Pax Romana, or the Roman Peace, after AD 100.
D. Rome met no further resistance and she expanded her territories as far as the
border of India.
14. Julius Caesar was murdered by some members of the Senate, some
of whom were his close friends. Why?
A. They were afraid that Julius Caesar would overthrow the republic
and make himself emperor.
B. After the death of Caesar, Octavian and Mark Anthony divided his empire
between them.
C. Julius Caesar defeated the army of the Senate and became the most powerful
ruler of Rome.
D. Julius Caesar was a cruel and wicked emperor. Members of the Senate killed
him in order to save the people of Rome.
15. The story about the she-wolf, the two baby twins and the founding of Rome can
only be a legend because
A. though it tells us about the origin of the Romans, many parts of the
story were found to be untrue.
B. the Romans believed that the gods helped the baby-twins to survive,
C. Rome was not built in one day.
D. a she-wolf would not raise human babies.
16. The Roman laws were in general fair and just. Which option below does not
agree with this statement?
A. The Romans had to obey the common law, i.e., the unwritten law.
B.A11 Romans were equal before the law.
C.The Roman laws were written down and displayed in public.
D.A11 Romans were protected by the law, i.e., he could not be punished unless
the court found him guilty.
17. Which option below does not show a cause and effect relationship?
CAUSE
AJesus Christ was born in
RESULT
He was still not a Roman by birth.
Bethlehem, a small town
under Roman rule.
B.The Romans had a well
developed road system.
C.Attacks of foreign tribes.
D.Julius Caesar was
murdered by a group of
Rome had good contact with
different areas.
Roman Empire declined and
collapsed.
Civil war broke out all over the
Roman provinces.
nobles.
18. Many types of Roman entertainment were very cruel. Which option below
supports this statement?
A. Chariot races and gladiator fights were the two most popular
'sports' in Rome.
B.Most Romans tried to go to the bath every day.
C. Roman soldiers were very cruel against their enemies. Many
cruel punishments were used.
D.The Romans liked very much to take part in chariot races and gladiator
fights themselves.
19. Inequality existed within the Roman society. Which option below provides
evidence to support this statement?
A. There were great inequalities between the citizens and
non-citizens, men and women as well as the rich
and the poor.
B. After Emperor Constantine, the Roman Empire was
divided into two halves, the Western Roman Empire
and the Eastern Roman Empire.
C.The Romans gave citizen rights to some foreigners
under their rule,
D.The rich enjoyed more rights and were treated more
favorably by the law.
20 The Roman Empire collapsed because after a long period of peace, the
Romans no longer wanted to be soldiers. They just wanted an easy life
This explanation of the fall of the Roman Empire is
A. acceptable but incomplete.
B logical and complete.
C logical but not accurate
D.acceptable but not accurate.
21 In many ways the Romans contributed greatly to later generations. Which
option below best supports this statement?
A. Many Roman practices such as their legal system, government system,
calendar etc were still followed by many countries today
B The Romans built the greatest Empire on Earth by that time.
C The Roman Empire, especially the Eastern Roman Empire, lasted for
more than a thousand years.
D The Romans accepted Christianity. They lived their lives according to
the teaching of the Bible.
22. After the fall of Rome, Europe went into the Dark Ages. This was
because
A.Roman civilization was not practised during that time.
B. Rome was destroyed by the northern tribes.
C. Rome had make great achievements in many ways.
D.Latin, the Roman language, was no longer used. Nobody could read
and write.
C
Life in Medieval Times
1 Buddhism teaches people that suffering comes from
desire This implies that
A. the more you want, the more you would suffer,
B. the less you want, the more you would suffer.
C. the more you suffer, the more you want.
D. if you have no desire, you would not have to suffer anything
2 King Asoka turned most of India into Buddhism. As a result
A many pillars and carvings were put up all over India.
B. Asoka became a Buddhist.
C. India turned back to Buddhism after the death of Asoka.
D India became a Buddhist country up till now.
3 Buddhism became very successful in China after the Tang
dynasty Which of the following provides the best
explanation for this statement?
A The Chinese people did not reject foreign ideas and
religions at that time,
B. Buddhism helped the Chinese to develop printing
C. Mahayana Buddhism was more successful in China than Hinayana Buddhism.
D. Many Chinese monks went to study Buddhism in India. They brought
back many Buddhist holy books,
4. The Roman leaders and the Jewish priests nailed Jesus to the cross because
A. they considered him a threat to their rule / religion.
B. after three days he came back to life.
C. the Romans conquered the Jewish land in 63 BC,
D Jesus taught his followers to obey God rather than the Roman leaders.
5. The early Christians suffered a lot under the Roman Empire. Which of the
following provides the best evidence to support this statement?
A. Many Christians were thrown to the beast in the stadiums.
B. Constantine became a Christian and stopped persecuting the Christians'
C. Emperor Nero blamed the Christians for the fire that destroyed Rome.
D. The Christians refused to worship the Roman gods.
6. The Christian Church became very powerful in Europe during the Middle Ages
This was because
A. all the European countries and their rulers became Christians.
They were willing to obey the instruction of the Pope.
B. the Pope could drive the European rulers away from
the Church. In this way the people would not
have to obey them.
C. the Church collected taxes from the people and became very rich.
D. the Church ruled over most territories in Europe.
7. Before Muhammad's time most Arabs worshipped many different gods.
After him they worshipped only one God called Allah. This shows that
A. Muhammad was very successful in changing the religious belief of
the Arabs.
B. Muhammad taught his followers that he was the prophet of Allah.
C. Muhammad received messages from Allah through the angel Gabriel.
D. the Arabs were willing to give up other gods. They worshipped only
Muhammad and Allah.
8. Muhammad taught his followers not to worship idols
(statues of gods) or images. Therefore
A. the Muslims leave the face of Muhammad blank in their religious drawings.
B. his followers made only idols for Allah.
C. mosques were mostly simple houses rather than beautiful buildings.
D. the Muslims could only pray in their own houses.
9. After the death of Muhammad, Islam spread far and wide to many
places in Asia, Africa and Europe. This means that
A. many places in Asia, Africa and Europe gave up their own religions
and accepted Islam.
B. there is only one God, and his name is Allah.
C. the people all over Asia, Africa and Europe were willing to follow Islam.
D. the death of Muhammad attracted many people in those places to accept Islam,
10. Buddhism began in the 6th century BC. Christianity began in the 1st
century AD while Islam began in the 7th century AD. Therefore
A. Buddhism had a longer history than Christianity and Islam.
B. Islam must have taken many ideas from Buddhism and Christianity.
C. the three religions must have many things in common.
D. the three religions must have a great deal of differences from one another.
11. European people living in the Middle Ages did not know that they were
the Middle Ages because
A "Middle Ages" is a term created by historians in a much later period.
B. most of the Europeans did not know how to read and write.
C. there were no books to read at that time.
D the Church only taught the people things about the Bible.
So they were ignorant about other things.
12. The church was very important to ordinary people in
Medieval Europe. Which option below provides the best
evidence for this?
A. Records show that many priests helped the poor and
sick and advised people when they were in trouble.
B. Many large church buildings were built in Europe at that time.
C Christianity was made the official religion of the Roman Empire.
D Monks copied books and taught children Greek and Roman learnings.
13. Knights in Medieval Europe did not have much work to do. This was
because
A. they were rich and therefore they had many servants.
B. knights usually followed a code of behaviour called Chivalry.
C. boys from noble families had to be trained for
many years in order to be knights.
D. knights spent most of their lives in battles
fighting to defend their countries.
14. In Medieval Europe, most peasants followed the three-field system in
farming their land. Yet this was a bad way of farming because
A. each year one third of the land was wasted.
B. this was also a crop rotation system.
C. the poor land was usually used as common land for feeding animals.
D. no one was allowed to try new ways of farming.
15. Peasants in Medieval Europe lived very simple lives. Which option below
best illustrates this statement?
A. The peasants lived in small wooden huts with very little furniture.
B. The nobles usually lived in the manor house.
C. The church used the monasteries as hospitals to look after the sick
people.
D. People in Medieval Europe were very religious. They spent most of
their time in the church.
16. European towns during the Middle Ages were usually small. Why?
A. Peasants could not leave their farms and go to work in the towns,
B. Most European towns had only 2,000 to 5,000 people.
C. Life in towns was usually better than that in the farms.
D. The towns were very dirty. No people wanted to live there,
17. In Medieval Europe, craftsmen of the same trade joined together in guilds
This was because
A. they could protect themselves against outsiders.
B. guilds limited economic freedom and competition.
C. there were guilds for each craft or trade in every town.
D. they could protect themselves against thieves and robbers.
18. Feudalism in Europe came to an end by late 15th century.
This indicates that
A. Europeans lived another way of life after the 15th century.
B. gunpowder and new ideas helped to bring feudalism to an end.
C. kings in Europe were becoming weaker and weaker.
D. nobles and knights no longer exist in Europe after the 15th century.
19. Black death killed almost one-third of the people in Europe.
To attract peasants to work for them, nobles had to pay money to
them. This explanation of the collapse of feudalism is
A. acceptable but incomplete,
B. logical and complete.
C. logical but not accurate.
D. acceptable but not accurate.
20. The Middle Ages in Europe can also be called the Dark Age.
Which option below best supports this statement?
A. The Europeans during that period were not interested in
learnings or discoveries.
B. The church copied and kept many old books for future
generations to study.
C. Great social inequality existed in European societies at that time.
D. The Europeans studied only Greek and Roman learnings during that time
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Life in the Main Centres of Early Civilization
Which of the following represent reasonable cause and effect relationship?
Cause
Effect
Mesopotamia was called
the Fertile Crescent.
1. The soil in Mesopotamia was
fertile. The area looked like a
new moon.
2. The Sumerjans [Jpyptit^a^t^
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,
. wheels,
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3. Nebuchadnezzar constructed
the Hanging Gardens.
People respected him as
one of the greatest rulers
in ancient times.
5. The Babylonians loved wars.
They were finally defeated
by the Persians.
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7. The "Code of Hammurabi11 was
engraved in a stone pillar.
The crime rate in Babylon
was low.
9. The River Nile flooded every
year.
The Egyptians could farm
on the fertile soil.
11.The River Nile brought about
convenience in water supply
and transportation.
The Egyptian civilization
originated and developed
from the River Nile,
Cause
Effect
12. Pharaohs had supreme
authority,
They could order their
people to build the
pyramids.
" Egyptians believed jKat
- 1 people could onfe,dayci$e
again from death, \\ l4.The Egyptians believed there
were trials after death.
They had particularly severe penalty for
criminals.
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16. Howard Carter who discovHe died not long after he
ered the tomb of
found the Tomb.
Tutankhamun was cursed.
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18.We could not find records
about the building of
pyramids.
Pyramids should not
have been built by the
Egyptians.
20.The Nile valley was surrounded by deserts, high
mountains and the sea.
The Egyptians could
build the greatest constructions in ancient
civilizations.
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Life in Ancient Greco-Roman Civilization
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Which of the following represent reasonable cause and effect relationship?
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Cause
Effect
1. Greece was mountainous and
posed a barrier for traffic
between towns and cities.
The towns and cities
developed into independent
city-states.
•'''tie coast ofthe^'dif^
3. Spartan soldiers were fearless
and strong.
Spartan men became citizens
formally at the age of 30.
5. Constantine brought the Cross
to the battle and won.
Christianity became the
national religion of the
Roman Empire.
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7. The Greek cities were separated
from one another by mountains
City-states developed in
ancient Greece.
9. The ancient Greeks believed that
human bodies were beautiful.
The races in the Olympics
were conducted in naked
bodies.
a
Cause
Effect
*' 10. The Ancient Greekf
used $1of
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11. Ancient Greece was so
mountainous that the expansion
of city-states was not easy.
When the population grew,
there was the need to
expand outward and
develop colonies along the
Mediterranean.
12. Athens had a deniocratto ;*,
, political system, ^ ';' { , ; ; * > ' «
13. The Romans believed in many
gods.
Christianity could not
develop in Rome,
1
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15. Roman aqueduct
The way the Romans kept
their houses warm.
a 0
C. Fill in the Blanks
Life in the Main Centres of Early Civilization
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I'm from the XXX Broadcasting
Company. I would like to ask you a question. In
the civilization that you are living, which thing,
such as invention, system, architecture, technology
etc,, are you most proud of? Please give a brief
explanation to our audience.
m•
m
Now assume that you are living in one of the following civilizations. How would you
respond to the journalist's questions?
a. The Fertile Crescent
b. The Nile Valley
c. The Indus Valley
d. The Huang He Valley
Example:
I am an Egyptian. I'm living in the Nile civilization. I'm most proud of the Pyramid
because this gigantic construction was built by our bare hands and some simple
tools. I believe this Pyramid, which belongs to our Pharaoh, is the greatest
architecture.
ipPJiat does this £ainfhig osjia t<jmb> watt teJUf /
Study the following picture, and fill in the blanks below,
This is a/an Egyptian wall painting. It describes the journey of a man's soul to the
land of the dead / sheol / hell to receive judgement. The gods shown in the pictures are
mostly having the heads of animals / birds and the bodies of human . The wall painting
shows that the people at that time believed in judgement after death / the immortal soul
/ religion, etc.
Study the following paragraph, and fill in the blanks below.
All citizens of Athens over the age of eighteen can take part in the
Assembly. Issues like the election of officials, declaration of war or
conclusion of peace are discussed and decided in the Assembly. The
senate is composed of representatives from different districts all
over the state, and is responsible for carrying out decisions made in
the Assembly, management of finance and foreign affairs etc. Besides,
citizens of Athens enjoy the right to impeach, and they can exile up to
ten years any politicans they consider dangerous to
the safety of the state. By about 500 BC, Athens even
made laws to provide grants to all officials so that
all citizens can havethe right to take part in politics.
The above source describes a political system called democracy / representative
government. All rights of the citizens are equal / the same , and important issues of the
state are discussed and decided in the Assembly. Citizens can impeach / exile bad officials.
Not everyone, however, enjoys same political rights. Only citizens are qualified, women /
children and slaves are not qualified.
Life in Ancient Greco-Roman Civilization
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Classify the following sources into their appropriate categories.
(May fill in the appropriate letter,):
A, A History textbook
B. Imaginative picture of
the Greeks
C. Bronze statue of a
Spartan girl
D. A Spartan elder having a
health check for a new-born
baby to determine whether
to let it live on,
E. Ruins of the Colosseum
F. Coins issued by the
Roman Republic
G. "History" written by
Herodotus.
H. Clay tablet engraved
with writings of Minoan
I. Roads built by the
Romans.
Primary sources
Written
G
H
Secondary Sources
Non-written
c
E
F
1
A
B
D
I
Read the following source and make your choice:
You are a young Spartan boy. When your father was young, he
was an outstanding Spartan soldier, When you are seven, you are sent to
a military training camp.
Inside the camp, you are not allowed to wear shoes. Every day,
you have to climb up the cliff bare-footed. You wear flimsy clothing no
matter it is winter or summer. You can never have a full meal for you
have to learn to fight the enemies with an empty stomach. Whenever you
make any request or complaint, you are fiercely beaten up. Thus, you
learn to obey orders and accept all difficult trials.
You hate the life in the camp very much. And you always wish to escape. One day, the training officer said to
you, "Starting from today, you have to learn how to fight
in alien places. There, you would not have any food
supply, You have to get what you need from the people
there. Today no food would be given to you. You go
and steal from the slave camp.11
Where the question lies.
You are starved for the whole day. By night time, you are ordered to steal food
from the slave camp. You are scared for if caught by the slaves, you will certainly be beaten
to death. You want to escape and get comfort from your parents at home.
What the choices are
1 To steal from the slave camp
2 To escape and go home
Considerations
Pros
1 no need to starve
2 would not be
punished
3 can piove my
ability
Cons
1 I might be caught
2
3
Pros
1 no need to suffer
the cold and the
hunger
2 no need to stand
the harsh training
3
Cons
1 I might be
caught
2. My father will
blame me
3
Possible outcome
Possible outcome
I will be beaten to death by the
If capturecL I will be punished or put
to death bv the training officer.
List the factors you have considered
1, My ability (will I succeed in stealing food?)
2- My future (do I want to become a brilliant Spartan soldier?)
3. The punishment I will receive if I am caught
4. My parents' expectation on me
Wnte down your decision
D. Matching
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Life in the Main Centres of Early Civilization
Historians can use the following six objects on the left to make certain deductions about
Ancient Egyptain civilization. Now try to put the number representing each object into
the blanks next to the deduction(s) it can make.
, •
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Life in Medieval Times
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Match items in Column B with those in Column A,
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Answers
1
2
3
c
h
a
4
e
5
9
6
d
7
8
f
b
E. Fact or Opinion
The concepts of "historical facts" and "opinions11 are not absolute, We usually term
what can be proved or disproved "historical facts". On the other hand, different people might
have different views and we call these "opinions". However, in our daily usage, a certain
argument might be supported by a number of witnesses or evidences and is thus beyond
doubt. We might say that this argument reflects "historical facts11. For instance: "The Japanese
army invaded China after the "Lugouqiao Incident". This is certainly a historical fact, and not
an opinion that different people may have differed views. But the view that "the pyramids
were the tomb of the Pharaohs" was reasonably doubted by many scholars, because the
mummies of the pharaohs had never been found inside the pyramids.
Si
Life in the Main Centres of
Early Civilization
;
Which of the following statements are closer to "historical facts", and which
to "historians' opinions"?
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1. One thing in common among ancient civilizations is that they all
built some grand temples.
2. The building of temples shows that ancient people worshipped
and feared gods.
3. The Code of Hummurabi was the earliest and most complete laws in
ancient times.
4, Compared with the laws of other ancient civilizations, the Code of
Hummurabi can better realize the spirit of equality and the rule of
laws .
5. The wheel was the greatest invention in ancient times.
6. The Tigris and the Euphrates are two rivers flowing through the
Fertile Crescent.
7. Hammurabi was a great ruler.
8. In ancient Babylonian time, Hammurabi ruled the country according
to written laws.
•
•
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9. The brutal Assyrians conquered the Sumerians and became the
new rulers of the Fertile Crescent.
10. The invention of writing contributed to the recording and
dissemination of knowledge.
11. The discovery of Ur showed that a long time ago people in
Mesopotamia had started to live together and cities had emerged.
12. The Sumerians lived in city-state.
•
•
•
13. The Egyptian civilization was supreme among the ancient
civilizations.
14. The pharaohs ordered the people to construct the pyramids. They
were brutal rulers.
15. The pyramids were the greatest ancient construction,
16. The Egyptians were the greatest ancient architects.
17. All four ancient civilizations developed along the river valleys.
•
18, Archaeologists and tomb raiders who went into the tombs of the
pharaohs were cursed by the tomb and died of unknown causes.
19. Many Egyptian noble women liked to put on cosmetics and
perfumes.
•
20. The construction of pyramids was complicated and intricate. The
ancient Egyptians could not have built them by themselves.
Following this logic, the pyramids must have been built by
extra-terrestrial beings.
21. The regular flooding of the River Nile irrigated the valley and
prompted the development of ancient Egyptian civilization.
k '* ^* '*
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Life in Ancient Greco-Roman Civilization
Which of the following statements are closer to "historical facts11, and which
to "historians' opinions"?
, g
o
s
fifl?
1, The Roman armies were brave and good at fighting. They were
fearless of death, The establishment of the Roman Empire was
largely their achievement.
2. The Romans set up written laws and engraved the laws on
12 bronze plaques and had them exhibited publicly in the
Roman forum.
3. The Romans were brutal. This was shown by the fact that they
loved watching gladiator fights.
4. The Romans were without creativity. They changed the names
of the Greek gods and took them as their own gods for
worship.
5. The Romans knew how to use mechanics like pulleys and
leverages to aid construction.
6. The Romans believed in many gods. Even the emperors were
objects of their worship.
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F. Long Questions
Read the map below and find a solution to the following questions.
'
You are a Sumerian living in area X. This is a mountainous area and the land is
becoming poor after years of cultivation. You decide to move to another place for an easier
life. But where should you go?
1. List all the factors you would consider before you move.
Climate, landform, water supply, soil, source of food, possible enemies.
communication
2. Assess the possible outcomes of moving towards each of the following direction according
to the factors you have listed:
Direction A
Dry, cold, inconvenient communication, mountainous, kck water supply, poor soil
unreliable source of food, possible enemies unknown
Direction B
Dry, inconvenient communication, lack water supply, poor soil, unreliable source
of food, possible enemies unknown
Direction C
Warm weather* wet convenient communication, more flat land, good water supply,
fertile soil, reliable source of food possible enemies unknown
3. My decision.:
I decide to.
because
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Study the following picture and answer the questions.
The picture above shows the hair decoration and jewelry of a noble woman of
Ur, restored to their original condition. Try to figure out the development of the civilization in the Mesopotamia.
Society
There were different classes in society. The jewelry was for the
noble woman. Also, there should have been some craftsmen who
were able to make delicate decorative accessories.
Economic
Agriculture was developed. There was thus more leisure time for
Activities
the production of luxury goods like jewelry*
Craft &
The craft and skills were good. They knew about metallurgy and
Skills
were able to make delicate jewelry.
Religion
Probably believed in world or life after death. Therefore daily
utensils were put in the tombs.
•M
1. What kind of writing is shown above?
Cuneiform
2. This kind of writing is the writing of which area?
The Sumerians writing of the Fertile Crescent,
3. What is the characteristic of this kind of writing?
It was wedge-shaped,
4. On what kind of material was this kind of writing written? Why did the people at that time
use this kind of material?
This kind of writing was written on clay tablets. It was because this kind of
material could easily be obtained from the soil along the rivers.
5. What are the advantages and disadvantages of writing on this kind of material?
Advantages:
Records could be preserved in this way, and these records became
primary sources for historians to study the civilization of the
Fertile Crescent
Disadvantages^ was difficult for the people at that time to carry these clay tablets.
6. Compare this kind of writing with the word-processing we are using today. What are the
differences?
Cuneiform writing is much more time consuming and it is inconvenient to use
clay tablets for writing. It is much more convenient to use computers to store or
amend information. Anyhow, both serve the function of recording information,
r
Study the following souices
*
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Source A
Source B
I saw the majesty sitting in his
throne and I knelt immediately
before him. Although this god
I worshipped asked me some
questions, he did not know who
I was. My mind was unclear, my
feet trembled, and I tasted the
difference between life and
death-
Homage to the Pharaoh
The recollection of an Egyptian after
seeing the Pharaoh
1 Aie the two sources above in agreement with one another? Explain your answer
They are in agreement with one another. They both show people kneeling iti front
of the pharaoh worshipping him like a god.
2 What do the above sources tell you about the power of the Egyptian pharaohs? Select
some clues from these sources to support your answer
They tell us that the Egyptian pharaohs had great power over their people. They
were worshipped like gods and could do whatever they like on their subjects.
-*•(,:
Life in Ancient Greco-Roman Civilization
Study the following sources.
Source A
May be Rome's system of law
and justice was its greatest
contribution to the world, It
still forms the basis of today's
Western law.
From a modern History textbook in the
Legislative Council Building, HK
West
Source C
Not everyone likes the Romans or
the Roman Empire. The way they
Even today, centuries after the
fall of the Roman Empire, we
treated the slaves was seen as cruel
can still see traces of their
and savage. The people watching
civilization. Some of their
fights in the Colosseum and
buildings can still be seen in
Europe, Even in Hong Kong
we can also see their influence
in some of our buildings.
amphitheatres were seen as bloodthirsty and brutal Conquering and
ruling a large empire is no longer
regarded as glorious.
From a book written for secondary
From a modern History textbook in
school children in the West
Hong Kong
1. Study Source D. Can its view be supported by another source above?
Its view can be supported by Source B.
2. Study Source A. Is it fact or opinion? Can you test the view of Source A as you did for
Source D in question 1? Give reasons for your answer.
It is an opinion. We cannot test this view as we did for source D because
contribution or the influences of one thing upon another are abstract ideas.
3. Study Source C, What views does it have about the Romans? Do you think the Romans
would have held the same view? Why?
Its view about the Romans was very negative. The Romans themselves would not
have held such a view for if they did, they would not have such practices,
4. Which source above seems to contradict the view expressed in Source C? Why are there
such differences?
Source A seems to contradict the views expressed in C. There is such difference
about the Romans because the Roman system of law and justice protected only the
citizens but not the slaves and criminals.
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"I can still recall that there were two battles between Greece and the Persian
Empire in 490 BC and 480-479 BC respectively. The most unforgettable is the
Battle of Marathon , To combat the invading Persian barbarians, we, the Athenian soldiers, got prepared for the fight with no hesitation. Although we were
not full time soldiers, we were all brave, strong and well trained. Although we
did not get any help from the Spartans, we did not withdraw We vested our
lives to the almighty Zeus. We followed the plan of the general and deployed
heavy troops on the two sides according to the landscape of Marathon. The
army in the middle pretended to be defeated. When the Persian barbarians
attacked us in the front, our armies on the two sides came up. We fought
fearlessly and defeated the Persian barbarians totally. We eliminated
more than 6000 of them while nearly 200 of us sacrificed their lives.
The lives of these brave soldiers were not lost aimlessly. Greece is a
powerful nation It will rule the Mediterranean forever."
/
Which of the above is historical fact and which is an opinion? Give two examples.
Historical facts
1. Greece and the Persian empire had two battles in 490 BC and 480479 BC.
2. The Battle of Marathon was one of the battles.
3. Athens did not have a full-time army.
4. The Spartans did not help in the battle,
5. The tactic adopted bv the Greeks is to deployed heavy troops at the two sides
and the army in the middle pretended to be defeated.
6. The Persians were defeated in the battle.
7. The number of deaths in the batde: Persians ; 6000 plus, Greeks ; nearly 200.
(Any two of the above )
Opinions
1. The Persians were barbarians.
2. The brave and strong Athenian soldiers fought the enemies without
hesitation.
3. The Athenian soldiers fought fearlessly and their deaths were sacrifices.
4. Greece was strong and would rule the Mediterranean forever.
(Any two of the above,)
Read the following two paragraphs and answer the questions:
The
Battle
of
Thermopylae
In 480BC, the Persians invaded Greece again Various city-states
in Greece united under the leadership of Sparta and fought
bravely The Spartan soldiers were led by their king, Leonidas.
At the mountain pass of Thermopylae, they fought against several thousands strong Persian army. As the enemies were too
strong, all Spartan died gloriously in the battle. The Persians
went further south and invaded Athens.
The
Battle
of
Salami's
In the autumn of 480 BC, a sea-battle broke out between the
Persian fleet and the Athenian fleet near Salamis. It was too clumsy
to mobilize the huge Persian fleet, and it was finally defeated by
the Athenian fleet. The Greeks forced the Persians to withdraw
and won a great victory Soon peace was made. Thereafter, the
Persians dared not invade Greece again.
"Extracted from a history textbook"
1 Is the author neutral in his description of the two battles? If not, which party do you think
the author sided with?
The author is not nentral. He/She sided with Greece/the Greeks/Sparta/the
Spartans/the Athenians.
2. Try to cite two examples from the text to illustrate your answer.
The Spartans fought "bravely" and they "died doriouslY".
The winning of the Athenian fleet was a "great victory",
The author did not think the victory of the Persians was "great". Their losing was a
"defeat", and not a "sacrifice". From this we can see that he/she sided with the
Greeks.
»
3. Try to comment the way the author writes the history,
Taking sides, subjective.
Emotional words are used.
4. If you do not agree with the way the author wrote, try to re-write the two historical
incidents below.
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Based upon the information below, answer the following questions:
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The Roman commander ordered his men to take Paul into the fort, and he
tolci them to whip him in order to find out. .Paul said to the officer standing there, "Is
it lawful for you to whip a Roman citizen who hasn't even been tried for any crime?",..
At once the men who were going to question Paul drew back from him; and the
commander was frightened when he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that
he had put him in chains....
On the next day he sat down in the court of judgement and ordered Paul to
be brought in. When Paul arrived, the Jews who had come from Jerusalem stood
round him and started making many serious charges against him, which they were
not able to prove. But Paul defended himself, "...But if there is no truth in the charges
they bring against me, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to the Emperor...
Festus (governor) explained. .",..we Romans are not in the habit of handing
over any man accused of a crime before he has met his accusers face to face and has
had the chance of defending himself against the accusation.... So I gave orders for
him to be kept under guard until I could send him to the Emperor."
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Extracted from THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES in the Bible (Today's English Version)
Question;
1. Paul's case happened in a remote province of the Roman Empire, Now list out the features
of Roman laws with reference to the passage above.
Features of Roman laws include;
1. The Roman citizens might eniov the following rights:
a. Penalty might not be executed when sentence was not yet given.
b. To defend against accusations.
c. Appeals could be made to the Emperor.
2. Accusations had to be supported by evidences. Biased judgements were not
sufficient.
3. The Roman laws were followed even in remote provinces and were respected
by the officers in the regiments.
4. Non-Roman citizens did not eniov the same rights,
2. Which religious group did the author of the Acts of the Apostles in the Bible belong? How
was their relationship with the Roman Empire like?
They belonged to the Christian group. Their relationship with the Roman Empire
was not good o** the whole. They suffered from various forms of persecutions
every now and then,
3. Would the information regarding Roman laws in The Acts of the Apostles in the Bible be
useful to a historian? Please explain your answer.
information about the Roman laws contained in the Acts of the Apostles in
is considered reliable to a historian. Records they made were based on
information fthat they personally experienced). It was not written
(Le. the Roman laws were not the main theme). Furthermore, they did
a reason to beautify the legal system of the Romans.
Read the information below and answer the questions,
"There were three battles between Rome and Carthage.
The second Punic War lasted from 218 BC to 201 BC. In
218 BC, Carthage's most outstanding leader, Hannibal,
brought tens of thousands of soldiers and several dozens
of trained elephants, crossed the Mediterranean and
attracked Rome from the northern part of the Italian
Peninsula. Hannibal was the toughest rival for the Romans,
He had a calm character, demonstrating strong
perseverance. He defeated the Romans in a battle and
was indeed the most extraordinary leader at his time,11
In the above paragraph, which part is historical fact and which is an opinion? Cite two
examples each.
Historical Facts
1. There were three battles between Rome and Carthage,
2. The second Punic War broke out in 218 BC to 201 BC
3» A Carthage leader. Hannibal led his soldiers and trained elephants
to attack Rome.
4. The Romans were once defeated.
(Any two of the suggested answers above.)
Opinions
1. Hannibal was the most outstanding leader in Carthage*
2. Hannibal was the toughest rival for the Romans. He had a calm
character, demonstrating strong perseverance.
3. Hannibal was the most extraordinary leader at his time.
(Any two of the suggested answers above.)
The following picture is taken from a history textbook, The caption is "The barbarian tribes
invaded Rome and led to the fall of the Roman Empire". Study the picture in detail and
answer the questions.
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1. There are usually many pictures in history textbooks. Many of these pictures are drawn by
artists under the instruction of the editors. Now consider the theme of the above picture
and lay down the three requirements made by the editors to the artists,
a. The barbarians looked brutal and uncivilized.
b. The barbarians brought about destruction.
c. The Romans suffered a lot of loss and injuries and were pitiful.
2 What impression does this picture give you about the Eastern European tribes which
defeated the Roman army? Please list two points.
a. They were brutal uncivilized, and barbarkms.
b. They brought about destruction and not construction.
3 Do you agree to the theme brought about by the artist in the picture? Explain your answer
Agree:
This was the fact. Tribes from Eastern Europe were really backward in civilization.
The invasion of Rome had turned Europe into the Dark Age. Further, burning.
killing and robbery were always found in wars.
Disagree;
There should not be a ranking in civilization. Should not deliberately create a low
image of the Eastern European Tribes.
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Study the following sources.
Source A
Source B
* Public grants have made the rich
even more luxurious, while the
poor are forced into crimes.
* The huge spending on the army
must be stopped.
* The barbarians are attacking every frontier. The state must do
something about it.
Extracts from a letter to the
Roman Emperor Valens in
AD369.
H Rent
H Army tax
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j| Others
Spending of the average
Roman Family
Source C
A - AD 1-50
B - AD 51-100
C - AD 101-150
D - AD 151-200
E - AD 201-250
F - AD 251-300
A B C D E F
The number of Roman emperors from ADI to AD300
Source D
This wall was built by the Romans in the North of
England. Once invaders got through
Source E
The Roman road system was a big mistake.
When the Romans
were on the attack, it
served them well. But
when they were weak
and on the defensive,
it allowed invaders to
Sources B to E are extracted from different history books on
the Roman Empire.
push deep into the
Empire.
Using all the sources above, make a list of problems facing the Roman Empire, Assuming that
you are the Emperor's adviser, suggest solutions to these problems,
Problems:
Solutions;
Life in Medieval Times
Read Sources (1) to (6). They are taken from the records about Black Death in Europe from
1348 to 1385.
Source 1
Animals move around freely in
the fields. No one tries to drive
them away. When the time to
harvest comes, no one is willing to do the job even high
wages are offered. The crops are
left in the field to decay.
Source 3
The king issues an order that workers
are not allowed to charge wages higher
than the level before the plague.
However, many of the workers
disregard the order. Anyone who wants
to employ them must pay the wages
they demand. So the king orders the
arrest and imprisonment of many
workers.
Source 5
There were a lot of priests before
the plague. You had to pay only 2
pounds a year to hire a priest to
manage the church. But now, even
with 20 pounds a year it would be
hard to get one to do the job.
Source 2
There are only two farmers remaining
in the whole village. They say that if
the clergy in charge of the monastery
would not lessen their workload, they
would also leave. Since the plague
started, no one is farming anymore.
The soil is depleted and barren and
becomes worthless.
Source 4
The world is getting worse. People
own more than before. But they
become selfish and greedy. They are
jealous of each other. Fights and
quarrels always happen and the
crime rate increases every day.
Source 6
Whenever the employer blames the
workers for poor work or when he tries
to reduce their wages, the workers will
quit at once. Very soon they'll find a new
job elsewhere, with higher wages at the
same time, Therefore, the employer dare
not irritate the workers again and yield
to any requests they make.
Analyze the sources above one by one to see if the following arguments are supported
Please put a \/ in the appropriate boxes
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worse
Serious labour
shortage
Workers asked for
higher wages
Lots of
agricultural lands
abandoned
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1 Is Source 4 a historical fact or an opinion? Why?
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It is an opinion because "worse", "selfish", "greedv" are opinions made according ft*** V
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values,
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2 Find evidence for massive reduction of farming population from Source 1 to Source 6.
Cannot find people to do harvest job, crops are left in the field and rotten, people
do not work in the farm, farmland are abandoned, workers ask for whatever wages
they like, workers can find new jobs very easily*
3 Find reasons for massive reduction in farming population
An epidemic plague
Study the following sources.
Source A
Source B
The basic reason was the close position of the three planets, Saturn, Jupiter and Mars. This has always been a
sign of wonderful, terrible or violent
things to appear. The particular cause
of the disease was the state of the
people's body - poor digestion, weakness and blockage - and because of
this the people died.
A French doctor of the 14th century giving his opinion on the cause of Black
Death.
Source C
Remove the human waste and other
dirty things lying in the streets and
lanes in the city to places far away.
Then there will be no greater cause
of people dying may arise from such
smell
A letter of King Edward III to the Mayor
of London, 1349.
A drawing from a 13th century book.
Some people believed that a touch from
a king could cure disease.
Source D
How to cure toothache
Take a candle and burn it close to
the tooth. The worm inside the tooth
will fall out into the water.
A medieval cure for toothache.
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1. Using information from Sources A to D as evidence, write two short paragraphs about
Health and Medicine in Medieval Europe. (Deduction)
a. The fifst paragraph could be about the malpractice in medical cure or
superstitions or pseudo-scientific views about the causes of disease.
t>. The second paragraph could be on the view of the king about relations between
hygienic environment and diseases,
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2, Which sources from A to D are about wrong medical advice? To a historian, are these
sources useless? Why? (Evidence)
A. B and D. They are useful to a historian as they provide infof mation and
evidence about health and medicine in medieval Europe. Historians can conclude
that there were malpractice and superstitions in the medical field.
'.'•
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G. Design Questions
* Design questions provide alternatives to
students, especially those who are weak in
writing ability. This kind of questions does
not require lengthy answers. But still, an
assessment can be made on students'
knowledge and understanding on and
attitude towards history.
* It is hoped that teachers can be more
flexible in grading. Flexibility includes (1)
, the proportion of this kind of questions
out of the whole paper, and (2) marks
awarded in assessing the answers of this
kind of Hill A questions.
'
'
1. Design a tomb for the pharaohs. Draw your design in the space below. Explain your
design, too. (If consideration is given to the prevention of tomb-raiding, higher marks may
be awarded.)
2. Design a set of clothing for ancient Egyptians. Draw your design in the space below.
Explain your design, too. (If consideration is given to a person's need at work/social
status/ and the weather there, higher marks may be awarded.)
3- The pharaoh orders you to design an object/a building (no constraints on the size and
materials used) in order to show the greatness of the Egyptians, what would you come
up with? Draw your design in the space below and give explanations. (Students can get
ideas from the Egyptians' mathematics, medicine, writing, politics, religion and calendar.)
4. If you were a Roman and you were to design one thing for Julius Caesar to show his
greatness, what would you create?
Briefly explain how this item shows the greatness of Julius Caesar.
Item:
Explanation:
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5 Choose a god/goddess of ancient Greeks and design an emblem for him/her
w
A Apollo is the god of music, playing a golden-string harp He
is also the god of bow and arrow He uses the silver bow to
shoot out arrows to great distance He is the god of health
He teaches people the knowledge of medicine He is the god
of light, and the god of truth He never tells lies His most
important work everyday is to drive the sun with his 4-horse
chariot
B Artemis is the goddess of hunting Like Apollo, she hunts with a
silver arrow She is also the goddess of moon She protects
children and the young
C Zeus is the god of all gods He is in charge of the sky, the rain and
the cloud His weapon is thunder and lightning He punishes those
who he or who fail to keep promises
D Poseidon is the god of sea He is respected by the seamen His
weapon is a three-pronged fork The fork can shake the universe
and shatter any thing He lives in the golden palace under the sea
He drives a chariot pulled by the dolphins, seahorses and other
ocean animals
The Humanities Unit of the Curriculum Development Institute invited Ms Flora
Kan of the Department of Curriculum Studies, University of Hong Kong to deliver a speech
on "History Assessment - is 'rote-learning1 avoidable?" in a seminar in June 1998 Ms Kan
cited numerous examples to illustrate what assessment questions were bad and advised
teachers to avoid Furthermore, she suggested a number of "alternative" assessment formats
and encouraged the others to adopt, in order to change the "rote-learning" culture of the
students Teachers present at the seminar all found the examples provided by Ms Kan very
inspiring Our unit has obtained her consent and re-organized the examples,
complemented with pictures or similar questions for teachers' reference.
Fill in the Blank type questions which do not have clear answers.
1 Julius Caesar was a
.
2 The Fertile Crescent situated between
and
3 When Siddhartha Gautama stepped out of the palace, he saw in the world only.
sickness,
and
.
4. The Greeks were great
They built temples,
and
5 In about 750 - 500 BC, many Greek colonies were set up along the coast of
and the
6. The two way trade between Greece and her colonies helped to increase the _
of many Greek city-states.
Fill in the following blanks:
Priests
Noblemen, Soldiers
Merchants, Farmers
Labour
Oh! How am I to
answer these? More than
one answer fits in.
Perhaps what the teacher
^ wants is that part in the
textbook....
and
So many difficulties...
A. Multiple Choices
1. Which of the following were conquered by Alexander the Great in 336-329 B.C.?
(i) Asia Minor
(ii) Egypt
(iii) Persia
A. (I) & (ii) only
B. (ii) & (iii) only
C. (i) & (iii) only
D. (i), (ii) & (m)
2. FromSOOB.C,
A. city-states emerged in Greece.
How can one
possibly know the
answers?
B. Greek city-states implemented monarchy.
C. Greek civilization diminished.
D. the Greeks were ruled by the Romans.
B. Matching
1.Match the four civilizations and their starting time.
A. The Fertile Crescent
1. About 3000B.C.
B. The Nile Valley
2. About 1700B.C.
C. The Huang He Valley
3. About 3500B.C.
D. The Indus Valley
4. About 2500B.C.
C. Question & Answer
1. What are the characteristics of Roman judicial system?
2. Write an essay on Julius Ceasar.
I'm only a SI student, not S5!
To distinguish true and false - Descriptive
The following passage is about the judicial system of Rome. There are lots of mistakes.
Please point out the mistakes and provide the correct information,
"The Roman laws were posted outside the arena. The main purpose was to remind the
soldiers to comply Only the army soldiers were tried by the local judges. The other Roman
citizens followed Divine rule."
Mistakes
Corrections
To distinguish dissimilarities.
Circle the dissimilar ones and explain the reasons. (Note the reasons provided by the students in
rating.)
1. Plato/Socrates/Aristotle/Alexander
2. Sumerians/Babylonians/Romans/Phoenicians
3 Islam/Buddhism/Christianity/Mormon
4. Julius Caesar/Augustus Caesar/Nero/Alexander
(Students can choose Alexander for he was the only Greek ruler. But if students choose Nero,
this is also acceptable because only he did not have any military achievements/was an infamous
tyrant.)
5. King/Nobles/Knights/Priests
To distinguish correctness from mistakes - introductory
Please explain why the following quotation was unrelated to the people in bracket.
1. "I'm an outcaste." (A Spartan in 500B.C)
2. "I write cuneiform writing." (A Chinese of West Zhou in 800B.C.)
3. "I swore to follow the Chivalry spirit when I was 21 year old. (A priest in Europe in
medieval time.)
4. "I worshipped in the direction of Mecca five times daily." (A Roman in 50B.C.)
5. "The thing I love to do most daily is to go to the public bath hall." (An Arab in 500B.C.)
To distinguish true and false - Pictures
Which of the following coins is fake? Why?
Alternative Type of Fill in the Blank questions
Fill in the blanks and explain your answer,
1. The Nile valley,
Reason :
, the Huang He Valley, the Indus Valley
2. Ancient, .
Reason :
_, Modern
3. King,
Reason :
_, Knight, Farmer
4. 3BC, 2BC, 1BC,
Reason :
5. Babylon, Persia,
Reason :
_, Rome
_, Archbishop, Bishop, Priest
6.
Reason :
Pictures
1. Use three adjectives to describe the life of Spartans.
2. Why did Spartans lead this kind of life?
3. Were the pictures on the vases first-hand or second-hand historical references? Please explain.
Matching
Match items in Column A with those in Column B and explain your answers (Matches can be
made with more than one item.)
Column A
Sumerians
Hammurabi
Ancient Egyptians
Ancient Romans
Column B
Cuneiform writing
Law Books
Wheels
Worship many gods
Numeric I, IV, X, C
Information - Introductory
1 "I am an outcaste, born in the caste system of the Indian society, I really have no hope at all.
I can only blame my parents. I cannot even take up low-ranked jobs like street cleaning. I
have absolutely no social status, worse than a beggar. Am I supposed to live the rest of my life
like this?"
a What is meant by "outcaste11?
b, How can he change the identity of Moutcaste"? Why?
c, What is your view about the social system in India?
Guided Writing
1. Assume you are a journalist. Your task is to interview the ruler about the following systems.
Please draft 5 questions.
a. Caste system in India
b. Democratic system in Athens, ancient Greece.
c. Judicial system in Rome.
Diagram Questions
What do the question marks represent?
Fill in the blanks with appropriate words and breifly
explain your answers.
1.
?
2.
?
1.
HK 907.12 T25 a
Teaching thinking for
effective learning in history
: sample assessment tasks for
the revised secondary one
Date Due
N(
FOR r