WorldHistoryVolume2-TestBank-Ch01.docxOpenStax
Page 1 of 129
,WorldHistoryVolume2-TestBank-Ch01.docxOpenStax
OpenStax World History, Volume 2, from 1400 Test Bank
Chapter 1: Understanding the Past
OpenStax World History, Volume 2, from
1400 Test Bank
Chapter 1: Understanding the Past
Review Questions
Multiple Choice
1. What is history, above all else?
A. a study of only the key people who have influenced the past
B. a path to knowing why we are the way we are*
C. a direct predictor of what will happen in the future
D. a study of how humans have interacted with their environment and climate
Difficulty: Moderate
2. What are two key skills that are developed from studying history?
A. remembering dates and remembering names
B. remembering where things happened and when they happened
C. rote memorization and audience assessment
D. innovative inquiry and creative thinking*
Difficulty: Difficult
3. Which of the following items would be considered a secondary source of information?
A. a map drawn in the 1960s identifying World War II battle sites*
B. a menu from a restaurant
C. song lyrics
D. court transcripts
Difficulty: Easy
4. What is the theory of history that emphasizes studying the deeds and impact of important
leaders to paint an accurate picture of the past?
A. great man theory*
B. great leader theory
C. elite-driven theory
D. progressive history theory
Difficulty: Moderate
For more free, peer-reviewed, openly licensed resources visit OpenStax.org.
1/11/2026 2
Page 2 of 129
,WorldHistoryVolume2-TestBank-Ch01.docxOpenStax
OpenStax World History, Volume 2, from 1400 Test Bank
Chapter 1: Understanding the Past
5. What belief underlies the field of social history?
A. The study of societies is the only worthwhile method to study history.
B. History is made by all people and not just elites.*
C. Anthropology should be considered a history class.
D. The influence of great men on society is the best way to view historical developments.
Difficulty: Moderate
True/False
6. True or false? The United Nations established a series of universal declarations that
conceived of all people as deserving of human rights and dignity.
Answer: True
Difficulty: Easy
7. True or false? Sites like Wikipedia and Encyclopedia.com give significant depth to allow for
the critical thinking necessary to produce quality work.
Answer: False
Sites like Wikipedia and Encyclopedia.com do not give significant depth in their descriptions of a
topic.
Difficulty: Moderate
8. True or false? In history, the term causation refers to government policies.
Answer: False
Causation refers to the “why” behind events.
Difficulty: Moderate
9. True or false? The tertiary level of causation includes the results of the historical event.
Answer: False.
The tertiary level is an understanding of the overall cause of the historical event.
Difficulty: Difficult
10. True or false? Michael Sadler and John Thomas Hope argued over whether child labor in
factories was a bad thing.
Answer: True
Difficulty: Moderate
For more free, peer-reviewed, openly licensed resources visit OpenStax.org.
3 1/11/2026
Page 3 of 129
, WorldHistoryVolume2-TestBank-Ch01.docxOpenStax
OpenStax World History, Volume 2, from 1400 Test Bank
Chapter 1: Understanding the Past
Identification
A. historiography
B. iconography
C. rhetoric
D. great man theory
E. progressive history
11. This is the way words are used or put together in speaking or writing.
Answer: C. rhetoric
Difficulty: Moderate
12. This credits leaders and heroes with triggering history’s pivotal events.
Answer: D. great man theory
Difficulty: Easy
13. This refers to the visual images and symbols used in a work of art.
Answer: B. iconography
Difficulty: Moderate
14. This is how other historians have already interpreted and written about the past.
Answer: A. historiography
Difficulty: Easy
15. This refers to how some have viewed history as a straight line to a specific destination.
Answer: E. progressive history
Difficulty: Difficult
Fill in the Blank
16. A ________ is someone who may reside in only one nation but who self-identifies as part of
the larger world community.
Answer: global citizen
Difficulty: Moderate
17. A ________ means studying events in roughly the order in which they took place.
Answer: chronological approach
For more free, peer-reviewed, openly licensed resources visit OpenStax.org.
1/11/2026 4
Page 4 of 129
Page 1 of 129
,WorldHistoryVolume2-TestBank-Ch01.docxOpenStax
OpenStax World History, Volume 2, from 1400 Test Bank
Chapter 1: Understanding the Past
OpenStax World History, Volume 2, from
1400 Test Bank
Chapter 1: Understanding the Past
Review Questions
Multiple Choice
1. What is history, above all else?
A. a study of only the key people who have influenced the past
B. a path to knowing why we are the way we are*
C. a direct predictor of what will happen in the future
D. a study of how humans have interacted with their environment and climate
Difficulty: Moderate
2. What are two key skills that are developed from studying history?
A. remembering dates and remembering names
B. remembering where things happened and when they happened
C. rote memorization and audience assessment
D. innovative inquiry and creative thinking*
Difficulty: Difficult
3. Which of the following items would be considered a secondary source of information?
A. a map drawn in the 1960s identifying World War II battle sites*
B. a menu from a restaurant
C. song lyrics
D. court transcripts
Difficulty: Easy
4. What is the theory of history that emphasizes studying the deeds and impact of important
leaders to paint an accurate picture of the past?
A. great man theory*
B. great leader theory
C. elite-driven theory
D. progressive history theory
Difficulty: Moderate
For more free, peer-reviewed, openly licensed resources visit OpenStax.org.
1/11/2026 2
Page 2 of 129
,WorldHistoryVolume2-TestBank-Ch01.docxOpenStax
OpenStax World History, Volume 2, from 1400 Test Bank
Chapter 1: Understanding the Past
5. What belief underlies the field of social history?
A. The study of societies is the only worthwhile method to study history.
B. History is made by all people and not just elites.*
C. Anthropology should be considered a history class.
D. The influence of great men on society is the best way to view historical developments.
Difficulty: Moderate
True/False
6. True or false? The United Nations established a series of universal declarations that
conceived of all people as deserving of human rights and dignity.
Answer: True
Difficulty: Easy
7. True or false? Sites like Wikipedia and Encyclopedia.com give significant depth to allow for
the critical thinking necessary to produce quality work.
Answer: False
Sites like Wikipedia and Encyclopedia.com do not give significant depth in their descriptions of a
topic.
Difficulty: Moderate
8. True or false? In history, the term causation refers to government policies.
Answer: False
Causation refers to the “why” behind events.
Difficulty: Moderate
9. True or false? The tertiary level of causation includes the results of the historical event.
Answer: False.
The tertiary level is an understanding of the overall cause of the historical event.
Difficulty: Difficult
10. True or false? Michael Sadler and John Thomas Hope argued over whether child labor in
factories was a bad thing.
Answer: True
Difficulty: Moderate
For more free, peer-reviewed, openly licensed resources visit OpenStax.org.
3 1/11/2026
Page 3 of 129
, WorldHistoryVolume2-TestBank-Ch01.docxOpenStax
OpenStax World History, Volume 2, from 1400 Test Bank
Chapter 1: Understanding the Past
Identification
A. historiography
B. iconography
C. rhetoric
D. great man theory
E. progressive history
11. This is the way words are used or put together in speaking or writing.
Answer: C. rhetoric
Difficulty: Moderate
12. This credits leaders and heroes with triggering history’s pivotal events.
Answer: D. great man theory
Difficulty: Easy
13. This refers to the visual images and symbols used in a work of art.
Answer: B. iconography
Difficulty: Moderate
14. This is how other historians have already interpreted and written about the past.
Answer: A. historiography
Difficulty: Easy
15. This refers to how some have viewed history as a straight line to a specific destination.
Answer: E. progressive history
Difficulty: Difficult
Fill in the Blank
16. A ________ is someone who may reside in only one nation but who self-identifies as part of
the larger world community.
Answer: global citizen
Difficulty: Moderate
17. A ________ means studying events in roughly the order in which they took place.
Answer: chronological approach
For more free, peer-reviewed, openly licensed resources visit OpenStax.org.
1/11/2026 4
Page 4 of 129
