CSET Spanish Subtest 2 Exam. All Exam Questions and Correct Answers
With 100% Correct Answers | Latest 2025 Update.
Spain today (politics, economy, geography, culture) - ANSWER- -*Democracy under
parliamentary constitutional monarchy*
-*Member of EU*
-*Majority Roman Catholic* (religious freedom)
-*Tourism* is one of the main sources of income.
-Important developers/producers of *renewable energy*, in particular *solar power*.
-*strong economy, high quality of life*
-*SW Europe, Iberian Peninsula to the south of France and Andorra and to the east of Portugal. It
has coastlines on the Bay of Biscay (a part of the Atlantic Ocean) and the Mediterranean Sea.*
-*mostly flat plains + Pyrenees Mountains*
-siesta/lunch from 2-5
-*tapas* (appetizers), *paella*, *gazpacho*, *wine*
-epiphany/three kings day (día de los reyes): Jan.6th, leave out shoes for gifts
-*flamenco music and bullfights*
Romans in Spain - ANSWER- 200BCE-500CE
Spanish Cinema - ANSWER- -*1930s: Luis Buñuel* was the first Spanish director to be
recognized internationally (films: Belle de Jour, Ese oscuro objeto del deseo), associated
with the *surrealist* movement.
-*Carlos Saura* (La Madriguera, Cría Cuervos, Sweet Hours): world-known Spanish director in
the 1950s.
-Present: *Pedro Almodóvar's* works (Todo acerca de mi madre, Volver) are well known in both
Europe and the Americas.
Zarzuela - ANSWER- *-Performance art mixing music and theater*
,*-popular with royalty/elite in 17th ce. Spain,*
*-opera -> decline in popularity (but continued in Cuba, etc.) until 19th and 20th ce.*
-Amadeo Vives=famous composer
Spanish Architecture - ANSWER- -varied across history
-*significant Roman influence* from when it was part of the Roman empire
-then incorp. *Arab features*, esp. in Córdoba, under Moors domination
-Romanesque and *gothic elements* integrated later
-2oth ce. --> *Modernism (Antoni Gaudí, Barcelona)*
-contemporary architects internationally recognized (Moneo, Calavatra)
Diego Velázquez - ANSWER- -*Leading artist of Spanish Golden Age (17th ce.)*
-Painter from Seville
-*Court painter* for King Philip IV
-*historical and cultural portraits* of royalty, nobles, commoners
-*most famous painting = Las Meninas*
~Baroque portrayal of Margarita (King's daughter) surrounded by maids of honor & members of
court
~very complex, plays with illusion/reality/perspective/audience
~In Madrid museum, widely analyzed
-*Inspiration/model for many future artists*
Frida Kahlo - ANSWER- -*20th ce. Mexican painter*, married Diego Rivera
-Had polio as a child, other health issues
-*Used bright colors and simple/primitive forms, rooted in Mexican + Amerindian culture*
-*influenced by surrealism*
-*known for self-portraits + depictions of female form*
,Ernesto Sábato - ANSWER- -*Argentinian writer*
-*started writing+painting after WWII*
-translated science books, wrote many essays+articles on literature, science, metaphysics, and
politics
Fernando Botero - ANSWER- -*present-day Colombian painter*
-*Figurative paintings, uses exaggerated + disproportionate volumes to depict human figure*,
adding humorous details to show criticism + irony
-his style = *Boterismo*
Three Tenors - ANSWER- -*1990's and 2000's*
-Spaniards: Plácido Domingo and José Carreras
-Italian: Pavarotti
-Been in many famous operas (Carmen, Madame Butterfly, etc.)
Francisco Goya - ANSWER- -*(18th ce.), Spanish Painter*
-baroque->rococo->neoclassicism+expressionism
-*first artist to paint what he wanted instead of what church/king told him to paint*
-great influence for modern artists
-mostly historic paintings
José Clemente Orozco - ANSWER- -*Mexican painter, one of 3 main Mexican muralists,
painted murals after the Mexican revolution*
-focused on revolution, *human condition*, pre-Colombian culture
-messages of *social justice for working class and indigenous people*
Diego Rivera - ANSWER- -*Mexican painter, one of 3 main Mexican muralists, painted murals
after the Mexican revolution*
-One of most famous muralists in the world
, -influenced by Italian renaissance and Russian communist movement
-focused on revolution, *revalorization of indigenous Mexican roots*, symbols + historical figures
from colonial period
-very *political artistic messages*
David Alfaro Siqueiros - ANSWER- -*Mexican painter, one of 3 main Mexican muralists,
painted murals after the Mexican revolution*
-focused on revolution, *Pre-Colombian culture* and its relationship with colonial culture in
Mexico
-more realistic works
-very influenced by politics, *Marxist messages*
Celia Cruz - ANSWER- -*Cuban singer known as the queen of salsa*
-her music became a worldwide success
-most influential figure of Cuban music in 20th ce.
Salvador Dalí - ANSWER- -*20th ce. Spanish surrealist painter*, started as a cubist
-influenced by other artists in Paris
-*highly imaginative, bizarre works*
-*"La persistencia de la memoria" (melting clocks)*
Isabel Allende - ANSWER- -*(1950s-) Writer*, born in Peru, considered *Chilean*
-works mixed fantastic & real (*magic realism*)
-"La casa de los espiritus": 4 generations of Chilean family, examines *sociopolitical issues* in
postcolonial Chile
Mario Vargas Llosa - ANSWER- -*(1940s-) Peruvian writer*, wrote novels + political
narrative pieces
-genre: *realism, political topics*
With 100% Correct Answers | Latest 2025 Update.
Spain today (politics, economy, geography, culture) - ANSWER- -*Democracy under
parliamentary constitutional monarchy*
-*Member of EU*
-*Majority Roman Catholic* (religious freedom)
-*Tourism* is one of the main sources of income.
-Important developers/producers of *renewable energy*, in particular *solar power*.
-*strong economy, high quality of life*
-*SW Europe, Iberian Peninsula to the south of France and Andorra and to the east of Portugal. It
has coastlines on the Bay of Biscay (a part of the Atlantic Ocean) and the Mediterranean Sea.*
-*mostly flat plains + Pyrenees Mountains*
-siesta/lunch from 2-5
-*tapas* (appetizers), *paella*, *gazpacho*, *wine*
-epiphany/three kings day (día de los reyes): Jan.6th, leave out shoes for gifts
-*flamenco music and bullfights*
Romans in Spain - ANSWER- 200BCE-500CE
Spanish Cinema - ANSWER- -*1930s: Luis Buñuel* was the first Spanish director to be
recognized internationally (films: Belle de Jour, Ese oscuro objeto del deseo), associated
with the *surrealist* movement.
-*Carlos Saura* (La Madriguera, Cría Cuervos, Sweet Hours): world-known Spanish director in
the 1950s.
-Present: *Pedro Almodóvar's* works (Todo acerca de mi madre, Volver) are well known in both
Europe and the Americas.
Zarzuela - ANSWER- *-Performance art mixing music and theater*
,*-popular with royalty/elite in 17th ce. Spain,*
*-opera -> decline in popularity (but continued in Cuba, etc.) until 19th and 20th ce.*
-Amadeo Vives=famous composer
Spanish Architecture - ANSWER- -varied across history
-*significant Roman influence* from when it was part of the Roman empire
-then incorp. *Arab features*, esp. in Córdoba, under Moors domination
-Romanesque and *gothic elements* integrated later
-2oth ce. --> *Modernism (Antoni Gaudí, Barcelona)*
-contemporary architects internationally recognized (Moneo, Calavatra)
Diego Velázquez - ANSWER- -*Leading artist of Spanish Golden Age (17th ce.)*
-Painter from Seville
-*Court painter* for King Philip IV
-*historical and cultural portraits* of royalty, nobles, commoners
-*most famous painting = Las Meninas*
~Baroque portrayal of Margarita (King's daughter) surrounded by maids of honor & members of
court
~very complex, plays with illusion/reality/perspective/audience
~In Madrid museum, widely analyzed
-*Inspiration/model for many future artists*
Frida Kahlo - ANSWER- -*20th ce. Mexican painter*, married Diego Rivera
-Had polio as a child, other health issues
-*Used bright colors and simple/primitive forms, rooted in Mexican + Amerindian culture*
-*influenced by surrealism*
-*known for self-portraits + depictions of female form*
,Ernesto Sábato - ANSWER- -*Argentinian writer*
-*started writing+painting after WWII*
-translated science books, wrote many essays+articles on literature, science, metaphysics, and
politics
Fernando Botero - ANSWER- -*present-day Colombian painter*
-*Figurative paintings, uses exaggerated + disproportionate volumes to depict human figure*,
adding humorous details to show criticism + irony
-his style = *Boterismo*
Three Tenors - ANSWER- -*1990's and 2000's*
-Spaniards: Plácido Domingo and José Carreras
-Italian: Pavarotti
-Been in many famous operas (Carmen, Madame Butterfly, etc.)
Francisco Goya - ANSWER- -*(18th ce.), Spanish Painter*
-baroque->rococo->neoclassicism+expressionism
-*first artist to paint what he wanted instead of what church/king told him to paint*
-great influence for modern artists
-mostly historic paintings
José Clemente Orozco - ANSWER- -*Mexican painter, one of 3 main Mexican muralists,
painted murals after the Mexican revolution*
-focused on revolution, *human condition*, pre-Colombian culture
-messages of *social justice for working class and indigenous people*
Diego Rivera - ANSWER- -*Mexican painter, one of 3 main Mexican muralists, painted murals
after the Mexican revolution*
-One of most famous muralists in the world
, -influenced by Italian renaissance and Russian communist movement
-focused on revolution, *revalorization of indigenous Mexican roots*, symbols + historical figures
from colonial period
-very *political artistic messages*
David Alfaro Siqueiros - ANSWER- -*Mexican painter, one of 3 main Mexican muralists,
painted murals after the Mexican revolution*
-focused on revolution, *Pre-Colombian culture* and its relationship with colonial culture in
Mexico
-more realistic works
-very influenced by politics, *Marxist messages*
Celia Cruz - ANSWER- -*Cuban singer known as the queen of salsa*
-her music became a worldwide success
-most influential figure of Cuban music in 20th ce.
Salvador Dalí - ANSWER- -*20th ce. Spanish surrealist painter*, started as a cubist
-influenced by other artists in Paris
-*highly imaginative, bizarre works*
-*"La persistencia de la memoria" (melting clocks)*
Isabel Allende - ANSWER- -*(1950s-) Writer*, born in Peru, considered *Chilean*
-works mixed fantastic & real (*magic realism*)
-"La casa de los espiritus": 4 generations of Chilean family, examines *sociopolitical issues* in
postcolonial Chile
Mario Vargas Llosa - ANSWER- -*(1940s-) Peruvian writer*, wrote novels + political
narrative pieces
-genre: *realism, political topics*
