Chapter 1
Before History
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. The earth came into existence around
a. five hundred million years ago.
b. one billion years ago.
c. four to five billion years ago.
d. ten billion years ago.
e. twenty-seven billion years ago.
Answer: c
Page: 6
2. The term prehistory refers to the period before
a. writing.
b. the first hominid.
c. the appearance of Homo sapiens.
d. 1000 B.C.E.
e. the work of the Greek historian Herodotus.
Answer: a
Page: 6
,3. From the period four million to one million years ago, which of the following
flourished in east Africa?
a. Homo sapiens sapiens
b. Homo erectus
c. Neandertal peoples
d. Homo sapiens
e. Australopithecus
Answer: e
Page: 6
4. Which of the following statements about Australopithecus is NOT true?
a. They produced cleavers and hand axes.
b. They traveled deliberately over distances as far as fifteen kilometers.
c. They walked on two legs, thus freeing their arms to work independently.
d. They produced choppers and scrapers.
e. They were hominids.
Answer: a
Page: 6-7
5. The most important development of Homo erectus was
a. fire.
b. stone tools.
c. walking upright on two legs.
, d. their communication skills.
e. writing.
Answer: d
Page: 7
6. Which of the following statements is NOT true of Homo erectus?
a. They knew how to control fire.
b. They developed language skills that enabled them to communicate complex
ideas.
c. They had brains roughly the same size as those of modern humans.
d. They produced cleavers and hand axes.
e. They walked upright on two legs.
Answer: c
Page: 7
7. Homo sapiens evolved
a. one million years ago.
b. five hundred thousand years ago.
c. one hundred thousand years ago.
d. two hundred thousand years ago.
e. forty thousand years ago.
Answer: d
Page: 7
8. Homo sapiens had appeared in almost all the habitable regions of the world by
around ________ years ago.
, a. 250,000
b. 100,000
c. 50,000
d. 15,000
e. 5,000
Answer: d
Page: 9
9. Homo sapiens used superior knowledge, sophisticated tools, and language to
a. build cities.
b. exploit the natural world more efficiently than any other species.
c. establish complex social and political institutions.
d. make tools and fire.
e. communicate limited ideas to each other.
Answer: b
Page: 10
10. Which of the following statements is true of the inhabitants of the paleolithic
age?
a. They had mastered writing.
b. They domesticated animals.
c. They were hunters and gatherers.
d. They had discovered agriculture.
e. They had mastered working with iron.
Answer: c
Before History
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. The earth came into existence around
a. five hundred million years ago.
b. one billion years ago.
c. four to five billion years ago.
d. ten billion years ago.
e. twenty-seven billion years ago.
Answer: c
Page: 6
2. The term prehistory refers to the period before
a. writing.
b. the first hominid.
c. the appearance of Homo sapiens.
d. 1000 B.C.E.
e. the work of the Greek historian Herodotus.
Answer: a
Page: 6
,3. From the period four million to one million years ago, which of the following
flourished in east Africa?
a. Homo sapiens sapiens
b. Homo erectus
c. Neandertal peoples
d. Homo sapiens
e. Australopithecus
Answer: e
Page: 6
4. Which of the following statements about Australopithecus is NOT true?
a. They produced cleavers and hand axes.
b. They traveled deliberately over distances as far as fifteen kilometers.
c. They walked on two legs, thus freeing their arms to work independently.
d. They produced choppers and scrapers.
e. They were hominids.
Answer: a
Page: 6-7
5. The most important development of Homo erectus was
a. fire.
b. stone tools.
c. walking upright on two legs.
, d. their communication skills.
e. writing.
Answer: d
Page: 7
6. Which of the following statements is NOT true of Homo erectus?
a. They knew how to control fire.
b. They developed language skills that enabled them to communicate complex
ideas.
c. They had brains roughly the same size as those of modern humans.
d. They produced cleavers and hand axes.
e. They walked upright on two legs.
Answer: c
Page: 7
7. Homo sapiens evolved
a. one million years ago.
b. five hundred thousand years ago.
c. one hundred thousand years ago.
d. two hundred thousand years ago.
e. forty thousand years ago.
Answer: d
Page: 7
8. Homo sapiens had appeared in almost all the habitable regions of the world by
around ________ years ago.
, a. 250,000
b. 100,000
c. 50,000
d. 15,000
e. 5,000
Answer: d
Page: 9
9. Homo sapiens used superior knowledge, sophisticated tools, and language to
a. build cities.
b. exploit the natural world more efficiently than any other species.
c. establish complex social and political institutions.
d. make tools and fire.
e. communicate limited ideas to each other.
Answer: b
Page: 10
10. Which of the following statements is true of the inhabitants of the paleolithic
age?
a. They had mastered writing.
b. They domesticated animals.
c. They were hunters and gatherers.
d. They had discovered agriculture.
e. They had mastered working with iron.
Answer: c
