TAKS Preparation

25 April 2011

1. The term “Bill of Rights” refers to –

A. The document that specifies separation of church and state

B. A revision of the Articles of Confederation

C. The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution

D. Rights given to the colonists by King George III

2. George Washington played an important role during the American Revolution while serving as –

A. Ambassador to France

B. Attorney general for the colonies

C. Commander of the Continental army

D. President of the Continental Congress

3. The Confederate capture of Fort Sumter in 1861 was significant because it –

A. Inspired northern voters to elect Abraham Lincoln as president

B. Allowed the South to form an alliance with France

C. Marked the beginning of the Civil War

D. Forced the border states to agree to free their slaves

4. One reason the earliest civilization developed at the eastern end of the Fertile Crescent in present-day Iraq was that—

A. Crops grew well in desert conditions

B. Game for hunting had become scarce elsewhere

C. The rivers in the area provided favorable conditions for agriculture

D. Many people migrated into the area from India

5. The principles of checks and balances in the U.S. government is reflected in the –

A. Election of Supreme Court justices

B. Creation of separate state and federal court systems

C. Appointment of cabinet-level officers by the legislative branch

D. Ability of Congress to override a presidential veto

6. The debate over states’ rights and the supremacy of the national government became increasingly important between 1820 and 1860 because of opposing views on –

A. Industrial development

B. Slavery

C. Immigration

D. Women’s suffrage

7. The tax laws imposed on the colonists by the British government were viewed as unfair and created support fro declaring independence because –

A. The laws did not apply to all British colonists

B. Colonists were taxed without direct representation in Parliament

C. The laws were designed to deregulate trade

D. British merchants were taxed at a higher rate than colonial merchants

8. One reason the 14th and 15th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution were considered milestones was that they –

A. Brought the Civil War to an endB. Created the Freedmen’s BureauC. Established procedures for impeaching

the presidentD. Granted newly freed slaves significant

political rights

9. The Articles of Confederation established a weak central government in order to –

A. Promote western migration

B. Allow colonies to pay off their debts

C. Protect the power of the states

D. Help contain nationalism

10. In 1689 King William and Queen Mary signed the English Bill of Rights. That same year Parliament passed the Toleration Act, which extended religious freedom. These events were relevant to the development of the U.S. political system because –

A. They contributed to the notion that government must protect the rights of the people

B. Voting rights were extended to all citizens regardless of social status or religion

C. The legislation was rejected by the Massachusetts General Assembly

D. The resulting absolute monarchy created discontent among American colonists

11. Mongolia is a landlocked country in north central Asia with a harsh climate and few resources. Livestock outnumber people many times over. It can be inferred that Mongolia’s economic system is a –

A. Subsistence economy based on farmingB. Subsistence economy based on

herdingC. Market economy based on agricultureD. Market economy based on light industry

12. According to the Declaration of Independence, which of the following is a right that all people have and that legitimate governments should protect?

A. Economic right

B. Implied right

C. Unalienable right

D. Expressed right

13. Since the late 1700s, technological innovations such as the steam engine have affected daily life by –

A. Increasing industrial efficiency

B. Guaranteeing workers’ wages

C. Causing mass migration to rural areas

D. Decreasing agricultural production

14. A key difference between a market economy and a command economy is that in a market economy, the level of production is determined by –

A. Consumer demand

B. Government bureaucracy

C. Bankers

D. Labor unions

15. One of the main reasons that many people relocated from Europe to North America during the 17th and 18th centuries was the availability of –

A. Inexpensive ship fares

B. Fertile farmland in new colonies

C. Cheap labor from native sources

D. Government-sponsored farm loans

16. Which document is correctly paired with its author?

A. Thomas Paine – Articles of Confederation

B. George Washington – Virginia Bill of Rights

C. Thomas Jefferson – Declaration of Independence

D. John Hancock – U.S. Constitution

17. What is the “house” Abraham Lincoln is referring to in this excerpt?

A. Congress

B. The White House

C. The United States

D. Great Britain

“A house divided against itself cannot stand.” I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved—I do not expect the house to fall—but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing, or all the other.

– Abraham Lincoln, from

“A House Divided,” 1858

18. Tecumseh’s statement illustrates that many Native Americans –

A. Wanted to be relocated to reservations

B. Were opposed to moving from their land

C. Sought fair compensation for their land

D. Wanted to conquer new territory

These lands are ours. . . . The Great Spirit above has appointed this place for us . . . and here we will remain.

– Tecumseh, 1810

19. According to the 14th Amendment, state governments must –

A. Obtain the approval of Congress to pass laws

B. Protect the individual rights of all citizens

C. Ensure that every citizen has a job

D. Conduct a judicial review of Supreme Court decisions

No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States: nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law. . . .

– 14th Amendment, 1868

20. One result of the expansion of Islam was the spread of which language?

A. Arabic

B. Farsi

C. Sanskrit

D. Swahili

21. The first 10 Amendments to the U.S. Constitution were intended to protect the rights of individuals from potential abuses by –

A. Foreign countries

B. The federal government

C. Big business

D. Religious organizations

22. Which title best describes the list above?

A. Colonial Military Organization

B. Colonial Attempts to Declare Independence

C. Colonial Trade Organizations

D. Colonial Examples of Self-Government

• Mayflower Compact

• Virginia House of Burgesses

• New England town meetings

23. The framers of the Articles of Confederation were particularly concerned about –

A. Protecting the rights of Native Americans

B. Establishing trade agreements with France

C. Limiting the power of the national government

D. Bringing an end to the institution of slavery

24. Which invention contributed most to the Industrial Revolution?

A. Magnetic compass

B. Electric lightbulb

C. Steam engine

D. Mechanical reaper

25. The items in the list above represent examples of which constitutional principle?

A. RepublicanismB. Checks and balancesC. Individual rightsD. Popular sovereignty

• Veto power

•Power to impeach

•Power to ratify treaties

•Judicial review

26. Which of these is an example of a biased statement?

A. Texas is the second-largest state in the United States

B. Texas is the most important state in the United States

C. Texas contains three of the ten largest cities in the United States

D. Texas borders four other states in the United States

27. This amendment was passed in response to –

A. Budget pressures that created a shortage of military housing

B. House searches conducted by British troops

C. The housing of British troops in civilian homes

D. The use of civilian houses to store military supplies

No soldier shall, in time of peace, be quartered in any house, without the consent of the owner. . . .

– Third Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

28. Which statement best summarizes a key argument of The Federalist Papers?

A. The national legislature should establish an official church

B. The country needs a strong central government

C. The state governments should provide for national defense

D. A bill of rights is necessary to protect individual liberties

29. Which of the following has allowed soccer fans in different countries to watch World Cup finals live?

A. Data storage and retrieval systems

B. Lightweight construction materials

C. Satellite communication and broadcasting networks

D. Better semiconductors

30. The box above lists important influences on the –

A. Decline in international conflicts

B. Interactions within a global community

C. Reduction of global poverty

D. Creation of an international government

• Advertising

•Airline travel

•Internet

•Popular entertainment

•Telecommunications

31. Slavery was legally abolished throughout the United States as a result of the –

A. Ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment

B. Surrender of Confederate forces

C. Passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1875

D. End of Reconstruction

32. Which of these institutions of the British colonies in North America was a model for the government established by the U.S. Constitution?

A. An appointed governor

B. A representative assembly

C. An independent judiciary

D. A hereditary monarchy

33. Which of the following events occurred between 1861 and 1865?

A. Surrender of Fort Sumter

B. Publication of Uncle Tom’s Cabin

C. Enactment of the Tariff Abominations

D. Writing of “The Star-Spangled Banner”

34. Which of the following is an achievement of Thomas Jefferson?

A. Serving as ambassador to Russia

B. Buying Florida from Spain

C. Writing most of the Declaration of Independence

D. Commanding troops during the Revolutionary War

35. Which of the following violates freedom of the press?

A. A newspaper office building is destroyed by fire

B. A speeding ticket is issued to a television news reporter

C. A journalist is arrested for criticizing a government policy

D. An all-news radio station is required to purchase a broadcast license

36. Thomas Jefferson’s main contribution to the American Revolution –

A. Writing the Declaration of Independence

B. Securing French support for the American independence movement

C. Leading American troops to victory at the Battle of Saratoga

D. Representing Virginia at the Constitutional Convention

37. Which of the following would be the best title for this list?

A. Factors Leading to the French RevolutionB. Increased Agricultural OutputC. Factors Leading to the Industrial

RevolutionD. Decreased Urban Population

• Steam power

• Available labor supply

• Abundance of raw materials

38. Which physical feature of the eastern United States was the greatest barrier to the westward migration of early American settlers?

A. Continental Divide

B. Ohio River

C. Appalachian Mountains

D. Coastal lowlands

39. Which of the following types of government allows individuals elected by popular vote to exercise power?

A. Theocratic government

B. Totalitarian government

C. Monarchial government

D. Representative government

40. The factors listed above describe typical standard-of-living conditions in countries that –

A. Are highly industrializedB. Receive large amounts of foreign aidC. Are in the process of implementing free-

market reformsD. Practice subsistence-level agriculture

• Low infant-mortality rate

• High literacy rate

• High per capita income

41. The invention of the airplane in the 20th century reduced –

A. Geographic barriers to travel

B. Military offensive capability

C. The need for standing armies

D. The popularity of automobiles

42. In which region do oil exports serve as the primary economic activity?

A. Middle East

B. Central America

C. Central Europe

D. East Africa

43. How were legislators chosen to serve in colonial assemblies in North America?

A. They were elected by eligible citizens

B. They were selected by church officials

C. They were appointed by royal governors

D. They were chosen by the king

44. In 1965 Congress passed the Voting Rights Act, which outlawed literacy test as a requirement for voting. In effect, this law helped enforce the 15th Amendment (1870), which –

A. Prohibited slavery in the United States

B. Eliminated voting restrictions based on race

C. Outlawed the use of exit polls in federal elections

D. Gave women the right to vote in all elections

45. Which of the following Founding Fathers is described above?

A. Alexander Hamilton

B. John Adams

C. George Washington

D. Thomas Paine

• Delegate to the First and Second Continental Congresses

• Diplomat during the Revolutionary War

• Participated in negotiating the Treaty of Paris, 1783

•Served as second president of the United States

46. One of the purposes of the Declaration of Independence was to –

A. End slavery and the slave trade

B. Reduce economic competition between small and large colonies

C. Encourage people in England to revolt against the British king

D. Justify the American colonist’ revolution to the rest of the world

47. Which of the following individuals was appointed commander of the Continental army by the Second Continental Congress in 1775?

A. Thomas Jefferson

B. John Adams

C. George Washington

D. Nathan Hale

48. Which of the following is the best title for the list above?

A. Causes of the Mexican WarB. Events related to the issue of states’

rightsC. Milestones in the history of U.S.

immigrationD. Examples of federal abuses of power

• Importation of slaves outlawed by Congress

•Nullification Crisis

•Kansas-Nebraska Act passed

•Confederate States of America formed