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Unit notes and practice questions

Grade 11 History unit 2: Major spots of ancient world civilizations up to c.500 A.D

Everything here is for unit 2 of the Grade 11 History textbook: what the chapter covers, the short notes, practice questions with their answers, and the lesson video where one exists.

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1
Cards
10
Practice questions on unit 2
22–50
The textbook pages for unit 2

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The Temari lesson on unit 2

A short video lesson on this chapter, made by Temari. It loads only when you press play.

How the first civilizations wrote · 4 min · 2 past exam questions worked through

Parts of the lesson

Tap a part to play the lesson from there.

What unit 2 covers

  1. 1.Ancient Civilizations of Africa
  2. 2.Civilizations in Asia
  3. 3.Civilizations in Europe
  4. 4.Civilizations in Latin America
  5. 5.The Rise and Spread of Christianity

Short notes for unit 2

The cards filed under this chapter on the Grade 11 History page. Open one at a time.

DateEvent
509 B.C.Roman Republic set up after the Romans drove out the Etruscan kings
27 B.C.Octavian became the first emperor and took the title Augustus
27 B.C. onwardPax Romana, a long period of stability lasting about 200 years
395 A.D.Roman Empire split into West Roman and East Roman (Byzantine) empires
410 A.D.Visigoths looted Rome
476 A.D.West Roman Empire formally collapsed
1453Ottoman Turks captured Constantinople, ending the East Roman Empire

When you use it

Reach for this card when a question asks for the order of events from the Roman Republic to the division and fall of the Roman Empire.

Watch out

Do not treat 44 B.C., the year Caesar was assassinated, as the start of the Empire. The chapter dates the first emperor to 27 B.C., when Octavian took the title Augustus.

Drafted from Grade 11 History, pages 22-50, then checked twice before it went up

Practice questions on unit 2

10 multiple-choice questions written against this chapter, each with its answer and the reason. Try one before you open the answer.

Question 1

The Greek historian Herodotus described Egypt as which of the following?

  1. A."The Gift of the Nile"
  2. B."The Gift of the Sea"
  3. C."The Land of Gold"
  4. D."The Great House"
Show the answer and why

Answer: A "The Gift of the Nile"

Why

The textbook says Herodotus called Egypt "The Gift of the Nile." This shows how important the river was to the Egyptians. "Great House" is the meaning of the word Pharaoh, not Herodotus's description.

Question 2

Who was the king of Upper Egypt who united Upper and Lower Egypt about 3,100 B.C.?

  1. A.Khufu
  2. B.Menes
  3. C.Piankhi
  4. D.Hammurabi
Show the answer and why

Answer: B Menes

Why

The chapter says Menes, the king of Upper Egypt, united the two regions about 3,100 B.C. He then founded Egypt's first capital at Memphis. Khufu built the Great Pyramid, Piankhi was a Kushite king, and Hammurabi was a Babylonian king.

Question 3

The name Mesopotamia comes from a Greek word. What does it mean?

  1. A.gate of the god
  2. B.land of the Aryans
  3. C.between rivers
  4. D.great house
Show the answer and why

Answer: C between rivers

Why

The textbook explains that Mesopotamia means "between rivers." This refers to the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers that surround the region. "Gate of the god" is the meaning of Babylon.

Question 4

The sayings and conversations of which Chinese philosopher were recorded by his disciples in a book called the Analects?

  1. A.Mencius
  2. B.Socrates
  3. C.Zoroaster
  4. D.Confucius
Show the answer and why

Answer: D Confucius

Why

The chapter says Confucius wrote no book himself. His disciples recorded his conversations and sayings in the Analects. Socrates was Greek and Zoroaster was Persian.

Question 5

The textbook says Hammurabi ruled from 1792 to 1750 B.C. For how many years did he rule?

  1. A.32 years
  2. B.42 years
  3. C.52 years
  4. D.58 years
Show the answer and why

Answer: B 42 years

Why

Subtract the end year from the start year: 1792 minus 1750 equals 42. So Hammurabi ruled for 42 years. Remember that these years are counted backward, so you subtract the smaller year from the larger one.

Question 6

Which of these Greek city-states was known for its strong navy?

  1. A.Athens
  2. B.Sparta
  3. C.Macedonia
  4. D.Tikal
Show the answer and why

Answer: A Athens

Why

The chapter says that Of the city-states, Athens was known for her strong navy. Macedonia was a country north of Greece, and Tikal was a powerful Maya city-state, so neither is the right answer.

Question 7

Who became the first Roman emperor in 27 B.C. and took the title Augustus?

  1. A.Julius Caesar
  2. B.Mark Antony
  3. C.Octavian
  4. D.Romulus
Show the answer and why

Answer: C Octavian

Why

The textbook says Octavian became the first Roman emperor in 27 B.C. and took the title Augustus. The Pax Romana began during his reign. Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 B.C., and Mark Antony fought Octavian for control of Rome.

Question 8

The Shang kingdom, the first dynasty of China, was centered in which river valley?

  1. A.The Indus valley
  2. B.The Nile valley
  3. C.The Tigris valley
  4. D.The Huang-He valley
Show the answer and why

Answer: D The Huang-He valley

Why

The chapter says the Shang kingdom was centered in the Huang-He valley. The Indus, Nile and Tigris are rivers linked with other early civilizations in the unit.

Question 9

Tenochtitlan grew so large that its farmers needed more land. The farmers anchored reed baskets filled with earth in the shallow lake and planted crops in them. What were these gardens called?

  1. A.terraces on steep mountainsides
  2. B.raised fields along river banks
  3. C.floating gardens
  4. D.irrigation tunnels
Show the answer and why

Answer: C floating gardens

Why

The textbook says these reed baskets became floating gardens. Terraces were built by the Incas on mountainsides, raised fields were built by the Maya along rivers, and irrigation tunnels were used by the early Persians.

Question 10

Which two civilizations in this unit developed a 365-day solar calendar?

  1. A.the Sumerians and the Persians
  2. B.the Maya and the Aztecs
  3. C.the Incas and the Romans
  4. D.the Kushites and the Assyrians
Show the answer and why

Answer: B the Maya and the Aztecs

Why

The chapter says the Maya developed an accurate 365-day solar calendar. Later, it says that like the Maya, the Aztecs developed a 365-day solar calendar. The other pairs are not linked to this calendar in the text.

The app holds 12 questions on this unit, marked as you go. These are the first 10.

The textbook pages for unit 2

Unit 2 runs from page 22 to page 50 of the Ministry of Education edition.

Ministry of Education edition, English, 270 pages

Download the PDF

All Grade 11 History short notes

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