The examination covers material that is usually taught in a two-semester course in Western Civilization. Questions deal with the civilizations of Ancient Greece, Rome, and the near East. Questions may require candidates to identify the correct definition of a historical term.
The examination covers material that is usually taught in a two-semester course in Western Civilization. Questions deal with the civilizations of Ancient Greece, Rome, and the near East. Questions may require candidates to identify the correct definition of a historical term.
The examination covers material that is usually taught in a two-semester course in Western Civilization. Questions deal with the civilizations of Ancient Greece, Rome, and the near East. Questions may require candidates to identify the correct definition of a historical term.
Copyright 2004 by College Entrance Examination Board. All rights reserved.
Visit our Web site at www.collegeboard.com/clep for the most up-to-date information. 2 Copyright 2004 by College Entrance Examination Board. All rights reserved. Description of the Examination The Western Civilization I: Ancient Near East to 1648 examination covers material that is usually taught in the first semester of a two-semester course in Western Civilization. Questions deal with the civilizations of Ancient Greece, Rome, and the Near East; the Middle Ages; the Renaissance and Refor- mation; and early modern Europe. Candidates may be asked to choose the correct definition of a histori- cal term, select the historical figure whose political viewpoint is described, identify the correct relation- ship between two historical factors, or detect the inaccurate pairing of an individual with a historical event. Groups of questions may require candidates to interpret, evaluate, or relate the contents of a passage, a map, or a picture to other information, or to analyze and utilize the data contained in a graph or table. The examination contains 120 questions to be answered in 90 minutes. Some of these are pretest questions that will not be scored. Any time candi- dates spend on tutorials and providing personal information is in addition to the actual testing time. Knowledge and Skills Required Questions on the Western Civilization I examination require candidates to demonstrate the following abilities, with some questions calling on more than one of the abilities. Understanding important factual knowledge of developments in Western Civilization Ability to identify the causes and effects of major historical events Ability to analyze, interpret, and evaluate textual and graphic materials Ability to distinguish the relevant from the irrelevant Ability to reach conclusions on the basis of facts The subject matter of the Western Civilization I examination is drawn from the following topics. The percentages next to the main topics indicate the approximate percentages of exam questions on those topics. 8 10% Ancient Near East Political evolution Religion, culture, and technical develop- ments in and near the fertile crescent 15 17% Ancient Greece and Hellenistic Civilization Political evolution to Periclean Athens Periclean Athens to Peloponnesian Wars Culture, religion, and thought of Ancient Greece The Hellenistic political structure The culture, religion, and thought of Hellenistic Greece 15 17% Ancient Rome Political evolution of the Republic and of the Empire (economic and geo- graphical context) Roman thought and culture Early Christianity The Germanic invasions The late empire 23 27% Medieval History Byzantium and Islam Early medieval politics and culture through Charlemagne Feudal and manorial institutions The medieval Church Medieval thought and culture Rise of the towns and changing economic forms Feudal monarchies The late medieval church 13 17% Renaissance and Reformation The Renaissance in Italy The Renaissance outside Italy The New Monarchies Protestantism and Catholicism reformed and reorganized 10 15% Early Modern Europe, 1560 1648 The opening of the Atlantic The Commercial Revolution Dynastic and religious conflicts Thought and culture Western Civilization I 3 W E S T E R N C I V I L I Z A T I O N I Copyright 2004 by College Entrance Examination Board. All rights reserved. Sample Test Questions The following questions are provided to give an indication of the types of questions that appear on the Western Civilization I examination. CLEP examinations are designed so that average students completing a course in the subject can usually answer about half the questions correctly. Directions: Each of the questions or incomplete statements below is followed by five suggested answers or completions. Select the one that is best in each case. 1. The earliest urban settlements arose in which of the following types of areas? (A) Coastal plains (B) Inland deforested plains (C) Desert oases (D) Fertile river valleys (E) Narrow valleys well protected by mountains Courtesy, The Trustees of the British Museum. 2. The panel above from ancient Ur supports which of the following conclusions about Mesopotamian society? (A) It was primarily composed of hunter-gatherers. (B) It had distinct class divisions. (C) Religion pervaded daily life. (D) Soldiers were drawn primarily from the nobility. (E) Most commoners were slaves. 3. The great wealth of the palaces and the wide- spread prosperity of the land were due to the profits of trade, protected or exploited by naval vessels equipped with rams. The palaces and towns were unfortified, and peaceful scenes predominated in the frescoes, which revealed a love of dancing, boxing, and a sport in which boys and girls somersaulted over the backs of charging bulls. The culture described above was that of the ancient (A) Minoans (B) Hittites (C) Macedonians (D) Assyrians (E) Persians 4. These people maintained their skill as seafar- ers, traders, and artists. They planted Carthage and other colonies in the western Mediterra- nean. They developed a new script in which a separate sign stood not for a syllable, but for a consonant or vowel sound. The people described above were the (A) Phoenicians (B) Hittites (C) Assyrians (D) Mycenaeans (E) Philistines 5. Pharaoh Akhenaton of Egypt (c. 13751358 B.C.E.) is best known today for (A) building the largest pyramid in the Valley of the Kings (B) conquering large expanses of territory outside of the Nile Valley (C) developing a monotheistic religion (D) uniting upper and lower Egypt under a single administrative system (E) writing down the first code of Egyptian law W E S T E R N C I V I L I Z A T I O N I 4 Copyright 2004 by College Entrance Examination Board. All rights reserved. 6. Among the ancient Hebrews, a prophet was (A) a teacher who expounded the Scriptures (B) a king with hereditary but limited powers (C) a judge who administered traditional law (D) a priest with exclusive rights to perform functions at the temple (E) an individual who was inspired by God to speak to the people 7. The outstanding achievement of King Hammurabi of Mesopotamia was that he (A) issued a more comprehensive law code than had any known predecessor (B) conquered and established dominion over all of Egypt (C) built the hanging gardens of Babylon (D) established the first democratic government (E) successfully defended his kingdom against the Assyrians 8. Of the following, which helps explain why the Roman Republic gave way to dictatorship during the first century B.C.E.? (A) The government that was suitable for a small city-state failed to meet the needs of an empire. (B) A strong leader was needed because the upper classes feared a rebellion on the part of the slave population. (C) Outside pressures on boundaries could not be resisted by republican armies. (D) Romes period of expansion was over. (E) The Roman senatorial class was declining in number. 9. All of the following were emphasized by the early Christian church EXCEPT a (A) ritual fellowship meal in memory of Christ (B) toleration of other religious sects (C) belief in the value of the souls of women and slaves as well as those of free men (D) belief in life after death for all believers in Christ (E) belief in the value of martyrdom, defined as dying for the faith 10. The Roman emperor whose policies rescued Rome from its crisis in the third century C.E. was (A) Augustus (B) Marcus Aurelius (C) Constantine (D) Diocletian (E) Theodosius 11. Which of the following established Christianity as a legal religion in the Roman Empire? (A) The defeat of the Huns, 451 C.E. (B) The accession of Justinian I (C) The Council of Nicaea (D) The accession of Diocletian (E) The Edict of Milan 12. All of the following invaded the Roman Empire EXCEPT the (A) Vikings (B) Ostrogoths (C) Visigoths (D) Vandals (E) Huns 5 W E S T E R N C I V I L I Z A T I O N I Copyright 2004 by College Entrance Examination Board. All rights reserved. 13. The craft guilds of the Middle Ages had as their primary purpose the (A) promotion of trade and the protection of merchants (B) control of town government (C) regulation of production and quality (D) guardianship of the social and financial affairs of their members (E) accumulation of capital and the lending of money 14. Between the ninth and the thirteenth centuries, all of the following technological elements contributed to improved agricultural production in Europe EXCEPT the (A) heavy plow (B) horse collar (C) horseshoe (D) water mill (E) seed drill 15. The orders of Franciscan and Dominican friars founded in the thirteenth century differed from earlier monastic orders principally in that the friars (A) took vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience (B) broke away from the control of the pope (C) introduced the ideas of Plato and other early Greek philosophers into their teaching (D) devoted themselves mainly to copying ancient manuscripts (E) traveled among the people instead of living in monasteries 16. All of the following factors played a part in bringing about the Hundred Years War EXCEPT: (A) The English king had lands in Gascony. (B) A French princess was the mother of an English king. (C) Flemish towns were dependent on England for raw wool. (D) The Holy Roman Emperor wanted to bring pressure on the Swiss cantons. (E) The Capetian dynasty had come to an end. 17. Civil peace and personal security were enjoyed to a greater degree in Norman England than in continental Europe principally because the Norman kings (A) maintained a large standing army (B) claimed the direct allegiance of the mass of the peasantry (C) avoided conflicts with the Church (D) kept their vassals occupied with conti- nental conflicts (E) developed a centralized and efficient type of feudalism 18. Which of the following could have been made immediately available to the reading public in large quantities as soon as it was written? (A) On Christian Liberty, Martin Luther (B) Travels, Marco Polo (C) The Divine Comedy, Dante Alighieri (D) Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer (E) English translation of the Bible, John Wycliffe 19. A central feature of the Catholic Reformation was the (A) Roman Catholic churchs inability to correct abuses (B) establishment of new religious orders such as the Jesuits (C) transfer of authority from Rome to the bishoprics (D) rejection of Baroque art (E) toleration of Protestants in Roman Catholic countries W E S T E R N C I V I L I Z A T I O N I 6 Copyright 2004 by College Entrance Examination Board. All rights reserved. 20. The building in Crdoba, Spain, shown above, illustrates the influence of (A) Islam (B) Buddhism (C) Hinduism (D) Shinto (E) Animism 21. The major consequence of the rise of towns in the eleventh and twelfth centuries was (A) a lessening of the distinction among social classes (B) the practice of caring for the indigent (C) the decline of royal authority (D) the decline in the social status of the lesser clergy (E) a new social class enriched by manufactur- ing and trade 22. In The Prince, Machiavelli asserted that (A) historical examples are useless for under- standing political behavior (B) the intelligent prince should keep his state neutral in the event of war (C) people are not trustworthy and cannot be relied on in time of need (D) the prince should be guided by the ethical principles of Christianity (E) luck is of no consequence in the success or failure of princes 23. On which of the following issues did Luther and Calvin DISAGREE? (A) Toleration for minority viewpoints (B) Relationship of the church to civil authority (C) The authority of the Scriptures (D) The existence of the Trinity (E) The retention of the sacrament of baptism 24. The principle that the religion of the ruler of a state determines the established church in that state was central to the (A) Peace of Augsburg (B) Peace of the Pyrenees (C) Congress of Vienna (D) Edict of Restitution (E) Peace of Westphalia 25. Between 1629 and 1639, Charles I of England tried to obtain revenues by all of the following means EXCEPT (A) the levying of ship money (B) income from crown lands (C) forced loans (D) the sale of monopolies (E) grants from Parliament 26. All of the following are associated with the commercial revolution in early modern Europe EXCEPT (A) an increase in the number of entrepre- neurial capitalists (B) the appearance of state-run trading companies (C) a large influx of precious metals into Europe (D) an expansion of the guild system (E) a golden age for the Netherlands 7 W E S T E R N C I V I L I Z A T I O N I Copyright 2004 by College Entrance Examination Board. All rights reserved. 27. Castigliones Book of the Courtier (1528) was intended as (A) a collection of entertaining travel stories (B) a guide to the military affairs of the Italian peninsula (C) a collection of meditations and spiritual reflections (D) a guide to refined behavior and etiquette (E) an allegory of courtly love 28. Which of the following resulted from the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588? (A) Spanish domination of the Mediterranean was ended. (B) The invasion of England was prevented. (C) Dutch sympathies for the Spanish cause increased. (D) War broke out between England and France. (E) There was a series of uprisings in the Spanish colonies of Central and South America. 29. In the mid-seventeenth century, the area shaded black on the map above belonged to (A) Russia (B) Poland (C) Sweden (D) Austria (E) Brandenburg-Prussia 30. The theory concerning the solar system that was published by Copernicus in 1543 REJECTED the popular belief that the (A) Earth revolves around the Sun (B) Earth revolves around the Moon (C) Earth is the center of the universe (D) Sun is the center of the universe (E) stars revolve around the Sun 31. During their next war with the Persians follow- ing the battle of Marathon, the Athenians won a decisive victory through their use of (A) horse-drawn chariots (B) new kinds of iron weapons (C) mounted archers (D) incendiary weapons (E) sea power 32. Almost every kind of human activity was accepted as worthy of offering to the gods athletic contests, poetry reading, song, dance, drama, prayer, giftbearing . . . There were no elaborate priesthoods; fathers conducted rituals in the household and elected officials served as priests in the civic ceremonies. The religion described above is probably that of the ancient (A) Egyptians (B) Sumerians (C) Greeks (D) Hebrews (E) Persians 33. All of the following peoples settled Roman lands bordering on the Mediterranean EXCEPT the (A) Franks (B) Visigoths (C) Jutes (D) Ostrogoths (E) Vandals W E S T E R N C I V I L I Z A T I O N I 8 Copyright 2004 by College Entrance Examination Board. All rights reserved. 34. I found Rome a city of brick and left it a city of marble. The claim above was made by (A) Pompey (B) Julius Caesar (C) Augustus (D) Tiberius (E) Hadrian 35. Which of the following did St. Francis of Assisi and Dante Alighieri have in common? (A) They were heretics. (B) They were university teachers. (C) They were religious mystics. (D) They were products of commercial towns. (E) They favored the supremacy of the state over the Church. 36. Henry II (1154 1189) increased royal authority in England chiefly by his (A) confiscation of Church lands (B) usurpation of the legislative authority of Parliament (C) proclamation of the divine right of kings (D) formation of an alliance with the papacy (E) enlargement of the jurisdiction and powers of royal courts 37. Which of the following was a primary goal of Cardinal Richelieus foreign policy? (A) The weakening of the Hapsburgs diplomati- cally and militarily (B) The reestablishment of religious unity in Europe (C) The consolidation of French holdings in North America (D) The strengthening of papal influence within the French government (E) The founding of commercial companies on the Anglo-Dutch model 38. Which of the following was the most effective leader of the Protestant forces in the Thirty Years War? (A) Albert of Wallenstein (B) Emperor Ferdinand II (C) The Elector Palatine Frederick V (D) Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden (E) Christian IV of Denmark 39. The reluctance of Elizabeth I of England to open windows into mens souls was an indica- tion of her (A) atheism (B) withdrawal from public pageantry (C) reluctance to inquire closely into personal religious views (D) reluctance to prosecute political opponents (E) insistence on personal rule 9 W E S T E R N C I V I L I Z A T I O N I Copyright 2004 by College Entrance Examination Board. All rights reserved. 41. Which of the following was a major innovation of the Renaissance period? (A) The use of linear perspective in painting (B) The use of marble as a medium for statuary (C) The dome (D) The portico (E) Fresco painting 40. The wall painting shown above depicts which of the following? (A) The division of labor by gender in rural Etruscan society (B) The poor treatment of slaves in ancient Greece (C) Activities of children in Sumerian society (D) Men and women working in the fields in ancient Egypt (E) Roman soldiers celebrating a victory W E S T E R N C I V I L I Z A T I O N I 10 Copyright 2004 by College Entrance Examination Board. All rights reserved. 42. The equestrian statue shown depicts a warrior active in (A) Rome under Augustus (B) Asia under the Mongol Empire (C) Italy during the Renaissance (D) France during the Protestant Reformation (E) Bohemia at the time of the Thirty Years War 43. Which of the following describes Luthers reaction to the Peasants Revolt of 1525? (A) He first sought what he considered a bal- anced solution and then strongly supported the lords. (B) He abandoned his initial support of the lords in favor of the peasants. (C) He sought throughout to act as a mediator between lords and peasants. (D) He declined to act on the grounds that his ministry did not concern itself with politics. (E) He called on the Holy Roman Emperor to intervene. 44. The height of the medieval papacy came with his pontificate . . . In the year before his death he called the greatest church council since antiquity, attended by five hundred bishops and even by the patriarchs of Constantinople and Jerusalem. The pope referred to in the passage above is (A) Julius II (B) Urban II (C) Innocent III (D) Nicholas V (E) Pius II 45. Which of the following was true of medieval universities? (A) They taught only philosophy. (B) They were open only to men of noble birth. (C) They were considered subversive of the feudal system by many kings. (D) They were corporations of teachers and students. (E) They emphasized instruction in the vernacular. 46. Which of the following is a major tenet of scholasticism? (A) An insistence on the freedom of the individual (B) The use of logic as a tool of analysis and inquiry (C) The belief in benevolence as the greatest human virtue (D) A dedication to the ideals of classical art (E) A devotion to the spirit of Roman poetry and literature 11 W E S T E R N C I V I L I Z A T I O N I Copyright 2004 by College Entrance Examination Board. All rights reserved. 47. Which of the following contributed to Portugals lead in overseas expansion in the fifteenth century? I. The creation of accurate maps II. The development of better navigational instruments III. Improvement in the design of ships IV. Availability of large numbers of galley slaves (A) I only (B) II and III only (C) I, II, and III only (D) I, II, and IV only (E) II, III, and IV only 48. Which of the following explains why mercantil- ism was adopted by most absolute monarchs? (A) Many merchants became advisers to the kings. (B) Mercantilists favored railroad development, which increased the mobility of the royal armies. (C) Mercantilists proposed the enrichment of the state as their chief objective. (D) Mercantilists were invariably opposed to parliamentary government. (D) Mercantilism encouraged local autonomy, weakening the power of the aristocracy. 49. The picture shows a bronze statue created in which of the following cultures? (A) Mycenaean (B) Etruscan (C) Hellenistic (D) Egyptian (E) Byzantine 50. O supreme generosity of God the Father, O highest and most marvelous felicity of man! To him it is granted to have whatever he chooses, to be whatever he wills. The quotation above is taken from (A) Petrarch, Lives of Illustrious Men (B) Dante Alighieri, The New Life (C) Machiavelli, The Prince (D) Pico della Mirandola, Oration on the Dignity of Man (E) Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Bequest of Walter C. Baker, 1971. W E S T E R N C I V I L I Z A T I O N I 12 Copyright 2004 by College Entrance Examination Board. All rights reserved. Answer Key 1. D 2. B 3. A 4. A 5. C 6. E 7. A 8. A 9. B 10. D 11. E 12. A 13. C 14. E 15. E 16. D 17. E 18. A 19. B 20. A 21. E 22. C 23. B 24. A 25. E 26. D 27. D 28. B 29. E 30. C 31. E 32. C 33. C 34. C 35. D 36. E 37. A 38. D 39. C 40. D 41. A 42. C 43. A 44. C 45. D 46. B 47. C 48. C 49. C 50. D Study Resources Most textbooks used in college-level Western Civilization courses cover the topics in the outline given earlier, but the approaches to certain topics and the emphasis given to them may differ. To prepare for the Western Civilization I exam, it is advisable to study one or more college textbooks, which can be found in most college bookstores. When selecting a textbook, check the table of contents against the Knowledge and Skills Required for this test. You will find it helpful to supplement your reading with books listed in the bibliographies found in most history textbooks. In addition, contemporary novels and plays, as well as works by Homer, Shakespeare, and Dickens, provide rich sources of information. Classic works of nonfiction are equally valuablefor example, Machiavellis The Prince, Mills On Liberty, and Paines The Rights of Man. Books of documents are an excellent source for sampling primary materials; A Documentary His- tory of Modern Europe, edited by T. G. Barnes and G. D. Feldman (Little, Brown), is one such collec- tion. Actual works of art in museums can bring to life not only the reproductions found in books but history itself. Films such as A Man for All Seasons and The Return of Martin Guerre and television series such as Civilisation, I, Claudius, Eliza- beth R, and the Ascent of Man provide enjoyable reinforcement to what is learned through reading. The Internet is another resource you could explore. Additional suggestions for preparing for CLEP exams are given in Preparing to Take CLEP Examinations.
Ancient Near East A Captivating Guide To Ancient Civilizations of The Middle East Including Regions Such As Mesopotamia Ancient Iran Egypt Anatolia and The Levant Captivating History Full Chapter