GED Social Studies › GED Social Studies
The following question refers to the information contained in this passage.
Shays’ Rebellion was an armed uprising in Massachusetts, which many historians have claimed dramatically altered the direction of American political history. Shays’ Rebellion took place in the dying months of the Articles of Confederation and ended right as the Constitutional Convention was beginning. It was already clear to many of America’s leading political figures that the Articles of Confederation were too limited and too ineffective to be the primary governing document of a strong modern nation. Shays’ Rebellion only served to further highlight the need to place more power in the hands of the Federal government.
The national government was incapable of raising funds or militia forces to meet the threat of the uprising and was reliant on the good will of the various states. This situation troubled many of the Founding Fathers, George Washington in particular, who demanded that this situation be remedied in the United States Constitution to prevent such an uprising from happening again. Only Thomas Jefferson felt unthreatened by the events of Shays’ Rebellion—which might have been because he was in France on diplomatic work at the time. Jefferson argued that a little rebellion from time to time is healthy for a republic, famously commenting that the tree of liberty occasionally needs to be watered with the blood of tyrants.
Which of these conclusions can be reached from the information in this passage?
The Articles of Confederation placed power primarily in the hands of the states.
The Constitutional Convention was under direct threat from the men involved in Shays’ Rebellion.
Thomas Jefferson spent much of his life in Europe.
Massachusetts was particularly prone to social uprisings in the Eighteenth Century.
George Washington was wary of a strong centralized government.
It is pretty clear that from the information in this passage at least that George Washington was not that wary of a strong centralized government—given that he was calling for one. Additionally, just because Massachusetts has one social uprising does not mean you can conclude that it is particularly prone to suffering from them. Similarly, just because Jefferson is in France for a time does not mean he spent much of his life in Europe. Finally, there is no evidence to suggest the Constitutional Convention was under direct threat from the men involved in Shays’ Rebellion. The only thing you can reasonably determine is that the Articles of Confederation placed power primarily in the hands of the states. You can determine this because the author notes that "the national government was incapable of raising funds or militia forces to meet the threat of the uprising and was reliant on the good will of the various states."
Adapted from A Smaller History of Greece from the Earliest Times to the Roman Conquest by William Smith (1897)
During the sixth century before the common era, three other national festivals—the Pythian, Nemean, and Isthmian games—which were at first only local became open to the whole nation. The Pythian games were celebrated in every third Olympic year, on the Cirrhaean plain in Phocis, under the superintendence of the Amphictyons. The games consisted not only of matches in gymnastics and of horse and chariot races, but also of contests in music and poetry. They soon acquired celebrity, and became second only to the great Olympic festival. The Nemean and Isthmian games occurred more frequently than the Olympic and Pythian. They were celebrated once in two years—the Nemean in the valley of Nemea between Phlius and Cleonae—and the Isthmian by the Corinthians, on their isthmus, in honor of Poseidon (Neptune). As in the Pythian festival, contests in music and in poetry, as well as gymnastics and chariot-races, formed part of these games. Although the four great festivals of which we have been speaking had no influence in promoting the political union of Greece, they nevertheless were of great importance in making the people feel that they were all members of one family, and in cementing them together by common sympathies and the enjoyment of common pleasures. The frequent occurrence of these festivals, for one was celebrated every gear, tended to the same result. The Greeks were thus annually reminded of their common origin.
What is the primary focus of this text?
How the Greeks came to develop a shared identity through mutual participation in games and festivals
The unique characteristics of each of the various games and festivals participated in by the Greeks
Why the Greeks were so opposed to foreigners of all kinds
Why the Greeks developed a love of philosophy and democracy
How athletic and fit the ancient Greeks were
The primary focus of this text is to explain how the mutual participation in games and festivals engendered a certain collective identity among the ancient Greek people. This is clear where, near the end of the passage, the author says that "although the four great festivals of which we have been speaking had no influence in promoting the political union of Greece, they nevertheless were of great importance in making the people feel that they were all members of one family, and in cementing them together by common sympathies and the enjoyment of common pleasures."
The philosophy of Confucianism is associated with which nation?
China
Israel
India
Japan
Russia
Confucianism is a philosophy that arose in China 2500 years ago. It is also sometimes called a religion. Confucianism’s primary tenets are a deep respect for ancestors and an obedience to legal tradition and order.
In Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court found that segregation violated __________.
the Fourteenth Amendment
the Necessary and Proper Clause
the Free Exercise Clause
the Second Amendment
the Tenth Amendment
Brown v. Board of Education (1954) is one of the most famous Supreme Court cases in American history. Certainly it is the most famous case of the civil rights era. It overturned the 1896 decision of Plessy v. Ferguson, which had originally ruled that segregation was legal under the "separate, but equal" idea. The Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education that "separate but equal" segregation was inherently not equal and violated the Equal Protection Clause established in the Fourteenth Amendment.
For what accomplishment, primarily, was Woodrow Wilson awarded the Nobel Peace Prize?
Founding the League of Nations
Founding the United Nations
The Geneva Convention
Establishing the Red Cross
Signing a nuclear non-proliferation pact with the Soviet Union
In 1919, Woodrow Wilson was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work founding the League of Nations, although the League was hampered by the refusal of Wilson’s Congress to ratify American participation in the it.
The deliberate and organized killing of a social, national, religious, or ethnic group is called __________.
genocide
heresy
speculation
ostracize
excommunication
A government or military policy of deliberately killing a group of people based on social, religious, ethnic, or national reasons is called genocide. Genocides have occurred throughout human history but were particularly prominent in the twentieth century. The Holocaust was a genocide of Europe's Jews and Romani perpetrated by Nazi Germany. Hersey is speaking out against organized religious doctrine; to be ostracized means to be banished or sent away from a community; excommunication is a form of banishment carried out by the Catholic Church where individuals, or whole communities, can be shut off from the salvation provided by and through the Church.
The deliberate and organized killing of a social, national, religious, or ethnic group is called __________.
genocide
heresy
speculation
ostracize
excommunication
A government or military policy of deliberately killing a group of people based on social, religious, ethnic, or national reasons is called genocide. Genocides have occurred throughout human history but were particularly prominent in the twentieth century. The Holocaust was a genocide of Europe's Jews and Romani perpetrated by Nazi Germany. Hersey is speaking out against organized religious doctrine; to be ostracized means to be banished or sent away from a community; excommunication is a form of banishment carried out by the Catholic Church where individuals, or whole communities, can be shut off from the salvation provided by and through the Church.
The following question refers to the information contained in this passage.
Shays’ Rebellion was an armed uprising in Massachusetts, which many historians have claimed dramatically altered the direction of American political history. Shays’ Rebellion took place in the dying months of the Articles of Confederation and ended right as the Constitutional Convention was beginning. It was already clear to many of America’s leading political figures that the Articles of Confederation were too limited and too ineffective to be the primary governing document of a strong modern nation. Shays’ Rebellion only served to further highlight the need to place more power in the hands of the Federal government.
The national government was incapable of raising funds or militia forces to meet the threat of the uprising and was reliant on the good will of the various states. This situation troubled many of the Founding Fathers, George Washington in particular, who demanded that this situation be remedied in the United States Constitution to prevent such an uprising from happening again. Only Thomas Jefferson felt unthreatened by the events of Shays’ Rebellion—which might have been because he was in France on diplomatic work at the time. Jefferson argued that a little rebellion from time to time is healthy for a republic, famously commenting that the tree of liberty occasionally needs to be watered with the blood of tyrants.
How did Shays’ Rebellion alter the direction of the United States government?
It led to the centralizing of power.
It led to the death of George Washington.
It led the government to revoke the right of free assembly.
It caused the American government to abolish the Articles of Confederation.
It caused the American government to establish a strong armed forces.
You might have been tempted to answer that it caused the American government to abolish the Articles of Confederation, but the author tells you that the government was likely going to do this anyway. What you are clearly told is that "Shays’ Rebellion only served to further highlight the need to place more power in the hands of the Federal government." Thus it led to the centralization of power.
The following question refers to the information contained in this timeline.
55 B.C.E. Julius Caesar successfully invades Britain.
43 C.E. Emperor Claudius makes Britain part of the Roman Empire.
122 C.E. Hadrian’s wall is built.
383 C.E. Roman Empire begins to withdraw from Britain.
449 C.E. The Saxons and Angles arrive in Britain.
730 C.E. The Venerable Bede produces his history of the British Isles.
790 C.E. Vikings begin raiding British coasts.
842 C.E. Vikings raid London.
1016 C.E. Cnut the Great becomes King of England.
1066 C.E. William, Duke of Normandy, invades England and is crowned King.
The Venerable Bede’s history must not have included _________________.
the coronation of Cnut the Great
the withdrawal of the Roman Empire
Julius Caesar’s conquests
the arrival of the Saxons and the Angles
the construction of Hadrian's wall
You are told that the Venerable Bede completed his history of the British Isles in 730 C.E., so you are looking for an event that took place after this date—because Bede could not possibly have written the history of something that had yet to happen. The coronation of Cnut the Great, in 1016 C.E., is the only possible answer that occurs after 730 C.E.
Adapted from A Smaller History of Greece from the Earliest Times to the Roman Conquest by William Smith (1897)
During the sixth century before the common era, three other national festivals—the Pythian, Nemean, and Isthmian games—which were at first only local became open to the whole nation. The Pythian games were celebrated in every third Olympic year, on the Cirrhaean plain in Phocis, under the superintendence of the Amphictyons. The games consisted not only of matches in gymnastics and of horse and chariot races, but also of contests in music and poetry. They soon acquired celebrity, and became second only to the great Olympic festival. The Nemean and Isthmian games occurred more frequently than the Olympic and Pythian. They were celebrated once in two years—the Nemean in the valley of Nemea between Phlius and Cleonae—and the Isthmian by the Corinthians, on their isthmus, in honor of Poseidon (Neptune). As in the Pythian festival, contests in music and in poetry, as well as gymnastics and chariot-races, formed part of these games. Although the four great festivals of which we have been speaking had no influence in promoting the political union of Greece, they nevertheless were of great importance in making the people feel that they were all members of one family, and in cementing them together by common sympathies and the enjoyment of common pleasures. The frequent occurrence of these festivals, for one was celebrated every gear, tended to the same result. The Greeks were thus annually reminded of their common origin.
What is the primary focus of this text?
How the Greeks came to develop a shared identity through mutual participation in games and festivals
The unique characteristics of each of the various games and festivals participated in by the Greeks
Why the Greeks were so opposed to foreigners of all kinds
Why the Greeks developed a love of philosophy and democracy
How athletic and fit the ancient Greeks were
The primary focus of this text is to explain how the mutual participation in games and festivals engendered a certain collective identity among the ancient Greek people. This is clear where, near the end of the passage, the author says that "although the four great festivals of which we have been speaking had no influence in promoting the political union of Greece, they nevertheless were of great importance in making the people feel that they were all members of one family, and in cementing them together by common sympathies and the enjoyment of common pleasures."