Practice Test 2 - AP World History

20 questions. Answer them in any order, then submit to see your score and every explanation.

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1. After the Cold War, debates emerged about a "peace dividend" from reduced military spending. Which policy outcome best aligns with the idea of a peace dividend in the early 1990s?
2. After World War I, the peace settlement's legitimacy was contested not only by defeated powers but also by some victors and colonial subjects. Critics argued the settlement created an unstable balance by punishing some states, ignoring others' claims, and failing to address economic reconstruction equitably. These criticisms shaped interwar politics and diplomacy. Which critique most accurately reflects why the settlement failed to secure lasting peace?
3. Between 1200 and 1450, the spread of Islam in Southeast Asia (e.g., in port cities) and the persistence of Hindu-Buddhist traditions in inland kingdoms show differing patterns of religious change. Which comparison best explains why Islam often spread first in coastal areas?
4. In the Ottoman Empire during the Tanzimat reforms, the state reorganized taxation and military service and promised equal legal rights for Muslim and non-Muslim subjects. At the same time, European economic influence grew, and new bureaucrats and professionals emerged. Which development best demonstrates changing social hierarchies in the empire?
5. From the fifteenth to seventeenth centuries, the Ottoman state expanded into Anatolia, the Balkans, and the eastern Mediterranean. Sultans claimed legitimacy as protectors of Islam, but also governed large Christian and Jewish populations through negotiated autonomy. The central government recruited soldiers and officials through devshirme, built a salaried bureaucracy, and used provincial governors to collect taxes and maintain order. Which Ottoman institution most directly increased the sultan's control over provincial elites and rival power bases?
6. In the years after World War II, European empires weakened while two superpowers—the United States and the Soviet Union—competed for global influence. Across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, nationalist leaders demanded independence, yet many new states faced poverty, ethnic division, and pressure to align with either capitalist or communist blocs. Both superpowers offered aid, military support, and ideological guidance, often framing local struggles as part of a worldwide contest. Which development best illustrates how decolonization became entangled with Cold War rivalry?
7. In 1200–1450, the Chola era had passed, but South Indian ports still participated in Indian Ocean trade, while East African Swahili ports expanded as intermediaries. Both regions saw cultural blending in coastal cities. Which comparison best describes cultural syncretism in these trading societies?
8. In the 1990s, China created Special Economic Zones (SEZs) to attract foreign investment while maintaining political control. At the same time, the state censored media and restricted certain foreign cultural influences. Which of the following best describes what this combination suggests about resistance to globalization?
9. After World War II, Japan became a key U.S. ally in Asia. Under a pacifist constitution and U.S. security guarantees, Japan focused on economic growth, becoming a major industrial power. Which Cold War strategy is best illustrated by U.S. support for Japan's reconstruction and security?
10. In the late 1800s, European powers and the United States expanded overseas influence through naval power, coaling stations, and formal colonies. Britain tightened control in India and parts of Africa; France expanded in Indochina; the United States annexed the Philippines. At the same time, earlier patterns of empire-building and resource extraction had existed for centuries. Which option best states a continuity and change in imperialism during the Industrial Age?
11. After the Opium Wars, Qing China signed treaties that opened additional ports, granted extraterritorial rights to foreigners, and established fixed low tariffs. Over time, foreign merchants gained greater access to Chinese markets while Qing revenue collection and legal authority were constrained in treaty ports. Which of the following best describes a major effect of these unequal treaties that contributed to further imperial influence in China?
12. A 12th-century Swahili merchant in Kilwa describes exchanging gold and ivory from the African interior for Indian cotton textiles and Chinese porcelain, timed to predictable monsoon winds that carry dhows to Gujarat and back. He notes that Muslim traders often share a common legal and commercial language, and that port cities feature mosques alongside local architectural styles. Which of the following best explains a key reason Indian Ocean trade expanded in this period?
13. In the late 1980s, many Eastern European states experienced strikes, protests, and demands for political pluralism. Which group most commonly drove these movements and negotiations to end one-party rule?
14. In an 1840s British textile town, a factory owner advertises that steam-powered looms increase output while workers (including women and children) labor 12–14 hours daily for wages paid weekly; crowded tenements near the mill lack sanitation, and a local newspaper reports rising cholera deaths alongside new rail lines bringing in rural migrants. Which development most directly explains the social tensions described?
15. A Buddhist monastery near a Silk Road oasis offers lodging to caravans, sells food, and accepts donations from merchants seeking spiritual merit. The monastery also copies manuscripts and teaches novices. Which statement best explains why religious institutions often prospered along Silk Road routes?
16. After 1500, European states increasingly used new maritime technologies—such as improved cartography, the astrolabe, and more maneuverable sailing ships—along with gunpowder artillery mounted on vessels. These innovations allowed longer voyages, more reliable navigation, and the ability to intimidate or defeat competitors at sea and in coastal fortifications. Which of the following best explains how these technologies helped maintain maritime empires?
17. A British colonial administration in India in the late nineteenth century governs through the Indian Civil Service, codifies laws, and uses censuses and surveys to classify populations by caste, religion, and language. Officials argue that standardized categories improve efficiency and taxation. Which of the following best describes a likely consequence of these administrative practices?
18. In 1930, the United States passed a major tariff that raised duties on many imported goods. Other states responded with retaliatory tariffs, and world trade fell sharply. Which statement best describes the primary economic logic behind the original tariff policy?
19. In Cambodia (1975–1979), the Khmer Rouge attempted to create an agrarian communist society by evacuating cities, abolishing markets, and forcing people into labor camps. Intellectuals, ethnic minorities, and perceived "enemies" were executed, while many died from starvation and disease. Which broader pattern of mass atrocities after 1900 does this case most clearly illustrate?
20. Decolonization often produced new states with borders drawn during imperial rule, sometimes grouping diverse ethnic or religious communities into one polity. In the Cold War era, internal conflicts in these states could attract outside support, but many tensions originated in colonial administrative practices. Which outcome most directly reflects the long-term political consequences of colonial boundary-making in a newly independent region?

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