Take The Challenge On GMAT Reading Comprehension Test! Quiz

1.

Which of the following is not mentioned in the passage as an archaeological time period in North American civilization?

A.

The Paleo Period
B.

The Archaic Period
C.

The Woodlands Period
D.

The Mississippian Period
E.

Which of the following is not mentioned in the passage as an archaeological time period in North American civilization? The Paleo Period The Archaic Period The Woodlands Period The Mississippian Period The Cahokian Period.

Correct Answer
E. Which of the following is not mentioned in the passage as an archaeological time period in North American civilization? The Paleo Period The Archaic Period The Woodlands Period The Mississippian Period The Cahokian Period.

Explanation
According to the passage: "North American archaeologic time is separated into four periods: Paleo, Archaic, Woodland, and Mississippian." The Cahokian people were a culture present in the Mississippian Period.

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2.

According to the passage, the crossing of the land bridge in present-day Alaska occurred prior to which period of archaeologic history?

A.

The Proto Period.
B.

The Paleo period.
C.

The Neo-Pacific Period
D.

The Aleutian Period
E.

The Etowah Period

Correct Answer
B. The Paleo period.

Explanation
According to the passage: "Paleo-Indians were the very first people to lay eyes on the New River. In the Eastern woodlands, between 20,000 B.C. and 6,000 B.C., they were direct descendants of the people who crossed the land bridge from Asia to Alaska. "

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3.

According to the passage, what was the predominant mode of travel for people living in the Archaic period?

A.

Roads
B.

Animal trails
C.

Domesticated animals
D.

Waterways
E.

By foot

Correct Answer
D. Waterways

Explanation
According to the passage: "Archaic Indians travelled in clans using waterways as their roads and staying in rock shelters and upland terrace camps."

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4.

According to the passage, a person living 15,000 years ago would have been part of which period?

A.

The Paleo Period.
B.

The Archaic Period.
C.

The Woodlands Period.
D.

The Hopewell Period.
E.

The Mississippian Period.

Correct Answer
A. The Paleo Period.

Explanation
According to the passage: "Paleo-Indians were the very first people to lay eyes on the New River. In the Eastern woodlands, between 20,000 B.C. and 6,000 B.C." 15,000 years ago would be approximately 13,000 BC, in the middle of the Paleo period.

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5.

Based on the information in the passage, what most likely contributed to the Mississippian Indians ability to build great cities?

A.

Migration from the Pacific to the Atlantic.
B.

Religious and spiritual rituals associated with burial.
C.

The perfection of hunting and tool-making.
D.

The perfection of agriculture by the Woodlands Indians.
E.

The perfection of water-based travel

Correct Answer
D. The perfection of agriculture by the Woodlands Indians.

Explanation
According to the passage: "The Woodland Indians continued the traditions of their ancient ancestors. From about 1,000 B.C. to A.D. 750, they refined the task of agriculture and the size of Woodland settlements grew." The Woodlands settlements grew because they developed a stable food source that did not require them to travel. Of all of the answer choices, only the perfection of agriculture lends itself to the support of large cities.

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6.

Based on the text, which conclusion about the historical periods discussed in the passage would be accurate?

A.

Cultures based on hunting were most likely responsible for the extinction of the wooly mammoths.
B.

Religion was not an important feature of hunting cultures.
C.

Religion arose during the agricultural periods out of the need to ensure that crops were successful.
D.

Agrarian archaeological periods, although successful, were much shorter than those that featured hunting as the primary means of sustenance.
E.

The arrival of the Europeans signaled an end to the Woodlands Period.

Correct Answer
D. Agrarian archaeological periods, although successful, were much shorter than those that featured hunting as the primary means of sustenance.

Explanation
The Paleo period featured hunting as the primary means of sustenance and was quite long - perhaps 30,000 years. The Archaic time period was about 5,000 years long and combined hunting with gathering. The Woodlands period was less than 2,000 years but was quite successful because it allowed the growth of large settlements and the perfection of agriculture. The Mississippian period was the shortest of all, but featured the most sophisticated cultures and was very dependent upon agriculture. Based on the information in the passage, it is safe to conclude that as the dependence upon gathered and grown food increased, the archaeological time frame for each period shortened by 50% or more compared to its less agrarian predecessor.

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7.

Trade was a feature of which people?

A.

The Etowah People
B.

The Cahokia People
C.

The Moundville People
D.

The Hopewell People
E.

The Spiro People

Correct Answer
D. The Hopewell People

Explanation
According to the passage: "The Hopewell people are known for their large, earthen burial mounds and a sophisticated trade network."

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8.

Based upon the information in the passage, what could an archaeologist expect to find in the southeastern United States?

A.

Farming tools made by the Hopewell people.
B.

Rock shelters used by the Cahokia people.
C.

Remnants of a Mississippian Indian city
D.

Woolly mammoth bones from the Paleo period.
E.

A Spiro burial mound.

Correct Answer
C. Remnants of a Mississippian Indian city

Explanation
According to the passage: "The Mississippian Indians are known by the remnants of the great cities they left behind. "

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