Seventh-grade Social Studies Mid-year Quiz

20 Questions | By Bobbrussack | Last updated: Mar 21, 2022 | Total Attempts: 92

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A quiz covering some of the lands and peoples of the Indian Subcontinent, Central Asia, and the Middle East.

Questions and Answers

1.

Ruins and artifacts of an ancient civilization have been discovered in what is now Pakistan. What is the name of this civilization?
- A.
  
  The Sumerian Civilization
- B.
  
  The Indus Valley Civilization
- C.
  
  The Akkadian Civilization
- D.
  
  The Persian Civilization
2.

Around the world, Mohandas Gandhi is called "Mahatma" Gandhi. Mahatma means "great soul" in the ancient language of the Indian subcontinent. What is the name of this language?
- A.
  
  Sumerian
- B.
  
  Mandarin
- C.
  
  Tamil
- D.
  
  Sanskrit
3.

The history of the Indian subcontinent is a history of successive invasions from the west. To reach the subcontinent, invaders have had to cross the Hindu Kush. One of the two most famous routes through these mountains is the Khyber Pass. What is the name of the other famous pass?
- A.
  
  Bolan Pass
- B.
  
  Hyderabad Pass
- C.
  
  Madras Pass
- D.
  
  Sinhalese Pass
4.

When British Rule ended on the Indian subcontinent in the late 1940's, the two independent nations of India and Pakistan emerged. Pakistan -- established as a home for the subcontinent's Muslims -- was divided into western and eastern parts, separated by 1,000 miles. In 1971, the eastern part fought for and achieved independence, becoming what country?
- A.
  
  Myanmar
- B.
  
  Bhutan
- C.
  
  Bangladesh
- D.
  
  Nepal
5.

"Bollywood" is the nickname of what Indian city?
- A.
  
  Mumbai
- B.
  
  Delhi
- C.
  
  Kolkata
- D.
  
  Benares
6.

The Indian leader Jawaharlal Nehru wrote about a river that "has held India's heart captive and drawn uncounted millions to her banks since the dawn of history." What is the name of this river?
- A.
  
  Euphrates
- B.
  
  Ganga
- C.
  
  Arun
- D.
  
  Jhelum
7.

For decades, a civil war between the majority Sinhalese and the minority Tamils has plagued an island nation off the coast of India. What is the name of this island nation?
- A.
  
  Sri Lanka
- B.
  
  Bangladesh
- C.
  
  Bhutan
- D.
  
  Myanmar
8.

Rajasthan, the largest state in India in land area and home to the Great Indian Desert, is located in what part of the country?
- A.
  
  Northeast
- B.
  
  Northwest
- C.
  
  Southeast
- D.
  
  Southwest
9.

For thousands of years on the Indian subcontinent, a person's prospects in life have been influenced enormously at birth by the caste system. A person is born into a caste, or jati, and some castes are higher than others. Members of the lowest jatis once were called untouchables. Mahatma Gandhi called them "the children of god." What is the name that many of the "children of god" have chosen for themselves more recently?
- A.
  
  Dalit
- B.
  
  Sinhala
- C.
  
  Sikh
- D.
  
  Jain
10.

What is the name of the man generally regarded as the father of Pakistan?
- A.
  
  Jawaharlal Nehru
- B.
  
  Rajiv Gandhi
- C.
  
  Muhammad Ali Jinnah
- D.
  
  Aga Khan
11.

Thousands of years ago, some humans who had been hunters and gatherers began to settle down in villages, domesticating animals and growing crops. One of the sites where archeologists have found evidence of ancient village life lies in modern Pakistan. What is the name of this place?
- A.
  
  Mehrgarh
- B.
  
  Kabul
- C.
  
  Islamabad
- D.
  
  Mosul
12.

What is the name of the assassinated Afghan leader nicknamed "The Lion of Panjshir"?
- A.
  
  Ahmed Shah Masood
- B.
  
  Hamid Gul
- C.
  
  Hamid Karzai
- D.
  
  Mohammad Omar
13.

Some experts think Osama Bin Ladin is hiding in a mountainous border region between what two countries?
- A.
  
  India and Pakistan
- B.
  
  Pakistan and Iran
- C.
  
  Pakistan and China
- D.
  
  Pakistan and Afghanistan
14.

In what some call "the Soviet Union's Vietnam," the Soviets invaded, occupied, and finally withdrew from what country?
- A.
  
  Afghanistan
- B.
  
  Chechnya
- C.
  
  Ukraine
- D.
  
  Myanmar
15.

What is the name of the largest land-locked country in the world?
- A.
  
  Kyrgyzstan
- B.
  
  Kazakhstan
- C.
  
  Uzbekistan
- D.
  
  Tajikistan
16.

What type of land is a steppe?
- A.
  
  Mountain ridge
- B.
  
  Deep ravine
- C.
  
  Prairie
- D.
  
  Escarpment
17.

The Central Asian nations Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan have western coastlines along what some call the world's largest lake. What is the name of this body of water?
- A.
  
  Baltic Sea
- B.
  
  Caspian Sea
- C.
  
  Black Sea
- D.
  
  Arabian Sea
18.

The Sumerians, who arrived around 4,000 BC in a region that is now part of Iraq, developed one of the world's earliest systems of writing. What is the name of this system of writing?
- A.
  
  Sanskrit
- B.
  
  Cuneiform
- C.
  
  Hieroglyphics
- D.
  
  IVC Script
19.

Sumerian writers, and then Akkadian writers, told the story of a powerful king of Uruk in Mesopotamia who sought the secret of eternal life. What is the name of this famous protagonist?
- A.
  
  Gilgamesh
- B.
  
  Enkidu
- C.
  
  Beowulf
- D.
  
  Odysseus
20.

The Bay of Bengal lies off of India's east coast. What body of water lies off of India's west coast?
- A.
  
  Arabian Sea
- B.
  
  Persian Gulf
- C.
  
  Caspian Sea
- D.
  
  South China Sea