Name: Class: Date:

Natural Texas and Its People Topic Test

Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.

1. Which of the following statements about history is true?

A. All understandings of history are equally valid.
B. People who study history are also participants in history.
C. The best way to study history is to memorize names and dates.
D. History focuses on things that change rather than things that stay the same.

2. If you are inspired by the people and events of history, this shows how the
A. past is more important than the present.
B. present can alter the past.
C. present is more important than the past.
D. past influences the present.

3. The method of presenting information shown here is most useful in doing which of the following?

A. comparing the different political histories of Texas and Mexico

B. comparing economic issues in Texas and Mexico
C. showing how a certain time period fits into the overall history of Texas
D. showing the order in which important historical events occurred in Texas

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Name:

4. This chart makes possible which of the following?

A. a comparison of different American Indian cultures

B. an understanding of how American Indian cultures changed over time
C. a classification of different American Indian eras
D. an understanding of how different environments shaped different American
Indian cultures

5. While it is true that there is much to know in the here and now, understanding what is happening today
requires knowing how we got here. Imagine that you did not know anything at all about your own past.
Imagine that you woke up this morning knowing only your own name, your address, and how to get to
school, but nothing else. Without your individual memory, you would not have much of an identity. You
would not know how to act or how to relate to others. Historical knowledge is the same, except it applies
to an entire society instead of an individual person. History is the study of past events. It helps us
understand who we are today by giving us a picture of where we came from and how we got here. This
helps us make better decisions about what to do today and how to move forward in the future.

Based on the text above, how is collective memory important to the present?
A. It tells us how we should behave.
B. It helps us understand cultural identities.
C. It lets us revise our own memories to make them more accurate.
D. It helps us overcome our lack of individual identities.

6. In order to be considered valid, an understanding of history must

A. focus exclusively on the words and deeds of famous people.
B. be the result of open debate of multiple opinions.
C. consider all points of view and pieces of information equally.
D. focus exclusively on the experiences of ordinary people.
7. If you wanted to highlight the population data for 2011 from this table, which would be the best tool for
presenting it?

Which of the following tools would be most helpful in presenting the information above?

A. a timeline
B. a circle graph
C. a cross-sectional diagram
D. a line graph

8. Which of the following statements is supported by this map?

A. Climate in Texas varies more from east to west than from north to south.
B. Though climates vary across Texas, average temperatures are consistent statewide.
C. Texas is mostly flat and does not include mountainous regions.
D. There is little variation in the climate of Texas compared to the climate of
northern Mexico.
 9. Which statement describes the absolute location of a place?
A. Houston is located east of San Antonio.
B. Galveston is located 220 miles from Corpus Christi.
C. Dallas is located north of the equator and west of the prime meridian.
D. Austin is located at 30 degrees north latitude and 97 degrees west longitude.

10. If this photo were being used to illustrate one of the five themes of geography, which would it most likely be?

A. region
B. movement
C. human-environment interaction
D. location

11. These maps show political features such as countries, counties, states, and cities. In other words, they focus
on features, such as boundaries, that are not on the actual surface of the Earth. These boundaries are made
by humans for different purposes. This type of map would show the boundaries that separate Texas from
other states and Mexico. It would also identify Austin as the capital of our state. Austin is the place where
the government of Texas resides.

The type of tool described in this passage is a

A. physical map.
B. Mercator projection.
C. political map.
D. special purpose map.
12. Which sentence accurately summarizes a way in which the Mountains and Basins region of Texas contrasts
with the North Central Plains?
A. The Mountains and Basins region has more farmland than the North Central Plains.
B. The Mountains and Basins region has more coastline than the North Central Plains.
C. The Mountains and Basins region contains more desert lands than the North
Central Plains.
D. The Mountains and Basins region produces more food crops than the North
Central Plains.

13. Which of the following forces is most likely responsible for the effects seen on these mountains?

A. erosion
B. volcanoes
C. human activity
D. drought
14. What is the term for the type of landform shown here?

A. coastal plain
B. mesa
C. aquifer
D. mountain range
15. Which answer correctly identifies the distortion in this map?

A. Africa has more countries than Asia.

B. Greenland is similar in size to South America.
C. Africa is close to Europe.
D. Canada is located to the north of the United States.
16. The erosion shown in this canyon was most likely caused by

A. a river.
B. wind.
C. human beings.
D. animals.

17. About 1,400 years ago, long before Europeans explored North America, a group of people living in the
Four Corners region chose Mesa Verde for their home. For more than 700 years they and their descendants
lived and flourished here, eventually building elaborate stone communities in the sheltered alcoves of the
canyon walls.

–National Park Service

Which geographic concept is represented in this text?

A. the contrast between absolute and relative location
B. how goods and ideas are exchanged through movement
C. the relationship between physical and human geography
D. how different cultures can influence and shape one another
18. Why is it helpful for archaeologists to compare artifacts buried deep in the ground with those close to
the surface?
A. to learn about how cultures changed over time
B. to compare the ancient cultures of distinct regions
C. to understand where the first Americans came from
D. to determine precisely when the first humans crossed Beringia

19. It is best to think of Indians as “peoples” or “cultures” rather than as “tribes.”

Which of the following sentences best explains the statement from the text?
A. Distinct American Indian groups formed as a result of different environments.
B. Bands included several extended families that shared the same leader.
C. Sometimes, American Indians who shared the same culture belonged to different tribes.
D. The earliest American Indians belonged to tribes, while later Indians belonged
to cultures.

20. They never settle with their houses except where there is water and wood, and sometime they all load
themselves with a supply of these and go to look for the deer, which ordinarily are where there is no water
or wood. And the day they arrive they kill deer and some other things that they are able to [kill] and they use
up all the water and wood in preparing their food and in the fires that they make to protect themselves from
the mosquitoes, and they wait another day in order to take something that they may carry for the road.

–Texas Beyond History

Which statement best explains why is it important to be cautious when using this source to determine
information about American Indians?
A. Europeans recorded false information about American Indians.
B. Europeans were unable to communicate effectively with American Indians.
C. American Indian cultures changed drastically at the time of European arrival.
D. American Indian cultures were no longer intact at the time of European arrival.

21. Why did many Pueblo peoples turn against the Tiguas in New Mexico?
A. The Tiguas had formed strong alliances with Spanish settlers.
B. The Tiguas did not take part in a Pueblo revolt against the Spanish.
C. The Tiguas occupied land that other Pueblo peoples wanted to control.
D. The Tiguas had different spiritual beliefs than those of other Pueblo peoples.

22. Even before they reached Texas, the Tiguas had adopted many Spanish ways, including the Roman Catholic
religion. They blended this faith with their own religious practices. Today, some Tiguas try to keep the old
language and ways. Many other Tiguas have become part of the Hispanic culture of southwest Texas. It is
also likely that many Jumanos, Conchos, and Coahuíltecans merged into the Spanish speaking population
by about 1750.

This passage from the text best illustrates the concept of

A. the five themes of geography
B. cultural regeneration
C. the usefulness of archaeology
D. human interaction with the environment
23. For the American Indians of Texas, this photograph represents which of the following?

A. an example of the influence of Spanish culture on American Indians

B. a key source of food and other resources
C. a major religious activity
D. an example of the influence of American Indian culture on the Spanish
 24. Which of the following would serve as an accurate and descriptive caption for this photograph?

A. The Comanches were a warlike people.

B. The Lipans depended on buffalo for food and shelter.
C. The Jumanos were significantly affected by the arrival of Europeans.
D. The Tonkawas were forced to move as the Lipans spread into new lands.

25. Pemmican was an ideal food for many American Indian groups of Texas because it was
A. portable and would not spoil.
B. was made from widely available horse meat.
C. was easily found and gathered from wild plants.
D. easily grown even in dry climates.

Short Answer
Read each question, and write your answer in complete sentences.

26. What is collective memory, and why is it important to the study of history?
27. Explain why some method of classification is important to the study of history.

28. What are databases, and how can they help in the understanding of history?

29. How are physical geography and human geography related?

30. How are transportation and communication related to the geographic theme of movement?
Name:

31. How do the cultures of Texas reflect the state’s physical geography?

32. Explain how the term regeneration relates to the American Indians of Texas and to the five themes
of geography.

33. What difficulties did the Coahuíltecans face as part of their daily lives?

34. Explain why our knowledge of the Caddoes and their lives at the time of European contact must be
viewed with caution by historians of today.
35. Why did thousands of American Indians resettle in the Dallas-Fort Worth area between the 1950s and
the 1980s, and what was the result?
Natural Texas and Its People Topic Test
Answer Section

MULTIPLE CHOICE

1. ANS: B DIF: medium TOP: dok_1

2. ANS: D DIF: medium TOP: dok_1
3. ANS: D DIF: medium TOP: dok_2
4. ANS: A DIF: medium TOP: dok_2
5. ANS: B DIF: medium TOP: dok_2
6. ANS: B DIF: medium TOP: dok_1
7. ANS: B DIF: medium TOP: dok_2
8. ANS: A DIF: medium TOP: dok_2
9. ANS: D DIF: medium TOP: dok_1
10. ANS: C DIF: medium TOP: dok_2
11. ANS: C DIF: medium TOP: dok_2
12. ANS: C DIF: medium TOP: dok_2
13. ANS: A DIF: medium TOP: dok_2
14. ANS: B DIF: medium TOP: dok_1
15. ANS: B DIF: medium TOP: dok_2
16. ANS: A DIF: medium TOP: dok_2
17. ANS: C DIF: medium TOP: dok_2
18. ANS: A DIF: medium TOP: dok_1
19. ANS: C DIF: medium TOP: dok_1
20. ANS: C DIF: medium TOP: 0dok_2
21. ANS: B DIF: medium TOP: dok_2
22. ANS: B DIF: medium TOP: dok_2
23. ANS: A DIF: medium TOP: dok_2
24. ANS: B DIF: medium TOP: dok_1
25. ANS: A DIF: medium TOP: 0
dok_1
0
SHORT ANSWER

26. ANS:
A society’s collective memory includes many different memories of past events and ideas that are shared by
the people in that society. Collective memory many opinions and experiences, and it helps to shape cultures
and identities. By understanding our collective memory, we can gain a better understanding of how our
present has been shaped by history.

DIF: medium TOP: dok_1

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 27. ANS:
History encompasses a massive amount of information that has accumulated over a long period of time, and it
would be impossible to study all of it at the same time. Classification arranges certain aspects of history
based on their similarities. This makes it easier for people to study history through certain time periods,
themes, or ideas.

DIF: medium TOP: dok_2

28. ANS:
Databases are large collections of information. For instance, the Census is a database that organizes
information about the people who live in the United States. Databases are helpful because they can organize
information based on certain categories, which makes it easier to check facts, discover patterns, and
understand the information.

DIF: medium TOP: dok_1

29. ANS:
Physical geography refers to features of the land, while human geography refers to people and their ways of
life. However, the two are deeply connected because humans interact with their environment in a variety of
ways. Resources from the land help sustain human life and shape cultures. At the same time, weather can
cause devastating natural disasters, and geographical changes can force people to change their ways of life.

DIF: medium TOP: dok_2

30. ANS:
Transportation and communication are both types of geographic movement. While transportation refers to
the movement of people and goods, communication refers to the spread of ideas. Transportation and
communication are related because as people travel to new places in search of resources, they encounter new
people in the process, and ideas are exchanged. Places are constantly being shaped by the movement of
people, objects, and information.

DIF: medium TOP: dok_1

31. ANS:
The unique and diverse physical geography of Texas has welcomed the emergence of different cultures
throughout the state. Since Texas was once part of Mexico and is now located just north of the border, Texas
has become home to many Hispanic immigrants and cultural influences. In addition, certain geographic
features such as agriculture and climate align Texas with its neighboring southern states, strengthening its
Deep South culture.

DIF: medium TOP: dok_2

32. ANS:
In relation to the Texas Indians, regeneration refers to the process by which their cultures were continually
reborn over time. Environmental changes and human-environment interaction—one of the five themes of
geography—explains how native peoples adapted to new circumstances. For instance, warmer weather after
the year 900 encouraged many Texas Indian groups to switch from hunting and gathering to farming.

DIF: medium TOP: dok_2

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 33. ANS:
The Coahuíltecans were not as warlike as other local native peoples. Because of this, they were relegated to a
region of land in which animals and natural resources were scarce. However, the Coahuíltecans adapted to
their environment and made use of what they had, relying on many sources of nutrition including insects and
snakes.

DIF: medium TOP: dok_2

ANS:
What we know about the Caddoes comes mainly from Europeans. All European observers were observing
Caddo life after contact between Caddoes and Europeans, which had a dramatic impact on Caddo culture. It
is difficult if not impossible to know if what was observed by Europeans about Caddo life was affected by the
contact with Europeans. That is, it is difficult to impossible to know what Caddo life was like before
European contact.

DIF: medium TOP: dok_2

34. ANS:
Between the 1950s and the 1980s, the federal government sent thousands of American Indians to the
Dallas-Fort Worth area as part of a plan to integrate them into mainstream American society. This did not last
long, and many of these American Indians ended up returning to their home reservations in other states.
However, some remained in Texas. DIF: medium TOP: dok_2

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