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Sample Test Questions

Washington Educator Skills Tests

The Washington Professional Educator Standards Board

WA-SG-FLD011-01

Middle Level Humanities Subtest 2: Social Studies

Washington Educator Skills Tests—Endorsements (WEST–E)

Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. or its affiliate(s). All rights reserved. —1—Evaluation Systems, Pearson, P.O. Box 226, Amherst, MA 01004Pearson and its logo are trademarks in the U.S. and/or other countries of Pearson Education, Inc. or its affiliate(s).

SAMPLE TEST QUESTIONSThe sample test questions in this document are designed to give you an introduction to the natureof the questions included in the Washington Educator Skills Tests—Endorsements (WEST–E).They represent the various types of questions you may expect to see on an actual test in this testfield; however, they are not designed to provide diagnostic information to help you identify specificareas of individual strength or weakness or to predict your performance on the test as a whole.

Work through the sample questions carefully before referring to the answer key that follows. Theanswer key provides the correct response for each question and lists the objective within the testframework to which each question is linked. When you are finished with the sample questions, youmay wish to review the test objectives and descriptive statements provided in the test framework forthis test field.

In addition to reading and answering the sample questions, you should also utilize the followingpreparation materials available on the WEST Web site:

Read WEST–E Test-Taking Strategies to understand how test questions are designed tomeasure specific test objectives and to learn important test-taking strategies for the day of thetest.

Review the Test Summary and Framework for your test field to familiarize yourself with thestructure and content of the test. This document contains general testing information as well asthe percentage of the total test score derived from each content domain described in the testframework.

Readers should be advised that this document, including many of the excerpts used herein,is protected by federal copyright law.

SAMPLE TEST QUESTIONSMiddle Level Humanities Subtest 2: Social Studies

Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. or its affiliate(s). All rights reserved. —2—Evaluation Systems, Pearson, P.O. Box 226, Amherst, MA 01004

SAMPLE MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS

1. The nation's founders made the conceptof federalism an integral feature of thegovernment they created because theybelieved federalism would help achievewhich of the following political goals?

A. expanding popular participationand providing justice to all

B. dispersing power and protectingliberty

C. increasing governmental efficiencyand establishing the rule of law

D. resolving intergroup conflict andmaintaining order

2. Which of the following best matches abranch of the U.S. government with amajor function of that branch?

A. legislative branch: raisingrevenues through taxation

B. judicial branch: establishingfederal courts

C. legislative branch: nominatingmembers of the cabinet

D. judicial branch: enforcing federalcriminal laws

3. In 2003, President George W. Bush wasunable to persuade major European alliesto join the "coalition of the willing" thatthe United States was organizing for theinvasion of Iraq. This best illustrateswhich of the following limits on presi-dential power in the area of foreignpolicy?

A. the problem of obtaining adequateinformation

B. the constraints that time places onforeign policy initiatives

C. the inability to control internationalevents

D. the need to honor existing foreignpolicy commitments



4. Use the excerpt below from theMayflower Compact to answer thequestion that follows.

We, whose names are underwritten . . . Doby these Presents, solemnly and mutuallyin the Presence of God and one another,covenant and combine ourselves togetherinto a civil Body Politick, for our betterOrdering and Preservation[;] . . . Andby Virtue hereof do enact, constitute,and frame, such just and equal Laws,Ordinances, Acts, Constitutions, andOffices, from time to time, as shall bethought most meet and convenient forthe general Good of the Colony; untowhich we promise all due Submissionand Obedience.

The excerpt above can best be used toillustrate the development of which ofthe following principles of democraticgovernment in the United States?

A. Government must not interferewith the liberties of individuals.

B. Citizens can best express their willthrough elected representatives.

C. All citizens have a right and dutyto participate in government.

D. Government should operate inaccordance with established laws.

5. Which of the following best describes theprimary function of the U.S. Constitution?

A. to express the fundamental valuesof the nation

B. to define and limit the authority ofgovernment

C. to provide guidelines for theresolution of political conflicts

D. to establish standards for theeffective operation of government



6. Which line on the table below accurately identifies both a legal obligation and a civic responsibilityof U.S. citizenship?

Line Legal Obligation Civic Responsibility

1 tolerating the views of others enrolling one's children in school

2 paying taxes obeying the laws

3 registering to vote respecting the rights of other citizens

4 appearing for jury duty when called staying informed about public issues

A. Line 1

B. Line 2

C. Line 3

D. Line 4

7. A major difference between commandand mixed economies is that in com-mand economies the government ismore likely to:

A. enact laws to protect buyers andsellers.

B. stimulate employment duringperiods of recession.

C. establish production quotas forindustry and agriculture.

D. require businesses to bargain withlabor unions.



8. The economic concept of opportunitycost can best be used to show how:

A. businesses organize productionto maximize output.

B. consumers address scarcity andchoice.

C. financial institutions establishlending policies.

D. government allocates resourcesto maintain full employment.

9. The Proclamation of 1763 created tensionsbetween Great Britain and the thirteencolonies because it:

A. legalized the housing of Britishtroops in colonial homes.

B. asserted Parliament's right to taxthe colonists.

C. provided for greater regulation ofcolonial trade.

D. restricted colonial settlement westof the Appalachians.

10. Which of the following was a majorconsequence of industrialization in theUnited States between 1870 and 1920?

A. The number of industrial, trans-portation, and mining companiesexpanded significantly throughoutthe period.

B. The United States became theprimary supplier of manufacturedgoods to the rest of the world.

C. The Democratic and Republicanparties lost control of Congress inthe face of Populist and Progressiveelectoral challenges.

D. The proportion of people livingin rural areas declined steadilythroughout the period.



11. Which of the following best describeshow the Mexican War (1846–1848)contributed to the divisions that resultedin the Civil War?

A. The war reopened the debate overthe route for a transcontinentalrailroad.

B. The war prompted Southern polit-ical leaders to denounce Northernsupport for the conflict.

C. The war reopened the question ofextending slavery into the westernterritories.

D. The war prompted Southern polit-ical leaders to strengthen statemilitia forces.

12. Which of the following best describe themost important material components oftraditional life among Native Americansof the Washington State coast?

A. herring and iron

B. halibut and whitebark pine

C. cod and copper

D. salmon and red cedar

13. Which of the following best describes theimpact of the Klondike gold rush of 1897on the early development of WashingtonState?

A. It caused a severe decline inWashington's mining production.

B. It promoted rapid economic andpopulation growth in Seattle.

C. It generated massive revenues forthe Northern Pacific Railroad.

D. It attracted large numbers ofChinese immigrants to the PugetSound area.

14. During the late twentieth century, theHanford Reservation was the focus ofpublic debate surrounding which ofthe following environmental issues?

A. the decline of wild salmonpopulations

B. the logging of old growth forests

C. the disposal of radioactive waste

D. the emission of greenhouse gases



15. Which of the following best describesa repeating pattern in Chinese history?

A. Eras of cultural liberalization arefollowed by a revival of conser-vatism and a return to classicalculture.

B. A benevolent emperor comesunder the influence of unprincipledadvisors, and much of the emperor'sgood work is undermined.

C. As time passes, a vigorous dynastyis undermined by corruption, losesits mandate to rule, and is over-thrown.

D. Periods of aristocratic dominancegive way to periods in whichpeasant leaders exercise controlof government.

16. Which of the following best describesa common feature of the West Africankingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhaibetween 1000 and 1600 CE?

A. the establishment of overseas tradewith India and Arabia

B. the construction of monumentaltombs in honor of deceased rulers

C. the development of universal andcompulsory educational systems

D. the synthesis of Islamic and Africancultural practices

17. The emergence of feudalism in WesternEurope during the Middle Ages wasprimarily a response to:

A. changes in military technology.

B. an absence of effective centralgovernment.

C. new economic opportunities.

D. the power and influence of theCatholic Church.



18. Use the two diagrams below to answer the question that follows.

A geographer conducting a spatialanalysis of the diagrams above wouldrecognize a difference in:

A. concentration.

B. density.

C. pattern.

D. accessibility.



19. Which of the following would most likelyalter the relative location of a given place?

A. the development of a majorshopping mall

B. the in-migration of people fromanother country

C. the opening of a new regionalairport

D. the shutdown of several largefactories

20. One can best understand why theAppalachian Mountains run in a north-south line by examining which of thefollowing physical processes?

A. glaciation

B. erosion and deposition

C. volcanism

D. plate tectonics

21. In South America, almost 90 percent ofthe population lives within 200 miles ofthe Atlantic, Pacific, or Caribbean coasts.Which of the following explains a majorcause of this demographic pattern?

A. Climatic conditions are more hospi-table along the coasts than withinthe interior.

B. The indigenous peoples of theinterior regions have resistedsettlement by other groups.

C. Immigrant groups generally settledin or around the port cities throughwhich they entered the region.

D. The mountainous interior regionsare relatively inaccessible andpresent few economic opportunities.

22. One can best understand the impact ofacid rain on the Northeast region of theUnited States by examining:

A. the transportation networks con-necting Canada and the Northeast.

B. principal commercial activitiesalong the eastern seaboard.

C. the distribution of population amongNew England, New York, and NewJersey.

D. prevailing wind patterns betweenthe Midwest and the Northeast.



23. Which of the following features of thecontemporary world is most directlyattributable to the spread of Islam betweenthe seventh and seventeenth centuries?

A. the economic ties betweenSouthwest Asia and North Africa

B. the differences between political andethnic boundaries in sub-SaharanAfrica

C. the cultural connections betweenIndonesia and the Middle East

D. the differences between the politicalsystems of China, Japan, and Northand South Korea

24. In August 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait.Within 24 hours, gasoline prices in Europeand North America rose 10 percent;by January 1991, they had increased36 percent. Meanwhile, the stock pricesof many companies dependent on petro-leum inputs declined. These changesbest illustrate which of the followinggeographic concepts?

A. interdependence of places

B. spatial diffusion of global economicactivities

C. uniqueness of places

D. transferability of economic goods

25. A historian conducting a study of latenineteenth-century Seattle would mostlikely consult census data for which ofthe following purposes?

A. to analyze the effects of geographicfactors on the city's development

B. to trace the evolution of Seattlegovernment

C. to examine the social structure ofthe city's population

D. to compare the experiences ofdifferent ethnic groups in Seattle



ANSWER KEY

QuestionNumber

CorrectResponse

TestObjective

1 B 0013

2 A 0013

3 C 0013

4 D 0014

5 B 0014

6 D 0014

7 C 0015

8 B 0015

9 D 0016

10 D 0016

11 C 0016

12 D 0017

13 B 0017

14 C 0017

15 C 0018

16 D 0018

17 B 0018

18 C 0019

19 C 0019

20 D 0019

21 A 0020

22 D 0020

23 C 0020

24 A 0021

25 C 0021

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