TExES Exam Social Studies 7-12 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The primary trigger of World War I was:
- The German invasion of Poland
- The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary (Correct answer)
- The sinking of the RMS Lusitania by a German submarine
- The signing of the Treaty of Versailles
Correct answer: The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo in 1914 set off a chain reaction of alliance obligations among European powers, directly triggering the outbreak of World War I.
Question 2: The concept of 'Manifest Destiny' in 19th-century American history refers to:
- The belief that the United States was destined to expand westward across the North American continent (Correct answer)
- The obligation of the U.S. to spread democracy to other nations through military force
- The doctrine that states have the right to nullify federal laws
- The idea that all citizens are created equal and possess natural rights
Correct answer: The belief that the United States was destined to expand westward across the North American continent
Manifest Destiny was the widely held belief in the 1800s that American settlers were destined by God and history to expand westward across the continent to the Pacific Ocean, which justified territorial expansion and displacement of Native peoples.
Question 3: The power of judicial review in the United States — the authority to strike down laws as unconstitutional — was established by:
- The Bill of Rights (1791)
- The Judiciary Act of 1789
- Marbury v. Madison (1803) (Correct answer)
- McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)
Correct answer: Marbury v. Madison (1803)
In Marbury v. Madison (1803), Chief Justice John Marshall established the principle of judicial review, asserting the Supreme Court's authority to declare acts of Congress unconstitutional, a power not explicitly stated in the Constitution.
Question 4: A theocracy is a form of government in which:
- A single hereditary ruler holds absolute power over the state
- Citizens directly vote on all legislation without elected representatives
- A military junta controls the government following a coup
- Religious leaders or divine authority serves as the basis for governance (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Religious leaders or divine authority serves as the basis for governance
In a theocracy, the government is ruled by religious leaders or based on divine law — such as ancient Egypt under the pharaohs, or the Islamic Republic of Iran — where civic and religious authority are fused.
Question 5: According to the law of supply in economics, when the price of a good rises (all else equal):
- The quantity demanded increases, shifting the demand curve right
- Producers are willing to supply a larger quantity of that good (Correct answer)
- Producers reduce output to create artificial scarcity
- The equilibrium price falls to restore market balance
Correct answer: Producers are willing to supply a larger quantity of that good
The law of supply states that there is a direct (positive) relationship between price and quantity supplied — as price rises, producers are incentivized to bring more of a good to market because higher prices mean greater potential profit.
Question 6: The Silk Road was historically significant primarily because it:
- Served as a military supply line connecting Roman legions across Asia
- Was the first trade network established exclusively between European nations
- Linked East Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Europe through overland and maritime trade routes (Correct answer)
- Provided the pathway for European colonization of sub-Saharan Africa in the 15th century
Correct answer: Linked East Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Europe through overland and maritime trade routes
The Silk Road was an ancient network of trade routes connecting China and East Asia with South Asia, Persia, the Arabian Peninsula, East Africa, and Southern Europe, facilitating not only commerce in silk, spices, and other goods but also the exchange of ideas, religions, and technologies.
TExES Exam Social Studies 7-12 1
The primary trigger of World War I was: