Section 4: Sample Selected-Response Questions
TX PACT: Social Studies: Grades 7–12 (732)
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This section presents some sample exam questions for you to review as part of your preparation for the exam. To demonstrate how each competency may be assessed, sample questions are accompanied by the competency that they measure. While studying, you may wish to read the competency before and after you consider each sample question. Please note that the competency statements do not appear on the actual exam.
The correct answer is provided for each sample exam question. The sample questions are included to illustrate the formats and types of questions you will see on the exam; however, your performance on the sample questions should not be viewed as a predictor of your performance on the actual exam.
Domain I—Historiography and World History
Competency 001—Understand historical concepts, terms, sources, perspectives, and research skills.
1. Which of the following bibliographic citations identifies a primary historical source?
- Alden, Michael. (1920). The Prime Minister and the Great War. London: Morebanks.
- Nash, Olivia, ed. (1936). Interpretations of Causality: Europe and the Onset of World War 1. Edinburgh: University of Edinburgh Press.
- Connaught, Sir Lawrence. (1955). Collected Correspondence from the Foreign Office, 1914 to 1918. London: Hamilton and Wiggins.
- Mayer, Arno. (1967). Politics and the Diplomacy of Peacemaking: Containment and Counterrevolution at Versailles, 1918 to 1919. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
Competency 002—Understand major developments in world history from the beginnings of human society to 1350 CE.
2. Which of the following best describes a major objective of Greek and Hellenistic scholars and philosophers?
- to understand nature and society through rational observation and deduction
- to develop a philosophical system consistent with traditional religious beliefs
- to devise a system of rewards and punishments to motivate human behavior
- to create a flexible ethical code adaptable to diverse individual needs and a variety of social settings
Competency 003—Understand major developments in world history from 1350 to 1871.
3. Which of the following accurately lists four significant historical developments during the period 1350 to 1871 in the order in which they occurred?
- 1. the abolition of feudalism in Japan
2. the first use of steam engines in English textile mills
3. the rise of the Ottoman Empire
4. the Glorious Revolution in England - 1. the Glorious Revolution in England
2. the rise of the Ottoman Empire
3. the abolition of feudalism in Japan
4. the first use of steam engines in English textile mills - 1. the rise of the Ottoman Empire
2. the Glorious Revolution in England
3. the first use of steam engines in English textile mills
4. the abolition of feudalism in Japan - 1. the first use of steam engines in English textile mills
2. the abolition of feudalism in Japan
3. the Glorious Revolution in England
4. the rise of the Ottoman Empire
Competency 004—Understand major developments in world history from 1871 to the present.
4. Which of the following best describes a major cause of World War 1?
- economic competition in Central Europe
- revolutionary activity in Russia
- repression of ethnic minorities in Germany
- nationalist tensions in the Balkans
Domain II—U.S. History
Competency 005—Understand major developments in early U.S. history from the precontact period to 1789.
5. In the 15 years before the outbreak of the American Revolution, the growing conflict between the British government and British colonists in North America centered primarily on:
- what share of colonial revenues belonged to Great Britain.
- who would make decisions regarding the colonists' property and political rights.
- who was responsible for defending the colonies from military attack.
- how the settlement of territory west of the Appalachian Mountains would be controlled.
Competency 006—Understand major developments in U.S. history from 1789 to 1877.
6. The Nullification Crisis of the early 1830s centered on which of the following questions?
- What are the powers of the judiciary in a government based on separation of powers?
- What are the rights of individuals in a democratic system of government?
- What are the powers of executive officials in a government based on the rule of law?
- What are the rights of the states in a federal system of government?
Competency 007—Understand major developments in U.S. history from 1877 to 1929.
7. The immigration restriction legislation of the 1920s was primarily a response to concerns about which of the following?
- the impact of immigration from Latin America on the U.S. economy
- the consequences of immigration from eastern and southern Asia on U.S. national security
- the effects of immigration from southern and eastern Europe on U.S. culture
- the results of immigration from western Europe on U.S. political life
Competency 008—Understand major developments in U.S. history from 1929 to the present.
8. Which of the following best describes the significance of the sit-ins of the early 1960s for the civil rights movement?
- They marked the beginnings of widespread student participation in the movement.
- They reflected the growing influence within the movement of the philosophy of Black Power.
- They signaled a shift in movement aims from political goals to economic objectives.
- They represented the end of efforts by the movement to achieve racial equality through peaceful means.
Domain III—Geography and Culture
Competency 009—Understand geographic terms, concepts, sources, and research skills.
9. A third-century statue of the Indian prince Siddhartha reveals a mixture of artistic styles. The curly hair, stocky physique, and deeply carved drapery of his robe are elements of Greek artistic tradition. The nimbus of light around the figure's head is an element that originated in Iranian statues of sun gods. The facial expression is typical of Indian mysticism. Carved in Pakistan, the crossroads of Eurasian travel routes, the statue combines artistic ideas from several of the cultures that met there to trade.
The blending of artistic styles in this statue is an example of the process of cultural:
- innovation.
- convergence.
- assimilation.
- diffusion.
Competency 010—Understand physical features, physical systems, and the interaction between the environment and human societies.
10. Which of the following best explains why northwestern Europe experiences a significantly warmer climate than regions of western Russia at the same latitude?
- Prevailing wind patterns from the Arctic are more common in western Russia.
- The North Sea moderates temperatures in northwestern Europe.
- The Ural Mountains create a significant barrier trapping cold air in western Russia.
- Annual precipitation levels are higher on average in northwestern Europe.
Competency 011—Understand human systems.
11. Compared with countries in southern Asia, European countries are more likely to have populations that are:
- evenly distributed across urban and rural regions.
- concentrated in urban areas.
- densely settled in river valleys and low-lying plains.
- concentrated in coastal regions.
Domain IV—Economics
Competency 012—Understand political science concepts, terms, perspectives, and research skills.
12. In which of the following situations is the president of the United States most likely to invoke the right of executive privilege?
- nominating justices to the Supreme Court
- pardoning a member of the executive branch
- withholding information from Congress
- authorizing the use of force against another country
Competency 013—Understand the foundations of U.S. government, the U.S. political process, and the rights and responsibilities of U.S. citizenship.
13. In their efforts to end occupational segregation and achieve comparable pay for comparable work, leaders of the modern women's movement expanded the meaning of which of the following provisions of the U.S. Constitution?
- the privileges and immunities clause of Article IV
- the freedom of assembly clause of the First Amendment
- the due process clause of the Fifth Amendment
- the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment
Competency 014—Understand the structure, organization, and operation of different levels of government in the United States.
14. Which of the following best illustrates how the principle of separation of powers operates in the U.S. government?
- The Senate refuses to ratify a treaty negotiated by the president.
- The House of Representatives proposes an amendment to a bill that originated in the Senate.
- The president dismisses a member of the cabinet.
- The Supreme Court refuses to hear a case on appeal from a state supreme court.
Domain V—Economics
Competency 015—Understand basic economic concepts, microeconomics, and consumer economics and personal finance.
The curve starts at a point at the top of the vertical axis and at 0 on the horizontal axis. It curves steeply downward for about a third of the way down the vertical axis and a quarter of the way along the horizontal axis. It then curves more gradually until about 2 thirds of the way down the vertical axis and halfway along the horizontal axis, at which point it comes close to staying parallel with the horizontal axis.
15. The cost curve above best illustrates which of the following economic concepts?
- economies of scale
- elasticity of supply
- return to capital
- law of diminishing returns
Competency 016—Understand macroeconomics and international economics.
- Inflationary pressures intensify.
- Finding new workers becomes increasingly difficult.
- Interest rates increase.
- Demand begins to overtake supply.
16. During which phase of the business cycle is an economy most likely to experience the developments described in the list above?
- expansion
- peak
- contraction
- trough