Answers and Explanations
Section I, Part A: Multiple-Choice
1 . D When Commodore Perry’s ship entered Japan’s harbor and forced the Japanese to open their
ports to trade, it became clear to the Japanese that other nations had superior technology, and that
this put Japan at a disadvantage, as Lord Ii described. Christian missionaries were expelled from
Japan during the Tokugawa Shogunate, which led up to the time when the letter was written (A).
The adoption of Chinese imperial customs occurred during the Japanese Heian period, during the
800s to 1100s, and well before the steamship was invented (B). Manchuria was annexed by Japan
in the 1930s, well after the era of the letter (C).
2 . C In the 1970s, top Japanese leaders traveled to Europe and the United States to study western-
style economic and political practices. Japan briefly implemented a civil service system like the
Chinese during the Heian period, but it never fully developed (A). Japan had been inward-looking
prior to this time. Although some Japanese argued for expansion, in the hopes that they would
gain power, this did not occur until the later 1890s, and then did not occur in the Pacific (B). The
turning inward happened prior to these events, during the Tokugawa Shogunate, and thus was not
a response to them (D).
3 . A The Meiji Restoration refers to the period starting in 1868 with the restoration of imperial
rule. It was characterized by strong centralized government, opening to the West, land reforms,
and dismantling of the samurai classes. The Heian period lasted from the 800s to the 1100s and
was characterized by strong Chinese influence (B). The Tokugawa Shogunate period lasted from
the 1600s to 1868 and was characterized by a feudal system with a strong samurai class (C). The
Jomon were a Japanese Neolithic culture.
4 . A The phrase “he enfolds the whole universe” indicates that Brahman is everywhere. There is
no discussion of a specific location or place like Heaven (B). Because he is everywhere, Brahman
is not found only in the hearts of the faithful, although he is found in the heart of the speaker (C).
He is described as “loving to all,” and therefore is not vengeful (D).
5 . B The speaker states that he will go to Brahman after his death, indicating that he believes that
there will be some form of afterlife. The speaker is probably referring to moksha , the
transcendant state reached after being released from the cycle of reincarnation. There is no
discussion of rituals or religious practices (A), not even proper deeds or speech (C). According
to Hinduism, Hindus worship one being that has many aspects or forms, and thus they are not
truly polytheistic (D).
6 . A Brahman is the supreme cosmic entity and also means the underlying reality of all things in
the Hindu religion. In Buddhism, there is a cycle of rebirth until Enlightenment is achieved, but
there is no concept of a supreme God (B). Shintoism, from Japan, focuses on nature deities (C).
Zoroastrianism, an ancient Persian religion, has a supreme God, Ahura Mazda, and focuses on a
cosmic struggle between the forces of good and evil (D).
7 . B The Columbian Exchange refers to the exchange of crops, animals, and disease between the
“Old World,” meaning Europe, Africa, and Asia, and the “New World,” meaning the Americas.
The Green Revolution refers to the use of agricultural science to create high-yield crops,
