10 . A This choice describes the ruler as having heaven’s favor, which is synonymous with the
Mandate of Heaven. Choice B is more suited to a discussion of Western history and is irrelevant.
The careful reader will see in the text that “calamities” were sent to the previous, not the current,
ruler (C). There is no indication that the ruler was killed (D).
11 . B The orgies of Ming Tiao, which were private actions, caused the loss of the Mandate of
Heaven, a public consequence. Choice (A) misleads students by using terms (“tranquility,”
“nature”) that are secondary to the main idea. Chinese emperors were expected to meet their
ethical obligations to their subjects or suffer loss of power (C). Ministers’ obligations (D) are
nowhere addressed in the passage.
12 . C With the arrival of the Europeans came diseases (including smallpox) to which the native
peoples had no historical immunity. The Aztecs would have engaged in some warfare, but not
enough to lead to such a steep decline (A). Though there was some slash-and-burn agriculture,
they primarily used chinampas and terraces (B). Slavery had traditionally been part of Mexican
culture, as seen in the Aztec Empire (D). The Europeans used native Mexicans as forced labor,
but not until later.
13 . D The Europeans had guns and steel, against which the Mexicans had no effective defense.
Catholicism prohibited the enslavement of Native Americans (A). Reservations were not used in
Mexico (B). Intermarriage (C), although legal, could benefit native Mexicans, but would limit
Spanish opportunities.
14 . B The encomienda system entitled Spanish conquerors to control Indian labor, and in return,
the Spaniards “civilized and Christianized” natives. Medieval manorialism allowed landholders
to give access to, though not ownership of, land to the peasants who worked it. While the
Catholic Church approved of and supported both the encomienda and manorial systems, it did
not directly involve itself in either (A). The merchant class was separate from the landholding
class (C). Although the Spanish central (royal) government supported the encomienda system,
there was no effective central government to support manorialism (D).
15 . C Sacrifice, the source of creation, is mentioned throughout the passage. Salvation through
faith (A) is a key element of Protestantism. Though the passage has references to the elements of
nature (B), there is no emphasis on stewardship. Karma (D) is not explicitly discussed in the
passage.
16 . D The Rig Veda is a Hindu religious text, and its inclusion of the origins of the caste system
make this a feature of their religion. A religious construct is not a social construct (A). This
passage does not address social stability (B) or the reaction of Indians to the Muslim presence
(C).
17 . C That a lowborn person could compose a sacred text implies social mobility. Choice (A)
supports the argument, since it encourages Kshatriyas to follow their rightful role. Choices (B)
and (D) do not address the argument.
18 . C The sale of indulgences is nowhere mentioned in the excerpt. The wealth of the church (A) is
referred to with the phrase “worldly pomp”; the power of the clergy (B) and the political nature
of the church (D) are both addressed in the discussion of temporal versus spiritual power.
19 . B Sir Thomas More was executed for refusing to support Protestantism in England. Zwingli