1. How does the chapter define history?
a) Every event that happened in the past
b) All past events that really mattered
2. The word “history” comes from the Latin word meaning
a) to orate.
b) to remember.
3. Postmodern historians deny the existence of what?
c) Political histories
d) All of these
4. Which of the following could potentially be a primary source?
a) A coin
b) A diary
5. Why can’t all historical sources be trusted as a reliable way to write “good” history?
a) Some primary sources are biased.
b) The historical record can be distorted because of missing sources.
6. Mikhail Gorbachev’s policy of glasnost could be translated as a policy of
c) goodwill.
d) retribution.
7. How long has the history of the oppressed been around?
a) It has existed since WWII.
b) It has existed since the nineteenth century.
8. According to your textbook, most national histories are
a) concerned with individual citizens’ rights.
b) concerned with documenting the good and the bad things the nation has done.
9. Popular histories are typically
c) captivating and dramatic, but completely inaccurate.
d) unable to affect public opinion.
10. If historians can explain the factors that caused a violent international incident, why
don’t public policy makers learn from past mistakes and avoid such errors in the future,
according to your textbook?
a) Nations are not always interested in avoiding such errors. They are more likely to be
concerned with financial and political power and control.
b) Historians often don’t agree on what caused an incident, only that it occurred.
Therefore it’s not always clear what the best course of action would be.
11. The belief that history teachers specific lessons leads policymakers to
a) Become historical scholars themselves.
d) Make better decisions overall.
12. Which of the following statements does the chapter suggest is the one historians are
most likely to agree with?
a) “History repeats itself.”
b) “Those who do not remember history are condemned to repeat it.”