CARS Practice Exam 2023 Questions and Answers;(CARS
test bank)
The author assumes that the diffusion of squash throughout the Woodlands region:
A.
occurred alongside the diffusion of pottery.
B.
is evidence of its hardiness.
C.
was not due to Mexican influence.
D.
explains why maize was not discovered at Poverty Point.
The solution is C.
A) The author writes that "One could construct a neat diffusionary model.... Mexican
emigrants brought their staple crops [including squash], pottery making, and mound
building into the Woodlands" (paragraph 3). However, the author does not endorse this
model. In the final paragraph of the passage, the author notes explicitly that the pottery
found at Poverty Point (in the southern Woodlands region) "did not derive from Mexico,"
while acknowledging that "squash might have been grown there." The author, then,
does not suggest that the diffusion of squash accompanied the diffusion of pottery.
B) There is no discussion in the passage of the "hardiness" of particular crops, or of
hardiness explaining the presence of particular crops in the Woodlands region.
C) The author writes that "While squash might have been grown [in Louisiana's Poverty
Point region], its presence at Poverty Point does not indicates a close relationship to
Mexico because squash had diffused throughout the southeastern Woodlands region as
early as 2000 BC" (final paragraph).
D) The author does not suggest that the "conspicuous absence" of maize at Poverty
Point was due to the possible concurrent presence of squash there.
Which of the following of the archaeologists' assumptions described in paragraph 3 is
NOT supported by evidence or reasoning in the passage?
A.
The mound builders had a large labor force.
B.
The mound builders had ample leisure time.
C.
The mound builders grew maize, beans, and squash.
D.
The mound builders included specialized craftspeople.
The solution is C.
A) The author provides some support for this claim: "The great size of some of the
,mounds implied the existence of a large labor force..." (paragraph 3).
B) The author supports this claim with some reasoning: "The great size of some of the
mounds implied the existence of a large labor force with enough leisure time to devote
to construction projects" (paragraph 3).
C) The author provides reasoning for the assumption that the mound builders were
farmers but does not provide reasoning or support for the assumption that they were
"farmers who grew maize, beans, and squash" (paragraph 3).
D) The author offers some reasoning to support this claim: "The work of specialist
craftspeople, freed from subsistence tasks, seemed to be manifest in the fine quality of
artifacts found in the mounds" (paragraph 3).
Which of the following aspects of the mounds described in the passage best explains
archaeologists' reluctance to postulate a strictly Native American origin?
A.
Their apparently sudden appearance
B.
Their relatively early appearance
C.
Their size
D.
Their purpose
The solution is A.
A) "Archaeologists remained reluctant...to postulate a strictly Native American origin for
mound building. Instead, diffusion of the practice from some area where it was already
well established seemed to be the best way to explain its apparently sudden and
relatively late appearance in the eastern Woodlands of the U.S." (paragraph 2).
B) To the contrary, the author suggests that it was the "relatively late appearance" of
mound building (not its early appearance) that contributed to the diffusionist hypothesis.
C) The size of the mounds led to speculation about the size and nature of the labor
force involved in their construction, but the author does not mention the size of the
mounds as an aspect of the reluctance of archaeologists to see the mounds as of
strictly Native American origin.
D) The purpose of the mounds is not discussed; the author calls them "enigmatic"
mounds. In any case, their purpose is not given as a reason that archaeologists were
reluctant to posit a strictly Native American origin for the mounds.
If cord-marked Woodland pottery were found in areas between the Bering Strait and the
eastern Woodlands, this would support the notion that mound building diffused from:
A.
Europe.
B.
,Asia.
C.
Scandinavia.
D.
Mexico.
The solution is B.
A) The presence of cord-marked pottery in areas between the Bering Strait and the
Eastern Woodlands is interpreted by the author as a potential sign of mound building
having diffused from Asia, not from Europe.
B) The author writes that, "A few archaeologists suggested that mound building had
diffused, along with cord-marked pottery found in the Woodlands, across the Bering
Strait from Asia, but they had to admit that the absence of both traits in the intervening
regions was problematic" (paragraph 2). If, however, cord-marked Woodland pottery
were found precisely in the intervening regions (between the Bering Strait and the
Eastern Woodlands), this would presumably remedy that "problematic" lack of evidence
and offer support for the theory that the mound-building had also diffused from Asia.
C) The author mentions "another theory" that the mounds might have "been brought
across the Atlantic from Scandinavia" (paragraph 2), but the presence of the pottery in
the areas referred to in the question stem is not discussed in relation to that claim.
D) The presence of the pottery between the Bering Strait and the Eastern Woodlands is
discussed as evidence that the mound-building might have diffused from Asia, not from
the southern route of Mexico.
Which of the following findings would most weaken the Mexican hypothesis as
presented in the passage?
A.
An abundance of leisure time is not correlated with an abundance of fine-quality
artifacts.
B.
Pottery from ancient Mexico is stylistically similar to Native American pottery found in
the Woodlands.
C.
There is evidence that emigration took place about 1200 BC from the area that is now
Mexico to western areas of the U.S.
D.
Leisure time tends to decrease when a people switches to farming from hunting and
gathering.
The solution is D.
A) The absence of this correlation would merely challenge the assumption that the
presence of such artifacts implies leisure time (the passage indicates that specialized
craftspeople were "freed from subsistence tasks" (paragraph 3). That the presence of
large mounds implies leisure time, and therefore agriculture—a crucial building block in
, the "Mexican hypothesis"—would still stand.
B) Stylistic similarities between Mexican pottery and Native American pottery does not
affect the Mexican hypothesis in one way or another. While such similarities might be
interpreted as support for a Mexican influence on Native American culture (and thus
could support the Mexican hypothesis), it is also possible that Native American pottery
styles could have influenced Mexican styles.
C) There is no discussion in the passage of mound-building in the western areas of the
U.S., so such evidence is irrelevant. One might speculate that people who emigrated to
western areas of the U.S. might then have moved to the eastern areas, but that would
support—rather than weaken—the Mexican hypothesis.
D) The Mexican hypothesis rests on a series of assumptions about the conditions that
would have enabled the construction of the large mounds found in the Ohio and
Mississippi River valleys. The author writes that "The great size of some mounds
implied the existence of a large labor force with enough leisure time to devote to
construction projects. The work of specialist craftspeople, freed from subsistence tasks,
seemed to be manifest in the fine quality of the artifacts found in the mounds. Leisure
time and craft specialization were inconceivable except as by-products of agriculture,
and so archaeologists assumed that the mound builders were farmers who grew maize,
beans, and squash. These staple crops were, of course, of Mexican origin" (paragraph
3). If, however, leisure time decreases with the advent of agriculture, then it would no
longer follow that Mexican farmers were likely to have had the time to devote to the
building of the mounds, which would of course weaken the hypothesis.
The author describes the research of Cyrus Thomas most likely because it:
A.
discredits the hypothesis that mounds were built by a vanished culture.
B.
supports the hypothesis that people from the area that is now Mexico influenced Native
American mound building.
C.
establishes when mound building occurred in the eastern Woodlands.
D.
challenges the diffusion hypothesis put forth by archaeologists.
The solution is A.
A) The author writes explicitly that Cyrus Thomas had "convincingly refuted" the "long-
popular idea that the mounds were the work of a vanished culture" (first paragraph).
B) The author indicates that Thomas "proved...that the mounds had been raised by
early Native Americans" (first paragraph), not that the Native Americans had been
influenced by people from the area that is now Mexico.
C) The author indicates that Thomas "proved...that mound building had continued in
some areas up until the arrival of the Europeans" (first paragraph), but this is not the
test bank)
The author assumes that the diffusion of squash throughout the Woodlands region:
A.
occurred alongside the diffusion of pottery.
B.
is evidence of its hardiness.
C.
was not due to Mexican influence.
D.
explains why maize was not discovered at Poverty Point.
The solution is C.
A) The author writes that "One could construct a neat diffusionary model.... Mexican
emigrants brought their staple crops [including squash], pottery making, and mound
building into the Woodlands" (paragraph 3). However, the author does not endorse this
model. In the final paragraph of the passage, the author notes explicitly that the pottery
found at Poverty Point (in the southern Woodlands region) "did not derive from Mexico,"
while acknowledging that "squash might have been grown there." The author, then,
does not suggest that the diffusion of squash accompanied the diffusion of pottery.
B) There is no discussion in the passage of the "hardiness" of particular crops, or of
hardiness explaining the presence of particular crops in the Woodlands region.
C) The author writes that "While squash might have been grown [in Louisiana's Poverty
Point region], its presence at Poverty Point does not indicates a close relationship to
Mexico because squash had diffused throughout the southeastern Woodlands region as
early as 2000 BC" (final paragraph).
D) The author does not suggest that the "conspicuous absence" of maize at Poverty
Point was due to the possible concurrent presence of squash there.
Which of the following of the archaeologists' assumptions described in paragraph 3 is
NOT supported by evidence or reasoning in the passage?
A.
The mound builders had a large labor force.
B.
The mound builders had ample leisure time.
C.
The mound builders grew maize, beans, and squash.
D.
The mound builders included specialized craftspeople.
The solution is C.
A) The author provides some support for this claim: "The great size of some of the
,mounds implied the existence of a large labor force..." (paragraph 3).
B) The author supports this claim with some reasoning: "The great size of some of the
mounds implied the existence of a large labor force with enough leisure time to devote
to construction projects" (paragraph 3).
C) The author provides reasoning for the assumption that the mound builders were
farmers but does not provide reasoning or support for the assumption that they were
"farmers who grew maize, beans, and squash" (paragraph 3).
D) The author offers some reasoning to support this claim: "The work of specialist
craftspeople, freed from subsistence tasks, seemed to be manifest in the fine quality of
artifacts found in the mounds" (paragraph 3).
Which of the following aspects of the mounds described in the passage best explains
archaeologists' reluctance to postulate a strictly Native American origin?
A.
Their apparently sudden appearance
B.
Their relatively early appearance
C.
Their size
D.
Their purpose
The solution is A.
A) "Archaeologists remained reluctant...to postulate a strictly Native American origin for
mound building. Instead, diffusion of the practice from some area where it was already
well established seemed to be the best way to explain its apparently sudden and
relatively late appearance in the eastern Woodlands of the U.S." (paragraph 2).
B) To the contrary, the author suggests that it was the "relatively late appearance" of
mound building (not its early appearance) that contributed to the diffusionist hypothesis.
C) The size of the mounds led to speculation about the size and nature of the labor
force involved in their construction, but the author does not mention the size of the
mounds as an aspect of the reluctance of archaeologists to see the mounds as of
strictly Native American origin.
D) The purpose of the mounds is not discussed; the author calls them "enigmatic"
mounds. In any case, their purpose is not given as a reason that archaeologists were
reluctant to posit a strictly Native American origin for the mounds.
If cord-marked Woodland pottery were found in areas between the Bering Strait and the
eastern Woodlands, this would support the notion that mound building diffused from:
A.
Europe.
B.
,Asia.
C.
Scandinavia.
D.
Mexico.
The solution is B.
A) The presence of cord-marked pottery in areas between the Bering Strait and the
Eastern Woodlands is interpreted by the author as a potential sign of mound building
having diffused from Asia, not from Europe.
B) The author writes that, "A few archaeologists suggested that mound building had
diffused, along with cord-marked pottery found in the Woodlands, across the Bering
Strait from Asia, but they had to admit that the absence of both traits in the intervening
regions was problematic" (paragraph 2). If, however, cord-marked Woodland pottery
were found precisely in the intervening regions (between the Bering Strait and the
Eastern Woodlands), this would presumably remedy that "problematic" lack of evidence
and offer support for the theory that the mound-building had also diffused from Asia.
C) The author mentions "another theory" that the mounds might have "been brought
across the Atlantic from Scandinavia" (paragraph 2), but the presence of the pottery in
the areas referred to in the question stem is not discussed in relation to that claim.
D) The presence of the pottery between the Bering Strait and the Eastern Woodlands is
discussed as evidence that the mound-building might have diffused from Asia, not from
the southern route of Mexico.
Which of the following findings would most weaken the Mexican hypothesis as
presented in the passage?
A.
An abundance of leisure time is not correlated with an abundance of fine-quality
artifacts.
B.
Pottery from ancient Mexico is stylistically similar to Native American pottery found in
the Woodlands.
C.
There is evidence that emigration took place about 1200 BC from the area that is now
Mexico to western areas of the U.S.
D.
Leisure time tends to decrease when a people switches to farming from hunting and
gathering.
The solution is D.
A) The absence of this correlation would merely challenge the assumption that the
presence of such artifacts implies leisure time (the passage indicates that specialized
craftspeople were "freed from subsistence tasks" (paragraph 3). That the presence of
large mounds implies leisure time, and therefore agriculture—a crucial building block in
, the "Mexican hypothesis"—would still stand.
B) Stylistic similarities between Mexican pottery and Native American pottery does not
affect the Mexican hypothesis in one way or another. While such similarities might be
interpreted as support for a Mexican influence on Native American culture (and thus
could support the Mexican hypothesis), it is also possible that Native American pottery
styles could have influenced Mexican styles.
C) There is no discussion in the passage of mound-building in the western areas of the
U.S., so such evidence is irrelevant. One might speculate that people who emigrated to
western areas of the U.S. might then have moved to the eastern areas, but that would
support—rather than weaken—the Mexican hypothesis.
D) The Mexican hypothesis rests on a series of assumptions about the conditions that
would have enabled the construction of the large mounds found in the Ohio and
Mississippi River valleys. The author writes that "The great size of some mounds
implied the existence of a large labor force with enough leisure time to devote to
construction projects. The work of specialist craftspeople, freed from subsistence tasks,
seemed to be manifest in the fine quality of the artifacts found in the mounds. Leisure
time and craft specialization were inconceivable except as by-products of agriculture,
and so archaeologists assumed that the mound builders were farmers who grew maize,
beans, and squash. These staple crops were, of course, of Mexican origin" (paragraph
3). If, however, leisure time decreases with the advent of agriculture, then it would no
longer follow that Mexican farmers were likely to have had the time to devote to the
building of the mounds, which would of course weaken the hypothesis.
The author describes the research of Cyrus Thomas most likely because it:
A.
discredits the hypothesis that mounds were built by a vanished culture.
B.
supports the hypothesis that people from the area that is now Mexico influenced Native
American mound building.
C.
establishes when mound building occurred in the eastern Woodlands.
D.
challenges the diffusion hypothesis put forth by archaeologists.
The solution is A.
A) The author writes explicitly that Cyrus Thomas had "convincingly refuted" the "long-
popular idea that the mounds were the work of a vanished culture" (first paragraph).
B) The author indicates that Thomas "proved...that the mounds had been raised by
early Native Americans" (first paragraph), not that the Native Americans had been
influenced by people from the area that is now Mexico.
C) The author indicates that Thomas "proved...that mound building had continued in
some areas up until the arrival of the Europeans" (first paragraph), but this is not the
