Q51. In which country is Karbala, the holy city of Shia Muslims located?
(a) Iran
(b) Iraq
(c) Jordan
(d) Syria
Answer: (b)
Explanation: Karbala is a city in Iraq, southwest of Baghdad. The city, best known as the location of the Battle of Karbala (680), is amongst the holiest cities for Shia Muslims after Mecca and Medina. It is home to the Imam Hussein Shrine. Karbala is famous as the site of the martyrdom of Hussein ibn Ali (Imam Hussein), and commemorations are held by millions of Shias annually to remember it. Karbala is considered sacred by all Shias.
Q52. Which statement is correct regarding the ‘Townshend Acts’ during American Revolution?
i. This act came out in 1767.
ii. It placed taxes on lead, paints, glass, paper, and tea.
iii. According to this law all publications should have stamps
(a) i & ii
(b) ii& iii
(c) Only iii
(d) All the above
Answer:(a)
Explanation: This series of 1767 laws placed taxes on lead, paints, glass, paper, and tea. Colonists became outraged at this final straw in taxes and with many violent protests they had caused the Crown to repeal taxes on all but Tea and send more British troops to control colonists.
Q53. Which of the following are correct regarding ‘The First Estate’ in the French revolution?
i. It consists of Nobles about 2% of the population
ii. It consists of wealthy merchants.
iii. It consists of Roman Catholic Clergy.
(a) i & iii
(b) Only ii
(c) Only i
(d) Only iii
Answer: (d)
Explanation: The First Estate, which made up about one percent of the total population, was divided into two groups: upper and lower. The upper clergy included archbishops, bishops, and abbots. Due to the power of the Roman Catholic Church, these people were exempt from most taxes. These men of high status and privilege enjoyed luxurious lives in their large palaces. Meanwhile, the lower clergy, which included poorly-paid village priests, had to suffer along with the third class peasants.
Q54. The synagogue is the place of worship of
(a) Zoroastrianism
(b) Taoism
(c) Judaism
(d) Shintoism
Answer: (c)
Explanation: Synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. In Judaism (the religion, philosophy, culture, and way of life of the Jewish people), synagogues are consecrated spaces used for the purpose of prayer, Torah reading, study, and assembly; however, a synagogue is not necessary for worship.
Q55. With the fall of which among the following, the French Revolution began?
(a) Bastille
(b) Communes
(c) Jacobin Club
(d)Pillnitz
Answer: (a)
Explanation: The storming of the Bastille occurred in Paris, France on the morning of 14 July 1789. The medieval fortress and prison in Paris known as the Bastille represented royal authority in the centre of Paris. While the prison only contained seven inmates at the time of its storming, its fall was the flashpoint of the French Revolution. The storming of the Bastille and the subsequent Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen was the third event of this opening stage of the revolution. The first had been the revolt of the nobility, refusing to aid King Louis XVI through the payment of taxes. The second had been the formation of the National Assembly and the Tennis Court Oath.
Q56. Which statement is correct regarding the ‘Cold War’?
i. The Cold War was a sustained state of political and military tension between powers in the Western Bloc.
ii. The Cold War split the temporary wartime alliance against Nazi Germany, leaving the USSR and the US as two superpowers with profound economic and political differences over capitalism and democracy.
(a) Only i
(b) Only ii
(c) Both i & ii
(d) None of the above
Answer:(c)
Explanation: The Cold War was a sustained state of political and military tension between powers in the Western Bloc (the United States with NATO and others) and powers in the Eastern Bloc (the Soviet Union and its allies in Warsaw Pact). Historians have not fully agreed on the dates, but 1947 1991 is common. It was “cold” because there was no large-scale fighting directly between the two sides, although there were major regional wars in Korea and Vietnam. The Cold War split the temporary wartime alliance against Nazi Germany, leaving the USSR and the US as two superpowers with profound economic and political differences over capitalism and democracy.
Q57. Hitler became the Chancellor of Germany in
(a) 1930
(b) 1929
(c) 1936
(d) 1933
Answer: (d)
Explanation: Adolf Hitler was chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945 and dictator of Nazi Germany from 1934 to 1945. He was at the centre of the founding of Nazism, World War II, and the Holocaust.
Q58. What were the problems associated with Duma?
i. The demands put forward by First Duma was too radical for Czar and he dispersed it within 10 weeks.
ii. The First Duma (1906) was not democratically elected; landowners and middle classes were in majority.
iii. Demands such as the Confiscation of large estates, the democratic electoral system, and the right of the Duma to approve czar’s ministers, the right to strike, and the abolition of the death penalty were put forward.
(a) i & ii
(b) ii & iii
(c) Only iii
(d) All the above
Answer: (d)
Explanation: The First Duma (1906) was not democratically elected; landowners and middle classes were in majority. Even so, it put forward demands such as the Confiscation of large estates, the democratic electoral system, and right of the Duma to approve czar’s ministers, the right to strike, and the abolition of the death penalty. The demands put forward by First Duma were too radical for Czar and he dispersed it within 10 weeks. The Second Duma (1907) also met the same fate. Nicholas decided to deprive peasants and urban workers of the vote.
Q59. Which of the following countries were the members of the Anti-Comintern Pact?
(a) Japan
(b) Germany
(c) Italy
(d) All the above
Answer:(d)
Explanation:In 1937, the Japanese had started another invasion of China. Japan was one of the three members of the Anti-Comintern Pact along with Germany and Italy. In September 1940, these three countries had signed another pact that bound them together even more.
Q60. From which city did the Russian Revolution begin?
(a) St. Petersburg
(b) Moscow
(c) Kazan
(d) Odessa
Answer: (a)
Explanation: Vladimir Ilyich Lenin (1870-1924) was the founder of modern communist Russia. He was the leader of the Soviet revolution of October 1917. He liberated the country from the Czars and became Head of its first Communist Government (1917 – 1924). On March 7, 1917, workers struck work and attacked Petrograd. Farmers revolted in the villages and the frustrated soldiers of World War I joined the general public to revolt against the Czar. Petrograd is now called St. Petersburg.
Q61. Match the following places in List I with the year of the beginning of industrialization in List II.
List I
List II
i. Great Britain
(A) 1825
ii. the United States
(B) 1890
iii. France
(C) 1800
iv. Japan
(D) 1812
(a) i – C, ii – D, iii – A, iv – B
(b) i – A, ii – B, iii – D, iv – C
(c) i – A, ii – C, iii – B, iv – D
(d) i – B, ii – A, iii – C, iv – D
Answer:(a)
Explanation:Industrial revolution spread from the Mid-1800s Great Britain, the world leader in the Industrial Revolution, attempted to ban the export of its methods and technologies, but this soon failed. 1812 United States industrialized after the War of 1812. After 1825 France joined the Industrial Revolution following the French Revolution and Napoleonic wars. Circa 1870 Germany industrialized at a rapid pace, while Belgium, Holland, Italy, Sweden, and Switzerland were slower to industrialize. By 1890 Russia and Japan began to industrialize.
Q62. “What is the Third Estate?” pamphlet associated with the French Revolution, was written by:
(a) Marquis-Lafayette
(b) Edmund Burke
(c) Joseph Foulon
(d) Abbe Sieyes
Answer: (d)
Explanation: “What Is the Third Estate?” is a political pamphlet written by French thinker and clergyman Abbe Emmanuel Joseph Sieyes in January 1789, shortly before the outbreak of the French Revolution. In the pamphlet, Sieyes argued that the Third Estate – the common people of France – constituted a complete nation.
Q63. What is meant by ‘Imperialism’?
i. Economic and political control over weaker nations.
ii. Devotion to the interest and culture of one’s nation
iii. Economic development of a nation.
(a) i & iii
(b) i & ii
(c) Only iii
(d) Only ii
Answer: (b)
Explanation: IMPERIALISM is Economic and political control over weaker nations. For many centuries, European nations built empires. Colonies supplied European nations with raw materials and provided markets for manufactured goods. As Germany industrialized, it competed directly with France and Britain. Major European countries also competed for land in Africa.
Q64. The ideas of Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity, which influenced the Indian National Movement, was taken from ___
(a) American Revolution
(b) Russian Revolution
(c) Chinese revolution
(d) French revolution
Answer: (d)
Explanation: The Indian national movement borrowed the concepts of Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity (“Liberate, legality, fraternity”) from the French Revolution. Even after India’s independence, the triad found its mention in the preamble to the Indian constitution.
Q65. Which of the following statements is correct regarding the war on Pearl Harbour?
i. Japan attacked Pearl Harbour.
ii. After the attack on Pearl Harbour made Hitler declare war on the USA.
iii. In return US attacked Japan with nuclear bombs.
(a) i & ii
(b) ii & iii
(c) None of the above
(d) All the above
Answer: (d)
Explanation: Japan attacked Pearl Harbour and got control of the Pacific. It captured the British colonies of Malaya, Singapore, Burma, and Hong Kong. It captured the Dutch East Indies, Philippines, Guam, and Wake Island, the latter three being US colonies. The attack on Pearl Harbour made Hitler declare war on the USA. This was a second serious mistake after the first mistake of attacking the USSR.
Q66. The American Civil War saw the end of
(a) Slavery
(b) Landlordism
(c) Monarchy
(d) Apartheid
Answer: (a)
Explanation: The American Civil War (1861–1865), in the United States often referred to as simply the Civil War and sometimes called the “War Between the States”, was a civil war fought over the secession of the Confederate States. Eleven southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America (“the Confederacy”); the other 25 states supported the federal government (“the Union”). After four years of warfare, mostly within the Southern states, the Confederacy surrendered and slavery was abolished everywhere in the nation.
Q67. Which statement is correct regarding Lateran Treaty (1929)?
i. Through this treaty Mussolini reached an understanding with the Pope.
ii. It was the treaty between the US and USSR.
(a) Only i
(b) Only ii
(c) Both i & ii
(d) None of the above
Answer: (a)
Explanation: Lateran Treaty was the treaty through which Mussolini reached an understanding with the Pope and thus further consolidated his supremacy in the domain of the political sphere. The treaty made religious instructions compulsory in all schools. In return, the papacy recognized the Kingdom of Italy.
Q68. After Yalta Conference which are the zones in which Germany was divided?
(a) Britain, France, US, USSR
(b) Britain, France, Italy, Rome
(c) Britain, France, Japan, US
(d) None of the above
Answer: (a)
Explanation: Germany and Berlin were divided into 4 occupation zones (Britain, France, US, USSR) after Yalta Conference (1945).
Q69. Pearl Harbour, an American Naval, and Air force base was attacked by
(a) Germany
(b) Japan
(c) France
(d) England
Answer: (b)
Explanation: The attack on Pearl was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941 (December 8 in Japan).
Q70. Which of the following is the name of the US Parliament?
(a) Diet
(b) Senate
(c) Congress
(d) House of Commons
Answer: (c)
Explanation: The United States Congress is the Parliament of the United States. It is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States consisting of two chambers: the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the Capitol in Washington, D.C.
Q71. Match the following weapons in List I with the year of their invention in List II:
List I
List II
i. Atomic Bomb
(A) 1974
ii. Hydrogen Bomb
(B) 1957
iii. ICBM
(C) 1949
iv. Nuclear Supplier Group
(D) 1952
(a) i – B, ii – C, iii – D, iv – A
(b) i – C, ii – D, iii – B, iv – A
(c) i – A, ii – C, iii – D, iv – B
(d) i – B, ii – D, iii – A, iv – C
Answer: (b)
Explanation: In 1949 US and then USSR developed the Atomic Bomb. US-developed Hydrogen Bomb at end of 1952. This bomb was much more powerful than the Atomic Bomb. By 1953, even USSR was able to develop the Hydrogen Bomb. USSR was first to develop ICBMs (Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles) in 1957. ICBM was a nuclear warhead carried by rocket so powerful that it could reach the US from USSR itself. Soon US developed its American counterpart called ATLAS missiles. Nuclear Supplier Group was set up in 1974 when India conducted nuclear tests in the same year. The NSG is a group of nations that have nuclear technology and the aim of NSG is to prevent nuclear proliferation.
Q72. Which decade is called the “Era of Decolonization”?
(a) 1950’s
(b) 1980’s
(c) 1990’s
(d) 1970’s
Answer: (d)
Explanation: Most historians describe the late 1950s as the era of decolonization. It was in this decade that large-scale decolonization in Africa first began. In 1951 Libya became the first African country to gain independence in the decade, and in 1954 the Algerian War began. 1956 saw Sudan, Morocco, and Tunisia become independent, and Ghana became the first sub-Saharan African nation to gain independence in 1957.
Q73. . What is CTBT?
i. It was established in 1996 and it bans all nuclear explosions in all environments, for military or civilian purposes.
ii. CTBT requires ratification by 44 nations before it can come to force.
iii. India has not signed it yet.
(a) i & ii
(b) ii& iii
(c) Only ii
(d) All the above
Answer: (d)
Explanation: CTBT (Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty) was established in 1996 and it bans all nuclear explosions in all environments, for military or civilian purposes. But it has still not been able to come into force because it has not been ratified by the required minimum number of nations. CTBT requires ratification by 44 nations before it can come to force. Recently, Indonesia has ratified it and now 8 more ratifications are left. India along with the US, North Korea, China, Egypt, Iran, Israel, and Pakistan has not ratified it.
Q74. The war criminals of the 2nd World War were put to trial in
(a) Nuremberg
(b) Petersburg
(c) Gettysburg
(d) Pitsburg
Answer: (a)
Explanation: Nuremberg is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Between 1945 and 1946, German officials involved in the Holocaust and other war crimes were brought before an international tribunal in the Nuremberg Trials. The city had been the location of the Nazi Party’s Nuremberg rallies and the laws stripping Jews of their citizenship were passed there.
Q75. What were the points on which The Yalta Conference – (1945) agreed?
i. USSR to help the USA defeat Japan after Hitler was defeated.
ii. USA and UK agreed to allow a communist government in Poland.
iii. They all agreed they would work for democracy in Europe after the war had ended.
iv. Agreed to set up the United Nations this was to help keep peace in the future.
(a) i & ii
(b) ii & iv
(c) Only iii
(d) All the above
Answer: (d)
Explanation: Above all the points were agreed in The Yalta Conference – (1945).
