Europe on the Crossroads

1) During the Middle Ages, most Europeans made their living as

    A) merchants

    B) sailors

    C) farmers

    D) soldiers

2) was an Italian adventurer who spent years in Chiand and contributed to the desire for Oriental products in Europe through his tales of the wonders of the east.

3) The type of sail that allowed mariners to tack against the wind was the sail.

4) While Europe languished in the "Dark Ages," the Islamic cultures from Spain to the Middle East flowered. True False

5) Changes in European society that galvanized the expansion of European peoples and cultures after 1450 included all the following EXCEPT:

    A) technological advances in seafaring and weaponry.

    B) a deflationary spiral that dried up sources of capital.

    C) political centralization.

    D) commercial incentives for exploration.