Social Studies Practice — Test D

Civil War Era, the Great Depression & How Government Works

20 multiple choice  •  1 editing task  •  1 extended response  •  primary sources · cause and effect · civics

Name: Date: Class:
How to use this practice test. Read each source carefully, then answer the questions that follow. Choose the best answer and write its letter on the answer line.
SOURCE 1The Gettysburg Address
The Gettysburg Address

“Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure… that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

— Abraham Lincoln, November 19, 1863

Questions 1–5 are based on Source 1.

1.

“Four score and seven years” before 1863 refers to which founding event?

Nudge — A score is twenty years. Do the arithmetic from 1863, then ask which founding document matches that year.
My answer:
Why I picked this (in my own words):
2.

According to the speech, the nation was “dedicated to the proposition” that:

Nudge — This phrase is quoted directly in the first sentence. Match the wording rather than choosing the principle that sounds most important to you.
My answer:
Why I picked this (in my own words):
3.

Lincoln describes the war as a test of whether:

Nudge — Find the sentence containing the word “testing” and read what follows it. Three options describe practical wartime problems the speech never raises.
My answer:
Why I picked this (in my own words):
4.

The phrase “government of the people, by the people, for the people” most directly expresses which principle?

Nudge — Ask who is governing whom in that phrase. The other three terms describe the machinery of government rather than the source of its authority.
My answer:
Why I picked this (in my own words):
5.

A student claims the speech is mainly about honouring the dead. Which detail most weakens that claim?

Nudge — To weaken a claim you need a detail pointing somewhere else. Look for the part that turns from the past toward what should happen next.
My answer:
Why I picked this (in my own words):
SOURCE 2The Great Depression and the New Deal
The Great Depression and the New Deal

The stock market crash of 1929 marked the beginning of the worst economic downturn in American history. By 1933 roughly one in four workers was unemployed, thousands of banks had failed, and many families had lost their savings entirely. Farm prices collapsed, and drought across the southern plains drove families off land that would no longer grow anything.

President Franklin Roosevelt's response, known as the New Deal, expanded the federal government's role substantially. Programs put people to work building roads, bridges, schools and parks. The Social Security Act created old-age pensions and unemployment insurance. New regulations governed banks and the stock market.

The New Deal was contested at the time and remains so. Supporters argue it relieved immediate suffering and built lasting institutions. Critics argue it did not end the Depression — full employment returned only with wartime production — and that it permanently enlarged federal power.

Questions 6–10 are based on Source 2.

6.

According to the passage, roughly what share of workers was unemployed by 1933?

Nudge — The figure is stated outright in the first paragraph. Read it rather than estimating from what you have heard about the period.
My answer:
Why I picked this (in my own words):
7.

Which of the following is given as a cause of families leaving farmland?

Nudge — Locate the sentence about farms in the first paragraph. Two options describe government actions the passage never mentions.
My answer:
Why I picked this (in my own words):
8.

The Social Security Act is described in the passage as creating:

Nudge — Each New Deal element in the second paragraph does something specific. Match the name to its own description rather than to New Deal programs generally.
My answer:
Why I picked this (in my own words):
9.

Why does the passage say the New Deal “remains” contested?

Nudge — The final paragraph names two positions. The correct option should capture both, not just the one you find more persuasive.
My answer:
Why I picked this (in my own words):
10.

A critic's strongest evidence from this passage would be that:

Nudge — Ask which detail would support the argument that the New Deal did not end the Depression. Three of these are achievements a supporter would cite.
My answer:
Why I picked this (in my own words):
SOURCE 3How a Bill Becomes Law
How a Bill Becomes Law

A bill begins when a member of Congress introduces it. It is referred to a committee, where most bills die without a vote. If the committee approves it, the bill goes to the full chamber for debate and a vote. To become law it must pass both the House of Representatives and the Senate in identical form.

The President may then sign the bill into law or veto it. A veto returns the bill to Congress, which can override it with a two-thirds vote in both chambers — a high bar that is rarely cleared. If the President neither signs nor vetoes within ten days while Congress is in session, the bill becomes law without a signature.

Because the process has many stages, and because a bill can be stopped at any of them, far more bills are introduced than are ever enacted. This is deliberate: the framers designed a system in which passing a law requires broad agreement rather than a narrow majority in a single body.

Questions 11–15 are based on Source 3.

11.

According to the passage, where do most bills fail?

Nudge — The first paragraph says this directly. Note the stage it names — it is earlier in the process than most people assume.
My answer:
Why I picked this (in my own words):
12.

For a bill to reach the President, it must:

Nudge — Look for the requirement stated at the end of the first paragraph. Pay attention to the words “identical form” — one option omits that condition entirely.
My answer:
Why I picked this (in my own words):
13.

What happens if the President neither signs nor vetoes a bill within ten days while Congress is in session?

Nudge — This rule is stated in the second paragraph. Read it carefully — it is the opposite of what many people guess.
My answer:
Why I picked this (in my own words):
14.

The passage describes the two-thirds override requirement as “a high bar” mainly to indicate that:

Nudge — Read the clause immediately after the phrase. The passage tells you what the high bar means in practice.
My answer:
Why I picked this (in my own words):
15.

According to the passage, the difficulty of passing a law is best understood as:

Nudge — The final sentence states the intent directly. Watch for options implying the difficulty is unintended — the passage says the opposite.
My answer:
Why I picked this (in my own words):
SOURCE 4Geography, Government and Economics — Mixed Review
Geography, Government and Economics — Mixed Review

These final questions are not tied to a single source. They review core knowledge that recurs across social studies testing: how government is structured, how economies respond to conditions, and how geography shapes where people live and work.

Questions 16–20 review content from across this test and earlier work.

16.

Which term describes a period of significant economic decline lasting many months?

Nudge — Three of these are policy tools or accounting terms rather than descriptions of an economy's condition. Sort by what kind of thing each word names.
My answer:
Why I picked this (in my own words):
17.

The right to a trial by jury is protected by:

Nudge — Ask which of these is a source of individual rights at the national level. Two of the options are actions rather than documents.
My answer:
Why I picked this (in my own words):
18.

Which geographic factor best explains why major cities often developed at river mouths?

Nudge — Think about what a city needs in order to trade. One option describes a transport advantage; the others describe things rivers do not reliably provide.
My answer:
Why I picked this (in my own words):
19.

A tariff is best described as:

Nudge — Focus on what is being taxed and where it comes from. Two options are taxes, so the distinguishing detail is what they apply to.
My answer:
Why I picked this (in my own words):
20.

Which action is an example of a citizen participating directly in government?

Nudge — All four involve engagement, but only one is participation in the process itself. Ask which action changes an outcome.
My answer:
Why I picked this (in my own words):

Editing Task

21. Read the paragraph below. Rewrite it correctly on the lines. Fix any grammar, punctuation, spelling, or sentence-structure errors.

“The great depression begun in 1929 and lasted for years. By 1933 about one in four workers were without a job, many banks had failed. President roosevelt introduce a set of programs called the New Deal, these programs put people to work and created social security.”
Nudge — Read it aloud one sentence at a time and check four things: verb forms (begun/began, introduce/introduced), capitalisation of names and proper nouns, comma splices where two complete sentences are joined by only a comma, and whether each subject agrees with its verb.

Corrected paragraph:

Extended Response Writing Task

22. In a well-organized essay of 4–6 paragraphs, explain how the sources in this test show that Americans have disagreed about the proper role of government. Use specific evidence from at least two sources.

Nudge — Plan before you write. (1) State your thesis in one sentence. (2) Choose the two sources you will use and mark the exact lines before drafting. (3) Give each body paragraph one point supported by a source detail. (4) Close by restating your thesis in fresh words — no new evidence in the conclusion.

Paragraph 1 — Introduction (include your thesis statement)

Paragraph 2 — Body Paragraph (evidence from your first source)

Paragraph 3 — Body Paragraph (evidence from your second source)

Paragraph 4 — Body Paragraph (connect the two — optional)

Paragraph 5 or 6 — Conclusion (summarize your main points)

Reflection / Self-Assessment

Which part was most challenging? Which questions did you need the nudge for? Name one skill you want to practice more before your next test.

— End of Practice Test —
You did a great job practicing these important skills.

FOR MENTOR USE — STUDY THIS TOGETHER

Mentor Guide

How to run this practice test, use the nudges, and review it without handing over a key

1. What the reason boxes reveal

After each answer the student writes why they picked it in their own words. That sentence is your real diagnostic — far more than the letter. A right answer with a vague reason is a future wrong answer; a wrong answer with sound reasoning is a near miss worth praising.

Read the reasons before the answers. Look for students pointing at the text (“it says…”) rather than answering from memory or general knowledge.

2. Running it

3. Using the nudges

Every question carries a Nudge — a hint about how to find and verify the answer. It never states or implies which option is correct, and never names a letter.

4. Reviewing WITHOUT a key

There is deliberately no answer key on the student pages. Review with the student, not by marking the page.

5. Editing-task model & essay scoring

Editing task — model corrected paragraph (do not show before the student attempts it):

The Great Depression began in 1929 and lasted for years. By 1933 about one in four workers was without a job, and many banks had failed. President Roosevelt introduced a set of programs called the New Deal. These programs put people to work and created Social Security.