ANSWERS QUESTIONS 11-15

Q11. B.
The Battle of Hastings took place on October 14, 1066. It lasted all day, and at the end of it, William the Conqueror was victorious over the last Anglo-Saxon King, Harold Godwinson.



Q12. C.
Ironically, by the time the Crusaders got to Jerusalem in 1099, the Muslim Turks had been defeated and driven from the city by Fatimids, who were friendly to Christians. The Byzantine emperor Alexius Comnenus tried to get them to alter their plan to "liberate" the city, but the Crusaders would not be stopped. They laid siege to Jerusalem and, upon conquering it, perpetrated some of the most horrible atrocities in the history of western warfare.

Q13. C.
The lance, a long pole with a three-pronged tip at one end, was carried by knights in the the Joust. Once an opponent was unhorsed, knights might fight on foot, and they would abandon the unwieldy poles for swords, maces, and other hand weapons.

Q14. B.
Gothic is considered by some to be the quintessential style of medieval architecture. The term was originally used with derision by Renaissance artists who associated its "ugliness" with the Gothic tribes who helped bring down the Roman empire. In reality, Goths had nothing to do with creating this style of architecture, which later scholars learned to appreciate for its own unique, majestic beauty.

Notre Dame was begun in the mid-twelfth century, at the height of medieval creativity and popular spirituality. It took more than 200 years to complete, although the choir, the western facade, and the nave were finished by 1250. Today, its three rose windows still retain glass put in place in the 13th century.

Q15. A.
"Bubonic" plague is the disease that spread swiftly through Europe in the 14th century, killing millions. It took other forms, as well, including "pneumonic plague," which was spread very swiftly through coughing, sneezing and even simply breathing, and "septicemic plague," which infected the blood directly. But all versions of plague were caused by the same germ, yersinia pestis.