Why Europeans sailed, and where they went

Grade 7 Social Studies Worksheet

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Portugal's route around Africa

   Route 1, Bartolomeu Dias: Lisbon, August 1487, south along Africa; passes the southern tip in early 1488; turns back after the Cape, back in Lisbon December 1488. Route 2, Vasco da Gama: Lisbon, July 8, 1497; Cape Verde Islands; around the Cape of Good Hope, November 22, 1497; Malindi, where he hired a pilot; reaches India near Calicut, May 20, 1498. Key: a blue arrow is Dias; a red arrow is da Gama; a star is a place where a pilot joined; a pepper is spices. Below the map: Dias named the cape the Cape of Storms; King John II renamed it the Cape of Good Hope. In 1500, a fleet under Pedro Álvares Cabral, with Dias aboard, reached Brazil.

2. 1.

   Where did Vasco da Gama hire a pilot, Noah asks?

   • Calicut
   • The Cape Verde Islands
   • Lisbon
   • Malindi
3. 2.

   When did da Gama reach India, Pia asks?

   • July 8, 1497
   • November 22, 1497
   • December 1488
   • May 20, 1498
4. 3.

   Which explorer's route turned back after the Cape, Ren asks?

   • King John II
   • Bartolomeu Dias
   • Pedro Álvares Cabral
   • Vasco da Gama
5. 4.

   How many years passed between Dias rounding the Cape (1488) and da Gama reaching India (1498), Tala asks?

   • 100 years
   • 10 years
   • 1 year
   • 2,986 years
6. 5.

   About how long did da Gama's trip from Lisbon to India take, Zee asks?

   • About 10 months
   • About 1 month at sea
   • About 10 days
   • About 10 years
7. 6.

   Which came first, Dias's voyage or Cabral reaching Brazil, Ari asks?

   • Neither one: both are 1600s
   • Cabral reaching Brazil
   • Dias's voyage
   • Both in the same year
8. 7.

   What did da Gama's route make possible, Bo asks?

   • A road across Africa
   • Trade by land through Venice and Genoa
   • An end to the spice trade
   • Trade by sea, skipping the middlemen
9. 8.

   Why did the king rename the Cape of Storms the Cape of Good Hope, Esme asks?

   • Because Dias asked for it
   • To encourage travel and trade
   • To mark the end of exploring
   • Because the storms stopped for good
10. 9.

    Which claim does the map support best, Kira asks?

    • Cabral rounded Africa in 1488
    • Dias reached India first
    • Dias rounded Africa; da Gama reached India
    • Da Gama sailed west across the Pacific to India
11. 10.

    Luz's friend says da Gama found the way to India alone. What is the best reply?

    • Agree: Dias stayed home
    • Not quite: Dias's route and a pilot helped
    • Agree: no one else helped
    • Disagree: da Gama did not reach India