- What does “BC” stand for in historical dates?
a) Before Common
b) Before Christ
c) Before Civilization
d) Before CenturyAnswer: b) Before Christ
Explanation: BC stands for “Before Christ” and is used for dates before the birth of Jesus Christ.
- What does “AD” stand for in historical dates?
a) After Death
b) Ancient Dates
c) Anno Domini
d) After DiscoveryAnswer: c) Anno Domini
Explanation: AD stands for “Anno Domini,” a Latin phrase meaning “in the year of the Lord,” referring to years after the birth of Christ.
- What is the modern alternative to “BC” and “AD”?
a) BP and CE
b) BCE and CE
c) BC and BP
d) AC and DCAnswer: b) BCE and CE
Explanation: BCE (Before Common Era) and CE (Common Era) are now widely used to avoid religious references while maintaining the same timeline.
- What does “BP” mean in historical dating?
a) Before Population
b) Before Present
c) Before Paleolithic
d) Before PrintingAnswer: b) Before Present
Explanation: BP stands for “Before Present,” commonly used in archaeological and geological dating.
- If a historical event happened in 500 BC, how many years ago was that from the year 2000 AD?
a) 1500 years
b) 2000 years
c) 2500 years
d) 3000 yearsAnswer: c) 2500 years
Explanation: Since BC dates count backward from year 0, adding 500 BC to 2000 AD gives 2500 years.
- Which of the following is an approximate date notation used by historians?
a) c. (circa)
b) ~ (tilde)
c) * (asterisk)
d) @ (at sign)Answer: a) c. (circa)
Explanation: The Latin term “circa,” meaning “approximately,” is often written as “c.” before uncertain dates.
- Which of these periods is measured in “mya” (million years ago)?
a) The Industrial Revolution
b) The Harappan Civilization
c) The Palaeolithic Age
d) The Gupta EmpireAnswer: c) The Palaeolithic Age
Explanation: The Palaeolithic period, which began about 2 million years ago, is often expressed as “mya” (million years ago).
- What is the significance of the year “0” in the Gregorian calendar?
a) It marks the start of human civilization
b) It is the year of Jesus Christ’s birth
c) It separates BC and AD
d) It is the year of the first written recordAnswer: c) It separates BC and AD
Explanation: The year 0 is the reference point that separates BC (Before Christ) and AD (Anno Domini), but in most historical timelines, there is no “year 0”; it moves directly from 1 BC to AD 1.
- Which of the following is NOT a common way of recording historical dates?
a) BC/AD
b) BCE/CE
c) BP (Before Present)
d) ED (Early Date)Answer: d) ED (Early Date)
Explanation: ED is not a recognized format for historical dating, whereas BC/AD, BCE/CE, and BP are commonly used.
- How long ago did people start using the Common Era (CE) system in India?
a) 500 years ago
b) 1000 years ago
c) 200 years ago
d) Since ancient times
Answer: c) 200 years ago
Explanation: India adopted the CE (Common Era) system about 200 years ago due to British influence.
