Lesson Y7-U05-L04

The Black Death, 1348 Quiz: KS3 History, Unit 5

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson Y7-U05-L04, The Black Death, 1348: 20 multiple choice questions for the KS3 History (National Curriculum), Unit 5: Year 7: Medieval Lives, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. In what year did the Black Death reach England?

    • 1348
    • 1215
    • 1381
    • 1066

  2. In which Dorset port did the Black Death probably first land in England?

    • Southampton
    • Bristol
    • Dover
    • Melcombe

  3. What was the Black Death also called at the time?

    • The Black Death
    • The Red Fever
    • The Great Pestilence
    • The Great Plague

  4. Roughly what proportion of England's population died during the Black Death?

    • One third to half
    • Three quarters
    • Nearly one tenth
    • Almost all

  5. What were the painful black swellings called that appeared on plague victims?

    • Buboes
    • Pustules
    • Warts
    • Blisters

  6. Within how many days did most people die after catching the plague?

    • 2 to 3 weeks
    • 24 hours
    • Over a month
    • 3 to 5 days

  7. Which symptoms typically appeared first when someone caught the Black Death?

    • Coughing blood
    • Fever and aches
    • Black swellings
    • Skin blotches

  8. What crucial medical fact did people in medieval England not know about the plague?

    • Its high fatality
    • Its origin abroad
    • Cause and spread
    • Its swift speed

  9. Which animals carried the fleas that spread the plague?

    • Horses
    • Dogs
    • Sheep
    • Black rats

  10. How did pneumonic plague spread directly from person to person?

    • Dirty clothing
    • Fleas and rats
    • Coughs and sneezes
    • Contaminated water

  11. How did the Black Death travel rapidly between towns and countries?

    • Trade ships and travellers
    • Contaminated water supplies
    • Airborne wind storms
    • Migrating wild birds

  12. Why did people fear the plague so intensely in medieval times?

    • It lasted ten years
    • It only affected children
    • It had no cure
    • It was completely painless

  13. What did many medieval people believe caused the Black Death?

    • God punishing sin
    • Contaminated water supplies
    • Poisoned well grain
    • Solar eclipse events

  14. Approximately what fraction of England's population was killed by the Black Death?

    • A third to half
    • A tenth to fifth
    • Virtually everyone
    • Three quarters

  15. What main carriers transmitted the plague bacteria to humans?

    • Fleas on rats
    • Mosquitoes in swamps
    • Ticks in forests
    • Pigeons in cities

  16. Why did medieval people fail to understand the true cause of the plague?

    • Religious bans on books
    • Lack of scientific knowledge
    • Government censorship
    • Foreign doctors hiding facts

  17. What was an immediate agricultural impact of the Black Death in villages?

    • Lower food prices
    • Advanced farming machinery
    • Crops left unharvested
    • Surplus grain production

  18. When and where did the Black Death first arrive in England?

    • December 1349 in Kent
    • March 1347 in Cornwall
    • June 1348 in Dorset
    • January 1348 in London

  19. What distinctive skin symptoms followed the initial fever of the plague?

    • Painful buboes
    • Itchy red rashes
    • Permanent green stains
    • White flaky patches

  20. Where did plague-carrying rats commonly live in medieval society?

    • Deep underground caves
    • Uninhabited forest floors
    • Close to people
    • High mountain tops

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