Lesson 3

3 Exploration and voyages of discovery Quiz: Pearson Edexcel History, Unit 8

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 3, Exploration and voyages of discovery: 20 multiple choice questions for the Pearson Edexcel GCSE History (1HI0), Unit 8: Early Elizabethan England, 1558–88, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. Which new ship design, with several masts and sails, improved Elizabethan voyages?

    • The coracle
    • The longship
    • The galley
    • The galleon

  2. Which English navigator sailed around the world between 1577 and 1580?

    • Francis Drake
    • Martin Frobisher
    • John Hawkins
    • Walter Raleigh

  3. What was the name of Drake's ship on his circumnavigation?

    • The Ark Royal
    • The Golden Hind
    • The Revenge
    • The Mary Rose

  4. Which Elizabethan adventurer sponsored the attempted colonies at Roanoke?

    • Walter Raleigh
    • Humphrey Gilbert
    • Henry Hudson
    • John Cabot

  5. What was the main commercial motive for Elizabethan exploration?

    • Claiming Europe
    • Spreading religion
    • Stopping piracy
    • Finding new markets

  6. Which English explorer searched for a north-west passage in the 1570s?

    • Henry Hudson
    • John Cabot
    • Martin Frobisher
    • Richard Grenville

  7. What does the historical term circumnavigation mean?

    • Shipwrecking near colonies
    • Mapping a new river
    • Trading across the channel
    • Sailing around the world

  8. Which navigation instrument was used to measure the altitude of stars and so estimate latitude?

    • The astrolabe
    • The barometer
    • The telescope
    • The hourglass

  9. Which ship improvement helped Elizabethan vessels travel faster and further?

    • Oar power only
    • More sails
    • Smaller hulls
    • Iron plating

  10. Why did financial backers usually expect a share of an expedition's cargo?

    • They captained the fleets
    • They funded the voyage
    • They built the ships
    • They were royal monarchs

  11. Sailing west continuously and returning to your starting port achieves what?

    • Colonisation
    • Circumnavigation
    • Smuggling
    • Privateering

  12. Why did Elizabethan adventurers prefer to use armed merchant ships?

    • To seize treasure
    • Cheaper building costs
    • Royal navy orders
    • Faster sailing speed

  13. Which route did sailors hope to take to reach Asia via the north-west?

    • Around South America
    • Across the Sahara
    • Through the Mediterranean
    • Around North America

  14. What equipment most helps a long ocean voyage stay on course?

    • Larger anchors
    • Navigational instruments
    • Extra cargo
    • Heavy cannons

  15. What was the most likely consequence of capturing a Spanish treasure fleet?

    • England gained wealth
    • England ended trade
    • Spain gained allies
    • Spain built schools

  16. Why was investing money in an overseas trading voyage considered risky?

    • Shipwreck
    • Fixed profits
    • Low demand
    • Guaranteed taxes

  17. Why was Francis Drake's circumnavigation politically significant for England?

    • It secured peace
    • It established colonies
    • It ended taxes
    • It challenged Spain

  18. What did improved ship design allow Elizabethan voyages to carry more of?

    • Heavy machinery
    • Ballast stones
    • Prisoners of war
    • Crew and supplies

  19. What was Walter Raleigh's Roanoke venture an early attempt at?

    • A military base
    • North American settlement
    • A trading post
    • A gold mine

  20. Why did the English Crown financially support privateers like Francis Drake?

    • Conquered Ireland
    • Abolished Parliament
    • Weakened Spain
    • Spread Protestantism

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