Deck 11: East Asia

Question 1

Why did China build the Three Gorges Dam?

A)to control river flooding and create a resort area
B)to produce electricity and to control river flooding
C)to create a resort area
D)to produce electricity
E)to control river flooding

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Excepting Hong Kong (which is 100% urban)which nation is the most urban in East Asia?

A)North Korea
B)Japan
C)South Korea
D)China
E)Taiwan

Answer 2

B

Question 3

The Three Gorges Dam is being constructed on which river in China?

A)Huang He
B)Irrawaddy
C)Xi
D)Yangtze
E)Mekong

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Which statement is FALSE regarding the population of East Asia?

A)the regional growth rate has plummeted since the 1970s
B)population density varies dramatically between different regions of East Asia
C)population density is uniform across the region
D)East Asia vies with South Asia as the most populous region of the world
E)Japan is losing population, with South Korea and Taiwan soon to follow suit

Question 5

Relative to other large rivers in the world, how does the Yangtze River rank in terms of the volume of water it carries?

A)1st
B)2nd
C)3rd
D)4th
E)5th

Question 6

Which of the following islands in NOT part of Japan?

A)Kyushu
B)Hokkaido
C)Shikoku
D)Honshu
E)Taiwan

Question 7

Where would you find the mildest climate of East Asia?

A)the Japanese islands that lie closest to Russia
B)southeastern China
C)southwestern China
D)the northern portion of the Korean peninsula
E)central China

Question 8

East Asia is located in roughly the same latitudinal zone as which of the following world regions?

A)Latin America
B)Africa
C)North America
D)The Caribbean
E)Australia and Oceania

Question 9

What country in East Asia has resorted to "pollution exporting" as a way to improve its environment?

A)North Korea
B)China
C)Japan
D)South Korea
E)Taiwan

Question 10

Air pollution in China resulted in how many deaths in 2013?

A)160,000 deaths
B)1600 deaths
C)160 deaths
D)16,000 deaths
E)1)6 million deaths

Question 11

The three major lowland basins within Japan are the

A)Kanto, Nobi and Sichuan
B)Sichuan, Gobi and Kansai
C)Kansai, Kanto and Tibet
D)Kanto, Nobi and Kansai
E)Sichuan,Gobi and Kanto

Question 12

Taiwan

A)lies due east of an ocean trench that is several thousand feet deep.
B)is rugged and mountainous on its east side but flat on its west coast
C)is a peninsula.
D)is heavily deforested
E)is rugged and mountainous on its west side but flat on its east coast

Question 13

The physical geography of China

A)is bounded by the Himalayas along its eastern frontier
B)roughly encompasses the same latitude as the continental USA, with warm, humid summers in the south, and bitterly cold winters in the north
C)is closely related to the physical geography of neighboring Japan
D)is dominated by the Yellow and Yangtze rivers, which flow from Manchuria in a southerly direction into Tibet
E)becomes more mountainous and more arid as you travel from west to east

Question 14

Where are the highest elevations found in China?

A)the loess plateau frontier with Mongolia
B)Taiwan
C)Tibet
D)Manchuria
E)the eastern coastal region

Question 15

In which nation of East Asia is the Loess Plateau located?

A)Taiwan
B)South Korea
C)Japan
D)North Korea
E)China

Question 16

What is loess?

A)a clay-like substance from which people in China construct their homes
B)a human-made material that is a byproduct of the burning of high sulfur coal
C)a dark, coarse sand that is eroded from sea cliffs by wave energy from the ocean
D)a fine, glacially generated silt that is deposited by the wind
E)the rich dark topsoil that is found on the Japanese island of Honshu

Question 17

The primary source of energy used in China is

A)oil
B)nuclear
C)natural gas
D)coal
E)hydropower

Question 18

Japan is most vulnerable to

A)hurricanes
B)earthquakes
C)deforestation
D)desertification
E)tornadoes

Question 19

Why has East Asia come to occupy a central position in climate change debates?

A)because of China's rapid increases in carbon emissions
B)because of Japan's leading role in the solar energy industry
C)because it will be the hardest hit region as climate change continues
D)because South Korea leads the world in climate change research
E)because the Kyoto Protocol originated in this region

Question 20

Korea is located on which type of landform?

A)isthmus
B)land bridge
C)strait
D)peninsula
E)island

Question 21

In which part of East Asia would we find one of the most thoroughly anthropogenic landscapes in the world?

A)the North China Plain
B)the forests of Japan
C)the mountains of Japan
D)the Gobi Desert
E)Manchuria

Question 22

China's population

A)is denser on average than Japan
B)has a uniform density across the nation
C)is currently second largest in the world
D)decreases in density as you travel from east to west
E)is roughly 10% urban

Question 23

About how many Chinese citizens are Muslim?

A)5 million
B)500,000
C)100,000
D)21 million
E)7 million

Question 24

Where is almost all of the rice that the Japanese consume grown?

A)Southeast Asia
B)Japan
C)China
D)Korea
E)New Zealand

Question 25

Which of the following statements is TRUE regarding the population pyramids of China and Japan?

A)Japan and China both have high birth rates.
B)Japan is growing faster than China.
C)Japan has a younger population than China.
D)Japan faces a critical shortage of young people in future generations.
E)Both Japan and China exhibit high growth.

Question 26

What percent of Japan's population resides in the Tokkaido Corridor?

A)65%
B)55%
C)75%
D)15%
E)35%

Question 27

What writing system forms the basis for the writing throughout East Asia?

A)hieroglyphics
B)Cyrillic alphabet
C)Arabic alphabet
D)ideographic symbols (characters)
E)Roman alphabet

Question 28

What is an anthropogenic landscape?

A)a landscape that has been heavily transformed by human activities
B)a pristine, natural landscape, in its original state
C)a steppe-like landscape
D)a landscape the bears an uncanny resemblance to the human physical form
E)a landscape that anthropologists have studied extensively

Question 29

In which country of East Asia has Confucian philosophy had the LEAST influence?

A)Taiwan
B)South Korea
C)North Korea
D)Japan
E)China

Question 30

What is the name of the belief system that deals with designing buildings and placing of objects on the landscape in accordance with the spiritual powers that course through the local topography?

A)Falun Dafa
B)Confucianism
C)Buddhism
D)feng shui
E)Shinto

Question 31

Which countries in East Asia are known for their urban primacy?

A)China and Taiwan
B)China and South Korea
C)China and Japan
D)South Korea and Taiwan
E)China and North Korea

Question 32

Which nation in the region has an official ideology of "self-reliance" known as juche?

A)South Korea
B)China
C)Taiwan
D)Japan
E)North Korea

Question 33

Confucianism stresses all of the following ideals, EXCEPT

A)the need for the aristocracy to serve in the bureaucracy.
B)the importance of the family.
C)deference to authority.
D)respect for tradition.
E)the importance of ethics.

Question 34

All of the following statements about Mahayana Buddhism are true, EXCEPT

A)it holds that bodhisatvas help people reach liberation.
B)it originated in India.
C)it emphasizes liberation from the cycle of rebirth.
D)it is a nonexclusive religion.
E)it is strongest in Southeast Asia.

Question 35

From which two regions does Japan purchase much of its seafood for domestic consumption?

A)Europe and North America
B)Africa and the Middle East
C)Latin America and Southeast Asia
D)Japan largely relies on seafood caught domestically within Japanese waters
E)Europe and Russia

Question 36

Japan's urban settlements are restricted to roughly what percentage of its land?

A)1%
B)15%
C)35%
D)25%
E)5%

Question 37

China's one-child policy

A)is gradually being phased out and will likely become a future "two-child" policy
B)outlawed abortion in 1978
C)failed miserably and did not slow the growth rate
D)was formally abandoned in 1997
E)has not been altered since its inception in 1978

Question 38

Which of the following was NOT a characteristic of traditional Chinese cities?

A)planned according to strict geometrical principles with streets meeting at right angles
B)vast open spaces for commercial purposes
C)houses built around courtyards
D)low buildings and straight streets
E)a defensive wall

Question 39

The Shinto religion is most closely associated with which country of East Asia?

A)South Korea
B)North Korea
C)Taiwan
D)China
E)Japan

Question 40

Which region of East Asia is amongst the most densely populated in the world, with a population exceeding 100 million people?

A)the Sichuan Basin
B)the Korean Peninsula
C)Manchuria
D)Tibet
E)Taiwan

Question 41

The Opium Wars pitted the Chinese against which nation?

A)United States
B)Korea
C)Japan
D)Great Britain
E)Russia

Question 42

Which of the following statements is TRUE regarding the Korean War?

A)The war ended in a stalemate with the two sides maintaining a heavily-fortified frontier.
B)South Korea invaded North Korea and defeated it soundly.
C)North Korea occupied South Korea and still remains in power today.
D)The Korean War pitted a US/UN backed North Korea against a Chinese-backed South Korea.
E)The boundary was established at the 58th parallel.

Question 43

On which Japanese-controlled island does the United States maintain several military bases?

A)Senkaku/Diaoyu
B)Hokkaido
C)Taiwan
D)Kuril Islands
E)Okinawa

Question 44

Which of the following is NOT considered to be a potential geopolitical crisis in East Asia?

A)aggressive Chinese expansion into the South China Sea
B)border disputes between India and China
C)a nuclear Japan poised to repeat the military aggression of the 1930s and 1940s
D)tensions between China and Taiwan over the sovereignty of Taiwan
E)a geopolitically unstable North Korea acquiring nuclear weapons

Question 45

Which of the following is NOT an example of the "vibrant internationalism" of the capitalist countries of East Asia?

A)Action films from Hong Kong are popular in much of the world.
B)Business meetings among Japanese, Chinese, and Korean firms are often conducted in English.
C)Relatively large numbers of advanced students from East Asia study in the United States and other English-speaking countries.
D)Most Japanese study English for 6 to 10 years.
E)North Koreans maintain an isolationist position.

Question 46

Which country in East Asia does mainland China still claim as an integral part of the Chinese nation?

A)Taiwan
B)North Korea
C)South Korea
D)Japan
E)both North and South Korea

Question 47

You fly from the city of Guangzhou to Seoul and then onward to Tokyo. You will speak which three languages in succession?

A)Tai, Xiang, Tibetan
B)Cantonese, Korean, Japanese
C)Mandarin Chinese, Korean, Japanese
D)Korean, Tibetan, Tai
E)Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Korean

Question 48

Which of the following countries did NOT have a sphere of influence in China in the 19th century?

A)France
B)Germany
C)United States
D)Russia
E)Britain

Question 49

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of Han people?

A)They have historically been incorporated into the Chinese cultural and political systems.
B)They all speak the same language and dialect.
C)They are Chinese.
D)They form the vast majority of Chinese people.
E)Their language is expressed in the Chinese writing system.

Question 50

The ethnolinguistic diverse province of southern China where many non-Chinese languages are spoken within close proximity to each other is

A)Yunnan
B)Manchuria
C)Sichuan
D)Gansu
E)Ningxia

Question 51

What group of islands in the South China Sea are claimed by the Chinese?

A)Spratly Islands
B)Senkaku/Daioyu
C)Okinawa
D)Macao
E)Hokkaido

Question 52

During what era did the Chinese Empire reach its height?

A)1900s
B)1700s
C)1500s
D)1300s
E)1100s

Question 53

After the Manchu Dynasty of China was toppled in 1911-12, which of the following developments did NOT occur?

A)Japan sought to expand its territory into China.
B)Subsequent efforts to establish a unified Chinese Republic were successful within the following decade.
C)Xinjiang fell under Russian influence.
D)Local military leaders ("warlords")grabbed power for themselves.
E)Tibetans gained autonomy.

Question 54

The Korean War began in

A)1999
B)1945
C)1937
D)1905
E)1950

Question 55

To which of the following countries would a Korean be LEAST likely to migrate today?

A)Canada
B)the United States
C)England
D)Australia
E)New Zealand

Question 56

China reclaimed what valuable city-state from the British in 1997?

A)Hong Kong
B)Chengdu
C)Taipei
D)Guangzhou
E)Shanghai

Question 57

Who are the Ainu?

A)the secret police of North Korea
B)the wealthiest people in South Korea
C)the religious leaders of Taiwan
D)the political elite in China
E)an ethnic minority in Japan

Question 58

In which of the following parts of East Asia has Japan controlled territory?

A)Taiwan and Korea
B)Manchuria and Xinjiang, China
C)Manchuria (China), Taiwan, Korea
D)Xinjiang, China
E)Korea

Question 59

The Ainu are found primarily on which island of Japan?

A)Shikoku
B)Kyushu
C)Honshu
D)Taiwan
E)Hokkaido

Question 60

Which region of China has been more international in its orientation with close links to the Chinese diaspora in Southeast Asia and around the world?

A)Manchuria
B)Yunnan
C)southern coastal China
D)Sichuan
E)Guangxi

Question 61

What is the main reason that several countries in East Asia claim the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands northeast of Taiwan?

A)The scenic value of these islands could generate millions of tourist dollars a year.
B)These islands are home to many species of animals that can be raised as food.
C)These islands are strategically situated for the launching of military attacks against Russia and other European nations.
D)These islands may hold petroleum reserves.
E)These islands are some of the most biologically diverse in the world and their plants may contain many potential medicines.

Question 62

A prime example of a Special Economic Zone, located adjacent to Hong Kong, is the city of

A)Shenzhen
B)Chengdu
C)Beijing
D)Guangzhou
E)Shanghai

Question 63

Over the last three decades, which country of East Asia has had the slowest economic growth?

A)China
B)North Korea
C)Taiwan
D)South Korea
E)Japan

Question 64

Which nation in East Asia is widely regarded as the world leader in Internet connectivity and speed?

A)North Korea
B)China
C)South Korea
D)Japan
E)Taiwan

Question 65

Which nation in East Asia is poised to become a major geopolitical and economic force in the 21st century?

A)Japan
B)China
C)Taiwan
D)North Korea
E)South Korea

Question 66

China's late-twentieth-century economic reform

A)was inaugurated during the Cultural Revolution
B)embraced communist principles espoused by Mao Zedong
C)resulted in a major recession in the 1990s
D)led to the strongest growth during the "Great Leap Forward."
E)led to growth rates exceeding 10 percent per year.

Question 67

Which of the following has long been characterized as having a laissez-faire economy?

A)Hong Kong
B)North Korea
C)Japan
D)South Korea
E)Taiwan

Question 68

China's "Great Leap Forward"

A)was responsible for China becoming the economic world power it is today
B)took place in the late 1980s.
C)led to a major famine as the government melted down peasants' farm tools.
D)occurred in tandem with the "Cultural Revolution."
E)occurred against the wishes of Mao Zedong.

Question 69

Which of the following statements is TRUE regarding Chinese migration?

A)Migration is usually abroad to Vietnam, North Korea or Mongolia.
B)Migration is usually from the rural interior to coastal provinces.
C)Migration is usually from south to north, as was the case in the United States during the Industrial Revolution.
D)Migration is usually from the coastal provinces to the rural interior.
E)Migration usually involves short distance within individual provinces.

Question 70

What is China's policy toward education of children of migrants to cities who came from rural areas?

A)Migrants' children are welcomed in the schools in the cities to which they have migrated.
B)Children of migrants must pay tuition that is twice that of children born in the cities.
C)The children must return to their parents' home villages and go to schools there.
D)There is no official policy.
E)Education is not required for any children.

Question 71

Where is China's "rust belt" located?

A)Tianjin
B)Beijing
C)Fujian
D)Guangdong
E)Manchuria

Question 72

The former Portuguese colony of Macau, reclaimed by China, derives a major percentage of its revenue from what industry?

A)gambling
B)rice exports
C)IT software development
D)medical supplies
E)heavy machinery production

Question 73

What does the acronym SEZ stand for?

A)Serviceable Economic Zones
B)Sizeable Economic Zoning
C)Special Economic Zones
D)Special Ecological Zones
E)Special Equality Zone

Question 74

What has been the consequence of China's "one-child" policy?

A)Chinese have emigrated to Japan by the millions to escape the policy.
B)The average total fertility rate has declined to 1.6.
C)The total fertility rate has increased as people routinely break the law to have large families.
D)Average total fertility rate has dropped to 1.6, but the number of baby boys far exceeds the number of baby girls because of gender-selective abortion and abandonment of healthy baby
Girls at birth.
E)The number of baby girls far exceeds the number of baby boys.

Question 75

Taiwan's high-technology businesses are intertwined with those of

A)South Korea
B)China
C)Hong Kong
D)Japan
E)the United States, in particular with Silicon Valley

Question 76

Which country of East Asia has taken recent steps to acquire and develop nuclear weaponry, triggering concern in the U.S.?

A)China
B)South Korea
C)North Korea
D)Japan
E)Taiwan

Question 77

Which group of Chinese provinces had the highest overall GDP per capita in 2015?

A)Sichuan, Gansu, Guizhou
B)Guangxi, Guizhou, Yunnan
C)Beijing, Shanghai, Zhejiang
D)Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang
E)Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu

Question 78

Despite a massive reduction in the poverty rate, upwards of how many Chinese still live on less than $1.25 a day?

A)20 million
B)2 billion
C)200,000
D)200 million
E)2 million

Question 79

Japan's economy

A)is not as large as China's.
B)slowed substantially in the 1990s.
C)has seen sustained gains in its real estate values over the last two decades.
D)is currently the largest in the world.
E)did not begin to industrialize until after World War II.

Question 80

Which Chinese region has experienced the greatest recent economic expansion?

A)the provinces along the coast
B)Inner Mongolia
C)the western provinces
D)the region surrounding the Gobi Desert
E)the central provinces