Deck 4: Blueprint for Empire: China, 1200 B.C.E.- 220 C.E.

Question 1

Southern China's main agricultural product is

A)Wheat.
B)Potato.
C)Corn.
D)Rice.
E)Tea.

Answer 1

Rice.

Question 2

The ____ were not known for making human statues.

A)Shang.
B)Sanxingdui.
C)Qin.
D)Han.
E)Si.

Answer 2

Shang.

Question 3

Why does Southern China receive more rain than the north?

A)Because of its proximity to the Yellow River.
B)Due to water-laden monsoon winds.
C)Because of its several mountain ranges.
D)Because it is near the northern temperate zone.
E)Due to heat-carrying trade winds.

Answer 3

Due to water-laden monsoon winds.

Question 4

Before China was united,____________ had developed.

A)A writing system.
B)Agriculture.
C)Worship of ancestors.
D)Confucianism and Daoism.
E)All of these choices.

Question 5

How did the Grand Historian Sima explain the overthrow of the Shang by the Zhou?

A)The Zhou won a great battle against the Shang and mutilated the Shang bodies.
B)The Zhou united many minor kings for the attack on the Shang.
C)The Zhou outnumbered the Shang by hundreds of thousands.
D)The Shang were weakened by an epidemic.
E)The Shang had become corrupt and decadent.

Question 6

The Qin armies were successful in expanding their state because they were organized

A)As an auxillary.
B)As a meritocracy.
C)According to wealth.
D)By taking a test.
E)According to height.

Question 7

Oracle bones used to predict the future are associated with which dynasty?

A)Qin.
B)Zhou.
C)Shang.
D)Wang.
E)Si.

Question 8

Why is the word sorrow used in the description of the Yellow River?

A)The river is associated with souls that were not properly buried and used the river as a resting area.
B)It is associated with gods that bring harm to individuals and areas.
C)The river is prone to frequent catastrophic floods.
D)Its waters are known to be the carrier of the plague.
E)The river has been used by invaders.

Question 9

The Chinese referred to oracles to foretell the future by

A)Reading the signs made by the calls of owls at night.
B)Animal sacrifice rituals.
C)Reading the ash of burned poppy leaves.
D)Interpreting the cracks resulting from placing a heated poker on the shoulder blade bone of cattle, turtle shells, and plastrons.
E)Burning the ashes of ancestors.

Question 10

The main written history of the Shang is the Records of the Grand Historian,written in the first century B.C.E.by

A)Sima Qian.
B)Confucius.
C)Emperor Wu.
D)Ban Zhao.
E)Shang Yang.

Question 11

The Shang believed that they had to perform rituals to,and offer food and drink to

A)Nature spirits.
B)Supreme god.
C)Angels.
D)Wind gods.
E)Ancestors.

Question 12

Which of the following might be a sign that Heaven is withdrawing its mandate?

A)Terrible storms.
B)Famines. 
C)Unusual astronomical events.
D)Peasant rebellions.
E)All of these choices. 

Question 13

The Warring States Period refers to the end of which dynasty?

A)Shang.
B)Qin.
C)Wang.
D)Zhou.
E)Han.

Question 14

On his deathbed,the Qin First Emperor urged that his descendants ruled be for,"ten thousand years",which means

A)The length of a king's rule.
B)Until a new god appears.
C)Forever.
D)The time an emperor lies in his tomb.
E)Marks the creation of the universe.

Question 15

Shang and the people of Sanxingdui shared which of the following characteristics?

A)Left abundant written records.
B)Practiced human sacrifice.
C)Lived in walled settlements.
D)Created impressive statues of their kings.
E)None of these choices.

Question 16

Which dynasty was the first to unify China?

A)Qin.
B)Zhou.
C)Shang.
D)Wang Mang.
E)Han.

Question 17

Scholars have combined the information from oracle bones and ____ to piece together the outlines of early Chinese history.

A)Trade records.
B)Tomb artifacts.
C)Shang archeological sites.
D)Records in Sumerian.
E)Palace records.

Question 18

Shang Chinese divided food between meats and vegetables in one group,and in the other

A)Organic foods.
B)Grains (usually wheat and millet.)
C)Dairy products.
D)Seafood.
E)Fruits.

Question 19

Explain the meaning of shi huangdi.

A)Translated by the Han to mean First Emperor.
B)Implies that Chinese emperors should stay remote from their subjects.
C)The time in an emperors's life where he is served by a regent.
D)Used by Qin to mean first emperor and replace the word king.
E)Used by the Shang kings when referring to their long-dead ancestors.

Question 20

Which of the following best describes the Shang?

A)Shang kings directly ruled a large region in China.
B)Shang kings built the first fixed capital of China at Beijing.
C)The Shang used a movable camp instead of a fixed capital.
D)Shang wrote a long history of their region.
E)The Shang worshipped their king as a living god.

Question 21

Liu Bang,formerly a low-ranking official in the Qin dynasty,founded the Han dynasty when he

A)Married into the Zhou dynasty.
B)Rebelled against the second Qin emperor.
C)Became a Confucian master.
D)Conquered Manchuria.
E)Replaced the meritocracy with an aristocracy.

Question 22

The purpose of the stone tablets placed on mountains by the first Qin emperor was to demonstrate how he directed all of his subjects and to

A)Honor his long-dead ancestors.
B)Create pride in the Chinese people for their military accomplishments.
C)Emphasize that he was not a follower of Confucius.
D)Bring to the attention of his subjects the many accomplishments of the Qin.
E)Reiterate that China was the center of the cosmos.

Question 23

Qin law was sophisticated and nuanced,as witnessed by

A)The privileging of the wealthy over the poor.
B)Giving special treatment to the poor.
C)Requiring every judge to memorize all laws.
D)Allowing assemblies to determine guilt.
E)Making a distinction between manslaughter and murder.

Question 24

Evidence and text found in the Shuihudi site pertain to

A)Procedures that must be followed by legal officials before any judgment can be made.
B)Cases that involved married women.
C)A system of appointing town officials.
D)Regulations regarding weights and measures.
E)Legal instructions describing building codes.

Question 25

Daoist thinking can be very abstract,as illustrated by the story of the butterfly.What is the central theme of this anecdote?

A)Man sheds his skin as a butterfly sheds his pupa.
B)A butterfly is capable of gaining superhuman power.
C)It is impossible to tell whether Zhuang Zhou or the butterfly is the one dreaming.
D)The butterfly is man transformed into the Perfect Man.
E)The butterfly represents immortality.

Question 26

The immediate problem facing the Han when taking power was

A)Putting down rebellions led by Qin generals.
B)Stopping invasions and attacks on their borders.
C)Curbing incursions in the palace.
D)Creating an efficient government to control the extensive empire.
E)Caused by insufficient revenue.

Question 27

The power and control of the First Emperor are best demonstrated by

A)The size of the Qin's realm, which spanned territory from Northern Mongolia to Vietnam.
B)Initiating a census of all able-bodied men.
C)Viewing his laws as a way to control everyone in his realm regardless of class or wealth.
D)Building the Great Wall to protect China from invasion.
E)Submitting law and order to a higher power.

Question 28

The key tenet of Confucianism is filial piety which means respecting and obeying

A)One's spiritual self.
B)Nature.
C)One's parents.
D)One's enemy.
E)One's body.

Question 29

Confucius believed that individuals could find their inner harmony by

A)Performing rituals correctly - from sacrificing animals to performing dances.
B)Being successful in battle.
C)Giving up all of one's material goods.
D)Fasting during daylight hours.
E)Living in the forests, away from towns.

Question 30

Although the times and history grade the First Emperor as a tyrant,he portrayed himself as a great leader by all of the following except

A)Creating clay tablets that portray his actions as a Confucianist.
B)Making comparisons to previous Chinese history.
C)Claiming he was a role model to his people.
D)Using stone tablets to lead his subjects in prayer rituals.
E)Highlighting his great projects without regard to the cost to China in expense and sacrifice.

Question 31

Confucius's original teachings were not meant to establish a religion,but in what way can they be related to religion?

A)They offered ritual at key moments in life.
B)They established monks to spread the word of Confucius.
C)Confucius was seen as a deity both in life and death.
D)They had various requirements to eat special foods.
E)They spoke to reincarnation.

Question 32

Translated,what does The Analects refer to?

A)Ancestor worship.
B)Discussions and conversations with Confucius.
C)The law of the land.
D)The early history of Shang dynasty.
E)Relations between the emperor and his subjects.

Question 33

Chinese battles,from the Shang period through most of the Zhou period,were fought with

A)Steel swords.
B)Gunpowder.
C)Slave armies.
D)Chariots.
E)Champions.

Question 34

Implementing the meritocracy system beginning in 221 B.C.E.made the Qin army the strongest in China because

A)Only soldiers and officers from the royal family held positions of authority.
B)Qin soldiers were executed if their performance in battle was deemed dishonorable.
C)No man could advance in the military if he came from a dishonorable household.
D)A soldier's family was held accountable for his actions in battle.
E)The chance to win promotion was a strong incentive to fight well.

Question 35

Shang Yang,as chief advisor to the Qin,brought about reforms that involved

A)Military obligations.
B)Crime prevention.
C)Military reorganization.
D)Tax obligations.
E)All of these.

Question 36

Shang Yang promoted the philosophical school of

A)Daoism.
B)Legalism.
C)Confucianism.
D)Buddhism.
E)Rhetoric.

Question 37

In Daoism,the phrase "perfect man" refers to someone who has achieved

A)Highest political office.
B)Immortality.
C)Read every known text
D)Traveled the length of the Silk Road and back.
E)Married and had only sons for children.

Question 38

Daoism urges rulers to allow things to take their natural course,which is called

A)The Analects.
B)Lessons for Women.
C)Records of the Grand Historian.
D)Wuwei.
E)Tao Te Ching.

Question 39

The Han dynasty can be summed up as

A)Being more brutal than the Qin.
B)Being created by a low-ranking official.
C)Legalist dynasty with a Confucian veneer.
D)Limiting education to only boys.
E)Eliminating the Legalistic System of the Qin.

Question 40

Government staff,commanderies,military governors,and magistrates had what duty from the First Emperor?

A)Adhere to the precepts of Confucius.
B)Allow no foreign invasions.
C)All criminal sentences and executions had to be approved by the emperor.
D)Carefully carry out the detailed laws of the Qin.
E)Inform the government of any infraction of the law.

Question 41

Please define the following key terms.
Yangzi River

Question 42

What development is considered to be one of the most important Chinese contributions to civilization?

A)Gunpowder.
B)Legalism.
C)Paper.
D)Universities.
E)Literature.

Question 43

In addition to establishing boundaries that would define China for centuries,what type of blueprint did the Qin and Han dynasties leave for future Chinese leaders?

A)How to control insurrection inside the government.
B)The proper method of court etiquette.
C)How to manage foreign threats through diplomacy.
D)How to govern the empire. 
E)Tracing the history of past emperors and how to avoid similar errors. 

Question 44

The Later Han Era was also called the Eastern Han because it

A)Refers to the period of the Xin Dynasty.
B)Involved when the original capital of Chang'an was controlled by the Wang dynasty.
C)Refers to the fact that the new capital of Luoyang was east of the old capital of Chang'an.
D)Was ruled by the empress of the deposed Han founder.
E)Refers to the area to which the Han escaped during the end of the dynasty.

Question 45

The Han dynasty's expansion involved tenuous control since

A)Imposing Chinese culture over indigenous peoples.
B)The Chinese use of the Silk Road to supply their armies in the northwest.
C)Chinese presence limited to Chinese garrisons
D)The first Chinese to expand into Vietnam.
E)Chinese garrisons that were unable to impose Confucianism on local peoples. 

Question 46

How did the Imperial Academy,established in 124 B.C.E.by Emperor Wu, prepare men for positions in government?

A) By requiring a strong knowledge of the Legalist doctrine.
B) By mandating the study of Buddhism.
C) By compelling study of the various languages spoken in the empire. 
D) By requiring that students pass merit tests based on Confucian doctrine.
E) By testing them in various offices and moving them to the court as they succeeded.

Question 47

Please define the following key terms.
Oracle Bones

Question 48

Please define the following key terms.
Shi Huangdi

Question 49

The Yue were

A)Ancestors of the Koreans.
B)Ancestors of the Vietnamese.
C)Nomadic peoples living in the Taklamakan Desert.
D)Non-Chinese peoples living on the northern border of China.
E)Non-Confucianist groups of peoples living during the time of the Han.

Question 50

The southern kingdom of the Yue can best be described as

A)The southern extent of Han territory.
B)A nomad people who settled after an epidemic.
C)Precursors to the modern nation of South Korea.
D)A purely Confucian empire.
E)A tribal confederation with no central authority.

Question 51

Han Emperor Wu sent Zhang Qian in 139 B.C.E.as an envoy to negotiate with the Yuezhi,to convince them to

A)Form an alliance against the Xiongnu.
B)Dam up the Yellow River.
C)Increase trade in Chinese silk.
D)Surrender to Han authority.
E)Join an expeditionary force to control Silk Road traffic.

Question 52

The Xiongnu threat to the Han empire finally came to an end because

A)Of the negotiation of the Han diplomat Zhang Qian.
B)Weak Xiongnu kings were unable to raise an army through alliances with other kings.
C)Changing climatic conditions weakened the Xiongnu horses, raised on the Mongolian steppes.
D)Cultural assimilation made the Xiongnu into urban dwellers.
E)The Xiongnu confederacy broke apart into warring groups.

Question 53

Please define the following key terms.
Yellow River

Question 54

Please define the following key terms.
First Emperor of the Qin Dynasty

Question 55

What important invention of the second century B.C.E.had a profound effect on the culture of learning?

A)The development of the Imperial Academy.
B)The invention of paper.
C)The development of literary works.
D)The evolution of books in education.
E)Bamboo strips for writing.

Question 56

Without the rigidity of the Qin dynasty,how was the Han emperor able to control his vast empire?

A)By subdividing the empire into small military precincts under the control of a Han general. 
B)By massive movements of people outside their homeland to avoid collective rebellions.
C)By severe punishments of whole populations for the infractions of any few.
D)By arranging marriages between the Han court and courts of other regions inside the empire.
E)By subdividing half of the empire into independent kingdoms.

Question 57

Most Chinese people believe Zhang Qian discovered

A)America.
B)The Silk Road.
C)Gunpowder.
D)Iron making.
E)Japan.

Question 58

What type of political system was created by the Xiongnu?

A)Theocracy.
B)Confederation of different tribal peoples.
C)Rule by tribal chiefs. 
D)Kings under the strong influence of high priests.
E)Same as China with an emperor who ruled a dynasty.

Question 59

Lessons for Women,by Ban Zhao,emphasized all the following except

A)A woman should be subordinate to her husband.
B)In-laws were an important part of every woman's life.
C)Families should make an effort to provide some education for daughters.
D)Women should not quarrel with their husbands or in-laws.
E)That an educated woman was not capable of loyalty to both her husband and children.

Question 60

Please define the following key terms.
Shang Dynasty

Question 61

Please define the following key terms.
Shang Yang

Question 62

Please define the following key terms.
Xiongnu

Question 63

Please define the following key terms.
Han Dynasty

Question 64

Please define the following key terms.
Ancestor Worship

Question 65

Please define the following key terms.
Confucius

Question 66

Please define the following key terms.
Ban Zhao

Question 67

Please define the following key terms.
Zhou Dynasty

Question 68

Please define the following key terms.
Confucianism

Question 69

Please define the following key terms.
Liu Bang

Question 70

Discuss early Chinese writing from the Shang dynasty and what information such writings have contributed to ancient Chinese history.

Question 71

Explain the basic ideas of Confucius.How is his philosophy a political philosophy,a method for organizing and running a state?

Question 72

How did the Chinese justify the removal or overthrow of a dynasty?

Question 73

Please define the following key terms.
Daoism

Question 74

Please define the following key terms.
Legalism

Question 75

Please define the following key terms.
Qin Dynasty

Question 76

Please define the following key terms.
Mandate of Heaven

Question 77

Please define the following key terms.
Korea

Question 78

Please define the following key terms.
Sima Qian

Question 79

Please define the following key terms.
Emperor Wu

Question 80

Please define the following key terms.
Wang Mang