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China

Multiple Choice
Identify the letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
 

 1. 
Which of the following correctly shows the order of dynasties in China?
a.
Sui, Song, Tang
c.
Tang, Song, Sui
b.
Sui, Tang, Song
d.
Song, Sui, Tang
 

 2. 
During the Period of Disunion, what often happened when different cultures came into contact with each other?
a.
There was cultural warfare that lasted until one culture was destroyed.
b.
The cultures argued until one culture agreed to adapt all aspects of the other culture.
c.
The cultures blended to form a new culture.
d.
The cultures remained distinct, with very little mixing of people.
 

 3. 
What is the lasting achievement of Yang Chien’s Sui dynasty?
a.
This dynasty reunified China, ending the Period of Disunion.
b.
The Sui dynasty is the longest-lasting dynasty in Chinese history.
c.
The Sui dynasty conquered most of Asia.
d.
Sui dynasty leaders promoted the complete conversion of its people to Buddhism.
 

 4. 
Why do historians view the Tang dynasty as the golden age of Chinese civilization?
a.
Tang dynasty leaders lived in palaces made of solid gold.
b.
It was located between the gold mines in the south and valuable salt resources in the north.
c.
Artisans during the Tang dynasty learned to work with gold in new and exciting ways.
d.
It was a period of great expansion as well as artistic, legal, and cultural achievements.
 

 5. 
Empress Wu ruled China with an iron fist. Those who threatened her power risked death. Yet she was an effective leader and appointed highly skilled officials.
Make a prediction: knowing the history of China before the Tang dynasty, what would likely have happened if Empress Wu had not been a strong leader?
a.
The dynasty would have collapsed and thrown China into another Period of Disunion.
b.
Her sons would have taken over leadership of the dynasty.
c.
There were so many skilled leaders that it would not have made a difference.
d.
An invading empire would have conquered all of China.
 

 6. 
Like the Sui dynasty, the Song dynasty
a.
only lasted a few years.
b.
was marked by great bloodshed.
c.
reunified China, ending a period of conflict between separate kingdoms.
d.
was a period of very few cultural accomplishments.
 

 7. 
Why did so many people turn to Buddhism in the Period of Disunion?
a.
Buddhist temples offered food to anyone willing to convert to the religion.
b.
The kingdom’s leaders forced people to convert to Buddhism.
c.
Buddhism offered the people a strong education for their children.
d.
They took comfort in the Buddhist teaching that people can escape suffering through a cycle of rebirth.
 

 8. 
The dragonbone pump was invented during the Song dynasty. What does a dragonbone pump do?
a.
helps doctors treat bone illnesses
b.
helps pump water out of flooded basements
c.
allows one man to scoop water from one place and dump it into an irrigation canal
d.
automatically pumps arrows through a long tube
 

 9. 
During the Tang dynasty, China’s population had been about 60 million. During the Song, the farmers of China fed a country of more than 100 million people.
Which of the following is the best reason for the dramatic population increase?
a.
Song rulers promoted large families in order to increase the size of their armies.
b.
Agricultural advances, such as more land being cultivated and fast-ripening rice, made food plentiful.
c.
Conquered people from outside territories relocated to China.
d.
Medical advancements helped cure deadly diseases and made people healthier.
 

 10. 
The capital of the Tang dynasty and the largest city in the world at the time was
a.
Beijing.
c.
Changan.
b.
Hangzhou.
d.
Luoyang.
 

 11. 
Of the following descriptions, which most accurately portrays city life in the Tang and Song dynasties?
a.
Cities were exciting, lively places with a mix of people from many cultures.
b.
Because of the large populations, cities were crowded, dirty, terrible places in which to live.
c.
The mixing of cultures made cities very dangerous places because of gang warfare.
d.
City dwellers were encourage to spend time in the country, which made the cities quiet and boring.
 

 12. 
The Grand Canal was built primarily
a.
to give the emperors a quick way to travel around the empire.
b.
as a route for smugglers to use to avoid paying taxes on illegal goods.
c.
to move people from the countryside to work in industries in the cities.
d.
to transport rice and other foods from the south to the cities and armies in the north.
 

 13. 
Chinese merchants exported all of the following goods to foreign lands except
a.
tea.
c.
gold.
b.
rice.
d.
porcelain.
 

 14. 
Why did the Chinese keep the silk and porcelain making processes secret?
a.
Only the Chinese knew how to make silk and porcelain, giving them control of the trade.
b.
They did not want many people owning or knowing about silk and porcelain.
c.
The emperors wanted only important leaders to have these products.
d.
The Chinese processes were better than those of other makers of silk and porcelain.
 

 15. 
What effect did opening the Pacific ports to foreign traders have on China?
a.
It allowed foreign empires easy access routes to invade China.
b.
China’s export business collapsed because most goods were brought in from elsewhere.
c.
It expanded trading tremendously, creating a very strong economy in China.
d.
A great number of foreigners moved to these Chinese port cities.
 

 16. 
Woodblock printing allowed the Chinese to
a.
copy and print texts or drawings very quickly and in large quantities.
b.
invent a written language.
c.
communicate with foreign travelers.
d.
create a new form of artistic expression.
 

 17. 
What is porcelain?
a.
a style of bathroom furniture
b.
a thin, beautiful form of pottery
c.
special hats made for emperors
d.
a material made from glass, used in fine artwork
 

 18. 
Which of the following best describes how the Chinese mainly used gunpowder?
a.
as a means of energy to power barges and other large craft
b.
as a construction tool to clear or blast large sections of mountains or earth
c.
for fireworks used in celebrations
d.
for high explosives used in warfare against their enemies
 

 19. 
This instrument, which uses the earth’s magnetic field to indicate direction, revolutionized travel.
What instrument, invented during the Tang dynasty, is described above?
a.
the compass
c.
the sextant
b.
the wind sail
d.
the magnetic battery
 

 20. 
How did advanced printing inventions limit the use of another Chinese invention—paper money?
a.
Every printer in China printed a different type of paper bill, creating too much confusion.
b.
Counterfeiters were able to produce paper money, which led to the end of paper money.
c.
Printing money was so easy that too much was printed, making it worthless.
d.
The printed money was so beautiful, nobody wanted to spend it.
 

 21. 
Confucius taught that people should follow two basic principles in their lives. What are the two principles?
a.
the concern for others and following appropriate customs and beliefs
b.
never lie and always obey the elderly
c.
respect for nature and public service
d.
modesty and a desire to work
 

 22. 
In what way do Confucianism and Buddhism differ?
a.
Buddhism stresses military honor and Confucianism stresses charitable deeds.
b.
Confucianism stresses ethical behavior and Buddhism stresses a spiritual outlook that promises escape from suffering.
c.
Buddhism teaches people to value public service while Confucianism teaches that personal satisfaction is most important.
d.
Confucianism places high value on artistic talents and Buddhism teaches one to ignore art.
 

 23. 
Which of the following did the Song dynasty adopt as its official policy?
a.
Bureaucracy
c.
Neo-Confucianism
b.
Confucianism
d.
Buddhism
 

 24. 
How did Neo-Confucianism differ from Confucianism?
a.
It emphasized a return to a simpler, less complicated society.
b.
It stressed the importance of individual freedoms.
c.
It taught people to distrust large governments.
d.
It emphasized spiritual matters.
 

 25. 
What does it mean to work in civil service?
a.
to work for a company that provides basic necessities, such as food and shelter
b.
to work as a government official
c.
to work as a polite scribe for a printer
d.
to work as an officer in the military
 

 26. 
How did most people become scholar-officials in the Song dynasty?
a.
Scholar-official positions were hereditary, passed on through families.
b.
by bribing test graders
c.
by studying for years to pass a very difficult series of examinations
d.
by marrying a relative of an important government official
 

 27. 
What effect did having a bureaucracy of scholar-officials have on the Song dynasty?
a.
It created stability and an efficient government.
b.
It created a government in which nothing was accomplished due to mismanagement.
c.
It created sharp divisions within the society, eventually leading to a civil war.
d.
It created a very unstable government.
 

 28. 
What does the title Genghis Khan mean?
a.
the true ruler
c.
universal ruler
b.
strong leader
d.
father of the people
 

 29. 
Which of the following best characterizes Genghis Khan’s expeditions of conquest?
a.
closely fought battles
b.
mostly peaceful conquests in which villages either surrendered or retreated
c.
slow, drawn-out attacks, often taking months
d.
bloody attacks in which entire populations of cities and towns were often wiped out
 

 30. 
Which leader ruled over the largest empire in world history?
a.
Genghis Khan
c.
Zheng He
b.
Kublai Khan
d.
Chu Yuan-chang
 

 31. 
All of the following were methods Kublai Khan used to keep control over the Chinese except
a.
Sending Mongol soldiers throughout China to keep peace and to watch for trouble.
b.
Making sure that half of all civil service positions were for non-Chinese people.
c.
Ordering all Chinese people to learn and adopt Mongol ways of life.
d.
Making the Chinese people pay very high taxes.
 

 32. 
What did Europeans learn from Marco Polo?
a.
China was a primitive country.
b.
Nothing; all of Polo’s journals were lost on the return journey.
c.
China was not worth visiting or exploring further.
d.
China was a highly civilized country.
 

 33. 
Which of the following did not contribute to the collapse of the Yuan dynasty?
a.
A rebellion within the Mongol army weakened the Yuan leadership.
b.
Expensive public-works projects had weakened the economy.
c.
Failed invasions of Japan destroyed the Yuan military.
d.
Chinese citizens resented being ruled by foreigners.
 

 34. 
Of the following, which is the most accurate statement about the Ming dynasty?
a.
It was a period of great territorial expansion.
b.
It was one of the most stable and prosperous times in Chinese history.
c.
It was an era of great economic hardship.
d.
It was a period of bloody civil wars and great social unrest.
 

 35. 
What was the primary result of Zheng He’s voyages?
a.
China established new and profitable trade routes.
b.
Zheng He’s fleet conquered many countries.
c.
Zheng He discovered new lands.
d.
China was able to clearly demonstrate how powerful it was.
 

 36. 
Who was the founder of the Ming dynasty?
a.
Kublai Khan
c.
Chu Yuan-chang
b.
Yang Chien
d.
Zheng He
 

 37. 
In what way did the Forbidden City reflect the status of the Ming dynasty?
a.
It highlighted the leadership’s belief that everyone was equal.
b.
The large complex of elaborate buildings was a symbol of China’s glory.
c.
It reflected the dynasty’s emphasis on separation of the Chinese people.
d.
It was an example of government spending too much money on a terrible idea.
 

 38. 
Why was the Great Wall built?
a.
to protect the country from the northern tribes
b.
to put unemployed citizens to work
c.
to unify the country with a common goal
d.
to help develop new construction techniques and materials
 

 39. 
Which of the following best describes isolationism?
a.
a policy of expanding boundaries through military conquest
b.
a policy of removing a country, or isolating it, from contact with other countries
c.
a movement within a country that supports revolution
d.
a philosophy based on the teachings of Confucius
 

 40. 
What effect did the policy of isolation have on China?
a.
China was strengthened because it did not have to fight wars.
b.
China became a center of technological advancements.
c.
China fell behind other countries in technological achievements and in military power.
d.
China was thrown into a civil war when angry citizens revolted.
 



 
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