Ancient China: Society and Class Divisions

Read the selection from the section "Education and health care."

Doctors were all men by the time of the Tang Dynasty. Women in the countryside were allowed to treat sick people with herbs, though. Most doctors were priests or studied religion.

Which of the following conclusions can be made from this paragraph?

• Doctors only treated people who were from the ruling and noble classes.

• During the Tang Dynasty, women were not allowed to be doctors.

• Men were the only ones who were intelligent enough to be doctors.

• Women learned about herbs by reading about them.

Read one reader's conclusion.

Ancient Chinese standards of beauty involved harmful practices that disabled women.

Which sentence from the article offers the BEST support for the conclusion above?

• They thought that one's hair came from one's ancestors and it was disrespectful to cut it.

• Both men and women of the upper classes grew their fingernails long to show that they did not have to work.

• Foot binding made working in the rice fields or doing any kind of manual labor very difficult.

• Girls were expected to stay home and learn how to be housewives and mothers.

According to the article, respect of ancestors remained a key value throughout Chinese history.

Which selection from the article BEST supports the idea outlined above?

• Daily life in ancient China changed through the centuries but the Chinese maintained a belief in the gods and one's ancestors during almost every time period.

• Men and women of all classes wore their hair long because it was thought that one's hair came from one's ancestors and it was disrespectful to cut it.

• Just like the hair, the body was thought to be a gift from one's ancestors and should not be abused. For this reason, most people looked down on those with tattoos.

• Everyone was expected to know the Five Virtues of Confucius by heart. The Li, or manners, considered the most important were Ren (kindness), Xin (loyalty), Yi (honesty) and Zhi (knowing the difference between right and wrong).

Which selection from the article BEST supports the idea that over time, some barriers between social classes could be broken?

• In one of these early villages, called Banpo, archaeological evidence shows that women ruled and were in charge of religious life.

• A person's social class was determined, more or less, by birth. If one's father was a peasant, one would also be a peasant.

• From the Shang Dynasty on, though, a person could improve their station in life by passing the Imperial Examinations, a very difficult test which let them work for the government and move up to a higher class.

• Doctors were also all males by the time of the Tang Dynasty, although herbalists in rural areas could be women.

Read the list of sentences from the article.

One's social class was determined, more or less, by birth. If one's father was a peasant, one would also be a peasant. The nobles and royalty were the only people who could wear silk. Distinctions between the classes in ancient times were also seen in hairstyles and other personal choices.

Which two sentences taken together provide the BEST evidence to support the idea that divisions between social classes were nearly impossible to overcome?

• 1 and 4

• 2 and 3

• 1 and 2

• 3 and 4

Read the following paragraph from the section "Social class, clothing and adornments."

Silk was likely invented nearly 5,000 years ago. The ancient Chinese believed it was discovered by the goddess Leizu. She was the wife of the supreme god Shangti. Leizu was having tea when a cocoon fell into her cup. The cocoon unraveled into a single thread of silk, and she planted mulberry trees for silkworms to eat. The nobles and royalty were the only people who could wear silk. Most Chinese wore clothing made of hemp, which is a plant.

Which answer choice BEST describes the structure of the paragraph?

• It provides background about ancient Chinese religion.

• It uses an ancient legend to explain the importance of silk.

• It explains why only nobles and royalty wore silk.

• It describes the earliest known process of making silk.

Read the section "Education and health care."

What does this section show that other sections do NOT?

• the first mention of ancient Chinese beliefs or religion

• the values at the center of Chinese philosophy and education

• how men and women were treated differently in ancient China

• how writing was first developed in ancient China

Read the two sentences from the section "Education and health care."

During the Tang Dynasty, which lasted from 618 A.D. to 907 A.D., woodblock printing made it possible to mass-produce books of paper, which were then used in schools. Students learned the texts known as The Five Classics and The Four Books, which were mainly based on the writings of Confucius.

The two sentences develop the idea that Confucius was a CENTRAL figure in Chinese philosophy by ____.

• mentioning the invention of woodblock printing, and noting which texts were among the first to be published

• showing how Confucius re-emerged during the Tang Dynasty, and mentioning the use of his texts in schools

• describing the role of the Tang Dynasty, and highlighting the texts students were required to learn

• highlighting the importance of Confucian ideals and texts, and explaining the role printing played in spreading them

Read the paragraph from the section "There are many differences among the classes."

Both men and women of the upper classes grew their fingernails long to show that they did not have to work. They had servants do everything for them, even feed them. They did not want to damage their nails.

HOW does this paragraph MOST contribute to a MAIN idea of the article?

• by describing how much the ancient Chinese cared about their appearance

• by making the ancient Chinese seem like smart, advanced people

• by showing a big difference between people of different social classes in ancient China

• by showing that there was not enough work for everyone to have a job in ancient China

Read the introduction [paragraphs 1-3].

What is the BEST way to describe the structure of this section?

• a persuasive argument

• a different perspective

• a chronological account

• a detailed narrative