Unit Pre-Test: Imperial China

Suppose four Chinese emperors are in the same dynasty. Which statement must be true about them?

• They were born in the same region

• They are members of the same family.

• They belong to the same political party.

• They use the same style of government.

To people who believed in the Mandate of Heaven, when was it all right to overthrow an emperor?

• never at any time

• when he ruled badly

• when he became unpopular

• when citizens wanted a change

Whom did the earliest emperors of China choose to help them govern?

• priests

• scholars

• foreigners

• aristocrats

Some of the questions on the civil service examination were about

• poetry.

• science.

• business.

• mathematics.

If you wanted a job in government service under the Song dynasty, which of these would you have studied?

• the engineering of roads

• the laws of other nations

• the teachings of Confucius

• the languages of Europeans

According to Confucius, rulers had a duty to

• expand the empire

• treat all people equally.

• be kind to their subjects.

• ask everybody's opinion.

One weakness of China’s civil service system was that it created a bureaucracy that valued

• wealth more than talent.

• idleness more than effort.

• freedom more than loyalty.

• tradition more than progress.

What caused Chinese farmers to move from northern to southern China during the Tang and Song dynasties?

• frequent flooding

• shortages of wheat

• attacks by Mongols

• improved transportation

How did Chinese farmers raise crops on steep hillsides?

• They created flat areas called terraces.

• They got strong animals to pull plows.

• They let the natural plants take over.

• They only planted in the lowlands.

Which of these is a main reason why the demand for luxury items increased?

• More copper was being mined.

• Silk was getting more valuable.

• Merchants became more active.

• Landowners were getting richer.