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Worksheets

Ancient China

Total questions: 58

Worksheet time: 33mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Around which river did China’s civilizations begin?

a)

Yangtze River

b)

Huai River

c)

Pearl River

d)

Huang He (Yellow River)

2.

Who did the royalty worship during the Shang Dynasty?

a)

All Chinese ancestors.

b)

Only the royal ancestors.

c)

Only the female ancestors.

d)

Only the ancestors who were warriors.

3.

What did the Shang royalty believe about the power of their ancestors?

a)

They had no influence on the living.

b)

They could only influence the living through dreams.

c)

They had the ability to influence the lives and circumstances of the living.

d)

They were completely forgotten by the living.

4.

What was the purpose of banging on a gong according to the Shang beliefs?

a)

To signal the start of a war

b)

To celebrate a victory

c)

To "wake up" the ancestors

d)

To call for a meeting

5.

How did the Shang make their ancestors feel appreciated and involved in decision making?

a)

By offering them food

b)

By singing traditional songs

c)

By consulting them through oracle bones

d)

By performing dances

6.

What type of work did the commoners of the Shang Dynasty primarily engage in?

a)

Trade

b)

Farming

c)

Metalworking

d)

Pottery

7.

What crop were the farmers of the Shang Dynasty dependent upon?

a)

Wheat

b)

Barley

c)

Rice

d)

Millet

8.

What is the method of farming used by Shang Dynasty farmers due to mountainous terrain called?

a)

Dry farming

b)

Terrace farming

c)

Irrigation farming

d)

Slash-and-burn agriculture

9.

Who did the Shang Dynasty commoners worship for their agricultural activities?

a)

The gods of the sky

b)

The gods of the river

c)

The gods of the soil

d)

The gods of the harvest

10.

How long did the Zhou Dynasty last?

a)

500 years

b)

800 years

c)

1000 years

d)

1200 years

11.

What was emphasized during the Zhou Dynasty?

a)

Military power

b)

Economic trade

c)

Education

d)

Technological innovation

12.

What type of language did the Zhou Dynasty develop for their system of writing?

a)

Hieroglyphic language

b)

Alphabetic language

c)

Pictograph language

d)

Syllabic language

13.

How was writing considered in the Zhou Dynasty?

a)

A practical tool

b)

A form of art

c)

A method of communication

d)

A scientific notation

14.

What did Confucius teach about people in superior and inferior positions?

a)

People in superior positions should be good followers, and all people in inferior positions should be good leaders.

b)

People in superior positions should be good leaders, and all people in inferior positions should be good followers.

c)

All people, regardless of position, should strive to be good leaders only.

d)

All people, regardless of position, should not concern themselves with leadership or followership.

15.

How long did the Qin Dynasty last?

a)

20 years

b)

30 years

c)

40 years

d)

50 years

16.

What is one of the accomplishments of the emperor of the Qin Dynasty?

a)

Invented paper

b)

Built the largest portion of the Great Wall

c)

Discovered gunpowder

d)

Started the Silk Road

17.

What did the Qin Dynasty establish?

a)

A new language

b)

One system of law

c)

One system of money

d)

A new calendar system

18.

Who was the emperor of the Qin Dynasty?

a)

Emperor Wu

b)

Emperor Kangxi

c)

Emperor Taizong

d)

Qin Shi Huang

19.

What do the Civil Service tests reveal about the Han Dynasty?

a)

it was fair and strong

b)

it was cruel and harsh

c)

it considered everyone to be equal

d)

it valued wealth

20.

Which of these tools was invented during the Han Dynasty?

a)

seismograph

b)

compass

c)

gunpowder

d)

telescope

21.

Which of these tools was invented during the Han Dynasty?

a)

silk

b)

seismograph

c)

paper

d)

pencil

22.

What does the yin and yang symbol represent? (hint- think about Confucius' teachings)

a)

balance

b)

nature

c)

opposites

d)

education

23.

Which of these are Chinese dynasties?

a)

Shang

b)

Qin

c)

Zhou

d)

Han

e)

Jo

24.

The Chinese called themselves the...

a)

Central Kingdom

b)

Middle Kingdom

c)

Best

d)

Only Kingdom

25.

Why did the ancient Chinese call themselves the Central Kingdom?

a)

they believed they were the center of the world

b)

they believed everyone came from China

c)

they believed they were the best

d)

they did not know anywhere else existed

26.

Which of the following geographic features resulted in China's isolation from the rest of the world?

a)

mountains

b)

plateaus

c)

deserts

d)

ocean

27.

What is the Shang Dynasty known for?

a)

ancestor worship

b)

calligraphy

c)

Confucius

d)

Silk Road

28.

Which two groups did Shang society consist of?

a)

royalty

b)

peasants

c)

warriors

d)

artists

29.

What is the name of a field where rice grows?

a)

paddy

b)

rice

c)

water

d)

burger

30.

Which dynasty is known for being the classical era?

a)

Zhou

b)

Shang

c)

Han

d)

Qin

31.

Which dynasty lasted the longest?

a)

Zhou

b)

Han

c)

Qin

d)

Shang

32.

The Zhou dynasty had a large emphasis on...

a)

education

b)

war

c)

building projects

d)

rice farming

33.

The Qin dynasty had a large emphasis on...

a)

education

b)

war

c)

building projects

d)

rice farming

34.

What writing system did the Zhou develop?

a)

calligraphy

b)

pictographs

c)

English

d)

morse code

35.

Which is an attribute that would match a master calligraphy artist?

a)

patient

b)

aggressive

c)

fast

d)

athletic

36.

What did people write on oracle bones?

a)

questions for their ancestors

b)

questions for God

c)

their diary

d)

random words

37.

How did the Shang view natural disasters and unpleasant events?

a)

the ancestors aren't happy for some reason

b)

the ancestors are gone

c)

the ancestors don't care about you

d)

the ancestors are punishing you for what you did

38.

What materials were commonly used in art during the Zhou dynasty?

a)

bronze

b)

jade

c)

lapis lazuli

d)

iron

39.

Which dynasty was known as the paranoid period?

a)

Qin

b)

Shang

c)

Zhou

d)

Han

40.

Which dynasty had the shortest rule?

a)

Qin

b)

Zhou

c)

Shang

d)

Han

41.

What word best describes Emperor Qin Shi Huang?

a)

cruel

b)

considerate

c)

wise

d)

content

42.

Which dynasty gave China its name?

a)

Qin

b)

Shang

c)

Han

d)

Zhou

43.

What did Emperor Qin Shi Huang accomplish during his reign?

a)

united the empire

b)

established one system of money

c)

connected the Great Wall

d)

mastered the art of calligraphy

44.

What clay army was created to "guard" Emperor Qin Shi Huang's tomb?

a)

Terracotta Army

b)

Terrible Army

c)

Terrific Army

d)

Totally Awesome Army

45.

In the Terracotta Army, each soldier was created to look...

a)

the same

b)

like a different person

c)

young

d)

happy

46.

Which dynasty was known for its many inventions?

a)

Han

b)

Shang

c)

Zhou

d)

Qin

47.

Which dynasty came last?

a)

Han

b)

Shang

c)

Zhou

d)

Qin

48.

Which words best describe the Han dynasty?

a)

fair

b)

strong

c)

weak

d)

brutal

49.

What is the name of the Han advisors?

a)

mandarins

b)

oranges

c)

wise men

d)

viziers

50.

How were advisors determined in the Han dynasty?

a)

by ability

b)

where they were born

c)

how much money they had

d)

favorites of the emperor

51.

For what reasons did the Han dynasty use tests?

a)

to measure ability and knowledge

b)

to determine government employees

c)

to execute bad studiers

d)

to promote Confucianism

52.

How did Confucius teach his followers?

a)

spoke briefly and got right to the heart of his message

b)

used parables

c)

used elaborate metaphors

d)

spoke in riddles

53.

Confucianism aims to explain the answer to the question...

a)

Why can't people get along?

b)

Why is there suffering?

c)

What is my duty?

d)

What is suffering?

54.

Confucius taught that every person has a role in one of the 5...

a)

relationships

b)

families

c)

dynasties

d)

governments

55.

Which statements matches Confucius' teachings?

a)

leaders should not abuse their power

b)

people in inferior positions need to be good followers

c)

your actions influence other people

d)

your actions do not impact other people

56.

Why was the Zhou dynasty known as the classical period?

a)

art and education flourished

b)

the government set an example for the rest of China

c)

the best music was created here

d)

Confucius named it that

57.

What trade route connected China and Europe?

a)

Silk Road

b)

Silk Path

c)

Silk Bridge

d)

Silk Street

58.

Identify the location that used Oracle Bones to predict the future and make political decisions.

a)

1

b)

2

c)

3

d)

4