Study Guide for Ancient China Unit Test
Name__________________________________
Period_________________
Directions: The following questions will help you study for our test on ancient China. The test is
scheduled for ___________________________________ and will contain multiple choice questions and
one or two essays. Please read each question completely and answer each question completely. You
may use your map, textbook, or any notes we have taken this unit to help you complete these
questions.
LESSON 1: Geography Shapes Life in Ancient China
1. Unlike the regions of the Nile and Fertile Crescent, where civilizations interacted with each
other, China was geographically isolated from the rest of the world by many landforms and
bodies of water. Name the two (2) deserts that isolated China, the three (3) seas on its eastern
coast, and the two (2) major mountain ranges that isolated China. Lastly, describe how or why
they isolated China.
2. Which continent is China on?
3. We believe that the ancient Chinese civilization is the oldest continuous civilization in the world.
These people settled in an area called the North China Plain around 2000 B.C. Describe the
North China Plain, including the name of the two (2) rivers that supported it. Then name three
(3) different types of grain that were grown there.
4. Shang dynasty kings believed they received messages from the gods. Describe what two (2)
things were used as oracle bones. Then explain how the priests used these to communicate with
the gods.
5. What was a pictograph? Next, compare and contrast our English alphabet to the Chinese system
of writing. Lastly, name a unique and unusual fact about the Chinese language.
6. Draw a diagram of the Dynastic Cycle including its six steps. Describe each step.
7. Define the Mandate of Heaven. Then describe how the Mandate of Heaven affected how one
family (dynasty) lost power and how another family (dynasty) would gain power. What types of
things had to happen in order for the Chinese to believe a dynasty had lost the approval of the
gods?
Lesson 2: China’s Ancient Philosophies
8. Define the philosophy called Legalism. How did Legalists see human nature? How did Legalists
believe government needed to act? What did Legalists think people must do if they witnessed a
crime? What could happen if they did not report law breakers?
9. Name a famous Chinese emperor who was a Legalist. What did he do to people who practiced
Confucianism? What did he do to their books? How do we believe he died?
10. According to Legalism, people needed _______________ punishments to make them afraid to
do wrong.
11. When did Confucius live? Include both the year he was born and the year he died. Name two (2)
different jobs he held before he started to preach? After you have answered these questions,
list four (4) facts you learned about his life.
12. According to Confucius, ___________________ for others was absolutely necessary for peace
and harmony.
13. Confucius believed that good conduct and respect began at __________________. He also
taught that proper conduct within one’s family and in society was important. He believed all
people belonged to or were part of important relationships and these relationships helped to
teach us proper conduct. Name those five relationships and describe each one.
14. Define filial piety.
15. Confucius was also concerned with people’s behavior in society. Authority was to be
_____________________. The ruler’s responsibility was to live _____________________ and
treat his subjects with respect. If a ruler led in a right, moral way, a subject’s duty was to
_______________.
16. Confucius’s teachings were collected by his students and recorded in a book called the
___________________________.
17. Write one of Confucius’s quotes in the space below, and then tell me in your own words, what
you believe he meant by this quote.
18. Another important philosophy that rose out of ancient China was called Daoism. Daoists
believed a universal force called the Dao or _______________, guides all things. All creatures ,
except __________________, live in harmony with this force.
19. Each individual had to learn to live in harmony with, what?
20. Who do we believe may have started Daoism?
21. Describe some of the beliefs of Daoism. Include their belief on the need for government in your
answer along, with the terms yin and yang . (Last 2 paragraphs on page 262 and top of pg. 263)
Lesson 3: The Qin and the Han
22. Emperor Shi Huangdi united China under a strong central government. Name three things he did
to help unify them.
23. What did Emperor Qin do to help keep out northern invaders?
24. Who did the actual labor on this wall?
25. How long is the wall (approximately) in miles?
26. How was the wall defended and how were messages communicated along the wall?
27. What was the nick-name of the wall?
28. Emperor Shi Huangdi built himself an elaborate tomb.
In which year was the tomb discovered? How many pits did it contain? How many pits were
empty? What was discovered inside the pits that were not empty?
29. What was daily life like during the Han dynasty? Describe what life was like in their villages and
farms, and what life was like in their cities.
Lesson 4: The Legacy of Ancient China
30. Around 100 B.C. an overland trade route called the Silk Road helped traders carry goods to and
from China and to areas west of China. Name three (3) goods that left China to be traded and
name five (5) items that came back to China from faraway lands.
31. The Silk Road connected Asia to which other continent?
32. Items to trade were not the only things that moved on the Silk Roads. Ideas and cultural
customs also spread along the road between travelers. The spread of ideas and customs is called
__________________
______________________ .
33. Name two (2) ideas or cultural customs that also traveled along the road by cultural diffusion.
34. How long did the journey take to go along the entire length of the Silk Road from the city of
Ch’ang-an to the Mediterranean Sea? Traveling along the road was very difficult at times. Write
five (5) hardships or difficulties traders had to deal with along the road.
35. Ideas and philosophies traveled along the road through cultural diffusion. What religion or
philosophy came to China from India?
36. Confucianism also spread along the Silk Road through cultural diffusion to which three (3)
countries? Name these three (3) countries.
37. Chinese inventions made life easier for farmers and helped to make grain more available for
trade. Besides the plow, name and describe three (3) other inventions that helped increase
their crop production.
38. Before 105 A.D., paper was made from silk. In approximately 105 A.D., a more inexpensive way
to make paper was discovered. Paper was important because it allowed the ancient Chinese
civilizations to keep records. Which three (3) materials were used to make this more inexpensive
paper?
39. Silk was another important invention and was extremely expensive and rare, so it became an
important trade product. What two (2) metals could the Chinese get by trading of their silk?
40. Tangrams are ancient and extremely clever puzzles created by the Chinese during the T’ang
dynasty. Each piece is called a _____________________. Name three (3) facts you know about
these geometric puzzles.
41. The Chinese New Year is based on the __________________ calendar. In ancient China, it was
the time to begin thinking about the __________ ___________ in terms of farming and start
preparing or ___________________ the fields for crops.
42. One ancient and present day tradition of the New Year is giving red envelopes with monetary
gifts. What does the word monetary mean?
43. Red envelopes were believed to shower their recipients with good luck, ________________, and
___________. The color red symbolizes ___________________________.
44. Name three (3) facts or traditions, about the proper way the money should be given.
45. This year’s Chinese New Year began on which date? Chinese name each year after one of twelve
different animals. This is the year of the _______________________.