Chapter 7: China
Lesson #1
“China’s First Civilizations”
Section #1
China’s Geography
Question # 1
How did the Huang Ho get the
nickname Yellow River?
Answer: It’s yellow soil.
Question # 2
What are the names of China’s 2
Largest rivers?
Answer:
Huang He (Yellow) River and
Chang Jiang (Yangtze) River.
Question # 3
Why did China’s farmers only use
1/10 of the land in China for
farming?
Answer:
Most of China is covered in
mountains and deserts.
Question # 4
What geographical features might have
made it difficult for people in Ancient
China to trade with other civilizations?
Answer:
The Gobi Desert, Himalayas, and
other mountain ranges separated
China from neighboring territories.
Question # 5
How did China become known as
“The Middle Kingdom?”
Answer:
The people of China called it that
because they thought their
kingdom was the world’s leading
civilization.
Question # 6
Why was flooding a good and bad
thing for the people in China?
Answer:
Flooding gave them fertile soil, but
also drowned people and destroys
homes.
Section #2
The Shang Dynasty
Question #7
Where do archaeologist believe the
first civilization in China was?
Answer:
The Huang He Valley.
Question # 8
What makes archeologist believe
that the Huang He Valley was the
first civilization in China?
Answer:
The oldest artifacts were found in
that area.
Question # 9
Why do you think the earliest
civilizations were in the Huang He
Valley?
Answer:
Fertile soil from the rivers.
Question # 10
What do you call a line of rulers
that belong to the same family?
Answer:
Dynasty
Question # 11
What evidence do archeologist have
led them to thing that the Shang’s
built the first cities in China?
Answer:
The oldest palaces and royal tombs
they’ve found are from the Shangs.
Question # 12
The Shang’s had a social class
system. Who was at the top?
Answer:
Kings and royal families
Question # 13
What type of religion did Ancient
China have?
Answer:
Polytheistic
Question # 14
According to Shang kings, where
did they get their power from?
Answer:
God
Question # 15
How did the Chinese kings ask questions to
the gods?
Answer:
They had the priests scratch the questions
on oracle bones and break the bones …
then “read” the answers.
Question #16
What type of artwork are the
Shangs most known for?
Answer:
Bronze objects
Question #16
What name was used to describe
wealthy landowners in China?
Answer:
Aristocrats
Question #17
What was the occupation of the
majority of Chinese people in
Ancient China?
Answer:
farmers
Question #17
Who did the Chinese farmers
work for?
Answer:
The aristocrats who owned the
land
Question #18
Chinese people that poor crops or
bad luck was controlled/caused
by ___.
Answer:
The gods
Question #19
Besides the gods, who else could
Chinese people pray to to ask for
help or good luck?
Answer:
ancestors
Question #20
Name at least 3 items that Chinese
artisans made.
Answer:
Silk, clothes, ivory statues, jade
statues and bronze objects.
Question #20
Name 3 technological
advancements made during the
Shang dynasty.
Answer:
A system of writing, a calendar
and musical instruments.
Section #2
The Zhou Dynasty
Question #21
Why didn’t many people in
China support the Shang kings?
Answer:
The kings lived in luxury and
treated to people poorly.
Question #22
What makes the Zhou dynasty so
important in Chinese history?
Answer:
It lasted longer than any other
dynasty in history – more than
800 years.
Question #23
According to Zhou kings, what
gave them the right to rule
China?
Answer:
The Mandate of Heaven
Question #24
According to the Mandate of
Heaven, what is the “proper” way
to rule?
Answer:
The Dao Way
Question #25
What “rights” did the Mandate of
Heaven give the Chinese people?
Answer:
If the king was dishonest or evil the
people could overthrow the king.
Question #26
According to the Mandate of Heaven,
was the king considered a god?
Answer:
No
Question #27
What were technological advancements
made during the Zhou dynasty?
Answer:
Improved irrigation and flood control
systems and iron plows.
Question #28
What was the most important item for
trade during the Zhou dynasty?
Answer:
silk
Question #29
How do archaeologists know that the
Chinese people traded with people
throughout Asia?
Answer:
Pieces of Chinese silk have been found
in the artifacts of many regions as far
away as Greece.
Question #30
What was the major factor of the
collapse of the Zhou dynasty?
Answer:
Local rulers (aristocrats) became
powerful and fought for control of their
territory with Zhou kings.
Question #31
What term is used to describe the 200
years of battles over land between the
aristocrats in China?
Answer:
The Period of the Warring States
Question #32
What invention was a direct result of
the battles during the “Period of
Warring States?”
Answer:
The horse saddle and stirrup
Question #33
Who founded the Zhou dynasty?
Answer:
Wu Wang
Question #34
What do you call a group of
officials who are picked to help
run the government ?
Answer:
bureaucracy
Question #35
How did the Zhou kings control
their dynasties?
Answer:
They had aristocrats in charge of
their different territories.