chapter 4

The ________________ on Shang chariots permitted easy storage and repair. a. Short reins. b. Single-occupancy carriage. c. Adaptable yoke (for cows). d. Detachable wheels held by linchpins.

d. Detachable wheels held by linchpins.

The principal Shang deity, ____________, presided over the spirit world, governed both natural and human affairs, and was assisted by the major ancestors of the dynastic line. a. Xi or Shangxi. b. Deng or Shangdeng. c. Wu or Wushang. d. Di or Shangdi.

d. Di or Shangdi.

The perimeter of the _________ settlement is surrounded by a defensive ditch, with 40 homes arranged around a rectangular central structure believed to be a clan meeting house. a. Xi'an. b. Dapenkeng. c. Longshan. d. Banpo.

d. Banpo.

The Shijing, or ____________, covers a wide range of material, from observations on rural life to protests and cleverly veiled satire. a. Spring and Autumn Chronicles. b. Oracle Bones. c. Book of History. d. Book of Odes / Songs.

d. Book of Odes / Songs.

The written characters for "sun" and "moon" placed together came to mean "__________." a. Planets. b. Hot. c. Time. d. Bright.

d. Bright.

A civil war in and partition of the state of Jin in _____________ marked the formal opening of the Warring States period. a. 403 BCE. b. 221 BCE. c. 722 BCE. d. 1766 BCE.

a. 403 BCE.

By shrewd diplomacy and careful use of military power, Qi became the first "senior" or ba state in a system of ____________ in which the lesser Zhou states deferred to the ba state as the protector of the Zhou system. a. Hegemony. b. Fascism. c. Feudalism. d. Confederacy.

a. Hegemony.

The following was not one of the idealized rulers known as the Sage Kings: a. Pu-Yi b. Shun c. Yao d. Yu

a. Pu-Yi

According to Chinese legend, the Yellow Emperor's rule was followed by that of the three ___________ kings, who set the example for strong moral leadership and passed power to the land's most worthy men. a. Sage. b. Brother. c. Warrior. d. Jade.

a. Sage.

The Shang dynasty was characterized by growing rates of social ______________, as groups became more hierarchically arranged. a. Stratification. b. Egalitarianism. c. Cohesion. d. Dissension.

a. Stratification.

Shang and early Zhou ritual vessels themselves, with their richly stylized ________ motifs—fanciful abstract reliefs of real and mythical animals incorporated into the design—are utterly unlike anything outside of east Asia. a. Taotie. b. Shangdi. c. Huangdi. d. Longshan.

a. Taotie.

The historical and philosophical concept of the "Mandate of Heaven" arose from the recorded practices of: a. The Zhou Dynasty b. The Xia Dynasty c. The Shang Dynasty d. The Sage Kings

a. The Zhou Dynasty

The presence of bronze mirrors in the tomb of Fu Hao suggests that ____________. a. There was an international trade in these items. b. Domestic manufacture of bronze had reached a high level of sophistication. c. The wives of the emperor were obsessed with their appearance. d. Looters did not consider them valuable.

a. There was an international trade in these items.

The capital city at Erligang was characteristic of the: a. late Xia or early Shang period b. late Shang or early Zhou period c. late Zhou period d. early Xia period

a. late Xia or early Shang period

Ancient Chinese writing consisted of two basic types of characters: a. pictographs and ideographs b. mimeographs and hectographs c. pictographs and hectographs d. ideographs and mimeographs

a. pictographs and ideographs

Wanguo is the Chinese term describing its mythical period down through the end of the third millennium BCE as the land of: a. ten thousand states. b. milk and honey. c. five thousand kings. d. a unified monarchy.

a. ten thousand states.

After ____________, the Longshan and other late Neolithic cultures were at a point where a transition to a society marked by large towns and even small cities was becoming discernable. a. 5000 BCE. b. 2000 BCE. c. 4000 BCE. d. 200 BCE.

b. 2000 BCE.

The burial site of Fu Hao, the most prominent of the _____ wives of Wu Ding, was discovered in 1975, together with the sacrificial skeletons of 16 people and six dogs. a. 33. b. 64. c. 4. d. 8003.

b. 64.

_______ states, which were dependent on or partially controlled by more powerful ones, were useful in Shang foreign relations. a. Warring. b. Client. c. Conquered. d. Ghost.

b. Client.

Most historians would agree that geography is a ____________ factor, among many others, in determining how a civilization develops. a. Destined. b. Conditional. c. Temporary. d. Sufficient.

b. Conditional.

The most extensive distinctive culture found south of the Yangzi River basin in central China is: a. Erlitou b. Dapenkeng c. Yin d. Hangzhou

b. Dapenkeng

The Zhou system of decentralized government called "fengjian" can be compared with European _______________, in which rule is held by landowners who owe obligations of loyalty and military service to their superiors. a. Shogun. b. Feudalism. c. Communism. d. Capitalism.

b. Feudalism.

As in other religious traditions, there was a movement in the Zhou period to go beyond the invocation of gods through proper sacrifice and divination rituals, or _____________, in order to seek insight into the forces that control the universe. a. Asceticism. b. Formalism. c. Yoga. d. Unitarianism.

b. Formalism.

The Book of History or Classic of Documents, the Shujing, provides information concerning China's first three dynasties, which include all of these except: a. Xia. b. Han. c. Shang. d. Zhou.

b. Han.

Even in its archaic form, the Chinese writing system contained two basic types of characters, one of which was _____________, or pictures representing ideas. a. Pictographs. b. Ideographs. c. Alphabetic letters. d. Cuneiform.

b. Ideographs.

As in Gangetic India, ________ weapons, tool, and farm implements were instrumental in opening up new lands for cultivation and multiplying the deadliness of warfare. a. Bronze. b. Iron. c. Gold. d. Jade.

b. Iron.

The following was not a characteristic of the Shang Dynasty: a. Its social and political organization was kinship-based. b. Its rulers were idealized as sages. c. It emphasized military power and efficiency of command. d. Local leaders were employed by the ruling families as regional officials.

b. Its rulers were idealized as sages.

Even today, the written character for "family" or "household" is represented by a character depicting a _______________. a. Woman in a kitchen. b. Pig under a roof. c. Child in a cradle. d. Fire in a hearth.

b. Pig under a roof.

The suitability of the southern regions of China for __________ cultivation, as with the Gangetic societies of India, resulted in rapid growth and high population. a. Wheat. b. Rice. c. Tea. d. Barley.

b. Rice.

Bronze casting techniques prevalent in China originated in: a. Western Asia b. Southeast Asia c. Egypt d. Japan

b. Southeast Asia

The decline of the Zhou Dynasty was described in: a. The Book of the Dead b. The Spring and Autumn Chronicles c. The Shujing d. The Book of Odes (Shijing)

b. The Spring and Autumn Chronicles

Throughout the long history of imperial China, the emperor retained the title of ___________, "son of heaven." a. Tiananmen. b. Tianzi. c. Pu Ying. d. Beijing.

b. Tianzi.

The ____________ River gets its name as the result of the loess—a light, dry, mineral-rich soil deposited by strong winds—that it picks up as it flows. a. Pearl. b. Yellow. c. Yangtze. d. Red.

b. Yellow.

In the "well-field system" of land division: a. each square li is approximately one square mile b. each square li consists of 900 mou c. each mou is approximately half an acre d. each square li was divided into a grid of five plots

b. each square li consists of 900 mou

The Shujing acclaims Yu, the last sage King, as: a. the founder of Taoism. b. the tamer of the Yellow River. c. the tamer of the Mongol hordes. d. the tamer of the Harappans.

b. the tamer of the Yellow River.

Of all the innovations commonly associated with Chinese culture, the following is perhaps the one with the longest-lasting impact: a. paper b. writing system c. gunpowder d. compass

b. writing system

An expeditionary force led by king Wu Ding in the late 13 century BCE numbered more than ____________ men. a. 1500. b. 150,000. c. 13,000. d. 1,300,000.

c. 13,000.

Rice grains found near the coastal reaches of the Yangzi River have been dated to ___________. a. 17,000 BCE. b. 750 BCE. c. 7000 BCE. d. 70 BCE.

c. 7000 BCE.

By the late Zhou period, the hierarchy of patriarchy and the growing influence of notions of ____________--felt among members of a family headed by a father—were becoming established. a. Generation gap. b. Euthanasia. c. Filial piety. d. Uxoriousness.

c. Filial piety.

Written Chinese characters became increasingly stylized and moved away from ___________ or pictographic languages. a. Hieratic. b. Alphabetic. c. Hieroglyphic. d. Magical.

c. Hieroglyphic.

The Erlitou excavation, dated to perhaps 2000 BCE, reveals a walled city containing what is believed to be the foundation of China's first ______________. a. Teahouse. b. Temple. c. Palace. d. Jade factory.

c. Palace.

Chinese characters became the first written language for speakers of all of the following except: a. Vietnamese. b. Korean. c. Persian. d. Japanese.

c. Persian.

Members of the _________ class, drawn from the lower aristocracy and wealthier commoners, would become some of China's most famous thinkers, starting with Confucius. a. Jia. b. Wang. c. Shi. d. Lu.

c. Shi.

In the poem "Cypress Boat," from the Book of Songs, a woman laments __________. a. A broken engagement. b. The death of a child . c. Societal expectations of her marriage. d. Her father's disapproval of her fiancé.

c. Societal expectations of her marriage.

Which of the following was the first dynasty in China's recorded history? a. Shang b. Zhou c. Xia d. Ming

c. Xia

The ancient Chinese written language: a. was rejected as a means of presentation by non-Chinese speakers. b. had a very loose association with court ceremonial functions. c. enjoyed a kind of spiritual dimension usually lacking in other world languages. d. required only a short time to master, given the small number of characters.

c. enjoyed a kind of spiritual dimension usually lacking in other world languages.

The Zhou system of decentralized government, in which rule was conducted by landowners who owed loyalty and military service to their superiors and protection to those under them, was called fengjian, meaning: a. imperialism b. republicanism c. feudalism d. Confucianism

c. feudalism

The concept of tian or "Heaven" which had, by the end of the Zhou era, become the guiding force in nearly every major Chinese religious and philosophical tradition: a. represented a turning point toward a less abstract and a more personalized approach to religion. b. was of minor importance in the evolution of religious thought in China. c. represented a turning point toward a more abstract and universal approach to religion. d. had its origins in the Xia era.

c. represented a turning point toward a more abstract and universal approach to religion.

The most far-reaching agricultural innovation in the area south of the North China Plain was the development of: a. barley b. millet c. rice d. corn

c. rice

Which of the following ranks devised by Zhou rulers for governing their territories referred to commoners? a. hou b. shi c. shuren d. qing

c. shuren

Client States are: a. states that are independent from more powerful ones b. states that are constantly at war with more powerful ones c. states that are dependent on or partially controlled by more powerful ones d. states that seek to compete with more powerful ones

c. states that are dependent on or partially controlled by more powerful ones

Chinese rulers have always been alert to the possibility that a ______________ change could be signaled by portents or natural disasters. a. Climate. b. Intellectual. c. Ideological. d. Dynastic.

d. Dynastic.

One of the earliest compilations of ancient Chinese writings available, the Shujing or Book of History, is an important documentary source of information regarding China's: a. First three emperors. b. Construction of the Great Wall. c. Adoption of Buddhism. d. First three dynasties.

d. First three dynasties.

The chariot was possibly introduced to Shang China through interaction with _____________ around 1300-1200 BCE. a. Mesopotamians. b. Egyptians. c. Harappans d. Indo-Europeans.

d. Indo-Europeans.

Lady Ji of the state of Lu was praised for her ability to ______________. a. Lead an army, although disguised as a man. b. Contract suitable marriages on behalf of her extended family. c. Control her husband's finances and direct his foreign policy. d. Instruct her son in the arts of government.

d. Instruct her son in the arts of government.

Which of the following is not a characteristic of Banpo Village, located on the outskirts of Xi'an? a. It is perhaps the most studied of Neolithic sites across China. b. It was a "painted pottery" culture that flourished from 5000 to 3500 BCE. c. Its inhabitants produced implements such as axes, chisels, and knives. d. It was surrounded by a wall, as protection against its neighbors.

d. It was surrounded by a wall, as protection against its neighbors.

The Zhou Dynasty provided the backdrop for one of China's most enduring historical and philosophical concepts: the _______ of Heaven. a. Too Much. b. Pursuit. c. Abandonment. d. Mandate.

d. Mandate.

The principal deity in Shang religion was known as: a. shi b. Wu Ding c. jing d. Shangdi

d. Shangdi

The Shang dynasty was responsible for importing which of the following military technological advances into China? a. The cannon b. Gunpowder c. Land mines d. The chariot

d. The chariot

In the (perhaps idealized) _____________, individual families would work one of eight plots, while a common plot would provide rent and taxes to the landowner. a. Big-rat system. b. Pieces-of-eight system. c. Feudal system. d. Well-field system.

d. Well-field system.

___________ was the capital city of 13 Chinese regimes during its long history, and is the site of a sprawling tomb complex packed with life-sized terracotta soldiers. a. Hangzhou. b. Wucheng. c. Beijing. d. Xi'an.

d. Xi'an.

China's first bronze ritual vessels and the world's earliest lacquered wood items attest the ______________ leaders' religious and social roles. a. Shang. b. Lu. c. Zhou. d. Xia.

d. Xia.

The Spring and Autumn Chronicles depict a world in which repeated attempts are made to create a stable political and social order among the 15 major ___________ states. a. Xia. b. Shang. c. Yangshao. d. Zhou.

d. Zhou.

Shang characters found on oracle bones: a. are composed of roughly 26 distinct symbols. b. are considered to be the most advanced examples of Chinese writing. c. have no relation whatsoever to modern Chinese characters. d. are considered to be the earliest known examples of Chinese writing.

d. are considered to be the earliest known examples of Chinese writing.

The system of state relations in which less powerful states directly or implicitly agree to defer to the lead of the most powerful state is called: a. republicanism b. feudalism c. filial piety d. hegemony

d. hegemony