Test Answers on Chapter 5 Multiple Choice – Flashcards

By exalting the legendary sage kings (Yao, Shun, and Yu) as exemplars of virtue, Chinese moralists promoted the values of A) hunting and gathering. B) military aggression and masculinity. C) social harmony, selflessness, and hard work. D) matriarchy and the home. E) None of these answers is correct.

The Yellow River earned its nickname "China's Sorrow" because A) it was a turbulent river. B) its frequent floods were very destructive to agricultural society. C) it carried a heavy load of loess. D) it was a common place for people to commit suicide. E) None of these answers is correct.

In Yangshao society (5000-3000 B.C.E.), the people A) had fine pottery and used bone tools. B) cultivated rice through irrigation. C) began to use bronze tools. D) formed the first dynasty in Chinese history. E) None of these answers is correct.

Many scholars believe that the dynasty of China, Xia, was not a mere legend but a real state, because A) Erlitou, the capital of Xia, has been excavated. B) the oracle bones of Shang mentioned the Xia kings. C) Chinese writing has been traced back that far. D) the Chinese legends associated the founder of Xia with flood control. E) All these answers are correct.

The Shang rulers monopolized bronze technology for the purpose of A) making superior weapons against potential competitors. B) distributing bronze tools among the farmers. C) preventing the proliferation of weapons. D) making works of art. E) All these answers are correct.

Which of the following were NOT found in the Shang tomb of Fu Hao? A) thousands of cowrie shells B) sacrificial humans and dogs C) jade figurines of servants D) iron weapons E) bronzes and bone carvings

According to Zhou political theory, the Zhou king overthrew the Shang dynasty because A) the Shang lost the mandate of heaven. B) the subjects of Shang shifted their loyalty to Zhou. C) the last Shang king was a criminal fool. D) the Zhou was a much larger state than the Shang. E) None of these answers is correct.

The Chinese king was called the "son of heaven" and served as A) a ruler who could not be challenged. B) a link between heaven and earth. C) a figure-head without true governing power. D) the living son of the First Emperor. E) None of these answers is correct.

To rule an extensive territory without advanced transportation and communication technology, Zhou rulers relied on decentralized administration, which meant that A) they entrusted power to locally elected authorities. B) they entrusted their subordinates to rule the regions of their kingdom. C) they divided powers into three parts: legislative, judicial, and administrative. D) the local authorities did not have to collect taxes or tribute. E) None of these answers is correct.

The Zhou central government was unable to monopolize the production of iron because A) iron ore was too cheap and abundant. B) iron weapons were of such poor quality that no one really wanted them. C) the Zhou rulers spent too much money on bronze weaponry. D) the production of iron was kept a secret. E) None of these answers is correct.

All of the following were social classes of Xia, Shang, and Zhou, EXCEPT A) hereditary aristocrats. B) scholars and bureaucrats. C) craftsmen and merchants. D) peasants and slaves. E) priests and monks.

The tradition of venerating ancestors was firmly established during the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties. According to this tradition, A) one must treat the ancestors as gods or deities. B) one worshipped the departed ancestors for protection and good fortune. C) one only venerated those ancestors who performed good deeds for the family. D) one worshipped the emperor as the incarnation of one's ancestors. E) All these answers are correct.

In practice, the veneration of ancestors reinforced the authority of the patriarchal head of the family because A) only male ancestors were the subjects of worship. B) female members of the family did not participate in honoring ancestors. C) it was the patriarch who presided over the rites honoring ancestors. D) only male ancestors were reincarnated. E) All these answers are correct.

During the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties, China experienced a shift from a matrilineal society to a patrilineal society. This shift was caused by A) settled agriculture. B) the rise of large states. C) bronze metallurgy. D) the appearance of writing. E) None of these answers is correct.

During the early dynasties, Chinese diviners used oracle bones A) as objects of art. B) as drugs to cure people's diseases. C) to record manuals of etiquette. D) to predict the future and answer questions. E) None of these answers is correct.

From Shang times until today, Chinese writing is primarily A) ideographic. B) pictographic. C) phonetic. D) untranslated. E) None of these answers is correct.

Which of the following was NOT among Zhou literature? A) poetry B) manuals of divination and ritual C) books of etiquette D) books of religious teaching E) political histories

The nomadic peoples to the north and west of China did not imitate Chinese ways because A) they did not speak Chinese. B) the grassy steppe lands were not suitable for agriculture or permanent settlement. C) the Chinese were their enemies. D) they had little exposure to Chinese society. E) None of these answers is correct.

During the Zhou dynasty, China expanded into the Yangzi River valley primarily through A) military conquest and colonization. B) migration and assimilation. C) interracial marriage. D) sending missionaries to convert the Yangzi River valley peoples. E) All these answers are correct.

The state of Chu A) was an autonomous state to the south of the Zhou state. B) refused to accept Chinese traditions and the Chinese writing system. C) established a society radically different from that of north China. D) conquered the Zhou, ending the dynasty. E) None of these answers is correct.