China 7.2

Lesson #2 “China’s First Civilizations”

Section #1 Life in Ancient China

Question # 1

What do you call a group of people that share a similar position in society?

Answer: A social class

Question # 2

What are the three levels main parts of China’s social class system?

Answer: Landowning aristocratsPeasant farmersmerchants

Question # 3

Approximately what percent of people were farmers in Ancient China?

Answer: About 90% (9 out of 10)

Question # 4

What were three of China’s main crops?

Answer: Wheat, rice and millet

Question # 5

Why did aristocrat landowners in China own LESS land than their fathers and grandfathers?

Answer: Each generation would divide the land into parts for their sons to own.

Question # 6

Why did farmers have to give part of their crops to the aristocrats?

Answer: The aristocrats owned the land that the farmers grew the crops on.

Question # 7

What occupations made up the “merchant” class in China’s society?

Answer: Shopkeepers, traders and bankers

Question # 8

Why did people have large families in China?

Answer: They needed many people to work on the farms.

Question # 9

What did farmers do in order to be able to use the land on the mountainside for farming?

Answer: Built terraces

Question # 10

What do you call the flat areas cut into the sides of mountains (like steps) that help keep the soil from eroding?

Answer: terraces

Question # 11

How else did terraces help farmers?

Answer: The farmers used the water from the terraces to water the crops.

Question # 12

Who was valued more in Chinese society, men or women?

Answer: men

Question #13

What does the term filial piety mean?

Answer: Children had to respect their parents and older relatives and do what the head of the family wanted.

Question # 14

Who was the head of the family in China?

Answer: The oldest male

Question #15

Who would take over if the head of the family passed on?

Answer: The next oldest male

Section #2 Chinese Thinkers

Question #16

What event caused the Chinese people to seek ways to make their society more peaceful?

Answer:The Period of the Warring States

Question # 17

What were the 3 major theories that Chinese thinkers developed in order to create a peaceful society?

Answer:Who was China’s first great thinker and teacher?

Question #18

This philosophy taught that all men with a talent for governing should take part in government.

Answer:Confucianism

Question #19

Which Chinese philosophy believed that people should put the needs of their family and community first?

Answer:Confucianism

Question #20

Which philosophy believed that people should give up worldly desires in favor of nature and the Dao?

Answer:Daoism

Question #21

Which Chinese philosophy believed that society needed a system of harsh and strict punishment?

Answer:Legalism

Question #22

What is another name for Daoism?

Answer:Taoism

Question #23

Which Chinese philosophy was developed by Laozi?

Answer:Daoism

Question # 24

Which Chinese philosophy was developed based on the teachings of Hanfeizi?

Answer:Legalism

Question #25

Which Chinese philosophy taught that humans were naturally evil.

Answer:Legalism

Question #26

Which Chinese philosophy did the aristocrats like the best?

Answer:Legalism

Question #27

Why did aristocrats like Legalism?

Answer:It favored using force and power and did not expect rulers to show kindness or understanding.

Question # 28

What are the three major theories about how to create a more peaceful society in China?

Answer:Confucianism, Daoism and Legalism.