Name Date Mastering the Content Assessment: China Develops a New Economy Circle the letter next to the best answer. 1. What caused Chinese farmers to move from northern to southern China during the Tang and Song dynasties? A. frequent flooding B. shortages of wheat C. attacks by Mongols D. improved transportation 2. What product below goes in the empty space on the chart? A. tea B. rice C. beans D. cabbage 3. What was the most important effect of a new crop variety introduced to southern China after 1000 C.E.? A. rapid spread of disease B. invasion by foreign armies C. great increase in production D. migration from cities to farms 4. How did Chinese farmers raise crops on steep hillsides? A. They created flat areas called terraces. B. They got strong animals to pull plows. C. They let the natural plants take over. D. They planted in narrow strips. 5. How did technologies such as the harrow and the chain pump contribute to population growth? A. They were made of iron, creating a need for miners. B. They raised crop production, increasing the food supply. C. They put China ahead of other countries, allowing conquests. D. They were heavy to use, making people want large families to help.
6. What change led farmers to grow more tea? A. People in Europe and Africa began to import tea. B. Tea became a social drink instead of just medicine. C. Tea was introduced from southern to northern China. D. A new kind of tea was developed that was easier to grow. 7. What do the items listed below have in common? rice silk tea jade porcelain A. They were available only to the wealthy. B. They were manufactured in the growing cities. C. They were produced mainly by government officials. D. They were sent from China to faraway countries for sale. 8. Which of these is a main reason why the demand for luxury items increased? A. More copper was being mined. B. Silk was getting more valuable. C. Merchants became more active. D. Landowners were getting richer. 9. Which of the following describes the greatest contribution of the Grand Canal to economic growth? A. It linked regions for trade. B. It carried farmers into town. C. It created road construction jobs. D. It brought a boom in shipbuilding. 10. For shipping goods, what advantage did a barge have over an oxcart? A. A barge could travel faster. B. A barge was cheaper to build. C. A barge could go to every home. D. A barge was safer in bad weather. 11. Which part of the economy benefited most from the magnetic compass? A. banking B. urban development C. agriculture D. shipping
12. What was a disadvantage of paper money as a form of currency? A. It was hard to make. B. It was heavy to carry. C. It had no value in itself. D. It was of no use to traders. 13. European visitor Marco Polo wrote of one Chinese city: Anyone seeing such a [huge crowd] would believe it impossible that food could be found to feed them all. Why did the cities of China amaze him? A. They were much larger than cities in Europe. B. They were much dirtier than cities in Europe. C. Their shops were smaller than shops in Europe. D. Their people were hungrier than people in Europe. 14. Which of the following was the main reason why peasants went to the city? A. to go to the theater B. to seek government jobs C. to purchase luxury goods D. to sell their surplus crops 15. The practice of binding girls feet began in the upper class. This was because A. wealthy fathers encouraged their daughters to walk for exercise. B. richer families had less need for women to be able to work. C. the lower classes thought that large feet were more beautiful. D. only people in the upper class could afford the required cloth. 16. How did urbanization encourage artists? A. It meant they could get better jobs. B. They were no longer forced to paint only landscapes. C. There were more wealthy people to pay for their work. D. They could make their art in the quiet of the countryside.
Applying Social Studies Skills Use the bar graph and your knowledge of history to answer the questions. 17. Describe the general trend illustrated by the data on the graph. 18. What change within China during the Song Dynasty best helps to explain that trend? 19. How does the information in the graph help to explain the use of paper money in China starting in the 1000s?
Exploring the Essential Question: How did the Chinese improve their economy during the Tang and Song dynasties? 20. Suppose that you are a journalist during the Song dynasty. You will conduct three interviews for an article about the economic changes going on in China. For each interview topic, write the following: person you decide to interview (for example, peasant, boat owner, city dweller) two interview questions you want to ask that person. Remember, a good interview question cannot simply be answered yes or no. A good interview question gets the person talking about the topic, giving information you can use in your article.