Download Ancient China Unit Date Early Chinese History

Social Studies 6
Ancient China Unit
Name ____________________
Date _____________________
Early Chinese History
All historians agree that China has a long history. But they cannot agree on how
long that history is. Some say it is 5,000 years. Others say it is 3,000 years.
Their difference in opinions results from a dispute over the actual existence of
several mythical figures.
According to local legends, about 5,000 years ago, there was a brutal tribal
chief called Chi You. Chi You was said to look like a beast. He had an iron neck
and a bull’s head. He ate stones and pebbles. Chi You was very violent. He
liked to wage wars against neighboring tribes. Since he was the first to use metal
weapons in warfare, his troops had never lost. Chi You grew more and more
aggressive over time. Finally, Huang Di ("Yellow Emperor " in English),
another tribal chief, decided to build an alliance and get rid of him once and for
all. A big war broke out. Yellow Emperor won and became the lord overseeing
all tribes.
Under Yellow Emperor's command, people lived a peaceful and happy life. His
wife was said to be the first to raise silk worms. She taught people how to
recover silk from cocoons and how to weave it to make clothes. Because of
Yellow Emperor's many great accomplishments, all Chinese consider
themselves to be descendants of his. After Yellow Emperor passed away, tribes
continued the custom of selecting the smartest and the strongest tribal chief to
be their new lord. But things took a different turn around 21st century B.C. The
lord at the time, a man named Shun, appointed a very talented man named Yu
to tame floods in the Yellow River. Though Yu encountered many obstacles
and nearly lost his life on several occasions, he never gave up. After numerous
failures, he finally succeeded by building riverbanks and excavating waterways. Shun was very pleased and
impressed with Yu's determination and intelligence. Before he died, Shun named Yu as his successor. Yu was a
fair lord. But he revoked the tradition. Instead of passing his power to the best tribal chief, he gave it to his son.
This transition of power -- from father to son or to members of the same family line -- marked the beginning of
China's first dynasty, the Xia. The Xia dynasty lasted about 500 years and had 17 kings from 14 generations.
Archaeologists have not been able to find any artifacts that prove this period of Chinese history really existed.
Therefore, Chi You, Yellow Emperor, Shun, Yu, and the Xia dynasty are all considered legends. Thus, for
historians who are dubious about this part of Chinese history, they regard the Shang, not Xia, as China's first
dynasty. In this school of thought, China has 3,000 years of history.
Match the bold underlined word from the
1st Paragraph to its synonym or definition.
Synonym/Definition
Word from reading
1. wicked or cruel
2. association/friendship
3. disagreement
4. hostile/destructive
5. stories
Match the bold underlined word from the
2nd or 3rd Paragraph to its synonym.
Synonym/Definition
Word from reading
6. doubtful
7. digging
8. barriers
9. remains from the past
10. replacement
11. cancelled
Multiple Choice Questions
_____12. All historians agree that Qing was China's first dynasty.
A. True B. False
_____ 13 Who established the Xia dynasty?
A. Yu B. Chi You C. Shun D. Yellow Emperor
_____ 14. Whose descendents do all Chinese consider themselves to be?
A. Yellow Emperor's
B. Chi You's
C. Yu's
D. Shun's
_____ 15. A dynasty is a succession of rulers from the same __________.
A. Nation
B. Village C. Family
D. Kingdom
_____ 16. If we don't count Xia as China's first dynasty, how long is Chinese history?
A. 3,000 years B. 4,000 years C. 2,000 years D. 5,000 years
_____ 17. Yu was credited for taming floods in the __________________.
A. Songhua River B. Yangtze River C. Yellow River D. Pearl River
_____ 18. According to Chinese legends, who invented silk?
A. Chi You's daughter B. Yu's mother C. Yellow Emperor's wife D. Shun's son
_____ 19. According to Chinese legends, who invented metal weapons?
A. Sun Yat-sen B. Chi You C. Yu D. Shun
_____ 20. How was Yellow Emperor able to defeat Chi You?
A. he had better weapons
B. he used a surprise attack
C. he got other tribes to help him
21. Cite an example from the 2nd paragraph that supports the idea that Chi You was a legend and not real.
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22. Cite an example from the 3rd paragraph that supports the idea that Yellow Emperor was a legend and not real.
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23. Find examples of two Culture Patterns from the reading:
Pattern
Example
24. Find examples of two of the Five Themes of Geography from the reading:
Theme
Example
25. List one reason Yu may have had for his decision to pass power to his son, even though the tradition had been to
choose a strong leader from the other tribes.
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