Download Assessment: The Silk Road

Name __________________________________________________ Date ______________________________
Assessment: The Silk Road
Mastering the Content
Circle the letter next to the best answer.
1. At the time of the Han dynasty, which people particularly threatened China from the north?
A. the Huns
B. the Romans
C. the Persians
D. the Japanese
2. Why is Zhang Qian often called the Father of the Silk Road?
A. This teacher encouraged the exchange of ideas.
B. This explorer brought back word of western cultures.
C. This emperor forced peasants to work on construction.
D. This military leader made the highway safe for traders.
3. Why did people in China want horses from Central Asia?
A. The horses were scarce in China.
B. The horses gave the Chinese a way to sell their silk.
C. The horses were larger and more powerful than Chinese horses.
D. The horses were considered prettier than the ones in China.
4. What made silk valuable in the West?
A. The Syrians thought wool was too itchy.
B. The Indians found cotton to be too expensive.
C. The Romans wanted to buy it to make banners.
D. The Chinese were the only ones who knew how to make it.
5. One of the most important Roman products that trade along the Silk Road brought to China was
A. fur.
B. paper.
C. livestock.
D. glassware.
6. The Silk Road split into a northern route and a southern route. What was one advantage of taking the
northern route?
A. Oases were closer together.
B. Road surfaces were smoother.
C. Scenery was more attractive.
D. Travelers were safer from bandits.
7. What was the most important reason why traders formed long caravans to cross the desert?
A. to learn the route
B. to lift heavy goods
C. to protect each other
D. to prevent sandstorms
8. What belongs in the blank space on the diagram?
A. wool carpets
B. fine dishware
C. ground coffee
D. polished ivory
9. Merchants used camels to move goods on the Eastern Silk Road. What animals carried goods on the Western
Silk Road?
A. dogs
B. yaks
C. goats
D. elephants
10. Which part of the Silk Road exposed travelers to the dangers listed below?
• Lack of oxygen
• Narrow passes
• Steep cliffs
• Snowstorms
A. the Tigris River
B. the Gobi Desert
C. the Iranian Plateau
D. the Pamir Mountains
11. Why did the Western Silk Road end at Mediterranean ports such as Antioch?
A. After such a long journey, most traders wanted to stop.
B. Most of the goods the Chinese wanted came from that region.
C. Goods could be loaded there onto ships to be taken to other lands.
D. The Roman Empire did not allow Chinese goods within its borders.
12. What is the likely reason why the Roman emperor told Romans not to wear silk?
A. He worried that buying silk was taking too much of the empire's gold.
B. He believed that cotton was softer and more comfortable than silk.
C. He was afraid the silkworms would eat too many leaves off the trees.
D. He wanted to save as much silk as possible to make army banners.
13. Which of these facts relating to the Silk Road is an example of cultural diffusion?
A. China became wealthy trading silk.
B. Travelers faced many dangers on their journey.
C. Different animals carried goods on different parts of the route.
D. Europeans learned some Chinese manufacturing methods.
14. What do the three items pictured below have in common?
A. They all came to the West from China.
B. They were all kept secret by Chinese emperors.
C. They all began in India and spread along the Silk Road.
D. They were all trade goods from Mesopotamia on the Silk Road.
15. How did the Silk Road most affect the spread of Buddhism?
A. Travelers carried Buddhist beliefs from India to China.
B. Chinese philosophers wrote Buddhist texts to sell in Antioch.
C. The Buddha encouraged people to seek enlightenment in the desert.
D. Dangers on the route supported the Buddhist idea that life is suffering.
16. When some Chinese Buddhists crossed Central Asia to learn more about their religion, what did they bring
back?
A. robes from Egypt
B. leather from Russia
C. sacred texts from India
D. golden bowls from Rome
Applying Social Studies Skills
Use the map and your knowledge of history to answer the questions. Write the word or phrase in the space
provided.
17. A traveler going from Dunhuang to Kashgar on the northern route of the Silk Road might see the physical
feature called the _________________________ to the left (south) and the physical feature called the
____________________________________________ to the right (north).
18. As shown on the map, the Great Wall offered some protection to travelers between what two cities?
19. According to the map, what is one reason that Kashgar became a major trading center?
Exploring the Essential Question: How did the Silk Road promote an exchange of goods and
ideas?
20. Today, billboards are large roadside advertising signs. Some billboards describe outlet malls or other places
ahead on the road where drivers can shop.
In the space below, create a billboard that might have been seen on the Silk Road. Include the following on
your billboard:
• Describe the places that are encouraging people to stop.
• Identify four goods that would likely be traded in the area.
• Identify where at least two goods come from.
• Explain why people would want to have these goods.
• Use correct English.