Download Quiz: Confucius and Lao Tzu

Quiz: Confucius and Lao Tzu
The Analects and The Tao Te Ching
Choose the letter of the best response.
Confucius and The Analects
1. Confucius was the first person in recorded Chinese history who believed in-a. moral conduct
b. education for all
c. aggressive military action
d. dictatorial government
2. Confucius was very concerned with seeking rulers who followed-a. strict punishments and laws for criminals
b. lenient tax laws for all subjects
c. an aggressive plan for obtaining more land
d. a traditional code of personal ethics and honor
3. Which of the following did Confucius NOT emphasize?
a. devotion to the most powerful ruler
b. moderation in all things
c. moral education
d. family devotion/responsibility to one's parents
4. A maxim is-a. a reference to a famous literary work
b. a brief statement that expresses a basic rule of human conduct
c. a law that rulers must follow to stay in power
d. a literary technique used exclusively by Chinese philosophers
5. In Confucius' maxims, "The Master" refers to-a. Confucius
b. Confucius' disciples
c. anyone who follows the Analects
d. Lao Tzu
Matching
Read the following excerpts from The Analects and match the quotation with the
explanation that best fits each quote.
a. wealth or political gain should not be obtained through dishonest means
b. a ruler should display a strong moral example that others will want to follow
c. true knowledge is realizing what you do know and acknowledging what you do not
know
d. with age comes wisdom
e. the single principle that can guide all actions toward others is "consideration"
ab. do not seek recognition or accolades for your successes or good deeds
6. "He who rules by moral force is like the polestar, which remains in its place while all
the lesser stars do homage to it."
7. The Master said, "A gentleman is distressed by his own lack of capacity; he is never
distressed at the failure of others to recognize his merits."
8. "When you know a thing, to recognize that you know it, and when you do not know a
thing, to recognize that you do not know it. That is knowledge."
9. "Any thought of accepting wealth and rank by means that I know to be wrong is as
remote from me as the clouds that float above."
10. "At fifteen I set my heart upon learning. At thirty, I had planted my feet firm upon
the ground. At forty, I no longer suffered from perplexities...At seventy, I could follow
the dictates of my own heart; for what I desired no longer overstepped the boundaries of
right."
11. Tzu-kung asked, saying, "Is there any single saying that one can act upon all day and
every day?" The Master said, "Perhaps the saying about consideration: 'Never do to
others what you would not like them to do to you."
Lao Tzu--The Tao Te Ching
Multiple Choice--Choose the letter of the best response.
12. Which of the following does NOT apply to the legend of Lao Tzu?
a. born as an old, bearded man
b. called "The Old Philosopher"
c. lived to age 160
d. desired a high political office
13. Which of the following is NOT emphasized by Lao Tzu?
a. adherence to social and religious rituals
b. joyful acceptance of life
c. willingness to yield to the natural world
d. become one with the natural world (The Way)
14. The only book more frequently translated than The Tao Te Ching is-a. Romeo and Juliet
b. the Bible
c. the Koran
d. The Good Earth
15. A paradox is-a. a stanza within a poem that emphasizes a particular point
b. a comparison between two things using "like" or "as"
c. the main point in a literary work
d. an apparently contradictory phrase or statement that is actually
true
Matching
Match each explanation with the correct excerpt from The Tao Te Ching
a. a paradox conveying the importance of teaching by being a model of morality, not
trying to control
b. a simile emphasizing the Tao's ability to nourish/teach without effort
c. emphasizes the importance of humility and that respect does not come from
competition
d. once something is defined and named, its opposite can be recognized
e. emphasizes that the role of the Master is not to control, but to influence
16. "When people see some things as beautiful, other things become ugly, When people
see some things as good, other things become bad."
17. "Therefore, the Master acts without doing anything and teaches without saying
anything."
18. "The supreme good is like water, which nourishes all things without trying to. It is
content with the low places that people disdain. Thus it is like the Tao."
19. "When you are content to be simply yourself and don't compare or compete,
everybody will respect you."
20. "The Master sees things as they are, without trying to control them. She lets them go
their own way, and resides at the center of the circle."