CHAPTERS 8 – 9 SOUTH ASIA - EAST ASIA
1. Because South Asia has clear physical boundaries that set it apart from the rest of the Asian continent, the term ______is often used to refer to the entire Indian peninsula.
a) atollb) midlatitude
c) estuaryd) subcontinent
2. Why has India renamed several of its large cities, with Calcutta becoming Kolkata and Bombay becoming Mumbai?
a) To make the city names more easily pronounceable
b) To replace the names given to those cities during British colonial rule
c) To gain membership into the European Union
d) To unite warring factions in North and South India
3. The abundance of rainfall during summer in South Asia is amplified by:
a) the ITCZ
b) volcanic ash from Iceland.
c) arctic wind patterns.
d) the evaporation of salt into the air.
4. The monsoon that brings plentiful rain to South Asia occurs during which season?
a) Summerb) Winter
c) Springd) Autumn
5. South Asia’s wealthiest city is:
a) Mumbai. b) Colombo.
c) New Delhi.d) Islamabad.
6. What is the main purpose of the “Chipko movement” in India?
a) Oppose oppression of women
b) Serve as a “watchdog” of the government
c) Increase ecological awareness
d) Reduce India’s reliance on exports
7. Which is true of the Ganga River?
a) Its water is relatively pure.
b) It is against the Hindu religion for dead bodies to be dumped in it.
c) It is India’s most sacred river.
d) It has been polluted by the Union Carbide explosion in Bhopal.
8. Which is true of the Indus Valley (Harappa) civilization in South Asia?
a) Their architectural style was elementary.
b) Their urban design did not allow for sewage.
c) Their trade network extended to Mesopotamia and eastern Africa.
d) They used monsoon rainfall for a series of bicycle-powered fountains throughout their civilization.
9. Which of the following countries did the British attempt to create as a buffer state against Russian advances?
a) Pakistanb) Afghanistan
c) Bangladeshd) India
10. What commodity formed the economic backbone of Bengal in the eighteenth century?
a) Gold
b) Cotton
c) Tobacco
d) Aluminum
11. Among the following British actions in South Asia, which was beneficial to the region’s economic development during and after the colonial period?
a) Prohibiting tariffs on imported manufactures
b) Constructing an expansive railroad network
c) Preserving native languages to improve regional trade
d) Importing British products to discourage industrial growth
12. In 1947, the British partitioned their South Asian colony largely along what lines?
a) Politicalb) Language
c) Raciald) Religious
13. Dharavi is the name of:
a) India’s prime minister.b) a major Indian river.
c) a huge shantytown in Mumbai.d) a lingua franca used in India.
14. The religious scriptures of Hinduism are known as the:
a) Pentateuch.b) Khalis.
c) Vedas.d) Upanishads.
15. Which of the following is NOT a major belief or tenet of Hinduism?
a) The twelve major gods are present in all regions, villages, and families.
b) All gods are merely illusory manifestations of the ultimate divinity.
c) Any living thing that desires the illusory pains and pleasures of life will be reborn after it dies.
d) Cows are only slightly less spiritually advanced than humans.
16. The Vaishyas are the caste of:
a) priests.
b) landowning farmers and merchants.
c) warriors and rulers.
d) low-status laborers.
17. Which of the following often incites conflict between Muslims and Hindus in South Asia?
a) Intermarriage
b) Religious rules about food
c) The conversion of Muslims to Hinduism to enjoy high-caste status
d) Historical conflict between Gandhi and Nehru
18. In many cases across South Asia, according to the textbook, what is a young bride’s relationship to her mother-in-law?
a) Female confidanteb) Business colleague
c) Public liaisond) Domestic servant
19. Which of the following is NOT a rule enforced on women in Taliban-controlled areas?
a) Women must wear a burqa in public.
b) Women must have a minimum of three children.
c) Women are not permitted to work outside the home.
d) Women are not permitted to attend school.
20. What has paradoxically reinforced the custom of dowry in South Asia?
a) Increasing education for men and increasing family affluence
b) Increasing education for women
c) Increasing tension between Hindus and Muslims
d) Increasing access to the Internet
21. All of the following have been effects of South Asia’s green revolution EXCEPT:
a) an increase in women’s status.
b) an uneven distribution of the benefits of the new “green” tools and techniques.
c) increased soil salinization.
d) the pollution of waterways.
22. Which of the following statements captures the idea of microcredit that has developed in South Asia?
a) Accepts development loans only from lenders in the developing world
b) Forgives all but a meager 5 percent of foreign debt owed by countries
c) Makes small loans available to poor entrepreneurs
d) Offers collateral-free loans to private, locally owned companies
23. Which statement best summarizes the end of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan?
a) The Soviet Union annexed parts of Afghanistan with relatively little bloodshed.
b) The Soviet Union installed pro-Soviet Afghani leaders in key government positions.
c) With the help of the United States, the Soviet Union defeated Afghanistan.
d) The Soviet Union left Afghanistan in defeat after heavy losses.
24. The regional conflict over Kashmir primarily involves what two religious groups?
a) Hindus and Muslimsb) Hindus and Sikhs
c) Muslims and Buddhistsd) Sikhs and Buddhists
25. What South Asian country conducted a civil war between Maoist rebels and the monarchy?
a) Bhutanb) Sri Lanka
c) Pakistand) Nepal
26. To which group do most members of the Taliban belong?
a) Pashtunsb) Hazara
c) Uzbeksd) Tajiks
27. In what area do the people never regard their land as permanent?
a) Bangladeshb) The Ganga-Brahmaputra Delta
c) Pakistand) Punjab
28. Which city is known as “India’s Detroit”?
a) Mumbaib) Varanasi
c) Ahmadabadd) Pithampur
29. Which of the following best explains why the ethnic Tamil population in Sri Lanka can be considered a colonial legacy of the British?
a) The British curtailed Singhalese genocide against ethnic Tamils.
b) Tamil forebears were brought from India to work on British plantations in Sri Lanka.
c) Originally from Africa, Tamils served as domestic servants for British settlers in Sri Lanka.
d) Ancestors of the Tamils fled India due to British persecution.
30. The Chinese name for the Long River, or Yangtze, is:
a) Huang He.b) Chang Jiang.
c) Guangzhou.d) Pinyin.
31. Which of the following are the most characteristic of the western part of East Asia?
a) Grasslands and desert
b) Tropical rain forests and palm trees
c) Taiga and tundra
d) Moist groundcover and high levels of evaporation
32. A ger is a(n):
a) Japanese serving woman.b) Mongolian collapsible portable home.
c) Chinese delicacy.d) Korean unit of currency.
33. Which of the following is NOT true of soybeans and soybean agriculture in China?
a) The majority of soybeans used in China are now imported.
b) Soybeans are used mostly for human food and nutrition.
c) China’s ministry supports the importation of soybeans.
d) The Chinese prefer imported soybeans because they are genetically modified to produce more oil.
34. Which of the following is NOT true of dam projects in China?
a) China is home to more than 22,000 dams.
b) China’s dam projects have always displaced people.
c) Chinese dam projects have compensated landholders for the appropriation of their land.
d) China’s dam projects not only control flooding but also produce hydroelectric power.
35. Which statement is true of Taiwan?
a) Compared to the United States and Europe, its air is cleaner.
b) It is primarily a rural nation with high agricultural output.
c) It is clogged with cars that produce exhaust and air pollution.
d) It is relatively free of polluting factories and industry.
36. Which of the following is NOT a part of the philosophy of Confucianism?
a) Belief in reincarnation after death
b) Courtesy, knowledge, and integrity
c) Respect for government officials
d) Loyalty to parents
37. Which of the following accords with Confucian ideology?
a) A male should hold the position of ultimate authority.
b) The matriarchal family is the best organizational model for the state.
c) The military general is the source of all order and civilization.
d) Imperial officials are accountable to common people.
38. The Han heartland is:
a) south China.b) west China.
c) north China, along the Mongolian border.d) east China.
39. In which East Asian indigenous group does a husband move in with his wife’s family at marriage, and then inherit from his wife’s family rather than his birth family?
a) Hanb) Uygur
c) Tibetand) Dai
40. Which of the following cities served for a time as the eastern terminus of the Silk Road?
a) Beijingb) Chang’an (Xian)
c) Shanghaid) Pyongyang
41. China’s far northeast was once known as:
a) Canton.b) Xian.
c) Manchuria.c) Mongolia.
42. Which of the following is true about China’s province of Sichuan?
a) Huang He is the major transport artery.
b) It is the least industrially developed province.
c) It is a very populous province.
d) The harsh climate prevents agriculture.
43. Despite its wet climate, what is the main reason irrigation has been used in Sichuan?
a) To implement new, less-invasive techniques for introducing fertilizers
b) To ensure reliable water supplies for cultivation of wet rice and fine vegetables and fruits
c) To provide households in small rural communities with easy access to water
d) To deliver water to massive reforestation projects along the Chang Jiang
44. Which part of China is famous for its heavily-forested, deep valleys, some of which are crossed by way of rope and bamboo bridges slung across the chasms?
a) The North China Plainb) The Loess Plateau
c) Xinjiang d) Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau
45. China usually declares an area an Autonomous Region rather than a province when the area is:
a) located on a coast.
b) populated by a high percentage of ethnic minorities.
c) agriculturally based rather than industrially based.
d) susceptible to democratizing influences from Western society.
46. The heavy tents that are stretched over collapsible willow frames, and that are home to many of the Uygur people of Xinjiang, are called:
a) taebos.b) amuns.
c) drogs.d) yurts.
47. The Gobi Desert is best described as:
a) a vast arid desert much like the Sahara.
b) a desert that prevents grazing like the Rub’al Khali.
c) a great river basin with large deposits of loess.
d) a dry grassland that grades into true desert in especially dry years.
48. Which of the following does NOT represent a difference between North Korea and South Korea?
a) North Korea is Communist, while South Korea is capitalist.
b) North Korea was colonized by Japan, while South Korea remained independent.
c) North Korea is isolated from the global economy, while South Korea is open to it.
d) North Korea interprets juche as loyalty to the great leader, while South Korea interprets juche as vigorous individualism.
49. Which statement best describes the food situation in Japan?
a) The country is largely self-sufficient in terms of its food production.
b) Food is very expensive in Japan, partly because so much food must be imported to meet the needs of the population.
c) Almost none of Japan’s fish is local; most of it comes from the African coast.
d) Although almost half the population is engaged in agricultural production, Japan must still import rice from China.
50. Which of the following was NOT a characteristic of Japanese employment from World War II until the 1990s?
a) Lifetime employmentb) A high degree of job hopping
c) A de-emphasis on innovationd) Subsidized housing for employees
ESSAYS NEXT PAGE
ESSAY QUESTIONS: ANSWER 3 OF THE FOLLOWINGUSE 3-5 COMPLETE SENTENCES FOR EACH
-Briefly discuss the main economic and political differences that distinguish North and South Korea from one another.
-Explain why natives of the North China Plain call the Huang He the “Mother of China” and “China’s sorrow.”
-Briefly explain some of the concerns regarding the Three Gorges Dam.
-Describe some of the factors that may explain why the Indian state of Kerala enjoys a higher standard of well-being than the rest of South Asia.
-Describe the cause and path of the summer monsoons in South Asia.
-Explain why some nongovernmental organizations seek to lessen the influence of purdah customs as a means of improving the well-being of children and reducing fertility rates.
-Briefly define what a dowry is; discuss the rationale behind the practice and how it encourages female infanticide in South Asia.
-Explain how Hindu cultural traditions are negatively affecting the purity of the Ganga River. Why has this problem been exacerbated in recent years? [Pg. 438-440]
-Briefly describe each of the four varnas within the caste system.
-Discuss how the educational attainment of women tends to influence the rate of population growth and explain the reasons for that effect.
- Briefly describe the so-called green revolution and discuss why it yielded few benefits for poor farmers.
- Explain the main problem addressed in both the idea of microcredit and, more specifically, the Grameen Bank. Based on this concept, explain specific ways that the Grameen Bank has succeeded in addressing this problem.
- What physical process makes the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh more prosperous than other Himalayan countries? What economic activity has been successful as a result of this physical process?