Agriculture in Classical China
In classical China (1000 B.C.E.-500 c.E.), farmers and farming enjoyed greater standing than in most other civilizations. In the official Chinese social hierarchy, farmers came after the scholar-bureaucrats in prestige. Such was the prestige of farming in classical China that even scholars tried to keep their hand in agriculture, engaging when they could in plowing or other agrarian activities. After the farmers came artisans and, lastly, merchants, actors, and other groups presumed to be disreputable. In theory, peasants could become government officials; during the Han dynasty (202 B.C.E.-220 C.E.), discrimination against traders increased, even leading to a prohibition against merchants becoming state officials. Traders were, however, typically much wealthier than the vast majority of the peasants, bringing about contradictions between wealth and social prestige. The lack of prestige in commerce did make the wealthy prefer to invest in land rather than in trading ventures, leading to increased landlordism.
The majority of the population were either peasants who owned their own land or permanent workers who cultivated plots that they did not own but that remained in the same family for many generations. This pattern had emerged in the preclassical period under the Zhou dynasty (1046-256 B.C.E.). The Zhou formed China’s feudal period, in which political unity was an ideal rarely, if ever, achieved. Instead, the relatively weak central government and the rival kingdoms gave away land to aristocrats in exchange for armaments, horses, and other military needs. These aristocrats had to supply loyalty and military services to their benefactors. In return for military protection, peasants paid a certain percentage of their crops to the aristocrats, in what is called a manorial system. The landlords restricted the movement of the rural workers; after all, it was the peasants’ work that made the land produce, and peasants’ movement elsewhere meant the land, less productive, could yield less to the aristocracy.
The classical period in China was punctuated by a social revolution. In the Qin dynasty (221-202 B.c.E.), the emperor decreed the liberty of all manorial peasants, giving them the land they had worked for generations. During the Qin period, this decree probably did not mean much less actual work, for it was during this dynasty that the emperor bilt much of what we know of as the Great Wall. The authoritarian methods to recruit workers brought about widespread discontent and, ironically, led to the Qin emperor’s overthrow. The abolition of the manorial system was permanent, however, and led to higher population growth, as well as spontaneous migration to the fertile and less densely populated lands in southern China. The consequences of these actions had lasting importance for rural labor patterns. In the first place, instead of millet and wheat, peasants increasingly began to cultivate rice, which grew well in the hot southern climate. In addition, population growth diminished the size of the plots of households, especially in the densely settled eastern portion of the empire. By the time of the Han dynasty, the standard landholding of one farming family with seven members was slightly less than 5 acres. The small plot size meant that Chinese peasants had to engage in intensive farming. They had to use deep tilling (digging soil to prepare for planting) techniques and irrigation and to invest a much greater amount of labor into their plots, with frequent weeding, fertilizing, careful thinning, and the like. In the south, where winters came late or were mild, cultivators frequently tried to plant and harvest more than one crop annually or to plant a staple crop such as millet in between mulberry trees.
This intense activity was not enough in years of droughts, overabundant rainfall, or other natural disasters. Peasants needed to generate other income to cover their taxes and pay for other goods that they might want to acquire. The most important subsidiary activity was weaving, done mainly by women, as the ancient Chinese refrain “man as tiller, woman as weaver” suggests. Indeed, the Han considered agriculture and weaving to be complementary, a distinctive trait of Chinese rural life. Even when they were sitting at their doorsteps conversing with their neighbors, women spun fibers or kept busy in other ways. It is possible that weaving brought in almost as much income as farming.
1
In classical China (1000 B.C.E.-500 c.E.), farmers and farming enjoyed greater standing than in most other civilizations. In the official Chinese social hierarchy, farmers came after the scholar-bureaucrats in prestige. Such was the prestige of farming in classical China that even scholars tried to keep their hand in agriculture, engaging when they could in plowing or other agrarian activities. After the farmers came artisans and, lastly, merchants, actors, and other groups presumed to be disreputable. In theory, peasants could become government officials; during the Han dynasty (202 B.C.E.-220 C.E.), discrimination against traders increased, even leading to a prohibition against merchants becoming state officials. Traders were, however, typically much wealthier than the vast majority of the peasants, bringing about contradictions between wealth and social prestige. The lack of prestige in commerce did make the wealthy prefer to invest in land rather than in trading ventures, leading to increased landlordism.
In paragraph 1， why does the author discuss who could become a state official?
ATo explain why many peasants became government officials
BTo support the claim that traders were wealthier than most peasants
CTo emphasize that being a farmer was more prestigious than being a merchant
DTo illustrate the importance of wealth for a career in government
2
The majority of the population were either peasants who owned their own land or permanent workers who cultivated plots that they did not own but that remained in the same family for many generations. This pattern had emerged in the preclassical period under the Zhou dynasty (1046-256 B.C.E.). The Zhou formed China’s feudal period, in which political unity was an ideal rarely, if ever, achieved. Instead, the relatively weak central government and the rival kingdoms gave away land to aristocrats in exchange for armaments, horses, and other military needs. These aristocrats had to supply loyalty and military services to their benefactors. In return for military protection, peasants paid a certain percentage of their crops to the aristocrats, in what is called a manorial system. The landlords restricted the movement of the rural workers; after all, it was the peasants’ work that made the land produce, and peasants’ movement elsewhere meant the land, less productive, could yield less to the aristocracy.
Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.
AAs the land became less productive, yielding less to the aristocracy, peasants began to move elsewhere.
BBecause rural workers often moved away from their landlords’ land, owning land began to yield less for the aristocracy.
CThe landlords began to restrict their workers’ movements after the land became less productive.
DBecause the productivity of their land depended on peasant labor, the landlords prevented their workers from moving away.
3
The majority of the population were either peasants who owned their own land or permanent workers who cultivated plots that they did not own but that remained in the same family for many generations. This pattern had emerged in the preclassical period under the Zhou dynasty (1046-256 B.C.E.). The Zhou formed China’s feudal period, in which political unity was an ideal rarely, if ever, achieved. Instead, the relatively weak central government and the rival kingdoms gave away land to aristocrats in exchange for armaments, horses, and other military needs. These aristocrats had to supply loyalty and military services to their benefactors. In return for military protection, peasants paid a certain percentage of their crops to the aristocrats, in what is called a manorial system. The landlords restricted the movement of the rural workers; after all, it was the peasants’ work that made the land produce, and peasants’ movement elsewhere meant the land, less productive, could yield less to the aristocracy.
According to paragraph 2， aristocrats during the Zhou dynasty did all of the following EXCEPT
Aunify control over large areas of the population
Bacquire land from the government
Cprovide military services and supplies to the government
Dprotect peasants in exchange for crops
4
The classical period in China was punctuated by a social revolution. In the Qin dynasty (221-202 B.c.E.), the emperor decreed the liberty of all manorial peasants, giving them the land they had worked for generations. During the Qin period, this decree probably did not mean much less actual work, for it was during this dynasty that the emperor bilt much of what we know of as the Great Wall. The authoritarian methods to recruit workers brought about widespread discontent and, ironically, led to the Qin emperor’s overthrow. The abolition of the manorial system was permanent, however, and led to higher population growth, as well as spontaneous migration to the fertile and less densely populated lands in southern China. The consequences of these actions had lasting importance for rural labor patterns. In the first place, instead of millet and wheat, peasants increasingly began to cultivate rice, which grew well in the hot southern climate. In addition, population growth diminished the size of the plots of households, especially in the densely settled eastern portion of the empire. By the time of the Han dynasty, the standard landholding of one farming family with seven members was slightly less than 5 acres. The small plot size meant that Chinese peasants had to engage in intensive farming. They had to use deep tilling (digging soil to prepare for planting) techniques and irrigation and to invest a much greater amount of labor into their plots, with frequent weeding, fertilizing, careful thinning, and the like. In the south, where winters came late or were mild, cultivators frequently tried to plant and harvest more than one crop annually or to plant a staple crop such as millet in between mulberry trees.
Paragraph 3 suggests that which of the following happened to the peasants after they were given their freedom by the Qin emperor?
ATheir numbers decreased because they were unable to provide themselves with enough food.
BMany of them were forced to work on building the Great Wall.
CThey lost their liberty after the emperor was overthrown.
DThey no longer had to work as hard as they had before they were granted their freedom.
5
The classical period in China was punctuated by a social revolution. In the Qin dynasty (221-202 B.c.E.), the emperor decreed the liberty of all manorial peasants, giving them the land they had worked for generations. During the Qin period, this decree probably did not mean much less actual work, for it was during this dynasty that the emperor bilt much of what we know of as the Great Wall. The authoritarian methods to recruit workers brought about widespread discontent and, ironically, led to the Qin emperor’s overthrow. The abolition of the manorial system was permanent, however, and led to higher population growth, as well as spontaneous migration to the fertile and less densely populated lands in southern China. The consequences of these actions had lasting importance for rural labor patterns. In the first place, instead of millet and wheat, peasants increasingly began to cultivate rice, which grew well in the hot southern climate. In addition, population growth diminished the size of the plots of households, especially in the densely settled eastern portion of the empire. By the time of the Han dynasty, the standard landholding of one farming family with seven members was slightly less than 5 acres. The small plot size meant that Chinese peasants had to engage in intensive farming. They had to use deep tilling (digging soil to prepare for planting) techniques and irrigation and to invest a much greater amount of labor into their plots, with frequent weeding, fertilizing, careful thinning, and the like. In the south, where winters came late or were mild, cultivators frequently tried to plant and harvest more than one crop annually or to plant a staple crop such as millet in between mulberry trees.
According to paragraph 3， the social revolution of the Qin dynasty led to which of the following?
AA decrease in the rate of population growth for a relatively short period of time
BMovement of more people into southern China
CAn increase in the amount of land the average household had to farm
DWidespread discontent among peasants caused by the excessive amount of labor involved in working the land
6
The classical period in China was punctuated by a social revolution. In the Qin dynasty (221-202 B.c.E.), the emperor decreed the liberty of all manorial peasants, giving them the land they had worked for generations. During the Qin period, this decree probably did not mean much less actual work, for it was during this dynasty that the emperor bilt much of what we know of as the Great Wall. The authoritarian methods to recruit workers brought about widespread discontent and, ironically, led to the Qin emperor’s overthrow. The abolition of the manorial system was permanent, however, and led to higher population growth, as well as spontaneous migration to the fertile and less densely populated lands in southern China. The consequences of these actions had lasting importance for rural labor patterns. In the first place, instead of millet and wheat, peasants increasingly began to cultivate rice, which grew well in the hot southern climate. In addition, population growth diminished the size of the plots of households, especially in the densely settled eastern portion of the empire. By the time of the Han dynasty, the standard landholding of one farming family with seven members was slightly less than 5 acres. The small plot size meant that Chinese peasants had to engage in intensive farming. They had to use deep tilling (digging soil to prepare for planting) techniques and irrigation and to invest a much greater amount of labor into their plots, with frequent weeding, fertilizing, careful thinning, and the like. In the south, where winters came late or were mild, cultivators frequently tried to plant and harvest more than one crop annually or to plant a staple crop such as millet in between mulberry trees.
Paragraph 3 suggests that farmers in southern China planted crops such as millet between mulberry trees for which of the following reasons?
ATo harvest more crops from the limited amount of land than they otherwise would
BTo protect the crops from the heat that was characteristic of the southern climate
CTo take advantage of soil that required less preparation than other soil in the south did
DTo provide a source of fertilizer for the crops
7
This intense activity was not enough in years of droughts, overabundant rainfall, or other natural disasters. Peasants needed to generate other income to cover their taxes and pay for other goods that they might want to acquire. The most important subsidiary activity was weaving, done mainly by women, as the ancient Chinese refrain “man as tiller, woman as weaver” suggests. Indeed, the Han considered agriculture and weaving to be complementary, a distinctive trait of Chinese rural life. Even when they were sitting at their doorsteps conversing with their neighbors, women spun fibers or kept busy in other ways. It is possible that weaving brought in almost as much income as farming.
The word “distinctive”in the passage is closest in meaning to
Abeneficial
Bcharacteristic
Clasting
Dpractical
8
This intense activity was not enough in years of droughts, overabundant rainfall, or other natural disasters. Peasants needed to generate other income to cover their taxes and pay for other goods that they might want to acquire. The most important subsidiary activity was weaving, done mainly by women, as the ancient Chinese refrain “man as tiller, woman as weaver” suggests. Indeed, the Han considered agriculture and weaving to be complementary, a distinctive trait of Chinese rural life. Even when they were sitting at their doorsteps conversing with their neighbors, women spun fibers or kept busy in other ways. It is possible that weaving brought in almost as much income as farming.
According to paragraph 4， which of the following was true of weaving in China?
AIt could bring a significant amount of money into the home.
BIt was limited during periods of natural disasters.
CIt was primarily done to meet the clothing needs of the household.
DIt was primarily done by families that did not have farms.
9
In classical China (1000 B.C.E.-500 c.E.), farmers and farming enjoyed greater standing than in most other civilizations. [■]In the official Chinese social hierarchy, farmers came after the scholar-bureaucrats in prestige. [■]Such was the prestige of farming in classical China that even scholars tried to keep their hand in agriculture, engaging when they could in plowing or other agrarian activities. [■]After the farmers came artisans and, lastly, merchants, actors, and other groups presumed to be disreputable. [■]In theory, peasants could become government officials; during the Han dynasty (202 B.C.E.-220 C.E.), discrimination against traders increased, even leading to a prohibition against merchants becoming state officials. Traders were, however, typically much wealthier than the vast majority of the peasants, bringing about contradictions between wealth and social prestige. The lack of prestige in commerce did make the wealthy prefer to invest in land rather than in trading ventures, leading to increased landlordism.
Look at the four squaresthat indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage
Among the merchant class, only booksellers were seen as being honorable and as having the same social standing as scholars.
Where would the sentence best fit？Click on a square sentence to the passage.
10
Farming in classical China was a relatively prestigious activity, although peasants were not particularly wealthy.
ASome peasants took advantage of the discrimination against merchants during the Han dynasty by acquiring positions in government, which brought them additional prestige and wealth.
BThe Qin emperor ended the manorial system by decreeing the liberty of rural workers, who were the majority of the population, and this led to population growth and other long-term effects.
CIncreased populations led to smaller farms, and by the time of the Han dynasty crops needed to be grown through intensive farming, which required a very large amount of work.
DFarmers acquired their high social standing in the preclassical period under the Zhou dynasty, when aristocrats depended on them for armaments, horses, and other military needs.
ENew techniques allowed farmers to begin growing millet and wheat, which helped them increase land productivity and pay the high taxes required by the central government.
FNatural disasters and the need to pay taxes and buy goods led peasants, especially women, to engage in activities besides farming, such as weaving, to provide additional income.
