NEB Grade XI Compulsory English Note | Language Development | Unit- 4 Qin Dynasty (Part 1)

Unit:4

History and Culture

Qin Dynasty

Ways with words

A. Match the words with their meanings.

a. brevity- v. lasting only for a short time

b. conquest- vii. victory over a place or people by use of military force

c. resemblance- i. the state of being alike

d. barbarian- ii. a member of an uncivilised group of people or culture

e. ally - x. one state united to another by a treaty or a league for a military purpose

f. nobility- iii. state of being noble in character, quality, or rank

g. ruthlessness- ix. character of having no pity or compassion

h. decimation viii. the killing or destruction of a large number of a population

i. harsh- vi. cruel

j. elixir- iv. liquid that is believed to cure all ills

B. Find the following words in the text and use them in sentences of your own.

invasion

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Answer:
Her parents left Czecholovakia after the Russian invasion in 1968.

disregard

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Answer:
His sister totally disregarded all the advice she was given.

paramount

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Answer:
The well-being of the child must always be the court’s paramount consideration.

populace

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Answer:
He had the support of large section of the local populace.

revolt

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Answer:
Teenagers often revolt against parental discipline.

assassination

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Answer:
Kennedy’s assassination took place in November 22, 1963.

serfdom

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Answer:
Serfdom was abolished in Russia in 1861.

Homographs are the words with different pronunciations and different meanings but same spellings.

D. Consult a dictionary and prepare a list of ten homographs.

1. Bank
2. Book
3. Bar
4. Band
5. Bow
6. Can
7. Compact
8. Conduct
9. Bear
10. Lead

F. Here is a very old limerick taken from a book ‘A Book of Nonsense’ by Edward Lear. Find the stressed words.

There ONCE was a FLY on the WALL.

I WONdered “why DIDn’t it FALL?”

WERE it’s feet STUCK?

Or WAS it just LUCK?

Or does GRAvity MISS things so SMALL?

Comprehension

B. Answer these questions.

a. Why is the Zhou Age called a feudal age?

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Answer:
The Zhou Age is called a feudal age because the Zhou government bore a strong resemblance to some of the forms of feudalism in medieval Europe.

b. What is the location advantage of the Qin?

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Answer:
The territory of the Quin State in modern Shaanxi Province is well guarded from the east by mountains and gorges and has easy access to the North China plain through the Yellow River passes. No major battle ever took place in the Qin’s heartland.

c. What contributed to the success in the warfare as described in the text?

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Answer:
The location of the state, their size of the army, and their expert use of the chariot contributed to their success in warfare.

d. Why did the Qin invite the foreign advisor, Shang Yang?

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Answer:
The Qin invited the foreign advisor, Shang Yang to suggest them the idea of state policy.

e. What were the key features of the Qin political system?

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Answer:
Fear and control were the key features the Qin political system.

f. How were the people treated during the Qin Period?

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Answer:
During the Quin Period, those who contributed the most to the state were highly rewarded while those whose live were considered of no consequence were sent to work as slaves on Shi Huangdi's building projects such as the Great Wall of China, the Grand Canal, and the roads.

g. Why did Shi Huangdi stop educating ordinary people?

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Answer:
Shi Huangdi stopped educating ordinary people because he believed that uneducated people were easier to control.

h. What did the Qin achieve by the legalism in practice?

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Answer:
The Qin achieved the efficiency and strength of the state, a superior army, a disciplined bureaucracy, an obedient populace, and the unquestioned a uthority of a strong central government by the legalism in practice.

i. Why did Shi Huangdi never sleep in the same room for two consecutive nights?

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Answer:
Shi Huangdi never slept in the same room for two consecutive nights because of constant fear of assassination.

j. What are the everlasting marks of the Qin Dynasty?

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Answer:

The everlasting marks of the Qin Dynasty:

• The standard of bureaucratic government and the Legalistic policies
• A wonder of ancient artwork: The Terracotta Army in Xi'an
• The Great Wall of China
• The Grand Canal, and the roads which today link the cities of China and the countryside

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